Hi everyone!

I am very very very sorry for not updating in like 3 weeks? I feel really bad, but school has been hectic and I've been super busy. But anyway I have time now cause I am on break, so hopefully I can make up for it.

So here is chapter 5, these next 2 chapters are just kinda like fillers, so they might be shorter, I just really want Fang back, but there are some other things I need to put in before.

So I hope you guys enjoy!

(and sorry if the format of the story is retarded, but I am going to try and fix it!)

Chapter 5 – Starting Over

That Monday I did see Nudge at school. I saw her in the morning and at first I was shy, cause she was with her friends, and I felt stupid saying hi to her, so I waited. I guess I can say that I've always been um…. different?

I did not have another friend other than Fang. So at school, it was always us two and no one else. But now that he is gone, I have no one.

So I am the only 5th grader who sits alone at lunch, and let me tell you, it sucks. So when I met Nudge, I thought she and I would be lunch buddies, but after I saw her with her friends, she might not want to even know me.

So all through the morning I thought how was I going to talk to Nudge, and then can lunch, the dreaded moment. I had just gotten my lunch and was walking over to a table rehearsing what I was going to say to her, when I slipped.

Yes I know, so Max like.

I was busy not paying attention; I didn't see the puddle of chocolate milk. My right foot slipped from under me and my butt landed on the puddle, and I was wearing my favorite jeans.

Then to make matters worse, it was spaghetti day… and I was wearing I white knit sweater that my aunt made for me last Christmas.

So of coarse, when I landed the bowl of spaghetti went flying and landed on me. I closed my eyes and willed my self to turn invisible, but of coarse, I had no super powers, so I was still visible.

Seconds later I hear hundreds of laughs and open my eyes to find the kids laughing at me. I know I turned red, and I was ready to cry, but Maximum Ride does not cry (well at least not in public)

I had started to get up, when I felt someone at my side. I looked up and saw Nudge. She was picking up my lunch from the floor and then helped me up. "Are you okay?" she asked me.

I nodded and started walking to exit door of the cafeteria. "Poor Maxie got sauce all over her ugly sweater." said a girl named Ann.

Everyone started laughing, and I got even more mad, but I kept walking.

"At least her sweater is nicer than your stupid rain-coat." Shot back Nudge, and smirked at Ann.

I stopped walking and turned around. Nudge gave me a smile and I smiled back. I looked at Ann, and her fists were clenched by her sides. We were all waiting for her come back.

"Well…" she started, but I could tell she didn't know what to say. It was so quiet in the cafeteria, you could here a cricket.

That's when both Nudge and I started walking out together. Just as we got to the back doors, I heard something smash into the back of Nudge's head. Nudge gasped and reached up, grabbing applesauce from her ponytail. I turned around and saw Ann smiling with her arms crossed over her chest.

I was about to yell at her, when something rushed by my head and hit Ann in the nose. She staggered back, startled and looked at the falling bread stick that had nailed her in the nose. I looked at Nudge who looked pretty pleased with her aim.

Just as I gave her a high five, some dumb 5th grade boy yelled out, "Food Fight!" and all hell broke loose.

I ducked just in time before I had chocolate pudding land on my face. Nudge and I both ducked under the nearest table and got ammo. I had an apple, a chocolate pudding cup, and a bowl of spaghetti. I looked at Nudge who had another bread stick, two milk cartons and an apple.

We both smiled and stood up, picking to see who was going to get it. To my left, some poor boy was trying to block the food with a tray, just as he peeked over the top of the tray, I threw my pudding and hit him on the top of the head.

I turned just in time to see Nudge hit a girl with the milk carton. And let me tell you, this was the best lunch that I ever had, until finally the principal came in.

He was so red and mad, I thought he was gonna blow. But instead he asked who started the fight, and all fingers pointed to me and Nudge.

He marched up to us, grabbed us by the back our shirts and hauled us out of the cafeteria. I caught a glimpse of Ann who had applesauce in her hair and was smirking at us.

Why that little piece of…poop! She totally started it!

Thirty minutes later both our mom were sitting with us in the principals' office. We were suspended for one day and had detention for two weeks.

When we were finally able to leave, I waved at Nudge who smiled back and I was shoved to our car. I sat all the way in the back of our mini van. And watched as my mom got in.

She slammed the door, put on her seat belt and looked at me through the rear-view mirror. I gave her a weak smile and she started the car. We pulled out of the parking lot and turned on our street.

"I can't believe I had to come pick you up, from a food fight Maximum." She sounded pretty mad.

"But it wasn't…" I protested.

"It wasn't your fault? Is that what you were going to say? Well then why did Principal Pruitt say that all the kids said that you started it?" she asked,

"It's because I fell, got my sweater dirty, Nudge helped me, then this girl Ann made fun of us, and she is the one who threw apple sauce in Nudge's hair." I told her all in one breath.

"And you expect me to believe that?" she asked looking at me with questioning eyes.

"Well I am your daughter." I whispered softly, hoping she didn't hear.

"What was that?" Shoot, she heard.

"Nothing, it's just I am sorry, and I promise I won't ever do it again." Her eyes softened and she sighed,

"Oh Maximum, what am I going to do with you?"

