Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 02:13:07 -0700
From: fritz@nehalemtel.net
Subject: I Love Corey, Chapter Fifty-nine

	Once again I'm ready to start another chapter.  That means another
warning.  Sorry about that but you know how it goes.  You just have to put
up with those things you can't change.
	Those of you, who have not yet attained your majority, please leave
before you get me in trouble.  After all, it wouldn't be easy to write this
story from jail.  I'd be too busy watching out for Bubba.  Of course it
depends on Bubba which way I keep watching out for him.
	Then there are those who get all uptight about descriptions of gay
sex.  It's kind of like getting your tit caught in the wringer.  If you
don't hang around a wringer, it's hard to get caught.  If you don't read
this story, you won't be offended.
	Of course there is still the problem of the law.  Sadly there are
always a bunch of people who think they can solve problems with stupid
laws.  Even more sadly, they get elected.  That leaves me with only one
option and that is to tell you, if you live in an area in which the reading
of this story is against the law, leave.  Any other solutions you have to
come up with by yourself..
	The story is mine.  What that means is please don't post it without
my permission.  Credit me for any quotes from it and be sure to share the
wealth you acquire from the use of the story with me.  The sharing part
will really make me happy.  About anything else you are free to do.  That
would include downloading and reading of it.  You could even show it to
your friends although I'm not sure how much longer they would remain your
friends.  Printing it out is even an option although that seems like a
waste of ink and paper but it may be more convenient for you so go ahead.
	I have no idea what I would do without Ernie.  His help has been
invaluable.  He deserves thanks for his editing.
	As usual feel free to write.  I normally answer.  By writing you
can complain about the story, offer suggestions, ask questions, or even
just comment on something in it.  Just send them to fritz@nehalemtel.net Be
sure to put I Love Corey in the subject line or I will delete you.  With
all that said, I hope you enjoy the following chapter.  Fritz
************************************************************************

		I Love Corey, Chapter Fifty-Nine

	I was going to talk with Corey when I got in bed but somehow things
didn't work out that way.  My whole train of thought got away from me once
he started kissing me.  A bunch of kisses later and I had no idea what I
had been going to talk about.  I had much more important things on my mind.
Well actually there was only one thing on my mind and that was Corey.
	JJ had suggested a different brand of toothpaste and this was the
first time we had used it.  It tasted a little different and I was left
wondering if I liked the taste of Corey better with the old toothpaste or
better with the new one.  Since my mind was no longer working at peak
efficiency, I couldn't decide.  In the end I decided that as long as I
could still taste Corey it wouldn't make any difference what brand of
toothpaste we used.
	We went through the usual nibbling and licking.  By now we pretty
much took turns and it didn't seem necessary to talk in any way about how
we did things.  We both seemed to know when it was time to let the other
take over for a while.  Our biggest problem at this stage was how to
position ourselves so each of us could enjoy ourselves.  I mean if Corey
was on top I could run my hands all over his backside.  I really liked
doing that.  The feel of his muscles flexing just really turned me on.
However, Corey liked to do the same thing with me and when he was on top
that was difficult for him.  After all he couldn't get his hands on my
backside because it was on the bed.  So, at this stage of our lovemaking we
thrashed around a lot, rolling over and exchanging positions.  No wonder
the bed was frequently such a mess.  There were times the thought of simply
getting a wrestling mat had gone through my mind.  Still the feel of the
percale sheets was definitely superior to the feel of a mat.  We'd just
have to put up with the mess.
	Somehow I was on top again and I just reached out with my tongue
and licked the tip of his nose.  I got a little giggle in return.  That
giggle was good for another few licks.  I could feel his hands roaming all
over me while I was licking.  I liked it.
	I suppose the surprising thing was that we had never rolled off the
bed.  We just seemed to know where the edge was and would roll the other
way.  I don't ever remember thinking of it but it just seemed to work out
that way.  Tonight was no exception as we slowly did our act back and forth
across the bed.  By the time we had managed to trash the bed we were
approaching the point where things would get serious.  That would be where
the world would have to end before we could be disturbed.
	It didn't seem to take any words but suddenly Corey started
turning.  We both wanted this and I moved to meet him halfway.  Almost as
though choreographed, my goal was soon in sight.  We hadn't said much
except for a bunch of murmured I love yous but we both seemed to know just
what we wanted and when we wanted it.  We now wanted the next step.
	He tasted as good as ever, maybe better.  As I explored his penis
with my tongue, I couldn't believe how good he tasted.  A person can get
hungry for something but normally after a few meals of it you no longer
crave it.  With Corey, the craving never seemed to leave.  If anything it
became more intense.  Sometimes during the school day I just wanted to find
him and touch him to make sure he was real.  Tonight I was touching him in
the way I most wanted and that was with my mouth.  A person's fingers might
be the most sensitive part of his body but you can't taste with your
fingers.  I was willing to forego that extra bit of tactile sensation in my
fingertips for the addition of taste.  It was worth it.
