21.

**super sorry about that accidental publishing. My laptop froze and I pressed some buttons in frustration. 🙃 Also, this is all a figment of my imagination so don't believe my medical knowledge pls and ty**

"I'm not going."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not!" Hayes' voice was rising, attracting her brothers to the scene. It was rare sight to see her yelling which meant something was wrong. She became more anxious, slowly backing away from her eldest brother.

"Hayes, this isn't up for negotiation." Austin rubbed the space between his eyebrows, a headache forming and the day barely started. If someone could please explain why he thought it'd be a good idea to not tell the kids about their doctor's appointment until the morning of, he'd like to hear it.

It was days like today where he second-guessed his ability to raise his siblings. Not that he wouldn't do it in a heartbeat, that wasn't what he was thinking at all. His siblings were his kids. But that he wasn't doing a good job at it.

"You can't make me go." Her voice broke as tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. She kept taking steps back as if she was going to bolt any second.

Austin didn't blame her for not wanting to go, doctor visits were no fun, but he didn't expect this kind of reaction either. This was like a whole other level for his little sister. Almost as if she had suddenly regressed back in time to her 4 year-old self.

"Hay Hay," Glen spoke quietly from where he sat at the breakfast nook. He initially had the same gut reaction as Hayes but was able to calm himself down. Rationalize it. They weren't with the Bear anymore, they had no reason to fear the doctors. No bruises to hide. No secrets to be kept. They were safe.

Well, maybe there were some secrets to be kept.

Watery blue eyes met Glen's looking for protection.

"It's okay," Glen reassured her.

She shook her head. It was anything but okay. "I don't want to go."

"I know you don't, Sunshine. I'm sorry that we have to go, but I need to make sure you two are healthy." Austin pleaded with her, not wanting to force her. But she needed to go.

"I am healthy," Hayes sniffled, taking another step back when Austin got too close to her. She was starting to feel trapped, the room becoming smaller. The urge to flee rising. Run and hide.

Footsteps sounded from behind her. Firm hands landed on her shoulders making her flinch but before she could escape them, their arms crossed against her chest, pulling her back against them in a hug. Their thumbs rubbed up and down on her arm trying to calm her down. "What's with the sniffles, Sunshine?" Colton.

"We have a doctor's appointment." Glen answered for her.

But of course Colton already knew about the doctor's appointment. A yearly physical was necessary not only to attend school but to be eligible to play sports, as the athletic director so kindly reminded him. It's not like Colton forgot that little bit, but he was hoping to push it longer for the kids to be acclimated before subjecting them to torture.

Colton also hated the doctors. Tattoos, fine. Shots, hell no.

"You'll be fine, Hayes. Glen and I will both be there with you. Dr. James is a nice man, you can ask Fran or Emerson. They see him, too." With Colton holding Hayes in his arms, Austin was able to approach her. Grabbing a napkin off the table, he gently wiped her cheeks clean of tears. "There's no need to cry, baby. It's just a simple check-up."

"I say fuck the doctors," Dakota stated, sitting down next to Glen. He was dressed and ready to go to work whenever this 'thing' was done.

"Yeah well no one asked you," Colton replied. He could read the stress on Austin's face.

"How many shots do you have to get?" Dakota nudged Glen's leg with his foot, ignoring Colton's comment.

At Dakota's insistence to keep talking, Hayes backed into Colton, whining, "I don't want to go." He leaned down, wrapping her more tightly into a bear hug as he tried to console her.

"Please shut up, Dakota," Austin hissed, briefly closing his eyes in annoyance. He didn't need him to fuel the fire. He was already well aware that the kids did not like needles. That was the first question out of Glen's mouth.

"No shots, just a blood test," Glen answered with dread. He nervously starting scratching his arm but stopped when he saw Dakota watching. He didn't need his brothers suspicious of his behavior. With any luck, they'd never find out.

Unfortunately for him, Glen knew he wasn't a lucky guy.

"That sucks." Dakota finally replied, leaning back in his chair.

Glen let out a breath, maybe he didn't suspect anything.

"Just think, as soon as the doctor's visit is over, you can play basketball!" Colton said with extra enthusiasm, swaying Hayes a little. "Aren't you excited to play?"

Hayes shook her head no. Not if it involved the doctors.

"Would you be a little more excited if there was ice cream involved?"

A little hesitation this time, but still Hayes shook her head no.

