I had put this up a while back… and then I took it down. The reason to why I did that was because I needed to brainstorm before I did anything with this story. Now, I would like to bring it back. My good friend, Ajay, was the one to encourage me to continue this, so you can all thank her for that. :)

Hope you guys like the first chapter of Home Is In Your Eyes. Feel free to tell me what you think!

His feet scraped against the concrete, stare cast downward. His hands were stuffed inside his worn-out pants pockets. Beside him, a little Golden Retriever puppy ran along his heels, tongue sticking out in what appeared to be a smile. He, however, held a frown on his face. If one took a good look at the young teenager, they would see the way his body trembled from the harsh winter wind blowing outside. Unlike everyone else, he did not wear boots to prevent the Minnesota snow from going inside his shoes, or neither did he wear a jacket to warm him up from the cold.

No, he had no money for that.

The roads were busy with people buzzing around the streets, desperate to warm up for the night. Most of them were up and about at such a late hour because Christmas was nearing and they had yet to buy presents for their loved ones. The sight made the boy feel even more pain in his shattered heart. It had been so long since he had celebrated Christmas at home. Four years to be exact.

"Hey, watch it, kid!" an old man grumbled as the boy suddenly bumped into him by accident. His big brown eyes turned to look up at the man who was wearing a look of pure disgust in his face. Without saying a word, he ran off in the other direction with the puppy following close behind. It wasn't until he reached an old dumpster that he finally fell to his knees, gasping for air.

"Is he gone, Bartholomew?" he asked the little canine in a frightened voice. The dog simply wagged his tail back and forth and gave the boy's face a little lick. He couldn't help but giggle as his small, brown bangs hung over his forehead, tickling him.

"Don't worry boy, I think we lost him."

A loud, melodic sound rang in his ears. He looked up at the old church standing before his very eyes. It was an old church that looked like it was ready to collapse. Either way, people walked into the tiny chapel. He watched with curiosity as a family of four; a mother, father, a boy about his age, and a little girl walked inside. The little girl kept staring at him with as much curiosity as he did. He wondered if she thought he was disgusting too.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the little Golden Retriever started barking hysterically into the alley beside him. He raised a thin eyebrow and walked to where the puppy stood trembling.

"Hey there, Bartholomew. What are you barking at, pup?" he asked, knowing he would not get an answer. The dog continued to yelp and bark until he was just a whimpering mess. He ran in little circles with his tail tucked in between his furry legs. The brunette walked into the lingering shadows, wanting to know what had the poor dog in such a state.

His eyes wandered around the dark place, hand holding onto the brick wall to his left to keep his balance. The darkness in a way gave him chills, but at the same time he was used to it. He was not a stranger to the darkness or to the coldness that seemed to freeze his whole body.

"Bartholomew, I don't know why you're behaving in such a manner. I honestly, do not see anything…" The boy swallowed his words as his eyes caught something lying on the floor. It was a rag of some sort. Upon further inspection, he realized that the rag was actually a worn-out, gray, knitted beanie. He went to grasp it when a tiny voice stopped him.

"D-don't touch it."

The boy jumped back in surprise at the tiny voice. He turned to run out of the claustrophobic little alley when a small hand grasped his ankle. He yelped, scared for his life. He looked down to see a mop of dirty blond hair. He gently removed the hand holding onto his ankle and took a seat on the cold pavement. That is when he realized there was a little boy, just a bit younger than him lying in the cold. His cheeks were a rosy color and his light green eyes seemed to bore into his brown ones. There were stray marks, cuts and bruises all over the child's face. He looked like he had been beaten up pretty badly.

"Who are you?" the boy asked in a quiet whisper.

The boy looked up, emerald eyes filled with pain and discomfort. His lip trembled, as if he wanted to get some words out but couldn't. "M-my name is Kendall," he finally answered in a shaky voice. "W-who are you?"

The brunette gave a tiny smile. "They call me, Alleyboy."

Alleyboy… Who is Alleyboy? If you look hard enough, you'll know who it is. :) Let me know what you guys thought of this! Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

~ BigTimeRush-BTR :)