James Patterson

“He knew that people were staring at him. He looked different. Even different from other Erasers. He wasn't as —seamless. He didn't look as human as the rest of them did when they weren't morphed. He kind of looked morphy all the time. He hadn't seen his plain real face in —a long time."I know who you are."Ari almost jumped —he hadn't noticed the boy slide onto the bench next to him.He frowned down at the small, open face. "What?" he growled. This was when the little boy would get scared and probably turn and run. It always happened.The boy smiled. "1 know who you are," he said, pointing at Ari happily.Ari just snarled at him.The boy wiggled with excitement. "You're Wolverine!"Ari stared at him."You look awesome, dude," said the boy. "You're totally my favorite. You're the strongest one of all of them and the coolest too. I wish 1 was like you."Ari almost gagged. No one had ever, ever said anything like that to him.”

“At every turn I took, I prayed that I would not stumble over her body. Every time I didn't, it gave me hope that she was still alive.”

“Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world,not just your friends.I held my wings steady, coasting for a long, long way on a warm updraft. It was like floating on acloud, the best feeling you can imagine. I wish you could try it with me. Maybe next time.You know, Voice, I thought finally, my friends are my world.”

“Fang," I said, my voice breaking. "Just live, okay? Live and be okay."With no warning, I leaned down and kissed his mouth, just like that."Ow," he said, touching his split lip, then he and I stared at each other in shock.”

“But if I could do anything?Maybe you would want to be able to save the world, the Voice said. Did you ever think of that?No. I frowned. Leave that to the grown-ups.But grown-ups are the ones destroying the world, the Voice said. Think about it.”

“Some people just don't have what it takes to appreciate a cookie.”

“Dear God," said Nudge under her breath, "I want real parents. But I want them to want me too. I wantthem to love me. I already love them. Please see what you can do. Thanks very much. Love, Nudge."Okay, so I'm not saying we were pros at this or anything. (Max thoughts)”

“Well, if it isn't Daniel X himself," Seth said with a yawn. "Become tired of living in this dump of a city already, eh? What can I do for you today? Death? Eternal enslavement? What's it going to be?”

“Always expect the unexpected. Right around Thanksgiving, when the new Alex Cross will be out. It's called Four Blind Mice and it's a pretty amazing story about several murders inside the military.”

“Here's something that might not occur to you: If a state trooper sees a weird, patchwork Toyota Echo hurtling down 1-95, and it looks like half of a small country is immigrating to the States in this one little car, you might get stopped.”

“I will torture you for a human eternity, during which time you will beg me for death by an Opus 24/24, or an ax, or a thousand snakebites. I can see the future, Daniel, and I am looking forward to it, every excruciating second of your murder and dismembedment. Isn't that a wonderful English word, dis-member-ment?”

“Now, don't get all weepy on me dear reader.No chin-quivering or nose-sniveling, either. These pages do not need to be all soggy with your mucus.”

“I know where The List is-my father has taken me to see it many times. Maybe for just this reason. And I know what it is: The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma. And I know who I am: Daniel, son of Graff, son of Terfdon- The Alien Hunter. No last name, just Daniel X.”

“It's always refreshing to meet someone crazier than us," I said. "We seem so normal afterward.”

“Homework is a term that means grown up imposed yet self-afflicting torture.”

“My name is Daniel, and this is the first volume of my life story, which, hopefully, will be a very long and distinguished one. Who should you read it? Very good question. Maybe because this is your planet, and you have a right to know what's actually happening on it.”

“You know, I guess I just don't like to talk a lot about sad things. Now you know my flaw. What good does it do to talk about sad things in the past?”

“Maybe they were. I don't know. Maybe theyweren't. But they felt like the real thing, and the real thing wanted to make money off me.”

“Justine pulled her Jag over to the side of the road and stared out at the landscape. I twirled the dial on her police band radio until the signal was clear. She opened her thermos, passed it over to me. I took a sip. The coffee was black, unsugared. That's the way Justine liked just about everything: straight up, no bullshit.”

“People Trust Me with their secrets, and I'm not sure why. It must be something in my face, probably my eyes.”

“Harden your heart.”

“Angel screeched with fury and despair to the empty walls around her. "I'm human, do you hear me? It hurts!”

