High Society

“Oh--what is this?”



Casey and Noah looked up towards the front door where Xavier stood, holding two bags. Smiling, Casey placed the final dish--a penne pasta with parmesan and sauce on the side--on the large dining table. “We decided to give you a small ‘thank you’,” he said.



“Well! This is… very nice.” Xavier’s cheeks went pink, smile going wide. “I don’t think I’ve ever come home to an already-prepared meal. That’s what living on your own does, I suppose!”



Zeke next returned from the kitchen, holding a pitcher of milk and bowl of steamed green beans. After fussing with the bread basket a moment, Noah signed, ‘Where’s Danny?’ to Casey.



“The bathroom? That’s the last I knew…?”



‘But that was what, an hour ago?’



“Xavier, you’re home!”



All eyes turned to the far side of the room; there was Danny, smiling wide and… “Did you change?” Casey asked, noticing that Danny had his best outfit of black slacks, deep purple button-down--complete with cufflinks, of all things--and shiny dress shoes.



“Well, yes. I couldn’t come to dinner in my old, ratty casuals--like yours,” he teased.



Zeke snorted. “This ain’t the Waldorf. You look ready for a hot date.”



Everyone chuckled as Danny put his hands on his hips, obviously annoyed. “So I look NICE. Better than you, any day. In fact… I’ve always been the best looking.”



Xavier chortled and shook his head. “I’ve told you that for years now.”



“Oh gee, thanks,” Casey sarcastically replied.



“No, no! Not that--oh, come now, we ALL have our favorites. Your Cal was quite smitten with you, dear Casey,” Xavier said with a wink. Casey cleared his throat and said nothing back.



“Well… it’s good to be a favorite,” Danny said; it was an obvious, well-needed subject change, especially when he pushed a chair back and waved Xavier over. “Come now, you’ve had a long day.”



“That I have, but I hope this wasn’t much trouble?” the man asked.



“No, not at all. It’s just some pasta, vegetables, bread…” Casey said.



“Ah yes, I was going to shop; I had no time, buuut…” Xavier grinned even wider as he unpacked the brown paper sacks. The boys stared with hungry eyes at the large cake box. “From ‘Lila’s’, one of the best bakeries I know. And the next item is something I never go without--I hope you like shrimp.”



“Dumb question…” Zeke said, the corners of his lips glistening.



“Well, this is made differently, from a small but lovely diner down the road. Shrimp with butter sauce and whole cloves of garlic,” Xavier said. He took the greasy box of shrimp from the bag and set it on an extra plate. It was opened and Casey almost laughed aloud.



“It does smell wonderful--but very strong,” he said.



“Y-Yea…” Zeke said, almost laughing but covering it up with a round of coughs. “So, you eat this--every night?”



“Mmhmm! Can’t live without it--”



“Oh, Xavier,” Danny dramatically said. “So THIS is why…”



“Why what?” the man, oblivious, said as he began filling his plate with the delicious but stinky food.





~*~





After a delicious dinner full of humorous conversation (“But--you never told me!” Xavier had whined, self-conscious after getting the boys to admit what they’d thought of his halitosis), Casey felt content and relaxed. While Xavier busied himself in the bathroom, he, Zeke, Noah and Danny gathered in the living room with the map Xavier had put out over the dinner table once the meal was over.



“Our best bet would be going out from Penn and heading north,” Zeke said, trailing a finger from New York City to New England. “As Xavier said, the winter’s starting to thaw-out, and farms will be looking for people to prepare for the summer. Or on the coast, fisheries. Even if it’s just day-labor…”



“We have money, though… we wouldn’t have to rush it,” Casey said.



Zeke looked up to Casey, cocking an eyebrow. “We need to treat the money we have as a nest-egg, not actual ‘pay’. The second we can, we’re getting work,” he said.



Noah nodded. “’E’s rid-ah,’ he said aloud.



“Yea, I know. Just sayin’,” Casey said.



