Date: Sun, 03 Mar 2002 07:25:08 -0700
From: Clone Buggs <cqsqfq@hotmail.com>
Subject: Across the Alley part 26

Across the Alley XXVI


	Gil collected us on the platform, and ushered us into the big black Packard
that was waiting for him.  Sally was enthralled by the tall Royal Palms she
saw lining the streets. Gil had the driver take a tour of the downtown
section of the city.  The tallest building he said was city hall, and that
there would never be a taller building in the city because of the
earthquakes.
	None of us had ever heard of an earthquake and he explained that it was the
earth shifting along big subterranean cracks and fissures.  the pressure
built up from huge sections of land grinding against each other, and
suddenly slipping.  He told us if one started to try to get out of any
building or if that wasn't possible to get into a doorway, which would be
the strongest place in a building.  By the time we pulled up in front of the
apartment complex Gill called home, he had us all wide eyed wondering when
the earth was going to start shaking.
	He unloaded his suitcases, and had the driver take them to his apartment.
He gave the driver his house key, and then took us off to meet the landlady.
  The woman who answered the doorbell on the second ring, was wearing a long
flowing nearly transparent robe.  Under it, she had on a pink slip that kept
her decent, but barely.  her feet were enclosed in fluffy house slippers
that matched the pink slip.  All this was in subtle contrast to her uncombed
orange red hair and bright red lipstick smeared around her mouth.  She had
painted her cheekbones with bright red patches of rouge.  When she smiled at
Gil when she recognized him, we could see her teeth were yellowed and
stained with tobacco, of which she reeked.
	"Gloria, good morning.  I brought you some new tenants.  This is Sally, and
Steve, and Sally's little brother Davy.  I met them on the train, and
they've got stars in their eyes.  Can you let them rent one of the vacant
apartments?"  Gloria looked us over from head to toe, then from toe to head.
	"Kinda young aren't they?"  Her voice was deep and husky from too many
cigarettes and who knew what else.
	"Young?  Yes, but I think you'll like having them around."  Gill said he
had to get back to his apartment and get a shower, and report into his
office at Paramount.
	"Come on in sweeties," Gloria stepped back and raised her arm inviting us
in.  We waved good-bye to Gil, and trooped into Gloria's apartment.
	She seated us in her living room filled with overstuffed furniture covered
with doilies and pillows.  The two tall lamps in the corners behind the big
couch, were covered by fringed lamp shades, giving the room a certain exotic
quality.  A parrot perch stood empty in the corner, and a large covered cage
sat in the corner behind it.  I could hear the bird moving around under the
cover, and asked if we could see it.
	"Oh yes.  That's Jimmy Cagney, it's time to take his cover off anyway."
She pulled the soiled cover off, and the large blue red and yellow bird
fluttered its wings, and fluffed up its feathers and said in what sounded
like Jimmy Cagney's voice, "What th' hell, what th' hell."  Gloria picked up
a small orange from a tray and held it up to the bars of the cage.  The
parrot took it immediately in its black curving bill, and transferred it to
a large clawed foot, and began to peel the fruit with its beak. "Top of th'
world mom, top of th' world..."  He bit into the juicy fruit, and made a
satisfied sound and ruffled his beautiful feathers.
	"Now," Gloria said, sitting down in the big overstuffed chair opposite the
couch where we three were sitting looking around wide eyed.  "What can I do
for you?"  Sally, being the oldest, spoke first.
	"We'd like to rent an apartment from you if that's possible.  We're from
Kansas City, and want to get into the pictures, so we ain't got much money,
but we can pay the rent."
	"Oh honey, if you want to get in the pictures you've got to learn there
isn't any such word as ain't.  They won't take you seriously using language
like that.  But, you're pretty enough to make it if you get a break.  I was
in pictures you know?"
	"Really?"  Sally was impressed.
	"Forty-eight pictures.  When the sound came in, they didn't think my voice
sounded like I looked on screen, so I got retired and I bought this place
with my savings and I make do now."
	"Gee," Sally said.  "Maybe we can talk about things."
	"Maybe we could.  What do you folks need in bedrooms? Two or three?"