	It was getting away from me and I felt bad.  I could feel myself
starting to tense and knew no matter what I wanted, it would soon be over.
Then Corey lost control and my body rushed to catch up.  While it was
exhilarating, there was still a sadness.  I really had wanted it to last
forever.  There was nothing left to do buy enjoy his offering.
	Corey arranged himself alongside me.  We shared a few kisses and
that seemed to satisfy him and he curled into his usual position.  There
was a feeling of fulfillment in me and I was relaxed and happy.  A kiss or
two to the back of his head is the last thing I remember.
	The morning got off to a great start.  I woke up to the feel of
Corey kissing me and when I got my eyes open, he was grinning down at me.
We spent some time kissing and talking.  We covered subjects like where to
take Kyle shopping and what to cook for breakfast.  The breakfast talk got
a lot more serious when the tiger in Corey's middle growled for the second
time.  It was starting to sound vicious.  Some time and quite a few kisses
later it growled a third time and we got out of bed.
	Dog came bounding out of JJ's room to greet us.  A couple of pats
on his head and he hurried for his door.  He must have really had some
duties to do because he never left the head petting and scratching without
a reason.
	Corey wanted hot cakes so I turned on the grill to let it heat.  I
was out of buttermilk but could substitute fresh milk and a little vinegar.
Corey started squeezing oranges and I found some Canadian bacon and got out
the eggs.  A little more checking and I found the maple syrup in the back
of the fridge and put it in the microwave.  I liked my syrup hot.  Dog was
sent to wake up JJ and LT.  He looked really happy with his task as he
pranced down the hall.  Then I happened to remember Kyle and followed Dog
down the hall to Kyle's room.
	The rest of the boys started straggling in about the time Corey
finished preparing the orange juice.  We separated the eggs and started
mixing the batter.  Corey whipped the egg whites while I measured out the
ingredients.  It was time to cook.  I folded the egg whites into the hot
cake batter while the first batch of Canadian bacon was cooking and then
started on the rest of the breakfast.
	I finally filled the boys up.  It would have gone a little faster
but Dog had to have a few hot cakes.  He was pretty insistent on that.  He
nosed his dish against my foot every time I sat down for another bite.
Besides, how could I turn down those big brown eyes?  I finally buttered
some hot cakes and poured a little syrup on them.  It didn't take long to
hack them up into bite sized pieces and it took even less time for Dog to
dispose of them.  He licked his chops and looked about like the cat that
ate the canary.
	We did manage to get some laundry done before it was time to take
Kyle shopping.  He was moving a little better this morning however he still
seemed very subdued.  We all piled in the Gator and headed for town.
	I started to feel a little better about Kyle while we were at the
shoe store.  JJ and LT picked out a pair of shoes they thought Kyle had to
have and he politely informed them he didn't like those shoes.  However, I
had a few problems with him.  It took a while to convince him that he
didn't have to buy the cheapest ones in the store.  I finally made him
close his eyes and put a bunch of shoes in front of him so he couldn't see
the price tags.  Then I told him to pick the ones he liked.  He ended up
with a pair of Nikes and another of Reeboks.  The leather loafers I
suggested met with no more approval than the ones JJ and LT had picked out.
Oh well, at least he was willing to stand up for himself.  We'd just have
to visit the shoe store again after he had picked out a sport coat and
slacks.
	It didn't take long before we headed for Redding.  There was simply
a better selection of clothing there and the boys hadn't seen anything they
would let Kyle buy.  In Redding that was no longer a problem.  The
Mt. Shasta Mall had lots of different shops and the problem became picking
out what he liked that the boys would accept.  A trip to Old Navy and
Macy's took the rest of the morning but we made some progress.  Lunch was
at Round Table Pizza where the boys complained that Italian Surprise was
better.  I pointed out that Round Table was just different than Italian
Surprise and they couldn't really compare the two.  It didn't seem to make
much difference because they managed to eat everything anyway.  I had to
agree with the boys in that I liked Italian Surprise better but still
thought Round Table was pretty good.  Then it was back to shopping.
	Kyle looked beat by the time we found enough clothes to get him by.
We did find a sport coat and some slacks that would be acceptable for
church and then had to find another shoe store.  Kyle complained about
wearing loafers but I insisted.  He wanted a clip on tie but when I
threatened him and promised to teach him to tie one he finally accepted a
couple of silk ties that would look good with the pastel shirts.  I was
getting the impression that he had never dressed in anything except jeans
in his life.  I was told we could pick the sport coat and slacks up anytime
after Tuesday.  They needed a few alterations.
