Lost Girl in Transition Ch. 06

So put at ease by her compassionate nature, Tyler eased out a sigh, then lifted his arms for Jolene so she could soap up his lightly hairy armpits.

He didn't know what this feeling was that he had towards her, but he suddenly became aware that it was very strong. Jolene wasn't just a girl he enjoyed spending time with, but a sort of goddess, a gentle female who genuinely cared and nourished his spirit with only a touch. She was special to him, and along with his mother and Kimi, a type of girl that he revered.

She was also the type of girl to get blood flowing to his crotch, because at the touch of the washcloth against his penis, he rapidly went rock hard. Smiling at his now stiff shaft, Jolene gingerly washed it, caressing the sensitive, swollen head before running the washcloth along his length.

She even took time to cleanse his testicles as well, and after unhooking the detachable hose from the wall, rinsed off the suds that were covering his body.

Once all the soap was gone, Jolene got busy at washing his hair, gliding her fingers along his scalp before allowing her nails to gingerly graze it.

The sensation alone caused Tyler's body to shiver and his lids slightly lowered as she began to massage his scalp, but all too soon for his liking she had finished and was rinsing his hair.

She then washed her own hair and body before rinsing off, then turned off the water and grabbed a towel from the rack. Tirelessly nurturing, Jolene toweled Tyler's body off first, then took care of herself before guiding him out of the tub.

Once they were back in the bedroom they got dressed, slipping into the clothes they'd left in a heap just the night before. Spotting a comb on the cluttered dresser, Jolene used it to brush Tyler's hair, then slicked it back into a shoulder length ponytail before pulling back to admire his face.

"You really are a cutie, you know," she said while brushing a stray hair behind his ear. "And I think It's interesting how your right cheek has a dimple, but your left one doesn't."

Lifting a palm to the right side of his face, Tyler fingered the indentation, as if hoping he could somehow make it disappear through the magic of his touch. But it seemed that Jolene was truly charmed by the single dimple, because she reached out to grab Tyler's hand, gently coaxing it away from his cheek.

"Trust me, It's attractive," she assured him. "And it only makes me adore you more."

Grinning at her compliment, Tyler felt a warmth radiate through his chest.

"There we go," she happily said. "I knew that smile would come out sooner or later."

Taking his hand in hers, Jolene guided him towards the closed door. But just as her palm closed over the knob, Tyler gently tugged at her arm. As she turned to face him, Tyler pulled her up against his body, then cradled her face in his hands before gliding his thumbs up and down her cheekbones.

Looking deeply into her eyes, Tyler thought of the words that he wished he could speak. He imagined telling her that she was a goddess in his eyes, and that girls in fashion magazines paled in comparison to her unique beauty. Although he wasn't aware of it happening, his pupils had dilated and his features had softened.

Lifting her right hand to his chest, Tyler placed it against the spot where his heart was beating. Already going at a hard, steady rhythm it hammered quicker beneath her touch. Then lifting her dainty hand to his lips, he gave it a kiss that was soft and sweet.

Returning his adoring expression with one of her own, Jolene blinked a few times, then mimicked Tyler's action by placing his hand against her own beating heart. Surprised to find it was moving just as quickly as his own, Tyler's eyes shined with happiness. Looping her arms around his neck, Jolene maintained steady eye contact, then parted her sultry lips and spoke in a voice that was smooth and soft.

"I love you too, Tyler."

Struck with a feeling of unrestrained jubilation, Tyler lowered his lips so they brushed against hers, then gave her a kiss so slow and sensual, it drew a gasp from her lips. When they pulled back to look at one another, each was left gazing in wonder at the intensity of it.

"What do you say we go get some breakfast?" Jolene asked, and as Tyler nodded to let her know he was interested, she guided him out of the room and down the hallway.

As soon as they entered the living room, six pairs of eyes turned to look at them, watching as they strolled past the couches and towards the kitchen just a few paces away. Tyler couldn't hear the snickers that filled the air, but he was able to see the smirks.

A group of guys playing Xbox shifted their eyes from the TV, razzing him with various insults as they watched him walk by. With so many lips to read, Tyler found it difficult to make out what all of them were saying. But he did catch snippets of the words being said out loud:

"Pissed himself in bed."

"....the fuck does she see in a retard like him?"

"Pussy ass bitch. Heard he's a -."

