Journal NOT a Diary!!!

Max's Journal

April 17, 2010

I'm getting use to the gunk on my face. I'm getting use to the extra weight, and it was feeling like I didn't even have it on. Scary, right? I had been in my room for, I don't know, three hours maybe? It felt like three. I slowly got up from my bed at Ella's call and grabbed the door nob. I hesitated. I wasn't three years from a bathroom, with a sink. Water. Drain. I could wash it off right now. If I did, Ella would have made me get it again, even if she'd already read my journal.

Slowly I turned the door nob, shielding my face from anyone. I strolled in the living room. Angel and Nudge were playing dog-and-owner, I think they missed Total a little too much. Iggy and Gazzy were having thumb wars, Iggy was totally creaming him. How is that possible? Ella was sitting across from the TV, a huge grin on her face. Fang was slung on the recliner, trying to drown out Is and Bella's chatting, staring at the blank TV because Nudge was using it as a leash for Angel.

"Max!" Ella said, which made everyone look up. I shielded my face, but it hardly did anything. At least they didn't see me. "Come on!" She tried to pull my hand away.

"No!" I snapped. I could break her arm with one whip of my hand if I wanted to! Humans are so fragile!

Ella huffed, grabbing my wrists and pulling me in the kitchen. "Why won't you show them? I spent so hard on it!"

"No!"

"Please? For me?"

"NO!"

She shook her head, making that clicking sound with her tongue and walking around me. "I hate to do this, Max, but you leave me no choice." Before I even realized what was happening, she pulled my hands behind my back and handcuffed them. With STEEL handcuffs! How many families do you know that have steel handcuffs sitting around? I thought not!

Ella grabbed my forearm and pulled me into the living room. I struggled and fought, but all I did was rub my wrists raw. Ella would be an awesome police officer.

"Hey everyone, look at Max!" she yelled. Which, of course, got everyone to look at me.

Nudge and Angel cheered. They would never get me to wear makeup. Iggy begged to know what happened and Gazzy started whispering in his ear. Is and Bella huffed and crossed their arms, seeing Fang's reaction. His mouth hung open, his eyes big, but still unreadable. I laughed, and he went back to his expressionless self.

Bella huffed again and stood up. "How could you? Do you KNOW what that suff is MADE OF?"

Wow. Since when is Bella such an environmentalist? And she wears it!

"Animals! You're killing cute, innocent bunnies and squirrels!"

How did this chick think we survived these years? The magical food fairy?

She stomped her foot and turned around sharp. "Fangy." FANGY??? "Do you believe her? She's a murderer!"

Fang laughed. "Rabbit. Yum."

Bella screamed. "Murderers! All of you! You're all MURDERERS!! HOW can you live with yourselves?? You cold hearted people!" Her face was red, and she avoided eye contact with any of us. "Come on, Is. Let's tell Cindy about THIS!" Is stood up and stood beside her sister, holding her nose high. Together they walked out of the room and I heard the door slam.

Oo, they were going to tell Cindy! Wait--they were going to tell CINDY. If Bella really was Dr. G-H's little helper, she easily could have placed more cameras. We could be being watched right now. All of us. And Bella calls US cold hearted!

Max, the Voice said. It startled me. The last time I heard the Voice was...I can't even remember!This is illegal. You can fight it. You can bring them to court and win.

Yeah, but we happen to be missing something important: proof, I shot back.

Cameras. Is and Bella are gone. Get the others out. Get the cameras. They're tinier, in the cracks of the walls.

I smiled. Perfect. That'll teach them to mess with Maximum Ride! "Ella, why don't you take the girls to the mall? And the boys to the Civil War Museum?"

They all cheered, except for Ella. She gave me the evil eye as she walked out, Angel and Nudge closely behind. After they were all out, I looked at Fang and told him what the Voice had said.

"Cameras. Do you really think we can find them?"

"Yeah. They're in the cracks of the walls. Let's start searching." Fang shrugged and walked to the other end of the room while I ran my hand up the wall, searching for any bump. There was a black....dot...at the top of the ceiling. Very top. Glancing around, I pushed the sofa against the wall and stood on the arm to feel it. Definitely a camera.

"Found anything?" Fang asked behind me.

My fingers were too big to grab it with my nails. "Go get a needle from Mom's sewing kit." Fang nodded and ran out.

I punched the wall in frustration, making the pictures wobble and my knuckles bleed. I hated having to rely on someone, but at least it was Fang. I hated that this whole thing had started. The Terrible Three, Macy's, me blurting out to that reporter who pretended to be my friend! I should have known not to trust her. I should have known that after Jeb reappeared.

"Here," Fang said. I reached down to take the needle. I felt a sharp pain in my palm and jerked up, looking at my hand. A bead of blood appeared where the needle stabbed me.

I growled and took the needle. "You hold the pointy end. Give them the big end. Don't you know SharpObjects101?"

"Sorry. I was out for that lesson."

I shot him a look and picked out the camera. It fell in my hand. I could hardly see it. I jumped down, pushing the couch back in place, and ran to the kitchen. I zipped it in a Ziploc bag.

"I called the police," Fang said, tapping the counter. "We have a court meeting on Thursday."

Glancing at the calender, I saw that that was only two days away. Not very long to plan!

--Maximum