Bill W

Castaway Hotel III

Chapters 31-38

Chapter 31
The Lawrences

"I had a feeling that's why you were calling," Nick informed me, "but I'm not going back to live with my parents. They don't really want me there anyway."

"So you say, but I'd like to hear that for myself," I acknowledged. "Our primary objective here will be to come up with a way to alleviate the tension between you and your folks, without causing legal problems for me and my family. It's time to tackle this problem head on and come up with a plan as to how we will accomplish this. I have an idea I'd like to discuss with you and I hope you'll agree to go along with it, once I've finished telling you the details."

"Sure, Mr. Currie. What's your plan?" he responded, more quickly than I'd been prepared for. I hoped he wasn't just saying this to humor me and was prepared to consider my proposal carefully.

"Well, first I want you to call your parents and let them know that you're all right," I told him. "It's important to contact them to get the ball rolling and gauge their reactions."

"I can't do that, Mr. Currie," Nick informed me. "My dad will want me to come back home, so he can send me away to that dumb old military school."

"That's possible, but it's important for you to let them know you're okay," I urged him, "especially if you're serious about staying with us. You won't be able to come live here unless we have your parents' permission, or else they could have me arrested for kidnapping. We'll do a 3-way conference call, if you'd like, and that way I can also hear what's going on and I'll be able to talk with your father afterward. Once you've finished talking to him, I want you to hang up and leave us alone, so I can talk to your father man-to-man. Would you agree to do that for me?"

"I guess, but it doesn't sound like a very good plan to me," Nick informed me, while sounding none to happy about my proposal.

"Just trust me and give it a chance," I urged him. "If this doesn't work, you'll be no worse off than you were when we first found you."

"That's not very encouraging," he snapped back, thinking about how it had been more difficult surviving on his own than he had ever imagined.

"Don't worry, I think I can convince you father to give you a chance with us," I offered. "Just be polite and try not to get into an argument with either of your parents. If you do, it will only make it much more difficult for me to succeed and for you to get what you want. Will you promise to do that for me?"

"I'll try," he replied, although not sounding very convincing.

"That's all I ask. Just give me your home phone number and I'll get things started." Nick gave me the information and I made the conference call. I told Nick he would do the talking first, so he should be prepared to answer when someone picked up.

"Hello."

"Dad? This is Nicky," he replied, but his voice was a little shaky. I guess this was more emotional for him than he'd assumed.

"Nicky? Where the hell are you?" his dad responded. "Your mother and I have been worried to death about you and have had all kinds of people searching for you. Are you all right, son?" Even though Nick might not be willing to admit it, I heard more worry in his father's voice than Nick had led me to believe would be there.

"Yes, Dad, I'm fine," he answered, meekly.

"Where are you and why did you take off?" his father wanted to know.

"I can't tell you where I am, but I took off because I knew you didn't want a gay son and that I was an embarrassment to you," Nick replied, finally getting it off of his chest.

"Nicky, that's not quite right," he father replied, in a much calmer tone. "I just don't think you're really gay. I think you've just enjoyed some youthful experimentation and that you've mistaken those feelings for something more."

"Believe me, Dad, I'm gay," Nick insisted. "I don't have any interest in girls and enjoy doing things with other boys. This isn't a phase I'm going through and I'm not just playing around. I'm gay, Dad, and there's just no getting around it."

"But, Nicky…" he father began, but Nick cut him off.

"Look, Dad. No matter what you do or say, I'll still be gay and I'm going to be gay as long as I live," Nick insisted. "It's just what I am. And besides, I don't want to go to that military school."

"Nicky, I'm just doing what I think is best for you," his father tried to reason, although I assumed his attempt would be unsuccessful.

"If you want to do what's best for me, then talk to Mr. Currie here," Nick informed him, abruptly. "He helped me out when I needed it. Go ahead, Mr. Currie, talk to my dad."

I wanted to do this alone, so I had to make sure Nick was off the line first. "Hello, Mr. Lawrence, this is Josh Currie. If you'll give me a second, I have something that I'd like to discuss with you, but first I need to take care of something else. Nick, would you get Mr. O'Hara for me?"

"Sure, Mr. Currie," he replied. There was a momentary lull before I heard Patrick come to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Patrick, I just had Nick get you so I could be sure he wasn't staying on the line and listening in. You can hang up now, and thanks for your help."

"Sure, Josh, any time." I heard the phone click and then Mr. Lawrence spoke.

"What was that all about? You mean Nicky isn't with you?" he questioned, quite agitated.

"No, he's staying with a friend of mine right now," I informed him. "We discovered Nick on our vacation and helped get him out of a small jam. I left him there at my friend's house, until we got back home and I could speak with you about his situation. I have an idea I'd like to suggest to you, something I've talked over with Nick and think might help both you and your son solve your differences. First of all, Nick told me you were sending him away to military school. Is that true?"

"Look, I'm not sure how any of this is your business, but that's not very likely now," he informed me, with a touch of hostility to his tone. "After he'd been gone for so long, I had to withdraw his name from consideration. I wasn't sure if he'd come back at all, let alone in time to start classes, although I now suspect that was his intention all along."

I understood where he was heading and tried to keep the conversation going in the direction I wanted. "Would you mind telling me why you decided to send him there?"

"Like I said before, I'm not sure this is any of your business," he reiterated, before hesitating and considering what to do next, "but since you appear to be trying to help my son out, I'll give you an answer. It was because he was doing so poorly at his regular school. He had too many other distractions there and wasn't applying himself."

"What would you say if I told you I thought I could get Nick to come home," I suggested, "and could also give you an alternative to sending him to military school?"

"I'd say that would require a minor miracle," he replied, sarcastically, "but if you could do what you claim, I'd be willing to listen to your proposal."

"I'm sure that Nick would come home if you agreed to let him come to stay with my family during the school year and attend school here, with my sons," I began. "He really hit it off with them after we found him, and we have a very good school system here. I'm the principal of the middle school and we have a very high percentage of graduating seniors going on to very reputable colleges. I'll even sweeten the pot for you and throw in a guarantee. If his grades don't improve by Christmas, then I'll convince him to do whatever you decide would be best for him."

"Why should this concern you and why should I allow this?" Mr. Lawrence asked, and I knew I would probably have asked the same thing if I were in his shoes.

"Those are very fair questions, so I'll try to answer them for you," I explained. "The first part is easy. Being an educator, I'm concerned about the welfare of children and right now I've got several sons of my own who could have very easily been where Nick is now."

"Do you mean your sons ran away or that they're gay?" he shot back, with a touch of amusement in his tone, thinking I'd gone through similar problems.

"What I mean is they came from situations that were detrimental to their well being and any one of the boys could have easily chosen to run away from them. You see, my sons are all adopted and some came from broken homes, bad situations or had no family to care for them at all. Nick is a very strong-willed young man, and if you hold firm to your stance about being gay and his falling grades, then I'm afraid Nick won't want to return home and I won't be able to convince him to change his mind."

"Then you'll just have to have your friend bring him here, willing or not," he responded.

"And then what will you do when Nick runs away again?" I hinted. "You can't be with him every minute of every day, and just getting him home won't solve a thing. You'll need to address the causes that made him run away in the first place, if you don't want him to do it again."

"I still don't believe he's gay…" he insisted, but I cut him off.

"Believe me, sir, he is. My friend has also informed me that Nick is not shy about approaching other boys to get what he wants either. Does that bother you?" I pressed.

"I'm not sure. I've always thought gays were immoral and freaks of nature, but if Nicky is gay, I know he doesn't fit those descriptions," he conceded. "I love my son and want him home, but I just don't know how to deal with him right now."

"Would you consider letting him come here and go to school with my boys?" I urged again. "I'll make sure he keeps his grades up and I'll help him deal with being gay."

"Are you gay?" Mr. Lawrence snapped back, thinking I must have ulterior motives.

"No, sir, I'm a widower. My biological children were grown and on their own before I adopted these boys. I couple of my adopted sons are also gay and I can deal with them all at the same time."

"But I don't know anything about you or your family. How would I know that he'd be safe with you?" he shot back.

"Well, he was already with us for a while and I think we took care of him pretty well," I began. "However, I'd be willing to come meet with you or have you visit our home, before you made a final decision. I just want to make sure that you're amenable to this, so I can talk to Nick about it. Would this be agreeable with you?"

"Well, it does sound fairly reasonable, especially if it will help Nicky," he concurred. "It's just that I want him to do well in life, yet I'm not sure if I can deal with him any longer. I'm a busy man and Nicky and I don't seem to have very much in common, now that he's getting older. If you think you can help him out, I'd happily accept your assistance."

"I'm pleased to hear that," I informed him. "I've experienced some of your frustrations with my own children, as there was a period during which each of them seemed to drift away from me for a brief time. Eventually things worked out and we were fine after that, but it was difficult dealing with the uncertainty of the situation at the time. I think it's just a part of children growing up. What would you say if I talked Nick into coming home now and then I'd come out to visit and meet with you and your wife a few days later. Then all of you could come here when it's convenient and check things out, if you decide to take advantage of my proposal. Would that meet with your approval?"

There was a considerable pause before he spoke again. "If you can talk Nicky into coming back home, I'll agree to the rest of your suggestion. I'm sure my wife will have no problems with it either, as long as Nicky is safe and we get to be with him again."

"Fine, I'll call Nick and explain the situation and then have my friend put him on a plane and send him back home, if he agrees," I concluded.

"A plane? Where the hell is he?" he father snapped back.

"He's in Texas right now," I advised him.

"Texas? I thought he was still around here somewhere. He ran that far away?" His father was not only shocked, but I think this proved to him how desperate Nick was about his situation.

"Yes, he was a long way from your home when we first met him," I explained, without telling him that I had transported his son over state lines, from Arizona to Texas.

"And where do you live?" he enquired.

"We live in Pennsylvania," I informed him.

"That sure is a long way from here, but I guess I'm fortunate you were the one that found him," he conceded, which showed me he was also grateful for what we'd done for his son already. "I shudder to think who else might have discovered him on his own and what might have happened to him. There are so many sick and demented people in this world."

"Yes, I thought about that myself. It does make you wonder," I agreed.

"Thank you, Mr. Currie, for your help," he told me. "I can see you are nearly as concerned about Nicky's future as we are."

"Please, it's Josh. Beside that, you're welcome and I am deeply concerned about Nick," I summed up. "I'll make sure he is on his way home, just as soon as I can arrange a flight for him, and then I'll fly out to meet you after that. You can decide what you want to do from there."

"Thanks, Josh, and I'm Mike," he informed me. This touch of informality showed me he was sincere about us working together to help his son. "I appreciate all you've done for us and look forward to meeting you."

We talked a little longer and he gave me his address and the directions on how to get there. I told him that I'd call Nick back, set things up and then call him once more, to let him know when Nick would be arriving. By the time we finished our conversation, it felt like we were old friends. Now I had to call Nick, explain things to him and get him to agree to this as well.

At first, Nick didn't want to give in and go back to his parents' house, but he began to relent when I explained that his parents might agree to let him come stay with us and go to school here, if he was willing to compromise too. I suggested to Nick that he would stay with his folks until school started, then go back for Christmas break, and then he'd spend the summer with them as well. After some diplomatic finagling, I got Nick to give in and agree to the arrangements.

Within minutes, Nick seemed to have done an about-face and was more upbeat and looking forward to seeing his parents again. He was also excited to think he'd be rejoining us again in a few weeks and actually living with us, as well as going to school here. Once I got him to calm down again, I had him put Mr. O'Hara on, so I could explain to him what was happening.

Patrick agreed to put Nick on a flight for me, as soon as I could book one, so I finished that call and dialed the airline to purchase his ticket, putting it on my credit card. Once the arrangements were set, I called them back and gave them all the details. Nick thanked me again and said he'd see me soon. I was happy this had all worked out so we could keep him with his family, even though he'd be attending school here, rather than at the military school. It was just a minor accomplishment, but it managed to keep another family together and on good terms. I just pray they will be able to work out the differences between them.

Once all my calls had ended, I went out and told the boys about Nick's compromise and the solution we had reached. They all seemed pleased to know he might be rejoining us and I felt things would work out just fine. Now, we just had to hope the Lawrences would agree to the arrangement and then everything would fall into its proper place.

The boys went off, so I started to putter around the house, cleaning up a little and taking care of some long neglected chores. It wasn't long before Pat was beside me. "Want some help, Dad?"

"No, I'm almost done here, but thanks anyway." However, Pat still remained there, looking in my direction. I knew there was more he wanted, but I didn't say anything and left it up to him to make his move. Eventually he spoke.

"I actually came in for another reason," he said.

"I sort of suspected that. What's the matter?" I asked.

"Nothing is the matter," Pat informed me. "I was just wondering where you were planning to have Nick sleep when he gets here."

"I have been thinking about that, but I haven't made any decision as of yet," I told him.

"I have a suggestion," Pat offered.

"What's that?" I wondered.

"He could stay in my room, unless he doesn't want to," Pat explained. "I thought since nobody else would be alone, except for the two of us, we could keep each other company."

"Yours isn't the largest bedroom, but we could get a bigger bed for you to share," I explained, "if you don't think the two of you would be cramped in there together?"

"Maybe, but we'll survive," he replied, shrugging off the problem.

"Okay, if that's what you want," I responded. "I'll go ahead and order a new bed, but I'll also tell Nick his choices and then let him decide. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, he should be the one to choose where he wants to go," he agreed.

"Then it's settled." We both started to walk away, but then I stopped. "Pat, thanks for being so thoughtful," I told him, but he just grinned and continued on his way.

Even though it wasn't very late, we were all still quite tired, since our bodies were slowly beginning to adjust to the changes in time zones again. We decided to make it an early night and all of us went to bed. As I lay there thinking about everything that was going on, I reflected over my day and realized how much I had actually accomplished, even though it seemed as if I had done nothing. But tomorrow would be a new day and there would be many more things to do.

Chapter 32
Problems and solutions

Monday proved to be a very busy day for me. First I called and set up the boys' test appointments for their permits. Then I called and ordered the things we would need for Kevin's birthday party. After that I phoned Sally and Steve to invite them to the party, before I took some of the boys with me to choose a bed for Pat's room and shop for birthday presents. When all of that was done, I picked a date when I could go and meet the Lawrences and then called and reserved my ticket.

Next, I called Nick, and then his parents, so I could inform them of my plans for us to meet up in Oklahoma City. Everyone seemed satisfied with the arrangements and I was ready to collapse after I got off the phone, but I wasn't finished yet. Now I called the school, to check on some things pertaining to the restarting of classes. When I got done with that call, I went to round up the older boys.