"Excuse me, so you can bribe our sister but I can't?" Francis scoffed as he joined the rest of the family. Party in the kitchen! Spotting his little sister, he walked over to her and Colton. He frowned at her flushed face and tear stricken cheeks. No bueno. Someone needed cheering up and he was just the man for the job.

"Looks like a Sissy sandwich is in order." Without waiting for a response, Francis hugged Colton, smooshing Hayes in between them. Only Francis seemed to be comfortable with the set up as Colton's hands got trapped between Hayes and Francis' chest.

"Can't breathe," Hayes mumbled, shifting around to create more space. Her cheek was mashed against Francis' rib cage.

"Ow Cole, not my nipple," Francis jumped away, rubbing his chest. "No need to be so handsy."

"Ah, the classic nipple twist. Good one, Colton," Dakota complimented, knocking his knuckles on the table.

Austin grabbed Francis by the upper arm, preventing him from doing something stupid and getting his ass handed to him by Dakota. "Can we act our age this morning?"

"Once Francis learns the concept of personal space, sure." Colton responded cheekily, "And I wasn't bribing her." Hayes turned her head to showcase her confusion to Colton.

"Sure seemed like a bribe," Dakota commented with a smirk.

"This is different," Colton stated, winking at Hayes. He was 100% bribing her. "I'm just giving her incentive."

"Dude that's the same thing!" Francis protested, raising his free hand in the air in mock outrage. With his focus on Colton and not Dakota anymore, Austin felt it safe to let go of him. He pushed him in the direction of the counter so Francis could grab his lunch.  He shoved the brown bag into his backpack and snagged the $20 out of Austin's hand, before he pointed his finger at Colton. "It's totally a bribe. So I think she should get 2 ice cream cones."

"Double fisting cones." Dakota nodded in approval, "start a new trend."

"I have to go too, so do I get a milkshake as part of this deal?" Glen asked. He could see a very slight curvature of Hayes' lips as she tried to not smile at their silliness.

"As long as I get a fucking milkshake as well," Dakota demanded, "strawberry, por favor. I expect it at dinner." Glen snickered at him, not expecting that to be his poison. "Stop bullying me, Smiley." Dakota kicked his foot harder this time making Glen groan.

"Let's give away all Austin's money, yeah?" Austin said sarcastically. He really didn't mind though. He was starting to breathe a little easier as he could see Hayes loosening her grip on Colton. Crisis almost averted, for now at least. Thank God for his brothers, even if they were clowns most of the time.

"Isn't that what you're here for?" Francis smiled innocently at him, widening his eyes. Austin narrowed his eyes at Francis in return. Not wanting to get slapped in the head, Francis smartly slipped past Austin to stand in the doorway.

Chuckling lightly, Austin shook his head in defeat, "Apparently so, Fran. Tuck your shirt in, don't be a slob."

"Yeah, yeah," Francis rolled his eyes from the safe distance, but did as told. Austin was such a stickler for their school uniforms looking nice.

"Austin," Hayes hiccupped, nervously biting her thumb knuckle. She resisted the urge to cringe when all eyes flickered to their sister. "Francis still owes me 5 cookies."

Like brother, like sister, it seemed like Hayes didn't forget much either.

"Sounds like you got this covered, Austin." Francis snapped finger-guns at Austin.

"Get to school, Francis."

————

Glen's legs swung back and forth, wincing when he accidentally hit the metal cabinets that sat below the exam table. His fingers tapped against his thigh to a random beat in his head as he glanced around the exam room, observing all the different equipment and medical posters hanging up. It'd been a long time since they'd been in a doctor's office.

He couldn't help the grimace that crossed his face. The last time was probably when he broke his arm, the pain so bad he vomited. Good times, good times...

His eyes never strayed away from Hayes for long, every few seconds returning to where she sat next Austin on the bench. Knees pulled to chest, as close to Austin's side as she could get. She also was wearing one of their sweatshirts like usual, with the hem pulled over her legs in rock formation, leaving only her school shoes to be seen.

Glen wished he had thought to grab one too. The doctor's office was a little chilly but that didn't bother him. He wanted that 'security blanket' feel that a sweatshirt provided. Hide some of his own mental and physical scars. His fingers twitched, but he resisted the temptation to scratch his arm. He needed to be strong, if not for himself than for Hayes.

"I wanna go home," Hayes whispered, tilting her head up to look at Austin, a pout tainting her face. Props to him, Austin didn't even flinch when she had previously wiped her nose on his dress shirt. Just as the kids were in their school uniforms, he was dressed professionally in business clothes for work.

