Some of it will be unrelated as far as time goes; I wasn't to keen on time in those days, just the seasons. Being cold or hot meant more to me then whether or not we were going to be late for something.

Our adventure started shortly after my dad and I scuttled the ship, we had this plan that we would all move out of the house, then go up in the attic and clip all the wires. Well, I really didn't think of the legalities of this plan at the time, but now that I'm thinking about it, I'm seeing that it was a pretty stupid thing to do.

We moved all of our belongings into a storage unit in Cerritos, California. Then, we put the camper on top of this really big 5-ton truck that my dad had bought; we then moved our family to my uncle's house in El Monte. My uncle was being such a dick about the whole affair of helping out that my dad finally said fuck this, and we moved to a free campground next to the San Gabriel River.

I was still in school, I was in the tenth grade, my dad would take us to school in the morning, and then I would walk the short ten miles home everyday after school. To me it was just one big ass adventure, my mom was in as complete withdrawal, it was like she wasn't even there or maybe she was just so out of touch with reality that she really didn't care. Cheri would be graduating from HS in June and then the plan was that I would go and get a job to help put food on the table and make end meet, I used to wonder what "Make ends meat" tasted like.

Every day, I would go to school, see my one boyfriend that I had just met, him and I would ditch school and go to his house so that I could still feel loved by someone. There wasn't much love in our current family situation, so I needed all the loving I could get. This went on for about 4 or 5 months, but the I told him the bad news, and he turned out to be a very status orientated individual, no house? no car?....No boyfriend.

So, shortly after that, I agreed to leave HS before the end of the school year to seek employment, I found work at a local machine shop, working as the clean up boy, but in all reality, I had quite a bit experience with all the latest machining techniques. I spent most of my time showing the Mexicans how to properly operate their machines and how to weld. Well, the boss couldn't afford the liability of this smart ass 15 yo running the show, so he fired me after only three months.

I was pretty heart broken to say the least, I really liked it there, after all, I was only 15 but I was doing the job of guys who had been to college. After that, I mostly hung out at our new home, the river front trailer and RV Park. It brought about some rather nice adventures in itself, I learned all about lesbians and those older guys, not related to me, liked boys too. And were willing to pay for the pleasure as well.

So, now it was Michael the hustler, I just told my parents that I had found the money but soon that excuse ran out. So, I started to collect cans and bottles, trade them in for meager cash and then I'd hustle for the rest of the day. Yes, I was a teenage prostitute, giving those older male RV'ers a little bit of heaven, if my parents ever found out about this, they might have left me behind. My first full time guy friend was this guy who worked at the caterpillar supplier across the freeway from where we were living, his name was Don and he was about 35 years old. Funny, none of his buds even said anything about a really cute 15yo boy hanging out all day with this 35 yo guy, but who were they to know what we were really doing.

We really never did much, he was really kind to me and took me places, our whole family was falling apart and nobody even knew it. Don stayed in my life for most of that summer until my dad made the final decision to move us as far away from that place as he could. We went over to my uncles house, again, and took our camper off of the big white truck, put it ob the back of our green truck and left L.A. for the long trip to nowhere.

We ended up in a place called paradise, California. It was a very small town, way up in the mountains, would you believe that my dad drove us all the way with so much as stopping for gas? My mom couldn't drive, she was lost in her head and I couldn't see over the steering wheel yet. We drove our tired truck and camper into this little RV Park and started our next chapter in our new lives; we would now be on our own, and far away from all the terrible things that a city could do to a loosely held together family.

I was of course still thinking about Don and all the fun we had together, he was really a friendly guy. But he was also a bad guy too, he and I did stuff that wouldn't look too good in a police report. So I guess my dad was the hero once again, but our relationship was starting to tear apart and I couldn't think of why?

Shortly after moving to our new temporary home on wheels, we soon started to do odd jobs to help put food on the table, I would walk for miles with my sisters, collecting cans and then taking them to the local recycling center for meager bits of change. After that, we would go and steal some coupons so that we could buy the bare necessities. Soon, my morals would sway once again, I met this older guy named Charles, he was in his 50s and he absolute adored me. He once said that I was the cutest boy he had ever seen and then he took me to the lake to go swimming.

I didn't have any swim trunks to wear, so we just went swimming in our birthday suits, he said that it was the way it should be. Everyday, he and I would go and pick berries for jam and then go and cool off at the lake, it was a lot of fun but I knew what he was up to, when I asked him about it, he just cried and gave me a big hug. I told him that I enjoyed his affection he had for me and that I didn't mind if he wanted to do stuff, I told him all about the stuff I did with my uncle and he seemed to be feeling a little less down about himself. I guess losing my fathers love really affected me in a way I could only dream about.

