The Risk To Take

Mercy walked into class and sat down with her arms crossed and glanced at Dawn. "How's your adoptive parents?" She asked.

Thiago leaned back in his seat tossing a ball into the air.

Rhyan remained silent in his seat dazing off.

Sebastian walked out of the school and punched every locker on the way out. Since he was no longer a leader he had no reason to act like one. Though he was in middle school he had already acting out.

"Ok I guess." Dawn sighed and tapped the her desk with a pencil.

"I can deal with mine but they're so fucking religious. It's almost annoying. You should hear them. 'Mercy stop cursing. Mercy take off your make up. Mercy we have to go to church." Mercy snapped.

Sebastian skated down to the park and snatched a joint from another kid.

"Have you made your decision?" Marco asked Sebastian holding out a red bandanna.

"They just want to be good parents." Dawn mumbled.

"Right, let me take a girlfriend home and they'd be up my ass." Mercy pointed out.


Sebastian hesitated. "I don't know." He said sincerely. He was thinking about what his mother would say or do.

Marco looked him over. "You need to make a decision."

"Tell them to suck it." Alicia said from her desk.

"Leave him alone." Hale said as she walked up.

Sebastian glanced over at Hale and rolled his eyes and suddenly took it, tying it around his neck. "I'm in. Where do I get the tattoo?"

"They told off Sebastian when he went to go see my sister." Mercy responded and glanced over at Alicia and huffed.

"That doesn't mean you have to do what they say." Alicia said. "I don't listen to my parents."

"I mind my own business at home and take care of my siblings." Mercy answered.

Marco gestured for him to follow.

Sebastian began to walk after him.

Hale frowned, Sebastian had changed since they had gotten new homes. Shaking her head she walked off sadly.

"Whatever." Alicia shrugged and got up from her desk to leave.

Mercy  jumped over a desk and stood in front of her. "Go on a date with me."

Thiago looked up a bit confused. "Since when are you both gay?"

Rhyan gave a chuckle. "Looks like Mercy may have beat you to it."

Sebastian glanced back at her and walked to the tattoo parlor where they sat him down and began to work on his arm.

"You just said...." Alicia gave her an odd look.

Hale was a bit disappointed and walked alone back to the school.

Mercy huffed. "What?"

"You just said your parents wont let you." Alicia said and face palmed.

"I never said I cared about what they thought." Mercy huffed and took her hand walking out of the class. "Next time you shut me out for a boy, I won't try with you."

Emmett looked back as Max appeared behind him. "So we're alive again. Feels good."

"Yeah whatever." Max grumbled.

"Mercy chill. It's not my fault you didn't join in." Alicia said and rolled her eyes.

Mercy crossed her arms and shook her head, and grumbled something beneath her breath as she continued to walk. "Where do you want to go."

Emmett turned as he noticed Griffin and Bladen. "Well fuck." He huffed. Then glanced at Max. "I got dibs on her."

Sebastian walked out of the parlor and began to skate home. As he walked his adoptive father immediately began yelling and whipped out a stick that had been broken off of a chair. He glanced over at Ella. "Go upstairs." He snapped and winced as the hits began. Not everyone could have great parents, and maybe he deserved this but not his baby sister.

"Go to hell." Max grumbled and walked to the house her children were being held at. Knocking on the door she waited for an answer.

Alicia raised a brow. "What did you just say?" She demanded and crossed her arms, stopping walking.

Sebastian remained in the corner curled up as he had walked away to get the door. He knew better than to look or say a word.

The man answered the door and looked at Max. "Who are you?"

Mercy glanced at her. "Seriously?"

"I'm the mother to those kids you've been beating." Max snapped and cracked her knuckles. "Hand 'em over. Now." She hissed.

"Yes." Alicia said stubbornly.

"No." Mercy said bluntly.

"They don't have birth parents. I'm not beating them." The man responded calmly.

Sebastian remained curled up hoping that whoever it was would distract him long enough to forget.

Max sighed. "I don't have time for this." She grumbled and grabbed him by the neck, forcing him against a wall in the house. "Sebastian, get your sister." She snapped, needing him to get over the initial shock.

Alicia shrugged and sat on the ground, refusing to move.

Sebastian looked up as his mother had barged through the door. He ran upstairs and pulled Ella down gazing at his mother as if she were a hero. "Ma!" He shouted in enthusiasm.

"Very stubborn." Griffin said suddenly standing behind Alicia.

Emmett walked over to Mercy. "Hey kiddo."

Mercy jumped up and hugged her father warmly. "Daddy."

"Go wait outside." Max told them.

Ella stared at her mother before nodding and running out the door.

Max narrowed her eyes at the man. "If you ever touch another child again, I'll gut you like a fish." She hissed into his ear. "But first I'll make you watch me do it to your wife." She said and threw him to the side and turned to walk out. Stopping before the door she smirked. "Oh and that's not a threat, it's a promise." She growled and slammed the door behind her.

Alicia stood up and hugged her dad tightly immediately. "Why did you leave? Where is mom?"

"She's still gone." Griffin said and ran a hand through her hair as he hugged her. "Where's your sisters?"

Sebastian looked at Ella then back to their mother and immediately hugged her tightly. He was only a few inches smaller than her now but was much broader. "Are you taking us now?"

Mercy looked up at him. "You have to go see the others." He told his father.

Emmett nodded. "Take me to them."