"I know, baby, but the doctor should be here soon and then we'll get some ice cream somewhere before I take you to school." Good plan, get his siblings hyped on ice cream and then drop them off to run off the energy. Such a responsible guardian he was.

The nurse had already taken their vitals and now they were waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

The kids had no patience from the beginning which tested Austin's patience. Austin kissed Hayes' forehead before laying his head against hers for a moment. Thank God he was blessed endless patience. Lord knows how many times it came in handy while raising Emerson and Francis.

"How tall do you think I'll grow?" Glen randomly asked, the paper crinkling as he shuffled around so he now sat criss-cross applesauce.

"Not sure, Bud." Austin replied. He figured his original projection was for sure over 6 feet like the rest of them, but knew there was a possibility that his height might have been stunted. Glen was still a growing boy and quite tall for his age already, but the possible lack of nutrition while living with their grandfather had to be factored in.

Before Glen could ask any more questions, someone knocked on the door before entering. "Hello everyone! Austin Powers, how are you? And you must be Glen and Hayes, I'm Dr. James, nice to meet you guys." A friendly fella in scrubs walked into the room. He shook Austin and Glen's hands and waved to Hayes who sunk further into Austin's side.

"How's Emerson and Francis doing? Signed my son up for T-ball just last week." Dr. James said, taking a seat on his stool.

Austin laughed, "They are both great, thanks for asking. Good luck, you'll be spending a lot of time at the field. Hope you enjoy running because those little ones can smack the ball far."

"That's what I hear. The little man is very excited about it." Dr. James looked between Glen and Hayes, "Do you like to play any sports?" he asked them.

Glen nodded, "we play basketball."

"Oh wow, just like your other brother. I'm sure he loves that."

Glen nodded again. He was a man of few words.

"Super cool. Super cool. So what'd I like to do is just chat, get to know you and see where we're at, and then I'll listen to your heart and lungs and so forth. Sound good?" Dr. James glanced at Austin who nodded before seeking approval from the kids. Hayes stared cautiously back at him but Glen nodded.

"Alright, Glen, have you been nominated to go first?"

"Seems that way." He replied, making a face at Hayes. Hayes stuck her tongue out at him in return. He wasn't the older brother for no reason.

Dr. James smiled at their childish interaction. Having a good sibling relationship was truly priceless. "Awesome, how old are you Glen?"

"15." Almost 16.

"And are you in school?" Duh.

"Yeah, I'm a sophomore." Glen briefly clenched his fists before tapping his fingers again. His nervous tick.

"How do you like it so far?"

Glen shrugged, "It's fine."

"Just fine?" Glen nodded, "Are you playing for the school basketball team?"

"Uh huh," Glen continued with his short replies. This went on for a couple minutes as Dr. James gathered information from him. Glen wasn't rude per say, but he certainly wasn't willing to share much.

From there, Dr. James completed the brief routine physical exam of Glen and then repeated the whole teeth-pulling ordeal with Hayes, making mental notes along the way.

Glen pretty much passed with flying colors, the only concern that was shared from Austin was his nightly headaches. Turns out, the kid probably just needed a pair of glasses.

Austin wasn't even shocked by Glen's admittance that he'd never seen an optometrist before.

Glen realized that the only reason why he hadn't had headaches thus far was because he would choose to sit in the front row of his classrooms. Less distraction for him to focus on his school work. His best friend, Lewis, used to tease him about it, calling him a nerd as he happily took the seat right next to him. Hypocrite. 'Best friends stuck together', was what he would say. Glen would just roll his eyes, knowing that Lewis was also a closest geek. The two best friends were very similar in nature, it was no wonder they got along so well. Plus Hayes loved his mother's homemade chocolate chip cookies, making their friendship a necessity for his sister. Priorities.

Now, due to joining a new school in the middle of the quarter, Glen had to claim whatever seat was open, which usually meant one of the back rows. Apparently squinting to read the white board wasn't good for the eyes. Who knew.

Hayes, on the other hand, presented as a perfectly healthy young girl, much to Austin's relief. She was who Austin was slightly more worried about, just because she was so petite and was practically a baby when she was taken. His baby. One had to assume she received minimal to no medical care after that.

But the doctor gave her a clean bill of health, nothing more than suggesting some multivitamins and a glass of milk for her bones to stay strong.

