DISCLAIMER:

 

M/M, m/m, M/m

 

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

This story contains descriptions of explicit sexual acts of boys and men discovering their sexuality. It contains graphic scenes of sex between consenting underage boys, consenting adult males and boys with adult males (eventually). If this type of content offends you or you are under the age of 18, do not read it.

 

If it is illegal to read such material where you live or if you find the topic distasteful, then please stop reading now. You have been warned.

 

This story is the property of the author. It can be downloaded for personal reading pleasure or sending to a friend, but if you wish to re-post them at your own site, please contact the author for permission.

 

Copyright 2016 WSC, all rights reserved.

 

A copy of the story has been assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of its submission agreement. Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to enderwiggin61@outlook.com

 

All flames will be politely ignored.

 

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Author's Note:

 

I started writing this story, never intending it to grow into what it has become. It seems to have taken on a life of its own. I hope you enjoy.

 

Also, if you are enjoying this story, my first story can be found here:

https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/moments

 

Chapter 70 – Alex Oversteps

 

Joey and Alex asked the next question.

 

"Now that everybody's finally gone ...," Alex started.

 

"... can we get outta these freakin' clothes?" Joey finished.

 

After a quick laugh from all, I answered, "Good idea, guys. Let's all get comfortable and meet in the kitchen to figure out supper."

 

As the boys scattered to the wind, pulling shirts over their heads and dropping shorts as they headed to their rooms, Tom and I ambled to our own room to do the same. Once everyone was again comfortable in their own skin, we reassembled in the kitchen. After settling on mac and cheese with hamburger as an easy to fix and clean up after meal, we got to work on our tasks. In thirty minutes, we were ready to sit and enjoy our meal.

 

"You guys did really well when you talked to Ray," Tom complimented the boys. "We're proud of the way you handled yourselves and said what you wanted."

 

"Piece o' cake, Pops," T.J. responded to the praise with a smile. "We just did what's Brent's dad told him to do."

 

"And what was that?" I asked. "I didn't hear what he said."

 

"He told Brent to speak from his heart. We'd already done our bits, but that's exactly what we did."

 

"Well, if Ray follows through with his idea, I think you're going to help a lot of kids in the area."

 

"That was the idea, Dads," Alex stated flatly.

 

"Actually, wasn't it your idea for us to do it? Or did you already forget that?" Joey asked with a grin.

 

"Well, I suppose it was, and you all came through with flying colors. I think you impressed Ray with your honesty and willingness to share your stories."

 

"Well, I didn't much want to do it, but if I can help a kid, it'll be worth it," Logan commented. "Course, now I gotta tell dad I'm gonna be on TV and why. I hope it don't piss `im off too bad."

 

"I think your dad will understand, Logan," Tom replied.

 

"I sure hope so. Can I call him after supper and tell him what's up?"

 

"Of course."

 

"Least I ain't gotta worry `bout my mom or Russ seein' me on TV," Andy commented with a little giggle. "Not where they are, anyway. And even if they did, they can't do nothin' `bout it." Everybody joined in a little chuckle with Andy.

 

"We didn't have a chance to ask earlier, but does anyone have homework tonight?" Tom asked.

 

"I got my new spelling words, Pops," T.J. answered.

 

"No homework," Joey replied, "but Alex and I want to do some more work in the fifth-grade book."

 

"I need to read a chapter in our social studies book," Logan reported. "I didn't have time to do it during school."

 

"Andy, Mike, what about you two?"

 

"Nothin', Dad," Mike answered happily.

 

After we finished our meal and the cleanup was done, T.J. retrieved his word list for the week while Joey and Alex grabbed the fifth-grade math texts to keep plugging away on them. Though the twins had slowed just a bit as they worked, they were still progressing at a fairly rapid pace, especially considering they were now working two years above where they should be. Once T.J. had finished writing his words three times each as had become habit, Tom quizzed him and then had T.J. write the two words he'd missed ten times each. Logan wrapped up his reading about the same time T.J. completed his writing and the two headed for their rooms to put their things in their backpacks.

 

When Logan came back, he asked, "Hey, can I call my dad, now? I wanna make sure he's gonna be okay with what I done."

 

"Sure thing, Logan. Why don't you use the phone in the study?"

 

"Thanks, Max. Be back soon."

 

 

I headed to Max's study to call Dad and was scared to death about how he'd react to me talking to the news dude. But, I figured he ought to at least know about it before someone else said something to him. I climbed into Max's chair and dialed our number. It felt weird to be calling my own home, but it is what it is.

 

"Hello?" Dad answered.

 

"Hey, Dad, how ya doin'?"

 

"I'm okay, Son. How `bout you? Did you have fun in Chicago?"

 

"We had a blast. Too bad you couldn't go with us."

 

"I wish I could have gone, too, but there was just too much catchin' up to do `round here after bein' gone for over a week."

 

"Yeah, I know. I thought you were gonna come over tonight. Why didn't you?"

 

"One of the cows had her baby tonight and I couldn't just leave them."

 

"Cool! Is it a boy or girl?"

 

"A boy, just like the last two calves born around here."

 

"Sweet. Can we name this one Buster?"

 

"Boy, I've told you I don't know how many times, we don't give names to our food."

 

"Well couldn't we just let this one get old and die on his own, Dad. Think how many more cows he could help make over his life."

 

"I'll think about it, Son, but don't get your hopes up. So, did you have a good day at school?"

 

"It was okay, I guess. It was cool when we got here after school, though."

 

"Really? What happened?"

 

"Well, Max was talkin' to a dude from the Channel 17 news about what happened to him when he was a kid, a Ray somethin' or other. And when he got done with Max, all us guys talked to him, too. That's why I wanted to call you tonight, to let you know I'm gonna be on TV in a few days. Ain't that cool!?"

 

"What the heck you talkin' `bout, boy? I didn't say you could do that."

 

"I know I should have asked before, Dad, but it was important."

 

"What the hell was so doggone important you couldn't ask before?"

 

"Well, all the other guys were talkin' `bout where they came from, `bout them bein' gay, and how they ended up livin' here with their new dads and brothers. And since Andy and Mike were tellin' `bout how their parents beat and abused them, I wanted to do the same."

 

"YOU WHAT!" Charlie screamed in horror.

 

"Dad! Chill out! I told `em all about momma dyin' and how you changed `cause of it. I also told `em `bout how we're gonna get help so I can come back home. The main reason the other guys did it was so they could maybe help other kids who're goin' through the same shit. I want to help other kids, too, and that's why I did it. I hope you ain't real mad."

 

"Jesus Christ, son, what the hell was you thinkin'? I don't want ever'one to know I hurt you like that. What the hell the neighbors gonna think?"

 

"Dad, they all know it, already. I couldn't exactly hide all them bruises I had the last couple years, could I? You really think they believed all them bullshit excuses for `em, like fallin' down the stairs and wreckin' my dang bike. Let me tell ya, none of `em believed a damn word. So get over it."

 

"Well, it's too late now, ain't it? When they gonna show it?"

 

"I don't know, yet, but we might find out tomorrow. When I know, I'll let you know, too, so you can be sure to watch it."

 

"Maybe Max would let me come over and watch it with you."

 

"I'll ask him, Dad. I'm sure he'd be fine with it. Long as you don't get all pissed off."

 

"I'll be good, Logan, I promise."

 

"You better."

 

"I'm not real happy you did this without talkin' to me beforehand, but I understand why you did. I ain't been a very good dad the last couple years, so I can't be too angry. Especially since it's my own damn fault."

 

"I didn't talk to the guy to get back at you, Dad, I did it so other kids will know there's help for them when they need it."

 

"I know that, son."

 

"Well we're `bout to go for a swim, so I better get off here `cause they're waitin' for me. I love you Daddy, and I miss you."

 

"I love you, too, Son. Hopefully, I can come over tomorrow night."

 

"That'd be great! I really want to see you."

 

"Me too, Son. You go have fun and be good. I love you, Logan."

 

"I love you, too. `Night, Daddy."

 

I hung up the phone and thought it went okay. The old man was surprised but considering I didn't ask for his permission to talk to the news dude, he didn't seem too pissed off. Guess I'd find out in a few days. Well, time to rejoin the rest of the guys for that swim. I guess I better mosey on outta here.

 

 

Logan had finally gotten off the phone and come back so I yelled, "Okay, you two," I began, "time to put that silly math book away and go for a swim."

 

"Just a few more minutes, Dad, we wanna finish this chapter," Alex replied.

 

"Yeah, we'll be done by the time y'all are ready to head out," Joey added.

 

"Fine. When you grab towels, T.J., would you make sure you get a couple for the number nuts."

