This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblances to any person, place, or written works are purely coincidental. It may contain consensual sex between young men. Do not read if you find that objectionable or if it is illegal for you to view this content for whatever the reason.
Copyright 2010 Jade, All Rights Reserved. Permission to post electronically is given to www.nifty.org and its affiliated mirror sites only. Otherwise do not post, copy, or use this story in any manner without my permission.
Let me know what you think, phantomscorpio77@gmail.com.
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If You Could Read My Mind
Neville finds himself screwed because his entire life is a lie. He can't get a job or a bank account because Neville Reilly doesn't really exist and he destroyed his real ID over a year ago and threw his wallet out with it.
Getting back to Jonas and Cathy Regan the next afternoon when he shows up for his first shift Neville tries to be as honest as he can without revealing anything.
"I kind of don't have any documents like my social insurance number or a birth certificate and my parents don't want me to have a bank account so I couldn't open one," Neville states. While passing the lie, Neville's happy that it's mostly true. He doesn't have a social insurance card, a birth certificate or any other form of I.D. His father doesn't want Neville to be alive, so by default he doesn't want him to have a bank account either, because dead kids don't need bank accounts.
Based on this and what Bailey related from earlier in the afternoon Jonas sighs inside, figuring that Neville's parents must be hiding from the government. Still, there's something about Neville that makes him want to help. Not only that, but he thinks Neville is the right kid for the job because he'll work that much harder than any privileged kid. He offers, "What if we paid you cash. Not exactly under the table as we can't afford to lose the business. But we could give you the money in cash."
"I couldn't...it wouldn't be safe. You don't have to pay me. I could just work for tips and food. That would be enough," Neville offers.
Cathy can sense the turmoil this causes her husband, "Neville, how about this. You want the money for school, and I'm sensing you're worried about it's safety if we paid you cash. We can create an accrual, it's a sort of account for the business that we can put your money into for when you need it. That way your savings will be safe and you'll have tip money for some spending cash."
Not wanting to let things drag on too long in case there is a legitimate problem Jonas adds, "And we can work on getting your documents for you between now and then."
Neville can't believe that fate is finally smiling upon him, "You can do that?"
"Sure, it's easy enough. By deferring your pay you will pay heavier taxes when you get it, but you'll get that all back come income tax time. Sound good?"
"I don't know. I get paid, get a free meal every shift and get to keep tips? And all I have to do is serve people and clean up? Hey, if you still want me I'm all yours!"
"Well, then lets get you an apron and you can follow Brooke around tonight."
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Later in the day, acting on a hunch and intent on finding Neville's place, Josh heads over to the arena. Wherever Neville lives, he won't be there right now because he's starting his first day of work.
When no one's looking he tries the double doors to the maintenance room. The heavy doors don't give, but the attempt draws his attention to numerous scratches in an otherwise undamaged paint job. Where the striker of one door latches into the other door the security plate is missing, leaving the door latch exposed. All around the inside of the crack between the doors the paint is scratched away. Attempting to duplicate a trick he learned off of a movie he pulls his hard plastic bank card from his wallet and sets it behind the door latch. Carefully easing it forward the round edged striker from the one door is retracted from the other. Putting his shoulder into the door it opens for him.
After spotting the light switch Josh carefully closes the door as quiet as can be and makes his way to it. He turns on the lights and starts exploring. The first thing he does is try the screen that is mirrored in the next room. Scratch marks in the paint again give Josh an idea as to how Neville gets about. Sliding it up and pulling the bottom out, he figures out the latches and frees the screen. Satisfied, he replaces the screen.
When he reaches the back of the room he almost misses it at first, but looking in the shadows in the washroom area his eyes fall upon a Boston Bruins ball cap hanging from the shower head. Neville's Boston Bruins's ball cap. The one that Josh is positively certain used to be his. Turning on the light to the washroom he discovers it's Neville's lair. He just can't believe the bed. Morbid curiosity leads him to try it.
Finding the four foot by four foot walled-in bed lumpy but soft enough, he tries to make out how Neville manages to function day in and day out after sleeping like this. Neville must sleep twisted like a pretzel to fit in here. The shredded newspapers remind Josh of a pen his dad built for their dog Bitsy when she had puppies in his early childhood. He reasons that the layered towels must be Neville's blanket.
