Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2004 09:38:14 -0700 From: fritz@nehalemtel.net Subject: I Love Corey, Chapter Thirty-one Alas, the horrid warning and disclaimer is once again about to be written. It might even be read although I'm puzzled why anyone would want to do that. Perhaps the readers of this warning are just gluttons for punishment. However, If you are under what might be considered legal age I must beg and plead with you to leave. I'm down on my knees doing so. What, you won't leave. Ah well, at least I tried. This story contains subject matter that might be considered mature in nature. If you think you might be offended by such material, please leave. You say you don't know what I'm talking about. Guess you'll have to read it and find out. Sorry if you end up offended. This story, if you can call it a story, is a work of fiction. The characters never existed, nor is the story based on any actual happenings. If you think they are or the story is, you're even less intelligent than I am. I find that hard to believe. The story is mine. Keep your grubby paws off of it. Of course you can read it and perhaps even enjoy it but you must not post it any place without my written permission nor may you use excerpts from it without attributing them to me. Please contact me if you think you know of someway to enrich yourself by using this story. (Beware, that might cause you to be certified as insane in some areas.) Poor Ernie, I'm cluttering up his email again with a story needing editing. Hopefully he's still soft-headed enough to do so. Editing this story might be considered abuse of an editor. Finally, the end of this warning is in sight. Feel free to write and tell me about your complaints, suggestions, questions or comments. I will answer them provided you put the story title in the subject line. If you don't, cyberspace will gobble them up. Send them to fritz@nehalemtel.net I hope you enjoy the following chapter. Fritz **************************************************************************** I Love Corey, Chapter Thirty-two When I woke up I found I felt better although I've had better night's sleep. I'd been jabbed by too many elbows, knees and other appendages. I wasn't used to being so treated. After all, I had three times as many of those appendages to contend with as usual. I managed to struggle out of bed and get the clock shut off. That stirred up the whole bunch of us. As I tried to work the stiffness out of my sore muscles I attended to the usual morning ritual. By the time I headed out to the kitchen there was some movement from what might be called the boy pile. You could see yawns, stretches, and hear groans coming from the bed. By the time the boy pile separated itself into individuals and they found their respective ways to the kitchen, breakfast was almost ready. They looked even less alert than I felt. Mind you, it wasn't that I felt so bad. It was just that the back of my head was still sore, along with my left shoulder. At least my headache was gone. There was only one more work day in the week. Opps, there was the game on Saturday but somehow I couldn't look at that as work. More of a required fun type thing. Its mind boggling what adding some food to teenagers accomplishes. They went from walking zombies with no coherent thoughts to focused eating machines. The level of coordination went from stumbling around, bumping into everything, to highly skilled maneuvers requiring hand eye coordination. Arms flashed out grasping things like milk cartons and toast with unerring accuracy. They also shifted speeds from barely moving to, if the sun were to hit the spoons, the rapid flashes would have blinded me and the flickering would have given me a headache. Amazing, simply amazing. JJ was moving quite a bit better. Not only that, he only used one pillow this morning. He'd been using several pillows to ease the pain when he sat at the table. He still didn't lean back against the chair but one pillow on the seat seemed to be enough. He should be able to return to school on Monday at this rate. At least I hoped so. I was now confronted with a new problem. Three boys, one newspaper. That didn't leave much for me to read. It also produced some whining amongst them over who got what section. Maybe I could get my subscription changed to include three sports sections and maybe three comics sections. I gave up and booted the desktop and read the news online. That brought up the thought that I needed to talk to Judy. If this was going to be permanent, I needed to get JJ and LT their own laptops. Maybe I could find time to call and invite her to dinner on Sunday. We could discuss their future then. As I continued skimming the news other thoughts of what JJ and LT needed flashed through my mind. They'd need some things to make their rooms more personalized. Oh shit. I forgot Corey and his shooting lessons. In fact, we'd both spaced the pistol range on Wednesday evening. I wondered if they would also enjoy shooting. Too many things to think about right now and besides I needed to leave for work. We could hash all this out tonight. As I headed for the pickup, suddenly I was afraid. I hadn't thought of this. How could I make sure it was safe to open and start the pickup? I ducked back in and quickly ran through the security system's pictures. It only took a couple of minutes but the loss of those minutes made me feel late. I was in such a hurry that I almost got a speeding ticket. Only slowing down for a dog that looked like it might run out in front of me saved me. After that narrow escape, I drove more sensibly. My mailbox was stuffed with the usual stuff. There was one that made me feel better. Jerry had found someone to teach history for the rest of the term and I wouldn't have to do that. That produced a feeling of relief as I hadn't remembered to make any lesson plans. Things were a little hectic as the rest of the crew arrived. Of course I had to tell everyone about what had happened. I don't know why because they all seemed to know about it and most of them I'd all ready talked to on the phone but maybe they just needed to hear it repeated again while they could see me and tell I was alright. I was left having to tell them that the police had some leads but didn't feel I could say what