A/N: This is my first fanfic. Hope you enjoy it!

Max's POV

Really. People can be so annoying sometimes. It was getting to the point where I just wanted to strangle someone to vent. Well, not just someone. I'll be specific. Angel. I really was getting close to strangling her. As much as I adored her, her mind control was starting to get on my nerves.

"But Max," she said, in that too-cute little voice of hers. "I just wanted to have some fun. We never do anything fun anymore." She stuck out her lower lip slightly and gave me those dratted Bambi eyes.

I sighed, my fingers twitching. "Angel, honey, you can't just go popping into people's heads and making them run into things. As much fun as it might be." Depending on your definition of fun, I thought sourly. Angel's attitude was beginning to get slightly out of control, and I wasn't at all sure that I liked where it was headed. Her new favorite pastime seemed to be messing with peoples' thoughts for entertainment. I was starting to wonder what had happened to my sweet little girl.

"But I didn't do any real harm," Angel said. "Getting hit on the forehead with a phone pole won't do any real damage, will it?" She looked up at me. "That guy will just have a little headache, right? That's what Gazzy said."

I rubbed my temples, desperately trying to maintain my self-control. "Ange, the problem isn't that you may have permanently injured someone, though that would have been bad. The problem is that you seem to think that it's okay to play with people's minds."

"I never hurt anyone though," she protested. "I just make them do funny stuff. I like making people laugh."

"That's nice, Angel," I said. "But you're entertaining people at the expense of other people. That's not okay. Everyone has free will, and you making them do what you want isn't right. They should be able to always have control over their actions. You are taking away their free will."

Angel didn't look at all sorry. She just stood there, absent-mindedly twisting one of her curly, golden locks around her finger. I was at a loss. None of my reprimands were having any effect on her attitude. I had no idea what to do. So, being my soft, lenient self, I let her off.

"Okay, Angel," I said. "You can go do whatever it was you wanted to do. However," I added as she turned to go. "I don't want you messing with anyone's thoughts for entertainment again. Okay?"

"Okay, Max." She skipped out of the kitchen, probably heading for the television or something.

I honestly didn't expect her to listen to me. In fact, I was almost certain that the next morning I would find her and Gazzy in the park, running people into trees. What was up with those kids? They never listened. I was fairly sure that if Angel hadn't been being so naughty, Gazzy would have been perfectly contrite and obedient. But his sister was being a bad influence, and he seemed inclined to listen to her instead of me. I sighed, remembering the good old days when no one would have even thought of disobeying me when I told them to do something. What had happened?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. I peered around the doorframe into the living room. Fang and Iggy seemed to have returned from their "hunting" trip. Fang came into the kitchen and set his backpack on the table.

"Tuna," he said. "Lots and lots of tuna. That quickie mart hasn't restocked in a while."

I groaned. "I am so sick of tuna."

He grimaced. "Who here isn't? It's all we've had to eat for a week now."

"I know, I know," I said, leaning back against the counter. "Everyone wants to take a trip to see my mom, just so we can get some decent grub. I've heard that already, but it's too risky. There are still people looking for us, and I won't lead them to her and Ella."

"I understand that, Max," Fang said quietly. "But we haven't seen any sign of anything for months now. Don't you think we could count it as safe and at least try? We're not going to get anywhere hiding out in this cabin forever. We have to leave at some point."

I rubbed my temples again. Today was proving to be rather stressful, and it was giving me a headache. "I know. When would you suggest we leave?"

"Tomorrow," he said. "The sooner the better. Everyone's getting cabin fever."

"Is that where you think Angel's new hobby came from?"

Fang shrugged. "It's possible. She just needs something to do."

"But couldn't she find something a little more civil? She's running people into trees because she thinks it's fun!" I sighed.

Fang looked at me in sympathy. "All the more reason to leave. Soon."

I nodded. "You're right, of course. You usually are." He smiled slightly at that comment. "Let's go get everyone together. We'll leave in the morning."

I smiled into the wind and closed my eyes. Flying was so exhilarating. I swooped up and back, doing a backflip in midair. We were finally leaving that stuffy cabin in the mountains, and I don't think a single member of the Flock was sorry about it. I know I certainly wasn't. Now we were on our way to Arizona to visit my mom and sister. What could have been better than that? The thought of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies was making my mouth water, so I quickly turned my thoughts to other things before I started drooling on Gazzy, who was flying below me.

I looked over at Fang, who was flying steadily beside me, his big black wings glinting in the sun. He caught me looking at him and smiled at me. I blushed and looked away. What was with that?

"Hey, Max!" Nudge interrupted my thoughts. "I'm hungry." She looked at me pleadingly. "Can we get some food please?"

Of course. I should have known. When was Nudge not hungry? I surveyed the ground below us. There was a small fast food restaurant a little ways ahead of us.

"Sure," I said. "We'll stop at the fast food place and get something to eat."

I was answered with a chorus of "Thanks, Max!" I smiled. The Flock was so easy to please.