“We’ll definitely have enough to get there, possibly find a place to stay--an inn, whatever. It’ll be nice--always wanted to go to New England,” Zeke said with a shrug.



“Plenty of places to squat, y’know. I say look for abandoned houses,” Danny suggested between sipping water and shrugging.



“Not a bad idea, I guess,” Casey replied. “ANY-thing to make sure we have a roof over our heads.”



“So, farm-work or fisheries if we can find it. But where?” Zeke asked.



The next hour was spent looking through the map at the many small towns. Discussions about what their ‘story’ would be also ensued; what would townsfolk think, four young, mysterious boys coming into town all of a sudden? “Brothers…?” Danny had suggested, but with their looks--a blond-haired, blue eyed Noah, as short as Casey and Danny but Zeke having height… the idea seemed ridiculous, even see-through and suspicious. They had to think like the small-town folk, who’d be suspicious enough to nose-around in their business. After a few failed ideas, Casey creased his brow and sat up straight.



“Orphans,” he said; the boys looked to him, blinking.



“Orphans…?” Zeke said.



Casey nodded and brightened. “We grew up in an orphanage--a really rotten, rat-infested orphanage, then set off on our own to find something better. I’d say that’s believable.”



Everyone nodded slowly, each boy considering this deeply. Noah finally smiled and signed, ‘That’s the best idea we’ve had yet.’ Casey beamed.



“All right, we can go over those details. It’s not like we’d have to explain our entire story, just give a little ‘background’,” Zeke said.



“How are we doing, boys?” Xavier said as he entered the room, clad in a crisp pair of pajama pants, robe and slippers.



“Good. Just figuring out what we’re gonna do, where we’re goin’,” Zeke said.



“Ah, good. I hope my suggestions helped. Believe me, the Cape is wonderful in the summer. If you can find a place, work, whatever--it’s well worth it,” Xavier said.



“Thanks for all of that… and this,” Danny said while motioning around the room. “We’re very grateful. MORE than grateful.”



Xavier made a wide, happy smile; he went over to Danny and petted his hair in a show of gentle, sweet kindness. “Anything for my boys,” he said.



Casey quirked an eyebrow and smirked. Danny seemed to like this attention, shown through a dreamy grin and closing eyes. He couldn’t be falling for the man he’s teased on so many occasions… could he? After a clearing of his throat, Casey pointed to the map again. “Working at a fishery, along the shore… that’d be my top choice. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a real ocean before,” he said.



“Yea, agreed,” Zeke said.



With Noah’s nod, they’d finally made a decision, however generic it was. It could be treated almost like a vacation, in a way, especially after they cashed the gold. If Casey were to be honest, he’d enjoy living a little before jumping into the workplace, however slim it’d be finding work. But Zeke had been right; the moment they found a comfortable, safe place to reside, jobs were the next hurdle. Zeke would probably be plucked from a crowd of day-labor-hopefuls, with his strength and height; Danny, too, was a good candidate for labor. It’d be hard for Casey, perhaps… but Noah? It was doubtful, him getting work. It wouldn’t matter, however; they were in this for the long-haul, and Noah wouldn’t be left behind, not for a million dollars.



By the time the clock chimed ten o’clock, they were all droopy and yawning. Zeke stretched his long arms above his head and groaned. “I say we leave tomorrow.”



“You wouldn’t need to rush?” Xavier replied.



“Your kindness knows no bounds, Xavier,” Casey said, smiling. “Your help’s been absolutely invaluable, but we’ve been here long enough.”



“Aw… but I was getting used to the idea of having four gorgeous boys around the house,” the man said with a waggle of his eyebrows, making the boys blush and chuckle.



“It won’t be so great when we start charging,” Zeke teased; this earned him a smack on the arm from Danny.



“You hush up! This man’s taken us in, helped--”



“Christ, shut up. I was kidding.”



