It was game time!
Don't let my utterly fake excitement fool you for single second. I was absolutely hating every single moment that I was here.
Anyway, don't let my utterly real anger scare you away, either. 'Here' was about a half mile away from the aptly named Texas Stadium, where this football game was going to take place. It would take us a bit to get there, because the streets were just packed with rabid fans. And I use the word 'rabid' with extreme emphasis. The people were simply coming out of the freakin' woodwork! I'm not even kidding!
We had been some extremely populated places, but Dallas, Texas around football time had to be right near the top of the list.
And Fang had wanted to come here.
And I had let him drag me and the rest of the flock with him.
I seriously needed to get my head checked. I had been bullied into this by the people I was trying to protect! I had let it happen!
How hard would it have been to simply say, "No, guys, we ain't going to a freakin' football game."? Not very hard, you would think.
But...
It had been hard to say no. Really hard. Especially this time.
What the hell?!
Was I getting soft? Were the months of fleeing constant danger while trying to figure out who exactly we were finally catching up with me?
These were the thoughts that circled around me like irritating insects as I led my intrepid little flock through the nearly packed streets of Dallas to go to a football game. Thoughts were really pesky these days, it seemed to me. Life as of late had given my mind absolutely loads to chew on.
I mean, let's just start this little thought parade with some certain 'saving the world' business. And that's a starting point. That's just the first thing on my mind right now.
I mean, come on. I'm fourteen years old people, and I gotta carry around the weight of saving all of you, or something. What exactly am I supposed to do to save the world? Is Jeb just bullshitting me and making the whole thing up? Why would he do that, just to have the fun of screwing with me?
Okay, that was the first thing.
Second, were was the Voice? It had been awhile since I'd heard the annoying mofo.
Yeah, I have to save the world, and I have a voice in my head.
And then there's the wings, which I'm sure I don't even have to mention at this point.
When life deals you a bad hand, it really goes all out, it seemed to me.
Thirdly, and this one wasn't so bad but it was still a little unsettling, was where on Earth were all the Erasers?
I mean, I'm not saying that their being mysteriously absent is a bad thing. No, not at all! I'm just saying it's weird to not be constantly harassed by them.
This had so far been the longest amount of time during our few months of running about the country doing stuff that he hadn't had at least one altercation with the things.
Weird, right?
So, we have the wings (duh) the saving the world thing, the voice that blatantly states with its presence that I may or may not have schizophrenia, and then the sudden and bizarre absence of our primary foe and visitor... So many weird things all compounding on each other.
It's enough to make you wanna run for the hills, am I right?
But get this, we weren't.
No, no. We were far too busy going to a football game.
Absolute brilliance in my humble opinion.
"I am so excited!" Nudge squealed, and I mentally gave her the 'the biggest statement of the obvious of the year' award.
"Me, too," the Gasman also threw in.
Well, at least they were all having fun… apparently.
"I want a hotdog when we get inside," Total sniffed.
I had always found it funny that it a group consisting of six bird kids with a massive metabolism, and a single talking dog, that it was the dog that brought up eating the most.
And of course, (thank you, Total) it set of a chain reaction.
"I want a hotdog, too." Nudge said, "They're supposed to be soooo good at football games!"
Where she got this idea (granted, it was the correct one) I had no idea.
"I want one, too!" Gazzy said.
Hotdogs all around, apparently. Fang and Iggy didn't even have to state that they wanted one; they did. And I'm pretty sure that Angel wanted one as well even though she was rather silent about the whole thing.
What was with her, recently?
And, yeah, I'd get a stupid hotdog, too. I can't have people eating good food around me, or I get hungry, too.
I'm only human, okay? Well... enough of a human, anyway.
We arrived at Texas Stadium, and low and behold there was a mammoth line to get inside.
I could tell Nudge was just about to complain about waiting in line, and I cut her off, "Yeah, no," I said. "We're going to the game, so I don't want to hear any complaints."
Nudge shut her mouth and blinked several times, putting on the pantomime of complete innocence.
I could tell instantly that she was going to repeat her wanting of a hotdog.
"Yes, we'll get you a hotdog," I said, instantly turning to Gazzy, who was just opening his mouth.
"We'll get you one, too," I said, beating him to the chase as well.
I don't brag too much, but I will say that I know my flock pretty damn well, thank you.
"Come, on Max, smile," Fang said, actually smiling a bit himself, perhaps hoping to spread it to me.
"Yeah, Max. Smile," Iggy added, "You're so pretty when you smile."
How Iggy could prove or disprove this was questionable. He was probably just messing with me.
He liked to do that.
I sighed, "Okay, everyone," it was time for the 'before we go into potetial danger' speech, "I want everyone to keep any eye out for anything suspicious and out of the ordinary."
"What, like six bird kids and a talking dog?" Iggy asked, "Actually... I think I see 'em."
"You know what I mean," I responded. I may have been currently annoyed by Iggy, but I still admired (as I always had) the fact that he ignored that he was blind almost completely. It was really neat, actually.
But I was still annoyed with him.
"And keep your voice down," I snapped, wondering if anyone heard the remark 'bird kids'. I wasn't worried so much about the 'talking dog' part, because, come on, who would believe that?
"I just want everyone to not get caught up so much in the game that you don't pay attention to what's going on around you," I said.
I was just trying to make sure they were safe. Did they have to give me such a hard time about it?
Iggy was about to, but Fang cut him off, "Okay, Max," he said, "we will. Don't worry so much."
Yeah, I thought, try telling me not to worry and see how far you get.
"We'll be okay," Angel said from right beside me.
I turned to her and looked into her beautiful eyes. Fang telling me things would be okay was one thing, Angel telling me things would be okay was another thing entirely. It was believable coming from her.
"Okay... I know, I just want to be sure," I said.
"I know. Thank you," Angel said.
"No problem." I turned to see where we stood (no pun intended) in the line situation. We were getting there. Another few minutes, now.
"And Max?"
"Yep?" I glanced back at Angel.
"I want a hotdog, too."