Children of poverty seemed to find a way to go on living, not always making the right choices, but survive they would. Just as a junkie can rationalize his habit, Joey's friends found an explanation for engaging in prostitution that salved their egos. Money was everything here. Food, movies, drugs, cigarettes and clothes, all they needed in life. Money for the occasional date with a girl and to buy the condom each and every one of them always carried in their wallets.

It might have been a sign of the macho image they projected to one another, something to prove to the girls that they carried, just in case the subject came up. Or maybe it was for a better reason, the absolute unspoken truth, which was that they each had a condom just in case the 'date' that picked them up was fresh out.

Joey had started playing the hustling game right about the time of his twelfth birthday. He was of an age that some of the older men found attractive. His long brown hair and deep green eyes set in a constantly smiling face turned a lot of heads. Like most of the neighborhood children he knew about the hustle long before he started playing the game, it didn't scare him, but it should have.

Running the streets at all hours of the night was Joey's kind of fun. He first went out with guys in the company of another boy, someone older, and someone with experience like Harvey. His first sexual encounter with a guy was a threesome, only Harvey got paid. But Joey learned something; getting blown was a great feeling.

Of course Harvey was bent over and on the receiving end while the guy sucked the juice out of Joey. It was weird, wild and Joey knew he was hooked, long as he didn't have to take Harvey's place. But when it was done Harvey pinned him to the wall in the alley behind the Brick House Bar.

"You ever tell anyone about what happened tonight and you're a dead man, get it?" Harvey growled.

Joey knew what Harvey meant; watching the boy get fucked was something he had to take to his grave. Joey nodded and Harvey slapped his face, a light tap, a reminder, and then he gave Joey twenty bucks.

"One of these days you'll have to make the choice, do it or not. Sometimes it matters to them, I don't care anymore. But it hurt like shit at first; you go find a friend to do your ass the first time, maybe when you scream he'll stop because he likes you."

Joey was never gonna take it up the ass, no way. No matter how much he needed the money that was one thing he was never gonna do. Robby might do it, take it up the ass, but not Joey. He might pitch but he was never gonna be a catcher.

But even as he started fooling around Joey felt protective of Robby. The boy was too young to date, and there were a host of other feelings between them Joey wasn't sure he wanted to recognize. It was just since his mother had disappeared that he had begun to understand how important Robby had become.

Robby had been with him the afternoon when Joey pushed open the front door to the shabby row house and found her gone. He had been out running around for three days, the longest he'd ever been away from her. The two of them had wandered amidst the few sticks of furniture and found nothing of importance. Joey didn't understand what could have happened, but she had run off with his little brother Mike, all their clothes were gone.

Joey had sat crying on the couch where he usually slept while Robby searched the place for any clues to their whereabouts. The only thing of value left behind was a slim photo album, a few family pictures. A glimpse of happier times, and a treasure Joey still kept safely hidden.

The snow had been a foot deep and the abandoned row house became a frigid icicle once the heating oil ran out. Joey had stayed on until the landlord came looking for his rent. For those three weeks Robby had snuck out of his house every night and brought Joey his one meal of the day. It was a time of great sadness, a time of change, and a time of growing feelings between the two boys.

Joey felt emotionally numb at being abandoned; Robby was his only glimmer of hope. The boy brought him food, washed his few tattered pieces of clothing and gave him warmth like he had never known existed. What they experienced on that broken down couch gave rise to an unspoken understanding. There was love in Joey's life where none really existed before.

Sure, there were other boys in the neighborhood that were openly in relationships. Steve and Barry sat on the front steps of a row house two blocks over and held hands. They were good kids, even as young teenagers. No one in the neighborhood bothered the boys for what they had together. Life here offered little enough, let the kids be what they wanted was the general feeling.

Joey and Robby never displayed these feelings openly, but it was always there. Robby had assumed Joey was attracted to guy sex, as he put it one night. But he was wrong.

"I'm not queer," Joey said.

"But ... "

"It's a thing we do, that's all."

"But ... I thought you loved it like I do," Robby said. He was close to tears at the rejection.

"It's ok, I love you, Robby."

"I don't understand..."

"I don't either."

And on that basis they continued, sharing themselves in private and leaving the explanation for their feelings hanging in the wind. That unexplained turmoil was minor compared to the problems Joey encountered when the landlord showed him the door.

"If I catch you back in here I'll call the cops and Protective Services. You'd be better off in a foster home, kid."

But Joey knew better, it would be like putting him in jail. He took his few possessions in a cardboard box and hid out in the abandoned cannery down by the pier. The only valuable thing his momma had left behind was a silver backed hairbrush and Joey took that down to Boston Street hoping for a sale.

The whole neighborhood knew about the Wheeler's little side business. With cash short at the end of the month, many folks would show up in the alley behind number 227. Selling off a few prized possessions, theirs or someone else's was a time honored tradition. But this was no pawn operation, you sold it and it was gone forever.

Jerry Wheeler was holding the buy that afternoon and he looked over the hairbrush with amusement. "This ain't worth shit, kid. What you selling for, want some weed?"

"No ... just eats," Joey replied.

"Your momma ain't feeding you enough?"

The only answer he got was a lone tear that ran down Joey's cheek. Standing together in the alley Jerry made a decision. He whistled and within seconds a boy appeared at the back gate.

"Watch the store for a while, Red," Jerry commanded. The store was a wooden box with a few items of value that had been purchased in the past few hours. The redheaded boy opened the gate for them and Jerry pulled Joey inside.

Like all of the kids on the East Side, Joey knew about the Wheelers and their reputation. No one Joey knew had ever been inside these walls to give out any factual information. But if actually meeting a Wheeler like this scared him, living on the street was even more frightening.

Jerry led the way up the steps and into the kitchen of the house. There were two younger boys sitting at a small table in the corner drinking beer.

"Fuck you, assholes...get back upstairs and clean that bathroom," Jerry yelled.

"We was just taking a break," one of them said. Joey noticed how much these two looked alike.

"I'll bust your butts," Jerry replied, "Wasn't me that puked on the floor last night, was it? It better be clean by the time I gotta piss or else ... " He left the threat unspoken but it seemed to be enough. Chairs scraped on the worn linoleum floor and the two boys took off towards the front, dodging their way past the man coming in through the kitchen door.

