Chapter 35

Fang sat on the roof while holding his jaw. He probably should've blocked Max when she went to hit him in the face but he deserved it. He had just lied to her face and she wasn't even completely aware of it. God she was so strong.

October was only in a week. The autumn air was cold so high in the mountains. He glared at the dark forest. He wasn't leaving her- he wasn't, couldn't do that. He just couldn't be with her.

Now, he was going to act like the emo kid and sulk in his own self-caused misery. And he wasn't leaving her because he was a danger. He wasn't going to leave her in the woods crying her eyes out until she went crazy. He wasn't going to deny ever being with her or ignore her as if she didn't exist. He was just going to be Fang before she kissed him- before they became best friends.

He narrowed his eyes trying to remember when they weren't friends. Back at the School, he assumed, when he huddled into his cage and he couldn't talk back then. When he only knew Max as the being next to him in a cage. She used to reach her fingers through the holes and reassure him and whisper soothing words to him. Then, he didn't know Jeb like the rest of the flock, he had a different scientist and more difficult trials.

Fang closed his eyes remembering the day he escaped.

Jeb's harsh voice telling the figure standing in front of his cage fumbling with the lock, "Don't save him, he's not my experiment." Fang had thought that it was so strange. He had wings just like the rest of them.

Max was the one unlocking his cage and when she swung it open, she simply stated, "He's one of us."

That's when it happened, when he trusted no one else but her. She chose to save him and now, Fang was going to do anything to save Max.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled receipt from the woman at McDonald's. He hadn't noticed the words until the night before and emptied his pockets. He had thrown it aside at the wall and then, made love to Max because he thought it was an empty. The scribbles reminded him of the School again staring at the pages that made what he was.

I will tell her your secret.

I know what you did at that School.

I will kill her.

I know where you are hiding.

Stay away from Maximum Ride.

Or you will regret who you are.

Be afraid that I know all.

Fang crumpled the note in his hand. At first, he didn't think twice about it. He received threats like that on his blog all the time. People say things they don't really mean or go through with. Until he saw that old familiar face walk into the convenient store. Then he knew it wasn't some lie, that it was the truth.

Fear shook through every feather, every strand of hair, and through the rest of his body. There was no denying that even though Itex was gone that some of the scientists may have gotten away. The man who was in charge of Fang and not the rest of the flock, he was back and he was threatening Max. Fang wished he had the courage like Max to just face the scientist and beat the living shit out of him for endangering Max like that.

Fang's knuckles turned white. Until he figured this out, he would protect Max and keep her out of the way. She had to save the world. How could she do that if she died? How could he live if she died?

Wind rushed past him and he listened as Max explained to the flock that Angel was okay through the open window of the kitchen. Minutes past of celebration and then, he heard the flock calling out to Max, asking her where she was going. They were asking for him as well. That's when he heard the slam of a door and then it was locked. He knew it was hers because it was right where he sat, on the farthest side of the home.

Sobbing, deep and tortured crying, he could feel every stab in the heart that he had just caused her. Now, he couldn't go to her and comfort her. He couldn't kiss her shaking lips and hold her close. He tightened his fists more but he refused to not listen to her cry. He deserved being hurt like this. When she was hurt, he was in just as much pain. Well, he had caused this pain. He deserved a taste of his own medicine.

He heard her questions.

Did he ever love me?

Was he always lying?

Did he just want to sleep with me?

A song was turned on, Fang listened. He hadn't heard it before but it was sad too, only because it was meant to be a love song. Had anyone ever notice that love songs hurt when you've just lost it? Fang heard Max cry harder and then, he watched as the radio clock went flying out the window. It landed with a crash on the ground in broken pieces.

He heard light laughter and Fang lifted his head to stare into the forest. He saw the white lab coat from here. The man stepped a bit into the light and Fang knew from this angle only he could see him, even if Max was still by the window. Light caught on the man's glasses and he eventually took them off.

Fang remembered him before the glasses but knew why he wore them. When Fang broke out during an experiment and went after the scientist. He had scratched his eyes pretty well.

Dark eyes and the emotionless face, Fang had learned to copy the man so well as he grew older. The man gave a smile and nodded his head. Fang glared at him, the strongest he could do when he was so scared. He felt his heart smacking against his ribs. He knew what the scientist was saying; he knew the meaning of body movements better than words.

Max was safe. She wouldn't be hurt. As long as Fang pretended not to love her than the scientist wouldn't kill her. He could still watch her, protect her, and be her friend. Max could never be with him though. He sighed, wishing he could explain everything to her but Max didn't deserve another problem on her shoulders.

Fang had told himself as soon as he realized he loved her that he would make everything all right for Max. He watched as the scientist backed into the forest and Fang wondered why. Just as Iggy flew up and came to sit next to him.

"Why is Max crying? Nudge, Ella, Gazzy, and Total are all outside her room begging her to let them in." Iggy stared at his best friend. "And why are you there to make sure she's all right?"

Fang shrugged and sighed at the same time. He placed the receipt in his pocket, Iggy barley catching a glance of it. "I broke up with Max." Iggy's eyes went wide with shock.

"What-the-hell? You guys sleep with each other one night and then you break up with her?" Iggy shook out his feathers as the rain began to pour lightly. "Why, man? You love her. She loves you. What's so complicated about that?"

Fang sighed again and stood up staring into the wind as the rain blew at him. He ran a hand through his hair as Iggy stared up at him. Fang couldn't tell anyone what he knew, Max might get hurt because of it and he wasn't going to tell anyone what had happened at the School. He had kept that a secret for a reason.

He stood at the edge of the roof staring into the forest. He made sure what he said next, Iggy couldn't hear. Max was still crying, he thought, so she wouldn't hear what he said. The wind carried his words away.

"Sometimes, the greatest ending has the worst path to overcome."

Iggy hadn't heard him as he planned.

What he didn't know was that Max had.

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Hey thanks for the reviews guys. You earned this. Congrats to FreeSpirit329 for being my 100th review. Also, you were dead on about what you said in the review but I won't say it here because it will ruin what's happening.

And FallingRosePetals- If you are referring to my fanfiction Save Us (the sequel to this story) you are right

BUT THIS STORY ISN'T DONE. TRUST ME. I MAY HAVE STARTED THE SEQUEL BUT THERE IS STILL SOMETHINGS TO COME!