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Chapter 6


Being a Crystal
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Marlon Crystal wasn't Jory Vanity. He wasn't a sick man. He looked like he never even had a brush stroke with an STD or any sort or disease in his life. When he talked it seemed like a symphony came out every time. They called him Overseer Crystal instead of Father Crystal like I thought they would. I figured they must have had a Father hiding somewhere. I wasn't sure.

“You look like a Crystal,” he had said about me after we spent about an hour or two walking.

I didn't say anything. I just kind of smiled.

XO was with us. We were standing in Marlonn Crystal's gallery shop. The shop wasn't far from the shore but it was in a more artistic part of Captiva Island. There were a bunch of vintage shops up and down the street and on the very end was Marlonn's Miracles. The showroom was classy. It was a little small but it served its purpose.

“That's a compliment,” XO stated, “You should say thanks.”

I was clueless, “Oh what does a Crystal look like.”
“They aren't thug trash like the the Havoks, they aren't whores like the Giselles, they aren't nobodies like the Dragons...”

XO quickly added on, “Marlon you forgot one house.”

“Oh of course. How many are there in that house again 7. They are dying off huh, just like their father. Well what can we say about the the Vanitys. I guess the difference between us and the Vanitys is the fact that all of my family still has their mind on right.”
He was coming from a superior place. I wondered if the talk with the Vanities had tainted me. There was something that still wasn't siting well with me when it came to Marlon. Even XO was surprising me. He had seemed a little off before but he had this pompous smile on his face all of a sudden.

“That dying man is kind of like my uncle,” I mentioned staring bullets in Marlon.

I didn't believe it. Was I actually sticking up for Uncle Jory right now?

“Oh of course he is. I'm sorry if I disrespected you?”

Was he really sorry?

“No problem. Hey I did want to show you my portfolio.”

I reached my hand out to grab it but Marlon Crystal didn't take the book out of my hand at that moment. He just shook his head, “No need. I think I got the picture. My question is that I have stores all around town. I would love someone to be in here and help XO run it. He needs to stop working at that club and start working here part time especially with the advertising campaign I'm running. You think that is something you can do.”

All of a sudden the excitement started getting back into me. I wouldn't just be a desk boy. I'd actually be helping to manage the store.

“Yes definitely.”

“How about you making some new art and selling those too. Would you like that boy?”

My heart beat faster, “Yes, definitely more than anything.”

“Good we can arrange that. Can't we XO?”
XO nodded, “I told you that you'd like him Marlon.”

Marlon smiled back at XO and spread that same healthy, strong and unscathed smile at me,“My question is are you willing to be a Crystal.”

The question came so quickly I didn't even know how to respond. I remembered that XO stated that he only hired Crystals. I needed a job though. This could possibly be it. This was in a field that I would have been good at. I needed to be in an artistic field.

“Yes. I mean of course I would want to be a Crystal.”

He reached in and hugged me. I didn't expect it.

“This is my informal welcome,” he stated.

When he let go of me XO was the next to actually hug me. His hug was definitely more welcome. He held me close. I could actually feel that he was excited.

XO smiled, “This means that we'll definitely get to be spending a lot more time together.”

He had stated it in a suggestive way. I wondered if I was happy. Why wasn't I jumping off the walls. I had a job. It was the first job I ever had and I'd be MANAGING a store. I'd be managing a store in the ART field. Not to add that I'd be doing it with a guy who was sexy as hell and throwing me all the signs in the world. This was a dream job.

Why wasn't I happy?
“AJ Crystal. I like the sound of that. How about we throw a party to let the whole city know. We will make it official at the party. XO can you manage that.”
“Definitely. I'll start inviting people.

“Not...everyone.”

“Well the Giselle house will be there and the Dragons. The Havoks...”

“Absolutely not.”

XO pushed back, “We don't want to make this awkward.”

“What about the Vanities?” I asked.

“Oh please,” Marlon stated.

“I mean I live with them. It'd be awkward as hell if they didn't come,” I stated.

“Yeah, Marlon, that might not be a bad idea,” XO stated, “Think about it. Imagine Jory Vanity's face when he sees his blood nephew pledge to Crystal.”

At that moment Marlon finally seemed to be able to give in. He actually even smiled.

“This will be the biggest party of the year,” Marlon stated, “All 5 houses haven't been in the same building for years. We'll need a huge location. Double security. No...triple it.”


What was I doing?


