best

5

I walked Nick home, immediately giving him snacks.

"I need you to gain weight, buddy" I exhaled, kissing his head lightly.

"Are you scared?" He asked me as I held him close to my chest.

"Yes buddy, I am scared" I exhaled, kissing his head several times.

Over the next week I went through hell

I cried about ten times
I ate almost once a day
I made sure Nick ate everything with protein in it
I prayed

As I walked to the hospital for his appointment I felt nothing but anxiety.

I signed us in, sitting and letting my leg shake nervously.

I felt dizzy, that's how nervous I was making myself.

Soon I saw Hemmings appear, making Nick jump up before he even said anything.

I followed the running Nick and Hemmings to a room where of course, the amazing Doctor Irwin sat.

"No guardian?" He questioned as he saw me.

"Work" I dismissed, seeing disappointment fly across his face.

"Get his weight" Irwin spoke out, no niceness in his tone.

I knew he was mad, but he didn't understand anything.

Luke messes with the dials.

"We have a four pound weight gain" he spoke, making me immediately thank God.

Irwin turned to me, "how'd you do it?" He asked slowly.

I shrugged
"He ate and took the medicines" I mumbled out, seeing him turn his head to his computer.

"I need your guardians phone number." He spoke out firmly.

"What-" "I need your guardians phone number." He spoke slowly and firmly- almost seeming mean.

"Ashton, chill-" "Luke, he hasn't been here one time, he's leaving a teenager in charge of a whole child-" "and I'm capable." I spoke firmly.

"He isn't dead-" "he was pretty close to it, fifteen pounds underweight." Irwin spat to me.

"People make mistakes-" "but not mistakes that result in something like this, I would understand if it was just you, because you're a child, but a grown man knows when a child isn't properly cared for-" "I'm not a child" I spoke out firmly.

This caused the whole room to go silent,

"I'm not a child, I may be young, but mentally I am far from my age. You don't know my family, you don't know what we go through- and I'll be damn sure you will not judge us over something that you don't even know the beginning of." I spat out.

"Sissy" Nick spoke out quietly.

I watched as Irwin's head went to his feet.

"Let's go, Nick" I mumbled out.

"I want to stay with the guys-" "Aubrey, just let us discuss what just happened for a moment" Luke spoke, grabbing my arm, which I pulled away from him quickly.

"Nothing needs to be discussed- it's over, we're moving on" I mumbled, grabbing Nick's hand, where he immediately began crying.

"I want to say with them!" Nick cried out, throwing his head back loudly.

"You'll see them next week, say goodbye" I mumbled, seeing him immediately hug Luke.

"I crossed a boundary- I am sorry" I heard Ashton speak.

"It's over, just don't do it again." I mumbled out.

"You know" Luke spoke as he held Nick's crying body into him.

"I know we're like strangers- kinda, but we love Nick and we'd love for him to spend the night one night, we could introduce him to our other friends, we've always wanted a little brother" Luke spoke, bouncing Nick.

Nicks head shot up and towards me at the mention of this.

"Oh no- I don't know-"

"He'd be completely safe, we'd send you our address, even take you by our house if you want- shit you could even come spend the night, I know you probably spend a lot of time alone because your uncle works so much, it would probably be a relief to enjoy some actually adult like company" Ashton chimed in slowly, making me look to Nick, who was hidden in Luke's chest.

"Pwease?" Nick asked slowly.

What the fuck is going on