Benny Wheeler was well known in the neighborhood, though few had ever spoken to him directly or even knew his face. He wasn't a young man anymore, but the gray hair at his temples and the wrinkles on his face seemed to make him appear jolly. With a short beard, Joey was reminded of the Santa he had seen out in Northpoint Mall some years ago.

"What are those two running from?" Benny asked.

"Pukeheads, they messed up the bathroom last night," Jerry said. "I got someone I want you to meet," was the way he introduced Joey.

Benny took a pair of thin glasses from his shirt pocket and put them on. Peering down at the new face he smiled. "And what's your name?"

"Joey ... Dabrowski," was the stammered reply.

"I think he's been abandoned," Jerry said.

Joey looked up at the boy's face and Jerry grinned. "Don't feel bad, Joey, it happens to a lot of kids."

"Well it happens far too much," Benny said. "Damn."

"I got to get back to the store," Jerry said.

"You do that," Benny said, and with a knowing smile he asked, "I was just about to fix us some lunch, would you like something to eat, Joey?"

Joey nodded; he'd been hungry all morning. Benny smiled and put a hand on the boy's head. "Then we can sit down and talk about what to do about your situation, if that's all right with you?"

Joey nodded again.

"Don't talk much do you?" Benny laughed. "But maybe you know how to cook, and that would be mighty helpful."

Joey washed his hands at the kitchen sink and then spread mustard on two dozen pieces of bread. Benny made baloney sandwiches and piled them on a platter. Joey opened four large cans of tomato soup and poured them in the pot on the stove. Benny sat at the table and watched as the boy stirred the red liquid with a long wooden spoon.

"So, I imagine you think you know who I am, what with all the gossips in town. But who is Joey Dabrowski and what brings him to my door?" Benny seemed to be talking to himself out loud. "The boy knows how to make soup, and that certainly is useful. I imagine he's about twelve, maybe a little older. Definitely needs some new clothes and those shoes ought to be put in the trash. He looks healthy enough, guess his momma was feeding him regular. I do have that spare bed. But does he want to stay here?"

Joey turned to look at him and Benny saw the pleading eyes and the tears the boy was fighting back. It had been something he said, but the man had known all along which buttons to push. "Come here, Joey"

Benny put his arms around Joey's waist and pulled him close for a hug, feeling the boy's reluctance give way to need. "You can stay here, my dear. I don't put needy young boys back on the street. All I ask is that you help out and contribute to our little family." Joey put his arms around Benny's neck and hugged back which made the man smile.

Benny reached into a drawer beside the sink and searched in the assorted junk for a few seconds. He removed a white sticky tag and a marking pen. He wrote "Joey" on the tag and stuck it to the front of the boy's shirt. "So the others will get to know your name," Benny explained. With that he put his pinky and forefinger in his mouth and let out a whistle so loud that Joey's ears rang for several minutes.

Boys seemed to tumble through the door at an amazing speed, each grabbing a sandwich and a mug for their soup. The eight boys ranged in age from about ten to nineteen, although there were more of the former than the latter. Each of the boys looked at Joey and the tag on his shirt as he ladled soup into the mugs.

"Ahem," Benny said, causing the munching and slurping noises to cease. "This is Joey. He is now my new junior kitchen helper since none of you little brats seems to care about keeping the kitchen in shape."

Turning to Joey, the man smiled. "Red looks about your size, he'll get you some new clothes to wear after lunch is over. And if our twin devils, Stevie and Mike, have finished cleaning up the bathroom then you may bathe before putting on those new clothes. See to it Red, won't you dear?"

"Yes, Benny."

The slurping and munching resumed while Benny looked over his brood. Each boy quietly rose, rinsed out his mug and left it on the drain board as he was finished. One by one they went back to the tasks they had been assigned this morning until only Red remained behind. "You may go at it," Benny said. He patted Joey on the head and motioned for the boy to follow Red. "You have a good bath, my dear."

Joey followed the boy named Red out to the front of the house where an enclosed staircase led to the upper floors. He watched the long red curls bounce on the boy's shoulders and guessed him to be about fourteen.

Passing through the living room, Joey saw two boys dusting the furniture which included the largest television set that he had ever seen. There were little shelves attached to the painted walls with all kinds of small figures sitting on them. In the corner was a shelf of leather bound books and dozens of video movies in little clear boxes.

Red took the stairs two at a time which forced Joey to hurry and catch up. The second floor was bustling with activity. A boy was running a vacuum in the hall and another washing the walls with a sponge.

"It's Friday," Red said by way of explanation, "we clean house every Friday. I guess you get to clean the kitchen, but Benny will tell you what to do, he always does."

"If he's your father...why do you call him Benny?" Joey asked.

Red stopped on the stairs and smiled. "He's not really my father and most of these boys are not his kids. Jerry is his son, but we all call him Benny. That's just the way it is."

Up another flight of stairs and they came to a quiet hallway that lead to the back. Red opened a door and revealed a small bedroom with two beds. There was a blonde boy of about ten making one of the beds. "Scram, Bugs. You can finish later," Red ordered. The boy smiled and closed the door as he left.

"This is my room," Red explained, flopping down on a bed under the window and then abruptly sitting up. "I'm second of the senior boys. Now what that means is that I'm your boss, and Jerry is my boss since he is the most senior."

"Is Bugs your roommate?" Joey asked. "And why do you call him Bugs?"

"He was full of lice when he got here and no, he is not my roommate. Right now I have the room to myself. There are rules here and you'll have to learn them all, but not today. It's the only way this house can operate and Benny is pretty cool about letting us do things our way."

Red stared at him, looking up and down. Joey felt like squirming, it was an uncomfortable feeling. But Red nodded as if he had come to some decision.

"I imagine things may seem a bit strange here at first, but then we all went through it in the beginning...now take your clothes off." He went over and began to rummage in a bureau. "I have some things that will fit you, but you're dirty and a bit smelly at the moment. I'm also in charge of clean in this house, so if you forget to take a bath I'll have to give you one."

Joey laughed. "I know how to take a bath, that's silly."

"Good, the last kid I had to bathe didn't like it much," Red grinned.

Joey slowly took off his clothes and thought about what had just been said. Red lifted a trash can off the floor and held it as Joey placed his shoes and things in it. He was standing in his briefs when Red nodded. "Those too, they look absolutely disgusting."

Joey stripped, noticing Red's eyes on his crotch. "Oh good, you're already there, congratulations," Red said.

"There? But I just got here."

