Sing for Their Supper - 15

The kid turned to look at Tuck, holding out a paper. "Do you want one? It's only a dollar."

Tuck nodded, handing him the money, then said, "Can I talk to you?"

The kid smiled. "I think you are."

"I mean… Okay." Tuck gestured to the low wall at the edge of the plaza. "If you have a couple of minutes." The kid was frowning now, so Tuck added, "I'm not trying to pick you up or proposition you. Honest. I just want to talk."

After a moment, the kid nodded and they went to sit on the wall. It was obvious from the kid's posture that he was ready to run if he had to.

"Where did you learn to dance like that?" Tuck asked.

"I took a couple of classes when I was in high school."

"You're good. You have a natural talent for dancing, I think."

"And?" The kid looked at him askance.

"Okay. Cutting to the chase. My name it Tuck Williams, for starters."

"I know."

"Oh?"

The kid smiled. "I saw your picture on a poster at the theater where you work."

"Ah. Are you a theater buff?"

"I would be, if I could afford it." He sighed. "It's not in the cards right now."

"Is that why you took dance classes?" Tuck asked.

"Sort of. I love dancing and I was going to try out for a show at school, but that didn't happen. My father…" He shrugged.

"I get the picture, umm… What's your name?"

"Ricky."

"Nice to meet you, Ricky." Tuck held out his hand and, after a bit of hesitation, Ricky shook it. "Would I be wrong in thinking you're a runaway?"

"Nope. I mean no, you're not wrong. I decided I'd better leave before my father figured out I was gay. He made me stop the classes because, as he put it, 'dancing was something only fags did'." Ricky almost smiled. "He was wrong, of course, but he was also right, in my case. I just didn't want to face it when he realized he had been."

Tuck nodded. "Jump before you were pushed."

"Yeah, something like that."

"All right. Here's the thing, as you kids like to say." That earned him a real smile from Ricky. "My husband and I are opening a theater of our own. We plan on doing mainly musicals, to begin with. We're looking for kids like you who might want to be involved with it."

"Like me meaning homeless? Or ones who can act or sing or…dance?"

"Both."

"Why?"

Tuck chuckled. "Why not? There's a lot of talent out here." He motioned to indicate he meant the streets. "And a lot of need. We decided we could help at least a few kids by giving them a goal, a job, and a place to stay, all at once."

Ricky immediately latched onto the last. "A place to stay?"

"Yep. The theater is on Vale Lake. Do you know where that is?"

"Way the hell and gone from here," Ricky replied, echoing Mace's comment from a while ago.

"It is, if you don't have transportation. That's why we have two cabins where the company members like you can stay. And we'll pay for your food."

"Wow." Ricky chewed his lip. "I can sing, sorta, but I'm not sure about the acting. I never got the chance to find out."

"You can learn. I'd say it's not hard, but that's not the truth. I suspect you'll be able to, though, because you want to."

"If I say yes, then what?"

Tuck smiled wryly. "Then you get to wait a while until I line up more kids."