Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2012 23:13:32 -0700
From: califox08@hotmail.com
Subject: Trust Me Part 2

All the usual disclaimers apply. If your local laws
prohibit you from reading this then please leave now.
This is a work of pure fiction. Any resemblance to actual
people or events is purely coincidence.

Thank you SO MUCH for all the people that stepped up and offered to help
with editing. I really do appreciate it! Please feel free to leave feedback.

Califox08@hotmail.com

                                 Trust me Part 2


     I stood in the doorway, not even sure of what to say. I peered inside the various
boxes that were scattered about the makeshift home and couldn't find a single
piece of clothing that was actually worth hanging onto. I started looking for
things that could possibly give me a clue of who this kid was. Some pictures of
family, a Gameboy, maybe even some syringes or other drug paraphernalia.
Basically anything that could give me a hint. Sadly, there was nothing. This kid
either sold everything to stay alive or had nothing to begin with.  Everything this
kid had in life was more than likely right here in this 10x10 room... and I
wouldn't even bother retrieving it if it was left behind.

     As I contemplated my options of what to do I couldn't help but notice the rain
was slowly seeping inside the doorway.  I watched the puddle slowly expand
and consume the edge of the room. As it crept within the kid's view in his
slumped position he quickly tore the sheet off the mattress to preserve his
sleeping area. I don't know why that was so hard to watch for me but it was. I
couldn't take it anymore. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I did know
that this room was now officially in this kid's past. He'd never sleep in here
again.

     "Wait here." I told him

     "Please don't have me arrested... I'll do anything." His voice was shaking. The
boy was obviously trying to hold it together and conceal his emotions.

     As I heard those words walking back to my car, I instantly froze. I looked over my
shoulder and saw him sitting helpless on the mattress... Oh, how easy it would
have been... I've fantasized about such scenarios many times, but how you
actually handle these sorts of situations make up what kind of person you are...
Fortunately for him, I'm not that kind of person.

     I walked back to my car and sat inside for a moment.  I knew that he was going
with me, but to where, I wasn't sure. Should I turn him in? What if he ran away
for a legitimate reason? What if he doesn't even have a family? All these
questions were racing through my mind. I began to space when I noticed the kid
peeking outside. I started my car and pulled forward, rolling down my window.
"Get a box of stuff you want and put it in the back seat." Although he was only a
few feet away I had to shout in order for him to hear me over the pelting rain.

     "Where are you taking me?" The boy asked.

     "Just hurry up and get in."

     I tried to look directly into his eyes to show him that I was sincere, but he didn't
know me well enough. All he saw me as was a person taking him from what he
knew.

     "I' can't go home and I'm not getting turned in!"

     He began to walk backwards in the rain, away from my car. There was nowhere
for him to go, unless he chose to scale the wall, barb wire and all. I got out of my
car and approached him with my hands in my pockets. I wanted him to feel as
though this was his decision as well and not just my own. I've always believed in
reasoning with people. I've found that even the youngest or least intelligent
person can often get to your exact mindset if you know what to say or how to
behave.

     "I won't turn you in. You can come home with me for now." I didn't even know that
myself until the words came spilling out of my own mouth... at least now I know.

     There was a long pause as we glared at each other from several feet away. My
brights were on as I stood directly in front of my car. I don't know if he was
trying to read my true intentions but if he was, he more than likely wasn't
getting much from the black figure casted over him from the halogen lights.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally started walking towards me.  I
expected a brief exchange of words, but he simply brushed past me and started
collecting what few things he had.  I got back in my car and waited for him. He
was more than likely packing nothing but ratty clothes, but on the off chance he
wanted some privacy for whatever reason, I thought I should respect that. I
grabbed both towels from the back floorboard and laid them over the passenger
seat.  The kid was soaked but also rather dirty. I didn't think he'd look too far
into it with so much rain and all.

     As he was exiting the small room he looked back on it one last time. I'm not sure
if he was checking for things he might want to take or if he was simply giving the
place its final farewell. With one hand on the ripcord and the other clutching a
box under his arm, he shut the door and slowly walked around to the passenger
side of my car.

