Click here for Chapter One
Jason stared at his image in the mirror. His eye was various shades of green, purple and brown, a sludge of colours that dirtied his cute boyish looks. He debated buying cover up makeup knowing his looks were the driving force of his business, but he decided to wear his hair differently. He parted it near the left side and allowed the length of the right side to fall forward over his forehead and to partially cover his discoloured eye. In the dark, the men wouldn’t notice the blemish and he was happy with the new look. Maybe, he thought, he could visit the coffee shop earlier tonight and show it off to Eli – see what reaction, if any, he would get.
A bang at the door startled Jason. When he opened the door, Jim barged in, almost hitting Jason in the face.
“Where’s last night’s money, boy?” he asked.
“Hold on. I’ll get it.”
“You better have more for me today otherwise you’ll have a matching set of eyes for tonight.”
“Here you go. It’s all I got. I didn’t even take last night’s share. Please don’t hit me.”
Jim sifted through the crumpled bills and a smile formed across his face. “This is the Jason I know. When you whore enough, you make enough. Look here, I’ll even give you ten percent of the proceeds.”
Jim set a few bills on the desk by the door. Before he left, he said, “Keep it up and we won’t have any more accidents.”
When Jim left, Jason let out a sigh of relief. He took the cash and stashed it in a tin under his mattress with the money he was saving to leave this town and start a new life in one of the big cities he heard about from some of his clients: Chicago, New York, San Francisco. Maybe he could convince Eli to come with him or find someone like Eli to love him. He was tired of the tricks and being used as a sex object for older, unloving men. He wanted someone to hold him, to touch him gently, to kiss him, to spend evenings talking, making dinner, holding hands, watching movies…all the things that couples do. He wanted a boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Eli was cleaning up after the evening rush. He enjoyed washing and drying the coffee mugs most – each one was unique and it gave him a sense of accomplishment when he saw the eclectic mix of mugs lined up on the shelf clean and dry. It also helped distract his mind from the bullies at school. No matter how hard he tried to go unnoticed in school, there was always some incident where he was cornered by a handful of boys taunting him about his limp and his sexuality. Some of the girls called him ‘faggot’ while others watched or ignored the incidents. He never reported the kids who bothered him because the repercussions would worsen their interactions. Besides, most of the teachers thought he was invisible. Mr. Assuage was the only teacher in the twelve years of his schooling that told Eli he had potential. Mr. Assuage taught the hospitality class and Eli was a natural at cooking and baking. He also baked the weekend scones for the coffee shop and they were the coffee shop’s biggest seller. One day, Mr. Assuage promised, Eli would have a work study program with a pastry chef at one of the best restaurants in town. There weren’t many, but it would be a great way to earn the experience he’d need to escape this town and find a job in a city where they’d accept someone like him. Someone he was still coming to terms with.
He thought of Jason. He remembered what Jason said about leaving this town. Would he be willing to have Eli tag along? Maybe Eli was too childish for Jason, lacking the kind of experience one needed to live in a city. Perhaps one day he’d have the courage to ask Jason.
“You look deep in thought,” said a smiling Jason.
Eli was startled and dropped the coffee mug in his hand. It shattered all over the floor. Jason came around the counter and helped Eli pick up the broken pieces.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he told Eli. Eli blushed and remained quiet as he cleaned up. Their hands touched when fetching the same piece of broken mug and a surge of electricity zapped Eli. He bounced back and fell on his ass.
“You felt that too?” asked Jason. He smiled at Eli. “I guess there’s a spark between us.”
“Why are you behind the counter, Jason?” asked an irate Brenda. “Customers stay on the other side of the counter.”
“Sorry ma’am. I wanted to help Eli with the mess I caused.”
“You broke my canary mug?”
“I startled Eli and he dropped it. But it was my fault. I’ll pay for it.”
“Nonsense. I’m not happy that my canary mug is forever lost in the cemetery of broken mugs, but I’ll manage my sorrows. Did you want your usual coffee?”
Jason nodded.
“Grab a seat at one of the booths and I’ll send it with Eli once we clean up this mess.”
Jason obliged. When he left, Brenda smiled at Eli and said, “Leave the broken mug for me. Grab Jason his coffee and take your break. Talk to him. I know he likes you as much as you like him. Did you see the way he looks at you?”
“Wha-what are you talking about, Brenda?”

“You’re not fooling anyone, Eli. And that’s ok. You should be happy with who you are. You’ve had enough pain in a lifetime for someone so young. Be yourself and enjoy life. Don’t hide from it. Now take that coffee to Jason and talk to him otherwise you’ll have to deal with my anger over this broken canary mug.”
“It’s a yellow oriole, not a canary.”
“Go!”
