Bill W

Castaway Hotel VIII

Chapters 19-27

Chapter 19
A Very Unusual Easter

When our guests began to arrive, I tried to discretely inform them about Jesse, so they wouldn't be surprised. I also wanted to apprise them of his condition, so they wouldn't embarrass themselves by expecting him to answer their queries. They all confirmed they understood the situation, so I spent time with Sally, so I could give her the details about what I knew, up to this point. She was very interested and wanted to look everything over, including the paperwork.

After doing this, she said the documents appeared to be legal and binding, so I was now officially Jesse's guardian. Therefore, it was entirely up to me how we would proceed with him from this point on. 'Fine,' I thought, 'now I'll be the only ogre, if I decide it would be best for Jesse if I didn't keep him here.'

Steve and Mary Shay weren't with us today, because they were visiting other family members, but John and Margaret Spence were here and they had brought Arlene with them. Mark's mother, Susan, was also present and I introduced everyone to Duck. All of them already knew about his role in rescuing Vinnie, so they all warmed up to him quite quickly. Arlene was having a fairly good day and recognized her son immediately.

"Richard, come over here and give your mother a kiss and a hug," she told him, which caused him to smile. He always felt better when his mother was in one of her more lucid states.

After they finished embracing, she quickly dimmed his high hopes for the day with her next statement. "Richard, who are all these other people?" she asked.

This let him know it wasn't going to be a perfect afternoon and he raised his eyebrows in response. A few seconds later, he hugged her again and then answered her question.

"They are all good friends, Mom, and they're going to make sure we have a nice Easter together." She seemed to accept his statement at face value and didn't go into it further, which sent a wave of relief through Little Ricky.

We had a lovely dinner together, but I kept my eye on Jesse, while he ate at the other table. I could see Andrew correcting his table manners from time to time, before someone else could say something to Jesse about his crude eating habits. Andrew was trying to protect him from any unwanted attention and was teaching him to do things correctly. I must admit Andrew was doing an admirable job of it too. I assumed Jesse either wasn't allowed to eat with his family when he lived at home or they had no rules regarding table etiquette, but either way, he was way behind in most of his basic dining skills.

We all made it through the dinner, which included some interesting conversation, and Duck got to meet a few more of the other important people in our lives. All in all, it was a huge success.

After dinner, we all decided to go out for a walk, since it was such a lovely afternoon. We just strolled around our property and checked out some of the damage the winter storms had done, but we also observed how nice the early spring weather was. It had already caused some of the flowers to bloom and the leaves to begin budding on the trees.

This impromptu tour also provided us a chance to show Duck and Jesse around the rest of our property and gave them a better idea about where we lived. Now, they knew more than just what the inside of our house looked like. Andrew even pointed out the tree house to Jesse and told him they'd go there some other time, so he could check it out. By the time we got back to the house, John and Margaret Spence informed us they had to be heading home, since Arlene was starting to slip into one of her cantankerous periods. After Little Ricky kissed and hugged his mother good-bye, the rest of us bid all three of our guests farewell and then watched them leave. However, once they had departed, some of the others decided it was time to call it a day as well.

Over the next half hour, we said so long to Sally and Susan, before Duck announced he was leaving too.

"Man, I really hate to go," he told us. "I've had such a great time, but I do have to get back home. I have laundry and other stuff to do to get ready for work tomorrow. I just hope you'll invite me to come here again sometime, because I really enjoyed my stay."

"Duck, you're a part of this family now," I advised him, "so you can come back any time you wish. You don't need to wait to be invited. As far as we're concerned," I announced, while motioning toward the rest of the family, "you're part of this nutty group and condemned to spend as much time with us as you can stand."

This brought another smile to Duck's face, and then the boys added their own two cents worth on the topic. I could tell Duck understood the full impact of our message, so I knew we'd be seeing him over and over again.

"Great!" he responded. "I'll keep in touch then and will let you know when I can come again."

"And don't forget to call me when you get home," I reminded him, "no matter how late that is."

He agreed, so we walked him out to his vehicle, where we said a final good-bye. We all stood and waved, as he drove down the street.

Once we were back inside, we cleaned up the house and put it back in order, before going to the family room to spend the rest of the evening. After an hour or so, I could see Jesse was beginning to get tired, but he was also fighting to stay awake.

"Jesse, why don't you and Andrew turn in now?" I suggested. "Tomorrow I'll take you shopping, but I think you'll need a good night's sleep before we do that." Reluctantly, he agreed and the two of them made their way to the guest bedroom.

About a half hour later, Andrew returned, but Jesse wasn't with him. I was curious as to what was up, but I figured I'd find out soon enough and I was right. "Daddy, you're going to let Jesse live here with us, aren't you?" he asked, in his little whiney, pleading voice.

"I still have to do some more thinking on that subject, Andrew. I haven't made any definite decision yet," I advised him.

"But you've got to," he begged. "He's my friend now and I want him to be my brother too."

"That's sweet," I told him, "but there are a lot of things you don't know."

"I know he can't talk and needs our help," he said innocently, and now some of the others were edging closer, to listen in on what was being said.

"Yeah, Dad," Danny interjected, "you've never turned down helping anyone before."

"I didn't say I wouldn't help him," I countered. "I'm just not sure if helping him would be best accomplished by having him stay here."

"What could be better than that?" Kevin wondered, although I wasn't quite sure if he had said this tongue-in-cheek.

"Guys, he's a lot younger than all of you, three years younger than Andrew, and with all of his problems, I'm not sure we could do him justice."

"He'd do better here than anywhere else," Vinnie interjected.

"He sure would," Little Ricky seconded. "I wasn't sure how I'd make out after my dad died, with my mom's problem and all, but this place has been great. He couldn't do better than this." The other boys chimed in their agreement.

"Guys, I appreciate your vote of confidence, but Jesse is quite young, and I'm no spring chicken any longer. I'm also worried about not being around for him the whole time." I didn't mean to put it so dramatically, but they had to know my main consideration.

"Pop," Brandon chimed in, "nothing's going to happen to you, but if it does, Danny and I will help out. We planned on coming back here after we graduated anyway, to help you take care of even more boys, so we'll just start by helping you with Jesse." Brandon looked over at Danny and got his nod of agreement, so I knew they were serious about their offer.

"That's super," I conceded, "but you both have several more years of school ahead of you first."

"We know that," Danny agreed, "but we'll be home to help for vacations and summers, in the meantime."

"And I can take care of him too, Daddy," Andrew chirped. "I did it today, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, and I thank you for that," I advised him, "but there is much more involved than just getting him bathed, dressed and fed," I added.

"But the rest of us will help too," Dustin offered. "Hell, we owe you that much, and not just you, Dad. We also owe it to any other kids who could use the same type of love and support we've gotten from you over the years."

I was touched by his comment and Jake put his arm around me at that point. He did it to let me know he agreed with Dustin's statement and to show me I had his support as well.

"And I will help too, Pop," Mark added, which really surprised me. "I would feel honored to be a big brother to someone like Jesse. I think it would be awesome to have a little brother and be able to help take care of him."

"Thanks, Mark, and I thank all of you for your offers of support," I told them. "I was going to talk to Sally about getting him a place at the farm, but if you all feel that strongly about it, then I'll consider it further, before I make my final decision. I think I'd still like to take him out to the farm and let him look around, to see if he'd like that better. Besides, I wanted to check on their progress anyway and I know Little Ricky wants to see what's happened to his old home, as well." I looked up and saw Little Ricky nodding his head.

"Dad," Ricky piped in, "it wouldn't be the same on the farm. The boys out there wouldn't love him and protect him like we would here and I think Jesse's really going to need that. Sure, I might pull some jokes on you guys from time to time, but I only do that because I love all of you."

"Can I be taken off that list then?" Pat joked back, which caused Ricky to feign a hurt expression on his face.

"Guys, I get your point and you've given me a lot more to consider before I make this decision, but I will need more time to think it over," I confessed. "After the things you've mentioned, I'm leaning more toward his staying here than I was before, but it's still not definite. I'll let you know when I make up my mind for sure."

"Don't worry, guys," Jake added. "I know your dad and I'd be willing to bet Jesse will end up here, with us."

Hearing this, I shot Jake a dirty look, because I felt he was putting me on the spot and committing me to something before I was ready. He was probably right, but I just wanted to think it over a little more. However, this news sent Andrew rocketing off the couch, like a missile shooting skyward. Then, he began doing a little dance, which made his brothers laugh and tease him. I still wasn't sure if I wanted to accept this much more responsibility, but with their offers of support, I was beginning to think, 'how can I say no?' I guess maybe our family has just grown by one.

Jake and I spent some time alone after that and made a shopping list of the things Jesse would need. I had Andrew go back to the bedroom and record the sizes on the clothes Jesse wore earlier, the ones Andrew had loaned him, so I'd have a starting point to work from. I also advised Andrew that Jesse wasn't going to be involved in anything sexual until he was at least thirteen.
"He isn't really that small down there," Andrew let me know, "but you're right. I had to wait until I was older and he should too, but I did start before I turned thirteen." Andrew looked hopefully in my direction, after giving me something more to think about.

"Then you boys didn't do anything earlier?" I asked, just to be certain.

"No, I just turned the shower on for him, but he washed himself. I sat on the toilet and waited for him, until he was done." I was glad to hear that.

"Okay, but I can also see he's forming a special attachment to you," I informed Andrew, which drew a grin, "so I'm going to rely on you the most, at least to start. This probably won't be easy, with him not talking and all, but I'll also make sure the school psychologist evaluates Jesse immediately. We need to find out if there are any types of programs or treatments he might benefit from."

That seemed to end the discussion for tonight, but it didn't end my doubts as to whether I was doing the right thing. Yes, I agreed with the boys that we could help Jesse, and maybe even more than anyplace else, so with their help, I think I had just committed us to do that. However, I also wondered how much longer I could keep this up and be able to be there for all of my boys. If Jake wasn't here too, I probably wouldn't have agreed to do this, but his support had been essential and eased some of my concerns.

The next day, Jake and I took Jesse to pick out a whole new wardrobe, as well as a few school supplies and other essentials. I had decided, for now, he could use some of his old clothes for play, so we wouldn't need to buy him those items too. We also let Andrew join us, to make it a little easier on Jesse. When we first arrived at the department store, Jesse had a tough time getting involved in the process. He seemed scared to offer his opinion or tell us what he liked, but he also seemed extremely concerned about how much everything cost. After several attempts to convince him this was all right, I let Andrew take him aside, so he could speak with him alone.

"Dad has done this for each of us, when we first came to live with him," Andrew told him, "and he really wants to do this for you too. It's okay and you don't have to be scared."

Jesse didn't seem totally convinced and Andrew was momentarily confused. After thinking about this some more, Andrew thought he might know why.

"Don't worry, Dad doesn't expect anything in return," he added, which brought a look of relief to Jesse's face.

Maybe that was the problem between Jesse and his stepfather, I thought later, after Andrew explained to me what had been said. Maybe his stepfather expected favors in return, which Jesse wouldn't agree too. It was possible I was reading this wrong, but then again, maybe I wasn't.

Once this had been settled, the boys had a great time picking out the various items for Jesse and it appeared the poor kid had never been allowed to help in choosing his own things before. He was like a kid in a candy store; with so many choices he didn't know what to do or where to go next. Andrew pretty much took care of that for him and led him around, from item to item.

It was cute watching Jesse try on so many different outfits, but we let him decide what he liked and wanted. When it came time to select underwear, we asked Jesse what type he'd prefer and he just shrugged his shoulders. Then, Jesse motioned to Andrew, indicating he wanted to know what Andrew wore and liked best. It didn't take long for Andrew to let Jesse know that he usually wore briefs. That was also what Jesse had arrived with in his suitcase, so after getting Andrew's confirmation that those were okay, Jesse decided to stick with them.

Once we finished selecting his clothing, we moved to the shoe department, where we picked out a pair of athletic shoes and a pair of loafers, for dress. Jesse was amazed by this too. I guess the ratty old pair he'd been wearing when he first arrived had been something he'd owned for a couple of years as well. After finishing with the shoes, we went to get him a comb, a brush and a toothbrush, before we picked up a bottle of vitamins for him. I also made a mental note to set appointments for him to receive a physical and have eye and dental exams. Damn, I forgot there was so much to do for a new kid.

Once we arrived back home, Andrew made sure Jesse modeled all his new outfits for Jake and me, as well as for any of the other boys that happened to be around. At first, Jesse was a little uncomfortable showing off like this, but with a little coaching and coaxing from his young mentor, he was soon posing and spinning around, to give us the full effect. It was very cute, but it was also nice to see him loosening up. Jesse even seemed to be getting a kick out of being the center of attention. I wasn't sure he'd have done this without Andrew's help and encouragement, but whatever it took, I was glad to see it happen.

I let the older boys to do things with Jesse for the rest of the day, feeling he might begin to relax even more, once he got to know them all better. However, Andrew's transformation was even more amazing. Out of all of the offers to help with Jesse, Andrew was taking it the most seriously and was taking over as a little father to our newest family member. Andrew would tell the other boys if they were being too rough with Jesse and would let them know if he thought Jesse wasn't ready to do something yet. Here was the boy who'd been complaining he was a baby, yet now he was taking charge of a difficult situation.

This development tossed another variable into my decision-making equation, as to whether or not I was going to keep Jesse with us. Not only might this be better for Jesse, but it might also help Andrew. He would no longer be the baby of our brood and would have a new role, as big brother and father figure. That alone might possibly keep Andrew from dwelling on all of the other nonsense, concerning his delayed entrance into puberty.

Yes, Jesse's sudden appearance at our home might have been a blessing from God. Not only could we help him, but he might be able to help us too. He's already helped Andrew feel more grown up and caused Danny and Brandon to verbalize their commitment to come back and help me take in more boys, once they'd graduated from college. Jesse also made the other boys aware of what they could do to help and even gave Mark a chance to become more involved with the family. Yes, God does work in strange and mysterious ways, so maybe this is one of them.

Chapter 20
Just Desserts

It was late Monday afternoon and we still had not taken the college boys back yet. I had decided to let them stay home one more day, so they and Jesse could get to know each other better and it seemed to be going well. However, it was getting to the point where they needed to return to their campuses, but Jake and I were both too exhausted to think about making the long drive. Out of necessity, I had an idea. I went to discuss it with Dustin and Jake.

"I know you are both wondering what this is about," I began, "so I'll get right to the point. To save Jake and me from making those long trips tonight, I'm going to let you take the Suburban and drive your brothers back, if you don't mind," I stated, while looking directly at Dustin. "We'll buy another vehicle during the week, but we can survive with the van, Grand Am and 4Runner for now. What do you say, would you be willing to do that for us?"

"You're going to let me keep the Suburban on campus?" he asked, amazed.

"Yes, until you come home at the end of the semester." He had this huge grin on his face.

"Thanks, Dad. This is going to be awesome," he replied.

"Just don't abuse the privilege," I warned him.

"I won't," he stated, to reassure me.

"I know it will probably be a little cramped this time, but we'll correct that situation before next year. When you boys come home for the summer, you can rent a trailer to haul behind the Suburban, so you can carry your other belongings in there. Just drive carefully. Does that work for you?"

"Oh, yeah," he responded, flashing me a toothy grin.

"Before you go, I have something else to discuss with you," I added, which caused Dustin to flash me a puzzled look. "It' nothing bad. It's just about your birthday. Since you'll be twenty-one this year, I wanted to do something special for you, so I've had my lawyer arrange it so you now have complete access to the account I'd set up in your name. That money is now yours, to do with as you please, but don't forget it's to cover the rest of your college expenses too. I hope you are as responsible with it, as you have been with everything else."

"Jeez, Dad, that's awfully nice of you," Dustin replied. "I know that even after paying for college, there will still be quite a bit of money in the account, but don't worry, I won't blow it. Thanks, Dad. I really wasn't expecting you to do this, but I will not spend the money foolishly."

"I was sure you wouldn't," I agreed, "so Happy Birthday." I then gave him a hug, to show him how much he was loved.

"Okay, now I want you to go explain everything to your brothers about you taking them back and then get on your way. I know this is a lot to ask of you, and it will be a long trip, but I will make up a driving route for you to follow, while you are loading up the Suburban. I'll set it up so you can drop everyone off in one big loop, to make the trip as short and easy for you as possible."

"Thanks, Dad, but don't worry about it. I don't have any classes until 11:00 on Tuesdays, so I'll still be able to get enough rest after I get back. Besides, it will be worth it, just to have a vehicle around," he added.

Dustin left and went back upstairs, but before long I heard a scream and shouts coming from up there. I wasn't sure what it was all about, so I figured I'd better go up and investigate. When I reached the top landing, I saw Dustin carrying a struggling Andrew toward me.

"Okay, what's going on here," I asked.

"I found out who's been playing all those jokes on everyone," Dustin announced, with everyone staring at Andrew. "I got back to my room and he was messing with my suitcase. I think he was trying to put a couple of water balloons in with my clothes, so they'd break and everything would get wet, before I had a chance to unpack."

"Okay, you've caught him, and now you know who's been pulling all those pranks. I guess that should end them for now," I concurred.

"It will, after we punish him for everything he's done," Dustin announced, which brought a panicked look to Andrew's face.

"What are you planning to do, Dustin?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know the answer to my question, but I couldn't let him get carried away either.