Not wanting to read anymore lips, Tyler shifted his attention to Jolene, and upon noting that she was closely studying his face, he felt a sudden and tight squeeze on his hand.

"Ignore them," Jolene firmly urged, and with her fingers proudly linked with his, led him past the smirking group of guys and into the kitchen.

Immediately spotting Twitch at the table, Tyler gave him a wave, then pulled out a chair and took the seat directly across from him.

"What's up, little man?" Twitch tilted his chin upward in acknowledgment. "You sleep good last night?"

Tyler made a thumbs up, then offered a smile.

"Yeah, I bet you did." A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "You and Jolene had some fun, huh?"

Not wanting to seem tactless, Tyler shifted his gaze to look at Jolene. But on noticing she was at the stove and busily chatting with another girl, he turned his attention back on Twitch.

"So did I hook you up, or did I hook you up?" Twitch asked.

Tyler nodded, then reached in the pocket of his jeans for his mini notepad, which he quickly scribbled upon before holding up for Twitch to read.

[Last night was AMAZING.]

"Yeah, I bet," Twitch said with a chuckle.

Lowering his eyes to his plate, Twitch took a large bite of sausage, then washed it down with a swig of milk before planting his gaze back on Tyler.

"A lotta guys around here wanna get with Jolene," he continued on. "But since she's like a baby sister to me, a dude's gotta get my approval in order to hook up with her. So when I set you up with her last night, that wasn't just a random, ordinary thing."

Tyler nodded to let Twitch know that he fully understood, but on the inside he was beginning to feel uncertain, even worried about where the conversation was leading.

"You're a nice kid, Tyler," Twitch remarked. "I trust you and I knew you would treat her right."

Still at the stove fixing Tyler's plate, Jolene snuck a glance from out of the corner of her eye, looking first at Twitch and then at Tyler, before giving him a smile.

Returning it with one of his own, Tyler felt a fluttering spread through his stomach. But he didn't have long to revel in the pleasant sensation, because Twitch waved a hand in front of Tyler's love-dazed face.

"Damn you sprung, boy," Twitch said when Tyler finally broke out of his trance. "She put it on you that hard, huh? Already giving her the googly eyes and shit."

Eager to share his thoughts, Tyler wrote some words on the notepad:

[Jolene is wonderful. My DREAM GIRL. I can't thank you enough for introducing us.]

"No problem, little man. Seems like you been through a lot with your old man and all, so I figured you deserved something real nice."

With a plate of food in hand, Jolene strolled towards the table where Tyler and Twitch sat, and after setting down the dish with breakfast grub, she leaned down to give Tyler a kiss on the cheek. Blushing at her affection Tyler grabbed her hand, tenderly kissing the back of it as a non-verbal thank you.

Smirking at their display of fondness, Twitch finished off his sausage and eggs, then downed the rest of his milk before letting out a low, long burp. Completely famished, Tyler immediately tore into his hot food, stuffing his mouth with as much eggs and bacon that would fit.

Hot, nourishing meals were a luxury around his own house, so whenever he got the chance to indulge in one, he took full advantage of the opportunity.

"Hey, take it easy, little man," Twitch said while watching him gorge. "Food's not going anywhere, you know? You're gonna choke if you keep shoveling it in."

But Tyler was too hungry to slow down, and pausing only to take a gulp of his milk, he resumed eating with just as much zeal. In no time at all he'd cleaned his plate of every morsel, and with a gratifying sigh, settled back in his chair and eased out a soft breath.

"Good shit, huh?" Twitch asked with a smile.

Tyler nodded and rubbed his stomach.

"You can thank my girl, Alyssa. She's the one who made the food."

Of short stature with hazel eyes and fair skin, Alyssa came up behind Twitch and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her hair fell over his chest as she leaned down to give him a kiss, and after pulling back so that her face was visible to Tyler, she spoke a few words.

"There's extra food on the stove, plenty left for seconds if you want it."

With a shake of his head Tyler let her know that he didn't, then offered a smile and patted his stomach to convey he was full.

"Guess I'll leave you two men alone to have your privacy, then," she said, and with a tilt of her head gestured for Jolene to follow behind her.

Clearly unenthused that Tyler would be alone with Twitch, Jolene slowly followed behind her, flashing a weak smile Tyler's way before disappearing into the living room.

