Crossing The Line - 3. First Time For Everything

Ricky leaned back against the hard bricks of the building behind him and watched Snow as he chatted with a couple of other boys down the sidewalk. It was his first night on the streets and he was a little nervous about what was expected of him as far as picking up tricks and doing the actual job Carlo and Snow expected him to. It wasn’t the thought of doing those things with a perfect stranger that bothered him. He had been forced to do worse than that with his own uncle so the thought of sucking off some Joe off the street didn’t bother him … detachment worked in many forms.

It was the danger of the situation that concerned him. Snow had given him a talk about some of the twisted fucks he’d run into over the years and a few horror stories about other boys that had been picked up by sadistic tricks never to be heard from again until their bodies were found in a dumpster or stuffed into the stairwell of an abandoned building many months later. None of which had served to calm his thoughts on the subject.

“You okay, Ricky?”

Ricky jerked his head around to stare at Snow, jumping slightly at hearing his voice so unexpectedly close to him. “Yeah,” he responded automatically, trying to keep his anxiety from showing to the worldlier boy. Snow was a year younger than him and yet he had lived so much more than Ricky ever thought possible and it made him feel a little behind when his friend spoke of things that he knew nothing about. “I’m fine.”

Snow swiped his long, dark hair back over his shoulder and smiled understandingly. “No, you ain’t,” he contradicted, one hand digging in his jeans pocket. “But that’s not a problem.” He yanked a plastic baggie from his pocket and slowly unrolled it to reveal several different colored pills inside. “I’ve got something that will calm you down and help you relax for your first night.”

“What is it?” He eyed the two pills Snow had dug out of the baggie and dropped into his palm. He’d popped pills before so it didn’t bother him to take what was offered but he was still a little wary of taking things from people when he didn’t know what it was.

“Just something to calm you down,” Snow repeated, popping two pills of his own into his mouth and dry swallowing them. “We’ve been hitting the white stuff a little too much today and I should’ve known better since you were gonna be nervous enough about this shit.”

Ricky put the pills in his mouth and tossed them to the back before swallowing, grimacing as they slid down hitting the sides of his throat. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“I hope you mean that,” Snow said in a cryptic tone, his narrowed eyes on a point somewhere up the street. “Here comes your first customer of the night.”

A cold flash wobbled through Ricky’s stomach as he followed his friend’s gaze and watched the dark green car cruising slowly down the street toward them. This is it. I have to do this or I’m back on the streets with nothing and nowhere to go except back to Dave. He glanced over at Snow’s face in the dim streetlight and sighed. If he didn’t perform as expected, Snow would get into trouble with Carlo since he was responsible for Ricky’s actions.

“C’mon.” Snow snagged Ricky’s shirtsleeve and pulled him toward the curb beside him as the green car crawled to a stop and the passenger window rolled down. “Let’s see what they’re looking for.”

Ricky hung back a little as Snow approached the car and knelt down to be eye level with the open window. He listened to the exchanged conversation and anxiously rubbed the end of his nose with the back of his forefinger. His nose was still running a little from his last snort two hours ago and he was getting edgy for another one. Tough shit. You ain’t getting no more as long as you’re working. Tricks don’t want someone that’s walking a fine line between cutting out and going off on them.

“Hiya, Alex,” Snow’s greeting floated back to him as the younger boy rested his forearms on the door of the car and peered in at the thirty-something guy behind the wheel who was now leaning over toward the passenger window. “What you looking for tonight?”

A pair of watery blue eyes shifted to where Ricky was standing and Alex nodded slightly. “He a buddy of yours, Snow?”

Ricky met Snow’s gaze when he turned to look back over his shoulder at him and winked before turning back to the man in the car. “Yeah. That’s Ricky. He’s one of Carlo’s new boys.”

Alex studied Ricky silently for a few long moments before stating, “I’ll take him.”

Ricky froze as he heard Snow’s soft ‘okay’ and he took a slow step back when his friend straightened up and motioned for him to come closer. A picture of Carlo flashed in his mind and he forced himself to approach the vehicle on leaden legs. He barely felt Snow touch his shoulder and give him a reassuring squeeze before opening the passenger door for him.

