ADAN GONZALEZ24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJ6HNps6zE
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jxlBCYTaU
“I CANNOT believe you dragged all your friends into some weird science lab! Are you trying to die? Or explode? Or mutate?!”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkMxPmd3q9
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7esmY6DL4z
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLKY8yC53g
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUti70wMKY
“What are we gonna do about that thing?” I pointed at the scorpion.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBqTzPgrqZ
“It’s fine,” Julian said casually. “It hurt for a bit but it’s not that bad anymore.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1uozw9zgx
My mom nearly exploded. “Are you out of your MIND?! You don’t know what that thing can do to you!”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZHPkIUHdA
She crouched next to Julian with a pair of tweezers. “Don’t move,” she warned. “This is gonna hurt.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNQN0e85E0
Julian shrugged. “Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be that bad.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YILCdXC8B
Davis looked like he wanted to crawl inside the couch and die there.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9T0KmeJNO
"Where are the girls?" Mom snapped, glancing around.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqsy4B130d
“Cassedy’s passed out in the her room,” I said. “Twins are locked in their room. We’re all good.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBD94LP822y
Mom groaned. “This is what I get for having boys. Just one normal Tuesday, that’s all I want.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIBjAXdBBw
Then she turned to Davis. "And YOU! You’re the smart one! I expected better!”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKlXk6W5CC
Davis shrank like he was melting into his hoodie. “I didn’t want them to go down there, they just—”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKEv81TJiH
“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!”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA1lQcIFJb
I leaned toward Davis and whispered, “I think you’re her new favorite.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCascOOob6
“She hates me.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLECIle7DbF
“Exactly. Welcome to the family.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDBGgeitji
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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1PyV79dgR
“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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEUSiwniMf
“That’s disgusting,” she yelled, tossing the tweezers. “We’ll need something else.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWp5aPaCKf
I stood up, rubbing my eyes. “You know what? This is Julian’s fault.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypgFZ6ruWe
Julian tilted his head. “Excuse me?”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwlTp48U89
“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!”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjmzMPoFhc
Julian stood. “And what? You tripped over a wire and KO’d half the lab. Don’t act like Mr. Responsible here.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iKMOHSC0n
“I was trying to catch my balance!”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1YWdgxQPz
“On a table full of death juice?”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuK5aXWcNEA
“Oh, come on, Julian. You’re like if sarcasm became a person and then fell in love with recklessness.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYVQteyfPp
“And you’re like a walking mess that blames other people because you tripped on your own feet!”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyGA3V5iqc
We both stepped closer. Davis stood up fast. “Guys, guys—chill.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVquy4WyjI
“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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIb4FkV5sOP
“Oh, now you’re jealous of my abs?”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPuuY0bcjF
Mom raised a hand. “If you’re gonna fight, take it outside and not in the house.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezQ8SG5470
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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3UVJiWFvm
“Shut up!” Julian and I snapped at Davis at once.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLsi21E6KG
“This guy needs to understand he’s at fault!” I yelled.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡit7NKVEFT9
“So we have a problem?” He questioned as he looked down at me.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHwAdLHDjU
“Yeah, we got a problem!” I glared up at him, fists clenched.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueyJfW253w
“Let’s take this outside, mini me!”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqaj9wnV1t
We stepped outside to start the fight that would basically change our lives.
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZgRUatvKF
