Wow, that was quick guys! Good job, I appreciate every single one of them!
See? I keep my word. Got this up as soon as I could when I saw the 5 reviews. And this one is about 1500! Short, but still pretty long for me.
I live on the north-eastern coast of the US. They say that its gonna start snowing again tomorrow at 5 AM, so I'm hoping there's no school tomorrow! If there's not, expect more updates!
Disclaimer: Maximum Ride does not belong to Falcon.. D:
I stood in front of the mirror, shirt off, and looking at my wings.
The things still seemed alien to me. Didn't look like they'd belong to me. But when I moved them, they obeyed.
They had quickly grown since two weeks ago when they'd first come out. They now were at two feet each. And those two weeks had brought on a whole other type of itching. The downy feathers were quickly molting, just like Iggy had explained, and were slowly being replaced by stiff and strong primaries. The primaries were mostly white, with some brown speckles, while the coverts and secondaries were a hazel/golden brown.
I'd be able to fly.
I admit, the whole wings thing seemed unnatural, but the thought of flying seemed like second nature to me.
Experimenting, I moved my wings back and forth, up and down. I folded them and extended them, feeling them over with my fingers. Then on a quick second decision, I started to flap them furiously, going wild.
The feeling was exhilarating. Papers flew across the room, things fell over.
But it felt good!
I had also noticed how my senses had dramatically heightened. I could hear and see stuff I thought I'd never be able to. My reflexes became amazingly fast.
And then a knocking came at the door.
"Max? Honey, what's happening in there? Are you alright?" I heard Valencia asked. She and Jeb had returned last weekend.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, trying to sound calm and normal. Not like my heart had been beating furiously a few seconds earlier.
"Alright. Dinner in five, and we have chocolate chip cookies," Valencia told me before I heard her head back down the stairs. Cookies? I'd definitely be there.
Except I heard another knock at my door.
"Max?" Angel asked. "Can I come in?"
I sighed and opened the door. Angel walked in, and took in the sight of the room.
"Looks like a tornado went through here Max!" Angel exclaimed.
"Kinda, kiddo," I laughed, hugging her close. Then I gently pushed her away and looked her straight in the eye.
"Angel?" I asked slowly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Max, anything," Angel chirped, though she looked like she knew what I was going to ask.
"If you knew what I, I mean us, were, why didn't you tell me? Why did you let it jump on me like that?"
"Because I wanted you to experience it on your own, without any help from anyone. Some things are best discovered like that. It matures you more, and prepares you for more troubling experiences. I thought you needed that," Angel said in all her seven year old seriousness. Except she didn't sound like she was seven, she sounded like she was forty or fifty.
I just gulped. I didn't know what to say. "How did you know what was happening?" I finally asked.
"Mom." was the only response I got before Angel walked out and downstairs to dinner.
Oh yeah, did I mention that my appetite increased by 10 times?
"You're a wimp,"
"I'm blind! What if I end up kissing it's, I dunno, butt?"
"So?"
"Common, just do it!"
"Nope. You do it."
"Why? Too grossed out?"
"Says the girl who ripped her pants in half because of a little poo."
"It was HUMAN poop!"
"Your point?"
"I am so not having this conversation with you right now."
"You're right. How does three o'clock sound?"
"…. No freaking comment."
You see, dear Reader, I was just walking to my locker to get ready for P.E, when I heard someone run up from behind me. I had turned around and stopped, just in time to face my mosquito of the week.
"So, Max, will you go out with me?" Dylan asked, leaning against some lockers.
"Dylan. I said no once, and I will say no again. NO." I calmly said, crossing my arms and staring at him defiantly.
"Why? Is it because of that kid Fang?" Dylan asked, smirking.
"What? No! I don't like him! What's your problem anyways, huh?" I snapped, glaring at him.
"So, if I were to, I dunno, hurt him in any way… you wouldn't care, right?" Dylan tried to confirm. Whatever little control I had over my anger quickly disappeared.
All of a sudden, Dylan grabbed my face, tilting it from side to side while examining it. Then he stared intensively at my eyes. Uh-oh. He let out a low growl.