had been learned before any arrests were made. That seemed to satisfy them for now. Then of course the students had to hear all about it. I was so tired of going over the same story again and again I just wanted to scream `shut up' but at least they seemed concerned. That was a better response than there'd been for Les. His termination had produced no feelings of regret that I'd been able to detect. The week had been so fouled up I needed to get the classes back on schedule. The only problem with that was the game this weekend meant that homework would probably be a waste of time. Oh well, there was always next week. Practice finally rolled around. The team wasn't as sharp as I would have liked. I'd missed too many days for various reasons. I just hoped they would play up to their potential. Thank God I'd gotten my game plan put together last weekend and presented it on Monday. Otherwise we'd have been in bad shape. Corey was back to normal at practice. He didn't seem upset or distracted. I thanked my lucky stars for that. Things had been so busy and fouled up I wasn't sure I could have dealt with much more. What I really needed was a few days off to relax and get myself back together. Too many things had been happening and I still hadn't had time to adjust to them. All day long I'd been distracted, trying to figure out what needed to be done first regarding JJ and LT. So far that still wasn't decided. Too much depended of what Judy said. Corey was behind on the laundry because of the missed time. Looking at my watch I told him to stay and work on it and I'd go pick up the new Gator. Then I could pick him up and we'd go home. Bob was coming over for another lesson. We'd put him off earlier in the week because of all that was going on. It didn't take long at the dealer. He had the new one ready and about all I had to do was sign some papers. Well, I had to tell them all about what had happened but that didn't take long. You know it's funny. I ended up buying Ford products because of a classmate in high school. He father was the local Chevrolet dealer and we didn't get along. In fact, not get along was hardly the way to describe it. He was, in my opinion, an arrogant, overbearing bully. Since I'd never been one to back down, naturally we clashed. It got so bad that during my sophomore year that we even came to blows. The fight could best be described as a draw because it was broken up so quickly however one of the teachers saw the start of it and he was suspended for a week. Of course he and his friends blamed it all on me. The fact that he'd started the fight didn't make any difference to them. He and a couple of his friends jumped me one night on the way home from school and were working me over pretty well when the cops broke it up. Since there'd been complaints and minor charges against him before, this time he and his friends ended up being charged and entered into the juvenile justice system. My broken nose healed but they got sent away. However that soured me on GM products. I know it silly but that's the way I am. A Suburban would probably have been a better choice for the way I'd use it but just getting close to a Chevy dealership upset me. I'd just have to make do with the Gator. I've always wondered how he got along in reform school and what happened to him after he got out. By the time I got back to pick Corey up, he had the last of the washing done and in the dryers. I helped him finish folding the last of the things that were dry and we then left. A quick stop at Downie's on the way home, in which we managed to avoid Mrs. Downie, and we were soon home. The new Gator was fine but I still liked the green color better. Jason and LT seemed to have settled in. They whined about their homework which I'd finally remembered to bring home. At least they were starting to act more normal. They no longer seemed so worried that they would make me mad. I told them to quit bitchin or I'd kick their callipygians all over the house. I was rewarded with giggles. The sound of those giggles and the whining and bitching that had preceded them warmed my heart. Maybe this would work out. That reminded me and I quickly called Judy and invited her and her family to dinner Sunday evening. I shooed the boys out of the kitchen so I could start dinner. Bob came in when I was about half done chopping onions for the spaghetti sauce and after we exchanged a few words he and Corey headed off for the art lesson. When I looked around, a few minutes later, I found all of them in Corey's room. JJ and LT were listening and watching the lesson. It took JJ and LT a while to figure out that Bob knew about me and Corey. That still left them with the problem of whether or not to tell him about themselves. As it turned out they didn't get a chance to. You could just see the questions on their faces change to understanding as he made various comments. At least that's the way it looked to me. Maybe I was wrong on some of those questions but I didn't think so. Bob had heard all the rumors and during the dinner conversation he acted like it was nothing. That seemed to worry them for a few minutes but soon they were comfortable. He just acted like it was an everyday thing and asked them questions like how long they'd known each other and how they intended to handle it. By the time we'd demolished a huge kettle of spaghetti, along with some salad and lots of garlic bread, they were relaxed and we were all visiting freely. Sometimes they'd blush at some of the questions or things that were said but when they figured out no one was making fun of them they soon started just going with the flow. I hoped that this would help them learn that not all people hated them for what they were. I could only marvel at how easily Bob drew them out and made them feel relaxed and comfortable. When dinner was over and Bob and Corey returned to Corey's room to finish the lesson, the boys stayed in the kitchen to talk to me. They wanted to know about Bob and I told them most of what I knew, leaving out only what I knew about his sexuality. I figured if he was willing to let them know, he'd tell them. It wasn't my place to do so. After the lesson we sat around visiting and Bob and I were drinking coffee. The phone rang and it was Deputy Carson. He said he just wanted to