Curiosity Killed Shaney(9)

Money wasn’t an issue, though, because when he was ten, Shaney’s father had passed away, leaving him a small inheritance. Splitting the apartment with Todd helped. Without the need to find a job right away, he could go at the community service full-time as a carpenter’s assistant and get the torment over ASAP. It seemed like his safest bet. Well, maybe not safe. Hearing he’d be around power tools, Shaney had blurted out in disbelief, “You’re going to let me be around power tools?” He was sure the ban from the use of all forms of power tools after the Wood Shop Incident of 2009 was still in effect. It might have even become a town law.

Mr. Anderson had rolled his eyes at Shaney’s question. Hudson had shift nervously, his gaze jumping back and forth between them. “How about we start out slow. A screwdriver, maybe a hammer,” Hudson had suggested and Shaney had suppressed a chuckle. The man was clueless.

Shaney tossed the pine needle he’d been twirling into the water. He stood and dusted stray leaves and dirt from the back of his pants. With one last deep inhale, he closed his eyes and let the breath leak slowly from him. The tension disappearing, his cramped muscles relaxed. His mind was quiet. No life changing epiphanies or ‘aha’ moments had come to him, but now he could move forward with some resolve at least.

“This place is magic,” he whispered and with one last look, he started on the long walk home.

* * * *

Back at the apartment, Shaney found Todd on the couch, balancing a plate on his lap and watching TV. Something faintly resembling Shaney’s second head was on a show on the Syfy channel. Todd still wore his work uniform—a blue Polo shirt and khakis. He’d spiked his short, reddish-brown hair with some gel and had shaved.

He was reclined, his long legs crossed at the ankles. Todd was taller than Shaney (as was half of the population over twelve) and a bit broader in the chest. Separately, his features were average; hazel-brown eyes with lashes the color of his hair, slightly flared nose, thin lips, and a rounded jaw. But, for some reason, with Todd, the sum of the average equaled a handsome man. Shaney was convinced the appeal was the smile. When he smiled full-on, girls swooned. Too bad for them Todd was gay. Shaney silently snickered. If Todd wasn’t like a brother, he might have been a little weak-kneed over that mouth himself—a mouth currently being stuffed as if the food was about to crawl away. That could only mean one thing.

Shaney flopped next to Todd, who scrambled to keep his plate from sliding from his lap. “I take it my Mom was here.”

Todd faced Shaney, grinning around a mouth full of homemade lasagna. He nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

Shaney sighed, sort of glad he’d missed her. He swiped the fork from Todd’s hand and stabbed a piece of noodle before Todd could stop him.

“Hey!” Todd grabbed the fork as Shaney slurped the noodle off. He hunched over his plate, protecting his bounty. He cocked an eyebrow. “Aren’t you supposed to be on cell block D, rooming with Big Eddie right about now?”

“Big Louie,” Shaney mumbled, rubbing his palms over his face. Man, he was tired.

Todd frowned. “Huh?”

Shaney shook his head and exhaled, leaning back and kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. “Stay of execution. Got another assignment.”

Todd cocked his head and studied Shaney for a minute. “One would think you’d be happier about avoiding Big Eddie.”

“Big L—never mind.” He closed his eyes, which immediately popped open when an image of Hudson appeared behind his eyelids. “Damn it!”

“That bad, huh? What’re you doing? Shoveling shit? Popping pimples of the underprivileged at the dermatologist?” Todd’s eyes grew wide. “Tell me it doesn’t have anything to do with girls?” Todd faked a shudder, his face frozen in horror.

Shaney punched Todd in the arm before he could move. “Oww,” Todd complained then grinned. “I’m sure it isn’t as bad as girls,” he teased.

“Don’t be so sure.” Shaney rolled his head on the back of the sofa to look at Todd. “Mr. Tall, Dark, and Hunky is my community service.”

If Todd had been a cartoon character, his eyes would have popped out attached to tiny springs. His surprise instantly turned into puzzlement.

“What’s wrong with him? He seemed normal except for your puke all over him. Is this so he can get revenge because you practically raped him in the store and then barfed on him? Like restitution?”

Shaney huffed. “I didn’t even touch him! I just looked at him for a while.”

Todd leaned back with his plate. “Leered is probably more like it. For a gay man, Shaney, you have the worst gaydar in the history of gay men.”