Once I had them all together, I informed them the fall sports physicals were going to be held Wednesday morning and they would have to decide if they wanted to play again this year. Then I told them that tryouts would begin the following Monday and school would start the Monday after that. I didn't hear as many groans as I expected, but I know those I heard were just knee-jerk reactions. For the most part, the boys really did enjoy going to school.

I also informed everyone that I'd be flying out to meet Nick's parents the following week and would be gone for two days. Some of the boys asked to go with me, but I told them I'd have to do this alone. I explained that I was planning to ask Aunt Sally to stay at the house with them, help prepare the meals and keep an eye on things for me while I was gone. However, the older boys argued they were old enough to take care of things themselves and didn't need Aunt Sally to stay over.

Rather than argue with them, I told them I'd tell Sally to do nothing, except be there in case of an emergency. She could have my room and spend most of her time there, and that way they could prove to me they could do everything for themselves. Then, if things were successful, the next time I had to go somewhere, I would be able to leave them on their own, without worrying whether they could handle it. It wasn't quite what they wanted to hear, but after some grumbling, they gave in. As they were leaving the room, I asked Dustin, Danny and Brandon to remain, after the others had left.

"I've scheduled your permit tests for tomorrow afternoon and we can go looking at cars after you boys get done with your sports physicals on Wednesday, if that's all right with you."

"Sure, Pop, that sounds great!" Brandon responded first.

"You're still going to let us help with picking out the vehicles? Right, Dad?" Danny wanted to know, since he seemed to be most concerned about these vehicles fitting in with his image.

"Yes, but like I told you earlier, I'll make the final decision about what we end up buying," I reiterated. "I'll consider your recommendations, but I'll have to go with what I think will be best for all of us. If you don't like what we end up with, you won't be forced to drive it."

The boys looked puzzled by my response, but then one of them caught on. "Do you think you'll discourage us that easily?" Dustin wanted to know. "I'll drive a tractor, if it means I can go places and do things on my own."

"Why? Has your social life been that stifled since you've come to live here?" I asked, jokingly.

"No, but you know that's not what I meant," he assured me. "It's just that at our age you don't want your daddy driving you every place. It's just not cool."

"I understand and that's why I'm agreeing to this. There will only be the two vehicles for you three drivers to use though, so you'll have to be able to work things out between you and you'll have to team up sometimes. Kevin is sixteen now as well, so it will only be a few more months before he'll be able to get his license too, which means that then there will be four drivers for two vehicles. I just want to get you boys to pass your tests before I start with him."

"We understand and we'll work things out between us," Danny responded. "I know you and what you'll do if we can't work things out for ourselves. You'll just take the keys away to both cars, if we start having fights over who gets to drive or which car we're going to use."

"You're right about that and I hope you all remember it," I warned them. "Any problems and the vehicles will be either restricted in their use or taken away from you completely, no matter how inconvenient it is for you or me. And there will be no further discussion or debate, if it comes to the point where I have to make such a decision. It's up to you boys to make certain it never comes to that."

"We will," they chimed in unison. "So let's just end the discussion here," Danny added, sounding a bit like me in the process.

Later that evening Kevin came up to me, broaching a topic I was sort of expecting. "Dad, I know you're letting Dusty, Danny and Brandon get their licenses and Dusty tells me you're going to buy a couple of cars for them to use. I'm sixteen now as well, so can't I get my permit now, too?"

"Kevin, you know you can't get your license until you're 16 1/2, even though you can get your permit at 16," I explained. "If you don't mind, I'd rather get this group taken care of first. I promise I'll include you as soon as I can, but I even think three is too many to start with."

"But, Dad, why can't I start now too?" he whined. "Danny and Brandon aren't 16 1/2 yet either."

"No, but Brandon will be next month and Danny will be in November," I informed him. "You won't be that old until February. That gives me more time to teach you, after I've been able to work with them. If it will make you feel better, I'll let you sign up for driver's training at school at the same time as the rest of them. I'm not sure if you'll be able to get into it for the first half of the year or not, but you'll be able to take it second half for sure."

"But, Dad, please?" he begged. "I want to start driving when Dusty does."

"Kevin, I understand what you want and why you want it," I confessed, "but each of them had to wait a few months after they turned sixteen, before they could start too. You'll have to do the same thing and you'll just have to be patient."

"But, Dad…"

I cut him off. "Kevin, I know how you're feeling, but it's either that or you can forget about it altogether," I stated, adamantly.

In response, Kevin gave me a very mean look and stormed off. I understood how important it was to him, as I had felt the same way when I was his age, and I'd also gone through it with my older children, when they were this age. I hated to make him feel so badly, especially just before his birthday party, but he had to learn patience. Besides, like I always told them, it was time to learn that life is not often fair.

Kevin didn't speak to me for the rest of the evening and even went to bed early. I told Dustin what was up, so he'd be prepared for his wrath too, in case he redirected it at him. Dustin said he understood, both Kevin's position and mine, and would do what he could to smooth things over. I thanked him and then he went to bed too, although I think he planned to talk with Kevin instead.

Tuesday I had a lot more things to do, including going in to school for a couple of hours first, since I had a great deal yet to do before the academic year started. It was actually quite refreshing to return to my office, if only for a brief time, but it began to get me in the mood for seeing the students again, which was only a week and a half away.

Once I finished there, I went home, picked up the three boys and took them for their written permit test. They had been studying for it since we spoke about it the first time, at the end of the last school year, but I wasn't how sure how much they'd remember after our long summer and only a couple of days of cramming. I figured at least one of them might fail, and then they could wait and go through this again with Kevin.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting for them, I discovered they had all passed their written tests and now had their permits. It was good news for them, but I knew that this would do nothing to improve Kevin's disposition. We went home and the three of them quickly told the other boys about their success and everyone seemed to be happy for them, that is, everyone except Kevin. He slinked up the stairs and I heard the door to his room shut behind him. Other than that, the only other time I saw Kevin during the entire day was at dinner, and he didn't say a single word to anyone. I was really beginning to feel bad about this, as I didn't want him in this funk for his party, but there was no way I was going to give in to his childish temper tantrum. He was just going to have to learn how to take the good with the bad, since that was what life was all about.

The next day, I ended up taking all of my athletes down for their physicals and we picked up Jay on the way. Kevin rode as far back in the van as he could, not speaking to anyone, including Dustin. I was very disappointed in him. When I let them off, I informed them I'd be back in an hour, and then went to my school building again, to do a little more work.

When I picked the boys up later, Kevin still wasn't speaking to me, but he was now mumbling a few words to the others. I wasn't going to approach him yet, as I'd give him until tomorrow night to get over his moodiness, and then give him an ultimatum, if necessary. I hated for it to have to come to that, but I wasn't going to go through his birthday party with a sour guest of honor. I took the boys back home, but told Dustin, Danny and Brandon to stay in the van and we'd go car shopping. I think Kevin was disappointed that I didn't include him in this as well, but I didn't feel he deserved it. However, the others were very excited about this opportunity and we were soon on our way to look around.

When we arrived at one of my friend's car lots, I told the boys we'd look for the mini-van first, since that was the vehicle we needed most. It seems that as I turned in one direction, the boys went in the other. I found a couple of possibilities, a Dodge Caravan and a Chevy Venture, but they didn't hold as many passengers as I would have liked. They were only designed for seven people and, with Brandon living with us now, we had eight young men attending the high school. If I purchased either one of those, it would require the boys drive both vehicles every day, each carrying part of our brood.

As I was pondering this dilemma, the boys came back and dragged me off to a vehicle they had found. Soon I was standing next to a two-year old GMC Suburban, as the boys pointed out its advantages to me. My first reaction was that this was almost as large as our van, except it would be easier to see out of, having a full spread of windows. Besides being easy to see out of, it would also seat 9 boys.

We debated the pros and cons of this particular vehicle some more, although I still wasn't totally convinced by their arguments. At that point, the boys talked me into taking it out for a test drive. I drove it out of the lot and down the street, and soon discovered it was a much easier vehicle to drive than our big old van. It looked as if I would end up giving in to them on this selection, but we still had to choose a car.

When I told them I agreed to buy the Suburban, a chorus of satisfied comments ensued, before we pulled back into the lot and parked it again. As we exited the vehicle, the boys grabbed me by my arms and dragged me off again, this time moving toward the area designated for the used cars, and soon discovered they had been doing their research. They had been eying cars online, so they would have some idea about what they wanted, and had found something they all agreed on.

As we bounced between the numerous rows of cars, like metal balls in a pinball machine, they finally came upon their choice, a three-year old Pontiac Grand Am. I looked it over, checked it out and then we talked about it for a minute or two, before deciding if I would take it out for a test drive too. It was a mid-size car, which would seat five, and it would be a good vehicle to use to teach the boys how to drive. I took it out for a test drive and I liked the way it handled, so we went back to the lot and I talked to my friend.

We hassled briefly over price and then I bought both vehicles. My friend told me it would take a couple of days to take care of the paperwork, get the vehicles inspected and register them for me, so we closed the deal and said good-bye. The boys were just excited that they were going to get both of the vehicles they had picked out.

Just before we got to the van, all three boys surrounded and hugged me, before thanking me for listening to their ideas. Now, they decided it was time to inform me of their reasons for wanting those particular vehicles. First, they wanted an SUV instead of a mini-van, since they thought they were much cooler. They realized a standard SUV wouldn't accommodate the numbers we needed, but when they saw the Suburban, they concluded it was a practical compromise between the two. As for the Grand Am, they knew it was the type of car I was looking for, but it was also sporty looking and wouldn't be looked upon as a 'family car,' at least where their friends were concerned. They were excited, I was satisfied and we could start their driving lessons just as soon as the vehicles were in our possession.

When we got back home, they told the other boys about our purchases. Everyone seemed pretty enthused about this, except for Kevin. I think he felt it was just something else he had been left out of. That's when I decided he needed another lesson in life, so I took him aside to speak with him. He didn't really want to join me, but I left him no choice.

"Kevin, I would have asked you to join us and help make those selections," I began, "but with your attitude of late, I just didn't need or want the hassle. If you hadn't have acted so immaturely about waiting to take your permit test, I would most likely have included you, but I wasn't about to reward you for acting like a brat."

I think Kevin was shocked to hear me say that and a pained expression came over his face. Again I felt bad for him, but it was another problem he had thrust upon himself, by his immature response. Even though I know it's hard for a kid his age to delay gratification, I feel it is important that he learn this now and avoid other problems of this type in the future. Obviously he still didn't agree with my logic and soon disappeared again, going off somewhere to sulk alone.

That night after dinner, the boys wanted me to drive them to school, so they could have a pick-up soccer game. Everyone was going to play, including picking up Jay, and they asked me to play too, to even up the teams. When I agreed, Kevin acted like he wasn't going to go, but Dustin talked to him, rather sternly, so Kevin ended up going anyway. To make matters worse, we ended up playing on the same team. Kevin played only half-heartedly and we were getting trounced. Boys from both teams were getting on him about his attitude, and then the boys decided to stop the game and just go back home. Now, nearly everyone was pissed at Kevin and he'd be lucky if his birthday party didn't turn into a roast, and I mean that literally, or a one-man event.

Dustin was so mad at him that he asked to sleep in with me that night. Reluctantly, I said yes, knowing that would probably make Kevin even madder at me, but I understood Dustin's take on this too. At first I was going to suggest he share with one of the other boys, before realizing there was nobody for him to share with. Without the double bed for Pat's room, everyone else already had a full bed. The only option was for Dustin to sleep alone in one of the spare rooms, but I wasn't going to punish him because of Kevin's tantrum. Therefore, I gave in.

Thursday the new bed was to be delivered for Pat's room, sometime between breakfast and lunch, so we had to get everything ready. The house was a flurry of activity, as some of the boys took down Pat's single bed and moved it into the old master bedroom, while other groups gave each room a quick cleaning before the beds were moved into them. However, none of the groups asked Kevin to help them.

Kevin tried to act like this didn't bother him, but I could tell this exclusion hurt him more than anything else. By the time the furniture store truck pulled up, all they had to do was carry everything up to Pat's room and assemble it. When I went in to check it out, I noticed a mistake.

"This appears to be larger than a double bed," I announced, which caused one of the two men setting it up to pull out his tape measure and measure the size of the mattress."

"You're right," he agreed. "This is a queen-sized bed."

"But I only ordered a double bed," I told him.

"Let me call my boss and see what he says," he told me, before making a quick call. As soon as he hung up, he explained the situation to me. "The boss said it was his mistake, as he wrote down the wrong number, so since it was his error and will cost more to take this back to the store and bring the new one back, he'll just let you keep this bed at the same price, if it's all right with you."

"Sure, that's fine," I agreed, thinking this would make things even better in the future.

By lunchtime everything was done, including Pat making his bed, after I ran to the store to exchange the bedding I'd purchased for the double bed for a queen-sized set up. Everyone was happy, especially Pat, and the house was back in shape again.

Chapter 33
Kevin Learns a Lesson

Later that evening, while I was preparing dinner, Dustin came up and asked me a question. "Dad, will you take us to the park again tonight?"

"Is everyone going to go?" I wondered.

"No, we're not going to ask Kevin to go this time," he informed me.

"That's kind of harsh and not very nice," I commented. "I expect better of you than that."

"But he ruined the game last night and no one wants him to do that again," Dustin explained, and I could see his point.

"Couldn't you just tell him that and then let him decide if he really wants to play then?" I suggested, not wanting to inflame the situation any more than it already was.

"No, because he's not talking to anyone," Dustin offered.

"Couldn't you try?" I hinted.

"I could, but I'm not sure that I want to," Dustin told me. "He's been acting like a jerk for a few days now and I don't think anyone wants anything to do with him right now."

"What if you were the one who wanted to be included now, and not have to wait until later?" I asked, trying to get him to put himself in Kevin's shoes. "Do you think you'd have reacted differently?"

"Yes, I do," Dustin admitted, forcefully. "I know this can't be easy for him, but he doesn't have to act like an ass and ruin things for everyone else just because of it. He spoiled our game last night and we don't want to give him another chance to do it again."

"And everyone feels the same way?" I pressed, wondering if this had been discussed and was a unanimous decision.

"Yes, EVERYONE!" Dustin assured me.

"Well, as badly as I feel for Kevin, I do realize he brought this upon himself," I conceded. "Maybe it will make him realize what he's done, especially after he realizes how strongly you all feel about this."

