Eclipse Of The Moon ~ Book 1 of Aaron
Chapter 23
The City Of Prostitution

Friday 23 May 2003

My fingers have become quite skilled at rolling joints but today, my hands are shaking a bit for various reasons.

One is that I've only had half a doob today, a leftover from last night that I kept knowing I would need it today, when I often get three to five, sometimes more. I really need to get fucking cash to refill in cannabis or I won't be able to guarantee anything good. I should have done something this afternoon, I was supposed to go and search the town for things to resell in pawn shops, but I couldn't resolve to pull myself together after the call I had with my best friends earlier this morning.

As usual, speaking with Mark, Camden and Joshua resulted in a mix of emotions that I have more and more difficulty to handle. There is always the relief part because I miss them, I need to hear their voices, and above all, I need to know how they are doing and what they are doing. But then always comes the oppressing part, the one that saddens me to no end and leaves me in a deep state of depression as soon as the call is over.

It's not only because I will have to wait for another week to hear my friends, but also because each time I get to speak with them, I realize how much I am missing of what happens in their lives and I hate it. I hate that I wasn't allowed a peaceful last year in high school like most teenagers are. I hate that I couldn't attend the graduation ceremony – even if only in the audience, I would have loved to see my friends' pride and happiness – and I hate that I couldn't support them like I should have whenever they needed it.

Well, at least they did graduate from high school and they have only provided me with good news this time.

Camden was granted his scholarship, and his registration at the Boston University in human physiology has been confirmed. I am so fucking proud of him because only a few years ago, seeing how messed up his life and school attendance were, one would never have thought he'd be able to catch up and start a med school. Yet, he made it. His happiness is only partial though, a bit dampened by his worries for Sony. He hates having to leave his little brother alone with their mother.

Cam had also applied in other colleges, closer to home so that he could visit the little boy often enough, but unfortunately, he wasn't accepted in those, so Boston it will be. Even if he can still talk over the phone with the little chap, he won't be able to visit him very often over the next five years, if at all, and that stresses him a lot because he knows he can't really rely on his mother. Besides, since his grades weren't among the highest in Math and Biology, they have strongly recommended him to attend the summer course to catch up and be ready when the schoolyear starts, which means he is moving to Boston by the beginning of July.

Then Joshua...

Fuck... Joshua got me dumbfounded. Mister Pierce Junior was Valedictorian at the graduation ceremony! My friend ended the year as the student with the highest GPA in our high school and was entitled to do the closing statement at the ceremony.

Mark and Cam said his speech was epic and beautiful, mostly about tolerance and respect, not only between students or from teenagers towards adults, but he also said that these are values which parents, teachers and other representatives of authority should hold toward younger people. He quoted the Murray parents as a bright example. I would say that Pierce Senior and his wife must have hated this, but they weren't even here to congratulate their son because they were celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary on a cruise.

Anyway, Joshua eventually got his acceptance letter from Yale and since his father is upset with his choice – though he still accepted Josh's decision – he has also enrolled him for summer classes to prepare him for the schoolyear and the busy program he will follow there, meaning that Josh will also move to the campus by mid-July. Needless to say Josh wasn't the happiest about it, but like I told him, it will allow him to leave the family nest and to enjoy more freedom earlier than planned.

Mark did great too, finishing among the first ten students of the school, though he didn't really care since he was already accepted in his cooking school in New York. He is the only one who could enjoy a full three months of vacation before he moves to his campus, but my brave friend has decided to make himself some pocket money and found a summer job.

Nonetheless, he was starting to speak about taking a week off to visit me in Los Angeles, probably in August. That would be a disaster. None of the lies I created for my friends could turn true in so little time! As much as I tried to welcome the news with cheers when Mark told me, I can't be sure that my apprehension and anxiety didn't filter through my voice. None of my friends breathed a word about it because I then led the conversation away, however, it clearly made my stomach churn with fear.

Even if I was able to continue breeding more lies about a current job that I don't have, full happiness with my so-called boyfriend Jaden – maybe the sex we sometimes have helped? – and a possible move into a new apartment, this call left me more depressed than ever. The constriction in my chest is becoming unbearable, making me feel oppressed like I have never been and in need for more cannabis than I possess at the moment.

I'm such a fool.

I should have anticipated on my urges and this fucking addiction. I knew the weekly call was coming, so I should have foreseen my urge for more dope relief and stocked enough resin, but I have been too fucking lazy to move my ass over the past few days, living on what I had in my possession and smoking more. Now I'm left with barely enough hashish to roll a joint and before I can buy more, I'll have to get cash, which doesn't happen by magic.

The problem is that once I had hung up with my friends, the spiral of melancholy and dreariness swallowed me whole and to its deepest depth, leaving me weeping and brooding over my darkest thoughts.

Now it's 9pm and far too late to gather money, meaning I might not have a dose for tomorrow morning. This tiny chunk of hashish was the last one I have, the usual dose for one spliff, and I have to split it into two. I won't even get the full effect of my smoke and the night is going to be a nightmare if I can't calm down. I could be selfish and smoke the two joints, but that wouldn't be me – or what is left of me.

