Back Alley Boys

Quin

"Did Tommy seem off to you?" Harley mused as he lit his 2nd cigarette for the night.

"Nahhh... that's just Tommy." Ajax muttered, half asleep on the dingy piece of cushioning we call a sofa. But it was our sofa, so it was ok.

Harley looked at me, raising an eyebrow. I just nodded in silent understanding as I pushed myself off the wall and sauntered out towards the light emitting from the end of the two high brick walls we called home.

Harley and I were like that. We could understand each other with a simple look. It was our job really. We were the oldest, we were responsible for the rest. 

The night air nipped at my skin as the moonlight beamed down onto the littered street. 

The sounds of rough footsteps filled my ears as I turned a corner. Slinking into the shadows, I kept going. I heard a thump and turned a third corner to find Tommy lying on the ground with someone above him. They were straddling him, and he was smiling in glee, more than I've seen him smile in a while. I was about to smirk and make a crude whistle when I realised that the person above him wasn't a girl. 

My eyes took a double take. Not only was it a guy, it was Otto. Why in hell wasn't Tommy swinging a punch? 

My mind was overthinking things. Tommy was always out for the ladies. Sure he put em' down every so often but every girl in town was after him. He would have told us. Right?

I concluded that Otto must have jumped him. Tommy was just holding back until he wasn't in such a vulnerable position. I was about to walk forward and help him out when a flash went off. I couldn't hear what they were saying until Otto scrambled off of him.

"Are you gay? What the hell?" Otto looked utterly shocked. As was I.

"It doesn't matter what I am. If you say anything I'll..." Shit... I knew Tommy, I'd know him since he was 6 freaking years old. I knew that voice. His voice of defence, when he was acting tough but truely and utterly terrified. Tommy was gay.

And he liked one of the Riches.

Double shit.

During my minor brain haemorrhage, I hadn't realised that Otto had begun walking this way. Jogging backwards, I slipped into one of the other alley's behind an old repair shop. I watched as Otto walked by. He looked like he had seen a ghost right before his damn serpent eyes. But there was also a twinge of redness on his cheeks... his preppy ass was blushing. What did Tommy see in this guy?

I was about to step out when Tommy walked past too. His head up at the sky, eyes closed and a cigarette that would never meet the sight of a flame propped up between his grinning lips. He looked proud of himself. He looked happy and it made my heart twinge. I loved nothing more than seeing the boys happy. But I just hoped to God Tommy knew what he was getting himself into. This could cause major crap for him. If Otto felt the need to say anything... he would swing it away from himself and right towards Tommy, who shouldn't have to deal with the sour torments of petty teenage oppressors.

Stepping out from the alley I watched as he practically skipped back to the rest of our awaiting brothers. 

I couldn't go back yet. I needed to think. So I headed for the one spot I knew how too. The tracks.

The dull and unwatered grass spiked my backside. The contrast between our school field and the Riches field was almost laughable. It was as if the two schools were trying to spit and yell in our faces about the difference between our kinds. On one side, the side I was on, was the still green, yet nearing yellow grass that you couldn't walk bare foot on in concern of a thorn striking. On the other was a rolling expanse of rich green. It looked soft as hell, I don't think I've ever touched grass that soft in my life, and I never would, as I would never cross these tracks. Never have and never will. It was my silent way of saying a grand 'fuck you' to the expectancy of all young people to become great. The reality was, the grass I sat upon would never be as green as it's neighbour. Maybe one day, our excuses for maintenance men would pull up the weeds and water it night and day until the yellow was gone. But it would still never reach that green. It was too far gone for that, just like the children, teens and adults that grew up at this school and lived in this neighborhood, and would never leave this grass. This grass was their destiny and they would never reach the green of the men and women that were born with silver spoons in their puckered mouths.

That was the reason I never crossed these tracks, not even on a dare. The boys seemed to believe it was something to do with my mum and sister... but no. It was my simple belief in the fact that no matter how much hope we clutch, and how many fights and protests we hold. Our "kind" will never be fit for the grass that was more clean-shaven than the principle of that damned schools chin.

The tracks were bare. Stretching for miles into the distance. I'd never actually been on that train, the one that passed at exactly 10:14am every single day. I didn't know where it went. I didn't even know what was past the two walls of our alley and the neighborhood on the left of the tracks.

I hoped to go somewhere one day. See the world. At the same time though I was terrified of the possibilities.

I fell back and watched the stars. The moon was full, beaming down like a hole in the sky. It looked like a large blanket had been draped over our town and the big man above had poked holes in everywhere before cutting a large circle just for him to look down through and take a peep. I wouldn't say I'm a believer in God. But thoughts of something greater than this town, than this country and than this world lingered in my mind. That there was some being that's just waiting for one more person to fuck up so they can just destroy us all. 

I wouldn't miss much, I din't have much of a future going for me here. Sure I'd miss my mum and sister... but they never see me much anymore anyway, I doubt they'd miss me.

I'd definitely miss the boys. Harley, Ajax, Grey... Tommy. 

Why hadn't he just told us? Is that why his Dad kicked him out? I would never chuck him out for that, he was probably the kindest soul out of all of us. Sure he put on the tough guy act, but the kid was a teddy bear, just waiting for someone to hug him and love him. He thought we all couldn't see it, but we can.

He was obviously scared. He told us everything, he never shut up! The kid must be mighty scared if he hadn't told us. He needed time. So I would give it to him.

After all, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's keeping quiet.