**18 Years Ago**
The old man didn't smile. He sneered, baring all teeth and thick lips. And it sure freaked the hell out of those kids.
Tyler caught a glint of gold tooth. He wondered if it was real gold. Maybe the old man was rich. Whomever got to be adopted by him must be really lucky.
He wished he was lucky too. He was already ten, by far one of the oldest kids here in this orphanage, and far too mature for anyone to adopt.
He'd given up on that dream long ago, though. He knew he'd never be adopted. If his real parents didn't want him, then who the hell would. And he knew why, too.
He was a freak. He'd been told countless times before, especially by those kids who had arrived after him and had left before him to live with happy adoptive parents.
Just because he had mismatched eyes, did that really make him a freak?
Tyler asked himself that question every morning whenever he looked at himself in the mirror and saw those eyes staring right back. One side green and one side blue. It was odd, but still…
No. He wasn't some freak. He refused to believe that. He was just different, that was all. The world needed a little different. If everyone were just the same, then the world would be pretty boring. And he hated boring.
This situation would count as one of those boring occasions.
They were told to line up against the wall, all of them boys, like little soldiers ready for inspection. That was what the family had wanted.
Although he wasn't quite sure whether the word *family* would apply to this group of people.
Family usually consisted of couples who ogled them from afar like they were young puppies, but this group, they were like a bunch of gangs he saw on television shows whenever the matrons allowed them to watch TV.
There were at least five of them, all standing behind that big overbearing old man who looked to be their leader. He'd called him Big Boss.
Oh well. He'd just go along with the flow. It wasn't like Big Boss was going to pick him anyway. He should just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
And he did exactly that, relaxing his stance, leaning back against the wall with one leg crossed over the other, while he amused himself with the spectacle before him.
One of the kids took his interest. It was Barney. And he was walking toward Big Boss.
Barney was a show-off shit, one who was constantly harping on about how he was too cool for this orphanage and that one day some filthy rich family would come and collect him to live in a filthy rich mansion. And Big Boss sure looked like the type of man who belonged in a filthy rich mansion.
Barney was already preening himself like a peacock to impress the guy.
Tyler didn't like Barney. For a kid half his size, Barney sure had a big mouth. Tyler was already a head taller than the other boys his age, but that never gained him any advantage.
Barney and his big mouth got him into trouble countless times. And since he couldn't control his temper, he ended up boxing Barney back. That's why most of the kids here hated him—because of his behavior and weird looks.
So when he saw Barney hightailing it back into the matron's arms after Big Boss gave his signature smile, Tyler couldn't hide his smile of satisfaction. Barney deserved it for acting like a jerk.
Sometimes he just wished jerks like Barney wouldn't get adopted. But that was not always the case. Jerks do get adopted. Like almost all the time.
Because they know how to hide their true nature behind innocent faces. And the matrons and those adoptive parents loved them, thinking they were little angels.
Sometimes he just wished he could act like them too. Be all nice and say please and thank you whenever the matrons asked it of him. But he was just too straightforward. He knew manners. He just didn't like acting on false pretenses. Especially in front of these potential adoptive parents.
Maybe that was where he went wrong. Maybe he really had no manners. Maybe that was why no one wanted to adopt him.
Tyler sighed. Oh well. It wasn't like he cared anyway. He was way past caring now. If all of the children here got adopted, he'd be happy for them.
As for himself, he'd survive, as long as he had Georgina and baby Rose with him. They weren't his blood relations, but their bond was far stronger than any family he'd ever known.
Georgina was one of the matrons here who had come to work at the orphanage three years ago. She acted more like a mother to him than a person in charge. She let him read books, unlike the other matrons who scowled at him whenever he had his face buried in one. Somehow, she just understood him, when no one else in the orphanage did. And he liked that.
He appreciated that.
His early memory of the orphanage was rather vague. He couldn't remember much of when he'd first arrived here, but he did remember growing up feeling lonely. He couldn't make many friends since he was so different from the other kids in the orphanage. He enjoyed peace and quiet.
The other kids not so much. They loved making noise and getting into trouble. He just wasn't that kind. He preferred his books. And the company of baby Rose.
Ahhh… baby Rose. She was a cute wee thing. Unfortunately, she wasn't cute enough for her parents; otherwise, she wouldn't have been abandoned here at the orphanage. He remembered that day very clearly, two years ago to this date, when she had first appeared mysteriously out of the blue.
His mind was about to drift back to the past when a loud wailing sound alerted him to his surroundings, and he was jerked back to reality, just in time to see another kid falling victim to Big Boss' sneer.
Tyler wanted to laugh when he realized it was none other than Timothy, Barney's best friend. But as soon as he saw Georgina's warning face, he behaved himself.
Still, it wasn't surprising that Timothy was also scared of Big Boss.
Who wouldn't be, when he was like a giant to them all. Big, massive chest and black eyebrows that shot straight into his hairline whenever he glared at them. Big Boss was simply intimidating. And couple that with those big buffed goons, too, and the situation quickly got out of hand.
The boys were howling like little puppies. Georgina had to calm them all down.
Tyler had never seen such a spectacle his whole life. It was quite enjoyable. Like they were at a circus.
But the show had come to an end. He was the last in line. And he knew exactly what would happen when he was last in line. The odd stares and awkward glances between the adoptive parents, before the matrons quietly sent him on his way. So yeah, he was beyond caring.
Tyler was already lifting himself off the wall and was about to leave when he could feel someone's eyes boring into his back. It was a strange, eerie feeling, as if all their attention was focused on him.
He took a backward glance and caught Big Boss' eyes.