Okay, so chapter four is here, and may I say, it's a good one. Compared to this chapter, the other ones kind of suck. I guess I finally fell into my groove. Anyway, I wrote about half this chapter last week, then wrote the rest yesterday after going to the musical 'The Producers'. It was frickin awesome, go see it!

Chapter four- The Call

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The ambiance of the club "Cherries" was very casual and low-key. The room was thick with smoke as Todd made his way through the crowd, being careful not to bump into anymore drag queens, and over to a an unoccupied booth seat towards the back of the club. There were people dancing and a few doing karaoke and generally having a good time. Todd, however, felt out of place, he wasn't as good-looking as anybody else in the club, and he wasn't as confident. Everybody he looked at seemed to fit exactly where they were, but looking down at his hands folded in his laps, Todd wondered if he would be successful in his goal to be fucked.

A handsome man who was obviously a waiter sauntered over to where Todd was sitting and took the seat opposite him, and in the most flamboyant way imaginable, produced a small notepad from his pocket with a huge flourish of his arms. He smiled at Todd and gave him a wink as he flipped the notepad open.

"Hey there, Sugar," the waiter said in such a sexy voice that had Todd been in a better mood, it would have grabbed his attention quick. Todd smiled meekly at the waiter and pulled his arms up onto the table, flipping his head so that his hair was out of his eyes.

"Hi," Todd said. The waiter's grin diminished into a sad smile and he reached over and grabbed Todd's hand, rubbing it slowly.

"Something got you down, Sugar?" He asked. Todd nodded and laughed a little.

"It's all a bit overwhelming, you know?" Todd said, gesturing to the controlled chaos around him.

"I think I know what you mean, Sugar," the waiter told him, "listen, I'm gonna go get you something to drink and you can tell me all about it, I get off in about fifteen minutes." That sounded okay to Todd, maybe having someone to talk to would help. "I'm Kyle, by the way," he said, and got up and left.

Waiting for Kyle to return, Todd surveyed all the things going on around him. A very drunk woman, who was most likely here with some gay friends, fag-hags they're often called, was being gyrated against by a very buff and very gay man in his underwear as she squealed with joy and spilled her drink all over her clothes. Todd spotted the drag queen he had bumped into outside the club suddenly emerge from somewhere by the door with a ripped dress and a triumphant look on her face. Todd ducked down low in his seat as she passed him, not even aware that he was there.

Kyle returned just as Todd was giving up hope, he held in his hand two drinks, both similar in appearance, and offered one to Todd. Kyle beamed when Todd accepted it and took a sip of his own drink.

"So, Sugar," Kyle said, wrapping a piece of his hair in a rubber band he had pulled from his pocket, "what's going on with you, why so glum?" Todd took a deep breath.

"Well, I guess it started a few months ago," Todd told him, "actually, I guess I've always known in the back of my mind, but just a few months ago is when I fully came to realize that...."

"You're gay," Kyle interrupted him nodding knowingly.

"Yes and no," Todd said, "I came to the realization that... I should be a woman." Todd said, looking down at the table.

"I'm sorry, Sugar, I couldn't hear you," Kyle said.

"I realized," Todd said loudly and with confidence and with a smile on his face as if he had just realized that it was an amazing secret, which it kind of was, "that I should be a woman. It's my destiny."

"Wow, Sugar, you're still just a baby, and you came to that realization?"

"I'm not a baby!" Todd laughed. "I'm sevent- I mean, twenty-one." This time Kyle was the one laughing.

"Sugar, I know you're not twenty-one," he said, "everyone can tell you're much younger, haven't you seen they way they look at you? They're like vultures." Todd had honestly not noticed any of the looks people had been giving him. He gingerly took a sip of his drink, hoping it would contain alcohol but realizing it was just coke. "So go on, Sugar, tell me more," Kyle said.

"Oh, yeah, well I live at this boarding house," Todd continued, "and one of the people that live with me is this chick named Wanda..."

Kyle interrupted him again, "why do you live in a boarding house, Sugar?"

"That's a different story completely," Todd said, "anyway, so everyone else was out doing something, I think they were at the mall or something like that, and I didn't feel good so stayed home. They had been gone for quite awhile when I found myself in Wanda's room slipping into some of her clothes." Todd smiled, "I remember looking in the mirror and thinking, wow, this is me, this is how it should be. And then I heard the door open downstairs and I had to practically rip the clothes off and run back to my room. Wanda went into her room and immediately knew I had been going through her stuff, she came to my room and told me to keep her out of my sick fantasies!" Kyle started laughing when Todd told him the last part, the only problem was that he had been taking a sip of his drink at the time and spit out an entire mouthful of the liquid onto the table and started choking. "Oh, my God!" Todd laughed, "are you okay?" Kyle nodded.

