Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 20:50:23 EDT
From: ErastesTouch@aol.com
Subject: Throw Away Kid - chapter 9

Legal Notice:
The following story may contain descriptions of graphic sexual acts.  These
acts may be between boys or between a man and a boy.  The story is a work
of fiction and has no basis in reality.

The author, or his designee, retains copyright to this story.  There may be
no reproducing or distribution of this story without expressed written
consent.

                 *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Throw Away Kid - by Erastes                     Copyright 2000 by Erastes
Chapter 9 - The downside of independence.       April 2002

The boys spent several days hiding out in the countryside, figuring if the
authorities were looking for them, they would be looking harder now than
later.  They concluded that if they stayed out of sight for a while, the
intensity of the search would die down, and then they would be able to move
about more freely.  The trio spent 3 or 4 days hiding out in the hayloft of
some barn they happened across, and they only left it to sneak out to grab
apples off the tree or berries off the bushes when they could, to keep
their stomachs from growling.  It wasn't so bad, for those few days, but
they did decide to move on, even venturing into a very small rural town at
one point, so they could buy some food and drinks they could take with them
and would last for a few days.

They also spent a couple of nights sleeping out in the open, under the
stars, and the weather was mild and dry enough, so there was nothing to
make them regret that decision.  After doing that, they started walking
again, concentrating on getting to their next destination.  It was now
about ten days since they had left the foster home, and the boys were now
arriving at the first decent sized city on their list, but they made sure
it was late afternoon before they began to walk around looking for a place
to stay.  That way all of the other kids would be out of school by then,
and this trio wouldn't look so out of place walking up and down the streets
at that time.  They stashed their gear in some bushes, and then they set
out looking for a suitable place to stay.

The boys spent two days looking for acceptable accommodations in that city,
but they spent the night in between holed up in the stairwell of a burned
out building.  After the second day's search, they retrieved their things
and left the city, heading for another city a few miles away.  Before they
hit the road again, they picked up a few more supplies, not knowing when
they might be able to find another fairly safe place to shop.  The boys
were a little discouraged that they hadn't been able to find any suitable
lodgings there, but they were still optimistic that they would fare better
at their next destination.  It took them a few more days to get to this new
place, and they slept wherever they could while they made their way there.
One night the trio slept in an unlocked tool shed, another night was spent
in some kid's tree house, and a couple of evenings were spent in other
abandoned buildings they chanced across along the way.  None of these
places were ever the best of accommodations, but they served their purpose,
and the boys were able to keep their hopes up that something better would
come along eventually.

The first day the boys reached the next city, they walked around it for
several hours searching, but they really didn't find anything that would
suffice as a somewhat permanent dwelling for them.  They did find an
abandoned, old-fashioned gas station that would serve for a night or two,
but there were so many holes in the roof and through the boards that were
supposed to be keeping intruders out, that the inside was fairly damp,
dirty, and moldy.  During the second day of investigating, they found a
boarded up, outdated factory, but they couldn't find a way inside the
building, so they could check it out.  After walking around a second time,
Steve found a metal bar, which he picked up and took with him, and later he
was able to use that bar to pry one of the doors open enough for them to
slip inside.

Once they were safely standing in the interior of the building, they waited
for their eyes to adjust to the dim interior, so they could look around.
What they found was a brick and cinderblock building, with cement floors
and ceilings, but it was dry and fairly clean, and they felt that this just
might do.  In checking it out further, they found a stairway that led up to
the second floor.  They walked up there next, to see if that area was any
better, and they found a large open area that was fairly well lit.  The
reason for this was that the boards, which had been used to close off those
windows and protect them from damage, only covered about the bottom
two-thirds to three-quarters of the openings.  This allowed some daylight
in, so the boys could look around more easily.  That's when one of them
found another stairway, this one leading to the uppermost floor, so the
trio set out to check out that area too.

