ADAN GONZALEZ13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuBnvOqsEF
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzigrqeedb1
“I CANNOT believe you dragged all your friends into some weird science lab! Are you trying to die? Or explode? Or mutate?!”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgXngC0F4y
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrmtq1sNu3
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhgx9qCdaR
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zzbkIAffW
“What are we gonna do about that thing?” I pointed at the scorpion.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJ1idbZk13
“It’s fine,” Julian said casually. “It hurt for a bit but it’s not that bad anymore.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFtQQrDSes
My mom nearly exploded. “Are you out of your MIND?! You don’t know what that thing can do to you!”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuMtL6uPPY
She crouched next to Julian with a pair of tweezers. “Don’t move,” she warned. “This is gonna hurt.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVe5XJTaB9x
Julian shrugged. “Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be that bad.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75r08VrwNy
Davis looked like he wanted to crawl inside the couch and die there.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUfx31UNkJ
"Where are the girls?" Mom snapped, glancing around.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSqwR7dzrs
“Cassedy’s passed out in the her room,” I said. “Twins are locked in their room. We’re all good.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WlZVST4kM
Mom groaned. “This is what I get for having boys. Just one normal Tuesday, that’s all I want.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBBDBrmxi8
Then she turned to Davis. "And YOU! You’re the smart one! I expected better!”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUFZt8OZg6
Davis shrank like he was melting into his hoodie. “I didn’t want them to go down there, they just—”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHs8U1Lzs2s
“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!”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpd4Z0DRH9y
I leaned toward Davis and whispered, “I think you’re her new favorite.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVjkRtapQq
“She hates me.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fOiZPHvyu
“Exactly. Welcome to the family.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sA3kdHAk9
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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSXn3oje87
“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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKKyOxzgF8
“That’s disgusting,” she yelled, tossing the tweezers. “We’ll need something else.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcWI0OWLiR
I stood up, rubbing my eyes. “You know what? This is Julian’s fault.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRyNESNIcC
Julian tilted his head. “Excuse me?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41z3BDZz3d
“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!”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1nxQVqVLK
Julian stood. “And what? You tripped over a wire and KO’d half the lab. Don’t act like Mr. Responsible here.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sDz85gWZl
“I was trying to catch my balance!”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcJEfwwZun
“On a table full of death juice?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcn1dautEcX
“Oh, come on, Julian. You’re like if sarcasm became a person and then fell in love with recklessness.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iH0B5w5za
“And you’re like a walking mess that blames other people because you tripped on your own feet!”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpKLIMmF7a
We both stepped closer. Davis stood up fast. “Guys, guys—chill.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQEjbEugw4
“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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvj14MDJCt
“Oh, now you’re jealous of my abs?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd66CJ0MRaq
Mom raised a hand. “If you’re gonna fight, take it outside and not in the house.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjenkfGvIV
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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHMDrFV83X
“Shut up!” Julian and I snapped at Davis at once.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXwa8kgqkp
“This guy needs to understand he’s at fault!” I yelled.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0hqVLYZyi
“So we have a problem?” He questioned as he looked down at me.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocEYpgm3dn
“Yeah, we got a problem!” I glared up at him, fists clenched.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX179eYMRF
“Let’s take this outside, mini me!”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESwdIML4eQ
We stepped outside to start the fight that would basically change our lives.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYNJc4lgNL
