Kicked to the Curb

I blinked back tears and tried to keep my face impassive and failing miserably. "What are you guys talking about?" I stared at the flock trying to keep the hurt out of my eyes.

"We want you gone, Max." Angel said, glaring. "We know you've been passing information to the School. You sneak out at night when we're all asleep and fly west to the School."

I almost gasped. How did they know? I thought I was being quiet! During the drama I forgot to put my mind blocks up and Angel gave me a smug smile.

"She did! I just read her mind." she yelled and I looked at the flock's faces. Nudge looked uncertain, Gazzy looked confused, Iggy looked hurt, Fang looked angry, and Angel looked smug.

"Yes, I went to the school," I explained putting my mind-blocks back up. "But not in the way you're thinking!" I yelled and the flock flinched. "I went to extend and take away our expiration dates!"

Angel looked taken aback. "That's not what she told us," She murmured. Instantly my insides hardened.

"Who?" I growled. Angel looked at the floor and Fang looked at me impassively. Angel shook her head and I clenched my fists. "I asked, WHO!?"

"I did," came a voice from the shadows behind me. I whirled around to see Max II walking out. She brushed past me to Fang's side and wrapped her arms around his waist. I waited for him to push her away but instead he put his arm around her. I held back my tears and replaced them with anger. "You're lying, Max." She said confidently. "We all know you are."

"I'm not lying!" I snarled, glaring at her.

"Max," Fang looked at me and instead of finding comfort in his eyes, I saw nothing. "Just go." I almost gasped again feeling a mixture of anger, sadness, and something else I couldn't quite place.

I took back all of my feelings I've ever had for him and replaced them with hate. He didn't believe me. He believe her. I glared at him and he flinched slightly. I had never shown this much hate for anyone who wasn't a complete enemy (see erasers/ whitecoats).

Gazzy stepped forward tears in his eyes. "Max," he whispered looking up at me with his big blue eyes that looked so much like his sister's. "I don't want you to go." tears spilled over his cheeks. I knelt down and wrapped my arms around him.

"I wish everyone felt the same way you did." I whispered back. I was touched that Gazzy didn't want me to leave and my gaze started to get fuzzy.

He nodded and turned to the others. "She's telling the truth, Fang!" He yelled angerly taking Fang by surprise. "The other Max is the one lying!"

How do you know this, Gazzy?" Nudge asked looking concerned.

Gazzy looked at the ground. "I got my expiration date a few weeks ago," he mumbled and this time I did gasp. Nudge's eyes got wide in horror. "So did Max!" He yelled and I slapped my hand over his mouth, but it was too late.

"Wha- What?" Angel's eyes started to tear up. "I'm sorry, Max!" She cried as tears spilled down her cheeks. "I didn't know!" I looked at her coldly.

"It's too late." I said my voice deceptively calm. Fang looked at me and the other Max's arm tightened around his waist. I had almost forgotten she was there.

"Leave then," She said her voice matching my tone perfectly. "No one wants you."

Gazzy glared at her. "I do!" He yelled glaring at her. "Max has taken care of us our whole lives!"

"She's lying Gazzy!" her voice sounded pleading. I was lying wasn't I. No! She must have a new skill! Gazzy kept glaring.

"No she isn't!" He yelled and she flinched. Gazzy sounded really angry. "I know she isn't!"

Fang finally spoke up for the second time. "Do you have proof?" his arm was still wrapped around Max II. The same way it used to be around me. I shook away the thought. Gazzy nodded.

"My date is gone!" he exclaimed. "The night you guys told me that Max was sneaking out to the School, I followed her. She went to the School and was working around the lab with Jeb, and I heard him say that the dates were erased. When I followed Max back I went and checked and it was gone! So if you're kicking out Max I'm going with her!" My heart thumped in my chest proudly as tears welled in my eyes. Gazzy was on my side. He, out of everyone else believed me.

Iggy stood up and walked to me. "I'm going with Max too. Gazzy explained the whole thing to me and you guys are all being jerks. How many times has Max risked herself for us? And how many times has she?" He pointed at the other Max. How he knew where she was is a mystery to me. "What reason has she given us to trust her." He shook his head in disgust. "Gazzy's right. Max has been there for us. And we are both going with her." I smiled gratefully at Gazzy and Iggy. Gazzy beamed and Iggy felt my eyes on him and smiled too. It made me angrier that the others (Fang cough cough) didn't believe me.

I turned and glared at the others with extreme ferocity. "Come on, guys," I said to Iggy and Gazzy. "There's no one here but people to leave." With that I turned and jumped out the window, falling a few feet before whooshing out my wings and taking flight, Iggy and Gazzy, right behind me.