Adopt || Solby ||

Chapter 2

Colby jolted awake in a cold sweat, the blankets from the single bed tossed to the side while still tangled on his legs.

He breathed heavily, trying to regain his composure and calm down. His piercing blue eyes were wide and bloodshot and his hands shakily reached up to rub at his face, a hint of a whine escaping him as he did so.

It was another memory.

Another memory of the loss that even at age 16, Colby still replayed and would never get over.

The knocking on the door. The police. The way they told him of his parent's crash. How long he spent in the station just waiting for news, still in his pajamas, shaking like a leaf.

The way his brother said he was going out for fresh air and was never heard from again.

Colby shuddered, softly, as he recalled on the events of his past. Three years may have passed, but he was so lonely he didn't have anything else to keep him company, other than the bittersweet memories from before that night that just felt like a jaded dream.

Colby squinted as he stood up, hearing different music coming from either side of the walls in his room--he was fairly lucky he was a deep sleeper for that reason alone.

With an exaggerated huff, he stretched his arms above his head and messily threw his bed together--god forbid Rose, the care-taker in the male teens ward of this orphanage should walk in and find out he'd messed up his bed. It'd be a firm slap on the wrists for a certain Cole Brock, that's for sure.

He grumbled as he thought about it, trying to fix his sheets and make them look neater.

Perhaps a nap wasn't the best idea, Colby couldn't help to think as he felt the sweat beading on his forehead.

If it weren't for those goddamn dreams, he might have slept well, but he hadn't done that in a truly long time.

Colby sighed once more as he glanced out of the window in his small dorm, looking down at the street from the third story.

People watching was a great past-time for Colby. Sure, it was boring and definitely not his favorite thing to do, but he couldn't help but stare below at the businessmen and classy, rich ladies and wonder just what their life was like at his age. Did they know they had it so good?

Probably not.

A moment more of this and he began to grow antsy, considering going to hang out in the movie room or cafeteria but, on second thought, he wasn't hungry, and the movie room always smelt like teenage boy--AKA, socks and body odor.

Colby kicked the chair back, about to leave his position from in front of the window when he noticed a woman, maybe middle-aged, making her way in through the doors.

He recognized her. She'd been in a lot lately, particularly exploring the boy's dorms, meeting some of them with the main adviser (who also happened to be Rose, the caretaker.)

He frowned a bit. Being salty and moody about these sorts of things was a common dilemma for Colby but, he'd grown into reality and realized, as his excess family confirmed; nobody would want a 16-year-old boy who was quiet and looked catty on the surface.

Of course, Colby wasn't really catty or mean. He was actually fairly friendly, polite and raised in such a way that you would think butter wouldn't melt in his mouth--but that is if you really got to know him.

On the outside, he was stoic and discreet and looked like your generic shady teenaged boy. Rose always told him it was a coping mechanism; a way to protect himself from anyone that might want to crawl inside and hurt him.

She must have been right, because in fact, Cole was afraid that she too was going to hurt him--and she'd already crawled inside, so that was one step too close.

He laid on his bed and pulled out his old phone. The screen was smashed to bits and the orphanage had downloaded an app to minimize his internet access, but it worked for him nonetheless.

His mother gave him this phone on his birthday before the accident, and despite its tattered appearance, Colby treasured it. He wouldn't let anyone else touch it. Not even if they were just trying to look at a meme he was showing them and his hand was shaky.

That someone was usually Brennen, but, Brennen had turned 18 this year and booked it out of there.

Colby didn't blame him.

It was just another instance of his coping mechanism having a reason.

"Cole?" A voice hummed sweetly from behind the wooden door.

Colby jumped up and shoved his phone away, clearing his throat.

"Colby?" The young woman spoke again, before pushing open the door, seeing the boy sitting on his bed, playing with his luscious brunette locks.

"Oh, good! You're awake," Rose cooed as she made herself known in the doorway. "I was afraid you'd be asleep!"

"Mmm, no," he murmured in reply, scratching at his arm out of habit.

"Good! You take way too many naps and you know it, Cole."

Colby didn't want to smile, but his face showed the hint of one forming weakly.

"Now... I have someone I want you to meet!" Rose exclaimed as she clasped her hands together.

Uh oh.

Colby knew this routine.

He'd mope his way down into her office, sit across from some emotional, hormonal lady who would look him up and down like he was a product on a shelf, then discreetly, wordlessly say, 'no, not that one', leaving Colby's self esteem to plummet to the floor as they choose someone else to take the walk of shame.

"I'd rather not," he declined, folding his arms, stretching his legs out and staring dejectedly at the floorboards.

"No, this one will be different!"

"That's what you always say," Colby snarled harmlessly without a trace of hope in his voice.

"I'm telling the truth," she spouted. Her heels clicked on the floorboard as she stepped over to the boy and sat on his bed beside him, her honey blonde hair shimmering the faint light coming from the window.

"You have to trust me."

"I do," Colby shifted a little away from her, awkwardly, fearfully, like he was being forced to open up to her again, "I just don't trust them."

Rose Anette was a master of being close with the teens in her ward--even if they were moody and angsty almost 70% of the time. They were just human beings who went through hardships, and she knew them better than they thought.

"Cole, you know I want the best for you."

He didn't answer.

"Colby..."

"Fine, fine. Take me to this lady, but don't be shocked when the same thing happens again."

A smile blossomed on her face, revealing pearly white teeth beneath her red-painted lips.

"Wondeful! Come, come, she's waiting downstairs."

Colby was practically dragged out of his dorm, with the same song and dance routine happening as he wandered down the stairs.

He let go of a breath he didn't even know he was holding and shut his eyes as he was guided into the office, a lot more professionally than he was dragged from the dorms.

The first thing that welcomed him was a scent of roses. Perfume.

The second thing that greeted him was warm, blue eyes, and the kindest, most broken motherly smile he'd ever seen.

"Hello, Cole."

|| A/N: Insight into Colby's boring, daily life. 3 years of doing nothing in an orphanage! Enjoy. ||