“Being a good leader is knowing when...to back off.”

“It never works out! *kicks rock, it hits a window, sirens go off*(iggy) Uh oh.(max) Up and away guys! Come on iggy, we gotta go.(iggy) No. *sits down*(max) Iggy, come on!(iggy) No! It's different for you, you don't know what it's like, Yeah I make jokes- I'm the blind kid, but don't you see? Every time we move I'm lost all over again, you guys- It's much easier for you. Even your lost isn't as bad as my lost. You know*sirens coming closer*(max) Ig, i know it's hard, but if you think I'm going to let you give up on us now, you've got another think coming. Yes, you're a blind mutant freak, but you're my blind mutant freak, and you're coming with me, now, you're coming with us right now, or I swear I will kick your skinny white ass from here to the middle of next week. *Iggy raises his head lights flashing telling max that he cops were almost on top of them* (max) Iggy, I need you, I love you. I need all of you, all five of you, to fell whole myself. Now get up, before I kill you." *Iggy stands* "Well, when you put it that way..." *max smiles* come on ig*they fly off*”

“It's the ciiiiiiiiiiiiircle of liiiiiiiiiife!" Iggy sang”

“Hey. Not sure what’s going on-gonna go find out. Be careful and don’t do anything stupid. Don’t come after me-your better on your own. See you. FI sat on the edge of the bed, holding the note.Okay, so Fang had looked up vague in the dictionary and this was what it had said to write.”

“Hi, Max," she said, pushing her shades up onto her curls."I hope your wearing sunscreen," i said, “your gonna have hella wrinkles by the time your ten.”“Want some daiquiri?” she offered, pointing at a blender.“Is it traitor flavored?” I asked.”

“I wouldn’t trust you if you were the last life raft leaving the Titanic.”-max”

“Jeb climbed the ladder Fang had just lowered and I indulged in a moments fantasy about someone slamming the trapdoor on his head.”-max”

“Yeah sure,why not?"i said,making a mental note to get a good look at his wings. For all I knew, they were remote-controlled and duct taped to his back.”-max”

“I’ve been listening to how the Roman Empire fell and all I can say is, it didn’t fall nearly fast enough!”-Iggy”

“Nope, you stick out like a fart in a church.”

“Happiness is seeing Bear Bluff in your rearview mirror, but you better look damn quick.”

“We're famous" iggy whispered so low that Fang could barely hear him."So's Swine Flu" Fang whispered back.”

“Congratulations. The fact that you're reading this means you've taken one giant step closer to surviving until your next birthday.”

“I hung my head, and I felt someone, Fang, gather me gently to him. My cheek rested on his shoulder, and my silent tears soaked his torn shirt.He felt warm and strong and heartbreakingly familiar. And at that moment, not a single thing in my life was certain, strong, or whole. Nothing. Least of all Fang.”

“The weird, weird thing about devastating loss is that life actually goes on. When you're faced with a tragedy, a loss so huge that you have no idea how you can live through it, somehow, the world keeps turning, the seconds keep ticking.”

“Do I open it? Do I open it? Of course I freaking open it!”