Having said that, I agreed to take them later, so Dustin went off to tell the other boys. When dinner was announced, Kevin came down to eat and then went right back up to his room. The other boys went out and got into the van and I drove them down to pick up Jay again, before leaving them off at the field. I told them I'd return later to pick them up, but seeing they had even numbers tonight, they wouldn't need me to play this time.

When I arrived back home, Kevin was sitting on the front porch, crying his eyes out. Seeing him like that broke my heart, so I went over to give him a hug and try to comfort him a little. At first, he started to pull away from me, so I prepared to leave him alone and simply go inside, but he spoke before I could move away.

"How come you still like me?" he asked. "Nobody else does."

"I'll always love you, Kevin. I just don't like the way you're acting right now," I told him. "Do you want to talk about it?" He merely nodded and buried his head into my chest. After a few minutes of having a good cry, Kevin sat up and looked at me.

"I'm sorry I acted like such a jerk, but it's just that getting my license is important to me," he offered, in his own defense.

"I know it is. It's important to a lot of kids your age," I agreed, "but sometimes we have to wait for the things we want. Not everything can be provided for you instantly. You know, if you continued this much longer, I was ready to call off your birthday celebration. I wasn't about to throw you a party, if you were going to be such a miserable guest of honor."

"You were really going to do that?" he asked, with a look of shock and horror plastered across his face. He thought about what I'd just said for a few seconds more, before he continued. "Well, I guess I couldn't have blamed you if you had. I was pretty awful, wasn't I? Everybody else hates me now, don't they?"

"No, Kevin, they don't hate you," I assured him, "they're just upset about how you ruined their game last night. That's why they didn't want to give you a chance to do it again."

"Do you think they'll ever forgive me?" he asked, deeply hurt at being ostracized by the brothers he loved so much.

"Sure, I think they will, if you tell them you're sorry," I suggested.

"Can I ride down with you, when you go to pick them up?" he asked. "That way I can apologize to Jay too."

"Sure, I don't have a problem with that," I announced. "Do you want to come in and spend time with the old man until it's time to go?"

"Yeah, thanks, Dad," he replied. "I'm sorry I was such a baby about everything."

"You know, I haven't seen that big a temper tantrum in a long time," I informed him, "but it brought back some memories," I added, as I hugged him to me.

"None of them good, though. Right?" he pressed.

"Right. But your tantrum had to be one of the best yet," I announced, as I wanted to leave a lasting impression with him.

Kevin looked at me stunned for a second, before I flashed him a big smile. When he figured out I wasn't really upset with him any longer, he smiled back.

"I'm already feeling bad enough," he told me, "you didn't have to make it worse."

"Then you shouldn't act like the wrong end of a horse and I wouldn't be able to." I don't think he expected that particular response from me and gave me another shocked look. I hugged him and then he began to laugh.

"You don't like to pull any punches, do you?" he asked. "I guess I deserved that, though. I really wanted my permit so badly that I just didn't think about anything else. I'm sorry about the things I did, Dad. Will you please forgive me?"

"I already have," I told him, so he gave me a hug in return.

When the time came, we drove down to the park to pick everyone up. Kevin got out of the van first and went over to apologize to everyone, especially Dustin. Soon, Dustin was hugging him again and I could tell that everyone else forgave Kevin too. After the apologies were concluded, everyone got in the van and we headed home. All the boys played around together, once we got back, and Dustin informed me he'd be sleeping back in with Kevin. I think we all slept well that evening.

The following day, around mid-morning, I got a call telling me our vehicles were ready, so I talked my friend into picking me up, so I could drive each of them home. I brought the Suburban back first, parked it in the driveway, and then got back into my friend's car, since he'd followed me home on this trip. Once we returned to the lot, I got ready to drive the Grand Am home, but not until I thanked my friend for all of his help. I buckled up once more and made the final trip back home.

As I pulled in the driveway, all the boys, including Kevin, were checking out the Suburban, crawling in and out as they inspected it. They started to wander over to the car, so they could inspect it too, and the older boys took that opportunity to begin teasing me to take them out to practice. To their disappointment, I explained I had other things to do at the moment, but would take them down to the school parking lot after dinner, so they could all take a turn. That idea seemed to satisfy them for the time being, so I went into the house, while they continued to check out both vehicles.

While I was doing some paperwork, taking care of the backlog of mail and preparing for school to start again, the boys disappeared and entertained themselves and each other. Some went out to play kickball with the little ones, while others went to their rooms to listen to music or read. I was just thankful they were willing to allow me some time alone, so I'd be able to finish what I had to do.

As soon as dinner was over that evening, the trio began to pester me again, about taking them out to practice their driving. In the spirit of reconciliation, Kevin volunteered to clean up the dinner dishes so we could go sooner. The others noticed and appreciated this fact, so we all thanked him, but I also gave him a hug and a kiss on the forehead before we left.

I drove the boys down to the school parking lot and then Dustin and I switched seats, so he could drive first. I went over the list of things each of them should do each time before driving, like adjusting the seat, putting on their seat belts, making sure the car is in the correct gear and checking the mirrors to make sure they are adjusted appropriately, before easing out into traffic, although there was none around us at the moment. Dustin did fairly well for his first time, just having to be reminded to take his foot a little further off the accelerator when he made a turn. After about 30 minutes of practice, I had him stop and park the car, so he and Danny could trade places. Once they were back in the car and buckled in, I told Danny he could begin.

Danny did even better than Dustin had done, having learned from some of the instructions I had given to Dustin during his turn at the wheel. I was beginning to think we might not need to spend so much time in the parking lot and might be able to get out for some street practice earlier than I first anticipated. My biggest complaint with Danny's performance was that he was too nonchalant about gripping the steering wheel and tried to drive with one hand, using a somewhat relaxed grip. In order to get him to understand why that was dangerous, I explained that if he hit a pothole, an object in the road or had a tire blow out while driving in that manner, the steering wheel could get ripped out of his hand and send his vehicle out of control. After my warning, he worked harder at using both hands and maintained a slightly tighter grip on the wheel. When his half hour was up, he pulled over, changed seats with Brandon, and we began with our last 'student.'

Brandon took my advice to Danny about gripping the steering wheel tightly, a little too seriously. He had a death grip on the wheel and his knuckles looked almost white from the lack of blood flowing to them. This caused me to worry that his hands would begin to cramp up or his arms would go numb if he did this for very long. Therefore, I had to convince him to relax his grip a little before we started out. Brandon seemed a little tense behind the wheel, so I tried my best to calm him down. When I told him to take off, he stomped his foot down on the gas pedal, which sent all of us slamming against our seats and caused the tires to squeal. As he started to ease off the gas, I asked him to stop, so I could tell him what he did wrong. Unfortunately, as he removed his foot from the gas pedal, he thrust it against the brake pedal, sending us all flying in the opposite direction.

Luckily, everyone was wearing a seatbelt, otherwise some of us might have suffered facial injuries or lost a tooth or two during that episode. After we recovered and Brandon apologized for his mistakes, I told him it was all right and explained that's why we were practicing, so each of them could learn from their own and each other's mistakes. To my grave disappointment, the two in the rear weren't quite as merciful and began ragging on him terribly.

"Danny, does he make those fast starts and stops in bed too?" Dustin quipped. "If he does, I'm amazed you haven't had to wear one of those collars for whiplash."

"Nah, luckily he doesn't burn rubber when we make love," Danny replied, "but his techniques can be just as aggressive. I guess that's what makes him a great lover and a lousy driver."

I could see Brandon was becoming embarrassed, and maybe even a little upset by this banter, so I decided it was time to bring it to a halt. "Okay, we can either continue with the lessons or go back home and gossip about such things," I interrupted, "but we're not going to do both at the same time. In fact, if you two can't behave while I'm working with Brandon, then next time I'll leave you home and just bring him. The choice is yours."

Dustin and Danny quickly apologized for their snide remarks and promised to keep their comments to themselves, so I prepared Brandon to try this again. He was still slightly distracted thinking about his earlier performance and the comments the others had made about him, as I tried to explain how to gently apply pressure to the gas pedal when starting up and how to keep his heel on the floor as he pushed down on the brake, and then gradually let up as he the car came to a stop, so he wouldn't snap the passengers about as he did so. We practice this a few more times, and he did do much better on his other attempts, so when his 30 minutes were up, he and I switched places, so I could drive home.

When we arrived back at the house, some of the boys came out to meet us. They asked how the practice had gone and Dustin and Danny began their amusing account of Brandon's first effort. Brandon took the ribbing good-naturedly and even added some of his own embellishments to the story, before getting his revenge. That's when he and Danny began their account of Dustin's cornering techniques, complete with the sound effects for squealing tires and showing how their bodies slid in the seats. After this little bit of humor, Brandon and Dustin mimicked Danny's lackadaisical driving method, with one hand held loosely on the wheel and the other arm over the back of the seat. After this amusing recounting of day one at the 'Currie Driving Academy', the boys all went in to clean up and relax for the rest of the evening.

Saturday was a flurry of activity, as we prepared for Kevin's party. I wanted to make sure everything went well, especially after the disastrous first part of the week we had together. After lunch, Kevin, Dustin and I got in the Suburban and drove off to pick up Kevin's old friends. Kevin had decided he was ready to make contact with those from his past life, when he had still lived with his parents, and had asked if he could invite them. I readily agreed, so Kevin and Dustin got in touch with the boys and made arrangements for them to come. I had never met them before, but the boys seemed happy to see Kevin and Dustin again. It was quite a joyous reunion, as the boys recounted tales of old adventures they'd had together and joked about things they had done back then, before Kevin and Dustin had moved away. They kept this up nearly all the way back.

When we got to the house, Kevin asked if it would be possible to take everyone to the school, so they could have a pick-up soccer game. I agreed and we squeezed all of the boys into the van. It was a good thing it was only a short trip, as it would have been very uncomfortable mashed together like that on a longer ride. When we arrived at the school athletic fields, the boys eagerly pried themselves apart and got out of the van, before spending more than an hour playing their game. I sat and watched as they raced about, passed the ball back and forth and took shots on goal. After about the first 20 or 30 minutes of this frantic pace, the four youngest dropped out of the game and went to do other things. This made the teams smaller, but the level of competition picked up considerably, as the boys played even harder, since they didn't have to worry about hurting the younger boys. It was one hell of a game and all of them were exhausted by the time they finally stopped.

On the ride back, we noticed the boys smelled a bit ripe after that rough workout, so when we got back to the house, I had my boys round up some clothes that would fit our guests and then sent groups of young men to all three showers to clean up. Seeing most of these boys weren't gay and had never fooled around with Kevin or Dustin, everyone took their shower alone. It took a while to run all the boys through this process and it was a good thing I have hot water heaters that recover quickly. Once they'd all finished showering, I threw their clothing into the washing machine, so they'd have them to wear back home tomorrow. After that, they went off to entertain themselves, while I got things ready for the cookout.

Sally and the Shays would be arriving around 5:00, so we had to hurry to get everything in order before they arrived. Danny and Brandon helped me get the grills started, since we started using two for such large get-togethers, and they also helped me carry the food and other items out to the picnic tables. When Aunt Sally, Aunt Mary and Uncle Steve arrived, we started putting the hamburgers, hotdogs and chicken on the grill. The other boys also helped take the salads out of the refrigerator and carried them out to the tables as well. We all chatted while the food was cooking, and some of the boys were throwing a football around, while another group was kicking the soccer ball back and forth.

When the meat was done, we called the boys in and watched nearly everything disappear in the blink of an eye. I was already working on a second round of meat on the grills and the boys were snapping everything up almost as soon as it hit the platter. I went in and got more meat from the refrigerator, throwing that on the grills next, but soon the boys started to slow down on their eating and I finally was able to get something for myself. Eventually, we all ate our fill and then we sat around and relaxed, deciding to wait an hour or so before we had the cake and ice cream. After a short rest, however, the boys went back to playing ball and entertaining themselves.

Sally, Mary, Steve and I chatted for a while and then they offered to help me clean up. Although I told them it wasn't necessary and I had plenty of help, they ignored me and began taking the remaining food and breakable dishes back into the house. Then they helped me carry out the presents, cake and ice cream, so we'd be ready, once the boys finished playing their game.

After the boys got tired, they joined us and we sang 'Happy Birthday' to Kevin. The boys still get embarrassed being the focal point of this little tradition, but I still make them go through it. Actually, I think they secretly enjoy it, but their reaction is because of what their friends might say or think about it. Once we finished, I started serving the cake and ice cream.

While this was going on, Kevin opened his gifts. It was the usual assortment of presents, until he came to the ones from the family. He unwrapped the first one and discovered a driver's manual and a copy of his appointment to take his written test in January. He simply held it up and beamed, giving me a wink in the process. Next, Kevin opened his big gift from the family. This gift idea had surprised me when he mentioned it a few days ago, but the more I thought about it the more I liked it. It was a guitar and a couple of books on how to play, with the first one showing him how to play nearly all of the major chords. He beamed even more when he saw this present and came over and hugged me. I was a little startled by this, as he was doing it in front of his old friends, who didn't understand our closeness. However, as he did it, he also whispered in my ear.

"I'm really sorry I was such a jerk about the driving lessons earlier this week," he told me. "You're the best, Dad. Thanks for everything." I gave him a hug back and then I sent him on his way.

After the party, Sally, Mary and Steve all said their good-byes to the boys before they left. They said farewell to Kevin as they passed through the house, since he was inside trying to learn to play some chords on his guitar, with the help of a couple of his old friends. When he learned his aunts and uncle were leaving, Kevin set his guitar down, so he could run over and hug them all, but he also gave his aunts a kiss. Once he finished, I walked our visitors out and thanked them for coming. I even stayed and watched them pull away. They truly are a valuable part of this family.

As soon as it got dark, the boys went outside and horsed around for a while, before coming back in to watch a video together. I left the boys to themselves and went to my room, so I could pack for my two-day trip to visit Nick and his parents. I would leave early Tuesday and return late Wednesday, which would be just long enough to meet his mom and dad and get to know them a little better.

Once the video finished, the boys got ready to go to sleep. They spread their sleeping bags out on the family room floor, as my boys went through the house collecting pillows from the rooms not currently being used. Most of the boys slept in the family room, with Kevin and his guests, talking late into the night and horsing around until the early morning hours. I waited a while, before I put into motion a little surprise I had laid out earlier.

