Strange Fruit Ch.6 Durian
I didn't need the app anymore, so I deleted it. I had a best friend, and my first real relationship. I didn't know how to do "a relationship" outside of the basic rule of don't cheat, so I told Trent about Ryder and Dion. I expected him to be disappointed, but he took it better than expected. I figured I'd try to take Watson's advice and just be straight forward about everything, no lies, no secrets, no keeping things to myself. Honestly I didn't have much to tell. Trent on the other hand always had a story. He'd been through so much. He wasn't much older than me , but he'd done more in one of his years than I'd done in all of mine.
Technically we'd been together for three and a half weeks. I didn't know what he did to make money, but Trent had a lot more free time than he lead me to believe he would. I remember our first date he said he was usually busy, but since we started dating he would come by my job and just hang out in the store with me.
Trent- Is there anyone who doesn't seem normal to you
Leon- I don't know
Trent- That guy over there looking at the watches , he's wearing a trench coat in the middle of July, something must be up with him
Leon- Maybe he's just used to being somewhere hotter , and it's a nice coat
Trent- Your so optimistic
Leon- I just don't see the point in judging people before getting a first impression
Trent-Yea well I guess we see people differently in that way
I'm glad my boss was so laid back, it meant I could hang out with Trent all day and still get paid at the end of the week. It was rare that I ever saw the owner at all . I could have clocked in and left on most days if not for the security cameras.
Trent- So I was thinking , remember when I told you I wasn't out to anyone
Leon- well I know your gay
Trent- you don't count, your not out ether
Leon- yea, yea
Trent- well, I want to
Leon- want to what
Trent- come out
Leon- OK... then you should... do that
He laughed , but I was confused.
Trent- I don't have anyone to tell , at least no one I would care enough to tell
Leon- what about your family
Trent- don't have one
Leon- every one has a family
Trent- well I don't , I haven't ever since first grade when my dad drove himself and my mom into a ditch
Leon- I'm so sorry
Trent- Don't be , he wasn't much of a dad and my mom was never all there ether
Leon- oh ... well what about your friends
Trent - don't have those
Leon - your joking , what about the guy you said lived with you
I didn't mean to offend Trent, but clearly my disbelief in his lack of people close to him wasn't a very nice thing to experience.
Trent- I think the reason I've waited so long to tell anyone I'm gay is because I never had anyone to tell
Leon- then do you really need to come out , in a way aren't you already
Trent- it's not that simple, I don't know how to explain it
Leon- you want to declare your gayness
That came out so wrong and so loud , at least one or two people in the store must have heard me.
Trent- oh ha ha , come on you must get what I'm saying, you have your mom and dad so you can still tell them, but it wouldn't be the same if they were gone and you never told anyone right , it be like you were still hiding something even if it's out in the open
Leon- well if you don't have any friends or family to tell then who exactly do you want to tell
Trent- I was thinking your folks
Leon- what
Trent- you already go on dates and hook up with guys all over town, if your trying to hide that your gay you don't exactly do a good job
Leon- my parents don't know anything
Trent- even if they don't , how long do you think it'll be till they do
Leon- what's that supposed to mean
Trent- you got around
Leon- I said I was sorry about everything with Ryder and Dion
Trent- and I told you I'm over it , but you outed yourself to a guy down the street from your mom's house , you picked up a guy at a gas station, even me being in this store with you every day is suspicious
Leon- I'm not ready to tell my parents, and I'm really not ready to bring you home to meet them
Trent - well it would mean a lot to me if you did , I've never been in a real relationship with anyone Leon , and part of the reason for that is because I've always felt the need to hide who I was seeing , I don't want us to have to hide or be secretive to see each other
Leon- I can't , I can't tell them
Trent- I'm not asking you to , I'm just saying It would mean a lot and it would help a lot if you did
He started to leave.
Leon- wait where are you going
Trent- work
He left and before I could ask what "work" was a customer stepped up to the register and I had to check them out.
Later that day I took my lunch break. Days in the middle of the week were slow around the mall.
All the shops and people that worked in them had a type of dynamic. The kings were anyone who worked in the high end stores because they all seemed to be fashionable and cool . People who worked in the food court were also respected because they might give out free food to those who got in good, but they were usually stoners. No one messed with Janitors because we all knew the mess they had to clean, and no one wanted to be around when they finally snapped from the degrading duties. People who worked in the technology and accessories stores, like myself, weren't very high on the mall food chain because we tended to be a bit nerdy. And of course everyone hated the management.
