Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 15:31:39 +0000
From: David Lee <dlee169@hotmail.com>
Subject: Tales from Bentonville, Ch. 37

Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 37
By David Lee

Warning:
This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction.  Much of this
involves males with other males.  If the reading or possessing of such
material as this is illegal in your country, state, province, county,
municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed
further.  If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so.
It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.

The author retains all rights to this original story.  Please do not publish
without explicit authorization from me.

Disclaimer:
This story is completely fictional.  Most of the places mentioned, and none
of the characters exist in real life.  Some may possess physical or
personality characteristics of people I know or have known.  But if you see
yourself in this story, your imagination is better than mine!

"Tales from Bentonville" is a romantic story centering on the lives of high
school kids.  Lovers of other ages may appear, but not normally in a
cross-generational sense.  References to sex with under-age kids may be made
for the sake of the story line.  However, I feel that child molestation is a
crime and should not be glorified or tolerated.

This is my fifth attempt at writing fiction.  My other stories on Nifty
include: "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004)
under High School, "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 23, 2004) under
Camping, and "Jacob and Jacques" (May 5, 2004) under High School.  Some
characters from previous stories may have cameo roles in this one.  However,
you need not read them first.


Our only reward for contributing to Nifty is your e-mails.  Please write if
you like the story.  Please include the name of the story in the title of
your e-mail.  I get a lot of spam!

Finally, thanks and hugs to Tim who edits for me so that there are fewer
typos!


dlee169@hotmail.com

Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 37

April turned out to be a month of unpredictable weather.  It ran the gamut
from chilly to hot to mild to severe.  Temperatures were steadily on the
rise, but could make sudden drops seemingly without warning.  Seasoned
gardeners knew enough not to put out the most tender plants until the middle
of May at least.

In the early part of the month, Miss Charlotte called Darrin to let him know
that her daughter was doing much better and that she was well enough to be
on her own.  Charlotte was heading back in a few days.  She made it clear
that she wanted the boys to continue living there unless they were
uncomfortable with her being under the same roof with them.  She urged
Darrin to give up his apartment when the lease came up.

Darrin wasn't sure how he felt about having the older lady living with them.
  She would certainly figure out the relationship that he had with John.  No
one could put anything over on that woman.  She might be old, but she was
nobody's fool.

That night, the three guys discussed it over dinner.  John said that they
would have to tell Lottie the truth and let the chips fall where they might.
  Darrin was proud of his younger lover for being so brave.

When John picked Lottie up from the airport a couple of days later, she
remarked about how good he looked.

"You have turned into a handsome young man!  I'm proud to know you.  I'm
guessing that your love-life has improved since you changed your style and
your attitude."

John blushed because he felt like Lottie could see into his mind and soul.

"Yeah, it has," he admitted.  "Do you have any idea who my soul-mate is?"

"Yes, I think that I do.  May I assume that it is someone who took a special
interest in you and who cares for you as much as you do for him?"

John was taken aback by how up-front she had been in her use of the gender
of his lover.  He blushed some more and swallowed.  He simply nodded because
he wasn't sure what to say or how to say it.

"Darrin is a very nice young man and so are you.  I hope that it all works
out for you."

After that had been said, Charlotte asked about various people in
Bentonville to get caught up on local happenings as they drove toward the
town.  She loved hearing about the Johnson twins and was eager to see
Greta's new grandchildren.  She even took delight in hearing details about
Dan's compassion for Cory in acting as his nurse.

John was struck by how normal the conversation was and that she had made no
further reference to his and Darrin's sexuality or relationship.  Before
they got to the house he had to explore more about how she felt.

"Um, are you okay with Darrin and me or do you want us to move out now that
you know?"

"Why would I want you to do that?  I've suspected for some time.  Darrin
always speaks about you with a kind of pride in his voice that comes from
caring a great deal for someone.  It reminds me of how my late husband used
to brag about me to his mother.  She wasn't thrilled about having her son
give his affection to another woman!  I'm not saying that she felt anything
unnatural toward her son, but she certainly did dote on him."

John had to laugh at Lottie's assessment of her departed mother-in-law.  He
was certain that the lady didn't stand a chance against Miss Charlotte.  Who
would?

The moment that Charlotte entered her old house, she could feel the change
in its aura.  The atmosphere was as light and happy as it had been before
her brother, Robbie, had died.  She suspected that it had to do with the
love that was shared here now -- that and the fact that three young men
brought a new energy to the place.  It was great to be back.