Through the entirety of the encounter, Hayes was extremely uncomfortable which Dr. James recognized immediately and did his best to efficiently and calmly power through the exam. Contrary to her love for hugs and playfulness while fooling around with her brothers, Hayes did not like to be touched by people.

Sports was the only other exception.

Aware of their special situation along with the kids' defensive mannerism, their physically fit bill of health did not rule out the obvious childhood trauma that they experienced. But Dr. James was able to reassure Austin that the best chance at recovery for his siblings was living with him and their brothers.

If it wasn't for the nurse's trained eye, no one would have caught the not-as-obvious trauma either.

————

"I'm sorry for kicking you," Hayes finally gathered enough courage to apologize, fiddling with the napkin. She decided to rip the napkin into tiny bits and pieces, making a pile on the table. She was the last one finished with her ice cream, but no one made a move to leave yet.

Glen couldn't stop the snort that escaped him. Out of all the things to say, that was what was weighing her down. Not the fact that one of their more horrid tales was just brought to light and not by their own free will.

He was angry. At himself, at the doctor and nurse, at the world. At the fact that Austin knew, and would probably tell their brothers, at least Baker and maybe Colton.

He'd be lying if he said that didn't worry him. They'd probably want answers; answers that Glen didn't want to give. Not now, not ever.

Crazy how it only took one moment in time to destroy the years of progress Glen made at forgetting it ever happened. He never thought he'd say this but Dakota was right. Fuck the doctors.

"You're forgiven," Austin tugged her ponytail as he rubbed his chest with the other hand. He wouldn't put it past her to have left a bruise. "How are you two feeling? Feel dizzy at all? Faint?" He rattled off symptoms the nurse told him to look out for, his eyes briefly glancing down to the single band-aid on Hayes' arm. If he wasn't careful, he was going to turn into one of those helicopter parents.

"No, we're fine," Hayes dragged out 'fine' as she pushed Austin's hand away from her hair, before immediately changing her mind and hugging his arm against her chest. Forget that, Hayes let go of his arm as she abruptly stood up, and side-stepped closer to him. She wanted a hug instead.

Reading her mind, Austin smiled as he tugged her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her stomach, lacing his fingers together. Her back rested against him comfortably. She was just the right size so that he could rest his chin on her head, nice and relaxed.

Austin took this time to observe Glen, how he was sitting hunched over in his chair, arms crossed tightly, staring a hole into the ground. Honestly, on that moment, he looked like he hated everything and everyone. Unlike Hayes, who seemed to have immediately pushed the past couple hours to the back of her mind, which Austin recognized as a poor coping mechanism, Glen couldn't escape his thoughts.

Austin's heart ached, how he wished to be able to switch spots with him.

Austin knew there were plenty of skeletons still left in the closet that Glen and Hayes had yet to share, but the one that was ousted during the visit was a biggie. Austin just wanted to wrap him up in a hug and never let him go.

You're safe now, Smiley. For as long as I live, no one can touch you ever again, little brother.

—flashback to the dreadful doctors, an hour ago—

"...fuck the doctors." -- Dakota

"Okay, Sweetie, take a seat in that chair for me," the kind nurse instructed Hayes, as she walked to the cabinet to gather more supplies. Poor nurse, she must have got the short end of the stick that morning.

Glen was already done, a band-aid on the elbow his souvenir for the visit. His mentality was the quicker he got it done, the sooner they could leave. Then he'd be back at school like normal and be able to pretend this never happened.

He stood against the wall out of the way, watching the nurse and Austin try and fail at convincing Hayes to sit. It was her turn for the blood draw and she was putting up a fight. He thought it was kind of ironic how if she just did as the nurse said, she'd be done by now.

Glen would have usually been right there helping, but needles got him. The only reason why he was still in the room was because Austin wouldn't give him the keys to wait in the car. That, and he would never abandon Hayes, no matter how scared he was himself.

Only took one needle and he felt like he was living in the past again. Constant watching over his shoulder, not trusting the shadows where his mother could be hiding. Keeping Hayes away from her the best he could.

"I don't want to," Hayes begged, gripping onto Austin's hand. Seemed to be the only phrase she knew today. "Please, Austin. I don't want to."

Austin thought this moment may top as the worst feeling in the world for any parent or guardian. Having to force your child to do something when they were beyond petrified, knowing it was necessary and would only help them. If Hayes started crying again, he'd be done for. He'd take her and run far away.

"Sunshine, you're so brave. I'll hold your hand the whole time. Just squeeze my hand tight."

