Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2017 11:28:16 +0000
From: David Lee <dlee169@hotmail.com>
Subject: Cheddars, Chapter 21

Cheddar's, Chapter 21


It was early August, and summer school was almost over.  Finals would begin
in another day.  Adam and Parker had maintained good grades the whole time.
It looked like smooth sailing to the end, with no storms on the horizon.

As they were finishing up their reviewing before deciding what to eat for
supper, they heard a sound, like a muffled explosion.  It seemed to come
from the apartment below.

"Jeez!  What are those dumb-shits up to now?" Parker grumbled.  "They
probably can't boil water without causing a catastrophe!

"Isn't that smoke I smell?  This might not be a laughing matter!"

"Okay, let's stuff our coursework and laptops into our bags and get the
hell out of here just in case."

As the guys bounded down the stairs to second floor, they heard an alarm
going off, and saw smoke billowing out of the apartment through a gaping
hole in the door.  They tried to go in to see if they could help the boys
who lived there, but the acrid fumes burned their eyes and drove them back.

Adam banged on the door of the apartment across the hall, and told the
occupants they'd better clear the building.  Meanwhile, Parker ran to the
first floor to roust the tenants down there in case they'd missed the
alarm.  He called 911 on his way.

Within a few minutes, help arrived in the form of a firetruck, a police
car, and an ambulance.

"Thank God you're here," Parker addressed the firemen.  "We couldn't get to
the guys in that apartment because of the heavy smoke," he continued,
pointing to a broken window.  "There are two who live there, but they might
have company.  I thought I heard more voices earlier."

The truck was quickly positioned on the front lawn, and as soon as the
ladder was in place by a window, the firemen knocked the rest of the glass
out and entered.  All eyes were on the team of firefighters, as they
carried three people down to the ambulance.  EMT's administered oxygen
before getting ready to transport the victims to Mercy Hospital which was
only a few blocks away.

Several of the guys captured videos of the operation.

Once the firemen were sure there were no more people in the building, they
made quick work of extinguishing the blaze.  Remarkably, the major damage
was confined to that one unit.

The firemen asked a police officer to accompany them on their inspection
because they suspected it was a crime scene.  As soon as they were done,
Parker conferred with them to see when it would be safe for the rest of
them to go back in.

"I'm sorry," Office Valentine said, "It may not be fit for occupancy for
some weeks to come.  We'll need time to gather evidence.  From what we can
determine, those guys were operating a meth lab.  Even if we could be sure
the fire's completely out, the place is dangerous until a hazmat team can
go over it thoroughly."

"Shit!  Where ARE we going to go? I have a final tomorrow!" Mark, one of
the guys from first floor exclaimed.

"I'm in the same boat," Jared from across the hall grumbled.

"Is there some way that everyone can retrieve their books and laptops, and
maybe some clothes?" Adam asked.  "We're all facing the end of the term."

"This might get me in trouble with the chief, but I have a couple of
breathing masks I can loan you if you're quick about it," the head of the
fire-team offered.  "I know what it's like not being able to get to the
stuff you need.  I was in the same fix during the flood of 2008.  The guys
on first floor won't need masks because the fumes aren't down here, and are
likely to continuing rising instead of down-drafting."

"I appreciate that, but we need somewhere to stay tonight," Mark persisted.
"Will the Red Cross be able to place us?"

"Okay guys, I have a plan," Adam spoke up.  "You can stay with me.  Load up
your cars with whatever you can get out.  I'll put the back seats down in
my Fit to help with the excess.  We already have our electronics in
Parker's car, and I don't know if we can get our clothes.

"I own a large house that's empty at the moment, and we can all crash
there.  You'll have to double up, and there are only three and a half
bathrooms, but we can make do.  I'll give you the address so you can put it
in your phones to find it, or you can follow me.  It's not far away."

"I'll have to get statements from everyone before you go," Officer
Valentine said.  "And I'll need contact information as well."

----------

He interviewed the roommates in pairs, so it didn't take too long.  He
wanted to know what they had heard and seen before the fire.  He also
needed to identify the victims.

Parker supplied the latter information because he had been getting ready to
see about having them evicted.  They were Ryan Blasberg and Aiden Geary,
both from Omaha.  He had their home addresses and parents' numbers in his
phone, and gave those as well.

When Phil and Austin from second floor had retrieved their things, they
handed the masks to Adam and Parker so they could go upstairs to see what
they could salvage.

