Hey Stranger

Arden's POV

The bus smelled. They all smelled, either too clean or reeking of sweat and shit. The dog printed seats were cramped and my knees burned with the slightest movement. Each time I was able stand it was nearly unbearable to sit again knowing the pain it would cause. A hundred faces blurred by in the days it took to get to Portland, but none of them mattered. All I could remember was Zaid. He'd been so angry, the muscles in his shoulders bunched with stress as he threw me away. It still stings. Even after so long, I can see his arms waving as he shouted, the storm brewing in those dark gemstone eyes. He used to talk about helping me but in a span of five minutes he broke word and destroyed all the trust I thought he'd worked so hard to obtain.

The sigh bubbled past my lips, a cloud of smoke billowing in the damp night air and crushed the menthol under my ratty canvas high-top. My gaze narrowed on an odd red smudge against the dirty white rubber toe, squinting to see in the flashing red lights from the seedy club. I'd been here for nearly an hour. I wasn't sure what I was waiting for but Dane, the last guy to hook me up, had said this was the place. I swallowed hard and tried to rub the spot with the sole of my other shoe only managing to smear the blob and add alittle grime.

"Hey I like your shoes." Came a rumbling silky voice at my side and I nearly jumped out of my skin as I stumbled back, scraping my too soft palms on the wet brick as I caught myself on the side of the building. "Thanks." I snapped, pushing up right before wiping my hands on the legs of my dark jeans. They were too big and not mine but one didn't argue when they had to snatch clothing from the floor to avoid bodily harm.

His quiet laughter had me meeting his blood shot green eyes. They were the right shade, too light and predatory...like a drugged up alligator. Dark brown hair fell in messy spikes over his forehead, like Zaid on they day way came out at school. I cleared my throat, dropping my gaze as the shame of thinking of him again had a lump rising in my throat. "So..." I began, I wasn't sure about any of this. I'd only started looking for these sort of hooks up a month ago. I was too skittish to try it at first, too guilty. But then desperation, makes us all into demons.

"Can I follow you?" I mumbled and I could feel his satisfaction as he laced his hand through mine as if I were his life line and then we were moving reminding me of home. My short legs could hardly keep up with his long strides and the orange and reds of fall leaves played behind my eyes. I stopped seeing the slick narrow street and crowded stoops.

I'm laughing, I don't remember the last time I really laughed. Zaid's running at my side, taking me with him because his grip is so tight on my I think my legs might fall off from how fast he's propelling us up the street. "I've got a surprise!" his eyes are so bright, the gold light filtering through the leaves making his gold skin nearly shimmer. "Come on I thought little guys were supposed to be fast.."

"Its here." Alligator eyes says and my feet nearly leave the ground he yanks me up the tall stoop. He doesn't even pause to unlock the door, instead fling in open and hustling me inside. To my misfortune there are more stairs, nearly vertical inclines between long dim halls. As he pulled be along the last corridor I could finally start to feel the excitement...and the fear. At least he was hot, my brain tried to console and my gaze dropped to the sway of his ass. Firm but he was no runner. His legs were long but scrawling inside his fitting jeans. I wanted to groan but the wide span of his shoulders saved him. Something to bury my face in so I wouldn't have to look at him.

It wasn't like I'd be coherent enough to even know who he was later any way. I smirked, leaning against the burn orange wall too happy to care that the paint flaked off on the back of my hoody. It wasn't like I had anyone one I wanted to impressed. I wasn't interested in getting this guys attention, I wanted something better.

"This will have pay out, yes?" I asked, and my tone must have started him because he stalled just as he managed to force the door open, keys still dangling in his fingers. "I've got the money if you've got the time."

His thin pink lips pursed for a moment, weird eyes going far away and jangled his keys in thought. "You want to go up or down?" He asked finally and I grinned but I could feel it was only a pull of lips.

"I like to forget." I straighten and stepped in close and let my hand run down his forearm, "Can you do that?"

It was his turn to grin, and before I had tasted heaven I might have thought it made the circles under his eyes soften and gave him back some of the youth drug use and hard-experiences had stolen from him. He stepped aside and made a large sweeping motion with his arm bowing slightly as if it would be some great pleasure to him if I entered his home. I rolled my eyes, only Zaid could make me smile with cheesy gestures and as I made my way into his apartment I'd be surprised if it could be called anything more then a den. The walls were bare, and the front room lacked anything but a old torn up dark plaid couch.

In the dark I couldn't make out the color but I crossed to it and dropped my leather pack on the creaky wood floor. I dropped onto the cushion and reclined, and immediately noticed the lack of a T.V on the stand a few feet away. Instead a single candle was melted in place and the perfect little blacked spoon.

"Nice." I commented as he walked by already pulling off his leather jacket as he stepped around the dividing counter into the kitchen.