inform me that they had arrested four people over the first Gator and more arrests were expected. They were of course Rev. Langston and Les Jamison along with a church member who worked for the timber company the Scouts had their camp on. He was the one who'd furnished the dynamite from the company's powder magazine. They kept dynamite on hand for their road building. The last one was an uncle of Les's. None of us had even know he had any relatives in the area but he had and they all attended church together. On hearing that I wondered if there were any more members of that church I should be worried about. Allen told me not to worry, he thought that by the time they were done arresting everyone there wouldn't be enough left to try anything. With that sobering thought we hung up. After Bob left we continued talking. Only now the conversation turned to other things. When I brought up the subject of shooting, both with a shotgun and a pistol, JJ and LT's eyes lit up. While neither actually had any firearms experience, they thought it sounded like fun. Well I guess terms like kewl and rad and neat meant it sounded like fun. Maybe there should be a dictionary of teenager speak. Since the trapshooting would come first I started there. Corey immediately got his new shotgun out and I got some of mine out. We spent part of the evening discussing proper safety and gun handling rules. LT was the tallest and his arms were almost long enough to use one of my shotguns. JJ fell between Corey and LT in arm length. I decided that LT would probably be able to use one of my guns and did spend a few minutes changing the amount of shims in the Meadow's pad.* A little fiddling around and it seemed close. By the time I was done I was sure it would fit well enough for him to start. If he and JJ wound up living with me and if they liked shooting I could worry about getting him a gun that fit him properly. Several of my guns had those Meadow's pads so I could alter the point of impact. That still left JJ but it was too late to do anything about a gun for him. We'd have to use the gun club's shotgun until things were a little more settled. Both or neither might end up enjoying shooting so until I learned that, there wasn't much point in spending any money. I knew we could pick up some shooting glasses and ear protectors tomorrow morning before the game. We ended up in the reloading room preparing enough ammunition for Sunday. While we were reloading enough shells for Sunday we continued talking. I asked JJ and LT if they wanted to attend the game. They wanted to know how I thought the other students would accept them. I had to tell them I didn't really know but, if some of the discussion in my classes was any indication, they shouldn't have any real problems. The majority had seemed to accept the news and the zero tolerance policy should make the others stop and think, at least I hoped so. I finally took JJ up for his bath, leaving Corey and LT to finish boxing the shells. Some of the bruising was starting to fade a little. Still, when I looked at the bruises and lacerations on his back and butt it made me sick and angry. If I could have gotten my hands on his father I'm not sure what would have happened but I was sure that I would be facing some kind of charges. I doubted that it would be a murder charge because I wanted him to hurt for a long time and if I killed him that would end his suffering. The lacerations seemed to be healing but I was sure they would leave scars. There were several across his back just below his shoulder blades that still looked like they needed a dressing but the two that were on his buttocks were healing nicely. They hadn't been as deep. The police had found the piece of an old leather lasso his father had used for the beating and collected it as evidence. They were still looking for Mr. and Mrs. James but so far had not found them. I'd just tucked JJ into bed when Corey and LT came up. LT headed for the guest room's shower and Corey and I for mine. We didn't spend long because we both figured we'd have fun in bed. We'd just gotten dried and into bed when I heard LT leave the guest bathroom and head for bed, only it wasn't his bed he headed for. His room was right across from mine and it was JJ's, at the end of the hall, that I heard the door open and close. Well, I didn't really hear it open but I definitely heard it close. I snickered and Corey asked why. "Didn't you hear which door just closed?" I whispered. He got a grin on his face and started giggling softly. "I wish we could see what's going on," he whispered back. "Maybe they'd like to see what's going on in here," I softly giggled back to him. He snorted and giggled some more. "So far, nothing. Some old man I know is just doing nothing," he whispered amongst the giggles. Of course I had to prove him wrong. I immediately started doing something and that something was kissing and feeling him. Well there was a little grab ass and tickling too. Perhaps I shouldn't call it grab ass because that wasn't the part I grabbed but who cared, it was fun. Besides, I could do the grab ass bit later. We squirmed around the bed, each seeking the other's cock. The rules were that you couldn't hang on tight enough to cause any pain so it was pretty easy to get away. It didn't take long before neither of us was trying to get away and instead we got down to business. I got him pinned and started kissing a little more seriously. As his tongue probed my mouth I could again taste a minty Corey. While I prefer the regular flavored Corey, I'll settle for Corey any way I can get him. I even like his flavor after he's eaten garlic bread. Well... We spent some time tongue wrestling and when I figured we'd done enough of that I started nibbling his ears. He just turned his head so I could get at them better, first on one side and then the other. Tonight was one of those nights that he wanted me to be in charge. That was fine with me. It didn't make any difference who was in charge, it was always fun. After spending some time on his ears I moved down. You'd be surprised how much response I could get from nipping and sucking on his nipples. Throw in a little licking of armpits and it didn't take long for him to start panting like a dog on a hot day. In one sense, all the stimulation