"No, I mean you got hair in your crotch and that makes you a senior boy. Only four of us are like that, well and Benny, of course. Do you yank your meat a lot?"

Joey blushed but decided to be truthful and he nodded.

"Cool, we can do it together sometime," Red said. "But for now, how about that bath?"

Joey followed Red down the hall to the bathroom. The white tile walls were chipped but the room smelled of disinfectant. "Good, it's clean," Red said. "Those pukeheads get on my nerves; Benny shouldn't let them drink if they can't handle it." He turned on the water and tested the temperature with his fingers. "OK, in the tub," he commanded.

Joey stood in the large porcelain tub and Red picked up a plastic pitcher. "Kneel down. This is how we get clean and leave no bathtub ring for the next guy." With that he poured a pitcher of warm water over Joey's head. After several of those he took a sponge and a bar of soap, working up a rich lather he began to wash Joey's back.

Joey hoped that Red was doing this because he wanted to. But the scrubbing felt good and the pitchers of warm water felt even better. If Red liked things clean then Joey wasn't about to argue with him, he just wanted to be friends.

Another pitcher of water and the bath was done. Red handed him a clean towel from the stack on the shelf over the toilet. "Come on, back to the bedroom."

Joey followed Red down the hall and into the bedroom. Red closed the door and then took off his clothes. When he stood naked Joey saw the boy's penis was only slightly larger than his.

"See, we have a lot in common," Red said as he lay back on the bed. "I like being naked so you'll have to get used to it. You want to be my new roommate?" Joey nodded in reply.

Red recited a few more house rules as he picked out some clothes from the overflowing closet. Closed doors were respected, a boy always had to knock and get permission before entering. There were no locks on the doors so that was a good rule.

"Privacy is important to us. I guess you can see that. Even Benny respects a closed door." And then Benny became the topic. "He and Jerry sleep together, but that boy is nineteen already," Red said.

"And where is Benny's room?" Joey asked.

"Next door."

"But that place is vacant, all falling down."

"Clever, isn't it? It just looks that way on the outside. Benny has a huge apartment inside, much nicer than our side."

"Does he like us to ... ?" Joey began and then blushed, Red gave him a smile.

"Figured you'd ask. He's pretty cool about it, but yes, he likes the seniors to sleep with him occasionally. There isn't any pressure to do anything, if he wants something he'll just ask you. But you can do what you want with him."

"Have you....did you..." Joey stammered and Red frowned in reply.

"Look, you can't talk about anything you see in this place. We survive because no one knows the truth about this house. They think we're a family and if somebody out there pressures you with a lot of questions then you come tell Jerry and we'll take care of it for you."

"I have a friend, his name is Robby and ... " Joey began.

"You can have friends outside, that's allowed, just don't talk about our business. Is he cute?"

"You asking if we ... yes, we have, he's my best friend."

"It's ok, there is nothing special between us, and you're my roommate. I promise not to be jealous. Is he that cute?"

"Are you gay?" Joey asked.

"I'm tri-sexual, I'll try anything long as its sex," Red laughed. "Haven't you heard that one before? Lord, Joey, I got to be the horniest dog in this house, well except maybe for the twins, but they're still juniors."

"You mean they don't squirt?"

"Exactly. But you do and maybe we can fool around later, but that's up to you too. Anyway, since Benny says you're the new kitchen help then you better take yourself downstairs and see what he has in mind for dinner."

"I don't really cook, you know," Joey said.

"No surprise there. Benny does most of the cooking. He just needs help on occasion. And when it's been a rough day he orders out anyway, hope you like pizza."

"Only if it's from Nikolas," Joey said.

"Is there any other?" Red replied.

"Red...thanks for helping me," Joey said.

Red smiled. "If you need a hug just come find me, ok? We all came off the street, Joey. This place can get crazy, you'll find out soon enough. But we protect one another because no one outside these walls even cares. You stick with me, I'll help you."

After dressing, Joey went down to the kitchen and saw that Benny had filled the sink with soapy water.

"About time you showed up. Has Red been up there trying to stick it up your ass?" Benny asked.

Joey blushed at the suggestion and shook his head no. "You need me to do something?"

"Yeah. Wash the lunch stuff and then cut up those carrots and mushrooms for the salad," Benny said.

"Yes, Benny," Joey replied.

He carefully washed the mugs and the soup pot, rinsing them in hot water and putting them up on the drain board. He took up the bag of carrots and washed them under cold water. Benny had already laid out a cutting board and a small knife. Joey sliced the carrots in thin segments and then looked for a colander for the mushrooms. He found it under the sink and proceeded to wash the mushrooms before slicing them the same way he did the carrots.

The whole time he felt Benny's eyes following him around. When he was done Benny took the vegetables and added them to a large bowl of torn lettuce. "Never cut lettuce, it bruises the leaves, always tear into bite sized chunks," Benny admonished.

"Are you a professional cook?" Joey asked. It was the right thing to say.

"Oh, I did a stint as a chef in New York," Benny laughed. "Made huge amounts of money and lived in a fancy apartment. But restaurants are trendy things up there, they come and go, mine finally went. You like to cook?"

"Not really, I just watched my momma, that's all," Joey said. Talking about her brought a lump to his throat.

"We all learn to feed ourselves somehow," Benny said. "I insist that we eat well here, and that means healthy food. I do go for the occasional pizza, but Nicola's only, you know them?"

"They make the best sauce," Joey said.

"Exactly, only fresh ingredients, that's the key. You ever eat perogies before?"

"No, what's that?"

"Little dumplings with meat and cheese, that's what I made for tonight," Benny said.

"Sounds great," Joey said, but he wasn't sure.

Benny went and sat down at the kitchen table, motioning Joey to join him. "Nothing for us to do for a while before I steam the perogies. How do you like things so far?"

"It's good," Joey said. "Red has started to teach me the house rules. He even wants me as a roommate."

"You must have some interesting talents," Benny said with a smile, "Red wore out the last one. You make clear what you will and won't do. That's all I will say on the subject, ok?"

"Yes, Benny."

"You drink and party?"

"I have, but not too much," Joey said.

"Good, you don't need to learn any more bad habits from the others. Just be yourself, Joey. This can be your home long as you need us. In a few days I'll have Jerry show you how we make our living here."

"You want me to sell drugs?"

