He followed Luis into the house.He followed Luis into the house. It was untidy, with the same smell as outside, but enriched by the smell of burnt toast. Rafael followed Luis through the house and into a bedroom. It too was untidy with a sour smell that was unpleasant but there was a bed and even if the sheets were dirty Rafael didn't care. He dropped down and within seconds was fast asleep. The boy slept until the middle of the afternoon of that day, barely stirring the entire time. He awoke once when he heard voices raised. He heard Luis telling them to 'shut the fuck up' and then it was silent except for the low muttering of men somewhere in the house. Hours later he awoke again and stretched out on the bed. His body was hot and sticky and he was still dressed in his clothes, though his shoes had been removed. Rafael sat up slowly. The ache inside his belly seemed to have faded and now he just felt an uncomfortable awareness of his bowel, a tenderness that the young boy was very familiar with. He looked around the room. His throat was dry and he swallowed. Slowly he stood up and walked gingerly as he followed the sounds back into the kitchen. The boy moved silently in his socks. The three men were sitting at the table. There was some white powder spread across a dinner-plate and a large number of little plastic bags scattered over the table. Some already filled, some still empty. Rafael watched silently as he realized what the men were doing. There were drugs at Centerville. Mostly the older boys used them but sometimes he'd seen them in the Baker dorm and even a few times while he was living in Davis. The younger boys often got drugs, usually hits of 'acid' but sometimes 'crack', as a reward for having sex or as part of having sex with an older boy. |