The family room had been added to the house long after the house had been built and was merely a one-story structure that extended out from the right-front side of the building. Next to the family room was a large tree, which had branches that extended over the roof of the family room. I had rigged a hefty branch onto one of those limbs, tied a piece of clothesline to it and secured the rope outside the window in the downstairs bathroom. When the boys started calming down, I went into the bathroom and pulled on the rope, which caused the branch to bang on the roof of the family room. I did it a few times and then went across the hall to my bedroom. As I did so, I heard a commotion in the family room. At first it was only some loud talking, but then some of them came running in the foyer. Finally, Kevin came bursting into my room, quite excited. "Dad, something is on the roof of the family room."

"Why do you think that?" I asked.

"Because we heard banging up there," he stated simply.

I walked back to the family room with him and listened for a short time, but heard nothing – of course. Then a few of the boys followed me outside, as I checked around with my flashlight. I made sure I didn't shine the light on the rope, but the boys who followed me out helped me investigate both sides of the family room's roof and we saw nothing. The boys quickly decided that whatever it was had now gone, so things went back to normal. I let them settle down for a while, before I went back into the bathroom and did it again. I barely got back to my room this time, before a group of boys came running in, all excited.

"It happened again," someone yelled. "Something's out there."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Something pounding on the roof in there. It banged real loud, so it must be pretty big," one of Kevin's friends told me.

I got my flashlight once more and we went back out, again finding nothing. This time they also made me flash the light up on the main roof, seeing if whatever it was had gone higher. Finding nothing there, we went back inside. I just barely let them get back into the family room before I did it again. This time I didn't even have time to get out of the bathroom, before there were a bunch of boys screaming for me. I told them that I'd be right out, but I gave one final hard jerk on the rope, to pull it loose from the limb. However, that also caused the branch to crash onto the roof and caused another very loud banging sound, before falling to the ground.

The boys who had remained in the family room now came running out, just as I emerged from the toilet, after flushing of course, to make it look real. Excitedly, they began telling me they heard something on the roof again, before urging me to go out and investigate what was causing all the noise. This time, however, we got out several flashlights and went out as a group. We searched the roof of the family room, the roof to the house and then walked all around looking for this mysterious creature. Nothing was ever discovered, although I did manage to inconspicuously kick a thick branch up against the side of the house, where it wouldn't be noticed, and then we went back inside. When the boys returned to the family room, they listened for a while longer, but heard nothing more, so they settled down and finally fell asleep.

After checking in on them a couple of times, I thought, 'another birthday party was over and another gag had been successfully pulled off by Dad!'

Chapter 34
A Time For Growing Up

Monday came and I took all the boys to the high school. Some wanted to practice and the others either went to watch or play around on the adjoining fields. While they were busy there, I went over to my school to do a little work, in preparation for the first day of classes. I'd be leaving early tomorrow to go visit Nick and his parents, so I had to cram all the things I still needed to do into today Thursday, and Friday. Unfortunately, I got so involved in my work that I was late picking up the boys.

As I drove into the high school parking lot, they were all waiting, but I quickly noted some of them had company. It seemed that Dustin, Pat, Ricky and Jay had met up with a group of cheerleaders and were sitting off in another area, busily flirting and chatting with them. I tooted the horn and they looked in my direction, reluctantly said their good-byes, and then ran over to get in the van with the rest of the group. Once they were strapped in, I took off.

On the ride home, I was preparing myself for another fun night with Kevin, seeing Dustin was one of those flirting, but he was in a remarkably good mood all the way home. When we arrived, Kevin offered to help me fix dinner and I accepted his help. He was very efficient and concentrated on what he was doing, occasionally joking around with me in the process. We continued working until we put the main course in the oven, and then we went about preparing the vegetables and making a salad. When everything was completed, except for having to wait for the meal to cook, I finally asked Kevin what was on my mind.

"You seem to be in a pretty good mood today," I told him. "I thought you might be upset that Dustin was with the cheerleaders when I arrived."

"Nah. He and the others were just horsing around with them," he explained, rather casually. "It wasn't anything serious, just something to do until you showed up."

"Well, I'm glad you're taking such a mature attitude about it," I informed him, quite pleased.

"I know I can't stop him from talking to girls," he admitted, "I just have to hope he still wants to be with me afterward. I plan on making him realize that later on tonight." He gave me a wicked little grin, just before he carried a few more items into the dining room.

Dinner was very pleasant and after we finished eating, I filled the boys in on what was happening over the next couple of days. "You all know I'm leaving very early tomorrow and I'll be driving the Grand AM. I've decided to use it to get to the airport and then park it in long term parking, so I won't have to bother Uncle Steve. Aunt Sally has agreed to pick you boys up at 10:00 tomorrow and take you to practice. She'll bring you back home at 1:00 and she'll be back to see if you need any help fixing dinner.

"She has also agreed to let you boys run things, unless there's a problem, and she will be using my room. Please, don't forget to wear clothes around the house while she's here. She's going to let me know how you boys do without her help, so it's up to you whether or not I leave you on your own the next time I have to go somewhere. It's good to have her this time, as none of you have your driver's licenses yet, or else you'd have some long walks back and forth for those two days. I just hope you realize how important she is to this family and how much she's done or is currently doing for you. I want you all to treat her with the respect she deserves for being so devoted to our family."

"Don't worry, Dad," Ricky answered. "I think we all know what you're getting at and we'll be on our best behavior. Won't we, guys?" The boys all agreed, either verbally or by nodding their heads.

"I knew you would be, I just thought a little reminder wouldn't hurt," I added.

"Gee, and I thought you trusted us," Trey answered, trying to look hurt.

"I do, but sometimes a little reminder is in order," I replied, even though I knew he was just teasing. "We all forget things at times."

"Only old fogies do," Dion said with a grin.

"Are you referring to anyone in particular?" I responded.

"No, he's just talking in general," Danny answered for him, trying to bail his brother out, before he said something he shouldn't. "He just means that younger people usually have better memories."

"Good, then you'll be able to remember your curfews and restrictions, so I'll never have to tell you twice," I countered, which immediately elicited major groans from all around the table.

"We might forget occasionally," Brandon said, trying to make a preemptive apology. "He just means we wouldn't do it as often as an old person."

"An old person like me?" I asked.

"No! Much older than you, Dad," Cole answered, looking around at his brothers for approval.

"Yes, much older than you," Pat added, "although we've heard from our teachers that even people over 30 can sometimes have memory problems."

"And people under 30, too," I corrected him. "Although most of the time that type of forgetting might be classified as selective hearing or selective remembering. But I don't supposed any of you would ever be guilty of that."

The boys all looked around the table at each other before Dustin spoke. "Do you think WE would do that?"

"You tell me. Do you boys do that?" I followed.

There were some panicked expressions on the younger boys' faces and some slight grins from the older ones. "Maybe once in a while," Kevin admitted, "but not with anything important."

"And just who decides if it is important?" I countered.

They all looked at each other, before Trey spoke up. "I guess we all do, sometimes. But we really haven't done it for anything big, just sometimes with little things, like taking care of our things or doing something when you tell us to."

"Well, I think those things are important too," I challenged.

"We always do them," Danny told me, "just sometimes we wait a little bit first or take longer than we need to. But we wouldn't do that if you left us in charge."

"I guess I can live with that ONCE IN A WHILE," I conceded, "as long as you do those things eventually. That's why this will be sort of a test to see how you can manage on your own. I told Aunt Sally you'd be taking charge, when I asked her to help out. So, whether or not I decide to trust you in the future will depend on how you do this time. Things have to be done AND done on time. I don't want the little ones having to wait until 8:00 or 9:00 for dinner and I want all of you getting to bed at a decent hour. It's time for you boys to start adjusting back to your school schedules and that means going to bed and getting up early."

"We know and we promise we will," Dustin answered for all of them.

"Yeah, you can count on us," Dion added.

"And we'll listen to them and not fight," Cole promised.

"Yes, Daddy," Andrew chimed in, "we'll listen to the older boys and do what they tell us. Just like we listen to you."

"Now you've gone and scared me," I responded. The older boys let out nervous little giggles, while the younger boys looked confused. I decided to reassure them. "Okay, as long as you promise me you'll try your hardest. This will be the trial run to decide how I will handle any future trips away."

"Thanks, Dad," Ricky told me. "We won't let you down."

After dinner everyone did their own thing, but each came up at various times during the evening, to give me a hug or a kiss, sometimes both, before telling me to be careful, have a safe trip or have a good time. Before they went to bed, I went to my room and double-checked my packing and then hopped into bed to get some sleep. I set the alarm for 4:00 a.m., to make certain I arrived for my flight in plenty of time.

The next morning went by in a blur. I drove to the airport, although I didn't remember much about making that trip, even as I sat in the airport waiting for my flight. After we took off, I grabbed a nap and felt much better by the time we landed. I had reserved a rental car, so I'd have a vehicle to get around in during my stay. After retrieving my luggage, I walked directly to the rental counter in the terminal, signed the required paperwork and then was given the keys and a map of the local area. I arrived at the Lawrence home just before noon. Mrs. Lawrence answered the door and called her husband immediately. After we all introduced ourselves to each other, they invited me into the living room to sit down and talk.

Nick must have heard the doorbell too, because he soon came bounding down the stairs, all excited. He ran into the living room and directly up to me, giving me a major hug. "Hi, Mr. Currie," he said timidly, when he remembered his parents were there. They were looking back and forth at each other, trying to determine what that display of affection had been about. I think they were surprised to see their son give such a greeting to a stranger.

"Hi, Nick. How have you been?" I asked.

"Just fine, thanks to you," he replied. "The O'Haras were very nice to me and put me on the plane to come home. I guess I was relieved to be back and glad to see my Mom and Dad again."

"Just as it should be," I commented.

"Nicky," Mr. Lawrence interrupted, "we'd appreciate it if you left us alone for a while, so we can get to know Mr. Currie and talk things over with him. We have a lot of important issues to discuss, before we decide if we're going to let you go there to attend school."

"Why can't I be in on this too? It is my life," he whined. "Why can't I be included while you're deciding things about me?"

"Because, darling," his mother began, "there are things we'd prefer to talk about in private."

"Why? If they are about me, I should know too. Shouldn't I?" he counted, much to his parents chagrin. "Why can't I stay and be a part of this?"

"Nick," I said, looking him directly in the eyes, "would you just give us a few minutes alone, please? That's all we'll need. You and I can talk later and you can fill me in about what you did while you stayed with the O'Haras."

Nick started to object again, but I gave him one of my 'not now' looks. Fortunately, he took the hint. "All right," he said, giving in, but not without a hint of displeasure. "I'll go up and wait in my room. Will you call me when I can come back down?"

"Certainly, and thank you, dear," his mother told him. "We won't be long." Nick left and stomped up the stairs, just another reminder he wasn't entirely happy about being left out.

"You do have a way with children," Mr. Lawrence said to me. "I expected another ten or fifteen minutes of arguments from him."

"Being a principal and having a lot of boys of my own, I've had some practice dealing with situations like that," I explained and they both simply nodded in response.

We spent nearly an hour talking. First, they asked me about my family and I explained our situation briefly, from the time my own children were little until the present. Then they asked me questions about the area where we lived, the school district and what other things were nearby. Then they delved into what extracurricular activities the other boys were into and how Nick would fit in.

I told them a great deal about the boys. I was quite frank and explained such details as who was on the honor roll, who had difficulty in school and a little about what the boys were like in general. When we finished, Mrs. Lawrence excused herself and went out to the kitchen to make some sandwiches and a fresh pot of coffee. While she was busy with this, Mr. Lawrence called Nick to join us. He didn't race down this time, and looked a little upset that our discussion had taken so long, but he didn't make any comments about it. I was pleased he made the effort. Now that we were all together, he escorted me into their dining room.

Nick sat down across from me as we ate lunch, but waited until we had all finished eating, before he asked his parents a question. "Well, can I go to school there?"

"Nicky, we haven't decided yet, but we will," his father told him. "It might also take a visit to see what it's like, before I make up my mind."

"Why, you can see that Mr. Currie's a nice guy and his sons are nice too," Nicky challenged.

"Nick," I told him, "they just want to make sure about where you'll be living and the school you'll be attending. They want to know exactly what they're agreeing to, before they make any commitments."

"I suppose, but I really want to do this," he added, making his feelings known, although I suspected he'd already done that numerous times before I arrived.

"We understand that, honey," his mother said reassuringly, "but Mr. Currie is right. We need to check everything out first. We wouldn't send you anywhere without knowing all about where you'd be, who you'd be with and what you'd be doing."

"Nicky, we're not trying to control you, just protect you," his father added. "Whether you believe us or not, your mother and I do love you and only want what's best for you."

Nick looked at his parents before he responded to that comment, but eventually he did. "I guess I might not have believed that before," Nick told them quite frankly, "but I do now. I know you wouldn't have even considered this, unless you did love me."

"I might be wrong," his father commented at that point, "but I do think my boy is growing up. That was a very mature observation. If that increased maturity is due to your time with the Curries, then this might be an easier decision than I first thought."

After saying that, Mr. Lawrence reached over and tousled Nick's hair, which caused Nick to stand up and move closer to his dad, so he could give him a big hug. Then I overheard him whisper in his father's ear, "I do love you too, Dad."

Then he walked around the table to his mother and did the same thing. Both of his parents fought back tears, while I observed the pride and love reflected in their eyes.

After this little discussion, Nick offered to leave us alone again, so we could talk some more. His parents just looked at each other and thanked him, before he went back up to his room. When they heard the door to his room shut, his mother looked at me and spoke.

"Are you sure you sent back OUR child?" she asked. "That's not the same young man who used to argue with us constantly and then ran away."

"Yes," his father agreed, "the Nicky I remember was belligerent and unyielding. He would never have given in like that."

"All I can tell you," I responded, "is that he's the same boy we found on our vacation. I learned he can be tough and put up a good front, but I know he's not really as hard as he tries to appear."

"So I see," his father answered me, "and I assume some of that was because of your influence. He seems very fond of you. I've never seen him hug another adult before, so you must be very special."

"Not really," I answered. "I just found him at a low point in his life, after he discovered others had it even worse than he did. My boys and I are very hands-on and affectionate with each other and Nick seemed to enjoy that type of closeness with us too. I just think he's transferring those traits to his home life now."

"I'm not sure I understand how he changed so quickly, but I do think it's wonderful," his mother said, with a wide smile. His father merely nodded in agreement.

I went on and told them how we found Nick and how we helped the family of the boy Nick had met and became friends with. Some of the things seemed to bother Mr. Lawrence, yet some of the other things seemed to make him proud. He listened to the whole story, but it was a couple of minutes before he said anything.