	The Gator was pretty full.  Somehow the boys had found some things
they had to have to go along with what we bought for Kyle.  My credit card
had been so busy I figured it was smoking.  At least it looked like Kyle
would be able to get by until we made another shopping trip.
	It was just starting to rain when we got home.  I pulled into the
garage and the boys were busy packing packages into the house.  I plugged
the coffee pot in and noticed the answering machine was blinking.  When I
listened to the message asking me to call the rehab center I had a bad
feeling about the whole thing.
	I was right.  Mrs. Babcock had checked herself out.  They had tried
to call me but I'd left my cell phone home and besides, I don't know what I
could have done anyway.  She had called someone and they had come and
picked her up.  The message asked me to call them during business hours and
tell them how I wanted to handle the refund.  They also gave a number I
could call to discuss what had happened.
	I called the number and the doctor I ended up talking with
explained what had happened.  Things seemed to be going well when she
suddenly decided to leave.  He was apologetic but explained there wasn't
much he could do.  She was there voluntarily and could leave when she
wanted to.  After we talked for a while I told him to tell the office to
hang on to the money for a while and maybe we could get her to go back and
complete her treatment.  Now I had to tell Corey.
	Corey accepted the news better than I feared and not as well as I
hoped.  I pointed out that she had stayed clean for over a week and maybe
next time she would manage to complete the treatment.  I tried to put as
good a spin on it as possible without being ridiculous.  However it still
took all the sparkle out of his eyes.  I felt terrible.  He'd been so happy
ever since she checked in and was so full of hope that it almost killed me
to tell him.  I was holding him and trying to comfort him when Kyle walked
in on us.
	This was the first time Kyle had seen any contact between Corey and
me.  He froze and looked like he didn't know what to do.  I guess it's one
thing to know something and quite another to actually see it.  When I asked
him what he wanted he sort of stammered that he wondered if he could wash
some of his new clothes.
	Corey was subdued the rest of the evening.  He didn't say much and
just moped around.  That cast a pall on the rest of the boys.  Kyle was
probably the least affected but it was hard to tell because he was still so
withdrawn himself.  We had dinner and afterwards everyone was just quite.
The boys watched some television but there wasn't much on.  They ended up
watching a basketball game on ESPN.  I got Kyle's new clothes washed and
dried.  He would have to iron his own shirts.  Well, I might help him the
first few times but that was something he would have to learn if he wanted
them ironed.  We spent some more time in the hot-tub but nobody said much.
However I was pleased to note Kyle was walking much better and had no
trouble getting in and out of the tub.  He still looked bad but was clearly
starting to heal.  He still moved poorly if it put any strain on his ribs
and I knew it would be several weeks before they quit bothering him but
some of the other bruises were starting to be less of a problem for him.
	I again rubbed some of the sports cream on him but this time he
managed to stay awake long enough to turn over and let me put some on the
front of his thigh.  When I finished applying it I covered him up and sat
on the edge of the bed and talked with him for a few minutes.
	It wasn't much of a conversation but I tried to convince him that
he could ask anything he wanted.  I didn't promise to answer but told him
he had nothing to lose by asking.  He still seemed like he was totally
lost.
	The boys had been trying to make him feel at home but there was
still a lot of work needed there.  He was almost afraid to say anything and
I had been surprised that he had managed to stand up for the clothes he
wanted.  He picked out a bunch of those baggy clothes that seemed to be
much in style and hadn't done too badly with the colors.  When he was
dressed in them he would fit right in with the boys.  Corey still looked a
little sharper because he paid more attention to colors but I suppose that
was just his artistic side showing.  Still I don't know how I could say
sharp when they wore those baggy pants.  At least none of them was into
grunge or Goth.  That might have produced some real arguments.  I still had
the silly idea you should try to look half-way decent.
	Corey didn't say anything when I got into bed.  He just curled up
in his place and let me hold him.  There didn't seem like much I could say
that hadn't already been said so I just held him and after a while he went
to sleep.  I just wished I knew some way to help him.
	Kyle was moving a lot better when he came out for breakfast.  We
continued with the laundry and got a little housework done before it was
time for church.  Kyle said he'd rather stay home this Sunday but seemed to
be willing to attend as soon as he felt better.  We left him on the couch
watching television with Dog at his feet.
	The storm that had started when we got home last night was now in
full force.  The rain was falling horizontally and the wind shook the
Gator.  Still, the service was nice and the boys got their usual gob of
cookies and goodies.  However, the rain meant that we wouldn't go shooting
this afternoon.  Instead we spent the afternoon trying to make Kyle feel
more comfortable around us.  When offered the sex room, he declined and
decided to continue staying in the guest room.  Of course I didn't call it
the sex room.  I wasn't sure he was ready for something like that.  He got
a little more interested when he was asked how he wanted to decorate it but
didn't really seem to have any ideas.  The boys decided he needed to see
what they had done with their rooms.