"Thanks, it's a shit hole but it's better then sleeping under a fucking bench when it rains right?" He chuckled as swung open the door and I wasn't surprised to see the empty shelves before he bent over blocking the view. "All I've got is wine, you want any?" He asked turning about, the neck of a dark green wine bottle clutched in his hand. It was the first time I noticed the blurred ink which spanned his biceps.

I dropped from the couch onto my knees and crawled over to the barren entertainment stand. I dropped back onto my ass and fished for my lighter before lighting the candle. Orange shadows flared on the walls of the empty room, and I could take my eyes from the flames as the clinking of cups came from the kitchenette. I'd made love once in candle light, we'd laughed about it later. A candle light dinner had turned into candle light table sex. I hadn't been able to keep my hands off him that night but was that memory really mine? I wasn't sure anymore. Had Zaid lit candles for me or had my mind dreamed it up and twisted it into some sort of sick past life story. I was insane all because my dad had stomped my head too many times. Maybe Zaid wasn't real either, a complete figment of my imagination.

"Hey, Dude!" My head shot up as I was ripped out my thoughts was instantly accosted by a coffee mug being thrust into my face. "Here." My host grunted and I could only blink at him as I tried to re-connect the circuits of my brain.

He groaned and dropped beside me setting his own mug on the stand before lifting my hand and wrapping it around the cool ceramic for me. His dark eye brow rose and in the flickering light I could see two tiny circles there indicating at one time he'd worn an eyebrow ring. He must have been some sight before pain had swallowed him up.

"You're strange," He smiled at me but I let my gaze drop to his arms again, noticing the black scaled dragon that wrapped artistically around his forearm. How old was this guy anyway? I thought but didn't say it as he snorted and tossed a baggy beside his spoon, and two fresh needles still in their packages.

"Wow. That's new, you going to pull out some plastic gloves too Doctor Feel Good?" I teased sliding back from from to lean against the side of the couch.

"Doctor feel good.." He chuckled, tattooed shoulders flexing as he tore open each package. "Naw, there's a needle exchange around the block, most people would be happy not to share." He replied but I'd already started to rummage through my bag.

"Didn't say I wasn't, just pleasantly surprised."

He nodded, lifting his hand to ruffle his already messy hair as he heated the spoon. The weight of the black covered journal felt like home as I lifted it out of it's leathery home and flipped open to the first page. There he was staring up at me like a beautiful beacon calling out to me but I could only stand the uncomfortable burn in my wrist and heart for so long before I had to flip the pages. I turned like a mad man, not wanting to see his wise angry eyes staring out at me from the pages again. As soon as I reached the blank page, I clicked my mechanical pencil and set to work immortalizing my date. I chuckled softly to myself, I'd had hotter dates then this but even so the black lines that swirled over his shoulders made him worth immortalizing. And he seemed kind, a rare quality in a drug dealer.

I sketched fast, not giving much detail to his surrounding but the bob of his head was so interesting as he hummed softly to himself. I wished their was some way to draw the music in his head but laughed at my own stupidity as he turned back to me. A pretty capped syringe balanced in his nimble finger tips.

A slow smirk pulled at my lips as I gazed at him from beneath my brow and in the dim gold light I could almost imagine it was another green eyed boy smiling at me in the near darkness. "You first." He said as he hobbled toward me on his knees. I didn't hesitate to push the bound book off onto the floor between us and didn't even remove my hat before pulling the soft black cotton hoody over my head.

His eyes dropped to examine my bare chest, gaze falling between us for a moment to the open sketch book. His swampy orbs widen slightly as he smiled in astonishment. "I didn't know I looked so good from the back." He complimented and I shrugged, dragging a hand back through my auburn curls. I was getting impatient. I didn't care to be complimented when bliss was just a stab away.

"Yeah, it's your redeeming quality." I sneered, eyes narrowing on the needle in his hand. His snort reached my ears but I could only watch as brought the capped end to his mouth and bit down on the plastic covering. He jerked the shiny silver shaft free and spit the cap over his shoulder.

"I promise, it will feel good." He assured me and my eyes followed his hand all the way to curve of my arm.

"I'll give it a try," I squawked weakly as the cool metal pressed over the pale purple vein crisscrossing under the thin white skin. The sharp sting lasted only a moment and my whimper faded off into a moan the moment he slid the plunger down. The putrid black fluid shot through my body and with it a blanketing relief swept through my consciousness as I slumped back over the hard edge of the couch.

My eyes rolled as something tried to lift my from my body but I found his face in the flickering candle light and he smiled at me. "I told you..." He breathed, and his warm hand pressed into my thigh.

"Yeh." I gurgled, swallowing harshly as his hand crept up my thigh. His finger tips drifted over the head of my covered prick and closed my eyes as my dick stirred in it's confines. He rubbed my threw my jeans but I was drifting somewhere else. Darkness played at the corner of my mind but Zaid no longer lurked at the corners of my mind. I didn't think about his hands on me, or wish the wet kisses being pressed over my throat were from him.

