Revarsal of Fortune

Not long after Charlie and his mother moved in, she was horrified to learn that even though the house had a San Marino address, it was officially in the unincorporated area of the City of Rosemead, Ca.

This meant that Charlie would not be able to go back to his privileged high school. Instead, he’d be going to something far worse. Charlie and his mother decided to take a drive past the school just to give it the once over. They where horrified and both of them cried as they made the drive back to the shack.

Charlie would turn 18 about month after school started and he planned to just drop out. His mother said that it would be fine with her. That shocked Charlie. In 17 years, he never imagined his mother approving of such a thing. But he still knew what his mother would never approve of, so he knew that he wouldn’t be bringing any friends home from that school. He didn’t really care since he couldn’t imagine having anything in common with any of them.

That perception would change on the very first day of his senior year. If there is only factual statement when it comes to love, it’s the fact that you cannot choose the first person that you will fall in love with, they chooses you. For Charlie, it will be a Hispanic boy named Eduardo. 

Charlie felt like he knew this person from somewhere. He looked so familiar, but Charlie knew that he had never known any Mexicans. Maybe he was related to one of the Mexican gardeners. Those guys always brought their kids along to help out after school. Maybe Eduardo had actually been to Charlie’s house. Well the old house when life was good. What Charlie didn’t know was that it wasn’t Eduardo that was familiar; it was the feeling that he felt that was familiar. It’s similar to what he felt for Chad, but if Eduardo is destine to be Charlie’s first love, he won’t be allowed to make the connection between Chad and Eduardo. Those are the rules.

Eduardo was sitting all alone, and he also seemed to be doing so intentionally. Charlie got up from the bench he was sitting on three different times. He would always get half way to where Eduardo was sitting, but then chicken out. He hadn’t a clue as to what he’d say. Whatever he did think of to say was quickly scrapped once it said it to himself a second time.

“Hi, I’m Charlie, is your dad a gardener or a pool cleaner by any chance?” He thought before realizing how demeaning it sounded.

The first few weeks of school had passed and Charlie has yet to develop the courage to strike up a conversation. But come Friday morning, Charlie will find himself in a situation where he’d have the perfect topic of conversation.

In homeroom class, Charlie sat directly behind Eduardo. As the teacher was getting ready for the bell to ring he told the class to have a nice weekend as he did every Friday. Then came the announcement.

“Okay class, we have 3 birthdays this weekend. Ms. Anderson on Saturday. And it looks like we have a set of twins. Mr.Briones and Mr. Brisbane, on Sunday. Happy Birthday kids! That’s it! Class dismissed.” 

The rest of the class started to stampede towards the door and both Eduardo and Charlie seemed to be stalling for time. It was all so awkward. They made eye contact as they put things in their backpacks, and then moved them around in an obvious attempt to give the other an opportunity to say something. After 30 seconds of dead silence, they spoke over each other at the same moment. It didn’t get any better from there because they both apologized at the same moment, drowning out when each of them said. Finally, the first words where spoken between them and they where loaded with all sorts of sexual connotations.

“I guess we’ll both be consenting adults by Monday?” Eduardo said.

Charlie didn’t quite know how to respond and Eduardo expanded further on his comment. “I mean that we’ll both be turning 18 on Sunday, yeah?”

“Oh! 18, consenting adults, right!” Charlie said with a shit-eating grin. 

The conversation started to flow more smoothly, but Charlie couldn’t help but notice that Eduardo had a one-track mind. 

“I’m not making a big deal out of it. What can you do legally at 18? Can’t buy beer, can’t gamble. I guess joining the Army is about it.” Eduardo said.

“I see what you mean.” Charlie replied. “Exactly why do they call it a consenting adult? What are we supposed to give your consent to?”

“You tell me.” Eduardo said. “You’re the attractive white boy. I’m Mexican, which makes me the usual suspect. If it’s supposed to be referring to sex, my right hand is all I got to give my consent to” Eduardo said and was followed by 10 seconds of silence.

“Me too! Um…I guess if I know what you mean…. I hope or I just…never mind!” Charlie said while looking down to hide his embarrassment.

They both laughed on the outside. On the inside, they where shocked by their honesty about such private matters. Charlie just admitted to jacking off to someone he has known for a matter of minutes.

