ADAN GONZALEZ16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CmtSjUc8f
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzhgKrCpPs
“I CANNOT believe you dragged all your friends into some weird science lab! Are you trying to die? Or explode? Or mutate?!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5onnut2Qn
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUyfCbJF2K
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI23Uv4AQjT
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYflqig3VLK
“What are we gonna do about that thing?” I pointed at the scorpion.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGAY41vnFM
“It’s fine,” Julian said casually. “It hurt for a bit but it’s not that bad anymore.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlTUdEwVVz
My mom nearly exploded. “Are you out of your MIND?! You don’t know what that thing can do to you!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflekgjQtSq
She crouched next to Julian with a pair of tweezers. “Don’t move,” she warned. “This is gonna hurt.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhPrDDhf9q
Julian shrugged. “Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be that bad.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23iCA6ruiQ
Davis looked like he wanted to crawl inside the couch and die there.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQ2B04gz2X
"Where are the girls?" Mom snapped, glancing around.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv04Kgh6YKu
“Cassedy’s passed out in the her room,” I said. “Twins are locked in their room. We’re all good.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgDK2ExZQU
Mom groaned. “This is what I get for having boys. Just one normal Tuesday, that’s all I want.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sKAR9MpJK
Then she turned to Davis. "And YOU! You’re the smart one! I expected better!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOwExruv1J
Davis shrank like he was melting into his hoodie. “I didn’t want them to go down there, they just—”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRo47hpHv4
“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!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIexItEAiCm
I leaned toward Davis and whispered, “I think you’re her new favorite.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAE1UqO0AfY
“She hates me.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0vAsTvoHf
“Exactly. Welcome to the family.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXX1xP90uz
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.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2tzankYxk
“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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjSKmY5fsb
“That’s disgusting,” she yelled, tossing the tweezers. “We’ll need something else.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfyh1oz667
I stood up, rubbing my eyes. “You know what? This is Julian’s fault.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJadlq7uYd
Julian tilted his head. “Excuse me?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2Lw9RY0nT
“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!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfOgAA0wqE
Julian stood. “And what? You tripped over a wire and KO’d half the lab. Don’t act like Mr. Responsible here.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hePD8cTPj
“I was trying to catch my balance!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGPhALNf0X
“On a table full of death juice?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLQASOUJW2
“Oh, come on, Julian. You’re like if sarcasm became a person and then fell in love with recklessness.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPwiRKkxKO
“And you’re like a walking mess that blames other people because you tripped on your own feet!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnK5AbgMX9
We both stepped closer. Davis stood up fast. “Guys, guys—chill.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DA49Q8Wm0
“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.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4r6zBCaEmk
“Oh, now you’re jealous of my abs?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLJ6DT3UDG
Mom raised a hand. “If you’re gonna fight, take it outside and not in the house.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKo81i4IcH
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.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPX1FxBK8HV
“Shut up!” Julian and I snapped at Davis at once.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FmZBTro0D
“This guy needs to understand he’s at fault!” I yelled.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhn5npTTGJP
“So we have a problem?” He questioned as he looked down at me.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIihpWLRff
“Yeah, we got a problem!” I glared up at him, fists clenched.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zi5a4utAG
“Let’s take this outside, mini me!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAGnH4ufrc
We stepped outside to start the fight that would basically change our lives.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7spWBVMfi