	"Two," Sally replied, glancing at Steve as she said it.  He nodded.  Do you
have any that have some furniture since we don't got any yet?"  Gloria
clucked her tongue at Sally.
	"Honey, I got everything you need.  When deadbeats leave it's usually in
the middle of the night, and they don't often take a stick of furniture with
them.  I'll tell you what.  If you can come up with two fifty a month, you
can have number nine, which is a two bedroom, and is furnished nice.  Even
has dishes and cook wear.  I pay the utilities, and you can move in now, and
pay me the first of the month.  Keeps my book keeping easy."  A man's voice
called her name from somewhere in the back of the apartment.
	"Just a minute Henry.  I'm renting an apartment."  She shouted in her husky
voice.
	"I haven't got all day," he yelled back.  The voice was closer this time.
We all looked up as a tall naked young man stepped into view under an arched
opening into what was obviously a dining room.  He was standing there with a
hard-on, covered with bright red smears that matched Gloria's lipstick.
	"Oh henry, get back in the bedroom.  I'll be back in a few minutes.  I just
need to show these kids the apartment."  He turned unembarrassed, and went
back the way he'd come from.  "Don't go wasting anything hon," she yelled.
"I'll be back shortly."  Henry grumped something unintelligible, and then
was silent.
	"Sorry about that," Gloria got up and went to a small cabinet behind the
front door, and took a set of keys out of it.  "Come on sweeties, I'll show
you the place.  Henry's got to get to work soon."
	She led the way down the winding cracked concrete walk through a court yard
filled with citrus trees in fruit.  In the back corners of the yard, were
what we would learn were real banana trees, and below them, large plantings
of exotic spiky flowers she told us were called Birds of Paradise.  At the
apartment with a number nine in brass on its door, she opened it with one of
the keys, and then handed the keys to Sally.
	"I've got to get back to Henry before he does something rash.  If you don't
like anything just let me know, and we'll see about it later."  She turned
and walked back down the slightly inclined walk, her transparent robe
billowing out behind her in a slight breeze.  The sun beat down, and the
lemon tree was in full bloom filling the court yard with its heady
fragrance.  It felt like a bit of paradise to all of us, and Sally who had
never seen oranges growing ran over to the nearest tree, and picked a bright
round fruit and held it to her nose.
	"Imagine, just picking an orange like that."  Gil came out of an apartment
two doors down and asked how it went.  Sally held up the keys and shook
them.  Gil said he had to get to a meeting, but would be home afterward, and
would stop by to see how we were settling in.  He waved and ran down the
walk, and got into the waiting Packard.
	The apartment was furnished with good used furniture, and had  double beds
in each bedroom.  In the larger room, which Sally and Steve decided they
wanted for themselves, there was a complete bedroom set, with a make-up
dresser and a walk in closet.  In the room that was to be mine, there was
the bed, an chest of drawers and a small closet.  A desk in front of the
window looking out over the court yard, had a big black typewriter sitting
on it, with a box full of typing paper.  I thought it was neat, and decided
I'd teach myself to type on it.  Since we didn't have much in the way of
clothes, we were essentially moved in.  We looked around for a few minutes,
and decided to go out on the streets to look around our new home.  We talked
about finding a grocery and getting a few things to put in the fridge in the
kitchen, so we could save some money by not eating out in cafes.
	On the street, we found we were two block from Sunset Boulevard on one
side, and two blocks from Santa Monica boulevard in the other.  We wandered
around for a while, and found a lock shop and had a key made for me, since
Gloria had only given us a set of two.  We found a taco stand on a corner
and decided to treat Sally to her first Mexican food.  She liked the taco,
and we each ate two.  Steve and I soaked ours in hot sauce, which Sally
thought too spicy for her.
	In a tiny grocery store, we bought some milk, cereal, and some vegetables
and two pounds of hamburger.  At a bakery, we bought a loaf of bread, and
some cookies that looked good to us all.  At a deli, we bought some giant
dill pickles, which we all thought were bizarre, and two pounds of baloney
and a jar of mustard.  Walking back in the warm sunlight, I noticed a young
man leaning against the side of a building with his foot crooked up under
his ass on the wall.  His Levis were tight on his thin frame, and his white
tshirt was dingy with dirt and other smears.
