Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 02:24:10 -0700 From: fritz@nehalemtel.net Subject: I Love Corey, Chapter Fifty-eight Another day, some more words. Yes, it is that time again. What time is that? Why time to write the hated warning and disclaimer. I promise you that you cannot hate it as badly as I do. Okay all you youngsters, get your pointy little heads out of here. You know you're only here because you think adults don't want you here. If you were truly here for the story I would let you stay but to be here just to defy adults is not a good reason. I have no idea why homophobes would be here. We already know and understand that they find the concept of gay sex offensive so why they came here is beyond descriptions but if they leave now they will escape being offended. Alas, there are areas in the world in which the powers in control don't trust you. They forbid such things as reading this story. If you live in such an area you had better leave before they catch you and try to make an example of you. Even if they forego the example bit, you will still be entered into the criminal statistics they use to tell you how good they are at protecting you. If you believe such things as those statistics, I have a bridge I will sell you. I claim sole ownership of this story. However, it gives me pleasure to grant you the right to read and enjoy it. What, you didn't enjoy it. Sorry, I don't offer refunds. Instead I would remind you that you get what you pay for. I was going to send Ernie a couple of red ink cartridges but found I couldn't afford them. He agreed to keep working for his usual price for which I am thankful. His help improves the quality of the story and take my word for it, it needs all the help it can get. Lastly, I hereby grant you permission to write and complain. You can even ask questions, offer comments, or make suggestions. Thoughtful letters will be answered thoughtfully, stupid letters stupidly. Well, I'm not sure I can write a thoughtful letter. Be prepared for whatever you get. Send your comments to fritz@nehalemtel.net Please put I love Corey in the subject line. And now, on to the next chapter. Fritz ******************************************************************************** I Love Corey, Chapter Fifty-eight Everyone was in a good mood as we headed for bed. It had been a great weekend. Corey lost little time in letting me know how happy he was. Well, I guess you could say his actions told me that. Mainly they told me he was horny. But then so was I. Since we had both eaten garlic bread we didn't notice the garlic breath, or for that matter garlic mouth. We didn't even make it into bed before we were kissing. Instead of getting into bed we just fell on it in the middle of a kiss. Having Corey in my arms, kissing me, was the perfect way to finish the day. You can bet I answered in kind. My hands were busy, roaming across his back and down to his butt. Such a warm body to touch and feel and just enjoy gently squeezing and rubbing. His muscles would flex as he ground against me. The feel of those muscles rippling under my hands made my heart beat faster. It was like my fingers were plugged into life primordial. All the desires and wants I had were suddenly forgotten, lost in the feel of him under my hands. My mind no longer worked but my heart wanted more. It was like there was this empty place in me that only Corey could fill and touching him and feeling his body against me helped fill that place. That place was a desire born of love. Only love could fill it. Only Corey could fill it for me. For me Corey was the love my heart had been searching for. When he was in my arms, that love was fulfilled. That separation that all people feel was no longer present. We were one. I was content. My heart might have been content but my body wanted more. As we squirmed around on the bed, our hands kept searching. No matter how much contact we had it was never enough. Somehow along the way we turned and I discovered his belly button. I have no idea how that happened but my tongue immediately sought it. This was what had nourished him until birth. It was precious. Without it he would have never existed. I lovingly probed it with my tongue. It was a place of contact with his whole being. It had been three nights since we last made love and I needed to make up for it. My tongue was soon following what would someday be his treasure trail. It was only some very fine hairs, just starting to sprout, but I didn't care. To me they represented the Corey that would be. Sometimes I wasn't sure I could wait that long but as long as I could have the present Corey, well I could get by. I could see traces of the man he would become in his words and actions and I loved and wanted that man. The way he had managed to deal with the problems his mother had presented told me of the inner strength he had. The way he had never become bitter and disillusioned with life told me of his goodness. The man he would become was the one I hoped to share the rest of my life with. I could only hope when he grew into that man that he would still be willing to share his life with me. Somehow I had made it to my goal. There it was, just waiting. It had a drop of his essence on the tip and I knew how good that drop would taste. I could no longer wait. It was everything I was yearning for. It felt right, tasted right, and seemed to fit perfectly. It was time to enjoy him. His slightly musky odor filled me as I gently enjoyed him. I was lost in a warm glow that there are no words to describe. How do you describe emotion? No matter how hard you try, somewhere along the way words fall short. In the end there is only that warmth that fills you when you are with the one you love. Poets have written and scientists have studied but all have failed to capture it in words. It is a combination of warmth, yearning, happiness, sadness, and completion all rolled up into one. You are relaxed in one sense and so tight in another that there is no way to explain or even understand it unless you have been there. I was there. I would willingly give my life to