Surviving

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The brothers found the bus stop the trucker had told them about in a nearby Park-and-Ride. After looking at the map posted in the shelter, they chose the bus they needed to take them to a second stop. When they got there, they transferred to another one that took them into the heart of Denver.

“We’re not in Kansas anymore,” Kel said with a small smile as they got off the bus at a downtown corner. “Or even anywhere close to home.”

“No kidding.” Terry looked up at the buildings with a shake of his head. “I know I’m a small town guy but I’ve seen enough movies. I should have figured this was what it would be like.” He turned slowly, feeling overwhelmed. How do we find a place to go—somewhere safe—with almost no money? “Let’s see what’s over there,” he said, pointing down the side street.

They walked that direction, ending up on what looked like a mall of some sort. There was a street, but no cars, just small busses. It was divided down the center by a granite-paved walkway with trees, benches, and some carts selling food, sunglasses, and other touristy items.

“You look lost.”

Terry turned to see who was speaking. It was a young man, maybe a year older than him he guessed, dressed in very worn jeans and a faded hoodie. His brown hair was shaggy but combed, and his eyes were a deep, piercing blue.

“Very,” Terry admitted.

“What are you looking for?” the guy asked.

Terry glanced at Kel before replying. “Somewhere safe to stay, I guess. Somewhere that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”

The guy nodded. “There’s cheap motels on East and West Colfax.”

“Define cheap,” Terry replied with a small smile.

“Okay, I get the picture.” The guy looked them over before saying, “I’m Rudy and I’m betting you’re not from around here.”

“Good guess.”

“Runaways or just traveling cheap from somewhere to somewhere else?”

“Let’s just say we’re getting away from a bad situation,” Kel piped up.

Rudy eyed him. “How old are you, kid?”

“Sixteen. Just. And I’m Kelly but everyone calls me Kel. Ter’s eighteen.”

“You two brothers or otherwise?”

“Brothers,” Terry replied, introducing himself.

“Sorta figured. I can see a vague resemblance.” Rudy looked past him, beckoning to someone. A moment later two kids who were probably Kel’s age came over. “This is Josie, and Snap.” Rudy grinned. “Snap’s not his real name, believe it or not.”

Terry chuckled. “I believe it.”

“Terry and Kel are new in town,” Rudy told the others, pointing to the brothers in turn. “They need somewhere to stay until they get settled in. Right?”

“Right,” Terry agreed with a nod.

“Somewhere where they don’t ask for ID, I bet,” Snap said. Tall, thin, and blond, he resembled a scarecrow with his spiked-up hair and wide smile.

Terry shrugged. “That would be good.”

“Are you running from home?” Josie asked. She was a pretty Hispanic girl, her long black hair tied back at the nape of her neck with a bandana.

“Yep.”

“Abuse or kicked out?”

“Yeah.”

“Well which one?” she said with a hard look at him.

“I guess you could say abuse,” Terry muttered.

“Guess? Damn, Ter, you know it was,” Kel spat out.

Rudy held up one hand, saying, “Let’s take this somewhere less public.”

It took Terry a moment to realize they were standing in the middle of the sidewalk, in front of a clothing store, and that pedestrians were making a wide berth around them. Rudy pointed to an empty bench on the center island. Josie and the brothers sat, while Rudy and Snap positioned themselves in front of them, Snap with one foot on the bench, Rudy squatting down, looking at Terry.

“Your father?” Rudy asked, sympathy mixed with a bit of apparent personal interest as if he’d been in that situation himself at one time.

When Terry remained silent, Kel said, “Yeah. He’s a bastard when he drinks.”

“Kel,” Terry hissed.

“Well he is.” Kel turned his full attention to the others. “He gets drunk, he looks for something to blame on us and then he takes his belt to—” he chewed the corner of his lip, “—to Ter, because my brother never let him hit me if he could help it.”

“What about your mother?”

“She didn’t stop him. Or even try to. She acted like we deserved it.”

“She treated the bastard like he was the be all and end all of existence,” Terry explained. “If he said something, it was true. Yeah, she never watched, but she knew and he was more important to her than we were.”

“It was just the two of you?” Josie asked.

Terry nodded. “Their two mistakes, and boy did the bastard let us know that’s how he felt once we reached our teens. Before that, he just ignored us as much as possible.”

“Why didn’t you call Family Services on him?” Snap said.

“It’s a small town. He’s popular and wields a lot of power. Besides which, if I had and they didn’t do anything, he’d have taken it out on both of us. I could deal with it, but Kel…” He shook his head. “No way was I going to take that chance.”

“You should have been able to take him on,” Snap stated, looking at Terry.

“Nope. He’s big. Taller than me, and looks like a wrestler. Kel and I sort of took after Mom’s side of the family. She’s all of about five-five and thin as a rail.”

“Sucks, doesn’t it?” Rudy said under his breath.

“It does,” Terry agreed. “But it’s life I guess.”

“Our lives anyway.” Rudy looked at Josie and Snap, who nodded. Then, back to Terry, asking, “You need a cheap place to stay, you said. How does free sound?”