Eli took a mug and filled it with coffee before he hesitantly joined Jason at his booth. Jason wore a huge smile when Eli sat across him. Eli noticed Jason’s new hairdo and he liked it more than the spikey hair. Should he say something, he thought? He wanted to but words didn’t come easy around most people, especially Jason. Did he like Jason? Was Brenda right? Was this the meaning to all his feelings?
“Eli? Are you there?” asked Jason.
“Huh? Yeah. I’m here. Why?”
“I asked you how long you could stay and chat. I’m here a little early today and it gets lonely sitting in a booth alone.”
“I have a fifteen minute break.”
“Well that’s better than nothing.”
“I like your hair.”
“What?”
“Shit. Sorry. Th-th-that was s’posed to stay in my h-h-head.”
“No. I’m glad you said it. I didn’t think you noticed.”
“It looks nice-nicer than the s-s-spikes.”
“Then I’ll style it like this every day. Just for you.”
Jason smiled. Eli blushed. They continued this banter and exchange of smiles and blushings until Eli mentioned he should return to work.
“Want to come by my place after school tomorrow? I can serve you up another JD and cola,” said Jason.
“Ok.” Eli smiled and walked to the counter. When he turned back, he noticed Jason watching. Jason smiled and Eli blushed, again. Was this really happening? Did Eli make a friend? A friend who could be more than just a friend? A friend with whom he could run away to a city and make a new life?
***
That evening, Eli tossed and turned in bed, unable to snatch the sandman and conjure up a spell of sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about Jason and his work. It bothered him more than usual – a burning anger boiled in his chest thinking about the men who would use and maybe abuse Jason so he could make money to keep Jim from hurting him.
He sat up and scrounged in one of his bags for a pair of old boots. In one, he hid his money. He decided to count it. One thousand and forty-three dollars. Was that enough to take him and Jason away? He’d propose it to Jason after school. The thought of Jason smiling and agreeing to the plan made Eli’s body tingle and it felt good. Good enough to reduce the burning in his chest.
Morning took a long time to arrive and when it did, Eli was exhausted. He barely slept. But he was determined to get through the school day and rush over to Jason’s afterwards.
Brenda had a new stack of clothing for Eli to choose from and he chose a burgundy t-shirt and a dark pair of jeans. He ate his breakfast, kissed a surprised Brenda on the cheek, and left for school.
As usual, he slithered through one class to another like a ghost unseen from most. The kids ignored him and he didn’t participate to be noticed by the teachers. It wasn’t until hospitality class that his presence was acknowledged by Mr. Assuage.
“Eli,” said Mr. Assuage, “I think we might be able to get you out of this place and into a work study program sooner than I thought.”
“Oh,” replied Eli.
“I thought you’d be more excited for this opportunity,” said Mr. Assuage. “It’ll allow you to leave school and keep yourself away from the other students.”
Eli liked this idea. “When would I start?”
“I’m finalizing some details with a pastry chef and I’ll need your mother to sign this permission form.”
“M-m-my mo-mother? Wha-what if she says n-n-no?”
“We’ll make sure your mother is well informed on the positive impact such an experience could have on your future.”
Eli nodded his head and took the form with some hesitation. He was nervous about seeing his mother. He dropped by to bring groceries but his mother was always passed out on the sofa. Would she be able to have a conversation with him? Maybe he could convince Brenda to forge his mother’s signature.
The rest of class didn’t go well. Eli was too nervous to prepare his cake properly and it didn’t rise the way it should. He felt as deflated as his cake. He threw the cake in the trash before showing it to Mr. Assuage. It was a rare moment of anger for Eli. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for being a pastry chef. He was going to make a fool of himself and embarrass the school at the work study program. Maybe he shouldn’t do it. He stuffed the permission form in his bag and would rethink it before presenting the idea to Brenda.
On his way home from school, Eli was approached by George, Jeff, Bryan, and their girlfriends. All six made fun of Eli, calling him a ‘faggot cripple’ and kicking dirt at him. They got louder and more physical the more Eli ignored them. Soon he was on the ground, crouched in a fetal position trying to protect himself from the kicks. Eli momentarily escaped his body and thought about Jason. He thought about running away with Jason. Every kick reminded him that he couldn’t take the harassment anymore and the work study didn’t seem like a viable option now that he proved he couldn’t even bake a simple cake. If Jason would consider running away, they could also get Jason away from Jim and the slimy truckers that used him. That was the best plan – to run away – and it had to happen today.
When Jason opened the door, he almost collapsed at the sight of Eli. “What happened, Eli? Who did this to you?” he asked as he helped Eli onto one of the beds in the motel room.
“It’s n-n-not the first time.”

“Someone beats you up regularly?”
“More than one. It’s a g-g-group of them. All of them, really. N-n-no one likes me at school.”