Darrin made a special meal for Charlotte's homecoming.  It was served in the
dining room with china, silver, and a good wine to complement it.  The boys
were all at home to eat with her and were dressed in slacks and sweaters in
keeping with the occasion.  She was very pleased.

"This is a real family!" she exclaimed.  "I'm so happy that you have allowed
me to be a part of it.  You've done wonders with the house!"

"We really haven't done anything except dust and vacuum," Darrin said.

"Oh yes you have!  You have brought life and sunshine to it by your
presence.  It is the happiest I have know it to be in years."

Later that night, Darrin and John made love in their room.  They were
especially quiet lest their passionate moans offend their elderly friend.
But they felt even closer by virtue of the fact that she knew about them and
accepted them.  Her love seemed to feed their own.

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

Work on the musical, "Annie," progressed at an amazing pace.  When Dane and
Colt got involved in helping to build the set, they enlisted DJ to join them
when he could.  He made sure not to neglect his wife and new babies in the
process.  As a result, he didn't get as much sleep some nights as he would
have liked.

Gary Fagan came one Saturday with Dave and Dustin to lend a hand.  He
figured that if the boys were going to be in Bentonville for high school in
the fall, they might as well begin to make more friends from that school.
He might as well get used to the idea of volunteering at the school which
was once his arch rival.  It felt good to work with his hands and to work
beside DJ.  Building things for the pleasure of others was good therapy for
both veterans.

The news that Gary shared with DJ was not all good.  It seemed that his wife
was having a difficult time accepting that Dustin was gay.  Even after Gary
had made a complete turnaround in his thinking, she was not able to.  It was
difficult for Dustin, but not overwhelming since he had his father's
acceptance.

Dustin had already shared that story with Dane and Colt via e-mail, so they
weren't surprised.  They did give him their verbal support when no one else
was within earshot to overhear them.

"It's really great that Dad understands," Dustin said.  "I don't know what I
would do if he hadn't come around.  But, either way, I still have the guy I
love and his parents are both behind us a hundred percent.  I spend as much
time at Dave's house as possible and the rest with my Dad.  Mom kind of goes
off to the bedroom or out in the yard when I'm around.  She doesn't say
anything bad to me.  Mostly, she doesn't acknowledge that I exist."

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

Besides academics, "Annie," and spring sports; there were other activities.
The student council was casting about for ideas for a community-service
project.  The response to the fund-raiser in the fall for Jerry's new moped
had been so great that the student leaders thought that they could keep the
ball rolling.  Since Joel and Alex had been instrumental in that idea, the
other kids turned to them for some thoughts about a new direction.  Danica
Parr, the president of student council, asked them for input at the next
meeting.

"At my old school, we had a `Clean out Your Drawers' drive in the spring,"
Joel volunteered with a grin.  "It was a way of giving some good used
clothing to deserving people.  There was a local mission that gave the
things free to people who were down on their luck and it gave us room for
the new clothes we needed to replace the outgrown ones."

"I think the title is a little suggestive for Bentonville to accept," said
Mrs. Brinks, the advisor with a smirk of her own.

"How about calling it `Clean out Your Closet, instead?' Jerry suggested.

Quick eye contact was made between Alex and Joel, Dane and Colton, and a few
others, but Mrs. Brinks missed the symbolism of "closet."

"Yes," she said. "I think that would be fine."

Joel mentioned that they might have a silent auction for more valuable items
to raise some cash for the local food bank at the same time.

"I have a great leather jacket that I've outgrown.  It would fit a guy the
size of Dane or Colt just fine.  I'd be glad to donate it.  I am certainly
not passing it down to my brother."

Other kids began to think about things that they might donate for the
auction as well.  By the end of the period, everyone was excited about the
project.  They all knew that their mothers would be pushing them to do some
spring cleaning anyway.  Why not combine it with a fund-raiser?

In the end, they decided to accept some house-wares as well as clothing.
There was a mission in Cosgrove that was like the one Joel had mentioned in
Florida.  And, if that place didn't need the goods, certainly the Goodwill
would take them.

Mrs. Brinks said that she was sure there would be some funds available to
help sponsor a dance on the night of the silent auction.  That would ensure
a lot of participation.  The admission charge could be kept at a minimum so
that all kids could afford to come.  She was as happy about the prospect as
the kids were.  It would help build community on many levels.

