Reassemble

      Neil and Andrew arrived a little earlier than they had planned, so the children were still playing. The director suggested that they wait a little, but they insisted on seeing the children right away, during their break, so the woman, with a heavy sigh, had to lead them into the courtyard.       In fact, there were a lot of children, but most of them were still very small. Although some quite adult children were riding on the swings.       Neil was not sure that this was possible, but the director, grimacing, left them alone with the children and went deeper into the building.       In fact, they were very surprised when they saw almost no teenagers in the courtyard, but when they heard the characteristic screams, they understood what was going on: the older children apparently did not want to play with the little ones and separated from them behind the building. The semblance of an entrance did not inspire confidence, so Neil and Andrew grabbed the fence mesh tightly and a moment later jumped to the other side. That's when they saw all the charm of teenagers:       Dyed, chipped, some even with crooked tattoos, interesting haircuts and clothes, many with cigarettes in their teeth, and everyone was talking so loudly that they didn't even hear the adults approaching. Neil guessed that the director knew about everything, but most likely she just didn't care about these children.       — Well, I'm telling you! She's been returned for the tenth time, and in a month she'll be an adult, she doesn't need any family, she'll wait for me, right, baby? – a guy who looked no older than sixteen, put his arm around the waist of a short-haired girl who took a drag on her cigarette, laughed loudly and said:       — Who's going to wait for you for two years? Actually, there were a few more guys in this group, but they looked old enough that Andrew and Neil decided not to approach them.       The next ones they saw were a few older guys, two girls and a boy, and they approached them.       — Hi, kids, – Neil waved his hand and stopped next to him. Andrew was silent and looked around the area, giving Neil free rein.       The kids turned around and Neil thought he was about to faint, but really, kids can't be that scary? The guy was the first to speak up:       — Hi, dude, kids from the other side, – he grinned. Neil was sure that the boy knew that they couldn't have missed the kids before they got here, so most likely he didn't even think about being adopted, or was he afraid?       — We saw. – Neil nodded. — But we came for the teenager. – He didn't have time to continue, the boy interrupted him sharply:       — Then it's not for us. – Neil was not surprised by such a reaction, so he just left them. He noticed that Andrew had moved a little to the side and moved after him, observing the following picture: Andrew was squatting in front of a short boy drawing under a tree. Well, maybe Andrew would be better at getting along with children.       — What's your name? – The boy raised his eyes, covered by his light bangs, to Andrew.       — Eliot, – the boy muttered.       — How old? – Neil, looking at all this, sat down on the bench and decided to swing his legs.       The boy, with a sigh, completely tore himself away from the drawing and answered:       — Recently turned fourteen.       Andrew glanced sideways at Neil and noticed something insignificant. Neil responded in kind: the boy suited them and, perhaps, did not mind.       — If you want, we will adopt you. – The boy seemed to twitch, pursed his lips and stared with wide-open blue eyes at Andrew.       — You want not to take me. – he suggested. Neil raised his eyebrows in bewilderment, Andrew tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. The boy clarified:       — I mean, there is always something with me that you will not like, you do not intend to demand me when you find out, people usually do not want.       Neil and Andrew exchanged glances again and Andrew turned to Eliot:       — Tell us, and we’ll think about it. – Neil didn’t reveal what exactly Eliot might have that would have caused such a reaction in many potential parents, but it wasn’t him who answered: a mocking voice was heard from above, right in their tree:       — I am. I am with him. – Another boy with the exact same face was hanging from the tree, holding tightly to a branch; if it weren’t for the haircut, Neil probably wouldn’t have distinguished them the first time.       Neil pursed his lips and chuckled, putting his hand on Andrew’s shoulder:       — Something’s going on with me about twins, huh? – Andrew squinted cheerfully and, switching to Russian, asked:       — Should we take them? – Neil didn’t think for a long time about what had happened. Well, one is bigger, the other is smaller, they still have a lot of space, though there will be twice as much paperwork now.       Andrew turned to the new boy and asked:       — What's your name? – This one didn't answer right away, he jumped down from the branch, came up to him and sat down next to his brother, slightly covering him with himself, Neil noticed this, frowned a little and followed.       The boy glanced at him for a bit, and Andrew, but still answered:       — Aidan.       — Okay, you both, do you want us to adopt you? – Neil saw how Eliota's eyes almost rolled out of their sockets, but Aidan spoke up:       — What do you mean, – he snapped. — Will you play daddies, and then we'll come back here? No way.       — Well, we definitely don't need to play daddies. – Neil grinned.       — And no one will give you back either. – Andrew added. Aidan's eyes sparkled, he smiled sharply and turned:       — Okay.       — Okay? – his brother asked again.       — Oka-ay-y. – Aidan repeated, drawing out the vowels, and in one leap he rose from the ground, pulling Eliot along with him.

***

      — Well, Miss, er... Paiggott, – Neil began. – I think we’ve chosen a child we like.       — Really? – she chuckled dryly. She leaned back in the huge chair behind her desk and lazily wiped the gold plaque with her name on it. — Who is it?       — Actually, there are two of them... – The headmistress looked at them warily. —They’re Eliot and Aidan.       — No, – she said as soon as Neil finished speaking.       — What do you mean, no? – Neil snapped indignantly.       — I’m not giving them to anyone, let those rascals grow up and leave here on their own, we’ve never had such problems with anyone as we have with them.       Andrew looked at her sullenly, and she swallowed and sighed convulsively.       — They’ve been returned about thirty times! Each time, the new parents hysterically returned them, begging me to take them back and not ruin their lives. Everyone thinks they can fix these little rascals, but they can't, even the colony can't fix them. – Andrew clenched his fist so hard that Neil was sure he would see thin lines of scars on his palm tomorrow. — That's where they belong, – she continued. — The last time they were returned was after the death of the father of the family. Miss Smuten said that everything was fine, that they were not guilty, but I don't believe her. They killed Mr. Smuten, don't doubt it.       — We'll take them anyway, – Andrew said rudely, and Neil understood him, he himself was disgusted to look at the director: to talk like that about his wards and dissuade them from adoption, thereby depriving them of a chance for a normal life ...       The lady grimaced and bared her teeth:       — As you wish, just don't say later that I didn't warn you.       Neil nodded.       — You can take them today, I don't need them here. You will have a trial period of a month, when our people will come to check your living conditions.       — Tell them to pack their things. – Andrew narrowed his eyes, abruptly getting up from his chair and going out into the corridor. Neil hurried after him.

***

      They didn't wait long for the children, about twenty minutes, and during this time they managed to smoke a cigarette while talking. They were once again convinced that they agreed to all this. Neil couldn't help but smile broadly.       — Did you see? – Andrew asked.       — What? – Neil didn't understand. His thoughts were a little elsewhere.       — Both guys have a scar on their left cheeks in almost the same place, similar to a burn. – Andrew answered, and Neil thought about it, although, in fact, he didn't pay attention to it and shook his head.       — Well, that means now I'm not the only one who got a little burned. – Neil shrugged, causing Andrew to roll his eyes and stubbed out his cigarette on the curb.       The twins walked out of the building, carrying one suitcase and small backpacks on their shoulders, the director didn't even come out to see them off. Well, maybe that's for the best.