"Love me forever and always!" I replied, smiling big. She just chuckled and we pulled into our driveway. She opened the door and I went running in and grabbed the TV remote.

"But just because I'm not mad at you, doesn't mean you are not in trouble. No TV, computer, and ipod or any other things that you like to do. And when your father gets home, we are going to have another talk about this." She looked at me, waiting to see if I say anything back. I slumped my shoulders and walked up to my room.

I closed my door and fell on my bed, face first. After some minutes I sat up and looked out my window to the park across the street. I smiled and remembered the day we had the big snowball fight with Fang and Iggy. That was a really good day.

I must have fallen asleep cause about an hour later my mom is shaking me to wake up. I turn over and barely open my eyes. "We need to go pick up Iggy from school." She says.

I groaned, "Do I have to go?" I ask, already going back to sleep,

"Yes, now get up!" she says. So ten minutes later we are in the car driving to Iggy's middle school. We pull up next to the gate he exits and wait. A few seconds later the bell rings and out come the middle schoolers.

I spot Iggy with his navy blue beanie, and then the girl next to him. I've seen her before, what's her name? Um Mary? No… Marilyn!

I think she is very pretty, she has blondish hair, bright blue eyes and she is very nice. I look over to see if my mom notices, but she is to busy texting, so I continue "spying" on Iggy and Marilyn.

She looks really pretty today; she is wearing a gray knit hat, a black coat with a dark purple scarf and some beige leather boats. Just before the exit they stop and she laughs, probably at one of his lame jokes.

Then I guess they say good-bye and Iggy comes walking toward the car. He opens the door and comes in, sitting in the seat in front of me. "Hi mom."

He says and then buckles his seat belt. He doesn't know I'm in the car. (Evil smile)

Just as he is taking off his beanie, I jump into the seat next to him and yell. His head almost hits the roof and he screams like a girl. (Wow, if only Marilyn can see how manly he is)

I start laughing so hard, I start to cry, and he just turns red and looks at my mom.

"What the heck is she doing here? Isn't she supposed to be in school?" he asks my mom who is also laughing. Once we quiet down my mother explains my "incident" at school.

"Wow, real mature Max. Food fights are so stupid, I can't believe you even started one." He said looking at me. I stuck my tongue out at him and look out my window.

When we got home I went straight to my room and started homework. I know, I know, Max doing homework, but hey, I was bored.

After I finished, I opened the second drawer of my desk and took out the blood red jewelry box. I opened it and took out the two pictures of Fang and I.

I looked at the one with Fang and I sleeping in the car. I smiled and thought of that day. It was only three years ago, but it felt like a lifetime.

Just as I flipped the second picture over, there was a knock on my door. I quickly put the pictures back in the box, and then in the drawer. Iggy came in, "Dinners ready." He said, I nodded and turned off my desk light.

Iggy then stepped inside my room, "And um, in the car when I said food fights were stupid, I really didn't mean it. I always wanted to start one at school. So how was it?" he asked, looked expectantly at me.

I smiled and rolled my eyes, "It was pretty awesome." I responded and then we walked down stairs.

At dinner, it was quiet. And that is never a good sign, our family is never quiet. I had finished my piece of meatloaf and was about to get up, when my father cleared his throat.

That wasn't good; I closed my eyes, "Sit." He said firmly.

I sat down and looked at my hands. "So how was your day, Maximum?" he asked, nonchalantly.

I swallowed and looked at him. "It was…pretty…good." I said, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Oh, really? Well it sounded like it was a good day. How about lunch? I heard it was pretty…exciting." He said looking at me with raised eyebrows.

I sighed, "Ok fine. There was a food fight, and Nudge and I got in trouble. End of story." I said fast, hoping he would drop it. He looked at my mom who just got up, put her dish in the sink and went into the living room.

A second later Iggy followed her. I looked over at my dad who had crossed his hands and was also watching me.

"Well, did you start it?" he asked.

I shook my head and told him the whole story from the beginning. He just nodded his head, "Well hopefully you've learned your lesson, and don't start another one. Right?"

I looked at him and nodded. "Ok so, I want you to pick up the table and clean the dishes." He said getting up.

What? He knows I hate cleaning the dishes.

"And they need to be done in an hour." He added from the couch. I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen. The dishes were piled high, like Mt. Everest status.

I groaned, man I wish I didn't have to do this. But I started any way and I had just washed the last plate when my dad walked in. He looked at the clock, "Two minutes past an hour." He said looking at me.

I just looked at him, ready to say something, when he smiled. "I'm just playing Max. But I really hope I don't ever get a call from your mother saying my you started a food fight. Understood?"

"Yes." I replied. He smiled at me and then we both walked into the living room.

So there never was another food fight for the rest of my 5th grade year, although I really hoped there was gonna be another one. Nudge and I became very good friends, and finished off our last year in elementary school behaving ourselves.

We did everything together, if I wasn't at her house, she was at mine. So yeah we ended the school year pretty well. We both were eleven, so that means Fang also turned eleven too. Iggy's birthday just past in May, he finally turned an official teenager, thirteen. And so that left Angel and Gazzy who were eight.

Even with Nudge and all, I still don't feel "complete" I know I still miss the Harding's, and I always will.