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

Dustin had his problems with his mother, but they didn't hold a candle to
what Joel's parents were planning.  They were really pissed over the e-mail
that Joel had sent them when they confiscated his Corvette.

Shortly after spring break, Joel's grandfather, Rhys, got a notice from the
lawyer who was employed by Ward Teague.  In it, he was informed that an
official hearing would be held in an attempt to overturn the guardianship
rights that allowed Rhys to keep Joel.

Joel was devastated by the contents of the letter.  In short, it said that
the lawyer insisted that the hearing to be open to the public.  In it, he
planned to show that Joel's grandparents had allowed and promoted a
life-style that was immoral and degrading in that they had encouraged him
use alcohol and to have a sexual relationship with another boy.  Of course,
if Joel voluntarily came back to Florida to live with them, the whole thing
would be dropped.

Joel went to see Alex immediately.

"I'm going to have to go back to live with my parents.  I'm sorry!  I love
you very much, but they've played a trump card that can't be ignored.  I
can't risk outing you as well."

"Shit!" Alex exclaimed when he read the letter.  "I didn't think that anyone
could be that manipulative.  I love you and need you.  You don't have to
leave; we still hold the ace of spades."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll beat them to the punch and not tell them.  Let's have a coming out
party!  I know that has a different meaning for society debutants, but we
can put our own spin on it." Alex exclaimed.

"But, you will have to give up football and watch your back all of the time.
  It's not worth it for you.  I'd better go quietly and hope that we can
find each other again after I turn 18."

"Joel, do you think that my life would be worth living without you now that
I've found you and shared your love?   I think I can still play football,
but if I can't, so be it.  I can face the loss of about anything but you.
We are bound to come out before school is over anyway.  I only worry about
you being here alone after I graduate.  Maybe I'll flunk government class so
I won't graduate next year."

Joel sat on Alex's bed with tears in his eyes.  He and never known another
guy to care for him like this.  Even his best friend back in Florida
wouldn't have thought of putting his reputation in jeopardy for Joel.

"Hey, Baby, it's going to be okay," Alex whispered as he held Joel close.

At that point, Allen entered the room he shared with his twin and asked what
the problem was.  The other two explained the situation and their tentative
solution.  He suggested that they talk to their mom before they did anything
drastic.

"If you do decide to come out, you can count on me.  I'm sure that there are
others who will hang with you.  I'm guessing that Dane and Colt will.  I'm
pretty sure that most everyone at the usual lunch table will remain your
friends."

After talking to Lori Albers, the boys made up their minds that they would
indeed come out publicly.  The only way to fight this fire was with fire.
They simply had to decide when to do it.

"Let's come out it at the dance," Joel suggested.  "A whole bunch of people
will be there and we can tie it in with the theme of clearing out the
closet."

Alex grinned at Joel's play on words.  They had both been thinking that if
you truly cleaned out your closet, you might have to come out of it at the
same time.  They informed Allen of their decision.  He assured them again
that he would be in their corner regardless of how and when they made the
move.

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

In the next few days, clothing began to accumulate at Bentonville high.  The
principal allowed the kids to use the conference room adjoining his office
as a place to store the items.  The kids involved in student council began
to fold the clothing and put it in boxes according to size, type, and
gender.  Some of the nicer things were placed separately to be auctioned
off.  There were a few household items such as pots and pans, decorative
pictures, vases, etc. that would be sold too.  That is, assuming that any
students might actually want them.

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

On Wednesday night, lots of the kids were participating in youth activities
at First Lutheran.  The area churches had combined groups to make them large
enough to be viable.  It also promoted understanding between Catholics and
Protestants of several types.  (Of course, the more fundamentalist groups
didn't participate!  To do so would certainly be against God's will!)

Since the kids were already in the basement of the church, they didn't have
to go far to be in a safe place when the tornado-warning siren went off.
Pastor Swenson herded them into the part that was under a solid, reinforced
concrete ceiling.  Even if the church got blown away, this area would likely
stand firm.

For the kids, it was a big adventure; that is, until the storm began and it
sounded like the Last Judgment.  Despite being in a secure place, they could
hear the torrent of rain accompanied by the thud of hailstones and the howl
of the wind.  The fury ceased.  It was almost too quite for a couple of
minutes.    Then came a sound that rivaled that of a freight train.  The
building above them seemed to shudder.  The electricity went off leaving
them in the dark.  It took pastor Swenson a few minutes to find some large
candles and matches to give them some illumination.  The kids probably
prayed more ardently in that short time-span than they had in all of their
young lives up to that point.

