by David Sharp
Syd’s guard was down. “It is short for acid. I spell it my way with a y.”
Knappy crossed behind her sofa handling his sword like a comic book warrior. “I love this blade, the steel swings….” Knappy smacked his lips at some twisted memory. “…the things this can do. This is power.”
Hex turned her head to watch him. “You are such a pyscho.”
Syd joined in, “But, that is what we love about you!”
Knappy crazily grinned and moved the sword by John’s face before sheathing it.
“Hey, watch it.” John flinched.
Knappy tilted his head at John like he was an alien. “Nah, a little later – yeah, later…. I got to see if Hound has cooked up something or another.”
“That is a bad ass sword, dude.” Adam still pictured the after image of the blade in his mind.
Knappy maniacally laughed again and left them to trip. Hex randomly reached forward and pushed Adam. He tried to push back, but fell off the couch onto the floor laughing. Hex laughed louder and leaned back taking in unknown sights on the ceiling oblivious to John and Syd on the couch.
John inched closed to Syd. “So, are we going to do this?”
“Are you retarded? I…like…women.”
“You were with Liev.”
“No, we both do our own kind. Haven’t you learned anything from the last time?”
John sighed, shifting uncomfortably in his tight jeans.
“Careful John, she might bite you.” Adam laughed some more rolling onto his side.
“I think I might like that.” John inched closer.
Syd shook her head like a dog. Distracted by her red bangs, she slapped her forehead.
“You should see this, baby, there are little lights coming out of the candles floating to the ceiling. This tracer shit spins around them real fast, then I blink and it disappears. And now, it starts over,” Hex said.
Adam looked up in awe. “Oh my God, I see it!”
John took the distraction to his advantage. “Come on Syd, just touch it.”
“Stop it, CJ.” Syd was trying to see what Hex was seeing.
“Don’t call me that.” John slid his hand up her leg. “Come on, I’ll turn you on.”
“I said fuck off!” Syd turned vicious.
John put a hand over Syd’s mouth. Instinctively, she tried to bite him. Bigger and stronger, he pinned her down, forcing his body on top.
Liev stormed into the room like he must have been watching the entire time. “What the fuck do you think you are doing, John!”
“Nothing she doesn’t want,” John blurted out.
In a blindingly fast rage, Liev moved to roughly pull John off. Syd took the opportunity to bite John’s hand as hard as she could. Drawing blood she released her teeth.
John snatched his hand back. “Bitch, fucking bit me!”
Adam could not believe the colorful carnival show and rolled back on the floor laughing. “I told you to be careful. See, she does bite.”
“I wasn’t doing anything she didn’t…”
Liev slapped John open-handed across the face. The sound of skin to skin was like thunder in the flophouse. “Pay attention and fucking explain what the fuck you were doing.”
The laughter died in Adam’s throat and he sat up scooting back from the explosion to come.
John realized his error and fought for words. “I can explain. We were just…”
Syd jumped up on her legs, knees out from the dirty sofa, and slightly rocked back and forth. “Explain nothing. Let me have at him, Liev.”
John’s eyes widened and he pulled his legs closer to his chest. “We were fooling around, she wanted it.”
Liev punched John in the side causing him to gasp and stumble into Hex. The motion stirred her out of her vision of flying saucers and she was instantly on her feet.
“What is happening? Is my girl alright?”
“CJ made a move on me.” Syd seethed.
“You stupid piece of shit, I told you last time what would happen if you touched her again.” Hex spit on the ground.
Adam scooted back some and put his feet under him. He got along with John, but this was his friend’s fault. Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut and hands to himself? Adam tried to rise and fell back to his knees. Stretching, he settled back down to watch the show.
Liev lunged and got a hold of John by his neck and arms. “I am going to take this trash out.”
“Fierce,” Syd said standing up.
“Yeah, take the trash out.” Hex joined in grabbing John’s waist.
John was truly scared of the situation. He looked lost in a sea of fear. “No, don’t do this. Please don’t. I’m sorry. Come on, Adam, help me.”