Utter shock at his discovery is equally matched with unchecked sympathy. He almost feels like crying with his realization of how bad Neville really has it. And yet Neville never lets on just how shitty his life is. Josh doesn't think he could last a day like this himself.
After heading home Josh returns with a winter coat he's been trying to give Neville for the past week and leaves it on top of Neville's bed. He debates staying but decides it's best to just leave the coat anonymously. Pulling a blank piece of lined paper from one of Neville's school binders he writes a note that simply states, `don't be a shithead about it, just wear it'. Josh is certain it will kill Neville's spirit to know who's discovered his secret so he just draws a couple smiley faces and tries to make it look like one is hugging the other.
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Neville can hardly contain his excitement as he heads to meet Crystal for dinner. Walking the 3 kilometer trek he's full of pride and purpose. Spotting her truck he steps up the side of the rig and taps on the window.
"Hey little man Tate," Crystal greets him, getting out of her truck. Neville's never understood the shout-out to the character from some obscure movie, but always lets it slide.
"Hey Crystal, how's your week?"
"The usual. Had a long delay at the Windsor border. Otherwise nothing special. How about you Honey?"
Neville starts to smile, "I had an amazing week! There's this new family here. Bailey sits beside me in one of my classes. You have to see him. He's not like Josh at all, but he's so cute! And Megan sits with me in English. But it gets better! I ate at their restaurant last week and got to know them this week so they gave me a job! Can you believe it? I worked there last night and over lunch today! One day soon I'll have money to buy you dinner!"
"That's great!"
"I know, but it gets even better! You're not going to believe this but Josh works there too! He was washing dishes this morning and his shirt and pants were wet and he wasn't wearing an apron and well, sorry. You don't need my teenage pornography but he is so hot! If you were seventeen you'd probably want him too. Oh, and check out my new coat! Like, brand new! Davis must have left it in my bat-cave for me, but it wasn't his handwriting and I don't think he'd draw himself as a smiley face hugging me as a smiley face. Still, this is like the best week ever!"
"Way to go my man! You look so good today, so happy," Crystal points out as she locks up her rig and the two walk over to the restaurant.
"Yeah! It's all good until I can't provide a them bank account. I don't know how I can get one without any I.D."
"What happened to your wallet? You never told me you lost it? Did someone steal it or take it from you again?"
"No, I keep my wallet on me, but it'd full of cardboard to look legit. I ditched my Social Insurance Card when I was feeling angry one time, not that I have any photo ID that even matches it anyways right? So I have the job but no way to cash a paycheque. They said they can accrue my pay or something, but it's going to backfire on me some time."
"Did you try to open one?"
"Yeah. I went yesterday and the first thing the guy asks for is ID. There's no way I'm calling home and begging. Kristen would probably help me if she's the one that answered the phone, but I wouldn't know how to even ask her. Calling home and giving my address to them doesn't really fit with running away."
Crystal gets an idea. She's not going to mention it to Neville in case it doesn't work, but she's going to try and open an account and put him as a secondary on it. She'll give him all the information and her client card so that the account really is just his.
"What bank Honey?"
"The Toronto Dominion by the town square. They're open seven days a week now that they merged with Canada Trust."
"So if you don't think it's Davis, who do you think gave you the coat," Crystal asks. She's a little concerned about the bank account, but much more worried that Neville is now at the mercy of some unknown person with unknown intentions.
"I don't know. At first I thought it might be Mrs. MacLeod, but if it was her it sure wasn't her handwriting and she'd for sure have me in a shelter or foster home right now. I can't do either. I just can't. Anyways, then I thought maybe it has to be the new family, maybe Bailey or Megan. They've gotten to me pretty easily. Megan can read me like a book already and Bailey's been asking around about me. Oh, side note; he's so totally gay too. Just you wait and see. But a week after they crash land in my world and I get a brand new winter coat is too much coincidence if you ask me. Thing is, I don't know how, cause when I wasn't at home I was with them. All of them. They can't be in two places at once."
