The next day went by too slow. I had school, then a two-hour long dance session and then finally I was waiting at the outside café across the street from the dance studio.
I ordered a drink for myself and was staring at the menu hungrily. I promised myself not to order any food until the flock got here. But what the heck was taking them so long! I thought Max had supersonic speed during flight! Meh, I'm starving! What? Dancing will do that to you.
The next thing I know, a group of six people come marching around the corner street of the café and politely ask the waitress where I am. Max, (of course we all know what she looks like by now, right?) was in front with her hair in blond tangles (probably from flying) led the group over to us. Nudge stood close behind her, talking excitedly about how cute this café was, and how charming Downtown Naperville was. Angel was looking, well, angelically directly at me, and I could only hazard to guess what she was thinking. Never mind, I don't want to know. But she's probably already judging me, trying to figure me out, and determining if I was a threat at all. Dylan was standing too close to Max, in my opinion, and it was kind of giving me a weird vibe. I could tell Max wasn't interested in him, simply by the way she shuffled away from him any time he got too close. But he seemed so persistent, and to me, intimidating. He looked to perfect, and the way he was treating Max was too stalker-ish. Then in the back were Gazzy and Iggy. Gazzy was describing everything around him to Iggy, including me. "She's right over there, Igs. 9 o'clock from your position. She's wearing sweatpants, a white t-shirt with a baggy neckline and cutoff sleeves, and she's wearing pink tights and something black undernieth the baggy shirt…" Before he could continue I stood up and finished for him.
"I'm also 5' 1" and 15 years old. I have mid-length brown hair with blond lowlights. I have pale skin, ever-changing eye colored eyes, and I'm kind of sweaty from dance class, sorry." I blushed at the last part.
Gazzy finished my 'finishing' statement up by correcting me and saying, "Yeah, but Igs, she's pretty, even when she's sweaty." And I blushed even harder.
"Um, thanks?" I said more as a question than a comment. "Anyways, I'm Caitlin, it's nice to meet you all. Have a seat, and if you don't mind, I'm going to order now. You guys are late, I tried waiting, but now I'm starving!"
The waitress hustled over and we each ordered giant plates of food. You all know why they ordered a lot of food. Well, I can eat a lot too. I've got a fast metabolism, and I'm a frequent dancer. So eating for me, is no big deal. I can eat any amount of food and never gain a pound. I'm just lucky. But anyways, back to the story…
Then Max broke the tension of the awkward silence by saying, "We want to know everything. We need to know everything. And you said Fang would be here too. He was the only proof I had that you weren't completely lying to me. So where is he?"
I looked up at the sky and leaned back in my chair. That was the cue Fang and I had agreed on, that meant "Max isn't buying anything, get your butt in here now! Mayday! Mayday! Weeoohweeoohweeooh!"
Then suddenly, a dark shadow swooped into the chair next to me, virtually out of no where. And there sat Fang, looking sheepish and guilty, but also as giddy as a school boy in a candy shop. "Hey guys. Long time no see." He said with one of his half-quirk grins. Ugh, that's annoying. And judging by Max's face, she thought so too. And then Angel giggled.
We whipped our heads around to stare at her, and she said, "Caitlin and Max are just being funny. That's all."
I raised an eyebrow at her, but then continued the conversation I'd started with Max. "As I told you on the phone, I met Fang the other day. He saved me from the Erasers and Whitecoats and I've been injected with some unknown stuff. I also have a book series that no one in the world owns the copies of except the author, James Patterson. And they are all about your life stories. Or, at least, your life stories ever since you left the E-house in Colorado a few years ago. So I know all about you guys, and a little more. And I really think you ought to read them so that maybe they can help you on your quest or whatever."
"Yeah, I got all that last night. And wow, you're just like Nudge too! All in one breath, nice!" Max said.
I blushed, embarrassed at my long-winded explanation, but Max ignored it and she began to talk. "You're right about one thing, I definitely want to read those books, Caitlin."