stay there but it was not to be. Soon I could feel things start to happen. I no longer had any control over what was happening. Some instinct deep inside me had taken over and was rushing towards completion. I didn't want that completion but there was no way to stop it. I could taste his offering. I was suddenly content. A few minutes later we managed to get ourselves organized and under the covers. He assumed his usual position and my nose was filled with the scent of his hair and the shampoo he used. "Corey, that was awesome. Was that for me or was that for that waiter?" He giggled. "That was for you." He paused for a few seconds. "He was kinda cute." "Kinda cute," I chuckled. "He was like major cute." "You really think so?" he asked. "Yup, I think so. However he isn't nearly as good looking as you are and I'll bet he isn't nearly as good in bed." I managed to remember to use good looking instead of cute which saved me. I could call "Little Corey" cute but he hated it when I called him cute. The only problem was I really didn't like to call "Little Corey" little. It had grown to a very respectable size. If I hadn't been so comfortable and relaxed I would have probably gotten my tape measure and checked the size of "Little Corey." That was always a fun thing to do and the only problem with doing that was it took so long to finish up after such a measurement. I mean after all, you couldn't just leave it in that condition could you? You had to make sure that it was properly relaxed afterwards. We had spent quite a few enjoyable evenings doing just that. He giggled and our conversation drifted on to his hopes for his mother. As he talked I could feel the pain and worry he had held about her. Hopefully her treatment would overcome her problems and she could once again be the mother he needed. Somewhere in the middle of that conversation he fell asleep. That sounded like a good idea so I joined him. It was so easy to relax and fall asleep when he was in my arms. JJ and LT had silly grins on their faces when we were eating breakfast. I wondered what had gone on that would produce those grins but decided that it would probably embarrass them if I asked or in any way called attention to said grins. I had a sneaking hunch things might have progressed a little further in their relationship. I'd just have to wait and see. JJ was having such a hard time dealing with his folks and his religion that to see him happy with such a shit eating grin this early in the morning was great. Maybe he was slowly coming to grips with the situation and would start to move forward. After the talks with him and his listening in on some of the talks with Cody he was once again starting to act like he had at the start of the school year. Of all the boys he had been the one I most enjoyed watching interact with the waiter. It was one of the few times he seemed to let himself go and just enjoy life. The sparkle had been back in his eyes and a grin had been plastered on his face for most of the rest of the weekend. What can I say? The day was off to a great start and continued that way. At our morning meeting I brought up that we should be looking to make sure that the students were reasonably happy and that we should maybe check on how they were getting along at home a little more closely. Everyone seemed to agree and felt much like I did. We all seemed to understand that it was so easy to fall into a rut and not notice what was happening. You know how it goes, you can't see the forest for the trees. Sometimes we got so busy concentrating on what we were teaching that we forgot to pay attention to the students. Cody had been an example of that. He had almost fallen through the cracks and had only been saved by Larry Morris happening to notice him and bring him up. I had a session with Carl Wiskoff, a ninth grader, and we talked about how to gently get away from a girl who had set her sights on him. She was after him and he wasn't willing to go quite that far yet. It was just a case of a girl maturing a little sooner than a boy. Still he wanted to know how to handle it and we kicked it around a while. Mainly he wanted to hear that he wasn't strange or something, his words, to not be ready for that type of relationship yet. He seemed happier when he left and that made me feel good. This was what I had originally envisioned taking place when I had advocated the program. I still wanted to kick myself for not seeing some of the things that would come up. How could I be so blind? I, of all people, should have thought more about sexuality and been prepared. JJ had almost blindsided me. He just wasn't what I had been expecting. We stopped for groceries on the way home. Mrs. Downie cornered me and wanted the usual brief about what had been going on at school. I filled her in and thought I was about to make my escape when she commented that Mrs. Sterrett had been in over the weekend and she had talked quite a little with her. By the time Ellen was done it was quite apparent that Mrs. Sterrett had told about everything that had taken place. Ellen said that Mrs. Sterrett wanted me to have a raise and that was the reason for the talk. She knew that Mr. Downie was on the school board. We joked back and forth for a while but I didn't get any promise of a raise. In fact, Ellen told me that now that I had even more money, maybe I should start paying the school for the right to teach. I replied that judging by what the Downies had seemed to feel I was worth, when helping them, she was probably right. The whole conversation had turned into one of those lighthearted exchanges where each person knew the other was kidding. Still, the fact that she had brought the subject of the Sterretts up told me that she was happy with the way it had been handled. Sometimes I think she worries more about the school than I do. Ellen is one of those people that just seemed to want to mother everyone and everything. I ran the boys down at the ice cream section. While Ellen and I had been visiting they had kept sneaking back and putting snacks in the cart. Even with the cart half full of snacks it