***I thank you guys for all the reads already. And a special thanks to @Panic_Girl_13 for creating Ryan's friend. You'll see him very soon cx***

The man in red. The man in red. The man in red. There was a ring to it. And it was so intriguing all in itself...

Most of the foster kids here would be willing to kill for a home. For a loving family. But I despise it. I once had a loving mother, and she was all the family I needed. There was no one else around to care. "Just you and me, Ry. Forever and always until the end of the world." She used to say this to me when things got tough for us. I never knew it would end so quickly. She thought I hated her. That was her last memory of me, was me telling her I never wanted to see her again. I got my wish. But I didn't actually want it to happen. Five year olds never mean what they say.

"I'm disappointed." Julie's voice rang in my ears. I quickly turn around and she was right there looking up at me. Since I was almost a foot taller than her, it made her look a little less threatening than she actually was. But all in all, she was quiet terrifying, no matter the hight. "That was the fifth family this month! Ryan, why aren't you cooperating?" She gave me a confused expression. Why does she want to get rid of me so much? I don't know why she's even trying anymore. I'm one of the oldest children in this damned place and I don't have a home. Doesn't that say something? Even if I'm 'nice' and 'polite' to the people who come in, they never pick me anyways. So what's the point anymore? I just want to live my life by myself and away from everyone here.

"Let me go, godamnit!!" I hear a deep voice yell down the hall. My eyes jump up to where the voice was coming from. It was new and I wanted to know who it was. "I am fully able to walk myself, thank you." The boy managed to escape the employees grip on his arm. I saw him roll his eyes, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"This conversation isn't over." Julie had a bit of annoyance in her voice. And she walked towards the boy. "Come with me please. We need to get you checked into our system." She said as nicely as she could to him. But the boy stayed where he was and crossed his arms. He was too far away for me to get a good look at him.

"No." He replied. "I'm not going anywhere." Julie looked at the other employee and gave him a nod. Just then, the employee gripped his arm again and dragged him to the office. "Like I said, I am fully able to walk myself!" And they disappeared into the office.

Once again I was left to my thoughts. Walking down the hall, I got glares from all the other children from their rooms. But yet they never say anything. They never aproach me. Maybe because they're scared? Wouldn't that be lovely? I mean, it's not like I had one of my mental breakdown attacks last week, almost killed a ten year old with a plastic fork, and found myself in solitary confinement for a few days. Of course not, right?

Back into my lonely room, I go. I need something to get my mind off of this situation. Or at least until Julie wants to talk to me again. But knowing her, it won't be for awhile, due to all the work she has to do. I mean she does run an orphanage. Maybe I could draw? Though I'm not much of an artists. I do have a few pieces of paper laying around, that had lyrics written on them. I wrote them a few years back, just to let out my thoughts and feeling one day. Maybe I can find those? Or did I throw them out? I think I threw them out...

After a few minutes, I finally find a spare notebook in one of my drawers. I lay on my bed, resting my back against the backboard, and start writing a few ideas down. Or at least until there was a knock upon my door. I avert my eyes to the door as Julie entered. She didn't even wait for me to say anything before she came in.

"This is Brent." Julie refered to the boy that entered the room gehind her. I recognized him from the one being dragged into the building earlier. Now I could actually get a good look at him. He had black hair that slightly hung over his greenish blue eyes. You could barely see that he had peirced his left eyebrow. He was tall like me, and had a good build. His black and white flannel went well with his black sinny jeans and converse. I think I'm gonna like this boy. "He's going to share the room with you. I think you'll both get along. Brent, your things will be in the office when you are ready to get them." And with that, she walked out of the room.

"Well as you already know, I'm Brent." He extended his pale hand towards me. I smiled slightly and shook it. His skin was cold to the touch.

"Ryan." I replied. "Welcome to hell." I return to my lyric paper and he laughed at my comment. Even his laugh had a deep tone.

"Oh, I've been to hell and back. This nothing." He said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him sit on the edge of the bed across from mine.

"You haven't been here for twelve years." I don't look away from my paper.

"That long, huh?" There was a pause before he spoke again. "Well, I haven't been in the system as long as you. I'll give you that one." He chuckled. Now that there was someone in the room with me, I couldn't come up with anything to write down. Godamnit. I lean my head against the head board and sigh. "Whatcha got there?" Brent started to walk over to me, trying to peek at my notebook paper.