"So will you come to my house with me? Will you stay for at least a little while?" I practically whined.
"I guess until we can convince you to come with us, we'll stay with you. But will your parents be cool with seven bird kids living at your house?" Max asked.
"My parents don't even know Fang has been living in my basement for a week and a half now. But I plan on asking them if I could have you guys over for a little while. Maybe I could say that you guys are having family troubles at home and really need a place to stay. It might convince them for about a week at most. But then I don't know what to do."
"Well, you're probably going to have to come with us for the summer at least. So we can make sure you don't grow a pair of wings or something." Fang chimed in.
"Ooh! Yay! Another flock member! But you're name is too normal-ish. You need a code name, or a nick name, or a surname or whatever they're called. You need a name that'll match your personality without giving away your identity. What are you like? Are you tough like Max, talkative like me, freakily smart like Angel, silent like Fang, hot like Dylan, smelly and gross like Gazzy, or pyrotechnic like Iggy? Or something totally different?" Nudge blurted out.
"Um… let's see… tough… kind of, talkative… yes, freaky smart... smart, not freaky smart, silent… no, hot… uh, I don't think so, but I'm in good shape, smelly and gross… after dance, yes, otherwise, no, and pyrotechnic… yes." I said.
"Yes?" Iggy asked.
"Yes." I replied.
"Yes?" Gazzy asked, trying to make sure he heard me right for the second time.
"Yes." I said more forcefully.
"How?" Fang asked.
"I don't make explosives, but I'm the only one in my family who's ever kept a campfire going for over three days straight, I got 100% in chemistry class last year for doing an extra credit project on bombs, and I don't have feeling in my fingertips anymore from singing of the nerve endings on each finger while playing with fire when I've been bored."
"Wow. Impressive." Iggy said. And he left it at that.
"Okay, anyways, back on track. How are you going to convince your parents to let you come with us if you need to when summer starts?" Max continued.
"I could probably say I want to go to a summer camp hosted by my school. And if my parents begin to like, and trust you, they might feel better letting me go, if we agree to say that you guys are coming with me to 'said camp' too." I suggested.
"Alright, but only if you think it'd work." Max said.
Angel then piped up by saying, "So what special abilities do you have? Whether they be mutanty-freaky-cool like ours, or just talents?"
"I'm a full time dancer, I'm good with fire, I'm good at reading peoples emotions, and I'm pretty smart. I'm an A student at school." I replied.
The flock took a moment to ponder these things, then Dylan finally spoke up. "Just curious, about your talents, can you sing, or play an instrument? I've been told I sing well, and I want to know if you're any good, so maybe on our free time we can compare song likes and dislikes. I hate to say it, but other than Max's I-pod picks, I don't really have anyone to talk about when it comes to good music these days. And now that Total is gone, things have gotten pretty boring for this mutant on the run."
"I like Evanescence, BTR, Owl City, and pretty much any other type of song that has a beat and you can dance to. And as for the singing or musical instrument question, I can only sing. But not like perfectly or anything. Just backup and choir stuff. I only sing in the shower by myself." I said with a chuckle.
"I'll be the judge of that." He said. Oh God, is he flirting with me? I thought the Maximum Ride series claimed he was 'made for Max.' Why would he be hitting on me? Ew.
By the time this whole conversation had finished, we'd all finished eating and we were walking the remaining blocks back to my house.
I felt so self-conscious. I mean, in back of me was the toughest chick in the world, the biggest motor-mouth, a blind pyro, a stinky pyro, a freaky-hot-stalking-flirting mutant, Fang, and a mind reader. Help.
"Don't be so scared. I'm not that critical." Angel told me in my head.
I shuttered at the though t of her overhearing my thoughts, and this made her giggle somewhere behind me.
After an awkward walk home we finally made it to my home and I let them all inside. Dad was home, so I introduced each one of the flock to my dad. I used their fake names from back in the "School's Out Forever" book when they all were living with Anne Walker and going to school.