Benny laughed. "No, you're too young for anything like that. The cops would snatch you up in a minute." The man stared into Joey's eyes as if looking for something deep inside. "There are other ways for a boy like you to make money. But we'll wait and see if you have an aptitude for that. Until then you get to keep the kitchen clean and that's an important job."

The boys ate their dinner in the living room while watching the local six o'clock news. Joey had never watched a news program before, but Benny seemed to insist they all watch while they ate.

"So did we learn anything useful," Benny asked when the program went off.

"Two shootings over in Dundalk," one of the twins threw out, "it was a robbery."

"Stolen car and a break-in down in Highlandtown," Barry said.

"Does it feel like petty crime is on the rise and coming our way?" Benny asked.

"Crime follows the money," Jerry said.

"We follow the money," Red laughed.

"But we don't get violent, do we?" Benny said.

"No, Benny," Red replied.

"And what do you think, Joey?" Benny's question caught the boy by surprise.

"Um...Well, I think all those row houses they're fixing up in The Point will attract more crime down here. Seems like those folks got money to burn."

"How observant," Benny said. "Two points for Joey." The other boys all nodded in agreement. "Being aware of the activities in the neighborhood is important to our little family here, Joey. Things like, where the cops are staked out for a drug bust, or if you see a new plainclothes cop on the street. We need to know these things to protect ourselves. And since Jerry here is in charge of our security, I expect you to tell him anytime you see something suspicious, ok?"

"Yes, Benny," Joey said, and that got him smiles all around.

"Good, did you boys see that new restaurant they advertised down off South Broadway?"

"The Art Box Café, wasn't it?" Red asked.

"Yes, that's what I mean," Benny said. "I think you and Bugs should take Joey down there and show him a few tricks this weekend. Should be a nice crowd inside since it's still a bit cool outside, don't you think?"

"Sure do," Red said and he slapped high-fives with Bugs. "Time to earn your way, Joey."

Joey had no idea what they meant, but he could see that Red and Bugs were excited about going out so he nodded in agreement. The boys all took their dishes into the kitchen and placed them in the sink. It took Joey an hour to clean up from the meal and Bugs helped him dry the dishes.

The younger boy reminded Joey a lot of Robby when they had first met. They talked about silly things until the dishes were done and the floor mopped. Joey wondered what he could tell Robby about living at Benny's place. Maybe it would be best to tell him everything. He knew the kid could keep a secret.

"You ever stole anything before?" Bugs finally asked when they sat down at the kitchen table.

"Cigarettes and food," Joey replied.

"Oh sure, we all do that. No, I mean like from someone directly."

"I don't know what you mean," Joey said.

"The café thing tomorrow night. We're gonna steal cash and credit cards, did you realize that?"

Joey swallowed hard. "No. How can we do that?"

"It's a game really. Only dangerous if they catch on, but then there are three of us and that makes it easier."

"I'm lost," Joey admitted.

"See, we go into the restaurant one at a time when it's real busy. One of us goes and orders something big, like a carry-out order. You have to wait a long time when they're busy. That gives you time to look around. The other guy goes and stakes out the bathrooms."

"And what do I do?" Joey asked.

"You get to run like hell if they catch on. Take the waiter or manager on a good tour of The Point if you can and then disappear."

"What do you guys do?"

"We make the money. See, I usually wait for a lady to go in the bathroom. Ladies always sit down when they pee, right? So what does a woman do with her purse? She sets it on the floor at her feet or the stupid ones put it on the sink while they go sit down. Either way, I follow them inside and snatch the purse, take her wallet and toss the purse."

"Won't the lady come out screaming?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, probably, and then you take off running as if you did it. They follow you and I walk out with her cash and credit cards."

"And Red, what does he do?"

"He waits for the carry-out order. But while he stands there the waiters are usually turning in the checks from their customers. Red managed to snag two credit cards the last time we pulled this one off. Just picked them up and walked out."

"But credit cards are just pieces of plastic," Joey said. "Don't they get reported when they're stolen?"

"Yes, that's true," Bugs said, smiling at the secret knowledge he was about to impart to the new kid. "We have a friend that charges things for us and gives Benny the cash and merchandise. See, the merchant never loses and the lady won't either if she reports it right away. The guys that get stuck with the bill are the credit card companies and they have lots of money to burn."

"So I don't really steal anything," Joey said.

"No, you're our protection. Just don't get caught, ok?"

"I run like the wind," Joey smiled. "You ever see Bruce Lee get caught?"

"You like Bruce? He's so cool," Bugs said. "Benny has some of his movies on tape, maybe I'll pinch one when I'm over there tonight."

"You're going to Benny's room tonight?"

"Yeah, so what?" Bugs immediately got defensive and Joey backed down.

"Nothing, I just didn't know."

Bugs smiled. "I can do what I want here. Benny has always been good to me and that's all I am going to say about that."

Red interrupted the awkward moment by popping in through the kitchen door. "You guys going to watch the movie with the rest of us?"

Joey found himself on the couch next to Red and Bugs, the three of them seemed to have become a team already. Benny was nowhere to be seen so Joey figured he was out at the bar. Barry started the video player and they watched the latest Rambo incarnation.

The boys had all settled in for the film and Joey noticed that they seemed to have paired off. Jerry sat with one of the twins in the big overstuffed chair by the front door. Barry and a kid named Thomas were on the floor at Jerry's feet. The other twin, Mike, and Jeremy, the youngest member of the family were not in the room.

The film caught Joey's attention and they were well into the adventure before he felt the urge to pee. He climbed the stairs to the upstairs hall and the only bathroom on the floor. The door was slightly ajar and he could see the two missing boys sitting in the tub together covered in soap bubbles. He knocked quietly.

"I gotta pee," he said.

"Well come on in then," Mike said.

Joey stood in front of the toilet while the other two watched him urinate.

"Ooo, he's got a fat one," Jeremy giggled.

"You can suck my fat one," Mike said.

Joey laughed. "You might have to wait a while for that to happen. You better wash up good or Red will be on your case," Joey said. The boys nodded and Jeremy said, "Yes sir."

He went up the stairs and into the room he now shared with Red, shutting the door behind him. Were all these boys having sex together? Robby would be in heaven here.

There was a light knock on the door and Joey went over and opened it.

"Why did you leave?" Bugs asked.

"I had to pee," Joey said.

"You felt uncomfortable, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I guess everyone has a deal going on."

"I don't," Bugs said. "Can I shut the door?"

