It's December 1st which means NaNoWriMo folks are either sad or happy. I didn't do it this year. So I'm indifferent. But here's another excerpt. -- (edited)
Posted by
Qale
Dec 1 '17, 16:00
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“I’m not running a gang.” Remi reminded him, his words barely a whisper.
“Clubhouse then if you will.”
Remi laughed. “Like some kind of rich Country Club? You wanna pay your dues? We have an exclusive pool, you know. It’s right behind the tin sheets we use for walls.”
The joke was funny, Julian thought. But he kept his face expressionless and quite serious. “I mean it. If there’s anything I’ve learned being on the street is that if you’re alone, you either go crazy or you get what’s coming to you.”
“Now that I believe.” Remi breathed in slowly such a deep breath, it swelled his thin chest enough for their bodies to touch. “We can take you in. I mean, I should at least run it by…”
“Who’s in charge, Remus? Them? Guys you said you had to teach how to panhandle? Or you, the guy who has kept it all together for years? Years.”
It was impossible not to feel a sense of pride when Julian put it like that. Yes, Brian and Jay brought a lot to the table. They knew a few great spots to get things worth enough to add to their coffers. They also had discovered The Fort to begin with. But it was him who had figured out how to add power to it. And he had put in the time to create the connections with those who would look the other way whenever they needed it in order to stay off the city’s record books one way or another.
“Alright. But if I’m running a club, there’s got to be some kind of trial period.” Remi’s green eyes flickered over Julian’s anxious expression. “An initiation.” It was the first time since he met the boy that he felt like he was in control over the direction of things.
“What kind of initiation?” Julian tried to control a stammer as his mind raced at the possibilities.
“We need medical supplies.” Remi noted. “Bandages, ointment, Tylenol?”
“Okay.”
“The money always seems to run out before we get to those things and it’s not like we can get them out of the trash.” The older of the pair started to chew on his bottom lip. Glancing away, he then returned his eyes to Julian.“So, if you’ve got means enough to buy coffees…”
Julian gave a simple nod. “I’ve got you.”
Remi’s thick brows raised as slowly as his smile returned, “Seriously? Just like that?”
He nodded a second time, thoughts wandering to which CVS would be the easiest to shoplift from. It probably depended on which was closest to this Fort he was about to make his new home.
“Welcome to the family, then Julian.”
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