Unfortunately, Jaden is in a similar situation, no money and no drugs left, though it's even worse for him because he is getting addicted to ecstasy. I'm glad I didn't persist with X after my first attempt a month ago. I did fly high; I loved feeling horny as fuck; I also enjoyed the great sex with my mates. However, I hated losing more control than I do when I'm high on pot, so that's not an experience I'm willing to repeat since cannabis usually does the trick for me.

Then again, when I see Jaden's state, it doesn't encourage me to try it again. I don't have much knowledge in drugs, I'm not sure about ecstasy's second effects or withdrawal symptoms, but I can't deny that my companion is growing unstable. Just a few hours ago, he almost fought with Brett, charging him with ecstasy theft when I knew Jay had taken the last one yesternight. His paranoia had also struck a few days ago when he had a severe argument with the girls who had supposedly made fun of him.

Right now, he is crying on his mattress, shouting out to whoever will listen that the world is against him, and it's breaking my heart. I could have kept the last piece of hashish to myself, but I can't leave him in this state, so I have decided to share, hoping it will appease him the slightest bit I need him to because I have plans, and I can't do anything without his help. Once he has calmed down, I well intend to drag him into the stratagem I have been scheming for a few days now.

"Hey, Jay..." I call out softly, not willing to startle him.

"What? You're on their side too? I'm getting on your nerves too? You're going to beat the crap out of me?" he seethes bitterly as he sits up on his bed.

Still a long shot, it seems... Taking a deep breath, I will myself to contain my own agitation and loom on him at a slow pace, holding out one of the joints.

"What? Are you going to rub it in my face that you still have shit while I don't?"

"This one's for you, actually, so don't start your bullshit with me!" I spit out because he's getting on my nerves.

The relief on his face also reflects in his body which loosens up a bit, and as I sit down next to him, his features light up with a beautiful smile. We smoke our joints in silence, as slowly as we can. On my side, it takes more time than usual, but the sensation of choking recedes a bit and I can tell Jaden is also feeling better by the way he snuggles against me.

"We really need to get money, Aaron," Jaden breathes out at some point.

"Yeah... and about that, I have a plan. I'm not sure you'll like it, but we could get some quite easily."

"I'm not stealing, Aaron. Not going there..."

"I'm not talking about stealing. More like... selling ourselves."

That has his attention and he immediately props up on his elbows, staring down at me intently. At least, there's no sign of disgust or anger on his face.

"As in... prostitution?"

"Yeah, why not? I mean... Remember what Janice and Lauren told us? They went into that a bit when they arrived in LA, and they said they made a lot of cash quite easily."

The two girls confessed a couple of weeks ago that they had sold their bodies on the streets of Los Angeles when they arrived from Olympia. Being lesbians, they obviously did it for the easy money but quickly stopped as Janice couldn't stand any longer having her body used by males.

"True!" he exclaims, his face brightening all at once. "They said something about gay guys doing this too on Santa Monica Boulevard! But... hey wait! How do you envisage this when you don't even want to bottom for me?" he asks with concern.

"Who said I was going to sell my ass? I'll only offer blowjobs," I explain with determination.

Ever since the girls mentioned their experience of prostitution, I have been pondering on this, weighing the pros and the cons. There's no way I'd let another man up my ass, but then I remembered how I had achieved my goal to be in Los Angeles before January 1st and conceded to Vance's proposal. That's another shameful secret I would never dare to share with my childhood friends and I truly hate going down that road, but fuck! I need food. I need pot.

"Of course, that means less client opportunities, but we might find men who want to try the anal experience and I'll willingly pop their cherry if they ask."

"Yeah... Seems like a good plan," Jaden whispers thoughtfully before his eyes open widely. "When are we starting?"

"I was thinking about giving it a try tonight. I just used my last chunk of resin and I need more for tomorrow, Jaden. It shouldn't require much money, so I might try it just once tonight."

"Count me in. I guess we'd better get going while we're okay?"

And this is how two hours later, after a quick refresh in public restrooms and hair done, we are strolling on Santa Monica Boulevard. We both have knives in the pocket of our jeans and we are wearing our best tee-shirts. Without false modesty, we look more than decent and hopefully, it shouldn't take long before we catch a nice fish in the pond.

As we get closer to the Hollywood area, we begin to meet a few girls enticing passers-by or walking seductively along the pavement to catch drivers' attention. I volunteer to ask one of them where we could find male prostitutes and she indicates me a spot half a mile away. Once there, this is another world. A few guys are dressed in regular clothes – just like we are – but a lot of them look more eccentric with tiny shorts and mini tee-shirts, or dressed as girls.

Jaden and I try to melt into the crowd, walking along the pavement and pretending to hitchhike. Remembering Janice and Lauren's recommendations, we have decided that one would always look after the other, meaning that as soon as one of us gets hooked by a client, the other will write down the license plate of the car and wait for him to come back. It doesn't matter how much each one makes because we have decided to share our income.

