°•°•Age ???•°•°

The air was thick with cigarette smoke that swirled up from the mouth of the man sitting in the chair behind Keith. His skin wrinkly and greasy from the drugs he did at night. He let out an obnoxious cough that made the small, frail child in front of him flinch in fear. Then the sickening sound of him wetting his lips with his tongue sounded and he leaned over tugged on Keith's long hair. "Those foster system dickheads are going to be showing up here in two days and your hair is as long as a girls. Why hasn't Amelia cut it yet?"

"She has been attending school like you order her to, sir." Keith said in a small voice as he tried to not show how fearful he was currently. His hands clutched his loose jeans tightly and his wide purple eyes fixated on the lamp in front of him. It had a light green lampshade that resembled a mint color and just happened to be the only thing colorful in this dull black and white home he was forced to live in.

The man, or Mr. Stewart formally, coughed once more and sucked down air like he had lung cancer; to Keith's disappointment he didn't but it didn't stop the boy from begging god to give it to the man. "She needs to make sure you kids are ready for the government workers to look at you guys for an inspection. Unlike her I actually like my checks I get from them." His voice was low and gutteral which sent chills down any kids back when they heard it. "I've caught wind that Bailey has been sneaking food into his room at night so he can have a snack...you know that he's breaking the rules don't you?"

Keith's eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat suddenly. He nearly leapt up from his seat in fear but he stayed glued to the foot rest he was seated on. "I-I...I'll take his punishment sir." Keith squeezed his eyes shut as he spoke. He was always taking the blame for his siblings as usual, he couldn't stand to see the younger kids in pain when he could save them from it.

"How many would this make? Ten...fifteen?"

"Twenty one punishments since the day I've arrived sir." Keith's voice was now trembling slightly as his hands shook and began to to sweat in nervousness and anticipation of the pain soon to come his way.

Then he felt his owner lift his loose green shirt up from his back and he was forced to lift his arms up for Mr. Stewart to take it off and toss it onto the floor. "What's one more then?" He snickered as he blew smoke onto the back of Keith's neck making his trembling worsen. Then he felt the butt of the cigarette press against his skin and burn a hole into his right shoulder.

He bit his lip to hold back the scream that threatened to slip out as his eyes snapped open and his hands tightened onto his jeans once more. He never once understood abused children in literature, they always talked about how that had built up a pain tolerance to their abuse and how they felt nothing anymore but it wasn't even true to his knowledge. It had only about twenty eight days since he had been in this rickety old home that groaned in old age when the wind gently pushed it and he had lived through the same torture twenty one times and even had the living hell beat out of him and yet he couldn't become numb to the pain. He couldn't simply look over something that made him cry in pain every night he was forced to live, something that literally burned into his skin wasn't something any child his age could become used to. To say your senses become dull to pain is a lie he wished he could live.

His lip was bleeding and his right shoulder blade had a new addition to his scars by the time Mr. Stewart pulled his cigarette away to allow Keith to breath once more. "You know the more you take the punishment for others the more they'll use you as their scapegoat."

Keith's eyes were burning as he sniffled from all the pain he was feeling radiating from both his lip and shoulder blade. He didn't mind being their lamb to the slaughter, he just wanted those children to remain safe from the punishment he took for them. "It's fine by me, sir." He whispered.

"They say the coldest people are the people who once cared too much, Seung your generosity is going to kill you one day and I'll be upset because you're my favorite kid here." He then got in Keith's ear and touched his clean shoulder gently, "Those purple eyes will get me money one day you know, they're exotic around these parts of the slums. I might just have to rent you to some of my more...questionable clients." Keith couldn't feel his right arm as the pain had finally begun to fade away however his mind was still hurting with the memory of the cigarette butt burning his skin.

"Do as you wish, I'm only here so you can have a check...sir." Keith slowly blinked as he felt his heart grow heavier by the second, he wondered if god was truly real and if he were, what type of sick freak was he for allowing him to suffer?

°•°•Age 16•°•°

They've got it all wrong, Keith thought to himself as he quietly wrote on his homework, Jupiter isn't large enough to be considered a star. It's nicknamed as a failed star and it doesn't even have the same makeup to even be considered one. Keith gripped his pencil tightly as he watched the tip of the graphite break off from the force of his writing and roll across the white piece of paper in front of him. He stared down at the science worksheet with a frown, they were teaching his class bogus stuff. He set the pencil down and stood up from his desk to walk out of his room that Abigail insisted on painting a minty color to make Keith happier.