Suddenly my friend was gone from side and I finally slipped into my oblivion, like someone had blown out the candle and with the darkness came true and numbing bliss.

~~~

A phone was ringing somewhere, and my head shot up from the dingy pillow I'd been hugging. Searingly bright sunlight streamed in through the uncovered glass window and I groaned burying my face for just a moment but when the room grew silently, the sharp rings only filled the room again a second later.

I muttered a few curse as I struggled to untangle myself from the sheets and stumbled to my feet, the cold chill of morning made me shiver and I hugged my chest with one arm as I shielded my eyes and searched of my jeans. The phone had stopped ringing and started again by the time I found them in the dark living room relieved that it was slightly dimmer there.

"Hold you fucking horses..." I groaned as I dug through the denims the crap throw-away phone. I fliped open chucky black contraption and frowned, brows pulling down over my stinging reddened eyes. The area code was from home and I gasped as I pressed the little red phone button and held it to my ear. "Shit."

"Arden? It's you, isn't it? Please say it's you." Zaid's voice traveled up the line and I felt my jaw drop in shock. It had been months since I'd heard that beautiful voice but when I was finally able to speak it wasn't my voice. It was something I didn't understand, some deep rasping language I'd only heard Zaid whisper in my ear late at night but I knew what was happening. "No!" I nearly shouted and flung the phone across the room, watching as it exploded against the wall into several pieces.

My wrist was burning, and I gripped it with my other hand. My heart was pounding in my chest and the pain nearly dragged me to my knees. I could hear the second voice cursing in my head. He was clear and defiant. He wanted to go home, "We don't have much more time with him. Go home to him. Now!" Adem's deep voice thundered just inside my ears and I clamped my eyes shut trying to shut him out. "You're not real..." I hissed. "Leave me alone."

"Hey are you alright?" The voice sounded behind me and I spun about with an admittedly unmanly scream. He smiled at me, crossing the room and my gaze dropped to his crotch. He was naked and in my startled state I could do nothing but stare at him. He wasn't big or impressive but there is something uncomfortable about a nude man walking toward while you're thinking about your gorgeous and very well endowed boyfriend. Or was it ex boyfriend, now?

Guilt tore threw my chest as his hands curled over my upper arms. "Do you need something? You don't look so good." I swallowed thickly, eyes darting towards the broken phone wishing I could rewind the moments and beg for forgiveness. I missed him and he was looking for me. I'd run into his arms and never let him go again but when he found out what I'd been doing...He'd hate me.

"No...I should go." I muttered trying to pull myself from his grip but his fingers clenched tighter around my bicepts.

"Just stay alittle longer, I've got some more in the other room." He said pressing himself close, and my stomach turned in knots as his half hard length came into contact with my hip. It was then that I realized my own nudity and I found myself twisting away from him.

"I"m broke I gave you all I had last night." I snapped as I shook out my jeans.

"I'm sure we could arrange something." He breathed against my neck and I stumbled forward, my feet getting caught in the legs of my jeans. I landed on my hands and knees, jeans still twisted around my feet. "You look good like that." He chucked and I felt like vomiting as his rough palm slid up my spine. I flipped about, eyes going wide as I tried to crawl away from him, where he crouched at my feet.

"Don't be so shy, you were pretty into it last night." He told me as his hand wrapped around my ankle. My eyes dropped to his hand and gulp. I couldn't' remember the night before, after the needle went in it was just...Darkness.

"I doubt that." I growled trying to kick his hand away but he dragged me back under him.

"No you did, you screamed for more and begged like a whore." He stretched out over me and I could nearly taste the stale sweat on his skin. I turned my head away at the repulsive scent, eyes falling to broken phone just a few inches out of reach. Even if I could reach it what good would it do.

He was baring down on me now, nudging my thighs apart with my knee. "Stop!" I growled bring my amber gaze back to his as I pressed my palms into his chest.

"I'll make it worth it..." He breathed and my head spun, had he smelled this bad last night? I wondered, but then last night hadn't been about anything but getting high. Now all I wanted was to hide.

"I said no!" I shouted and made to swing for his jaw but his hand caught my wrist and slammed it back to the floor. Pain shot up my arm and I bit my tongue to avoid the whimper. "Let me go, now." I tried, hoping my voice didn't sound as weak as I felt.

He laughed against my ear licking the shell even as I tried to kick him away, only managing to allow him to pin me more firmly between the wood paneling and his tattooed body. Something warm and hard brushed between my thigh and I clamped my eyes shut trying to think of something else.

Zaid flashed in my mind. His perfect face crumpled in fear as he held the phone his ear. What had I done, why had I thrown the phone? Why hadn't I asked to come home? It was then that I felt him press his cock against my... I can't say it. I can't tell you what he did. I asked him to stop, I screamed it and called for Zaid, even though he couldn't hear me.

He was trying to split me in half and when it was over I scrambled across the floor scooping my jeans up against my chest. This was all my fault, and I hadn't felt so useless and dirty in months. "Please..." I pleaded, burying my tear streaked face in the dark denim. "Don't hurt me..."