“From Jess:FANG. I've commented your blog with my questions for THREE YEARS. You answer other people's STUPID questions but not MINE. YOU REALLY ASKED FOR IT, BUDDY. I'm just gonna comment with this until you answer at least one of my questions. DO YOU HAVE A JAMAICAN ACCENT? No, MonDO YOU MOLT? Gross.WHAT'S YOUR STAR SIGN? Dont know. "Angel what's my star sign?" She says Scorpio.HAVE YOU TOLD JEB I LOVE HIM YET? No.DOES NOT HAVING A POWER MAKE YOU ANGRY? Well, that's not really true...DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DO THE SOULJA BOY? Can you see me doing the Soulja Boy?DOES IGGY KNOW HOW TO DO THE SOULJA BOY? Gazzy does.DO YOU USE HAIR PRODUCTS? No. Again,no.DO YOU USE PRODUCTS ON YOUR FEATHERS? I don't know that they make bird kid feather products yet. WHAT'S YOU FAVORITE MOVIE? There are a bunchWHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SONG? I don't have favorites. They're too polarizing.WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SMELL? Max, when she showers.DO THESE QUESTIONS MAKE YOU ANGRY? Not really. IF I CAME UP TO YOU IN A STREET AND HUGGED YOU, WOULD YOU KILL ME? You might get kicked. But I'm used to people wanting me dead, so. DO YOU SECRETLY WANT TO BE HUGGED? Doesn't everybody?ARE YOU GOING EMO 'CAUSE ANGEL IS STEALING EVERYONE'S POWERS (INCLUDING YOURS)? Not the emo thing again. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? Anything hot and delicious and brought to me by Iggy.WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST THIS MORNING? Three eggs, over easy. Bacon. More Bacon. Toast.DID YOU EVEN HAVE BREAKFAST THIS MORNING? See above.DID YOU DIE INSIDE WHEN MAX CHOSE ARI OVER YOU? Dudes don't die inside. DO YOU LIKE MAX? Duh.DO YOU LIKE ME? I think you're funny.DOES IGGY LIKE ME? SureDO YOU WRITE DEPRESSING POETRY? No.IS IT ABOUT MAX? Ahh. No.IS IT ABOUT ARI? Why do you assume I write depressing poetry?IS IT ABOUT JEB? Ahh.ARE YOU GOING TO BLOCK THIS COMMENT? Clearly, no.WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? A Dirty Projectors T-shirt. Jeans.DO YOU WEAR BOXERS OR BRIEFS? No freaking comment.DO YOU FIND THIS COMMENT PERSONAL? Could I not find that comment personal?DO YOU WEAR SUNGLASSES? Yes, cheap ones.DO YOU WEAR YOUR SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT? That would make it hard to see.DO YOU SMOKE APPLES, LIKE US? Huh?DO YOU PREFER BLONDES OR BRUNETTES? Whatever.DO YOU LIKE VAMPIRES OR WEREWOLVES? Fanged creatures rock.ARE YOU GAY AND JUST PRETENDING TO BE STRAIGHT BY KISSING LISSA? Uhh...WERE YOU EXPERIMENING WITH YOUR SEXUALITY? Uhh...WOULD YOU TELL US IF YOU WERE GAY? Yes.DO YOU SECRETLY LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE CALL YOU EMO? No.ARE YOU EMO? Whatever.DO YOU LIKE EGGS? Yes. I had them for breakfast.DO YOU LIKE EATING THINGS? I love eating. I list it as a hobby.DO YOU SECRETLY THINK YOU'RE THE SEXIEST PERSON IN THE WHOLE WORLD? Do you secretly think I'm the sexiest person in the whole world?DO YOU EVER HAVE DIRTY THOUGHTS ABOUT MAX? Eeek!HAS ENGEL EVER READ YOUR MIND WHEN YOU WERE HAVING DIRTY THOUGHT ABOUT MAX AND GONE "OMG" AND YOU WERE LIKE "D:"? hahahahahahahahahahahDO YOU LIKE SPONGEBOB? He's okay, I guess.DO YOU EVER HAVE DIRTY THOUGHT ABOUT SPONGEBOB? Definitely CAN YOU COOK? Iggy cooks.DO YOU LIKE TO COOK? I like to eat.ARE YOU, LIKE, A HOUSEWIFE? How on earth could I be like a housewife?DO YOU SECRETLY HAVE INNER TURMOIL?Isn't it obvious?DO YOU WANT TO BE UNDA DA SEA? I'm unda da stars.DO YOU THINK IT'S NOT TOO LATE, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE? Sure.WHERE DID YOU LEARN TO PLAY POKER? TV.DO YOU HAVE A GOOD POKER FACE? Totally.OF COURSE YOU HAVE A GOOD POKER FACE. DOES IGGY HAVE A GOOD POKER FACE? Yes.CAN HE EVEN PLAY POKER? Iggy beats me sometimes.DO YOU LIKE POKING PEOPLE HARD? Not really.ARE YOU FANGALICIOUS? I could never be as fangalicious as you'd want me to be.Fly on, Fang”

