Take This To Heart

The guys looked pretty average…until you figure out they turn out to be gay and adopt you just so they can rape you. Just kidding.

They aren't gay. In fact, two of them came in with girls slung around their hips like they were all connected. They were all laughing and talking until one of the girls seemed to notice where they were and turned her nose up as if she was by a garbage dump. She said a nasty comment, but I didn't hear all of it and one of the guys, one that didn't come in with the girls, dragged them both outside and yelled at them. You could tell he was yelling, the way he looked said it all. That, and the way the girls stormed off.

The guy came back in and went to the front desk where Mona Grades was working. She was in her early twenties, blonde hair, green eyes and it was no surprise when one of the guys that had just been relieved of a girl was now trying to hit on her.

I could hear the conversation now. They were right below the stairs, where I was sitting, on the landing.

"Hey, uh, do you mind helping me look for my son? I think he ran into that cheap hotel over there." The young man pointed behind him, too the doors and across the street to the Hotel 6.

Mona Grades studied him with a hard stare, the young man still smiling, but Mona didn't answer immediately. "If you have a son as you say you do, you would be more worried about him then having sex in a cheap hotel, sir." She spat out the last word, as if thinking he didn't deserve the title until his maturity caught up with his age.

The guy's smile faltered and his mouth opened, probably to say some rude comment or insult, but the other young man who also had had one of the girls wrapped around his waist spoke up for him.

"Um, I'm sorry, Miss…" He glanced at her name tag. "Miss Mona Grades, but my friend over here, Jack, isn't used to being dissed by a girl who's so bold. Um…I'm kinda here to adopt…or at least thinking about it…." He let himself trail off and Mona glared him down with the same glare, but he looked away, studying the floor and it looked as if he almost winched with the intensity of her stare.

Her eyes let up and she nodded, smiling at him. "Alright." She gave a small blush and Jack's, who had failed to impress her, jaw dropped.

I laughed and everyone looked up. As soon as that happened, my mouth shut quickly.

Everyone was looking at me. I hate it when people look at me. I quickly stood up and tried to walk away, but stopped when one of the guys asked, "What about him?"

I heard Mona reply quickly. "Um, no, I'm sorry, but Phoenix Envy isn't the most well behaved child here…and he, well, has certain…disorders." I winched at the word. I'm sure she didn't know I was still listening and even though I've heard the comment a million times, I still hate it.

I looked down over the edge again, watching them below. The guy that had stopped Jack from saying something nasty caught my glance, but nevertheless asked, "What kind of disorders?" His eyes once more glanced up at me, before looking away.

"Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Separation Anxiety Disorder. And he's sixteen. Meaning in two more years, he'll be out of here and free to go wherever he wants." She answered, slightly annoyed.

The young man looked confused. "Which means…?"

Jack shook his head, "Alex, leave it alone, man. The kid's messed up is what she's trying to say."

Angered and way to bold for my age, I stood up, revealing my position and shot back, "Am not, ya punk-haired freak!" My eyes were narrowed and Mona pressed her hand to her forehead, before saying, "Phoenix Envy, go to your room."

I opened my mouth to say something, but the Jack guy was desperate to get in a good comeback. "What did you say, jerk?" He touched his hair. It was streaked blonde, mixing in with his dark hair and reminded me of a skunk. His comeback didn't affect me and I replied angrily.

"What?" I asked, "You deaf?"

His eyes had a gleam in them that I could never hold, one of those that seemed to say that I was in for it and I should back off. "No," he answered, calmly. "But you're dead!" He ran towards the stairs and I ran away from him, but Mona stopped all of the nonsense.

"Stop!" Everyone stopped and Jack just stood there like a perfect little angel. He held this wicked smile on his face that said that he was going to try to hit on Mona again but she didn’t fall for it. "Out!" She yelled. The two other guys who I'd not learned their names yet quickly stepped out of the Adoption Center, towing Jack behind them while Jack was glaring me down and talking to the other two.

Alex stood at the desk for a moment, watching them leave.

"You too." Mona hissed out.

Alex opened his mouth, words flowing out desperately. "Look, I really didn't mean for that to happen, but I really want to adopt. If I knew that was going to happen, I wouldn't have invited them, but I just needed the support of my band. I swear I didn't know that would happen. Please, just give me another chance."

Mona sighed. "Look, Alex. You seem like a good guy, but I really don't know, not when you're hanging around with people like that…."

Alex could see the door on his chances of adopting closing. He tried again. "Please. Really. Jack just wanted to show off. He's really not like that. Really."

Mona sighed again, before allowing a weak smile at him. "Boy or girl?"

Alex rubbed the back of his neck in an embarrassed manner. "Really, I've got my eyes already set on someone."

Mona's eyes brightened. "Oh, did you see our pamphlet and read the Child of The Month section?" She seemed thrilled.

"No…" He trailed off.

Mona looked confused. "Who then?" I chewed on my lip ring that accessorized the lower left side of my lip. Alex didn't answer. Mona caught on quickly. "No. Uh-uh. You saw how Phoenix Envy and Jack acted just a moment ago. I'm sorry, but no. I can't place him in a home where he'd be at harm's way because someone doesn't like him."

Alex was getting annoyed by now. Annoyed and anxious. He was talking quickly, trying to prove himself. "But that's my point. I want to prove that he doesn't have any disorders and that Jack is actually a nice person when you meet him. They just got of on the wrong foot."

"Sir, it's already proven on Phoenix Envy's health report that he has disorders. You can't prove that he doesn't have any."

Alex let out a sigh. "Please. Maybe we can work something out?" He paused. "I make like…a lot a year so it's not like I couldn't support him or anything." He mumbled out.

"I didn't say you couldn't…but why don't we make an agreement?" Mona said.

"Like what?" Alex looked confused.

Mona's defenses at keeping me here with her had come to an end. Usually she didn't have to come up with anything after she mentioned the agreement because usually people would back down. She came up with a witty arrangement in a matter of seconds. "Like you come back every day for a month and try to get through to him and if you do make a connection with Phoenix, I'll get the papers ready." Mona gave a small smile, but Alex's mouth dropped, much to Mona's enjoyment.

"I can't do that. I'm on tour!" He complained.

Mona shrugged and closed her eyes in that 'Well-you'd-better-decide-which-is-more-important' look. "Well, Mr. …" she paused, waiting for his last name.

"Gaskarth."

Mona continued. "Well, Mr. Gaskarth, I'd pick one or the other. Which is more important? Your gig or a boy?"

"When you say it like that, it makes me feel guilty." He muttered, giving a small laugh.

She looked at him with that intense stare again. "I have that effect on people."

"I can tell." He mumbled under his breath. He headed for the door. "Tell Phoenix I'll be here tomorrow." Alex smiled at Mona.

I stepped down so he could see me and muttered just loud enough so he could hear me. "It's Phoenix Envy."

Mona looked up at me with a warning look while Alex just looked up at me and said, "Phoenix Envy. My apologies,", correcting himself. Mona turned back to Alex and smiling back at him. "Good day to you, too, Mr. Alex Gaskarth."