Through Snake Skin: Blood-arc Series, #6 - (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 1 - The World Is His Stage

The young man shifted in his seat. When he looked up, his eyes were drawn to the laughing girls near the front counter. One of them, a young woman with medium length hair glanced his way and blushed, seemingly embarressed to be caught staring at him. 

"Hey Gale," a man beside him waved at him for a moment, "Stop flirting with the women and start doing your job." 

In a split second, a smile appeared on Gale's face. He leant forward and winked at that one woman before turning back around. Gale pulled on a smirk and flashed his teeth at his co-worker. Mark laughed, sticking a middle finger up in front of Gale's face. Gale scoffed, "You're just jealous, man."

"Please, like I ever hear you going out with anyone before... You don't even date, do you?"

Gale swatted Mark's shoulder. He shrugged. "You don't know, man. I've only been here for three weeks--how the hell would you know if I've never dated?"

Mark pushed his chair back and got up as a chime echoed throughout the space. It was only seven in the morning and already the place was starting to become packed with customers. The snack shop's quiet, soothing atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by a loud burst of noise. A group of young children slammed through the door. The kids ran around, waving their toys in their hands as their parents tried to usher them into the seats nearest to the windows by the side away from the entrance. 

Mark took an order down, cursing under his breath. He stomped and dropped the order into the back kitchen to turn back to Gale. "...Well yea, that's true," Mark laughed as he smoothed out his work clothes.

By the time Mark had turned back around, Gale had already written down four more orders and brought out five previously ordered drinks to the counter. A look of disbelief crossed the other man's face and Mark froze.

Gale raised an eyebrow and coughed. "You alright there?" A chuckle left his mouth which only made Mark shake his head.

"Yea, um--I was just a little shocked, that's all. I've been working here longer than you have, but you're way faster than I am in getting things done. That's a little frightening."

"Is it?" Gale shoved Mark back and let out a small laugh. "Maybe you're just slow, Martins. Or maybe I'm just super talented, at least more than you." Mark huffed and gave Gale another middle finger. 

Mark stopped, a thougtful expression on his face. "Whatever, man... Sure you're better than me Mr...wait--what's your last name again? Why is it that I don't even know your last name?"

At that, Gale smirked. It wasn't a fake smirk, it wasn't one of thise forced smiles or looks of amusement that you intentionally tried to show someone. It was a real one. Whenever Gale really smirked, his eyes lit up brightly, a ever-lasting confidence would appear on his features and there would be no doubt in his eyes. Usually, Gale didn't smile for real. It was all faked. It had to be. 

But right now, his lips weren't lying when he gave Mark a smile, a genuine smiled that stretched across his face.

"You don't know my last name, because I don't have one." 

Mark rolled his eyes like an impatient child. When Gale didn't say anything back to that, he stopped upon realising that the young man was telling the truth. "Really, man?... Dude, how is that even possible?"

Gale drew out a piece of gum from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. "Well it is possible. Lots of people don't have last names. My name's Gale, just Gale--nothing more. It's always been Gale nothing."

There was something about how Gale spoke that made Mark believe otherwise. Ever since Gale had gotten the job and started working in the snack shop, Mark hadn't learnt anything about the youg man. The only thing Mark knew about Gale was his first name, that he had one part-time job and he was currently going to a nearby university in the neighbourhood, the same one Mark went to. Gale seemed like a normal 19-year-old guy. Mark had caught him staring at girls too many times, staying out too many nights and getting wasted too much. In these three weeks that Mark knew Gale, Gale had called him every night and ask him to drive him home from bars and clubs where he had gotten too drunk to even walk a single step. Mark definetely didn't know much about Gale at all, but Gale really was just like any other guy.