"I guess I haven't been totally objective about Nicky and possibly even a little too rough on him. I guess I let his being gay bother me so much that I never saw what a warm, affectionate and caring person he really was. Maybe our problems with him were more my fault than his. I'm not sure I'd have realized that without your help though."

"Yes," Mrs. Lawrence added, "thank you for bringing our son back to us."

"I didn't do anything and I'm sure you would have discovered these things eventually," I added, trying to alleviate a little of the guilt they were feeling now. After all, they had just come to some important realizations too, and I didn't want anything negating that.

"Maybe, but how long would it have taken us?" his father wondered aloud. "No, you helped bring about a change in him and an awareness in us. We do owe you for that."

"Possibly, but I doubt it," I countered. "I believe your time apart actually gave you an opportunity to reevaluate things and look at them from a different perspective. I believe this would have happened with or without me, if given the time."

"You may be right, but I doubt it, mostly because I know how stubborn both Nicky and I can be," his father admitted. "Seeing this miraculous change in him, I'm very tempted to go along with the rest of your suggestions too. What if we fly out to your place this weekend, with Nicky, to check the situation out? We'll bring enough of his things to tide him over, so if we do decide to let him stay, he'll be ready. We would ship his other things to you, as soon as we returned. Would that meet with your approval?"

"Of course. That would be fine," I agreed.

"Fantastic! Then let's have Nicky join us," his mother suggested. "That way, we can tell him what's going on."

"Good idea," his father concurred.

His mother went upstairs, knocked on his door and soon returned with her son. It didn't take them long to fill Nick in about what they had planned, which rocketed Nicky into an exuberant celebration. He began hugging and kissing both of his parents and then came over and hugged me too. Now we had the rest of the time to just get to know each other better, so the Lawrences agreed to show me around Oklahoma City and give me the royal treatment.

Chapter 35
Suspicions

I arrived back home around midnight on Wednesday. I tried to be quiet, but Sally must have heard me anyway.

"I'm sorry I woke you Sally," I told her, after seeing her peek through the crack in my bedroom door, as she tried to open it inconspicuously and see who was there.

"Thank goodness it's you, Josh," she sighed. "I was afraid we had a burglar or a boy was sneaking in or out."

"Why? Have you had problems with them," I asked, concerned by her comment.

"Mercy, no," she replied. "They've been absolutely wonderful," she added.

"Oh, all right," I responded. "I thought you might have been hinting there were some problems while I was away."

"Oh, dear, no," she answered. "The boys have taken care of everything, including me. They've fixed all of the meals and taken care of each other, leaving me nothing to do. The household ran so smoothly and things went so well that I wondered why I was even here."

"I'm glad to hear that," I told her, "but maybe they don't need me now either."

"Don't be ridiculous, Josh," she countered. "I could tell they missed you, but were also trying hard to impress you."

"Well, thank you for all of your help," I added, "but you go back to bed now. I'll just grab a pillow and sleep on the sofa in the living room."

"Josh, you shouldn't have to do that," she scolded.

"I know and I don't have to," I replied. "I could always find a place to sleep upstairs, but I don't want to wake any of the boys. I'll be fine on the sofa for one night."

"Very well. Good night then," she added, before going back inside the master bedroom. I grabbed a pillow and a blanket, before going into the living room. I fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning I awoke when I heard the boys beginning to come downstairs. They seemed happy to see me and the older ones immediately wanted to know if Aunt Sally had told me anything. I said she had and that I was impressed by her report. Of course their follow-up question was whether I'd trust them on their own the next time, to which I responded I would, as long as they promised to call Aunt Sally, Aunt Mary or Uncle Steve if there were any problems. They said they would and were happy that I was now willing to trust them and accept them as young adults. They were all puffed up by this announcement and decided to take the next step, asking me if they could have another driving lesson after dinner. I agreed, so the boys went to get ready for their soccer try-outs.

I dropped most of them off at the high school, like before, but Andrew, Sammy, Graham, Cole and Dion wanted to go with me to the middle school, so they could play on the playground. I agreed and they stayed outside, while I worked in my office. I accomplished a great deal in the three hours I was there and now had much more confidence that I was ready for Monday's meeting with the faculty and staff, as well as Tuesday's first day of classes. I went outdoors and yelled to the boys that it was time to leave, and they quickly ran over and hopped in the van. We drove to the high school to pick up the other boys, only to find my Romeos with the cheerleaders again. Kevin was looking a little more depressed this time and not as confident as he was the last time this happened. I figured I'd have to speak to him about it later.

Once we got home, everyone was busy doing his thing until dinnertime. During that time I spoke with Kevin. "Is something bothering you?" I asked, trying to get the conversation started. He looked at me oddly before he answered.

"I'm beginning to think Dustin likes the girls more than me," he informed me. "We're still close at night and he still does sex things with me, but no matter what I do to try to show Dusty how much I love him, he's still anxious to see the cheerleaders again the next day. What's worse than that," Kevin emphasized, "is that Dusty also seems to have a favorite among the group… Aaaaaaaaaamy," he sneered, while drawing out her name to emphasize his point.

"If that's true," I replied, "there's nothing you can do to stop it or keep Dustin from following his heart. It would be like you trying not to be gay." Kevin looked at me oddly, but I think he got the point. You are what you are, as far as your sexuality is concerned.

"Kevin, life can often be difficult to understand and cope with," I stated, "and love can prove to be a very fickle friend, but we all had to learn similar lessons while growing up."

"I know," he agreed, but only half-heartedly, "but it doesn't make it any easier to accept. I always expected Dusty and me would be together forever, so that only makes it's more difficult to accept this might not be true."

I could read the sadness on his face and saw the tears beginning to well in his eyes, so I hugged him. "I know, son," I offered, "life has many painful lessons for us to learn, but I love you and will be there for you, whenever you need me."

"Thanks, Dad," he told me, before going off stoically, and not in a huff, as I was afraid he might. He was growing up and learning to cope with life's bitter lessons.

After dinner, I took the boys down for their next driving lesson, this time planning to repeat the last class, before making them back up (go in reverse). Almost as soon as we reached the school, Dustin asked if he could wait by the school until it was his turn. I told him I would prefer he stay with us, since he could learn from the things I told the others, but he began to argue with me and then I realized why – over near the school stood one of the cheerleaders. I almost didn't recognize her without the uniform. I thought about this for a few seconds and then made my announcement. I would let him go over with her during the first boy's session, but only this once. He could explain to her he was busy and would see her another time, but in the future he would have to decide what he wanted more, to learn how to drive or time alone with her. He wasn't happy with my announcement, but accepted it. He got out and ran over to the girl and stayed with her throughout Brandon's lesson, which actually was much safer for him.

Although Brandon had learned some subtlety about using the gas and brake pedals, he seemed to forget it when we went in reverse. When I told him to start backing up, he hit the gas a little too hard, sending all of us inside the car flying forward, before he panicked and slammed on the brake, which yanked us all back against the seats again. He was totally embarrassed and apologized profusely, but I calmed him down and explained that was why we were practicing. Dustin was so busy talking to the cheerleader that I don't think he even noticed what happened, although there was some squealing of the tires in the process. After Brandon's turn ended, I called Dustin back to the car and he sat in the rear with Brandon, while Danny took his turn. He looked a little upset when he rejoined us, but I chalked that up to not being able to spend more time with his new girlfriend.

When it came time for Danny to practice backing up, I went over the fundamentals with him again, so Dustin could hear them this time. I told him to put the car in reverse, turn in both directions, beginning with his left, to make sure that nothing was behind him or in the way, and then he could begin to back up while looking over his right shoulder. Danny instinctively put his right arm on the back of the seat, using only his left hand to steer, which I told him was all right as long as he took it slow. Dustin didn't appear to be listening and seemed lost in his own thoughts, so I decided I would not tell him these things again, when it was his turn. I would wait and see what he had learned from this before I decided what to do next. Danny went through his paces and then he stopped the car, put it in park and switched places with Dustin.

Dustin got behind the wheel and drove off, doing very well over the first part. Then, when it came to going in reverse, he just used his mirrors and tried to back up that way. I made him stop, chewed him out for not paying attention to what I had told Danny and then explained precisely what I expected from him. When he tried it the next time, he did much better, but his heart still wasn't into it. We practiced a little longer, before he stopped the car and we switched places. As I drove home, he was very quiet. I wasn't sure if it was because of my scolding earlier, about his not paying attention, or if he had an argument of some sort with the girl. Either way, Dustin wasn't quite himself.

When we got home, the boys went to either their own rooms or the family room, so I took the opportunity to go to my room and do some work. It wasn't long before there was a knock at my door and Dustin was standing in the doorway. As I looked up at him, he spoke to me. "Dad, may I talk to you?"

"Sure. Come on in," I agreed. He came in and shut the door behind up. "What's up, Dustin?"

He hesitated before he spoke. "Amy said something at the school tonight that bothered me. I really need to talk to you about this."

"Go right ahead. I'm all ears," I urged. He smiled weakly, before he got up the courage to speak again.

"Amy told me tonight that she was surprised that some of us were interested in her and her friends. She said everyone thought we were all gay." He looked at me with a pained expression on his face, but I waited to see if he wanted to say more before I responded. He didn't, so I finally broke the silence.

"Did she say why they thought that?"

He made another face. "Yeah, kind of."

"Are you going to share it with me?" I asked, after a slight pause.

"She said it was because none of us ever dated and because everyone suspected Danny and Brandon were boyfriends."

"I see. And what did you tell her?" I pressed.

"I told her we hadn't dated because you always kept us too busy with things around the house and that Danny and Brandon were best friends, not boyfriends."

"And how did she respond to that?" I followed.

"I don't think she believed me," he replied.

"So, how did you feel about that?" I asked.

"I don't know," he admitted, before looking down at the floor, as his body swayed from side to side. I waited to see if he'd comment further and he did. "I don't want everyone at school thinking we're all gay," he said meekly. "It's not that there's anything wrong with it, but everyone will treat us differently, with some even avoiding us and others hating us."

"What do you suggest we do about it?" I continued.

He thought for a minute and then looked up at me. "I think it will be all right if Pat, Ricky, Jay and I start dating some of the girls, but I'm worried for Danny and Brandon. If they don't start dating too, then people are going to know for sure."

"Have you told them that?" I wondered.

"No," he stated, succinctly.

"Do you think you should?" I wanted to know.

"I'd rather you do it," he announced, and I think I knew the reason why, but wanted to be certain.

"Why's that?" I pressed.

"Cuz I don't want them getting mad at me," he answered, meekly.

"But I wasn't told this directly," I challenged. "So, wouldn't it sound better coming from you?"

"Maybe, but I wouldn't know how to tell them," he countered, as he hoped this might be reason enough so he wouldn't have to become involved.

"Why don't you tell them just like you told me?" I asked, hoping to let him see it wouldn't be so different.

"I could, but I think I'd be scared I'd hurt their feelings," he confessed. "I've already hurt Kevin pretty badly, and it's only going to get worse when he finds out I really like Amy, so I don't want to have more of my brothers upset with me." I was concerned with his comment about Amy and how Kevin was going to react, but that was another issue and one I'd have to deal with later. Right now, we still had this problem to iron out.

"What if I was with you when you told them? Would that help?" I asked.

"Would you do that?" he wondered. I was surprised he didn't already know the answer to that question.

"Of course I would. Do you want me to get them?" He hesitated, before nodding.

"Okay, then you wait here," I advised him, before leaving the room to summon Danny and Brandon. Once we were all together, Dustin told them his story and then we gave them time to think about it. Finally, I spoke.

"You two will have to decide how to handle this for yourselves," I offered, as a way to let them know there wasn't much I could do for them concerning this problem. "It's your decision and no one, including me, can make it for you. I'll support you, no matter what you decide, and I'm sure the rest of the family will too." Both boys looked somewhat panicked and turned toward me, after looking at each other.

"What do you think we should do?" Danny asked me.

"That depends on what you want to accomplish," I offered. "I can only see that you have three options. You can start dating girls, come out and tell everyone you are gay or you can do nothing and continue to let things go the way they've been going."

"What do you think, Dustin?" Brandon asked him.

Dustin timidly looked at me and I nodded my encouragement to respond. "I agree with Dad, but if I had to make a choice for you, I'd hope you'd date some girls, even if you're not really into it," he suggested. "It's not that I'm ashamed that you're gay, I'm just afraid of some of the things people might do to you or say about you behind your backs. You know how mean and nasty some of those guys can be."

"We're very aware of that," Danny told him, "but what if we start dating girls and people find out we're gay because we can't… you know… perform?"

"You don't have to go that far," Dustin responded.

"But what if the girls insist on it, to get us to prove ourselves?" Danny persisted. "You know neither of us is really interested in girls, besides as just friends. I mean, it would be awkward kissing someone you don't care for and it would be even worse if they try to get us to have sex."

"Can't you guys pretend you're kissing each other when you kiss one of them?" he asked. "Just close your eyes and make believe. And you can just tell them you don't think you're ready for sex yet."

"Will you or the others be telling them that?" Danny pressed.

"Probably not. But couldn't you just pretend you're screwing each other, if you have to do one of them, at least long enough to pull this off?" Dustin asked, hopefully.

"Maybe," Brandon answered, "but we can't be sure until we actually have to do it."

"Please, just try," Dustin pleaded. "I'm worried if the rest of us start dating and you two don't, then everyone will conclude you two are gay and things will get ugly."

"Thanks for caring, Dustin," Brandon reassured him, "and Danny and I will talk this over. We'll let you and Pop know what we decide." Both boys went over and hugged Dustin for caring enough to talk to them about it and then they both hugged me. We gave them the opportunity to decide this for themselves, but I know Dustin felt better, just getting it off his chest.

Chapter 36
A Visit and a New Boarder

When I woke up the next morning, I wondered if Brandon and Danny had discussed their situation in bed last night and decided what they were going to do. I wasn't going to ask them, but I was wondering if they might come up and tell me they'd made up their minds. However, that didn't happen and Friday started out very similar to the previous day. After the boys downed their breakfast, I hustled them out to the van, so I could take them down to their tryouts, before I went on to my school to finish up some work. I still had a few of the younger boys in tow, because they wanted to play on the middle school's playground, rather than hang around the high school and watched their brothers. It wasn't a problem for me, so I agreed.

