Valedictorian- A Maximum Ride Fanfiction

9th Period

LITTLE ANGEL POUTED as the flock sat in a circle, not liking Max's expression at all. Not that she needed to read it because she could read minds, but still. She actually didn't like what she was seeing in either.

I'm going to ask them to let Ren join the flock.

Angel's glare darkened, hugging Total to her chest. That wasn't happening. It wasn't happening at all. 

Sometimes she thought that hearing people's thoughts was actually more of a curse, because she could see how things were going to play out before they actually happened. It made life boring, droll, and the fact that she could influence them as well was jading her cerulean blue eyes. What was the point of anything when you could control or predict it? But that wasn't why she didn't like the idea.

She couldn't read Ren. At all. And she didn't trust that.

"So, I have something I want to talk about." Max breathed, face stern but eyes shining with anxiety and excitement to those who could read it. A barrage of thoughts invaded her head. 

Oh great. What is it? Ohhh! Max wants to say something! Are we finally getting out? I need to fart.

No Gazzy, please don't. She thought. Nudge decided to vocalise her anticipation, squirming in her seat while Iggy looked stone faced and Fang leaned back nonchalantly. Angel scratched behind Total's ears, waiting for Max to drop the bomb.

"Guys, I want to.. I want to adpot Ren into the flock."

More thoughts.

What? No way. Why? It's totally illogica--- Ohhh, yay! Yippie! Ren is so much fun to talk to, and he looks like an EXO member too! I want to mess with his hair- Does this mean that Sebastian is joining too? I don't mind Ren that much anymore, but... Seb is so cool, she knows so much about bombs! I hope we adopt her too.

Angel bit her lip, scrunching herself in and drawing Max's attention. Max had been busy surveying the faces of the flock members, but that was useless. Fang was totally stoic even though his mind was protesting, Iggy smiled though he was struggling with the idea. The only one here that actually wore their heart on their sleeve was Nudge, maybe that was why the two got along so well. Gazzy wanted Seb too, but Angel knew that their leader would never allow that. She didn't trust Sebastian. Angel didn't either. Iggy's mental war ended with him deciding against it, and he gave Max an easy smile that lit her face up. So naive.  Max would never know them as much as Angel did.

Angel would save them.  

"How are you going to take care of Ren when you can't even take care of the flock you have now?" She asked, tilting her head innocently. Angel didn't like being the one who had to bring these matters up, but if she didn't, who will? Ren was a good influence on Iggy, she knew that, but it was Max's position as leader that should have taken care of him from the first place. Max was.. inadequate. Angel knew this, because Max hurt the flock more than physical injuries ever could. Blind zeal, blind hopefulness- it was just love holding this flock together now, and Iggy was sorely missing that. They were all they knew, and they would probably stick together even if they tore each other to pieces. She saw Iggy's slight twitch, and heard Fang's sigh. They'd been thinking the same things, but Max's hurt and betrayed expression was directed towards her. Total was the only warmth against her chest. 

"W-What do you mean, Angel?" Max stuttered, and Angel could hear her doubts circling in her head. She didn't like hurting Max. But she didn't like Max hurting the rest either. This was love, painful love. Max was always her favorite, and so she would hurt Max. Max needed to grow. 

"You don't notice our problems at all and you want to adopt another person in?" Her eyes fought tears at the way that Max was looking at her, remembering the tightness of the dog cage as the tightness around her heart. It was only the memory of worse experiences that kept her face passive. "We can't trust him, and I think it's a better idea to make sure the family we have now is safe and happy first."

"He saved Iggy!" She protested, and Angel sighed. She could feel Iggy slumping too- he'd gotten attached to Ren, though she couldn't find how. Something must have happened during the trip. He liked Ren, but he didn't want Ren to stay either. And now he was tearing himself apart over it. Angel smiled sadly. 

"Iggy wouldn't have been in that position if Ren hadn't made him go." She said, quietly, and heard Nudge's shocked gasp and the waves against the cave mouth. All went silent. She could hear Fang agreeing with her in his head, guilty feelings transmitting to her as Max looked to him for support. Total sneezed. 

"Max, You can't just bring people in because you feel like protecting them." Fang sad softly, and Angel withdrew back. She didn't have to say anymore, Fang would take over. Max wouldn't look at her like that anymore, like she was wondering where she went wrong. No, it wasn't like, she was wondering where she went wrong. And that hurt more than any whitecoat experiment.

Max was looking positively heartbroken, staring at her hands while Fang murmured soft nothings and thinking about what a failure this had turned out to be. Nudge was sending her death glares that Gazzy was attempting to block from her, and Angel sighed. Always Max' s number one supporter. The right hand man spoke up again. "I get it, he's vulnerable. You want to protect him because he's like a little kid, and you don't know how to deal with that because the rest of us had to grow up way too fast. I want to protect him too. But he's been here for a while, and he comes as a set with Sebastian. He'll be fine without us." 

Relief flooded Iggy while Max's mood dropped even more. Even him? Angel could hear her think, Not only Angel, but Fang too? Why is everyone turning their back on me?

No Max, you were the one that failed us first.