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During his training shifts with Brooke and Megan, Neville never takes any tip money and refuses pay, suggesting that the free meal every shift is fair payment. Sunday breakfast and lunch he is on solo for the first time, while Cathy is training a new lady and Brooke, Bailey, Bethany and Megan are testing out the local curling club. That night he again meets Crystal, spending the night in her sleeper cab and getting dropped off a few blocks from school Monday morning as usual.
Monday afternoon Neville's not sure how to act with Bailey. They're classmates that share a desk for two, but Neville also now also works for Bailey in a way. He unconsciously buries his face in his shoulder when Bailey walks in with a welcoming smile.
"God, I love the smell of my own armpits too, mind if I smell yours," Bailey takes the opportunity as he sits down to jokingly bury his face in Neville's shoulder too, almost knocking him backwards when he catches him of guard.
"You're weird," Neville comments.
"You want weird? Zest. That's your soap," Bailey says with confidence.
"So very weird," Neville repeats, even though his current soap is Irish Springs.
"Yup. That's me. Weird. So, I'm digging the Mavi jeans. Very nice, same as last Monday. The shirt's all good too, you obviously like the layered look, it's growing on me. But here you are all snazzy, and you top it off with that hat and those shoes. I know the hat's not glued in place because you didn't have it at work, but what's up with the shoes?"
Making a mental note that he better set as much money aside as possible and get new shoes, Neville feels incredibly on the spot. Bailey just pissed him off and simultaneously embarrassed him horribly. He shrugs it off and lies, "Whatever. I can't find my other ones."
Ignoring the response Bailey is on to another topic, "I didn't see you at lunch. Where do you eat?"
"Don't care much for lunch," Neville says.
"Where do you go, you can sit with Brooke, Megs, and me. If you want," Bailey says.
"I'm good thanks," Neville says, intending to leave it at that, but knowing Bailey will pursue it, "Maybe sometimes. Mostly I do my homework in the library."
With a job taking up some school nights and parts of the weekend Neville has made a decision to stay disciplined and devote the lunch hour to do whatever homework he has and keep his graded at the top of the class.
"Ewww, libraries. No thanks. So do you eat? You need to eat," Bailey pesters.
"I do eat, thanks. I just next to never have an appetite if you must know. It's not a disorder or anything. I don't throw up or anything. I'm just never hungry, doctors don't know why," Neville retorts.
Partly leaving the subject alone because he knows how frail Neville is and embarrassed to broach it now that he thinks Neville has looked into eating disorders, partly because his mind isn't able to calm down today he taps his finger on a doodle Neville puts on everything, "O L A, ola? What's this ola thing about? Is it like your tag? You put it on everything, what's it stand for?"
OLA is something Neville came up with one day in class as his mind wandered through a boring lesson he was already up to speed on. One Life Alone is his silent motto. He only has this one life and despite being gay and homeless it represents his determination to get an education and a boyfriend and maybe, just maybe have a family with that future man, complete with kids and pets. He has this one life alone to live, and he intends to live it.
Neville focuses on Bailey's hat as he gets his back up and tries a little deflection, "Since you attacked my Bruins cap, what's with your wimpy hat? I see that logo on lots of your stuff. Oh, hey! Speaking of which, what do the Toronto Maple Leafs and the movie Titanic have in common?"
"Yes, I've heard that one; they both look good until they hit the ice. Why don't you eat lunch," Bailey persists.
Neville smiles an evil little grin, "No, I said the movie Titanic, not the ship. And the answer is that both make YOU cry."
Bailey is not put off though. He just adjusts his Leafs cap, "So was that your mom that dropped you off today?"
"Uh, yeah," Neville says, a little shocked. Normally he's early enough on Mondays that he has time for a shower if needs be. No one usually see's Crystal's truck.
"You always get dropped off at school in the family car?"
Neville's a little embarrassed, so without further elaboration only offers, "No, just Mondays."
Hearing the defeated tone in Neville's voice, Bailey realises that he's been figuratively circling Neville like a vulture and needs to cool it. He doesn't want to push Neville away now that he's talking, and he knows he gets a little too excitable. He wants to crack Neville's tough exterior and be friends, but knows he's coming across like a jerk. He knows he needs to change tactics.
"Oh, hey. Thanks for explaining that English stuff to Megs, now we get the book a lot better, I think I aced my essay," Bailey tries.
"Sure, no problem," Neville answers.