made my task more difficult. He was now squirming around so much it made it difficult to continue on his nipples. I'd just start to nibble on one and a shudder would go through him and suddenly that nipple was no longer just where it had been. I just had to track it down and start again. As he writhed on the bed I had all kinds of fun just tracking down that part of him I wanted to work on. Sometimes that was a nipple, sometimes an armpit. Of course anything in between and in fact, within reach was fair game. That gave me an area from about shoulder to navel to lick, nibble, and kiss. I really liked doing that because of the squirming and sighs I got. As those sighs slowly turned to gasps and moans I knew I was progressing. The shudders and twitches I could feel meant I was hitting all the right spots. My world had narrowed to one young man. That young man was squirming around on the bed and I was the one causing him to do so. As far as I was concerned the rest of the world didn't exist. There was just a panting, squirming Corey. He was starting to get a salty flavor from the sweat pouring off of him. It was time to move on. As I started to move on down towards his cock I paused. I just had to admire it. His pale skin was even more evident when one looked at it. It had a translucent quality and I could see the fine network of blue veins fanning out just under the surface of his skin. The deep dusky rose colored head was standing proud and there was a little drop of liquid waiting for me. It was jumping about an inch or so with each of his heartbeats. Somewhere along the way his foreskin had retracted completely and I was frozen in place just admiring it. It was the first thing I had fallen in love with and while it was now a little bigger, I still loved it. The only thing was that now I loved him as a person much more. Still, as my first love, I found myself admiring it and wanting to possess it. As I turned some more, to get closer, I could feel him squirm around. He rolled up on his side and I started to turn my body so I could get closer. I don't know how it happened but I was on my side and my head was in a perfect position to enjoy him. The taste of that drop of precum was vintage Corey. Not only that, it would have to be considered a good year. That had to be a silly thought. Any vintage of Corey was a good year. As my tongue reached out for another swipe I could feel a feeling of love wash over me. How can I describe it? I don't know. Words fail me. It was a warmth that came from my heart and not my body. It wasn't the kind of warmth that produced a sweat but more one that gave a feeling of contentment. It made me forget my problems and fears and gave me a sense of peace and happiness. In the back of my mind I knew there were things that would happen and problems we'd have to deal with but that feeling of warmth made feel like anything was not only possible but could be accomplished and life would be good and we'd be happy. I again flicked my tongue out, seeking another taste of Corey. Suburb. Somewhere in the background I could hear some whimpering. My head moved forward and the head of his cock entered my mouth. As I swirled my tongue around that marvelous piece of flesh the whimpering was replaced with sighs. By now I was no longer sure where those sounds were coming from but they sounded happy. All I could concentrate on was that piece of flesh, about five inches long, the first inch or so of which was in my mouth. I moved my head a little so I could possess a little more of it. My tongue was busy. There was the meatus ** that required exploration, along with the glans.*** My tongue probing of said parts produced jerks and twitches, along with grunts and groans. It wasn't just his cock that twitched, it was his whole body. Sometimes it seemed like he was trying to pull away but then he would immediately seem to push back, almost as if he was trying to feed me more. I knew that it wouldn't be long before I would have all he could give me and was looking forward to it. I drew my head back, once again admiring him. I couldn't resist. By scooting down the bed a little I was able to take a long tongue swipe along the underside of his cock that went clear to his scrotum. His testicles were drawn up and ready for action. I decided to delay things so instead of returning my attention to his cock I started giving his scrotum a real tongue bath. That caused him to roll back onto his back and spread his legs giving me more room to continue. I debated about turning around and approaching from his feet but instead just straddled him. I was on my knees and elbows and could move up and down him more easily. One other plus, he was now trapped so that his squirming and writhing couldn't get him away from me. Some more tongue bath seemed to produce results. He was squirming around between my legs making all kinds of grunts, groans and sighs. Sounds that I liked to call Corey sounds. Depended on how loud and what frequency they were, I could tell about when I'd reached his limit of resistance. He had a little way to go yet. Not a lot, but a little. I decided to change my attack. Opening wide I sucked a testicle into my mouth. A little gentle mouthing and squeezing changed the Corey sounds. I'd better be careful. He was getting closer. I switched testicles and was just doing my best to stimulate him when the sounds changed again. He was really close. Suddenly the sounds ceased and my cock was engulfed in a hot mouth. I could feel his throat constricting as it attempted to swallow me. It was time to quit playing around and get to business. I jerked my head up and immediately went back down. I could feel my chin press his pubic bush. The precum that had collected added to my pleasure and I started sucking and tonguing for all I was worth. I didn't take long before I could feel him start to arch as his cock became hard as an iron bar. Well, the iron bar might have been a little flexible but you couldn't prove it by the way it felt in my mouth. I could feel his bush bump against my chin and raised my head just enough to savor the flavor. I'd have liked to bob up and down on him, kind of milking him but other things were going on that prevented that. I no longer had very good control of myself because he'd taken me with him. I