	LT hadn't done anything with his but instead had helped JJ with his
room.  The only time LT used his room was for homework.  Corey had fixed
his room up but only used his for his painting.  The thought went through
my mind that if people wouldn't get so excited over it, I would just move
the last of LT's things to JJ's room and Corey's things into mine.  After
all that's where we slept anyway but I figured if anyone found out that
would produce all kinds of problems.  Judy had commented on how nice it was
that all the boys had their own room and the emphasis she placed on it told
me she wanted it to continue that way.  I suppose it was once again a
matter of deniability.  It wouldn't surprise me if she showed up and asked
me to convert the basement storage room into more bedrooms.
	That got me to thinking about where I would put the things in it
and I was once again back to the subject of a shop in which to store things
and park the trailer.  A phone call to Vern and I got the name of a
contractor.  Of course I had to fill Vern in on Kyle.  He had heard a
little because of Fred but was still curious.  I knew it was all over
school by now and wasn't surprised that Fred had told his Dad.  We batted
the breeze a few minutes and I suddenly realized Vern and Nancy hadn't been
over as often as normal.  That required inviting them to dinner.  I had a
huge stew cooking and there would be way more than enough for everyone,
even with the boys.  It didn't take that much to convince them so I knew
they were curious about Kyle and wanted to meet him for themselves.  After
I hung up I went and bought some buttermilk.  Vern liked biscuits and I
thought they would go well with the stew.  Well I bought a few more things
because the cart looked so empty with only the buttermilk in it.
	When I got back the boys were still watching the golf match on the
television and talking.  I prepared the salad except for the dressing and
again joined them.  Somewhere during the conversation I told Kyle we would
pick up another desk and a few other things.  I figured I'd order another
laptop and entertainment center.  I offered to get Kyle a smaller bed if he
wanted the extra room that would produce but he seemed to like the queen
sized one so that solved that.  The bedrooms were about average sized and
by the time you put a queen sized bed, a desk, a dresser, an entertainment
center and a few other things in they were somewhat crowded but the boys
didn't seem to mind.  By the time laundry time rolled around it was
sometimes pretty difficult to get through them but I didn't have to live in
them.  I kept pointing out that it wouldn't kill them to put their dirty
clothes in the hamper instead of on the floor but that seemed to meet with
no success.  Corey kept his room pretty clean but JJ and LT were somewhat
on the slobbish side.  I wondered how Kyle would turn out in that
department.
	Vern and Nancy showed up and we visited for a while.  I had to tell
all about using the trailer and Nancy smirked when I was forced to admit
that there were a few things we had forgotten the first trip.  Vern just
grinned and had another drink of his beer.  Nancy had that kind of snide
expression that seemed to say that if you had followed my directions,
everything would have been perfect.  When I went to call the boys for
dinner someone had dragged out that Monopoly set and so far no one was
winning.  Corey appeared a little low on money but he was in jail, hoping
someone would land on some of his property and have to pay rent.  So far no
one had been forced to sell any property that they didn't want to.
	Dog immediately liked Fred and Mike.  Do you suppose the bites they
slipped him had anything to do with it?  By the time dinner was over the
stew had suffered a major loss.  There wouldn't be enough for tomorrow.  In
fact the boys would probably finish it up before bed.  Vern did pretty well
against the biscuits but he was finally forced to admit defeat.  I even
sent a few home with him.  All in all we had an enjoyable evening and we
even got into a poker game and whipped the boys.  They were bound and
determined to draw to inside straights.  That isn't very smart.  We had to
teach Kyle but he had one of those runs of luck that sometimes happen and
did a little better than the other boys and was thrilled.  I could see we
were going to have to prop his ego up a little.  I probably got a better
idea of his feelings by watching him than I had by talking with him.  It
was pretty apparent that no one had ever encouraged him much.
	By the time Vern, Nancy, and their boys headed home the evening was
about shot.  We talked a little about school and Kyle agreed he was willing
to start.  I told him he could stay home a couple more days but he said he
now thought he would be able to make it through the day.  I had gotten all
his registration papers turned in and filled out so all he had to do was
show up and start attending.  His grades weren't very good but maybe we
could work on that some.
	After I rubbed some more cream on Kyle I joined Corey in bed.  He
was still depressed but seemed to be coming out of it a little faster than
usual.  We talked a little more about his mother and he fell asleep.  I
just wanted to wring her neck for all the pain she caused him.
	Kyle looked pretty good in his new clothes.  Most of the swelling
was gone from his face however the black eye was still pretty black.  I
hadn't had to show him about ironing because he already knew how and he
probably did a better job on his clothes than I would have.  The other boys
promised to show him where his classes were and I headed off for school.
