Simon "Ghost"Riley

The rain drummed against the window as Simon hunched deeper into his hoodie, eyes fixed on the cracked screen of his phone. The familiar buzz of voices and old chairs scraping against the linoleum floor filled the air, but he tuned it all out. The common room of the home for orphan teens would take was its usual mix of tension and boredom — a dangerous mix that had become his everyday reality since he was put in the system. Johnny and Kyle were slouched on the couch next to him, both engrossed in a loud, heated debate over something on the TV. A few other teens hovered around, waiting for the chance to snatch anything not nailed down. Trust was a commodity no one could afford here. The front door creaked open, and the room went quiet — not completely, but enough that it caught Simon's