Max's P.O.V.
The next morning, I woke up on my plain bed again under my plain covers, draining in the downy scent that made me want to sleep again. I was about to ask aloud how I had gotten here, but everything suddenly flew back into me. Flew? Now, I laughed.
I felt special now. Even though it would have been normal to hyperventilate crazily after having just known that the guy you like has wings and same with his adopted family because they were captured to a lab full of white coats. Neither less, I felt special.
It was like I knew a special secret that had wanted to satisfy my consciousness all along. Now that my stomach was full, I headed down stairs straining to keep my thoughts coherent under all the happiness.
"Well, aren't you happy?" My mom asked with her eyebrows raised. I guessed she forgave me yesterday for coming home late especially with a guy that I always hung around with.
"Yeah, our test got canceled," I lied for her benefit. I quickly gulped down my waffles with haste and strangled my backpack onto my back. (that sounds so funny! If you get it…Eharyn)
"Okay…today, I'll pick you up," she said. I groaned aloud. This was all a part of her 'get to know about the teenage life' plan.
"Mom, its fine. I can deal, okay?" I asked trying to put some sense into her. But inside for real, I was actually itching to see Nick…umm…I mean, Fang! Yeah…Fang, although that sounded really awkward. I mean, Fang? What kind name was that? But then again…Max…
"Honey? Are you okay?" my mom asked waving her hand in front of me. Oh right! Be sane.
"Yeah. I'm going to just walk home okay? I would really appreciate that…" I cajoled her with an imaginary halo above my head.
"But remember what happened…oh, never mind! Fine. Just be careful. Go on, you're going to be late," she concluded ending this— my winning. I smiled triumphantly and headed outside.
Hannah didn't walk with me anymore, but I was pretty used to it. All my friends practically never cared. Fang was who I cared for too.
Soon, I reached school ready with a list of questions to further elaborate Nick…I mean, Fang's explanation. Call me crazy, but I'm just attracted to guy's who have wings.
"Hey, have you seen Nick?" I asked to this really geeky guy reading on the bench.
He tugged his glasses upward. "Uh…no ma'am. I mean, no. Are you talking about your boyfriend?" he asked. Although aggravated by Fang's absence, I was still satisfied with the fact that the students at this high school were smart enough to consider me and Fang to be boyfriend girlfriend.
"Yeah," I replied and walked away frowning at such difference. He was always here, always before me too I might add, but now that he wasn't here I felt alone.
I walked around the 5 yard radius of our spot and searched for him all over.
After about 10 minutes, it was time to go in the building, and I was spent.
Did he not trust me? I really hoped he didn't regret telling me about himself. Was that why he decided to move to Zimbabwe? I wouldn't allow myself to remain a felon forever. I would have to make up for that.
Throughout the whole day at school, I was flicking my pencil occasionally, but remained immobile: sad and discontent. Every time the door was knocked on or some sign of a person's presence, my hopes would arise hoping that Fang had miraculously gotten a 1 way ticket on an airplane back to the U.S.
It was now after school, and I could involuntarily feel tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. In the brink of breaking down, although it was a SUPER wimpy thing to do, I walked home languidly.
I never learn from my mistakes. I'm known for that anyway. It was the same alley, the same alley where Fang had taken a smack against the brick walls. The same place where I got attacked…again.
"Aah! Let go, you !" I yelled and struggled within the dark feature's grasp.
"Shh, Max. It's me, Nick," he said. He didn't sound like a Nick.
"You're not Nick, move!" I yelled again kicking him hard. He winced noticeably and let me go. I quickly ran away, but another pair of arms snaked around my waist capturing me in an unbreakable grasp.
"Max! It's me, Fang!" Oh. Oops. I stopped struggling furiously and remained silent embarrassed in my part.
"Why do you sound weird?" I asked suspiciously.
"I got beat up yesterday. I have an emergency Max. I never told you the full story. There's another part to the wings," he admitted in shame.
"Can you let go, first?" I asked the question with difficulty. Why? You ask. Well, his hug was comfortable that's why. Humph.
"No, I can't," he said. Now that was an answer unexpected. "You have to fly Max. Fly," he said calmly.
"Um…Fang? In case you have forgotten, I'm not the one with wings…" I said unsure of what he wanted me to say.
He laughed aloud. "People remind me everyday. Well, Max, hold on tight," he said. "You pick the perfect place. No one can see us," he said.
What? But as swiftly as he had grabbed me, he picked me up from the ground in bridal style, and ran like I had never seen him run before. We ran the rest of the alley, and then…we flew. No, literally.
"Oh my gosh," I breathed out; I opened my eyes to find wing slapping me on the side of my face. I couldn't believe it, me, the normal average Max Ride was now flying and living the dream in which every human had dreamed of since Adam and Eve. And I was glad Nick was there to 'fly' it with me. Without thinking, I buried my face in the crook of his neck, and he chuckled aloud.
