Chapter 33
It’s a Beautiful Life
Roscoe
The stench of the city made me reel. It wasn’t just the smell, it was what they brought with them. Everything came flooding back to me, things I’d long forgotten. There was a calmness to it, though, somethin’ I never experienced with these memories, like someone wrapped me in a big hug.
It didn’t last.
I was in a messy dorm room with really good art of hot monsters taped to the walls.
Cody sat on a twin-sized bed next to a guy with a shaved head.
He was shorter, but he did have an interestin’ mid-western accent.
He handed Cody a drawing of a huge werewolf standing under a solar eclipse, gettin’ a blowjob from a smaller werewolf.
“Happy birthday,” he said before kissing Cody on the cheek. “It’s how I see us.”
“You really like werewolves,” he said. “I love it.”
“We should take a road trip and see the eclipse.”
“That’s kinda far. Can your car even make it?”
These visions hadn’t been happy, but this one was deceptively sweet. I remembered somethin’ Cody said a while ago about being hurt—this must’ve been the guy that did it.
“Only one way to find out.” He shoved Cody with his arm. “Stop always worrying so much.”
“Jim…”
“I mean it. We’ll be fine. It’ll be awesome. I’ll bring my vape pen, and we’ll get high on the way.”
“I don’t think you’ve ever not been high the whole time we’ve been dating.” Even though he said it in a joking way, his tone had this underlyin’ hint of seriousness.
The scene shifted to a hotel parking lot as Cody and the other guy walked around. The area was flat and dry, kinda reminded me of the southwest. The one he’d called Jim was crying, and Cody looked confused.
“I’m a terrible person,” he said, wiping his face.
“You’re not a terrible person. Where did this come from all of a sudden?”
“I just… think we should chill.”
“We’re a thousand miles away from home. Are you breaking up with me?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we need to take some time. You’re still precious to me, though.”
The sun disappeared and Cody sat alone in a small room, holdin’ the drawing in his hands.
“You were a terrible person,” he whispered, tossin’ his cell phone onto the bed next to him. The last few messages made me angry.
We don’t even talk anymore. I just want a friend.
Sorry. I can’t give you what you need, Cody. Find some other friends.
He balled up the drawing and threw it into the trash before turning out the lights.
The vision shifted into a mostly empty studio.
There wasn’t a TV or a couch, just a twin air mattress on the floor with some neatly made-up sheets.
The dining area consisted of a small table decorated with jarred candles, and even though the place looked a bit run-down, it had Cody’s charm.
He always kept everything neat no matter where he was.
Everything was meticulously placed, folded, vacuumed, dusted, and smellin’ fresh.
Before we met, I never did care that much about neatness. I came crashing into his sterilized world like an out of control dump truck. After this was over, I was gonna start carin’ a lot more.
I understood these visions. Cody must’ve found the ferals, and they were giving us a test. Never knew whether this was their doing or if the magic they used had a life of its own.
I did remember some pretty strict rules about who could use it and when, and I wasn’t too keen on going through this again considering what it did to me last time I failed.
A little rainbow-colored cupcake sat in the middle of a saucer with one unlit candle in it.
A plastic bag crinkling from the kitchen caught my ear as I watched Cody pour boxed wine into a red Solo cup.
It might have been cheap, but I always did like the taste of that stuff.
Hell, I used to carry those around with huge bendy straws sticking out of ‘em.
He put the box back into a mostly empty fridge and dragged himself to the table, set the wine next to the cupcake, then plopped onto his chair, exhausted.
“Was this the right move?” he asked himself, grabbing a red lighter from his pocket. He was wearin’ a skimpy bar uniform and a pair of ragged running shoes. “Nothing ever feels like home. I’ll never have a real home.”
His eyes were red, and his lashes were damp.
I took my place behind him, restin’ my hands on his shoulders.
He didn’t acknowledge me, but I could actually feel him in this vision.
I could even smell him. Cody always made me feel like I was home, and I’d have given anything to make him feel the same way at that moment.
But it was just a vision, and I had no choice but to let it play out.
He lit the candle and closed his eyes. “This is stupid.” With that, he blew out the candle and pushed the cupcake away, then looked over at his cell phone with a sigh. “I hate this day. I was such a mistake.”
