Make a Wish

T W O

"You're late".

Crap.

Fuck.

Shit.

Why did we have to bring the kid now??

Axel's going to kill me then bring me back and bury me alive with caterpillars. God I can't stand those slimy creatures.

"Uh yeah you see...Jai" Colin began and ended by pointing at Jai who gave him an unimpressed look before walking further into the house. Axel was standing in the middle of the foyer glaring daggers at Colin and I. Gabriella was behind me and even though she was small I was surprised Axel hadn't noticed her. Mack casually walked in dragging a chair with him and popcorn was in his other hand as he sat down and smirked at us. Ah...did I tell you that Mack absolutely loves drama? No? Well he does.

"Well?" Axel raised an eyebrow at Colin who was actually sweating.

"We...well...um-You-s-s-see the th-thing is th-th-that....PLEASE DON'T KILL ME" Colin literally yelled the last four words startling me and making me jump to the side and that meant that Gabriella was in full view of my two eldest brothers.

"What the fuck?" Mack asked eyeing Gabriella as if she was something particularly nasty stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

"Don't curse. There's a kid" Jai yelled from somewhere in the house and Mack rolled his eyes.

Gabriella was eyeing his popcorn and then she slowly walked upto him and looked up at him with uncertainty clear on her face.

"Can I pwese have some?" She asked in her small cute voice pointing at the bowl in his hand. Mack hesitated for a fraction of a second before he gingerly handed her the bowl. Her eyes lit up and she hesitantly picked up a piece and gave it a cautious sniff before she turned back to Mack who was looking at her with admiration.

"What is it?" She asked as the rest of us stared at the pair in silence.

"It's popcorn kiddo. Just eat it. I promise you'll love it" He said earnestly. Gabriella tentatively put the popcorn in her mouth and chewed slowly before a full blown grin appeared on her face.

"I likeyyy" She squealed and a big smile appeared on Mack's face as she helped herself to more before he turned to Axel.

"Can we keep the kid?" He asked and my mouth dropped open. What the hell???

"What?" Jai asked suddenly appearing beside Axel.

"What?".

"Did you just say that you wanted the tiny creature? You...Mack Roth want to keep a kid?".

Can we please stop talking about her as if she was a start dog we had found on the street and not a cute 4-year-old...???

Mack rolled his eyes and shrugged. "You guys make it seem like I'm some 50-year-old drunk divorced man with a beer belly who likes to hurt puppies, torment kids and watch infomercials for fun".

We all give him a look and he huffed looking down at Gabriella and frowned.

"She's all skin and bones. When did the kid last ate?".

"Hey Gabriella?" I asked and she turned to me.

"When was the last time you ate? You know before that candy bar Cole gave you?".

"I don't know. Momma said that they had to be ready for something so I can't eat" She pouted up at me before stuffing another popcorn into her mouth. Axel turned to me with questioning look on his face and I silently handed him the note from Lisa or as Gabriella called her Lissy.

"Well we can't do anything about her. We'll drop her off at the police station on our way to the airport" Axel said giving the note back and Colin's mouth dropped open.

"What? Come on Axel. She's 4. We can't just leave her and especially not when her bat shit crazy parents are trying to experiment on her like some guinea pig" He burst out but Axel stared at him with a stern look.

"Look at her Cole. She needs a proper house. One with adults and a mom. She needs food and love. We can barely remember to feed ourselves and now you want to take responsibility of a 4-year-old? We literally live off junk food and she needs veggies and homemade healthy food in her and we aren't equipped to look after such a small kid and a girl at that".

"I'll do anything. I'll stop eating pizza if you want. I'll even those gross broccoli vegetables. I'll clean my room. Do the laundry and wash your car just adopt her" Colin literally begged and I stared at him in shock.

First Mack had given his popcorn to Gabriella and he so did not share anything of his and especially not food and now Colin was willingly volunteering to do chores. Chores he would jump off of a cliff to dodge.

Wow it looks like the kid is a some kind of a miracle or life changer.

Mack observed Colin for a full minute before he stood up grabbed Axel by the arm and dragged him to the kitchen slamming the door shut. A silent warning for the rest of us to not eavesdrop.

"Hey strange little human being" Jai waved at Gabriella who turned to me.

"Who that?" She was pointing at the empty chair which Mack had occupied not a minute ago.

"That's Mack another one of my idiot brothers and the other one was Axel. He's my eldest brother" I explained. Every time she had a question she turned to me. On our way here she had seen some teenagers skateboarding and all through the car ride I explained as best as I could to her what skateboarding was and why they were wearing safety gear.

"I likey" She grinned pointing at the chair and I smiled at her.

"Hey can I call you Gabby?" I asked suddenly. I mean Gabriella was a long name.

She lifted her shoulders and let them drop in a small shrug and nodded munching on the last few popcorn left in the bowl.

I could see Jai and Colin exchanging looks but my mind was on whatever was going on behind the closed kitchen doors.

Just then the door was flung open by Mack who was smiling. Actually smiling.

"Cal as you find the tiny thing you and her will go with Axel to Nila's house".

Colin and Jai cheered and I grinned.

We were so adopting her.