 

"You bet, Dad. Be right back." As T.J. took off for the laundry room, I grabbed the shelter key and Tom retrieved towels for the two of us. True to their word, the twins closed the math books and their notebooks just as T.J. returned with six towels for all the boys. Leaving their materials where they were, we headed on out to enjoy our evening pool time. To avoid our regular mugging, Tom suggested Mike work with the boys on their swimming first and they could play after their class was over.

 

We watched as the taskmaster put the other five through their paces, holding on to the edge of the pool and working on improving their kick. Mike had added to the kick practice how to breathe properly and every three or four kicks, the boys would turn their head for their next gulp of fresh air.

 

"Mike's doing a great job with them, don't you think?" Tom asked.

 

"Amazing, really. I've noticed how all of them are doing better. And to watch Mike morph from the quiet, shy kid I first met into the strong, confident kid he's become has been wonderful."

 

"They've all done that, though, in their own ways. You know where they get that resolve from, don't you?"

 

"You, of course," I replied.

 

"A bit, maybe, but most of it comes from you, Max."

 

"Oh, bullshit," I retorted. "They haven't been here long enough to get any of that from me. And we all know I haven't been at my best for quite a while."

 

"Don't kid yourself, babe. They've seen the strength you exude from every pore. From recovering from your depression and thinking about killin' yourself, to how you've dealt with being abused, and to overcoming your problems with your parents. They've seen how you've reacted to all of it and have gotten stronger and more confident because of it. They're echoing the reactions they've seen from you. Those kids are where they are today because of you."

 

"I haven't done it alone, hon. You've been with me and most of my strength comes from you being here. So, it's a team effort, and I like the results." I leaned in close and gave Tom a hug and a kiss which he happily returned.

 

"I'm glad I'm with you for the roller-coaster ride."

 

"Hey, remind me in the morning to call John. I need to see how he's doing with the search for an architect for our new place. I don't want let that slide."

 

"I don't either. The more I think about what we want to do together, the more excited I get with the idea. I really want to be able to help more kids than we are because it's important. Granted, I'll still be doing that with my new job, but if we can do more, we should."

 

"No qualms or fears," I asked.

 

"A few, still, but we'll deal with it."

 

"What's your biggest fear?"

 

"I think you really being in the right state of mind is the biggest. As long as you're in good shape, I have no doubt you'll succeed in anything you do."

 

"Thanks, I'm workin on it."

 

"I know you are."

 

"And as much as I hate to admit it, working on the book has really helped put a lot of it into the right perspective. Of course, knowing the Muellers will spend the rest of their lives behind bars helps, too. Yeah, those scumbags fucked me over for almost three years, but out of my life so far, that's less than a tenth of my years so far. And the older I get, it'll become an even a smaller percentage of the whole. Like I've said before, I will not let my life be defined by what was done to me, but what I've done to help others."

 

"I'm glad to hear it babe. Oh, Jason's supposed to be coming out Wednesday, isn't he?"

 

"That's the plan, yeah. I'll give him what I've written so far so he might have a chance to read some of it before my appointment Thursday morning."

 

"Do you want me to drive you this time, or do you think you wanna go by yourself."

 

"I'd love for you to take me, but I know you have work for Carol to deal with, so I'll go alone."

 

"If you change your mind, just let me know."

 

"You know I will. Well, I think it's time we mixed it up with the boys. You ready to attack?"

 

"Always, let's see what they got," Tom replied with an evil grin.

 

We pushed off the wall and then dove underwater about halfway across the pool. The boys didn't have a clue we were coming after them until I swam underneath them and grabbed a couple of feet to pull them along with me while Tom did the same to a couple others. That was all it took, though, as the battle commenced in full force. The boys changed their tactics tonight and all six jumped me as soon as their feet were free again. With all of them working in concert, they quickly tuned me up and had me singing my song of surrender. Once I was soundly defeated, they turned around to locate Tom and discovered he was nowhere to be seen. They backed up to each other and formed a defensive circle so they could watch the entire pool.

 

The big guy finally swam into the midst of twelve dangling legs and pulled them all into his arms. I heard the boys all suck in a lungful of air just before he stood up, pulling those legs with him and turning the corralled herd upside down in the water. The poor ragamuffins never stood a chance. Tom released them with a smirk on his face and allowed them to right themselves. Big mistake, big, huge. While basking in the afterglow of his victory, the boys quickly regrouped and surrounded him. After slipping back under the water, the sensational six-pack launched themselves off the bottom of the pool. Logan, Alex and Joey landed on Tom's back and shoulders while T.J. hugged his neck and wrapped his legs around Tom's waist, and Mike and Andy each grabbed an arm. With all six hanging on for dear life, Tom never stood a chance of surviving the onslaught as he went from complete victory to utter defeat in less than thirty seconds. After releasing their foe and swimming just outside his reach, the boys were all cheering and laughing as Tom resurfaced, sputtering for air.

 

"Oh, I see how y'all are," Tom commented amidst the continuing giggles. "Ganging up on the little guy. Just you wait, I will get even," he added with a wicked grin and evil chuckle.

 

"Little guy, my ass!" Joey yelled.

 

"Yeah, you're bigger than all of us put together," Alex added.

 

"Aw, poor wittle boys," Tom teased the crew. "But I don't know what you're whining about since you still beat me."

 

"Just makin' sure you know you was beat by a smaller enemy, that's all," Logan retorted.

 

"Well, as much fun as it is to argue about it, I think it's time for showers and a snack," I tossed into the middle of the discussion. Everyone headed for the steps out of the pool, grabbed a towel and dried off before heading inside to hop in their showers. After showers and snacks, we settled into the theater for another Star Trek episode before bed. Just as the show was about to end, the phone rang and I headed to the kitchen to answer it.

 

"Hello?" I asked.

 

"Max? John here."

 

"Oh, hey, John, what's up?"

 

"Hate to bug you this late at night, but I wanted to find out if you and Tom would be available tomorrow afternoon for a meeting with some architects? Say around one or one-thirty?"

 

"Sure, that'll be fine. Where do you want to have it?"

 

"Well, I was hoping we could do it at your house. I'd like them to see what you already have so they'd have a good idea about what you're looking for in the new place."

 

"That'll be just fine. We'll be here all day."

 

"Excellent, Max. I'll call the others in the morning and we'll all be there tomorrow afternoon. See you then."

 

"Thanks for calling, John. Oh, one more thing before I let you go. I need to get in touch with Justin about having a few trees taken care of. The storm last night zapped some up by the house and I'd like to get them removed before they fall across the drive."

 

"No problem, Max. I'll call him in the morning and let him know. I'll have him get in touch with you to set up a time to take care of them for you."

 

"Sounds great, John. Thanks again and have a good night."

 

As I hung up the phone, the rest of the family was leaving the theater signaling the end to tonight's show. Tom joined me in the kitchen while the boys all headed to their bedrooms to get ready for bed. Before following along to share our nightly rituals, I let Tom know about our meeting with John and the architects.

 

"Great," he said. "And that should be right after lunch, so I won't go back to work until we're done with them. It'll be interesting to see what they've come up with."

 

"I think so, too. Shall we go say our goodnights?"

 

"Lead the way, MacDuff."

 

We headed to the other side of the house and took care of our nightly duties. After ensuring all the boys were settled in and down for the count, we returned to the living room to relax by the dying fire for a bit. We'd been reading for about half an hour when the phone rang. After seeing the 312-area code on the caller ID, Tom punched the speaker button to answer the call.

 

"Hello, Angela?" Tom greeted.

 

"No, sorry, this is Harry's mom, Maureen. Angela let me use her phone since I don't have your number in mine."

 

"Oh, hi, Maureen, how are you doing?"

 

"Better than I could be, thanks to you two. Angela's told me about what you've done and I can't thank you enough. This damn hospital is costing a small fortune, but they're helping my Harry, so I guess I should quit bitchin' about it."

 

"We're glad we could help, and we're glad you're doing okay. How's Harry?"

 

"Okay, I guess. At least, that's what the doctors keep saying. He's still out of it, but they've stopped the drugs that have kept him in a coma since Saturday and he's starting to move around a bit. They expect he'll be fully awake tomorrow sometime."

 

"That's good news," I replied. "We've all been really worried about him."

 

"I'm still not sure why you felt you had to get involved in my mess, but I'm glad you did."

 

"We're not going to stand by, watch a kid get hurt and not do something to help," Tom responded. "Angela told us you were going to press charges against your husband. Are you going to follow through on that?"

 

"Damn right, I am! That bastard almost killed our son. He's not gonna get another chance."

 

"I know that's a hard decision for you to make, Maureen, but it's the right one."

 

"Oh, I know, I shoulda done it a long time ago. If I had, then we wouldn't be in the mess we're in right now. I'm just hopin' my job don't fire me for missin' so many days, but I just can't deal with that right now."

 

"Well, if you need anything, call us and we'll be happy to do whatever we can. And tell Harry we're all thinkin' about him."

 

"I'll do that. Thanks again."