Casey shook his head, yawned then sighed. “Yes, let’s retire, get plenty of rest to ready ourselves for our adventures,” he said. He felt honest excitement at the idea of it--he was ready to take on the world with his friends, who offered well-needed support to get through the hardest of times. Casey was more than grateful… even happy. Perhaps their getting cast out together had been a blessing, even if they still needed to find out the fates of their fellows, and Stephen. “Xavier, we’d like to stay in contact somehow, especially to find out what’s going on with the others. There’s been no news about them, has there?”



Xavier shook his head sadly. “No, not as of yet. I’d be glad to let you know anything after you’re gone.”



“Thanks,” Casey said. “Now… bed, I say.”



Nods of agreement went around the room.





~*~





It was late in the night when Casey’s eyes cracked open. He hadn’t rested long as the clock read one-twenty-five. Confused, he tried shutting his eyes and snuggling into the couch-bed… but he stilled and opened his eyes again when he heard noises coming from the hall, where Xavier’s bedroom was. The man wouldn’t be up at this hour--there wasn’t a whorehouse for him to venture to, after all, and his job demanded rest. Casey lifted his head to look around the room.



Noah, beside him on the bed; Zeke, lying on the floor amongst piles of pillows and blankets; Danny… he’d been with Zeke, right there in the now emptied blanket-nest. More noises--or voices, rather, could be heard. Feeling both curious and suspicious, Casey sat up as quietly as he could, got up from the bed and tiptoed to the hall. Muted, orange light came from the cracked-open bedroom door ahead; a small creaking of the floorboards came in Casey’s steps, causing him to stiffen and stop a moment. But no one seemed to have heard him, as he heard something else creaking lightly--bedsprings. Casey dared to keep walking until he was a few feet away from the door. He could hear the discussion plainly, now.



“--just know, I mean… we’d all tease the johns. Y’know?”



“Aw, sweet boy, I understand. It must’ve been difficult, dealing with what you did.” A long sigh. “I suppose I didn’t help.”



A chuckle from Danny came, then another sigh. “It was the way I had to live, that’s all. It wasn’t all bad, all the time. I… just want to be honest with you, after you’ve helped us like this.”



“I’ve been glad to do it. There haven’t been many opportunities in my life to be charitable, and you… well, you and the other boys have deserved some real, honest-to-goodness ‘taking care of’, without the worry of…”



A long pause followed, dotted with yet more sighs. More bedsprings creaked, louder than the last. Casey listened closer as there were whispers now, unable to be heard. But Xavier’s chuckle filled the air after a moment.



“A ‘nephew’, eh? But oh, Danny… honestly, you wouldn’t have to--”



“I want to, Xavier. You’ve shown just how wonderful you really are.”



Xavier ‘hmm’ed. “It would be nice, having someone to come home to. And… to know that you’re not out there, struggling…”



Unmistakable noises sounded off then; kissing. Casey blinked wildly as he took the last step and peered through the opened slat. His chest hitched at the sight of Danny, straddling a blanket-clad Xavier, their lips locked together in soft, quiet passion. This was a show of love, no charity, nothing Danny was being paid to do. Was he going to stay here with the man? It certainly sounded as if that was the plan. Casey couldn’t help from seeing this as bittersweet. Even if the mischievous, devious boy had been a pain in his rear on more than a hundred occasions, he’d expected four, not three, to be venturing into the world. It hadn’t been just Xavier that had saved them, but Danny, the one most would count as a nuisance, had ultimately been their saving grace. He could have come to Xavier’s and simply hoped everyone else had made it out, but instead, he’d done his all to try and find someone--anyone--who needed this help. Casey wasn’t sure if he could’ve done the same, were it Cal helping him. Too many times, he’d been scared off in just helping himself, never mind anyone else.



It was a little disheartening, comparing himself to the brave boy who surprised them all, but knowing that he had a friend… friends, in all of the boys and even Xavier, Casey smiled and tiptoed back into the living room, giving Danny and Xavier their first night as lovers in private.