Bailey tries a compliment rather than his earlier questions, "So you get good grades I guess?"
Neville shrugs, "Yeah, I'm doing alright in the grades department. It's not all that hard for me I guess."
Throughout the afternoon Neville actually talks in class, first with Bailey in their tech class and then with Megan in their English class. He's starting to feel a little at ease with them, knowing they have no agenda and aren't out to get him.
After classes end Neville rushes to the bank to test his new account by depositing his seventeen dollars in tips from Sunday. Everything with the bank seems copasetic and he's overjoyed that Crystal has done this for him. Also on Crystal's suggestion he gets a direct deposit form so that Jonas and Cathy can deposit his pay right into the account for him. The next day he works he brings the form with him. He's unaware that Jonas especially is still uneasy that he doesn't have a Social Insurance Number to provide.
).:.(<<
Suddenly working on school nights and during the day on weekends messes with Neville's schedule. He knows Bailey watches him like a hawk, much like he Josh-watches. Problem is, after only a week laundry becomes a big concern for him. Accidentally speaking aloud while changing in the storage area of the restaurant, Neville curses not being able to get to his `laundromat'.
Spying on Neville as he changes, Bailey suggests, "Nev, leave a change or two of clothes here at the diner."
Neville acts stupid, "Why?"
"I don't know, if you're having a hard time keeping up with laundry just wear what you wore to school for the day or leave some clothes here if you must change. You can use the diner's washer and dryer for aprons and towels to wash what you aren't wearing."
At first Neville is hesitant, but it beats getting caught wearing unwashed clothes to work. Bailey also talks Neville into wearing an almost new pair of his shoes in the diner, saying they are more appropriate because they have better grip.
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As the month progresses Josh gets his mother a serving job at the diner for the lunch rushes on weekdays, leaving her free to schedule hair appointments around that and make some much needed extra money. In the process Laura Wharton becomes Cathy Regan's first true friend in Charlottetown, and the mothers delicately urge their sons to be friends in the cunningly manipulative yet undetected ways that only mothers can. Neville sees this, and feels a real pang of jealousy, but can't do anything about it.
By the time January final exams arrive Neville is spending much of his free time with Bailey, Megan and Brooke, whoever doesn't happen to be working at the time. He does a lot of studying with Bailey and Megan, but also allows himself to form loose friendships with them, and actually looks forward to the times when they just hang out. On days that he doesn't have homework that he wants to finish at lunch he fights his inner urge towards isolation and sits with them in the cafeteria. He even allows himself to be friendly with Josh again because now he can't avoid him at school or at work. A couple times he talks whoever's free from the diner into catching one of Josh's games with him, either school or house league.
While this is developing, Brooke and Megan also see something else at play. They both are convinced that Neville is one of them in more than friendship. At first it was a gut feeling Megan had, and that's why she sat beside him her first day in school after meeting him the prior week. They believe that a lot of the way he handles himself is because he is actually closeted and desperately trying to protect the secret.
Catching the way Neville looks at Josh, and to a lesser extent Bailey, Brooke pushes in subtle ways to see if she can hook him up with Bailey. It starts with baiting Neville to bring all of his laundry to wash at the diner so that he can get it done while he works, however not knowing he's homeless she uses the angle of saving himself time from the laundromat that he claims to frequent.
She ups her game one Friday night by stopping the dryer on purpose so that he has to stay longer, urging Bailey to help him. Knowing Neville rushes around on Sundays she manipulates things again two days later so that Neville has to agree to leave his laundry for her to finish.
An hour after Neville is gone she calls Bailey over, "Here you go, you may not be in his pants exactly, but you get to fold them!"
Knowing he's been caught, Bailey still plays dumb, "Huh?"
She smiles at him, "You know what I mean, just re-wash whatever you drool on!"
Sifting through the laundry basket of Neville's clothes, pulling out the underwear and five unlike pairs of socks Bailey pleads, "Fine, ya got me. Don't tell Mom and Dad though. Here, look at this. Josh said not to listen to the rumours, but Nev doesn't have two pairs of anything the same. I doubt he actually steals the clothes but it looks like he shops at a thrift store. I mean who buys socks by the one-pack? He doesn't deserve to lose a job he clearly needs just because I have a crush on him. I can control myself."
