Chapter 3

*One week later*

Rich's POV

Max comes back into the kitchen with a smirk.

I sigh, "Still asleep?" I ask.

He chuckles and sits back down, "Kinda. She's talking in her sleep. It's cute," he says.

"Boy, you better not fall for her," I say.

He furrows his eyebrows, "What? No, she's like a sister to me," he lies.

I smirk and nod, "Yeah. Right," I say.

He narrows his eyes at me and I chuckle. Stella comes into the kitchen, looking tired.

"Morning," I smile.

She smiles at me a little and sits down, looking at Max with a smirk.

"What?" he asks.

She smirks and looks at the table. Max sighs, "Can't you just talk to us? It's been a week and I'm sure you have like hundreds of questions," he says.

Stella looks annoyed and rolls her eyes. She wants to know, why can't we just tell her why I adopted her.

"Yeah you're not getting any answers before we've at least heard your voice," I say to her.

She looks around, ignoring us. She takes some bacon and eggs what we're eating and then walks to the fridge and squats down in front of it as she opens it.

She looks around and smiles big seeing something. She pulls out a bottle of coke and comes back.

"Wow. For breakfast?" I ask. She smirks and opens it.

*6PM*

Stella's POV

"Stella please," Max whines.

I giggle quietly and shake my head.

"Stelle, please. I need to hear what your voice sounds like," he pleads.

I grin at him, my head on his shoulder as we're sitting on my bed.

He sighs, "I've waited for a week now," he says sadly.

I press my lower lip in front of my upper one and spoon his face. He is adorable when he's pouting. I put my lips against his forehead and kiss it rapidly, many times.

He groans and pulls away, "You know that you can't do that," he says.

I smirk, knowing what it feels like if he touches me. He pulls me onto his lap, wraps his arms around me and starts tickling me.

I start laughing so hard and wiggling to get out of there. He chuckles and keeps doing it, obviously enjoying.

"Maxy stop," I laugh and he stops immediately.

"Finally," he says and hugs me.

I groan and push him away. I get off of his lap while he is grinning. I sit down on the mattress and cross my arms on my chest.

"Well who's pouting now?" he asks with a baby voice and sits down in front of me.

"You made me talk," I pout.

"Yes and you sound amazing," he says.

I sigh, "I haven't talked to anyone in years," I say sadly.

"Why?" he asks.

I look at my hands sadly, "My brother left when I was 8 and came to visit for a few years. I haven't seen him since I was 10 and haven't talked to anyone for 5 years," I say.

"Dad said your brother's in the military," he says.

I sigh, "Probably," I say.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"If he's not dead," I mumble quietly. I feel a few tears dropping from my eyes.

"Hey," he says and raises my head up, "He's not dead," he says.

I sniffle, "And how would you know?" I ask.

He smiles a little, "I just know," he says.

I furrow my eyebrows, "I need to talk to Rich," I say.

He smirks, "So now that you're talking you want answers, huh?" he asks.

I chuckle quietly and get up. I walk into the living room, where he's at.

"Hey, everything alright?" he asks as both, me, and Max, sit down on the couch next to him.

"Just thought you'd like to hear my voice," I say, resting my head onto my knees.

He smiles and looks at me, "You can talk," he says and I smile a little.

"Can I get some answers?" I ask.

He sighs, "Ask away," he says.

"Why did you adopt me?" I ask immediately.

"Okay, well..." Rich says, "I knew your mom," he says and I raise my eyebrows.

"When?" I ask.

"Forever," he says.

I sigh and roll my eyes. He smirks, "We're best friends," he says.

"You WERE best friends," I say.

He sighs, "Honey just because she's.. You know," he says and I interrupt.

"Dead," I mumble, my chin against my knees.

Rich sighs and Max chuckles, "Dad just be honest, she doesn't care about that crap," he says.

I turn to look at him, "I do. I just don't like lies. When people die, they die. There is no such thing like she's still here or something like that, so don't start telling crap," I say.

They both chuckle a little, "Fine," Rich says, "Your mom and me, we were best friends. Since we were 2 until she moved away to New York and we lost touch," he says.

"Just friends?" Max asks and I look at Rich, wanting to know too.

"I mean.. We were both each other’s first kisses and all, but that was as friends as well," he says.

I roll my eyes, "You had feelings for her, go on," I say.

"I did not," he smirks.

"I know you for two weeks and I'm 100% sure, that you wouldn't have looked at me like that if I'd just be a 15-year-old girl, looking exactly like your dead best friend," I say.

He sighs, "I'm not looking at you any way different," he says.

"When I cry, you look broken as well, when I eat or something, you're literally staring," I say.

He sighs, "Sorry," he says.

"Actually, Stelle.. That might be just your fault. I can't NOT watch you either," Max says.

I roll my eyes and look at him, "YOU are just in love with me," I say with a baby voice as we sometimes talk with each other. Well.. He talks with me that way, I haven't said anything.