"Dad, this is Nick, Max, Jeff, Dylan, Ariel, Tiffany, and Zephyr. They're all adopted siblings. And Nick, Max, Jeff and Dylan are all in my grade at school. Max is a good friend of mine, and her adoptive parents have been having some… trouble at their house, and they need the kids gone for the week. I know this is kind of sudden, and I would never try and pull a maniacal scheme on you guys or anything, but would you mind if they stayed with us for a little while? They can share the basement with me, and they have their own money for food and stuff. So could they please stay with us? Pleeeeeaaaseee? It'll help me study for finals next week anyways." I bargained.
My dad looked a little stunned at my sudden request, but then said, "I don't mind, but ask your mother. She's in charge of situations like these… I think." I could tell that Angel was trying her best to sway him, but even her best efforts had only managed to get him to say "Ask mom," basically. "But for now, they can stay over for at least tonight, okay?"
With that, I gave him a hug, thanked him and walked to go and get the flock set up downstairs. I set each person up on either a couch, air mattress, dozen blankets, bed or some form of cushy device. I even took inside our outdoor hammock and set it up from one corner of the room to another. It seemed like some crazy jungle gym in the basement now. And it was kind of cool. And the flock seemed to approve, so I was then forced to sit down by Nudge and Angel who kept berating me with questions for almost an hour more, till finally my mom got home.
Long story short, after a long night of convincing my mom to let the flock stay, setting up the basement a little more and explaining my life story to the flock, I was finally able to fall asleep sharing the bed with Max. She had one end of my queen size bed and I had the other. The flock must have been tired, because other than Max, Fang and I, everyone else was now conked out in sprawled out positions all around the room.
Max ushered Fang outside the room for a minute, and I figured it was finally time for them to 'talk.' So I purposefully tried to fall asleep. I set my alarm clock, and went to bed, happy in the knowledge that my favorite imaginary people of all time were here in this very room with me (except Max and Fang who were now bickering outside my door) and I fell asleep.
The next few days were filled with studying. I was busy prepping for the end of the year finals some more. Max and the flock took turns trying to read all my books. Both my Maximum Ride books and all my others. I love reading. Always have, always will. And for the record, if my dancer dream doesn't work out, I'm going to become an author. I used to idolize James Patterson for his stories, thinking they were sheer brilliance. Who could come up with such interesting, entertaining stories? Now I know that he was just using the book as a biography of Max's life. Suffice to say, I no longer idolize him, but I do still see myself wanting to be an author, possibly, some day.
Fang was trying to convince Max to forgive him, and he was repeatedly promising her he'd never leave her again. Finally after a week, she cracked and they were officially 'together' again. Dylan's attempts at flirting with me picked up after that. Sadly. But so did another unusual change of events. Iggy started acting weird around me too. Whenever I'd try to teach Gazzy and he what I knew about pyrotechnics, and vise versa, he would clam up, and Gazzy would end up being the only one talking, unless I saved him from the awkward silences.
I could tell it was because he liked me. I mean, for crying out loud, he'd blush whenever I'd say his name. Whether it was Iggy, Jeff, or even when I mentioned knowing his real name was James. He just got scared around me or something. I don't know. But if I had a choice whether to be hit on by Iggy or Dylan, I'd almost prefer Iggy. He doesn't stalk me, or try cheesy pick-up lines. Iggy has a school-boy crush. Dylan's a stalker. Sorry Dylan, you are, please get used to it. You'll find some girl some day, but not me, and it's not looking like Max any time soon either. Not at this rate anyways.
So anyways, life is slow these days. And hopefully I won't sprout wings this week too, because as much as I'd love to go on a summer-long trip with the flock, I'd prefer not to, if I can help it. I don't really want to lie to my parents, leave on a whirlwind, death-crazy mission with the most dangerous people in the world after me. No thank you. Not my cup of tea. Though, another part of me thinks it would be so completely awesome to have wings. I guess we just have to see what happens…