Page 44 of As I Am
CHAPTER TWENTY
"Thanks for doing this." Ky glanced over at Kylie as they stepped out of Calvin's rental car in front of the mall.
"Are you kidding? I never turn down a chance to shop." Kylie waved at Calvin. "I'll call you when we're done or just grab a cab. I'll let you know either way."
Calvin waved as he pulled away in his rental car.
"Seriously, no one ever wants to go shopping with me. The guys hate it. When Carson asked if I'd go with you, I was ecstatic. There's these new shirts at one of the stores here that I saw online. I'm hoping they have them in stock." She pulled her long, dark hair back into a ponytail and slipped a band around it. "So, what are you looking for?"
Ky held the door open for her. "I'm not sure. I've never really been shopping before." He blushed. "I've been homeless until recently, and even now, just barely able to stay on my feet. All my money goes to food or rent, not shopping." He watched for her reaction. He'd agreed with Carson that he would tell Kylie the truth about his past, leaving out the sex and the dirtier details. He was glad he didn't have to hide it. He didn't know how to be someone he wasn't.
"Oh, I didn't know. Okay, so this is going to be even more fun." She hooked her arm in his. "Do you know a style you like or anything you want?"
Ky shook his head. "I have no clue. I would like a haircut if we can do that."
Kylie smiled. "We can do whatever you want. We don't have to leave until the mall closes." She led him past several stores.
"I don't want to spend a ton." He had taken the money Carson had given him, shocked at the amount. It was enough money to pay his rent for a few months, plus some.
"Carson said you'd say that. He gave me a credit card and told me if you wouldn't spend money, I was to do it for you." She grinned. "Stop worrying about money. Carson has more money than he knows what to do with. He won't miss a few thousand."
Ky stopped, nearly choking. "Thousand?"
Kylie laughed. "Stop worrying. Just follow me and forget about money for the day." She pulled him toward a store with trendy t-shirts displayed out front. "So how old were you when you hit the streets?" She asked as if it was a question she'd asked a million times.
"Fifteen." He wasn't ashamed of his past, but he also wasn't used to talking about it so openly.
"I was seventeen when my parents kicked me out. I thought for sure I'd end up there, but I got lucky and had a friend who took me in. Were you kicked out for being gay?"
Ky watched as Kylie flipped through several shirts on a rack. "No, my parents died. I ran away from foster care."
"Oh, I'm sorry. That's even worse. Most guys I've talked to who have been on the streets and are gay were kicked out."
"Yeah, I never really even got to tell my parents I was gay. I'm not sure how they would have taken it. I don't think they would have kicked me out, but I think my dad would have struggled with having a gay son. We lived in a very rural area." He nodded as she held a shirt to her chest as if asking his opinion. "Honestly, I was just coming to terms with being gay when they got killed."
"Yeah, I was about the same age when I realized I liked girls. I was fourteen when Beth Sanders and I had our first kiss. It was on a dare, but the moment our lips met, I knew. I'd kissed boys before that, but never felt a thing. The moment we kissed, I knew what I was missing."
Ky laughed. "So, do you have a girlfriend?"
"Yep. Crystal is an actress. We met at a charity event the band did. We've been together about a year. She's busy a lot, so doesn't ever go on tour with me, but you'll meet her sooner or later."
Ky wasn't sure how to feel about that. It meant Kylie expected Carson and him to be together a long time. Even after the conversation they had earlier in the morning, he still wasn't secure in the fact Carson really wanted him. He just couldn't see why Carson would want someone like him.
"Oh, look." Kylie picked up a pair of jeans. "These would look hot on you. Go try them on. In fact, take these too." She pulled two more pairs off the rack and handed them to him.
"I don't know." Ky glanced at the price.
"If you don't try them on, I'm buying them anyway for you, so it's better you make sure they fit." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Carson told me to be pushy. He knew you wouldn't do this on your own."
Ky sighed.
"Don't argue. Just go try them on." She pointed to the dressing room. "And don't just go in and tell me they don't fit. I want to see you in them, so come back out once you have them on and let me see."
Ky bit his lip as he made his way to the dressing room. He was sure everyone in the store was staring at him and could see how uncomfortable he was. He didn't belong in a place like this. It wasn't a fancy store. Most guys his age probably shopped in stores just like this, but for Ky, it was so out of his price range, and so trendy, that he was sure he stuck out as someone trying to be what he wasn't.
He quickly changed into the first pair, trying to push back the thoughts about how much they cost. He did need clothes. He didn't want to embarrass Carson by wearing the same thing all the time, but he still couldn't shake how uncomfortable he was spending someone else's money.
He looked in the mirror once he had them on, shocked at how different he looked in them. They were tight against his legs, but fit perfectly around the waist. He turned, checking out his ass, impressed with how good they looked. He was used to baggy pants he got from the shelter or charity shop. He'd even had to use rope as a belt to keep a couple of pairs on in the past. These fit his body perfectly. Nervous, he stepped out so Kylie could see.