XO seemed excited. We ended up walking on the boardwalk. First he was talking about some ideas that he had for the store. He wanted to limit the art to make the space look bigger. He felt like the bigger sculptures should be pushed against walls so not to take up room. He was actually a smart thinker. I had to give it that. He was smart, handsome, nice and successful. He wasn't the only one too. He was talking about all the people in the house. House Crystal was compromised of the best. The more he talked about them the more I was just confused on what I had just done. These people were just like him. XO felt like I belonged there. We walked through the art area drinking coffee. They were just like Marlon. Supposedly Marlon had been in a relationship with another man for 10 years. XO looked at me and smiled again at that moment.

“That doesn't happen in real life,” I told him about Marlon and his relationship.

“Is that what Jory told you?” he asked, “People can be in love for a long time. People don't have to argue and curse each other out like the Vanity's do. The Crystals get a long. We never argue. I don't remember the last time the Crystals had an argument amongst one another.”

“Isn't that off though?”

“What?”

“I mean for people to have the different opinions and never argue it out.”
“No. You just keep your opinion to yourself if its conflicting.”

I shook my head. I didn't know if it was me. I kept wondering if I was in some sort of Twilight Zone when it came to XO.

“It's strange.”

“It's better than being like a faggot arguing all the time. What would you rather? Would you rather be around some real men or some crazy faggots?”

He laughed and didn't wait for an answer. It was as though the question was redundant. I didn't think it was redundant though. The more I thought aobut it the more I just wondered. What would someone really want?
I pushed it out of my head though when he stopped me. He was pointing to a painting.

“Do you know who that is?”

It was some French painting. It amazed me that XO knew who this was. He had to be my age or probably even younger but when he spoke especially about art he seemed so knowledgeable. It was things like this that made me feel like I should want XO. He knew so many things that I wanted to know about. I couldn't have a serious conversation with Roman about this. He'd make a joke. He's push me. He'd pin me to the ground probably.

I smiled at the thought of Roman pushing me to the ground.

“Hey, look who it is?”

I turned around to actually see Jaime, Vice and Roman. At first I wondered if they were following us but then I saw the bags that Vice and Roman had in their hands. They had gone clothes shopping. I was looking at Vice and Roman who were slightly behind Jaime. Were they cool now? Were they talking again?
It was Vice who had approached me, “What are you two up to?”

XO nodded, “Vice what's up?
“You two know each other?” I asked.

I think I looked at Vice at immediately the same time that Roman looked over at XO. I knew a slut when I saw one and Vice was a slut. I didn't even want to think about the idea that the could have been with XO.

Vice nodded, “From the past.”

“Jesus Christ,” Roman stated.

I saw Vice pull Roman away a little. They were arguing again. I guess they were talking. My thing is why was Roman still upset about what Vice was doing. Obviously he knew he was a slut. That wasn't going to change. I could have sworn Roman asked Vice the most hilarious question, “Is there anyone in this city that you haven't fucked?”
Jaime stepped between my view of them just when Vice was going to answer.

“So are you guys having a good day?” Jaime stated.

XO nodded, “Yeah. I'm taking good care of him. You should probably get your brothers before they start fighting in the middle of the street.”

“They are fine,” Jaime replied, “You can worry about your own family thanks.”

It was sharper than I'd seen Jaime before. Jaime hadn't even looked back. The truth was that it did kind of look like Roman and Vice were about to fight. I didn't think XO had meant it maliciously at all when he said that. Jaime definitely was being a little defensive.

“I'll take your advise. Like I said, AJ will be taken well taken care of.”
“What?”
“Jaime you should really really like break them up...” I said pointing.

Vice and Roman were really getting rough with one another. Truth was I did just want an excuse to get out of there. Luckily Roman had given me a good excuse. Vice was doing his attention needy thing on Roman who was obviously trying to walk away. Vice was in tears and throwing his hands up. He was so loud in the middle of the street.

Roman was trying to walk away but Vice kept trying to grab him and Roman kept pushing him away. Vice made the biggest deal of this and kept trying to hold onto Roman who kept pushing harder and harder to the point that I was almost sure Roman would just straight out knock Vice out.

I grabbed XO by the arm.

I didn't want to stick around to find out what happened so that Jaime could come back and question us.

“How did you deal with that drama?” he asked.

I hadn't even noticed that I was holding XO by his hand. He didn't seem to mind though. He actually snuggled his hands in mind moving each finger deeper into the cuts. I looked back to the drama that he had been talking about.
Roman would never letting the slutty things Vice did get to him probably.

I wasn't going to stick around and watch.

I looked back at XO, “Let's go doing something fun together.”


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