Hi! This takes place on the beach when Max tries to get the chip out- in School's Out Forever. The Niggy will come on later and it is pretty friendly this chapter. Go easy on me, pleeease, because I had a little trouble writing for Nudge's point of view. She is really a lively person but the scene is pretty serious. Tell me how I did, sil vous plait. But...be kind :)

-MEGGEM

Chapter 1- Blood on the Beach

NUDGE POV

"Max, what were you doing?" my knees gave out and my throat went dry. What was going on- the scene was horrifying- Max, hands covered in blood, eyes wild and trembling. She looked a little insane. I shivered. The shell was red and the ugly gash was oozing. I wanted to throw up really badly but that wouldn't make anything better.

Our fearless leader (my personal roll model) looked at me, sobs making her body shake. What was the matter with her? I wondered. My Max was strong and brave and nice and cool and here she was bleeding and crying and she was.....scared?

"Wanted the chip out," Max whispered. Her face was broken. My head hurt and a hand gripped my shoulder. Iggy. Wow he had a strong grip. Really strong.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to hurl- you know what it's like when you have about 7 omelets and then about 3 granola bars with a stick of cheese on the side and then you feel really sick but you just can't throw up becuase your stomach hurts to much (you don't?)- well that's what I felt like.

Fang wasn't reassuring either. He was throwing things around- his strong hand ripping open our bag and pulling out bandages. Careful Fang, we are going to need that backpack lat- FOCUS Nudge, focus. He grabbed Max's arm.

"Well, forget it!" I winced at his rough tone. Take it easy Fang! I thought. Max looked fragile like a vase on the edge of a table. Wow cool analogy- I might have to write that down sometim- FOCUS Nudge, focus on the scene.

"You don't get off that easy! You die when we die," Fang spit out the words like they were foul. Max cringed. I watched her. Her eyes were somewhat lost in themselves. Her shaking got worse as Fang covered her arm. Nausea rolled around my tummy. Was this my fault? Did I do something? Did I say something? Maybe she didn't want to come to the beach?

Iggy's hand was squeezing harder now. It must have been much scarier for him- he couldn't see- just Fang's vicious voice and Max's wimpering. I almost envied him though. I didn't want to see what was happening either.

"I'm sorry," our leader's voice was soft and cracking. Her chest heaved and tears leaked from her eyes.

Then she lost it.

I'd never really seen Max cry like that before. It made me want to cry myself.

Fang slowly wrapped his arms around her and Max fell into him. My hand reached out sort of like a robot and touched her hair. She's a kid too, Nudge, I thought.

"Shhh, " I whispered. "Shh." I wanted to tell her everything was alright but Iggy beat me to it.

"It's alright, Max," he sounded strange- shaken. "Everything's okay." Though the words were for Max, they helped me relax too.

Eventually, our leader sat up and looked at all of us. Her face was ashamed and embarassed. But she shouldn't have been. I cry all the time and she is always there to help me out, I thought.

"Sorry, guys," Max whispered. It's okay Max, we'll take care of you, I promised to myself. You always help me- I'll help you.

"We didn't have to the beach, Max," the Gasman whispered guiltily. My life is like a movie- with corny lines. But this way I can be an actress, I smiled a little bit at the thought.

Max chuckled hoarsely and she ruffled his hair. "It's not that Gazzy, just other stuff." What stuff? I shouldn't have told her that I wanted that new sweater. I just couldn't keep my big yap shu-

"Like what?" Iggy asked.

She kind of sighed. I looked at Fang's back- really tense. Don't be mad at her, Fang, I thought.

"Stuff. The Voice in my head. Everyone chasing us. School. Anne. Ari. Jeb. They keep telling me I'm supposed to save the world, but how and from what, I don't even know."

The speech made my muscles freeze. Did Max really have all THAT on her? I had to eat rat- she had to save the world?

Angel's hand came out and touched Max's knee. "From, you know, after everything gets blown up and most of the people are gone. We'll be stronger and able to fly, so we can leave the blown up parts and find some nice land that isn't blown up or contan- contama-"

"Contaminated?" Iggy said.

"Yeah that. Then we can keep on living, even if there are hardly any people left." SILENCE.

WHHHATT???

Max looked shocked and taken aback, her eyes confused. "Umm," she bit her lip. "Where did you hear that sweetie?"

"At the School. I wasn't supposed it hear it but that's what they were thinking." Angel looked totally laid back, playing with sand. Someone's going to blow up the world? I thought. Wow, that's like those weird movies with cities exploding and stuff. I think there was one with Willy Smitty or somebody? Wasn't there this disease or a crazed dog? But a dog wouldn't hurt anybo- stop! Pay att-en-shon.

"Who's going to blow up the world?" Gazzy asked. I smirked. He probably wanted to be involved.

