transit (boyxboy)

thirteen

When I woke up, I felt different. Usually, I feel stiff in the mornings, but this time I felt at ease. I didn't really want it, though. I stretched with a loud groan and sighed afterward.

"Shut up," Vic groaned and I quickly turned my head towards the bed across from me. I forgot I had slept in Vic's room. Why did I insist on staying in here again?

"What time is it?" I asked. My voice was always raspy in the mornings and didn't go away until mid-afternoon but by then it starts to hurt a bit. I never mind it.

"It is like four in the morning. Stop. Go back to sleep." Vic rolled over on the bed and pulled his blankets up higher so his head was halfway covered. I chuckled and looked at my phone.

"It's 9:50." I put down my phone and stood up. I did another stretch, groan and all, but Vic threw one of his pillows at me before retreating under the blankets.

"You can't do that," I chuckled.

"It's too early for you to be talking," Vic mumbled. I barely heard him, though, so I came closer and pulled his blankets. He laid there in practically a ball as he winced at the cold air hitting him. I smiled at how he looked at me with hatred but then I looked downward. His shirt was up a bit, revealing his bare stomach but I turned around and got the blanket I had been using. I felt weird right now. Like, giddy a bit and I didn't like it. I didn't want to be that comfortable here.

I folded the blanket quickly, grabbed my clothes from yesterday and put them on before walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Vic said. He stumbled out of bed and jogged towards me but I kept going.

"I have to meet your dad for breakfast," I commented. I jogged down the stairs, grabbed my keys and opened the front door.

"I'll see you later! Thanks for the pizza!" Vic smiled. I smirked and nodded as I left.

I was in such a rush for some reason. Whatever the reason, though, I didn't care. I was glad I got out of there. Now, I just had to go meet Mr. Fuentes at a place I didn't want to be.

The restaurant wasn't too far from where they lived so I figured they owned this one too. I mean, by the looks of it, it seemed like something the Fuentes' would own but I wouldn't know. I also didn't care all that much.

When I walked in, I saw him sitting there and drinking his coffee. It wasn't too late to just turn around, right? Could I sneak out? Just say I couldn't make it?

"Kellin!" He called me. Fuck. I began walking and he watched me the entire way. I just had to remember that this man gave me a job. He gave me a job.

"Good morning,"

"Good morning," I said back. He offered me something to drink but I shook my head. Ordering would mean I'd have to be here longer and I didn't even want to be here the amount of time I had to be.

"How did you sleep?" He asked, sipping his drink.

"For sleeping on Vic's floor, it was pretty comfortable," I replied with thought. I had realized then that it had been my first sleepover ever. Maybe that's why I was so comfortable with Vic because I was seeing him as an acquaintance. I furrowed my eyebrows at the thought; it was unsettling.

"He let you sleep in his room?" He questioned. I looked at him with confusion.

"Yeah, what do you mean?"

"Well, where did you change? He didn't get uncomfortable?"

"In the room... Why would he?" What was he trying to say?

"Because Vic isn't like everyone else."

"Neither am I. What are you getting at?" He looked at me with confliction, it seemed. Almost like he wanted to tell me something but wasn't sure if it was okay too. It was minutes that passed as I stared at him and waited for him to talk but, right when he was about to, we were interrupted and I swear I could've blown up at whoever it was.

"Well, well, well," Justin leaned on the table towards me. I rolled my eyes at the sight of him. He was such a douche. He even smelled like one. "What do we have here? A father-son breakfast date? Did Christmas come early this year?"

"Why don't you go fuck your sister, Justin?" I groaned, putting my head in my hands and looking at Mr. Fuentes. He sat there with his mouth closed and head up. He looked relaxed, almost.

"Don't say shit to me, Bost-" I stood up quickly, toppling over him and looking him in the eye.

"Get the fuck out of here, Justin," I growled. He sucked his teeth and looked at Mr. Fuentes before joining whoever he came with. I sat back down after a little while and looked at Mr. Fuentes. He gave me that same smirk he did before.

"You remind me of someone." I didn't answer. "Myself."

"Doubt it. You probably grew up rich. Just like how you live now."

"The opposite. I was very poor. I had to do a lot of odd jobs when I turned 15 and kept going until I was 20. I couldn't afford to go to college because our family was still very poor and I had to take care of my mother and father until they died two years later. It was hard growing up because I would always pick fights with rich white kids since I lived in the projects and had 'nothing to lose' as they would say."

I clenched my fists under the table and kept my head down. I didn't want to look at him. I didn't want him to think he knew me because he didn't. Not at all.

"I-I'm not like that," I said.

"Of course you're not, Kellin. You're not like everyone else."

"I know I'm not," I said. I finally looked up at him. He looked at me in the eyes and leaned back in his chair like when he did when he gave me a job.

"I gave you a job so easily Kellin because I believe in you. You're good to my son even though he's different. You're good to your mother. You remind me of me, Kellin, and I don't want you to see me as just an employer to your mom."

"I am not a fucking charity case, Fuentes, and I won't tell you that again. I don't need you as a-a role model or an employer." I kept my cool, no matter how mad I got.

"I know," He sighed and stood up. I did the same. "It won't be like that. I can promise you that." He held out his hand and I looked at it simply before shaking it firmly. He looked at me with a smile and I felt relief. Like I was an equal, finally. Like I was understood. While that scared me, I left the feeling alone. He left a few dollars on the table for the coffee and turned around, leaving me behind.

"Hey," I called out. Still, something was on my mind. He stopped and turned towards me. "How is Vic different?"

"He'll tell you. When it's time, he'll tell you."