"You'll see," he said smugly. "Some of us have been talking about what we'd do to whomever had been playing all of these jokes on us, so we have an idea what needs to be done," he informed me, and now some of the others moved into position to assist him. While Dustin held Andrew about the chest, the others began to undress him, first removing his jeans and underwear. This troubled Jesse and he clung to me, so I had to reassure him that Andrew was all right.

"Don't worry, Jesse. They aren't going to really hurt Andrew," I explained. "They're just going to pay him back for all the jokes he's played on them." Jesse was shaking his head and tugging on his own shirt.

"Oh, you're worried about them undressing Andrew?" I asked and got a nod in reply. "Don't worry, the boys see each other naked all the time and that won't bother Andrew at all."

Jesse looked startled, but he did seem to relax a little, while the rest of Andrew's clothes were removed. He was looking at Andrew and gawking now, and then Jesse tapped my arm and pointed at Andrew's groin. At first I wasn't sure why, but then it dawned on me.

"Oh, you're wondering about Andrew's penis, aren't you?" I stated, which drew an immediate nod from Jesse. "Andrew isn't circumcised, but I'd guess you are, from your reaction, but we'll explain that to you later, if you want." He nodded his head again, and then we turned to see what the boys were going to do to Andrew.

"First," Dustin announced, "I think we need to 'flush' all of those terrible ideas out of Andrew's head."

I had a feeling from the way he worded it that I knew what was coming next. Anticipating Jesse's reaction, I did the best I could just to keep him calm. I knew the boys would never do anything to harm their little brother and only wanted to make him regret having challenged them as he did.

While I was trying to reassure Jesse that Andrew would be fine, the boys carried Andrew into the upstairs bathroom. Dustin held him upside down by one of his legs and Pat had a hold of the other, while Ricky and Cole each had a grasp on one of Andrew's arms. My little jokester was dangled precariously above the toilet bowl now, waiting for what would happen next. Slowly, he was lowered downward, with his head easing past the porcelain rim and dropping toward the water. Andrew began to apologize and plead with his brothers. He told them he was sorry and he'd never do those things again, but the others were unmoved.

Watching Andrew's plight, Jesse grabbed my arm even tighter, so I bent over and assured him that Andrew would be just fine. I told him the boys were only having fun with him and no one was going to get hurt.

The boys continued to lower Andrew, until the top of his head was in the water, just about up to his eyebrows. That's when one of them reached over and pushed down the lever to flush the toilet, in a symbolic gesture of flushing all the wicked thoughts from Andrew's mind. When the bowl began to refill, they lifted Andrew out, and someone grabbed a towel and dried his head for him.

I wondered if that was all they were going to do to him, but quickly discovered it wasn't. After Andrew's hair had been dried, they carried him back to his room and tied him spread-eagle to his bed. I was worried about what they had planned for him next, but I did trust they wouldn't do anything I'd object to, so I stood back and watched. Soon, Dion walked into the bedroom carrying two large jars of jelly. He kept one and gave the other to Danny. Before long, the two boys started smearing the jelly on Andrew's body, which caused him to squirm and scream in reaction to the cold. I quickly surmised those two jars had come from the refrigerator, not the pantry.

The older boys rubbed some on Andrew's neck, armpits, chest, stomach, genitals and on the souls of his feet, and then various boys moved into position, so they could lick this sweet substance off those sensitive areas.

Jesse's eyes were as large as saucers, as he watched what they were doing to his protector, but I held him back and kept him from getting involved. As the older boys began to lick the jelly off of Andrew, Andrew began to writhe and giggle, because they had made sure they had put the jelly on his most ticklish areas. Andrew was laughing so loudly and so hysterically that it was becoming contagious, and soon some of the others, who were standing around watching, were beginning to laugh too, including Jesse and me.

Suddenly Jesse started pointing at Andrew and then at himself, and I understood what he was asking me. "Boys, I think Jesse would like to do that to Andrew too," I advised them, and quickly got a vigorous nod of agreement from Jesse. It was obvious Jesse had concluded Andrew wasn't being harmed in any way and wanted to be part of the action.

"Sure, come over here, Little Bro," Dustin offered, while taking one of the jars of jelly and smearing more of it on Andrew's tummy. "You can lick the jelly off him here."

Jesse jumped into the act with great relish and flicked his tongue out. He was soon lapping up the sweet coating, but I could tell he was wiggling his tongue around more than was necessary, as he tried to make it tickle Andrew as well. Most of the other boys had stopped what they were doing momentarily, to watch Jesse's initiation into the family. They cheered him on and egged him to do more and more. Finally, they couldn't resist completing their own little revenge, so they went back to what they were doing and renewed their licking of all of Andrew's various body parts. This sent him into even greater fits of laughter and Jesse nearly fell off the bed, because he was laughing so hard too.

After several more minutes of this torture, I finally called a halt to it, thinking Andrew had endured about all he could tolerate. After his brothers made a few more comments and warned him that future pranks would draw a similar retribution, they untied Andrew, and I sent him off to the shower to clean up. I wasn't surprised to see Jesse following him like a loyal puppy and Andrew noticed this to. That's when Andrew turned to look at me.

"Daddy, would it be okay if Jesse took a shower with me?" he asked.

"I think you should ask Jesse that question first," I advised him, "to see if he's even interested." Jesse's head was jerking up and down so quickly and so hard, I thought he might snap his neck, if I didn't give my approval. "Okay, but no horseplay," I warned them

"We won't, daddy," Andrew assured me, before turning toward his sidekick. "Come on, Jesse. This is going to be fun." I watched the two boys disappear into the bathroom, the one Andrew had just had his prankster's baptism in, and they shut the door. As soon as we heard the water running, Cole made an observation.

"Dad, you didn't seem surprised to learn that Andrew had been doing these things, when you come up here. Did you know it already?" Damn, I'd been caught. Now, I had to get out of this gracefully.

"Ah, well, I did catch him doing something a while back," I admitted.

"You knew and didn't tell us," Ricky stated, astonished.

"Well, I never told on you either," I reminded him, "and besides, you boys are all old enough that I don't have to do EVERYTHING for you." I received some nasty looks and comments from them, after I said that.

"Were you just protecting your baby?" Brandon wanted to know.

"Well, I think he's proven he's not a baby," I pointed out, "and I didn't protect him any more than I have any of you." They all thought about that for a few seconds and apparently agreed it was true, because no one said any more about it for the rest of the evening.

"Well, I was surprised to see Jesse get into the act already," Trey admitted. "I guess he's starting to feel like part of the family."

"I don't think he'd have done it, if it was anyone other than Andrew," I corrected him. "Those two have really bonded, and I think it was more about WHO it was being done to, than WHAT was being done." The boys finally agreed with my observation, but Little Ricky had one more comment to add.

"That's still a good sign, Pop, 'cuz it's hard to feel comfortable and do things like he did, when you don't feel like you fit in or belong. I think he feels good about being here and that's why you can't send him away to the farm now. You have to let him stay here with us." I looked at him thoughtfully.

"You know, you're probably right," I told him. "I think I have made up my mind to keep him now. I believe he and Andrew will be good for each other."

After chiming in their agreement and thanking me for deciding to keep Jesse with us, the bathroom door opened and the two boys came walking out stark naked, carrying Jesse's clothes. I was startled to see Jesse do this, because if he'd been abused, he would most likely be very shy about exhibiting his body this way, but he seemed to be fine with it. I don't think it was only because he saw Andrew naked earlier, or because I told him the boys often see each other naked either. I'd be willing to bet Andrew had something to do with this, which meant he probably filled Jesse in about a bunch of things while they were cleaning up.

I also got to see what Andrew meant about Jesse not being little down there. Jesse definitely had a pre-pubescent circumcised penis, but it appeared to be quite a bit longer than was the norm for a boy his age. I got a kick watching how it flopped back and forth as he walked and it reminded me of how Dion's penis swung back and forth when he moved about naked too. Who knows, maybe Jesse is going to end up being as blessed as Dion is in that department.

"Hey, little bro," I heard Pat say, which caused both boys to look up. "Did you have fun doing that to Andrew?" I think Jesse was surprised that Pat had called him 'little bro' and he just stood there, not responding. Sammy must have picked up on this too, as I judged by his next comment.

"You are going to be our brother now," Sammy advised him, while looking at Andrew and smiling in his direction, "so you'd better get used to hearing that. So, did you like licking the jelly off Andrew?" Jesse's head began to bob up and down again.

"Great!" Vinnie told him. "Just remember, that's the kind of thing that will happen to you too, if you listen to Andrew and start doing things like he does." This brought a big grin to Jesse's face, now that he knew the others were accepting him as an equal. I think he felt good that he didn't have to feel like an outsider any longer, as if a day is a long time to be an outsider.

"Come on, Jesse," Andrew interjected. "I'll grab my clothes and we'll go down to our room. I don't want to be around these bullies any longer," he teased, which caused Graham to give Andrew's butt cheek a swat. The sting of Graham's hand on his cute little derriere made Andrew jump and turn to see who had done that to him.

"That's for the prank you played on me," Graham admonished him, "and we aren't bullies. It's just that you eventually get paid back for what you do."

Faking hurt feelings, Andrew led Jesse down the stairs and slowly everyone began to filter back to their own rooms, to finish what they had been up to earlier. The college boys had to hustle and get on the road, because it was starting to get late, and when they came downstairs, Jake addressed the group.

"Look, I'll drive the van and take the guys to Philly and the colleges near there. It's too late tonight for Dustin to try to take all of you."

"Are you sure?" I asked him. "You won't get back until after midnight if you do that, and you have to work tomorrow."

"I'll be fine," he advised me. "I'll get five hours sleep minimum, and that's enough for me." I looked at him carefully, to see if he was telling me the truth, and he grinned.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing," he assured me. I just shrugged my shoulders in response, knowing I had to trust his judgment.

Before all the college guys were ready, Nick and Shannon came up to Jake and me and asked to speak with us privately. We agreed, took them to the living room and shut the door behind us.

"What's up?" I asked, to get things started.

"I just wanted to let you both know that I've been keeping my promise and Shannon and I haven't had any sex – at all. I brought Shannon to back me up, just in case you didn't believe what I said," he added, while scanning our faces.

Jake happened to look up at Shannon at that instant and Shannon merely nodded his head to confirm what Nick had said. I don't think Jake meant to seek his confirmation, but after he received it, I could tell Jake felt bad that Nick thought we wouldn't have believed him on his own. The problem was, Jake wasn't sure what to do to correct his misconception.

Nick wasn't finished yet, so he continued. "Even though we haven't been having sex, it doesn't mean we haven't been spending lots of time together. I think I've learned to love Shannon in a whole new way." We weren't sure what he meant by that, but we didn't interrupt him and he continued.

"I've discovered there is more to a relationship than just sex and we've spent most of our time just hugging, kissing and being close. I know that in the past I've felt that the most important part was the sex and seeing how many guys' pants I could get into, but after the sex was over, I was usually left alone and the thrill of what happened faded fast. Now, it's different.

"Even though we can't have sex, we still spend all of our time together and I'm happier now than I think I've ever been. The funny thing is, not having sex doesn't seem to bother me as much as I thought it would. We do other things instead and just having Shannon here all the time is much more important now." Jake and I both looked at him and absorbed the impact of what he was telling us.

"What I'm saying is, you don't have to worry," Nick added. "I know I messed up in the past, but I won't do that again. I love Shannon too much and I don't want to risk losing him. When you tell us it's okay to be intimate again, I promise I'll never do anything with him without using protection."

I think his last statement left Jake and me speechless, at least momentarily. I even took this opportunity to look Nick over carefully, to make sure it wasn't someone else speaking. Finally, Jake found his tongue and responded.

"I won't say I misjudged you," he began, "because I don't think I did, but I may have been hasty in my assessment that you couldn't or wouldn't change. I know my son loves you, so I'll trust his heart, but I'll also trust your word that you will never do anything more to put either of you at risk or harm him in any other way."

This brought an ear-to-ear smile to Nick's face, because Jake was reaffirming his acceptance of Nick's relationship with Shannon. A few seconds later, the three of them were entangled in a huge embrace. Shannon started it by hugging his father, in appreciation for what he had said, but soon Shannon also signaled Nick to join them. When Nick got close enough, Shannon brought him into the embrace too and hugged both of his men tightly.

When Jake became aware that Nick was there as well, he wrapped his other arm around his 'son-in-law' and squeezed him as robustly as he was doing to his son. It was reminiscent of the scene I had witnessed earlier, so I was relieved and convinced they had buried the hatchet. I was also looking forward to their building a relationship of their own.

After we broke up our little meeting, Jake and Shannon headed out to the vehicles, because the others were all waiting for him there. The rest of us went out to say good-bye to the college crowd, and after they drove off, I told the remaining boys to settle in for the rest of the evening. They had school tomorrow and I wanted them rested and ready for their return.

Chapter 21
Fitting In

After I sent everyone to their rooms, I went into the guest room to see how Jesse was doing. He and Andrew were sitting naked on the bed, listening to some CD's.

"Is everything okay in here?" I asked and received an immediate nod in reply from Jesse.

"Do you think you want to stay here and live with us?" I followed up, which caused his face to light up and a big smile to spread across his lips. This time, he nodded even harder.

I saw Andrew looking at me, expectantly, as he wondered if I was going to tell Jesse what he wanted to hear.

"Well, I guess you'd better start considering this your home and us your family then," I informed Jesse.

This caused Andrew to leap to his feet, stand on the bed, and walk toward the edge of the mattress. He reached out and pulled me toward the bed, so he could wrap his arms around my neck. He also gave me a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, daddy. I love you so much!" he exclaimed.

While Andrew had been doing this, Jesse must have taken the opportunity to stand up on the bed too, and now I felt another pair of arms wrapping around me and another rather wet smooch being applied to my other cheek. This touched me deeply.

"Before you two go to sleep, I think there's another matter we need to clear up," I announced and both of them looked at me puzzled.

"Jesse was confused by the difference in your penises, so I thought we should explain it to him," I continued. Andrew looked at me and smiled.

"You see, Jesse, when you were born, your penis looked much the same as Andrew's," I explained. "However, you parents decided to have the excess skin removed, so it looks like it does now." Jesse looked puzzled, so I turned toward Andrew.

"Would you please pull back your foreskin, to show Jesse what I mean?" I followed.

Andrew quickly did as I requested and Jesse's eyes opened as wide as saucers we he saw the transformation. Suddenly, he was using his hands to motion Andrew that he wanted to see it again. After Andrew did this a few more times, Jesse's face broke into a smile and then he stood up and hugged me again, before he bent down and hugged Andrew. I guess his curiosity had been sated and he had enjoyed the lesson.

At this point, I informed both boys it was time to sleep. I asked them if they wanted to put on a pair of briefs, pajamas or sleep as they were. Andrew looked at Jesse and he motioned he was okay sleeping as they were, so I gave them both a hug, tucked them into bed and gave them each a kiss on the forehead, before I left their room. On my way out I thought, 'This is going to be quite a pair.'

The rest of the night was quiet, since many of the boys and Jake were on the way back to their campuses. This gave me time to reflect upon the past few days. A lot had happened and it didn't revolve around Jesse showing up either. The first of these instances came about when Nick's test results came back, followed by Shannon and Jake's reactions to finding out what they were.

Duck had come to visit over the holiday and appeared to fit in quite well. We tried to make him feel as if he was part of the clan and he warmed up very rapidly to being included. He got along well with not only Mark, but enjoyed being with the other boys as well, plus he was a big hit with the extended family. All in all, I'd say it was a very positive visit.

During this same period of time, Andrew finally got caught pulling one of his little stunts and received his comeuppance for it. Although the boys weren't really upset with him, they made their point and I'm sure Andrew will cool it, at least for a while.

This was followed by all the work the high school boys had done so far, so they could start a gay-straight alliance at school. From what I understood, they're going to start circulating petitions, because they want to get as many signatures as they could before they made their proposal to the principal the following week. They will set an appointment with his secretary tomorrow, so they'll be ready to pitch their idea, just as soon as they reach their target number of signatures.

Now, getting back to Jesse, we had made a lot of progress in just the two days he's been here, but there was still soooo much more work ahead of us. He may seem happy and it appears as though he's bonded with Andrew, but I'm sure there is still a great deal of unresolved issues bubbling below the surface. Actually, I'm wondering when any of those will start to surface and come into play.

This poor kid has been through a lot. He saw his father murdered, was emotionally abused by his stepfather, abandoned by his mother and left with a group of strangers. Although I do think his mother did a fairly good job in preparing him about coming to live with us, I'm not sure exactly what she told him or how she did it. However, I do attribute his rapid adjustment into our home with what she had done before she left him here, so I do owe her for that. Maybe someday I'll be able to thank her in person and discover what she said or did to get him ready for such an abrupt departure.

After tiring myself out mentally, I decided to go to bed fairly early that evening. I was also physically drained, because it had been a long weekend, with a great deal of activity. Since Jake was gone too, there was nothing else to do, so I slept soundly until I felt Jake getting into bed beside me, sometime later that evening.

"Oh, you're home," I mumbled, acknowledging his return.

"Yes, it wasn't that bad," he told me, although he sounded beat.

"Well, get to sleep," I advised him, "and you can tell me all about it sometime tomorrow." He cuddled up against me and soon we both dozed off.

The next morning I got everyone up and ready for school. Jake left early, as he had a big run to make, and I had to take Jesse over to the elementary school, so I could enroll him. As I thought about it, this would be my first son in the elementary school since Andrew had spent a brief time there. Most of the other boys had at least been in the middle school, my old school, when they came to live with me, so this was a rarity.