looked like a few ice cream bars were on the menu this afternoon. I tried to point out that they could buy their own snacks but they countered with they thought I had agreed to buy the food. Are ice cream bars food? Somewhere along the way I lost that argument and in fact the ice cream bars looked good so I got one for myself. The weather wasn't bad so the boys decided I needed to try my new bike. All I can say is I'm glad the ice cream bars didn't fill them up. They wanted to go home and have dinner after an hour or so of riding and I was more than ready to do the same. However, the bike worked just like it was supposed to and rode a lot better than the one I had owned as a kid. The week just kept going well. The weather stayed nice and I decided to ride my bike to school. It was only a mile or so and really didn't take long. In fact it seemed to get my blood moving and I enjoyed it. Everything was going fine until Thursday evening. I had gotten home and was rummaging through the fridge, trying to figure out what to cook for dinner when Judy showed up. The boys were playing basketball and escorted her in. They also brought in a young man of about sixteen years of age. Judy led me off to the computer room to talk. She talked and I listened. The young man was from Eureka, on the coast, and the black eye and bruises were the result of his father's learning that he was gay. Judy's counterpart didn't have anywhere to place him and had called her, hoping she did. Naturally Judy thought of me and so here he was. I didn't seem to have any say in the matter. When I appeared a little less than enthusiastic, she subtly reminded me that there were all kinds of legal problems I could get into if certain facts came out. While she didn't threaten me, the message was clear. If I wanted her help in keeping my secret, I needed to help her. I was just about to tell her that no one pushed me around when she continued. "Look Sam, I know this isn't nice but someone needs to help him. He's been in and out of his home several times. Before it was over little things but this time, if his brother hadn't called the police, he might have been killed. He needs a place to stay for a while. He also needs someone who can understand him. You're the only person I know of that can accept him and help him. I feel shitty doing this to you but there aren't any other good choices. Please give him a chance and I'll keep looking. Maybe we can find somebody that will accept him but for now it's you or a group home. The last gay boy that we put in a group home got the shit beat out of him. A lot of the kids in group homes have some real behavior problems and I just can't put him in one." "What do you mean behavior problems?" I asked. Judy sighed before answering. "Look Sam, were short of foster parents. That means that most young people with problems can't be placed. Instead they end up in group homes. They don't get the attention they need. Most are from abusive backgrounds and think it's normal to act that way. In you I see a chance to save a few of them. I wish I had more options but I don't. With you I know he'll be safe. We checked his family and the first one we checked is a registered sex offender. His grandmother is in prison. I've been on this all day and I've talked with him. He understands the situation here and is willing to try to fit in. His case worker has been trying to come up with a solution for the last three days while he was in the hospital. Sometimes there just aren't any good answers." Her face hardened and she finished. "I know that is isn't what you signed up for but by God he needs help and I'll do whatever I can to get him that help. If it means using you, then consider yourself used." As Judy continued to stare at me I understood where she was coming from. She just wanted to help the children that passed through her care. It wasn't just a job with her but rather a need, much like my need to teach, that drove her. Once I figured that out, the answer could only be one thing. "Well, I guess you better introduce him to me." A smile lit up her face and we went into the kitchen to get acquainted with my new boy. I had no idea of how this was going to turn out. Kyle Masters fit right in. At least on first glance he did. He had a sandwich in one hand and a Coke in the other. He wasn't doing too well with the sandwich because he seemed to me having trouble opening his mouth to eat it. Also chewing seemed to be a problem. When Judy introduced us and he tried to reach out to shake hands, he winced. My guess was that his ribs were sore. On closer inspection the whole left side of his face was bruised. The blackened eye was just barely open. He had a bunch of stitches in his eyebrow and his nose looked swollen. He was about five foot ten and probably weighed around a hundred and forty pounds. I could see some places where his hair had been shaved for more stitches but what was left was a dark brown. Basically he looked like hell. His eyes had a tired, almost defeated look. Something about him made him look like he had reached the end of his endurance. After Judy introduced us she said she had to get home and fix dinner. With that she handed me a handful of papers and left. So there I was with a young man I knew next to nothing about and he needed help. I didn't have any idea of how to begin. "Maybe we ought to go to the family room and get acquainted." That sounded a little lame but I wasn't sure just how to get this started. Corey, JJ, and LT headed for the family room, closely followed by Dog. Kyle limped along behind. I could see that he was moving like he really hurt. I offered Kyle my recliner because it had the biggest arms on it and I thought it might be a little easier for him to get in and out of it. Watching him slowly lower himself into it made me hurt for him. Once everyone was seated but before I could say anything Dog backed in between my legs. I knew what he wanted. That was his signal that he wanted to be picked up and have his belly scratched. Without thinking I leaned over and put my hands under his chest and rolled him up onto his