Tamela's Novellas

➖ To Griddy's

Ten Year Old Hargreeves And Chavez

"Put down the bag of chips or I will end you." I narrowed my eyes at Five.

The Hargreeves and I were in the kitchen way past our curfew. It was the only time we actually bonded. We had invited Vanya to join us, and she actually did come for the first time. She usually states that Sir Reginald would kick our asses for being out this late, but we finally managed to convince her. Allison and Luther looked done with us.

"Why do you want the chips when we are about to go to Griddy's?" Five shook his head. He opened the cupboard and was about to place the bag in there when suddenly it was tossed into my hands. I grinned and opened the bag. "Only to shut you up."

"Sure." I popped a chip into my mouth. Ben shook his head, fighting a smile. Wiggling my eyebrows, I offered the bag towards him. "Want some?"

"Don't mind if I do!" Diego leaned forward, placing his hand on Ben's shoulder to try and grab some chips.

"Not you." I scoffed, moving the bag away from him. "Is your name Ben?"

"I'm the only Ben here, so..." Ben sent a cheeky smile towards Diego as he grabbed a handful of chips. "Ha."

"Whatever." Diego grumbled and crossed his arms against his chest. "Can we just go to Griddy's?"

"You know what sounds great right now?" Klaus draped an arm over Ben's and my shoulders. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Chocolate donuts with rainbow sprinkles and for some reason I'm craving some froot loop cereal on top of that."

"That sounds like diabetes, Klaus." Vanya shook her head with a laugh.

"But it will be worth it." Klaus beamed.

"Let's just go before Dad wakes up." Luther waved us to follow after him.

We snuck out of the house quietly. The streets were empty and there was an occasion car that would drive by us. Street lamps and store signs illuminated our way to the doughnut shop. You could barely see the stars in the sky due to the light pollution.

"One day," I stated, craning my neck back to see the sky, "I wasn't to go to the country or a smaller city to see the stars shine. You can barely see them here. When I was little, before Sir Hargreeves took me in...my old home, I always stared at the stars through my window. It was the only constant happiness I had."

"You never really talk much about your life before us." Allison frowned.

"It's nothing exciting or happy." I sent her a shrug, digging my hand into the bag of chips.

I frowned when I grabbed nothing. With a sigh, I trashed the bag in the nearest dumpster.

"Yeah, but constantly train and will start going to missions soon." Ben furrowed his brows as he looked at me. "How is that happier than your previous home?"

"My birth mother hated my guts. I was constantly neglected. My abuelos, tias, and tios, they were always telling me that I was a bastard child." I absentmindedly fiddled with my hands as I stared at the sidewalk to avoid their eyes. "And when they saw I could bend the shadows, they were afraid of me. Thought I was some demon child the Devil had sent to the family to punish them for their sins."

"That's horrible." Vanya placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, it wasn't really much of a family back in Puerto Rico." I told them.

"Well, despite the way we grew up and what Dad always tells us, you are a part of this family too, Tam." Luther sent me a smile.

"Yeah, you may be a Chavez, but you're a part of the Hargreeves now." Diego added, slinging an arm around my shoulder. "Familia por siempre, Tam-Tam."