After dropping Andrew off, I took Jesse with me to the elementary school. As we got out of the van, he ran over to where I was and worked his hand in to mine. I guess he felt a little intimidated at this point, so I smiled and tried to reassure him. He seemed to relax a bit after that, but he was still quite tense as I led him to the main office. The secretary greeted me at once.

"Good morning, Mr. Currie. We didn't expect you to visit today," she stated, looking a little bewildered.

"Oh, this is for personal business, not official," I replied, which only added to her confusion. Therefore, I felt I'd better explain.

"I've picked up a new son over the vacation and I need to enroll him. This is Jesse," I told her, while positioning Jesse so she could see him.
"Well, hello, Jesse," she greeted him, "and welcome to our school. What grade are you in?"

"He's in fourth grade," I quickly told her, "but there's a little problem. Jesse doesn't speak. Hopefully, he will soon, but a traumatic event from his past has left him speechless." I knew this was a little cryptic and evasive, but I didn't think she needed to hear all of his history now and I didn't want to cause Jesse any embarrassment by going into detail.

"I understand," she said, soothingly, although I knew she really didn't. It was nice of her to say that, however, and I realized she was doing it more for Jesse's benefit, than anything else. Therefore, I would give her that much credit.

"Is your boss in his office?" I followed, in an attempt to discover if the principal was there or somewhere else.
"No, Mr. Currie. He's out walking around the school, greeting the children and making sure everything is running smoothly," she advised me.

"That's what I suspected," I countered. "Would you mind if I sat here with Jesse and waited for him? There are some things I would like to apprise him about, concerning this placement." I intentionally made this vague, hoping she got the message, but it would go over Jesse's head.

"That will be fine," she answered. "He shouldn't be gone for much longer."

Her assessment was right on the money and a few minutes later the principal walked through the door. A concerned look spread across his face when he noticed me sitting there and I'm sure he was worried he had forgotten a meeting or something was wrong.

"Calm down, Dave," I said, in a friendly tone, in an effort to let him know there was no problem. "I just have a new son, whom I need to enroll here." He appeared to start breathing again.

"Josh, congratulations. Another son, huh?" He chuckled.

"Oh, yes," I agreed, "but there are some things I need to discuss with you, concerning his placement," I continued. Dave raised his eyebrows slightly, before responding.

"Why don't you step into my office and we can continue this there." I nodded in response.

"Jesse, would you mind sitting here and waiting for me?" I asked him. I got a frightened, open-eyed glare in return.

"You'll be fine waiting here with Mrs. Smith and she will keep you company. All right?" Jesse looked at her and she nodded her head that everything would be okay, so he looked back at me and nodded his agreement. I thanked him and then followed the principal into his office.

"Dave, this is not going to be your typical placement," I warned him, once we were both seated. I handed him the folder with Jesse's school records in it and then continued. "As you'll see in there, he is an above average student and not a behavioral problem, but he doesn't talk. He witnessed his father being murdered, before he turned five, and he hasn't spoken since. He should be able to handle the fourth grade curriculum, but he'll need an understanding teacher and class that will be able to accept him for who he is and be able to adapt to his condition."

"I know just the classroom," Dave assured me. "I think you're well aware of Mrs. Robinson's credentials and she has an outstanding class this year. I think your newest son will do well in there."

"Thank you, Dave, and his name is Jesse," I added. "I'm arranging for him to have a complete physical, as well as eye and dental exams, but I'd also like for you to set up some testing for him with the district's psychologist. I want to see what the psychologist has to say about Jesse, so I'll have a little better understanding about what I'll have to deal with."

"Understood, Josh, and I'll make sure that gets done," Dave assured me.

I thanked him and went back out to talk to Jesse. I informed him the principal would take him to his new classroom and introduce him to his teacher. Jesse looked concerned, but I told him he'd do fine and I'd pick him up at the end of the day. He seemed to like that idea and I told him to wait in the office, until I came to get him. He nodded his understanding and then I watched as his principal led him down the hallway, to meet his new teacher and classmates.

When I reached my office, I checked in with my secretary, to see what was on my schedule for the day, and then got to work. Later, I gave her the names and phone numbers for the pediatrician, optometrist and dentist we used and asked her to set up appointments for Jesse with them, at their earliest possible convenience. Of course, she wanted to know who this boy was, so I filled her in about his sudden appearance and problems. She knew all of my boys and was very good to them, so I thought I owed her that much, and then she did as I requested. Later in the day, she handed me a slip of paper with the appointments listed on it and I thanked her for her help.

I went out to run some errands during my lunch hour and used that time to meet up with the gentleman I knew who owned the local car dealership. I explained to him about my predicament and the types of vehicles I was looking to purchase for my boys. Buying new vehicles would be too expensive, so I explained that I wanted used vehicles, which he quickly informed me were now referred to as 'pre-owned.' I also advised him the vehicles had to be in good shape and have low mileage. He said he would do some searching around and keep his eyes open for such vehicles. Once he found something I might be interested in, he'd call and let me know. I thanked him and went back to my office.

After school, I went around to pick up the boys. Generally there is just Andrew from the middle school, unless Sammy walks over to ride home with us, because he doesn't like to be the fifth person squeezed into the 4Runner. This time, however, I decided to pick Jesse up first. I didn't want him to have to wait around for me and I was curious to learn how he made out. He was sitting in the office, waiting for me, as I had asked him to do. He smiled when he saw me enter.

"Did you have a good day?" I asked. I received a positive response in return, even though it lacked enthusiasm.

"Do you like your teacher?" I followed up. This time I received a little stronger affirmative reply.

"Did you make any friends?" I continued. I hoped this would help me discover how he made out with his classmates. This time he gave me a non-committal shrug of the shoulders, in response. I wasn't quite sure how to interpret this, so I decided to delve into it more deeply.

"Did you have problems with anyone?" I followed. Jesse immediately shook his head, to make sure I understood that didn't happen. I then began to think that maybe it was too soon for anything to happen or possibly his classmates were still a little uncertain about how to approach him. After all, it was only his first day with them. I'd give them the rest of the week, before I checked in with his teacher, to see if she had picked up on anything.

We drove from there to the middle school and Jesse got very excited when he saw Andrew again. It was obvious these two were going to be tight, so I hoped Barry's joining us on our vacation didn't create problems between them. Damn, thinking of the vacation, I'll have to call and make sure I've enough reservations to include Jesse.

Once we got home, I sent the boys off to do their homework, while I started dinner. I hoped this would be a nice quiet evening and give all of us a chance to rest and unwind. Things hadn't been very calm for us lately, so I think we all needed to relax a bit.

Over the next week, I found out quite a bit more about Jesse's transition in to the local school district. Even though it went without incident, I wouldn't say it went smoothly. Although he was able to handle the work and adored his teacher, his new classmates didn't readily accept him into their midst. His inability to communicate with them kept some of his peers from approaching him; while others thought him odd or were concerned they might catch his condition. Whatever the reason, Jesse felt isolated and lonely at school and couldn't wait to get home each afternoon, so he could spend time with Andrew. I was glad he had that safety valve to comfort him.

The two were inseparable. From the minute they arrived home and until they went to bed, they were together. It was almost as if Andrew had a little shadow. Oh, there were some subtle differences between them, but nothing drastic. For example, once they finished taking their showers, Andrew would strut naked from the bathroom to their room, but Jesse would wrap a towel around his waist, before he made that same journey. I guess his first time with us, when he had emerged naked after exiting the upstairs bathroom, was an anomaly. He had just been caught up in the moment from seeing Andrew naked and followed his lead. However, since that time he has been much more modest.

The appointment for Jesse to receive a physical was scheduled at the end of the week, but the only time available was during the school day. Jesse indicated he wanted Andrew to go with us when he went and Andrew let me know that he wanted to be there too. However, I informed them it wouldn't be possible, seeing it would mean Andrew would have to miss classes to do so.

Andrew had already mentioned he had a test that day and I felt the test should take priority. I didn't want him to miss it or have to make it up later, for something so trivial. I didn't feel Jesse NEEDED Andrew there, just that he WANTED to have Andrew with him. Neither boy was happy about my decision, so they both argued with me, each in his own way.

They continued to try to get me to change my mind, and when I wouldn't, Jesse let me know how displeased he was by stomping out of the room. Seeing this, I was determined to show him that acting like a brat wouldn't get him his own way. It also made me determined not to give in to him now, no matter what else was said or done.

Surprisingly, I don't think the fact that I wasn't going to allow Andrew to go with us sunk in with Jesse, at least until I picked him up from school that day. When he saw I was the only one in the vehicle, he got the longest face I'd ever seen and began to pout. I really felt he expected me to relent at the last second, so he would find Andrew in the van, ready to go with us. Instead, he got his first lesson in reality.

We made our way to the doctor's office, but I didn't say much to him along the way. I left it up to Jesse to let me know how much he still wanted to do with me. After parking the van, he walked beside me into the waiting room, stood at my side as I announced our arrival, but then he went over to check out the toys, while I took a seat. When his name was called, I stayed put, while he walked toward the nurse. When he reached the door leading to the hallway for the examination rooms, he stopped and turned toward me. When he noticed I hadn't moved, he came back and grabbed my shirtsleeve and tugged on it, to let me know he wanted me to come too.

"Are you sure you want me to come with you?" I asked, and he nodded his head. As I stood up to follow him, his lips slowly moved out of the pout and curled into a smile.

The nurse weighed and measured him first, before telling Jesse to strip down to his underwear, while we waited for the pediatrician to show up. Jesse seemed a little reluctant to disrobe, and this baffled me, since he didn't have this much trouble at home. He paraded about so nonchalantly that first afternoon with Andrew, and since then he hadn't been embarrassed to be seen in just a towel or his underwear. This wasn't much different than what he did at home, so why was he hesitating now?

I began to wonder if Andrew had done or said something to make him this uncomfortable or if Jesse was just using this as payback for my not letting Andrew come with us today. Whichever the case, he eventually gave in and stripped down to his underwear.

The doctor wasn't our normal doctor, but one of his new associates. He was a thirty-something oriental male, but he had a warm and friendly demeanor, so I took an instant liking to him. After explaining why we were here and telling him about Jesse's lack of speech, he gave him a very thorough physical. He started off by examining Jesse's eyes, ears, nose and throat, and paid very careful attention to his throat, but Jesse began to stiffen up when the doctor went to remove his briefs. Even though the doctor had tried to reassure him it was only to complete the examination, Jesse wasn't buying it. The doctor glanced at me, as if he expected an explanation for this reaction, but all I could do was shrug my shoulders, because I didn't understand it either.

"Jesse, please let the doctor look at the rest of you," I urged him. "The doctor really needs to check you there too," I added.

Instead of nodding in agreement, Jesse motioned for me to come to him, which caused the doctor to look at me again.

"How long did you say he's been with you?" the doctor asked me.

"Just under a week," I explained.

"I think he needs your support to do this," the doctor added. "Why don't you pull your chair up behind him and let him lean against you, while I examined him. Maybe he'd feel more comfortable that way." Jesse nodded his head in agreement, and seeing his reaction, I pulled my chair around and placed my hands on Jesse's shoulder, while the doctor finished up.

Once the pediatrician had completed the examination process, he told Jessie he could get dressed, while we stepped out into the hall. Jesse didn't want me to leave, but after I convinced him I'd only be on the other side of the door, he let me go.

Chapter 22
The Old and the New

Once we were alone, the doctor advised me Jesse seemed to be fine, other than being slightly malnourished. He added that he also wanted to order some blood work and schedule an MRI, to check out Jesse's vocal chords, just to make certain there wasn't any physical basis for his lack of speech. I concurred that would be a wise precaution and agreed to take Jesse whenever he needed to complete those tests. The doctor told me he'd have his receptionist set the appointments for us and then let me know when they were scheduled, before we left today. I thought this meant we were done, but then the doctor began to speak again.

"Mr. Currie, I have a feeling this boy has been molested," he told me. I wasn't completely shocked.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, in order to discover the basis for his comment.

"It was the way he stiffened and pulled away from me when I went to remove his underwear," he admitted. "Sure, some children are modest, but I don't get that kind of reaction unless they've been undressed and touched before, against their will. Do you know anything about his background?"

"Only a little. I know that his stepfather verbally and emotionally abused him," I informed him. "I've had my own suspicions that part of the reason for the abuse was because Jesse wouldn't give in to some other demands his stepfather made on him." The doctor gave me a curious look.

"Do you think you could find anything to support or prove those allegations?" the pediatrician wanted to know.

"No, I only have my suspicions, along with yours now, but no hard proof," I acknowledged. "If Jesse could talk, maybe I could question him about it, but in his fragile state, I think it would be better to leave this alone for now."

"I think I'd agree with that assessment," the doctor confirmed.

Before he left, I thanked him for his concern and help, before he moved on to see his next patient. After watching the doctor walk away, I reentered the examination room, to see how Jessie was doing. He was all dressed, so I took him to the reception desk to check out. After paying our co-payment, the receptionist handed me a card with our appointment dates listed on it, both for the blood work and MRI. I thanked her and we headed back to school, to finish the rest of the day.

Later that afternoon, after we picked Andrew up from school, Andrew wanted to know every detail about what had happened. He even insisted on hearing everything the doctor had told us, just as if he was the parent. After filling him in with as much detail as I thought he should know, I sent him and Jesse off to do their homework. Both boys seemed happy now, although I could tell there was still some animosity toward me. I assumed this was due to the fact I had stuck to my guns about not letting Andrew go with us, but I think they'll both be a little less demanding in the future.

The weekend was pretty uneventful. I left the boys to their own devices for most of the time, but I did find a chance to chat some more with Jesse. I didn't want to confront him about the possible molestation, but I did want to find out more about his life before he came to live with us. I also asked Andrew to leave us alone while I did this, as I felt there might be some information Jesse wouldn't want to share in front of his idol. Once we were alone, I handed Jesse a small notebook and told him he could jot his answers down in that, because these would be more than just yes or no questions. He seemed confused about what I was up to, but willingly nodded his understanding.

"Jesse, what can you tell me about your mother and where you lived?" I began. Jesse immediately started writing in the notebook and then handed it to me when he finished.

'I love my mom. We live in an apartmint,' it read.

"What about your stepfather?" I continued. Jesse took the notebook back from me and started to write again.

'I not like him. He mean and nasty.'

"Why do you say that?" I asked next.

"He mean to me. He bad.' I wasn't going to push him any further on this, because I felt if he wanted to tell me about it, he would have done so then.

"What about your father?" I wanted to know. "What can you tell me about him?"

'Don't know him. He not live with us. I use to go with him sumtime. He ded now.' I guess that explains a few things too.

"Where did your mother meet your stepfather?" I followed up.

'Not know,' was his simple response.

"Okay, I guess that's enough for now," I told him, as I closed the notebook. "Why don't you go out and find Andrew, so you can go off and play together." He flashed me a huge grin and then disappeared. However, I had discovered a little more information about his past.

The following Monday I took Jesse for his dental cleaning and exam. He was extremely nervous as we went in and I knew the reason for it. Sunday night I'd tried to prepare him for this, but he let me know he'd heard horror stories from other children about dental exams, so he wasn't thrilled about this visit. Once we got there, I could tell he really didn't want to go in, so I reached out, took his hand and held it tightly. I used it to guide him into the office.

Once inside, I announced our arrival and then we took a seat. As we waited patiently to be called, I suggested to Jesse that he could play with the toys or read a book, but he didn't budge. When we had gone to his appointment at the doctor's office, Jesse had gone off and played, but this time he sat in the chair next to mine and leaned against me, as if he thought I would keep him safe. It was nice to see he was beginning to trust me, even if it was only out of necessity right now.

When Jesse's name was called to go back to one of the dental rooms, Jesse snaked his hand into mine. His eyes were pleading with me, which definitely indicated he wanted me to go with him. Of course, this touched me, so I asked if I could join him. I was told I could, so he walked, hand-in-hand, with me to the examination room. Jesse also let me know he wanted me to continue to hold his left hand, even after he was seated in the dental chair and had the bib placed around his neck. Jesse squeezed my hand quite forcefully and his grip got even tighter when the hygienist asked him to open his mouth. It also happened every time she used one of the various instruments to loosen and remove the plaque from one of his teeth.

Just when I thought Jesse might be starting to relax, the hygienist picked up the drill, equipped with the special fitting to apply the fluoride coating to his teeth. When Jesse heard the whirring sound and the hygienist made a sudden movement toward his mouth, he almost leaped out of the chair. If I hadn't been holding his hand, he might have tried to run for it. I believe he did this because he thought something painful was about to happen next. After I reassured him that nothing of that nature was going to happen, he began to relax, but only slightly, and leaned back in the chair. Although he still wasn't totally relaxed, Jesse did let the hygienist continue.

Once she had finished cleaning his teeth, the dentist came in to conduct his part of the examination. As he checked Jesse's teeth, he called off the problems that he noted, so the hygienist could jot them down on the chart. Once he had completed this process, I was informed that Jesse had several cavities that would need to be taken care of. The dentist told me it appeared as if Jesse had no previous dental care, his diet had been lacking and he obviously had not been taught proper brushing techniques. I assured him we'd work on that and then we set up appointments to take care of his cavities.

Before we left the room, the hygienist gave Jesse a new toothbrush and quickly demonstrated how he should use it, on a model. Jesse promised he would do that from now on, so she kissed him on the cheek before he left. That was the first time I saw Jesse blush.

