Chapter 10
After eating three ham sandwiches and a large bag of Doritos, Leon sat back against the couch his stomach full. Jesse sat next to him chuckling, "Damn you want anything else?"
"Sorry 'bout that. Haven't eaten in awhile."
"Guess not. Want to watch some TV or play video games." Jesse began pacing back and forth in front of him. "Got some magazines here somewhere." He overturned everything on the coffee table trying to find them.
"Jess. Chill out dawg. I'm cool."
"Sorry. I get excited easily."
"I can tell." They both laughed.
"I've got that attention thing. It drives my dad crazy."
"ADD huh? We'll just have to keep you busy. Pop in a game. Let's play."
~The Next Day~
Leon opened his eyes and took in the sight of the room. Posters of performance cars covered every inch of the walls, notes about their specs scribbled here and there. He sat up in the bed and picked a stack of papers off the floor. Thumbing through them he found hand drawn plans for engines. "Damn smart kid," Leon mumbled to himself. The clock on the dresser read 2:00pm. Jess would be home soon. He raised his arms and took a wiff of his underarms. The stench almost gagged him and he had a strong stomach. "Time for a shower."
The hot water streamed out of the showerhead. Steam began to fill the room. Quickly he took off his clothes. He removed the silver chain from his neck and stepped into the water. He thought of Sky and worried about what the cops did to her. He missed having her near him in his arms. It was hard for him to believe everything that had happened. The two people that were his life were gone who knows where and he had no idea where he would sleep the next night. The water was turning cold; he had been in too long. Quickly turning the water off he jumped out and wrapped a towel around his waist.
Looking into his bag, he found the only clean pair of pants he had left. He rummaged through the bag and found the shirt she had been wearing the night they ran away. Running his hand over it he pulled the shirt close to his chest and let the tears fall. She was gone. The words played over and over in his head.
The sound of footsteps startled him. The door swung open and Jesse was peering down at him, blood running down from his nose. "Jess what the hell happened?" He pushed past Leon and tried to wash the blood away in the sink. Leon turned him around, "Who did this?"
"It happens all the time. Don't worry about it." Jesse turned back to the sink.
"Fuck that. Tell me who did this."
"Some of the guys like to pick on me. That's all. I'm fine really."
"Bullshit. Show me where they're at and I'll make sure they don't touch you again."
"It's really ok. Don't wanna make things worse ya know."
Leon grabbed a washcloth from the sink and wiped Jesse's face, "How's it get worse than this? From now on I'll walk you to and from school."
"Thanks man, but you don't have to do that."
"It's no problem." He cleaned the last of the blood from Jesse's face. "I should get out of here before you dad comes home."
"I'm already home," a voice said from behind them. Leon turned around to find a very large man standing in the doorway, his long hair tied back. "But you can stay. Jesse finish getting your face cleaned up and the two of you meet me in the living room."
Once Jesse's dad was out of sight Leon looked back at Jesse, "Shit. You never said your dad was that big."
"He's not as scary as he looks." Jesse laughed. "Come on." They headed for the living room.
"Jesse are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Jesse's dad said from the couch.
He moved to take a seat next to his dad, "Dad this is Leon. Leon this is my dad, Tom." Leon shook Tom's hand and sat down on the floor across from them. "Is it ok if he stays here?"
"Hold up Jesse. I need to know a little more about your friend Leon before I say yes." Tom eyed Leon, "So where you from? Where are your parents?" Nervously Leon picked at his fingernails. "You can tell me the truth. Nothings going to happen to you."
"I ran off after my mom left. There's nothing left back there." Leon said honestly.
"Well since you have nowhere to go, you can stay here. Jess could use the company." Tom rubbed his hand over Jesse's messy hair, "Right kid?"
Jesse was smiling from ear to ear, "You mean it. He can stay here? Yes."
Leon looked over at them and felt a little jealous wishing he had that kind of relationship with his dad. "I don't wanna be a burden."
"You will be more help than you know. I work out of town most of the time leaving Jess here alone. If you look after him and keep him out of trouble, you can stay as long as you want. Deal?"