"Lot's of people can- they have big bombs. Countries and stuff. But the people at the School kept thinking it was just one company, a business company. They think its going to blow up the world, mostly. Maybe even by accident." Max was starting to get her wits back.

"And what company was that?" she asked.

Angel looked off into the ocean. "Don't remember. Like, like the name of a deer or something. A gazelle? Can I go swim?" Gazelle? Like Bambi? That's funny I have- Bambi eyes and I am thinking about Bambi.

"Sure." Max said and Angel, and Total ran off. Finally the Gasman joined them.

Max, Fang, me and Iggy were left. Iggy touched my arm and we walked off. I looked back to see Max thinking hard and Fang watching her. Then their lips started moving. Iggy and I sat down on a big rock, grabbing protein bars from our bags. I shoveled mine down, but Iggy finished before me.

"So...wow," he said. I nodded then said, "Yeah."

"What do you think the company is?"

"...Bambi?" I suggested. He chuckled.

"Yeah I'm sure it's Bambi," Iggy said. "They sell herbs and shrubs." I punched his shoulder. Iggy's such an idiot. It COULD be Bambi, couldn't it? COULDN'T IT?

"Well than what do you think it is?" I shot back.

"Goat? Ibex? Caribou? What do I know," he sighed. I looked at his face- it was content. His features were at ease- his shoulders laid back and muscles relaxed.

"Hey look- Total did a back flip! I didn't know dogs could do backflips! I can't do a backflip! Can you? I mean, I guess he has that crazy-jump-really-high thing so maybe its sort of possible, but still. I wish I could do a backflip, you know. Like, be just like, standing in a supermarket and then all of sudden-POOF- do a backflip!" I took a breath and was about to start again when Iggy said something.

"I wish I could see it," his voice was dull. My eyes drifted to my feet. Why had I said that??

He started walking down the beach and I strode next to him. We didn't talk and I was bursting but he looked like he was thinking. I stepped on a shell and picked it up.

"Hey lo- I mean, feel this," I said. How many times was I going to mess up? I knew Iggy was blind, but it was hard sometimes. I pressed it into his hand, which was warm and Iggy's sensitive fingers touched the sharp edges. His lips puckered.

"Cool- it's like a nut bar. Those chocolate bars with nuts that are kind of pointy but really tasty when you eat them?" he said. I closed my eyes and felt. He was right. I hadn't even noticed when I looked at it.

We continued walking, both with our eyes closed. I wanted to experience what it was like to be Iggy. It must have be so different, every scent and touch more. We continued picking up shells and describing them. One felt like a melon, another like Abraham Lincoln. Don't ask.

I opened my eyes and looked at the setting sun on the horizon. It was pink and purple and orange. I began describing it. Iggy listened closely. He bent down and picked up a handful of sand, feeling the different grains. For a long minute, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. But it was almost like he could feel my gaze. And though he couldn't SEE see me, he SAW right through me.

"You alright Nudge?" he lifted an eyebrow. I cleared my throat. How did he know that? Wait, but he can't know that because there was nothing to be alright about. I mean, I was alright. Perfectly normal. So why was he looking like that? Stop saying LOOKING Nudge! He's just thinking...I think.

"Perfectly fine. Absolutely, positively wonderful," I snapped. Shut uh-uuuppp.

"Okay." That's what I loved about Iggy. He didn't bother you. Unless he wanted to. But if he didn't want to, he didn't. Right- that made sense.

"What was it like Iggy?" I asked softly. "To have parents?" We had talked about this a lot. He knew I wanted parents. A lot. I wanted parents a lot.

His face went hard.

"It was....it wasn't....well it....it wasn't what I thought, okay? You might enjoy it, but I'm....I like it...here. I like it here with Max and Fang and Gazzy and Angel....and you."

My heart was a little spastic. Why?? Why was that? There was no reason for that! None at all. Nada, rien. So there. Stop being spastica-l-y, heart.

"The Gasman was sad," I whispered. Iggy's expression wavered for some reason.

"Yeah I missed him," he said.

"He was crying," I replied. Well in truth, the Gasman hadn't cried as much as me.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I missed y-all of you."

"Well you're back. But what if someone else finds their parents and their parents are really nice and want them to stay with them so than we'd lose another flock member and I don't know if I- we can do that again," I said.

"What if it was your parents- would you leave?" Iggy touched my arm and we stopped walking. I bit my lip and looked at the surf. The tide was higher and lapping at the shore.

"I....I-" I gulped and was about to tell him the truth when Angel's voice called out. I glanced at her and saw Max and Fang rushing to the sea. I tugged on Iggy's shirt.

"Angel found something. We should head back," I took off running and Iggy came after. We didn't tell anyone about our conversation. But something was different. Something.

So...did you like it? I think that I am going to post next the scene that Max never told us- the goodbyes when Iggy left and how Nudge felt. Hope you like the Niggy and after a couple reviews, I send some more. :)

-MEGGEM