could feel myself try to hump his mouth but the position I was in didn't allow for much movement that way. All I could do was roll my hips a little. It seemed to be enough for both of us and when it was over, he suddenly collapsed back on the bed. I gasped in a few breaths. Then I kind of rolled off of him and turned around. We shared a few kisses and he soon assumed his usual position. A few sighs and his breathing slowed and steadied. He was asleep. As I lay there my mind wandered. Thoughts of how lucky I was and how much Corey meant to me finally changed to wondering if I'd managed to prepare the team for the game and how the other two boys would work out. It was all a kind of rosy haze in which I found no answers, only questions. Only time would answer those questions. I finally joined him in sleep. When I again started to become aware of things my bladder was screaming for relief. I managed to disentangle myself and make it to the toilet. A few seconds later I was shoved aside enough to allow Corey to join me. A quick shower and Corey headed for the kitchen to start breakfast. I couldn't resist. I peeked in to see if LT was in his bed. If he was, I sure couldn't see him. There was only one place he could be. I went down the hall to JJ's door. It was about half open and when I looked in I could see them. LT was spooned against JJ, his face against JJ's neck and his arm draped across JJ's middle. The looked so cute together I just stood and admired them for a few minutes. I was about to leave when I noticed what could only be LT's briefs on the floor. I snickered as I headed for the kitchen. Corey'd plugged the perk in and was busily squeezing oranges for our breakfast juice. Looking in the fridge I pulled out some link sausages and eggs. Some buttermilk pancakes to go with them ought to fill everyone up for a while. When Corey agreed to that I sent him wake JJ and LT. I finally had the grill hot, the hotcake batter made and the links about cooked when they made it to the kitchen. JJ started it but LT joined in making some funny noises. It took a few seconds to realize what they were doing. My face felt like it was on fire when it dawned on me they were attempting to imitate Corey sounds. The smirks on their faces would have been priceless under other circumstance but right now I just wanted to find a rock to hide under or maybe bash their brains out with. Embarrassed doesn't begin to describe it. When I got myself back under control and my mind started to think again I turned to them and with a big smile told them, "Paybacks hell." That wiped the smirks off their faces. They'll soon learn I've got a long memory. Corey gave us a kind of funny look as if he thought he might have missed something when he came back from the storage room with a new jug of syrup. None of us felt like filling him in on what had happened, at least I sure didn't. After breakfast, during which the three boys made me wonder if I needed to get a stove with a bigger griddle, we headed for the sporting goods store. Some shooting glasses to protect their eyes and some hearing protectors for their ears didn't take long to find. I also picked up the new keg of powder, six bags of shot and a case of primers I'd ordered. They couldn't find the wads I'd ordered at the same time and we were about to leave when one of the clerks came running over and told us they'd found them. We loaded all the stuff up and headed home. It didn't take the boys long to pack the supplies to the reloading room. That still left us almost two hours before I'd have to leave for the game. It was time JJ and LT learned about house work. JJ was moving pretty well this morning and looked like he could do a little work so we started in. I soon learned neither of them knew much about laundry or for that matter about cleaning a house. Let me tell you, I immediately started correcting that shortfall in their education. The old saying about many hands make light the work was sure true. While there was still more laundry, due to the fact it took a certain amount of time to run both the washer and dryer through their cycles, the rest of the house was done in about an hour. I pointed out a few things they'd missed and suddenly we were caught up. A light lunch and it was time to go to the game. JJ and LT decided to go. We hunted around and found a cushion for JJ and left. I'd warned them that Corey and I had to be there early but they decided they would just have to sit around and wait. By the time the team started showing up we had the uniforms out and all the gear ready. It didn't take long until the place was a madhouse. There were parents, well fathers, wandering in and out and generally getting in the way. The kids were hyper and I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever get them calmed down and ready. Well we got them ready. The calmed down part seemed to be a lost cause. They reminded me of a chicken with its head cut off. They were bouncing around and no matter what I said it didn't seem to make any difference. If they heard me, the words didn't seem to actually get to their minds, that is if you think they had any minds. I was getting worried that the game was going to be a disaster. By the time we got to the field I wasn't sure their feet were even touching the ground they were so excited. The only thing that saved us in the first half was the other team was no better. There were eight turnovers. At least they were even, four for each team. The busted plays and missed assignments were so numerous on both teams that it would take a big computer to crunch those kinds of numbers. We led by one at half time. The score was seven to six. We made the extra point which was about all that had gone right. The third quarter started better. I think they were so glad to get away from my halftime lecture they had to play better. Maybe I bored them to calmness. Twelve minutes later, when we entered the fourth quarter, we'd upped the lead to thirteen, the score being twenty-six to thirteen. Extra points were fifty percent for both teams. The last twelve minutes showed what the team could do. We scored three more touchdowns and stopped our opponent cold. Not only that, for the first time all season we'd made most of the extra points. Five out of seven. I was thrilled. If I'd