“Hey! Do you think it’s true that everything stops at 18, you know? I heard that everything stops growing at 18 and whatever you got is all you’ll ever have.”

“God! I hope not.” Charlie said. And that made them both laugh again. 

“What about you? Charlie asked.

“Well, do I look as worried as you do right now?” Eduardo said. Charlie looked real embarrassed and Eduardo could sense it. He criticized himself to put Charlie at ease.

“Oh! Don’t trip white boy. I don’t have nothing like my cousins. They tease me and say that I’m hung like a hamster.”

Charlie’s mind went straight into the gutter. He thought if Eduardo were hung like a hamster, he 4-inches wouldn’t be ammunition for any real taunting in the locker room. He couldn’t believe the way that he and Eduardo speak to each other. Charlie could never imagine having a conversation like this at the Academy. Those guy’s not only didn’t talk about masturbating, they denied ever doing it unless you could produce pictures. At that point, you’d enter into a negotiation over how much it will cost for the negatives. As for penis size, will that was something entirely different. At the academy, each boy had his own private shower. The most that you could see was a hazy image. Through the frosty glass, the amount and color of pubic hair was all that could be determined. 

Charlie asked Eduardo what his family had planned for his birthday. He was actually hoping to hone in on an invitation to Eduardo’s house. He knew that vice-versa was out of the question. He also began to worry as to how he’d handle that delicate matter when, or if it should happen.
“Forget about me! What are your mom & dad planning for your birthday? Let’s see. I’ll bet they’ll be a bunch of movie stars and shit like that.” Eduardo said playfully.

Charlie had to think quickly. Saying that his mother was a stuck up Simi-rich bitch, and that he father was currently doing 5 to 10 up at the Federal Correctional Facility for Men, wasn’t how he wanted to start a new friendship with the only person who cared to speak to him.

They where getting closer to the spot where they would have to walk off in different directions. Charlie was scrambling for something to say. He so didn’t want to spend the most important day of any guy’s life alone with a half-baked mother.

“Oh, I guess I’ll just stop by the bakery for a cupcake and 1 candle, because my folks are traveling all across Europe until next week.” Charlie said with pout lips.

“Damn! That shit is fucked up! I’ve heard that shit about rich parents. They leave their kids alone or send them off to camp. You can’t even find 2 minutes to jack off around my house without a mom, dad, cousin, uncle, or even a total stranger sneaking up on you.”

“Wow! That sounds really nice.” Charlie said.

“Damn white boy! You’re kinky, you want someone to catch you jacking off?” Eduardo said looking at Charlie closely.

“No! I mean having people around and stuff. Not feeling all alone so much, never mind.” Charlie said feeling defeated. He had just resolved himself to spending his birthday alone. As if that would be something new.”

“No que never mind!” Eduardo said. You’re coming over to my house, but it’s tomorrow, not Sunday. If your birthday falls on Sunday, we celebrate on Saturday. My mom is real religious and Sunday is not for celebrating unless it’s Easter.” Eduardo explained.

Charlie’s heart was overcome. He ripped open his pack-pack and took out a sheet of notebook paper for Eduardo to write down directions to his house. The both sat down on the grass as Eduardo had to draw a map because he didn’t know all of the names of the streets between school and his house. As he finished writing he became anxious.

“Hey listen up white boy, there is something that you should know before you come over and it kind of embarrassing. I don’t have a lot of friends and I hoping that you don’t freak out and shit, but….”

Charlie stopped Eduardo form having to explain anything, he had been to a poor persons house before and they always felt like they had to give some advance warning that there won’t be any limos in the driveway or a butler to bring them food.

“It’s fine Eduardo! I don’t want to be treated any different and I think it will be better if you don’t tell any of your family about how I was raised.” Charlie said as he folded up the directions and got to his feet.

“No Charlie! That’s not it. They’ll like you more rich, they’ll probably hit you up for beer money, I just don’t want then to say things that will make you not like me.”

“God Eduardo! I can make up my own mind. Nothing that they could say could make me think any different. Besides, I already know that you’re hung like a hamster, so that cat is out of the bag.” Charlie said as he walked backwards away from Eduardo.
“But Charlie, wait.”

“See you Saturday Eduardo.” Charlie said as he walked away.

Eduardo tried one last time to get Charlie to listen. It was no use, Charlie stuck his fingers in his ears as he turned one last time and mouthed the words. “See you Saturday”