Parker and Adam grabbed a few large garbage bags and hastily stuffed them
with clothes, pitching them out the window to save time and breath.  They
looked sadly at their beautiful bed, knowing it would likely have to be
sent to the dump because of contamination.

Then, they helped the four guys on first floor with the rest of their
stuff.  When all was loaded up, they formed a caravan with Adam at the
front and Parker bringing up the rear.  As they drove toward Adam's boyhood
home, Parker could see a Channel 9 news crew descending on the scene.  He
was thankful they could avoid being interviewed.

Adam used his remote to open one of garage doors and got out to open the
other one with the control by the kitchen door.  The guys parked their
vehicles in there and in the driveway.  It was packed, and it would take a
bit of juggling to get everyone out when they needed their cars, but most
of them could walk or bike to class in the morning.  At least they were off
the street.

----------

"Wow!  This is a cool place!" Mark exclaimed.  "How come you've been living
in the attic when you have a McMansion?"

"It's a long story," Adam said. "This house would have been sold already if
I could have gotten my grandparents to withdraw their claim against it.
It's been difficult to attract renters with the possibility that it might
be sold out from under them as soon as they got settled.  Anyway, for those
of you who are remaining in Iowa City for fall term, you're welcome to live
here rent-free until clean-up and repairs are made.  I promise not to put
it on the market until we all have a place to stay."

"Tom and I will be done with school in a few days, as you know," Mark said.
"But we really appreciate having a safe, clean place to live until then.
Thanks!  I'm gonna be okay to take finals tomorrow."

"Ben and I will stay," Jared spoke for both.

Phil and Austin also expressed their thanks, and their desire to remain in
Adam's place as long as they could.

Adam asked Parker to put in an order for pizzas from Pagliai's to feed them
all, while he took the rest of the guys around to see the layout of the
house so they could decide which rooms they wanted.  Parker said he'd go
pick them up to save time.  They'd missed supper because of the fire, and
were hungry as bears waking up from hibernation once the excitement was
over.

----------

"Um, I assume you're aware that Parker and I are boyfriends.  We'll keep
the master bedroom with the king-sized bed for us because we already sleep
together anyway.  Here's another bedroom with a queen bed, and there are
two more down this hall with a pair of twin beds in each.  If anyone has a
serious aversion to sharing a bed with another guy, there are two futons in
the basement rec room where someone could bunk.  You guys can draw straws
for them."

"Mark and I can share the queen bed," Tom offered.  "We'll be leaving town
in a week or so.  I think I can put up with him that long."

"It's preferable to having one of us fall in the crack when we push our
beds together," Mark grinned.  "We're kinda like Adam and Parker, but we've
been keeping a low profile until we're out of school.  At this point, no
one can cut off our support money if they don't like what we're doing."

The other guys said nothing derogatory, and congratulated them on their
relationship.  Adam loved the attitude of his peers.  He also thought it
was fun to have an additional gay couple occupying the house which had
belonged to his homophobic parents.

Their tour of the upstairs was finished when they heard Parker's voice.

"I'm home!" he called up the stairs.  "Come and get the pizza, guys, before
it gets cold.  I tried to score some beer, but they IDed me, so I have four
liters of soda."

"We had two six-packs of Sam Adams in the fridge, and I brought them
along," Mark grinned.  "I'll get them from my car so we can use them up
before they go stale.  I've heard it's not good for them to warm up and be
chilled again, anyway."

----------

As they began to relax from full tummies and a little alcohol, the guys got
ready to contact people who were likely to worry about them when they heard
the news at 10:00.  Parker led a discussion on how to approach the subject
without causing undue trauma for their loved ones.

He suggested they begin with a little small talk, and then let their
families know they were unscathed and not in need of housing after a small
fire in one of the units in their building.  After that, they could give
more of the details if they wished.

Edgar and Ellie took the news in stride after being assured that the boys
weren't hurt.  Parker said he'd add video clips to an email so they could
see the evacuation process.

"We should have let you manage the building in the first place!" Ellie
exclaimed.  "I know you already had misgivings about the tenants who caused
the fire.  I'm sure your judgement would have been superior to the rental
agency's.  They didn't care about anything but their commission.  You have
to live with the other people and they don't.  We were afraid the
responsibility would take too much time away from your studies.  I guess we
live and learn."