"You're too young to have sex," Joey said.

"I'm sure you think so. But I bet I have more experience than you do."

Bugs sat on the bed beside him and Joey knew he wasn't about to start anything.

"It doesn't mean that all of us are queer," Bugs said. "But when it comes to sex we all agreed that it was better to have something rather than nothing. Didn't Red tell you that?"

"He mentioned something but I didn't understand, I've had a friend before," Joey said, wondering why he was telling this kid anything.

"Is he warm and cuddly?" Bugs asked.

Joey smiled. "He kept me from freezing when the heat got turned off. I thought you were going to sleep with Benny tonight?"

"I never said that, I was just going over there ... going over to watch," Bugs said.

"Watch what?"

"I like to watch guys having sex, ok. For me that's normal. I'm beginning to think I'm gay."

"What the fuck ... you're ten years old, for Christ's sake."

"It's why I'm here, Joey. My father threw me out. Said that if he ever saw me again he would shoot me like a dog cause I was sure no faggot son of his."

Joey looked hard at Bugs but saw no tears following that statement. Damn, how could a parent do something like that? "And you came here?"

"Not right away," Bugs said, "I was only eight when that happened. The cops picked me up and I went to the Boy's Home. I wouldn't tell them my name because I was afraid of my father. There was no missing child reported so I ended up staying on there for three months until a judge put me in a foster home.

"The home was run by two drug addicts and they had two other boys living there. They didn't feed us much. I made friends with one of the boys and he got in my pants. They took turns with me after that, whether I wanted it or not.

"But the cops raided the house looking for drugs and I escaped out the back window. That was over a year ago. Then Red saw me on the street and brought me here. I would have died out there, Joey, I know it."

"So we both got lucky, I guess," Joey said.

"Benny has never touched me and that's the truth. But sometimes he lets me stand in his closet and watch him having sex with these guys he brings home. I think he gets a kick out of allowing me to see what he does to them. He loves to fuck college boys."

"But I thought he wanted to do things with us?" Joey said.

"He does, but not with me. I got to watch him and Jerry this one time, and it was..."

There was a knock on the door and Red came in.

"Movies over, what happened?" he asked.

"I had to pee," Joey said.

"You did, huh?" Red laughed. "I'm tired and was thinking about going to bed."

"Can Bugs stay?" Joey asked.

Red smiled and then yawned. "Sure, long as he doesn't fart all night long." He undressed and slid under the covers, turning to face the wall. Joey shrugged and started to undress while Bugs watched.

"I need something from my room," Bugs said and went out.

"Is it really ok?" Joey asked.

"He's too young," Red said without turning over.

"Oh, I don't want to ... I don't want to do anything."

"Then you better save it all for me," Red said, and Joey could tell he was smiling at the wall.

Bugs returned with a worn teddy bear in hand. Joey turned out the overhead light as they crawled in bed. With the bear clutched to his chest Bugs sighed as Joey put his arm around them both. Everything felt better now.

Joey awoke early, unsure of the time. The house was quiet now, although last night the boys downstairs had whooped and hollered until pretty late. Bugs and Red had slept right through the commotion, but not Joey. A strange house and even stranger circumstances kept him awake. What if he got caught when they went out stealing?

Joey slipped out of bed, careful not to awaken Bugs, and cautiously opened the bedroom door. The hallway was quiet so he slipped on his pants and went downstairs to see if he was needed in the kitchen. Benny had not assigned him any tasks for the morning but he knew it wouldn't hurt to check things out.

Barry was asleep on the couch, an empty beer bottle stuffed in the waistband of his boxers. Joey smiled at the silly pose. Through the doorway to the kitchen he saw a stranger sitting at the table reading a newspaper. Unsure how he was supposed to react, Joey cautiously made his way towards the kitchen.

The man was large and his body dwarfed the kitchen chair. Fat stubby fingers clasped the pages of the paper which hid his face from view. Joey stood in the doorway and watched.

"I see you there, little man," a voice said from behind the pages. The newspaper rattled and the wall came down as the man folded the paper and placed it on the table. A pleasant face gave way to a double chin and revealed the bow tie tucked in under all those rolls of flesh.

"Who are you?" Joey asked.

The man smiled, revealing nicotine stained teeth and a sense of humor about the present circumstance. "And maybe I should be asking you the same question. You must be one of Benny's new boys."

"Yes ... sir, I'm Joey."

"And polite, I like that in a boy. My name is Richard. And how old are you, young man?"

"Twelve," Joey replied just as the coffee pot in the corner finished percolating. Richard heaved his bulk up out of the chair and made his way to the cupboard. "I made coffee, would you like some?"

"I ... I guess so."

"Coffee is good for the mind, keeps you alert. But then I guess you don't drink it very often do you?" Joey shook his head. "Then we had better see if there is some milk in the refrigerator for you."

Richard prepared two mugs, adding several spoons of sugar and a generous amount of milk in Joey's. He resumed his seat and Joey heard the chair groan as the man sat down. Taking a sip Joey found the sweet creamy tasting brew wasn't bad considering it was his first ever coffee.

"You just arrive?" Richard asked.

Mindful of telling strangers anything about the business of the house, Joey only smiled. "Is Benny awake yet?" He asked.

"Benny won't be up until noon." Richard brought his arm up and looked at the watch on his wrist. "And it's only nine-thirty by my watch."

"Nice watch," Joey said, staring at the gold band and noticing how expensive it looked.

"Have you ever seen a Rolex before?" Richard asked. Joey shook his head and the man smiled. "Of course you haven't, not around here. Got this one for a real bargain. Poor schlub didn't know what it was worth. Only cost me three hundred, and those are real diamonds inside there. Maybe you need a good watch? I have lots of fine pieces."

"I can't afford one," Joey said.

"Well not now maybe, but if you need a deal then you come see me, ok?" Richard said.

"You sell watches?"

"Among other things. I run the pawn shop over on Fleet Street, you ever been in my place? No, guess you haven't, I would have remembered you. You're a beautiful boy."

Joey sipped his coffee and smiled. It wasn't much of a surprise that Richard liked boys. Joey didn't see any threat in the man's soft green eyes. Beautiful, huh, no one had ever called him that before.

"Oh ... Richard," a sleepy voice said from the doorway. Clad only in his briefs and holding his bear, Bugs had come looking for Joey.

