“So what’s the deal?” came Fang’s cross voice behind me.
I did a fast spin-brake, wheeled around, and faced him as we each rose up and down with the beat of our wings.
“You’re asking me?” I said, incredulous. “I thought you were running everything! You decided to leave. You decided I should come back. You decided that we should have this out. I’m just your audience!”
“You’ve never been an audience!” Fang snapped. “You know I did the right thing by leaving—you’re just too bullheaded to admit it! You know we need to work together to fight the Doomsday Group, but you’d rather flit around with your hurt feelings! And you know that you should have left Dylan behind in Arizona, but you’d rather throw him in my face!”
I was so stunned I couldn’t think straight. I so did not agree that Fang had done the right thing by leaving. I don’t believe that I’ve ever flitted anywhere in my life. And how was I supposed to leave Dylan anywhere? I didn’t control him, and he seemed to have a homing device locked on me anyway.
I finally closed my mouth before I started swallowing bugs. “Throw him in your face? He’s stuck to me like glue! How could I not bring him with me? Besides, you’re the one posting cutesy videos of you and my stand-in online! How is that not throwing her in my face?”
“She’s not your stand-in!” Fang roared. “She’s a unique individual! It’s not her fault that she looks like you!”
In my whole life, I couldn’t remember being more furious with anyone who wasn’t a total enemy. I was practically spitting. “Well, it’s not my fault that Dylan imprinted on me! And you know what? He’s the only one who hasn’t left me! Why would I give that up?”
Fang’s face blanched, and even I was shocked at what I’d said. We simply stared at each other, rising and falling, the air currents lifting us like waves in the ocean.
Fang was breathing hard, his teeth clenched so tight that even his lips were white. I was so upset and pumped with adrenaline that I felt like I might throw up. Such a bummer that would be for anyone below me…
I don’t even know how long it was before Fang swallowed, coughed, and then said, “The Doomsday Group is bigger than this, bigger than us. Do you agree that we should both try to fight it?” His voice was a little ragged now but calmer.
I took several deep breaths. “It would probably be best if we both fought it,” I said stiffly.
Fang nodded, some of the color returning to his face. “Please tell Dylan to go back to Arizona. This isn’t a fight for newbies.”
And just like that, I was furious again. “Newbies!” I exclaimed. “Like your little team of high-schoolers down there? They can’t even freaking fly! At least Dylan can kick butt in battle! I’d trust him with my back before I’d trust any of the kids in the Fang Show!”
Fang opened his mouth to yell back but stopped himself with effort. “Maya is a good fighter,” he said finally.
“Yes, I am,” I said sharply.
Again his eyes blazed and his mouth opened, but again he controlled himself. He let out a deep breath. “She’s not you,” he said quietly. “She really is a different person.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not asking Dylan to go.”
Fang’s fists clenched. “We need Maya on our side.”
Minutes of silence. If we hadn’t been two thousand feet in the air, we would have heard crickets chirping. I stared at him as if we were strangers, brown eyes looking into black.
“So… where does that leave us?” Fang said.
“It leaves us with Dylan and Maya, all of us fighting the DG together,” I said. “As revolting as that sounds.”
Fang nodded stiffly and held out one hand.
I almost snorted but reached out and shook it. We had an agreement.
And as we flew back down to the restaurant, all I could think was, What happened to us?
54
I WAS SWEATY and my hair tangled in knots by the time we walked back into the restaurant. So much for tidying up for this meeting! As we approached the table, I saw that our two groups seemed very… separate. No one was talking. They watched each other warily.
When I got closer, I heard Gazzy say, apropos of nothing, “We can fly.”
“So can we,” said Maya, eyeing Fang. “Well, some of us.”
“I can see really, really far,” said Dylan, not missing a chance to outdo Fang.
“Me too,” said the tough-looking guy, adjusting his Ray-Bans. “I can hear really far too. Whispers from a mile away and all.”
“Well, we can breathe underwater,” Angel offered, modestly avoiding any mention of the fact that she can also read minds.
“So can I,” said the pale kid. “I can regenerate and heal really fast.”
“We heal fast too,” Iggy countered. “And we’re really strong.”
“Try me,” said the pretty Asian girl. “Let’s arm wrestle.”
“Um, I can hack most computers,” Nudge said mildly.
“I’m fast enough to steal any computer we’d need,” said the blonde.
Gazzy didn’t miss a beat and said, “Fast enough to dodge this?” then sent a forkful of mashed potatoes flying through the air. Fast Girl dodged it easily, but then Gazzy snapped his fork to the left, flinging a glob right at… wait for it… Maya. And it hit her in the face. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Oops,” Gazzy said with a nervous grin. “My bad.”
Maya wiped off her cheek and stood up, flashing a look that could kill. She grabbed the basket of rolls and began pelting Gazzy with them, lightning fast.
Gazzy laughed and ducked, taking no offense. “Food fight!” he cried happily.
Immediately, the uncivilized hellions in my flock and the free-wheeling punks in Fang’s gang let all their inhibitions go. Nudge tossed her milk shake at the blond girl. The scrawny kid mashed his hamburger in Iggy’s face. It fell to the floor, and Total dropped on it like a small, black avenging angel. Angel methodically dipped fries in ketchup and launched them at anyone she could. Fang and I were waving our arms and shouting for them to stop, but they were well beyond hearing us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some security guards starting to make their way over to our table. Just like old times.
And then it hit me: things had actually been fairly peaceful with Fang and me apart. Horrible and heartbreaking but quiet. Now that we were in the same room, all heck was breaking loose. Maybe we were better off apart? Maybe the whole freaking world was better when we were apart?
“Guys!” I shouted. I was about to tell my flock to do an up-and-away before we all got arrested, and then, all of a sudden, Dylan jumped up on a chair.
And he started to sing.
55
I’D SEEN THE effect of Dylan’s singing before. It would stop a rabid dog in its tracks. And it had the same effect now.
“When I look in your eyes, I see the ocean,” he sang, and the food fight started moving in slow motion.
“When I look in your heart, I see myself.
When we’re apart, I’m just a shadow.
Can’t you see, oh can’t you see,
We were meant to be…”
Glancing around quickly, I saw that the kids had stopped, freezing in position as if they were playing statue. The security guards had stopped too, and were standing still, listening to Dylan, mesmerized by his beautiful voice. The diners who had been fleeing the chaos paused and turned around. Then Dylan locked his eyes on mine.
“You and me, we’re a team,” he crooned.
“You and me, we’re a dream…
Is this real? Are you what you seem?