Reconnecting

Chapter 28

It was official, Dalton, Tray, and Zeke were now my kids legally. I don't know how Spark managed to pull it off, but they now belonged to me. It was two days later, after I signed that, I had to go to the station because the parents of the football players had filed assault charges, and the cops picked them up from their jobs. I also had video proof from a security camera where it happened that my boys only fought in self-defense.

"Can I help you," one of the cops asked me. "I'm here for Dalton, Tray, and Zeke," I told him. "I'm now their legal guardian." I showed him the documents, then was lead to where everyone was. The boys had cuffs on, and now I was pissed. They were kids without legal representation.

"This is Mr. Harris, their legal guardian," the officer said.

"Before we get this shit show started, get them damn cuffs off my boys," I snapped at the officer who was handling the charges. "They're criminals, criminals belong in cuffs," one of the moms sneered. "If anyone is a criminal, it's your punk ass kids," I told them. "They attacked these three when they picked up Tray's daughter from daycare, who was hurt in the altercation."

"We weren't aware a child was mixed in," the officer said.

"Where is your proof," one of the fathers said. I pulled out my phone and played the video. You can clearly see Kortney's bright raincoat and umbrella, being held by Tray, walking with Dalton and Zeke. You see, the football players pull up in a car whose license plate Spark already ran for me, and they clearly attacked first.

The officer worked at getting the cuffs off the kids. "We would like to press charges," I told the officer. "But you'll screw up our chances for college," one of the kids said.

"You think I care about your college," I asked him. "You made your bed, so you punks can lay in it. You clearly didn't give a shit about their chances for college and scholarships, so why should I care about your chances? Sucks when shits not in your favor doesn't it?" I then looked at their parents, "Maybe if you did better jobs as parents, then we wouldn't all be standing here right now."

I then pressed charges and then asked for the cop's name to file a complaint over him arresting and cuffing them publicly. They were at their jobs for fuck sakes. They worked the weekends and having this happen could cause them to lose their jobs.

"Note to self, don't piss dad off," Dalton said from the backseat once we were in the car. They laughed and I shook my head. I pulled a cigarette from my pack and Tray took one because they confiscated his since he was technically under age. I cracked the windows before lighting mine.

"So now what," Tray asked me. "I gotta take you boys back home then I got to go back to the compound for a job," I answered. "What if they come for us for messing things up for them," Zeke asked me. "They won't be able to do anything for a while, while their lawyers try to clean up this mess," I told them. "Hopefully this will be enough to teach them that you finally have backing if they start shit."

"Did you have to deal with guys like this when you were in school," Dalton asked me. I shook my head, "Not really. My so called friends and I were too busy getting high. The football players usually bought weed from us for their parties." It was after one of my sales that Abby had caught me and she snitched to my parents. She and I had a fight after that which lead to her leaving me.

I dropped them off and grabbed my bike. "How'd it go," Edgar asked me once I got to the compound. "Pissed off their parents but I dont give a shit," I said with a shrug. Edgar nodded in approval then we set about doing our job.

To say I was sore from the job was an understatement. I lost track of the number of crates we had to move. My back was killing me the most. When I got home I found Tray chasing after Dalton, Zeke laughing at them with his phone recording. My mom was leaning in the kitchen doorway, shaking her head at them, a smile on her face.

Dalton shot out of the opened door and Zeke right after him. I decided to shut and lock the door. Zeke went to the window to record them running in the yard. "Do I want to know," I asked her.

She laughed, "Dalton blew flour into his face when he tried to work on a recipe he found online."

I shook my head and went to go up the stairs for a shower but three little crotch goblins were attaching themselves to my legs with a chorus of giggles. I smiled as I looked down at them.

"Can I help you," I asked them with a chuckle.

"We have something to show you daddy," Bella said with a giggle. I raised an eyebrow at them, then looked over at my mom when I heard her snicker. The kids then pulled on my pants towards the living room that had been converted into their play room. That's when I saw it, a fluffy calico kitten with a pink sparkly collar that had a bell on it. "What is that," I asked my mom.

"Her name is Rose," Bella said with an attitude, clearly not liking me refering to the tiny fluff ball as "it". "She found it stuck in one of the rose bushes outside," my mom explained.

"And we are keeping it," I asked with a raised eyebrow. "Yep," all three declared. "She follows Bella around and it's the cutest thing," my mom said to me. I sighed and looked down at the three bright blue eyed children. I knew I wasn't going to win this. It's not that I don't like cats. I prefer them over dogs, due to the lack of needing to find time in the day to walk them. It's just that with Abby being pregnant, trying to get my GED, get my footing under me on figuring out my next move since I can't stay with my parents forever, and everything else I don't see a pet fitting in with all of this. However, given the hell the kids have been put through over the years it would be a dick move to put out their happiness over the fuzz ball.

"Did you already have the talk about how it's a big responsibility," I asked my mom, who rolled her eyes. "Of course I did."

As long as that was settled, then it is what it is, I guess.

"Auntie Olivia said it was the cat tribute system," Bella said as she went over to Rose. "She means distribution system," my mom corrected before I could even ask. "It's magic," Mace declared. I don't know about magic, I thought with a shake of my head as Wilson and Mace joined their sister. But whatever this system is, it better just keep it at the one fluff ball.