At the meeting I told everyone Kyle would be starting classes today and his
teachers promised to keep an eye on him.  Hopefully in a few days they
would be able to tell me where he needed the most help.
	I guess Kyle made it through the first day.  At least I didn't hear
of any problems and he showed up with the rest of the boys when classes
were over.  Since we had eaten all the stew I had to shop for dinner.  That
meant that Mrs. Downie got to meet Kyle and of course she already knew
almost everything about him.  When I finally made it to the meat case I was
jumped by Rob.  He was bubbling.  He really wanted to buy the pickup and
also wanted to tell me how well Lee was fitting in.  I learned that his
attorney had finally gotten the state to pay for his late wife's medical
bills and that was a big load that he no longer had to carry.  It would be
a couple of weeks before all the money was straightened out but he seemed
to think that things were going better.  Then he had to take me back and
show me how the new smoke house was coming along.
	I was surprised two ways.  First that the construction was so far
along and second that Rob was acting almost like it was his.  He was as
proud of it as he could be.  I heard all about all the things they would be
able to make and how good they would be.  There was also a big area that
was going to be a bakery.  I hadn't known about that and was interested.
Mr. Downie had hired a couple more friends of Rob's and as soon as it was a
little further along they would move out and start getting it ready.  I was
told there would be all kinds of pastries and breads.  I also learned that
while he didn't much like all the rain in the area, he liked the fact it
wasn't as cold.  Rob finally cut me a bunch of steaks and I made my escape
but not before inviting him and his family over for dinner.  We agreed to
talk again and maybe figure on this coming weekend.  I hope Kyle could
manage the steaks but he had said he thought he could now chew one.
	By the time dinner was over Kyle looked tired.  However he didn't
look quite as sad and depressed.  Mind you he wasn't happy but he seemed to
be a little more interested in what the rest of the boys were talking
about.  They were chattering on about the usual, mostly school and how they
hated certain subjects and how homework sucks.  Just the usual bitching.
Most of the time I just ignored it and tonight was no exception.  I spent
most of the evening helping Kyle start to get organized with his new
classes.  It looked like there would be a lot more of that before he was
caught up.  When I asked him how he liked his new school he told me he
guessed it was okay.  I took that to mean he hadn't had any real problems.
It hadn't taken me long to figure out that sometimes you had to read
between the lines.  Even the classes the boys liked were merely okay,
normally said with a shrug.  Judy called to remind me to take Kyle to the
doctor for his checkup.  That meant tomorrow would be busy.  Kyle had to
see the doctor about his injuries and there was the school board meeting.
Maybe it would be easier to just go out for dinner.
	When I was rubbing the sport's cream on Kyle he got an erection.
He turned red as a beet and I had to spend some time explaining that he
shouldn't worry about things like that.  Besides, he had a pretty good
looking cock and while I wasn't interested in making love to him, I always
appreciate some good eye candy.  His was a little bigger than Corey's but I
thought Corey's was more attractive.  Actually I thought Corey's cock was a
lot more attractive.  I finally managed to finish applying the cream and
headed for bed.
	Unfortunately Corey was still too depressed to share his cock with
me.  Instead he just curled up in his usual position and went to sleep,
leaving me to worry about things and no relief.  I suppose I could have
started things but I'd always insisted that he was in charge.  If he wanted
to make love, then he had to start it or at least indicate he wanted it.
The only time he hadn't had that right was the very first time and I still
regretted that.  Not that I regretted the results but I still felt bad that
I had not given him a choice.  No one should ever have sex forced on him
and I had been guilty of doing that once.  I sure wasn't going to do it
again.  It still made me feel like a cull when I thought about it.  For
that matter I frequently felt guilty about being older than he was.  I
wondered if I was using my age to take advantage of him.  He insisted I was
the best thing that had ever happened to him but I wondered if he was old
enough to really know that.  Then when I thought about the way his mother
was treating him I always felt better.  When he was in my arms I felt
great, even when we didn't make love.  I finally fell asleep, still
wondering if I was doing the right thing and if not, what I should do about
it.  As usual there were no answers and sleep finally claimed me.  The last
thing I remember thinking about is how much more complicated my life had
become.  Before I met Corey all I had to worry about was if my students
would learn what I was trying to teach and if the football team would play
well.  Now I had four boys, all with their own problems, to worry about and
there were plenty of things of my own to add to the worry pile.  That worry
pile was getting pretty high.
	Kyle wasn't what you would call a morning person.  I woke him once,
Corey woke him once, and finally JJ and Dog woke him up.  He told both
Corey and me he was awake but two seconds later I think he was again
asleep.  The only reason JJ and Dog managed to wake him was JJ pulled the
covers off and Dog jumped up on the bed and started licking Kyle's face.