Everything in highschool was stupid to him, the teachers didn't understand how to teach stuff properly or they goofed off with students too much trying to be that 'cool' teacher. He only attended the hell hole named West Hill high so he could go to college and get a decent job as an astronomy teacher so he could follow in Jared's footsteps and teach others about the galaxy above. He slowly opened his door as he pulled his phone out from his pocket to check his texts. He smiled slightly seeing his 'friend' had asked to see him that night, he was sworn into secrecy to not speak a word of this to anyone...not like Keith had friends to tell anyways. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and exited his room to find Abby in the room across from him standing in front of her mirror as she looked at her very questionable outfit she was wearing. Her long blonde hair was curled, she was obviously wearing a pushup bra, she sported a purple crop top and short shorts that shouldn't even be called shorts. She turned around to face Keith, her face plastered in contour and dark red lipstick, dark winged eyeliner and her green eyes narrowed slightly as she placed a hand on her hip in an attitude as she looked at Keith.

"What...is that?" She pointed a black nail at him.

Keith frowned and looked at what he was wearing, he was in his normal attire; a plaid shirt, black jeans, a beanie and his grey and black glasses. "What this?" He asked as he plucked at the red and white flannel on his torso. "I always wear this Abby, it's literally my only attire besides my summer clothes..."

"Gross. Plaid is like, so last season Seung." She rolled her green eyes as she turned to go to her closet.

Keith cringed slightly at the use of his middle name, "Don't call me that, you know I hate it when people say that name." He reached up and touched his right shoulder awkwardly as he remembered the pain he had been subjected to that he related to the cursed middle name that Abigail called him mockingly.

"It's just a name, get over it. It's not like you're gonna be killed if someone says it and anyways you should wear these jeans." She took out a light blue pair of rolled up jeans and a light gray undershirt and a black button up shirt. "I think they'll fit your uh..flamboyant personality more than that. It makes you look like you're like totally into emo stuff like My Chemical Romance. Y'know the stupid music."

Keith scowled as she pulled him into her room and shut the door and locked it. "Excuse you," he grunted as he tried to leave the room. "I need to go to the library to study Abigail, would you care to move out of my way?"

"Nope, not tonight. You're so not going to spend your time like a nerd Keith, you're going to Jackson Prescott's party tonight and you're gonna get lucky with a guy." She bit her bottom lip and handed him the clothing forcefully.

Keith's eyes widened slightly, he couldn't refuse to go to the party since he was after all, going to Jacksons house. He clenched his jaw slightly in internal conflict, if I refuse to go then Jack will be pissed but if I go I'm going to be forced to wear this... Keith lowered his eyes onto the clothing in his arms. They wee the complete opposite of his style of dark shades, that made him sick just looking at it. "F-fine." He mumbled, knowing there was no way he could get out of the situation his shitty sister out him in.

"Good, now get undressed so we can go par-tay!" She exclaimed and raised her hands up to the air and did a little dance move that reminded Keith of when they were kids again.

°•°•Age 14•°•°

"Keith, dance!" Abigail exclaimed as she jumped up and down to the loud music playing in the background of her room.

Keith scowled and rolled over in her bed as he tried to ignore her. He was reading a book about a young boy being trapped in a girls body for a week and the struggles he went through in order to get it back, it was a poor work of literature speaking that the author was a teenager and it reflected greatly in the writing. "No Abby, I don't like dancing." He mumbled as he turned a page to read the first line, te potest solum esse.

He felt his sister grab him by the waist and drag him from the bed, "Stop being lame Seung! Get up and have fun!" She exclaimed.

Keith flinched at the sound of that name as he was dragged to his feet by the taller girl. Sure he started puberty before her but he hasn't exactly hit his growth spurt so he was still a pitiful 4'7" unlike Abigail who was blessed to be 5". "For the love of god do not call me by that name Abigail, you know I hate it."

"Well if you would dance then I wouldn't have to torture you with it Keith." She sighed obnoxiously and stuck her bottom lip out slightly as her awkward brother stood in front of her with an oversized sweatshirt, black sweatpants and a beanie covering his totally unfashionable mullet he seemed to be oddly attached to.

He scrunched his nose up slightly as he stared at the taller girl in annoyance. "Fine Abby, I'll dance just leave me alone afterwards." He grumbled which wasn't anything new for him since he was always grumpy or cold towards her, probably because she was a girl.

"Alright!" Abby shouted and grabbed his hands to help him dance, knowing that at most he'll just tap his foot to the beat of the song she was playing.

Keith was awkward when he danced of course, he never really did this when he was in his other homes and definitely not at Mr. Stewart's home. He stumbled around as Abigail jumped up and down, shaking her hips every now and then. The two of them danced like complete idiots as the song kept going, and even if he didn't want to admit it, Keith loved the way his sister could be herself like how she was around him. He loved that about her and admired it as he watched her smiling face, green eyes bright.

"I love your eyes!" She shouted over the song playing and Keith's admiration slowly disappeared to be replaced by a sense of emptiness.

Don't they all?

°•°•Age 16•°•°

The smell of sweat, booze and weed entered Keith's nostrils without permission as Abby guided him through the crowded house that had music blaring through the sound system on the first floor. "Isn't this so cool Keith?" She shouted in excitement as she turned around to face him in the crowd.