That afternoon, after we got home from school, the high school boys told me they had met with their principal about the gay-straight alliance and thought things went well. They asked if I wanted to see copies of what they gave him, but I explained it would be best if they didn't show me those items yet. This way I would be able to listen to the principal's recommendation without getting bored or jumping ahead of him. They were disappointed that I didn't want to see it yet, but said they understood, so we left it at that.

The next day was April 10th, and I woke up feeling very depressed. It wasn't a surprise and I knew why I felt this way. I'd been dreading this day for a while, because it was Nicky's ninth birthday. I had been missing my grandchildren more and more every week, and although Jordan's birthday had been hard for me to endure, because this was the second grandchild's birthday I'd missed, it was even worse.

Prior to my older children delivering their ultimatum, I had never failed to at least talk to my grandchildren on their birthdays. However, since that time, there had been no contact with them – at all! I couldn't explain the pain I felt, since I'd been cut completely out of their lives, but until my older children change their stance about my lifestyle and sexual preference, I'll have to live with it.

Actually, my older children are probably counting on the fact that I won't be able to endure being separated from them and my grandchildren. I'll bet they think I'll give Jake up, rather than face that possibility for any length of time. The thing is, I have to be happy too, and that won't be with my older children dictating whom I can be with or having them trying to change anything else about me that they disagree with.

On the other end of the spectrum, April 27th, would be Dustin's twenty-first birthday and I really wanted to make a big deal over it. However, that wasn't to be. Seeing he was away at college, we wouldn't be able to celebrate his birthday as a family on that day, but I would call him to see what he would like to do. No matter what he tells me, I will call and speak with him the weekend before his birthday, and again on Tuesday evening, so I can at least wish him a very happy birthday.

Since this was a 'milestone' birthday for Dustin (you don't become 'totally legal' every year), I wanted to have a big party for him after he came home for the summer. I would invite the entire family to attend and we would turn it into a big celebration. I just wish I could do similar things for my grandchildren, or at least attend the parties that WERE held for them.

Later that week, I took Jesse for his eye exam. Once again, he was a little nervous about doing something he'd never done before, but since nothing bad had happened to him on his other appointments, he trusted me again. I had been surprised to learn that Jesse had never had his eyes checked, except for possibly reading the eye chart during his school physical, so this would be a novelty for him.

Jesse seemed immediately intrigued when the optometrist positioned the machine with the lenses in front of his eyes. He looked at me, to see my reaction first, and then he looked into the eyepieces. Watching his reaction, I think he might have thought he'd possibly see a movie or something through them. The optometrist did have to change how he normally did things, due to Jesse's inability to speak, so he informed Jesse that he would have to hold up one or two fingers, to indicate whether the first or second image looked clearer to him. After a short trial period, when he gave Jesse the opportunity to practice what was expected of him, the examination began in earnest.

I could tell that Jesse was trying very hard to do what was asked of him. I wasn't sure if he was doing this because he thought he had to or if he was trying to please the optometrist or even me. Whatever the case, he did an admirable job and everything went quite smoothly, even after the optometrist added the drops to his eyes. Once the process was completed, Jesse and I were told that his eyes were fine and he would not need glasses. Jesse seemed relieved to hear this news and was in a very good mood as we made our way home. Once we were in the van, he continually looked over at me and smiled, although I wasn't sure what he was thinking at the time. When we reached home, he raced off to find his sidekick, Andrew.

Later that evening, I was sitting in my chair in the living room, watching television, when my two little imps entered the room. They walked straight up to me and wiggled their way onto my lap, one on each side. I wasn't sure what they were up to, but I was fairly certain Andrew was orchestrating what was going on.

"Jesse thinks you're really nice, daddy," Andrew announced, out of nowhere. I looked him in the face, and then turned to face Jesse, while wondering where this was heading.

"Even after I wouldn't let you go with us to his appointments?" I wondered aloud, which caused Andrew to giggle and Jesse to turn red.

"You probably know he was mad at you at first," he informed me.

"Yes, I think the stomping around and the dirty looks gave that away," I responded, which caused Andrew to giggle again and Jesse to turn a darker shade of red.

"Well, he was really mad at you then," Andrew admitted, "but now he says you're a really nice guy. Much nicer than his stepfather."

I was wondering if I should follow up on that, but I didn't think this was the right time, so I let it slide. If he was beginning to feel comfortable with me, I didn't want to risk losing that advantage by dredging up what could be some very painful memories. No, I decided to gain his confidence and love first, and then we'd try to heal the emotional and psychological scars sometime down the road. Those issues didn't seem to be as urgent now, seeing he no longer had any contact with his stepfather.

"Well, I'm glad Jesse feels that way," I finally responded, "because I love having him as a member of our family." That's all it took to cause Jesse to spin in my lap, throw his arms around my neck and begin to hug me. This showed me he loved being part of our family too. Before I had time to respond, Andrew was wrapped around both of us and I heard him whisper into my ear.

"Thank you, daddy. I… we love you so much." How could it get any better than this?

Later in the week, I had a meeting with the high school principal. It was our regularly scheduled meeting, which we held once every other week, so he could inform me about whatever was happening at his school. I guess that's why I never gave it any special importance, because it was just our typical meeting, until he mentioned he had received a petition to start a gay-straight alliance. He advised me that after going over the relevant information, he was passing along his recommendation.

"I think you probably knew about this in advance," he added, coyly, "but I've been impressed with the effort your sons have put into it and the work they've done. They've gathered enough support and have developed a viable plan, so I am recommending it be approved."

"I am glad you're pleased with their effort," I told him, "but I have had nothing to do with it. I've asked them not to tell or show me anything, so I could judge this solely on its merits and your recommendation, rather than be persuaded by my sympathies as a father."

"So, you haven't seen their proposal?" he asked, incredulously.

"No, nothing," I confirmed.

"Then let me show it to you," he offered. "I'm sure you will be as impressed by it as I was." He reached into a manila folder he was carrying and then handed a batch of papers across to me. I took them and began to look everything over.

Proposal for Forming a Gay-Straight Alliance Club.

Mission statement: This club is being formed to increase awareness about sexuality issues in the high school and provide a social, emotional and educational support group for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning students. Another goal is to bring a greater understanding between those groups and the straight population. This group will also act as an educational liaison for providing materials and leading discussions to increase the awareness on issues concerning the various populations.

Vision statement: We envision a community that accepts, affirms and supports all people, without regards to their race, religion, socio-economic grouping, political affiliation, sexual preference or gender identity.

Proposed list of activities: *Presentations from professionals explaining the nature of sexual preferences. *Presentations from law enforcement professionals about sexually oriented hate crimes and how to prevent them. *Discussions about the extension of marriage rights. *Discussion concerning AIDS – prevention, awareness and impact on the world's population, not just the gay community. *Arrange for confidential and free AIDS testing for any interested students. *Hold social events where students may come and participate, without having to pretend to be other than who they are or be afraid for their personal safety while in attendance. *Discuss current events relating to issues of sexual identity, sexual orientation, sexual health or sexually related crimes.

Behind this page were five pages of student signatures, in support of starting such a club. He was right, it was a remarkable presentation and I was even more impressed that my boys had been the ones to do the work.

"It looks fine to me," I advised him, "so if it has your support, then it also has mine. I will present it to the school board at their next meeting, for their formal approval. By the way, I'll let you inform the boys that this will be presented to the school board. I haven't helped them with it so far, so I don't think I should be the one to give them this news either." The principal just grinned and nodded. He understood what I meant, and since we had covered everything else, he left. I was happy he believed the gay-straight alliance had merit and was willing to support its formation.

When I arrived home, later that evening, the high school boys were all excited because the principal had informed them their proposal would be presented at the next school board meeting for approval.

"Thanks, Pop," Nick told me. "We knew you'd come through for us," he added.

"Hey, I had very little to do with this," I advised him. "If your principal hadn't recommended it on its own merits, I wouldn't be presenting it to the school board. You boys did the work and made the presentation, and I must admit I was very impressed when I saw it. You did an excellent job." Nick blushed, and it was one of the few times I'd ever seen him do that.

"Thanks, Pop," Nick finally mumbled. "That means a lot to me."

We went on to discuss the proposal and he explained to me in detail about how he and the others had developed their plan. After doing some research on the Internet and looking at sites of other gay-alliance groups, they combined ideas and came up with their own unique proposal. They did the same with the proposed activities, by modifying or adding to various events they saw suggested on those other sites. No matter how they came up with their information, they had done their homework and will be the ones to reap the rewards, once the gay-straight alliance is formally approved.

That Sunday, I called Dustin, just as I had planned.

"Hello."

"Hi, Dustin. It's Dad."

"Hi, Dad. What's up?"

"I was calling about your birthday," I told him. "I was wondering if you'd like me to come up and take you out to dinner that night?" I explained.

"Gee, Dad, that would be awfully nice of you, but it's too far for you to drive in one night, just to take me out to dinner. Maybe we could do it on the weekend instead."

"Yes, we could do that," I told him. "That way I could even bring your brothers along, if you can stand to have them around." Dustin laughed.

"Oh, I think I can handle that," he added.

"Okay, what do you say we come up next Saturday, go out to dinner together Saturday night and then we'll go to church and brunch Sunday morning, before I drive the rest of us back."

"That sounds nice, Dad, but won't it cost too much for you to all stay up here overnight?"

"Nah, it won't be that bad," I advised him. "There aren't many boys home any more, so there will only be a handful coming with Jake and me. I'm sure they'll enjoy it and we probably can get away with only three rooms now." I heard Dustin laugh again.

"Yeah, that's not bad," he added, "for a team or a scout troop."

"Well, if you and the other college boys were with us, I'd have to add double that number," I teased back, indicating that eight of the others wouldn't be there this time."

"Okay, that sounds good, I'll see you Saturday then," he agreed.

"Great. By the way, how's the Suburban? Put any dents in it yet?" I teased.

"Oh, come on, Dad. You know I'm a better driver than that," he whined.

"I know, but I just have to be sure. You know, it's a father's job to worry about his boys… and his vehicles," I added.

"I know and you do a good job of it," he joked back. "But don't worry, it's in the same shape as when you gave it to me."

"I was sure it would be, but it didn't hurt to ask," I kidded again. "Dustin, I'll see you next Saturday, so prepare whomever you have to about your brothers being with me." He laughed again.

"Good idea, and I will. Dad, thanks for doing this. I'm so glad I got to come live with you," he said.

"Me too," I countered. "You've always been a great son and you've always been a pleasure to be around. See you this weekend then. Bye and I love you."

"Bye, Dad, and I love you too," Dustin stated, before we ended the call.

Chapter 23
Adjustments

Jesse's follow-up dental visit started off the week for us. During this appointment, the dentist was going to take care of his cavities, which would put most of Jesse's health related concerns behind us, for the time being. Even though Jesse wasn't scheduled to be there until 10:00, I couldn't allow him to eat much breakfast. I knew the dentist planned on using nitrous oxide with him and had been told it would be best to limit what Jesse ate beforehand. The dentist explained the use of nitrous oxide often causes nausea or vomiting on a full or fairly full stomach, so it would be best to take this precaution. However, by having to reduce what Jesse was allowed to eat for breakfast, it started us off on the wrong foot and the situation wasn't about to get any better.

I could tell Jesse was still nervous about this visit, even though his previous appointment had gone so well. I kept trying to reassure him that this one would go just as smoothly and I even went over what he should expect to happen, so there wouldn't be any surprises. After listening to everything I had to say, Jesse indicated he still wanted me to go in with him while he was being worked on. I told him we'd have to get the dentist's approval first, at which time Jesse made sure to let me know he definitely wanted me to do this for him. I assured him I'd ask when we got there and he seemed to calm down a bit. It appeared he was confident he was going to get his way this time, because he hugged me about my waist, to show me he appreciated my honoring his request.

When we got to the dental office, I announce our arrival, but Jesse keeping nudging me and nodding his head toward the receptionist. I understood it to mean he didn't want me to wait any longer and was urging me to ask the receptionist if the dentist would give his permission for me to go in with them. Since I understood how much this meant to my newest son, I cleared my throat and looked at the middle-aged lady.

"Excuse me," I began, "but Jesse is a little nervous about this appointment, so he wants to know if the dentist would allow me to sit in the room with him, while he is being worked on?" She looked up and smiled.

"That's not an unusual request," she informed us. "I will check with the dentist to see what he has to say, but I don't think there will be any problem honoring Jesse's wishes." She then winked at Jesse and a grin spread across his face. I cautioned him it didn't mean it was official yet and we wouldn't know for certain until the dentist gave his approval. Jesse nodded his understanding and then we sat down to wait.

When the dental assistant came out to get Jesse, she informed us the dentist had given his permission for me to go in with him. Hearing this, Jesse immediately grabbed my hand and tried to pull me out of my seat, to make sure I wasn't going to stay behind. I let him struggle a bit, as he tried to drag my dead weight from the chair, before I decided to assist him. He was scowling at me a little, for making him work so hard, but he was glad I was doing what he wanted.

We followed the dental assistant into the small room where the work would be done and she placed Jesse in the large dental chair. Once she had him in the seat, she put his bib on and then left the room for a few moments. When she came back, she was carrying a chair for me to sit on. She placed it on the side away from where the dentist would be working, but close enough to Jesse so I could hold his hand, if he wanted me to. He couldn't actually see me from where he was situated, unless he leaned to his left and turned his head slightly toward the rear, so he could look behind his seat. This didn't seem to bother him and it appeared to be enough that he knew I was there. When the dentist came in, he greeted both of us, before he looked at Jesse's chart and x-rays. Once he had reviewed what needed to be done, the dentist pulled the nitrous oxide tank out from the corner.

When Jesse saw the tank, he became a little frightened and uncooperative. He was definitely unwilling to let the dentist put the mask over his face, so he could inhale the gas.

"Jesse, if you don't allow the dentist to do this," I whispered in his ear, "then you'll feel a great deal of pain. We really need you to cooperate with the dentist." Jesse shook his head, to let me know he wasn't about to capitulate. I quickly tried to think of another way to convince him and came up with an alternative strategy.

"Well, if you don't breathe the gas, then the dentist will have to take out his big needle and give you shots of Novocain in your gums." Jesse's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when I mentioned the needle, and now he was shaking his head even more violently.

"Jesse, you have only three choices," I explained again, "because you are getting those teeth taken care of before we leave here. I'll leave it up to you as to how you want to do it though. The dentist can drill without giving you anything, but that will be very painful, or he can use the needle to inject you with Novocain, or you can inhale the gas and feel nothing. Which would you prefer?"

Jesse looked at me and studied the determination on my face. Realizing I wasn't about to give in to him on this, he lifted his arm and pointed at the mask the dentist held in his hand, to let us know he had made his choice. The dentist looked at me and winked, to indicate he appreciated my assistance, before he placed the mask over Jesse's face and released the gas. Before long, Jesse had lost all of his inhibitions and the dentist was ready to begin his work.

Since Jesse's little protest had been dealt with, I leaned back in my chair and sat quietly in the corner, just in case I was needed again. I was concerned that Jesse would panic if I left the room, but the nitrous oxide had relaxed him enough that he didn't actually need me to hold his hand this time. While the dentist took care of Jesse's cavities, I picked up a magazine and began to leaf through it. We were in there for about forty-five minutes, before the dentist announced he was finished. After he removed the bib from Jesse, I helped my boy out of the chair and walked him to the front desk. He was a little shaky at first, due to the effects of the anesthesia, so I held on to his arm, just in case he stumbled. At the front desk, we were given some pain medication for Jesse to use when the nitrous oxide began to wear off, and then we were on our way.

I had decided to take Jesse home, rather than to school, so I could keep an eye on him for a while longer. This way, I could make sure he was having no adverse effects to the nitrous oxide and could give him his pain medication too. Doing that would give the pain relievers time to kick in before he returned to school, so he wouldn't be uncomfortable while sitting at his desk. This would also allow me to make sure Jesse had a decent lunch and was able to keep it down, as well. Slowly, Jesse began to revert back to his usual self, once his stomach was full and the medication was doing its job. Now, we were both ready to head back to school. The only unusual thing about any of this was that he wanted to hold my hand as I drove and also as I walked him to his classroom. I was fine with his request and glad to see he actually felt that kind of attachment to me. This showed he not only needed me when he was scared and upset, but also at other times, like now.

After I dropped Jesse off, the van started acting up. It didn't want to start again and I tried for many minutes to get it going. It had been giving me minor problems over the past few weeks, but I didn't think much of it, because these problems didn't seem to be serious or last very long. However, this time I knew it was something much worse. Seeing I couldn't get it going, I called my mechanic and explained the problem, before I asked him if he could come and check it over for me. He said he couldn't do it right that minute, but would come and tow it back to his garage just as soon as he could. He said he'd also make sure to give it a thorough going over before he went home for the day. This was all I could ask of him. He was always very good to me, seeing he took care of all of our vehicles and we brought him lots of business. After making sure that issue was settled, I walked back to my office, since it wasn't very far away.

Later in the afternoon, my mechanic called and informed me that I had the start of serious engine problems. Besides that, he also told me he had discovered the transmission was beginning to slip too, so it would also need attention before long. He then told me he didn't think it would be worth the money to fix it now, with all the mileage it had on it, but he'd get it running for the time being. He suggested we just use it for short trips, until I decided what I wanted to do. He also told me he'd drop it off before I got out of work, and I could stop by to pay the bill when I got the chance. I thanked him and hung up.

As soon as I finished speaking with him, I called my friend who ran the car lot. He was already looking for other vehicles for me, which the boys could use for college, so I explained my new problem to him.

