I saw him wandering around the party like a little kid lost at the mall.
He's kind of cute.
Young, but cute.
Looks about thirteen. I suppose that's doable. Suppose I'll go make the runt's night by walking past him.
Approaching him, I take a sip from a plastic cup, waiting for him to notice me. He doesn't. He looks like a child lost at the mall and I can't exactly tell if that turns me on or annoys me.
"Boy," I say. "Hey, boy!"
He looks up at me with bloodshot eyes. Probably been smoking, but whatever. I'll get him off that later. Gotta draw him in before the manipulation.
"Are you alone, boy?"
He seems confused. His hat awkwardly sits on his awkward head. His eyes big and watery. He's kind of cute. Kind of.
Like a dog just shown a card trick, he cocks his head to the side.
"ARE YOU ALONE, BOY?"
Boy says something I don't understand. My patience is wearing thin. Take another sip and ask what he said.
Again, he tries to tell me something, but the music is too loud in here. Grab him by the forearm and drag him towards the back door of this place, twisting and turning through the crowd, in between and around stupid, drunk people until I'm face to face with the sliding glass door. Open it awkwardly with my fingers around the red plastic cup, the metal resisting against my fingertips.
Drag him outside and just short of flinging him into the covered swinging bench, I sit next to him. He's timid, and doesn't speak. The sound of the Gorillaz song Re-Hash audible over the indecipherable crowd speak, inside and out.
Turn to him and put my hand on his leg as he stares out sadly at the pool, then looks at his knees in reaction to my gesture. He looks up at me, blushing.
"Can you help me?" He asks nervously.
"I think I can," I say, leaning closer, setting my beer between my legs and tracing from his neck to his chin with my newly free index finger. "My name's Misty. What's yours?"
"A-Ash," he stammers, his eyes rolling around nervously, trying not to look at me. "M-my Pikachu..."
"Pikachus are cute," I say slyly, winking at him. Goddamn, Misty. Even when you're drunk, you're smooth.
"Y-yeah, but-"
"Shhh," I say, putting my finger to his lips and leaning ever so slightly closer. Other hand working its way cleverly up his thigh. "It's okay. Mommy's gonna take care of you. Mommy's gonna give it to you REAL good."
"I'm scared," he sniffles. "Do you know them? Jesse and James?"
"What the fuck are you talking about?" I ask, withdrawing entirely. My patience is wearing thin with this kid. If it weren't inconvenient for my hands to be on my hips, they would be there. Believe you me.
"Th-they took my Pikachu," he sniffles, his brown eyes welling up with tears. "Do you know how to find them?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever kid," I assure him leaning in again.
"C-can you take me there? You can help me?"
My eyes close as a sigh escapes my lips. "Are you gay?"
"Wh-what?"
"Are you a faggot, Ash? Is this what this is?"
"N-no, I-"
"Then shut the fuck up about your goddamn Pikachu, all right? We'll find him. Whatever."
"We-"
"Kiss me, stupid."
"What?"
My patience has ended. I grab the little geek by his head and pull him in, pressing his lips hard against mine. As soon as my tongue starts to wedge its way between his tight lips, I hear his laugh.
Not the kid's laugh. Gary's.
"What the fuck is this, Misty? Reduced to children now?"
Scoff and push the poor confused little bastard off of me as I cross my eyes and look away from both of them, avoiding eye contact.
"Not that it's any of YOUR business, Gary, but this kid made a pass and I was just rejecting him."
"What?" Ash asks, dumbly. "I-"
"You were just leaving," I say coldly.
"Was he, now?" Gary snickers.
The kid looks at me and and looks at Gary before burying his face in his gloved hands and crying. Like a little girl.
"Pffffffffft! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Shut up, Gary," I say.
"Not only are you picking up the less fortunate, but he's a fag to boot! Hahahahahahahah!"
"Fuck you, Gary."
"Six out of ten," he snorts. "Would not bang!"
"Like you'd even have a chance with me!" I yell at him.
"Maybe if you put on some makeup and beg a little, you'll be seven out of ten! Hahahahahahahah!"
Stand up angrily and stamp my feet against the concrete. "You just hold on a minute, mister! This is Ash and he's my new boyfriend, so you show him some goddamn respect! I don't have to take this kind of shit off of you, even if I want to!"
"Excuse me?" Gary starts before I cut him off with a kiss to his stupid lips and push him into the stupid pool.
"Stupid Gary," I say, watching him thrash around in the water, struggling to the surface. I grab the kids arm and yank him off the swinging bench, steadying him with sheer force as he stumbles awkwardly to and fro. "C'mon, faggot. We're going to my house."
"Wh-what?!"
"You heard me, kid! C'mon!"
Dragging him around the side of the house, my plan is set in stone.
"Mom?!" I shout into the open door. No response. Typical. Good. Fuck it. "All right, kid, let's go."
"What about-"
"Your goddamn Pikachu?! We'll find him tomorrow! Shut the door behind you."
The door closes as I advance halfway up the staircase and turn around. He's standing there like a confused child.
"Take your shoes off," I sigh. What have I gotten myself into? Was Gary right? Am I really this desperate?
No. This goes beyond loneliness. I'm proving a goddamn point to him. He'll see what he's missing out on when I give myself to someone else. That'll teach him, for sure. "C'mon kid, faster!"
He stumbles and struggles with getting his shoes off before silently approaching the staircase. Jesus, how much did this kid have to drink? Does he even know how to handle his booze?
I lead him up to the bathroom and dig a spare toothbrush out of the drawer and spreading toothpaste across the bristles. I turn around, speaking - "okay, kid, I'm gonna need you to..."
He isn't there. I step out of the bathroom and my fists find my waist. He's standing at the top of the stairs like an idiot, barely managing his own balance.
"What are you doing?" I demand.
"I thought y-you were-"
"What?! Spit it out."
"Using the bathroom?"
"No," I say, advancing and grabbing his wrist before slapping the handle of the toothbrush into his open palm and closing his hand for him, because apparently this kid is too retarded to do anything on his own. "No, YOU'RE using the bathroom and you're brushing your goddamn teeth because your mouth is disgusting and I'm better than this."
"Better than what?" He asks, dumbly blinking.
I walk around him and push hard against his back, sending him awkwardly into the bathroom. "Brush your goddamn teeth!"
There's a moment of silence as I cross my arms and lean my back against the wall next to the open doorway. I'm about to say something when I finally hear the scratching of bristles against teeth. Impatiently waiting, I give him a minute before reminding him to brush his tongue.
"'Scooze me?"
"Brush your tongue. Thoroughly. Do I have to say it again?"
Moment of silence. More scratching. Gag.
"Ash?"
Gag. Gag.
"Ash don't you fucking dare-"
It's too late. He's throwing up in my goddamn sink. Seething, I turn around and march into the bathroom just as he's wiping his stupid pathetic fucking stupid mouth with his stupid fucking pathetic forearm and I grab him by his stupid fucking pathetic vest and shake him so goddamn hard his hat falls off his stupid fucking pathetic head.
"Do you have any goddamn idea how much those toothbrushes cost you little shit?!"
He's already crying again. Fuck it.