What are the Odds? Pt. 01

"So, does it come out any other time, just when you touch it or in your sleep?"

"I don't want to say. Let's just sleep. I showed you my privates so I feel weird right now."

"Stop it, Hez. Look at me." He rolled his head over; she was sitting back on her heels.

"Other times?"

He rolled back over, away from her. "Sometimes, when I look at you or you sleep close." He didn't see her face but he felt the stare of her silence as waited.

"See."

"See, what?"

"You're my boyfriend. You get hard thinking about me so you're my boyfriend now. Dara said..."

"I think Dara talks too much."

She didn't respond. He heard a small sniffle, crushing him. He turned to see her pale cheeks red and wet with tears.

"You think she's okay, Hezron? Hez, I mean."

"Yea, she's fine. She's smart. I didn't mean nothin' bad."

"Will you hold me until I go to sleep?"

"Yea, Come here." He made sure it didn't touch when he put his arms around her and they fell asleep in the small dusty room that barely kept the draft out. At least it was their room though.

_____________

The next day was tough. Hez moved cinder blocks from the pump house over to the driveway so one of Uncle Shane's friends could take them. They didn't have a good pair of gloves so his hands were bloody and chewed up pretty bad when he came in for a quick supper and shower. It was game night for Shane and his friends, meaning he had to stay in his room with Areli so they didn't risk upsetting anyone. They were all allowed to hit him if they pleased, Shane told him one night.

"Hey, let me see your hands. I did our homework so you don't need to worry about it. I'll fix you up though."

"It's fine. I don't need no nurse."

"Stop it. I'm helping you. Don't talk to your girlfriend like that."

"Are you still on that, Areli?"

"Yea, so. It ain't hurting nothin'"

"Just don't let Shane hear you, okay. That's all we need. Where's my book?"

"Over here with mine. You can have it when I'm done with your hands." She rubbed aloe vera on his hands, cooling them. She handed him the poker book when she finished and opened hers to the middle.

"How many times you read that?" Hez asked.

"A lot. I know all of it by heart really so I just open it up and read. There's two more parts and one day when we run away I'm going to read them. I heard there was a movie too. A real pretty girl played Katniss. She's the strongest."

We have to run away so she can read a book that costs a few dollars.

The buzzing started in his ears; it happened sometimes when he thought too hard but this time felt different, more focused. He thumbed through is his book and watched her while she read. Her hair was pulled around her neck, falling down her body. It was always so straight and she made sure to comb it every night no matter what. Of all the old dirty things that filled his life, she was the bright spot, no matter how ugly things were around him.

He put on his jeans and walked to the door.

"Where you going, Hez?"

"I need you to trust me."

"You're scaring me."

"Look, Areli, just stay in here, alright. I got an idea."

"Hez!"

"I mean it. Don't come out."

He put his hand on doorknob and turned to her. Her eyes were watering. She was scared. He took a deep breath before he walked out.

___________________________________

The cigarettes made the air yellow and thick, but he tried not to show that it bothered him. There were seven of them in the kitchen with a piece of plywood over the table and old stools held it up at the ends to make it big enough for the players. They were all drunk, or worse, and none of them looked up when he walked in the doorway. He didn't know where someone like Uncle Shane found likeminded friends in a place with as few people as Harlen, Alabama, but the search appeared fruitful, looking over the room.

"What in the goddamned blistering fuck does your simple ass want in here?" Uncle Shane flipped a beer cap at him, catching him just above his eye.

"Nice shot, Shane. I think you cut the boy, Mick!"

Hez didn't get the joke but they enjoyed it and decided to flip a few more at him so he kept his head down.

"Speak up, cuck. You need some help with your sister? Shame she didn't come in here." A few guys elbowed each other and laughed while they waited for him to be ridiculed some more.

He held himself and kept his head down. Areli was safe in the other room.

"I want to play."

That set them off.

"You hear that, boys? He must have found some Old Maid cards next to his sister's panties and now he's ready for a man's game!"

"I'll bet she could make a man out of more than one boy!" came another voice.

"I mean, he's got balls, Shane. Hell, if he wasn't such a pussy, I'd bet his cock was 10 inches long."

"Shit, his momma would have been better off never seeing a cock. Look what it brought us?"

"Damn, Shane. That's harsh. Hey kid, you know how to play?" The one voice that wasn't mocking him belonged to Jim Hannon. He was a cop. A dirty one, but still.