He blushes, making me chuckle, "I liked you more when you were quiet," he says.

"I can make that happen," I mumble to myself.

"No," they both say in unison and I chuckle.

"Okay anyways..." I say and look at Rich with raised eyebrows.

"I didn't know that she had you. I knew about El but the adopting agency said that he was already adopted somewhere after the accident. That was a lie apparently.. If I would've known before, I would've adopted you both earlier," he says.

"And how did you get to know?" I ask.

"Did you recognize me?" he asks.

I look at my toes and nod. "How?" he asks.

"My mom talked about you," I say.

They're both confused, "What did she say?" Rich asks.

I roll my eyes, "How am I supposed to know? I was like 2 or 3 years old," I say.

They're kinda sad, "So how," Max starts.

"She had pictures of you two together," I say to Rich and look at him for a sec and then turn my head back to face my knees, "You're old," I say, making both of them laugh.

"Thank you," Rich says.

I giggle quietly, "You were like 16 on the picture," I mumble, cause my chin is on my knees, "The only way I recognized you, was your jacket and hair and eyes. They're the same," I say.

"You were so little, how can you remember his eyes?" Max asks.

I smirk a little, "None of your concern," I say.

"No I wanna know," Max says with a smile.

I roll my eyes, "I wanna know lots of things and never will," I say.

"Like what?" he asks.

"None of your concern," I say again, making Max groan and Rich chuckle.

"You're amazing," Rich says to me.

I smirk, "Cause I'm like my mom?" I ask and turn my head a little, so that I could see his face.

"No, your mom won’t like that," he says.

"Like what?" me and Max asks in unison.

"Honest," he just says.

I smirk, "Honest.. Usually I get annoying or a smartass or irritating little girl or something like that," I say.

"What?" Rich laughs.

"How, you just said that I'm the first person you've talked to in 5 years," Max asks.

I smirk, "I can transfer my words into actions and I don't need to say anything. That's what makes me annoying," I say.

They both chuckle, "More questions?" Rich asks.

"How long you went to the sisters before you got me?" I ask.

"More than a month," he says.

My eyes widen, "Why didn't you do anything?" I ask.

"The side of the house where I was was totally normal with HAPPY kids," he says.

"Yeah they're happy until they've been there for 5 years. That's the time they start torturing you," I say.

"Dad said you puked something out every day?" Max asks.

"Oh, yeah... They're giving us drugs so that we'd Hallucinate things for punishment. So we can't get the monster we see out of our head... When my brother was there he always made me throw these things up and so I've continued to do that," I say.

"I'm gonna kill them," Rich says.

I chuckle, "I've tried that," I say.

"For real?" Max chuckles.

I sigh, "Unfortunately," I say and touch my stomach for a moment.

"What was that about?" Max asks and touches it too, but I pull away, looking at him.

"Nothing," I say sadly. They can both see that I'm lying, but leave the thing there for now, I guess.

"Stella, do you have more questions?" Rich asks.

"Never mind," I say.

"You can ask anything you want," Max says.

I sigh and turn my head to Rich, "Do you have pictures of my mom or dad?" I ask.

He smiles sadly, "Sure," he says and gets up.

I let out a relieved breath that he didn't get mad.

"You okay?" Max asks, placing his hand on my shoulder.

I turn my head a little to look at him, my cheek against my knees now, "I thought he'll get mad," I say quietly.

He raises his eyebrows, "Why?" he chuckles.

I sigh and turn my head back. I ignore him and keep looking at my toes.

He touches my hair, "Hey," he says and I look at him only with my eyes, "You're not there anymore. Don't be afraid of us. We won't do anything to you," he says.

I smile a little and nod. Rich comes back with a few big envelopes and gives them to me. I let my legs go normally and pull the pictures out of the envelopes.

I see so many pictures of my mom. I start smiling a little, but also feel a few tears on my cheeks. I start looking at them.

*Time pass, 1h*

"So yeah, that's that," Rich says after telling me another story.

I smile and look at one picture where they're both standing with their backs into the camera.

"I've been meaning to ask.. What are the jackets for?" I ask.

"The Norfille Hawks," Max says.

I look at him with raised eyebrows, "Like a gang?" I ask.

He chuckles, "Yeah. But people are afraid of us, cause we can kill and deal drugs and stuff," he says.

I've started to smile so big, "Cool," I say, making them laugh.

"We're dangerous, Stella," Rich says.

I shrug my shoulders, "Are you really or do people just think that, cause I've been living with you for a week and you're the nicest people I've ever met," I say, "Not that I've met many people," I mumble.

They chuckle, "We have a bar.. And there's a meeting tonight and we have to go. I was waiting to introduce you to them until you start talking and now you do, so.. Wanna come with us?" Rich asks.