Brooke flashes a devious grin, "I didn't say this either then, but you better not control yourself for too long. He rapes Josh with his eyes you know? When Josh is spying on the girls in the diner he spies on him. Can't really blame him, don't tell Megs I just admitted to finding a guy hot. But your little lover boy does gets this soft-melted look over him with you too. I think you have a shot. Just don't be stupid this time. Fatten him up a little and treat him right and you may just get him."
"Thanks."
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Following exams the next week a major storm hampers the Maritimes and North-Eastern United States. Piles of snow and everything else are getting coated with a thick layer of ice as freezing rain batters the area.
By early Saturday afternoon the heavy ice has taken down numerous power lines across much of the coastal island, plunging downtown Charlottetown into early darkness under wet, grey skies. Working off gas powered equipment in the kitchen and tea-light candles the diner stays open for the night. Word of mouth spreads and all evening long the diner is full beyond capacity with residents that were unprepared for the loss of power.
Josh does his best to keep up with hand washing plates, cutlery, glasses and frying pans while Bailey and Jonas cook. Working between Brooke and Megan, Neville does his best to steer customers to food that needs to be used up, or meals that are easy on the kitchen. Keeping the doors open until ten thirty, it's nearly midnight when everything is cleaned up and tips get divided. After tipping out to Bailey and Josh, Neville still has more than 50 dollars from the crazy day.
Cathy stops them as they are getting up to leave, "Neville, Josh, you guys are both soaked from head to toe with dishwater. It's freezing rain out there, why don't you two stay the night? Call home and say you're staying."
"Nah, I tried calling earlier but the phone line was bad. My parents will worry," Josh declines first, wondering what Neville will say. The truth is he did call earlier to say he'd be later than usual, but the connection was fine.
Going with the generally accepted premise that his parents are both long-haul truckers Neville wastes no time, "Uh, my parents aren't in town right now. They probably couldn't get home ahead of this storm. I hope they're alright. I have to go there, check on the place."
Cathy crosses her arms, "Well you two better at least change into something dry before you go out into the freezing rain. Neville, you have some laundry you did here earlier today don't you?"
"Yes, Ma'am. I'm sure there's a pair of jeans that will fit Josh too," he says, hoping to get to change with Josh.
"I don't need your clothes Nev," Josh argues, not wanting to wear anything from a boy he likes as a friend but thinks is gay.
"You're dripping a puddle on the floor," Cathy points out.
"You two should just stay. All the rooms have fireplaces upstairs and there's like years of firewood piled up all around the inside of the garage 'round back. It'll be a lot warmer than when you get home," Bailey hopefully encourages.
Josh smiles at Neville, hoping to trap him, "You should stay Nev. If no one's home then your place will be cold as ice and there's no one to check up on you."
Neville refuses, "No, I gotta get home."
Josh knows the lengths of Neville's determination so he reluctantly changes into spare clothes that Neville washed at the diner earlier in the day. Neville never manages to check Josh out up close as the two change separately in the men's and woman's public washrooms.
Bundled up in new winter coats the two set out together, slipping and sliding as they go, occasionally using the other to keep balance.
Knowing where Neville lives, when they get to the block he has to turn down Josh implores, "Nev, just come to my place tonight. We can flip the mattress off my bed for you and I'll sleep on the boxspring."
"Think that through, there's a reason it's called a boxspring. No, I'll be fine."
"I'll sleep on the couch then and give you the bed, just come over, don't be stupid."
Neville starts to continue on his way, "This is your turn, have a good night Josh. Hey, take it easy getting home, you don't have me to keep you upright the rest of the way."
"I seem to recall you're the one that was ass over teakettle more than me," Josh laughingly shouts back.
After half an hour of internal debate at home Josh grabs one of his pillows and a couple thick blankets from the hallway linen cupboard for Neville and stuffs them in a new garbage bag to protect them from the freezing rain and snow combination that is falling outside. Planning on returning home later with an excuse, Josh tells his parents he's staying at Neville's so he doesn't have to walk as far in the freezing rain to work tomorrow. After packing his school bag with work clothes for tomorrow he bundles up in layers just in case; flannel boxers, thermal hockey underwear, jogging pants and jeans for bottoms, an undershirt, two t-shirts and a hoodie up top.