"I read a book."

"Christ on a cracker, a fucking book. We got ourselves fucking Mensa candidate over here. Hell, I didn't know there was a book in this house that I didn't use for rollin' papers." Shane got more laughs and some high fives for that.

"Look, kid, we have a 100 dollar buy in for 10000 chips. You got 100 bucks?" A few more laughs.

"No, but your yard is about a 50 dollar mow, officer, and those bricks I hauled won't be lighter when they get to your house, Ronnie, so I figure I could use that for money."

"Shit, kid, selling your body. You sure your sister doesn't want to play?" The room erupted and he swallowed hard but held his fists behind him."

"What about it Ronnie? I'll give him the 100 bucks and we can get us some work done." Jim Hannon asked.

"It's your back, kid but I could use the help. I'll get you, Jim once I see the work, but you put up the money."

"You good with it, Shane?" Jim asked.

"Me? Fuck yea. I love watching this little bitch lose. I hope that was a good book, boy. Sit down."

Ollie was the dealer and he took 10% of the winnings. He was old and retired and that was his job, he said, as blinds were set and cards went out - two each. He looked at his hand, a 2 and 9 off suit. His head started buzzing, loudly. Winner take all.

Then the buzzing took form.

The odds started flowing through his head as he watched cards flipping through his mind and his face lost all expression as the small blinds and timers played like poetry in his head. Each hand brought more clarity as he played the odds and watched their tells. Shane's nostrils flared on a good hand. The buzzing was louder when Danny bluffed, but his left hand played an imaginary drum when something nice fell for him on the flop. All of it ran through the buzzing and came out as music.

He folded in the wrong place a few times but managed to bluff one player out. An all in made him chip leader in the middle of the game. The grumblings started when the first three players were knocked out and Shane left the table next after making a stupid all in with Jim. Hours later, the men watched as Ronnie and Hez sat across from each other; the only two left. Two Aces and a Queen on the flop. The turn put a King on the board. Ronnie went all in and Hez met him.

"Damn, kid, not bad for a newbie but you should have folded on this one." He put his King and Queen down. Two pair and stood up, grinning.

Hez's eyes hurt from the smoke and the buzzing was silent now when he turned the Ace and Queen. Full House. Ronnie fell in his chair as Ollie dealt the river. A four of hearts. Nothing. Hez won.

"Motherfucker! That's bullshit! This kid is cheated. I'm going to beat your goddamned ass, you little fuck." Before he could move, Jim stood up showing the revolver on his belt.

"I was sittin next to him. No one cheated. He won. Let it go, Ronnie. He didn't do nothing but play. You owe me a hundred bucks kid and that book." He patted him on the shoulder.

The room cleared out soon after and he braced himself when Jim, the last one, left the house.

"Well, well, well, I reckon you like to embarrass me, ugh?" Shane had a cigarette in his hand, smoked down to the butt so Hez braced himself, waiting for him to flip it.

"No sir. You said I need to contribute, so here." He handed him all but 200 dollars. "I figure this is good but I want to take Areli to the stores in Gadsden. We need some things. Keep 100 out so I can I play next week."

Shane was running it through his head. With such a small space, he didn't figure he'd be long in answering. After a few minutes he nodded and wadded the money in his pocket.

"Well, I guess we can make the trip since I need some stuff too. Be up early so we can get back and don't think you're getting out of your chores and I'll still beat your ass. Don't know who the fuck you think you was walking in there."

Shane staggered back to the kitchen and left Hez to talk to Areli. Of course, she was still awake.

"I was so scared! What were you doing, Hezron!" She jumped off the bed and hit him on the shoulder as he walked back in the room.

"I really want you to call me, H..."

"I don't care what you want! Why did you scare me like that?" Her face was puffy from crying and the blankets were still made on his bed so she didn't even try to sleep.

He pulled the wad of money out of his pocket and held it up for her.

"Look, it's ours. We can go to Gadsden tomorrow. I told you I'd figure something out." He couldn't read her face until tears formed in her eyes.

"There isn't anything you're holdin' in your hand that's more important to me than you. Tell me what you were thinkin' or you can keep your money and I'll figure something else out."

Hez put the money on the bed and took off his shirt before turning to his dresser to get his flannel pajama pants, and thought about how he would make this right. Sometimes, all a person can be, is honest.

