If anyone of you could ask me how much I weigh and how tall I am for a now-orphaned teenager living in foster care after living in a toxic household for most of my life; well...

Let's just say that my trip to the doctor's office the following day was quite eye-opening.

"One-hundred forty-two pounds," I said after the dark-skinned doctor named Ramash Patel did a thorough check-up on me (vaccinations and all) for two hours with Joel, Taylor, and Jose accompanying me. "Well, that's nothing new right there, Doc."

"Well, young man, you can consider yourself very lucky," the East-Indian doctor said, concern lacing his British accent as he continued to take notes on his clipboard. "At your age and five-foot-eleven hight, you're almost at the underweight stage."

"Sir, Demario's late birth family hasn't been feeding him proper nutrition for most of his life before their tragic deaths not too long ago," Taylor said. "If it weren't for the landlord and his family helping out with giving him some meals when his mother wasn't around to take it all from him, Demario might not be here today."

"Wait, his late mother has been..." Dr. Patel said, his eyes widened in shock.

Joel nodded before giving the man a recap of my uncharmed past and how I almost committed suicide and how I came to their home.

A cold and steely look formed in the doctor's grayish-brown eyes. "Thank the heavens that woman and her brood aren't among us," he said tersely. "I'd have made sure that she, her husband, and their children be given the harshest punishment in court and have them all locked up."

To me as he softened his glare, "I admire your courage, sir. You are a warrior for coming out of that house and finding good people who are willing to help you heal."

I took a deep breath. "Doc, I've heard most people say that since I was at the psych ward," I replied. "Right now, I keep telling myself that this could be my last chance of being given a fair shake in life and for the cards to stack in my favor. If anything, I can only imagine where to go from here."

"You'll get your chance at happiness," Dr. Patel said. "And if you heard this before, then it's worth repeating: everyone has something worth fighting and living for. You may not recognize it yet, but you will."

"For your sake as well as everyone else's and mine, I hope you're right," I replied.

************

Two hours later, I was back at the Lomax residence as Joel and Taylor needed to head back to work but I soon found myself in the company of Noreen and her only daughter Holly (a leggy tomboy of a teenager with sable-brown hair, apple-green eyes, and a fiery personality that can scare off any hater with a single glare) as we all enjoyed a lunch of BLTs and truffle fries. "Mom told me and Dad all about you," Holly piped up as she sipped on some lemonade. "And that late mom of yours sounds like a true witch for treating you like that while she and her husband favored your siblings over you."

I shrugged my shoulders as I popped a fry into my mouth. "I grew used to being ignored," was all I could say. "Mom loved my older twin brothers while my younger twin sisters were the apple of Dad's eye. And both sides of the family loved them as much as they hated me- with a passion. It's little wonder that Mom kept dropping hints of how she should've had me aborted and all that."

It would be easy to just hire someone to kill you in your sleep and make it look like a suicide. No one would miss you if you died.

This family would've been perfect if I had decided to abort you when I learned that I was pregnant with you.

You being alive on this earth is a symbol of me having the worst luck in this family.

I wish for thunder and lightning to kill you where you stand.

Holly's eyes narrowed in silts, her face paled in quiet rage. "Boy, Demario. You had it bad," she said. "Thank the Lord that the landlord from your old apartment saved your life. If you hadn't lived through your failed suicide attempt, then your late parents and siblings might have been cheering in hell while those relatives might've celebrated with parties on end."

"True," her mother agreed as she handed me another plate of sandwiches. "Eat some more, Demario. The doctor said that you need to pack on some muscle and gain some weight. You really don't eat enough to keep a bird alive."

I opened my mouth to protest that I was fine with what I was eating so far when I hard footsteps. My eyes went wide at the sight of a teenage version of Adonis: wavy brown hair kept short and styled properly; a masculine and athletic frame that could crush my willow-like frame; kind, hazel eyes that glimmered in the sunlight; and a friendly yet domineering personality that can attract the right person yet rubbed outcasts like myself the wrong way.

He was the kind of guy that could be any lady's perfect future boyfriend and husband. And unfortunately for me, he reminds me of what I could never be like, especially when it came to people like DeSean and Demarcus: a golden-boy athlete who could be the next all-American dreamboat.

"Ryan!" Holly cheered. To me, "This is Ryan Peavey, the neighborhood boy next door. He's also the captain of the football team at PGHS and could be the next Tom Brady."

I believed it.

The guy named Ryan smiled faintly as he approached me. "Charmed to meet you," he said in a light Texan twang that boast of country music and summertime love in the evening. "Ma and Pa told me all about you from Joel and Taylor and the boys."

And he knows who I am and my uncharmed life. Crap. Using what resolve I had, I pasted a polite smile and shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you," I replied.

"Pleasure's all mine, Bader. And I want to be next to fully welcome you to our neighborhood. You'll find some healing for your life, kid. Just let people help you. And if you need a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on, then consider me available."

I took a deep breath. "I'll consider it," I replied. Note to self: steer clear of Ryan Peavey at all costs since he's a reminder of how I can never be like my older twin brothers. No matter the circumstances, do not let Ryan Peavy get too close to you.

*************

"Demario?"

I looked up from the novel that I was reading to see Taylor and Joel walking inside the room. "What's up?" I asked tiredly, setting my favorite novel to the side.

"Well, Joel and I have been talking about you and how summer vacation is in full swing," Taylor began. "And other than the doctor visit, you never seem to go out for anything else."

"I'm not much of a social butterfly," I admitted. "It's mainly how-"

"Your mother, we know," Joel interrupted. "Well, Taylor, the boys, and even Noreen and her family joined me for a little chat about how to get you more involved for the rest of the summer. And we've chatted with Dr. Nguyen, Jose, Gianna, and even the judge about this and came up with a schedule to keep you active and involved in our gatherings: movie nights, shopping trips, even helping me and Taylor out at the office to run errands and provide lunches and coffee."

"That's not really necessary," I began.

"It is," Taylor said, giving me a hard stare. "The people whom you called your parents denied you the right to be involved in what's going on. And though you tried to make efforts, that witch of a mother wouldn't allow you near the action yet accused you of being antisocial. It's time for you to start living for yourself, son."

I only nodded. "I'll give it a shot," I replied. "Just don't let anyone or treat me like a toy as my late parents and siblings did."

"We give you our word," Joel promised. "Today is the first day of your second chance."

Let's hope so, folks. Let's really hope so.

We've met Holly and Ryan, though it looks like Demario doesn't want anything to do with our golden-boy-next-door! As for Holly, he could be his new ally.

In the next chapter, we're doing a time skip as the end of summer is near and Demario's been invited to Ryan's barbeque. Will he accept? Will he reject? Tune in and find out!

Dedication: anneperaltanovels.

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