back on my lap. I started scratching and of course his leg started twitching and then scratching at the same place my fingers were scratching his chest. He also started making his usual groans and moans. Kyle was watching and he started to snicker. A pained look appeared on his face and he quit. "Sorry Kyle but he won't leave me alone until he has his belly scratched. You'll just have to wait a minute." Kyle was trying to grin but it didn't look like his face was willing to let him. Dog continued with his weird sounds as I scratched his chest and then his belly. By now his rear leg was really in gear and he was scratching the hell out of the air. I scratched Dog for another minute or so and then leaned forward causing Dog to roll onto my hands. I put him on the floor and sat back up in the chair. Dog went over and lay down and put his head on LT's foot. "Sorry Kyle but Dog's the boss around here. We have to do what he wants us to." "Dog?" "Yeah, the boys couldn't agree on a name. By the time they did he answered so well to Dog that we just gave up and continued calling him that. Of course he answers to Dumb Dog, Stupid Dog, and a bunch of other Dogs as long as you include Dog in it somewhere." As if to agree with me Dog wagged his tail making a thumping sound on the floor. "I guess we better get a few things settled. The rules are pretty simple..." Before I could continue JJ interrupted. "Yeah, we got to do what he says. If we don't, he beats us." "Jason, I don't beat you." I was so surprised that that was the first thing I could think of to say. "Yes you do." He turned to Kyle and continued, "You want to see my scars?" With that he jerked his shirt off so Kyle could see his back. Of course the scars were still there from when his father had beaten him. Kyle's eyes about bugged out. I was stunned. About that time Corey started to giggle. LT joined him and suddenly those two were in hysterics. By this time JJ had a smirk on his face and he looked at me and said, "Gotcha." He sure did. My mouth was hanging so far open I could have stepped on my jaw. I wouldn't have even had to lift my foot much. My open mouth really set the boys off. Soon all three of them were roaring with laughter and LT even slid off of the couch and onto the floor. That disturbed Dog and he stood up and woofed. Lots of thoughts went through my mind as I sat there trying to get my jaw off the floor. First I couldn't believe that JJ would jerk his shirt off in front of what was almost a total stranger. Then I thought a little more about it. At first he had been so ashamed of his scars that he was never without a shirt or something to cover his back. LT and even I finally got to kidding him about it and after a while he slowly started accepting that no one really cared about them, at least around the house. We all wandered around in various stages of dress and undress and he finally joined us in that practice. It was rare that anyone was totally naked but briefs were not uncommon. Then there was the fact that during the last few weeks he was really starting to open up again. All the conversations about how he shouldn't be ashamed about the treatment his parents had given him because it wasn't his fault were finally taking root. He was starting to think that it was not his fault that they had acted like they had. In fact, since the long talks with Cody, in which the boys listened in, he was almost back to the same way he was at the start of the year. He was somewhat shy but you had to really watch out because just when you forgot about him he would pull something so outrageous that it actually shocked you. He had just pulled one of those gags. And yes, I was shocked. I glanced over at Kyle and he had a somewhat stunned look, like he didn't have any idea of what to make of what had been said or for that matter, us. "Okay you escapees from an asylum, don't you think it's time to take pity on poor Kyle and fill him in on all the rules around here?" By the time I said that the boys had calmed down somewhat and were merely giggling. Dog had decided that he needed a more sedate place to rest his head and had moved over and now had his head on my foot. "But there aren't any rules," LT said. "Oh I think there are. You just need to think about them. Don't you have to do your homework?" When I said that, you could see them all start to think. The boys actually did a pretty good job of explaining what was expected of them. They told him about having to help with the housework and keeping their rooms picked and cleaned up. They even explained about being able to request certain foods to eat although they did tell him of my insistence that they each eat some of every different food on the table, even the hated broccoli. You could see Kyle relax when he learned that punishments normally meant being restricted from some of their favorite games or music and that more severe punishments might consist of being sent to their rooms to think and maybe write a couple of pages on why their behavior had been unacceptable. I'd only had to use the last one a couple of times and had spent some time talking with the offender, explaining some of the reasons why his behavior was a problem. Both times it had been a matter of the offender failing to realize that he was not the only person in the house and that we all had to try to get along and not impose on the other members of the household. I guess basically it was one of those things in which I tried to make him treat the other members of the household like he wanted to be treated. In fact I had more problems with some of my students than I did with the boys. When something came up, we talked about it. I had always tried to make them understand why we needed to do things certain ways. Most of the time, with a little explanation, they seemed to accept why they needed to behave in specific ways. That whole discussion started sort of slowly as the boys tried to think of what to tell Kyle but as it progressed they seemed to come up with more ideas on what they wanted to tell him. It wasn't long before the household rules were not the only thing