Only Seventeen

~ 2 ~

*~*~ Justin's POV ~*~*

My mother finally got tired of seeing me mope around the house and ordered me to find something to do. I argued that I was doing what I wanted to do and as such, should be left alone. She ignored me and started ranting about a place she had discovered while searching for a new job. Then, she nicely segued into how I should find a job also, which brought us back around to me getting out of the house. She's an amazing woman, let me tell you.

That is how I found myself standing in front of the Liberty Diner. My mother had drove past it on her way to work. She said that "my kind of people" worked and ate there. It still amazes me that she has a hard time saying gay. Instead, I get "your people" or "them", but I've gotten used to it by now.

She was correct, though, in her assumption that we gay people frequent this spot. Heaving a sigh, I push open the door and find myself in a different world. It's nicer in here and I find myself slightly reminded of Dorothy's trip into Oz. The people are animated and in full technicolor. A woman behind the counter immediately catches my eye because of her boisterous red wig and loud mannerisms. I like her and I don't even know her.

"Excuse me." I say meekly.

"Just a second, kiddo." And she's off. I take a seat on the stool to my right and glance at the specials. I'm not really hungry, didn't plan on coming here to eat, but for reasons unknown to me it seems rude to just run out. Patiently, I wait for the red-haired woman to finish with whatever she's doing and come back to me.

Finally, she returns and I find myself once again flustered. "I'm Deb, what can I get for ya?" My mother would be frowning and turning a horrible shade of crimson if she could see me now. All those years of WASPy upbringing cumulating to this horrible display.

"I just need an application." I say it so fast that I don't even understand myself, and I'm the one who chose the words.

She looks me up and down before a smile plays across her face "Well, Sunshine, I think we might be able to do something for you."

Sunshine?

"Really?" I ask eagerly. I didn't even want to come here, but I wouldn't want to go home empty-handed.

"Stand up."

I do and Deb has me turn around, which I find extremely odd, but what the fuck, I'm up for anything.

"Yeah, we could definitely find something for you. Ever bussed before?"

"Like tables?"

"No, like the big yellow things that pick you up for school. Yes, tables!" She guffaws at her own joke.

"Once or twice at the club." I cringe with the realization that I just gave her my whole life story with that one word.

"Rich boy, huh?" Shit!

"Not so much."

"Well, whatever you are, as long as you can pick up cups, and plates, and put 'em in a bin we could use you. School's starting soon and we won't be able to work our current bus boy as much."

I immediately wonder whom that might be and if he's hot. I don't have long to wait though because she calls him over with a screech.

"This, here, is Brian. Brian, this is…Hey, what's your name, Sunshine?"

"Justin." I answer as I gape at the Greek-God life form in front of me. What I wouldn't do to run my tongue down his…Focus! I extend my hand and he shakes it firmly with a rough hand, which tells me a lot about him. He's a working boy and has been most of his life.

"Brian, this is Justin. He's our newest bus boy." Deb grins broadly and I realize that Pittsburgh has just gotten a tad brighter.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*~*~ Brian's POV ~*~*

"We got a new bus boy at work." I tell Mikey after my shift ends. He's lying on my bed intently reading the newest Astro Man comic. I don't know why he's still reading those things; we're almost in college.

"Yeah, Ma might have mentioned it."

"I bet she did. She tell you he's hot?"

"Yeah, she might have mentioned it."

"She tell you I fucked him against the counter?"

"Yeah, she might've mention…you did what?" He looks up with his mouth hanging open.

"Just testing." I give him a tongue-in-cheek smirk.

"Asshole." He mutters, turning the page on his comic.

I roll over on my back and stick a cigarette into the side of my mouth, scrounge in my pocket for my lighter, and inhale deeply when I finally find it. I exhale, slowly, and watch the smoke swirl towards the ceiling, contemplating the newest Liberty Diner arrival. He's a country boy and I don't mean the honky-tonk kind. I take another drag off the cig before tapping Mikey and handing it to him.

"Not this time. Ma would freak if she smelled smoke on me again."

I roll my eyes. "Mikey, you are so pathetic."

He smiles and goes back to reading his comic.

"How's life at the Big Q?" I ask surprising Mikey as well as myself. I'm not usually one for idle chitchat.

"Same old shit on a new day." He shrugs. "The dyke got passed up for another promotion. Sometimes, I wonder why she even bothers."

It's my turn to shrug.

Mikey closes the comic and turns onto his side, stares at me intently, which makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Trying to read your mind." He answers plainly, like, I should have already known.

"Another Astro Man trick?"

"It's Captain Astro and no, just my trick."

I sit up and take the last drag off the cig before stubbing it into the ashtray. "Speaking of tricks. You up for Babylon tonight?"

"I don't know." Mikey hesitates, but I know exactly what to say to get him to do what I want.

"Fine." I mock. "I guess I'll just take the blond-bombshell-bus-boy." I laugh to myself imagining the total un-country club atmosphere of Babylon.

Mikey rolls his eyes and agrees to go. I knew he would.

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