“Don’t even. Yer an incredible guy,” I said to him, sitting on the only other chair in the room. “Workin’ full-time while goin’ to school. You went through hell just like I did, but I gave up before I even started. Here you are. You just don’t see what I see.”
He ate half the cupcake then took the remainder into the kitchen and wrapped it in cellophane.
I looked down at his phone so I could see the date.
March first, five years ago. He never told me when his birthday was, but I’d also never asked.
We were both swept up in desperation for a few months.
I’d needed to secure him as a kuu mate before anyone else got a whiff of what he was, and he needed someone to feed him and help him through this tough phase of his new life.
The room exploded in fast beats and lights, drunk gay men singing off-key into the microphone while everyone else either danced or talked over the music.
Cody zoomed from table-to-table, taking orders while dropping off food and drinks.
He did a bang-up job keeping up with everything, but every five minutes, he’d step into the back and shake off some anxiety.
“Cody?” A full-figured drag queen stepped into the back.
He was wearin’ a comically huge blonde wig in the shape of a bouffant, a pair of white gloves, red kitten heels, and a tight red dress with sequins.
I couldn’t tell how old he was under all that makeup, but he looked on the younger side. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
“Had too much caffeine.”
“I’ve told you to go easier on those energy drinks.”
“I’ve gotta get through the night without passing out,” Cody replied, looking over the guy’s outfit. “That looks good on you.”
“Of course it does. I make all my clothes custom to fit every lump, nook and cranny.”
“When you’re up on stage, how do you stay so relaxed and fun?”
“A little booze, and a lot of not giving a fuck what people think.” He brushed a lock of stray hair from Cody’s face with his manicured fingers.
“I was young and shy like you, but one day I put on a dress and some makeup and pretended to be someone else for one night. I did it for a while, and I could be anyone I wanted. But then one day I realized I wasn’t being someone else, I was just being me without all the guard rails.
All those friends I made as the classy Lanja Ray were the same friends who liked me whenever I was Robert. ”
“So, all I have to do is get drunk and put on a dress.”
“Well, since you’re not twenty-one yet, you’ll just have to settle for the dress.”
“I’ll settle for these embarrassing daisy dukes for now.” Cody gave Rob a sideways glance. “None of the other people working here have to wear this uniform. Why do I?”
“You’re the only one that actually wore it.” Rob let out a laugh. “I just give these out to my hottest employees. You’re the only one that’s actually come to work dressed like this.”
“Oh my God.”
“Hey, you keep ‘em coming back. Speaking of…” He cracked open the door while pointing to a handsome man in a leisure suit. “That guy was asking about you.”
“That guy? You’re joking.”
“Not your type?”
“Not in his league,” Cody said, grabbing the door to close it.
“You’re single, you’re young, you’re hot, and you’re hung. You’re in everyone’s league. Go talk to him.”
“How do you know—”
“Honey, everyone knows.” I grinned as Rob pointed to the bulge in Cody’s shorts. “Why do you think you get so many good tips?”
“I can’t do this while I’m working.”
“Then get his number.” Rob reached for a pen and his order pad before shoving them into Cody’s chest. “Do it, or else.”
“Or else what?”
“I have a show in thirty minutes.” He leaned in. “And Lanja Ray needs a new assistant.”
“This is harassment!”
“Take it up with HR,” he said, tossing a tiny red handbag over his shoulder. “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Stop acting like you’re still in the closet.”
“All right, I’ll get his number.”
“I’ll be watching.” Rob tripped over his feet as he stumbled through the door. “These damn heels.”
“Yeah. The heels,” Cody muttered. “The jello shots had nothing to do with it.”
Rob smiled and clopped back into the bar. “Get his number, I mean it.” He closed the door behind him.
Cody hesitated, fumblin’ with the pen and pad and gritting his teeth.
After pushing open the door, he grabbed a tray of drinks from the counter and headed past a few people walking by, slower this time.
Never seen the guy so pale as he grabbed the order before taking it to the table next to the man eyeing him.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing Cody’s attention. “When you’re done, you mind if I buy you a drink?”
It looked like the poor guy was gonna fall over, and he let out a nervous, high-pitched giggle. It was kinda cute seein’ Cody like this.
“Sure!” His excitement soon faded as he caught himself. “I mean, no. I can’t. I’m not old enough.”
The man’s expression took on a creepier vibe.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty.”
His eyes widened. “What’s your name?”
“Cody, yours?”