He couldn't sleep through that.  Of course things went downhill after that.
JJ told LT that Kyle had a cute butt and the war was on.  Poor Kyle came
wandering in during one of their exchanges about cute butts and turned so
red you couldn't tell him from a stop light.  He was probably radiating
more heat from his face than my fireplace did when I had a big fire in it.
I didn't do very well at defusing the situation because I was laughing too
hard.  JJ was in really fine form this morning.  I felt sorry for Kyle but
he was just going to have to learn to live with us and that meant learning
to accept JJ and LT.  I couldn't really yell at JJ because I'd been working
hard to get him to the place where he was once again the fun loving boy I
had first known.  Judging by this morning he was getting pretty close.  The
last few weeks had produced a tremendous change in him and all in the right
direction.  I finally caught my breath and told JJ and LT to watch it or we
would have to take up the subject of cummy socks and they at least had the
decency to blush.  Corey burst out laughing again and Kyle finally started
snickering.  I think he would have laughed but his ribs were still too
sore.  I almost didn't say anything because I knew JJ would start thinking
of a way to get even but figured Kyle needed something to get his mind off
of JJ's comments.  I made my escape and headed for school.  The boys still
had lots of time to get ready and catch the school bus.
	The day went well.  I had two counseling sessions and I guess they
went alright.  The first was a young lady that had a crush on me.  It took
a while but I finally convinced her that while I thought she was cute, she
was much too young for me and I would go to jail if we did anything.  I
told her that if I was still single when she got out of college and she
still felt the same way to get in touch and we would talk about it.  I
don't know why but there always seemed to be a few youngsters who seemed to
get a crush on young teachers.  I was twice her age but that didn't help.
I knew it worked both ways because Julia had mentioned that it did.  It was
always difficult to convince them that it was impossible for me to become
romantically involved with them.  I didn't want to hurt their feelings.
Still it was one of those major pains one just had to put up with.  From
what I'd heard, middle age didn't really help and neither did being
married.  It just cut down on the numbers.  So far I'd only had one who
wanted to trade sex for grades.  That had been a shock.  Fortunately, or
unfortunately, her folks had moved at the end of that year.  I still
worried about her.  I hoped she learned not to act that way but feared the
worst.  I'd met her parents and to say I wasn't impressed was somewhat of
an understatement.  They were a walking advertisement for the fact that
some people should never have children.
	The other session was with a young man who thought his "weenie" was
too small.  Jeez, why is the sex-ed class so poor?  It was so clinical that
if young people had to depend on it for sexual education there would be no
children.  It was one of those classes that teachers tried to avoid like a
plague.  No one wanted to teach it.  Every year it was always a challenge
to find a man and a woman teacher that would agree to teach the class.  It
was only a few weeks long but everyone hated it.  I'd seen Jerry eyeing me
a few times during the discussions of who would teach it but figured he
wasn't willing to trust me with it.  He knew I frequently figured that text
books were only a starting place.  Still his fear had saved me from being
asked to teach it for which I was thankful.  If I'd have had to teach it I
would have thrown the state approved text as far as I could.  It was worse
than a joke.
	The poor young man was terribly embarrassed but I had to act
quickly to stop him for showing me just how small his problem was.  Then it
was a question of convincing him that all he had to do was wait a while and
the problem would go away.  Of course the text didn't offer all that much
help so I grabbed my laptop and tapped into the network.  However I had to
tunnel so it wouldn't show on the school's server.  Fortunately I had
subscribed to such a site and once there I could search out the information
I needed.  It took the whole period but he finally understood that he was
just a little late starting puberty.  I did offer to get him an appointment
with a doctor if he wanted one and also if he wanted me to I would talk
with his parents about seeing if there was any physical reason he was late
in that respect.  When he saw some of the information about puberty, he
seemed much more understanding.  He had forgotten he was the youngest
student in his grade and just started worrying about it.  Of course I
shocked him by inquiring about masturbation and erections but I needed to
know in order to answer his questions.  He acted happy when he left and I
assured him I would be happy to answer questions and, if it continued, I
would see he had medical advice.  I figured the problem would probably
disappear in about six months.  Maybe I phrased that poorly but you know
what I mean.  I could see a few signs that he was just about to enter
puberty.  Besides, if the numbers he gave me were accurate, he wasn't that
small.  In fact for his stage of physical development he was probably about
average.
	In the few minutes left before the end of the day I was left to
wonder why boys worried so much about that subject.  Of course girls
worried about breast size.  A little less worrying and measuring and
everyone would be happier.
	I'd met Dr. Carlyle but never professionally.  He examined Kyle and
removed his stitches.  I inquired about the sports cream I had used on Kyle
and he recommended a different one which he said was better.
