Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride, James Patterson does

I hate the dark. Not because it's scary or anything, but because inky blackness is all I've seen for the past eight years. I'm tired of having to figure out what things are by touch, smell, and hearing. But they say that there is no cure for the blind.

"Max, a family is here to adopt you. The couple seems nice and they have two sons who are both 15, like you, Fang and Iggy. Iggy is adopted, so you might be able to open up to him. Come on out to meet them when you're ready," Anne, my social worker said from behind me. I nodded without turning around. I heard Anne sigh quietly and a few seconds later the door close. Anne was having her doubts about if I could speak since my last foster home. But I have my reasons for my silence. The car accident that took away my sight also took away the only ones I ever loved, my parents and my brother - who would now be eleven.

I shook myself from my daydreams about the good old days, stood up, and grabbed my messenger bag from where it lay on my lap. Expertly opening the door and making my way towards the lobby of the care center, I wondered what my new family would be like. I heard them before I, well, saw them. They sounded happy, with two male voices, one of which was much older - probably the father - laughing with a old female voice joining In a little later. The other brother must be one of those silent ones, but I wondered which brother was adopted.

"Ah! You must be Maximum Ride!" The father exclaimed.

"Yes, Max, this is the walker family. This is Jeb, Valencia, Fang, and Iggy. They will be adopting you. If you will please fill out these forms so we can make this official," Anne directed the last part towards the father and mother. After a few seconds do rustling Anne pulled me over to the side. "The father is Jeb, the mother Valencia, the boy with a higher voice and the one who speaks more is Iggy, even though you might not guess that. Fang speaks rarely, from what I have gathered and has a lower voice. Got that? Okay. Iggy has strawberry blonde hair and pale blue eyes and Fang has black hair with obsidian colored eyes. And you look presentable. Just smile a little more please? Let anyone here know if something is wrong. You will have psychiatry sessions with me later on, but stay safe, everything will work out."

"Thank you," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper as we made our way back over to my new family.

"I will see you in a few weeks for the meeting to make sure everything is going well! Bye Max!" Anne said with fake enthusiasm.

I silently followed the sounds of my new guardians' footsteps until we stopped at where I assumed was the car. I heard them open up the electric car doors and climb in while I stood there shuffling my feet.

"Aren't you going to get in?" A previously unknown voice asked, so that's Fang.

"Where do I sit?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Both of the middle seats are open, but can't you see that?" Iggy asked as I swiftly climbed in, closed the door behind me and grasped around, looking for the seat belt buckle. I found it and buckled up.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said in a voice that didn't even qualify as a whisper.