Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

46

"I. Am. In. Heaven," I said, inhaling deeply.

Dr. Martinez laughed. "Watched cookies never brown," she teased me.

To make my Mayberry holiday complete, the three of us had actually made chocolate chip cookies - from scratch - after dinner.

I ate enough raw cookie dough to make myself sick, and then I got high off the fumes of gently baking cookies. I could see the chocolate chips melting through the oven window. Note to self: Show Nudge and Angel how to make chocolate chip cookies.

If I ever saw Angel again.

Ella's mom took the first cookie sheet out of the oven and slid in the second. I could hardly wait for the cookies to cool and, seizing one, took a bite, almost burning my tongue.

Incoherent murmurings of pleasure escaped my lips as I chewed slowly, savoring every bite. Ella an her mom watched me, identical smiles lighting their faces.

"You'd think you'd never tasted homemade cookies before," Ella said.

"Haven't," I mumbled, swallowing. It was the best thing I had ever tasted in my entire life. It tasted like home.

"Well, have another," said Dr. Martinez.

"I have to take off tomorrow," I told Ella that night when we were getting ready for bed.

"No!" she said, distressed. "I love having you here. You're like a cousin. Or my sister."

Funny how something like that can make you feel worse. "People are depending on me - it's really important."

"Will you come back to visit?" she asked. "Ever?"

I looked at her helplessly. It was the first time I had ever connected with a nonflock human being - besides Jeb.

It had been really cool. The best.

Plus her mom was so awesome. She was strict about some things - don't leave your socks lying around - but so not strict about other things, like calling the cops about my bullet wound. Unlike any other parent I'd ever heard of, she didn't press for details, didn't lecture, and believed what I said. She actually accepted me. Like she accepted Ella, for who she was.

It was enough to give me a psychotic break - if I let myself dwell on it.

"Probably not," I said, hating the hurt look on Ella's face. "I just - don't think I'll be able to. If I ever could, I would, but - "

I turned away and started brushing my teeth. Jeb had always said to think with your brain, not with your emotions. He'd been right, as usual. So I put all my feelings in a box and locked it.