 

After disconnecting the call, I looked to Tom and said, "It sounds like he's still improving. That's good to hear."

 

"It sounds even better that Maureen's not backin' off on Hank. She needs to get rid of him."

 

"But I'm with her on the job thing. I hope they don't let her go but I don't know what we could do to help her out if that happens."

 

"I do," Tom retorted, "but we're not quite ready for it."

 

"What're you thinkin'?"

 

"I don't know what her background or qualifications are, but I'd bet she could help us out around here this fall when the new house is done."

 

"Now wait just a dang minute. Weren't you the one who told me just the other day I needed to back off? That havin' all kinds of new people around would force changes to our lives we wouldn't want?"

 

"Well, yeah, I guess I was. But that don't mean I can't think `bout it, does it?"

 

"No, I guess not," I laughed. "What about my other ideas and the people I was thinkin' about?"

 

"Well, Rick would fit right in, obviously, and I think Ken might be okay, too. Not too sure about Jason just yet since we've only talked to him once. Once we get to know him better, he might seem to be a good possibility, too. As for Brad and Duane, I'm with you on them, too risky. They were okay lifeguards, but I'm not even sure we should use them for our next birthday party."

 

"So where would Maureen fit in?"

 

"I don't know just yet, not without talking with her some more. Like I said, it's just a thought."

 

"And a good one. We'll have to see how things shake out between now and then. Well, I'm ready for some sleep. You joining me now or later?"

 

"I'm ready, too, babe," Tom agreed. We headed to our bedroom and, after a last stop in the bathroom, crawled under the covers for a good night's sleep.

 

Tuesday morning began at six like always. After rousting all the sleepyheads in the house, I headed for the kitchen to start fixing pancakes for breakfast. While the first ones were on the griddle, I got the coffee machine brewing the first pot of the day. By the time the boys started to appear, I had a fair stack of cakes for them to start working on and they wasted little time in catching up with me. As each reached his fill, they rinsed their plates, dropped them into the dishwasher and returned to their rooms to get dressed and ready for school. I was all alone when Tom finally appeared, looking like death warmed over.

 

"Hey, you okay, today?" I asked with concern.

 

"I don't know, man. Sorry I wasn't here to help with breakfast, but my gut's not bein' very agreeable this morning. I don't know if it's somethin' I ate or a stomach bug, but if I disappear in a hurry, remember it's nothin' personal, okay?"

 

"I'm sorry, hon. I'd offer you some Imodium or something, but I never have that problem."

 

"Well, ain't you the lucky fucker?" he asked with a weak grin.

 

"Guess I'm takin' the boys to meet the bus then, huh?"

 

"Probably a good idea, babe. Unless you want to clean up the inside of the car."

 

"Do we need to reschedule our meeting this afternoon?"

 

"Naw, I'll deal with it. Hopefully, I'll be in better shape by then."

 

"I'm guessing you don't want any pancakes or coffee this morning."

 

"Uh, neither one sounds like a great idea at this particular moment in time. Last thing I need right now is to speed things up more than they already are." Despite his discomfort, I couldn't help but laugh. "I think I'll just have some toast `til things settle down."

 

"I better pull on some sweats. Be right back." When I returned to the kitchen, the boys were all giving Tom their goodbye hugs and despite his condition, he still reminded them all to learn something new today. With grudging agreement from the six, we headed to the garage for the trip to the end of the drive. After ensuring I received my hugs as they climbed from the car, they headed inside the bus shelter and I turned around to head back to the house.

 

As I made my way down the hallway, I stuck my head into Tom's office and asked, "You need anything before I start back to work on the book?"

 

"Gotta a cork in your pocket?" he asked with a sick chuckle.

 

"Not in my pocket, no, but there is a plug in the bedroom."

 

"Oh, get outta here. I'll be fine."

 

"Just thought I'd offer, big guy. You need anything, let me know." I continued on to our bedroom to get comfortable and then turned to the study so I could get back to work. After reviewing where I'd left off on my story, I got in the proper frame of mind and continued dredging up the past. I'd been working for about an hour when the phone rang. Seeing that it was Carol, I answered to see what they'd found out.

 

"Morning, Carol. What's up?"

 

"Just another day in paradise, Max. How's it going out there?"

 

"We're not complaining too much. So, did you find out who fed the boys' information to the newspaper?"

 

"It wasn't anyone that works here, Max."

 

"Are you serious?" I asked with surprise.

 

"Positive. We've talked to everyone in the office, and even had a few people take polygraphs. And we got nothing for all our efforts."

 

"Then how did Hank get their information?"

 

"We don't know. Who else knows the boys' details besides you and Tom?"

 

"Well, my family knows some of it, for sure, but we haven't even told them where the boys came from and what their lives were like before moving in here."

 

"You know, the one thing I thought was interesting about the article was this, whoever dished, they gave them the boys' full names, not Alex, Joey, T.J. and Mike. Can you think of anyone who would still be using them?"

 

"No, of course not. Even the school has changed their names on their records." As the words exited my mouth, the old five-watt light bulb suddenly flickered back to life and illuminated a thought buried in a very dark corner of my mind. "Oh, shit!" I exclaimed.

 

"What, Max?"

 

"Valerie, the former school principal. She's not too fond of me, us really, and she would probably still use their full names. She's been pissed off at me ever since we first met, even tried to sue me after she got herself fired. But would she know the boys' history?"

 

"Probably, yes. We usually like to provide schools with some basic background on students, just so they can be aware of any possible issues they may have with our kids. You know, in case they start acting out or something."

 

"Then I bet it was her. I've got to make some more calls, Carol. Thanks for letting me know it wasn't anyone from your office."

 

"Let me know what you find out, Max. And try to have a good day."

 

"I will, you, too." After hanging up, I called the school to talk to Steve.

 

After Gloria passed me on, Steve answered the call with, "Morning, Max. What can I do for you today?"

 

"I need to ask if the school has any sort of privacy policy concerning personnel divulging a student's private information."

 

"Well, sort of. Why are you asking?"

 

"I'm assuming you read the story about me in the paper last week."

 

"Sure, I did."

 

"Well, the information they printed about our sons did not come from us and I'm trying to find out who they got it from. I just talked to Carol at the agency we're working with and she said it didn't come from anyone who works there, either. The only other person I can think of who knows the boys' backgrounds is Valerie. Do you think she might have talked to the paper?"

 

"I suppose it's possible. We know our staff will sometimes talk to their spouses about students, but they all know not to use their names or private information. At least, I thought they did."

 

"That's kinda what I thought, Steve. And they should continue that even after they're no longer a district employee, shouldn't they?"

 

"Of course. What reason would someone have to talk about our students if they no longer work here?"

 

"You mean besides to be a royal pain in the ass troublemaker?"

 

"There is that, I guess. And we all know what a pain Valerie has been."

 

"Yeah, no doubt about that. Okay, Steve, that's all I wanted. Thanks."

 

"Talk to you later, Max." My next call was to my lawyer to see if there was any way to hold Valerie responsible to talking out of turn.

 

"The Cantrell Practice, how may I help you?"

 

"This is Max Sanders calling, I need him again, please."

 

"One moment, Mr. Sanders."

 

After a wait that seemed interminable but, in reality, was less than a minute, James greeted me with, "Good morning, Max. What can I do for you this fine day?"

 

"There's nothin' good or fine about today, James."

 

"Uh-oh, who pissed in your Wheaties?"

 

"Good ol' Valerie Carr, I believe. And that's just for starters. If we find anyone else, we'll add them to the lawsuit."

 

"Hold on there, Max. What lawsuit and what could Ms. Carr have to do with it?"

 

"Did you read the article about me in the paper last week?"

 

"Of course, I did. I think they did a great job with it. I was a bit surprised Friday, though, when I read the information about your sons. I couldn't imagine you sharing that with the paper."

 

"We didn't, but I'm pretty sure Valerie did. And those morons printed it without asking permission. I just got off the phone with the president of the school board out here and he said their privacy rules should have precluded her from talking to anyone about her former students. I'd like you to track this down and see if it was truly her, and if it was, I want to sue her for invasion of privacy, breach of ethics, whatever. I want her ignorant ass nailed to the wall of stupidity."

 

"Max, we've been through this, remember? What was it, five, six years ago? You wanted to sue the Enquirer about that article purporting you were gay. Surely you haven't forgotten that debacle?"

 

"Well, god knows I've tried," I chuckled. "Guess it's a good thing we didn't follow through, though, `cause I'd have to pay back anything I might gotten from them, wouldn't I?"

 

"Yes, you probably would. And do you remember why we didn't follow through?"

 

"Yeah, some stupid bullshit about me bein' a public figure and people like us can't expect to ever have any true privacy. Like we somehow give up our right to privacy once we're famous. I didn't understand it then and I still don't."