Terry hesitated. “Depends on the catch. Nothing’s really free.”

“Ter, if you’re living on the streets, everything’s free.” Snap grinned. “Ain’t saying it’s good, but it’s free if you’re not too picky. I’m betting the two of you slept rough on your way from wherever to here, so you’re used to it.”

“We did,” Kel admitted.

“And from the look of it, unless you stashed some of your gear somewhere, what I’m seeing is what you have,” Josie put in. “Meaning no blankets or sleeping bags. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“So we can fix that.”

“And you can crash at our squat, if Snap and Josie are okay with that,” Rudy told them.

“Why?” Terry asked. “I mean…hell, you don’t even know us.”

Rudy shrugged. “Karma?” He chuckled when Terry looked at him as if he was crazy. “We, the three of us, got helped out when we first hit the city. Then we banded together and now it’s our turn to…what do they call it? Pay it forward, I think.”

Josie nodded. “Yeah, that’s it. Came from some movie or something I think.”

“So anyway, if you want, you’re welcome to stay with us. At least until you get the hang of things. The only rule is Josie’s off-limits. She’s Snap’s girl.”

Kel chuckled, shooting a quick look at his brother. “She’s too old for me, and Ter’s not into that.”

“I’m sixteen, thank you very much,” Josie muttered.

“Sorry,” Kel said. “I should have kept my mouth shut.”

“Yeah, you should have,” Terry said dryly. “Now they’re not going to want us around. Or me at least.”

“Why not?” Snap asked. Josie waggled a finger at him, and when he bent down she whispered to him. “Oh? Oh.” He looked at Terry and shook his head. “Half the kids out here are gay, or les, umm lesbian for the uninitiated. Kicked out of their homes because their folks couldn’t or wouldn’t deal.” He paused then asked, “Did—does your father know?”

“Hell no! If he did I’d probably be dead by now.”

“s**t, man. That sucks.”

Terry shrugged. “It is what it is. He got off on the beatings, when he’d been drinking. If he’d known I’m gay, he’d have done more than that and he’s got big fists. And boots.”

“Did he ever apologize afterwards? When he sobered up?” Josie asked.

“Nope. Not to me. He did take his belt to Kel a couple of times and then it was like ‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was just drunk and didn’t know what I was doing.’ That was when Kel was younger. I put a stop to that, real fast, and—” Terry spread his hands, “—he left him alone after that.”

“Damn good thing you ran, then,” Rudy said tightly as he stood up. “Okay, let’s get over to the drop-in center and get you some sleeping bags before we head home.” He made finger quotes around the last word, grinning a bit.

* * * *

Kel found a sleeping bag he liked right away. It took Terry longer and while he was digging through the pile, Rudy took Kel aside.

“He’s really gay?” Rudy asked quietly.

“Yeah, and?” Kel replied, his expression tightening at the same time his fists did.

“Hey, relax. I was just asking. It just…I mean him taking the beatings and all for you. You and him aren’t, well you know?” He crossed two fingers.

It took Kel a second to figure out what he meant. Then he didn’t know whether to laugh or punch Rudy’s lights out. “Hell no. I’m into girls, as long as they’re nice and at least sorta pretty. And smart.”

“Okay. I shouldn’t have asked but you two seem close and I’ve heard about stuff like that and…sorry. What I said about Josie goes, though, and don’t forget it. She’s been Snap’s girl ever since I met them.”

“Got it,” Kel replied, feeling relieved when Terry joined them carrying a sleeping bag.

“Remember this place for later,” Rudy told them. “When winter comes they give out boots and warm jackets. Well, until they run out. And you can always get new-old clothes too.” He waved his arm around, indicating the racks and tables in the room.

Terry chuckled. “I sort of figured those weren’t here for display.”

Josie piped up as she and Snap came over, “They give out hygiene packs too. You know, with toothpaste, combs, condoms, all that stuff.”

“Condoms?” Kel’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Yeah,” Rudy replied as the group headed to the front door of the building. “A lot of kids sell themselves to survive. Mostly giving blowjobs but even for those you want the john wearing a rubber.”

“Not happening with us,” Terry said. “Not now, not ever.”

“Never say never. You do what you have to, to stay alive,” Snap told him. “Especially the kids who are into drugs. Before you ask, drugs help dull the pain of the life we lead.”

“You do them?” Terry looked at each of them in turn.

“Not anymore,” Snap replied. “We have each other. That’s why we hang together. And when we did, it was mainly weed. Nothing too hard. But that costs too.”

“We’re clean now,” Josie said proudly, hugging Snap.

As they talked, now on the sidewalk outside the drop-in center, Kel looked at the teens who were hanging out in the area. “Some of them are so young,” he murmured.

Rudy nodded. “Yeah, they are. But when you’re abused by someone, physically or sexually, it can get to the point where running seems to be the only option even if you’re only ten or twelve. And if you’re gay and your folks hate you for that…” He shrugged.

Kel shivered then asked, since they seemed to be heading to a bus stop, “Where are we going?”

“To our private mansion,” Snap told him, grinning.