I decided to have "Greg's Eggs" for lunch, it was a 24 hour breakfast place in the food court. It was my first time there. The cashier was this rabbit with grayish almost blue fur. He was in uniform, but the guy looked good. Something about how his ears were so big and long they went down his back like hair was a turn on. How had I not seen this guy before? I was staring him down like a piece of meat. I read his name tag , even his name was hot , Alair.
Alair- hey do you want anything
I forgot I was standing in line.
Leon- oh , let me get a....
I froze , partly because the menu was in such small letters I couldn't make out much. I also felt the longer I stood holding up the line the more Alair was likely getting annoyed with me.
Alair- you want the number 6
Leon- what's the number 6
Alair- have you ever eaten here before
Leon- no
Alair- then you want the number 6
I tried to read the menu above his head but still struggled to make anything out , so I took his suggestion.
Leon- sure , I'll have a number 6
He put In my order. I forgot to walk away.
Alair- we'll have your order out to you in a minute... so you can have a seat
I awkwardly nodded and walked away taking a seat far away. I felt so embarrassed. It took a while for them to make my food . When it was finally ready I was surprised to see Alair carrying it over to my table. It was two trays of food , he set them down and then he sat down with me.
Leon- this is a number 6?
Alair- a meal for two
I think I blushed , I blushed hard. He started eating and I was just confused.
Leon- did you ... did you trick me into buying you food
Alair- no , I tricked you into buying "us" food
If he wasn't as good looking as he was I might have reacted differently.
Leon- I don't know you
Alair- I'm Alair
Leon- that's not what I meant , why would you think this is OK
Alair- well its my first time meeting someone from the app at work , I was thinking we eat then we find a bathroom stall and
I cut him off.
Leon- wait , what app
Alair - Strange fruit
He took out his phone and showed it to me . My profile was still on Strange Fruit . I deleted the app, but I was still on it somehow.
Leon- I'm sorry but I have a boyfriend
It felt so good and so strange saying that out loud.
Alair - well your profile says your single so
Leon- I deleted the app , I don't know why my profile is still on it but
Alair - it's cool , no worries
He continued to eat.
Leon- so are you going to pay me back for the food
Alair- I'll pay for the next time
He finished eating and left the table as though nothing had happened. I tried to download the app back on to my phone to delete my profile, but it wouldn't give me access. I had no way of taking it down. I didn't want anyone else figuring out who I was or worse coming on to me like Alair. The more people that knew about me the harder it would be to keep the secret from my mom and dad. I imagined a janitor seeing my profile, or one of the managers, I could live with someone from the high end stores coming on to me , but I had to fix the problem and soon.
There was a help number on the app for any technical support problems. I figured I'd try calling and having someone take down my profile for me but they were only available in the morning. I'd have to wait at least half a day to shut down my profile.
I hoped that no one else would approach me , but to be honest I wasn't worried about the situation. People don't just approach people they think they know from online. Sure Alair tried to make a move on me, but if anything I thought he was an outlier. What I didn't know is why he felt it was OK to assume we could just hook up on my break time. Unknown to me , Strange fruit had a secret feature, voting and reviews. People could rate and review anyone they'd met from the app anonymously. Turns out Dion left me quite the review, a review that made me out to be a sex deviant willing to hook up anywhere anytime. Before I could make it back to my work station after lunch I found myself feeling watched.
When I made it back to my post I noticed the store was more full than I'd seen it in my entire time working there. I didn't know about my review on Strange Fruit, so I assumed it was a good business day and nothing more. All day left and right customers wanted my help , it never dawned on me that all of them were guys. I'm glad I didn't figure out the trend until after I left work because there were even a few how shall I say "older guys" "much older guys" who were in the store at some point.
It was after my shift. I planned to spend the rest of my day with Trent at his place. He was supposed to pick me up after he left whatever his job was which took a while. There was another person waiting with me. We were outside of the mall under this big tree that had somehow sprouted through the concrete, then again most of the parking lot was unfinished dirt and gravel. I didn't notice the other guy at first, he was close but his being on his phone on the opposite side of the tree made him almost invisible until I started pacing around said tree. I bumped into him , I was on my phone too.
Leon- oh , sorry I didn't think anyone else was out here
He had on headphones so he didn't hear me and I know because he took out his head phones and looked up from his phone in a way that said so. He was a dear deer. He was wearing a uniform of some kind but I didn't know where from. His antlers were pretty big but it appeared he shaved them down or something by the way they almost looked like a crown on his head.
King- what was that
Leon- I was just saying I didn't think anyone else was out here
King- it's fine
He put back in his headphones and returned to his phone. I felt strange just standing there but I couldn't go back to pacing now that I knew he was there. I suppose my prolonged awkward presence was enough to make him take his head phones out again.
King- was there something else
Leon- no , sorry
He sighed then put his phone in his pocket.