thought the locker room was a madhouse before the game, I had no concept of what a madhouse really was. Now it was a total disaster. There were parents and classmates all over and in the way. No Champaign but lots of sparkling cider got sprayed around. I have no idea of where that came from. You'd have thought we'd won the Super Bowl, not the first game of the play-offs. We still had three games to go I hoped. I finally chased enough people out so the team could shower. Then it was off to McDonalds. I tried to find out how JJ and LT had gotten along while we were driving but didn't get much of a response. Some rather unenthusiastic all rights were about the extent of their answers. I knew I'd have to go a little further into that when we got home. At least the rain had held off during the game. A storm was coming in and we'd lucked out. You couldn't drive within six blocks of McDonalds. The police finally blocked the streets off and everyone walked from any place they could find to park. I heard later that they'd served over five hundred Big Macs. Chaos fails to adequately describe how it was. It took an hour and a half to get served and we didn't get a choice. We handed over some money and got a sack with food in it. There was another person passing out drinks. You took what was handed to you and got out of the way before you got run over. Nobody could hear anybody over the noise. What a mess but it was a happy mess. The rain finally started and we were soaked by the time we got to the Gator. JJ looked about ready to drop by the time we made it home. I got him to his room and dried him off. The salve had a mild pain killer so that helped but probably the thing that helped the most was lying on the sofa afterwards. While JJ was the worst off, we were all beat. The excitement had taken its toll. We just watched some mind numbing program until a little after nine when I heated up some chili. A bowl apiece and a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches and everyone was soon in bed. There were no fun and games tonight. I think Corey was out before he was horizontal. I wasn't far behind him. Sometime during the night I felt the bed shake a couple of times. I also heard some sniffling and wanted to wake up and see what the problem was but failed. When next I became aware of things it was morning and I was snuggled up to Corey. I could smell his hair and feel his warm body against my chest. The only trouble was I had an arm draped over me and I could feel a warm breath on the back of my neck. My bladder was screaming for relief. I finally made it out of bed and to the bathroom. After the pause that refreshes I returned to the bedroom. The three boys looked peaceful sleeping there. LT was spooned against JJ. I smiled as I dressed. The storm was still raging outside. The rain was falling almost horizontally and the wind howled around the house. It had been a couple of years since one this hard had struck. I got the perk started and taking my umbrella, retrieved the paper. I was just finishing the second cup of coffee when Corey wandered out. He rummaged around in the fridge and found some chocolate milk. We shared the paper in a companionable silence. He knew I wasn't a mourning person and respected that although he didn't look that alert this mourning. We finally discussed breakfast and he wanted Eggs Benedict. We hadn't had that for a while so I acceded and started the Hollandaise sauce. If he had his way that would be the standard breakfast but I didn't think we needed that much fat in our diets. I sent him to get JJ and LT up and continued. Two English muffins covered with Canadian bacon and poached eggs topped with the Hollandaise along with a big serving of hash browns disappeared so fast I couldn't believe it. There had to be enough calories to last all day in that meal. When the dishes were in the dishwasher it was time to decided what to do today. A look outside and no one wanted to go shooting. In fact no one wanted to go outside for any reason. That didn't bother me because it would give me a chance to talk to the boys. Not only that, maybe I could give them a cooking lesson. Church would also have to wait. I hoped God would understand that I thought helping the boys was more important than attending a formal worship. There was still some laundry so we got that started. Then it was time for cooking. Since I had all day, I decided to change the menu. I'd purchased a pork roast and had planned on serving it with the usual accompaniments. Instead I decided to make it into a cassoulet. When I told the boys, I had to explain what a cassoulet was. "Beanie weenie," in a disgusted voice was LT's comment. I told them to give me a chance, it might be better than he thought. During football season I always got behind in my cooking. I'd taken a couple of classes in college because I liked good food and Mom was a good cook. At school I missed that so I learned to cook. It wasn't really hard and in a short time I learned what seasonings I liked and that cut down on those meals I threw out. As we started in the kitchen I asked about yesterday. It took a while but I finally found out what had happened. I got the chicken stock started and the beans soaking by the time that information came out. While most of the student body hadn't seemed to care, several of the boy's friends had refused to talk to them and had made some rather nasty comments. I'd have to bring that up at the morning meetings and see if we could stop it before it got worse. As I taught them about mincing and chopping we continued to talk about what to expect at school and why I didn't think they should be too concerned about how they'd be received. I also pointed out that they were the same people they'd been a few weeks ago and if some people suddenly disliked them that wasn't their problem. Bigots would always exist. All they could do was go forward with their lives and not worry about it. Most of their friends hadn't seemed to mind and the ones who did probably weren't very good friends to start with. We got the first course finished which consisted of smoked salmon sliced thin, layered with things like whipped cream cheese with chives and a few capers, red onion slices, and apple slices and would be served on seeded, diced cucumber. I started