Page 125 of Something Like Hail

“They were probably tryingto fatten you up.”

“Excuse me,” said an olderman with a nicotine-tinged beard and very few teeth. He raised histray. “Will eating this dothatto my hair? If so, I don’t want it.”

“Food didn’t do this,”Felix said reaching up to touch his blue mane. “I was struck bylightning. I used to be blonde. I also used to be a whiteguy!”

The old man cackled and went on his way.

“Don’t listen to him,” Noahsaid. “You’re gorgeous.”

“You make me feel thatway,” Felix said. Then he turned to the next person in line, alittle more spring in his step. Another hour passed before everyonehad been served, but their work wasn’t done. Someone needed tostart in on the dirty dishes that were piling up. A row ofdishwashers took care of the smaller items, but the really big potsand pans wouldn’t fit inside and had to be washed byhand.

“You sure know how to makea gal feel special,” Felix said when they were done. The front ofhis shirt was soaked with water and he looked exhausted, but hesmiled to show he was only teasing.

“Follow me,” Noah said.“We’ll get that shirt dry.”

He led them to the laundry room, which wascalm compared to the kitchen, and had Felix strip off his shirt andhoodie. Noah had fared better in terms of avoiding water. He threwthe clothes into one of the dryers and grabbed a clean blanket froma nearby stack. He wrapped this around the narrow shoulders andslender torso. Then he kissed Felix on the nose, making himgiggle.

“I used to come down hereat night sometimes,” Noah said. “Just to read.”

“I guess there isn’t abreakroom,” Felix responded, missing the point as he pulled theblanket tighter around himself.

Perhaps this wasn’t the best place to tellhis story. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

Noah walked them to one of the largedorm-type rooms. Some of the beds had already been claimed, but forthe most part, people socialized elsewhere after eating. He sat onthe nearest bed and patted the mattress so Felix would do the same.With the blanket wrapped around him and after working so much, helooked as though he had just been rescued from some naturaldisaster.

“This was my favorite bed,”Noah explained. “It’s close to the door, which is good if you needto pee at night. There’s light from the hall, so it’s not as dark,and the open doorway also helps ventilation. You don’t want to bedeep in this room on chili night!”

Felix looked around, then over at him. “Youused to stay here?”

Noah nodded. “That’s why I brought youtonight. Seeing it for yourself is different than just hearingabout it. I told you my parents weren’t crazy about me being gay.The truth is they threw me out when I was sixteen. This is where Iended up. Eventually.”

“That’s terrible!” Felixsaid. His eyes went wide and he covered his mouth. “Sorry,” hewhispered. “I don’t mean anything bad about this shelter, it’sjust—”

“Nobody wants to be here,”Noah assured him. “Before it happened to me, I assumed homelesspeople were all drunks and that any misfortune was their own fault.I was wrong. I wasn’t the only teenager abandoned by their parents.I’ve seen every age—people from all walks of life—on the street,and for more reasons than you could imagine.”

“And your parents knew?They were okay with this?”

“I don’t think they care.But no, I never told them. It wasn’t just a rough patch. I washomeless for years and had to do a lot of crazy things to survive.I stole, I begged, and… Yeah. It was rough.”

Felix chewed his bottom lip, mulling itover. Then his eyebrows came together. “I’m selling my stuff. It’swrong that I have so much when these people have so little! I feltguilty enough when we first got here, and now that I know what youwent through, I’m selling it all.”

Noah laughed, but not mockingly. “I’ve hadsimilar thoughts, but you still have a right to be happy. You workhard and study hard. If you don’t blow off steam and indulgeyourself somehow, you’ll snap and end up here. It’s great that youwant to help. I’m just getting back into volunteering. We could dothis together.”

“Yes,” Felix saidinstantly. “I’m in.”

“Good.” Noah leaned closefor a kiss.

Felix reciprocated, but he pulled awaysooner than he usually did. “I feel wrong for even saying this, butI’m starving!”

“Oh, right!” In all thecommotion, they hadn’t been able to stop and eat. Nor were thereany leftovers. “What are you in the mood for? I’ll get you anythingyou want.”

“Pizza,” Felix answeredimmediately.

“Okay. There’s a place downon Congress that everyone raves about.”

“I was thinking delivery,”Felix said coyly.

Noah grinned. “You want to go home. Is thatwhat I’m hearing?”