"Deal."
After eating three ham sandwiches and a large bag of Doritos, Leon sat back against the couch his stomach full. Jesse sat next to him chuckling, "Damn you want anything else?"
"Sorry 'bout that. Haven't eaten in awhile."
"Guess not. Want to watch some TV or play video games." Jesse began pacing back and forth in front of him. "Got some magazines here somewhere." He overturned everything on the coffee table trying to find them.
"Jess. Chill out dawg. I'm cool."
"Sorry. I get excited easily."
"I can tell." They both laughed.
"I've got that attention thing. It drives my dad crazy."
"ADD huh? We'll just have to keep you busy. Pop in a game. Let's play."
~The Next Day~
Leon opened his eyes and took in the sight of the room. Posters of performance cars covered every inch of the walls, notes about their specs scribbled here and there. He sat up in the bed and picked a stack of papers off the floor. Thumbing through them he found hand drawn plans for engines. "Damn smart kid," Leon mumbled to himself. The clock on the dresser read 2:00pm. Jess would be home soon. He raised his arms and took a wiff of his underarms. The stench almost gagged him and he had a strong stomach. "Time for a shower."
The hot water streamed out of the showerhead. Steam began to fill the room. Quickly he took off his clothes. He removed the silver chain from his neck and stepped into the water. He thought of Sky and worried about what the cops did to her. He missed having her near him in his arms. It was hard for him to believe everything that had happened. The two people that were his life were gone who knows where and he had no idea where he would sleep the next night. The water was turning cold; he had been in too long. Quickly turning the water off he jumped out and wrapped a towel around his waist.
Looking into his bag, he found the only clean pair of pants he had left. He rummaged through the bag and found the shirt she had been wearing the night they ran away. Running his hand over it he pulled the shirt close to his chest and let the tears fall. She was gone. The words played over and over in his head.
The sound of footsteps startled him. The door swung open and Jesse was peering down at him, blood running down from his nose. "Jess what the hell happened?" He pushed past Leon and tried to wash the blood away in the sink. Leon turned him around, "Who did this?"
"It happens all the time. Don't worry about it." Jesse turned back to the sink.
"Fuck that. Tell me who did this."
"Some of the guys like to pick on me. That's all. I'm fine really."
"Bullshit. Show me where they're at and I'll make sure they don't touch you again."
"It's really ok. Don't wanna make things worse ya know."
Leon grabbed a washcloth from the sink and wiped Jesse's face, "How's it get worse than this? From now on I'll walk you to and from school."
"Thanks man, but you don't have to do that."
"It's no problem." He cleaned the last of the blood from Jesse's face. "I should get out of here before you dad comes home."
"I'm already home," a voice said from behind them. Leon turned around to find a very large man standing in the doorway, his long hair tied back. "But you can stay. Jesse finish getting your face cleaned up and the two of you meet me in the living room."
Once Jesse's dad was out of sight Leon looked back at Jesse, "Shit. You never said your dad was that big."
"He's not as scary as he looks." Jesse laughed. "Come on." They headed for the living room.
"Jesse are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Jesse's dad said from the couch.
He moved to take a seat next to his dad, "Dad this is Leon. Leon this is my dad, Tom." Leon shook Tom's hand and sat down on the floor across from them. "Is it ok if he stays here?"
"Hold up Jesse. I need to know a little more about your friend Leon before I say yes." Tom eyed Leon, "So where you from? Where are your parents?" Nervously Leon picked at his fingernails. "You can tell me the truth. Nothings going to happen to you."
"I ran off after my mom left. There's nothing left back there." Leon said honestly.
"Well since you have nowhere to go, you can stay here. Jess could use the company." Tom rubbed his hand over Jesse's messy hair, "Right kid?"
Jesse was smiling from ear to ear, "You mean it. He can stay here? Yes."
Leon looked over at them and felt a little jealous wishing he had that kind of relationship with his dad. "I don't wanna be a burden."
"You will be more help than you know. I work out of town most of the time leaving Jess here alone. If you look after him and keep him out of trouble, you can stay as long as you want. Deal?"
"Deal."