“I can’t get up.” Adam felt paralyzed as he watched as Liev drug John out of the room.
Syd and Hex hotly followed, poking and prodding, John while his feet kicked and slid on the wooden floor. The moment happened so fast that it seemed surreal. Then they were gone.
Loud noises and pleas came from the other room. Adam tried to follow, but slipped again and rolled over on the floor tripping hard from the hallucinogen. Something crashed. John screamed. An unknown amount of time passed. Adam forced himself up and managed to stand. Catching his balance was another matter. The flophouse room swirled. The fire from the candles roared in his head. The sound, the ruckus and screaming, dissipated, until Liev’s flushed face filled Adam’s vision.
“Adam… Hey Adam, get up.”
Adam marveled at the scars and the teardrop tattoo and was conflicted about time and space. “Liev, what’s wrong?”
“I need you to take John’s car.”
“Why? What’s up with CJ, I mean John?”
Liev maintained a cool veneer. “He ran out after we roughed him up. I am worried the pigs may show up. It wouldn’t be cool if his car was here if they did.”
“He left his car?”
“Yeah, he ran out.” Liev dangled the keys letting them jingle with a strange bell-like sound that fascinated Adam.
“Oh, he forgot his keys.”
“That’s right. That’s why I need you to get it out of here. Take it somewhere safe.”
Adam took the keys from Liev. The haunting bell sound stopped in his closed hand. Adam briefly glanced to the other room where they had drug John then back to Liev’s charismatic face. “I guess I can do this.”
“Do it for me.” Liev roughly kissed him.
Adam was surprised and amazed. Still tripping on the acid, he was unsure if it was real. “I’ll do whatever you want, Liev.”
X
Inside the 1968 Mustang all were quiet for a moment, absorbing the story that Adam had told.
Jason was in awe. The street punks were taking on a new life in his head. One thing bubbled to the surface. “You kissed Liev?”
“I think I did. I was pretty fucked up.”
“I thought...”
“What?” Adam cocked his eyebrow daring Jason to continue.
“I don’t know what I thought.” Ideas swirled in Jason’s head. He thought that Adam must be gay, but Liev, that was crazy… a gay skinhead. Were they a twisted couple? He hoped not. Why would Adam even mention the kiss in his story if it was not meant for me?
A scary image came to him, one of Liev standing on the corner mouthing the words: Your ass is mine.
“What happened to John?” Tanya steered course.
Adam blanched. “I haven’t seen him since. I’ve been looking for him, too.”
“What are you going to do with the car?” Jason wanted to ask a different question, but knew it was not the time.
“If he doesn’t show up soon, I guess I will drop it near his folk’s house.”
Kelly was tired and angry as she spoke. “Serves him right, after what he tried to do to that crazy girl.”
“I knew it.” Tanya touched her belly. “John deserves whatever happens to him.”
“You said they were dangerous.” Jason was still trying
to understand the connection between Adam and the punks.
“They are dangerous, if you don’t know them.”
“How did you get to know them so well, Adam?”
Adam smiled at Jason, enjoying the intent. “I was all by myself and Liev helped me out, showed me some things.”
“Liev doesn’t like me. That’s for sure.”
“How do you know that?”
“I saw the way he was looking at me that’s all.” Jason saw the strange look that Kelly and Tanya were giving him, but he still did not want to bring up the bathroom encounter.
Adam thought for a moment and said, “He is rough, but he takes care of his own. I trust him, mostly.”
“Why should we trust you?” Kelly asked the obvious.
“What choice do you have?” Adam shrugged
Kelly and Tanya absorbed the awkward moment in silence.
“Tonight will be fine.” Jason defended Adam.
“Seriously, I am the only one looking out for y’all,” Adam said.
Jason did not know if he could trust Adam, but he did not care as long as he was close to him. There was so much he wanted to know about him.
“It will be okay, Kelly, tomorrow we can fix everything,” Tanya said as she stretched.
