At sixteen years old, Key was much too used to glowering looks sent his way.

He’d received nasty looks from his parents his entire life along with declarations of what a mistake he’d been and how much they despised having him around. Scoffs and eyes rolls came from his teachers all the time because they didn’t appreciate the sass he would give them or how he would often correct their mistakes. Often or not, his peers at school would also give him snide looks for his flamboyant personality and sense of fashion. He didn’t care about any of them all too much, though. Ignorant swine with the brain development of cavemen, that’s what they were.

His life was rough, but he held his head high with pride.

But lately the glowers and glares were starting to get to him. Ever since waking up in the hospital with the look of disappointment staring down at him, Key had a deep feeling of shame filling up his gut as if he’d done something wrong. He knew he hadn’t though and while the adults believed him when he said that he hadn’t sliced his wrist open in pathetic attempt to take his own life and that it had been an accident, they still acted as though his injury was a great burden to have to deal with, and many people were dealing with the aftermath and consequences. Those people, all the glares and whispers, they were getting him down and he didn’t like it.

He remembered all too well what had happened at the beginning of the school year, but he refused to give anybody to full details. If they were going to be rude to him then all they needed to know was that he’d fallen and cut his wrist on a piece of metal. It was true too, and what he regretted most about it was that he’d been on his way to seek out the man called Heechul for help, even though they’d had a falling out earlier in that same month. At the time of the injury, Key knew that he needed help and from an adult that he could trust and he did get that – and so much more. Heechul had taken him to the hospital and got him stitched up, but he’d also demanded that Key come to live with him to avoid future “accidents”. The doctor called a social worker, the social worker signed a form, and Heechul became his new guardian.

Now, as Key lay on the bed in his new bedroom, he couldn’t help but regret it all. At first he had been pleasantly pleased to hear that Heechul had fought for him, had offered him a home with luxuries that were so limited to him, but he quickly realized it all came at a price. Oh, the queen sized pillow top mattress was basically heaven and he actually had a room to call his own and a house that he would never have to leave, but this house was not a home. These people were not his family and they certainly didn’t want him around – except for Heechul.

He could hear them downstairs talking loudly; it was rarely ever a quiet day at that house. There were hoots and jeers coming from the obnoxiously playful Mir who no doubt was playing one of his many video games. There were shouts at him to shut up, coming Donghae that was more than likely trying to have a phone conversation with his boyfriend. (Key wasn’t entirely convinced that there was a boyfriend – he’d never seen Donghae have a man friend around the house.)

Key closed his eyes and slowly breathed in.

It seemed so long ago that he would have been downstairs along with the boys, probably fighting the remote from Mir’s chubby hands or discussing boyfriends with Donghae and Heechul. But he’d made one stupid mistake and apparently that condemned him from being allowed and accepted by their terms. While Heechul did not seem to mind him being around, it was Donghae and Mir sending him the dirty looks whenever he entered the room.

I hate them, he thought to himself as anger boiled up inside, I honestly and truly hate them. I have done nothing but try to be nice the entire time I’ve been here.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter