Keaton P.O.V

I gaped at my mom, "What..?" I said after a moment. Now, the whispers, were ear piercing screams like they were when I was stressed. It didn't even bother me since I was used to it, but right now, I needed them to shut up. The voices abruptly silenced as my mom said, "I said, your father and I have decided to adopt a 13 year old boy named Dakota." They waited for my response, but my jaw was just slack. My dad spoke this time, "Come on, Keaton. One, we have the room... And two, you need someone to talk to, because you can't be antisocial forever." I scoffed, "I have the right to be! In case you forgot, I'M LOSING MY MIND... Quiet literally I might add!" My parents eyes widened slightly.

Wow.. Tough crowd..

I sighed, shrugging, "You know what, okay, whatever. I gave up on caring too much about anything a while ago, so I'm just going to go upstairs.." My parents looked at each other as I turned on my heel and started to walk up the steps. I heard my mom call, "Keaton, he's getting here in two days! Please try and be nice?" I called back, "No promises.." I got to my room and closed the door, flopping back on the bed. The voices started their screaming again, 'I'm not living with a snot nosed brat!' I growled slightly and winced, 'Come on, Mom and Dad can't do this to you!' I tried to tune them out, closing my eyes tight and curling into a ball on my bed slightly. The yells continued and eventually I screamed "SHUT UP!" bolting up on my bed, gripping my head in my hands as the yells persisted. I rocked back and forth slightly, tears coming to my eyes, "I said, shut up..." I said weakly, tightening my grip on my hair which I had grabbed onto. I let out a silent sob when the yells increased, deafening. Even if my parents heard me scream, they couldn't help me. You can't stop what everybody else can't hear...

Dakota P.O.V

I walked in the narrow walkway of the plane as I found my seat with the person the adoption agency sent with me to make sure I got to Florida safely. I looked around nervously for the seat and when I walked past it, the young woman they sent with me tapped my arm and gestured into a row of seats, "It's right here, hun." I blushed, "Oh.. Sorry.." She smiled as I went to sit in the seat. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and looked at the black screen of the phone that had to be even older than I was. I don't even remember how I got it, I think my mom had given it to me when she still had a shred of care in her heart for me. I heard the woman clear her throat and I looked up at her, she smiled again and handed me this new phone. A smart phone and my eyes widened, "Why are you giving me that..?" She laughed a little, "It's just an extra step that the agency takes to make sure our kids are happy." I smiled a tiny bit and took the phone, handing the old piece of junk to the woman. I pressed the home button and the screen lit up. The whole flight I was setting up my phone and when I wasn't doing that, I was looking out the window at the blue, clear sky. I was headed to a better life and that lifted an enormous weight off of my shoulders. It felt amazing and I wasn't going to waste the feeling. I knew I was damaged goods, and that this family could hate me as soon as they laid eyes on me. But, I also didn't want to give up the hope that there is some good in the world. Even if my birth parents didn't fit into that "good" category, I was going to build a new life. I wanted these bruises and scars that were visible gone, I would deal with the scars in my mind a different way. I didn't know how. But I would...