The boys immediately concluded that the third floor was in worse shape than
the other two, and it looked as if kids had been throwing rocks at the
uncovered windows at that level, breaking them in many areas.  These
openings made it possible for birds to get inside and make this into a
nesting area for themselves.  The cement floor was covered with bird
droppings, making that area not only less inviting, but also revolting to
be in for very long.  After seeing this, the boys decided to make the
second floor their home, so they picked out the nicest area of the building
to settle into, and then they made their way to retrieve their things.
They had hidden their duffel bags and backpacks while they were walking
around, and once they had returned to where they were hidden, they waited
until after dark before carrying them back to their new abode.  They did
this so they would be less noticeable to others who might see them moving
about, and possibly question what the boys had in these bags.  They might
have concluded they were thieves or something, and the boys couldn't risk
that possibility, so this would make them less obvious as they moved about.
Once they reached the old factory again, they spread their blankets out on
the hard cement floor, stashed the food in one of the duffels, to keep the
insects and other animals out of it while they were gone or sleeping, and
then they looked at each other, pleased with how much they had accomplished
on their own.

After that, things seemed to go fairly well for the boys.  They found
places where they could entice prospective customers, such as a nearby
mall, a public toilet at a city park, and an old, run-down theater where
they showed older movies for a dollar.  They generally didn't have to do
much to perk a guy's interest, usually just casually exposing themselves
while urinating, sliding down in a theater seat and rubbing their crotch,
or seductively eyeing a guy, until he followed him to a more secluded
location.  The men usually spoke first, asking the boys such questions as
'if they were up for a little fun', and then the boys would respond with
something like 'it depended on what was in it for them'.  After that they
would discuss money and location, most of the time just doing things in the
stall of a toilet, or in a quiet place in the corner or balcony of the
theater.  The boys had promised each other that they would never go
anywhere with any of their 'customers', or never get in a car with them,
because by doing so they'd put themselves in greater risk of harm.  The
other thing they did was to have a supply of lubricated condoms with them,
in case their 'Johns' wanted to have anal sex with them.  They were afraid
some of these guys might have diseases, and they wanted to remain safe and
healthy.

The only problem with this plan was, they couldn't buy the condoms on their
own, not without risking questions or problems from the clerks at the
stores, so they had to start stealing them, while the other two distracted
the help.  It was not something they were comfortable with doing, and they
felt bad about not paying for these items, but they didn't see how else
they could get them.  This was not only because of WHAT they were buying,
but more so because of the quantities they would require, without raising
suspicion about why they needed them or so many.  This was one time they
had to go against their better judgment, in order to get what they would
need to protect themselves for the long haul.

After a few days in business, the boys were making quite a bit of money,
and they began to buy things they might need, like clothes and supplies,
and they were now able to go to eat at fast food restaurants and diners.
Once a week they would put all their clothes in one of the duffel bags and
take them to the Laundromat to be cleaned.  In addition to that, they also
worked it into their routine to go to the local Y every afternoon, where
they'd swim, workout, or play basketball, before they showered and cleaned
up to work.  They had purchased each of themselves a membership, so they
would be able to do this legally and without fear of raising suspicions.
When they finished for the day, they'd go back to the factory and change
into something that 'screamed sex', and then they'd make their way to
wherever it was they were planning to hang around for the evening.  It
usually didn't take very long before the got their first 'offer', as they
were all young, in shape, and handsome.

On the average, they would spend about fifteen minutes to an hour with each
guy, unless they picked them up at the theater, and then they might stay
with the same guy for the entire movie.  They would usually charge more for
this, but most of those guys didn't seem to mind the extra expense, as they
were usually able to get off more than once themselves, or be able to play
with or do things to the boys for nearly as long as they liked.  The boys
were even beginning to have regular customers, who would even make
appointments with them for their good times, telling the boys where and
when to meet them.  It wasn't all that much different from their foster
home experiences, but this time they got all the money from their efforts
and they could pick whom they wanted to be with.

