Page 14 of Something Like Hail
Harold made a choking noise. “For your firstassignment? That can’t be right.” He craned to see Noah’s screen,shaking his head when presented with the evidence. “Did you makeMarcello mad or something?”
“Not that I know of.Why?”
“He usually starts newpeople out slowly. Maybe he got our assignments mixed up. Hey! Wecould switch. I don’t mind.”
Noah looked down at his phone again. Maybethis was a challenge from Marcello that he was expected to meet.Then again, he would be a lot less nervous knowing that his firstforay into the world of escorts was with an easy client.
He shook his head. Morecrucial than showing Marcello he could do this was proving himselfto Harold. Noah didn’t want to disappoint him. “I’ve gotthis.”
“You’re sure?” Harold askedwith concern.
How sweet!
“I’ll be fine. Um… Anytips?”
Harold bit his bottom lip as he thoughtabout it. “Yeah. You’ll reach a point in the evening where youthink George is trying to drug you. Don’t worry. He’s not. Hey!Speaking of which, wanna smoke up with me?”
Noah looked at the bong. He’d gotten highbefore and liked it, but when on the streets he needed to keep aclear head. Even sleeping at the shelter came with risks, and theyhad a strict policy about—
The shelter! Noah searched the room for aclock, then remembered the one on his phone. Fifty minutes pasteight. Jerusalem went on lockdown at nine. If he didn’t leave now,he wouldn’t have anywhere to sleep for the night. “I gotta go,” hesaid.
“Oh. Okay. Need a rideanywhere?”
“Yes!” he said gratefully.Otherwise he’d never make it in time. The only alternative would becalling a taxi, which was pricey and required a wait. They’d becutting it close as is.
“Cool,” Harold said. “Justgive me a second.”
A second turned intominutes as Harold used the restroom, then switched his slippers forshoes, chatting casually while doing so. Once they were seated inthe car, Noah saw that only five minutes had gone by, but it surefelt like longer. He could only hope that Harold drovereallyfast.
He didn’t. He kept talking, telling thestory of his first assignment. Noah couldn’t take in details, toopreoccupied with the minutes ticking by on his phone. Nine o’clockcame and went, but the doors didn’t usually close exactly when thehour changed. The shelter wasn’t run that precisely.
Sirens sounded from behind. Noah turned inhis seat to see. Just an ambulance, but the car pulled over waybefore it was near.
“Hate to be whoever calledthem,” Harold said. “Whenever I see an ambulance, I wonder what theemergency is and am thankful I’ve never ridden in one.”
Great. Very thoughtful, but right now Noahhad an emergency of his own. When they finally reached the shelter,it was five minutes past and the doors were still open. Noahhesitated, not wanting to reveal that he was staying there.
“What’s my next turn?”Harold asked.
“Just a couple moreblocks,” Noah replied. He couldn’t ask him to pull over here.Nothing around the shelter resembled a decent home, so he hadHarold cruise to the nearest neighborhood and pull into anapartment complex.
“Right here is fine,” Noahsaid, already reaching for the door handle.
The car stopped in the parking lot. “Cool.Hey, if you get nervous tomorrow and want to call me, just say youneed to use the restroom.” Harold chuckled. “That’ll probably onlywork at the restaurant, but it doesn’t matter. Find some otherexcuse if you’ve got to. You’re not on your own, okay? I’ll bethere for you.”
The words would have made his heart flutterunder different circumstances. Noah simply didn’t have time forthem now. “Okay. Thanks. Bye!”
He was outside the vehicle too fast to heara response. He couldn’t exactly turn and run for the shelterthough. Instead he walked toward one of the buildings, wishing hereally did live there as he listened to Harold’s car pull away.Once certain he was gone, Noah started sprinting. The bags ofclothing they had bought were slowing him down, thwacking againsthim repeatedly as he ran. He stayed away from the main road, justin case Harold was stopped at a traffic light.
Only when Noah saw the back of the shelterdid he hustle to the front of the building. The doors were closed.This meant more than them being locked. A metal gate barred theentrance, stoic and unsympathetic to his plight. He checked thetime and saw it was twenty minutes past. Right now Edith or whoeverwas volunteering that night would be getting people settled,offering leftovers from the evening’s meal, and doing everything toprovide temporary comfort. They would be busy. Noah could rattlethe gate or hammer on the backdoor, and even if the staff insidebroke policy, he would still feel guilty standing there withshopping bags in his hands and money in his pocket.
He could find a cheap hotel. Once again, heworried about making the money last. If he earned fifty bucks anhour, and assuming tomorrow’s date lasted no more than three, hewould still be hundreds of dollars in debt thanks to the advance.He also wasn’t sure how often he’d get assignments, or if he wasexpected to pay back the price of the phone. Best to hold on to hismoney for now.
Noah looked up and down the street,considering his options. He knew of another shelter that wasseedier. He’d had bad experiences there, but it was worth a shot.After walking fifteen blocks, he discovered it was full. Fine. Theweather wasn’t so bad. Noah’s phone informed him that it would begetting down to fifty degrees that night. Chilly, but nothing hecouldn’t handle, especially if he minimized his time outdoors. Afast food joint or a diner then. Noah had a long list of them inmind. Some were friendlier toward the homeless than others,tolerant toward those who made a cheap cup of coffee last forhours.
He walked to a diner not far away thatdidn’t mind him taking advantage of their free-refill policy. Thewaitress recognized him enough to act surprised when he alsoordered a piece of pie—his version of splurging. At least now hehad a phone to distract him. Noah played with the settings,eventually reaching the contacts, which only consisted of twonames: Marcello and Harold. At one time more people would have beenlisted there—friends he had grown up with, or parents and otherrelatives, although not many. Noah’s family was small. Maybe for areason. How many other members had been pushed away in the name ofGod, or had decided to keep their distance because of his parents’extreme beliefs?
Still… Two names only? He didn’t know anyoneelse? A melancholy settled over Noah as he realized just howisolated he had become. Even after being kicked out of his home, heused to have friends. The first place he had driven to was SanAntonio, because that’s where he knew actual gay people. Twins,Rico and Tito. That friendship had started in an online chatroomand felt even warmer once continued in person. They didn’t havemuch either, but they gave him all the time and sympathy he needed.Noah would sleep in his car at night, or sometimes on the floor intheir shared bedroom. For one night, he snuggled up in the actualbed, but only with Rico. Tito had been elsewhere, allowing Noah todiscover just how amazing playing house could be. As upset as he’dbeen about his parents kicking him out, for a brief period he hadfelt happy. Happier! His fling with Rico was only that, but Noahmoved on to another relationship and another city. Austin thistime, and while things were complicated, for the most part theywere good.