Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 22:15:02 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel - book 4   chapter 11

Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts.
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.

Don't read this story if:
**You're not 18 or over,
**If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live,
**Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex.

The author retains copyright to this story.  Placing this story on a
website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's
permission is a violation of that copyright.  Legal action will be taken
against violators.

I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this
chapter.

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive'
comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.

               *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Although the boys in these stories have unprotected sex, I strongly urge
all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various
sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms when having intercourse.

                 *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

The Castaway Hotel-Book 4-by BW (Young-Friends).  Copyright 2000 by billwstories
Chapter 11 - The fickle month of May.             April 2001

May started out with a flurry of activity, much of which turned out to be
mixed blessings for the family.  It began when Dustin and Frankie both got
their final acceptances to college.  They arrived during the week that
consisted of the final few days of April and the first few days of May.
These were indeed late acceptances, as most students were accepted at the
end of their junior year or beginning of their senior year, but these two
had been late to apply, for different reasons.  Frankie had returned to our
family too late to do anything sooner, and his change in attitude and
sudden rise in maturity had sent him into pursuits that none of us would
have expected.  Frankie wanted to study criminal justice, as he wished to
enter a career in law enforcement.  At first some of the other boys thought
he must joking when he first informed them about his decision, and they
even laughed at the idea.  Frankie was slightly hurt by their reaction,
though he told them he understood why they had laughed at the idea of his
being a cop.  He then went on to explain his decision and fill them in
about his reasons for wanting to do this.

"You know, I kind of have two reasons for wanting to join the police.  One
is the obvious one, to get the bad guys off the street and stop them from
doing rotten things to good people, like all of you.  I know how bad some
people can be.  At different times when I was in trouble, I met guys who
were really evil and did all sorts of bad things.  They liked doing this
stuff to other people because they got things for nothing, got even with
people they didn't like, and it wasn't as hard as working at a job.  They
enjoyed what they did, because it made them feel important and tough, but
it really only showed what creeps and low lives they were.  Some people are
like that and there's no way to change them.  No matter how many times they
get caught, how many chances they get, or what you do to change their
behavior, they'll never change.  They're the ones you've got to get locked
up, the longer the better, so you can protect everyone else from them.
Regardless of how many guys there are like that, there are other types too,
those who can change.  These are the guys who get into trouble for various
reasons, maybe because of a tough break or a bad home, but would change if
given the chance or if someone taught them other ways to do things.  Those
are the ones I hope to help and they're the reason I want to go into law
enforcement.  I want to be able to help them change their lives around and
become better people, like Dad did for me.  If I had found someone like Dad
earlier, someone who really cared about me and not what they could get from
me or what I could do for them, then I might never have got into trouble
and I wouldn't have a juvenile record that will always be there for people
to see.  I hope that doesn't stop me from doing what I want to do."

"I don't think it will," I told him, "as juvenile records are supposed to
be sealed and unable to be used against you, without a special court order.
Personally, I think you'll make a very fine and caring officer.  I'm very
proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad, but I just hope I can do even half as much as you've done for
us.  I didn't realize how special you were until I was sent away.  There I
met a lot of different boys, some who will always be in trouble, but there
were a bunch of other ones who just needed someone to pay attention to
them, tell them 'no' once in a while, or who would show them that it's okay
to be different and that they could do something positive with their lives.
I think if they'd had someone who believed in them and helped them, they
would never have gotten into trouble and the taxpayers wouldn't have had to
pay for their trials and stay at the detention center.  That's when I came
to the conclusion that I'd blown it big time and I never thought I'd get
another chance like this.  That's why I decided to do this, hoping that I
could help other kids turn their lives around.  I'll probably be asking you
for a lot of advice when I do, Dad, but I really think I can make a
difference."