Things had been going fairly well for them, but it all began to fall apart
when Steve got into trouble.  It happened after they'd been living at the
factory for several weeks.  One day the boys all went to the park and Steve
saw a cute guy go into the men's room.  He followed him in and stood at the
urinal next to him, but not too close to it, so the guy could get a good
look at what he had to offer.  When he saw the guy looking over at him, he
began to stroke his cock and get it hard, hoping to turn the guy on.  The
man looked at Steve and smiled, so Steve asked him if he was interested in
having a little fun.  The guy said 'sure, but what does it cost?"

Steve responded, 'That depends on what you what to do."

"Give me an idea."

"Well, that would depend on what types of things you were interested in,
and whether you wanted to do things to me or me to do things to you."

"Give me some ideas of what you'd do and how much it would cost."

"Okay.  You could suck me off for $20 and you could stick yours in me for
$20 more.  If you only want to screw me, that would be $30."

"Why the difference in the price?"

"Cuz I give a discount if you want to do more than one thing."

The guy nodded in understanding.  "Okay.  Do you have a place we can go?"

"Yes, to that stall in the back corner there."

The man nodded his agreement and followed Steve back to the cubicle.  He
let Steve go inside first then he followed in after him, closing the door
and bolting it after they were both inside.  "So what would you like to
do?" Steve asked him.

"I'll do the last choice we talked about, where I get to do you two
different ways."

"You mean the one where you blow me before you screw me?"

"That's the one."

"Okay, that will be $40."  The guy dug into his pocket, pulled out some
bills, flipped through them, and then handed Steve two twenties.

"There, that should take care of it."  Steve put the money into his pocket
and began to unsnap his pants, but that was when the guy made his next
comment.

"Sorry, kid, but I'm a cop and you're under arrest for solicitation."

Steve panicked when he heard this and looked for a way out of this
situation.  He tried to drop down and slide under the gap between the
stall's walls and the floor.  The officer was able to grab him before he
could do this, and then the cop slapped a pair of handcuffs on Steve's
wrists, before he dragged him out of the rest room and led him to his
unmarked squad car.  Cam and Bryce were waiting outside, so they saw what
happened, but they didn't know what they could do to help him.  Even the
look on Steve's face was terrifying to them, as they realized how
frightened he was, and they also instinctively knew that wherever he would
eventually be taken wouldn't be a nice place to stay.

Cam and Bryce got out of the park quickly, heading back to the safety of
the factory, and then they began to discuss their options.  "Do you think
we should leave here?" Bryce asked Cam. "Just in case the police get Steve
to tell him where he was staying or if there were others with him?"

"Nah, Steve wouldn't do that, unless they tortured him, but you know the
cops can't do that.  He won't turn us in, but I'm wondering if the cops
might start looking for more boys like us.  They must have had some reason
to send a cop to the park looking for things like that."

"Well, I don't know their reason, but that sure was scary.  How are we
going to help Steve?"  Bryce was very concerned about his friend.

"Damn, I don't know.  I can't think of anything we can do or of any way we
can even find out anything about what's going to happen to him.  I guess
we'll just have to wait here until he returns.  If he gets out, he'll come
here looking for us."

"But won't the cops follow him?"

"Steve won't come here directly.  He'll wander around for a while first,
and then he'll sneak here after dark, when it would be harder for them to
follow him."

"Yeah, I guess you're right.  Okay, we'll stay here then."

The first few days without Steve were very traumatic for the pair, and they
mainly stayed at the factory during that time, going out only to eat.  They
didn't even try to pick up any guys for over a week, as they felt the cops
might be on the alert for such activity.  Mostly they just talked about the
situation, questioning what they were going to do and how they might be
able to learn of Steve's fate.  After many lengthy chats on this topic,
they finally concluded he was beyond not only their help, but also beyond
their ability to learn what happened to him since they last saw him.  It
was a very rough time for both boys, almost as if they had lost a part of
themselves.  No matter how difficult it might be, they accepted the fact
that they still had to survive, so they focused on making that their first
priority.

