"I'm dying!" Came a scream from Max's bathroom. His older siblings and adoptive brother exchanged looks of worry before flying down the hall. Alec kicked down the door without stopping to see if it was open.
"Where are you?" Isabelle yelled.
"Bathroom!" Jace ran forward and kicked that door down as well. Max's hands were covered in blood. He was holding his mouth with the other hand that was slowly turning red.
"What happened?"
"My tooth is falling out and it's bleeding and I'm gonna die, Jace, help me!" The five year old cried. Alec stifled his laughter and bent to his brothers height.
"Can I see buddy?" he asked sweetly. Max moved his hand and showed him. His top left tooth was hanging low in his mouth.
"Have you tried to pull it out?" Isabelle asked bending next to Alec.
"No! I'll only die quicker!" Max yelled, "I don't want anyone to touch it!"
"But if no one touches it you won't be able to eat..." Jace tried to reason with him.
"Is Isabelle cooking?" Max asked.
"Yes..." Alec said cautiously.
"Then that's not a punishment!" Max wailed. Jace and Alec choked back laughter. Isabelle turned bright red.
"Fine, none of us will touch it, do you want an apple?" Alec offered, "I'll go get you one if you want..."
"No, you're trying to knock it out and I'll die!" Max's glasses slipped down his nose as he stumbled away from his siblings.
"You won't die if you pull it out, you'll get a new big boy tooth." Isabelle said, "Like Jace, Alec, Mom,Dad, and I. Don't you want big boy teeth?"
"No, because then I'll be old... Like you!" This time Jace couldn't hold back and started cracking up.
"How about this, if you pull the tooth out yourself, I'll take you for ice cream." Alec tried.
"I don't want ice cream, if you buy me a pony I'll think about it!" Max yelled. Jace smirked.
"Is that really all it'll take?"
"And you have to take me on a hunt!" Alec hissed.
"How about you do it yourself or I'll have them pin you down and I'll pull it out?"
"How about I run to mom and tell on you?"
"I won't read you bedtime storied!" Alec exclaimed.
"That's alright mom can do it..." Alec threw his arms up in exasperation.
"Why won't you take out your tooth?"
"Because I don't wanna grow up!" Max cried.
"It's only one tooth..." Isabelle said.
"But it's my tooth!" Max yelled
"Fine, why don't you come downstairs with us, we'll watch a movie." Jace suggested.
"Okay!" Max said standing up. He tripped and bit his lip while he stumbled. A small white object fell from his smiled showing a new gap where the tooth had once been.
"That wasn't so bad." he laughed. Alec sighed.
"See you didn't die." he said.
"I was lucky, this time, next time I might not be..."