"Josh, I think I have the answer for you right here on my lot," he told me. "In fact, I was going to call you about it and see if it was what you wanted for your boys. It's a larger SUV than you requested, but it might be perfect for you. It a GMC Yukon XL and seats 9 comfortably. Why don't you drop by and take a look at it, and then let me know what you think."

"I will and thanks for keeping your eyes open for me," I told him. Now, I had something else to do after work.

The rest of the day went by fairly quickly and the van was in my parking space when I left the building later. I looked it over, but didn't see anything different, except when I turned the key. It started up this time, although grudgingly, and it ran very rough. Despite these facts, I took off in it and was soon picking the boys up again. Jesse ran out of his school and toward the van, as soon as he saw me pull in. He actually seemed excited I was there. I wasn't sure if he was happy to see me, glad the school day was over or because something special had happened. It could also be that he knew he and Andrew would be together again shortly, so it might have been what the smile was all about. Whatever the reason, he was in a very upbeat mood when he greeted me and it didn't take long before we were on our way to pick up the other half of the dynamic duo from the middle school.

Along the way, I asked Jesse if he had a good day and he nodded his head energetically, to let me know he did. I asked him if something special or exciting had taken place, and he shook his head in response, so I assumed he'd just enjoyed his teacher and the way things went. After that, I also asked him if his teeth were bothering him or if he felt any pain, but he merely shook his head in reply again. Since everything seemed fine with him, I didn't question him further, but I was well aware of how he lit up, the moment he saw Andrew approaching the van.

Once he was seated, Andrew had tons of questions about the dental appointment. Jesse was able to answer some of his queries with a nod or shake of his head, but I had to fill him in on the details of the visit. Andrew wanted to know everything that happened and we finished telling him this information before we reached home. As soon as we pulled in the driveway, the boys bolted from the van and disappeared into the house, before I had even finished turning off the engine or unbuckled my seat belt. Once I was out of the van, I only went inside for a few minutes, so I could change my clothes. I then headed out for my friend's car lot, to look at the vehicle he told me about earlier. I informed Jesse and Andrew they were to stay in the house until I got back, but also explained I wouldn't be very long. They wanted to go with me, but I felt they'd be more of a hindrance than help, so I added that I needed to do this on my own. As expected, they weren't happy with my decision and ran off to their room, as a mild protest.

As soon as I drove on to the lot, my friend came out to greet me. After exchanging the customary pleasantries, he took me over to show me the vehicle he had told me about. I was impressed with it the moment I saw it, and after my test drive, I knew it would be perfect for our family. I told him I was pretty sure I wanted it, but I'd like to bring Jake down after dinner, so he could see it too. He told me that would be fine, gave me the extra key to the Yukon, just in case Jake wanted to drive it as well. He also told me he'd lock his magnetic dealer plate inside, under the driver's seat, so we could take it out again, if that's what we decided to do. I thanked him for his trust and help, and then returned home.

I was puttering around fixing dinner when my two sulking boys reappeared. They were standing in the foyer, outside the kitchen, but appeared to have something else on their minds now. I could tell this because of the way they were dancing around, as if they had ants in their pants, plus how they kept looking at me. Not only that, but Andrew kept whispering in Jesse's ear and Jesse kept making hand gestures in response, until they, finally, approached me.

"Dad, Jesse and I want to go out bike riding," Andrew announced. He was looking quite anxious, although I wasn't sure why.
"I see nothing wrong with that," I told him, wondering why this seemed to be such a big deal to him. "Just don't wander too far away and make sure you keep an eye on Jesse."

"But there's a problem," Andrew informed me, and then he suddenly stopped talking and left me hanging.

"And what would that problem be?" I asked, trying to get him to continue his line of thought. However, before he could respond, the high school boys arrived home and came strolling in to join us. When I confronted them about their tardiness, they explained they had been talking with friends about the gay-straight alliance and apologized for being late. What I didn't notice was that Andrew was getting upset about the interruption to our conversation.

"Jesse don't have a bike," Andrew interjected, taking charge again, "and my bike is getting kinda small for me. Would you buy me a new one, so I can let Jesse have mine?"

"Let's see, Jesse DOESN'T have a bike," I repeated, after which Andrew just glared at me with disgust. "Andrew, you have a birthday coming up in September," I reminded him, changing the subject, but this only earned me another menacing glare.

"Dad! That's five months away. Winter will almost be here by then," he whined.

"Hey," Sammy jumped in, "you can have my bike and then you can let Jesse have yours. I don't go riding much any more, so you can just have it, if you want." Andrew wasn't sure this was the option he desired and spent some time thinking over Sammy's offer.

"Will that work for you?" I asked, seeing he still hadn't responded to Sammy's proposition.

"Yeah, okay. That will do," Andrew confirmed, although he didn't look very happy. "Thanks, Sam. Can we go out now, Dad?" he wanted to know.

"I don't know. CAN you?" I asked, which caused Andrew to shoot a look of exasperation at me.

"MAY we go now?" he snapped this time, as he continued to let his emotions show. I decided not to answer him right away and looked toward Jesse. I needed to see how he was doing first, before I gave my permission.

"Jesse, are you sure you're feeling all right?" I wanted to know, just to be certain he wasn't having any ill effects from the earlier dental visit. He nodded his head in reply.

"Okay, then you boys MAY go," I advised them, "but be back in an hour. That's when dinner will be served. If you want to eat, you won't be late, because you know your brothers won't feel obligated to save anything for you." They both nodded in agreement and then went to the shed to get the bicycles.

Once Jesse and Andrew disappeared, the high school boys asked me when their petition concerning the gay-straight alliance was going to be presented to the Board of Education. I quickly advised them it would happen Wednesday night, at the next scheduled meeting, and they seemed pleased with my response. I assume they'd concluded it would mean they'd know whether the board was going to support their proposal before the end of the week, so they wouldn't have much longer to wait. They also asked if I thought there would be any problem with it getting approved. I told them I doubted it, since most of the time the school board went along with the recommendations from the principals and me, so this was usually just a formality. That news made them even happier, so they went upstairs to begin planning what they were going to do next, after they received the board's approval.

Andrew and Jesse returned home from their bicycle trip shortly thereafter. They were on time and very excited about what they had just done. Jesse was absolutely aglow and hurriedly wrote me a note, to let me know how he felt about what he had just done.

'Thank U for leting me go with Andru. I only got to rid a bike at my friend howse, but I never had a bike. This was more fun because I road my own bike.'

He hugged me around the waist, as I read his note, so I hugged him back. I also got a kick out of his spelling errors and misuse of homophones. After he broke his embrace, I told him he should be thanking Andrew, not me, because it was Andrew's idea in the first place. I also told him they both should thank Sammy as well, seeing they couldn't have gone if Sammy hadn't given Andrew his bike. Jesse nodded his understanding and then he and Andrew went to find Sammy, before they washed up for dinner. However, they didn't leave until Andrew thanked and hugged me too.

After dinner, I took Jake down to look at the Yukon and we took it out for another drive. He was as impressed with it as I was, so he told me I should go ahead and buy it. I thanked him for his input and advised him I'd make the arrangements the next day.

Chapter 24
Irons in the Fire

After dropping the boys off at school the next morning, I drove over to the car lot again, to return the key to the Yukon. I told my friend we were going to take it, negotiated a price and then he asked me for the registration to the van, seeing we'd be transferring the plates from it to the Yukon. He also made a copy of my driver's license, so he'd have everything he needed to do this, before informing me he should have everything done by the following afternoon. I thanked him for his efforts on my behalf, but we weren't done yet.

He also reminded me to switch the insurance over from the van to the Yukon and gave me the vehicle information, so I could do it. Then he added that I'd need to bring the insurance cards with me, when I came back to pick up the Yukon. I made a mental note to take care of it, once I got to work, or else I'd probably forget to do it later.

After calling my local insurance office and giving the agent all the information that was needed, he informed me I could swing by and pick up the insurance cards that afternoon, after work. I thanked him for his prompt response to my request, and as I was hanging up, I also realized we'd have to clean the van out this evening and remove all of our personal effects.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened for the remainder of the day, but Andrew and Jesse did beg to go out for another bike ride after we got home. I told them it would be fine and advised them they'd have a couple of hours before they needed to return for dinner. They were extremely happy to hear this and Jesse was so excited by the news that I thought he might even begin to speak, but I'm sorry to say it didn't happen. I am somewhat amazed that the two boys have been getting so much enjoyment out of doing so many simple things together, but I'm very pleased to see them growing so close.

Although I'm glad things are working out this way, I am still mildly surprised that Andrew is willing to spend so much time with someone younger than himself. After all, for months he's been concerned that everyone was seeing him as a baby, so I figured he would try to hang with the older guys, just to prove a point. Maybe by not actually BEING the baby of the family, it took the pressure off of him, so he didn't feel he had to worry about it any longer. I don't know for sure, but that was my suspicion.

While the boys were gone, I took the time to clean out the van and moved anything I wished to keep into the house. This included the box of supplies I kept in the back, which contained extra motor oil, windshield washer fluid, transmission fluid, dry gas, fuel injector cleaner and jumper cables. I realized we'd be able to use those things for the Yukon too, so I saw no need to let them go with the van. Once I finished cleaning it up, I went inside, washed and started working on dinner. Before long, everyone else was home and we were ready to sit down and eat.

The meal went smoothly, but I did have to field a bunch of questions from the boys. They were more observant than I anticipated and noticed the box of items I kept in the van in the hallway. They concluded something was up and wanted to know what was happening with the van. I merely told them I had been cleaning it out, but they didn't buy that for a second. They kept hounding me until I finally gave in and told them what they wanted to know.

Grudgingly, I informed them the van was slowly dying, so we were getting another vehicle. This made them very excited, but I didn't share any information about what we were getting or when. I was looking forward to seeing their reactions the first time they saw it and didn't want to spoil the surprise by giving them too many details in advance. That didn't stop the boys from pelting me with numerous questions, but I put an end to their interrogation process by telling them I had already shared everything I was going to and they'd see soon enough. Eventually, they realized this was my final answer and let the subject drop.

After dinner, I called Dustin, so I could wish him a happy birthday. I also had the boys sing 'Happy Birthday' to him, when I held the phone out in their direction. They really hammed it up and I could tell Dustin got a kick out of their performance. I figured this out after I heard the comments he made about it, once we started talking again. He also said he looked forward to our coming to his campus the following weekend, because he missed the family and wanted to see us again.

I told Dustin we were excited about seeing him too and then I advised him to look around and pick out a nice place for us to dine Saturday night. I explained this would be up to him, since I was unfamiliar with the area, and he assured me he would do his best. We continued to talk for a little longer, about a variety of other topics, which included how he was doing, both physically and academically, as well as what had been happening at home. Dustin really wanted to know more about Jesse and it pleased me that he was showing an interest in his newest brother.

Wednesday was pretty much a repeat of the previous day, except my friend called me at school to tell me he had run into a small glitch and the Yukon wouldn't be ready until Thursday morning. I told him that wouldn't be a problem and I'd drive over on my lunch hour Thursday to pick it up. I also advised him I'd also leave him the van with him at that time and he said that would work out well. I was actually getting excited about changing vehicles.

After school, Andrew and Jesse went off on another bike ride. The two boys really seemed to be enjoying this daily outing, and because it appeared to be so important to Jesse, I saw no reason why it shouldn't continue. The boys always told me where they were going, and since I was familiar with nearly every route they took, I felt they were fairly safe.

I also understood that by allowing Andrew the responsibility of watching over Jesse while they were out, it had boosted his self-image and helped to make him feel more grown up. Andrew and Jesse also informed me they wanted me to go out riding with them one afternoon, which I told them I'd be happy to do, if I could get a bike to accommodate my old, overweight physique. They only laughed and told me I could use one of the older boys' bikes, since they were all away at school right now. I knew I'd been had, so I'd have to prepare myself to go with them one day.

Later that evening, I had to leave to attend the school board meeting. Nick, Trey and Dion wanted to join me, and even though I had told them it wouldn't be necessary, they still wanted to be there. Noting the determination on their faces, I let them come along, after advising them they'd probably become very bored before the evening was over. I explained that much of the meeting would be spent handling the mundane issues of running the school district, as well as other petty matters that were not very exciting. Even after hearing me say this, it still didn't deter them.

They hopped in the van with me, as I prepared to leave, and together we made our way to the meeting room. The boys took seats in the back, and after they settled in, I continued on to the front of the room. I then took my place at the main table, where the Superintendent and board members always sit.

As I had warned them, much of the meeting was very boring. It started off with the reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, after which we went into old business. This covered several topics, including the budget for the next school year, as well as various scheduling and personnel issues. Among the personnel matters being addressed were the retirement requests from two teachers.

One was a teacher at the middle school, whom some of the boys had when they attended classes there. My sons, along with most of the other children who were ever in her class, adored this teacher, so she will be sorely missed. The second request was from a high school teacher who had grown complacent over the past few years, because he knew he would be retiring soon. I don't think any of us were disappointed to hear he was finally calling it quits, although he was an above average educator, before he went into this recent slide.

After approving the retirement requests, the topic of the retirement dinner was brought up. A complete list of all the faculty and staff who were retiring at the end of the year was read, to remind us exactly whom we'd be losing. There were several other names on that list, of people who were considered to be valuable members of our school community, so they would be hard to replace. Each of them had earned the right to enjoy what years they had left as they saw fit, so all we could do was wish them well.

Following those issues, the board dealt with requests for the use of school facilities and grounds for the summer. The various requests were discussed and then voted on, before the topic of the approval of two new clubs came up. The first was a request from the middle school, to start a science fiction/fantasy writing club, which was approved very quickly and with very little discussion.

After that came the gay-straight alliance request and I hoped it would pass as easily and quickly as the other. However, one of the board members seemed to have some questions about allowing this to happen.

"Wouldn't this be tantamount to saying the school is encouraging students to explore these lifestyles?" he asked me, as Superintendent.

"No, what this does is to allow the sponsorship of a club through previously established rules. We would also be following the school policy of nondiscrimination based on race, religion, nationality or sexual preference. By allowing this club to organize, we'd be giving students a chance to meet and discuss issues of importance to themselves and others."

"But why do we need to pamper them and give them their own club?" he challenged. "We don't have anything called a straight alliance, so why should we have something called a gay alliance?" It was obvious he came in with his own ideas and wasn't listening to what was being said.

"It won't be called the gay alliance. If you had listened to what was said you'd know that forming a club called the straight alliance would be redundant," I responded. "This request is for a gay-STRAIGHT alliance, meaning EVERYONE is welcome to join and attend."

"That may be true," he countered, "but won't the homos be in charge and running things?" I think his comment showed his true colors concerning this topic.

"The GAY students will probably have some influence over how the club is run, but seeing it's open to ALL students, I think it would be unfair to assume who will wield the power. The club would have to hold elections and select their officers before we'd know who would be in charge of this group. After that, they'd have to begin planning the activities they decide is best for them, according to the makeup of this group and desires of their membership."

"Do you really think the normal kids are going to want to be in a club with a bunch of queers?" he asked, almost acting as if he still expected me, or the others, to agree with his bigoted view on the issue.

"I do believe many students have already expressed a desire to support the club, as is evident from the five pages of student signatures that were attached to the club's request," I told him. He appeared to get even more frustrated with my responses.

"Don't you think you're a little biased about this, seeing your boys are the ones who suggested the club in the first place?" he shot back.

"I think I'm more open-minded about it than you are," I pointed out, "as your bias against the non-straight population is becoming increasingly evident." Our bigoted board member continued to grow even more agitated with each of my comebacks and I believe everyone in the room could see his growing frustration. Finally, he snapped, and attacked me personally.

"Just like you were open-minded about getting the Scouts banned from using school facilities, just because they wouldn't cater to fags," he screamed. If he had any sympathy or support from the other board members prior to this moment, I think he just lost it with his continued homophobic tirade.

"The Scouts are a non-school sponsored organization," I reminded him, "who were unwilling to comply with school board policies concerning discriminatory practices. It was due to their unwillingness to comply with these policies that they forfeited their rights to use school facilities."

"You had no right to dictate to the Scouts how they run their organization," he spewed back, "or who they had to let join." It was obvious he was totally losing it now.

"I'm sorry, but we didn't tell them to change their policies," I informed him. "All we did was inform them that as long as their policies remained as they were, they wouldn't be able to use school facilities. They could continue doing what they were doing, just not on school property."

"It's the same fucking thing," he screamed back. "You may think a club for deviates is okay, but not all of us do. I, for one, don't and I call for an immediate vote on this so-called club request. I also want to be the first to say that I am against it and vote not to allow it."

He was very red-faced at this point and the veins were bulging out from his neck and forehead. While I was watching him, someone seconded his motion to bring the club up for a vote, even if that motion was made in a less than formal manner. A few seconds later, the board president was taking a roll call vote. When the voting concluded, it turned out the only dissenting vote came from our vociferous board member, so the club was officially sanctioned. However, he wasn't finished yet.

"What is wrong with you people?" he screamed, frustrated by their lack of support and failure to agree with his viewpoint. "Are you going to let the fucking fags and other deviates take over our schools and call all the shots? Don't you people have the guts to stand up for Christian values and what is right?"

"We have stood up for what is right," the school board president stated, defiantly. "We have followed school policy and sanctioned a club that is open to everyone. As far as the Christian values are concerned, I believe we've adhered to those too, by doing unto others as we would have them do unto us and by showing compassion and understanding to our fellow man, as Jesus would have done."