 

"You don't have to, really, that's just how the law works with you folks. And whether you like it or not, you qualify."

 

"Fine, maybe I do, but our sons don't. Surely they should be afforded some protections simply due to the fact they're minors."

 

"You would think, but it rarely works that way, Max. I'll see what I can find out, though."

 

"Thanks, James. I'll talk to you later."

 

I hung up the phone and headed across the house to tell Tom about my calls and walked into an empty office. I stuck my head back in the hallway and shouted, "Where you at, Bubba!?"

 

"I'm in the damn bathroom, again, where the hell you think I am?" echoed down the hall from the far end by the garage.

 

"Just makin' sure you didn't run away while I had my back turned."

 

"I wouldn't get very far today, babe, trust me." I waited patiently for his return and a few minutes later, he slithered back into his office looking paler than he had earlier.

 

"Jesus, you look like shit," I commented.

 

"Can't really say I feel any different, either."

 

"You sure you don't want to postpone our meeting this afternoon?"

 

"Don't you dare. If I don't think I can stay involved, I'll hide out down here. Or go back to bed."

 

"Whatever you want, hon. Hey, I need to tell you about a few phone calls I've just dealt with." I proceeded to do just that, and Tom was shaking his head in disbelief the whole time.

 

"That sounds like somethin' that bitch would do. But don't hold your breath on gettin' any money from her. Besides her bein' unemployed, I think the boys all talkin' to Ray yesterday pretty much kills any privacy concerns. After those interviews air, you can pretty much kiss off any chance of winnin' a lawsuit."

 

"Oh, I didn't think about that. I'm still gonna have James check into it. If nothin' else, let's see if we fuck with her life for once."

 

"Whatever blows your skirt up, babe."

 

"So, you makin' any progress on the checks for Carol and Anna?"

 

"Some. I really need to go talk to these people in person, especially that one dude who was seemingly born three years ago at age forty-two. Too bad I can't get more than twenty feet from a bathroom. I'll keep pluggin' away on what I can do here and try to go tomorrow or Thursday."

 

"Don't forget my appointment Thursday morning."

 

"I thought you were goin' by yourself this time."

 

"I'm plannin' on it. Just don't want us fightin' over cars, and we need to make sure at least one of us is back home before the boys come home from school."

 

"Well, the car thing ain't a problem. Thought I'd take the Ferrari that day to talk to these people. Gotta look the part of a successful P.I., ya know."

 

"Oh, I see, now your Thomas Magnum leeching off the rich and famous author," I laughed. "Where's your Detroit Tiger's ball cap and cheesy mustache?"

 

"Hey, the Tiger's hat ain't a problem, but the `stache takes a couple of weeks. I'm workin' on it, okay," he replied while stroking his upper lip. "And I ain't bein' a leech no more. I'm actually workin' in here, remember?"

 

"I'm just givin' ya some grief," I replied. After taking a closer look, I realized he did have a little stubble filling the space below his nose. "You aren't kiddin', are you?"

 

"Nope. Couldn't have one on the force, but always wanted one. Seems like the right time."

 

"If you say so," I retorted. "Well, I'm going back to the book for a bit. You gonna join me for a bite of lunch in a while?" I asked as I hopped off the desk and headed for the door.

 

"Depends, what ya fixin'?"

 

"Grilled cheese, I think. Think that might help with your little problem?"

 

"Sure as hell can't hurt it. Besides, that sounds good, though I think I'll pass on the tomato soup today."

 

"You got it, hon. See ya soon." I headed back to the study to continue my work on the new book. I'd made some good progress today and was about to complete the section dealing with my three years in hell. I was really looking forward to being able to move past that time of my life, though the years between then and now weren't really that much better. Even after I completed dealing with my years of abuse by the Muellers, I still had another almost eighteen years of confusion, repression, lying, and self-hatred to write about. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized writing about all that time wasn't going to be any easier to deal with than the last four chapters had been.

 

 

It was about twenty minutes before lunch time and we were supposed to be studying for a math test tomorrow. Joey and I had finished that junk half an hour ago and I was bored out of my gourd, staring blankly out the classroom window while I stewed on a recurring thought for several minutes. I finally decided to bite the bullet and find out if there was any chance of my crazy idea becoming real. I left my desk and quietly walked up to the teacher's desk, hoping I wouldn't disturb anyone who was really working.

 

"Pssst, Mr. Thomas, can I talk to ya?" I whispered as I sat in the chair by his desk.

 

"What's up, Alex?" Ken asked quietly. "Aren't you supposed to be studying for tomorrow's test?"

 

"Yeah, right. Like Joey and I need to study this junk. We're already over halfway through the fifth-grade book. This stuff's a piece o' cake."

 

"You two never cease to amaze me," Ken grinned. "How'd you get so good at this?"

 

"Not a clue, it just happened," I answered sheepishly.

 

"So, what did want?" Ken asked.

 

"Can we talk out in the hall so nobody else can hear us?"

 

"I really shouldn't leave the classroom, you know that."

 

"Just for a few minutes. Please?" I begged. Mr. Thomas thought about it for a minute and after a quick nod from him, I followed him out into the hallway. After we settled in leaning against the wall, I said, "First, I wanted to tell you thanks for all your help in getting our support group started. I don't think we could have done it without you."

 

"Don't sell yourself short, young man. You, Joey and T.J. are forces to be reckoned with. Trust me, I'd much rather be working with you than against you three. You boys deserve all the credit for making it happen."

 

"Well, we still got a lot of help, and we really appreciate it."

 

"I was happy to do it, and so was everyone else involved. What's next?"

 

"This is pro'lly gonna sound weird comin' from me, but are you happy teaching?" I asked quietly.

 

"Well, yeah, I love teaching. That's what I went to college for, you know. Is that what you're thinking about doing when you get out of school?"

 

"Not a chance, I hate bein' here. But what about teachin' here? Are you happy with that?"

 

"More often than not," Ken answered. "Why do you ask?"

 

"Well, we all really hate havin' to come here every day and we're tryin' to talk our dads into letting us do our school at home."

 

"Every kid hates coming to school, Alex, but it's just something you have to do."

 

"No ya don't. There's all kinds of kids who learn this junk at home. We want to do that, too."

 

"But why? What would be so different about learning at home than here? And what would happen to the group you've started."

 

"Somebody else can take it over. We got it started like we said we would, and we've talked to several older kids already. I bet some of them would be happy to carry on without us. And I can't really say nothin' `bout why we want to do our learnin' at home."

 

"Oh, come on, Alex. We've talked about a lot of different things the past several weeks as we worked together setting up your guys' group. You can tell me anything."

 

"And you won't say nothin' to nobody?" I asked nervously.

 

"Never."

 

I leaned in really close and whispered, "We don't wear no clothes at home, Mr. Thomas. And we don't want to wear clothes here, but our dads say we have to." I could see the surprise in Mr. Thomas's face. "Us guys were hopin' we could find someone who wouldn't be freaked out, and still like to teach us at home so we could deal with school without, you know ...," I suggested while pulling at my shirt. "With you bein' queer like us, I figured you wouldn't care if we was dressed or not. That sound like somethin' you might wanna do?"

 

"Alex," Ken hissed, "You shouldn't be telling me things like that."

 

"Hey, our dads tell us all the time we should always tell the truth. You asked a question and I told you the truth. So, you interested?"

 

"Oh, I don't know, buddy. While it sounds like it could be interesting, I don't think it would work out too well. I don't think too many people would much like a gay man being around a bunch of nude boys all day, even it was for school."

 

"Big flippin' deal. Our dads are gay, too, and so are me and my brothers. Ain't like bein' around you would make us any gayer than we already are, is it? That ain't how it works, `member?" I added with a giggle which made Mr. Thomas smile. "Besides, our dads are always nude, too, and Ron will be, too, when he moves in next week."

 

"Wait, who's Ron?"

 

"Some dude our dads have hired to come in and help with cleaning, cooking and all that other junk. I bet you'd fit right in with the rest of us."

 

"Gee, I don't know, Alex. This really sounds like a talk I should be having with your dads. Do they know you were going to ask me about this?"

 

"No way, man."

 

"Look, if your dads want to talk to me about it, I'll be more than willing to listen to what they have to say, and I'd seriously consider a change of employer."

 

"Really? That'd be great, Mr. Thomas."

 

"But I don't think your dad could afford to pay me what I make now."

 

"Oh, get real. Do you have any idea who Dad is?"

 

"Max Sanders, right? I do believe we've met," Ken chuckled.

 

"No, man, he's a writer. Of books, ya know. He's got money comin' out his a ... uh, ears."

 

"I'd forgotten about that. I promise, if they call and make me an offer that makes sense, I'll give it serious consideration. But it has to come from them, okay?"

 

"You bet. Thanks, Mr. Thomas. I'll talk to my dads tonight and see what they say."

