I woke up with a smile on my face. I wasn't thinking about them, for once in the past two months, since they happened. I was thinking about everyone at school's reactions. Would they be shocked? Would they be happy? Would they be annoyed? What would they think of Maximum Ride, becoming so... different? So unbelievably different?! I know the reaction I had when I, myself, saw how I looked in the twins' large mirror in their spa room. I know how they reacted as well. They loved it. I loved it. I was different. And I liked it.

"Max," Angel knocked gently on my door, "Come on, get up. It's time to go to school."

I opened my door smiling, "Hey, Angel. Good morning."

She looked a little taken back but quickly smiled back, "Good morning, Maxie!"

"I'll be ready in a minute, okay?" I told her and she nodded, quickly descending the stairs as I closed my bedroom door.

I went to my dresser and pulled out a - take in a breath - skirt. A short one, no less. It ended before it even touched my knees, ending about mid-thigh. It was a black skirt. The top I chose to wear was also black. It was a thin, low-cut top with off-the-shoulder long-sleeves. I felt like I was being a bit too daring as I looked in the mirror. I quickly went to my room and pulled on black stockings to cover up my legs. I slipped on a pair of dress shoes - black Mary-Janes that I never wore until now. I fixed my hair a bit, too. I pulled some of the top half back, twirling it and clipping it in the back of my head with a black clip-on bow that I borrowed from Ella.

I took a deep breath as I looked in the mirror. Oh, boy. I looked... so damn different. I hoped nobody thought I looked weird. I hoped no one thought I looked bad either. I hope I didn't look like I was trying too hard. Oh my gobstoppers, what if I did look weird to others? What if they did find me ugly in this new way? I mean, I never was much to look at, I don't think, but still. I don't want to look bad. I hope I look fine.

While I fretted about whether I looked good or bad, I didn't notice Ella had came into my room before she came up behind me and whispered reassurances into my ear.

She told me, "You look wonderful, Sis. Seriously. Go to school with us like that. You won't regret it. You look great and everyone will think so, too. Trust me, Max. Do you trust me?"

"Yeah," I turned around and smiled at her, "Of course I trust you, Ella."

"Good," She smiled back, "I trust you too, Max."

The sweet sisterly moment - which let me tell you is a rarity practically unheard of in our house if it involves me - was interrupted by Nudge coming in, followed by a smiling Angel.

Ella wore a pastel pink dress that went to her knees and was short-sleeved and frilly. It would look like too much on me, I think, but on Ella? It was gorgeous. I swear, that girl didn't even have to try to look as breath-taking as she did. Her hair was in a high ponytail and her make up was light and sweet on her face.

Angel wore something similar, only it was a very light yellow color and not a pink, didn't have frills, and was a bit shorter than Ella's. She practically had no make up on and she was gorgeous as she ever was.

Nudge wore a turquoise top and white shorts and her make up wasn't too thick. She looked great.

"OMG, Max!" Gushed Nudge, "You look like, so, OMG!b It's like, so fabulous in your own way! Not pink like Ella or pale yellow like Angel, or even turquoise - oh my geese! I love turquoise - like I would choose, but black! And OMG it just looks so, well, you! So Max!"

"Thanks Nudge," I giggled. I don't think I've ever giggled before, so this was quite a shock to us. Man! How did I get so, well, girly?!

"Dang Max's becoming," Angel searched for a word.

She gave up and Ella ended up being the one to find the word they wanted. She said, smiling, "Feminine."

"Yeah," Nudge nodded happily, "So, so, very feminine. Well, Come on you guys! We gotta get to school now. It's time to get going! We might be late if we don't hurry. Plus, I want to see the looks on everyone's faces when we enter with the new Max."

"Maxie, you ready?" Ella asked.

"Yeah, Ella, let's go," I said quickly before I could change my mind.

Angel looked a bit worried and whispered in Ella's ear. She probably thought I couldn't hear her, but I could. She'd said, "What about Lissa and Fang? What do you think is gonna happen? Will something go down? I think one of us should stay with her all day just to be, well, safe."

"Well I'm in all of her classes," Nudge said decisively, "So I will follow her like a lost puppy. She will not have to deal with that slut Lissa, at least, not alone."

"Thanks, Nudgey," Ella said, sighing in relief.

I felt horrible now. What about Fang? What about Lissa? What was I going to do about them? And how would they react to me? Would Fang be happy? Would he be angry? Would Lissa be happy? It was hard to think she'd be ecstatic about me. Or maybe she'd go and act all snooty and say I looked terrible?

"Max," Nudge said, snapping me from my internal worrying.

"Yeah?" I looked at her.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine," I lied, "Why do you ask, Nudgey-Cakes?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, "No reason, really, Maxie. Just asking."

And so we left. We walked to school and quickly climbed the stone steps up to the white building.

"Go on and open the doors now, Max," Angel smiled at me. I took a deep breath and pushed open the doors.

The effect was instantaneous. As soon as we entered the school, everyone looked at us and sucked in a breath when their eyes landed on me. Everyone started to whisper to each other, not even trying to conceal that they were talking about me as they kept stealing glances my way.

I shifted a bit uncomfortable under their sharp gazes. I never wore skirts. Never wore clothes like this. Never did my hair up. Never had my hair colored. Never wore make up. Never looked like this. Never looked like how I did now, being a new Max.

And yet, it was still so obvious. They liked it. I knew they liked it. Heck, some probably loved it. I knew they liked how I looked from their faces. Girls looked a bit awed at the sight of me. Boys looked at me with large eyes. Some even whistled one long note or maybe even two. I blushed from the attention, but as soon as Ella and Angel and Nudge tarted to walk, I did, too. After all, I wasn't just Max anymore. I was the new Max.