Charles and I were a pair to say the least, him all old and fat, me all young and horny. He gave me a nickname, he called me spunky, I didn't know what it meant, but I thought it sounded funny, oh how naive we are. One of the good things I like about his bedroom was the fact that I could look right into the bedroom window of the trailer house next to his, there was this 14 yo girl who lived there and she was a total tease. I think she knew all about Charles and his love for young boys, so she didn't mind him watching her undress and play with herself, I often felt a little naughty looking and would pretend not to notice, or I'd just look away.

After only a short stay at this town called paradise, my dad felt there wasn't anything here for us and decided we would be leaving, so I went over to Charles trailer and delivered the bad news. He was actually pretty happy, I guess we were making the headlines in the local gossip, so me moving out just relieved some pressure from his shoulders, I was absolute heart broken, but I was getting used to it.

We drove our way down south and ended up in the wonderful town of Yuba City, it wasn't the best time of the year to be going anywhere. Reaganomics were starting to have there full effect on our local economy and that trickle down crap was doing more that just trickle, unemployment was at an all time high, and we soon found that we just a small part of a growing problem, it was 1982.

We stayed at the Live Oak trailer park on Live Oak blvd. It was starting to get cold and raining all the time, I myself was doing everything in my power to distance myself from my parents and the rest of our family, all of us were in that 8' camper, all crammed in there like sardines. Soon, my mom would make her first decision since we left LA, she said that I was too much of a boy to be sleeping with my sisters, I myself found no pleasure in it, it was just necessary. I found myself sleeping in the cab of our truck every night, and this really sucked, mainly because it was starting to get colder at night. Even though I had a sleeping bag, it still sucked.

Our money ran out about this time, what little we had, so it was either pay or move out of the space. My dad worked some sort of deal with the owner of the lot and said he and I would do whatever it took to stay until he finds work. I guess the slumlord had a heart after all, and he let us stay. In return, my dad and I found ourselves doing all sorts of odd jobs. Good thing too, I found myself yet another playmate.

His name was Chuck, he was roughly 39 years old and he treated me like I was the best thing since sliced bread. He lived in a trailer house and drove an old broken down trans am, which he spent more time fixing then driving. I don't remember how we met or where but I do remember that I got awfully tired of freezing my ass off in the cab of that stupid truck. So, now I had a nice warm bed to sleep in and a nice warm guy to hug me, I remember that he never touched me without my consent, so I never thought as myself a victim, in fact, I thought of myself as a boy who needed love, but wasn't getting any from my parents.

Chuck had this dream of woodcutting and selling it at a ski resort in northern California. Having me as his little helper really helped to make his dream into a reality, I being the reality part. He bought a large truck, not unlike the one we left in LA, and then him and I would go out and spend a whole week cutting wood during the day and fooling around at night. He and I would talk about all sorts of stuff, he told me about all of his past loves and I told him mine, we were like pees and carrots.

After we got enough wood to sell, we drove all the way up to Reno, NV and sold our wood, he and I would then split the money and go find ourselves a nice room to rent, I sure did like the way he loved me, it was in a very special way. This went on for most of the winter 1982, but soon our truck would get tired of hauling wood, it would crap out on us in Donner Pass of all places, and during a snowstorm too. So, what else to do then to go rent a room make some good loving and figure it out in the morning. In the morning, we got the truck started and coasted our way back to the wonderful shithole of Yuba City, CA.

In the mean time, my dad had been a very busy helper to our betters, he had all sorts of work lined up and he needed my help on most of it too. So, once again, I put aside my feelings and helped my dad. It wasn't easy, but it got easier, Chuck got arrested for DUI and spent some time in the local jail, I guess he didn't like the sudden change in his lifestyle, I didn't either, but what other choice did I have?

My dad and I worked for our slumlord all winter, doing all sorts of under the table and sometimes downright illegal jobs, we built a house without a permit, put cement collars around the foundation posts so that it would pass inspection. We helped to bottle up a whole shit load of spoiled honey and then go and sell it at a market, we shelled walnuts that didn't belong to the guy we were working for, we even helped a guy who owned a recycling center run his recycling center all for a share of the proceeds. My dad was trying all this time to convince the guy that we had all of our stuff in storage and that the storage place was getting ready to auction it all off.

He never did believe my dad, and would often tell me that he though my dad was a liar, I would do my best to back up my dad, but sometimes, I would also go along with it. A little payback for fucking up my life I suppose. We would end up losing all of our stuff and not get a penny in return; I guess that was why I felt so bad every time the movers ripped me off.

The winter of 82 was a harsh one to say the least, no matter how many attempts we made to leave that city; we always ended up right back where we started. Yuba City would be our home for the next two years; all of it would be in that camper too.

In 1983, we started to lose the only reason that we all lived for, see, way back in 1978, my parents had sold their apartment building and the down payment was on a second. It was due in June of 1983. Well, the powers that be in LA felt that since my parents were no longer around, they were going to cheat us out of the money for as long as possible. So, my dad got a lawyer and sued them, he had to beg, barrow, and steal just to pay the lawyers fees. But it was well worth the wait; the second was worth about $40,000.00! I remember that we would all just sit around the table every night and dream of all the foods we were going to buy, we would say stuff like, I'm going to buy 40,000,00 worth of candy bars and eat them till I puke, stuff like that.

