It had been four years since Cal had moved to Langley. He had managed to work his way up from a cleaner to a tutor as Scar had suggested and now had enough money to pay the fees for a private school. The teachers were better. The textbooks were new with fresh, unmarked pages. He had learned martial arts from around the world, and he had discovered he was quite good at them. The train flew down the tracks. Poorly lit grey walls flashed by outside the window. The train covered 400 miles per hour. He would arrive soon.
To pass the time, he read Plato's Republic. Words from the past washed over him, making him deaf to the gentle hum of the train crossing the tracks. He thought for a moment about what it meant to be just in the time he lived in. He thought of the various forms of oppression that existed. The Lanc family had assumed power for the last fifty years, first Vincent's father, then uncle, and later, Vincent.
Anyone that opposed them vanished or died—killed by unknown terrorists. People that openly disagreed with government policies were also silenced, shut away in a mental health facility somewhere, branded as a crazy person. Perhaps, no one was just in the world. The rich passed on their wealth to their children; the poor continued to struggle generation after generation. But Cal wouldn't be like the rest of his family; he would become an ace Relar player, becoming an instant celebrity. With that fame, he would have enough support to start a business. He leaned back against the window, closed his eyes, and took a short nap.
***
The train jerked as it stopped, sending Cal slamming into the old man next to him. He mumbled an apology as he got to his feet. The old man drew his lips into a tight line and didn't respond. Cal adjusted his suede cap and got off the train; he felt confident in his black evening coat and white ruffled shirt. Scar had been right-the rich cared a great deal about appearances. Cal's clients thought he was twenty when, in truth, he was sixteen, but he had sported facial hair since he was fourteen, so he passed well enough. Outside on the platform, people navigated the station in their best suits and dresses. Little children clung to their mother's hands. Soldiers patrolled the cement ground with grim expressions, electric batons strapped to their waist in case there was any trouble.
He walked past innocently enough; the only thing he was hiding was his age. He had two I. D's; one with his real age that he used for his private school back in Langley and another that stated his birthdate as 2162. He could be imprisoned for having fake identification, or fined a hefty fee, whatever the judge felt was appropriate. For him, it was worth the risk. He followed the crowd up the concrete steps and out of the underground tunnel.
The foul odour of manure hit him hard. Unlike Langley's skyscrapers, the buildings around him were smaller, two stories or less. To the west was and sea of tall coniferous trees. Rising above them were the twin peaks of mountains that touched fluffy white clouds. To the east was a beach where the youth hung out.
Cal walked away from the forest, heading towards the beach. A paperboy whizzed passed him on a hoverboard, his friend following behind on bicycle, pedalling furiously and cursing softly. Their messenger bags were overflowing with rolled-up paper. One fell at Cal's feet as the bicycle sped by. Cal picked it up. 'President Lanc Hands Out Cheques to Families Who Lost Loved One In Relar's Tsunami'.
There was a picture of the 'handsome' President Lanc shaking an old woman's hand. Streaks of grey decorated his windswept black hair. Cal tossed the paper into a trash can. President Lanc did nothing for the poor. So, naturally, Cal cared nothing for Lanc. Vincent Lanc could do whatever photoshoot he wanted to look good to the general public, but nothing would change Cal's impression of him. Can continued his walk.
Cal was supposed to meet his client at the beach. He felt a tad overdressed in his long evening coat and trousers.
The summer heat was starting the get to him. Sweat soaked his armpits and shirt. He hoped he wouldn't smell too bad as his client was a girl. As he was deep in thought, a girl bumped into him; she was wearing a blue dress. She had light brown skin and beautiful blue eyes. Her face had a cute oval shape, and a subtle chin. Her chest, however, was flat.
She apologized and walked over to a tall boy with cropped black hair. The stranger put his hand on her waist. "You look nice."
"Thank you."
Cal felt he was a great deal more attractive than the guy with black hair. He unconsciously pulled closer to the two of them.
The black-haired boy said, "You're the only guy I know that would look good in a dress.... Should I call a cab?"
That girl was a guy? Damn. Cal couldn't believe his ears and continued to eavesdrop.
"Why do we need a cab?" the blonde asked, then said, "The beach is right down the road."
"I'm taking you to a hotel, dummy. You don't want people to find out that you are the one wearing the dress, do you? Let's go somewhere private."
"You didn't say that on the chat. You said we should meet up and go on a date at the beach," the crossdresser's voice was tense, worried.
That was a guy? No way. He sounded like an actual girl. Cal should be getting to work, but he stayed as he had never seen a crossdresser up-close before. Curiosity tickled his mind as he watched them.
"Dude, that app you used isn't for dates. It's for guys to...." The black-haired voice quieted as he waited for people to pass him.
