Hah. It's 12/12. Amused. I have little to say today, so please just read on and enjoy chapter thirty-one.

Chapter Thirty-One

Max

I learned all sorts of things about my new life in the months that followed. First, I discovered that I had foods I couldn't stand, and foods I couldn't stop eating. I couldn't eat fish, and I hated the smell of meat cooking. Seriously, it made me throw up. On the other hand, ever since Mom brought it home for dinner one time, I'd been addicted to Mexican food. I had no idea why, but I just couldn't stop eating it.

So that's sort of where I was at. I was in my room, curled up on my bed and skimming though one of Ella's magazines. Mom was in the kitchen, cooking the meat so I could eat my Mexican food. The doorknob turned and Ella stepped in. She looked upset. I set my magazine.

"Hey, Ella," I said. "What's up?"

Ella opened her mouth, as if to say something, but when she did, all that came out was a big croak. Like a toad had crawled into her throat and started making sounds for her. Her hand flew to her throat. I stood up.

"Are you okay? What happened?" I said, going all flock leader/mom on her.

She nodded. She moved her lips, and I guessed she was forming words. I got, "I lost my voice," and that sort of made sense. The door next to mine opened and Nudge stepped out.

"Hey, Ella. What's up?" she said. Ella turned.

"She lost her voice," I explained. Nudge looked puzzled.

"Where'd she lose it?" she asked. I shrugged. Ella turned around to look at me.

"Did you check behind the couch?" I asked her. Ella pursed her lips and squinted at me. Nudge started laughing, and I couldn't help but join her.

"What's going on?" my mom called from the kitchen.

"Ella lost her voice!" Nudge called back between giggles. "We're helping her find it!"

I could hear footsteps coming from the kitchen. Mom stepped into the hall, wringing her hands with a dish towel. She was smiling.

"You can't find a lost voice," she said, looking at me. She turned to Ella. "You, young lady, should be resting your voice." She shooed Ella out of my room and into her own. I returned to my position on my bed and ran a hand over my tiny baby-bump. I felt like after almost three months of having it inside me, I still hadn't gotten anywhere. Maybe it was just slow or something.

"How are you doing?" Nudge asked me. I jumped. I'd thought she'd left with my mom.

"I'm okay," I said, still focused on my stomach.

"I miss the rest of the flock," Nudge said. She was watching my hand rub up and down my bare abdomen.

"Yeah, I hate it when we're separated, too," I agreed. Nudges eyes flicked up to meet mine. They were angry.

"Then why can't we be together?" she demanded. I was taken aback by her sudden change in temper. I thought the mood-swings were reserved for me. But I kept my cool and answered her question.

"Because I can't handle the stress it would cause me to have all five of you at the same time."

"What do you mean?"

"If we put Iggy and Gazzy in the same house, odds are something would explode in at least a week," I explained. "And I don't doubt for a second that Angel would be all over me trying to be flock leader if she was here."

Nudge bit down on her full lower lip. "Yeah, okay," she agreed. "You have a good point." She paused, as if considering it. "But what about Fang?"

"Someone has to watch Gazzy and Angel."

"Why couldn't Iggy have stayed, and you, Fang, and I could have come here!" she reasoned.

"Then we go back to my first issue of having Iggy and Gazzy in the same house."

"But—" Nudge tried to say, but I'd reached a boiling point.

"Nudge, I already told you, I can't do that right now! Case closed, end of discussion!"

Nudge scowled at me and stormed out of the room. Come to think of it, maybe I should have just come alone. Bombs and power-hungry 10-year-olds were one thing.

I wasn't sure if I could handle angsty 15-year-old girl with raging hormones.

Please, I begged in my head. Whatever I end up having, please don't let it become a teenager.