"You did what you thought was best for me, Grandma, and I appreciate it.
We're going to be fine since Adam's house isn't on the market yet.  It's
all working out.  Isn't it cool how he's returning the favor of me giving
him a home last fall?  By the way, the other guys in the building are
really great too, so we can't fault the rental people completely."

----------

While Parker was informing his family, Adam sent quick texts to a bunch of
the guys he'd been close to in high school.  Nearly all of those associated
with the swim team offered to take Parker and him in if they needed
housing, including his former coach.  It was heartwarming to know he had so
many people in his corner.

He spent a little more time talking, over the clatter of dishes, to his bro
who was working that night.  Rob said he'd text Darrin who was next on
Adam's calling list.  Adam reminded him that they could move into the room
Mark and Tom were currently using as soon as they moved out.

"In a couple of weeks, we'll be like one big family living together.  I
know Darrin's parents will have a cow, but it will be best for him to be
out."

"It's more like they'll shit a brick," Rob snickered.  "He's already come
out to his Grandpa Bud, and he took me with him like you guys suggested.
Bud is awesome!  He's gonna pay Darrin's tuition bills, and he's changing
his will to leave everything to him.  He wants to make sure the `rents
can't screw him over."

"That's great news.  Hey, look, I need to cut this short so I can call
Kyle, the manager of Baxter Motors.  I know he'd offer us shelter like your
mom and dad."

"You know they would, but I'm glad you have a place already, and that we'll
be joining you there soon."

When Adam called Kyle, he spent a few minutes telling him about his
half-brother and asking if Rob could have a car of similar value to his Fit
very soon.  Kyle said he would be happy to do whatever Adam wished.  If
they put the decal on the back window that gave the link to dealership's
website, they could write it off as advertising.  Adam ended his calls
feeling great.

----------

As the household settled down for the night, some of the guys were still
cramming for their exams.  The layout of the house made it possible for
everyone to find a quiet place to concentrate.  Besides the bedrooms, there
was the kitchen, dining room, living room, den, and basement rec room to
spread out in.  Thus, if one of the roommates needed to sleep more than to
review, they could all be accommodated.

Parker and Adam studied for a while, but decided to turn in not long after
supper.  They felt that busting a nut might do them more good than busting
their brains.

They showered together, and then headed for the big bed.

"Wow, look at this!" Adam exclaimed.  "They must have purchased a new bed
with the money they saved by not feeding their faggot son.  This is like
the one you bought for the apartment, only bigger!"

"It's definitely the deluxe model," Parker agreed.  "But, I do wish you'd
stop using slurs in referring to yourself.  I know you're bitter, but it's
like saying the "n" word about a black guy."

"I'm sorry, Love.  I'll quit.  I know it doesn't do anything positive for
my self-image in the long run, but being in this house brings back some
very unpleasant memories."

"Here's something to chase away the past.  Think about the fact that we're
naked, hard, and about to share our bodies in the very bed where your
homophobic parents slept."

"That's so cool!!!  I hope the dead can see us from wherever they are.  I'd
like them to watch while we pleasure each other to the max!"

Once they started making out in earnest, Adam tuned out everything but the
fantastic sensations Parker was stirring in his body.  His senses were
filled with the touch, scent, and taste of his lover, crowding all else
out.

Their orgasms were hot and satisfying.  They slept peacefully through the
night.

----------

Adam woke up early, and drove Parker's car (which wasn't blocked) to the
supermarket.  He loaded his cart with cereals, milk, eggs, bacon, orange
juice, cranberry juice, and English muffins.  Then he hurried home to start
breakfast.  Parker immediately pitched in to help.

As they heard guys getting up, Parker went upstairs and told them about the
menu.  There was bacon in the oven so it would be crisp and warm.  They
would scramble eggs in batches and toast muffins as people were ready to
eat.  The guys should come to the kitchen in any state of dress when they
were hungry.

Mark and Tom had the earliest finals, and were soon seated at the table
clothed in what they were wearing to class.

"This is like a bed and breakfast!" Tom exclaimed.  "It's over the top in
hospitality."

"We just wanted everyone to have a good start to their day," Adam replied.
"We've been through enough!  Now don't expect this every morning.  Tomorrow
you're all on your own."

The others showed up shortly, some in the boxers they'd slept in, and
others half dressed.  Everyone appreciated a hot meal to start their day
off right.

----------

All the young men living in Adam's house did well on their finals.  They
credited part of their success to the fact that he'd found a way to lessen
their anxieties.