filling the little molds with a dab of the cream cheese mixture and then a couple of thin slices of the smoked salmon. Some very thinly sliced red onion and an apple slice and salt and pepper and more layers in the same order. I had to stop and explain why I dipped the apple slices in a mixture of lemon juice and water to stop them from browning. We seeded, pealed and diced the cucumber and mixed it with a little lemon juice and a dash of balsamic vinegar. When I put it together I'd put a lettuce leaf down and put the diced cucumber on it and then the molded smoked salmon and cream cheese. The beans had soaked for a while so I put them on and brought them up to a boil. A few minutes at a boil and I turned them off. I'd change the water when they cooled some and do it again. I wanted them partially cooked when I assembled the cassoulet. The chicken stock was now done so we removed the chickens and strained the vegetables out. When the chicken pieces cooled a couple of the breasts would be diced for the salad. Diced tomatoes and diced mozzarella cheese along with a dressing of lemon juice and olive oil would complete the salad. I'd serve it over a bed of zucchini strips. Of course the cassoulet would be the main course. I'd serve that with garlic bread. I wondered if there would be room for the sherbet that I planned for dessert. I planned to serve it in a European manner, one thing at a time with a pause between each. Two wines, one red for the cassoulet, and one white for the rest of the meal should complete the meal. The next thing was to partially cook the pork roast. I wanted it nicely browned before it went into the cassoulet. That would add flavor. Some chicken stock in the roast drippings would be used for liquid along with a little red wine. My mouth was watering just thinking about it. I put some pepper corns, dried basil, thyme, rosemary and cayenne pepper in a coffee grinder and patted the resulting mixture of spice on the roast. Into the oven it went. By now most of the prep work was done and it was noon. The boys made some sandwiches out of the chicken and we continued to talk about how they felt about themselves and how they should conduct themselves and answer questions at school. Corey was paying close attention to the conversation and my answers. Their heads all seemed to be standing up more as if they were beginning to believe me when I told them they were just as good as anyone else. It would take a lot of reinforcement but hopefully that message would finally take hold. The fear of being different would take a lot of work to overcome, especially when it came to sexuality. I knew there would be setbacks but hoped they wouldn't be too bad or hard to handle. There was already enough hatred in town and I hoped nothing stirred it up. Perhaps the Rev. Langston's arrest would remove its leader and things would calm down. After lunch I took some hot Italian sausages and cut them into bite sized pieces. A few strips of diced bacon went in the pan and were followed by the pieces of sausage. Several minced shallots followed and them some bock worst and several cloves of garlic. When all were browned I sloshed in a little wine and put the lid on and set it aside. The beans had now been lightly cooked the second time and were just about right for the cassoulet. They were almost done. The whole thing would cook for a couple of hours after assembly and that would finish them. Its finally touch would be a crust of bread crumbs and a little parmesan cheese. That would be put on when it was almost done and the seasoning had been adjusted. The crust only needed time to heat up and brown. You'd have thought I'd killed them when they started pealing the garlic for the garlic bread. The complaining over the little cloves and the smell just washed over and past me. Let them bitch. After all, isn't that the right of young people? I remember doing my share of it when I was young, or at least I think I did. Rolling eyeballs and sighs accompanied by glares didn't move me. They wasted so much I got another head and gave them a few more cloves. More glares. Even Corey joined in. Finally it was time to assemble the cassoulet. I started with a layer of beans. Then slices of the pork roast. Part of the sausages followed along with some diced tomatoes and carrots. I added some sautéed onions and mushrooms followed by more layers of the same things with a few spices sprinkled in. About half way through I couldn't stand it. I took the chicken drumsticks and thighs and added them. The last layer was beans. Enough chicken stock mixed with a little wine and the drippings from the roast and it was ready for the final cooking. The thing looked big enough to feed an army. As soon as it was in the oven I started the sherbet. Several packages of defrosted raspberries and some sugar went in the food processor. Some lemon and orange juice were next. After straining the seeds out it was almost ready. I'd whip the egg whites and the cream and put it all in the ice cream maker during dinner. I chased the boys off to get cleaned up. I'd done the same and was just relaxing when Bob showed up. Shortly after that the Smellings arrived. I offered them drinks and mixed some none alcoholic ones for Debbie and the boys. While they enjoyed their drinks I put the dinner together. A lettuce leaf topped with diced cucumber and the individually molded smoked salmon and cream cheese on plates and the first course was ready. I also fixed the salad by putting a bed of zucchini strips topped with a generous portion of the tomatoes, cheese, and chicken. The dressing had been on for several hours and acted like a marinade for the ingredients. It was time to eat. Thank God for dishwashers. Each course required a separate plate or in the case of the sherbet, goblet. We'd have been washing dishes all night without it. Corey said the Grace. I'd been working with him on it and he did a pretty good job of remembering to thank everyone and the Lord for our many blessings. Debbie and the boys, except for Corey, had never had a meal that was truly served in courses. Bob and I, along with Judy and Art carried on a leisurely conversation while enjoying the first course. The salmon came from Astoria Oregon and was delicious. The white wine went well with it and I noticed that