He carefully makes his way the four blocks to the arena and lets himself in the service entrance the same way he got into Neville's lair a week earlier. Sneaking quietly in the pitch black, relying on familiarity of the arena rather than a flashlight, he makes his way to the maintenance room doors. He stealthily opens the door and tries to remember just where things were. Using the old benches that still line the walls of the former dressing room to guide him, he makes his way to Neville, coming across some towels laid out on the benches to dry along his way.
Now that he's here and can feel the cool air on his cheeks he decides he can't just leave Neville alone, and yet he knows Neville will run if he wakes him. Fight or flight he's heard it called. Neville's breathing alerts Josh to where his head is, so instead he sets the pillow on the bed and then spreads out the blankets. Covering Neville with both blankets he discovers that Neville is wearing hockey pants to keep warm.
He debates staying and even sharing Neville's bed. The thought alone makes him uneasy. Sleeping with another dude is gay he reasons, especially with a kid that is gay in the first place. Worse yet, he's pretty certain that Neville is especially gay for him too. He just can't find it in him to put his concern for Neville as a human being ahead of his fear of Neville coming on to him. Decision made, as silent as possible he slips out of the maintenance room and heads up to one of the players benches in the arena.
He stresses over what to do. Should he go back and wake Neville and make him come to his house? Should he report Neville to the school and have family services look into him? Should he talk to Neville about it? Or should he just let it be?
He stares out at the dark arena, aware that every other decision he's made while sitting on the very bench he's laying out on has been so small and inconsequential. Should he hit a certain player and try to fight him, should he try jamming the goalie high glove side, should he ignore the coach and shoot rather than pass, or pass rather than shoot. Those decisions don't affect the life and well-being of a person. Josh falls asleep while debating his options.
In the early morning as Neville slowly wakes he feels incredibly comfortable. Still lightly dozing, he twists into a different position and buries his head in the incredibly soft pillow. The realization makes him bolt awake. He flashes white hot with anger when he feels the blankets he's cocooned in. He feels around himself to figure out just where he is. Realizing he's still in his bed in his make-shift home he casts the blankets aside and gets up onto his feet. Two layers of socks and his feet are still frigid, at least the core of his body stayed warm in the hockey pants that cover him from his knees up to his short ribs.
He grabs for the blankets, noting how warm they kept him. Bringing one to his face he thinks he can smell lemon scented Tide. Josh. It smells a little like Josh's towel. Then again it also smells like anyone else's laundry that uses Sunlight or lemon Tide. He tries the pillow but can't detect anything. It has a used quality to its smell, but doesn't bear someone's lingering perfume or cologne to give away who in his life is on to him.
Stepping out of the hockey pants and cup Neville quietly calls out, "Is there someone here? Davis, is that you?"
Slipping into a pair of jeans he adds, "If you're here just tell me whoever you are. I guess you don't mean me harm because you're looking out for me. I won't hurt you either. Just tell me."
By feel he makes his way around the room but doesn't discover anyone lurking. He has to go to the washroom but doesn't want to flush and alert his visitor, if he has one. Making his way through the screens into dressing room 4 he uses the urinal and doesn't flush. Relieved, he replaces the grates and then steps out into the hallway as quiet as possible.
At first he doesn't hear it as he passes the short hallway leading to the stairway up to the hockey benches. It takes him a few steps past the hallway before it clicks. Snoring. He hears someone snoring. In only socks, his feet don't make a sound as he tiptoes up the stairs. Listening as intently as possible he stops, a step before his head would be revealed. Suddenly he's not sure he wants to confront this person.
His mind races. Is it another homeless person? No, it can't be, this person gave him a pillow and blankets this time and a new coat last time. It can't be one of the Regan's, they don't know the arena. Who the heck is it? He can't even make out if it's a guy or a girl with the quiet snore. The only thing he's sure of is that he doesn't want to provoke a confrontation he may not be able to win or flee from.
Inching back down the stairs he heads to the tuck shop and lets himself in. He grabs the nearest hockey stick he can. Back at the stairs he makes his way partway up them before he freezes. His intent is to jab the person awake, but he can't muster the courage. Instead he starts tapping the stick against the metal railing until he's sure he woke his visitor.