 

"Okay, now let's get back inside and see if the classroom's still in one piece. The lunch bell's about to ring."

 

We stepped back into the classroom and as Mr. Thomas sat back at his desk, I headed to mine, passing Joey and Logan as I did. Both gave me an odd look as I took my seat, but I just waved them off so we wouldn't get in trouble for talking in class. Less than a minute after I'd taken my seat, the bell rang for lunch and we hurried out into the hallway and aimed for the cafeteria.

 

"What was that all about?" Joey asked as we maneuvered our way through the crowded halls.

 

"I had a great idea while I was starin' out the window. You two find T.J., Mike and Andy and I'll find Josh, Eric and Brent. When we all have our food and are sittin' together, I'll tell all of you at the same time."

 

As we went our separate directions to corral the others, I kept turning over my talk with Mr. Thomas in my mind. And the more I thought about it, the more I really liked the idea. I finally found the three I was searching for in the crowded cafeteria and we filled our trays with what his dump considers `food' before heading to the middle of the large space and commandeering a table where we could all sit together. Joey finally arrived with T.J., Andy and Mike and once we all settled in, I started telling them about my conversation with Mr. Thomas.

 

 

I'd just finished putting our sandwiches together when Tom joined me in the kitchen. He pitched in to get plates and chips out for us and settled onto one of the stools at the counter.

 

"Feelin' any better?" I asked.

 

"Gettin' there. Haven't needed a bathroom break since you came in earlier."

 

"Sounds like progress to me."

 

"What time's John and the others supposed to show up, again?"

 

"Around one or so, John said."

 

"Guess we should get some clothes on when we're done eatin', then."

 

"That's my plan. Unless, of course, you'd like to have the meeting nude."

 

"Wouldn't bother me in the least," Tom laughed. "Probably freak out John and whoever comes with him, though. Don't think we want to do that."

 

"Yeah, let's not scare `em off this early in the project. Plenty of time for that later." As I got up to flip our sandwiches on the griddle, the phone rang, and I answered it on my way. "Max Sanders," I greeted.

 

"Mr. Sanders, Justin from Honest Abe's Tree Service. John Hasara called me this morning and said you had a couple trees I need to deal with."

 

"Oh, hey, Justin, thanks for callin'. Yeah, we had a couple trees up by the house get hit by lightning during the storm the other night. When do you think you could come out?"

 

Well, we're tied up this afternoon and tomorrow, but Thursday is wide open. We could be there about eight-thirty, if that's all right with you."

 

"Um, we're both busy Thursday, how does Friday sound?"

 

"Friday's good for us, too. See you then. And thanks for thinkin' about us."

 

"Thanks to you, too, Justin. Have a great afternoon." I'd no sooner hung up the phone than it rang again. After checking the caller ID and seeing it was Channel 17, I punched the button to put the call on speakerphone so Tom could hear.

 

"Max Sanders, is this Ray?"

 

"It is, how are you this afternoon, Mr. Sanders?"

 

"I'm fine, Ray. I've got you on speaker so Tom can hear, too. And it's Max, remember."

 

"Thanks, Max. Afternoon, Tom."

 

"Howdy, Ray," Tom replied. "What's the word?"

 

"The word is golden, you two. My news director loves all your interviews and he's agreed that the only proper way to get them out is to air them in their entirety. And everyone else who's seen them agrees. Max, Tom, your interview will air Thursday night and the boys will go on Friday night. Since this is March and repeat season, he has no problem pre-empting some ridiculous fake reality drivel for your stories."

 

"That's great, Ray," I responded with enthusiasm. "What time should we tune in each night."

 

"They've decided on an eight o'clock time slot for each show. And we're going to run promo spots the next couple of days during our news broadcasts and primetime to generate interest. We expect to have a pretty decent-sized audience both nights. We've also received commitments from six or our other corporate stations in the state to air them at the same times. That number may increase before the first broadcast on Thursday as we're still sending both shows out for stations to see."

 

"Geez, Ray, how much of the state will you be covering?"

 

"Most of it, from Interstate 70 north to about Interstate 80. We don't have any sister stations in Chicago itself, but we're trying to find another network affiliate who'd be willing to run them up there, too. If we can swing that connection, then you'll hit the largest audience any of my stories have ever seen."

 

"Well, I wish you luck in making that happen. I can't imagine the Chicago area having much interest in a story from Springfield."

 

"Most stories, probably not, but this is more important than your average local news. I'll give you a call Thursday afternoon with an update on where your interviews will be aired."

 

"Thanks, Ray. We'll talk to you then." I punched the button to disconnect the call and flipped our grilled cheese before turning to face Tom, only to find him sweating bullets.

 

"You sure you're okay?" I asked with concern.

 

"Yeah, just dandy. I never dreamed they'd get that many other stations willing to air your story."

 

"I didn't either, but I'm not gonna complain about it either."

 

"Christ, I don't know about this. I'm beginning to feel like you do about being so well known. And nobody even knows who the hell I am yet. That's gonna change Thursday night, isn't it? We won't be able to go anywhere without attracting a crowd."

 

"Well, it'll be nice to have some company in that feeling. We'll have to call our `rents and Lee to let them know to watch."

 

"Let's hold off on that until after our meeting with John. Than we can tell them about selecting an architect for our new home at the same time."

 

"Sounds good to me. I wonder if your mom and dad will be able to watch it at home. Hey, you think they might all want to come here to watch in the theater?"

 

"I'm sure they would. We could order pizzas Thursday night and go out somewhere else Friday night. Maybe mom and dad would want to stay with Jim and Rose Thursday night so they can see the boys on Friday night's show."

 

"Good thinking. Remember to mention that when we talk to them."

 

Our sandwiches were finally ready to eat, so I got them on plates and sat next to my love at the counter. After finishing our meal and cleaning up the kitchen, we retreated to the bedroom to get dressed for our meeting. With both of us presentable to the public, we returned to the living room to read and wait for our guests to arrive. About a quarter after one, the drive sensor dinged several times to announce their arrival and we headed to the front door to meet them. As John led the others and climbed the steps to the porch, Tom opened the door and allowed everyone inside.

 

"Afternoon, Max, Tom," John greeted us. "I'd like you to meet the three architects who have expressed an interest in designing your new home. This is Robert Smith, Hugh Wilson, and Ryan Sebring. Guys, Max Sanders and Tom Wright, your potential clients." After a flurry of handshakes and greetings, John said, "Before we sit down, why don't you let me take these three on a quick tour of your home, just to give them some idea of what you'll probably want the new place to look like."

 

"Sounds good, John," I replied. "Why don't you start down at the garage and work your way back this direction? We'll meet you all in the dining room when you're ready. Would anyone like something to drink?" Tom and I fielded their requests and headed to the kitchen to fulfill them before settling into the dining room while John led the way down the hallway for their tour. Ten minutes later, the four joined us and took their seats.

 

"This is a very nice home," Hugh commented. "Why are you wanting a bigger one?"

 

"Thanks, Hugh," I replied. "To answer your question, I've been living here for the last twelve years, and the house has been too big for just one person, really. Now, we're in the process of adopting five kids, one of their friends is staying with us for a while, and we've hired a person to come in and help with things. Suddenly, this place, nice as it is, is too small."

 

"We also need more space so we can help more kids than just the ones we're adopting," Tom continued. "We have the resources and land out here to do just that."

 

"I assume you'd like the new house to be similar to this one, only larger," Robert commented.

 

"Basic appearance and finishes, yes," I answered. "Tom and I have talked about this quite a bit since we first told John of our plans last week. We really like the basic flow through this house but need to rearrange and enlarge areas. One of the things we want to change is to move our sons' bedrooms to the same side of the house as our bedroom, probably where the home theater is now, and the bedrooms for the other kids we'll be helping are on the other side."

 

"Basically, what we're thinking is this," Tom continued. "We want this end of the house doubled in size with five bedrooms, at least double the size of this central area to accommodate a larger kitchen, dining room and living room, then expand the other end of the home to allow for four to six more bedrooms for any other kids who will be staying with us while their problems get sorted out. And we want those bedrooms to be large enough to have two queen-size beds in each and their own bathrooms."

 

I continued with, "We also want a gymnasium for basketball and other indoor sports, a larger pool that can be enclosed for winter use and a workout room for physical training and weightlifting. Tom misses his regular workouts. And somewhere in the middle of all that, we want a home theater and game room that can seat at least thirty people with separate systems for gaming, the pool table and maybe a ping-pong table."

 

"Oh, and don't forget the second garage, Max," Tom added. "We'll need more car space with Ron being here. We'd like our private garage to be on the same end of the house as our bedrooms and another garage on the other end for others to use as needed. And one more thing. I've just started working from home and will need an office than can have a private entrance from the outside of the house to protect my client's privacy. If you think it would be better to have that office in a separate building than the main house, that's fine."