This comeback and apparent affront, on top of his having been defeated on so many levels already, seemed to be more than this man could bear. He jumped up from his seat and glared at his fellow board members and then me, before he turned to stare down the people in the gallery. When he realized no one was standing to join his protest, he made his way for the door. When he reached it, he stopped, turned back toward us and screamed at everybody one final time.

"You're all dupes! You're being used by the fags and their allies to advance their cause," he ranted. "How can you be so fucking stupid as to not see that?"

No one responded to his outburst, which only irritated him further, but this was mainly due to the fact that no one felt his screeching merited a comment. Two things I had learned a long time ago was, you can't argue with ignorance and you can't get the deaf to hear – and I don't mean the physically deaf either.

This man wouldn't have comprehended any statements we might have made to him, because he didn't care about anyone else's position, if it ran contrary to his personal beliefs. That would be the equivalent of trying to introduce God to an atheist. The atheist wouldn't believe the one being presented to him WAS God, even if God really were standing right in front of him. This would be due solely to his preconceived notions, which would be telling him there wasn't any such thing as God. You see, by that point in time, both this man and our board member were already firmly convinced that it was utterly impossible he might be mistaken.

After he left the meeting, there were some scattered comments about his outburst, but the board president quickly regained order in the room. After completing the rest of the business on the agenda, he adjourned the meeting. As we were heading to our vehicles, the board president stopped me, to say a few words in private.

"Josh, that's probably not the only opposition you'll hear about the gay-straight alliance," he warned me. "His view may not be in the majority, but I would wager others like him will form a vocal minority."

"Oh, I'm sure they will," I agreed. "Most bigots tend to be very vocal, especially when they're trying to suppress something they're against. They certainly don't believe in the phrase, 'live and let live.'

"I had a feeling this might happen," the board president continued. "I'd seen signs of his attitude before. He was extremely vocal when the scouts were banned from using school facilities and made several derogatory comments about gays in the process."

"I'm glad he showed his true colors in an open meeting then," I acknowledged. "Now, I'll be able to get some opposition set up to prevent his re-election, when his term expires. I have several friends who would be happy to make sure he is defeated, next time around."

"Josh, as superintendent, you're supposed to be neutral when it comes to board elections," he reminded me.

"Oh, I won't campaign myself, but I will let certain people know the types of things he was spewing tonight, and then I'll let them do what they think is best." He just laughed at the implications.

Once I had everyone in the van, the boys had plenty to say about what happened at the board meeting too. "Man, that guy was a real ass, wasn't he, Pop?" Nick asked.

"Well, he did have his own point of view and wasn't timid about airing it," I responded, hoping that would suffice.

"Dad, that guy was as bad as David Hubbard and his father," Dion observed. "If they had their way, they'd see all bi and gay people were killed or run out of town."

"You might be right about that, but I don't want us to revert to blindly condemning anyone who speaks his mind," I advised him. "I don't want us to become like them."

"Oh, we don't mind people disagreeing with us or disapproving of our being gay or bi," Trey informed me. "It's just the words he used to say it and the fact that he thought everyone else should agree with him."

"I know," I replied. "He thinks the whole world should think the same way he does and then gets upset when it doesn't happen."

"I'm just glad no one else agreed with him," Dion added.

"Yeah, I was really surprised when they voted to make us a club," Nick threw in.

"I wasn't," I admitted. "I knew we'd get the support of most of the board members. There are some damn fine people on the school board and I knew they wouldn't listen to his bigoted prattle."

"That was certainly good for us," Dion stated, emphatically.

When we got home, the boys told their brothers about what had happened, and then the others came to me with their own questions and comments. After I explained the club was off the ground, but we'd probably not heard the last of the opposition to it, they began to question me as to what might happen next. I told them I didn't know for sure, but I felt some parents, and maybe even a minority of the students, would still be against the club's formation. We'd have to wait and see what form this opposition would take and how strong it would be, but I made sure to let them know we could and would get through this together.

Chapter 25
Sprinting Toward the Finish Line

Thursday afternoon I picked up the Yukon and drove it over to get Jesse, however, he didn't recognize me when I drove in. As I got out of the Yukon and walked toward him, he grinned and then looked at the SUV. I could immediately tell he approved. He was very excited as he climbed in beside me and then spent the whole trip between the elementary and middle schools checking it out.

Andrew had a similar problem of not noticing us drive in, so I sent Jesse to get him. I watched as a grinning Jesse walked up to Andrew and momentarily startled him. Andrew obviously wasn't looking for Jesse, because he hadn't seen the van pull in. I saw Jesse point toward the Yukon, to advise Andrew as to how he arrived, and then they made their way toward me.

Andrew had a lot of questions to ask about the Yukon and where I got it, before he spent the rest of his time looking it over. He and Jesse sat in the middle seat, where they could investigate more easily, so I didn't interfere with their visual exploration. The only noise that could be heard on the way home was the hum of the engine, but there was a great deal of movement, as Jesse and Andrew pointed out various features to each other.

Of course, once the high school boys arrived home and saw the Yukon in the driveway, they wanted to know what was up. After explaining to them that I had traded in the van for it, they raced back outside to check it out for themselves. However, I wouldn't let any of them take it out for a test drive, even though several of them were pestering me to do so. They weren't happy about my decision and even asked if they could use the Yukon to go to school the next day, by suggesting I could drop Andrew and Jesse using one of the other vehicles. I declined their offer, which displeased them even more, but I would let each of them have his turn driving it in time.

Friday seemed to fly by and that night I made sure everyone got his things together, so we could go visit Dustin the following day. In the middle of all this preparation, I received a phone call.

"Hello," I answered, after picking up the receiver.

"Hi, Dad," the voice on the other end responded.

"Frankie, it's so great to hear from you," I told him. "To what do I owe this honor?" I heard him try to stifle a little laugh.

"You make it sound like I never call you," he protested, "but I do when I can. I even had to get special permission to call home this time, because it was kind of an emergency. We found out a couple of weeks ago that our graduation ceremony from basic training will be on Friday, May 14th, but I forgot to tell you. I really meant to the last time I called, but I had so much else to discuss with you that it just kind of slipped my mind. I really do feel bad about not letting you know this sooner, so if you can't come, I'll understand," he added, as his effort to take me off of the hook.

"Not come?" I shot back. "I'd never hear of doing such a thing. I will be there, but I'm not sure whom else I might allow to join me. What time will the ceremony be held and where?"

"It will be held in one of the theaters on base at 10 a.m.," Frankie informed me. "Are you sure you're really going to be able to come? I mean… you don't really have much time to make plans."

"Frankie, I'll work things out, so don't worry about it," I assured him. "I'll call tomorrow and start making arrangements and I'll see you on your graduation day. Do you think you'll be able to spend any time with us that afternoon or over the weekend?"

"Oh, yeah," Frankie answered. "We won't be starting A.I.T. (advanced individual training) until Monday, so we'll be free immediately after the ceremony. We're not moving into our new barracks until sometime Sunday afternoon, so I'll be free until then, unless they have a bed check each night."

"Well, I'm glad to hear we'll get to spend some time together, even if there might be some limits to it," I replied. "However, we'll have to leave around noon on Sunday, so we'll be able to get back here in time for school on Monday. That's one of the reasons I'm not sure which boys, if any, will be coming with me. We'll have to leave after school on Thursday, to get there on time and not risk missing the ceremony, so they'd have to be absent from school on Friday."

"I understand, and none of you have to feel you've got to come," Frankie told me.

"I know, but I wouldn't miss this for the world. I'm sure some of your brothers, if not all, would like to be there for you too, so we'll see what happens. The only thing stopping me from bringing all of them is that your graduation is very close to their finals, and I'm not sure they can afford to miss any time now. There will be research papers and projects that will be coming due and they'll be in the middle of their review classes.

"To be absolutely honest with you," I continued, "I'm not sure who wouldn't suffer by taking the extra time away, even if it's only a single day. You have to remember, Cole, Trey, Nick and Vinnie are all seniors and can't afford to slip now, and Dion and Graham are juniors, and the grades they get for these classes will affect which colleges might be willing to accept them. I'm not saying they can't come, but I'll have to think this through. I promise that I, and possibly some others, will be there."

"I know you will, Dad, and thanks," Frankie added. That basically ended our phone call, but now I had some more planning to do.

Saturday morning I got everyone up early, so we could set off to spend time with Dustin. The trip took just under three hours, so we arrived before noon. It was kind of unusual that we could all fit into one vehicle, but it was kind of nice too. Jake rode in front beside me, while Cole, Graham, Trey, Dion, Vinnie, Nick, Sammy, Andrew, and Jesse all rode in the back two seats. It was a little cramped, but the boys didn't seem to mind, because they all wanted to ride in our newest vehicle. They said we could always use the Suburban too, once we got to Dustin's campus, if we need more space. It might work to our advantage that I'd let him take it back to school with him the last time he was home.

When we got there, we stopped at Dustin's dorm to pick him up and then took him out to lunch with us. Dustin fell in love with the Yukon too and claimed it was much nicer than the Suburban. I suspected at least part of the reason he felt this way was because the Suburban was a few years older and each of the boys seem to think newer is better. Everyone squeezed in the back, and Dustin held Jesse on his lap, in an attempt to get to know his newest brother better. Jesse thought the attention was pretty special and ate it up, while he also earned a deeper appreciation for this older brother.

After lunch, we headed to the mall, to let Dustin pick out a couple of things for his birthday. We told him he'd get his big gifts when we held his party, after he came home for the summer. He was more than satisfied with that and picked out an assortment of name-brand clothes, so he'd have something new to wear for the final month of his academic year. Once we completed our jaunt through the mall, we dropped Dustin off at his dorm, so he could change for dinner.

I then took the others to find a place where we'd spend the night. I figured we'd get our rooms now, since we also needed to clean up and change, because we had dressed quite casually for the trip. Once we'd all had a chance to wash up and put on something more appropriate, we picked Dustin up again and set off for the restaurant.

It was a nice place, although nothing too fancy. Dustin said it was a favorite place for students to bring their parents when they came to visit and several of his friends had recommended it to him. They told him it was very nice and the food was excellent, which we soon verified, and we all enjoyed a very special fare.

During the evening, Dustin chatted with all of the boys, but he spent a greater share of his time with Jesse. When he asked Jesse what he liked to do best, Jesse pantomimed riding a bicycle. Dustin understood his meaning and tried to find out more, so Andrew took over and explained about their almost daily adventures on the bikes. Jesse was glowing as he listened to Andrew fill Dustin in about their activities and it was obvious how much these outings meant to him.

The cutest thing happened when Dustin asked Jesse whom he liked best, because we all assumed he'd point toward Andrew. However, after looking around the entire table, he moved his arm around, until he had pointed toward each of us, one at a time, including Dustin. This made us all crack a smile, before Dustin wrapped his arms around Jesse and gave him a big hug of approval. I think we all appreciated knowing Jesse loved and felt a special connection to each of us.

After things settled down, we left the restaurant and I took everyone out to see a movie. Prior to going, we all agreed to let Dustin select what we would see and he seemed pleased by this simple gesture. Going to a movie was never an easy process for us and it was a rare occurrence that a single boy had total say in the matter, so Dustin enjoyed this treat. When the movie ended, we went out for some ice cream, before I told them it was time to head back to our rooms for the evening.

Dustin asked if I'd take him by his dorm so he could pick up a few things, because he wanted to spend the night with us. I told him it would be pretty crowded, which prompted him to ask which of us were sharing rooms together. I advised him that Dion, Trey, Nick and Vinnie had asked to be in one room, while Cole, Graham, Little Ricky and Sammy requested another. I then went on to tell him that Jesse, Andrew, Jake and I were in the last room.

After hearing this, Dustin explained he was willing to ask permission from the guys in the room in which he wanted to stay, if it was all right with me. When I agreed to his request, he whispered to Jesse and Andrew.

"Do you mind if I share a bed with you?" Both boys seemed excited by this idea and quickly agreed to let him do this. Once he had their approval, Dustin turned to Jake and I.

"How about it? Do you mind if I share your room and bunk in with the boys?" he asked.

Of course, we had no problem with this, so we took Dustin to pick up a few items, before we returned to our rooms. The five of us did stay up a little longer, so we could talk and watch some television before turning in, but I got the biggest kick out of watching Dustin with the two boys. When we decided to watch television, Dustin sat on their bed, with his back propped up against the headboard. Before long, he had a boy tucked under each arm and cuddled up tightly against him. Jake and I did the same on our bed, but we spent more time watching them, than what was on the tube, because it was more entertaining. It was a picture of pure contentment.

When we did finally decide to go to sleep, the boys informed Dustin that he had to sleep in the middle, so they could both be close to him. This didn't bother Dustin in the least. In fact, I think he had hoped it would turn out that way. The boys were happy, Dustin was satisfied and Jake and I were pleased to see them getting so close. Of course, Andrew and Dustin had some contact before, but never quite on this level.

I know Andrew always admired Dustin and Dustin thought the world of Andrew, but I think Dustin felt Andrew had Sammy, Graham and Cole to rely on, so he didn't push to get close to him when Andrew was younger. I do remember Dustin was there for Andrew after the incident in Houston, where Andrew was nearly molested, and he went out of his way to make sure Andrew didn't have any ill effects from that traumatic event. However, after Andrew had dealt with the lingering effects of that day, they had drifted apart, but now he was back.

I think Dustin was a bit remorseful about not having spent more time with Andrew and this probably affected how he was dealing with Jesse. After hearing about Jesse's past, I'm sure Dustin just wanted to make certain Jesse felt loved, rather than abandoned. He made it his personal goal to show Jesse that he had many family members who would always be there when needed, especially him. This just made me even prouder of this special son.

The next morning we got up, dressed and went to church, after which we all went out for brunch. The boys ate well, and then we went back to collect our things and check out, before taking Dustin back to his dorm. Jesse and Andrew gave him a special good-bye, as each hugged and kissed him affectionately on the cheek, before everyone else made sure to bid him a fond farewell too. After Jake and I said good-bye to Dustin, we loaded up the Yukon and set off for home.

The trip went by quickly and we were home well before dinnertime. After unloading our things, the high school boys announced they had posters to finish, so they went off to work on them. These posters were to announce the date and time for the organizational meeting of the gay-straight alliance and they wanted to finish them, so they could hang them around school tomorrow. They hoped to get the alliance started before the school year came to an end, which would happen in about a month. They thought it would be best to have the officers elected and everything ready to go when school started again in the fall. I told them their intentions were admirable and looked forward to seeing what they had planned. After they left to do their thing, I set about getting some of my own chores done.

A few minutes later, Andrew and Jesse came up to me and asked if they could go for a bike ride, but this time they insisted I go with them. I told them I had to prepare dinner first, but Jake jumped into the discussion at that point and quickly took away my excuse, by volunteering to fix dinner for me. His offer put me on the spot and left me with no reason to deny their request.

I knew it would look bad if I tried to think of another excuse for why I couldn't go with them, so I agreed to join them this time, which thrilled both. We all had to change first, to get into something more comfortable for this type of activity, and then we went out to get the bikes. I'm not sure whose bicycle I used, but the seat seemed awfully small and hard. I felt as if I were sitting on top of a picket fence. Unless my memory is playing tricks on me again, I think the bikes I used to ride had more comfortable seats than this.

Anyway, the boys took me along one of the routes they liked to follow and I must admit it was a very beautiful ride. As we journeyed out even farther into the country, we passed scores of trees, hundreds of wild flowers, multiple pastures and fields and at one point we even pedaled along the upper bank of a ravine. Although there was a considerable drop off, it wasn't really dangerous, because there were guardrails along the roadway. That barrier was installed to prevent someone from hurtling down the embankment and into the creek at the bottom. Although the incline was fairly steep, possibly around a sixty or seventy degree angle, it was not a sheer drop to the bottom. I did warn the boys to be careful along this stretch, when they took this route in the future and they agreed they would.

Eventually, we went as far as the boys planned to go, so we did a u-turn and came back along the opposite side of the roadway, until we reached home. The boys were elated I had gone out with them and each one hugged and kissed me in appreciation, after we put away our bikes. Right away, Jesse began indicating he wanted me to go with them again sometime and I readily agreed. The fact was, I found the ride lovely and stimulating, even though my butt was disagreeing. I was also sure the exercise was good for me too. I only had one small change to suggest before we did this again. Next time, I wanted to make sure Jake went with us. Not only did I want to include him in on this bonding experience, but I also thought he could benefit from the exercise too.

The rest of the night we just took it easy. The older boys wanted to show me the posters they had made for the gay-straight alliance and I was excited to see what they'd done. Upon first glance, I found their work to be very creative. They had utilized a wide range of pictures of guys and girls they had cut out of magazines, to attract as many of their fellow students as they could. I was impressed with what I saw, so I was certain their organizational meeting would go well and they'd have the alliance up and running by fall.

The following morning, those four high school boys were extremely excited about getting to school, so they could put their posters up. This eagerness was out of character for them, since very few of my boys were morning people or had this much energy after waking up. Most mornings I would have to keep pushing and prodding to keep them going, so they wouldn't be late for school. In contrast, this was a nice change of pace and I wished they would have something like this to excite them more often.

