ADAN GONZALEZ37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFDNESHG9L
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCSvYDyx2e
“I CANNOT believe you dragged all your friends into some weird science lab! Are you trying to die? Or explode? Or mutate?!”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe65E3XO6Ev
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGedfutE7Z
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ogqOmCEfO
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RIjbx6v2A
“What are we gonna do about that thing?” I pointed at the scorpion.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4wpuEyqUf
“It’s fine,” Julian said casually. “It hurt for a bit but it’s not that bad anymore.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3ljtwpRSg
My mom nearly exploded. “Are you out of your MIND?! You don’t know what that thing can do to you!”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GP16VhY0h
She crouched next to Julian with a pair of tweezers. “Don’t move,” she warned. “This is gonna hurt.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaQqQfFJOb
Julian shrugged. “Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be that bad.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBus8Yh1VhU
Davis looked like he wanted to crawl inside the couch and die there.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsIiXLx0jt
"Where are the girls?" Mom snapped, glancing around.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUsMcczTtI
“Cassedy’s passed out in the her room,” I said. “Twins are locked in their room. We’re all good.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfEZsxfLGL
Mom groaned. “This is what I get for having boys. Just one normal Tuesday, that’s all I want.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiueXnbVcw
Then she turned to Davis. "And YOU! You’re the smart one! I expected better!”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPcQ4z7Vnz
Davis shrank like he was melting into his hoodie. “I didn’t want them to go down there, they just—”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6TcBGkaht
“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!”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2l6b21erb
I leaned toward Davis and whispered, “I think you’re her new favorite.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAzgvdkbAX
“She hates me.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwOoz6Nqii
“Exactly. Welcome to the family.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIIQZXIuzH
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.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitm9qjGHaD
“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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNPIRxYpSs
“That’s disgusting,” she yelled, tossing the tweezers. “We’ll need something else.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxe549lwE4
I stood up, rubbing my eyes. “You know what? This is Julian’s fault.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhC4TKp9ru
Julian tilted his head. “Excuse me?”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtkfXnz3W4
“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!”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdttHu1Dpdg
Julian stood. “And what? You tripped over a wire and KO’d half the lab. Don’t act like Mr. Responsible here.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5C5lM7Kjh
“I was trying to catch my balance!”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjF5BlZMn4B
“On a table full of death juice?”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DFkrUfS3z
“Oh, come on, Julian. You’re like if sarcasm became a person and then fell in love with recklessness.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIl9HxnnAm
“And you’re like a walking mess that blames other people because you tripped on your own feet!”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1tIYYw1Rh
We both stepped closer. Davis stood up fast. “Guys, guys—chill.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkILHAcPxs0
“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.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8686RK7N5p
“Oh, now you’re jealous of my abs?”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaLApgPsKZ
Mom raised a hand. “If you’re gonna fight, take it outside and not in the house.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkje9LCTuu4
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.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFQKTWMQmI
“Shut up!” Julian and I snapped at Davis at once.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKo120Ht8i9
“This guy needs to understand he’s at fault!” I yelled.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEEAZT1yr9
“So we have a problem?” He questioned as he looked down at me.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXF0YQZffb1
“Yeah, we got a problem!” I glared up at him, fists clenched.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOKDFI2wjF
“Let’s take this outside, mini me!”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFw81wPoE1N
We stepped outside to start the fight that would basically change our lives.
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImRms9SuuT