They didn't turn any tricks for a couple of weeks, and they didn't even go
near those places where they spent much of their time looking to turn
tricks.  When it got to the point where they thought it was safe to go back
to 'work', they chose the theater as the first place to return.  They both
felt the park and the mall were much too open and too conspicuous, under
the circumstances, so they felt the theater would be their best bet, and
they went there looking to make a little money.  They hadn't been there
long before one of Steve's usual customers approached them.

"Damn, where have you boys been?  I thought you might have got picked up
too," the man told them.

"Too?  You mean you know about Steve?" Cam asked him.

"Yeah, I saw him when they brought him to court."

"But how did you know that he was going to be there?" Bryce wanted to know.

"I didn't.  It just happened that I was working there that day, and I
happened to see him being brought into court."

"Working there?"  Cam asked, almost shocked.  "What do you do there?"

"I don't actually work at the courthouse, but I DO work there.  I'm a
reporter for the newspaper, and I went to check the court log, to see what
cases had been handled.  It's for the 'Police Beat' column.  I was just
going into the records area, when I saw two cops leading Steve into the
courtroom.  Just for the hell of it, I followed them in and sat in the back
row to watch."

"Weren't you afraid of getting found out about?"

"Not really.  I was pretty sure Steve wouldn't say anything, and I do that
occasionally anyway, just to learn what's going on.  The people that work
there are used to seeing me around and they probably just suspected that I
was curious about what the young boy had done."

"What happened to Steve?" Cam blurted out.

"He was sent to the Youth Center, over in Columbus.  From what I learned,
Steve must have told them his real name and they found out he was a runaway
foster kid.  Due to that, and the fact that he was charged with
solicitation, they felt it best to lock him up."

"What's solicitation and how long will he be gone?" Bryce wondered.

"Solicitation means you are willing to sell your body to perform sexual
acts, and the judge gave him a year there, provided suitable placement
could be found for him once he was released."

"Oh, damn.  A year?"

"Or maybe more, depending on whether they could find a home for him when
the year is up, one that is acceptable to the court."

"How will that happen?" Cam screamed.  "Who's going to take in a kid who
was selling himself, unless it was like our last foster home?"

"You mean you two are runaways too?"  Now both Cam and Steve realized he
had said too much, but they needed to do some damage control here, so the
guy didn't turn them in too.

"Kind of.  The three of us were together in our last foster home and our
foster father used to sell us to his friends, so they could get off.  When
the cops found out about his 'business', he took off before he could be
busted and all of us boys ran away."

"Then where have you boys been staying?"  They were leery now, afraid that
this guy might turn them in too, to protect himself, so they decided not to
give him any details.

"We have a place where we are safe, so don't worry."

"Are you sure?  Maybe I can help you out."

"No, we're doing fine, but we are worried about Steve."

"Well, there's nothing you can do for him, not until he's released, but you
boys have to be careful, or the same thing could happen to you."

"We know, and thanks for the information, but we'll be fine."

"Are either of you interested in doing something now?"  The guy must have
been very horny, but they were still cautious, thinking this might be a
trap to nab them too.

"Not now, because we're too upset and worried about our friend."

"That's okay and I understand, but when you're ready, I could sure use some
help."  Both boys nodded and then left the theater, wandering around for a
while before they made their way back to the factory, just in case someone
was trying to follow them.  They needn't have worried, but they'd rather be
safe than sorry, so they took the precaution anyway.

After that brief meeting with the reporter, they didn't learn any other
news about Steve for quite some time.  Columbus was about thirty miles
away, so it wasn't even likely that they could travel there to discover
more.  Besides, neither of these boys wanted to get that close to the Youth
Center, fearful they might end up inside instead.  The pair became even
closer now, seeing there was only the two of them, and they often comforted
each other about how things would work out for them.  Eventually things got
back to normal, or at least as normal as it COULD be for them, and they
went back to taking care of their customers.  The only difference was, they
only did things with their old customers or sometimes even with Steve's old
customers.  When one of Steve's 'Johns' would ask where Steve was, the boys
would just tell them that 'Steve had to go away for a while', and then
offer to fill in for him, for the time being.