When they finally arrived at school, each one set off in a different direction. They had already agreed where to put their posters and would hang them in areas they deemed as key locations. These were places where the traffic flow was the greatest or areas were students spent the largest percentage of their free time. They had identified these locations beforehand, during one of their many planning sessions, and had designed each poster specifically for the types of students whom would normally be found there. Although each poster announced when the initial organizational meeting would be held, they did so in a way that would most likely attract the types of students who would be seeing that particular poster. By hanging them up now, it would also give everyone enough time in between to be able to make plans to attend the meeting.

Even though the boys had a very narrow focus on what they had to accomplish, since they were only worried about organizing the alliance, this was just the beginning of three very maddening weeks for me. First of all, besides conducting the normal, and hectic, end of the year activities, I also had to make plans to leave Thursday afternoon, to attend Frankie's graduation from basic training.

The following week would be just as crazy for me with other school related issues, but on top of that, the college boys would be returning home as well. In addition to those things, I was also supposed to go out to the farms that weekend to see how things were going there. If that weren't enough, it was the same weekend I had planned to hold Dustin and Danny's birthday party. The extended family was going to come by on Sunday, since Dustin had agreed it would be best to hold one party for both of them.

Since Danny was turning twenty-one this year, I was going to do the same thing for him as I'd done for Dustin. I was having my lawyer set it up so Danny would have complete control over the account I had established for him. I knew Danny wanted to become a pediatrician, so I expected he would use the money to help pay for his medical degree, but now it would be his choice as to how it was used. He was a very responsible young man, so I had no concerns about him squandering it, but I felt this would help him feel like the adult he had become.

The weekend after that would be the high school graduation, so not only did I have to perform my duties as Superintendent of Schools, I also had to fulfill my role as father of several members of the graduating class. If that weren't mind-boggling enough, interspersed throughout the times in between, there would be additional meetings, awards dinners and other activities I would be involved in and required to attend, as well as my usual responsibilities at home. It would truly be a very trying time.

To alleviate some of my burden for the month, I asked the high school boys to pick up Andrew and Jesse from school each day, because I wouldn't be able to leave work at the usual time. I would be staying later than normal and didn't want the younger boys to have to hang around their schools waiting for me. My drivers agreed to do as I requested, but only after I threatened to take away their driving privileges unless they did. They opposed this at first, because they thought it meant they would be stuck watching their brothers until I got home, but I assured them that would not be the case.
. Once we had that settled, I told Andrew and Jesse that I was going to trust them to be on their own, so the older boys wouldn't have to watch them. This way, their brothers could still do the things they had planned. Immediately, Andrew wanted to know if he and Jesse could continue going out on their daily bike rides after they got home, which prompted me to address a few concerns with them. After we discussed in detail what would and wouldn't be allowed, both boys agreed to my demands. They promised to be very careful and be home by dinnertime, so I gave them my permission to continue their outings.

Chapter 26
You're in the Army Now

The previous week had been so busy it seemed to fly by, so before I knew it, Thursday had arrived. I would be leaving for Missouri later in the day and was actually excited about seeing Frankie again. One of the things I was looking forward to was discovering what he would look like in his uniform. Maybe it is childish on my part, but I find it's true that there is something fascinating about guys in uniform. Not that I had a crush on Frankie or anything like that, but there was something sensual and alluring about seeing a military man in his dress uniform.

Jake wasn't going to be able to go with me, because he couldn't get the time off from work, and the older boys were also staying home, because this was the crunch time of year for them. I thought it best they concentrate on their schoolwork and finals. I had agreed to let Andrew and Jesse go with me, because I didn't want to tie the others down with keeping an eye on them. This meant Jake would have to keep the high school boys under control, so they didn't try to take advantage of my being away.

After lunch, I picked both boys up from their respective schools and we were on our way to the airport. I had driven the Grand Am today for a couple of reasons. First, we didn't need a big vehicle to make this trip and, second, I thought it best to leave the larger vehicles at home for family use. We had packed everything in the trunk the night before, so we didn't have to return home before we left. The trip to the airport was smooth and uneventful and we arrived in plenty of time for our flight. I wanted the boys to grab a quick bite to eat while we were waiting, because I doubted we'd be offered anything on the plane. With that in mind, I took them to a restaurant at the airport and we all managed to down a burger, fries and soda before we boarded. I felt that should hold us until we landed.

This was Jesse's first flight and he was very excited about it. Andrew was an old pro on jets, so he spent a larger portion of his time explaining to Jesse what flying would be like and what he should expect. Jesse signaled me that he wanted to sit by the window, so he could see what was going on outside the plane. Neither Andrew nor I had any problems with this and Jesse was thrilled when I told him we would honor his request.

When we were allowed to board the jet, I kept an eye on Jesse, mostly to catch his reactions. As we passed through the cabin door, his eyes bulged from their sockets when he saw how large the interior of the plane actually was. After containing his awe, I directed Jesse to the window seat and we were all anxious to get underway. Our seats were slightly behind the left wing, so once we were in the air, he would have a fairly decent view of the ground below.

When the plane started to move, Jesse pressed his nose against the small portal and watched the ground go by. When the plane began to rise into the air, he momentarily looked away from the window and over at me, and I wasn't surprised to notice his eyes nearly popping from their proper place. He pointed at the window and I merely nodded in response, to let him know I understood his fascination, so he went back to peering through that transparent covering again.

Jesse became even more intrigued as we climbed higher and continued to get either Andrew's or my attention, so he could share his moments of wonder. He spent much of the flight focused on the world below and once we leveled off, he signaled Andrew and I about the size of the various things we were passing over. He would hold his finger and thumb barely apart to show us how small everything looked. When he wanted to explain how the mighty rivers appeared to him, he removed one of his shoelaces and carefully arranged it on the flight tray.

The trip lasted a couple of hours and then we touched down in St. Louis. After making our way to the baggage carousels, we collected our luggage and went to pick up the rental vehicle I had reserved. I would now have to drive from St. Louis to Fort Leonard Wood, which would take a couple of hours. I was driving along I-44 and about halfway to our destination, I stopped so we could eat. It was getting late and it had been a while since we last had anything, so the boys and I were all getting hungry again. After filling our tummies and making sure we relieved ourselves, we began the final leg of our journey.

It was quite late by the time we got to our motel, so we went directly to the front desk to check in. Once I was given directions to our room, we retrieved our luggage and went to settle in. We turned on the television briefly, while we got comfortable, but I knew we wouldn't be staying up much later. After a half-hour or so of channel surfing, I turned the television off and tucked the boys into bed. I kissed them good night on their foreheads, and then went to the bathroom to clean up. I hopped into bed a short time later, as exhaustion began to overcome me as well.

The next morning, I was up early and finished dressing before I woke the boys. After getting them bathed and clothed, we went out for breakfast, before heading to the base. After checking in at the gate, I asked permission to drive around, so we could see some more of the area. The M.P. retrieved a map and used a highlighter to trace the battalion location and other spots we would be allowed to visit. I knew better than to ignore his instructions, since he warned me access would be limited due to terrorist activities, so we kept to the designated areas.

The base was obviously quite large, but it was also very nicely kept. The barracks for basic training almost resembled college dorms, at least on the exterior, and there were several movie theaters spread across the base. There were also other places for the trainees to hang out, which included the PX. That is short for Post Exchange. Actually, it's just a large store that sells nearly everything.

As it approached the time for the ceremony to begin, we drove over to Baker Theatre and parked the car. After entering the auditorium, we found multiple military personnel who were there to direct us to our seats. All the visitor's seats were located in the sections on either side of the theater, so we got comfortable and waited patiently for the ceremony to begin.

It was another twenty minutes before things actually got underway and it began with a small military band playing some very rousing renditions of Souza marches and other patriotic favorites. While the music was being played, the graduates marched in, looking splendid in their dress uniforms. They maneuvered down the rows of the center section, until they were in front of their designated seat, and then they faced forward and continued to stand at attention. They stayed that way through the playing of the National Anthem and invocation, and then the Senior Drill Instructor gave them the command to sit down. It was impressive as we watched them all lower themselves downward in unison.

Once the trainees were in position and the noise from the spectators had died down, the Battalion Commander gave a brief greeting to everyone in attendance. After he finished his comments, he introduced the keynote speaker, the Post Commander. He was a one-star general and a very dignified looking man. Carefully, he placed his notes on the podium in front of him.

It was a fairly typical address, about duty, honor and what lay ahead for these new soldiers, and thankfully it was also quite brief. After the general's comments were concluded, the awards were given out. An N.C.O. (non-commissioned officer) read off the name and rank of each trainee, followed by any award or awards he had earned. That person then walked across the stage, accepted his 'diploma,' followed by a handshake. After that, he was given any medals, ribbons or plaques he was due.

I was more than pleased when Frankie's name was called, because it was announced that he was receiving multiple honors. Not only had he earned the highest score on the end of cycle PT (physical training) test, but he also qualified for his marksman's badge, which is the highest qualification for weapons, and had the third best individual score in his company doing this. He also earned a promotion, going from PVT Currie (private E-1, with no stripe) to PVT Currie (private E-2, with a single stripe), which was temporarily pinned on his sleeve. I was very proud of him, because only a handful of the graduating class had done as well, or better than Frankie, which earned them their promotions.

Once all the graduation awards had been handed out, various cadre members were presented citations for achievement as well, before one final award was presented. It was announced that Bravo Company, Frankie's basic training unit, won a trophy for setting some kind of record for their end of cycle training. The company commander accepted the trophy on behalf of everyone and held it in the air, which elicited some sort of practiced cheer from those under him. The rhythmic chant must have lasted for thirty or forty seconds, but it was quite entertaining – and loud.

Once the ceremony was over, the graduates marched out of the auditorium, as they responded to an echoing cadence call offered by one of their drill sergeants, who stood just in front of the stage. Row by row they exited the building, only to reform again outside. They stood in formation until all of their friends and relatives were able to form in a horseshoe in front of them. At that point, they did another cadence chant, but this one was done to the tune, 'We Will Rock You' by Queen. They'd changed the lyrics to reflect the uniqueness of Bravo Company and it was quite amusing and well done.

At that point, the Senior Drill Instructor made another announcement. "You men are free until twenty-one hundred hours, at which time you are to report back to your barracks."

After saying this, he turned around to address the crowd. "For you civilians that is nine, zero, zero p.m."

Those of us who had been in the military just chuckled at his comment, but I'm sure some of the others appreciated the clarification. Having shared this information, the company was dismissed and after Frankie wound his way through the mass of bodies, he came up to us. I reached out my hand to congratulate him, because I felt that wouldn't ruin his macho image, but he ignored my hand and wrapped me up in a mighty hug.

"Hi, Dad," he greeted me. "I'm so glad you made it," he added, with a huge grin, which split his face from ear-to-ear. Once he broke his hold on me, he looked down at Andrew and scooped him up, so he could give his little brother an equally energetic embrace. While he was holding Andrew, he glanced down and noticed Jesse, and a confused expression crossed his face.
"Is this Jesse?" he asked, since he'd never seen our newest addition. I had only told him about Jesse in a letter and during our brief conversations on the phone, so I was eager to introduce them.

"Yes, it is. Jesse, this is another of your older brothers, Frankie or Frank." Without hesitating, Frankie scooped Jesse up in his other arm, and stood holding both his little bothers. They looked so cute that I just had to ask them to hold that pose while I snapped a couple of pictures. Before long, Jesse had Frankie's dress cap on, which covered his head to below his nose. It was hysterical to see that small boy in such a large hat, and obviously others thought so too. I saw several flashes, as the people around us snapped his picture, while he was still held in Frankie's muscular arms.

Before everyone went their own way, Frankie introduced me to a few of the young men he'd made friends with during his training and Frankie's friend from back home was there too. They all seemed to be really nice guys and Frankie took great pride in introducing his little brothers to them as well. Of course, this got some strange looks, once they saw the age and ethnic differences between the boys.

Some of Frankie's friends also looked at me, as if they were wondering if I wasn't too old to have such young children, but that didn't bother me. Instead, Frankie had a good time telling the others how large our family was and how we came together. I'm not sure if the looks on their faces were from disbelief, horror, admiration or a mixture of all three. I also wasn't sure if they thought me a hero, dupe, glutton for punishment or merely concluded I was insane.

It took them a while before they found their tongues and began asking questions. I actually felt kind of uncomfortable during the interim, since I didn't know for sure how they were going to react or if this might affect Frankie's relationship with them. I needn't have worried, however, as they all seemed to accept us into their tight-knit little group.

Before we left to go out for lunch, I advised Frankie to explain to everyone about Jesse's inability to speak. He said he would, so I excused myself and took the boys back inside to use the restroom. It was merely an excuse to prevent the younger ones from overhearing what was being discussed, because I didn't want Jesse to be embarrassed or feel out of place. I was also afraid Andrew would take it wrong and jump to Jesse's defense, thus possibly making enemies of Frankie's new friends. By the time we rejoined the others, everyone had been brought up to speed and was aware of the situation.

Two of Frankie's friends, which included his friend from back home, had no one come to the ceremony on their behalf. One of the other guy's girlfriend had attended and the last guy's parents had shown up. They all agreed we should go out to eat together, so it would give us time to chat and get to know each other better.

I wasn't sure my two little ones would like this idea, seeing they'd be the only ones under 18 in the group, however, I miscalculated. They soon became the center of attention and were doted upon by all of Frankie's comrades, so the boys were truly in their glory. I don't think Jesse had ever had so much attention paid to him before, so he was eating it up and even began to clown around for the older boys. He used hand gestures and made faces to get his point across, but everyone seemed to understand his meaning.

After lunch, our new soldiers wanted to take us over to their dayroom and show us around. Once we got there, they played ping-pong and shot pool with Andrew and Jesse, while I chatted with the other parents. We also spent some of our time listening to one of the other recruits play the piano. He was really quite talented and played everything from Billy Joel to Beethoven, with a few show tunes, jazz pieces, swing music and rock numbers in between. It was very enjoyable listening to him play and sometimes the other guys would take breaks from their games to come over and listen too.

Not only did his awesome talent fascinate all of us, but he also drew a lot of attention from others who were wandering in and out of the building. My personal favorite was when he played Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata,' as it is one of my all-time favorite piano pieces, but I also really enjoyed his rendition of 'Piano Man' by Billy Joel too.

After we decided to leave the day room, Frankie wanted to show us around a little more, so we started to say our good-byes to the others. They didn't want us to leave, so they made us promise we'd meet back at this location at 6:00, so we could go out to dinner together. It seemed everyone was enjoying the time we'd been spending together and didn't want it to end just yet, so they thought this would be the best way to keep the good times going. The guy with the girlfriend said they'd make reservations for us and we were happy to let him have that task. We then made a graceful exit and went off on our own.

Frankie not only wanted to show us around his company area, but he also wanted us to see a bit more of the post. He even showed us where he'd be during AIT (Advanced Individual Training), starting on Monday. He was excited about it and we could tell that by everything he said or did. I think Jesse was beginning to develop a case of hero worship with his older brother and I couldn't blame him. Frankie did look impressive in his uniform and had a distinctive air of leadership about him. I think that's why the other guys were drawn to him as well, because of the quiet, take charge attitude he had developed after he came back to live with us.

You see, shortly after Frankie was sent away, when he first came to stay with us, it became quite obvious this unscheduled and traumatic separation bothered us both greatly. Therefore, when he came back, Frankie took it upon himself to become the chief protector and defender of all his brothers. I guess it was his way of making up for his misbehavior during the first go around. He always felt bad about what he'd done, even though Trey told him many times he was forgiven, but I'm not sure Frankie had ever forgiven himself. It was during this process that Frankie became the strong and silent leader of the group and all the boys went to him, whenever the going got tough. This was the quiet, yet magnetic, characteristic that caused everyone to admire him so greatly.

Going to dinner turned out to be another very enjoyable experience and it began with a little surprise. A couple of Frankie's friends had returned with some army clothes for Andrew and Jesse to wear, and the pair was thrilled with these gifts. The guys must have run over to the PX and bought these things for them, which was very thoughtful, but I'd quietly see about reimbursing them later. Andrew and Jesse wanted to wear them immediately, so I took the to the men's room, so they could change. When they came back out, they strutted their stuff and paraded around as if they were part of the graduating class. It was very comical to watch.

Their new uniforms also got them special recognition from the hostess, once we got to the restaurant. She playfully 'thanked them for protecting our country,' and the boys just giggled, snapped to attention and saluted her. After she led us to our table, she brought the boys a soda in a wine glass, with a little American flag stuck through the cherry she had placed in it. Both boys thought that was really awesome, especially when they learned their drinks were 'on the house,' not that they were paying for anything anyway.

We had another nice meal and the conversation was quite stimulating. Frankie and his friends told us stories about their time here, which included some rather comical incidents that happened during their training. The first such occurrence occurred on the rifle range. It seemed one of the other trainees, who apparently lacked basic coordination and focus at times, accidentally fell into a foxhole and broke his leg. No one was laughing over the fact he had gotten hurt, but the boys said his accident was understandable, since the foxholes were camouflaged. Once they explained this meant they were painted a bright yellow, it sent the rest of us howling, as we pictured that young man walking into one of those pits. We could all mentally see it happen, but that also made us wonder if he might be a danger to himself or others, if he were ever put in a combat situation.

Another funny story they told us was about an incident that concerned one of their drill sergeants. They said they were out doing their mile run one morning and the drill instructor was running beside them. At one point, he suddenly turned around and started running backward, so he could see if there were any laggards at the rear of the formation. He had only taken three or four steps in reverse when he stumbled over a rough patch of ground. Realizing he was going down, he tried desperately to catch his balance, but failed miserably and landed on his back. The jolt he got from hitting the ground caused his hat to come off and it flew in the air, before it landed in a ditch filled with muddy water.

