Chapter 2

I put on my wool coat and out I go with the three stooges, my throat still being surrendered against Alex's knife and my arms being held behind my back with the help of him and Dim. The cold September wind takes a feverish bite against my cheeks and the tip of my nose, and I quickly lock the front glass door of the bakery shop before Alex shove me to walk on ahead towards the street, his hot breath hitting against the side of my neck. Despite this situation, I can't help but feel just a bit safe with all of them surrounding me simply because I am now a part of them, a beating heart inside of a violent group of machines, and they won't let any other gang come and take me away. At least tonight, I can breathe a little easier. Tonight could just be my lucky night.

So we travel closely together in a pack of four until we reached a very nice, small suburban area, nothing too rich or prestigious, but it almost took the rest of the boys by an offensive surprise. The houses are all surrounded by black metal fences, as if telling anybody that's not from the suburbs, "Get out, you filth. You don't belong here."

"Nice mesto you got 'ere, brother!" Alex quips, pressing the knife against my throat just little bit more, "All snuggly and woogly… You're not too far from me, really. You ought to invite me over for some chai sometime!"

Dim and Georgie snigger at his sarcastic jabs at me, but I couldn't do anything but stay silent. Any wrong words or actions could cost my throat to explode in a violent, red frenzy.

We walk silently together until we reach this small, two story house, the smallest house in the entire suburban area. It's just nice enough for my mum and I to enjoy a safe place to be, yet not so expensive that the state government wouldn't want to help pay for until she's ready to get straight back to work. We've been living in that house for ten years now, and oh the lovely memories that are held in that place is enough to bring tears into my fourteen year old eyes. The Christmases together, the times when my dad would laugh out loud at all the British comedy shows (Who just about died of a heart attack when I was eight years old.), and all of my life lessons being learned there in the privacy of my room. Dim and Georgie stand there, looking at Alex as he looks at me with a grin, and I turn my bluish-gray eyes at him curiously.

"This is it… Um, you could let go of me now," I grunt, trying to slowly pull my arm away from Alex's death grip, but he wouldn't have any of it. He only gripped it tighter before leaning dangerously close to the side of my face.

"You promise you'll be a part of us, brother?" Alex asks me in a low voice, "You promise you won't ignore us or report us to the rozzes? You promise you'll meet me in the skolliwoll's courtyard every day after the hours are over so that we can… filly eegras together?"

"I promise. I do." I reply, my eyes widening at him for added effects. He stands still there, staring straight into the side of my eyes with a wicked grin, and my stomach does a twist, waiting for all the bad things to happen… But he finally steps back and lets go of my arm before he nods at Dim to let go of me as well, and he does so. I slowly turn around to watch them three as they looked back at me with smiles, and time stood still for all of us. I can imagine our lives being magically intersected right this minute, our destinies to be together as a gang morphing into one amazing destiny, like energy and stardust being surrounded us all in an explosion of blue and gray orbs of light… And then, like a small flicker of flame, it was gone.

"Pete? Is that you?"

I take in a sharp breath, "That's my mother…"

Alex turns his head at his two friends and nods his head, commanding them without a word to leave right this second. They scampered off, and I watch them as they do, their combat boots hitting hard against the streets. I stare after the back of their white shirts being casted into a bright yellow light as they both run under a street lamp, one after another. I then turn my eyes to look at Alex, and he looks back with a gentle yet still frightening smile, and my eyes widen at him, as if I were telling him, "Well? What are you waiting for, run!"

But he doesn't. He just stands there. My heart begins to pick up the pace as I can hear my mum's voice calling out my name from my house behind me, and I widen my eyes even more at him. He only widens his eyes at me back, before laughing underneath his throat at me. Is this supposed to be a joke? If my mom catches him...!

I open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but right there, my readers, right there when I can hear the doorknob from my house behind me turning and the door hinges creaking horribly as it opens a little bit… Alex takes off his hat before slapping it on top of my head, leaving me feeling bewildered beyond imagination. Quickly he bends down a little to give me a quick brotherly peck at my forehead before he rushes down the street, his head turning to smirk at me before he continues on running away.

"Pete! You're finally here! I was so worried about you!" I can hear the door finally opening all the way, and I turn around to see my mum in her old reliable wheelchair, her face lined with concern. I smile awkwardly at her, opening the white wooden fence in front of me before walking onto the small stone path that leads to the tiny porch of the house.

Maybe tonight really is my lucky night.

The next day after the school hours are over, I got myself comfortable and sit in this picnic table in the courtyard just like Alex told me to do last night. I open up this book that I got from the school's library, this book titled "Catcher in The Rye", and I begin to read the hard covered book, peacefully at my own pace. The tree branches and leaves above me created a shattered pattern of light and shade all over the pages, and the sound of the gentle winds and birds chirping brings upon a sense of serenity in me, and I couldn't help but smile just a little bit.