"When I think about cards my ears buzz, like when he hits me, okay. I see the odds and make sure I bet at the right times. It's weird. I knew I'd be good at it so I figured I'd get us some money and maybe if I can win money he won't hit me and he'd let us have some things before we run away and I can take care of you."

"You can't take care of you, Hez. I'll be the one taking care of you. You need a doctor and gambling is wrong. You know that."

"Yea, well so are other things (she caught the hint) and ain't you tired of it, Areli? Tired of hiding from something invisible in the room? I am. You are too. Don't lie."

"I'm tired of not having nothin' and being scared. You think this buzzing hurts you?"

"No, I don't feel bad when it happens so it's there whether I'm playin' cards or not, I guess."

"Okay, can you win all the time?"

"No, it's still luck sometimes. I can win a lot more than I lose; I think."

"Where do we go to do that? Play cards for money?"

"I don't know, and we don't have no money to go anywhere no way, but we will. I promise."

She seemed to soften up as he got into his pajamas and turned out the light, getting under the covers. He knew the dark would get her into bed fast and hopefully prevent an argument.

"We really going to Gadsden tomorrow?"

"Yea, and you can get some clothes. We can't get a phone or nothing like that. Not yet."

"Thanks for being brave. Sorry I yelled."

"It's fine. I should have told you what I was thinkin'"

She moved close so he turned to hold her and was instantly hard when he brushed his hand against her breasts."

"Hey, I feel it. Why are you hard again?"

"I told you it happens when I sleep or when you get close to me."

"Can I see it again?"

"Yea, I guess." He rolled on his back and pulled his pajamas and boxers down letting his hardon out while she stared.

"Touch it again, Hez."

"He rubbed the tip like last time and moved his fingers over the top until the clear liquid came out and grabbed his shaft again, moving up and down, but not gripping it hard.

"When you do that, more comes out. I still think it's semen." She reached down and touched the tip with her finger making the freefall in his stomach grow.

"Can I kiss you, Hez?"

"What? Where'd that come from?"

"I just want to do it. Boyfriends and girlfriends should kiss and l like what we're doing, okay."

"Stop with the boyfriend thing."

"No." She ran her finger over his wet tip which made his knees shake.

"That feels good?"

"Yea."

"Will you kiss me?"

He nodded. She put her hand on his chest sending waves down his body to his... cock. Isn't that what he said? A 10 inch cock? It sounded bad at first and he didn't figure anyone had one 10 inches long but he liked how that sounded in his head as her breath touched his face and her hair fell over him when her soft lips met his with a small wet smack. She stayed close and kissed again with her lips slightly parted as her bodywash flooded his nose and her delicate fingers pressed on the muscles in his chest.

He wanted to see more of her than the moonlight allowed but she kissed again and pushed her tongue between his lips and he instinctively met it with his own. His cock was throbbing at her touch now and he wanted to kiss her all night and be close, as his need for her started to boil over with the growing wetness that covered his shaft as he stroked. She leaned back breaking the kiss.

"You said it happens when you look at me?"

He nodded again, wanting her lips back. She sat on her knees and pulled the cotton gown up her pale legs showing her white panties he knew were hiding a patch of blonde hair but he didn't know much else about what was beneath them. The ache in his groin grew as she pulled it up higher, above her bellybutton, exposing her smooth stomach slightly squeezed by the white cotton. She sat and watched him touch himself - stroke his cock, and his heart beat faster. She moved closer.

"Can I touch it like that?" Like how you are?"

He just moved his hand and she took it in hers; she was almost shaking when she wrapped her hand around his cock, and the clear liquid seemed to pour out as she moved, making wet sounds while she stroked him. He didn't think heaven was in the cards for him anymore but this had to be damned close. His whole body responded to her hand and her eyes were glued on his cock as she rubbed slowly, making him ache for her.

"Can I kiss you, again. Areli?"

"Yea, I like that too." She stopped stroking him and leaned over.

"Don't stop doing that though. Kiss me while you do it."

"Okay, Hez." She moved her hand back to his cock and kissed him, letting her tongue explore more freely now and his mind wondered to her panties and how her butt - her ass, would look in them. He was close to something but he wasn't sure what, but he was sure he wanted to spend all night getting to wherever "there" was if the journey felt this good. Unfortunately, their exploration came to a subtle, uneventful, end when she pulled back.