Things went quite smoothly for the boys for the next few weeks.  They were
able to pick up some money to replenish their depleting stash, yet they
were able to spend more time with each other.  They seldom had sex with
each other, as they were getting enough on the job, but they did cuddle and
kiss a lot, showing each other how much they really cared.  They kept it
cool out in public, like when they went out to eat, but they often wished
they could sit closer together or maybe even hold hands during those times.
Unfortunately, it wasn't quite that simple.

The next bump in the road came one day when they were 'shopping' for
condoms.  They had decided in advance that Cam would get the items they
needed, while Bryce managed to distract the help.  He would do this by
asking for help to locate something or try to get more information about a
product.  When the duo went into the drugstore, they could only see two
employees, the cashier, who was busy ringing out customers, and a stock
boy, who was busy putting merchandise on the shelves.  Bryce went over to
start asking the stock boy questions, while Cam got what they needed.  It
was all going quite smoothly, and Cam was moving toward the door to escape,
when a guy appeared out of nowhere and grabbed him.

He was obviously a plain-clothes security guard, pretending to be a
customer, and neither boy had realized that fact before.  Now Cam panicked
and tried to break away, and he temporarily got loose from the man's grip.
Bryce had moved closer to the action, having left the stock boy behind, and
just as he neared where the two were, the security guard made a lunge to
grab Cam.  Bryce reacted almost instinctively, trying to protect Cam by
making it look like he was also trying to stop him, but instead he would
interfere with the guard's ability to catch his friend.  That move allowed
Cam to bolt toward the door, but unfortunately the stock boy had also come
to the front of the store when he noticed the commotion, and he tackled Cam
before he got away.  The guard stood up and looked at Bryce, and Bryce was
scared that the guard would arrest him too.

"Well, son, I appreciate your trying to help, but you almost made us blow
that one.  Next time you'll need to be a little more careful in how you try
to help, okay?"  Bryce just nodded, grateful that he wasn't suspected of
being involved, so he left the store and waited opposite the front
entrance, watching to see what would happen to his friend.

Inside the store, the guard and the stock boy led Cam back to the security
office, planning to retrieve the goods and giving Cam a warning.  However,
when they got back to the office and discovered how many packages of
condoms the boy was trying to steal, their whole attitude changed.  The
security guard called the police, and asked them to send an officer over to
pick the boy up, while they kept him securely in that office, as they
assessed the dollar amount of his attempted theft.  It was about twenty
minutes later before the cop arrived, and he was merely planning to write
Cam an appearance ticket for court and then release him to his parents.
That was until Cam wouldn't tell him their names or where they lived.

"Look, kid, I'm trying to cut you a break here.  I can only release you to
your parents or I'll have to take you to jail.  I don't think you want to
go there, so just tell me your parents' names."  Cam still didn't offer to
give him any information.

"Kid, I hate to have to take you to jail, but you're not leaving me any
choice in the matter."  The officer seemed to be pleading with the boy now.
"Just tell me where your folks live and I'll take you there and leave you
with them."  Still Cam didn't say a word.

"Why the hell aren't you cooperating with me?" the man asked, reaching the
end of his patience.  "The amount of the theft is too high to just let you
go, and I don't think this store would do that anyway, so all I can do is
turn you over to your parents."  Now the officer began to think like the
boy would, until he thought he understood what Cam's problem was.  That's
when he tried a different approach.

"Yes, I'm sure your folks are going to be upset about what you've done, and
they might even punish you, but don't you think they'll be madder or the
punishment will be worse if we have to put you in jail?"  He eyed Cam,
seeing if he struck a nerve in the boy.  "We'll eventually find out who you
are, even if we have to wait until your parents call the station, to report
you missing.  You might as well save us all the time and trouble."