I sigh, "I'm not good with people. And the fact that I'm talking with you two doesn't mean, that I'll talk with them," I say.

Max smirks, "Great. So you'll come with us," he says.

I smile a little and look at him, "You described yourself as a loner weirdo outsider.. And you're in a gang, so doesn't that make you a badass group guy?" I ask.

Rich chuckles as Max rolls his eyes, "With his Willer friends he is the loner weirdo thingy, but no so much either.." he says.

I smirk, "Willer friends? What's the difference?" I ask.

"You have lots to learn, girl," Max smirks and they start explaining the rivalry between the town that we're living in, and how the town is divided into the Willer side, and the Norfille side.

*9PM*

"Ready?" Max chuckles as we all get out of the car.

"No," I mumble.

"They maybe feel like they're dangerous, but don't be afraid," Rich says to me.

"Nice talk, I'm afraid of everyone," I say, totally honestly.

They both sigh, "Come on," Max says and touches my back so that I'd start moving.

I sigh and we enter the bar, me between them. Everyone shuts up seeing them. They're all staring at me. They look creepy and most of them are old men, who I'm afraid of, cause they always make me hurt the most.

I grab Max's arm and he smirks at that. I roll my eyes and he chuckles quietly. Rich goes on the stage that they have in here and Max wants to go too, so I let go of him.

He turns around, "Come on," he says.

I raise my eyebrows and shake my head. He rolls his eyes, "Seriously. Who cares. Just come on," he says.

"No," I say quietly.

He sighs and looks at his dad. Rich smirks, "Come on," he says to me and I shake my head.

Max takes my hand and pulls me there. I sigh and look down. I hate when people are staring at me. We step in the light.

I hear some people gasp. I know that my mom was a Hawk, according to the pictures, but still, how can they recognize me that easily?

"Everyone!" Rich says loudly, "This is Stella. She's Julia's daughter and she's living with us now," he says.

People start clapping and cheering which makes me confused. I look up a little and everyone is confused but smiling at me. I see that no one has jackets like my mom or Rich or Max.

"Why do they have different jackets and why are we on the stage?" I ask Max quietly.

He smirks, "Cause we're the leaders, princess," he says.

"I told you to stop calling me that," I mumble. He chuckles.

"Wait, what? But.. My mom had the same jacket as..." Now I get it, "You," I finish quietly.

He nods with a smile, "Get it now, huh?" he asks.

I sigh, "Why didn't you tell me?" I ask him.

He chuckles, "Julia Smith was the last Hawk Queen, but I didn't know what she looked like until dad said that her daughter is coming to live with us and showed me the pictures. So basically I wasn't sure either," he says. I roll my eyes and he chuckles and looks at some teens, who are smirking at us.

"So no feelings at all, huh?" a pink haired girl yells so that everyone would hear. I can see that everyone's trying to hold their laugh back, looking at us.

"She's my sister," Max says.

"Ouch," a tall dark-haired boy says and grins at me.

I giggle quietly and Max turns to look at me. I smile a little and he sighs and looks back away, blushing a little. I know that he has feelings for me. I do for him too, but he doesn't get that probably, cause he's a guy.

The teens come on the stage, "Hey," they say to me. I smile a little.

"I'm Weston," the tall guy says.

I nod with a smirk. Max has told me about them and he has told them about me probably.

"Seriously? No name?" another guy who I guess is Nolan asks.

I grin at them and shake my head a little.

"Her name is Stella and she can't talk," Rich says, making me roll my eyes and look at him.

"I can talk you idiot," I say, making everyone laugh.

"Then why aren't you doing that?" the girl asks.

I sigh and look down. They chuckle a little, "No worried, Max has told us about you. When exactly did you start talking to them?" Nolan asks.

"Today. After a week," Max says.

I look at him with narrowed eyes, "You're stupid, I wasn't planning on talking to anyone for a few months," I say.

"So what made you change your mind?" Weston asks.

"He tickled me," I say madly and everyone laughs at me, making me pout even more.

"See you talked to me," Weston smiles.

I sigh, "Sorry," I say and he chuckles.

"You're hot by the way," Nolan says.

I raise my eyebrows, "Thank you?" I say.

"I'm gay," he says.

I chuckle, "Wow. That's a compliment," I say.

He smirks, "I'm Nolan," he says.

"Yeah, and you're Pixie," I say to the girl and she nods.

"Wait.. So Miles is a Willer?" I ask Max.

"Yeah," he smirks.

I sigh in confusion, "That town is fucked up. Why can't all just be equal?" I ask.

"Exactly," Pixie says and the guys roll their eyes.

"It's not interesting then," Weston says.

I roll my eyes now, "I've lived with basically only girls all my life and even they weren't that stupid," I say, making them chuckle.

"You're not stupid why would they be?" Max asks.

"Cause they're filled with drugs," I say.

He sighs and kissed my hair, making everyone smirk.