“Dear Max - You looked so beautiful today. I'm going to remember what you looked like forever.... And I hope you remember me the same way - clean, ha-ha. I'm glad our last time together was happy.But I'm leaving tonight, leaving the flock, and this time it's for good. I don't know if I'll ever see any of you again. The thing is, Max, that everyone is a little bit right. Added up all together, it makes this one big right.Dylan's a little bit right about how my being here might be putting the rest of you in danger. The threat might have been just about Dr. Hans, but we don't know that for sure. Angel is a little bit right about how splitting up the flock will help all of us survive. And the rest of the flock is a little bit right about how when you and I are together, we're focused on each other - we can't help it.The thing is, Maximum, I love you. I can't help but be focused on you when we're together. If you're in the room, I want to be next to you. If you're gone, I think about you. You're the one who I want to talk to. In a fight, I want you at my back. When we're together, the sun is shining. When we're apart, everything is in shades of gray.I hope you'll forgive me someday for turning our worlds into shades of gray - at least for a while....You're not at your best when you're focused on me. I mean, you're at your best Maxness, but not your best leaderness. I mostly need Maxness. The flock mostly needs leaderness. And Angel, if you're listening to this, it ain't you, sweetie. Not yet....At least for a couple more years, the flock needs a leader to survive, no matter how capable everyone thinks he or she is. The truth is that they do need a leader, and the truth is that you are the best leader. It's one of the things I love about you.But the more I thought about it, the more sure I got that this is the right thing to do. Maybe not for you, or for me, but for all of us together, our flock.Please don't try to find me. This is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, besides wearing that suit today, and seeing you again will only make it harder. You'd ask me to come back, and I would, because I can't say no to you. But all the same problems would still be there, and I'd end up leaving again, and then we'd have to go through this all over again.Please make us only go through this once....I love you. I love your smile, your snarl, your grin, your face when you're sleeping. I love your hair streaming out behind you as we fly, with the sunlight making it shine, if it doesn't have too much mud or blood in it. I love seeing your wings spreading out, white and brown and tan and speckled, and the tiny, downy feathers right at the top of your shoulders. I love your eyes, whether they're cold or calculating or suspicious or laughing or warm, like when you look at me....You're the best warrior I know, the best leader. You're the most comforting mom we've ever had. You're the biggest goofball, the worst driver, and a truly lousy cook. You've kept us safe and provided for us, in good times and bad. You're my best friend, my first and only love, and the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, with wings or without....Tell you what, sweetie: If in twenty years we haven't expired yet, and the world is still more or less in one piece, I'll meet you at the top of that cliff where we first met the hawks and learned to fly with them. You know the one. Twenty years from today, if I'm alive, I'll be there, waiting for you. You can bet on it.Good-bye, my love.FangP.S. Tell everyone I sure will miss them”

“and I think that everything in life is kind of unreal, isn't it?”

“Why do things this beautiful make me want to cry?" I asked Michael as I leaned into him. It was an unguarded question, one I'd never have asked of Hugh."I don't know," said Michael. "Maybe beauty, true beauty, is so overwhelming, it goes straight to our hearts. Maybe it makes us feel emotions that are locked away inside.”

“But then we have to leave, have to. It's always been that way, and it will always be that way, Jane. That's just.. how it works”

“Max, you're acting like a child, the Voice said. You're above rebelling against your fate just to rebel. You've got a date with destiny. Don't be late."I brushed some hair out of my eyes. Is that a movie quote? Or is it an actual date? I don't remember destiny asking me. I never even gave destiny my phone number.”

“Another day. Get up and face it.”

“My choices were to either give in and let them kill all of us or fight back with everything I had. I chose the second one, ’cause I’m just funny that way.”

“Just in case you thought elephants were all sweetness, I can attest to the fact that this one had the time of her life scaring the bejeezus out of those dudes.”

“Have you ever been to Colorado?"I frowned. "Is that one of those square ones, in the middle?”

“An unbearable smug look came over his usually impassive face."Uh-huh. You just keep telling youself that. You looove me."I took a swing at him, but he jumped back nimbly, and all I did was jar my left arm, making it hurt.He laughed at me, then pointed at the woods ouside the window."Pick a tree. I'll go carve our initials in it.”

“He grinned at me so unexpectedly I forgot to flap for a second and dropped several feet."You looove me," he crooned smugly holding his arms out wide, he added,"You love me this much.”