Still Cam didn't say a word.  "Okay, kid, I tried.  Now I'll take you to
the station and let my superiors decide what they want to do with you."  He
then took his handcuffs out and put them on Cam's wrists, and then he led
Cam out to his patrol car and placed him in the back seat.  Bryce watched
this happen, while he remained hidden from view, and he kept an eye on what
was happening around the police car.  When he saw them bringing Cam out in
handcuffs, all he could think about was the time he saw the same thing
happen to Steve.  Now Bryce began to realize he would be all alone and on
his own, and he didn't like what that meant.  It wasn't that Bryce didn't
think he could survive on his own, it was just that he'd lost his two best
friends, and he knew it wouldn't be long before that probably happened to
him too.

That night Bryce went out looking for Steve's reporter friend.  He checked
all the usual places, but the man wasn't there.  The next night Bryce went
to look again, and this time he found the guy, and immediately Bryce began
to tell him about what happened to Cam.  "The cops have Cam.  They caught
him stealing condoms at the drug store, and they took him to jail."

"Really?  When did this happen?"

"Night before last, I think.  Can you find out what happened to him?"

"I can try.  I'll go to the courthouse tomorrow, and see if he's been
arraigned yet."

"Thanks, and will you let me know what they're going to do with him?"

"If I can, but I can't promise."

"Okay, just do what you can.  I'm really worried about him.  What if I meet
you back here tomorrow, so you can tell me what you found out?"

"Okay, I'll do that, but stay out of trouble in the meantime.  Okay?  If
you need anything like condoms, just let me know and I'll buy them for
you."

"Really?  Thanks!  I can pay for them, it's just we didn't think they'd let
us buy them."

"I understand, but be careful until I see you tomorrow.  I hope I'll know
something by then."

"Yeah, me too.  I'll see you back here tomorrow night."

Bryce left and took the long way back to where he was staying, just in case
he was being followed.  He still needn't have worried about that, because
no one was aware of his existence, at least the dark side of that
existence.  Once he was back in the safety of the factory, he broke down
and cried, not only from being alone again, but because he was genuinely
concerned about his friends.  He actually cried himself to sleep that
night, his tears soaking Cam's blanket, which he used as both a pillow and
a security blanket.  He was still clutching it when he awoke the next
morning, somehow hoping that this nightmare would miraculously end or be
just a bad dream.

That night he went back to see the reporter, to see if he had learned
anything about Cam.  When Bryce saw the guy, he wasn't smiling, but he did
have some news.  "They've got an uunnamed juvenile in the court records,
who was arraigned for petty larceny.  I take it that's your friend and they
still don't know his true identity.  I imagine that they'll continue to
hold him at the local jail, until they learn who he is."

"Is he in with the grown-ups?"

"No, they couldn't do that.  He's probably in some isolated cell
somewhere."

"That's good."  Bryce thought for a minute or two.  "How long do you think
they'll keep him there?"

"Probably only for a few days.  If they don't find out who he is, they'll
probably transfer him to some sort of youth facility."

"Like the youth center?"

"Yes, that is a possibility."

"Well, if that happens, at least Steve and Cam would be back together."

"True, but that's not a good place to be, even with friends.  They've got
some pretty rough boys confined there."  This comment concerned Bryce, as
he worried about Steve's safety, and possibly even Cam's, if he were sent
there too.

"Isn't there anything we can do?  Couldn't you pretend to be his father or
something?"

"No way!  All of my friends and co-workers know I'm single and that I've
never fathered any children.  Besides, if the cops discovered I was lying
to get him out, then they'd put me in jail and want to know why I was
trying to rescue a boy who was stealing packages of condoms.  I don't need
that type of scrutiny in my life.  I'm sorry."  Bryce looked disappointed,
but he did respond to what the reporter had said.

