Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. :p

Preface

People meet each other in different ways. Friends since birth, friends through school, work, or maybe as strangers. Something casual.

Nicolas Walker and I did not meet like that.

The ways friends become, well, friends, are usually something simple, something as typical as seeing a person walking their dog down the street. It's basically normal. But sometimes, everything isn't that normal.

Nick, who goes by Fang, did not become my friend like that. He didn't become my best friend in the world like that at all. We met in the most scariest way possible.

Because Fang had saved my life.

December

It was snowing. Beautiful, shining, white dots danced slowly onto the ground, adding to the pile of white already sitting on the road. The sky was a dull gray-black colour and solemn clouds floated, despite the fact it was only 5:30 PM.

I drove sheepishly down the highway, only one hand on the steering wheel. My other hand rested on my thigh. I was driving home after a long day of studying at the library.

Since it was rush hour and it was snowing heavily, traffic was moving slowly and I didn't think I would make it home until around 6:00, and not to mention the snow that made roads icy. It was very dangerous to drive in winter. Crashes were often mentioned on the news. But I didn't care.

I sighed heavily as I slowed my car. This was going to take forever. A car behind me honked, and I glared at my window because there was nothing else to glare at.

Ugh. Traffic.

I turned my gaze to the lake on the left that sat beside the highway. The highway was built on higher ground, and a slope that lead from the road down towards the lake was covered in a blanket of pure-white snow and ice. Suprisingly, the lake wasn't completely frozen. All it had was a thin layer of ice resting on top of the surface. I smiled at the view. Funny how people never see nature and focus on other things instead. Cliché, but so true.

Traffic began to pick up the pace again, and I sped up.

And the car behind me did too.

But way too much.

I felt a push behind me against my car. My mouth parted into into a silent scream as my car twisted to the left with a jolt and I felt myself lurch backwards along with my car.

I was falling.

Everything happened so quickly. My car slid off the highway and onto the icy slope and my body slammed against everything it could touch as the car began to slide and twist down the hill. My stomach jumped up into my throat as icy water reached my skin.

Everything blurred. I can't breathe! My skin tingled and burned from the cold at the same time. Bubbles swirled around me.

The words came to me with a pang, and logic took over as my chest tightened and my eyes began to close.

You're in an accident.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Soft.

Comfortable.

White.

Beeeeeeeeeep.

My eyes opened fuzzily. I was laying on something soft. And...someone was...holding my hand?

I lifted my head up groggily and immediately sank back down as the room blurriness cleared. I was in a...hospital?

Someone was leaning over me, the person who was holding my hand, and as my vision cleared, I realized it was my mother. She looked as tired as I felt, her dark brown eyes swollen and hair tucked messily behind her ears. "Mom."

Mom looked worriedly down at me, her eyes searching my face. "Max," she breathed. Tears welled up in her eyes and her head sunk down into my hand and she sighed. "Maximum Ride Martinez, you scared me so much," she whispered softly, voice cracking. Then, after moments of silence, she looked up. "How do you feel, Max?"

I looked back at her and with a heavy sighed, replied, "Tired and..." I paused for a moment, then gave Mom a wry smile and nodded. "Yeah. Just tired."

She smiled back at me and squeezed my hand.

The door flew open and I snapped my head to the side in surprise. My hand tightened around my mom's as a doctor walked in. He kneeled beside me as I let myself relax. Just a doctor.

"Hello," he said gently. "How are you? You feeling alright?"

"Yeah," I replied tiredly. "I feel fine."

"Now, I'm must going to ask you a few questions to see if your mind isn't jumbled up after that accident."

I just nodded dumbly.

He stared at me for a moment, then asked, "What's your name?"

"Maximum Ride Martinez."

"When's your birthday?"

"May 26, 1995."

"How old are you?"

"16."

"Do you remember anything of what happened?"

I stared back at the doctor, eyes blank. "I was in a car accident," I replied softly.

The doctor nodded and stood away. "Everything seems fine," he said bluntly. "She's okay, and can leave once she's recovered."

Mom nodded without looking away from me. "Thank you, doctor."

Just as the door slammed shut, I turned to my mom and stared straight into her round, brown eyes. "What happened?" I demanded.

Mom blinked at me, as if confused, then said, "Max, you were in an accident, honey."

My gaze hardened and I loosened my grip on Mom's hand. "I know that, Mom. But what happened after that?" I asked.

Mom stared, and reached a hand forward to stroke my face. She brushed a strand of my dirty blonde hair away from my face. "Someone saw your car fall into the lake, Max. He jumped in after you and got you out." A sob emmited from inside her and her tears broke out from her eyes and down her face. "You almost died, Max. My beautiful daughter, Ella and Nudge's sister." She shook her head.

I reached forward to grab her hand again. I was saved? By a bystander? "Someone saved me?"

"Yes."

"What's his name?" I demanded. Someone saved my life. I could have died, but I didn't, because someone got me out of that lake. Gratefullness washed over me.

Mom sighed. "I-I don't quite remember. Nate or Nick or something." She stared at me again, and I could tell that the person who saved me didn't matter to her. She was just happy I was alive.

"Can I see him?"

Mom shook her head and moved her hand down to my arm and began to stroke it soothingly. "I don't think so." She stopped stroking and clasped her hand over her other hand and my hand instead. "He...he's pretty banged up from getting you out of that car."

Oh man. He hurt himself too? I sighed and leaned back into the bed. This was too much. The last time I was in the hospital was when my 15-year-old sister Ella was born. That was around 14 or 15 years ago.

Mom's hands lingered on mine and she whispered to me, "Get some sleep, Max."

I nodded numbly to her. "I want to see him tomorrow," I whispered without opening my eyes.

Mom just sighed.