 

"This sounds like a pretty ambitious project, you two," Ryan said. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you wanting to do this?"

 

"Four of the five boys we're adopting are gay, and in working through that process, we've learned that there are many more gay kids in need of a good home, whether it's temporary or permanent. We want to do whatever we can to help them."

 

"Okay, you three," John interjected, "open up your cases and pull out what you've brought with you. I'd like Max and Tom to see what you've come up with."

 

We spent the next two hours going over the presentations from Hugh, Ryan and Robert. Tom and I were both impressed with what they had come up with concerning the minimal information they'd been provided before today's meeting. As each went over their initial ideas, they incorporated the information we'd just given them on size and room arrangements, and how they would handle those modifications. By the time they wound down, we had a good idea of which architect we'd like to work with on the project but wanted to discuss it privately before we let them know our decision.

 

I finally stood to signal the end of the meeting and said, "We want to thank all of you for coming out today to show us your ideas for our new home. Tom and I need to talk about what you've shown us this afternoon, and we'd like our boys to see it also, before we make a final decision. We'll do that tonight and call John in the morning with our choice. Do any of you have anything you'd like to add before you go?"

 

Ryan replied, "I'd consider it an honor to work with all of you on this project. I truly understand the reasons you're doing it and can't think of a better cause with which I'd like to be involved."

 

Robert added, "Same here, Max and Tom. I've also been involved in other projects dealing with state housing, so I should be in a good position to guide you through the morass of state regulations you're going to have to deal with."

 

"I think my presentation covered everything you need to know," Hugh answered.

 

"Well, we'll let you get back to work on your other projects, then," Tom said. "Again, thanks for your time today."

 

With another round of handshakes, we let John lead the parade to the front door with Tom and I bringing up the rear. After allowing the others to leave, John turned and asked, "So, initial impressions?"

 

"They all have some good ideas and seemed to adjust rather easily for the new information we gave them today," I answered.

 

"I'm not sure why, but Ryan seemed to be more interested in the project than Robert and Hugh. Any idea why that might be, John?" Tom asked.

 

"Yeah, I think so. I learned something I didn't know before I called to see if he was interested in working on this project with us. He told me during our conversation that his sister was a lesbian. She killed herself about ten years ago when their parents kicked her out of the house after she came out to them. She was sixteen when it happened, and Ryan still blames himself for not being there to help her deal with their parents. He feels if there'd been a home available then, like the one you want to build, she'd still be here today."

 

"So, he's got a personal reason for being involved?" I queried.

 

"Yes, he does. And here's one more thing for you to think about as you guys talk this over tonight. Ryan said he'd donate his time in memory of his sister."

 

"Well, you know how to handle that, John. If we select Ryan as the architect."

 

"Sure do, and I'll be happy to let him know once you call me tomorrow. Look, I gotta stop by a jobsite on the way home, so I'm gonna go. I'll look forward to your call in the morning."

 

"Thanks for getting things rolling so quickly," I replied. "We're both looking forward to working with you to make this dream a reality."

 

"That's why I get paid the big bucks, guys. Have a good evening and we'll talk tomorrow."

 

After that comment, John turned and headed for his truck. As he pulled away, I closed the door, and Tom and I returned to the dining room to look over the sketches Hugh, Ryan and Robert left behind.

 

"So, what do you think?" I asked as we sat at the table.

 

"I like what all three have done design-wise, but it seemed like Hugh wasn't really that interested in getting the job," Tom answered.

 

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

 

"His response when you asked if they had anything to add. His answer just felt flat. I mean, what the hell does `I think my presentation covered everything you need to know' really mean."

 

"That was a bit off-putting, wasn't it? So, we scratch Hugh. Between Robert and Ryan, which one do you think you'd prefer to work with?"

 

"A bit of toss-up, I think. Both had good preliminary ideas, and during the meeting, they both also made modifications that make sense. What are you thinking?"

 

"I'm leaning towards Ryan."

 

"I figured as much. Any particular reason?"

 

"Well, first, his drawing was closer to what I think we're looking for than the other two. Second, the changes he made after seeing this house and talking to us were well thought out even though he did them on the spot. Third, the story about his sister really hits home."

 

"I knew it would," Tom agreed. "At least you ranked that excuse third and not first."

 

"Well, to me, it's a tipping point in his favor, for sure. The overall design is the most important factor, and his ability to make changes on-the-fly impressed me, too."

 

"I'm with you, babe. Sounds like Ryan's the one. Especially with his offer to donate his time to the project."

 

"Well, you know that means we pay him in full and, if he doesn't want it, he can donate it to a worthy cause of his choice."

 

"Sure, I do. Wouldn't have it any other way."

 

"But, I still want the boys to give us their opinion, too. Since it's their home, also, I think they should have some input, don't you?"

 

"You bet. It'll be interesting to see what they think."

 

We'd be getting the answer to that soon enough as the front door suddenly banged open and the rumble of the incoming herd shook the house as they returned from their day at school. After the door was slammed shut, T.J. yelled, "Hey, Dads, we're ho-o-o-me!"

 

"We're in the dining room, guys," Tom yelled back.

 

We were soon joined by the sensational six-pack and their attention was immediately focused on the drawings spread across the table.

 

"What's all that stuff," Alex asked.

 

"Ideas from three different architects for our new house," I answered.

 

"Cool, let's see `em," Joey responded as they dropped their backpacks to the floor and settled in around the table. Tom and I watched with interest as they perused the various drawings and chatted amongst themselves. After about fifteen minutes of surprisingly on point discussion, Joey pulled one drawing from the shuffled stack, slid it down to us and said, "This dude."

 

A quick look told us they'd also selected Ryan's design. Tom and I looked at each other and grinned before I asked, "Any particular reason you selected this design."

 

"Well," Alex started, "it's the closest thing to our house now."

 

"Yeah," Joey agreed. "And this one looks like the guy doesn't know what he's doing," he added while holding up one of Hugh's drawings.

 

"Are those gonna be our bedrooms on the same end of the house as yours?" T.J. asked.

 

"That's our plan," Tom answered.

 

"Cool! And the others down where ours are now are gonna be for other kids?"

 

"Yep," Tom answered.

 

"It's cool we'll have a place to play basketball," Andy tossed in the conversation.

 

"And the pool looks a lot bigger, too," Mike added.

 

"It is. With more people around to use it, we figured it should be bigger," I said.

 

"I think it sucks," Logan moaned.

 

"Why's that, young man?" Tom asked.

 

"Only `cause I won't be able to live in it with y'all," he answered with an evil laugh.

 

"Well, you'll always be welcome here, Logan," I said. "I'm glad we're all in agreement on who we want to design the new place. Now that that's been settled, did you guys have a good day at school?"

 

"And who has homework?" Tom asked.

 

"No homework for any of us, Dads," Alex answered.

 

"Well, let's get comfortable, then figure out what we're having for supper and relax for a bit," I suggested. The boys grabbed their packs and disappeared to the other end of the house to do just that while Tom and I headed for our room to do the same. Once we'd reassembled in the kitchen, we set them up with a snack while I pulled some pork chops out of the fridge to grill in a bit. As the boys finished their snacks, they retreated to the living room to continue reading, Logan with Ender's Game and T.J., Alex and Joey picking up the Spiderwick books they had been working on. Mike and Andy were sitting with Tom while he continued reading Huckleberry Finn to them.

 

I was just crossing the living room to join them when Alex jumped up from his chair and hurried towards me. When we met up, he nervously whispered, "Hey, Dad, I need to tell you `bout somethin'. Can we go to your study?"

 

"Anytime, buddy. Lead the way," I answered. Alex grabbed my hand and dragged me along behind him. After we entered the study, he quietly closed the door, then led me to a chair and asked me to sit down.

 

After he sat in the other chair, he looked into my eyes and started the conversation with, "You pro'lly ain't gonna like this much."

 

"Oh, lord, what'd you do?" I asked.

 

"Ya know how we all want to do school at home, right? And you keep sayin' you don't know nobody who'd want to do it. Well, I do."

 

"I don't think I want to hear the rest of this," I groaned.

 

"Chill out, will ya? It's all cool. I talked to Mr. Thomas today. He said he'd do it if you and Pops got serious about makin' it happen."

 

"What, exactly, did you tell him?"

 

"Just that we want to do school at home and asked if he was interested in bein' our teacher."

 

"Nothing else?"

 

"Well, when he asked why we wanted to, I told him the truth, just like you always say we should."

 

"Oh, crap," I mumbled. "Weren't you the one who spilled the beans to Mark, Billy and Andy?"

 

"Well, yeah, that was me, but that turned out okay, didn't it? Besides, Mr. Thomas wasn't freaked out about it or nothin'. And since it'd just be us here, what's the big deal? Oh, and don't forget `bout Logan, Josh, Eric and Brent. I told them `bout it at lunch, too, and they want to join in. So just the nine of us," Alex added with a sly smile.

