Chapter 1(Max’s POV)

“Okay, Melody, I want you to fly away from here. Follow your sense of direction to the flock. Tell them the whole story. I’ll meet you there a few days afterwards. I know that Angel will believe you, but I’m not so sure about the rest of the flock. I love you, now go.” I said to my little sister.

“Okay.” She said in her small eight year old voice. I turned back towards the school. It was the fifth one that I’d reached in that week. I started towards it. I hope I don’t die.

Chapter 2(Fang’s POV)
The building exploded. I saw Max’s body go flying. She landed with a thud. I dashed to her side.

            “I love you, Fang.” She whispered before her breathing stopped and she got cold.

            “I love you too.” I whispered, tears slipping down my cheeks.

I relived that moment every day of my life. I had turned into something that I had hoped I wouldn’t. I gave no care for the flock. They were still kind of the same. Max had died two years ago, and we had all been different ever since. The doorbell rang. I stood up from the couch and walked over to the door that someone was now banging on. I opened it and looked down. There was a little eight year old girl that looked like Max.

“Are you Fang?” She asked.

“Yes.” I said gruffly.

“I need to tell you and the flock something, can I come in?” She asked me.

“Fine.” I sighed.

“Guys, down here, now!” I called up the stairs. The flock started down. Angel and Nudge came first, with Iggy and Gazzy next. They sat down with me and the girl faced us.

“My name is Melody.  My big sister knows you. She told me to come to you guys.” She started.

“Who exactly is your sister?” I asked her. She glared at me.

“I was getting to that.” She said sternly.

“My sister’s name is Maximum Ride. She told me to fly here and she would be over in a few days. I think I should start from the beginning. After she died from the explosion, Jeb found her and resurrected her. She is the same, except she keeps muttering that she is depressed, what ever that is. Anyway, she has taken down four Itex branches and was on her fifth when I left.” The girl stated.

“Max is alive?” Gazzy asked in awe.

“Yes, she is alive, but not so well. One time, I caught her cutting herself on the wrist with a knife.  She tried to kill herself once, but I stopped her.” Melody said. Max had turned into a wreck.

“She’s telling the truth.” Angel stated.

“You can stay.” I said.

“Thank you so much!” She squealed. Angel led Melody up to Angel and Nudge’s room. Nudge and the rest of the flock followed up the stairs.

 

It had been two days now since Melody had come. She was the spitting image of Max. Suddenly, I heard a muffled scream from upstairs. I dashed up the stairs and opened up Angel’s door. There was Max, fighting what seemed to be a new and improved eraser.

“Stupid fat improved erasers!” She yelled as she pushed it out the window.

“Where’s Melody?” She growled, turning around.

“I’m right here, Max.” Melody ran out from the closet and Max gripped her tight. She picked Melody up like she used to pick Angel up. She looked at me.

“What happened to you, Max?” I asked quietly.

“I could ask you the same thing.” She said back.

“I never taught you to not care for your family. From what Melody’s told me, you never interact or care or do anything with the flock.” She said. She set Melody down and walked up to me. She wrapped her arms around me. I returned the embrace. She looked up and closed the distance between our faces. She tangled her fingers in my black hair. We pulled apart breathing raggedly.

“But I think we can change that.” She said.

“Max, they took the rest of the flock.” Melody said. Max pulled away from me and leaped out the window.

“Stay here, don’t leave this house. Remember the plan, Melody. Tell it to Fang.” Max said. Melody turned to me.

“If anything happens and we’re surrounded, don’t fight, don’t flight. Wait until we’re in the air with the erasers, and then fight.” She said to me. I nodded. Max came back later with the flock. They were all flying, but Max was wearing a mask. I smiled. I hadn’t done that ever since we thought Max had died.

“Who are you!” Gazzy shrieked.

“I thought I told you that you don’t need to know, yet.” She said in a gruff voice. They came through the front door. Max pulled me up the stairs while the rest of the flock waited downstairs.

“Okay, I want to tell the flock, but I don’t want it to be too fancy.” She said. We walked downstairs.

“Melody is blocking me, Fang!” Angel whined. I laughed and shook my head.

Max started pulling off the mask and the flock looked towards her. She got it all the way off. The flock looked shocked. Even the blind guy looked shocked. Angel must have sent him images.

“Hey, guys.” She said awkwardly.

“MAX!” Angel was the first to yell. Nudge was after her, but the older kids were still shocked. I heard glass break from upstairs.

“Come out come out where ever you are, little Maxie.” I heard a male voice. Max dashed up the stairs. I heard screaming and fighting and an eraser and Max came rolling down the stairs interlocked and still punching each other.

“Stupid fat Neil! You idiot!” She screamed at him and hit him with a kick that sent him flying. He flew through the wall. Max ran after him as he turned tail and ran. She came back, panting. She narrowed her eyes and shifted her gaze to some scratches on her side. The eraser had shredded her jacket as well as her. Iggy started towards her. She took a step back. I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Iggy took another step towards her and his fingers hovered over the scratches.

“This feels bad.” He said. Max shrugged and passed her hand over the scratch. When her hand uncovered the scratch, it was gone. She smiled.