After what seemed like an eternity, the awesome sound went away.  But,
pouring rain continued.

It was about 45 minutes later when the all-clear signal was given and the
kids emerged from their underground haven.  What greeted them would be
imprinted on their minds for the rest of their lives.

Many old trees were down.  Some cars were turned over.  The steeple of First
Lutheran Church was nowhere to be seen.

Several power lines were down causing sparks as they shorted out on the
street.  Pastor Swenson cautioned all of them to stay inside to be safe.
They were frightened enough to obey without question.  Most were just
thankful to be alive and unharmed.  But, of course, they were all worried
about their families.

Some got through to relatives by cell phone.  Dane and Colt contacted Greta
who told them that the family was all at DJ's and that there was little
damage to property other than some tree limbs down.

Joel was relieved to find that his grandparents were safe.  Alex was frantic
that he couldn't raise anyone on his phone.  Finally, it rang.  He was so
worried that he nearly dropped it as he fumbled to answer.  It was his
mother with good news about their condition.

Dan and Cory settled down once they knew that their families were okay.  It
seems that Lottie had ridden out the storm in her "widow's watch" room on
the second floor of her house.  Darrin and John had eventually left her
there and gone to the basement at her insistence.

Pastor Swenson had told the kids to inform their parents about the downed
utilities in the area and to say that he planned to keep them all at the
church that night.  He also managed to get through to the sheriff's office
to let him know that the kids were all safe.  He went to the parsonage next
door and returned with his wife and young children who were all carrying
blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags.  They had grabbed everything that was
available in order to make it more livable for the teens.

Mrs. Swenson went back to the house and returned with extra milk (there was
some in the church refrigerator), sugar, and cocoa.  She heated up a huge
batch of hot chocolate on the gas range and thawed out some frozen cookies
in the oven.

The pastor retrieved more candles from the sanctuary to light up the
basement recreation room.  The couple turned the nightmare of the storm into
an impromptu party.  The kids all appreciated it.

The teenagers listened carefully to a battery-powered radio for the latest
report on damage.  They were pleased to hear the reporter tell everyone that
the youths at First Lutheran were all safe and accounted for.  They knew
that their families would be relieved -- especially the ones who couldn't be
reached by phone.

As the evening grew late, kids huddled together on the carpeted concrete
floor sharing what blankets and pillows were available.  No one did anything
that wasn't proper in public, but some were cuddled together for warmth.  It
was like a massive, coed pajama party.

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

In the early light of dawn, Dane awakened to the sound of utility trucks.
Electrical workers were restoring the lines as quickly as they could.  Power
had been cut for safety.  It would be okay to go home soon.

Dane was painfully aware of his morning erection.  It felt strangled in the
confines of his jeans.  He adjusted himself as well as he could before
getting up and stumbling to the men's room.  He was just zipping up when
Colton appeared in the room for the same reason.

They washed up at the sinks and finger-combed their hair so that they would
be able to face the world.  Joel and Alex came in before they had finished.
They made some comment about its not being as much fun as the cottage where
they could go naked.  All four thought that their morning breath precluded
any serious kissing even if there hadn't been the possibility of being
discovered by their peers.

The four teens went out on the front steps to watch the utility workers and
to survey what they could see of the damage from that viewpoint.  Soon, they
were joined by several other kids.  As they were pondering the mess, Greta
drove up.  She asked them to help her bring in a couple of boxes.

Greta had borrowed pancake mix from Ellen to add to her own.  They had
scrounged as many eggs as they could and dug cans of frozen juice
concentrate from Greta's freezer.  With the help of the four boys, Greta
began whipping up breakfast for the group.  Including pastor Swenson and his
family, there were nearly 40 hungry mouths to feed.  The smells coming from
the kitchen caused even the worst sleepy-head to rouse.

Some of the teens pitched in to set out plates and glasses.  Breakfast would
be served cafeteria style and everyone would clean up after themselves.  If
the power got restored in time, they could use the dishwasher.

Before the food was served, the minister offered a short prayer of
thanksgiving for their safety and for the food.  Everyone felt more thankful
than usual.

When the lights came on in the middle of breakfast, all of the kids broke
into applause.  Civilization had returned!