“I guess so. I’m so tired. Let’s get some sleep.” Kelly relented.
The topic died in a strange silence. Tanya squeezed across the backseat to lie down with Kelly using their bags as pillows. Adam’s eyes left them in the rearview mirror and focused on Jason sizing him up.
Jason tried to contain his confusion and shifted awkwardly in the passenger seat. “You and Liev, I mean John is okay isn’t he?”
Adam looked away, out the window into the night. “John, will turn up at the house eventually. He always does.”
“Adam?”
“What?”
“There is something I want to ask you.”
“Not now.” Adam leaned over and whispered, “I’ll tell you more when we’re alone.”
“Okay,” Jason swallowed uncomfortably, yet he was excited by the closeness.
“I’ll even tell you about your brother.”
“Trevor?”
“I didn’t know him, but Liev did.”
Jason opened and closed his mouth. All of it was too much for him. He wanted the girls gone so they could talk. He watched Adam as he calmly slumped down into the seat.
“Tomorrow is a new day,” Adam said and closed his eyes.
It was so hard for him not to ask anything, yet Jason let it go and only said, “Good night.”
‘Night,” Adam said from behind his closed lids.
This is too much. I am scared to know what happened to my brother. And dammit, I want Adam so bad. Jason closed his eyes and let the confusion fade. The passenger seat was comfortable. He was just dog tired and in need of rest, so in no time, he drifted off.
Untamed Youth
X
Jason was out of breath as he rushed forward trying not to stumble in the high grass. The green blades whooshed by as he ran. The stalks attempted to wrap around his ankles and nicked them.
The night sky was brightly lit. The lunar reflected light set the landscape a glow. High above, a red headed woman was climbing an unseen structure in front of the full moon. At least it looked that way to Jason as he ran.
She is climbing up to the moon itself. That’s impossible, an illusion no doubt.
Yet Jason ran as if he could catch her. And even stranger, he was sure it was Kelly, although he could not make out her features from his shaky viewpoint on the earth down below.
I have to save her. Something bad is going to happen.
The sense of dread weighed heavily upon Jason. He wanted to stop her, but she was so high up. The grass grew taller as he ran. The invisible ladder, the image of her climbing to the moon so far away yet close enough to see; all of it was surreal, a dream. Even knowing it to be unreal, he could not help but run.
Kelly made it to the top of a platform. It looked as if she was sitting on the moon. Jason ran out of the high grass into a clearing. The landscape turned arid. The colors were the red-grey of sand and rock. The full moon lit Kelly up in silhouette. He could make out her walking the length of the unseen platform hundreds of feet above the desert floor. Jason stopped running and watched her cross the invisible walkway. In vain he reached up to the moon. Jason almost lost sight of her, until he saw she had stopped at what must have been the edge. His heart sank in his chest.
I have failed her.
Kelly fell, plummeting to the earth like a fallen angel. The sight took Jason’s breath away. In horror, he watched her fall. She seemed serene in her descent and limp as a rag doll. Unable to turn away, Jason watched her impact upon the desert floor in a cloud of dust.
X
The fall from the heavens haunted Jason as he awoke, the dream fresh in his mind. For a moment, he wondered if it was real or not. The sun was rising behind the clouds lighting the world in a half-light. Moisture ran down the outside of the windshield. Jason stretched on the leather seat. His eyes wandered, from the safe and sleeping Kelly and Tanya behind him, over to Adam who was sprawled back on the driver’s side.
Jason’s breath caught in his throat at the sight. Adam was asleep, head tilted on his shoulder, arms to his side, and legs spread slightly apart. He was rough, yet cute in his slumber. Jason quietly turned around to make sure the girls were really asleep. Satisfied, he turned his attention back to Adam. Jason felt his mouth go dry. He wanted to touch him. The idea was crazy, but Adam was right there next to him, inches away. Jason tentatively reached out, his eyes darting from Adam’s face to the relaxed breathing of his body. He had to touch him. In his day dreams he had never imagined this scenario. Jason inched his hand closer. Fear and excitement coursed through his veins. His fingers stroked the blue jean fabric of Adam’s upper leg. Lightly, he let them graze farther upwards feeling the warmth of the skin beneath the denim. Adam’s head moved ever so slightly to the side. Jason kept going. He touched the heavy fly of the jeans and squeezed. Adam twitched.