	What with x-rays, taking the stitches out, and the examination it
took a while for him to finish with Kyle.  He finally told Kyle he would
see him in another week and we left.  Then there was the problem of where
to eat.  Kyle finally told the other boys his teeth were doing pretty well
so off to Old Texas Ribs we went.  There was a big pile of bones and some
full boys by the time the meal was over.  Dog would be happy.  I dropped
the boys off at home and I just had time to get to the school board
meeting.
	I was surprised.  For the first time both of the Downies were
there.  Then I thought about it and realized they now had both enough
business to warrant more help and the necessary help to accommodate it.
That meant that they would now be able to get free more easily.  However
nothing really required any action.  It was one of those meetings in which
I didn't even have to open my mouth.  I just sat there and listened.  The
only thing that came up directly concerning me was the lawsuit and the
attorneys were still stalling.  It seems the Daniels' attorney wasn't ready
to go to court.  He needed more time to prepare his case.  I did learn that
the judge had told him to quit stalling but had granted another extension.
	The board finished their public meeting and went into executive
session.  I was just leaving when Mrs. Downie intercepted me.  We visited
for a few minutes and Mr. Downie joined us.  He laughed and said there was
nothing to talk about so they just closed the meeting.  The reason they
wanted to talk was they wanted the boys to work on the weekend after this
coming one.  It would be for both days and long hours and they wanted to
clear it with me before they asked the boys.  Mrs. Downie even said she was
including Kyle.  It sounded good to me so I said they should ask the boys
the next time we stopped in.  On that note I finally headed home.
	I swear the floor of the family room looked like a mass graveyard
that had just been plowed up.  There were bones everywhere and Dog was
right in the middle of them.  He stopped chewing long enough to look up and
wag his tail but just barely.  I spent the next five minutes or so picking
bone splinters up.  Then it was check the boy's homework.  While I was
doing that they found some cookies and surprise, surprise, they even
offered me one.  I wondered what they were going to hit me up for.  When
they offered me a second cookie I knew I was in big trouble.  I decided to
see just how much trouble I was in and grabbed a handful of cookies from
the package.  When I got no complaints and only wistful looks I knew this
was serious.
	It took a while but I finally found out what the deal was.  They
had been talking about spring vacation and had some ideas.  Why they
wouldn't just tell me what those ideas were is beyond me but I could have
probably pulled a mountain lion's teeth more easily than I managed to
extract the information.  They were willing to share with Kyle because he
didn't have any money yet, and they would be good, and they would be
willing to do whatever it was I wanted, and they would work hard at their
schoolwork, and on, and on, and on.  I was beginning to think it would be
at least Friday before I found out what it was they had in mind.  Finally
Corey took the plunge.  Disneyland.  Then it was right back to telling me
all the ways they were going to be good.  They were so busy telling me all
the things they were going to do to make me proud of them that it took a
while for my answer of yes to sink in.  All I could do was wish I had a
tape of the whole thing so I could remind them of their promises.  I
particularly liked the one about doing things when I first asked, rather
than later.  That one alone would insure that we got the housework done
much sooner.  I got hugs from all the boys except Kyle.  He just stood
there with his eyes down.  When I walked over to him and asked him if he
was going to hug me, he kind of blushed and did.  He even hugged me a
little longer than was necessary.  His eyes looked a little watery when he
pulled away.
	I didn't think they would ever calm down enough to go to bed.  I
was about ready to go get their bike helmets because I was afraid they
would hit their heads of the ceiling they were bouncing around so much.
When I suggested bed, all those promises were forgotten.  Why is it they
can remember everything I tell them they can do and nothing they promise to
do?  Dog finally took a bone and retreated to the corner.  I almost decided
to join him there.  The way the boys were rushing around, showing me all
the things they wanted to see at Disneyland, made me dizzy.  I could see I
also needed to buy more paper for the printer.  I was sure they had the
last package about used up.  There were enough print-outs of all the things
to do at Disneyland that it must have taken a truck load of logs just to
make enough paper.  When I got looking at them I discovered some of them
had been printed before school this morning.  They must have been planning
this for a couple of days.  I was surprised the little turkeys could keep
their mouths shut that long.  I hadn't heard a peep about what they were
planning.
	I finally got them in bed.  As I rubbed the new sports cream on
Kyle I noticed that most of the swelling was about gone.  There were still
lots of black and blue places but a couple of them were even starting to
fade slightly.
	Corey was frisky.  What more need I say.  However it all took place
in the shower.  Corey always kind of liked docking and we had some fun
doing that.  As foreskins went back and forth covering each other it didn't
take all that long until the usual result took place.  We washed the
evidence down the drain.  When we got to bed I found out why he was in such
a hurry in the shower.  I fell asleep listening to all the neat things
there were to do at Disneyland.
	It was once again a struggle to get Kyle going in the morning.