     He loaded his things in the back quickly enough but seemed oddly hesitant
when I asked him to join me in the front seat. He reluctantly nodded his head
and did as he was asked. As I got to the front gate again I opened my door and
nearly got out leaving my keys in the ignition. It would only take a few seconds
to open the lock, but it would take even less time for him to switch seats and
take off in my car. However unlikely, I decided to play it safe and take my keys
with me as I performed this simple task. I pulled the gate open and rejoined the
kid as I slowly pulled out of the lot. I then realized I had to awkwardly do this
again to lock the gate back up...

     "You don't have to take your keys..." His eyes never left the floor as he muttered
those words It's as if he read my mind. Although this was incredibly stupid, I decided to show
him this sign of trust, leaving my car with him as I locked the gate. I'd be lying if I
said I didn't do it in a hurry but was relieved to see he was staying in his seat to
himself.  I returned with a small sense of satisfaction that he kept his word and
with that, we were off into the night.

     As we made the trip home I could tell he was doing everything in his power not
to make eye contact. He propped his head up with one hand, looking out the
passenger window rather than out the windshield. My windows were tinted and
that combined with the dark night, I doubt he could see much of anything. I've
never cared for driving in a car with clear windows all around. It makes me feel
as though I am on display in some sort of fishbowl.

     "So, what's your name?" I asked. He didn't respond as I suspected. I gave him a
quick look up and down and then noticed he had a cut on his forearm; more
than likely from the spill on the wall. "You're bleeding." I said in a soft voice. I
reached over and touched his arm and he instantly pulled away from me. I
thought I would try to talk. Maybe get him to warm up to me a bit. "... You
know, one time, when I was a kid, my parents and I adopted this dog... It was a
really cute Corgi and my parents let me name him 'Hot Dog.' I know that is sort
of lame but I was super young... Anyways, he was abused before we got him.
Some assholes kicked him a lot I guess and he was afraid of everything and
everyone. We brought him home and I remember the first thing he did was curl
up in a ball in the corner of our back patio. After a few weeks of him not
warming up to us, I got sad and started to cry a lot. I look back now and
obviously understand that it wasn't my fault, but I was so young at the time. I
only saw it as him not loving me... We eventually gave the dog up to somebody
else... I often look back and wish I'd given that dog more time. I sometimes
wonder if he ever found a good home, or if he was just given away from one
owner to the next." This was one of those moments where the point of the
story was clear to me, but could possibly be lost in another person's eyes. I
decided to sum it up to avoid looking like a rambling fool. "... My point is that I
know you don't like me right now... but that's ok... that's all."

     The rain was letting up as I got closer to home which made the drive that much
more awkward with the newly found silence. I wanted to turn on the radio, but I
didn't want to discourage the kid from talking. As we were stopped at a red
light, I noticed I was shaking my leg uncontrollably. I tend to do that when I am
nervous or uneasy. The kid, on the other hand, never made a sound and never
moved a muscle. He reminded me of myself when I was deep in thought;
completely absent to the world around him.

     "We're almost there." I announced.I was definitely beginning the feel the effects
of being awaken so early. My eyelids felt heavy and I had a sense of nausea from not eating.
That's when I realized just how hungry this kid must be. There wasn't a single place open at
this time of night. Even if there was, he couldn't go anywhere looking the way
he did... I think I had some eggs in my fridge and possibly some milk for cereal. I
never ate at home much.  My ex-boyfriend used to make all the meals. I never
really learned the fine details of cooking and, as a result, ate out almost every
day. If I hadn't been blessed with a fast metabolism, I would more than likely be
the size of a house. I care too much about my appearance to ever let myself slip
like that, but I would definitely have to change my eating habits if my body ever
decided to slow down.

     I finally turned into my driveway and started the climb up to my house. This was
the only time I ever saw the kid actually take an interest in his surroundings. His
facial expression changed from annoyed to blank and expressionless. I had that
feeling that if we had been on good terms with one another, he would have
commented on how nice my house was, but he was still putting up his front. I
clicked the remote on my visor to open the garage door. He was probably
expecting multiple sporty cars as it is a 3 car garage. However, that was not the
case. Being well off is still very new to me and although I splurged on the house,
I wasn't about to blow all of my money and fill it with the items it truly
deserved.  The G serves me well for the time being. No need for other cars just
yet.

