Date: Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:41:44 EST
From: bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 3, chapters 37-38

Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 3 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 37 -- The Times, They Are a Changin'.

**Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read
this.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 3 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 38 -- To Memories and New Beginnings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE END of Book 3.


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