Hello, my loyal readers! I wasn't sure whether or not to do this fic or not, but you guys convinced me.

Disclaimer:

Jeb: Maximum Ride, I am your father.

Me: Does that mean that I don't own Maximum Ride?

Jeb: Yeah, I guess so.

Ch. 1:

Max POV

People say I'm unusually quiet. I am often described as quiet, sweet, polite, and patient. At least that's how the adults in my life describe me.

My peers think that I'm creepily silent. They describe me as mousy, dull, and an easy target. That's the odd thing, if you're perfect to one age generation; you're automatically weird to a different. It's like how every kid at my school wants to be like the populars, but the teachers absolutely hate them and grab every opportunity to get them in trouble.

Although the adults in my life think of me as perfect, it's less of me wanting to be perfect for them and more of a lack of self-confidence for myself.

And as for those populars, they consist of Fang Martinez, Dylan Rogers, Brigid Frank, Sam Jeffrey, and Lissa Wench. Together they made up the populars. A group that I desperately tried to avoid. They pick on the weak, and I happened to be, as I said before, an easy target.

They ragged on me, how I dress, and anyone that hung around me. I didn't really like how I dressed either. Constantly with the sweaters, the skirts, and the knee high socks. Somehow, they just didn't suit me. But I had my position as the quiet girl in the social structure and dressing any differently would most likely change it.

Now, you're probably thinking, why wouldn't she change it? Who really wants to be the mousy girl? Well, I honestly didn't mind it. Sure, sometimes the populars got to me, but I had one friend who kept me going. I didn't want to change my life because of a little teasing. At least, most days I didn't.

My one friend? James 'Iggy' Griffiths. He has supported me my whole life and we have been friends since we were in diapers. He's probably the only one who knows what the real me is like. He knows my sarcastic comments, dry humor, and secret hidden attitude. It's surprising we're even friends because he's a pretty likable guy. He has plenty of friends. Monique 'Nudge' Williams, Angel and Zephyr 'Gazzy' Clark, and Ella Martinez. Before you ask, Ella was related to Fang of the populars, but she wasn't accepted in that crowd. How can he do that? What kind of brother rejects his own little sister?

Iggy's friends tolerated me, I guess. They let me sit with them at lunch, offered me the occasional trip to the mall (which I usually declined), and acted nice to me all the time. I think they were a little bit sympathetic because the populars bullied me all the time.

All in all, Iggy was the best friend anyone could ever ask for. I love my life and wouldn't change a thing. Except maybe the wardrobe… But that's something I could live with.

Today started out like any other, I put on my blue sweater and skirt outfit, I went to school, and after school the populars cornered me on the walk back to my house with Iggy. Yes, they did that everyday.

"Hey Max. Hey Iggy. How are you today?" The queen bitch, excuse me, the queen bee said.

I muttered a small, "Fine." It was so tiny I didn't know if anyone hear. But they did.

"Not very talkative today, are we Maxie? But when are you really?" Lissa cackled.

I kept up the silent act. It usually worked. Unfortunately, Lissa was extra bitchy today. She must not have had anybody else to victimize today.

"Still not talking, huh? When did the quiet thing even start? Was it when poor old daddy dearest died?" Now that was too harsh. Everyone knew that my dad dying when I was 6 was a subject off limits. It was just too much.

"Lissa… don't you think that's a bit too far?" Fang tried to tell her. Weird, Fang is usually not the voice of reason.

"I was just curious." She said as I watched them retreat.

I turned on my heel and ran to my happy place. It was the one place that could always calm me down.

"Max… Max!" I heard Iggy call after me. I just kept running while tears stung in my eyes. I tried not to let them come out but I couldn't help myself. Tears started and they wouldn't stop. Not even when I reached the playground at my old elementary school. It was my happy place. It was the last place I had talked to my dad.

~Flashback~

"Max, I'm going away on a business trip today. Just remember that, okay?" He told six-year old me.

"Daddy? Are you doing your dream job?" I asked him.

"When I was your age, my dream job was to be a ship's captain." He said.

"So why aren't you?" I wondered, still not understanding.

"I realized that this job would be better to help you. Right now, it's not about what I want. It's about what you want. You follow your dreams. That's what really matters." He smiled at me.

"Okay!" I exclaimed happily. "I want to be a chocolate chip cookie taste tester!"

"Sure, thing kiddo. I love you. See you in a week."

I jumped off the rusty yellow swing and walked back to my house to talk to my mom.

~End Flashback~

I never did see him again. The company plane crashed in the Caribbean. People found the wreckage and found 4 bodies matching the pilot, co-pilot, my dad's colleague, and my own dad.

I always think about how cliché our last conversation was. He had told me to follow my dreams and that he loved me. So far, I hadn't really had a real dream to follow so I could never heed his advice.

The tears kept coming and even my happy place couldn't stop them. My pale blue sweater was becoming darker and darker with the tears that kept getting on them.

I slowly rocked my swing back and forth, hoping that I'd never have to leave them. They were rusty, they were an ugly yellow, yet they also contained the best memory I have ever had.

"Max." I heard Iggy call. "Max. Are you here?" His voice was slowly getting nearer.

"No!" I yelled and jumped off the swing with tears blurring my vision.

Now here is a fact about this school's playground. There were foot high, stone walls surrounding the entire playground. They were meant to mark what the playground's limits were for the children.

Unfortunately, when you haven't visited for months and there are tears blurring your vision, you won't exactly notice these little walls.

And that is exactly what happened. I tripped on the wall, went tumbling over it, and crashed down the huge grass hill.

I remember Iggy shouting at me as black spots filled my vision. I heard fragments of what he was saying.

"Max… Okay? ... Ambulance… Be fine."

And then everything went black.

That was Chapter One, ya'll. Whatcha think? Review please!

~Cake