Outcast

Chapter 1

         I got up off of the old mattress lying on the dusty wood floor, picking up my black lip ring and slipping it in. I started down the wooden stairs, the steps lightly giving off a creaking sound.

          To say this place was out dated was an understatement. The flower wallpaper was slightly peeling off the wall revealing the interior of the house, the kitchen hardly ever worked because the appliances dated back to the 80's. The furniture was ripped and stained. The springs on the couch always ajar for everyone to see, always having to put duct tape on the couch was getting very inconvenient. Even though this orphanage get's a decent amount of money each month, they can't seem to find in it their budgets to find us an actual bed.

        This is what I get, this is the place I now have to call home.

         I don't know what I did to deserve this. What did I do to have this twisted fate. It's like a poisonous nightmare I can't seem to wake up from, I try and I try but I can never find the light that leads the way out.

        Maybe I never can.

        Since the tragic accident of my family nothing was the same.

         I had no one and even if I did everyone I knew and cared about would treated me like I was a fragile doll, even a single touch can send me shattering into a million pieces. Truth be told I was already shattered.

         I had a crack in my heart that no one can ever fill. I felt powerless, vulnerable, weak.

        I made my way out of the messed up orphanage and into the crispy cold fall day. My old vans scraped across the sidewalk. I stuffed my hands into my leather jacket pockets, walking towards a small coffee shop. Ashton, my best friend, was sitting at a table in the corner reading a John Green book. I don't understand his book titles like Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines. Don't ask me how I know, Ashton won't shut up about it.

         Ashton looked up at me and smiled. Her honey blonde hair folded behind her ears and hazel eyes brightened as she watched me walk towards her. She put down the book and got up to give me a hug.

       "Hey Luke, I was thinking if you wanted to go to the park today. Maybe bring in a couple bucks."

         I sing at Central Park to make some money. I dropped out of school, well not necessarily, I get bullied a lot but I try my best to get an education. Being known as the kid who lost his family to his drug deal brothers isn't the best label you can have. My mom always used to say 'Education is your everything, don't let people take that from you'. I guess she was right, she always was..........

       "Yeah, lets go. I gotta get home before Ann-I mean "mom" blows."

         We head out of the shop but not before Ashton gets her pumpkin spice latte because apparently pumpkin spice lattes bring all the boys to the yard. I still can't wrap my finger around what goes on in her brain.

        The five minute walk from the coffee shop to the park was filled with quiet chatter of what song we were going to cover. Mentions of All Time Low's Therapy and This is Gospel by Panic! At The Disco came up. After what felt like hours of bickering, we finally settled on an original song Lost Boy.

     "I can't remember the last time I saw your face"

       We neared the park and I noticed Ashton brought her acoustic guitar.

       "I feel so lonely when I'm in a crowded space"

        Sitting down by a tree, I picked up the guitar and started to sing,