the young people soon were enjoying it along with their food. That didn't stop them for looking crushed when I made no move to serve the second course but continued visiting. We talked about the school and the game and whatever came into our minds. I put the topping on the cassoulet and served the salad. More conversation and soon the salad was gone. Well, the kids practically inhaled theirs but the adults were in no hurry. At least the kids were now joining the conversation I whipped the cream and egg whites while still talking and when it was in the ice cream maker, it was time for the cassoulet. Fresh wine glasses and the red wine I'd selected and the main course was served. The first taste and LT's eyes lit up. I grinned at him and commented, "Beanie weenie?" He had the grace to blush. Of course everyone wanted to know what that was all about. Poor LT. There were lots of snickers as I explained about his earlier comment. The cassoulet took a major hit. So did the garlic bread. Sopping the juices of the cassoulet up with the garlic bread was almost heavenly. The boys made it through three helpings and the rest of us two. I wondered how the dessert would be received. The boys looked stuffed. I needn't have worried. They rose to the occasion. I would have almost been willing to bet they couldn't hold any more but I'd have lost. After a cup of coffee and a little time to let our dinners settle I sent the boys to clean up the kitchen. Debbie joined them and that left Bob and Art to talk while I got Judy into my office/computer room. A half hour later I had a pretty good idea of where I stood. Baring something unexpected JJ and LT would be with me for a while. Judy gave me a bunch of pamphlets and told me I needed to study them and pass a test so I could be fully accredited as a foster parent. When I asked how the court would react to that all I got was a grin and was told not to worry about it. She asked me to read the material as soon as possible so she could cover her ass, her words, not mine. We talked about LT's parents and I was sorry I brought the subject up. By the time she finished filling me in she looked like she was about to explode. There was still no word about the JJ's parents. The arrest warrant was still outstanding. I was about ready to leave and get Corey for her when she startled me. "After tonight I think I understand how you do it," she said. When I looked puzzled she continued. "Connect with kids. You treat them like adults and they respond. You even drew my daughter out. I've never seen her act like she did tonight. You have a gift. I wish I had it. You just act like they're adults and they try to be one. They try to please you." I was stunned. I knew I got along well with young people but had never really thought about it. It was just part of who I was. I'd always resented it when people talked down to me and I tried not to do it. After all they were individuals too. Just because they were younger than I was didn't make me better, only older. I made mistakes just like they did. Granted that I didn't make they same ones they did but that was only because I'd already made those same mistakes and learned from them. While I might tease them, I tried not to really embarrass them. It always took a little time with a new student to learn how they reacted but it was time well spent. Once you learned that, you had a better chance of helping them and understanding them. Given a chance, most of them were nice people. Yes, there were a few I didn't really care for but I hoped no one would ever figure out who they were. I made a special effort not to let any student know that I wasn't fond of him or her. In the meantime I tried to be fair and respect all of them as individuals. After that I sent the boys in to talk to her, starting with Corey. She spent about ten to fifteen minutes with each. The rest of us just relaxed and visited. When the guests left I dug out the tapes of our next opponents. Jim Maxwell had dropped them off this afternoon. He'd volunteered to go tape the game rather than watch his son play. Next week it would be another parent that did the taping. Tim was okay with that. In fact he insisted. He thought it would help the team and he was right. I needed to get busy planning for our next game. I was just watching the game when I suddenly realized I had three boys sitting next to me. Not only that, they were picking out trends and things to watch for. By now Corey was pretty good at it but Jason and LT surprised me. The only problem was that some of their solutions would be more appropriate to a professional team, not junior high. By the time I chased them off to bed I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted the team to try to do. It took another forty-five minutes to finish putting the plan together and drawing the diagrams so I could explain it. It was getting late. Corey was asleep when I got into bed with him. It didn't take long to join him. To be continued... * Meadow Industries, A pad attached to the top of a stock with Velcro. By changing the shims you can raise the height of the eye above the stock causing the gun to in effect, shoot higher. Used by a lot of competition shooters. If you'd like a more detailed explanation drop me an email requesting one. ** Meatus, The slit on the end of the penis through which urine and seamen are expelled. *** Glans, the cone shaped head or end or the penis. *** Cassoulet, A fancy French bean and meat casserole. Pronounced cass oh lay. Accent on the last syllable. Minor accent on first. You can use what ever meat and sausage you have available. Frequently contains ham or a ham hock and duck but there are no hard and fast rules. Use what you have and season accordingly. Originally it was a way to use up the leftovers like the last of the ham or roast. There are lots of recipes on the web and after the first couple of times you make it, you quit worrying and just put in what you have and use the seasonings you like. If you happen to have a duck available, it's good. Normally made with a white bean but I've had it made with a mixture of different beans. Use what you personally prefer although I would try a white bean first. You can speed the process by using canned beans such as cannellini. Cuts the cooking and prep time way down.