Java

2023 ‖ Chicago, IL

The music filling his ears is loud, yet soft. But Cameron's eyes widen in shock when he realizes that what he is standing in is nothing less than a strip club. For gay men. A big poster next to the entrance reads The Blue Lagoon. Yikes. He cringes at the name.

The club isn't huge, it has two stages and a lot of small seating groups, some of them close to the stages, others further away in the back. There's a bar, a DJ booth, a toilet and two doors labeled "Private". A man is dancing on the right stage, he must be around Cameron's age and is very muscular, he has the typical stripper body. Cameron doesn't feel comfortable at all. He has never been to a strip club, he just doesn't roll that way. But something inside of him tells him to stay and take a seat.

The lights hit his skin like fireflies while he makes his way through the club. A cloud of cigarette smoke passes his body.

Cameron chooses an armchair a few meters away from the left stage. He doesn't need to start conversations with the other men who are here, whistling and staring at the stripper whose dancing is very suggestive. They seem to love it.

Cameron looks away.

Why is he here? And why is he dreaming again? This time there wasn't any stranger breaking into their room and luring him into the hallway. He just went to bed, fell asleep and then suddenly he was here.

Cameron looks down at himself. He's wearing another leather jacket, of course, iconic, fitted pants and a navy v neck shirt. When running his fingers through his hair he notices that it is long again and he can feel some gel in it. He feels older but somehow not as old as last time. His skin is softer. He needs a mirror.

Cameron looks up again when the music starts to fade out and the room darkens. "Everybody, give it up for this incredible performance by our crowd's favorite Chicago!" The name triggers a thought.

'Funny, his name is Chicago, like the city I'm in.'

Cameron furrows his eyebrows. What is he doing here? Why out of all cities is he in Chicago, another place he has no relation to, like D.C.? The DJ continues. "Next up our beloved Rio who makes every crowd go crazy with his Brazilian temperament!"

Without having much control over it, Cameron's eyes are starting to look around, searching for a certain somebody. Someone who has been haunting his every thought.

And then there he is, at the bar ordering a drink. Cameron gets up before he can think about it and starts walking towards him. He just has to talk to him and find out what's going on. He arrives at the bar. And? What is he going to say now?

"H-hey." Kaz turns around and starts smiling. "Hey there, what's up?" Cameron clears his throat and tries to sound cool, relaxed. He isn't sure if it's working. "I've never been to a strip club before. This world is completely foreign to me." Kaz raises both eyebrows, smiling with the straw in his mouth. Cameron feels a sudden urge to kiss him. "And are you enjoying yourself?" He shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know. Reducing somebody onto their body and seeing them as...sex objects is kind of bizarre to me. Not that I judge anyone who enjoys it, it's just not for me." "So you're a nice guy." Kaz keeps grinning. "No, no. I'm not saying this to sound nice, I just-" "Calm down, I'm just joking." Cameron nods. And then has to look at Kaz' lips again. Concentrate!

"So why...why are you here? You don't really seem like a person who enjoys watching others dance. Did your friends drag you along?" Kaz starts laughing and shakes his head. "You're funny." Cameron looks confused as the red-haired boy calms down and takes a sip from his drink. "I work here." "Wait what?" Cameron's jaw drops. He's a stripper? In what world does that make sense? His shock reads to Kaz as embarrassment. "Don't worry, you couldn't have known." Kaz gently pushes a curl out of his face. "Are you staying a bit longer?"

The question pulls Cameron back into reality. This is a dream. Nothing of this is real. But how can you make yourself wake up? The last dream had ended because of Sonny, not because he wanted it to. So until he figures out how to exit dreams on his own, he'll have to adapt to his head. Even though right now he'd rather be anywhere else but here.

"I think so." "Good, then you'll need a drink." Kaz points at his glass and winks. "I'll have to drive home later, so..." "Ah a responsible nice guy then, I like that." Kaz turns back to the bartender to order something. Of course, that was a lie, he doesn't have to drive anywhere. But something about the thought of getting drunk in a dream scares him. Maybe because they have been very realistic recently and Cameron worries that giving into alcohol here will make it harder for him to stay sober in real life.

For a short but very intense period of time, Cameron had to fight with an alcohol problem. It took him more strength than he knew he had and hours of therapy to pull himself out of that hole. Even though this is just a dream, him being aware of his surroundings could turn an imaginative drink into a real problem.

Kaz turns back around, in his hand a glass filled with a red liquid. Cameron raises an eyebrow and takes it. "Pink lemonade. Lemon, cranberry and raspberry. I have it all the time. Try it!" Cameron takes a sip and waits a second for the flavor to sink into his tongue. It is surprisingly refreshing and not as sweet as he would have imagined. "That's good!" "I know right?" Kaz watches him take another sip. He is smiling. "What's your name by the way?" "Cam." Kaz bites his lower lip and slowly nods. "Cam. I'll remember that. I'm Java." Cameron looks up, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Java?" "Yeah, that's my stripper name." "O-oh. Okay." Java. "Here." He pulls out a silver bobby pin from his hair and puts it into Cameron's hand. "Next time you're here, and I do hope that you will return, show that to security and they'll let me know you're here." Cameron looks at the shiny piece of plastic and then closes his fist. "I wonder how often you had to buy new ones because you kept giving these away to other responsible nice guys." Kaz winks cheekily. "Okay I have to go backstage now but...maybe I'll see you later." "Y-yeah, sure. Totally." Kaz smiles one last time and then walks away.