Chosen Family (Adopted By Scarlett Johansson)

Chapter 3

Mr. Blake was still asleep when we got back, so we just relaxed in bed for a few hours and watched Finding Nemo— that was always my sister and I's favorite movie. I enjoyed days like this when I could just relax; no work, no fighting, and no stressing. It almost feels like I'm a kid again. After the movie ended, Adley was hungry, so now I'm in the kitchen fixing her some lunch. I make extra for Mr. Blake and bring it to him, as well as another beer.

"Here you go, Sir," I say quietly as I place it on the stand next to his chair. He doesn't say anything and I don't expect him to, so I head back to the kitchen. I grab Adley's food and carry it upstairs.

As we're eating, I hear the front door open and light footsteps rushing up the stairs. Danny bursts into our room and I'm about to ask what's wrong when Nick and Mr. Blake start yelling at each other. I hear an object crash and my eyes widen.

"Stay here, barricade the door with the chair just like I taught you. If Mr. Blake tries to get in here, go out the window and run to the neighbors, got it?" They both nod and I rush out the bedroom door, closing it behind me. I race down the stairs as Mr. Blake approaches Nick.

"What's going on?"

"Go back upstairs, girl," Mr. Blake says in a low voice.

"N-no. Not until you two break it up," I say, trying to keep my voice firm.

"What did you just say to me?" He starts stomping toward me but Nick steps in between us. Nick is a pretty big guy, so I think it intimidated him a little bit.

"You two think you can just order me around, huh? Well, that's not how this works. I'm the adult here, and you will do as I say. Go upstairs, I don't wanna see any of you for the rest of the night." I nod and grab Nick's arm, pulling him upstairs before he does something stupid. I lead us into the boys' room and close the door.

"What's going on, Nick? First you take Danny somewhere else to spend the night and now whatever the hell that was? Talk to me, man."

"Danny's getting adopted, and I just told Mr. Blake," he says.

"What? When did that happen? I didn't even know there was a family interested in him."

"It's the aunt and uncle of one of my friends. I've let Danny FaceTime them from my phone a few times, and last night I took him there to spend the night so they could meet. And I guess they really wanna adopt him, so they're filing the paperwork and Danny will be out of here by the end of the week."

"Oh my God...Well, good for him, I guess. I don't want him to be stuck here any longer than necessary. Why's Mr. Blake so pissed off? He hates us, he should be happy that one of us is leaving."
"If Danny gets adopted, he loses the money the foster system gives him for Danny. He's already upset enough as it is because he'll lose the money for me in three weeks when I turn 18." Nick is a pretty closed-off person, but I can tell he's upset about this. Nick and Danny are close because they were together in a foster home before this one.

"Hey, it's okay. Danny won't have to deal with that asshole anymore and you can do whatever the hell you want. It's gonna be fine, Nick."

"But what about you and Adley? It's just gonna be the two of you, and when you're at work..." He trails off and I can see the concern in his eyes. My stomach drops as I realize that Adley is gonna be alone here with Mr. Blake while I'm at work.

"Shit. Um, I can see if I can take her to work with me...let her read in the backroom or something. It's just a bookstore. If not then maybe the neighbor, Mrs. White, might watch her."

"And what about when you have fights?" My wide eyes snap to his. He's not supposed to know about the fighting league— nobody is.

"How...how do you know about that?"