"And how is my little Bugsy boy?" Richard said, holding his arms open wide. Bugs shuffled his bare feet across the floor and leaned into the big man's embrace. Richard seemed to gush love and affection on the younger boy, lifting him up and placing the boy in his lap. Bugs gave Richard a kiss on the cheek and the man seemed to blush from the attention.

"You left," Bugs said, looking at Joey sitting across the table, "And I got cold."

"Sorry, I had to see if I was needed down here in the kitchen," Joey said.

"He cuddles real good," Bugs said by way of explanation.

"I'll bet he does," Richard said. "And when do I get my turn?"

Bugs giggled when he saw Joey blush. "Richard is like a big old teddy bear, you'll see."

Joey didn't know how this man fit in with Benny and the other boys. His opinion didn't matter if this guy was Benny's friend, which appeared to be the case. But it made him uncomfortable to watch Bugs sitting in this guy's lap.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Joey said as he got up from the table. He looked back through the doorway as he started up the stairs. Bugs seemed perfectly comfortable sitting in Richard's lap.

How could the boy know if he was gay at such a young age? Were Bugs and Richard ... no way. What he had done with Robby wasn't queer. It was just being friends ... wasn't it? He knew Red wanted to do things, and wasn't that ok if it was just friends? There was too much coming at him all at once, he needed time to think.

The bedroom door was half open, just the way Bugs had left it. Joey went in and shut the door firmly behind him. Red was still asleep as Joey went looking for his socks. He sat on the bed to put them on and looked across at the shock of red hair and the freckles on Red's face.

He liked this kid, and for his part Red had only been nice in return when he really didn't have to be. That didn't mean that Red was queer, but he probably was ... he did seem sexed up all the time. Joey liked sex, it sure felt good. It was a shock when he realized that a pair of green eyes was staring up at him.

"Where you going?" Red mumbled.

"Just out," Joey said. "Some guy named Richard is in the kitchen with Bugs."

Red smiled. "That must have been something for you to watch. Did he scare you?"

"I don't like perverts," Joey said.

"He's the king of that," Red yawned. "What time is it?"

"About ten, it's still early."

"Then come back to bed ... with me this time," Red said. He held open the sheet as an invitation.

"I already got my pants and socks on," Joey said.

"Lousy excuse ... take them off."

Joey knew Red had gone to bed naked, having watched him undress. Shucking his pants and socks Joey hesitated, but then took off his boxers too. Crawling into the warm bed with Red felt good. An arm slid across Joey's chest and Red pressed against his back.

"You going back to sleep?" Joey asked.

"Maybe, but you feel real good like this," Red replied.

"Richard said I was beautiful," Joey laughed.

"And you are, didn't you know that?"

"No I'm not," Joey said, rolling over to stare at Red's freckle covered nose.

"You're not pretty like a girl. But your face is more than nice, you have a great smile and I love your eyes," Red said. And then he leaned in and gave Joey a quick kiss on the lips.

"But you're not really queer, you told me that," Joey said.

"Me, not sure what I am. I just like having fun. Can't afford a girlfriend, especially while living here, so might as well have a roomy I think is nice."

"You're crazy," Joey said but he was smiling.

"Thanks, I like you too," Red said. "And now I can sleep in peace." He rolled to face the wall and Joey moved in close behind. "Just be gentle when you fuck me," Red mumbled and then he went back to sleep.

Joey wasn't thinking about doing anything of the kind ... but it was tempting. There was a whole lot of stuff going on around here that Joey didn't quite understand, but he would have to work on it. He sighed and closed his eyes.

Red gave Joey a nice shirt to wear when they finally got dressed. Now that they had slept away half the day together there was a stronger bond between them. Joey knew he would have sex with Red. But when it happened it would be with the door closed, he wasn't going to tell anyone what they did.

"You have to look better than an East Side boy," Red explained as he picked out a shirt for himself. "Those new folks down on The Point would spot us in a minute and we'd get kicked out."

"Have you been in there before?" Joey asked.

"No, but I remember what it was like when it was a bookstore, "Red said.

"You read books?"

"Sometimes, don't you?"

"I can't read so good," Joey said. "I was the worst one in my third grade class."

"Third grade? But you're twelve."

"I haven't been to school since I was eight," Joey admitted.

"Oh, shit. That's terrible; you gotta be able to read. How do you know what stuff to buy in the store?"

"Most things have pictures on them, that's easy," Joey said.

"I guess that helps ... some."

Bugs knocked on their door. He was all dressed up in a blue sport coat and tie.

"What's with that outfit?" Joey asked.

"I'm not the one running away," Bugs explained as he sat on Joey's bed.

"He has to hold the goods after you leave and coats have pockets," Red explained. "So how is your boyfriend Richard doing?"

Bugs stuck out his tongue. "Why, you jealous? Benny said we have to be nice to the guy because he's our fence."

"You ain't supposed to be advertising that, little man," Red said. "Just so you know, Joey, this is top secret information. Richard is the guy that passes the credit cards along."

"Through his pawn shop," Joey said.

"Yeah, exactly. I guess he told you about that. Man, you should see all the shit he has in there," Red laughed.

"He said he'd get me a watch if I needed one."

"I got two watches," Bugs said.

Red looked at Joey and winked. "And are both of them Rolex?" Red asked, and then he put a finger in his mouth and made sucking noises.

Bugs jumped off the bed and went after Red. "Don't you talk bad about my friend like that," Bugs yelled.

Between them, Joey and Red held Bugs down on the floor until he stopped struggling. "Fuck, you'll wrinkle the coat," Bugs yelled, "let me up."

"I was only joking," Red said as they allowed the boy to stand back on his feet.

"I don't suck dick," Bugs said. "Well, not his anyway," he laughed looking right at Joey.

"Let's just drop it," Joey said. "When do we have to go to the café?"

"In a few minutes," Red said. "Right after we take on a little courage. You got some, Bugs?"

"Yeah." Bugs reached in his pocket and pulled out a little metal box, popping open the lid. Inside Joey could see five or six joints lying on the bottom.

"You get high and do this stuff?" he asked.

"Calms my nerves," Red said.

"Me too," Bugs laughed, pulling out a gold Zippo lighter. "Richard has cool lighters too."

"Bet you got six of those," Joey said. Bugs gave him a glare but lit the joint rather than start an argument. Bugs and Red toked before passing it to Joey. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked.

