AHS // 1984// Xavier Plympton

Mr. Jingles

I start to panic as I get thrown into a trunk of a car. My panting slows as I hear Xavier's voice in the backseat talking with someone.

"Why does she have to go back there?"

The man ignores Xavier's question.

"What the hell, Blake?"

"That name is reserved for business associates and acquaintances. My boys never call me that," The man's voice sounds throughout the car.

"Fine. What the hell, Daddy? You know, it's illegal to threaten someone over the phone. Not to mention stalking them."

"You always underestimate yourself, X. That is your problem. But you are a goddamn Rembrandt. Do you think that I would give up a Rembrandt?"

"Look, I'm grateful for all that you've done for me--"

"I found you in MacArthur Park, a needle in your arm, your blue jeans damp from your own piss. I cleaned you up, inside and out. Little piece of advice, by the way. If you're trying to run away, don't leave a forwarding address for your paychecks from the aerobics studio. You are dumb as you are pretty. And you are very pretty."

"You promised me I only had to do one. I'm not gay. I love that girl you shoved back there. I love Saylor."

I quietly put my hand over my mouth as the tears of sadness for Xavier flooded my cheeks. But hearing him say he loved me sent me over the edge, the tears coming down in sheets.

"Gay for pay, baby."

"I'm working so hard to be a real actor. You think Michael J. Fox ever did gay porn? Tom Selleck?"

"Why are you betting a one-in-a-million chance on mainstream success when I am here offering you stardom?"

"Fuck this. I'm not doing it."

I feel the door slam shut and the hatch flies open revealing Xavier with a tear-stained face. I sit up and Xavier wraps his arms around my waist, picking me up out of the trunk. He angrily walks away, pulling me with him away from the man. But the man lunges at Xavier and I, pushing us to the ground. Xavier lands on top of me, causing me to be glued to the ground underneath him.

The man holds Xavier to the ground and looks into his eyes. "You're gonna do what Daddy says. Or I'm gonna send copies of that tape to all your friends and your little girlfriend under you and your bosses at that dance studio. I might hunt down that drunk mother of yours, send a copy to her."

"And what if I could get you something better to replace him, hmm?" I breathe out below Xavier, "The next John Holmes. Even bigger."

"Huh," the man huffs and lets up on Xavier, "Show me."

Xavier stands up and carefully helps me up as well.

------------------------------------------------

The man looks through the peephole on the showers at the other boys. Xavier and I watch him from afar and huddle together on the chilly summer night.

The man gasps and turns around to face us, "That's no cock. That's an act of God."

Xavier looks down at me and I give him a disgusted look as the man turns back to his peephole. As the man looks at the boys, Xavier starts to pull my hand and he nods for us to sneak away from him.

------------------------------------------

Xavier and I run over to the boys as they discover the freshly dead man near the showers.

"Holy shit. Is he... Oh, God. We have to help him. Somebody do something. We have to call an ambulance," Xavier shouts at everyone.

"Dude, he's dead dead. We got to call the cops," Ray points out.