Forever, You are Young // BTS Adopted Book 1 ✅

prologue

121320

April 13, 2013

The rubber on my shoe sent a pebble running down the street I walked. My breathing was heavy, but it was finally slowing from the brisk jog I'd been keeping up for the last few minutes. The bitter night air brushed against my fresh cuts, bringing a cold chill to my body and compelling me to wrap my pink zip-up closer to myself.

With a shuddery sigh, I wiped off some blood trailing down my forehead with my tattered sleeve. Tonight was not a good night.

The pebble skipped away from my shoes and rolled down a crack in the cement, before falling off the sidewalk and clinking as it hit a sewer cover. I watched as it fell through the bars and into the cold stream of water inside. I wished I was the pebble.

I had just left my house, a dead building holding a family with occupants barely living their life. The family was mine, yet I didn't like to think of what had become of them. My father passed out on the couch late that night, so I could get away for a while. Even if it wasn't for long.

A larger pebble presented itself for me to kick as I continued to a busier area of the city. The street was lined with small businesses on either side of the road and had a selection of dining options, albeit the late hour guaranteed there wouldn't be many people out. To my pleasure, that meant less people to question my bruised face.

My head stayed low as I listened to the snippets of conversations from the few people around me. A guy was planning to propose, a mother was fed up with her children, and another man was begging for work. None of these people mattered to me, but it felt better to know other people were struggling too. It wasn't just me.

A small group somewhere around a corner had voices ringing with laughter over something one of them said. I could only imagine how nice it would be to have friends like that.

The illuminated street signs coming from the buildings on either side of me cast red and blue streaks of light on the cement I walked upon, giving my feet a glowly material to trail. I kept my eyes from wandering around, when before I knew what was happening, I was on the floor. I laid there for a second. The cool cement felt nice on my back, dulling the pain for just a second.

"Oh shoot, are you okay? I'm so sorry I ran into you." It was a boy's voice, probably a teenager.

I forced my exhausted body upright. I was sitting on my rear with my legs sprawled in front of me and my hands were propping myself up. All I could see in front of me were a black shorts that went to the knees of a skinny pair of legs.

I cleared my throat, "Yeah, I'm fine." My voice was soft and quiet. I wondered how well he could hear me. "I wasn't looking where I was walking."

The boy offered a hand that I carefully took. He pulled me up so I was standing. I noticed how much higher he towered over my ten-year-old self. My neck had to stretch back uncomfortably to see him. A black fluff of hair was on top of his head and his eyes were beady-like and black, but he had a kind face.

"Woah, are you okay?" He peered down at me and I worried he was inspecting my bruises.

I nodded. "I'm okay."

Don't show it. Don't show them. Father said his business with me is no one's business.

I let go of his hand, turning my gaze towards the other boys standing there. I counted slowly in my head. There were six others. Their raised eyebrows and wide eyes seemed to pity the scars that covered my face and hands. Becoming self-conscious, I put my hands behind my back and pulled the sleeves carefully over my wrists. To back away and run was a tempting option. I didn't trust these boys who were all teenagers to the look of it. Getting tangled with people I didn't know was a bad idea.