Cal tucked earbuds into his ears and pretended to listen to music while leaning against a streetlamp.
The boy continued, "It's for guys to meet up and have sex. You don't think I would actually date you, do you? We're both guys, Adonis. Nothing good can come from that."
The guy with long blonde hair, Adonis, said, "I didn't come here to have sex with anyone."
Adonis tried to walk away, but the boy gripped his shoulder. Cal realized things were about to go south very quickly. If the guy couldn't get Adonis to agree, he would take what he wanted by force. The black-haired boy said, "Just do as I say. I'll call a cab; you'll get in the car. We'll do it quickly, and never see each other again."
Adonis shook his head.
The black-haired boy said, "Then scream because we both know you can't beat me in a fight. And when you do scream, I'll show everyone the dick you have under that dress. Once they see that, they'll be quicker to stone you than offer an ounce of help."
Adonis spat in the guy's face. A hovercar pulled up next to them; a black Sedan. The back door opened automatically. The black-haired boy started to pull Adonis towards the car. Adonis tried to resist, pulling away, but the boy whispered something into his ear that made him pause.
Cal chose that moment to approach them. He grabbed Adonis' hand and said something that would change his life forever. He said, "Babe, who is this fella?"
He and the black-haired guy were evenly matched in height and muscle mass. The black-haired guy's face contorted in disgust as he muttered, "Fucking fag; you know what he is, don't you?"
Cal told the stranger, "Aren't you the same as me? Hell, you're even worse since you're going to have sex with him and then throw him away afterward. At least, I look after him. Isn't that right, babe? Why are you cheating on me?"
Adonis stared at Cal; his brows knitted in confusion. Adonis laughed and said, "Babe? What do you mean 'babe'? Why are you pretending to be gay?" He told the black-haired boy, "This is my cousin, Jamie. He must have just gotten back from Russia. He's in the army. I did tell you that I had a cousin in the army, didn't I?"
Cal added, "And I can crush your half-grown balls with no effort at all."
The black-haired boy looked from Cal to Adonis, then said, "He's not your boyfriend?"
"No. But since you don't give two shits about me and I have no interest in having sex with you, fuck off, Emmett."
Emmett snorted, then said, "You either get in the car, or I tell everyone at school you're gay and like to wear women's clothing." He took out his phone, snapped a picture of Adonis and Cal, then quickly returned it to his pocket before anyone could grab it.
Adonis stayed still, eyes narrowed as he fumed.
Emmett said, "Fine, have fun with your boyfriend, cousin, whatever that guy is, but know that I'll ensure that highschool will be the worst four years of life. If you change your mind, give me a call." He slid into the backseat; the door closed. Through the tinted windows, Cal could see his vague outline. The hovercar rose off the pavement and jetted down the street with a welcome blast of cool breeze.
"Fuck," said Adonis, "I shouldn't have done this."
"Then why did you?"
"He said he liked me and that he wanted to get know me more, and I needed a distraction from something else." Genuine hurt played across Adonis' face as his narrow shoulders slumped. He had a slender figure and nice hips. Cal cleared his throat and shifted his gaze to a spruce tree planted near the sidewalk. He was late for his tutoring session.
He might as well make up some excuse to cancel it. "Want to get a coffee?"
"You want to hang out with a gay?" Adonis was cautious. The pain in his eyes showed that he had been hurt by others many times before.
"Why not?"
His facial expression brightened, subtly, like a single stream of sunshine peaking through the thick clouds on a stormy day. "I suppose we could, but I shouldn't be hanging out with strangers."
"Wasn't that guy a stranger?"
"No. He and I have gone to the same school for as long as I can remember. We just met on this app and decided to see if we could be something more than acquaintances, at least, that was what I thought was happening. Fuck, I should have swiped his phone before he left. If that picture gets out, my life is over."
"Seeing, how upset he was, he's probably sending it out as we speak. You met him on a gay dating app, right? You have horrid taste in guys."
"You listened to us?"
"He was talking very loud; it was easier to listen than not to."
Adonis chuckled softly. "I'm such an idiot."
"It happens to the best of us. By the way, you know you could go to jail if you get caught using an illegal app, don't you?"
"Not if you're under the age of sixteen."
"Ah, so you would prefer mandatory conversion therapy?"
"God, I hate this country."
Cal offered Adonis his arm; he could tell that the boy needed some support. "Thanks." Adonis took it, a sheepish smile on his face. They resembled a normal couple, boy and girl, although it wasn't the case. It left an odd feeling in Cal's stomach as they walked down the street; if the picture got out... he felt sorry for the guy. While being gay wasn't illegal. Having sex with someone the same gender was. If someone accused the frail blonde guy of that after he turned sixteen, he would be arrested and jailed. Cal was pretty sure the guy next to him wouldn't survive a day in jail.
***