	I looked over my shoulder at him as we passed, and he was staring at me
intently as we walked away.  He finally winked at me, and looked away.  We
walked back to the apartment, and put our food away.  Sally and Steve wanted
some time to themselves, so I told them I'd go for a long walk.  It was
getting on to two or three in the the afternoon, and I walked aimlessly for
a while looking at window displays, and watching people going about their
business.  At a bus stop, I say the young man I'd seen earlier sitting on
the bench with his hands in his pockets, looking lost.  He glanced at me,
and smiled.  I sat down next to him on the bench, and said hello.  He nodded
at me, but said nothing.
	It occurred to me he looked like he needed something.  I asked him if he
was hungry.  He nodded, but still said nothing.  I told him my name, and he
looked at me curiously for a moment and then stuck his hand out offering to
shake.
	"My name's Michael," he said.  "You workin'?"
	"Workin?"  I didn't know what he meant.
	"Lookin' for a party?"  He was watching the cars that drove by, some
slowing down and the drivers looking at the two of us as they rolled by.
	"I'm new in town.  I just got here today.  I guess I don't know what you
mean.  I'll treat you to a burger and fries if you want?"
	"You got jack?"
	"What?"
	"Jack.  Money."  He looked back at me, a serious loo in his eye.
	"Some.  Come on Mike, I'll treat." I stood up and looked up and down the
street for the nearest place to eat."  He pushed himself up off the bench,
looking tired and beaten.  He followed me a few steps behind.  I walked
slowly waiting for him to catch up, but he paced himself to stay behind me.
We entered a little burger joint, and I ordered him a deluxe and a large
chocolate malt.  I wasn't hungry, but I ordered myself a cherry coke to
drink while he ate.  We took a seat in a booth, and waited for his food and
the drinks.
	"Thanks man," he said.  I haven't had nothin' to eat for three days.  I
been a little sick, you know."
	"The flu or somethin'?"
	"Nah...you know..."  I looked at him blankly.  He returned the look, and
finally decided I was a square.  "Horse,"  he explained with a word that
meant nothing to me.
	"I don't understand what you mean."
	"Yeah.  I see that.  I'm a hype."
	"What's that?"
	"Drugs man.  You want to get high? I got a good connection, but I owe him
some scratch.  If you got a few bucks, we can get real well, but I gotta pay
the roll I owe him."
	"I don't think so.  I don't got a lot of money and until I figger out the
ropes here in Hollywood, I have to live off it."
	"Can you fix me so I'm not so sick?"  He looked a little desperate.
	"How much?"
	"Thirty bucks to pay the roll, and a Lincoln for the fix."  The waitress, a
Mexican woman brought the food and drinks, and He watched her walk away
before looking back at me.  "Can you fix me?"
	"I'll think about it.  Eat your burger."  I took a straw off the table and
stuck it into the tall glass of Cherry Coke.  I sipped while he ate like a
starved dog.  When the last of the fries and burger were gone, he attacked
the malt and was soon slurping it noisily.
	"How did you get hooked on drugs?"
	"My pimp did me up, and then turned me out to work for fixes.  I've gotten
so filthy, nobody wants my ass anymore.  I'm havin' a hard time pullin' in
any green.  My pimp dumped me, and it's been hard since then to even get
enough to eat, `cause I spend all the time sick, so if I do hook up and make
a little scratch it goes into my leg so I can get well again.  Say can I
have another burger?"
	"Sure."  I waved the waitress over, who was watching us closely.  When she
arrived at the booth, I let him order what he wanted, which was a repeat of
the first order.
	"Jew got money?"  The waitress asked.  I pulled out my billfold, and showed
her the cash in my wallet.  "Okeh," she nodded, and turned away shouting the
order to the cook in Spanish.
	"Thanks man.  I'm starved."  He sat there waiting, not speaking but
shredding a paper napkin with his nervous fingers into a pile of tiny white
flakes of paper in front of him.
	"Are you still being pimped?"  I didn't exactly know what it meant, but I
was learning.
	"Nah.  The bastard fucked me out of my money and threatened to kill me if I
didn't get lost.   I ain't been doin' too well since then."  He sat there
silent for a moment, and then looked directly at me with his disparate eyes.