After we got there, I worked for over three hours before I stopped. By that time I had accomplished enough for the day and had everything ready for Monday's meeting. I could now relax over the weekend, but first I had to pick up the older boys from their practice and then take us all home to eat. With that in mind, I rounded up the boys who were at the middle school with me, got them in the van and then drove over to the high school to pick the others up.

When we arrived at the high school, I immediately noticed that Danny and Brandon were among the boys with the cheerleaders. That left Kevin as the only one not hanging out with the 'scream team.' As I pulled up, the boys quickly spotted the van and said their good-byes. Some merely gave a little peck to the girl they were with, while a few of the others were swallowing tongue, but it wasn't long before everyone was racing over to join us.

I decided not to comment on Danny and Brandon's actions just yet, figuring I'd let them be the ones to bring it up and tell me about their decision when they were ready. I was right, and we weren't home long before the duo approached me.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you what we decided first, Dad," Danny began, "but we really didn't make up our minds until after practice."

"Yeah," Brandon added, "we talked it over a little last night, but we didn't really decide until after we took our showers after practice today."

"Hey guys, that's not a problem," I told them. "You don't have to explain all your decisions to me. I'm always happy to listen if you want to bounce things off me or fill me in later, but you don't have to apologize for not telling me first."

"I know, Pop," Brandon replied, "but we did tell you we'd let you know. We just didn't think we should waste another day before we went ahead and did it."

"Like I said, it's not a problem." I paused. "So how did things go?"

"Okay, I guess," Danny told me. "The girls included us with the others and a couple them were extra nice to Brand and me."

"Yeah, Pop. This one girl was all over me."

"Well, you boys are good looking, even if I say so myself," I explained. "If you need anything from me or if you want to discuss the situation further, my door is always open."

"We know, Dad," Danny said, smiling. "You're always there for us if we need you and we appreciate that."

Friday night we had another driving lesson, incorporating the skills the boys had learned from the earlier two lessons. I had them spend their time pulling into empty parking spaces and then backing out again. Everyone did really well, remembering their other lessons, and I was pleased with their progress. I was also delighted that none of the girls had showed up to distract us and the boys were becoming more comfortable sitting behind the wheel. I congratulated them on their progress and they all seemed pleased.

At home, the boys were enjoying their evening together, doing what they wanted, since they knew they'd have to be on their best behavior, once the Lawrences arrived. That meant no nudie hour, no sex in the rooms and no going anywhere, except with the family. I wanted to give the Lawrences a good impression, so they'd feel comfortable leaving their son with us.

Saturday, we all got up early, in order to make our final preparations before our guests arrived. Everything was spotless, including the boys, who were dressed quite sharply. Not only that, but the house looked better than I could remember it ever looking before, which included the boys' bedrooms.

Around noontime the Lawrences showed up and I began by making all the introductions. I was pleasantly surprised that Nick's parents stopped to chat with each boy after they were introduced, as if they really wanted to get to know them better. After the introductions had been made, I had some of the boys go out to the rental car with Nick and retrieve their bags. We put Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence's luggage in my room, and the boys took Nick upstairs to show him around. We adults went into the living room to sit and chat briefly, before the boys returned.

Mike and Julie, as they asked me to call them, told me they were impressed with the boys and were shocked by the assortment, as I never mentioned we had a multi-racial family. They had no problems with it, but they were also amazed that none of us seemed to even give it a second thought. I told them the only time it was even brought to the forefront was when someone else made a comment about it, either positive or negative.

After a few minutes, the boys came bounding back downstairs and offered to take everyone on the grand tour of the house. The Lawrences accepted their invitation and I agreed it would be a good idea. Shortly, the boys were showing them every room and describing basically what went on there. When they went upstairs I followed, hoping to learn what Nick had decided about sleeping arrangements. As we made our way down the hallway, Nick announced to his parents that this would be his room and he'd be sharing it with Pat. I take it the decision had been made and everyone was happy about it. That meant I could sleep on the twin bed in the spare bedroom tonight, instead of on the couch in the living room. After we finished the tour of the upstairs, I took everyone outside and we all squeezed into the big van, so I could show them our town and the school.

Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence rode in front, with me, and the boys got in the rear, with the smaller ones sitting on the laps of the older ones. I told them about each of the places we visited and then I drove them around the schools and the athletic fields. The high school was an older facility, but had always been well maintained, and they could see the community cared about their educational system.

Before we went back to the house, I took everyone out for lunch. This would give the Lawrences time to get to know us better, without having to worry about what was in the oven. Everyone seemed to have a good time talking to each other while we ate and Mike and Julie carried on conversations with the boys. Sometimes they talked to the same boy together, while at other times they carried on separate conversations with different boys.

All of my sons were eager to tell the Lawrences about their lives, both before and after they came to live with me, and they were also anxious to fill them in about our last vacation. Nick's parents just smiled at me when they learned we had discovered Nick in Arizona, but never said a word about it afterward. I think they were even more impressed with the boys' tales of our time in England, without the mention of the nude beach, of course. By the time we had finished our meal, Nick's parents knew a great deal about us and had a better basis for making their decision.

After returning to the house, the Lawrences and I went back into the living room, so the boys decided they would give Nick a look around the rest of the property. Of course, they told me what they had in mind and asked my permission first, so I told them to go ahead. Mr. Lawrence spoke to Nick before they left.

"Nicky, please be careful…" Nick interrupted him.

"Dad, I'm too old to be called Nicky any more. Can you please just call me Nick from now on?"

"Yes, Nicky… Nick, I suppose you're right about that, but just be careful out there. You don't know the area, so stick with the other boys."

"I know, Dad, and I've been on my own before," he announced, before giving his dad a wink. His father immediately understood what his son meant by that comment and didn't say anything more.

As the three of us sat in the living room, I decided it was time to give them a chance to lead the discussion. "So, now that the boys are gone, do you have any questions I could answer for you?" I asked, hoping to get them started.

"No, things seem quite nice here and the boys all appear to be very happy," Mr. Lawrence told me. "They also seem to get along quite well with Nick too."

"And the boys are so well mannered," Mrs. Lawrence added. "I can't believe so many of them are able to live together without fighting or arguing."

"Oh, that's not totally true," I admitted with a wink. "We do have problems from time to time, but each of those instances has been settled fairly quickly. It IS getting a little harder for them to always be in agreement, now that they're getting older, since bigger boys need more space to stretch out, if you know what I mean."

"Yes, we know that very well," Mr. Lawrence told me. "However, the thing that amazes me the most is, if you hadn't told me some of the boys were gay, I would never have suspected any of them. None of them give you the feeling that they're anything more than normal young men."

"And that's exactly what they are," I quipped, as a way of reminding him that being gay doesn't mean you're aren't normal.

"Not that it matters, but is Nicky's roommate gay?" Mike followed. I wasn't sure where he was going with this, but I was going to be just as honest with him as I could.

"I don't believe so, since he's going with a cheerleader right now," I replied

"Well," Mr. Lawrence continued, "like I said, it didn't really matter. They all seem to be a group of very fine young men."

"They are, they just all don't have the same inclinations," I reminded him.

"You don't have to worry," he continued, "I think my wife and I had already decided to let Nick try this, even before we got on the plane. There has been such a drastic change in his behavior since he's been back, which led us to believe that you've had a great deal to do with it. We felt if that were the case, it could only get better if he spends more time with you. We would have had to discover you were the Marquis De Sade or that this was the 'Little Shop of Horrors' for us to change our minds. If you're still willing, we'd like Nicky to stay here and go to school with your boys."

"That would be splendid," I responded, pleased they trusted us enough to leave their son here. "I'm sure all of the boys will be happy to hear the news. I'll take you all out to dinner tonight to celebrate."

"Our treat," Mr. Lawrence insisted. "Believe me, I don't know how you survive as it is."

I gave him a brief recount of how we got some of our money and they were surprised when they realized they'd seen the same magazine article that our benefactor had, before he left us all of his money. They just never put the two things together, even after meeting all of us. They were quite flabbergasted by the coincidence. While they were talking about this between themselves, I called and made reservations at our favorite restaurant. Everything was set for later that evening.

When the boys came back in, they were all breathless from running around outdoors and having a good time together. I quickly told them about our dinner plans and suggested they should begin to clean up now, as it would take them some time to get ready. I told them to use the two showers upstairs and the one bathroom downstairs, but the bath in the master bedroom was only for Nick's parents to use while they were here. They all nodded in agreement and I could see they were already working out the shower schedule in their minds. Their cooperative nature impressed the Lawrences even more and the boys were terrific at explaining everything to Nick.

When it was time for us to leave, the boys looked very nice and we all got back into the big van. We disembarked after parking in the restaurant lot and were seated almost immediately after entering the building. Dinner was very enjoyable and we had many pleasant conversations as we dined. Mike and Julie continually commented about how good the older boys were with the younger ones, helping them whenever they needed it and making sure nothing went wrong. I explained that with so many sons, some of the older boys also had to serve as junior fathers at times and they eagerly accepted the responsibility. I then told the Lawrences the boys were even better with my grandsons, their nephews, and then told them a little about Nicky and Jordan.

"Ah, and Nick has met those two?" Mr. Lawrence asked. I nodded. "Now I understand why he decided he was getting too old to be called Nicky."

"Does that bother you?" I asked him, mildly concerned.

"No, not at all. I expected it sooner or later. I just didn't expect it today," Mike explained. "I've always known it would be his decision and he'd let me know what he wanted when the time came, so I'm fine with it."

"I'm glad to hear that, because I'm afraid I might be partially to blame for it," I admitted. "I told Nick that's how we'd refer to him while he was with us, to avoid confusion."

"It's not a problem. Really!" Mike insisted.

After dinner, we went home and watched a video with the boys. I saw the Lawrences watching each of them throughout the evening, noticing how close they were and how they did things for each other, such as when Trey and Dion went out and made popcorn for the whole crew, and then Danny, Brandon and Pat went out and brought everyone back a drink. I think they were flabbergasted at how the boys just got up and did these things without any prodding and especially without complaining.

Not only that, but they saw how Andrew, Sammy and Graham cuddled up against their older brothers and how the older boys relished having them around. At one point Nick even had Andrew curled up on his lap, as they watched the movie together, and I glanced over and saw his mother beaming as she watched him. I knew seeing that had probably cemented his staying with us, even though they'd already told me they'd made up their minds.

I was surprised to learn they hadn't told Nick about their decision yet. They told him when the movie ended, which caused Nick to start whopping it up. After jumping around the living room and high-fiving the boys, he ran over and hugged and kissed each of his parents, while thanking him for allowing them to do this.

"Well, we'd already prepared ourselves for you to go away to school this year," his father teased, "although I first thought it would be to military school. However, I now suspect you'll learn more here and have a better time, just don't forget to call once in a while and let us know how you're doing."

"I won't, Dad. I promise," Nick told his father. "And I love you both."

Nick gave them each another kiss and hug, and I could see the tears in his mother's eyes, even through all the activity. She later confided that Nick hadn't shown them that much affection for a few years now and it was nice to have her son back.

Once the commotion died down, the boys all went off to their rooms. The Lawrences told me they'd be leaving right after breakfast tomorrow, in order to make their flight, as they still had things to do at home. I assured them I'd see them at that time and then went upstairs to the twin bed. As I settled in, I was actually amazed by how quiet the house was, since there was no fooling around this evening.

It didn't surprise me, however, when I had visitors show up at my door a short time later, as Ricky, Cole and Graham came over to see me. What did surprise me was that they just came over to keep me company and not to pull a prank. They brought a couple of their hand held games with them and challenge me to some contests, so for the rest of the night I was just one of the boys.

Chapter 37
The Times, They Are a Changin'

The next morning, Danny, Brandon and Dustin took care of the breakfast preparation, making scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, but they were also willing to fix bagels for anyone who wanted one. The other boys helped clean up afterward, including Nick, and his parents just shook their heads as they watched him performing these tasks. Now that the meal was finished, they went back to the master bedroom, packed their things and got ready to leave.

The boys carried their luggage out to the car for them and Nick said good-bye to his folks. It was quite an emotional parting, as they hugged and kissed each other, told one another how much they loved them and exchanged assurances that everything would be fine and they'd see each other again at Christmas. In order to shorten that time a bit, I invited them to come back and join us for Thanksgiving, telling them that two more around the table would not be a problem. They objected briefly, but then accepted, happy they'd be together even sooner than they'd originally thought. We all waved at them as they drove off and Nick came over and gave me a big hug.

"Thanks, Pop. I never thought you'd be able to convince them to let me stay," he told me, beaming.

"I think it was more that you showed them how mature you could really be, so they didn't have to worry so much about letting you go," I countered, wanting him to realize it was his actions that got his parents to agree to this. "Even a blind man could see they love you."

"I know that now, I just wouldn't have believed it before," he admitted. "Thanks for making me go back home and letting me come to school here. I promise you I'll work real hard and make you all real proud of me."

"And I'll hold you to that promise," I assured him, before looking around at everyone still there. "Sammy and Andrew, would you go unload the dishwasher and put things away?"

"Sure, Daddy," Andrew told me, and then he and Sammy went into the house to do as I'd asked.

"I need to chat with the rest of you later tonight, so after Sammy and Andrew go to bed I'll meet with the rest of you in the family room. I'll also be going over a few additional things after that with you, Nick. Is everyone clear?" They all nodded. "The rest of the day is yours then," I added, so they began to filter away.

"Dad," Dustin said to me, "will you take us driving now? We missed last night and I thought maybe you'd let us do it a little longer today, to make up for it. Would that be okay?"

"Actually, it sounds like a very good idea," I agreed. "Kevin and Ricky, you're in charge while I'm gone. Any problems?" They both shook their heads 'no', swelling with pride about their new role.

I went inside and got the car key, while the boys got into the Grand AM. When we reached my school, I went inside, with the boys following, so I could get some large rubber cones out of the PE storage closet. Once I retrieved them, the boys carried them outdoors for me and I placed them to signify where two parked cars would be, with a space large enough to park between them. This was so they could practice parking in lanes, such as in a parking lot at school or the mall, not parallel parking. Once those cones were set, I placed more in the parking spaces in the row behind that, so when the boys backed back out of their parking space, they would have to avoid backing into the vehicles behind them.

Once everything was ready, I told the boys they would be in the car by themselves today, as I would stay outside and watch how they did. They would be required to drive down until they got to the empty parking space, pull into it without bumping any of the cones, and then back out again without knocking over any of the cones in the row behind them. They would each be given three opportunities to do this, before we finished. They nodded their understanding and I watched as each of them took their turns.