Heart pounding, he clears his throat, "Who are you?"
Josh's heart too is racing, he doesn't answer as he tries to figure the best route of escape.
Neville speaks again, "I'm not a charity case. Why can't you just leave me alone?"
Based on the proximity to him and the direction the voice comes from Josh realizes Neville is on the stairs. He's thankful that he's quick on his heels, having firsthand experience that Neville packs a surprising punch for such a skinny little runt. He hops up the short brick wall behind the bench and straddles the railing.
Neville can hear the movement. He reacts quickly to get himself on solid footing, jumping up the stairs and stepping in front of the other player's bench. While scrunching his eyelids closed he says, "This isn't happening, this isn't real. This can't be happening, this can't be real."
Twenty feet down the row Josh stops and turns. Faking a high pitched voice he answers, "Never said you were a charity case."
From seven rows higher Josh again fakes a voice, "Don't worry. I'm not going to rat you out. I would have weeks ago when I figured out your game."
Neville has only made his way over to the player bench where Josh was sleeping when he hears shoes squeaking and slapping on the rubberized concourse above. He shouts, "Wait, please."
Josh is confident he's put enough room between himself and Neville so he stops and turns once more.
Hearing the footsteps stop, Neville asks, "Are you going to hurt me? Are you going to tell on me?"
Josh keeps it simple in the high pitched fake voice, "No, and no."
With that Josh races for an exit and slams into the door when it won't open. He tries putting his shoulder into it but it is literally frozen shut with ice. He can hear Neville grunt as he clears the railing over the player benches. Josh turns and full out sprints around the concourse to the front doors, finding them locked in place by some mechanism that requires a key he doesn't have. He can't hear where Neville is but he's got to get out. He makes his way to the stairs players use to get down to the dressing rooms from the main lobby and flies down them. He traces a hand along the wall as he runs, knowing the layout of the hallway very well. Finally at the doors he used to gain access to the arena, he bursts through them and runs as best as he can towards the school and rounds the corner.
Once he's out of sight he stops for a second. He thinks he's tweaked a muscle in his leg by running so carelessly on ice and trying to stay up. He can hear the door open at the arena a hundred meters away. Thankfully there are no street lights to reveal his shadow. With no time to waste Josh limps home under the cover of near complete darkness.
Neville heads back to the players bench and hops over it when an urge hits him. He tests the ice to see if the power outage has affected it. Unfortunately it has, so he can't suit up in equipment that he either found in lost and found or stole and play out on the ice like he sometimes does. Rounding the corner of the stairs he grabs the hockey stick and sets about returning it to the little store. Back in his bat-cave he changes back for sleep, once again dressing as warm as he can in layers of shirts and the hockey pants.
The next time he's woken up it's Davis checking on him with a flashlight, "Good then. You're alright."
Neville stares into the light as if mesmerized by it while thinking he's going to get kicked out for his and his unknown benefactor's shouting match.
Davis shrugs at Neville, not that Neville can make anything out behind the flashlight, "I heard some voices. Everything seems fine, the registers weren't touched. Probably just a couple kids out having fun. They didn't come in here did they?"
"No. I heard them too. I was sort of scared, sorry I didn't have the courage to chase them off. But I did hear them leave through the north side doors. I think they were hitting the school next," Neville lies for all he's worth.
Davis again expresses a little concern, "They didn't spot you then?"
Neville returns the concern, albeit faked, "No. You?"
"No, no one knows that room and stairs to it exist anymore save for you and me," Davis answers.
With the flashlight off his face and scanning over him Neville feels the need to explain, "They're like insulation. When I was little I dreamt of growing up to be a hockey player. For a while my parents couldn't keep me from sleeping in hockey pants even though I used to sweat the bed something fierce in them. So now I use these on really cold nights because they keep me warmer. Admittedly it's never warm at the best of times in here."
"Well you do what you have to do to stay warm, just don't steal anything or start a fire. It's even worse up in the attic right now."
"Thanks Davis. If it's better here I can share," Neville offers.
Davis turns to leave, "You're just a boy and homeless or no, boys need their own space. I just wanted to see that you're doing fine. Night, kid."