We all agreed that his reasons were honorable and he had made a fine
decision, and that's when he began applying to colleges with decent
criminal justice departments.  We were all happy he got into the one he
really wanted and everyone was extremely supportive of his goals.  Dustin,
on the other hand, was a slightly different story.  Dustin was an above
average student, but only because he worked so hard for his grades.  He was
much happier working with his hands instead and really didn't intend on
continuing his education.  He just wanted to go into heating, air
conditioning, and refrigeration, as he knew he could make enough money to
survive quite well and would be happy doing that too.  After some lengthy
discussions, I convinced him to change his plans slightly, getting a degree
in business adminisstration as well, so he would some day be able to start
his own business doing what he wanted.  He finally agreed with me and
applied to a few colleges, though late, and he would study business
administration during the school year and then take HVAC courses during the
summer.  He knew it would be more work that way, but he also saw the
benefits of being his own boss, after he learned the basics working for
someone else.

Now both boys were accepted, going off to different colleges however, but
they would be the first of my new brood to set off on their own.  I was
proud of both of them and told them so, but now we had other things to iron
out, like when they were expected to be there, how we would get them there,
and what things they would be needing to take with them.  We knew that they
both had enough money in their accounts to finance this endeavor, but there
were many smaller details we had to work on before August.  I was bursting
with pride over these two now.  If only their parents could see how far
they'd come.

My next situation came up at the end of that same week.  Sammy approached
me one evening and told me that he needed to talk to me in private.  I
wasn't sure what was up, but I agreed, and we'd met in my room after
dinner.  It was then he hit me with something that I'd kind of been
expecting, but just wasn't sure when it would come up.

"Dad, do you think I'm dumb or something?" he asked me, quite seriously.

"Of course not, Sammy.  You're a very bright young man."

"Then why do you treat me like a dumb little kid?"

"What do you mean?  I don't do that, at least I don't think I do."

"Yes, you do.  You act like I'm too dumb to know what the other boys are
doing and no one treats me the same way they do everyone else."  Now I knew
where this was heading, and I hoped I hadn't already blown it for him.  "I
hear other boys in my school talk about things they do, I see the way my
brothers spend time with each other at night, and I know about sex, but
nobody will do anything with me because they said you told them Andrew and
I can't be included.  Why not?"

"Well, that was before, when I thought you weren't ready.  I know you're
growing up and maturing, and I've even noticed that your penis has grown
longer.  I just didn't want the others to push you into anything until you
were ready."

"Well, I'm ready and I don't want to be left out any more.  Actually,
Andrew and I have been trying things on our own."

"Really?  I didn't want Andrew to get involved too soon, as he is still
quite young and I felt there might be other issues he'd have to deal with
first.  When did you two start fooling around and what have you done
together?"

"We started a little while after that guy did those things to Andrew at the
Space Center.  At first we just rubbed each other's wiener, but later we
also sucked on them too."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah, we haven't done anything else."

"Does Andrew feel the same way you do?"

"I don't think so.  He doesn't seem to care if we do it or not.  I think he
just does it because I ask him to, but I don't think he would have done
anything if I hadn't wanted to."

"Well, I can tell the other boys it's okay to include you in theirs, if
that's what you want, but I think we should still try to leave Andrew out
of it, for the time being."

"That's okay with me, but Andrew and I are together a lot, so it will be
hard.  Won't he get suspicious if I suddenly start going alone with the
other boys?"

"Yes, I suppose he will.  Maybe I can get some of the other boys to do
non-sexual things with Andrew, when you get a chance to do something with
someone else.  Would that be okay with you?"

"Yeah, Dad, that sounds great."

"Was there anyone in particular you were thinking about doing things with?"
Sammy turned a bright shade of red, looked down at his feet, and started
moving his right foot from side to side, while balancing his weight on his
left leg.

"Well, I was kind of hoping that Brent and Nick might want to do things
with me."  I chuckled and Sammy looked up at me, a quizzical look on his
face.

"I'm sure you won't have any trouble convincing Nick, and I think Brent
will be interested as well.  Do you want me to explain anything to you?  I
guess I probably should have done that already."

"Well, there are some things I wanted to know."