The school is in chatter about all the illegal gang activities that are being held during night time and every single student are out trying to find out who's in these gangs and whether or not they should be punished for it. For some reason, the female student body likes to romanticize about this ordeal, talking about how handsome these violent young hoodlums must be, and would talk in length on how they would like to be ravished by one of them if they ever had the opportunity. The male student body, on the other hand, are out investigating over who really is a gang member and if they should try and see if they can come along with them for bowling nights and what not. Violence apparently makes you very popular around here… They don't appreciate the quiet, intellectual types like your author. Introverted as I may be, it wouldn't help to be just a little bit popular. Just a little bit…

"Hi hi hi there!"

I look up from my trance to see a pair of stone cold blue eyes and a wicked smile staring downward at me. For some strange reason, my throat closes up and dries up on its own, and my stomach does a flip and a funny twist inside of me. He wastes no time to wait for me to respond, however, and just lifts his leg to place it in the gap between the picnic table and seat so that he can sit down and bring his other leg inside of it as well. He clasps his hands together on the table in front of me, his elbows resting on it as well, and he studies me with an evil little smile, and my throat responds by all of this by contracting itself even further. Even my lips are starting to feel too dry for its own good.

"How art thou, my little brother? You seem very surprised to viddy me… Cat got your yahzick, perhaps?" He sniggers, my face burning a hot reddish tone, "Are you ready for your first day?"

I absentmindedly nod my head. What is happening to me? Why am I agreeing to this? Why can't I just report him and his friends to the police?

"Real dobby, real dobby! Well first, I'm going to shvat you out for a little shopping. Don't worry about paying; Uncle Alex got that problem handled. He's a bugatty lad, you see!" He says, oddly fixated by the sight of my throat, "Then we'll swing by Georgie's mesto for a malenky tomtick of training."

"Training?" I managed to squeak out of my dried up voice. He nods his head at me, ignoring my odd squealing voice. Then he gives me another one of his infamous evil grin before standing up, turning a little to the side to lift his leg over his seat to get out of the picnic table seating area, and he turns to me and whistles at me… as if I'm his dog about to be potty trained, and him being my master and leader.

I stand up from my seat and go around the table to go where he's standing at, and he takes off his brown leather messenger bag before shoving it rudely into my arms, "Carry this, would you?"

I grunt at the shove, but never the less I place the leather straps around my shoulder so that I'm carrying both that and my school book bag. I suddenly feel very tired and weak; how much shit is this guy carrying around?

"Right, then! Follow me and I'll get you where you need to be, brother!" He announces broadly at me, giving me a wide smile before he walks past me, whistling a little tune to himself as I follow right behind him.

We ended up in this clothing boutique for gentlemen. They have so many hats, gloves, shirts, pants, all what you can find for "Dressing Up The Modern Gentleman", or so the poster on the front of the store reads. It's a bit of a small place, but never the less impressive for its aristocratic-like atmosphere and for its rich, upper class tastes in fashion. The walls are painted a deep burgundy color, and the smell soothes me immediately upon entering the place with Alex; the smell of cherry cigars.

Alex shoves me (Rudely again!) into this small dressing room and closes the giant curtains in front of me, before I hear him calling out to me, "I'll get you your veshches, Pete, and you'll try them on. I have a real dobby feeling I know what your sizes are!"

Oh, does he now? I back up before the back of my knees hits something behind me, and I turn my head over my shoulder to see it's a small leather chair to sit in. I take off my book bag and Alex's messenger bag and let them casually retreat to the dark cherry wood floors before sitting down in said leather chair, closing my eyes and trying to calm myself down.

'Okay… I'm here because Alex brought me here. I waited in the courtyard back there in school because Alex told me to do so last night while we were walking back to my home. I did all of this because if I don't, he'll cut my throat open and do God knows what else… He'll probably kill my mother as well…' I pinch the bridge of my nose frustratingly, 'But then, why can't I just report him to the police? Why can't I just do it? Why am I so afraid?'

I open my steel blue eyes; but then, if I did report him and his friends to the police, no doubt they probably have connections from other towns that I've not heard of before… Other secret gangs that Alex probably orders around like a herd of prostitutes, Alex being their great big bad Pimp and all... So I guess I'm just stuck here…

The curtains suddenly ripped open and I see Alex come in with a few clothing articles draped over his arm, his erect posture and wavy hair the color of honey literally took me by surprise. He looks down at me and gives me a flickering smile, and I can feel my face burning a crimson color. At the risk of sounding a touch too campy to my dear readers, I do find Alex to be a handsome young man. He is the essence of fire and brimstone, always so violent and painful to those he touches, but still remains so very attractive to look at from a distant.

I wake up from my trance when Alex bursts into a silvery laughter, and he says, "I can't blame you dribbling over a luscious malchick such as myself. Now put on these platties and come on out when you're ready."

Before I could even react, he tosses the clothes at me and steps back out to close the curtains on me once more. I look down to study all the new clothes out in front of me; a pair of simple white cargo pants, a dress shirt in the same pure shade, suspenders, again, in the same white shade, and-what's this?