"Nothing really." I rip out the piece of paper and crumple it up, throwing across the room. "So why are you here? In the foster home I mean." I look over at him and he looked like he didn't want to say. Which I understand.

"I'm gonna go get my stuff." He exits the room and I'm left alone again. Not such a surprise. But was is surprising, is that Julie actually trusts another guy sharing a room with me. She never did before. Or at least not until I made a kid cry from one of my breakdowns.

"It's a long story." Brent walks back in the room with a medium sized suit case. "You sure you want to hear it?"

"Yes." I sit up eagerly.

He took in a deep breath before speaking. "Well, my family never really got along. We were always bickering about everything. Until my older sister just...left. I was about four years old at that time. I never saw her again. My mom went into a really bad state of mind about my sister. She kept complaining about how her daughter was the best thing that ever happened to her and that I was a mistake. She never wanted a son to begin with. And my dad was always either drunk, sleeping, or sometimes trying to knock some sense into me. But he was really abusive towards my mother. He'd beat her until a limb was broken. And whenever she was sent to the hospital to mend her bones, he'd always say that she tripped down the stairs, or something fell on her. And she never reported him for any of it. Like she didn't care. Just like she didn't care about me. I was one to call weird and different. I would always listen to my music too loud and play air guitar around the house. Or play a ton of video games to keep my mind away from things. As the years started to progress in school, I was bullied by everyone. I don't even think anyone ever said anything kind to me. But I would come home with a black eye every now and again, and my mother said that I deserved it, and the bullying. All she wanted was for me to be out of her life, but my dad cut down on the drinking and actually paid attention to his son. When I was eight years old, my father started training me to become a man. He taught me how to fight and defend myself. He wanted to show my mother a reason to change her mind. This went on for about a good year, and my mom got real sick...And eventually passed. My father was devastated. He then started feeling the same way my mother felt towards me and soon brought me to a foster home. He didn't even smile, he didn't say he loved me, and he didn't even say goodbye. But just yesterday, the foster home I was in, caught on fire in the kitchen, burning pretty much the whole building down. Everyone was alright. Then they moved me here." He sighed and looked up at me.

"I...I'm sorry..." Was all I could muster. This guy really had been through hell. I feel bad for him.

"What about you? What's your story?" He sat back on the bed and looked at me, as if his past hadn't hurt him. As if it didn't happen.

"Well to be honest, it's nothing compared to yours." He was still staring over at me. But this time crossed his arms and slouched back. He still wanted me to say it. "I was five when it all happened. All I remember was that my mother and I, we were the closest as anyone could be. I never knew my father. He was never there. So, it was just me and my mother. We were...surviving on what we had. But she got angry about something. And we started to argue, and the last thing I told her was that I hated her. And I never wanted to see her again. Then the next thing I remember was her taking a wine bottle and leaving. She said she wanted to take a short drive around town, and that she would be back. But she never was. Instead police officers came, and took me away. They said my mother died in a car crash. And I've been here ever since."

"I'm also sorry." He says. And we sit there in an awkward silent. I don't think I've ever spoken to anyone for this long in ages. It was nice.

"Well why don't we say different facts about ourselves? To lighten the mood?" He suggests.

"Good idea." I reply. "I'll go first this time. I love music. I write songs from time to time. And I have this weird obsession with the ringleader of a circus." I make a strange face and smile at my last part. I never told anyone about that. Brent just smiled and chuckled.

"Now me..hmm." He started thinking.I also enjoy music. I play guitar. I hate it when people try to be who they aren't for someone else. I'm afraid to sleep at night, because I have nightmares quite often. And...I hate cheese." He made a disgusted face and I couldn't help but laugh. I really think I'm going to grow to like this guy.

For the next few hours, we talked about our music tastes and just random crap. I felt like I really connected with him somehow. It was a strange feeling, I'll admit it.

But soon, it was finally time for lights out. We both got into our beds. I say him turn on a small lights and open a book. I guess that's one way to occupy yourself from sleep.

***Sorry it got a little deep with this chapter. And for those of you wondering, the circus stuff with Brendon should be coming up soon. I hope. And again I thank you, @Panic_Girl_13 for creating Brent. I hope you like him! cx
Love you guys!***