 

"Geez, Alex, what were you thinking? We haven't said we'd do anything of the sort and you're already bringing others into it. You've really overstepped your bounds, young man."

 

"I know, Dad, and I'm sorry for stickin' my nose where it don't belong, but I also know if we'd left it up to you and Pops, it'd never happen. All I did was get the ball rollin'. It's up to you guys to make it real."

 

"Don't you think we have enough to deal with already? Why would you think we'd want to add to that?"

 

"The way I figure it is this. Joey and I will probably be doing seventh or eighth grade math next school year, and that's gonna be really weird. For us and the school. It'd be a lot easier to deal with that here, and Mr. Thomas could handle it."

 

"I don't doubt that he could. And I don't doubt where you and Joey will be, either. But do you really think he's gonna be okay with all of us bein' nude?"

 

"After he got over his surprise when I told him that part, he seemed to be fine with it."

 

"Okay, I get it. But, I'm not gonna say yes to the idea at the moment. I need to talk it over with Pops and see what he thinks. But, I will tell you, we have talked about it before, mainly because of having other kids living with us in the future. We just need to be really careful who we choose to minimize the changes we'll have to make around here to accommodate whoever it is. It wouldn't make sense to bring in someone and then we all have to start wearing clothes, would it?"

 

"No, that's why I thought Mr. Thomas would be perfect, `specially since he's gay, too. What would he care if he was around a bunch of naked dudes all day? I think he'd probably like it," Alex commented with a grin.

 

"Any other surprises you need to drop on me?"

 

"Don't think so, Dad. Thanks for not getting mad at me for talking to him."

 

"No harm done, buddy. But, next time you want to do something like that, please ask before you open your big mouth, okay?"

 

"I will, I promise," he answered as he got out of his chair, came over to crawl in my lap and give me a hug. As we held onto each other, Alex whispered in my ear, "When can me and Joey get with you and Pops again? We really had a lot of fun last time."

 

"Um, I think we should wait until Logan has moved back home, don't you? Besides, I thought Joey said he was only going to be with Josh."

 

"That's what the little goober said, but I bet he'd change his mind if it was with you and Pops. And I guess I can wait `til Logan's gone. I won't like it much, though."

 

"We won't either, Alex, but it's probably best. I know he knows about us now, but I'd just as soon not have to worry about including him. He's got enough on his plate dealing with his dad, already, let's not add to it, okay?"

 

"Yeah, okay," Alex responded with resignation.

 

"What say we rejoin the rest of the family and get going with supper?"

 

Alex hopped back off my lap and lead the way back to the living room. As we crossed the living room, Tom gave me a questioning look and I waved my hand for him to follow me into the kitchen. As we started working on our supper, I filled him in on my conversation with Alex. The more I talked, the more Tom shook his head.

 

When I finally ended my story, Tom commented, "And here I thought Joey was the pushy one. I guess Alex is learning a few of his brother's tricks."

 

"Tell me about it," I laughed. "I wouldn't have been a bit surprised if it had been Joey who talked to their teacher, but I about fell out of my chair when Alex told me what he'd done."

 

"So, what are we gonna do now?"

 

"Well, we had talked about the possibility before, and now that Alex seems to have broached the subject with Ken, I guess we need to get serious about it."

 

"With what Alex said about Ken bein' gay and him not bein' bothered about bein' around a bunch of nude guys makes a certain twisted kind of logic, I guess. Be a helluva lot better than hiring some lady to do it."

 

"That's true, I suppose, but now that you mention a woman being their teacher, why not just have my mom and dad do it? They both used to be teachers, ya know?"

 

"Well, so did my mom. But they're all retired, and I'd hate to rope them into this. I think they'd rather relax and enjoy themselves."

 

"Fair point, bubba. So, we talk to Ken and see what he thinks?"

 

"Might as well. Even though we talk about it now doesn't mean it has to happen now, does it?"

 

"No, I suppose not. At least we can find out if he's really interested in the idea. I'll try to call him later, then," I said as I slipped the oven-browned potatoes into the oven. "Okay, we've got an hour for those to be done. We can start the cops in about a half hour, might as well rejoin the boys for a bit."

 

As we settled back into our chairs, Tom told the boys when supper would be ready so they'd know when it was time to set the table. About fifteen minutes later, the phone rang and after seeing the 312 area code on the caller ID, Tom punched the speaker button so we could all hear.

 

"Hello?" he answered.

 

"Hey, Tom, it's Angela. How y'all doin'?"

 

"We're good. How `bout yourself? And Harry?"

 

"I'm doing great, now. Uh, hang on a sec, though, I got somebody here who wants to say hi."

 

After just a moment's pause, we heard a weak voice croak, "Hey, Tom, it's Harry."

 

"Harry, it's good to hear your voice. How ya' doin'?"

 

"I'm still alive, thanks to you."

 

"We're all glad to hear it. When do you get to go home?"

 

"Don't know yet, for sure, but I'm hopin' by this weekend. I hate this fuckin' place."

 

"Everyone hates hospitals," I replied. "We're happy you're doing better. You just do what the doctors tell you and you'll be fine."

 

"Yeah, that's what Mom and Angie keep tellin' me. I'm just glad the bastard that put me in here is finally gone. Too bad all you broke was his nose."

 

"Look, you take care of yourself," Tom said.

 

"Yeah, I will ..." Harry replied as he faded away.

 

"Hey, guys, it's Angela again. Harry's gone back to sleep. He's been like this most of the afternoon, drifting in and out, but he couldn't wait any longer to talk to you."

 

"We're glad you called, Angela," I replied.

 

"What's Harry's prognosis?" Tom asked.

 

"The doctors are sayin' he should be okay, but until he can stay awake more than five minutes at a time, they won't know for sure. They need him to be pretty coherent to really determine if he suffered any permanent brain damage from the bleed. They think they'll be able to really check him out late tomorrow or Thursday. If that goes well, Harry should be able to go home Friday or Saturday."

 

"That's good to hear. How's Maureen holding up?" I asked.

 

"She's still hangin' in there. She went home a little while ago to take a shower and grab some food, but she'll be back a little later."

 

"Well, don't forget to let us know if you need anything. Just call us and we'll do whatever we can," I reminded Angela.

 

"Will do, guys. We'll talk to you later."

 

After ending the phone call, T.J. asked, "When can we go see him?"

 

"Why don't we let Harry get back home and settled in before we try that?" I suggested. "We don't want to push him too much."

 

"But, we will go, right?" Joey asked.

 

"We can probably arrange something in a couple of weeks. Well, I'm getting' hungry, so I'm gonna start grillin' our chops. You guys ready to set the table?"

 

Everybody drifted into the kitchen to take care of their tasks, me dealing with the chops on the grill, Tom fixing up a small salad for the two of us and the boys getting the table ready for us to sit at. Twenty-five minutes later, the pork chops were ready to go, so we sat down and enjoyed our meal, the boys opting for applesauce instead of salad. Tom and I took a couple of minutes to cut Mike and Andy's pork chops before attacking our own.

 

"Okay, guys, Tom and I have talked about Alex's idea again, and you'll be happy to know that I'm going to try to call Mr. Thomas after supper." A loud chorus of joyous cheers filled the dining room. "Don't get your hopes up, though. And don't be thinking it will happen now. First, Ken has to agree to the idea. Second, if he does agree, it won't happen until school starts up again after your summer break."

 

"That's all right, Dads," Joey responded.

 

"Yeah, at least you're gettin' serious about it," Alex added with a smile.

 

"Yes, we are," Tom replied. "But you have to have some patience and show some restraint, please."

 

"We'll try, Dads," T.J. retorted, "but it ain't gonna be easy."

 

"Would you like to hear some other ideas we had for when the new house is done?" I asked.

 

Tom whipped his head around to look at me and asked, "You sure you wanna do that?"

 

"What can it hurt, now?"

 

"Yeah, Dad, tell us," Andy said with enthusiasm.

 

"Well, with more kids being around, and some of them possibly having health concerns, special dietary needs and psychological needs, Pops and I have also talked about having Rick join us here as an on-site medical person. With his training, he'd be the perfect person to ask. The fact he, Eric and Josh already know about our nudist lifestyle would make them pretty easy to integrate into things."

 

"Really," Joey gushed, "Josh could be livin' here, too? Oh, that'd be so cool."

 

"Who else you thinkin' `bout havin' out here?" Alex asked with surprise.

 

"We've also talked about a full-time lifeguard because of the pool and a psychologist to work with any kids who need that kind of help."

 

"A lifeguard's a good idea," T.J. commented, "but not Brad or Duane. I think you need to find someone else."

 

"Oh, why's that, T.J.?" Tom asked.