I pull out this small black thing out of the meshed pile on my lap and it appears to me to be a black beret hat. I stare at it, dumfounded. What exactly is Alex trying to pull here? Was all of this just a joke? Some kind of sick prank all along? What am I, his dress up doll?

It doesn't end there, readers, because soon I pull out an off-white colored codpiece out of the pile. I can feel my jaw dropping to the floor. Oh perfect! Just what I needed, a piece of article to accentuate my manhood even further. I don't think I've ever blushed this deeply and angrily before, but here I am. But, what else am I to do? If I run from out of there, everything will soon come down hard on me and I will be meeting into a lot of trouble with Alex and his gangs. So, I reluctantly put everything on, raging tears brimming in my eyes.

I stand there, with everything on, and I can hear and feel my heart beating out of my chest. I take in a quivering breath before I walk out of the curtain, where I can see Alex-in his uncharacteristically normal clothing consisting of a beige turtleneck, black slacks and oxford shoes-sitting and reading some high-end magazine just like a simple gentleman would do. I seem to have stood there staring at him like an idiot forever, because the next thing I knew, he is right in front of me, studying my entire outfit with a pleased smirk.

"Wonderful… You look way better than I hoped!" He says, laying his hands on top of my shoulders before looking behind me and from my sides, "The beret adds a very cute touch."

Cute. That's all I am to him… Just a cute poodle dog to prance around with and show off to the entire town.

"Okay, I'm going to go back in there," I say, turning my head to look at the long curtains that leads to the so called "dressing room", when really it's only a small space, "And I'll give you all of… this… back to you."

"Righty right!" Alex replies, tightening his grip on my shoulders almost painfully before giving me an evil smile, "You really do look good… Peter."

I choose to ignore my formal name that he dared let it slip out from between his lips before I turned around to go back to the dressing room.

"Um," I flustered, hopelessly holding onto my book bag, the messenger bag and the shopping bag filled with my new white outfit as Alex and I walked onto the streets of downtown, "Alex?"

"Yes, my little droogie!" Alex answered in that booming, arrogant tone of voice, "What hast thou have in mind?"

I finally catch up with him and walk by his side, "U-um, we haven't… brought any shoes for me. I mean, isn't that what makes a complete outfit… shoes?"

He sniggers, surprising me by wrapping his arm around my thin shoulders, "Worry not, my little brother! Once we reach Georgie's place, him and Dim will help you finalize your new look immediately. You'll just have to trust me, that's all!"

…Trust.

We walk on together in silence before we stop in front of this rundown apartment complex, and we travel on inside. The entire place smells of strong cigarette smoke and liquor, and I am just about ready to throw up all over myself, but of course that would make my Master terribly angry, so I hold everything in. We walk into the elevator and wait, completely in painful silence, and more than anything right now, readers… I just want to go home, to see my mum and hold her in my arms.

Finally, the elevator makes a ringing noise before the door slides open for Alex and I to walk out of there, and we finally reach an apartment door, with the number "69" on the front of the dark green door. Oh, it's really not what I think it is, isn't it?

Alex pushes the small black door bell button that rests right under the 69 gold plated numbers, and I wait in silent pain, my shoulders ready to be ripped out of my body from carrying so many bags. Thankfully, in about five seconds after Alex rings the door, Georgie opens the door. Not a word is said between the two friends, however, Georgie just steps aside and opens the door further to let us both in. I just want to let all of the bags fall down and scream, but I know I can't do nor say anything until Alex instructs me to.

Inside, I find myself staring at all the vulgar shaped furniture and paintings of various human genitals and female breasts plastered all over Georgie's walls, and I try my best not to appear uncomfortable by all of this. The walls are painted a dark green, just like his door, and his black and white checkered floors looked just awful paired with it. I say nothing about it though, and my eyes finally land on the great big ape, Dim, who's sitting in one of the vulgar shaped chair, reading today's newspapers.

Alex turns to me and Georgie crosses his arms as he looks at me as well, and my eyes pleaded Alex for me to at least sit down and rest. Alex nods at the chair next to me, and I sigh before sitting down, carefully laying down all the bags onto the black and white floors in front of me. I rub one of my shoulders with my hand, closing my eyes and trying to forget that I'm here in this horrible place and time, before I can hear Dim laying down the papers down on the coffee table in front of him.

"Georgie, could you please make some hot chai for all of us? And Dim, get Pete his new boots and his make-up kit." I can hear Alex commanding those two in that gentlemanly tone of voice, and I open my eyes to see Georgie going into the next room to I'm assuming his kitchen, and Dim standing up to head over to Georgie's bedroom in the next room from the other side of the living room. I looked up at Alex as he sits on another chair next to me, before he ruffles up my dirty blond hair like an older brother would normally do.

"Make-up kit?" I implore quietly, rubbing my other shoulder. Alex didn't answer me, but he just smiles darkly at the space in front of us.

Oh, brother… more dressing up. Why can't he just cut my throat open wide instead?