Double burger, large fries, and a large soft drink. Carey had been famished but, strangely, the moment the counter server handed him the bag and drink, he lost his appetite.
Following a weak attempt at starting to pack for college, Carey decided to get something to eat. After leaving the fast food joint a few blocks away from home, he thought he might take the food home and eat it later. For curiosity's sake, he took the long way, returning to the boulevard where he'd first seen the man and the boy.
When he reached the intersection where he'd first encountered them, neither was there. Feeling a bit fatigued, he sat down on a bus bench near the corner. He closed his eyes for a minute listening to the traffic whiz by. The sound had a calming effect that made feel drowsy. When his chin finally hit his chest, he jerked his head up. Opening his eyes, he saw the man and the boy taking up their previous positions in the median. The man put his cooler down and unfolded his cardboard sign. The kid flopped down on the ground keeping his eyes and head facing down into his lap.
After a minute or so, the kid glanced up and, sensing Carey was watching from the side of the street, turned his head slightly and looked at him out of the corner of his eye. Carey set the bag of food and the drink down and slid over to the opposite end of the bench. The kid raised his head, looking at Carey on the bench, and cocked it quizzically to one side.
After a moment, he got up and walked to the edge of the curb just across from Carey. His dad glanced over briefly while he continued to hold his sign and watch the cars passing by. After waiting for traffic to pass by, the kid walked across to the bench where Carey was sitting.
He stood looking alternately at Carey and the food and drink.
"Help yourself." The kid's eyes narrowed in a look of skepticism. "Go on," Carey encouraged.
The kid dropped to the bench on the end closest to the food and drink. He slowly and carefully unfurled the top of the bag and opened it as if he might be handling a bomb. His eyes gazed down into the bag. Reaching in, he pulled the burger from the bag, slowly unwrapped it, looked at it as if he was examining a foreign substance, and then furiously tore into it. Chewing, swallowing, biting off chunks of burger and chewing some more. In between, he pulled fries out of the bag and crammed them into his mouth. Not even bothering with the straw, he popped the cover off of the soda and drank in big gulps.
Eventually, the eating slowed down. The food had evaporated before Carey's very eyes. The kid gave a big belch, chuckled, and resumed eating.
Close up, Carey allowed his eyes to fully take in the boy's features. He certainly gave off a strong smart ass vibe, a constant expression of scorn on his face. Cute and bad all wrapped up in one. Scraggly looking, greasy long hair, dirty blond, well over his ears and onto his neck, falling into his face. From time to time, he either jerked it out of his eyes or swept it back with a hand. Fine features, narrow almond shaped eyes, ordinary nose, thin lips, pointed chin. Pale, sickly looking, even though his skin was unblemished; not even a visible mole or any freckles. His smell, sort of like dust or dried dirt with a mixture of sweat, possibly a hint of piss.
After the food was consumed and most of the drink was gone, the kid stuck a finger in his mouth and wiped excess food away from the inside of his cheeks and along his gums. He tipped his head to the side and squinted at Carey. Clearly thinking.
"I saw you," he said.
"You saw me sitting here?"
"No." A long pause. His eyes narrowed again. Evaluating or judging?
Carey was confused. "You saw me the other day when I gave your dad some money?"
"No." The kid smirked, "I saw you in the woods."
Carey's face felt hot. "You did?" He asked with alarm.
"You get your jollies off from watching?" The kid said accusingly.
Carey just looked at the kid. He was speechless.,
"Fag!" The kid yelled sharply.
"I'm not a fag!" Carey retorted.
"Ya! You are!" The kid yelled more loudly.
"Am not!"
"You got off watching me get fucked, didn't ya?" The kid said as he glared at Carey.
"You're a whore!"
The kid brushed his hair back from his eyes after which it immediately fell back. He turned his head and stared straight ahead.
"Well, ya," the kid said with a smirk and a lot more quietly.
A long silence ensued. They both watched the traffic go by as they observed the boy's dad collect a few dollar bills and some change. The kid tipped the cup back and sucked out the remains of the drink and chewed on some ice. He threw the paper wrappings from the burger back into the bag, crumpled it into a ball and dropped it onto the bench.
As he got up and started walking away he said, "Tomorrow. Two o'clock."
Surprised, Carey responded, "Here?"
"No, in the woods." With nothing further to say, he crossed the two lanes and returned to the spot where his father was. He slumped back down to the ground, knees up, head down.
***
He emptied his pockets of everything except his ID and a few dollars. He wasn't going to take any chances. That kid could easily be setting him up to get mugged. Carey had a feeling this kid was volatile and capable of anything. His smart ass attitude was intimidating.
Carey decided his peace offering was going to be more food. Perusing the refrigerator, he found a plastic container of fresh egg salad. He made an egg salad sandwich after which he placed it into a lunch bag with some potato chips and a can of pop. Being a warm summer day, he wore a sleeveless t-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts and sandals.
Just before two o'clock he turned off the trail onto the hidden path and followed it down to the lake shore. When he got there, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Standing on the fallen tree trunk, he perused the shoreline and lake before jumping down and sitting with his back against the tree trunk.
Quiet. Lapping water against the shoreline and a gentle breeze rustling the trees.
Thud! With a bang, the kid jumped off of the tree trunk onto the ground next to Carey. He hadn't heard him approach.
"Jesus Christ!" Carey jumped up with a start.
The kid laughed and snorted as he flopped down against the tree trunk. With his heart pounding from the scare, Carey sat back down next to him.
"What'd ya bring me?" The kid asked as he grabbed the bag. Opening it, he took out the sandwich, chips, and drink. Deliberately, he unwrapped the sandwich, looked at its contents, and took a big bite. "Ok," with a nod. He ate slower this time. Hungry, but not with as much desperation.
Looking out to the lake, "What's your name?"