Over the next forty minutes or so, I answered Sammy's questions and then
gave him a few words of advice.  We also took time to make sure his
foreskin retracted easily, as I didn't want him to get hurt by someone
forcing it free.  Things were fine, Sammy was happy, and now I decided to
fill in the older boys.  I sent Sammy and Andrew upstairs to get ready for
bed, while I met with the other boys to fill them in about the new
situation.  I told them that Sammy could now be included in their
activities, but nothing anal yet.  I also told them that they would have to
get someone else to occupy Andrew for the evening when they were with
Sammy, so Andrew wouldn't get suspicious.  I also emphasized that Andrew
was still off-limits yet, but I'd let them know when that situation
changed.  They all said they understood, so I went to go back to what I was
doing, but on the way out I decided to ask Nick and Brent if I could speak
with them first.  They followed me out, looking worried that they had done
something wrong, but I reassured them quickly.

"I just asked you two to join me because I think Sammy would like to have
his first experiences with one of you."

"Awesome," Nick cried out, almost immediately.

"Did he tell you that?" Brent asked afterward.

"Yes, he did hint at it.  I think you boys are closest to his age and more
or less his type.  Just be gentle with him, as he's new to all of this, and
nothing anal until I tell you different.  Okay?"

"Sure," they both responded, and Nick walked back into the family room with
a huge grin plastered across his face.

Nothing happened with Sammy until that weekend, and on Friday Sammy spent
the evening with Nick, while Cole and Graham entertained Andrew.  I wasn't
sure at first if it was wise to have Nick as his first experience, but he
turned out to have been the perfect choice to teach Sammy the joys of boy
to boy sex, showing a tenderness that belied his promiscuity.  Nick took
Sammy to his room, both naked after their showers, and he stood and admired
this young neophyte.

"You know, I've been eyeing you for some time now," he told Sammy.

"Really?  How come?"

"Because I've noticed that you're growing up and parts of your body are
growing too."  Sammy blushed slightly at this comment, pleased that Nick
had noticed his blossoming maturity.

"Yeah, it has been getting bigger, hasn't it?"

"Oh, yes, and it's very nice now.  I'm glad that Dad said it was okay to do
things with you now."

"Me too, but I had to tell him I was ready first.  He still thinks of me as
a little kid."

"Well, we can definitely see you're not little any more," Nick told him,
rubbing his hand over Sammy's limp penis.  The minute he touched it, it
began to spring to life and slowly it began to stiffen and stand upright,
like the Indian fakir's rope climbing skyward as he coaxed it with the
sounds of his flute.  Before many seconds had passed, Sammy's dick was as
hard as an iron rebar and Nick was sliding his hand up and down the shaft,
slowly working the foreskin back and forth.  Sammy went into an almost
trancelike state, as his very experienced partner demonstrated what he had
learned pleasing the many partners he had encountered.  Sammy's mouth
dropped partially open and his eyes closed almost completely, as his head
tilted backward and began to sway from side to side with pleasure.  He
jumped slightly and his body began to tingle when Nick touched his
sensitive glans, which had been sheathed from outside stimulation up to
this point by his more than abundant foreskin.  Now that it was exposed to
all kinds of new sensations, his young body trembled as Nick let him know
the pleasures a simple touch could bring.  Nick slowly massaged his scrotum
and full length of his shaft, rubbing his thumb over the exposed helmet and
tiny slit at the top.  Sammy was now shaking with pleasure, moaning
noticeably, and squirming beneath Nick's expert ministrations.  Just when
he thought he couldn't take any more, Nick sent him to a new level of
euphoria.

As he saw Sammy begin to quiver in enjoyment and anticipation, Nick lowered
Sammy onto the bed, bent forward, and let Sammy's rigid dick slip into his
mouth, running his tongue all around it.  As Nick did this, Sammy's body
went rigid, his cock swelled, and then it twitched, as he experienced a
powerful dry orgasm.  Nick picked up on this immediately, but noticed that
Sammy's little pole neveer wilted, so he continued to suckle and bathe it
with his saliva.  This caused Sammy to thrash around beneath him even more,
his young body now on complete sensory overload, enjoying every detail of
what was happening to him.  Nick continued teasing him in this fashion,
sliding his lips up and down his rigid pole, letting his tongue toy with
the flesh within his mouth, and adding even more suction, causing Sammy to
begin to squirm again.  He continued on for a few minutes more like this,
until Sammy's testicles drew up toward his body, his penis swelled, and he
experienced his second dry orgasm of the night.  After this, Nick just laid
next to him, stroking his chest, kissing his face and chest, and letting
him enjoy his sexual high.  After a few minutes of lying like this, Sammy
finally turned toward Nick and spoke.

