DISCLAIMER: Do I need to explain???
Nothing Like This- Chapter 2 (Welcome Home)
MAX POV
"Ummm, Ella, Dr. Martinez, Ummm, I…I have to leave. I have to go back to my flock, they need me." I explained sadly.
Congratulations Maximum! You made a good decision for once.
I swear I heard sarcasm that time so I replied in the same tone 'I didn't do it for you!'
Ella's eyes began to water as she whispered, "Why?" "Well," I began. "I told you that I had just escaped, and, I've thought long and hard and I think I need to check up on the flock. I can always come back, but…" Dr. Martinez walked over to me and asked, "Does your wrist still hurt, or how about that bruise, well, bruises? You shouldn't leave if you haven't healed yet."
I cradled my left arm as I thought it over once more and then answered, "Well, like I told you, we heal awfully fast. It is going to hurt a bit for a while, yes, and my bruises are still there but they probably won't go away for a while. I think I need to go back. I mean, if I wait any longer, well, what am I saying, they probably already think I'm dead. So, I need to go back. It's been 2 years, so, Angel is 8 now, Gazzy would be 10, and Nudge is 13. I need to go back, no matter what."
"Well, I understand Max, but at least stick around for lunch. And then leave after that. We can make some cookies too, for you to take with you." Dr. Martinez stopped when she saw me excitedly grabbing the ingredients for Chocolate Chip cookies and plopping them on the table.
Ella wiped her eyes and said, "OK, but you must come back. Bring the flock by, I wanna meet them!" I laughed as I began mixing the dough. I felt carefree, and for a moment, I actually thought about changing my mind and staying. But, I regained her senses and just went back to covering Ella with flour and eating the cookie dough.
'Max, you need to stay away from distractions' the voice so rudely interrupted'Just leave me alone. I agreed to go back, didn't I? Let me have at least a little fun, jeez!'
I heard the voice sigh but it didn't say anything. I thanked it and stuck another cookie-dough-covered finger into my mouth.
Hours later, Ella and I were sitting outside, lying on a picnic blanket. With this quiet time, I decided, I would go back to my train of thought from earlier…if only I could remember…oh, yeah, the flock! I needed to surprise them. Should I bring them toys? No, Fang, Iggy, and Nudge don't play with toys anymore. Cookies? Well, I was already planning on bringing them some of my cookies so I can scratch that off my idealist. "Cookie" I whispered, grabbing a fresh cookie off of the small plate between us. I heard Ella giggle as I sat up and looked over at her. "What time is it?" I asked, my mouth full of cookie. She looked at me questioningly before I pointed to her watch. "1:55pm" she answered. I shot up from my spot on the blanked and then laughed. I had knocked her glass of ice water on her and she shot from her seat, her bottom now freezing. She glared at me and I abruptly stopped.
I helped Ella pick up lunch and then I head to the guest room. Sighing, I fell onto the bed. I knew I would probably be back in a few months anyway, because of my condition. I mean, what would the flock think? Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge would happily accept it but…Fang and Iggy would kick the crap out of Ari. Even though he deserved it, I couldn't let them do that.
I grabbed my already packed bag, slipped it on my back, and walked into the living room, where Ella and Dr. M were waiting. By the time I had hugged Ella and her mom, I was crying. I didn't really want to leave, but I know I had to. "I'll come back by in a few months, I promise!" I told Ella as I walked out the door. Ella nodded and smiled at me.
"Wait!" She exclaimed. I turned around and she threw me a necklace with a small charm. I thanked Ella and put it on. She showed me hers as well. They were two pieces of a heart that fit together and say Best and Friends. "I know it's kinda cheepy…" Ella said. I just embraced her once more before looking around and taking off. I waved good-bye from about 100ft up and then sped off, using my super-speed.