"It's not that strong," Bugs said. "One joint between the three of us will just be a buzz. Won't even give you red eyes, trust me."

"How long you been smoking?" Joey asked.

"First time? I was about six or seven. Stole it from my mom's purse when she was fucking some guy in the bedroom."

"Benny keeps the weed locked up in his apartment," Red said. "Jerry will give you some if you ask politely."

"You don't have to buy it?" Joey asked.

Bugs laughed. "Oh hell no, he's got a ton of it over there."

Both Red and Joey smoked on in silence. Only Red knew about Bugs' past and Joey wasn't sure he wanted to find out. He guessed they all had secrets to keep. The joint went quickly and as promised, Joey had only a good buzz.

Funny, he always thought Robby was a bigger pot-head than he was. Smoking weed had always made him slow down and think too much about the past. He looked at the mop of blonde hair on Bugs and the smile on his face as he talked to Red. He wasn't sure what these two were taking him into but he had to trust them.

The walk up Boston Street towards The Point took them a while. Dressed as they were, the lady down the street gave them a smile as she swept her front steps. There was nothing to identify them with Benny. They were almost invisible as they mingled with the crowds on the cobblestones of Broadway.

Saturday night, and Fells Point was full of college students, tourists and savvy hustlers. This used to be an area where winos slept in doorways and the church mission vans made the rounds hoping to lure a few of the sinners in off the street. But the locals had abandoned much of the place when the yuppies started arriving in droves.

Now there were trendy shops, bars, restaurants and coffee houses for those with money in their pockets. The boys stood on the corner and looked across Broadway at the Art Box Café.

"Bugs and I will go in first," Red announced. "Joey, you follow in about five minutes. Give us a chance to check the place out. What time is it, Bugs?"

Bugs grinned as he pulled up the sleeve of his coat revealing a gold watch. Joey noticed it wasn't a Rolex. "Seven-thirty in three minutes," he informed them.

"Ok, here's how it goes. I order some lasagna dinners to go. Takes them a while to make the food and wrap it up, say fifteen minutes. Bugs watch the bathroom until you get a chance to do your thing. Joey you wait outside. You can see me at the counter from there. When I scratch my head you come inside and go towards the back where the bathrooms are."

"How will I know what to do?" Joey asked.

"Bugs will join me at the counter after he makes his snatch. I imagine some lady will come barreling out of the bathroom and start raising hell. All you have to do is look guilty and move quickly towards the door. Just be sure and get outside before some waiter or the manager grabs you."

"But if they catch me I won't have anything on me," Joey said.

"Exactly, they'll have to let you go and then they'll come looking for us. Understand, I don't need to have some cop emptying my pockets," Bugs said.

"I'll run until I lose them," Joey promised.

"Good. You take that shirt off soon as you lose them and just wander back to the house," Red said. "We've done this lots of times in other places, Joey. It works real good so don't worry."

"No, worry a little bit cause it will make you run faster," Bugs laughed.

"Just go back to the house and we'll eat," Red said. "I hope their lasagna is good."

Joey watched the two walk across the street and enter the restaurant. From what he could see through the front window the place was crowded. He walked up and down the sidewalk a bit before heading across to the front door. He pretended to read the menu posted on the glass while looking at Red standing at the counter. Bugs was nowhere to be seen.

He saw Red talk to a guy behind the counter who wrote down the order and went back into the kitchen. Red turned around and looked his way, his head giving a brief nod. It seemed like he stood there forever before Joey saw Bugs walk quickly down the hall and slide up next to Red at the counter. Red scratched the top of his head and Joey opened the door.

A wave of noise wrapped around him as Joey slowly made his way back to the rear hallway. He was only eight feet from where Bugs stood and the boy had a big grin on his face. So things must have gone well, Joey thought. The lady that came rushing around the corner from the bathrooms almost caught him by surprise.

Joey looked at her and grinned before he turned around and started to move as fast as he could through the crowded restaurant.

"Hey ... you, boy," the woman yelled above the din. Joey looked over his shoulder as he approached the front, his first mistake. She was wading through the back row of tables like a tank on an obstacle course. Joey didn't see the chair which partially blocked the aisle as a man stood up.

Wham. Joey collided with the man and the chair, sending all three of them sprawling on the floor. Joey grasped the back of the chair and felt something hard under him. His mind registered what it was and he grasped the object, much as Bugs had clutched his bear. Scrambling to his feet he saw the lady was bearing down on him and Joey redoubled his efforts to reach the door.

About half the restaurant was either looking or involved in the action by now. People were starting to move towards him, attempting to block his escape. Joey reached the door and slammed it open as he stepped on the sidewalk. Dodging through the groups of people outside, he made a straight line towards the alley at the end of the block.

Throwing out a hand, Joey swing himself ninety degrees on the building corner and was flung straight into the alley. With his legs pumping Joey made it three blocks down and two over before he realized no one was even following him.

He cut across the lot beside the empty cannery and ducked into the stairwell at the back. Only then did he realize how hard he was breathing and that his left wrist hurt. Pulling his right hand away from his chest Joey looked down at the purse he had managed to snatch up off the floor.

He grinned in the darkness, this was a great prize. He was sure it was full of money. Stripping off his fancy shirt, Joey wrapped the purse in the cloth before leaving the stairwell. He saw a couple of bums across the lot walking his way and so he started running again. This time his route took him along the seawall, and then he turned north and walked all the way up to Fleet Street.

He made the alley behind the house and stopped. Did he want to give up the purse before he looked inside? No, it was his now, he had to look inside. Taking it out of the shirt, he stuffed the purse in the waistband at the back of his jeans. He tied the shirt around his waist to conceal the bulge.

There was no one in the kitchen when he came through the door. Benny was in the living room with Jerry watching television. He looked up expectantly.

"Ah, Joey. How did it go?"

"I don't know, is Red back yet?"

"Not yet," Benny said.

"I have to use the bathroom real bad," Joey said as he started for the stairs.

"Then you come right back and tell us what happened, won't you dear?" Benny said.

"Yes, Benny ... I'll be right back."

He took the stairs two at a time and hurried into the bathroom. He hooked the purse out of his waistband and unzipped it. The lady's wallet sat right on top and it looked fat. Joey pulled it out and opened it up. He almost dropped the purse when he saw what was inside. Besides a half dozen small bills there were five one hundred dollar bills on one side. On the other was a row of credit cards.