"Wow, that was super.  Andrew and I have tried things like this, but he
never made me feel like that.  Thanks, Nick, that was really great."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, but we're not done yet."

"We're not?"

"Nope, now you get to do it to me."  Sammy smiled, realizing that he'd
forgotten about returning the favor, thinking only about the pleasures he
had just enjoyed.

"Yeah, I knew that.  I was just thinking you were going to do more to me."

"Oh, I will, maybe not all tonight, but there's a lot more we can do
together."

"Wow, I can't wait.  This has really been awesome and I really want to do
it to you too.  I've never touched a wiener that wasn't like mine before."

"Hold on there, Sammy.  From now on, it's not a wiener.  That's what little
kids call it.  Now you call it a cock, or dick, or penis.  You're grown up
now, and you no longer have a wiener or weenie."

Sammy blushed at the mild scolding, but he understood what Nick was telling
him.  "I'm sorry."

"No, you don't have to be sorry, we've all done the same thing.  It's just
that if you want to be treated like you're a young man and not a little
boy, then you have to start talking like a kid in high school, not one in
grade school."

"Oh, okay.  I see what you're saying.  Maybe that's why Dad didn't think I
was ready for this yet.  I guess you're right, Nick, and I'll watch what I
say from now on.  Thanks."

"Hey, that's okay.  That's what big brothers are for."  Both boys smiled at
each other and then they hugged.  "Now, why don't you trying doing the same
things to me."

Sammy didn't need another invitation and slowly he reached over and started
touching, then holding, and finally rubbing Nick's limp penis.  Nick
watched and got a kick out of Sammy's fascination with his slightly larger
and cut cock, noticing how the younger boy stared at it, ran a finger
across the slight scar from his circumcision, and stroked his less
sensitive head.  After a few minutes of investigation, Nick coaxed Sammy
into stroking his now hard member and Sammy eagerly jumped to the
challenge.  After letting his small hand glide up and down Nick's longer
and thicker staff for a few minutes, Sammy leaned forward and licked the
mushroom head.  After he did that, he looked up to see the older boy's
reaction, only to see that Nick had his eyes closed, but there was a
satisfied smile on his face.  Finding that enough encouragement, Sammy bent
back over and opened his mouth as wide as it would go, taking Nick's stiffy
into his hot little mouth.  This was much larger than Andrew's little prick
and he gagged slightly as he tried to take too much, too fast.  He pulled
back up slightly and then he began to bob up and down on the rigid pole,
doing his best to imitate what Nick had done to him.  Being inexperienced,
he let his teeth scrape the skin now and again, but Nick decided not to say
anything to him, as he didn't want to stifle his enthusiasm or make him
feel that he was doing an inferior job.  He'd wait until later, when they
did it again, before he offered him any tips on how to do a better job.

Regardless of the minor flaws in his technique, Sammy was soon bringing
Nick to the brink of his orgasm.  Realizing that Sammy was new to this,
Nick decided that it was best if he didn't shoot into Sammy's mouth.  He
looked down and spoke to him in raspy breaths.

"I'm gonna shoot...pull off...use your hand to pump it."

Somewhat confused by the request, Sammy pulled his mouth off Nick's organ
and used his little fist to pump it up and down.  Just a few seconds later,
strings of cum exploded from Nick's penis and covered his chest.  Sammy was
in awe, as that was the first ejaculation he had ever witnessed.

"Wow, that was great.  I heard other boys talking about shooting, but I've
never seen it happen before.  I didn't realize it would be white like that.
I though it would be clear or look like pee."

