Will lay on his bed, flipping through his photo album yet again. Each
picture brought more tears to his eyes, but he got an idea. He snuck off
the plateau, down to a corner store around the block.
He saw a familiar face inside, one he never would have expected, standing there with a case of brandy and a case of vodka.
"Bugsy?!"
"Hey, Will!" the bug Gym leader replied, cheerily.
"You look awful, Bug......are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine! Best mood I've been in for weeks. Why?" the younger one inquired.
"You look like you've been hit by a bus."
Will was right. Bugsy's hair was tousled, and he looks as though he hadn't slept in months. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin was pale save for a plethora of red marks all over his neck.
"What are those marks?" Will asked, touching one.
"Those aren't anything, really......but the ones on my chest are huge! Got 'em from Falkner. We had a fight again. Cut me up pretty bad......."
"But the marks on your neck, what are they from?" Will repeated.
"Nicotine reactions."
Will stopped, faltering with his words.
"You're.....kidding. Right? You smoke?! HOW old are you?"
"15."
"Bugsy!"
"Why are you here, anyway? Only drunkies and druggies come here. Like me!"
"Came to buy myself some Jack Daniels."
"Good choice." Bugsy replied. "Jack's pretty good."
"Bugsy.....? What happened to the nice, sweet, pure boy I used to know?" Will finally asked.
Bugsy looked somber. "He's gone, Will. When Falkner dumped me, my entire life went downhill. I can hardly sing anymore, I'm so out of practice.......and my voice is almost completely shot."
Will cringed. He knew Bugsy loved singing, and would be devastated if he couldn't.
"I cry myself to sleep every damn night, Will." Bugsy continued. "Falkner hates me. He wants to kill me."
Will picked up three cases of Jack Daniels and headed to the counter.
"My boyfriend can't even do THAT." He mumbled.
"Morty? How come?"
"Showed up drunk, so I dumped him."
"That's not so bad....."
"He killed himself because of it."
Bugsy looked like someone bit him in the ass.
"He DIDN'T! ......Aw, Will.....no wonder you're drinking...."
"Well, sure. I don't have any options left."
Bugsy kissed him on the cheek. "I'm free. Quite literally. At least for you."
Will turned to him. "You're not! ....are you?"
Bugsy nodded. "You mean a prostitute? .......yeah. Yeah, I am. But please keep it hush-hush, since I'm a gym leader.....information like that getting out-"
"I know, I know. Now, I'd love to take you up th- I mean......take you up on your offer, but I'm never going to sleep with anyone ever again. Morty was all the life I had."
Bugsy pouted. "Nyaaaaw. Well, I should get going. I have an appointment in Hoenn to get to. Seeya, hun! Oh, and....have Koga call me, alright?"
Will nodded. "Bye...."
He saw a familiar face inside, one he never would have expected, standing there with a case of brandy and a case of vodka.
"Bugsy?!"
"Hey, Will!" the bug Gym leader replied, cheerily.
"You look awful, Bug......are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine! Best mood I've been in for weeks. Why?" the younger one inquired.
"You look like you've been hit by a bus."
Will was right. Bugsy's hair was tousled, and he looks as though he hadn't slept in months. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin was pale save for a plethora of red marks all over his neck.
"What are those marks?" Will asked, touching one.
"Those aren't anything, really......but the ones on my chest are huge! Got 'em from Falkner. We had a fight again. Cut me up pretty bad......."
"But the marks on your neck, what are they from?" Will repeated.
"Nicotine reactions."
Will stopped, faltering with his words.
"You're.....kidding. Right? You smoke?! HOW old are you?"
"15."
"Bugsy!"
"Why are you here, anyway? Only drunkies and druggies come here. Like me!"
"Came to buy myself some Jack Daniels."
"Good choice." Bugsy replied. "Jack's pretty good."
"Bugsy.....? What happened to the nice, sweet, pure boy I used to know?" Will finally asked.
Bugsy looked somber. "He's gone, Will. When Falkner dumped me, my entire life went downhill. I can hardly sing anymore, I'm so out of practice.......and my voice is almost completely shot."
Will cringed. He knew Bugsy loved singing, and would be devastated if he couldn't.
"I cry myself to sleep every damn night, Will." Bugsy continued. "Falkner hates me. He wants to kill me."
Will picked up three cases of Jack Daniels and headed to the counter.
"My boyfriend can't even do THAT." He mumbled.
"Morty? How come?"
"Showed up drunk, so I dumped him."
"That's not so bad....."
"He killed himself because of it."
Bugsy looked like someone bit him in the ass.
"He DIDN'T! ......Aw, Will.....no wonder you're drinking...."
"Well, sure. I don't have any options left."
Bugsy kissed him on the cheek. "I'm free. Quite literally. At least for you."
Will turned to him. "You're not! ....are you?"
Bugsy nodded. "You mean a prostitute? .......yeah. Yeah, I am. But please keep it hush-hush, since I'm a gym leader.....information like that getting out-"
"I know, I know. Now, I'd love to take you up th- I mean......take you up on your offer, but I'm never going to sleep with anyone ever again. Morty was all the life I had."
Bugsy pouted. "Nyaaaaw. Well, I should get going. I have an appointment in Hoenn to get to. Seeya, hun! Oh, and....have Koga call me, alright?"
Will nodded. "Bye...."