Now all alone, Tyler and Twitch were left to gaze at one another. But after a prolonged moment of sitting in utter silence, Tyler shifted in his chair and fiddled with a loose thread on his pants.

"I got a couple things for you, little man," Twitch finally said while reaching into a paper bag. "Some stuff you're gonna need now that you're working for me and my crew."

Tyler's eyes questioned Twitch and his posture went stiff, but he didn't have time to scribble any words on the notepad, because Twitch retrieved a baggie of pot and set it on the table between them.

"You're gonna be my transporter," he said. "The guy who delivers the product to my customers."

Looking down at the bag of weed, Tyler noticed how large it was. He also noticed that it smelled slightly fruity, with a hint of muskiness. But he didn't dare reach out to touch it because he didn't want to give the impression that he was okay with taking on such a role.

"So what's up?" Twitch asked while jutting his jaw out. "You on board with this, or what?"

Putting pen to paper, Tyler wrote out a few words, then slid the pad across to Twitch so he could read what had been written.

[I can't deal drugs. Will get arrested, and my mom would be ashamed of me.]

Snorting in response, Twitch slid the pad back towards Tyler. "You won't get arrested, because you'll only deliver to people on my list. And as for your mom, I think she'll be proud once you start bringing some cash home."

Tyler couldn't lie, he liked the idea of making money and providing for his mother's needs, but dealing pot in order to make it happen just didn't sit well with him.

[No disrespect, but I really don't want to do this], he wrote. [I don't have a good feeling about it, and supplying drugs to people seems wrong.]

"You're kidding, right?" Twitch rose an eyebrow. "You're like way too moral, kid."

Tyler shrugged and shifted his gaze to the baggie of pot, hoping that if he kept his eyes lowered Twitch might get the idea that he had made his final decision. But as Twitch reached out and lifted the baggie so it was in front of his face, Tyler was forced to lift his gaze and look Twitch straight in the eyes.

"You think you would be getting pussy from Jolene if it hadn't been for me?" His brows dipped low, hooding his dark eyes. "I was the one who told her to approach you, and now you tell me you don't wanna return the favor?"

Visibly uneasy, Tyler fidgeted in his seat. He licked his lips, then dryly swallowed before picking up the pen, yet instead of writing a response on the pad of paper, his hand simply froze.

Scowling at the teenage boy, Twitch grabbed his wrist and tightly held it, gradually increasing the pressure until Tyler was forced to meet his eyes.

Not liking what he saw in the other man's gaze, Tyler shifted his attention to the kitchen door. But with his wrist ensnared by Twitch's strong hand, there wasn't a chance in hell of him escaping.

"This is the last time I'm gonna ask you." Darkness shadowed Twitch's face and a rough edge came into his voice. "You gonna work for me and my crew, or not? Because if you refuse to do this, things between you and Jolene could turn bad real quick."

Tyler's stomach rolled and an ache settled in his gut. For a moment he was certain the pressure of Twitch's hand around his wrist was going to cut his circulation off, but then Twitch finally released him, and with a tap of his finger against the mini notepad, Twitch signaled that it was time for Tyler to write his decision. Grasping the pen in his fist, Tyler did just that.

[I do want to help out, but just not this way.]

"What other way is there?" Twitch questioned.

Tyler gave a shrug.

"I meant what I said about you and Jolene." His voice had lowered several octaves, eyes going cold as he stared Tyler down. "I'd never hurt her of course because she's like a baby sister to me. But I can make it so that you and her never see each other again."

Nauseated by just the mere thought, Tyler swallowed back a lump. He then nodded his head to convey that he understood and after shakily scribbling some words on the pad, held it up for Twitch to read.

[Okay, I'll do it.]

"Good choice, little man," Twitch responded and his eyes took on a twinkle.

Reaching into a paper bag, Twitch retrieved a gun that had a sleek, polished barrel and a rubber grip. He set it beside the baggie of weed before looking Tyler deep in the eyes, as if encouraging him to pick up the weapon that had been placed between them.

"Anytime you go out on a delivery for me, you'll carry that around," Twitch said. "I'll teach you how to shoot it later today, but for right now I want you to pick it up and get used to the way it feels."

Thoroughly uninterested, Tyler only stared at the gun, as if somehow hoping through the power of his stare that he could make it disappear. Having never held a gun before, he felt a tenseness build in his stomach.