King- so who or what are you waiting on buddy
Leon- my boyfriend
I swear I loved saying that. I should have been more careful seeing how I was still keeping secrets from my parents, but it just felt too good to say.
King- boyfriend? That's cute
Leon- what's that supposed to mean
King- you don't seem like a fairy
Leon - what
King- don't get me wrong I got nothing against em , I'll do anything that moves, but you don't come off as
Leon- as what
King- as a fairy
Leon- your joking right
King- your the one telling people you have a "boyfriend", I'd take it as a complement
Leon- you can't just say something like that
King- I'm sorry, I meant you don't look like a the typical fag, a flag twirling homo, a bag waiting to be filled with dicks
I was getting angry, very angry until I realized he just told me he would do anything that moves. He wasn't making fun of me, in a way he was just making an observation but putting it in a way that he knew would get a reaction. He was messing with me. I could see it on his face, and when he saw me get the joke we both laughed.
Leon- do you usually make jokes like that
King - only when I'm bored, or I think people can take it
Leon- I can take it
King- careful, wouldn't want your boyfriend to hear you
I couldn't stop grinning.
King- my name is king , what's yours
Leon- I'm Leon
King- that's a good name
Leon- good name for what
King- I don't Know , life I guess
Leon- King is a good name too ...for life
He grinned.
King- it's my stage name
Leon- I don't get to know your real name
King- no one gets to know my real name
Time seemed to be passing quickly or we were talking for longer than I thought. Where was Trent?
Leon - what do you do on stage
King - I do a type of performance art
Leon- like dancing?
King- it's more than just dancing , it's expressive and explosive
Leon- sounds...interesting
King- you should come to one of my shows , you can bring your boyfriend too
Leon- I don't know
King- or don't bring him
Leon- no , I mean I've never known much about art
King- all the more reason to come
Finally Trent arrived, and by that time the sun was almost completely out of view. He honked his horn, I suppose he couldn't see me standing behind the tree with King.
Leon- I think that's my
King- what's your number
He handed me his phone and I hesitated before putting in my number. I handed back the phone. Before I walked away he cupped the side of my chin with his paw and got close.
King- it's too bad you have to go or I'd be more than happy to give you a private show
I was shocked, and it felt wrong, but I didn't brush away his paw from my face until I heard Trent honk his horn again.
Leon- I have to go
It felt like he had me pent between his body and the tree so even with the space still between us I moved as though he was holding me. As I stepped from behind the tree I hoped that King would stay hidden. I got in Trent's car and it seemed he didn't see anyone else step from behind the tree as we drove away, I figured if he did he might say something about it.
What the hell was that? He couldn't have been another guy from "Strange Fruit" I started talking to him not the other way around. The entire ride to Trent's Trailer I thought about King, I really thought about king. I was hard as rock the entire car ride. I didn't know how to get out of the car when we finally got to Trent's place without him seeing. I waited until he got out of the car to hide my hard in in the waist band of my underwear. It didn't go down. It wouldn't go down.
It didn't help that the first thing Trent did when we got inside was take off his shirt.
Leon- Hey you remember what we did the first time you brought me back here
Trent- yea I remember
He gave me a quick kiss before going into the kitchen and grabbing a drink. I followed behind him.
Leon- that was a fun night
Trent - glad you enjoyed it
He stepped around me and went to his room sitting on the edge of his bed. Again I followed him. I stood in the doorway as he took off his shoes.
Leon- yea I did , I really did
Trent-Are you trying to ask for sex
Leon- What no
Trent- Your trying to ask for sex
He started taking off his pants, and I came to sit beside him.
Trent- You can ask
Leon- Really
Trent- Yea, I'm not really in the mood , but you could have just asked
Leon- Oh
He got down to his underwear just to tell me he wasn't in the mood while I was still hiding a monster hard on under my shirt.
Trent- sorry, work was just a headache today and I really just need to sleep if that's OK
Leon- Oh ...well ... my mom
Trent- What about your mom
I paused.
Trent- Where does your mom think you are right now
Leon- Out with a friend, I told her I'd be home late
Trent-You wanted me to drive you home, I can barely keep my eyes open
Leon- I know but
Trent- This is what I mean , if you told your mom about us you wouldn't have to lie, and then you could spend the night
Leon- I'm not ready
Trent- I know , but you see this is what I meant this morning
Leon- I can call a cab
Trent- no your not calling a cab , you wanna talk about our first night together, watching you walk out the next morning was less than fun, I'll drive you home
I could see how tired he was, the stress in his eyes and the wight on his body as he forced himself back up to get redressed.
But hey, at least my hard on went down.