they were talking about. They told him about the school and some of the other students and even how they had ended up living with me. When JJ told Kyle about being beaten by his father, Kyle told his story. He wasn't sixteen like I had guessed. He was just barely fifteen and a ninth grader. His father had caught him and his friend in fellatio. Apparently his father hadn't been happy about it and the next thing Kyle remembered was waking up in the hospital. We also learned about some of his injuries. The reason he was having trouble eating the sandwich was that several of his teeth had been knocked loose and his jaw hurt. What had to have been kicks had produce a bunch of cracked ribs and of course there were the obvious bruises and cuts. Kyle's friend had fared slightly better but only because the police got there before Mr. Masters had had sufficient time to do as thorough a job on him. As they talked I finally told them I was going to start dinner. When JJ asked what we were having I told him I thought I'd make a broccoli and spinach casserole and maybe have some liver pate with it. JJ's mouth snapped shut and he looked like he was about to get sick "Gotcha," I told him and headed for the kitchen. I knew I hadn't managed to do as good a job in the gotcha game as JJ had but at least I had managed to get back at him a little. I seemed to be coming out behind in that game but then there was three of them and only one of me. Maybe I really ought to fix some kind of a broccoli and spinach casserole. Nah, I can't stand cooked spinach. I decided on fixing some spaghetti. I figured Kyle could chew it. A grated carrot and apple salad and some green beans would round out the menu, along with some garlic bread. I had just gotten started fixing the sauce when the boys all came back into the kitchen where they continued talking. I even got some help from them. They sliced the mushrooms, diced the onions and celery, and grated the carrots and apples. While all the cooking was going on they continued to fill Kyle in on many of the students and teachers. I was a little surprised to hear some of their comments on some of the teachers. The boys just seemed to forget I was there and told him what they thought. It was like they didn't think of me as a teacher. Some of their assessments of my colleagues were about on from my viewpoint. Others surprised me. When Kyle finally asked about me, Corey started off by saying he was lucky enough not to have me. Of course that led to JJ and LT telling him what a horrible teacher I was. I was an even worse slave driver than Simon Legree. I gave out tons and tons of homework and in the words of LT, "Couldn't teach a fish to swim." Poor Kyle, by the time dinner was ready he must have been convinced we all needed straight jackets. However, that didn't stop him from eating dinner. He was a little reticent on the first serving but once he got into it, he was more than willing to refill his plate. He was a little slow because of his sore teeth but by the time he was done he had certainly managed to eat his share. I got the impression he liked my cooking better than he liked what he'd been served in the hospital. Judy showed back up just as we finished cleaning up the kitchen and I told the boys to help Kyle put his things away in the guest room. I had thought about the sex room for him but decided that, because of the stairs, he probably would be better off in the guest room. My reasons for thinking of the sex room were to allow him to get used to us and to also give him a little privacy. I suppose in the back of my mind was also that would make it a little easier to cover up my and Corey's relationship but when I thought about it, there was no way we could do that. I wasn't sure how we were going to handle that problem. Judy had a bunch more papers concerning Kyle. She also filled me in on a lot more information about him. I'd get another five hundred and some dollars a month and since he didn't have much in the line of clothes, I was to buy him some and save the receipts. That part of it was just her usual speech and I'd heard it before. However, she did shock me when she casually mentioned that she had told Kyle about my relationship with Corey. When my mouth fell open, for the second time that day, she told me she had to sound him out about it or else the placement would never have worked. When my heart slowed down a little I could see she was right but still it was a shock to learn there was now one more person who knew about us. At the rate it was going it wouldn't be long before the whole damn world would know. Somehow my fancy plan for keeping things secret was rapidly falling apart. We were in the computer room because that was a place we could talk in private and it was also where my office was and I could file the papers. I was just getting myself back together when Corey knocked on the door. He came in and told me we simply had to go shopping for Kyle. To hear Corey tell it, Kyle was in danger of having his bare ass stick out because he didn't have anything to cover it with. When Judy said it wasn't that bad and that he had several outfits, Corey told her that no self-respecting young person would be caught dead in what Kyle had for clothes. He phrased it a little differently and used words like sucks but left no doubt about what he meant. Kyle didn't even have a decent set of Nikes. I told him we would do something about the situation over the weekend and he left happy. Judy finished telling me what she thought I needed to know and again left. We were once again on our own. We had the rest of the evening to continue getting acquainted. A quick check of Kyle's wardrobe told me Corey was right. What clothes he had were threadbare and he had grown to where they didn't look like they would fit properly, at least judging by the ones he was wearing. I suggested that he might like to stay home tomorrow and heal up some more and that we could go shopping during the weekend. At this point Kyle just seemed overwhelmed with what was happening to him. I suggested that maybe he would like to spend a little time