In the beginning, the cones got bumped a few times, occasionally getting completely knocked over or crushed, and each time I would make the driver stop, put the car into park and look at what he'd done, while I explained, and then demonstrated, how to avoid making that same mistake again. After each of the boys had their three tries, I allowed them to repeat the process with three more attempts each, but this time they did much better than on their previous efforts. When we finished that rotation, we took everything back inside and put it away, before I got in the driver's seat and started for home. I went over a few more suggestions with them before we arrived and concluded this had been a valuable and productive session.

Once we were with the rest of the family, my drivers were eager to tell their brothers about each other's foul-ups, but all in a good-natured way. All the boys had some laughs about the other's blunders, especially when regaled about those who had driven over and mangled a cone or two, and then it was time for me to do a few more tasks I needed to complete before morning.

It wasn't surprising that the rest of the day flew by, including dinner, and before I realized it, the boys were getting ready for bed. After I sent Sammy and Andrew up to their room, the rest of my crew joined me in the family room. I looked at them, as they sat staring back at me, wondering what I wanted to talk to them about. When I thought they were ready, I began.

"Fellas, there are some things we need to discuss. I know I have been pretty liberal with you boys about fooling around together, but things are going to have to change now." They looked at me with expressions of horror etched on their faces, thinking I was stopping their sexual encounters.

"Some of you are starting to get girlfriends and Nick is new to the family, which means the situation is changing enough that I feel we need to do things differently from this point forward. From now on, I'm going to have to insist that you start using a condom if you're going to have any type of intercourse. I'm worried about you boys picking up diseases, such as syphilis, gonorrhea or even AIDS, because, as you probably already know, those diseases can be serious and even potentially fatal. Not only that, but I'm also worried that the boys who are planning on having girlfriends might get careless and find themselves a father before they're ready for such a responsibility. Getting a girl pregnant could put a definite kink in whatever dreams and plans you have for your future and not only harm the two of you, but also the child you produce.

"However, before I continue, I also want to make sure that you boys understand that nothing is one hundred-percent foolproof. Defects in condoms can happen and allow viruses, such as the AIDS virus, to penetrate these flaws and irregularities. Not only that, but when keeping condoms in wallets or glove compartments in the car, the latex can be adversely effected by body heat, environmental temperatures or even such things as friction – rubbing around in a wallet for example. These factors can also increase the risk of the materials failing. In addition to those problems, condoms have also been known to rupture or leak during sex, especially if they were improperly applied in the first place. For those reasons I have put a supply of condoms in the upstairs bathroom, so you will have access to them when you need one. I will also take a few minutes to show you how to properly put one on."

They all looked at each other, trying not to laugh. "Do you need a model to put one on, Dad?" Ricky wanted to know. "You can use me, if you want, but you'll have to make it worth my while." All the boys cracked up at that.

"No, smart ass, I have something better." With that I opened the end table drawer and pulled out a banana and a condom. The boys started laughing again.

"You may think it's funny now," I warned them, "but I hope you take this discussion seriously." With that, I opened the condom package and showed them how to put it on, using the banana. I demonstrated how to take it, just as it came out of the packet, and blow on the center of it, to inflate the reservoir slightly. Then I showed them how to roll it on, explaining to the uncircumcised boys that they needed to pull back their foreskin first, holding it that way until the condom was completely in place. I told them how to place the condom over the helmet and unroll all the way down to the base, making sure to leave a reservoir at the end to collect the semen once it was ejaculated. I told the uncut boys to then push the skin on their shaft upwards at that point, so their foreskin would again cover their glans.

After that, I emphasized the importance of unrolling the condom all the way down, almost to the base of their penis, to prevent the condom from slipping off during intercourse. I also emphasized the need for the reservoir, so the condom didn't burst, once the ejaculate was released. I went over this a couple of times, constantly emphasizing what I wanted them to remember, and then I told them they could practice on themselves or a friend later, however they saw fit.

Before they left, I also told them to make sure they used a lubricant that was safe to use on latex, as this would prevent the latex condom from disintegrating and would make the sex more comfortable for them and their partners. I reviewed the problems that improper use could cause and what the various diseases might do to them, if they contracted one. I also told the straight and bi boys what kind of pressure they might endure if they got a girl pregnant, while also making sure they understood what problems this could create for any child who was born to parents who weren't ready to be parents. They all got my implications, since some of them felt part of their problems stemmed from their parents not being ready for the responsibility either, so I knew I had made my point. I told them all to head to bed now, but kept Nick for a little extra talk.

"Why did you just keep me? I was listening," he informed me, while thinking he'd been unjustly singled out.

"I know you were, but I think there are some other things we need to discuss, because you're new here," I explained, which cause him to nod slightly, letting me know he wasn't going to argue the point. "Mr. O'Hara told me he thought you had multiple partners while you stayed with him. Is that true?"

"It sure is. I bet I can get into almost any guy's pants," he bragged.

"And you heard the risks I talked about earlier, so I hope you realize that every time you have sex with someone, you're actually sleeping with every person that he has slept with before you," I cautioned him. "That's how one person can infect so many."

"Yes, I heard you," he assured me. "I didn't realize that before, but I promise I'll use rubbers from now on."

"Well, there are other things I want you to know too," I added, which made Nick flash me a puzzled look. "I'm sure you can find enough willing partners in the house, so you won't have to go looking elsewhere. Some of the boys are already concerned that some of the other students are beginning to think they're all gay and it wouldn't help if you started going around school trying to get in every other guy's shorts."

"I don't care if people know I'm gay," he confessed.

"You might not, but some of the other boys ARE concerned about this, especially the straight and bi boys," I explained. "I think they're worried about being labeled, because of what the rest of you do. You know, guilt by association, which would hinder their chances of hooking up with certain girls. If you don't understand what I mean, they're worried they will be considered gay because others in the house are flaunting it."

"What are they afraid of?" he shot back, getting a little testy in the process.

"They're afraid people will react differently to them, either avoiding them completely or not wanting to get too close, because they might be suspected of being gay as well. Not only that, but gays have been attacked by people who are so homophobic they don't think gays have the right to live. It's sick, but such things happen. Look at what happened to Matthew Sheppard. He was killed and the guys said it was because he'd made a pass at them. I'm not sure that is true, but if you're making advances to all different types of guys, you have to keep that thought in the back of your mind. It's always a possibility.

"Nick, what I'm asking from you is that you stick to partners from this family, at least until you know the area and the school better. Once you've been here for a while, then you might be better able to determine whom you can approach without causing problems for all of the others. Would you do that for me?"

"Sure, Pop," he added more quickly than I expected. In fact, I was ready for him to argue this point with me. Instead, he added some more. "Some of these guys are really good looking, so I can live with that… for now, at least."

"Good! Thank you, Nick. I'm glad you're willing to consider the others before doing things," I told him, sincerely.

"Hey, you guys all helped me out before," he replied, "so it would be kind of rude of me not to try to do the same thing for you. Don't worry, Pop, I understand." He paused before he spoke again. "I hope you don't mind me calling you Pop, like Brandon and Jay do?"

"No, Nick. I don't mind at all," I quickly informed him. "In fact I was going to mention it to you, if you continued to call me Mr. Currie. That only happens when I'm at school. At all other times, Pop will be fine."

"Thanks again, Pop. I know I'm really going to like it here," he added, before going upstairs to chat with Pat for a while.

Pat told me later that they gave each other a hand-job that night and Nick was really pretty cool when they talked about the group meeting and then his private discussion with me later. Pat informed me that Nick wants this to work out, even if it is just to prove to his parents that they had been wrong about him in the past. I told Pat I was glad to hear that and I counted on him to help Nick adjust to the family, as they were now roommates. He said he would do his best, so I thanked him once more.

This might turn out to be a very interesting school year and I was going to need everyone's help in making it a good one. I knew before it started that it would be a year of transition and new experiences, but hopefully they would all be positive. I went to bed that night thinking about all of the various things we might still have to face, but I was fairly certain the boys would pull together to get through it.

I knew Monday was going to be a hectic day, at least for me. I had a full day at school, even though the students wouldn't be attending classes until Tuesday. In the morning, I had a faculty and staff meeting, and then in the afternoon the teachers would get their classrooms set, while I double-checked class lists, enrolled transfers into the district and made sure all of the supplies and new textbooks had been delivered. I would also have to pick my athletes up at lunchtime and bring them down for their practices, since none of them had their licenses yet and I didn't want them to have to walk down to the high school. The non-athletes had already informed me they were just going to stay home on Monday and take advantage of the opportunity to just lounge around on their last day before classes.

I woke up early that morning, so I could get ready and have a decent breakfast before I left. When I got to school, I gathered my things together and lugged it all down to the cafeteria. We held our meeting there, since the faculty and staff combined was too large to use most of the other rooms, and the auditorium just wouldn't be practical for this type of a gathering. I started the meeting off with a sort of pep talk, to hopefully get everyone psyched for their first day with the students, and then I addressed the staff, outlining my concerns and reminding them of the faith I had in them as a group. After that, I let some of the staff leave, knowing they had quite a few things left to do before the day ended.

My secretary went back to cover the office and take care of the calls and anyone who walked in off the street. During the meeting, we had left the front doors locked and the phones were handled by the answering service. At the same time, the custodial staff went back to making sure the final touches were completed before the doors opened in the morning, such as painting touch-ups and a final buffing of the freshly waxed floors. They would rejoin us at noon, as we were having a catered luncheon together, then we would all do our own thing for the remainder of the day.

At home, the boys were just starting to get up and fix their own breakfast. After they ate, they did whatever appealed to them. Some of them watched television, while others were on the computers or just puttered around the house or outdoors. After a little bit, Nick went over and approached Cole. "Hey, Cole. Would you be interested in heading up to my room for a little fun?"

Cole looked up at Nick and smiled. "I guess that depends on what you have in mind."

"Just helping each other get off. Nothing too serious," Nick suggested.

"Okay, that sounds like fun," Cole agreed.

The two boys headed up to Nick's room and shut and locked the door behind them. They were already naked, as both of them slept that way, so Nick moved over and bent down to kiss Cole, letting one of his hands reach down and fondle his goodies as their lips met. Cole moaned as they came into contact and it didn't take long for him to become hard. Suddenly coming back to his senses, he reached out and began to fondle Nick as well, as they slowly made their way across the room and over to the bed. It wasn't long before they were lying side-by-side on the mattress.

That's when Nick made his move, working his way down Cole's chest and heading for his favorite target, so before long he was licking up and down Cole's rigid pole. Cole was enjoying Nick's experienced tongue, that was until he felt Nick's experienced mouth wrap around his cock completely. Cole knew he was in heaven when Nick began to bob up and down on him, while letting his tongue wander all around his most sensitive areas and allowing the warm flesh of his mouth to add to this pleasure, as he also increased the amount of suction he was employing. Cole's hips were literally bouncing up and down on the mattress, as he strained to mirror Nick's movements, and he couldn't think of ever experiencing such a wild ride before. It was due to this expert stimulation that it wasn't long before Cole felt the tingling sensations building in his loins, as he got ready to explode. With a force he'd never before encountered, his gonads began filling Nick's mouth with his sweet young cream, while causing him to see stars. Nick took it all down and he continued to suck until Cole's dick went limp in his mouth.

It took Cole a few minutes to recover from that massive orgasm and he eagerly thanked Nick for doing such a great job. After that, Cole set about to return the favor, while hoping he could do as good a job for his benefactor. Cole worked his way over and around Nick's nipples, down his chest, into his navel and finally to his rigid mast. He tried to duplicate Nick's expert technique, but wasn't sure if he'd really be able to. Even though Cole had done this many times, Nick had created an art form out of it, and Nick had far more experience at gay sex than Cole ever would. Cole did his best, working up and down on Nick's member, stimulating his organ with his mouth, and then taking his full load and swallowing it. Afterward, the two boys thanked each other again and then went on their way, doing whatever it was that they had planned earlier.

Chapter 38
To Memories and New Beginnings

When lunchtime came, I left so I could go home and pick up the athletes and drop them off at the high school, before I returned to enjoy our catered luncheon. The boys would have to wait about an hour or so, before their coaches were released from their own meetings, but it was better than waiting around all morning or having to walk the nearly two miles [3 km] to the school.

They parked themselves outside the locker room door, but weren't alone for very long. A group of cheerleaders also came down to the school early, hoping I'd have to drop the boys off during my lunch hour. They were excited to see they had guessed correctly and immediately engaged the boys with some small talk, about the weekend and such, before the girls began to gravitate toward the boy or boys they were most attracted to. Kevin grabbed the soccer ball and started kicking it against the side of the building while he waited. Kevin kept watching Dustin the whole time and it was obvious he wasn't happy with what he was seeing. However, his disposition brightened when the coach also arrived a bit early, as he grabbed his lunch to go and planned to eat it while the boys changed and warmed up. As he opened up the outside locker room door, the boys said good-bye to the girls, telling them they'd hook up with them again, on another day.

The practice was long and hard, as they knew it would be. They began by running drills for over an hour and then worked on some defensive strategies at one end of the field. After that, they were given a short break, before being split up for a full field scrimmage. It was a fast paced and a very physical scrimmage, and the boys all dragged themselves off of the field afterward, happy to hit the showers. While they were cleaning up, they discussed where they should wait for me, since I wouldn't be ready to pick them up for nearly two hours. After some heated discussion, they finally agreed as to what they were going to do.

After getting dressed, they headed out of the locker room and were surprised to find the girls waiting for them outside. As the girls found their guys, they gave them more than just an affectionate kiss, so my boys asked the girls if they wanted to join them. Most of the girls agreed, including Dustin's friend, Amy, and this had a severely negative effect on Kevin. He walked off, ahead of everyone else, since he didn't want to watch the sickening sight of Dustin and Amy sucking on each other's face. Since they were headed to a fast food joint for drinks and possibly a small snack, Kevin placed his order first and then seated himself in a booth before the others even arrived. There was a great deal of laughing and joking around amongst the others when they did show up, and this just added to Kevin's overwhelming frustration.

The pairs all sat together, and Pat told me later that Brandon and Danny looked like two fish out of water with their 'dates.' He said they were friendly and even kissed the girls occasionally, but emphasized it was easy to tell they really wanted to be with each other, not with any of the girls.