"I understand, but I'm just trying to think of anything we could do to help
him.  I know now that wasn't such a good idea, but at least I was trying."

"That's okay, kid.  I know you're only trying to help your friend, and I'm
impressed by your loyalty to him.  Not every kid would go to all this
trouble.  I think most would try to distance themselves at this time, so
they didn't get into trouble also."

"I can't!  He's my friend and so is Steve.  I have to do what I can to help
them."

"I know, but there is little, if anything, you can do.  I'll keep my ears
and eyes open, though, to see if I can learn anything more about either of
them."

"Thank you.  When this is over, I'll give you a few freebies, and I'm sure
Steve and Cam will too, if we get back together."

"That's not why I'm doing this, kid, but it's nice to know that you
appreciate my efforts.  Other than that, you don't owe me a thing."

"Maybe not, but I will make it up to you."

The pair parted, but Bryce did go back to see this guy each night, until
the reporter had learned more about his friends.  That happened three
nights later.  "I was in court this afternoon and I saw Cam there.  Someone
at the police department, an officer who had worked on Steve's case,
finally drew a connection between Steve and the other missing boys.  In
running a check, he discovered who Cam was, and the court ordered him sent
to the Youth Center in Columbus too.  He's being transferred tomorrow."

"No!  They can't do that," Bryce screamed.  "They can't take them both away
from me like that."  The man wrapped his arms around Bryce and tried to
comfort him, and Bryce just seemed to melt in his concerned embrace.  It
had been a while since someone had hugged him like that, just because they
were concerned about how he was feeling.  Bryce enjoyed this embrace for as
long as he could, while struggling with the reality that he might not ever
see Cam and Steve again.  He hoped his two friends could at least help take
care of each other, especially since he couldn't be there for them.  Once
he had regained his composure, he went back to his sanctuary.

Over the next several days, Bryce hardly went anywhere or did anything.  He
stayed bundled up in the three sets of blankets, using them to make himself
feel safe and more secure, while also using them as a crutch to still feel
close to his two missing friends.  He would generally go out once a day to
eat somewhere, but some days he didn't even feel like doing that, so he'd
go without food altogether.  He did buy some plastic bottles of water,
which he kept at the factory, so he wouldn't dehydrate, and he only changed
clothes every few days, but only after they began to stink or irritate his
skin.

Bryce was now beginning to retreat into his old shell again, conjuring up
thoughts about the father he'd never known, the one who was going to come
to rescue him and take him away from all this misery.  He was now getting a
little weak, from his lack of eating, and he was doing a great deal of
sleeping, allowing his mind time to play out all of his fantasies.  During
that time he conjured up this mental image of a fairly young, good-looking
guy, a man who put Bryce ahead of everyone or everything else.  It led to
some sweet dreams for him, but it also made for a harsher reality when he
awoke.

Once in a while Bryce would venture out to find the reporter, to see if he
had any other information about his friends.  Over time the man learned
that both boys had been sentenced to a year at the Youth Center, but they
would only get released if a suitable home could be found for them
afterward.  Otherwise, the boys could be confined there until at least
their eighteenth birthday, maybe even their twenty-first, and that was
definitely a long time to be confined at that facility.  Bryce thanked his
new friend for all his help, and he even let the guy have sex with him a
few times, of course without even charging him for it.

Bryce wasn't looking for any other men during this time, because he was
afraid of getting picked up by the police and being sent away too.  He
decided he had enough money to survive for quite some time, so he wasn't
worried about that.  Besides, he wasn't spending that much money, so he
didn't need a lot to survive on.  This way he stayed put, kept a low
profile, and continued to survive, but the loneliness was starting to get
to him.  He was beginning to miss his friends more and more, and he hated
being all alone.  He thought he'd have to find another alternative to this
soon.