in the hot-tub. We had all gotten in the habit of spending a little time in it several times a week. It was a nice place to just relax and catch up on what was happening. We could talk about things and decide what we ought to do about them. Kyle thought that sounded nice so off we went. I never even gave it a thought. We all just normally stripped and jumped in. There was plenty of room in it for six people and you could crowd in eight if you really wanted to so room wasn't a problem. However, after we got him down there, Kyle was acting nervous. I misunderstood and told him not to worry about his bruises, which we understood that he wasn't responsible for them and besides, they would soon heal. The boys had stripped by now and jumped in. It was then that I finally understood that he was worried about being naked in front of us. I was so used to being around the boys and the football team that I had never even given it a thought. It took a few minutes to explain that no one would think anything about it if he got an erection, we all understood that he had no control over it and besides, there was a pretty good chance at least one or more of us would have the same thing happen. This was considered a safe place and no one was to make any comments about such happenings. I had that speech pretty well down because it was about the same as the ones I always gave the teams. About the only thing I added to the team one was that due to the fact that people matured at different rates, some would have that problem at a little earlier age than others and it really didn't make any difference. All males ended up with the problem sooner or later. Kyle was clearly old enough to have it happen to him. I even offered to find him a bathing suit if he was too embarrassed but he finally decided to go au natural like the rest of us. As I helped him undress I was filled with anger over his bruises. His whole ribcage was a mass of them and even his buttocks were badly discolored. A large part of his body ranged from red to a blackish green. I was surprised he could even move. One whole thigh looked like it had been used for field goal kicking practice. Kyle, with my help, finally managed to get into the tub and seated on the bench across from LT. I hopped in and joined them. We started talking about where we would go shopping for clothes and things like that. Kyle just kept looking around like he couldn't believe this was happening to him. As the hot water relaxed him he slowly sagged back against the side of the tub. Soon his face even relaxed and you could just tell he was enjoying the experience. After about forty-five minutes I suggested it was about time to get out and head for bed. That produced some sloshing around and we had to help Kyle up and out but soon we were all donning one of those terry cloth robes I had bought to keep next to the tub. It was easier to just keep a supply of them in the room with the tub than it was to remember to bring our own bathrobes with us. It also allowed other people to use the tub when visiting. We got Kyle in his room and I think he was asleep before I had him tucked in. He was going to put on some briefs but I suggested that he might be more comfortable without them until his bruises healed and he agreed. He had several bruises that seemed to be centered where the waist band would ride. When I checked on JJ and LT, Dog was giving LT a tongue bath. I wasn't sure I wanted a garlic flavored dog tongue licking my face but LT didn't seem to mind. Dog had eaten his share of garlic bread and I was sure his breath would really stink. At least he hadn't wanted in the hot tub with us. Corey was worried about having another person in the house with us. Mainly he was worried about how we could keep our secret from Kyle. I got a startled gasp when I told him Judy had already explained us to Kyle. I understood that gasp completely because I still felt about the same way. I wondered how she explained it. Did she just tell him she wanted to place him in a home in which the adult is having an affair with one of the children? I shuddered to even think about it. I think we were both still worrying about that when we fell asleep. When I woke Kyle up I suggested that he might be more comfortable in the bathrobe I brought with me rather than in his regular clothes. Boy he was moving poorly. He finally hobbled out and joined the rest of us for breakfast. He even saved a bite or two for Dog. That seemed to cement his relationship with Dog. Kyle was now accepted and expected to supply his share of the food and belly scratching. I pointed out where most of the things were before I left for work. While I told him I would check at lunch time, he needed to know where the snacks and drinks were. I told him he could use the computer or watch television or even just lie around and sleep. From the way he was moving I suspected the sleep option might be his choice. Of course I had to fill everyone in on my new boy at the morning meeting. I ended up being forced to tell a little more about Kyle than I really wanted to because he was from out of the area. I finally just told them he was gay and that was why he'd been kicked out of his house. Somehow they just wouldn't leave the subject of why he ended up in our district alone until I did that. With that piece of information they understood. On the plus side, when Mrs. Webb said I seemed to be gaining quite a flock of boys I told her if she could hear them charge through the house,a thundering herd was more like it. That got some laughs. After that we talked about how to make sure the word didn't get out about Kyle's sexuality. I was sure it would someday but it would be a big help to him if it wasn't the first thing people learned about him. The rest of the faculty agreed with that and said they would try to deflect any such speculation. Hopefully he would have enough time to get acquainted and make some friendships before that became an issue. So far the majority of the students were accepting JJ and LT. There were only a few that seemed to take issue with it and present any problems. Still, I