Bionic Chaos [Leo Dooley]

Chapter Fifteen

For some reason, Bree, Emmie, Adam, Chase, and Leo all decide to come into Tech Town on the Saturday that I'm working to have their family argument here. First, it was Bree who came in, and right after her came Adam and Chase, both whispering harshly about something. Emmie remained quiet the whole time as they spoke to Bree about something.

After a few minutes, Leo came in and joined Emmie in silence. However, when he saw me, he decided to come over to talk to me, which is what we're still doing now, even though I'm trying to listen to what the other boys are saying to Bree.

"When do you think you'll be available to film something with me?" he asks, leaning against the counter that I'm standing behind. "I think I have the perfect idea to work with."

"Yeah? I'll check my schedule, but I think I'm free soon," I tell him with a small smile. "I also think I have the perfect idea to work with, so we'll have to figure that out."

"Yeah, we will."

"Oh, is Tasha doing better?" I ask him. 

"She basically grounded me for life, but she's doing fine."

"That's good." He frowns slightly, so I quickly add, "I mean, it's good that she's doing fine. Not because you're grounded for life."

"I figured that's what you meant, Maggie."

"Oh. Right."

I definitely hate how awkward it is between us now. I liked it better before I had feelings for him because we joked around and had fun together. Now, we're like two bumps on a log, waiting to be picked off. 

"Why are Adam and Chase yelling at Bree?" I ask him, wondering what he'll tell me.

"She's been disobeying Big D's orders and not helping around the house," he says quickly. A little too quickly to be the truth. I know the truth, though, but he doesn't know that I know. "Basically, she's been leaving us high and dry for everything at home."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

Leo glances back at his siblings and Emmie, a forlorn look on his face, like he wants to join in on all the action that his siblings go on. I open my mouth to say something, to tell him that I know about everything, but then he looks back over at me. He shrugs slightly, so instead of spilling everything, I say, "Maybe she just wants to have her own life, you know? Maybe she's tired of doing a lot of the work around the house."

His eyes flash slightly, and I wonder if I've said too much. "She has help, Maggie. It's not like she does it all alone." Leo sighs, hanging his head. "But you're right. She's done this for so long -- I mean, taking care of the house and stuff -- that she does deserve some time off. Big D's not going to do that, though."

We both look back over at Bree, Adam, Chase, and Emmie, and I notice Bree's face. The corners of her lips are turned down, her eyes are wide with unshed tears, and she's hunched, like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders, which, she kind of does. Chase says something to her and Emmie nods, her dark braid falling onto her shoulder. That's the last straw for Bree, though, because she spins on her heel, running out of Tech Town.

"Where's she going?" Leo calls out to his siblings and Emmie. As Leo walks over to his siblings, I put up a sign on the front desk, saying that there is a five-minute break for us employees. And with that, I brush past the Davenport's and Emmie, my eyes scanning the area right outside of Tech Town.

I follow Bree through the doors of Tech Town as quickly as I can. I can hear her sobs all the way over here, so it isn't that hard to find her in this mall. When I see her, I see a small girl sitting on the ground, her arms wrapped around her knees as she cries into them. Slowly approaching her, I say, "Bree."