~*~





Xavier’s hugs were hearty and full of love before his leaving for work. He also couldn’t help a small pat to Casey’s behind before parting, causing Casey to squeak and blush. All in good fun, of course; Xavier had blushed as well, then wished them all good fortune and safety. “Come back if you need to--always welcome,” he’d said.



Now readying themselves for their ‘trip‘, Zeke looked to Danny. “Hey--Danny, c’mon, get a move on.”



Zeke’s demand to the boy made Casey look up from his own packing, all to find Danny standing by the couch with a pensive expression. It hadn’t been Casey’s place to tell anyone anything--he only hoped the others would understand.



“I… um, I’m…” Danny needed to take a deep breath before crossing his arms and saying, “I’m going to stay. Stay here, with Xavier.”



Zeke and Noah, who’d been watching on to read everything being said, stopped everything to stare at Danny, who looked cautious and insecure. Clearing his throat, Zeke stood straight. “Uh, what?”



“I’m going to stay. Me and Xav… I’m staying,” was all the boy could get out, apparently.



“Don’t tell me you’re going to be a live-in lover…?” Zeke suspiciously said.



“Zeke, leave him be,” Casey said. Since he’d seen it all and had accepted it, however sad he was, he stepped forth and put a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Are you sure, Danny?”



Danny nodded in quick jerks. “Yea. Me and him, we talked last night.”



“When?” Zeke interjected to ask. Danny rolled his eyes.



“While you guys were sleeping. I couldn’t, and I… this is where I want to be.”



Though Zeke was shaking his head as he returned to packing, Casey beamed at Danny. “It’s okay, Danny. I suppose he’s more than just a ‘smelly john’ now, eh?”



“Hey now, we’ll have no more taunting,” Danny said; he still smirked a little as he wagged his finger at Casey. “After what he did?”



“This coming from you,” Zeke said. Though he was still gruff, a smile was tickling the corner of his lips. He finally finished packing and set his bag on the arm of the couch, all to get his coat on. “Whatever, Danny-boy. I GUESS we’ll miss you.”



“Shush, we WILL miss him,” Casey said. After a sad sigh, he moved in to give Danny a tight, warm hug. “Thank you, Danny. We would never have been able to get everything set and together without you.”



“Aw…” Danny squeezed back, rubbing a hand briskly over Casey’s back. “…Nothing a friend wouldn’t do.”



“And we are that--friends. Forever,” Casey said. He broke away, taking Danny’s hands to squeeze in his own. “Wherever we end up, the second we can, we’re sending out letters. We’ll be writing any chance we can, so we don’t lose contact.”



Danny smiled wide, squeezed Casey back then let him go to go around the couch to Zeke. “You’re gonna miss me too, and you know it.”



Zeke cocked his head to the side and rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe.”



“Maybe nothing, you stubborn jerk.” That said, Danny’s smile faded a little as he took hold of Zeke. This hug seemed tighter; the boys shared a lot more than Casey had been around to see. “Take care of yourself, a’right? You guys are gonna be fine, I know it.”



Sniffing a little, Zeke hugged back. “You, too. See if you can wean that man offa that shrimp, for fuck’s sake.”



A hearty laugh came from Danny as he moved away. “I can hope.”



Noah, smiling warmly, now approached, putting a hand on Danny’s back. Danny turned and let out a long breath. “Ah, Noah--you sneaky bastard,” he said. Teasing aside, he wrapped his arms around Noah. Casey swallowed and finished his packing, all while casting looks to the embracing boys. After a moment, Danny bent back, looked Noah in the eyes and mouthed something. No one but Noah ‘heard’, of course; whatever Danny had said made the boy blush, smile wide and lean forward to kiss his cheek.



“Well…” Zeke said, biting his lip as he put his pack on his shoulder, case picked up and held tight in his hand. “…We should, um… get going.”



“Yea. You guys… stay safe, a’right?” Danny said. “If you run into trouble before you’re out of the city, come running back here.”



“We will. Love you, Danny,” Casey said before he thought better of it. Danny blushed and aww-ed.



“Love you too, kiddo,” he replied.