 

"Well, during Joey and Alex's birthday party, they just kinda creeped me out."

 

"Any particular reason," I asked, "or was it just a feeling?"

 

"Well, they weren't just watching us, they were watching us, especially after we all lost our trunks, you get my drift? And they really zeroed in on Brent and Jesse from Guatawhereever. I caught both of them thinking `bout them in particular."

 

"Well, that certainly explains something," Tom muttered towards me.

 

"You mean the two of them screwin' each other in your shower afterwards?" T.J. asked.

 

"Well, yeah. How the heck did you know about that?" I asked.

 

"It was easy, Dad. You were thinkin' about it after they left. And with your emotions runnin' wild those couple of days after you remembered all that other junk, I learned a whole lot from and about you. Some of it you probably don't even know yourself."

 

"Geez, T.J., you really gotta quit doin' that stuff."

 

"I'm getting better at controlling it, but that was pretty early, before I started really tryin' to shut it down. I think I'm gettin' to the point where I can almost shut out all of it unless I want to."

 

"That's good to hear, young man."

 

"Who you thinkin' `bout for the psycho dude? I bet Mr. Kirkland would be willing to help out," Mike suggested.

 

"We might talk to him, too, Mike. But the only person Pops and I have already talked about is my new therapist."

 

"Why him and not Mr. Kirkland?"

 

"Well, for one, Jason is gay, and I think he might relate better to the kids we're going to be working with. Also, I'd prefer to keep our relationship with Paul and Joy on a friendship basis and not a professional one. Does that make sense to you?"

 

"Yeah, kinda. But if your new guy don't work out, I hope you still ask Mr. Kirkland."

 

"We'll definitely do that, young man."

 

"What about you, Logan?" Tom asked. "You're being awfully quiet down there?"

 

"Why should I have a say in any of this? None of that stuff is gonna happen until after I'm back home with Dad."

 

"But it will affect you if you want to do your school here with our boys," I commented.

 

"You'd really let me come here for school? Cool!" Logan crowed with glee.

 

"Why not? You're family as far we're concerned. By the way, what did your dad say when you told him about your interview with Ray?"

 

"Oh, yeah, that. He weren't none too happy `bout it, but I think I got him to chill out. Would it be okay if he came over to watch it with us?"

 

"I think that's a great idea, Logan. I'll call him after I talk to Ken. Then we need to call Lee and our parents and see if they want to join us, too. Oh, and Ray called earlier to let us know that our interview will be on Thursday night and you guys will have your turn Friday night. So be prepared for things to maybe be a little weird at school on Monday if any of your friends see the shows."

 

"We're ready, Dad, or we wouldn't have talked to Ray in the first place," Alex replied.

 

"I figured as much."

 

Since we'd finally finished eating, everyone got busy with the cleanup process and when that was done, the boys were ready for some TV. We let them go to the theater and pick what they wanted to watch while Tom and I got busy with all the phone calls we had to make.

 

Tom called his parents about coming up to watch the shows with us while I made my first call to Ken. Ken agreed to drop by Thursday after school to discuss our proposition and Tom received Bill and Estelle's commitment to be here for both shows and stay at Jim and Rose's Thursday night. Our next calls were to Lee, Carl and my parents, and they all agreed to be here, too, with Mom and Dad happy to have guests for the night. After receiving Charlie's agreement to join us Friday night to see his son on TV, we called Monica, Ben and Rick to extend the invitation to them and their boys. They said they'll all be here Friday night, also, so we'll have a full house. We'll have to move some chairs from the dining room to the theater to accommodate everyone, but that won't be a problem.

 

With all our calls completed, we headed to join the boys and whatever show they were watching. As we rounded the corner from the dining room, the theater door flew open and six wild monkeys scampered past us in a mad dash.

 

"You guys coming back?" I called to their retreating backs.

 

"Yeah, Dads," Joey yelled.

 

"We just gotta pee," T.J. added.

 

"Get the next Star Trek ready to roll, will ya?" Alex asked.

 

"Popcorn, too?" Tom yelled.

 

"Yeah," answered Logan, Mike and Andy.

 

We made a U-turn and returned to the kitchen to get the popcorn going in the microwaves. When the boys came back from their bathroom break, Joey, Alex and Logan got busy fixing drinks for everyone. As we waited for the popcorn, Tom and I passed on the results of all our phone calls and the boys were excited to be seeing everyone for a couple of nights. With the popcorn finally done and split into separate bowls, we grabbed our stuff and adjourned to the theater to watch the next couple Star Trek episodes.

 

When tonight's shows ended, it was time for the boys to hit the bed. They slowly meandered their way through the kitchen to drop their dishes in the dishwasher before continuing the trek to their rooms. After a bit of final cleanup in the kitchen, Tom and I followed in their footsteps to say our goodnights. We stopped to see Alex, Joey and Logan first and found them stretched out on their bed with their eyes closed, hands wrapped around a buddy's stiff member. I made a little noise to let them know we were in the room and all three snapped their eyes wide open.

 

Upon seeing us standing beside the bed, they waddled over on their knees to get their hugs, kisses and I love yous. As we shared a five-way hug, I felt a hand wrap itself around my half-hard penis. Assuming it was Alex, I didn't think too much about it. Until we'd given out kisses, shared an `I love you' with each of them and tried to step away to pull up the covers. That was when I could actually look down to discover it was Logan now caressing my scrotum with his right hand and Tom's stiff shaft with his left.

 

"So, remind me, what's a kid gotta do to climb in bed with you two?" Logan queried.

 

"Just ask, young man," I answered.

 

"You sure you want to do that, Logan?" Tom asked back.

 

"Yeah. At least once, anyway. Alex's told me about how much fun he and Joey had with you guys and I wanna see if it's all the say it was. Can we do it tonight?"

 

Tom and I shared a quick glance before I replied, "Not tonight, buddy. You guys have school in the morning and we wouldn't want you to be up late. How about Friday night? Can you wait that long?"

 

"Sure, that'd be cool. Just don't tell my old man, okay? He'd freakin' shit hisself," he said with a laugh.

 

"We won't if you won't," Tom replied with a grin.

 

"Not on your life, man. Or mine, either."

 

"Can I join you guys," Alex asked.

 

"Sure, son. What about you, Joey?" I asked.

 

"Only if Josh is there with me," he responded.

 

"Oh, I don't know about that," Tom said. "I know they'll all be here Friday to watch your interviews, but I didn't think anyone was going to be staying overnight."

 

"Well, that's easy to fix," Alex retorted. "I bet Josh, Eric and Brent would all love to stay the night with us again."

 

"No doubt they would, guys. We'll see what happens, okay?"

 

"Cool, Dads," Logan answered.

 

"Whoa, where'd that come from?" I asked with serious interest.

 

"Oh, don't have a cow, man. You did say I'm family, didn't you, so you guys must be my second and third dads. Ole Charlie's still dad number one."

 

"Whoo, that's good to hear, Logan," Tom breathed. "We don't need to add to the headcount here until the new place is built."

 

"No worries, Pops. Much as I love all you guys, I love my dad even more."

 

"Well, you guys need to curl up and get to sleep. Let's move it."

 

"Can we have five more minutes ...," Alex started.

 

"... to finish what we started?" Joey finished.

 

"Ple-e-e-ase," Logan added with a whine.

 

"Fine, lights out in five," Tom answered. "See you boys in the morning."

 

We turned to leave as the three munchkins fell back onto the bed and immediately picked up right where they'd left off when we interrupted them. As we entered the other bedroom to say goodnight to Mike, Andy and T.J., we found them sprawled across the bed, each mouth filled with a tender morsel. It was Tom's turn to get their attention with a cough and after he'd done so, the three separated and crawled over to the edge of the bed to get their hug and kisses. All three were hard and their erections glistened in the light. When they finally reached us, Mike and Andy didn't hesitate to press their young bodies against ours, trapping our own erections between us.

 

Andy and Mike were giggling madly as they hugged us and wiggled their bodies against ours. T.J. was kneeling behind the demonic duo and shaking his head as he watched. Finally deciding the two weren't going to halt their antics any time soon, T.J. moved in and wrapped his arms around our necks. He pulled us over Andy and Mike and we shared our goodnight kiss with him, then peeled Mike and Andy away to do the same with them.

 

Once all three had received their nightly hug, kiss and love you, they curled up and waited for us to pull the covers up to their shoulders. After making sure they'd be warm, we turned out the lights and swiftly headed across the house to fall into our bed. We spent a good deal of time pleasuring each other with our hands and mouths before finally succumbing to the rampant desires we had for each other. After reaching our orgasmic bliss, we cuddled together for a bit before deciding we both needed a shower. We tenderly cleaned each other, then dried off and climbed back into bed. I curled up in Tom's arms after he had retrieved the covers and soon, we both fell into a sound sleep.