A warm haze was moving through him as he slid into the bucket seat beside the man and pulled the door shut with a resounding thud. At least the pills are kicking in. They couldn’t have picked a better time either.

“How’s it going, kid?”

Ricky jumped slightly and turned to find Alex staring at him with a totally different look in his eyes than he’d had before. “Goin’ good,” he answered, hearing his own voice as if from miles away. “It’s been a slow night.”

“Your first?”

“Yeah.” Ricky turned to look out the window as the car pulled away from the curb, his eyes meeting Snow’s briefly before he was out of range. I can do this. I have no other choice. I know I can do this. He was relieved when Alex maneuvered the vehicle into an alley just a block over and cut the lights. At least he wasn’t very far from Snow in case anything went wrong.

By this time the pills were kicking him hard and he was feeling more relaxed and able to go with the flow, whatever it may be. Turning sideways in the seat he watched Alex unbutton and unzip his jeans. “Just a blow tonight?”

“That’s the plan,” Alex replied with a smirk. “Let’s see what you can do, kid. Carlo’s known for his boys being the best so let’s see how much you’ve learned.”

Ricky took a slow breath, letting the effects of the pills flow through him. He could do this. All he had to do was the same thing he’d done when it was his uncle forcing him to go down on him. He could retreat into his head and let his body do all the work.

I can do this.

0o0o0o0o

“This is where we come to wind down after work,” Snow said loudly to be heard over the rock music pulsing from the front of the night club in front of them. He flashed Ricky a smile and motioned for him to follow him. “We don’t go in the front like common customers.”

“We don’t?” Ricky asked almost sarcastically as he followed his friend down the narrow alleyway running beside the club. He grinned when Snow gave him a cautious look and he wondered how they were going to wind down exactly as neither of them was old enough to go to a nightclub. “Show me the way, Snow.”

The night had gone quicker than he’d thought it would and his jaws were sore from the sheer volume of blows he’d done in the last six hours on the streets. He was glad Snow wanted to do something fun before they went back to Carlo’s apartment to sleep since he was still hyped up from the adrenaline rush of taking care of the customers and the various pills Snow had shared with him to keep him in the zone. He hung back as Snow banged loudly on a side door of the club, wondering if they were going to be told to get lost when and if anyone bothered to open the door.

Instead of an angry bouncer, the door swung open to reveal a well-dressed man of about thirty wearing a suit and tie. His red, glazed eyes settled on Snow and widened in recognition within seconds. “Snow! Where have you been? I haven’t seen you around for a few weeks!” He stepped back and waved them inside. “Come on in. Vince will be glad to see you again.”

Ricky followed Snow inside to find himself in a small back room filled with stacked boxes with different alcohol labels on them. He glanced around while the nauseating aroma of spilt whiskey assaulted his nostrils before letting his gaze move back to where Snow was chatting with the man, nodding when his friend introduced the guy as Carl. “Hey.”

“Ricky, eh?” When Ricky nodded, he smiled and turned his attention back to Snow, who seemed to Ricky to be totally relaxed and at home with him. “Carlo getting some new boys on the streets, Snow? I heard he lost a couple in that raid over on Forty-Second last month.”

“Yeah, he did. “ Snow’s voice was suddenly not as upbeat as it had been and his smile faltered a little. “They got Danny and Sutter for possession.” He shrugged and glanced at Ricky. “It’s one of the dangers of the business, though.”

A shiver ran through Ricky as he caught the implication of what Snow had said. Carlo had a talk with him about the legal side of what he would be doing a few days ago so he knew there were high risks to this job and he had agreed to keep his mouth shut if he was picked up for anything. Implicating Carlo in any way was a big sin and could get a guy killed. Snow had added his own thoughts to the mix after Carlo had finished and his firm talk had more than gotten the point across to Ricky.

If you got picked up for drugs or selling you keep your mouth shut and Carlo will take care of you. If you opened your mouth and implicated yourself or anyone else in their group Carlo would take care of you then, too in a more permanent way.