No one dared to laugh, as he picked himself off the ground. He then retrieved his soggy headgear and placed it back on his head, but everyone knew he would be in a foul mood for the rest of the day, or at least most of it. They said he also took a ribbing from the other drill instructors when he got back, which didn't improve his disposition, but eventually he began to see the humor in the incident too. Slowly, he started to release his anger and embarrassment and joked about his mishap with the others.

After dinner was over, we walked around for a brief time before our troops had to report back to their barracks. Frankie asked me if we wanted to go to church in the morning and I told him that would be nice. I knew he would also expect such an outing to include a meal, especially since he'd do almost anything to avoid army chow, but I explained we'd have to eat before the service this time. I told him we had to do this, because Andrew, Jesse and I would have to rush to catch our flight, so there wouldn't be time to eat afterward. He said that would be fine and suggested we could all go to the post chapel, if we didn't mind. I said that would be agreeable and then informed him what time we'd pick him up.

After driving back to our motel room, I had the boys take their showers and I was surprised to see Jesse emerge from the bathroom without his towel this time. I wasn't sure if he was becoming more comfortable about his body or whether he did it because there were only the three of us this time. There was also a chance he was so caught up in the excitement of the weekend that he merely forgot what he was doing. Whatever the case, he was cute to watch.

After getting a good night's sleep, we drove to the barracks and picked Frankie up. After downing a quick breakfast, we attended the church Frankie had been going to for the past eight weeks. It was a standard service, but we enjoyed being there together. Once it was over, we took Frankie back to his barracks and said our good-byes. After a few hugs, especially between Frankie and his little brothers, we were off. We'd all really enjoyed ourselves, but now I was anxious to get home and resume my routine.

Chapter 27
Much to do on the Home Front

As soon as I arrived home from my trip to see Frankie, the high school boys cornered me, so they could fill me in about problems they'd had while I was away. They were extremely upset because the posters they'd put up on Thursday were either destroyed or had bigoted slurs scribbled on them, so I reiterated I had warned them there might be repercussions from organizing the alliance. I also conceded that our irate board member was probably not the only one who was against their efforts, but I was hoping such problems wouldn't start so soon. Unfortunately, we didn't get a break, where this was concerned.

"What do you plan to do now?" I asked.

"We've made more posters since Friday," Nick advised me, "and we're planning on putting them up tomorrow."

"Okay, that's good," I responded. "I'll make sure your principal alerts the faculty and staff to keep their eyes open to see if we can catch the culprits."

The boys seemed satisfied with my response and it put an end to their concerns for the time being. However, we were all still fearful of the beast lying beneath the surface and waiting to rear its ugly head. I had a strong suspicion this was just the beginning of our problems, although I was hoping these acts were being carried out by a very small number of students. No matter how many were involved, I was sure they weren't about to give up easily, especially since they had been able to do all this without being found out. Those who do things of this nature seem to get a little bolder each time they carry out their plans without getting caught.

Monday morning, after I got to my office, I called the high school principal and talked to him about what had happened. I also inform him that the boys were putting up more posters, to replace the ones that had been defaced or destroyed, and asked him to see if he could discover who was behind the vandalism and slurs. He promised he'd do everything he could to assist in this investigation and I thanked him. I then moved on to my own work, because I had a lot to do after being away.

Even though the high school boys had put up their new posters, they were not in a very good mood that evening. Nothing had happened during the day, but they weren't so sure the situation was going to improve. Sammy seemed to be particularly bothered about what had happened, but I couldn't get him to talk about it. I wasn't sure why he was more affected than the others, but he wouldn't elaborate about his concerns. He did tell me he planned to walk home from school the next day, but he refused to divulge his reasons. All he would say was that he had something to do, but wouldn't explain what he was up to. I suspected he was going to stakeout some of the posters, to see if he could discover who was defacing them. Since I was fairly positive he wouldn't confront the suspects alone, I felt it wouldn't do any harm, so I didn't object to his plans.

Later that evening, I had to go out to attend a meeting, but before I left I reminded Jake and the boys that the following evening we had an awards banquet to attend. I advised them they should plan on being there a little early, because seating was not assigned and the best spots would go quickly. I also told them I wouldn't be coming home beforehand, because I had other duties to attend to, but I would meet them there as soon as I finished up.

Andrew and Jesse were concerned the banquet would interfere with their bike ride, but I let them know they'd only have to cut it a little shorter than normal, rather than not go out at all. Reluctantly, they agreed to this, but only after getting me to promise they could go out for a longer ride the following afternoon.

The next day, after I got to work, I received a phone call from the high school principal. He informed me it had been brought to his attention that a couple of the newly hung gay-straight alliance posters had slurs written on them, but no one had seen it done. It must have happened sometime between the end of school yesterday and the start of classes today, but there had been no reports of anything suspicious during this timeframe. He advised me that the damaged posters had been taken down, so my boys could fix or replace them, and then he added the surveillance would be increased in an attempt to catch the offenders. His comment prompted me to ask what had been written on the posters and he told me one poster had 'fags must die' scrawled across it, while another had 'gays will burn in hell' added to it.

It was not surprising, yet still disturbing, and I'm sure whoever was doing this had picked those views up at home. I think the manner of inculcating bigoted attitudes might have been best expressed in a song from South Pacific, one that is often not used when doing this musical, because of its controversial nature. It was titled "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught" and the lyrics go like this.

You've got to be taught to hate and fear You've got to be taught from year to year It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made And people whose skin is a different shade You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught before it's too late Before you are six or seven or eight To hate all the people your relatives hate You've got to be carefully taught You've got to be carefully taught

It was originally written to address bigotry against Orientals, Pacific Islanders and other people of color (as they put it at the time), but I think one more verse could have been added between the second and last verses… one that goes like this.

You've got to be taught to really despise The boys who tend to love other guys To spread all that hatred and tell all those lies You've got to be carefully taught

Talking about the posters dominated the discussion when we all got together again at the awards banquet later. The boys were irate that someone had messed with their posters again and couldn't comprehend why anyone would stoop as low as to do these things. After debating this point for many minutes, I tried to remind them this was the reason they were organizing the alliance in the first place, to educate others about gays and build tolerance and respect for those who are different.

After going into a little more detail concerning this, the boys began to calm down a bit. They were still upset about what had happened, but they were beginning to hope they could get enough others to understand that gays were no different than anyone else; except for the fact they were attracted to members of their own gender. They also began to think they could change the attitudes of enough of their fellow classmates to improve the situation, but I warned it would be a long and difficult struggle to counteract years of ingrained distrust and misinformation. The boys said they understood, but they were still anxious to give it a try.

I could tell Sammy wasn't as enthused as the others. I attributed it to the fact that he was probably upset he hadn't been able to discover whom the culprits were who were doing this. Once again, I tried to draw out of him what was wrong, but he still wasn't willing to share this information with me. The only thing he would say was that he'd be walking home from school again tomorrow.

Of course, I figured this was to give him another opportunity to try to discover who the vandals were. Although I was becoming leery about his obsession, I concluded there was little harm in it for now. I also calculated that if I gave him enough time he'd either give up his surveillance or open up about what was bothering him, so I dropped the topic and gave him his space.

The banquet began with a very nice meal. After we finished eating, the awards were given out and each of my graduating sons received some recognition. To my surprise, Cole accepted the first of these honors when he was given the award for 'Outstanding Performance in the Trades Program.' He had earned this for the mechanical and body work he had done to fix up the thirty-year old Mustang GT Fastback he'd purchased. The high school principal winked in my direction, when he noticed my amazed look. It was then that I realized he had intentionally kept this information from me, so he wouldn't spoil the moment. Actually, I was grateful he had done this, because now I could truly respond to Cole, as I should, once he returned to his seat. We were all genuinely pleased and proud of him and let him know this when he returned cradling his plaque.

After that, Trey was called on to receive an award for his writing and another for having the highest four-years average in English. Neither of his honors came as a surprise to any of us. When he was presented his writing award, the high school principal also noted his past accomplishments and reminded everyone that Trey had received honorable mention for his play at the national level the previous year. After a nice round of applause, he also returned to his seat.

Another mild surprise came when Nick's name was read and the president of the Rotary Club acknowledged his accomplishments. The president told those gathered that besides having been chosen to go to Brazil as exchange student during the previous year, Nick had earned the highest grade on the Spanish competency test. Not only that, but he was also given a special award for achieving outstanding proficiency in Portuguese, as acknowledged by the school he attended in Brazil. Again, this was something that had been kept hidden from me, but I swelled with pride as I watched Nick go up to accept his plaques.

Not to be outdone, Vinnie was recognized for being 'The Most Inspirational Member of the Student Body.' This was a special award, created by the Student Council, and the presentation read as follows. "This award is given to the student who most inspires us and this person is Alvin 'Vinnie' Rydell-Shay. Vinnie has overcome physical handicaps and the loss of his parents on 9/11, yet he always remains positive and upbeat. He is constantly willing to offer a helping hand and has a smile for each of us. If more people were like Vinnie, then the world would be a better place to live."

This was something else we were not expecting and I think Vinnie might have been a little embarrassed when he returned to the table. Although he liked to be noticed by his friends and enjoyed being the center of attention at times, he was not one who liked to be recognized in a public forum, especially when his medical condition was brought up. I could sense his discomfort, but fortunately the banquet ended shortly after that presentation was made, so he didn't have long to suffer through his uneasiness.

Once the banquet concluded, each of the boys received congratulations from their friends and others in attendance, while I went around the hall to congratulate some of the other recipients as well. After the crowd began to thin out, we gathered up our things and went home, happy to call it a day.

Thursday the college boys arrived home, lugging all their possessions. They seemed to be happy about being back for the next couple of months and I knew they were relieved their finals were over and another academic year was behind them. However, the most excited member of the group seemed to be Shannon. He was not only happy to be home to see his father and everyone else again, but he seemed extra pleased to be reunited with Nick. Of course, Nick was probably more excited than Shannon, since he'd been pacing the house all week, while awaiting his lover's return. I'm not sure Jake was as thrilled about the two of them getting back together, but he was being good and keeping his mouth shut. Even though he had told them boys he accepted their relationship and continued to be friendly toward Nick, I could still sense he was uneasy about what consequences might result from Shannon and Nick's future sexual exploits.

As soon as they felt it was safe to do so and wouldn't be deemed impolite, both boys slipped off to their room to get reacquainted. As soon as they were alone inside, they decided it was safe to be themselves again.

"Damn, I missed you," Nick told his lover.

"Have you been a good boy?" Shannon teased back.

"Yep, totally," Nick responded.

"You mean you haven't done anything since I've been gone?" Shannon clarified.

"Not a thing… well, except for my own hand," Nick answered. "And it's been pretty busy. I've missed you so much."

"Well, if that's true," Shannon responded, "then I think you've earned a reward. What would you like?"

"Just to hold, kiss and feel you close to me again," Nick told him and immediately Shannon wrapped him in a huge embrace. Before long, the boys made their way to the bed and were passionately kissing and running their hands over each other's clothed body. Once they were lying beside each other on the mattress, Shannon expected Nick to ravage him, but that didn't happen. Instead, Nick merely continued to kiss Shannon and run his hands all over Shannon's exterior, but he didn't make any overt sexual moves.

"Is something wrong?" Shannon asked.

"No, nothing," Nick replied, confused. "Why?"

"Then why aren't we undressed yet?" Shannon commented and, finally, the light went on in Nick's head.

"I told you," Nick began to explain, "that I've learned there is more to love than just sex. Sex is just the dessert, but the main course is when we're close and I am holding you. I've really missed being able to do that."

"Are you sick?" Shannon asked, as he placed his hand on Nick forehead, as if he were checking his temperature. Finding Nick's head felt 'normal,' he continued.

"Wow, you are serious, aren't you?" Shannon added, amazed. "Did my dad threaten to castrate you or something, if we had sex again?" Nick let out a nervous little laugh after hearing Shannon's comment.

"He might have thought it, but he's never said it," he confided, "but I guess knowing how stupid I was about going after sex all the time really scared me. Did you see where that porn star had unprotected sex filming in Brazil? He became HIV positive and has infected some of his co-stars too."

"Yeah, I heard about that and…" Shannon hesitated before continuing, "I thought of you when I did," he reluctantly admitted. "But you've tested negative, right?"

"Yes, I did, but the doctor also said it might not show up right away," Nick conceded, but he was looking away, instead of at Shannon when he did so.

"Is that why you don't want to have sex now?" Shannon asked, directly.

"Not exactly, but it is a concern," Nick responded. "I just know I'd rather have you, even without the sex, than to have sex with anyone else now." I think this comment floored Shannon, since he never expected Nick to say anything like this. Sex had always been the key motivating factor for Nick and now he was saying it wasn't his main focus any longer.

"You've decided this all by yourself?" Shannon wanted to know.

"Not exactly," Nick admitted. "Pop has had me seeing this guy about what he calls 'my obsession with sex.'

"And it's helped?" Shannon asked, surprised that he hadn't heard about this before now.

"Yeah, I didn't think it would, but it really has," Nick responded. "We've talked about a lot of things and he got me to see that I always wanted sex because it made me feel good, but I also kind of thought it meant I was loved. I guess you know that I didn't think my parents loved me when I was younger and that's why I ran away.

"This guy showed me that sex only made me feel good for a little while," Nick continued, "so that's why I had to keep doing it more and more, kind of like someone addicted to drugs. After a while the same dose doesn't have as strong an effect on you, so you have to take more or do it more often. Now, I don't feel like I need to have sex all the time. I mean, it was nice and made me feel really good, but now I know I'd rather be loved and love someone else, rather than just to have sex without any feelings."

"How long have you been seeing this guy?" Shannon asked.

"Ever since my doctor's exams," Nick responded. "Pop worked it out so the guy comes to meet me at school two to three times a week, during my study hall time."

"And this hasn't bothered you?" Shannon wanted to know.

"Nope, not at all," Nick answered. "In fact, I'm kind of glad he made me do it. It's made me see a bunch of things about myself that I never knew before."

"You have changed," Shannon gasped, since he didn't know what else to say. He just looked at Nick, as he thought about how he wanted to approach him now.

"You know, I still want to have sex, though," Shannon finally admitted, before he decided to add something more, to see how Nick would respond. "You're not afraid to do that with me now, are you?"

"No, I'm not afraid to," Nick told him, "but we do have to be very careful. I don't want you to get the genital warts and I certainly don't want to expose you to HIV, if I was dumb enough to get that too."

"Okay, so we'll be very careful and always use rubbers, but I don't want to do without the sex. I've missed doing things with you while we were apart and I was looking forward to us being intimate again."

Later, I heard a rumor that Nick might have blushed at this point, but Shannon didn't let up and pushed him down on the mattress, kissed him aggressively and slowly began to remove Nick's clothing. Nick tried to protest, but that was hard to do with Shannon's tongue sticking in his mouth, so he just moaned and began to respond to Shannon's persistence. Before long, both of them were naked and ready for more.

"Just don't touch my dick unless it's in a condom. Okay?" Nick insisted, worried about his partner's safety.

"Come on. It can't be that bad," Shannon insisted.

"Yes, it can. You can get the warts really easy and they won't go away. So, please, promise me," Nick pleaded.

"Okay. Okay. But that's going to be hard," Shannon agreed.

"It has to be hard, to stay in the condom," Nick joked back, which caused Shannon to give him a playful punch in the shoulder, before he ran off to get the box of prophylactics and lube. When he came back, he handed the items to Nick, who quickly slipped a condom over his own erect member, and then he put one over Shannon's engorged shaft as well.

"What's that for?" Shannon asked, puzzled.

"We have to protect you too," Nick stated. "Not only can you get it from my dick, but you could also get it if you make love to me." That seemed to be enough to satisfy Shannon's curiosity and they went back to concentrating on what they were doing.

Shannon did notice that Nick was more affectionate and spent much more time on the foreplay than in the past, which only confirmed what Nick had already told him. He really had changed, and because of that, the boys spent a long time together, enjoying each other emotionally, as well as physically.

Shannon liked the idea that Nick seemed to be taking pleasure in just being with Shannon, instead of looking forward to the wham-bam-thank-you-man type of sex. In fact, Shannon almost had to beg Nick to get to it tonight, as Nick was more into pleasing Shannon than himself. However, once he finally committed to the act, no matter how concerned he was about exposing Shannon to whatever he might have contracted in Brazil, he gave it his all.

Slowly, Nick slid his sheathed shaft into his lover, which caused Shannon to moan and shiver in delight, especially since he had been looking forward to this moment for many months. This also included the time Nick was in Brazil, because they hadn't been allowed to have sex since he returned. Lovingly, Nick consummated their love once again, but this time with more kissing and focusing on other areas of Shannon's body as well. After many minutes of their rhythmic dance, Nick exploded in a powerful orgasm and then collapsed on top of Shannon. However, once he recovered, he switched places and returned the favor.

The next morning, we could all tell they had finally ended the temporary celibacy they had been forced to endure. We noted how they both glowed and pranced about, which were only a couple of the signals that made us conclude they had been intimate. Even though he didn't say anything or react in a way the boys would see, I knew it still bothered Jake deep down that Shannon might be exposing himself to various potential threats to his own health. I was certain he felt the boys were practicing safe sex and taking every possible precaution, but there is always the chance something bad will still happen. Besides, it's a father's prerogative to continue to worry about the welfare of his child, even if it runs counter to the evidence.

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