The three guys who had accidentally caused the fire didn't fare so well.
The one who had been visiting and was an adult in his 30's, had evidently
been instructing the younger two in making the drugs.  Because he was
physically closer to the operation than the others, he was more severely
hurt and succumbed to his injuries before reaching the emergency room.  So
far, none of the names of the victims had been released.  However, bits and
pieces of the story came out in the news media over the following days.

Ryan and Aiden were facing several pending charges.  While Adam hated to
see them thrown into prison with seasoned criminals, he hoped they'd get a
stiff enough penalty to scare them into changing their ways.  Although he
didn't buy into the "affluence" defense for excusing spoiled brats from
paying their debts to society, he did blame the parents of the boys who had
evidently bailed them out over the years instead of letting them suffer the
consequences for anything they did.  In that sense, he was thankful that
his parents had been strict with him as he grew up.

----------

After finals, Adam's house wasn't quite as full as it had been the night of
the fire.  Most of the other guys were spending a few days at home before
the fall term began.  Mark and Tom had left for their new jobs in Kansas
City, but Rob had moved enough of his things into that bedroom to make it
his new home.  Darrin was going to move in with him tomorrow, after coming
out to his parents.  It should be an interesting week.

Now that the hazmat team had completed their work, Jon and Bart were coming
to spend a couple of days to look the damaged house over to get some idea
of what it would take to restore it.  Parker and Adam were planning to buy
it for their own, and they wanted to see it brought back to its original
elegance whether they kept it or sold it.

Instead of putting Parker's dads in a motel, the guys decided to give up
their bedroom for their guests.  They didn't want to impose on any of their
housemates by using their beds, so they folded down one of the futons into
a double bed, and decided it would be big enough, if they snuggled.  The
basement tended to be a bit chilly when the AC was running, so being in
close contact would be good in more ways than one.

----------

They were dusting in the living room when their efforts were interrupted by
the doorbell.

"Hello Mrs. Cooper.  What can I do for you?" Adam smiled at his next-door
neighbor.

"Don't give me that innocent look!  I'm here to serve notice on you for
violating the neighborhood covenant!  This is a special, historical area,
and you're not allowed to rent out rooms.  I plan to take you to court!"

"Aren't people allowed to have guests here?  If not, you're in violation
when you have your old classmates stay at homecoming time."

"Of course you can have guests!  I'm not charging them rent."

"Neither am I.  In case you haven't seen the news, the building we were
living in was damaged by fire, and I've invited my friends to live here
until it can be suitably restored, or they find other places to settle.
I've already discussed it with Carl Novotny, my lawyer, and he says it's
perfectly legit.  I could even operate it as a bed and breakfast since
there are a couple of homes nearby that have set the precedent."

"Humph!  You may be able to get away with it, but if I hear any extra noise
from here, I'll call the police!  Then they can close you down."

"These guys are all decent, law-abiding citizens.  None of them has been
arrested for vandalizing cars with a pellet gun," he said, knowing he'd
strike a nerve.

"That wasn't my son's fault; the others got him into it."

"Ah, was it your son who was charged for that?" Adam asked with feigned
surprise.  "Well, if there's damage to any of our vehicles, I'll know where
to send the authorities.  Good day, Mrs. Cooper.  It's been a pleasure.
Thanks for your warm welcome."

----------

"Were you on the debate team?" Parker laughed after the door was shut.

"It was my junior year, but I had to drop out last year when I got hired at
Cheddar's."

"It shows!  You think well on your feet.  It reminds me of how you handled
that Gloria what's-her-name."

"Thanks!  You said something about crossing swords with me back then.  What
say we finish the vacuuming and cross swords before changing the big bed
for company?"

"Yeah, I'm all for that!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes: Thank to Jim M#1, Wayne, Walt Sz, John L, Ott H, Steve C,
Jack W, Bill K, Rob R, Randy McM, Joe W, Ray K, GCD, Tony F, Charles G,
Mendy D, Tom A, Frank K, Bill T, Zero M, Jeremy R, Keith A, Jim W, Derrick
M, Skip M, Paul R, JLF, and Dick M who commented on the chapter.

Thoughts for Dick M who is facing medical problems.

Our headlines are filled with hate, violence, and strife.  Consider doing a
small random act of kindness this week for a friend or stranger.  I believe
it will make the world a better place in which to live.

David