When my dad told us about the guys who were going to short us, all we could think of was the dream and of never seeing the money. It was a hard weight to bear, but my parents persevered and I secretly pledged to kill those guys if I ever saw them. In the spring of 1983, we finally got the money, my dad had to wait till the IRS took their share of it, plus he had lots of bills to pay, my parents couldn't afford to file so they creditors mysteriously found out where we lived and started to hound us. After all was paid off, I think my dad ended up with roughly $35,000.00 take home pay.

The first order of business was to fix up the truck and buy a trailer, then he gave me a hundred dollars and said go spend it on whatever you want. I took my sisters to go see ET and then we brought back all the change and put it in the can. I guess I just remembered that can; it was our little nest egg, our own piece of heaven and was securely bolted to the floor in our camper.

I guess old habits are hard to break, I still keep a can full of change in my room. That summer was the summer of love, not my love but of our family learning that we could do all that and still love each other. It would also be a slight return to a sense of normality, but just a slight return, work was still pretty scarce, so we had to really make sure we weren't spending it all in one place. My dad made the decision that I would be going back to school this fall and hopefully, I would be able to get right in without any problems.

I reported to school ready to conor the world, and boy did I concur. I had to take a placement test and ended up maxing the damn thing, they put me in all sorts of smart kids classes, but at the same time, AG Welding was a mandatory subject. I learned all about hydroponics, and physics, and modern history. I also learned that I had become the desire of this girl named Cindy. I myself liked her, but only because she was easy to talk to, not in a sexual sort of way, I found that during PE.

Although I saw a lot of nice guys and even managed to find a little action here and there, I never really did fit in to the local way of thinking. In a town of 5,000 people, not too many of them are like that. So, needless to say, I would soon meet yet another man who liked boys, teen boys was his thing. We met while I was walking home from school; I liked this school because it was only 7 miles from home instead of 10. I remember it was a really hot but nice day, he drove up along side and asked if I needed a lift, I thought about all of those weirdoes out there and declined. He said, okay, suits you and drove off.

He asked me this everyday until I finally gave in and said, yea, I'll take my chances. He was 25 years old and had a very nice way about him, he and I became very good friends and he was married too, so I figured I was safe. Well, this went on for about four months, he would pick me up in front of school and drive me straight home, never saying anything out of the ordinary, so I figured that he was just a good guy who wanted to gave me a lift, everyday.

Well, this one day, it was raining really hard and I was waiting for him in front of the school, he never showed up so I made my way home, about one mile into my walk, he came up along side and threw open the door, he said hop in, sorry I was late, will you ever forgive me? I felt bad that I had said all those things about him to myself and said that I forgave him, after all, he really didn't need to pick me up, and he was just doing the right thing. He said something like, "your all wet, we need to get you dry or you'll catch cold." I agreed, I was all wet and I was freezing my tail feathers off. He said, "I just live right down the street from you, my wife can dry your stuff then we'll call your parents and let them know we are taking good care of you." I eagerly agreed, so we went to his house, went inside and I met his wife.

His wife was about the same age as me, in fact, he was in one of my classes. Yes, I did say he. All this time he said he was married and I thought he meant that he was married, but he wasn't really married, it just felt as such. I was totally speechless, we went into the house, his wife kissed him and asked about his day and the whole nine yards, then he said hell Michael, I see you have met my husband. I felt like I was on a different planet, but I just kept my wits about me and followed my driver into the bedroom. He gave me a big towel and told me to get undressed. I did, without hesitation. I suddenly felt very comfortable with him, but not with his wife, she (he) came in and threw me an evil stare. If I could read his mind, it was saying, "hands off buddy, he's mine, all mine."

I got undressed and dried off, Steve came in and gave me a nice warm cup of coco, and then told me I'd better take a nice warm bath, I agreed fully. Then, we called my parents and they said they were glad I was safe; I didn't tell them that Steve was married to one of my male classmates. I took a nice long bath and then Steve's wife came in to help out, he told me that he always had the hots for me at school but wasn't sure if I was that way, I told him that I was more than that way. We both laughed it off and we were glad that it was raining today, needless to say, it was a Friday and I would end up staying the night.

Soon, I would fall prey to yet another mentor. He had a weird name too, Tanu Q Howard, he was a gunsmith at our school and he hired me to help him make black powder rifles. Everyday, after school, he and I would go to his shop and make rifles together. We never hit it off very well, but he did give me all straight A's and college credits, most of them I earned too. After completing the 11th grade with a 4.0 GPA, we were mobile.

Cheri would stay behind and go to Yuba College that would turn out to be a stupid decision by my dad. We drove south to Fresno, CA. My dad said he had lots of family there and should be easy to find work, we would live in the backyard of his cousins house and although they claimed to be of relation to my dad, we would never see the inside of their home.