"Hey beautiful blonde!" someone suddenly calls out from a black sedan, obviously to Jaden. "How much and do you do bareback?"

"I only do blowjobs..." Jaden replies shyly, not entirely at ease.

"Go fuck yourself then!" the guys replies before he drives off.

Well, I guess it couldn't work on the first attempt. Half an hour later, another sedan pulls off by the curb and this time, the man calls me out. A blowjob is what he seems to be after, so once I have reminded Jaden to write down the details and to wait for me here no matter how many more customers stop by, I scurry into the black car on the passenger seat and let the fifty-year-old man drive me after he has given me the cash. I would have preferred someone younger for my first experience, but it will have to do. He soon stops on a desert parking lot and doesn't waste any time pulling his car seat to the furthest and taking his junk out.

"You know what you have to do, right?"

Does biting you dick off sound like a good answer, dumbass?

"Of course," I deadpan, shrugging my shoulders.

"Then get to it, I don't have much time."

His tool is barely average but already fully hard. The man is in a hurry and I want to get this over with as soon as possible, so I immediately set to work, kneeling on my seat and bending over him. I try to ignore the very strong musk of his privates and do my best with my tongue, striving to avoid heaving.

Fuck! He really smells bad and as much as I have always loved sucking cocks, I don't get the slightest pleasure from this lollipop. Using my right hand to massage his balls in an attempt to quicken his release, I hear the man moan louder and louder, his hand pressing at the back of my head. I'm so focused on fighting my gag reflex that I miss a signal I should have anticipated. A little mistake that allows the old man to force me down his erection and hold me there as he shoots his load to the back of my throat.

Holy hell!! His seed is so salty that my stomach heaves with nausea. I don't protest though, because I have my twenty dollars already, which is pretty nice for a five-minute job, and then I should have made things clear from the start.

The guy doesn't even utter a word as he tucks himself back into his pants and drives me back to the spot where he picked me up. I'm only glad to see that Jaden is still there, eagerly waiting for me. Once I have grunted a thank you, I hurry out of the car and rush to my friend who kept the backpack we brought, then search for a baby wipe to clean my face and gulp down half of my flask of water to rinse my mouth.

"It was quick..." Jaden says warily as I sit on the pavement and recline against the wall, closing my eyes.

Wrong move. Behind my eyelids, I can see the faces of three young men I hold so dear and their disappointment makes me ache to the core.

"Yeah," I breathe out, reopening my eyes and standing up. "The guy was in a hurry and obviously very horny."

At that moment, another car pulls over and this time, it's Jaden's turn to go. I write down the plate number on the palm of my hand and sit back down against the wall of a building to wait for my friend, pushing shameful thoughts to the back of my head.

I don't think I was away for more than fifteen minutes myself previously, so after half an hour without seeing him return, I begin to worry a bit. Jaden is good at giving head, so what? Perhaps the guy wasn't as horny as my client was, so it might take a little while longer. I exhale a long breath of relief though when he returns after 45 minutes.

"Bye!!!" Jaden screams cheerfully to the guy, waving at him, before he hurries to my side. I am already on my feet, holding a wipe and the flask to him, but he ignores them, too excited apparently. "Oh my God, Aaron!!! 60 bucks!!! I made 60 fucking bucks!!"

"What!? What did you do? Did you let him fuck you? I hope he had a cond..."

"No, no!! Not at all!! But the guy said he wanted me to swallow, so I said it would be 30 dollars. He shot almost right away but his dick didn't even deflate! He asked if I'd mind blowing him again and gave me another 30 dollars! I couldn't refuse!!!" he explains excitedly.

Damn! Jaden pulled through much better than I did!

"Oh, wow!! That's great!!" I reply, sincerely happy for him.

"With your 20, that makes us 40 each!"

"Ugh no... You should keep more to yourself..." I protest.

"No way! We said we'd share and we're sharing! Next time, it might be your turn to do more!"

Well, he has a point here, so I eventually accept the 20-dollar note he gives me, and we call it a night. For a first, it was a fruitful experience that will allow us to get our fix of illegal substances. And quite easily at that!

Knowing that Brett might not be home, we go round by our other dealer's spot on our way back to the squat and Miguel provides us with what we crave. Jaden doesn't waste a minute to swallow his magic pill and by the time we reach the warehouse, he's so freaking horny that be hardly gives me time to roll myself a joint and smoke it.

To be honest, I'm in no better state and above all, I am willing to replace memories of the sex I had earlier with something far more pleasant, so it comes as no surprise that Jaden and I end up pleasuring each other in a 69 position on my old dirty mattress.

I am far from the life I had dreamt of, but all that matters right now is that this terrible feeling of oppression has been lifted off my chest.

Ron... Ron... Ron...

Even if my childhood friends' contempt echoes in my head, I strive to repress their voices and drift to sleep, more peaceful than I was a few hours ago.

Published on 9 October 2019

It was a fairly short chapter for once, but I'm not sure anyone would have wanted it much longer. But hold on, guys, Ivan's just around the corner, only two more chapters before he rescues our stupid rebel!