"G'night Davis," Neville offers and then adjusts his blankets and pillow.
It's coming on 10 a.m. when Neville wakes again. His teeth hurt from chattering. He knows he has to get somewhere warm. Crystal's truck would be warm tonight, and her thermal sleeping bag. But Neville has no illusions that Crystal will be pulling into town tonight, and even if she were, she'd slaughter him for attempting to walk out to the truck stop. Maybe the vagrants in the building downtown will have a fire pit or something he can share if he bribes them with the money in his pockets he thinks, although he still hates the idea of mixing with them.
Then it hits him, he decides to play on his friendships with Bailey and Megan. Josh is right, somehow he needs to find a way to stay with the Regan's until power and heat are back on. Sink-showering with cold water, Neville cleans up as best he can and sprays a can of Brut deodorant all over his torso as well as under his arms. If it kills the smell for hockey players he hopes it will do the trick for him too.
Carefully sliding all the way to the diner on the ice, Neville decides he'll pretend he thought the diner might be open and needs some help. He's surprised when he gets there and it is in fact open, although only a twenty-something couple is in it.
"Pancakes! You are one crazy-ass boy, you know that? What possessed you to even think about coming to work today," Megan questions.
"Thought I'd see if you need anything. Timmy's is closed or I'd have brought you a hot chocolate or something."
"And it didn't occur to you that with Tim Horton's closed that we would be too?"
"But we're not."
"Semantics. We don't need any help, but I think they're about to eat breakfast upstairs. Why don't you go back and grab yourself something and you and I can have brunch down here."
A minute later Neville returns from the kitchen with a toasted western sandwich and a V8, and Bailey with a similar sandwich and milk.
Sitting down with Neville he comments, "Nev, you're the only person I know that drinks that gross crap. Don't you like milk? Chocolate milk?"
"Uck. I grew up on...I had family on a dairy farm. I got turned off milk from seeing the process. You know we're the only animal that drinks milk past infancy? And another animal's milk no less. Talk about gross. So, now you tell me what's wrong with this? It's a daily serving of vegetables in a can," Neville sticks his tongue out at Bailey.
"You're sick to drink that," Bailey teases, sticking his tongue out at Neville in return and then licking his lips.
Neville winks harmlessly at Bailey, "Thanks. Want to know what else is in that besides milk? I guarantee you'd never drink it again, that's for sure. I can tell you but you'd gag."
Bailey winks back, "Go for it, no gag reflex here."
Neville thinks the conversation has decidedly taken on a sexual undertone but can't do anything more as Megan grabs her carrot-bran muffin from the microwave and joins them.
Neville sits and talks away much of the afternoon in the kitchen with Bailey. At one point, hopeful of getting Neville to stay over for the night, Bailey asks, "How was your place last night?"
Neville spins a plausible lie, "Freezing actually. It's kinda why I'm here to be honest. I left the taps all running a tad to keep the pipes from really freezing, but my parents for sure aren't going to make it home in this storm, and the furnace needs electricity to run, right?"
"Then you're not leaving tonight. No arguments, I won't hear of it," Bailey all too eagerly demands.
Neville reflects, `Wow, I got him hook, line, and sinker and hardly had to charm him. Maybe I should sell my ass, I might just do good at it after all!'
Around dinner time Josh strolls into the diner for a few minutes, having checked on Neville at the arena and not finding him. He has a sniffle that Neville seems to be matching, but he's relieved that it's already been decided that Neville is staying the night, maybe more until power is back on. He's unable to come up with a good excuse for stopping in rather than calling, so he grabs some soup and sandwiches to take back home. On his way home he stops in the arena again and gathers his pillow and the blankets that they can use at home tonight, putting them back in the bags he brought them in. Mission accomplished he heads home.
Come bedtime Neville gets nervous about staying with Bailey for the night because it's risking too many secrets. Bailey is nervous about Neville staying with him because he just might make an advance on him if he doesn't manage to keep himself together.
[to be continued]
).:.(<<
Note to the reader:
This chapter took many different directions and a few major overhauls before it took this form. I struggled to not gratuitously destroy a couple themes I feel are crucial to the story while trying to get it to a point where I can start ramping it up. Hit me up with any comments @: phantomscorpio77@gmail.com.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, Jade.