I flew for the next 3 ½ hours, using super-speed the entire time. I grew tired and weary so I stopped in a tall pine tree and took a break. An hour later, after I had eaten an apple and a few granola bars Dr. Martinez had given me, and after I had drank about half of on of the many water bottles she had given me, I head off again. I flew at hyper-speed once more. By the time I arrived at the house, it was 10:00, give or take a few minutes. 10:00pm meant it was past bedtime, so they shouldn't be up. But, I got to thinking, with Fang and Iggy incharge, maybe they got to stay up a while longer. I hoped not as I crept into the house. I got lucky, it was dark and quiet. But, the house was a mess.
'Voice, remind me to kill Fang and Iggy in the morning' I begged.
But, as expected, the voice didn't respond.
I wasn't really tired so I spent my next four hours cleaning the living room, dining room, and kitchen. After that, I was pooped, so I head to my room. I could tell someone had been keeping it clean and tidy, probably Fang. I noticed something hanging on my wall that was bare before. I reached for it and pulled it down. It was a picture, of all of us, of the flock. The bottom corner read, in perfect cursive, Fang 6-12-05. 6-12-05? June 12th, 2005! Oh, that was the day I was taken to the school, two years ago. Wait, that was my 'birthday', the one I had picked for myself. I suddenly had this feeling in my head that there was something else important about it too. Oh, well, I sighed. I hung the picture back on the wall and, as I went to get in bed, I noticed my calendar. Calendar…Calendar, oh! That was today! Well, "Happy Birthday Me!!!" I said to myself under my breath. Finally, at about 2:30am, I fell onto my bed, literally, and fell asleep.
It was 8:00 in the morning when I sat up, a bad feeling boading in my stomach. I slipped out from under my covers, 'how did I get there?' and ran, as inconspicuously as I could, to the bathroom. My stomach heaved once more, bile pushing its way up though my throat. I made the mistake of looking down into the toilet, 'Is that a chocolate chip?' before my stomach tossed out the rest of its contents. I flushed the toilet, hoping the sound would not wake up the flock, and, when I heard no movement, I left the house.
I know what I would do to surprise them. It was perfect, I had it all planned out. I flew out to the nearest town and walked into the small shop that we had always used for our shopping. We preferred this one because it was cheap, near, and was right infront of the forest that hid out lovely house, so we could make a clean non-spotted, getaway.
Max, you're back and you surprise them with…sugary treats?
'Yep!' I thought back excitedly as I walked down the eisle of a 24hr 7/Eleven, looking for what the voice called, 'sugary treats'. When I found it, I grabbed about 5 1-dozen boxes and head up to the check out. The woman who rung it up looked at me like I was crazy and I just said, "I'm having a party, what do you expect?" I quickly ran out of there and, once out of sight, I jumped into the air. It was hard flying with 5 giant boxes dangling from my wrist but I managed. I arrived back at the house and to my surprise, no one was up. I set up breakfast on the dining room table and walked to our hallway.
I hesitated, but I knocked on the girls room. I then opened the door slightly and said, "Wake Up!!! Breakfast is ready!!!" I repeated this process for Gazzy's room, Iggy's room, and, reluctantly, for Fang's room. I then walked into the dining room, sat myself in my usual seat and awaited the flocks screams and hugs. But then I remembered something.
'Voice, is there any way you can block my mind from Angel? Like, not all of it, but my memories, from the school and stuff? She doesn't need to see that?
Luckily, my voice answered. Finally something was going alright.
Yeah, but it will hurt…'I don't care, just do it', I responded, bracing myself for the pain.
When it came, it wasn't all that bad. With all the pain that was inflicted on me at the school recently, I shuddered, it was just like a minor minor headache. I sat back and relaxed…and that's when I heard it…footsteps. They sounded like…Nudge.
Well, it may seem a bit forward, sry bout that, but here is your update! I thank all of my reviewers for reading and reviewing and I hope you like this chapter. Review!!! Oh, and 5 reviews for the next chapter, from now on. Review!!!