     He exited the car hastily and retrieved his things from the back seat. By the time
I put my gun back in the glove compartment, he was already standing by the
door waiting for me to grant him entry. I walked over and held the door open
for him, but it was still dark in the house. He took several steps in and halted;
worried he would crash into a wall. I led the way and flipped on the lights as we
walked down the hallway.

     "Just put your clothes down here." I pointed to the laundry room as we passed
it on the way to the kitchen.  He let to box go from waist height and let it drop
to the tile floor with a thud.  That led me to believe that my suspicions were
correct and that there was in fact, nothing valuable in that box. I flipped on the
lights in the kitchen and found Chibi doing his morning jog on his exercise
wheel. The second the lights were on and the shadows retreated, he was
instantly running under a cloth blanket for cover. I always found it amusing how
he acted as though he was "caught" in the middle of doing something bad and
guiltily ran away if he wasn't safely hidden in the darkness.  I crossed my arms
and stood between the living room and the kitchen as I turned to face my new
guest.

     "You should go upstairs and clean yourself up... Second door on the left is the
bathroom. Take a nice long shower. There is also a new toothbrush in the
medicine cabinet so help yourself to it and use whatever you need.  Also, just
throw your clothes in the hallway when you get in. I'll get your clothes cleaned
and make us something to eat. You can use the black robe hanging on the hook.
It's a spare and it's clean." Actually, it was my ex-boyfriend's and I couldn't bring
myself to throw it out for whatever reason.  Regardless, it was clean and it now
served a purpose. Those details weren't important at the moment. I still didn't
even know this kid's name.

     I entered the kitchen and began to rummage through my incredibly limited food
supply. I was relieved when I discovered the frozen waffles in the freezer. I
turned around and the kid was just staring at me. He looked confused, but it
was probably just uneasiness with the idea of surrendering all of his clothes to
me.

     "What are you waiting for? Go." I said.

     With that he left the room and bounded up the stairs as I began to walk to the
laundry room and get the washer ready. I picked through his wardrobe one
piece at a time and threw it in the wash. He had 5 shirts, 3 pairs of shorts, and a
mound of underwear and socks at the bottom of the box. Once I reached that
point, I simply took the container and dumped it over the washing machine. As I
was closing the lid, I noticed a small piece of folded paper. I reached in and
grabbed it just as the pile was about to be completely submerged in water. It
was nice, or rather, a very fancy folded note. I'd even be tempted to call it
origami since it had so many folds and intricate patterns.  I pulled at one crease
in an attempt to see if I could easily read and fold it back up without him
knowing but there was no way. This looked like something that a high school girl
would painstakingly fold for 5 minutes for her boyfriend. I just didn't have the
knowledge or the "note-folding-skills" to trust myself with unfolding it. Although
my curiosity was as high as humanly possible, I left it alone and threw it on the
countertop as I made my way upstairs to get the last of the kid's clothes.
He did as he was told and left everything in a nice folded pile outside the door.
As I was throwing the remainder of the clothes in I thought it would be best to
check his pockets for anything he might have forgotten to take out. Nothing in
the front pockets but I could then feel a rectangular shape in the back pocket. A
wallet! I thought to myself. To my disappointment there was no ID inside; just
fourteen single dollar bills and a bunch of business cards for random taxi and
shuttle services. I threw the wallet on the counter with the note as I started to
make the incredibly early breakfast.

     As the last of the waffles were popping up from the toaster, I heard the water in
the shower stop. I was just getting our plates on the table when I looked up and
saw this now freshly cleaned kid standing at the base of the staircase. He really
was beautiful. Although the robe covered most of him, I could now see his legs
for the first time in the light. He didn't have much hair on his calves or shins, but
what he did have was sun-bleached to a bright blonde.  The dark robe seemed
to contrast with his light hair and eyes; almost giving off the illusion that he was
somehow glowing. I've looked at younger guys all of my life and I feel that, in
some ways, I am not totally normal for being attracted to what I am. I don't
think I would ever act on my urges but, then again, I've never had a kid throw
himself at me either. If that day ever comes, then I really don't know what I'd
do; and I don't think that there's any way to find out, unless it actually happens.
People can do crazy things in the heat of the moment.

