unsub #2 (part 1)

You look a bit alarmed. But I'm not done yet, and it's impolite to interrupt, didn't your parents teach you that?

I figured out well quick where these so-called counselors will be staying, the Cottages which may sound like someplace nice. But it's not, it's the low rent motel which gets its share of winos and addicts and people passing through that can't afford some place respectable. The three of them are deposited out front by a black State car. I can tell from the look on their faces they thought 'the Cottages of Shade Road' sounded a lot nicer than the crumbling concrete block affair staring at them. One is a young girl, hair pulled back into an old lady's bun, though the instant the car is out of sight she pulls it out of that awful do, the other is a young man about her age. It's pretty clear the two of them have something going on they don't want the men in the black car to be aware of. And as always there's the third wheel, a glum looking, nondescript man in glasses. He probably wasn't much older than the other two but I already saw how this script would play out, who those cheerleaders would want to spend extra time talking to, and it's not him.

Thunder crackles overhead. They look up and go about the business of getting set up.

After school I wait by the road, just out of sight, the rain soaking me. Sure enough, nondescript man is wandering back alone, huddled under the umbrella looking frustrated and miserable. He's spent all day talking to vulnerable young pretty things that he couldn't get into bed even with a bottle of vodka and sleeping pills. I made a production out of shivering miserably and he didn't even notice me til he almost tripped over me, scared him half to death which would have ruined my fun.
'Dear god, boy, you'll freeze to death, what are you doing out here?' he says, startled.
'My-my-friend was spose to give me a lift but I think the road washed out again.'
'Well, don't just stand out here, come inside and get warmed up a bit.'
'You sure it's okay, Mister?'
'It's fine, son, just fine, come in.'
'Thanks, Mister.'
I follow him into the room and damned if the Cottages don't look even worse inside than they do outside, shabby, threadbare. Lightning crashes and the lights dim before finally going out. He finds a candle.
'Go ahead and ring him up,' says the man, and I have to think fast but he's busy with a bottle of something. I slice the phone cord off at the wall and slip my knife under the mattress.
'Phone's out,' I mutter, shivering violently and sitting on the edge of the bed. To be honest at this point I'm only half acting.
'Blast,' he says. 'Your mom must be losing her mind from worry.'
'She's not back from work til seven thirty. I hate to ask, Mister, but is it okay if I take a hot shower and warm up?'
He hesitates here, not sure how to act, probably annoyed cos I'm well sure his plan for the night was to come back to this nasty room and jerk off to the thought of some luscious cheerleader titties, but he gives in.
'Well I suppose.'
'I mean once this lets up, I'll be on my way, if it's okay with you. I'm just freezing and tired.'
'Go ahead, go ahead,' he says. I hold out my hand for a sip from his glass and he looks at me before surrendering. 'Just a sip. I don't want trouble.'

'You won't get in trouble, Mister' I say, faking a shy smile which makes him relax and smile back, sitting on the other side of the bed and taking his shoes off.
He jumps in surprise when I take off all of my clothes. He hurriedly closes all the shades, good, less work for me.
'What,' I say, 'surely this ain't nothing you haven't seen before? I'm going to hop in the shower, do you mind makin me a very small one of those when I get back out?'
Before he can answer I'm in the shower, only now starting to try to go over it in my head, I realize then I'd touched way too many things in that place to be perfectly sure I hadn't forgotten about something.

Oh well, fuck it.