He also felt a chill go up his back at the memory of Cruiser pressing a barrel against his skull, and although forty minutes had passed since that awful experience, he swore he could still feel the cold metal against his forehead.

Tentatively, Tyler reached for the handgun. His palm wrapped around the hard rubber grip and with a carefulness he lifted the weapon, purposely pointing the barrel away from Twitch and towards the fridge which hummed steadily.

Testing its weight in his hands, he was surprised to find that it was much heavier that he expected. He was also surprised to discover that he liked the way it felt in his hands – solid and reassuring, with a tangible power that made him feel invincible. And yet at the same time he knew it was a formidable object, a type of weapon that demanded respect and carefulness.

"Nice piece, huh?" Twitch asked while watching Tyler examine it. "You carry a gun like that around, and nobody will even think about fucking with you."

Wondering if it was loaded, Tyler moved his finger away from the trigger, but before he could place the weapon back on the table, Twitch grabbed the barrel and directed it towards himself.

"First thing you need to learn is, don't be afraid to point a gun at someone. Might find yourself in a situation someday where you're gonna have to."

Giving a nod, Tyler held onto the gun a little tighter. But it wasn't because he felt emboldened, yet rather he was terrified of it slipping from his hands.

"Pretend I'm your dad," Twitch suggested. "Would you be hesitant to pull the trigger, or just go for it and blast a hole right through him?"

Immediately thinking of his situation at home, Tyler was reminded that his father had raped his sister, and that his mother was beaten on a weekly daily basis. As a son and a brother, he was virtually worthless, nothing more than a too-thin weakling that couldn't protect the women in his life. But with a gun things just might be different, with a gun he might be able to take care of "the problem," and forever liberate his mother from the man who had terrorized her for seventeen years. It was a dark thought and he knew it, but was it not incredibly tempting?

Then suddenly Jolene came into his mind and he was reminded that committing murder would land him in jail. And if he went to jail he would lose Jolene, which was a fate most certainly worse than living with his abusive father.

Still gazing at Tyler, Twitch gave him a little smile, but instead of pressing for an answer to his question he only emitted a light chuckle.

"Yeah, little dude. I can see the hate is strong for your old man."

And it was strong, Tyler could feel it. But deep down inside he knew he could never do it. He just wasn't a killer and that was all there was to it.

"So now that you're a part of the crew, that means you're like our little brother," Twitch said. "We'll feed you, take care of you, and if you ever need us for anything, we'll be there to back you up."

Setting the gun down so that it rested on the table, Tyler picked up a pen and began to write. A few seconds later he scooted the pad towards Twitch, who read the words that had been scribbled.

[When you say crew, do you mean like a gang? Or just a bunch of friends who hang out?]

A harsh chuckle left Twitch's lips and he shook his head, then rested his arms on the table before leaning in closer.

"When I say crew, I mean bangin'. We take what we want and if anyone gets in our way, we eliminate them. We're the Native 88 Crew, you understand?"

Tyler nodded, but the way his stomach had tightened made him more than a little uneasy.

"We're rollin' out to this one spot later tonight, and we want you there with us," Twitch said. "It's real important that you come, so be back here at half past eight."

[Why, what's going on?] Tyler wrote. [What are you guys going to do?]

"It's not about what we're gonna do so much, It's about what you're gonna do. It's your special night, get what I'm saying?"

Tyler tried to shake his head, but his neck was frozen with dread. Didn't matter anyways, because he already knew what Twitch was referring to. Swallowing dryly, he waited for an elaboration.

"Tonight is your rebirth, little man," Twitch said with an unsettling gleam in his eyes. "Your initiation into the crew."

* * * *

The buzzing of tattoo needles filled the brightly lit shop, creating a sort of solace that Lucas found oddly comforting. Poised against his left bicep, the needle dispersed line after line of ink, creating the intricate portrait that would forever be tattooed into his skin.

After two hours of sitting in the reclining leather chair, Lucas was eager to see the finished design. But the needle continued on, creating a stinging sensation that felt like repeated rubber band snaps.

Watching from the sidelines was Lucas's father, Eagle, who was sporting his own arm tattoo that had been created more than a decade ago. Clearly impressed that his son hadn't even broken a sweat, Eagle intently watched the process, eyeing the sharp needle as it punctured Lucas's skin.