“Oh, what time is it?” Kelly yawned and shuffled in the backseat.
Adam opened his eyes, wide awake.
Jason yanked his hand away as if he had been scalded by hot water. In the rearview mirror he saw Kelly disentangle from her human pillow, waking Tanya in the process. “I don’t know the time,” Jason said. Subtly, he moved back to his side of the seat. He was caught in Adam’s stare.
“Oh hell, I can’t believe I slept in this car all night,” Tanya said.
“Me neither,” Jason dared to hold Adam’s gaze.
Adam gave him a curious look, adjusted himself, and reached for the door handle. “I got to take a piss.”
“Me too,” Jason said, his heart beating fast.
Kelly said something to him, but it did not register. Jason opened his door and watched Adam as he shut his. Adam shrugged at him. Jason did not know what it meant and followed Adam to the side of a dumpster on the far end of the lot. A metallic ring rang out.
“You got to piss or what?”
“Yeah,” Jason said. He fumbled with his pants, praying to not be pee shy at that moment.
“You are going to be trouble.”
“What?”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“I guess,” Jason said, relieved to finally pee.
“If you want something you should ask.” Adam slowly tucked himself away.
Jason shook and did the same. “Really? I only wanted to…?”
Adam smiled, cut him off, and said, “Sure, just not here. Let’s go drop them off at that clinic first.”
“Okay,” Jason said in shock. He wanted Adam so bad and it seemed like it was going to happen, but he was unsure. “This is not a trick?”
“No tricks.” Adam laughed.
Everything is moving so fast. Jason reveled in the danger. What’s the worst that could happen?
X
Adam let the Mustang idle in the back parking lot of the clinic. Jason looked out the window amazed at the change of the Montrose. The neighborhood was populated with workers and people of a different sort than the ones that came out at night.
“This is some place, huh?” Jason asked the dead air.
No one responded.
“Here you go.” Adam revved the engine and urged the girls on.
Jason had to scrunch forward as Kelly squeezed out holding the seat for Tanya to follow. Tanya looked afraid, more afraid than Jason had seen her on the train trellis. He almost felt bad for her, almost but not quite. She had been too mean to him in the past, even if it was only in jest. Jason also felt nervous around Adam since touching him. He wanted to break the silence on that topic, but it was better to wait till they were truly alone. He felt Adam’s eyes move from him to the conversation unfolding through the windshield. Silently they watched and listened through the dirty glass.
“Hold my hand. I’m scared,” Tanya said.
Kelly grasped Tanya’s hand. “It’s going to be fine. Do you have your I.D. and the money?”
“Yes, yes I have everything.” Tanya curiously scanned the front of the clinic. “Do you think it is going to hurt?”
“I don’t know, but you’re not the first one to do it.” Kelly shrugged.
Tanya rolled her eyes. “That is so cheesy.” She laughed and wiped a stray tear from her face. “Let’s walk before I lose my nerve.”
“Chin up, girl,” Kelly said and kissed her on the cheek. “Do you really think I could stay at your house?”
Tanya brightened. “Of course you can. I would like that.”
“Me too,” Kelly said and sighed. “I need a home.”
Tanya tilted her head as they walked off. “Where are the protesters?”
Kelly laughed. “What year do you think it is?”
Through the dirty windshield, Jason watched them walk towards the security guard at the entrance of the off-white colored clinic. He turned and Adam’s full attention was on him. Awkwardly, Jason said, “You know what’s funny? She never officially told me she was pregnant. I overheard it.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Adam licked his lower lip. “I don’t think she likes you anyways.”