Title: The Difference
Author: beautiful memories
Focus: Fang
Word Count: 472
Published: Sunday, August 8, 2012
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Maximum Ride. All characters are copyrighted to James Patterson.
The Raven
002.
The Difference
.
.
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There were things Max never understood, Fang thought. She was always willing to look after others, to be the leader, to keep everything in order. That's what she wanted, the only thing that, he thought, made Max feel safe and secure—order. When chaos surrounded them and was tucked between every corner, she was always a bit unstable herself; always feeling irritated, snapping at The Gasman and Nudge and sometimes even him.
But she had to know.
She had to know that if he was there he would mess up her train of thoughts—just like she did to him. How he couldn't focus while she was in the room, how he wanted to bring her so much closer when she sat beside him, how everything faded away when she was in his line of vision. That was love, wasn't it? When the world faded away and it left you and her frozen in time. It was amazing.
But oh so dangerous.
Fang startled at the tap on his shoulder—and then cursed himself. When he had cut his hair off, he had promised not to think of the gang, not to think of Max. How was it that she could worm her way into his mind, even when she was miles away?
He turned.
"Hey," she said, and though he was completely struck appalled—the similarity between them was so striking—he hugged her back as she wrapped her arms around him in greeting. She even smelled like her—like sky and leather and air.
Fang cleared his throat and tucked his hands into the front pockets of his leather jacket. "Hey, uh ..." He looked at her, ignoring the pings of nostalgia and loss that threatened to take him over.
"Maya." She ran a hand through her already mussed hair. "I go by Maya now."
Fang couldn't do so much as a nod. It was frightening to see how going hours without Max and suddenly seeing her again—or her look-a-like face—could damage him. And yet, he couldn't put his finger on it, but though she was Max, she wasn't. There was something different about her, something off.
"I see you've, uh, done something to your hair," she said, nodding and smiling awkwardly. Her hands were clasped behind her back and she fell into step behind him as he walked towards the diner across the street.
"Yeah," he muttered, fingers touching the rough ends. "I decided for a new look. The long hair was getting kind of old."
Maya stayed quiet, and when Fang chanced a sideways glance at her he saw that she was smiling slightly, but she wasn't looking at him—her eyes were fixed firmly on the door.
As he stepped into the diner, he heard Maya say, "It looks good. Better."
x x
The difference between the two was appalling.