figured Kyle needed every break he could get. From what Judy had said his life hadn't been exactly full of such breaks. Of course word about Kyle got around faster than a speeding bullet. I got questions about him from the students but answered that he came from an abusive home and I still hadn't had time to really get acquainted with him. I promised that he would be in school next week and they could all meet him then. When I got home for lunch, Kyle was asleep on the couch. Dog was at his feet with his head on one of them. When Dog woofed, Kyle woke up. He ate his tomato soup and shared his grilled cheese sandwiches with Dog. That made Dog happy. Tonight was one of those nights. Bob would be over for Corey's art lesson and Mr. Besslor would also be here for LT's organ lesson. I was beginning to think that LT would probably drop the organ because he no longer did more than his required practice. At first he had spent a lot of time practicing and just fiddling around but now he seemed to find lots of other things to do. One of these times I needed to bring the subject up and see if he wanted to continue. I started dinner and the boys were out playing basketball. I'd decided to have some Salisbury type steaks in mushroom gravy. I figured that Kyle could probably chew them. I was busy chopping the onion when a gang of boys invaded, looking for some snacks. By now Kyle was dressed and he was introduced to everyone. I was glad the kitchen was big because with eleven boys getting snacks, I barely had room to continue my cooking. I finally got all the patties browned and in the Dutch oven. Boy that big skillet I had found back in Kentucky worked well. I enjoyed it every time I used it. It was a little heavy but you could put a large number of hamburger patties in it. Then I put in a gob of sliced mushrooms and let them cook. When they were about done I added an onion that I had run through the food processor and some stock. When that started to boil, a little flour and water to thicken and some evaporated milk went in along with some salt and pepper and a few other odds and ends like some Kitchen Bouquet and some thyme and whatever sounded good. When it thickened some I checked the seasoning and added a little more pepper and then poured it over the patties and put the whole thing in the oven. The potatoes were now cooking and it looked like dinner was coming along nicely. Bob showed up and wanted to meet Kyle. He'd heard about him through the student grapevine and Bob and I had a beer while he got acquainted with Kyle. I grabbed some things and started a salad. A few spears of pickled asparagus diced, some radicchio, romaine, diced green onions, and squares of salami and cheese all went into a bowl. I dumped in the last of the grape tomatoes and made a mental note to buy more of them. I sliced a few more mushrooms and tossed them in. Then I tossed the whole thing with some Italian dressing. The boys cleaned up while I mashed the potatoes and put the corn in a serving bowl. Corey poured one of the bottles of the cabernet sauvignon I had picked up on our trip. He also poured the milk for the boys. It was time to eat. Kyle didn't seem to have any troubles with anything except the salami in the salad. I hadn't thought and the salami was pretty hard to chew but that didn't seem to slow him down a great deal. He seemed to almost inhale a couple of servings of the mashed potatoes with some of the mushroom gravy on them and several of the patties also met with a similar fate. It looked like he could hold his own in the eating department. We all got into a discussion about the wine. Kyle didn't add much to that discussion but he seemed to listen as the rest of us offered our opinion on its good and bad points. For a modestly priced wine it was pretty good. It was from the William Hill winery and they normally produced a quite decent wine at a modest price. This one was no exception. After dinner Bob and Corey headed off for the art lesson and JJ and LT helped clean up the kitchen. Kyle still wasn't moving well enough to be much help. We were just finishing that chore up when Mr. Besslor arrived. Mr. Besslor and LT headed for the family room and JJ and I completed cleaning up. On the way home I'd asked the boys to try to make Kyle feel at home. I'd explained that he probably needed someone to spend a little time with him and get him kind of used to us. They'd all agreed to try and so JJ grabbed him and led him off to his room. I didn't know what they would talk about but I figured it would give Kyle a chance to get a little better acquainted with JJ and hopefully we could all spend some time welcoming him and making him feel like he belonged. This was the first total stranger I'd had in my home and I wasn't really sure how to handle it but figured it would probably work itself out. Mr. Besslor finished with LT first. When he left for home, LT went down and joined JJ in getting acquainted with Kyle. Bob joined me in the kitchen for coffee when he finished with Corey and the boys all disappeared into the computer room. I could hear an occasional giggle coming from there so figured things were going well so far. Bob and I had a good visit. We'd both been so busy that we really hadn't had time to visit much lately. He was involved with the high school drama club and I had been busy with the boys. We filled each other in on our respective families. He had met most of mine during the Christmas holidays. I learned how his grandkids were doing. All in all we really enjoyed just batting the breeze and relaxing. The conversation finally worked its way around to Kyle again. He was clearly searching for a way to find out how I was going to handle the situation with regards to Corey and me. I swear his mouth fell as far open as mine had when I told him Judy had already told Kyle about us. We kicked that around for a while and finally curiosity got the better of me. "Bob, tell me something. You've never seemed upset about Corey and me. Both you and I know that it's clearly against the law. Why are you so accepting of it?" Bob started chuckling. "When