Nick giggled a bit to himself, making sure that Sammy didn't pick up on his
amusement with his younger partner's sexual naivete.  "Nope, it's kind of a
pearly white for every boy when he shoots, maybe sometimes a yellowish
white, but you'll be seeing a lot more of that now."

"I think it's pretty neat.  Can I touch it?"

"You can touch it, play with it, or even taste it if you want."

"Taste it?  Did you ever taste it?"

"Sure, all the time."  With that, Nick ran his fingers in the sticky
liquid, picked up a small amount on his finger, and stuck it in his mouth.
"Every guy's cum tastes a little different, you know."

"Really?  How come?"

"I guess it has to do with what he eats and drinks, and even if he smokes."

"You mean you've tasted other guys' stuff when they shoot?"

"Yes, and it's called cum or jizz.  They usually just shoot into my mouth
and I swallow it.  I'll do the same for you, when you can shoot too."
Sammy nodded in understanding and then put his finger in the small pool on
Nick's stomach, scooped up a sample, and stuck in his mouth.  He made a
little face, but didn't seem to mind the taste all that much.  "Well, what
do you think of it?"

"It's okay, a little bitter, but I don't mind."

"Well, maybe next time I'll just shoot in your mouth, if you want?"

"Yeah, that would be okay," Sammy said with a grin, and then thought for a
second before he spoke again.  "How come you didn't do that this time?"

"Well, I didn't know if you were ready for that yet.  I didn't think it
would be fair to do that, unless you told me you wanted me to, and we'd
never talked about that."

"Yeah, I guess I would have been surprised if you did that.  Thanks for
letting me decide for myself."

I understand that it only took them a few more minutes before they decided
to do everything for a second time, except this time there were fewer
surprises and more enjoyment, at least for Sammy.  Nick did him first
again, giving his own body a chance to recuperate, but this time Nick did a
whole lot more to the novice, such as sucking on his nipples, sucking on
his testicles, or licking his thighs and scrotum, before he gave him
another blowjob.  Again Sammy had another dry orgasm, but they both
realized that it probably wouldn't be all that much longer before Sammy was
able to shoot his own load.  This time when Sammy returned the favor, Nick
let his ejaculation go into the younger boy's waiting mouth, and Sammy
swallowed all of it, enjoying the slightly sweeter taste of this thinner
and less voluminous second offering.  After that last encounter they went
to sleep, entangled in each other's arms, happily enjoying this very
special time together.

The next day was Danny's seventeenth birthday party.  Much to my surprise,
he told me that he only wanted his family at this party, which of course
included Aunt Sally, Aunt Mary, Uncle Steve, and the Spences.  We cooked
the meal on the barbecue outside, but we ate it indoors.  It was very windy
out and kind of cool, so we elected to go with he best of both.  After we
ate, we sat around talking and enjoying each other's company, when Danny
announced that he had something he'd like to say.

"I know some of you know this already, but the rest of you have no idea
about what I am going to say.  After thinking about it very carefully and
talking it over, Brandon and I want to tell you all that we are gay."

There was a tentative hush, as those of us who knew considered the
ramifications of what they were doing, while the other adults looked at
each other and then back at the boys, sporting an acknowledging smile of
approval.  I think that Danny and Brandon were surprised that they hadn't
shocked those three, but soon they discovered why.  Sally slowly informed
them of my hopes, when I first decided to take in foster children, telling
them that I had hoped to help gay children adjust to their sexuality.  Then
she said that there had long been rumors floating around, but that none of
them cared one way or the other if the boys were gay or not, they loved
them just the same.  Steve and Mary added their own words of support,
telling the boys that they'd never change their opinions of them because of
this and that they hoped they'd be happy with their decision.  The boys did
look apprehensively at the Spences, not sure how the older couple would
react, but they were soon relieved when Mrs. Spence spoke up.  "This really
doesn't come as a big surprise to us," she announced.  "We've both noticed
how the two of you look at each other and how you act around each other, so
we kind of guessed the rest.  Although we weren't brought up around such
things, we understand and are happy for you, knowing how much you love each
other.  Just be good to each other and you know your family will always be
here to support you."