"If this is what I get, I wish I can fly you everyday," he said. But he couldn't fool me. There was some sort of clandestine that was filled in his words.
"Why are you here alone? How come you weren't at school? Who were you fighting?" The last question made me shudder. If Fang had fought someone who was normal, he could have beaten them with a single punch. But I was a part of him now. I had to understand he didn't at the least fight anyone normal.
"I—I— It was my fault. I wanted to go for a solo flight, and I left them in the hotel…" I knew where this conversation was headed.
"They took them?" I asked nervously not wanting to hit a trigger in him that might lose his balance.
"They meaning the white coats? Yes. They made a proposition, and I had forgotten about the dead line…"
"What proposition?" I asked curious and wanting to know more and more. And forgetting that I was flying, I looked down to find the whole city that had once been was now a mere country side.
"You know that Iggy's blind, right?" he checked; I nodded. It felt like I was traveling the same alley again, not knowing what might pop out. "Well…after the day that you were almost you know…the day when you were alone in the alley you know, I came back home and was sitting there when Angel dropped a bombshell."
"How big?" Wow, I was getting better at going with the flow.
"Okay, straight to the point. Angel had a 'dream' so to say. And she saw the guy Jeb, remember the guy who save us?" I bobbled my head furiously wanting him to go one with no hesitations. "He told us that if you took you to him, he would bring Iggy's sight back."
He drew in a breath, waiting for my reaction. "Are you taking me to them right now?" This was a Fang I hadn't known. The Fang that I had wanted to know.
"No! The thing is…the flyboys, the wolf thingys took all of them away. Nudge, Angel, Gazzy, and Iggy. They want to lure me into them so they can get to you," he said. "And I know that while I am going to go to save the flock, they're going to go for you when I'm gone from this place."
"You're leaving? Without me?" I asked.
"You're saying it so bluntly, Max. It's not that bad," he tried to reassure me failing miserably.
"Where are you taking me?" I demanded, a fist forming unconsciously.
"Here, I know this really nice cave that I found. It's not anywhere near your home, but don't worry, I left your mom a message saying that you're having a sleepover at Hannah's."
Realization hit me. Hit me hard. "You're going alone?!" I yelled into him. I hoped that would bring some sense into him, but apparently it didn't.
"Max, listen. Do you want to die? Do you not understand from what I told you yesterday? They are white coats! White coats! The mad scientists that made me this way! They do tests on humans, Max," he said.
"So?" I said stubbornly raising my head a little bit.
"You're staying here in this nice little cave I've made for you Max. The choice has been made," he said.
"You can't choose for me, Fang. It's my life, and I want to go save your flock with you!" I said my voice raising.
"NO! Do you think I had choice in getting these wings? Do you think I had choice in what I want to do in my life?! Do you think I want to live this hell?!" he yelled furiously. I could feel his body trembling under the anger, and I felt…I didn't know how I felt.
I had never seen him lose his temper this way before. It made me feel guilty made me drown in my own felon. He breathed in deeply three times and stared straight forward still carrying me, not decreasing his velocity in air.
"Calm down Fang…I won't go with you then. I'll just— I don't know. I won't go. Don't be mad," I soothed him while hugging him close to me tightly and kissing him lightly. I could feel his nerves flowing freely, back to his normal state.
"Sorry Max," he said at last. There we go.
Even though I hadn't done anything hard, after about 5 more hours of flying, I was lethargic to the pit of my bones. We landed silently in the cave Fang had reserved for us.
"Go to sleep Max. You look really tired. I think I'm going to leave tomorrow morning after I see your face," he said. I didn't reply…yet. Instead, I took off my jacket, and made a little pillow about to lie down, when Fang handed me a little sleeping bag packed with food supplies. I took it with gratitude settling down against the cave wall.
"Good night Max," he said. He sounded peaceful as if he assumed that I wasn't going to go with me.
Before I fell asleep, I said my last words. "I guess you don't know how stubborn I am, Fang. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow. And it's too bad that your life is chosen for you. I'll cry with you, but that won't stop me from going with you. Good night, Fang. We have a long flight tomorrow."
Author's Note: I think I lost some reviewers along the way when I hadn't posted for about a week. Please review! The story is rising to its climax now, and the best part is coming up. Please read and review!
I have a question: should I make a sequel? If yes, then tell me why, and I'll tell you yes or no.
Oh yeah, and I'm sorry Max's eyes are blue. I wanted to distinctly make it clear that this is a normal Max. Only Jeb knows the truth about her.
Please read and review!
Flamingflie: Thanks for reading my story and reviewing for every single chapter. About some of your reviews, I have a comment: we share the same kind of humor.
Eharyn