"I don't want to be brave anymore." She stubbornly refused to walk any further. Austin would be dragging her if he took another step. Was this a brief glimpse into her teenage rebellion years?

Austin let out a labored sigh, before squatting down so he could see her face. Hayes' gaze was aimed at the ground. He held both of Hayes's hands clasped in his, his thumbs instantly making circular motions to soothe her. "Hayes," He spoke softly, "I would never ask you to do this if there was another way. Sunshine, I just want to make sure you're okay." Her eyes met his.

Did she trust him?

Yes.

It wasn't Austin that was the problem, it was the hand that held the needle. Her mother.

No.

It was a just nurse.

Hayes puffed her cheeks as she took in a deep breathe before blowing it out. She nodded once.

Her strength was immense. Austin kissed the top of her hand before standing up and walking her over to the chair. "Can I still hold your hand?" Hayes mumbled a tad embarrassed as she cautiously sat down.

"Absolutely," Austin replied, squeezing her hand. He kneeled down this time, his right knee on the floor, positioned so he could also see Glen in his periphery. Glen was definitely not acting like himself.

"Lay your left arm on the counter for me." The nurse organized the items on the tray. She smiled at Hayes, trying to put her at ease. It wasn't working, but it was a good thought.

"Is it going to hurt?"

"You'll just feel a little pinch. Won't take longer than a few seconds," the nurse replied.

Austin could see her arm tremble as Hayes listened to directions. She was so nervous, her eyes were glued to the nurse's every move. Forgetting that Austin's hand was laced with hers, when she instinctually went to clench her fist, her nails dug into the back of his hand.

"Sorry, sorry," Hayes immediately went to release her hand but Austin didn't let go. Her heart started to race when the nurse took a step towards her. She could feel herself starting to panic. Her anxiety was skyrocketing. Too much was happening at once.

"This strap goes around your upper arm, right here," the nurse spoke as she worked. Hayes watched her, flinching when cold fingertips touched her skin. The nurse tightened the strap just enough so she could find a vein to use. Her finger gently ran over the old blemishes that marred Hayes' skin. A look of concern crossed the nurse's face before it was gone, returning to a neutral expression.

"I'll be right back," she excused herself. Hayes' eyes trailed after her before looking at her own arm, wondering what the nurse saw. She didn't need to look, she already knew.

"Hey Sunshine, do you know how to eat an elephant?"

"Huh?" Hayes blinked, distracted by Austin's seemingly random question.

"How about you, Glen, do you know how to eat an elephant?" Austin brought Glen into their conversation, shaking him from his thoughts.

"No?" Glen hadn't been listening. He had also been watching the nurse closely, seeing the exact moment when the nurse saw something.

They had been so close to freedom. So freaking close.

"Well one bite at a time, of course," Austin stated so matter-of-factually that both kids stared at him like he was the one losing his mind.

"What?" Glen raised his eyebrows as Hayes suddenly laughed. Austin smiled, mission success.

"One bite at a time. If we just do a little bit at a time, before you know it, we will have accomplished our goals."

"That's a good one," Dr. James said, strolling into the room with the nurse right behind him. "I'll have to save that for my kid."

Both kids tensed at the sight of Dr. James. They thought they were done with him.

"Hey kiddo, can I take a look at your arm?" He moved quickly, scooting around Austin to stand next to the counter. Before Hayes could reply, Dr. James held her wrist, running his own finger lightly over her elbow crease. "Damn," he muttered so quietly, mentally kicking himself. How had he missed this before?

Dr. James looked over at Glen, causing the boy to instantly fold his arms behind his back out of sight. He forgotten that he was wearing the sweatshirt that Hayes' was previously wearing. His arms were covered now so the doctor couldn't see them anyways.

Austin frowned, well that wasn't suspicious at all. "What's going on, Dr. James?"

Hayes paled, the kids never wanted Austin to find out. She tugged her hand out of Austin's grip, trying to figure out a way to escape. But Austin was in her way.

"Hayes, it's okay. Just stay seated for a moment." Austin tried to stop her from moving.

"No, I have to go." Hayes shook her head, she had to get out of here. It was as if all the anxiety and nerves that had slowly disappeared for a moment had suddenly returned at full force. She needed to get out of here.

"Hayes."

"Don't touch me," Hayes kicked her leg out to create space, preventing Austin from reaching her. Her shoe made solid contact with his chest, taking him off-guard for a moment. Just enough for her to jump out of the chair; unfortunately not long enough for her to escape.