Both boys went over and hugged their surrogate grandparents, thanking them
for being so open minded, and then Mary asked the one question that was on
her mind.  She wanted to know why they had decided to come out now, instead
of waiting, like until they left for college or some other time.  Danny
answered this for her.

"Well, we're not going to tell our friends until the last week of school,
but we felt that it was time to do it now, because of the Boy Scout thing
and to help others who might also be gay.  We only have one more year
before we graduate, and we thought that everyone would get all talk out
about this over the summer, so it would be old news by the time we went
back to school for our senior year.  We figured we'd have enough to do to
keep us busy then, and we could put up with whatever problems the others
might give us.  Brandon and I are boyfriends, and I'm pretty sure we're
going to be together always.  We've both been accepted to the same college,
so after we graduate we'll still be together for another four years.  I'm
glad that none of you are upset about this."

We all assured them that we weren't, that we'd always be there for them,
and then their brothers all informed them that they'd support and defend
them too.  "Don't worry, guys," Frankie announced, "if anyone hassles
either of you between the time you make your announcement and the time I
leave for college, they'll have to answer to me about what they say or do."

"And that goes for me too," Dustin added.  "We'll protect you even better
than we did Shannon, when the scouts ganged up on him."

We all had a little chuckle over that, and then Brandon and Danny thanked
everyone again for their support.  They told them that they had all kind of
expected that attitude, but it was still nice to know that they had been
correct in their assumptions.  After that, we went out, had cake and ice
cream, and Danny opened his presents.  All in all, it was a very nice
party.

Just before she left, Sally said she had something to tell us too.  "I
almost forget this, with Danny and Brandon's announcement and all, but I
heard from the Beckers and they told Richard that they'd like to adopt him.
He was thrilled and accepted immediately.  So that makes this our first
charity-assisted adoption."

"Yes," Steve added, "and a lawyer friend of mine is handling the legal work
for them and they expect to be on my docket in early June."  We were all
pleased by this, but I also felt it was the perfect time to make my
announcement too.

"Well, I might as well tell the rest of you my news too.  I've been working
with my lawyer and I'll be legally adopting Frankie and Brent soon, if they
agree to it."  Both boys nodded their heads eagerly, to let me know they
agreed.  "If Steve can arrange it, maybe we can have our adoptions
formalized at the same time as Richard's."

"That's a splendid idea," Steve shot back, "and I'd be proud to do that all
at the same time.  I'm glad you suggested that, Josh."

"Hey, I'm beginning to feel left out," Nick announced.

"Me too," Brandon announced.  We're the only two who live here that aren't
really family now."

I went over and gave both of them a hug.  "Hey, you'll always be my sons
too, although not legally.  Just consider yourself lucky that you have the
parents you have and that they love you as much as they do, but you'll also
always have a home with us.  Besides, Brandon," I added, a bit playfully,
"you will become my son-in-law one day."  Everyone laughed at that and
Brandon acknowledged that was true, and then he thanked me for letting him
stay there after his parents had moved.  I told him that was my pleasure,
and then he and Nick came over to hug me.  While this was going on, Frankie
and Brent joined in, making it a group hug.

"Thanks, Dad," Frankie told me.  "I know I don't really deserve any of
this, but it is what I secretly wanted."

"What do you mean, you don't deserve this?" I asked him.  "Sure we had some
problems at one time, but that's all behind us and all has been forgiven.
You are a fine son now and I'm proud to have you as a part of this family."
Then I did something then that I hadn't done to Frankie before, but I felt
the time was right now.  I leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.
He looked up at me, a shocked expression on his face and tears forming at
the corners of his eyes.  Suddenly he lifted up his arms, threw them around
my neck and shoulders, and gave me the most powerful bear hug I had ever
had.  When he finally broke it, he thanked me again.