“C’mon, Ricky,” Snow’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Let’s go find a few drinks and mellow out.”

“Huh?” Ricky followed the younger boy toward a heavy looking metal door across the room. “Whatcha mean by a few drinks?” He had to raise his voice when Snow pulled the door inward and earsplitting rock music filled the back room. “They ain’t gonna serve us here, Snow. We’re underage.”

Snow looked at him with amusement and slapped him on the shoulder. “They don’t care how old we are.” He spoke smoothly and gave a sly wink. “We’re Carlo’s boys, Ricky. We get anything we want.”

Ricky turned his gaze to the people dancing wildly on the varnished floor near the stage and shook his head slowly. “Not when it means losing their liquor license.”

“They ain’t gonna lose shit,” Snow hollered back, grabbing Ricky’s sleeve and dragging him behind him toward the neon lit bar across the dance floor. “Carlo owns this joint.” Pushing him onto a stool at the bar, Snow leaned his forearms on the top much like he’d done to the first car of the night and gave the muscular bartender a sparkling smile. “Hiya, Steve! How’s business tonight?”

Ricky raised one eyebrow when Steve met his gaze and turned his attention back to the dance floor, his eyes zeroing in on a hot looking redhead gyrating to the heavy guitar licks. Maybe coming here hadn’t been a bad idea after all. Something nudged his arm and he turned to find Snow giving him the same amused look he’d been giving him almost all night. “What?”

Snow gestured toward Steve. “Whatcha drinking?”

“Gin,” he replied without hesitation, glaring when Snow snorted and grinned at him. “What the fuck is wrong now? They ain’t got gin in this hole?”

“Yeah … they got gin.” Snow shoved his hair back out of his face and turned to Steve. “Give the boy a gin, Steve,” he said in a mocking tone. “And give me a bottle of Jack just in case he changes his mind and wants something that ain’t weak as water.”

“Weak?” Ricky spun around on the stool to face him, surprised when Snow only raised an eyebrow in imitation of his earlier look at Steve. “I’ll have you know gin is …”

“Weak as water,” Snow finished for him as he took the bottle of Jack Daniel’s from Steve and pushed the glass of gin across the black counter top toward Ricky. “Swallow that shit and we’ll move on to some real drinking.”

Ricky didn’t know whether to slug him one or go along with the plan so he downed the glass of gin and slid down from his stool. The smug expression on Snow’s face was irritating as hell but the kid sure knew how to party. “Where to now?”

“You’ll see,” was the mysterious reply. Snow slid down from the stool he was straddling and tilted his head toward the back of the club where the lights were dimmer and it was less crowded. “Just follow me.”

He didn’t have to be told twice. It had been a long night … his first of what he knew would be many … and he was looking forward to winding down before they headed back to turn in their take to Carlo and hit the sack for some rest before starting it all over again the next night. As he followed Snow’s form through the dancing figures, he couldn’t help but think that the younger boy was using this opportunity to show him the perks of being one of “Carlo’s boys” to balance out the things he’d had to do earlier.

It don’t matter. I would still have to do them since there’s no other choice if I want to survive.

0o0o0o0o

“You okay to ride the elevator up, Ricky?”

Ricky forced his head up to stare at the blurry face just inches from his own. He could feel an arm around his waist under the back of his leather jacket and feel hair tickling his hand. His best guess at the moment was that Snow was all that was keeping him from meeting the beige tiles of the lobby floor up close and personal. “Escalator?” He frowned when Snow started laughing at him. “Evelator?”

“El-E-Vator,” Snow pronounced slowly, his bloodshot eyes glowing with laughter and the remains of the last few hours snorting line after line of coke from his own private stash washed down with the bottle of liquor. “You know … that thing that makes it easier to get to the apartment.”

“Elevapor.” Nausea uncurled inside his middle when Snow kicked his right foot around and swung him so that he was facing a set of closed metal doors. “Dun do that ‘gain,” he slurred dizzily as the lobby spun sickeningly around him. “Gonna puke if you do.”