“This doesn’t make sense. Who could hate you so much to hurt you this badly? You’re the sweetest, nicest, and gentlest guy I know.”
Eli shrugged and tears formed in his swollen eyes. Jason sat next to him and gave him a side hug. Eli cringed from the pain but was also filled with an ecstatic feeling of intimacy. He couldn’t remember the last time someone hugged him – maybe his mother when he was a baby.
Eli was overwhelmed with emotion and began to cry. Jason pulled him closer to his body. Eli’s body was bent with his head in Jason’s lap. Jason ran his hand gently through Eli’s hair and said, “It’s alright, Eli. Let it all out. Let go of all the pain.”
Jason used his other hand to gently rub Eli’s shoulder, back, and neck. When Eli looked up at Jason, Jason wiped the tears from his eyes, took Eli’s face in both hands, and kissed him. It was a short, gentle kiss on the lips but it filled Eli with a mixture of foreign emotions, emotions that were too much to deal with at this moment. Eli continued to cry and Jason held him.
“You’re gonna be alright, Eli. I’ll take care of you.”
A couple hours later, there was a light knock on the door. It was barely loud enough to wake up Jason. Eli was asleep in his arms. He gently pulled himself away from Eli and answered the door. It was Brenda.
“Jason!” she exclaimed, “I’m sorry to bother you but I’m so worried about Eli. He didn’t come home from school today!”
“He’s sleeping,” he whispered as he opened the door and pointed to the bed.
“What happened to him?”
“A group of kids at school.”
Brenda was speechless. Like Jason, she couldn’t understand why anyone would want to beat up the sweetest kid in town. She ran over to the bed and surveyed the damage to Eli’s tiny body. He looked smaller than usual, curled up the way he was on the bed. He had a cut above his right eye, his lip was cracked and swollen, and bruises formed patches around his face, neck, and arms. She couldn’t see his torso or legs, but they probably looked just as bad as the exposed skin.
“Could you help me take him home, Jason?”
“He can stay here. No one will bother him. I can watch him.”
“What about Jim? I don’t want that man anywhere near Eli!”
“Jim already came for his money. He won’t have any reason to come visit until after my shift tonight.”
“I’ll grab some food from the coffee shop and the two of you can eat something when he wakes up. If he worsens, please let me know.”
“I will, Brenda. Thank you.”
“Thank you for being a friend to Eli.” She gave Jason a hug and hesitantly left the room. Jason returned to the bed and pulled Eli close to him. He held him thinking about their kiss earlier today, the ache he felt when he saw Eli battered, and how much he wished he had enough money to take them both away from this awful town.
An hour later, Jason gently woke up Eli. “Hey buddy, it’s time to wake up.”
“Wh-what time is it?”
“It’s getting close to my shift at work. I thought you should eat something that Brenda brought us and maybe have a shower before you left.”
“Brenda was here?”
“Yeah, she was worried when you didn’t show up.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been a ha-ha-hassle to both of you.”
“You’re not a hassle, Eli. Stop beating yourself up worse than those kids. You’re hurt and we’re here to help you heal. C’mon. Let’s take off these dirty clothes and get you washed up.”
Eli slowly rose from the bed and stood awkwardly in front of Jason. Jason gave him a tiny smile and asked, “Does it hurt too much to raise your arms.” It did hurt, but Eli raised them without complaint. Jason slowly took off Eli’s shirt exposing his bruised, skinny, hairless chest. He had some underarm hair that matched the dark brown colour on his head. Jason gently rubbed a few of the bruises on Eli’s body and shook his head in sorrow.
“Do they hurt?”
“Yeah.”
“I could kill those kids that did this to you.”
“It-it’s okay. I feel o-okay with you…now.”
Jason smiled and kissed Eli. This time, Eli returned the kiss and his body exploded with tingles of excitement.
“Did anyone tell you that you’re a really great kisser?” said Jason.
Eli shrugged and shook his head. “You’re my f-f-first kiss.”
Jason smiled and pulled Eli closer to him. He gave him another kiss and said, “Take off the rest of your clothes.”
“W-w-what?”
“For the shower. Take your clothes off so we can get you all washed up. I’ll set up a towel and you can use the soap and shampoo in the bathroom. I’ll get ready for work while you clean up.”
Jason gave Eli another short kiss and scooted him to the bathroom. When Jason closed the door to the bathroom, Eli felt dread shroud his body. He momentarily forgot that Jason would soon be hopping from one truck to another, sharing those same lips with strange men. It saddened him and he wished he could take him away tonight.

After Eli’s shower, Jason escorted him to the coffee shop. He grabbed a cup of coffee to go from Brenda and smiled a goodbye to Eli. Eli watched with melancholy as Jason left the shop and disappeared into the lot with a half dozen parked eight-wheelers.