Hands looped around her waist, stopping her from racing out the door.

"Sunshine, hey, listen to me," Austin spoke gently, "baby, please, take a breath." Hayes struggled in his hold for another second before surrendering.

He would always catch her.

Austin quickly turned her around in his embrace so she could clench his shirt in her hands. His freshly ironed, nice, wrinkle-free business shirt. Whoops.

Dr. James, who silently observed the freak-out, realized now that their sufferings were much more than he initially thought. The resilience and perseverance they exhibited were on another level. But now he needed to know how much worse they had it, in order to help them get better.

"Glen, Hayes, I need to ask you a question and I would like you to be honest with me. Whatever you tell me, will not leave this room. But I need to know, so we can make sure everything is okay." He stopped here to let his words settle, glancing between Glen and Hayes before Glen nodded.

He'd step up and answer the questions.

"Did you ever see either your friends or maybe a family member use needles to inject drugs into their bodies?"

"Yes."

That was an easy question for him. Their mother had no shame.

"Have you ever tried to inject a needle in yourself? Maybe just once as an experiment?"

"No."

Another easy question. Glen and Hayes would never do anything that their mother ever did. They saw what it did to her.

"Glen, has someone ever stuck a needle in your arm?" Straight to the point.

A pause.

If he told the truth, would their brothers even want them after this? They were like used toys that people just tossed away. They were trash.

"Glen?"

He couldn't lie. They obviously saw the track marks on Hayes' arm. The evidence was on him too if they looked.

"Yes."

————

"Ready for the big leagues, Sunshine?"

"No."

"Wrong answer," Colton teased, "Come on, I'll walk you over." The school had two gyms, affectionately known as 'the gym' and 'the little gym'. The little gym wasn't actually little, but it was slightly smaller than a normal size. The main difference was there were no bleachers for crowds. Each week, the boys' and girls' basketball teams would switch which gym they used to make it fair.

This week, the girls' team had the little gym.

"Is it too late to change my mind?" Hayes complained as she walked alongside Colton. She was back to her normal sunshine mood, unlike the scene that Colton had left that morning.

After their ice cream pit-stop, Austin dropped the kids back at school just in time for fourth period. Between having class with her new bff, Johnna, followed by Italian class with Francis, Hayes had no time alone to drown in her thoughts. Likewise, Glen had his buddies, Abe and Theo, to keep him as sane as possible, too.

And now they had basketball practice to throw all their attention at.

"No, it's not too late, but remember what we talked about? Trying new things to see if you like it. And if it doesn't work out, you always have a spot with me."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember." Hayes laced her fingers together to prevent her from making a fist. "I'm just nervous, that's all."

"Good."

"Good?" Hayes wrinkled her nose.

"Yeah, good. I'd be worried if you weren't." Before he could elaborate anymore, they arrived at the gym.

A girl came jogging towards them, calling Hayes' name excitedly. Hayes recognized her, Rosie, if she remembered correctly. She was Francis' friend from lunch.

"Francis told me that you were trying out for the team, but I thought he was just joking. He can be quite the asshole sometimes, but hey! You're here. I'm so happy to see you!" Rosie grinned, her cheeks flushed from talking so much. Hayes didn't remember her being so talkative, then again she only met her for a brief moment.

"Hey Rosie, keep an eye on this one. She's silent but deadly." Colton said, receiving an elbow in the gut from Hayes. Did he really just compare her to a fart?

"Sure thing, Colton." Rosie felt comfortable enough with Colton to address him as a friend and not a teacher, having been friends with Francis for a while now.

Whispering a quick 'good luck' to Hayes, Colton kissed her head before returning back to his own practice.

Hayes bit her lip as she surveyed the gym, taking note of all the girls who were slowly getting ready to warm up. They looked friendly enough and all older than her. She had to remind herself that this could actually be fun.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the team before stretching." Rosie said from beside Hayes. Nodding, Hayes followed her across the court. As they walked, a transformation took place inside Hayes, her competitive spirit coming alive.

Good luck. Thanks Colton, but she didn't need it.

~~mucho apologies~~

Oooh boy, bet'cha didn't expect that. Not sure if I particularly like it, but no go-backsies. And of course, there's more to the story. Because let's be honest, the more drama the better.

To summarize: we hate needles. we hate the mother. Hayes kicks ass at basketball.

Again! I am super duper sorry for that false alarm.