With one last, long look around, Casey shuddered and walked to the front door with Zeke, Noah joining his side. Danny watched them go, smiling warmly and giving a small wave. Zeke waved back, waited until Casey and Noah were in the hall and shut the door. It was obvious now that Zeke was choked-up, a stuttering cough shaking his chest. He sniffed hard and headed for the stairs. “C’mon. Bank first, pick up a few things then Penn,” he said, much like a soldier going off to war.



Casey looked to Noah; he took his hand and smiled. “We’re going to be all right,” he said.



“Ya… ah-I know,” Noah replied, keeping hold of Casey’s hand until they reached the bottom floor and headed out.





~*~





Seeing as Zeke was the tallest and more imposing of the three, he carried the bulk of the money; as wonderful as it’d been, cashing the gold and pooling their funds, Casey was secretly terrified. Five dollars sat in his jacket pocket as ‘mugger money’, forty dollars stuck in the small purse in his bag as a ‘just in case’. Noah had done the same, while the rest of the cash--all eighty-hundred-sixty-two of it--rested in Zeke’s lockbox. The only thing that kept Casey from having an anxiety attack was the fact that they were dressed casually enough, all while carrying the air that they were not, in fact, tourists, but city-wise young men.



It wasn’t until they were safe on the train, occupying a private four-seater, that Casey relaxed. He stiffened a little when Zeke made to put the bag in the overhead compartment. “No. Me and Noah’ll sit on one side, you--on that one. Put the bag next to you,” Casey demanded.



Zeke shot him a look then snorted. “O-o-okay,” he said in a drawl. The bag was put in the empty seat next to Zeke and he sat down next to it. Noah settled in, wearing a tired but happy smile.



‘So, Provincetown. Sounds nice,’ Noah signed.



“What’d he say?” Zeke asked.



“That Provincetown sounds nice,” Casey said. “And it does.”



“Mmm. Big on artists… maybe you’ll get to sell some of your work,” Zeke told him with a smile.



“You too,” Casey coyly replied.



“N’aw. I’ll be on the docks, catching lobsters,” Zeke said. “Clam-digging. Stuff like that.”



“All right… then you come home, have some supper THEN paint. We’ll find a café and be discovered as the brilliant artists we are.” Casey then nudged Noah. “And you, with the photography? We’ll be famous.”



‘Getting ahead of yourself, boy,’ Noah told him.



“Okay, that’s it. Know how we’re gonna pass the time on this fuckin’ train?” Zeke said. He leaned forward onto his knees and waggled his fingers. “You’re teaching me this shit. I ain’t living with either one of you until I know a few phrases.”



Casey and Noah grinned wide; slapping his hands together, Noah sat up, nudged Casey and began doing the alphabet. Feeling pride and thinking, ‘This will work. I KNOW it will,’ Casey voiced the signs to Zeke, who was doing his best to emulate Noah’s movements.





~*~





Though the long, tiresome trip had taken a lot of wind out of the boys’ sails, they walked with a steady gait into the streets of Provincetown, each one taking in the sights and sounds around them. The first thing Casey noticed the moment they were off the train, however, was the smell. New York’s trashy, noxious environment had been exchanged for this town’s earthy, saltwater tones. Just breathing felt like Casey had bought a new, wonderful canvas, ready to paint a whole new world.



The people around them were the exact opposite of the New York residents they’d left behind. While it was obvious that the Depression had reached this place, there were no homeless people scattered around on the streets, begging desperately for change. Casey looked into the windows of what he’d presumed was a shop, when it was actually a church-run shelter. Many men and women were gathered at tables to eat--and most were smiling over their soup and bread meals. Those wandering around were friendly in the face as well, some stopped on street corners to chat with friends. They passed two women and a man chatting, each one holding a paper cup full of something steamy and hot. They noticed Casey watching, but instead of giving the nasty, ‘what are YOU looking at?’ expression he’d gotten used to during his down-and-out days on the dirty avenues of New York, they smiled and said, “Good evening!”