The reporter on the Cosgrove TV station announced that many area schools
were closed because of the storm damage.  Bentonville was one of the first
to come up because the list was read alphabetically.  A cheer went up from
the kids in the room.

Older kids, who had driven to the church, went out to check their vehicles
and prepare to go home.  Alex, Allen, Joel, and Alicia had all ridden in the
car that the Albers' twins shared.  It was fortunate that Joel hadn't driven
his new vehicle because a tree had totaled the older sedan.  Far from being
upset, the Albers boys were pretty sure that they could talk their parents
into a better set of wheels or maybe two cars.  It was worth a try at least.

Greta gave Allen the keys to her Camry to drive his siblings and Joel home.
She said that when he returned with her car, she would give him a ride home.
  He thanked her profusely for trusting him with her nice vehicle.

Some parents showed up soon to pick up their kids.  They took along other
kids who lived near them.  Just as Greta was finishing up, Allen came in
with her keys.  His mother, Lori, had followed him over to take him home.
She made sure to express her thanks to pastor Swenson and Greta for their
kindness to the kids.

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

School may have been called off, but that didn't mean that no one had
anything else to do but play games.  Most kids were out helping to clean up
after the storm.  Dane and Colton picked up many branches in Greta's and
DJ's yards.  DJ got out the electric chainsaw to cut the larger pieces up
for firewood.  There was no sense wasting.

By noon, both properties were back pretty close to normal.  So, after lunch,
the boys went to Colt's aunt's house to see if she needed help.  She had
managed to do a lot by herself, but with the help of her nephew and his
cousin, the rest was done in no time.

After that, Colt and Dane moved on to help others in the neighborhood.  When
they got to Colton's old place, they couldn't believe their eyes.  The house
was crushed under the huge old oak that Colt used to climb.  He was sad to
see the tree gone, but not the house.  The tree had been his childhood
friend, but the house held few pleasant memories.  He wondered about the
fate of its current owners.

Colton's old house wasn't the only one that suffered major damage.  Several
houses in town were uninhabitable.  Families were standing around in shock
wondering where they would be sleeping that night.  The answer to that was
not long in coming.  Lottie Webber was on the scene inviting people to her
house.

"I have four unoccupied bedrooms in my house.  We can put up cots in the old
ballroom on third floor.  No one will be without shelter if I can help it!"

Darrin offered his unoccupied apartment to a young couple who had two little
children.  They had tears in their eyes as they accepted the keys from him.

Other people opened their homes and hearts to their neighbors after seeing
Miss Charlotte's example.  No on would need to be housed in the high school
gym, though that had been made available.

Joel called Mrs. Brinks to see about opening up the school to distribute
some of the clothing and other things that they had collected.  Mrs. Brinks
called Mr. Haggerty, and soon it was arranged.  Word spread across town by
phone and also by TV.  A reporter covering the damage for the Cosgrove
station heard about it and put it into her story.  ABC picked it up as a
human interest story for their national broadcast.  They praised the kids in
the small Iowa community for their efforts in helping their neighbors cope
with the disaster.  Joel, Alex, and Mrs. Brinks all watched themselves being
interviewed on the evening news.  It was pretty exciting.

The best part was that the gently used clothing was being put to use.  Some
high school and middle school kids, who had lost nearly everything, were
delighted to have something to wear.  Mr. Haggerty took them to Wal-Mart in
the school van and gave them $20 each to buy some underwear.  That was an
item that very few high school kids felt comfortable in donating.  He was
pretty sure that the silent auction would cover his expenditure.  If not, he
would simply consider it a donation.

Some adults took advantage of things that fit them and also accepted
household items that would help them survive.  It seemed as if the "clean
out your closet" project had happened at just the right time.

Miss Charlotte was certain that her arrival back at Bentonville at that
particular time was no coincidence.

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

Author's note: Thanks to Joe, Jim C. Scottie, Mike K, Don B, Rad, Jim W, and
last, but not least: Tom H.  Tom continues to proof my copy for typos.  He
and Tim do a great job!  Thanks to both of them.

Recently, 250 kids at a local small college (about 1200 enrollment) wore
T-shirts saying: "Gay? That's okay with me" or something close to that.  Do
the math; statistics suggest that they can't all be gay.  It is another sign
of hope for understanding in this world.  I think I'll slip it into the
story somewhere.

David