Nicotine [Brendon Urie AU]

Chapter Two ✔

Chapter Two | "Lying Is The Most Fun"

The shrill voice of Ms. Ross woke her up first thing in the morning, "Brooke! Someone's here to speak with you!" But, for some reason, her voice was dripping with fake sweetness. Groaning quietly, Brooke pulled herself up off the bed. Aching rushed back into her body as soon as she stood, but she made her way out the door regardless. She wore what she wore yesterday and to bed; a black long sleeve shirt with many holes in it and old jeans. Brooke didn't care much as about her appearance, but she smoothed down her hair with the palm of her hand, to make her look a little less wild. It was either someone coming to adopt, which is unlikely, or some creep the woman was hiring. Walking down the stairs, she looked in confusion. She assumed it to be the latter, but she was met with someone who looked nothing like the people she's seen before. 

A man no older than forty stood next to Ms. Ross, with a grim look on his face. He was identical to Ms. Ross, Brooke quickly caught on, but the two looked even less than friends. Though the sweetness was in her words, Ms. Ross was sending glares the man's way. Were they in the Beatles together? What's animosity there? The man stood with five o'clock shadow with lightened brown hair. He wore normal clothing; a graphic t-shirt of a band Brooke had never heard of and a dark brown jacket over blue jeans. Ms. Ross clearly had years on him, as she looked to be sixty, but he seemed to still be in his prime. The man gave off a kind presence, a complete one-eighty from the person standing next to him. "This is my brother, Ryan." She said through gritted teeth once Brooke's feet hit the ground. 

Ryan put his hand out for Brooke to shake, ignoring the woman's annoying words, which Brooke took with a fake smile on her face. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Ross," Brooke stated with no emotion in her voice. "I'm Brooke." She remained formal with Ryan, not quite sure what he wanted. Brooke never knew that her abuser had any sort of family, let alone a brother. Ms. Ross still stood behind them, sulking at their interaction. There seemed to be a deep vendetta between the two. 

Ryan's genuine smile didn't falter as he stated, "Please, call me Ryan." Brooke nodded, trying to make a mental note to call him that. She wasn't used to it, calling adults by their first names, but she still tried to remember. Ms. Ross seemed a little peeved about this, she had made it a rule to never call an adult by their name. But she remained quietly seething. Just the presence of the male seemed to set the older woman off, but it clear she wasn't going to act upon it. "I came here to talk with you, Brooke. You don't mind do you?" Again, she caught by surprise. Brooke was never asked her opinion on something, so this was a refreshing thing. 

She smiled, this time a little happier than before, "Sure, I don't mind." After a minute, the three were in Ms. Ross' office. The woman behind her desk looking like Satan herself, and Ryan and Brooke in the chairs. Brooke had no idea what this conversation was going to be over. But she knew, deep down, that it was going to have something to do with her time here. So the girl got prepared to lie. It was easy, especially in the presence of Ms. Ross. The last child to say something negative about the place to an outside got locked in their room for days on it and beaten. Brooke doesn't want to go down that path, so she was ready to say whatever it took not to be harmed. Saying that the place was nothing but a haven... even if that is the farthest from the truth. 

Ryan was facing Brooke instead of his sister. "So how long have you been here, Brooke?" He started off simply, with the most basic question. Brooke had no idea why he even cares about something like that, but she answered anyway. Ryan crossed his legs and leaned back, waiting patiently for Brooke to answer. He gave off the least intimidating presences that Brooke has seen in while, so she answered calmly. 

"My entire life. Seventeen years." At least that's what she's been told, Brooke doesn't really remember what happened before a certain age. She fidgeted, playing with her fingers slightly.