Short and...well not exactly sweet.

Will's life is getting harder.

Prepare yourselves, cuz it's getting to that "how much?" lifestyle.

Yeah…I made a fucking mistake…

I'd been officially homeless for a week and a half. I had no cash left. I'd applied to literally any place that had an application. Without a phone, I had to wander in and out of joints to check on the status of things.

Despite making a mistake, I couldn't go back to the shelter…or any shelter for that matter. Not if I would be faced with my parents again…especially now. I'd already tried going back there this week…

And I'd gotten slapped in the face for my efforts by my mother. Not my mother anymore. She told me that she was lucky that my…not-father hadn't been home.

Powerlack, Powerlack, Powerlack…fuck me…

I'd found a free shower in the locker rooms of the lakeside beach on this side of town. It was cold, but after washing and brushing my teeth in public bathrooms for a week, it was a godsend. Then I'd been using up what cash I'd had left on meager food, and washing my clothes. Oh, and bus fare.

This was the last night that I had money for it. The buses run almost 24/7, so I'd been paying my fare, curling up in the seat furthest back and sleeping. It wasn't ideal, but it was all I could do right now. After tonight, I wouldn't even have that.

Sitting there at the bus stop, I tried to stay awake. I was so tired. And hungry, and kind of damp because it had started pouring rain. It was dark, and the street was deserted. The bus would be here in maybe five minutes. While it never froze around here, it was about halfway through winter. So the breeze and the rain were kind of cold.

Dozing off, I leaned against the glass panel of the booth. But I quickly jumped awake when I heard an umbrella close.

I glanced over, and saw a young man step under the shelter of the bus stop. He didn't look at me but lit up what didn't look like a cigarette.

That was how people were. They ignored each other. No kind words. Nothing. If there were words, they usually weren't very kind. So I rubbed at my eyes, trying to stay awake.

After a long time of silence, I could feel his eyes on me. And finally he said something. Something I was most certainly not expecting.

"Hey, sweetheart, I'll give you ten bucks to suck my dick."

I jumped and looked up from my sneakers. The man who joined me in the bus stop was staring brazenly at me. He was probably in his early twenties, relatively handsome with well-combed brown hair, decently dressed and carrying a briefcase. He looked tired, maybe even sick. His eyes were kind of bloodshot, and that smoke he was smoking most certainly didn't smell like tobacco.

He smirked with a chuckle, sucking hard on the joint. "Sorry, I had a shitty day. I'm a coffee-fetching, paperwork-stacking assistant with a boss who's a lawyer-bitch cliché. I'm stoned. I have a terrible personality. And you're kinda pretty." He looked away, chuckling, glancing up the street for the bus.

A creepy douchebag. A total pig. But…

Nervously, I brushed my hair back away from my face, fighting off a shiver. I hadn't eaten well in over two days. I was starving, tired and…desperate.

"Twenty."

The guy paused, turning to look at me. Shock registered through the haze of weed, and he barked out a laugh. Looking away again, he went to take another hit. But he stopped and looked my way again, "Wait, are you serious?"

I paled, and looked down at my sneakers again. My resolve barely held as I nodded.

Then it was quiet for a long moment. When I peeked up at the young assistant, he looked to be contemplating. I hoped that he'd say no. The uncomfortable growl in my stomach hoped otherwise. I wanted so badly to say yes, that I was kidding. Say no, say no… I wanted him to just take the choice from me because right then I felt like I was going to dissolve.

"You know what? Why not?" He placed the joint carefully between his lips and looked at his watch. "The next bus is in twenty. Plenty of time to head back to the smoker's pavilion outside of my work building, get things done and catch it."

I said nothing, but stared quietly across the bus stop at him.

He laughed then, "I've done some crazy things, but nothing like this before." He put out the joint and stuffed it back into his pocket. After he opened his umbrella, he jerked his head in the direction he must have come from, "You coming, pretty boy?"

I thought I might throw up.

"Well?"

Carefully, I rose to my feet, and picked up my guitar. Tucking my free hand into my pocket, I joined the assistant under his umbrella to keep dry.

Slowly, I shifted down to my knees. The concrete was cold and hard, but at least it was dry under the secluded smoker's pavilion. It looked out to the courtyard which was covered in flowers and plants. Lawyers didn't kid around when it came to landscaping I supposed. Despite the scenery, I shivered, wishing that this was not happening.

Hell, I'd never even kissed anyone and I was about to…about to jump all kinds of steps. I was about to skip over any sense of morality I had and give a complete stranger a blow job…for money.

I mean…it wasn't rocket science. I was fifteen years old, so by now I'd managed to see a few pornos. And there had been a time or two when I'd wake up at night and see James getting blown by Terri the Deaf girl back at the shelter. Never hearing him talk had to have been the only reason she ever fooled around with him.

Nevertheless, I basically knew what I had to do…

But I'd also seen a bunch of crime shows, so I was nervous and jumpy. His movements were sluggish, so I didn't think the guy was took much of a threat. Not stoned like this at least.

"Well, go on," the assistant smiled down at me, taking the roach from his pocket and lighting it again.

I can still back out…I can leave…right now.

But I couldn't…I was starving. So, with shaking hands, I reached to undo the young man's belt.

My stomach was turned as I pulled loose the button and zipper on his trousers. Reaching inside, I withdrew the assistant's half-hard prick.

At my tentative touch, it twitched in interest and began to swell. "Hey,"

I jumped and looked up at him. He was holding a condom. "No offense, kid, but I don't know where your mouth has been." The young man placed the foil into my hand and smirked, "Put it on me." Then he took a long hit and coughed slightly when he exhaled.

I didn't say anything about my mouth having been nowhere incriminating…ever.

Instead, I tore open the packet and took out the rolled up sleeve of latex. I'd been to Health class, so I knew the mechanics of these things. Quite frankly, I was grateful that the stranger had produced it. I hadn't even thought about it, and that was unacceptable. I was trying to survive, and if I got myself infected with something, then I'd be screwed. So, I placed it on the crown of the assistant's cock and rolled it on.

He shivered as my loosely clutching fingers moved down the shaft.

Then there was nothing else that I could do to stall this. The only comforting thought was that after this, I was heading to the nearest 24/7 diner for a bacon, cheddar cheeseburger with Cajun fries. My stomach growled in earnest at the mere thought. After that, I'd hop on the next bus and ride it till the end of the line, snoring until I got kicked off.

I told myself that I wouldn't ever do something like this again. Ever.

I'd do my best to make this twenty stretch a few more days. Somebody had to hire me by then. I'd literally do anything.

As I took him into my mouth, I thought to myself, Well, anything other than this…