“Yes--good evening,” Casey returned, smiling wide back.



Zeke glanced back, smirked, then returned to his purposeful, stone-like expression. “Come on, now--the sun’s just got down, and we’ve gotta find a place to stay.”



“Geez, Zeke… just sayin’ ‘hi’. We may as well be friendly in our coming here,” Casey said, smirking as well.



All Zeke did was sniff and smile as they continued on to the next corner. Looking down the street, Casey gasped. “Oh--the ocean,” he said. Though it was nightfall, a lighthouse was illuminating the darkening sky above, the sound of waves crashing in the distance perking Casey’s ears. Biting his lip with excitement, he turned to the two others. “Couldn’t we…?”



“Not now, god’s sake.” Zeke chuckled and made an exasperated expression at the same time. When Noah made a heavy yawn, Zeke waved a hand his way. “There, see? We’re finding a place to put our shit down and relax.”



Casey pouted, but he knew Zeke was right. “Fine, fine. Maybe there’s an inn close to the beach, however…?”



Zeke sighed. “Let’s go see, I suppose.”





~*~





It was a little more expensive, getting a three-person room at the ‘Sea Shell Inn’, especially since it was, to Casey’s delight, right on the beach. Clara, the friendly woman that had helped them at the desk had been curious, but not in a mean, suspicious way. She seemed to think that New York City was a wonderful, exciting place to visit, asking them questions about the area. “It’s… okay. But we’re looking for fresher air,” Casey had told her. They hadn’t needed to spill their stories to her, as she seemed happy just to get paying-tenants in the first place.



“We serve dinner at seven, bring it right up to the rooms… a bit extra, price-wise, but I make a wonderful roast?” That offer had made each one of them nod and pay the cost of the meal, delighting Clara further.



Casey left his things in a pile by one of the beds in favor of going to the windows of their second-floor room, large ones that opened up onto a small porch with three chairs to relax in. Their dinner would be up in less than a half an hour, but it offered enough time for Casey to sink into a seat, grab a smoke and take in his lovely surroundings. Noah soon joined him, wearing a brilliant smile.



‘It’s beautiful,’ he said after sitting down. Casey nodded.



‘Yes. This has all been a blessing in disguise, hasn’t it?’



Noah shrugged and cocked an eyebrow. ‘We’ll see, won’t we?’



‘Have hope.’



“Already lazing around, huh?” Zeke, now standing in the opened window, said. He leaned on the pane and grinned. “And it ain’t like it’s summer, y’know.”



“Hush up. I don’t care,” Casey said. “It’s a lot warmer than the city.”



“A little…” Zeke said. He lit a cigarette and searched the ocean with them; gulls flew overhead, each one squawking their warbling, honking ocean song. “…I don’t care, either. Just being an ass.”



“Something you’re good at,” Casey retorted, winking.



“You love me anyway… right?”



Casey’s face flushed with heat as he sighed and turned away. Looking out over the landscape… when was the last time he felt so free and unfettered by doubt and fear? They weren’t out of the woods yet, but it didn’t matter. It was then that Noah looked to the left, creased his brow and sat up straight. “Un…” he grunted, waving his hand at the two others and pointing to the avenue below as if to say, ‘Look!’ Casey and Zeke followed his line of sight; Casey gasped.



There, standing in a large doorway to another inn, stood two young men, chatting, chuckling and holding hands. Casey’s eyes went wide as the two exchanged softly-spoken words, then… “Oh good god,” Casey muttered as the one closest to the walk leaned in to kiss his companion’s cheek. Giggles ensued and the kisser backed away, waving as he made his way down the avenue. “Did I just… see that?”



“Yea. You did,” Zeke murmured back.



Noah, bright in the face with a smile that could win an award, turned back to Casey and signed, ‘I REALLY like this place!’



“What did he say about pasta?” Zeke asked in confusion. Casey giggled and groaned at the same time. He still had much to learn, apparently.





~*~