Holy shit, this was great. The stupid thing was that he had brought the purse into the house in the first place. Joey could have kicked himself for not stashing it somewhere outside. He knew that he would have to turn this over to Benny before anyone caught him with it. But first Joey took a few of the bills out and stashed them in his sock. He had just sat himself down on the toilet when there was a knock at the door.

Quickly hiding the purse under the shirt, Joey said, "What?"

"We're back," Bugs said, "Come on down and see what we got."

"Let me finish taking a dump, I'll be right down."

Joey continued to sit and slowly smiled to himself. With two hundred bucks, he could buy Robby a nice present. Finally he flushed the toilet and pulled up his pants. Tucking the purse in the back he once again covered it with the shirt. He opened the door and saw Red and Bugs standing there.

"What did you do with it?" Red whispered.

"What?" Joey asked.

"The purse you snatched, we know all about it," Bugs said.

"It's right here," Joey said, patting his back. "You think I wasn't going to tell you?"

"No. Just if Benny thinks you're sneaking behind his back he'll ... well, he won't be happy."

"Fuck, I just got lucky. I don't even know what's in it yet."

"Then you give it up after we tell him what happened, ok. It'll be your part of the story," Red grinned. "I think we did real good."

They all tumbled down the stairs and stood in a row before the couch. Benny, Richard and Jerry were there waiting. The television was off and the other boys sat around waiting to hear of the grand adventure.

"First, I ordered the lasagna," Red began. "I asked for extra sauce and some cheese bread..." The boys groaned and Red grinned at their impatience. "All right, but the sauce is always important." He described how as he waited he watched the waiters bring the checks to the counter and leave them. The manager ran the credit cards, placing the receipts and the card into a little black folder for the waiter to return to the customer.

At one point the manager was called into the kitchen and three of the folders stacked up waiting for his attention. Red picked up a menu and slid one of the folders in the front pocket of his pants. Red reached in his pocket and produced the same folder dropping it on the coffee table in front of Benny.

The manager came back just a few moments before Joey entered. Then Bugs came up to the counter and Red gave the signal for Joey to come inside. Joey walked towards the back and encountered the lady coming up the hall from the bathroom.

"Joey just grinned at her. Like he was telling her ... I got your shit, lady ... and then he ran. That's when all hell broke loose," Red laughed.

"The lady yelled and the manager was again distracted so I slid another folder off the counter and into my other pocket." He now added that folder to the one on the coffee table. Benny started to grin.

"This lady was pushing people out of the way and yelling when Joey went down. This guy was just standing up and they collided, knocking over a chair. Joey can tell you what happened there. But he just jumped back on his feet and hit the door. A good thing too, the lady was only a few feet behind him and the manager was almost around the counter and he surely would have blocked the door."

Red reached in the back of his waistband and dropped another folder on the coffee table. "I just helped myself after that," he laughed, and Benny laughed with him. Then all eyes turned to Bugs who grinned back.

"She was so stupid, didn't lock the fucking bathroom door or nothing. I leaned in and snatched the wallet right out of her purse where it sat on the counter. She was in the stall and I was digging in her purse when I heard her say, 'Who's there?' so I answered. 'Just stealing your wallet, lady,' and I took off."

Bugs reached inside his sport coat and pulled out a long fat ladies wallet which joined the pile on the table. "But that wasn't all, I also got this," he said, and he dropped a .32 automatic pistol on the table. "I already unloaded it just to be safe," he said placing the bullets down beside the gun. Richard started to laugh but Bugs held up his hand.

"Not until I am finished ... please." With that he pulled out a plastic baggie full of marijuana. "First class, I believe," he said. The bag plunked down on the coffee table and Benny stared in amazement.

"Damn ... you boys did incredible," he said.

"And now for Joey's contribution," Red said.

Joey pulled the purse out from under his shirt. "I fell on this and decided it just wanted to come home with me," he grinned. They all sat in amazement as Benny opened the purse and dumped it out on the table. There were over three hundred dollars and two good credit cards in the wallet.

Red and Bugs both jumped up and down as Joey just stood there grinning. He could feel the crisp bills pressed against his ankle inside his sock but he didn't feel the least bit guilty for holding out on his buddies.

Richard inspected the credit cards. "This should be good for about three thousand or so," he announced. "You boys did amazingly well tonight."

"Oh, yeah," Red said. Reaching behind the couch and pulling out a large paper bag. "Almost forgot, here's the lasagna. I just walked out with it while everyone was distracted."

Benny and Richard scooped up the loot and retired to his apartment next door. The boys all ate the food and watched a movie on television. Again the boys settled into place in pairs, except for Red and Bugs who again sat with Joey on the couch. Red draped his arm around Joey's shoulder while Bugs kicked off his shoes and lay with his head in Joey's lap.

The excitement of their little adventure had brought them closer together, it was bound to happen. When the film was over they all crawled off to their bedrooms, but none of them were ready to sleep. Red and Bugs followed Joey into the bedroom.

Red shut the door and sat on the end of Joey's bed. "And where's the rest of it?" he asked.

"Rest of what?" Joey asked.

Bugs patted the pockets of Joey's pants. "Where'd you stash the cash, man?"

"Joey, the lady that used to own that purse told the manager she had five hundred bucks in it. I only saw about three hundred downstairs. You holding out on us? I think you are." Red smiled. "Look, I don't blame you for wanting to have a stash, I have one."

"And so do I," Bugs said. "We all do."

"But when you hold out like that you have to make it equal shares with your partners, ok?" Red tilted his head and laughed. "I guess that applies to me too."

Red reached under his mattress and pulled out a black folder. "I, uh, forgot to mention this one." He opened the folder and there lay a small stack of bills. "Their bill came to one sixty and I was going to split this with you and Bugs."

Joey reached in his sock and pulled out the two bills. "I need this to pay back a friend of mine ... but not all of it."

"Then add it to the pile and we each get one twenty. Not bad for an hour's work," Red said. He handed Joey back one of the hundreds and a twenty, the same to Bugs.

"Just understand, not Benny or anyone else can know about this," Bugs said. "Swear? Now pocket the cash before anyone sees it."

The three solemnly raised their right hands and swore. "And next time we share equally. We all did the work together, we're a team. Agreed?" Red said.

"Yes," Bugs and Joey said together.


On to Chapter Three

Back to Chapter One

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"Whistler's Club" Copyright © 2010 by Chris James. All rights reserved.
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