     "Sit." I said. I had a larger, rectangular dinner table with around 8 seats. I sat on
one end of the table and set his plate on the other end. I'm not sure if it was the
smell of the food, the fact that he was uncomfortable modeling in the robe, or
possibly both, but he was barely able to keep his composure as he nearly ran to
the table and began to eat. The meal was silent, as I suspected it would be, but I
didn't mind. I was hungry myself, so I too was concentrating on the food. I
finished before him, but only because I gave him 6 waffles, where I only had 3. I
sat back and watched him as he wolfed down his food, never taking his eyes off
of the plate.

     "Good?" I asked almost in a joking manner, knowing he probably would have
eaten ketchup packets if that's what I put in front of him. "... You know I still
don't know your name." That last statement made him look up at me but only
momentarily as he continued the assault on the 2 remaining waffles. I got up
from the table and retrieved some gauze that I had in the downstairs bathroom.
He still had that small cut on his arm that I wanted to tend to. He was just
finishing his final bites when I came up from behind him and pulled the robe
sleeve up over his arm. What happened next shocked me. He pushed out from
the table as hard as possible and actually attempted to prod my arm with the
fork. I dropped the gauze on the floor and reached around with my now free
hand grabbing him in mid attack.

     "REEELLLAAAX!" is all I said as I waited for him to calm down. He continued to
thrash about in my hands, until he looked down and noticed the now unraveled
bandage on the floor. I let him go.  "...I'll just take our plates AND FORKS if you
don't mind." I took his now clean plate from the table and held it out in front of
him, waiting for him to relinquish the "weapon". He let it down with a clang and
had an expression of embarrassment and anger written on his face. I returned
to him with our plates in the sink and bandaged him up with no protest this
time around. It was barely bleeding, but the abrasion stretched for several
inches. I thought it best to cover it. Leaving him to his thoughts, I moved the
laundry over from washer to dryer. I came back and noticed that he took his
belongings off of the countertop. He looked at the note clutched in his hand,
then directly at me.

     "I didn't open it, honest... If you want to know the truth, I would have... If I knew
how to fold it back up... My curiosity drives me, sometimes." He just looked at
me and, for the first time, didn't appear hostile or annoyed when we made eye
contact. I took that as a small victory, considering he nearly stabbed me less
than 5 minutes ago. "Come on, I'll show you your room. Your laundry will be
done in the morning." I made my way up the stairs and led him to one of the
spare bedrooms. It was right next to my master bedroom located to the left of
the stairs. I flipped on the light for the first time in months, and began to throw
all of the unnecessary decorative pillows in the floor. I never understood the
point of such things but my ex did most of the decorating, and I admit he had
good taste for the most part.

     I scanned the room and saw my mother's piggybank on one of the shelves. It
was one of the few things I had left of hers since she passed away.

     "That piggybank over there was my mom's," I paused for a moment. "She died several
years back. There is no money in it, so don't break it or steal it. It's worthless to
you." He tilted his head slightly and almost looked surprised that I would even
accuse him of such a thing. I sat on the edge of his bed with him standing in the
middle of the room. "Look, I don't know what I'm going to do with you. There is
little I can do if you don't talk to me. I shouldn't even have you at my house. The
correct thing to do would have been to call the police but you looked like you
needed a break... Well then, pleasure chatting... Goodnight, kid." I shut the door
softly on my way out and retired to my room. I decided to leave the door slightly
open on the off chance he needed me for something, but I knew better. He was
too leery to look to me for help with anything.

     I sat in my bed, staring at the ceiling fan for quite some time when I heard his
door open. He crept downstairs as quietly as possible. I could hear him opening
the steel door to the dryer. He was more than likely getting a pair of briefs to
sleep in so that he felt more comfortable. About 10 minutes passed and I heard
nothing from him. I decided to throw on some gym shorts and check out what
he was up to. As I approached the final steps of the stairs, I could hear him
breathing erratically. I walked into the living room and found him quietly
weeping into his palms on the edge of the couch. I was surprised he was
comfortable with the fact that he was more or less completely vulnerable and
exposed to me in only his briefs. I guess when you hit such lows you begin to not
care about the smaller things like what you are, or in this case, aren't wearing. I
sat down next to him and, without saying a word, put my arm around his
shoulders. He never flinched, never pulled away.

     "My name is Cody by the way" he said between sobs.