I neatly folded my wings onto my back and made sure that no stray feathers were peeking out under my jacket. Once that was done, I calmly walked out of the alley. If someone gave me a weird look I hoped that I had a completely normal face on. One that said, I just didn't fly down from the sky. What are you talking about? Wings? What nonsense. Now you may be wondering, who is this crazy person? What does she mean by wings?

Well, let me explain. My name is Maximum Ride, but you can call me Max. You are not allowed to call me Maximum or shit will drop from the sky onto your head. Literally. This is because I am a mutant, a freak, an anomaly. Everybody who has met me has a different name for me. That is because I'm not 100% human. I'm only 98% human and the other 2% is bird. Yes, I am a human-bird hybrid and I have wings. I can fly. I'm not going to say to you it's not as great as you think it is, because it is wonderful. The feeling of the wind in your hair as you fly above the glittering ocean and the sun shining on you is amazing. Nothing beats it.

I am the only one of my kind that I know of, for three years since escaping the School (shudder), I have been alone, always on the run, and my only aim in life is to not die.

I hope that changes soon…