Finding Yourself: Book Two

Chapter One: The Worst

Devin Carter knew he wasn't wanted by anybody.

How could anyone want him around? He was a bully. He picked on the weak for sport. He challenged the people who don't deserve to walk the earth. He challenged the losers, the depressed, and the opposed.

He was feared by people.

In most cases, fear was power. But in Devin's case, it just made people look at him in disgust. He was respected, but only out of fear. He was treated kindly, but only based on the reputation he built himself.

When Nick Moore came up to him, claiming to adopt him, he almost laughed. First, he was in disbelief. He bullied and beat this guy's children, and he still wanted to adopt him? What a joke. Then it hit him- the irony. He was being adopted into the same family he constantly ridiculed, the family who he bullied and tormented.

Surely, he thought, they are adopting him to torture him in revenge.

Dakota was obviously displeased when he stepped out into the room from the doorway. Avil seemed shocked. Of course he was. Devin punched ugly bruises onto his skin weekly just for being a frilly gay.

Then, Dakota spoke with Nick "alone." But Devin eavesdropped through the door.

"You adopted him?" Dakota scoffed, "I thought you were against the bullies, Nick?"

"I know," Nick replied, "And he'll stay in the guest room- not  with Avil, you, or Lucas. But Dakota- they were going to get rid of him. They were going to kick him out of the home if he didn't get adopted-"

"And for good reason," Dakota stressed, "He's a terror. I get what you meant by 'the worst', he's literally the worst."

"Listen," Nick said confidently, "I will not let Devin hurt anybody in this house. But everyone needs a family. Plus... he's got a child on the way, Dakota. Do you really think he could take care of a responsibility like that from the streets? At his age? By himself?"

"Nick, you don't understand how awful he is," Dakota had replied, "He's literally the devil incarnate. He's a waste of oxygen. He's the gum that you scrape off your shoe. He's pond scum that smells like sewer water. Might I go on?"

"Now, Dakota, that's no way to treat your new brother," Nick replied.

"Don't call him my brother," Dakota snapped, "He will never be my brother."

"Alright," Nick replied gently, "But I'm giving him a chance. Everyone deserves a chance."

"Is that what you tell Xavier every time he cheats on you?" Dakota replied, which- even without context- Devin knew was a low blow. Especially because Dakota immediately backtracked. "Sorry I-"

"No, It's fine," Nick replied softly, "I get it. You're angry. You got into a fight with this kid, so he must have made you angry. I just want to kill him with kindness, you know?"

There was a pause.

"You're too nice, Nick," Dakota said, before Devin heard footsteps and ran from the door so he wouldn't be spotted.

He agreed with Dakota. Nick was too nice. Devin might have stumbled on some family drama as well in the argument.

Dakota seemed extremely angry, and Devin couldn't see what made Dakota hate him so much. Yeah, he bullied Avil, but does Dakota really care that much about Avil?

Devin guessed he was going to find out.

He hadn't been in a family since he was young, and he was the only child even then. Sibling relationships were a completely foreign concept to him, and he just didn't understand. Avil and Dakota never interacted during school. Plus, Devin was constantly inviting Dakota to hang out with him and his "friends."