Have you ever felt like you were waiting for death to appear? Like you were living on borrowed time and before you could scream no it would not take you, but take one you loved. Have you ever felt like just giving into the darkness to protect and save the ones you love? Who knows who else is going to die because they just met us? It could be the guy who just sold us hot dogs last week. That's what I felt like. Ari died because he didn't come with us and was transformed into an eraser with an expiration date. Ella died because she helped me and it would hurt me if she died. Who knows who else that knew us that died? Oh wait, the all-knowing Internet.
I stormed into Fang's temporary room that he was sharing with Iggy 2 and literally plucked the laptop out of his hand as he was typing some new extremely important blog entry and walked out of the room with him following me. I closed the window and he started arguing with me as I sat down on the kitchen counter. I typed in John Abate into google and the first tab that came up was a newspaper article talking about a brilliant environmental scientist found dead in an alleyway after being missing for three days. Fang's eyes met mine and he got out a slip of paper and began writing names down.
"Everyone I can think of who's helped us." He told me passing me the slip. I typed in, Brigid Dwyer and there was an article saying almost the exact thing it said on John's. I tried to hide a smirk, but of course Fang looked devastated. I looked at the next name and typed in, Jessica Joy Thompson. There was an article about her being found apparently being attacked by some wild animal. Erasers. I looked at the next name, Lissa Simpson. I looked at him like he was joking about Lissa's last name, but he just nodded at me. Boy, I would hate to be her. I typed her name in and tried to hide a laugh as it said her tongue was cut off along with her lips when she was found dead in a parking lot. That's what she gets for making out with Fang. Not that I cared or anything. I used to, but now I couldn't care less. We both looked at each other and I knew we were both thinking about my mom.
"Should we get out of here?" I asked. He shrugged with his usual, Whatever you say, look. It annoyed the h out of me.
"I'll go wherever you go." He said. I rolled my eyes in my way of saying, whatever. I could tell he was annoyed with me.
"There's still a you and me." He stated.
"Fang, there hasn't been a you and me since you wrote that note." I replied stoically.
"Why can't you just forgive me already?" He asked.
"Why would I forgive you?" I retorted.
"Because you loooove me." He stated while holding out his arms. My shriek of rage could be heard throughout the house, which was probably why everyone came running into the kitchen. He was smirking and I was fuming. Nothing unusual lately. Dylan stood beside me, which made Fang's face turn stoic, but I could see the hatred in his eyes. Excellent. I left and walked up the stairs so the two could have a catfight when an annoying sound stopped me.
Maximum, you must focus on saving the world.
What? No hello? Where is your manners voice?
Maximum, you saw what RAVEN is doing to everyone who has ever helped you or been nice to you. Do you want more deaths to happen because of you? I gritted my teeth and walked up to the room I was sharing with Nudge. I flung the door open and plopped down on my bed. Nudge wasn't in here so I could enjoy some peace and quiet. That is until my head exploded. I clutched my head in vain trying to keep my skull from splitting open and tried to hold in tears. The damn voice is so irritating! Language Maximum, He told me. Screw you, I thought back hastily. It ended five minutes later and I felt like sleeping for eternity. Dylan had to ruin this hope of course.
"We found a pool table in your mom's basement. Want to come down?" He asked. I shrugged and followed him down to the basement. I also noticed a shiner under his left eye. Fang. I smirked and struggled not to laugh. He glared at me and I held up my hands still grinning. I walked down the creaky steps and saw all of the original flock. Except Angel of course. Apparently, all of the clones were avoiding us. Hurtful, I'll tell ya'. Dylan grabbed a pool stick and Fang did the same. I guess their little boy fight wasn't over yet. This should be interesting.
"Max, who ya' betting on?" Iggy asked me. I mentally thought over the strengths and weaknesses of them both. Did Dylan even know how to play pool?
"Dylan, do you even know how to play?" I asked. He smirked and nodded. Well I was still mad at Fang and it would drive him crazy if I betted on Dylan, on the other hand…who am I kidding that's reason enough.
"Five bucks on Dylan." I told Iggy. He looked surprised that I was actually betting, but took the money and wrote it down in a little black notebook that he must keep with his unknown source of bombs. Now you may be asking, are you Max's clone because you bet on it? I am, in fact the original Max. I wanted to get past the voice thing so I was having as much fun as possible. Nudge and Gaz had both bet ten bucks on Fang and Iggy bet twenty. The game went on for about twenty minutes until Dylan finally sunk the eight ball and won. Iggy growled and placed my winning money into my already outstretched palm while I smirked.
"So whose next?" Dylan asked. Nudge shook her head no.
"Gazzy?" He asked. Gazzy shook his head as Nudge glared at him.
"Iggy, come on. You would love it." Dylan coaxed.
"I'm blind. And nobody likes a show off." He answered.
"Max? You would get a chance to kick my ass." He persuaded. I carefully thought it over. A pool stick could be a very handy weapon that I could most likely kill someone with. Plus, I could kick Dylan's ass. On the other hand, it's Dylan.
"What's in it for me?" I asked bored. He grinned and set forty-five bucks on the table.
"If you win, you get more money. You lose, I get your forty five bucks." He told me.
"I have a different idea." I plucked the money off the table and started walking away.
"How about I just take the money and not play." I called out over my shoulder as the flock was giggling, Fang was smirking, and Dylan's jaw was dropped. I bolted up the stairs as Dylan chased after me and was about to run out the door and fly when I crumpled and my brain most likely splattered across the walls. I held my head and faintly felt a hand shaking me and heard footsteps slamming on the wooden steps from the basement. I slowly lost consciousness and found myself in the room where Ella died.
The room was completely empty except for shapes on the wall. The lights came on and I saw figures chained to the wall by their wrists. I recognized these figures though. In front of me was Ella, looking exactly like she did when she died. I looked away only to see Ari. I turned slightly to see J.J. from Virginia. I turned more and saw Sam. Then the guy with the Mac from the subway tunnels. Then the little girl that we rescued from the institute. Then Tessa, the girl that Iggy liked. Then, I saw John Abate, from the Wendy K. I turned a degree and saw Lissa, all bloody. I actually felt a pang of guilt. It was nothing compared to the people I actually LIKED though. I spun a tiny bit and saw Brigid Dwyer, and slashed across her chest were the words, YOUR MOM IS NEXT MAXIMUM. I shrieked. Then, the bodies' heads rose and looked at me, straight in the eye.
"It's all your fault that we died Maximum Ride. Now your mother will be next." They said, simultaneously. "And there's nothing you can do to stop us."
Anika: The end was creepy and gory.
Aj: It was awesome!
Anika: How do you even know how to gamble?
Aj: I don't know. Check your purse.
Anika: You didn't.
Aj: The winner of the review vote was a tie, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber are considered equally horrible. Now for the question of the chapter, Who do you like better. Anika or me? Just to let you know, Anika loves twilight and both Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber. Oh, and she eats puppies!
Anika: I do not eat…
Aj: Whoops we're out of time! 5 reviews for the next chapter. And remember to answer the question of the chapter in your review. Bye! –Aj.