That night he went to McDonald's to eat, filling his empty stomach and then
using their restroom to clean up in.  He washed his face, arms, and hands,
using the blow-drier to get rid of the excess water, and then he went back
to his hideaway.  For some reason he couldn't sleep that night, as he
thought about Steve and Cam, and he was also trying to come up with a way
he could improve his own situation and end the loneliness he hated so much.
By now he had been up for over twenty-four hours, as it was now noon of the
second day, and now Bryce finally gave in to his exhaustion.  He curled up
in the safety of the three sets of blankets.  And that was how I discovered
him, that first day we met.

Bryce was somewhat confused when he heard me sneeze, and he snapped awake
almost immediately, only to challenge me about what I was doing there.
After looking into my face, and listening to my reassuring words, Bryce
began to feel he could trust me.  He even began to think that maybe I was
even the savior he had been praying for.  He tried not to get his hopes up
too soon, but he told me later that he thought I was so nice to offer to
help him, that he decided to risk it and see what would happen.

After I helped him gather up his things, and took him down to my car, we
threw his things into the trunk, so I could take Bryce home with me.  Bryce
was surprised when he saw my car, saying it was the most magnificent one
he'd ever seen, and he was even almost afraid to get in it with me.  Bryce
was worried that he'd get the seats dirty and make me mad, so I tried to
convince him that wouldn't happen.  I did this by putting a small blanket
on the seat for him to sit on, but that wasn't Bryce's last surprise of the
day.  Soon he also learned that I owned my own business, that's why I was
looking at the factory, but Bryce's biggest shock came when he saw my home.
Bryce thought it was a mansion, nestled in a country-type setting, and he
thought it was really awesome.

Bryce was kind of excited when I suggested we should wash his clothes and
have him take a shower, so he explained to me now that made sure he let me
see EVERYTHING, hoping I might be interested in doing something with him.
He thought this was one way we might get even closer.  Bryce said he
already felt an attachment to me, and he was going to do everything in his
power to use it to his advantage.  Heck, he was even calling me 'Uncle
Kyle' now, using the pretense that he was my nephew, to keep everyone else
from getting suspicious.  He loved it because he felt like he somehow
belonged to me, or that he was related in some way.

Now it was several days later, and Bryce was just finishing telling me
about his past, and it had been a long, exhaustive tale.  Now that it was
over, and I knew all about him, he looked at me, to see my reaction.  He
could tell that I was hurting for him, after learning about all he'd been
through.  Now I pulled him to me, wrapped my arms around him, and kissed
the top of his head.  Then I spoke to Bryce.

"You're safe here, little man, and I'll do everything I can to keep you
here with me.  I'll try to never let anyone harm you, ever again."

That turned out to be just what Bryce needed to hear, finally finding
someone who really wanted him, not just wanted something from him.  He was
ecstatic and turned his head upward and kissed me on the lips, at the same
time stroking my package through my swim trunks.  I pulled back.

"You don't have t do that any more," I told him tenderly.  "You can put
that behind you now."

"But I WANT to do it this time, not because I have to or because I need
more money."

"I know, but I would never take advantage of you like that."

"You wouldn't be taking advantage of me, I'd be taking advantage of you."
He said that with this innocent, almost angelic expression on his face.

"That's just in your eyes.  I or the law wouldn't see it like that."

"Why not?  I've had sex with enough men to know what I'm doing, and I want
to do it with you."

"But you're not old enough to make that decision."

"Well, I should be then.  I've been forced to do this before, but now I
WANT to do it.  Why shouldn't I be allowed, if it's what I want?"

"Well, it's because of the way the law is written, and it's written that
way to protect young boys like you from dirty old men."

"Well, it doesn't work!  All it does is stop me from loving someone I
really love."

"Bryce, you can't be sure of that."

"I can too, and I am."  With that he wrapped his arms around me, kissed me
passionately on the lips, and then he pulled back, looking me in the eyes.
"See, I really do love you."

"Well, it's something we'll have to discuss more later, but how about we
take another dip in the pool, before I fix us both something to eat."

"Sounds good to me," and with that Bryce bounded from my lap and raced
toward the water.

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