"They were right. Just as much as we suspected," Dylan muttered, almost to himself. I felt like screaming. I grabbed him by the shoulders and kneed him in the crotch. He doubled over in pain.
"Don't. Ever. Touch. Me." I hissed, kneeing him repeatedly.
"Why you little…" Dylan started, but never finished. All of a sudden a very Fang stood between the two of us, eyes fierce and yellow. Dylan's eyes seemed to take on their own amber-gold color.
"Let that be a warning for next time, Dog," Fang just about spat, drawing the word out like it was a curse. Dylan just growled, and while still clutching himself, hobbled away.
"Max, why do you always get into these situations?" Fang asked tiredly.
"I dunno… because I'm… awesome? And what was that about? Is he Avian too?" I asked, thinking back to Dylan's eyes.
"You wish," Fang smirked. "And no, not Avian, but something else. We should have explained it to you earlier."
"Explain what?"
"Later."
I threw my hands up into the air in frustration.
"ATTACK OF THE PILLOWS!" Nudge screamed, rushing towards Fang before whacking him with a pillow.
"ATTACK OF THE MAX!" I yelled, jumping onto Nudge's back, causing her to tip over.
"Ouch, Max, that hurt!" Nudge complained, stretching out her wings. Where anyone could see her.
"Nudge! My parents are home!" I whispered loudly, motioning for her to fold them back in.
"Oh relax, will ya?" Nudge waved off. "Fang, lock the door."
Fang complied.
"So Max, have you decided yet?" Fang asked, coming over to sit down on my bed while letting his wings hang out loosely. I ached to touch them.
"Decided what?"
"Whether you have decided to cave in to… all this?" Fang asked cockily, motioning to himself.
"Oh, you're so full of yourself, aren't you?" I demanded, raising an eyebrow at him.
"No, but you're full of m-" Fang started, but didn't get the chance as Nudge slapped him.
"Fang, you perverted child!" Nudge scolded.
"I did decide something though," I announced.
"What?" Fang and Nudge asked together.
"I'm moving to South America!"
"Why?" Fang and Nudge asked again, at the same time. They looked at each other, before looking back at me.
"They've got llamas, duh," I stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh, of course! Makes sense," Nudge said, pretending to think about it. "And they've got cute boys!"
"Please spare me from this conversation," Fang groaned, falling backwards on my bed. I stared at his wings again.
"Oh dammit, just go ahead. Touch them if you want. You've been staring at them, I can't take it anymore!" Fang said, defeated, and getting back up before extending his right wing to me.
Hesitating, I touched the top of the wing, where the fluffiest feathers seemed to be. They were incredibly soft. As I ran my hand further south, the feathers became stronger, longer, and were differently built. And under it all was pure muscle and bone.
I noticed that the room had gotten silent as I explored my fascination with Fang's wing. Then I noticed the situation and sharply yanked my hand back.
"Sorry," I apologized sheepishly.
"No worries, it's understandable," Fang said, shrugging it off.
"Hey Max, can we see your wings?" Nudge asked. "We haven't seen them any other time than the time when they first came out and were all bloody."
Slowly, I extended my wings, which were now at a wingspan of four feet. I moved them about.
"Wow! They're so pretty Max! They're all brown and white! I wish I had wings like yours. Mine are just a muddy brown," Nudge rambled, extending her own wings. To say that they were beautiful would be a huge understatement.
"They're beautiful! Hey… why do yours have more fluff at the shoulders than mine or Fang's?" I asked.
"Cause I've got owl wings. That fluff allows me to fly silently," Nudge explained. All of our wings had different characteristics and shapes. Mine were point and slim, built for speed. Nudge's were long and had those special feathers. Fang's were huge and long, built for flexibility and durance.
"Oh.." was all I said.
"Don't worry, Maxy, it will all make sense at one point. Though it might take you longer than average…" Fang chuckled, giving me a slap on the shoulder. "But remember Dylan? We aren't the only ones Max, ok. Be extra careful with certain people,"
I gave him a look of questioning, but he said no more.
Done!
Ok.. Can we do 8 reviews till the next one? Its 8 new reviews on any chapter, not just the latest one. You could comment on all chapters and meet the minimum on your own. ;D