  "You are goin' to fix me ain't you?  I'm really sick today."
	"I said I'd think about it.  You need to clean up a little.  Where do you
live?"  He nearly guffawed as he laughed at my question.
	"I've been stayin' under the freeway bridge lately, but the cops have got
wise to that, and they run me out last night.  I guess I'll find an alley
somewhere tonight if I don't hook up."
	"You got any clothes?"
	"What I got on."  The second course was delivered then, and I handed the
waitress a five dollar bill and told her to keep the change.  His eyes
flashed at me, and I could see giving her a tip, went against his nature.
Any coin he could get his hands on would put him ahead.
	"If I get you well, will you get help gettin' off the drugs?"
	"Why should I?"
	"Look at yourself man.  You're starving, skin and bones, filthy, and you
stink.  All you're interested in is gettin' fixed.  That's no life.  I'm
only sixteen, but I know that ain't no life."  He laid his half eaten burger
down on the plate, and looked out the window before responding.
	"You ain't never had to sell your ass to make it have you?"
	"Why do you think that?  I ran away from home several days ago, and had to
learn to suck dick for money pretty quick.  I've lost track all ready how
many dicks I've sucked and taken up the ass since I left home.  I never knew
there was so many men that wanted to do boys instead of women."   He smirked
at me picking up his burger again.
	"tell me about it.  It's a wonder there's any kids born anymore.  I think
the whole male population would rather fuck a boy than a girl anytime."
	"Finish eating, and come back to my place.  You can clean up with a bath,
and I've got some clothes that might just fit you, `til we can get your
clothes cleaned up."  I sipped my Coke, and watched him eat.  His hunger had
lessened, and he was chewing his food instead gulping it down his throat in
too large mouths full.
	When we finished we walked out of the cafe, and I led him back to the
apartment.  When I got there, the door to Sally and Steve's room was closed,
and from the sounds coming from beyond it, they were having sex.  I
whispered to Michael that they were my friends, and I'd introduce them
later.  In the bathroom, I ran him a hot tub of water, and sat on the stool
while he stripped off his filthy clothes.  I took them from him and put them
in one of the paper bags we had brought home the food we'd bought.  His body
was thinner than I thought when he was clothed, and every bone in his frame
was clearly visible on the surface.  His cock was limp and looked as if it
would never get hard no matter what he was experiencing sexually.
	He climbed into the hot water, and I realized we hadn't bought any soap or
shampoo.  I told him to just soak for a while, and I'd take his clothes to
the laundry down the street, and get some soap and shampoo.  He smiled
tiredly, and said it felt great to just soak, and he'd probably go to sleep
while he waited for me.
	I knocked on the door of the other bedroom, and cracked it open just enough
to stick my head into the dimness inside.  Steve was laying on top of Sally,
and they were sweaty with their exertion.  I smiled at both of them staring
at my intrusion with angry looks on their faces.
	"Sorry.  I just wanted to warn you I have a new friend taking a bath.  I'm
goin' out to get some soap and take his clothes to be washed."  Steve
grabbed a pillow and threw it at me.  I ducked out of the room and pulled
the door closed.
	I dropped the clothes off at the laundry and asked if I could pick them up
in a couple of hours.  The woman who took them never said anything but yes,
yes, and I hoped she understood I wanted them back soon.  At the tiny
grocery where we'd bought food earlier, I bought some bars of soap, and a
bottle of shampoo. By the time I got back to the apartment, Gil was walking
up the street from his meeting.  I waited for him to get to the complex, and
we walked in together.  He told me his wife was still gone to her mother's
place in Fresno, and if I wanted I could visit him for a while if I wanted.
I told him I needed to drop off the stuff I had for him, and then I'd come
over.  We separated and waved at each other before going into our separate
apartments.
	Michael was snoring lightly in the tub, and I could see he was exhausted
from his ordeal.  I opened the soap, and put it into the wire rack for it
hanging over the old fashioned tub.  I leaned the shampoo against the wall
on the back of the tub.  I eased out the door, leaving him to rest, and went
down the walk, to fuck Gil as promised.  I figured at least I owed him one
for all the help he'd given us.

End