Hey there! This is my first actual story I've written for fanfiction. Tell me if it's good or not! ^_^ And the current title is just temporary; I need to think of a good one. xD

DISCLAIMER: I does not own Maximum Ride.

"Maxxx!" My mother's voice pierces through my nice, wonderful sleep. I was having a nice dream, too! In my dream, Ella, my sister, and I had wings . . . and it wasn't just us. Fang, my best friend, his sister, Nudge, and Iggy also had wings. So did our cousins Zephyr (nicknamed Gazzy) and Angel. We were in the air just flying and joking around like we do in school. The wind through my hair had an amazing feel . . . oh well. It was nice while it lasted.

"Coming, Mom," I groan, pushing myself up. Another school day. It's lucky I have such an amazing set of friends to help me get through the day, or I'd hate school so much. I change quickly, running my fingers through my stringy brown hair a couple of times—I'm not bothered to do much more than that—and skip down the stairs. Ella is already at the table, mouthful of cereal. I grab a granola bar and plop down next to her, biting off a chunk.

"Hey, Ells," I greet her with my mouth full. She nods in reply. Once we are done, I sling my backpack over my shoulder and walk out to the bus stop, where Fang and Nudge are waiting. Nudge breaks out into a grin when she sees us.

"Max! Ella!" She greets my sister with a huge hug; the two of them are best friends. I can't help but smile—Nudge is just so overly enthusiastic about everything. I walk over to Fang and poke him playfully. He just nods. Fang is a boy of little words, but I don't mind. He's Fang.

On the bus to school, Nudge and Ella start singing some Justin Bieber song at the top of their lungs. I groan and look to Fang, sitting next to me, for help. He just smirks at me. Gazzy and Angel get on a few stops later and sit in the seats behind us. Angel immediately starts joining Nudge and Ella; Gazzy uses his hands to cover his ears. Fang leans against the window, staring out into the street. I can't help but watch his dark eyes as they scan the buildings we pass; he blinks, his long lashes glinting in the sun for a split second.

I force myself to look away, not sure what had come over me. It's not like this is the first time either; I've been finding myself watching Fang more and more closely these past few days. He's just so . . . quiet and mysterious. I know he's been my best friend since we were little kids, and I probably know him the best out of anyone, yet I think there's still a lot to learn about Fang. He's so hard to read. Girls swoon over how "hot" he is all the time, but I think that's just silly. He's just . . . Fang. He'll always just be Fang.

We hop off the bus and walk over to where the last member of our friend group, Iggy, is leaning against a flagpole, flirting with some brunette. She's twirling a strand of hair around her finger and giggling at everything he says. I roll my eyes; I'll be caught dead before I act that way around a guy. Iggy manages to work his charm on almost every girl, even though he's blind; apparently some even think his blindness is cute. Yeah, well, whatever suits you, I guess.

"Iggy!" Ella runs forward and hugs him. He looks surprised for a moment, then smiles and hugs her back. They are so cute. It's obvious the two like each other, even though they won't admit it. Iggy doesn't tease her and flirt with her like all the other girls he encounters. He treats her like a real friend, and she even gets him to act serious sometimes. Ella is always super-affectionate with him and blushes a lot around him. They're totally the perfect couple.

The brunette frowns. "I'll see you later," she says to Iggy, giving Ella a glare—which she ignores—before flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking away. Fang and I exchange amused glances, then walk into Martinez Middle, ready to face the day.

Yeah, this was just kind of an introductory chapter before we start getting into the good stuff. (: Also, Max, Fang, and Iggy are in 8th grade; Nudge and Ella are in 7th grade; Gazzy and Angel are in 6th. They're in middle school because I'm in middle school so it'll be easier to write. Sorry about that :P Tell me what you think in a PM or review please! ~Stunningfire