"Hez, I'm not ready for this yet. Can we stop?"

"Ready for what?"

"I don't know. More of that clear stuff is coming out so I figure you'll run out soon and that's when you're supposed to stop, I think. Don't you think? I'm not ready for it."

The last thing in the world he wanted to do was stop.

"Well, if it just stops then what's wrong with what we're doing?"

"Don't pressure me, Hez. It's a big decision. Can we please stop and kiss each other more? I want to do that a lot. We can do it all the time now that I touched you. You should be ready for being my boyfriend now."

He felt his erection go down and the ache in his balls grow but the guilt in his stomach replaced the freefall feeling he loved. He was saying "cock" and "ass" in his head now and wanting his sister to turn around so he could touch himself and look at her ass. He was supposed to be protecting her.

"Okay, we can stop." He pulled his pants up and she laid close to him, letting her night gown come up, exposing her panties as she snuggled against him.

"Can I touch you here?" He put his hand on her ass over her white cotton panties, she responded by scooting her legs against his.

"Yea, I like that. Don't let me get cold though so hold me good. Another kiss?"

They were still clumsy but his head swam when her tongue touched his and her ass moved under his hand. He squeezed her cheek as they explored each other's lips and she laid her head on his chest.

"Remember to hold me if you want my gown up like this. I like that you want to touch me. Good night, Hez."

The night was long but not long enough. As usual, Areli would move away and sleep on her back but she kept coming back to him, which was new, laying her head on him and he swore he felt her kiss his chest in the night. The next morning her leg was draped over him, just below his usual morning erection and her face resting on his shoulder. She woke up when he tried to move.

"Don't get up, Hez. Let's lay here and kiss more." She moved her head up and pecked his lips.

"We need to be up before Uncle Shane so you can get to your room. I don't want nothing to make him mad before we leave."

"We have a minute, don't we? He was up late."

He laid on his back as she moved on his chest, pressing her breasts against him while she pushed her tongue in his mouth. His erection was out of his pants and a cold draft came through the room, sending a chill over the wet tip. Areli rubbed his chest before moving her hand down.

"Can I touch it again? Just for a minute? She adjusted her body and moved her hand down his stomach rubbing the clear liquid on the tip of cock that peaked out of the slit in his underwear, before she reached her hands on the band of his thin white boxers and pulled them down. His knees weakened immediately when her hand wrapped around his cock and he pulled the gown up, grabbing her ass over her panties and massaging it as she played with him. The urge to push her on her back and... touch her down there? To look at her? Feel her against him? It consumed him. This time, it was his turn to pull back.

"Areli, can I see under your panties?" He massaged her ass while she held his cock. She looked concerned.

"I guess you've never seen it, right? Like I'd never?" He shook his head no as her hand moved from his cock.

"No magazines or on the phone? Dara said Ezra told her he had a magazine but she said he was probably lyin'"

"He was lyin'. Can I see?" He had no idea if Ezra had a magazine or not but he was fine with the lie even if he did.

"Okay." She got on her knees and pulled her gown up to her waist, pausing when she saw him grab his cock. Areli took a deep breath and rubbed her flat belly lightly before she pushed the front of her panties down revealing her thick blonde hair. It was different than his, lighter. she had the brightest blonde curls under her panties that perfectly matched her eyebrows.

"Here, I'll move them." She let go of the top, spread her legs more and pulled the side of her panties over, showing what he'd only imagined at this point. It wasn't what he thought. He saw the lips and folds surrounded by short blonde hair that moved up to her thicker curls and didn't realize his hand was moving faster as he looked at her for the first time, but the aching in his groin became unbearable when she moved her fingers and spread the folds, revealing the glistening, pink opening.

"I don't think it's exactly the same, but mine gets wet like yours. It started more since I've been watching you and thinking about your, you know, your... penis."

"I don't want to stop, Areli. I feel something."

"Okay. You don't have to. You want me to do it? I can take my gown off and you..."

"Hez! Get your ass up and tell your sister to get hers out of bed if we're going. We ain't got time for no hour long shower neither. Get up or we're staying home." They both jumped out of the bed as Areli adjusted her gown and opened to door to make sure he wasn't there and in a practiced leap, jumped over to her room and shut the door. They were both ready about 15 minutes later when Shane met them outside.