"Damn!" He whimpered, running down the entire forbidden words list, saying some of them more than once. Finding no relief in that, he took a long, purgative shower, only getting out when Raleigh knocked on the door, warning of lights out. Dressed in his Sponge Bob boxers, he got into bed and turned out his lamp. The TV was on, casting an eerie bluish glow around the room. A night light in the bathroom provided enough light for him to find it in the dark. Sam fell asleep, confident that when he woke, his first day as a free man would bring good things.
Morning came earlier than Sam anticipated. At 6:30, an alarm sounded from an intercom mounted on the wall above the bed. The only way to shut it off was to stand up. Sam did so, grudgingly. He was used to rising early, his school started at 7:30, but this was somehow more intrusive. At home, he could hit snooze and get a few minutes more sleep. Not at Ravenwood.
After a trip to the bathroom, he came back to find Carlos waiting for him. "Hiya. Raleigh made me your buddy for the week. We take turns with the new folks. I hope you don't mind that I'm gay."
"No, man. What you do in your spare time ain't my bidniz." Sammy smirked, tapping his knuckles. "Dude, s'long as you don't try to rape me in the shower, we're cool."
Carlos didn't know whether to be offended or not. He chose not to, but shot Sam a strange look.
"Seriously, Carlos, I've got gay friends. It doesn't bother me. I'm cool with who they are, and I'm comfortable with myself."
"Then why you do drugs?"
"Cause my life sucks?" He shook his head. "Cause it was one thing Emma and I always did together. I know, not the best choice, but her life really did suck balls, and she thought drugs made it better. I got drawn in, and couldn't say no."
"To Emma or the drugs?" Carlos asked with unexpected insight.
"Both." Sam shoved his hands in his pockets, head down.
"Hey, man, I'm sorry. Bad subject before breakfast."
"Actually, it's better to talk about it, right?"
"Suggestion though. Hands in the pockets, head down—man that's a dead give that you're not as comfortable as you think you are. One thing I learned in therapy, face the problem. That's the only way to fight it down."
"Good point, Carlos. Thanks." He took his hands out of his pockets, squaring his shoulders.
Breakfast was huge. Sam had never had so much to eat. It felt good to have a full stomach. He'd never had enough to eat at home, because his parents spent the money on their addictions. In foster care, he hadn't eaten his fill because he didn't want to be a burden. With difficulty, he controlled a burp. Turning red around the ears, he ducked his head when Molly glanced at him.
"I do believe that's a compliment," she smirked. "Sure you can't eat anymore? A man looks better with a bit o' meat on him. Muscles and meat. Don't you agree, ladies?"
"Yeah, don't like skinny men," Vera said. "They give you bruises in places that you'd rather they didn't."
"How would you know?" Carlos asked her. "When did you ever make it with a guy anyway?"
"Probably more often than you, sweetheart," she snipped, picking up her dishes.
"Tempers, children." Raleigh cautioned.
"She really chaps my sack," Carlos muttered to Sam. "Sometimes I find her so hot, it makes me want to scream. Other times, I could just kill her."
"All women have that effect at some point," Sam replied. "But I thought she wasn't into guys."
"She's like me, goes both ways. Just has a preference for chicks and dildos. Go figure."
©2020 Dellani Oakes
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