"Oh god you're kidding me!" I moaned. A bunch of mutant freaks in a mall? Not a good idea.
"Come on Max there's a food court!" Dylan said as we all jumped out of the car.
"But I still don't think it's a good idea." I protested. Bad things tended to happen to us in public places. We all knew that erasers were back now.
"Fine I'll go."
So we entered the mall. Nudge flipped out and begged to go to every store imaginable. But I kept reminding her that we were here to eat.
Dylan was stuck to me like glue. He kept staying near me.
"So what's with you and Fang?" he whispered in my ear. I could see that he was trying to be strong but there was the look of unmistakable hurt behind his blue eyes.
"Nothing." Oh what a great answer Max. Ugh.
"It didn't look like nothing this morning." He said. I knew that he was just going to keep on bugging me about it.
"I don't know what Fang wants right now." I said and looked away from him.
"Well, I thought that you could read his mind that's how in love you guys were." He mocked.
"What is your problem!" I screamed. This kid was really pushing me over the edge. We had fallen behind the group and they were way ahead of us now.
"Max I'm upset! Who could blame me seriously! Do you have any idea what it's like to love someone who doesn't love you back? The only reason I exist is to love you. That's why they made me."
He stared at me for a second before hurrying to catch up with the group. I shook my head went to catch up with them too.
I stopped for a moment and stared at the back of Fang's head. I didn't want to hurt Dylan for no reason. If I was going to be with Fang we had prove that it could work. He had to prove that it could work.
Finally after Nudge looking in every store we made it to the food court. A couple people headed off in different directions to find food. Everyone else just sat and waited. I told them I was going to the bathroom. I needed space right now.
I hurried into the bathroom. Surprisingly there were only a couple girls around my age in there putting on makeup. Ew. This is what I get for coming into the mall. Curse you Ratchet!
This whole stupid thing with Fang and Dylan was messing me up again. I gripped both sides of the sink and tried to steady myself.
I suddenly got to thinking about what Fang said in his letter. That I wasn't always at my best leaderness. Maybe he was right. I mean right now I'm sulking in the bathroom instead of being with what remains of my flock. They could all be dead this very second and I wouldn't have known.
With new worries on my mind I ran out of the bathroom and walked back to the table where everyone was crowded around.
When I got there Iggy was showing Kate how he could feel colors. Well at least they were getting along. I pulled up a chair and sat down. I reached for a burger but stopped myself. My stomach was still churning from my little realization in the bathroom. I felt paranoid; everyone in this mall could be an eraser.
I spent the rest of the time nervously waiting for an eraser to pop out and jump me. Later as we walked back to the car I wished that I had eaten something earlier. Because now I was starving. I held onto Carter tightly and started getting jittery. I couldn't sit still and Ratchet noticed.
"What are you doing." He asked and stared at my hands which were nervously tapping against the door.
"Nothing I'm fine. Hey did you happen to bring back any burgers?" I asked I had to eat something, I knew it would calm me down.
"Yeah there's some in that bag." He gestured to a white bag down on the floor. I started stuffing my face with what was left in the bag. Of course it made me feel better right away. But then I got sleepy. Carter wrapped his little arms around my neck and closed his eyes. I was about to close my eyes when I felt a hand shaking my shoulder.
"Shut up." I groaned, "I just had three burgers and a twelve inch sub, I'm going into food coma! Let me sleep."
Max you have to stay awake. There might not be a fight but you have to stay focused. You might have to actually use your brain.
I sat up in shock. It was the voice. It was showing up less and less nowadays.
Fine. But I don't know why I am listening to a voice in my head. I thought back.
When have I ever let you down Maximum?
So I was alert for the rest of the ride. I didn't know what the voice meant by using my brain. I was actually quite offended. I was somewhat smart. I went to school for like two whole months.
Ratchet stopped the car. "This is as close as we can get to the school." We all got out and started walking. Dylan and I were the only ones who had seen the spider eyed noid kids. Dylan started filling everyone in on how to fight them.
It was still pretty hot out here in the dessert. I glanced over at Fang; he was looking down at the ground. Usually he would be alert and looking to see if we were about to be attacked.
We neared the building and surprisingly no weird kids jumped out.
"Something is wrong here." Dylan whispered. We were so close to the door now. We were all tense, calculating our best chances of make a run for it.
But nothing happened. Fang came up to the front of the group so that he was closest to the door. Nudge and Gazzy gravitated closer to each other without realizing.
Fang reached out and opened the door slightly. Still nothing. Fang took a step inside.
"Don't." I warned him sharply.
He ignored me and went in anyway. No one moved, and then at the exact same time Maya and I stepped forward. I frowned in annoyance. I was supposed to have Fang's back, not Maya. Then I remembered that he didn't have my back anymore and let Maya go slip in first.
We all followed inside.
"What the hell!" Gazzy shouted.
It was empty inside. Without a doubt. The interior was designed so that you could see every room and floor on each level. No one was in here. Not unless they were hiding in a box.
Slips of paper littered the floor.
"Gazzy, shut up!" Nudge hissed.
Fang scooped up a slip of the ground. I watched his dark eyes move back and forth as he read it carefully. I stared and got lost in the way he frowned. I looked at every scar, bruise, and freckle.
Suddenly he lurched forward looking angry. I snapped out my wings in surprise and ended up knocking Dylan backwards as I snapped out of my haze.
"Max!" He yelled out.
"Oh calm down! It was just a little nudge." I leaned down and pulled him back up.
"What's up?" Holden asked, gesturing to the slip.
"It says that everything in this building was shipped to Paris." He stated solemnly. We were all quiet for a second and Carter looked up at me confused.
"That's where she is." He squeaked. I bent down, picked him up, and held him on my hip.
"Where who is?" I asked eagerly. Was it Angel?
"Don't know." He replied.
"Yay! We get to go on a plane again! And back to Paris!" Nudge squealed.
"Yes! Finally! We should live there!" Total said.
"Wait no one said that we were going to Paris." Star pointed out.
"Well it makes sense." Maya argued. "This institution probably relocated."
My brain was still processing what Carter had said. Was she Angel? I probably wasn't going to get an answer out of him. He'd been quiet mostly and probably still didn't feel well. I shifted him so that his little sneaker clad feet weren't poking my bandages.
Then I noticed that almost everyone was looking at me. Oh right, I was the leader and apparently not being a very good one. Darn.
"Okay guys let's get to the airport. Ig can you dismantle any security stuff with Gazzy?"
"Sure." Gazzy said. Iggy said nothing. I was going to talk to him again.
At least we had a lead. We were on our Way. I'm coming Angel. I'll save you baby.