"I know I've been pretty dumb in the past and done even stupider things,
but you've always given me a chance to prove myself, even if I didn't
deserve it.  Sometimes I didn't think you liked me as much as the others,
because you were never as affectionate with me as you were with the younger
ones, but I know now that it was probably because I tried to act so tough.
I'm not really as tough as I try to make others believe and I always wished
that I could let you know how much I appreciate everything you've done for
me and how much I really love you.  That kiss meant an awful lot to me and
now I know you love me as much as the others.  Thanks, Dad."  He hugged me
again and, when I opened my eyes, I saw that there were many other tears in
the eyes of those watching us.  As many times as I'd worried how Frankie
would respond if I'd made an affectionate slip like that, now I'd
discovered that he was just a scared little boy who had cloaked himself in
tough guy image, just to keep from getting hurt, but wanted and needed my
affection, maybe even more than the others..

When Frankie finally released me again, I felt another pair of arms around
my waist.  It was Brent.  I looked down at him and he lifted his head up
and grinned at me.  "Thank you, Pop," he added.  "Does this mean I should
start calling you Dad now?"

"That's up to you, Brent.  You may call me Dad or you may still call me
Pop.  The choice is still yours."

"Well, if you're going to be my dad and these guys are going to be my
brothers, then I'll call you Dad."

Now that everything was settled, we all received congratulations from
everyone who was there.  My boys told me that they knew I was going to do
it, they just didn't know when, but they thought it was a good idea to do
it when Richard got adopted, so they could see that too.  Everyone seemed
satisfied, so now all we had to do was find out when Steve could set the
date.

The next couple of weeks contained many other activities for us.  Sammy got
to have some fun with Brent, repeating the lessons he had learned from
Nick, and later he came to thank me for allowing him to have a chance to
enjoy these activities.  I just smiled and told him he was welcome.  After
that, the boys prepared for their final tests and the end of the school
year, and I tried to keep everything under control at my school, planning
all the special year-end activities.  In addition to that, I was conducting
driving lessons for Frankie and Kevin, making sure they were getting in
plenty of practice time.  Even though their six months wouldn't be up until
September, I wanted to make sure they got in as much driving time as we
could arrange.  It was a bit easier for me this time, as I had the lessons
I had planned for the other group and I was feeling more at ease in my role
as driving instructor.  Both boys were doing quite well adapting behind the
wheel and doing very well, and I wasn't worried about them passing their
tests.  Besides, they would both be taking Drivers Education class in the
fall, reinforcing what I taught them before they took their road tests.

We also had much to do with the Boy Scout issue during this time.  The
United Way had acknowledged that those withholding their final payroll
contributions had hurt them quite badly and we projected that there would
be at least a 40% drop in contributions in their next drive, and that could
go as high as 55%, if things didn't change.  Now they were also getting
nervous about their future, wondering how they could stem the backlash
against them, without having to sever their funding for thee Boy Scouts.  I
think we hadfound their Achilles heel, their bank accounts.

Although my boys had not been extremely active in the Scouts, many had been
members at one time or another.  Now they asked me to help them find a way
to make a statement about how they felt, something that would be
significant and not just a little gesture.  After discussing this at a
meeting or two with our committee, we came upon an idea that they liked and
that we felt would have an impact.  My boys and several other young men,
who also felt just as strongly about this issue, were going to go to the
local Boy Scout headquarters and turn in their merit badges and other
awards they had earned over the years.  We arranged for several area
newspapers and the national magazines that had covered the charity to cover
this protest.  They all agreed, so we made it a media event.  Several
pictures of the boys turning in those items appeared in the local papers
and in the magazines, spreading the issue from beyond the boundaries of our
small community.  Soon there were six other adjoining counties that had
similar movements going, and the Boy Scouts were beginning to feel the
pinch from their bigoted policies.  During the final school board meeting,
the board approved a resolution restricting the Scouts from using any
school facilities for their meetings, activities, fund-raisers, or any
other social events.  Some of the more liberal churches in the area had
also done the same thing, so now the Scouts were even hurting for places
they could use, let alone the money to support them.  I think we were
bringing our point home, at least on the local level.

             *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.
E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.