Carl and I first met you two, it was apparent that you were both madly in love with each other. I'll admit that made me stop and think. When I learned a little of Corey's background it made me wonder if he would have survived without you. Watching you two interact made me aware that you weren't forcing anything on him so I just watched for a while. In fact, the first few times I was around him I tried to see if there was any reason to turn you in. I'd just gotten comfortable with you and Corey when the other boys showed up. Then I was really worried, wondering if I had made a mistake in not saying anything. I wondered if you were starting a harem. It didn't take long to see that while you liked them, you didn't have any designs on them. I'd seen you around your team and then Christmas rolled around and I saw you with a bunch of other kids. After that I decided that I'd trust my grandkids around you. I don't know why you fell for Corey but I'm positive that you aren't what would be called a child molester. You don't look at kids that way. When one of the kids does something good you look more like a proud father. I've been around a few molesters and you just don't act like them. Yes, you seem to love kids but not in that way. One of the reasons I agreed to teach Corey was so that I could watch you. I got to know the two of you and now I just hope nothing happens. You are what he wants and seems to need. You ought to ask to look at his sketch book sometime. I can see love in the sketches. I think anyone could. He's a very talented young man." Bob paused while he drank another swallow of coffee. "I guess part of it is being around the gay community. A lot of young people, when they discover they're gay, have real problems. They feel rejected and left out. They think no one loves them. I sense that in Corey but you seem to take away his fears. To a lesser extent the same is true of Jason and Laurence. You seem to help them understand that their world hasn't ended because they are gay. Do I approve of you and Corey? I can't say that I do but the results seem to belie that. I don't think you see the changes in him but I do. I would never have believed that he could come so far so fast. He's gone from afraid of the world to where he is ready to take it on. In other words he is starting to be like a lot of other young people. He thinks he can do anything he wants to and be successful at it. Frankly I would have never believed that when I first met him. There might be some drawbacks to your relationship but I haven't seen them in the results." His answer wasn't what I had expected. Well actually I hadn't known what to expect when I asked but his answer certainly wasn't anything I had envisioned. Apparently we had not been nearly as discrete as I had thought. Suddenly I wondered how many other people had figured it out but knew I could never just ask them. Something that isn't mentioned or acknowledged doesn't have to be acted upon. As long as no one forced the issue, everyone could say they didn't know about it. They could hide behind deniability. All of us do that a lot. If we didn't want to confront an issue, we pretended it didn't exist. I don't know if that's a good thing but it sure is human nature. We chatted a little longer and Bob finally left for his home. When I stuck my head into the computer room I could see Kyle sitting at the computer with the other boys hovering around him. They had an adult site pulled up and were busy giggling over it. I cleared my throat and Kyle froze but Corey just flipped me the bird. Poor Kyle clearly had no idea of how he should react. He was so tongue tied he couldn't answer when I asked him if he'd learned anything or seen anything he liked. We made another trip to the hot-tub. Kyle didn't need any help getting in but it was still clearly difficult for him. When we were all in the tub, the conversation turned to shopping for Kyle's clothes. The rest of the boys were chattering away, telling Kyle what he needed and where we could buy it. Kyle was clearly not ready to assert himself and just sat there, not saying anything. I pointed out that maybe Kyle would like to pick out his own clothes and the boys agreed but never seemed to miss a beat in telling him what he needed. When we finished with the hot-tub it was time for bed. I asked Kyle if he would like me to rub some of a sports cream on him. It normally worked pretty well for bruises on the team and I was sorry I hadn't remembered it last night. Kyle was on his stomach and I rubbed a bunch of the cream onto the various bruises I could get at. I asked him to roll over but he was asleep. I just covered him up and joined Corey in bed. To be continued... Postscript In most areas of the country there is a big shortage of foster homes. That leads to group homes which are pretty much a polite word for orphanages. While many of the social workers do their best, there just isn't sufficient time or resources to meet all of the needs of some of the young people placed there. I encourage anyone, who possibly can, to get involved and help. You may not be able to take in a foster child but in many cases you can join programs similar to Big Brothers and Big Sisters and work with them. Of course Big Brothers and Big Sisters are both great programs and deserve your support. Any program that helps young people helps all of us. Don't they deserve our support and help? I urge you to get active and help make the world a better place. In some cases that might be making sure that the schools, which your own or your friend's children attend, are monitored and held to high standards. Every child deserves a decent education. In others you might have a little time you can devote and help some child. Remember, most teenagers are still children and need help. Also remember that future generations will help control your retirement. While money may help some of the time, working with them probably has a more positive impact. The old saying that as we sow, so shall we reap is about right. If we fail our children, we probably deserve how we will be treated in the future.