ADAN GONZALEZ25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavrARBg9Z0
Let me just start by saying: I’ve been yelled at before. Plenty. By teachers, security guards, my own reflection once… But nothing—and I mean nothing—compares to getting yelled at by your mom while a guy is sitting next to you with a scorpion stuck to his wrist like a cursed bracelet from a horror movie.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB75KjEFxr1
“I CANNOT believe you dragged all your friends into some weird science lab! Are you trying to die? Or explode? Or mutate?!”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGY3KjThLxi
She was pacing back and forth, waving a wooden spoon like it was a weapon. I wasn’t sure if she was going to lecture us or make soup out of us.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgxrz0xdAf
Davis looked like a kid who got caught breaking the Ten Commandments. He sat up straight, hands on his knees, nodding solemnly. I was trying to do the same, but then I looked at Julian.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmENtJq1dIn
Julian was just... there. Chill as ever. Shirtless. His wrist still had the freakin’ scorpion on it and he was tapping it like it was a touch screen.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YqFQgFx73
“What are we gonna do about that thing?” I pointed at the scorpion.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiMxLKUIJw
“It’s fine,” Julian said casually. “It hurt for a bit but it’s not that bad anymore.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqX8O62eko9
My mom nearly exploded. “Are you out of your MIND?! You don’t know what that thing can do to you!”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALBZ71Q2t1
She crouched next to Julian with a pair of tweezers. “Don’t move,” she warned. “This is gonna hurt.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGE9cvLN9m
Julian shrugged. “Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be that bad.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXNfeiqump
Davis looked like he wanted to crawl inside the couch and die there.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANkBwDPkSp
"Where are the girls?" Mom snapped, glancing around.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjy5u9SEa4
“Cassedy’s passed out in the her room,” I said. “Twins are locked in their room. We’re all good.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaSxBkkt2K
Mom groaned. “This is what I get for having boys. Just one normal Tuesday, that’s all I want.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pHcvT323t
Then she turned to Davis. "And YOU! You’re the smart one! I expected better!”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tJBHZUwSn
Davis shrank like he was melting into his hoodie. “I didn’t want them to go down there, they just—”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcP0CB5l3B
“Were in your house,” she interrupted. “Your basement. Your mutant scorpion. You had one job: make sure everyone was safe. And now I have mystery goo and some weird scorpion in my home!”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWhRopmaeT
I leaned toward Davis and whispered, “I think you’re her new favorite.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDJQ5w9v2S
“She hates me.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaX5fIuZbi
“Exactly. Welcome to the family.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxoEV0NE1G
Suddenly, Julian groaned and pulled his arm back. The scorpion twitched but didn’t move. “Okay, I’m sick of this thing. And what about that black thing on your arm? That looks pretty bad.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbDwCJP57c
“You too Adan? I’ll deal with that later.” She turned back to Julian. “Let me try this.” Mom held the tweezers out like she was defusing a bomb. The second she touched the scorpion’s tail, it buzzed. Like a phone on vibrate—but way meaner.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrvsJ8qdjy
“That’s disgusting,” she yelled, tossing the tweezers. “We’ll need something else.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1f4vBlGcG
I stood up, rubbing my eyes. “You know what? This is Julian’s fault.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7mrmkHqJR
Julian tilted his head. “Excuse me?”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzoGSx9uBP
“You had to mess with everything. You messed with Davis. Tapped on jars. Tried to grab the scorpion before it jumped out. Dude, you treat danger like it's nothing!”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxvu88S1lp
Julian stood. “And what? You tripped over a wire and KO’d half the lab. Don’t act like Mr. Responsible here.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgGp9lmVNU
“I was trying to catch my balance!”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ005zJj5yHE
“On a table full of death juice?”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzjEFREKPP
“Oh, come on, Julian. You’re like if sarcasm became a person and then fell in love with recklessness.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBMZaVpkUa
“And you’re like a walking mess that blames other people because you tripped on your own feet!”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRDFFb6oQD
We both stepped closer. Davis stood up fast. “Guys, guys—chill.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtanuoSFlcf
“No,” I snapped. “I’m tired of this guy acting like he’s the toughest person in the room when he’s just a walking ego with abs.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Z2mMK86OB
“Oh, now you’re jealous of my abs?”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72hEo3O5Iv
Mom raised a hand. “If you’re gonna fight, take it outside and not in the house.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNaMETAftf
Davis got between us. “Can we not do this right now? We’ve got bigger problems—like Cassedy maybe dying and my dad maybe killing me.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcOfdQecgI
“Shut up!” Julian and I snapped at Davis at once.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqAMjrDhSa
“This guy needs to understand he’s at fault!” I yelled.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyF1vnqOPK
“So we have a problem?” He questioned as he looked down at me.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv18IvZlKid
“Yeah, we got a problem!” I glared up at him, fists clenched.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgV8P9ElvA
“Let’s take this outside, mini me!”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsfxBV4oxb
We stepped outside to start the fight that would basically change our lives.
25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqAIO5dE1h
