The Next to be Taken

Chapter Twenty

"Dash is doing what?" Riley asked surprised, sitting Indian style on my bed in front of me.

"He's signing forms to be our guardian. I didn't think much of him doing that but then again, I should have seen that coming." I fell backwards onto my bed, exhaling.

"What did you say?" He put his hands together, leaning forward with interest.

"I said I don't know. I didn't know how to take that. Really, I started attempting to avoid him for the whole day." I stared up at the ceiling.

"Wow, so you don't want him to take you in? You still want to go back?"

"It's not that, it just got me off guard. I don't know how should I and how am I suppose to respond to that. I just wanted some time to think about it, or get it off my chest." I laid my arms by my head.

"Well, I think you should. Stay with us." He grabbed my hands, pulling me back up to my sitting position. "Most of my siblings here are like super young. The only other person I really talked to here before you was Kaitlin, but the other guys keep stealing her. You have a place here, you have a family here, you have a home."

What he said really got to me, I mean, I guess it made sense. Riley was like one of my best friends, and I've noticed I have for some reason getting closer to Dash. Like I always want to know where he is. I don't understand these mixed emotions, feelings.

"All kids, to the main room, please." A voice came over the speaker.
Oh no.. I don't know if I am ready for this.
I looked at Riley, then just got up to leave with him. I mostly followed him since I was learning the names of these rooms and what room is where.

By the time we got there, most of the children were there already. All gathering together, while the two brothers stood in front of them all. Kent, was on his phone.

I tapped Riley's arm before we could go any further. I decided to just stand off to the side instead of being right in the middle of the room. It took a second, but all of them finally got here. I stood next to a orange pot with a tall plant sprouting out of it. Leaning onto the wall, waiting for one of them to start.

"Okay, I wanted to speak to you all about when we went into court." Dash started. "Which you all did, amazing. You all acted so mature and handled it all so well, having to sometimes stand up and talk in front of all of those people. I am very proud of all of you." He put a thumb up to signal 'good job.' He walked to the other side of the room, looking down, thinking his words over.
"All that time alone I got with Kent, and I managed to even get some time with Mrs. Tracy. I thought about something." He stopped pacing, looking over at all of our faces. "If I am the one to take you all in and raise you, taking care of all of you, then I only see it fit if I really take you in legally to watch over you. Making it an official."

He took a moment to let it all settle in.
I glanced around the room at the others faces to see their reaction. All of them had smiles on their faces or is now slowly gaining a smile. Others gasped, with their hands over their mouth. Getting excited.
I even caught some others crying with tears of joy, smiling as they wiped their eyes.

Wow.. They really seem happy. I am the one that it out of place, I was the only one that reacted the way I did when I first found out. I would say it would be because, they knew Dash and Kent for probably all their life, well, almost. They already looked up to them as family and to finally make it more of an official must make it pretty exciting for them.
Dash started pacing again. Welp, I guess were not done.