She seriously looked ecstatic about being able to go to the party with her friend Ginger and Lexi as the two girl were already grinding on guys of their liking. Abby seemed to hold no interest in any of the guys around her as she happily danced in front of the awkward teen boy wearing the gayest outfit he could possibly wear. He awkwardly looked around for a way to get out of the crowd to sneak off into Jacksons room but it was to crowded and he was sadly too short to see over anyone. Abby grabbed his hands in order to force her brother to dance against his own will. She however, did not dance cleanly like he wished she would, she turned around in order to dance with her back facing him making him uncomfortable as he pulled his hands away from his knowing she was about to out on a show for the other guys around them.

"Abigail, I'm gonna go find a bathroom, dance with someone else for now..." He pointed his finger to somewhere in the crowd and ducked out before the hurt girl could say anything.

He weaved around drunk, high and sweaty people as he made his way towards the staircase that led to the second floor where Jacksons room just happened to be located. He managed to get there after being grinded on, grabbed, touched inappropriately and even had some girl try to make out with him which made him disgusted as he quietly snuck upstairs and into the hallway without anyone noticing. He sulked through the hall to find the room marked with a 'J' on the door before he knocked in a pattern of three.

"Come in." Jacksons voice replied clearly making Keith let out a breath of relief, he wouldn't have to search for the football player in the crowd like he had originally thought he would have to.

He twisted the handle and quickly slipped into the room and locked the door behind him and turned to face his secret. Jackson was standing up looking out his window at the pool outside with his hands in his pockets. He had the common player look, the undercut and swept back black hair and giant caramel brown eyes that were bright with held back excitement.

"I'm here finally, I had to ditch Abby.." Keith stated as he bit his lip and Leaned against the door enticingly as he felt himself wanting to hurry the process along. Jackson looked over his shoulder to meet Keith's eyes before he asked, "No one saw you right?"

"Nope, now can we please get started? Abigail's going to look for me soon." Keith rolled his eyes as the boy crossed the room to stand in front of him.

Jackson looked at Keith's outfit questionably before his met his eyes again. "So I shouldn't ask about the new outfit choice should I?" Keith shook his head with annoyance and frustration. "Then let's hurry it up then, and by the way...the style makes your eyes even more attractive you know." He then pressed his lips against Keith's to prevent him from saying anything about the compliment on his eyes he hated.

The two boys were locked together as Keith pulled on Jackson's black hair and placed his other hand on his neck to pull him deeper into him. Their tongues danced together as Jackson reached down and groped Keith making him moan softly into his mouth. They stumbled onto the bed and struggled to take each others clothing off, refusing to let the other leave for a breath of air.
~~~~

Keith laid on the bed beside Jackson as he blew out a huff of air. He was exhausted and it was only midnight, he had gotten to the party around ten thirty meaning that the two of them were having a little too much fun together in the bedroom. "I'd have to say that was the best time I've had with you, I didn't know the only way to get the most out of you was to stress you out so much..." His partner laughed slightly as he blew smoke into the air from the blunt he was smoking in the bed.

Keith turned over to face the opposite direction of the smoking boy beside him. "Gee thanks." He mumbled before slowly sliding out of the bed to dress himself again. "I'm gonna head out now, Jared and Mary are going to go berserk if Abigail goes home drunk or high on whatever drugs people brought to this party."

"I'm telling you, once we graduate, come with me and my family to Japan, it'll be so amazing to have you with us." Jackson giggled slightly.

Keith clenched his jaw and shook his head, "Sorry but no. Now I need to go to get my sister and head home before something bad happens." Keith didn't wait for a reply as he slipped out of the room and began to walk down the hallway.

He was about halfway down the white hall when three guys quickly left the same room with their faces triumphant as they laughed. Keith stopped walking as he watched them as they walked towards the staircase without noticing him. "Dude that was so funny how easily you got her to drink it, who knew someone like her could be so smart when she's siblings with that boy."

"What was his name again? Kogane...Keith Kogane!"

Keith's body became chilled as he slowly looked over at the door resting ajar, his blood ice cold in his veins and his body heavy as he slowly began to walk towards it. They were probably mistaken right? Surely they couldn't have drugged Abigail like they had implied just moments before could they? She knew not to take drinks from people at parties so why would she now? He stopped at the door and slowly reached up a trembling hand to place his fingertips on the cold wood. He almost didn't want to push it open but every cell in his body begged him to and he obeyed it without question...but he wished he hadn't listened to it because his entire life seemed to crumble around him as his jaw dropped, eyes widened and his brows raised.

There on the guest bed laid Abby, her body stripped of her shorts and passed out on the bed with her makeup dried to her face to look like she had been crying mere minutes before. Keith's hand slowly reached up to his mouth as he choked on his own words, "No..god w-why?"

Maybe the numbness those books described was talking about becoming used to pain were true because at that moment, Keith's entire body became numb as tear fell down his cheek.