I actually kind of like the chapter. I hope yall do too… however I'll never know if you don't review!

Karlee Ray

My optimism quickly went downhill when I realized that none of my friends were in my first period Basic Math class. They all left me standing in the hallway alone in a mass of anxious students, not sure where to go. Room 306. Okay. I can do this. I don't need them. I choose one of the three hallways coming off the main hallway at random, and by some stroke of luck I find room 306 at the end.

I sigh with relief that I wouldn't be tardy to class on my first day and shove open the door. The classroom is about half full, with most of the students standing and talking at random desks. I lift my chin up high making sure that I have a confident air about myself, and choose a desk at the back of the room.

Over the course of about two minutes, the rest of the students in the class filter into the room. I almost growl out loud when the red head from the stairs outside struts into the room with two other girls. She spots me and her eyes narrow, but she quickly shrugs me off and sits down in the front row with her entourage at both her sides.

"Hello class! Please, take your seats." A woman with creamy white skin enters the room. She looks young, maybe mid-thirties. Her dark brown hair is twisted into a tight bun and she wears a black blazer with a black pencil skirt and heels that I would literally break my ankle in. To my surprise, she actually smiles, amused, when no one listens to her. She sets her coffee down on her desk and takes a few minutes to organize her things, actually allowing the students to continue their conversations. After a moment, though, she stands. "Alright, alright, alright, everyone quiet down. Take your seats. Listen if you respect me, I'll respect you. I get that you're all excited, but it's time for class to start." There are multiple groans from people in the class. "I know, I know, back to school, you poor babies. But, hey, I promise to make math as fun as I possibly can," She promises, and I find myself taking an immediate liking to her. "My name is and I am obviously your math teacher this year. Now, I know this is math class, but I wanted to kind of take this first week and make it a class where we just get to know each other. How does that sound?" She smiles, expectantly, but seems not to take offense when no one answers. "Okay well, first off I would like to go around the room and have everyone stand up and state their name and a little about themselves." This actually gets a response out of the students, a negative one and I'm with them. I really don't want to do this. I mean what am I supposed to say? Hi. I'm Max. I grew up in a cage, spent my life on the run, survived an apocalypse, and now I'm here in school when I would rather be anywhere else. Yeahhh. That would go over just great.

I sigh as one by one the students around me stand up and give a freaking biography about themselves. I'm not really interested, but I make an effort to listen. There's a Susan. She's Asian and apparently is a super genius. There's a Todd who says he has gills. There's a Katie who claims to be super-fast. Oh and that red head girl I can't stand. Her name is Alexandra and she claims she has no super power except for her beauty. Figures. I just want to stand up and strangle her.

The boy beside me stands and I realize I'm next. "Hi. My name is Trent. I'm 17 and I survived an apocalypse," He jokes and I find myself laughing along with the rest of the class. He's tall and tan, with toned arms. He has dark brown hair and bright blue eyes with a smattering of freckles running across the bridge of his nose and cheek bones. He's attractive, I realize, and look around to see several girls swooning. "Yeah. Nothing special about me, never been experimented on or anything, I just have family in high places. Isabelle Burks is my mom."

Isabelle Burks. Isabelle Burks. Why does that name sound familiar? Oh! Wait! Isabelle Burks, yeahhh, the woman who rescued us from above ground.

I glance back up to find Trent sitting down and all eyes turning to me. Shrugging, I stand up. I tilt my chin up, making myself look arrogant which is a good thing. People pick on insecure people. "Hey. My name is Maximum Ride. I'm 15… roughly. I don't really know my birth date," I say and a few people in the room nod sympathetically in understanding. "Umm yeah nothing special about me either unless you count the gills, the super-speed, the wings or the wicked fighting skills," I joke and everyone seems to relax a bit. I hear multiple chuckles and I look up to see smiling widely at me.

I start to continue when someone cuts me off. "I think pretty much everyone here knows who you are Max," an attractive guy with blonde hair says to me, smiling warmly. I find myself smiling back and shrugging.

"Just trying to follow the rules," I tell him, sitting down, and he laughs.

"Yeah, I've heard around that you're real good at that," he teases. My jaw drops in mock surprise and he grins again, and then turns to face back towards the front of the room.

A few more people introduce themselves after me but I'm not really paying attention. When everyone is done, stands again. "Alright, boys and girls, we only have about ten minutes left of class and I would like to let you all have that time to get to know each other. You may talk quietly amongst yourselves. I'll be at my desk if you need me."

I feel very awkward for a few moments, not sure if I really want to talk to any of these people.

"I like your shoes," The boy sitting beside me offers. Trent. That was his name.

I stare down at my converse. "Really?"

"Nah, I was just looking for a good conversation starter and I failed miserably," he says with a completely straight face.

I laugh. "Okay, okay. You're witty, I'll give you that much."

He grins, showing off perfect pearly white teeth. "Wow. The great Maximum Ride just gave me, a lowly human, a compliment? I don't think I'll ever recover from that."

I start to snicker but stop myself. "Don't call me that," I say, seriously. "Everyone around here is holding my name like it's some high and mighty thing when in reality, half the students here are enhanced and have been through the same things."

He nods, sobering up. "Well yeah, but from what I've heard, you're a little bit on the extraordinary side."

"I guess so," I mutter, struggling to be humble. I flutter my feathers just a little bit to prove my point and Trent stares in wonder.

"That's incredible. What's it like to fl-"He breaks off at the sound of the bell. We stand and put on our backpacks and he stares at me like there's something he wants to say. I look at him expectantly, but when he says nothing, I shrug.

"See ya later," I call over my shoulder as I walk out the door.