“As long as you don’t do it on me,” Snow replied cheerfully, raising one booted foot to kick the up button on the wall until it turned yellow, and jostling Ricky once more in the process. “I think you’ve had a bit too much to drink.”

Ricky found this to be hilarious for some reason. He turned his head and was almost nose-to-nose with Snow. It was an effort in thinking to form the words but he managed to slur out, “Wha tipped ya off ta that?”

Snow stared at him blankly for a few moments before a slow smile spread across his face. “Are you being funny, Ricky?”

Before he could answer him, a low thump came from in front of them and the metal doors silently slid open to reveal the interior of the elevator. Ricky grimaced as he was propelled into the small space and reached out his unencumbered arm to grasp the fancy looking gold bar that ran along the wall at waist level. “Where we goin’, Snow?”

A low sigh came from beside him. “Upstairs to Carlo’s place, Ricky,” Snow said slowly, his voice reflecting what sounded to Ricky like exasperation. He sounded like he was patiently explaining something to a child for the tenth time in a row. “I toldja we were goin’ home.”

Ricky’s stomach lurched as the floor jerked under his feet. “Gonna be sick.”

“No, you ain’t.” Snow’s hand tightened on his waist as the elevator started moving upward and Ricky staggered a little. “Not until I get your drunk ass inside the apartment.”

“Okay.”

Ricky let his eyes slide shut as the humming of the elevator lulled him and he leaned heavily against Snow. He chuckled softly as he remembered the times he’d staggered home to his uncle’s house after carousing all night with his friends. Those had been some good times for him despite what had happened after he returned home from partying all night long … sometimes after partying for days at a time before going back home to detox and start it all over again. A shiver ran through him as his mind turned to what had happened after he had gotten home from his nights of debauchery.

“Bad p-place,” he whispered, forcing his eyes open once more in an attempt to get his bearings. “Ain’t goin’ to the bad place.”

“Ricky?” He could hear the concern in Snow’s voice as the floor dipped down abruptly before jumping back up again, almost knocking them both off balance. “We’re here. I need you to walk now.”

Ricky slid one foot forward and scraped the other one up to meet it, his head spinning from the alcohol and drugs he’s indulged in all night long. He could vaguely hear Snow giving him directions and make out the familiar dark red and gold of the hallway that Carlo’s apartment was on but anything more was beyond his abilities right then. All he wanted to do was collapse on their bed and sleep it off.

“What’s wrong with him, Snow?”

Ricky tried to open his eyes but they felt like they were coated in lead and sealed with glue. He waited for the voice to start hollering in anger at him for being so wasted but it remained just as calm and curious as it had been.

“He’s had a little too much to drink, Carlo,” Snow’s voice replied almost in his ear. “I’m gonna put him to bed before we settle up with the take.”

“That’s fine,” Carlo’s voice responded, the tone still neutral. “How’d it go tonight?”

“Pretty good. He did better than I thought he would for his first time out.”

By this time, Ricky was barely conscious and his legs felt like they were turning to water. He felt himself sinking only to be hauled back up again by the arms around him. “Wah?”

“Stay with me for a few more minutes, Ricky,” Snow pleaded as he continued through the living room toward the hallway. “I can’t carry you and you can’t sleep on the floor.”

A warm feeling washed through Ricky at the words and he fought to stay conscious a little longer. It wasn’t right to expect Snow to take care of him like this when they barely knew each other. Nausea hit him again when the arm was removed from his waist and he was spun around to face Snow. “Ugggh.”

“Yeah?” Snow smiled and pushed him in the center of his chest. “You can pass out now, Ricky.”

Ricky felt himself falling backward and reached out to snag the front of Snow’s shirt, yanking him down on top of him as he fell across the bed they shared. “Thanks, Sch-now,” he slurred with a smile as he stared into Snow’s startled face. Leaning up a little, he gently kissed the younger boy on the lips before letting his head drop back onto the bed and his eyes slide shut one last time.

“Ricky?”

He felt Snow roll off of him as he sank into the darkness pulling at his mind. A hand touched the side of his face lightly and he turned his cheek into the palm before everything disappeared around him.