Some of the others, including Dustin, Pat and Ricky, were into the full make-out mode after they finished disposing of their orders, and I guess Kevin was really bothered by this and stormed out of the place, heading back to the school. Brandon followed Kevin out and tried to calm him down, but Kevin was on the verge of tears again, though fighting hard to hold them back, so no one else would see him in such a condition. Brandon wasn't able to console him, so Kevin went back to the school and sat leaning against the side of the building. This left him quite a bit of time alone until the other boys came back, this time sans cheerleaders. Dustin could see how upset Kevin was, so he thought it was best to keep away from him, at least until Kevin either got over this or decided to approach Dustin instead.

By the time I picked them up, things were still pretty chilly between them and I could tell the minute I saw Kevin's face that things were not well. As we drove home, some of the boys told me about the practice and their unplanned dates, but Kevin just stared out the window the entire way. Nick even picked up on Kevin's disposition when we got home and came up to me for an explanation.

"Pop, what's the matter with Kevin?" he wanted to know.

"He's upset with Dustin right now," I explained, simply.

"Why?" he asked, since he didn't understand the background of their relationship.

"It's kind of a long story," I explained, hoping it would suffice.

"I've got time," he offered, since his curiosity needed to be sated.

"But I need to begin dinner and don't have time to get into it," I countered, hoping that excuse would get him to drop his persistence.

"If I help you, would you tell me then?" he pressed, so I knew I wasn't going to get out of this without giving him some details. Since I figured the story might sound better coming from me, I gave in.

"It's like this, Nick," I began. "Kevin and Dustin have been close for a long time and Dustin even lived with Kevin's family for a while. Kevin always thought of Dustin and him as a couple, so now he's upset that Dustin seems to prefer girls. Kevin feels as if he is losing the one he's always felt closest to and considered would be his life partner." I glanced over at Nick and could see a sparkle in his eye, which made me suspect he had just come up with some sort of a plan. The only thing I was certain of was this plan wasn't meant to get the boys back together.

"Maybe I could help him feel better," he hinted, none too subtly.

"Possibly, but be careful about getting involved," I warned him. "You might end up in the center of something you don't understand and might be the one who ends up getting hurt in the process."

"Don't worry about me, Pop," he replied. "I'm just going to try to make Kevin feel better. I won't get hurt."

We finished up dinner preparations and then Nick took off, I supposed to go look for Kevin. I understand the two boys talked briefly, but Kevin was really not in the mood to pay attention to what Nick was saying. Nick looked a little disappointed at dinner, but I knew he wouldn't give up just because of this one setback.

After dinner I took those hoping to get their driver's license down for their next lesson, this time getting the cones out and laying out a course for them to navigate through. While we had been gone earlier, some of the younger boys had been busy doing a favor for me and made me a few cardboard 'stop' signs and 'stop' lights. I now stapled them to a group of tall, slender wooden stakes that the P.E. department used to mark out cross-country courses and took them out with us.

I used the cones to set up a road course, interspersing the stop signs and stoplights at various points along the way. If there were a stoplight placed at the intersection, I would tell them what color the light was or if the light was changing as we approached it. I let them drive around the course several times each, so they could practice taking corners, so they wouldn't run over any curbs once we started practicing the real thing. They all did fairly well and even Brandon was beginning to get the hang of driving.

When we got home, Kevin asked to speak with me privately, so we went into my room. He told me what had happened earlier in the day and then told me he now knew he had lost Dustin for good. He informed me he was going to sleep on the twin bed in the old master bedroom for now, as he couldn't handle sleeping with Dustin any more, knowing Dustin would probably end up with a girl instead of him. I told him that would be fine with me, as long as he was sure that's what he wanted. He said it was, so I let it go at that. Nick must have been waiting for Kevin to come back out and went up to him as soon as he reemerged. Before long, the two of them headed up the stairs to Kevin's room.

I was puttering around, doing a few minor things, when I heard a knock on the door. Sammy answered it and then I heard him calling out that someone wanted to see me. As I walked over, I was surprised to see who was standing there.

"Hi, Mr. Currie. I wanted to come and see how you were doing. It looks like you're all better after getting shot."

"Yes, Frankie, I am," I told him, barely recognizing this was the same young man I'd had to have removed from my home after he first came here. "It's very nice of you to be concerned enough to come and visit."

"I also wanted to come and apologize to you," he added, while glancing down at the floor. "Not just to you, but also to that boy I tried to take advantage of."

"You mean Trey?" I asked, almost rhetorically, hoping he would use Trey's name when he spoke to him.

"Yeah, that's him," he answered, looking up at me briefly. I could tell this was difficult for him and he was embarrassed over his previous actions. "I'm afraid I forgot his name between then and now. Is he home?"

"Yes, he is," I told him, while watching Frankie continue to squirm a little more. This certainly wasn't the same cocky, abrasive and brash young man I had dealt with when he was here before. I guess that during his time away he'd learned there were also some bigger dogs roaming the junkyard.

"Would you mind if I told him how sorry I was about what I did?" he followed, very shyly. He was still only able to glance up at my face occasionally, as he asked this, and continued to avert his eyes toward some of the inanimate objects in the room or the floor.

"No, I think that would be very nice of you," I replied. "Just a second and I'll get him for you." I went upstairs quickly and explained the situation to Trey. He agreed to come down and see what Frankie had to say. I led him down to the foyer and then suggested we all go to the living room, where we could sit and talk alone. Once we got there, Frankie was still wrestling with how he wanted to tell Trey, but he did managed to summon up enough courage to look Trey in the eye, before he began to speak.

"Trey, I just wanted to come by and let you know how sorry I am about what I tried to do to you before," he began. "I've learned a lot since I was sent away, because I had a group of guys do the same thing to me that I tried to do to you. I realize now how wrong I was and I just hope you'll accept my apology. I know that's not much, but it's the best I can do. Is that okay?"

Trey looked stunned, but he was very gracious in accepting Frankie's apology. "Yes, and I forgive you completely," he told him. "I'm also really sorry you ended up going through that, because I know how it can make you feel."

"Thanks," Frankie replied. "I'm glad you don't hate me any longer. And, Mr. Currie, I'm glad you're better and doing well. I'll be going now and I won't bother you guys any longer. I just wanted to say hello and apologize to both of you."

"You're not bothering us," I told him. "It's just that I really didn't expect to see you so soon. What are doing now?"

"I earned early release for doing so well," he informed me, "so now I'm living in a foster home on the other side of town."

"How do you like it there?" I asked.

"It's okay, but it's not as great as this place," he explained, looking somewhat disappointed at the thought of going back there. "I guess I was pretty dumb and really didn't know how good I had it here, until after they took me away. I really blew it big time. I mean, this place is okay, but the other kids they have are all really young. I just feel out of place there and even have to share a room with a five-year old. That's not easy, seeing he has to go to bed so early." I was sure that wasn't the only reason it wasn't easy for him, but that was the only reason Frankie gave.

"Dad, why can't Frankie come back here to live then?" Trey asked me. "He seems sorry about what happened and I think he's changed. Couldn't you call Aunt Sally and arrange for him to come live with us again?"

"I don't have any problems with that, but I'm not sure how much say she'd have about this," I confessed. "Frankie's placement is probably in the hands of the court."

"Then call Uncle Steve," Trey insisted, and I could tell he felt bad that he had played a small part in Frankie getting kicked out and then later raped – even though none of it really had anything to do with him.

"Well, if you and Frankie would both be all right with it, I guess I could contact Uncle Steve and Aunt Sally, to see if either of them could arrange to have him reassigned here instead. What do you think about that idea, Frankie?"

"I think that would be fantastic," Frankie beamed, pleased by this unexpected suggestion. "But why would you guys want to do that for me, especially after the rotten things I did while I was here?"

"It's because we all make mistakes at times, Frankie," I told him. "Hopefully we learn from these mistakes and don't repeat them. If we allowed you to come back, I sincerely hope the mistakes you made WOULDN'T be repeated," I added.

"Oh, they won't, Mr. Currie. I promise," he offered, as sincerely as he could. "If you could work it so I could come back here to live, I would make sure I never got in trouble again."

"If you can make me that promise, then I'm willing to give you another chance," I agreed.

"But what about the other boys? Do you think they'll want me back too?" Frankie wondered, concerned the rest of my clan wouldn't be as forgiving.

"Why don't we find out?" I suggested. "Trey, go round everyone up and have them come here. We'll have a family meeting and see what the rest of the boys think."

Frankie looked a little nervous as the rest of my brood joined us, since he was already convinced they wouldn't want him to come back and live with us. Once everyone had arrived, I told the boys what had happened and that Trey had suggested we let Frankie return. A few of the boys had questions, which either Frankie or I answered, and then we were ready to make a decision. I asked them if they wanted to do this by a show of hands and they agreed. Therefore, I told them to raise their hands if they were willing to give Frankie a second chance. I think Frankie was holding his breath, since he was still unsure of what their verdict would be, but I think we were both pleased when we saw every hand go up, almost at the same time.

Frankie got pretty emotional after that and told the boys they wouldn't be sorry they made that decision. He even told them he'd eventually pay them back for whatever he stole from them, although the boys insisted it wouldn't be necessary. We all talked for a while more and then I suggest it might be best if I gave Frankie a ride back to his foster home, since it was getting late. He accepted my offer and we got into the car.

On the way home I told Frankie that I'd contact Judge Shay and Ms. Swathout the next day and see what I could do for him. I told him I'd let him know as soon as I found out anything and would try my hardest to work this out for him. He must have thanked me a hundred times during that short ride and made sure he shook my hand before he got out of the car. Just as he was starting to let go of his grip, he grasped my hand again and pulled me forward, throwing his other arm around my neck, giving me a very unexpected hug. I was shocked at experiencing such an emotional show of appreciation from him, especially concerning how homophobic he was the last time we were together.

"I hope that didn't bother you," he said, as he broke his hold on me.

"Not at all," I assured him. "It's just that you surprised me again."

"I know. I've never been a very affectionate person but, being away for so long has changed how I look at things," he explained. "When I felt all alone and despised at the center, a counselor made me feel a whole lot better with just a simple hug. Since then, I make myself and others feel better the same way."

"I guess you have changed… and grown up," I acknowledged. "You're much more mature than the last time we saw each other."

"And I'm going to prove to you that it's not just an act," he assured me. "I really am a different person now, Mr. Currie, a better person than I was before. I think I owe much of that to you and your family. You showed me in a short time that good places do exist and not everyone looks at you just to see what they can get from you. I guess that's what I thought before, because up until then everyone always wanted something from me. Either they wanted me to do their work, get money for them or they tried to get me to do other things for them. You were the first people to treat me straight, but I was too dumb to see it. I thought it was just a new tactic, one I hadn't seen before. I couldn't believe you really just wanted to help me. I know that now and I'm really sorry for being as rotten as I was."

"Like I said before, Frankie, we all make mistakes and I truly believe that you've learned from yours," I offered, to ease his conscience. "I promise you I will do my best to get you back with us and I mean that sincerely."

He thanked me again, got out of the car and went up to his new house. He stopped and waved at me before he went inside, but once he did, I reluctantly drove away. I almost felt bad that I was leaving him behind, since I felt I had just witnessed a miraculous transformation.

When I got home, some of the boys had questions to ask me, mostly about Frankie and where we were going to put him, now that Kevin wanted the last spare room for himself. I told them if Frankie was allowed to rejoin us, which wasn't definite yet, we'd turn the upstairs office into a small bedroom for him and we'd move a single bed in there for him. I'd have the phone lines moved to the recreation room and we'd move the computers down there for now. Everyone liked the idea, so that's exactly what I planned on doing. I spent the rest of the evening talking to each of the boys, making sure everyone was ready for the first day of school tomorrow. I reached Kevin and Nick last, since Nick was busy talking to Kevin again about who knows what.

"Dad," Kevin said as I came up to them, "Nick came up with another idea about how to solve this problem. He said that he would like to share a bedroom with me and Dustin could move in with Pat. Pat's already agreed to it too, and that way he and Dustin will be able to talk about their girlfriends whenever they want."

I wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or serious. "Is this what you really want?" He nodded his head up and down. "In that case, has anyone talked to Dustin about this?"

"Pat's downstairs now, asking Dustin if it's all right with him," Nick told me.

"Well, if everyone agrees to it, then I have no problem with your suggestion." We finished talking about the situation and then I asked them about the things I needed to know, concerning their preparations for school. Just as we were finishing up, Dustin came up and asked if he could speak to Kevin alone. I told him I was done and the two of them could talk if they wanted. They went back to their old room together, to iron some of their problems out.

"Kevin," Dustin began once they were alone, "Pat's told me what you want and I'll do it for you, but I wanted to talk to you about it before we did it. I'm sorry if I hurt you, because that's the last thing in the world I ever wanted to do to you. I still love you, it's just that now I love you more like a brother, but you'll always be very special to me. I hope you don't hate me because of this."

"I don't think I could ever hate you, Dusty," Kevin assured him. It's just that it hurts being so close to you all the time, knowing we don't feel the same way about each other any more. I do still love you and I guess I always will, but Dad's made me realize that I can't change your attraction to girls anymore than I can change my feelings about boys. I really thought we'd be together forever and it's just hard to know that won't be the way it is."

"We will be together forever, but as brothers, not lovers. I will always remember all of our great times together and you will still mean more to me than any other guy, but I just realized that I wouldn't be happy living like that. I think I really want to marry when I'm a little older and have children of my own. I just hope that my children will love their Uncle Kevin as much as I do."

The tears started streaming down Kevin's face and he hugged Dustin and told him he loved him again. He also told Dustin he would work hard at accepting this and try to be nice to whatever girlfriends he might have. He also said he hoped that Dustin understood why he was doing this. It wasn't because he didn't love him any longer – it was because he loved him too much. Dustin told him he understood and the boys helped each other move their things between the two rooms. By bedtime, everyone was where he was now going to be and the house started quieting down again.

That night, Nick didn't make any moves on Kevin, knowing he was too vulnerable just yet, but he did spend the entire night holding Kevin and reassuring him that everything would be all right. They did a little affectionate kissing, nothing sexual, and Kevin slowly began to bond with his new roommate. I wasn't sure where this might lead, but Nick seemed to have arrived at just the right time.

I spent the evening pondering the school year, not from just the viewpoint of a principal, but also thinking about what this year might mean to the family. What changes were ahead of us? What problems and accomplishments would we share? What things would change and which ones would stay the same? What would this family be like by the end of the school year and would we still be here together, or would there be fewer or more of us? Much had happened to us over the past year and even more since we first started to come together as a family. What other things were in store for us and would we experience problems in the future that we couldn't handle? Only time would tell, but I had a feeling this was just the beginning of another interesting period of our lives.

The End of Book Three of Castaway Hotel