"Yeah," he said, "I think I'll be okay." Todd and he shared a quiet moment as they looked across the table at each other and Kyle once again found Todd's hand and started rubbing it slowly. Todd blushed slightly and smiled down at his and Kyle's intertwined hands.

"So," Todd went on in a softer voice, "I went back to Wanda's room a few days later and stole one of her bras, and it's been kind of a security blanket to me ever since. I guess I started acting differently because this morning I found Wanda and everyone else talking about me and I guess I kind of freaked out. I ran away from them and eventually ended up here, dressed like this."

"Oh, Sugar," Kyle said. Todd waited for him to go on, but when he said nothing, Todd continued instead.

"I'm just so afraid of what they might think," he said, "it's not that I'm ashamed about... this," he gestured to himself, "but I love them so much and I'd be nothing without them and if they were to leave me then I'd be nothing at all." He wiped a tear from his eye and if he wasn't mistaken, so did Kyle. Todd laughed, "thanks for listening to me." There was a quiet and slightly awkward moment as Kyle stared straight at Todd and Todd stared straight at Kyle's chest, trying not to make eye contact.

"We could talk some more if you want," Kyle said, "in a more private place, I live only a few blocks from here." Todd suddenly had butterflies in his stomach.

"Um, I guess, I mean, if you really want to," Todd said. Kyle smiled over at him.

"Of course I'm sure, Sugar," Kyle said. Todd suddenly realized that this person did not even know his name.

"Oh, yeah, I'm Todd." Kyle laughed.

"Okay, Sugar." Kyle stood up and offered Todd his hand. He accepted it and Kyle pulled Todd up with such great force that Todd was pressed up against Kyle's body, a blush across his face. "Come on, Sugar," Kyle said, and led Todd out the door.

It had gotten colder since Todd had last been outside, even though that couldn't have been more than forty-five minutes ago. Kyle was walking briskly ahead of Todd, occasionally glancing back and smiling at him. Todd studied Kyle's body. He was wearing tight blue jeans that hugged his round butt nicely. His shirt was light green and sleeveless with a flaccid penis on the front with the words "touch me" under it. It showed off his muscular arms nicely. Every time Kyle turned around his blonde hair would swirl around his face in a way that had blood pumping to Todd's duct taped dick.

They had been walking fifteen minutes before they came to a tall apartment building with trees all around it. It had a giant sign above the doors that read 'Heavenly Arms Apartment Building'. Kyle walked up to the door and pulled it open and gestured Todd in. He pulled out a key in a flashy way just as he had pulled the notepad out earlier and Todd couldn't help but laugh. Kyle smiled sheepishly at Todd and slipped the key into the lock and opened the door that led to an elevator that Todd and he rode up to the third floor. They stepped out onto the floor Kyle's apartment was and passed some people who looked at Kyle in disgust.

"They don't like me cause I'm gay," Kyle said, speaking to Todd but looking at the pair of people, obviously a couple, as they passed. The two just ignored him and continued by, taking a moment to stare at Todd and his attire for more than a moment and then went into the elevator.

"That's terrible," Todd said, quietly looking down. Kyle nodded his agreement and led Todd to a door marked, '4-C', and put the key in the lock. He gave the door a tiny push and it slowly swung open.

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Fred sat planted in front of the television, gnawing his nails till they bled in anticipation of the growing mystery as to where Todd was and whether or not Pietro, Lance and Wanda had found him yet. He tipped the bag of potato chips he had been munching on upside-down and let the slivers of fried potatoes slide into his mouth. Fred stood and started to head for the kitchen for another bag of chips when the phone rang. He stared at the phone for a moment before wiping the grease on his fingers onto his pants and picking the receiver up.

"Hello?" Fred said, hoping beyond hope they had found Todd and were calling to let him know.

"Fred?" It was Todd. Fred felt a wave of relief when he heard Todd's voice, but was immediately followed by a wave of panic when he heard the way Todd sounded. He was talking so quiet and sounded so much like he was in pain, his voice thick with fear.

"Todd?" Fred asked urgently "are you okay? Where are you?"

"I need you to come get me, Fred, I'm so scared," he said.

"Tell me where you are!" Fred practically yelled. He heard Todd let out a sob and then take a deep breath.

"Come to The 'Heavenly Arms Apartment Buildings', room '4-C', please hurry."

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A/N- I know I promised this chapter would be rather dark, but I swear the next one will be no matter what.