Since he hadn't been just sitting around all day doing nothing, he was
somewhat of a challenge to wake up.  I had thought JJ and LT were walking
zombies in the morning but Kyle was just plain dead.  However Dog once
again came to the rescue and Kyle finally stumbled out of his bedroom.  Dog
seemed to think the whole thing was a game.  He was positively prancing
when he finally led Kyle towards the table.
	The day was boring.  Absolutely nothing happened worth mentioning
during the day and the only thing that happened in the evening was that
Kyle looked nice in his sport coat when we picked it up.  After dinner I
tried to visit a little with Kyle but he still wasn't willing to say much.
I guess you would say he was well defended and was not yet willing to take
a chance with me.  I knew I would just have to keep trying and hope that
eventually he would become comfortable enough with me to open up a little.
So far all he seemed to be doing was watching all of us, almost like he
couldn't believe it.  The other boys spent most of the evening trying to
make my printer wear out but it survived and they had even more things
printed out.
	At least they weren't total idiots.  They had information on not
only Disneyland but also such places as Knott's Berry Farm, Universal
Studios, Sea World in San Diego, and some other places.  I decided I needed
to see what I was getting myself into and kicked the boys out of the
computer room and started in.
	The first decision I had to make was if I wanted to use the trailer
or just drive down and rent a hotel room.  A little research told me that I
could probably use a hotel about as cheap as the trailer except for the
cost of meals.  When the boys came charging in to get another bunch of the
print-outs that had been spewing forth while I surfed, I asked them which
they would prefer.  They had just assumed we would use the trailer but we
got into a discussion about it.  They finally decided we should use the
trailer because we had it.  That wasn't much of a reason but if that's what
made them happy I wasn't going to argue.  I did figure it out when they
mentioned that they would be able to fix snacks.  Since their idea of
snacks would probably be a full meal for most people, they were probably
right.  In the trailer they could actually cook something while most of the
hotels only supplied a refrigerator and some a microwave.  You could get
rooms with more facilities but the price really went up and if you wanted
to stay in the hotels with direct access to the park, once again the price
went up.  All of a sudden it once again dawned on me that I could afford
whatever we wanted.  I called them back and we talked some more.  They
still wanted the trailer so I gave up and made a note to get some
reservations at a RV park called Anaheim Resort because they seemed to have
good shuttle service to the park.  I still had a slew of things I needed to
find out about our trip but I was now started.  I still hadn't figured out
what to do about tickets.  I also had to check and see what to do about
Dog.  I knew I could put him in a kennel but he was such of part of the
family that I didn't like that idea.
	The boys headed for bed and I again applied some cream to Kyle's
bruises.  They were starting to look a lot better.  It seemed almost
amazing how much one day could change them.  His ribs were still sore but
the injuries were really improving.
	The boys were in bed but I wasn't sleepy.  Sometimes I just can't
seem to relax.  I really hate it when that happens but there never seemed
like much I could do about it.  I was just wound up and jittery and going
to bed would only produce a bunch of twisting and turning and no sleep.
Instead I decided to do a little more checking on the net.  I still needed
to know about tickets and things like that.
	Whoa.  Dog wasn't welcome at Anaheim Resorts.  I hadn't decided to
take him yet but no sense in booking someplace that he was not allowed.
Some more looking and I found a couple of parks that would work.  Then on
to checking tickets.  There were all kinds of packages.  I finally decided
to get annual passes.  They cost a little more but if the boys really liked
it, we could go back some other time.  After all, we would have the summer
free and maybe some more time at Disneyland would make them happy.  The
more I looked, the more things I found that we could all do.  I finally
calmed down and went to bed.  The day had been boring but I had managed to
accomplish a little.
	Wednesday I was notified when Rev. Langston's trial would begin.  I
had almost forgotten about it.  After all, out of sight, out of mind.  The
DA wanted to talk with me next week and the trial would start on the
following Monday.  At least he arranged it so I could stop in after school
on Wednesday.  I guess the case had finally worked its way up the ladder.
I still couldn't believe the Reverend was so unwilling to apologize that he
would face jail over it.  It just didn't seem very smart to me but then
some of those with such rabid beliefs frequently failed to use their minds.
To try to terrorize me because the State had laid down rules that
prohibited me from continuing as a helper for the Troop was simply
ludicrous.  While there were places I thought the Scouts were wrong and
needed to change their policies, the whole thing had been forced because of
State rulings.  Of course I have no idea what would have happened if JJ and
LT had tried to join.  That might have forced my hand even if the State
rules hadn't.  The Troop had never had any problems along that line but
then it had never been brought up.  With JJ and LT being outted, I don't
know how it would have played.  Several of the Troop members still seemed
to get along with and accept both boys but that didn't mean anything.  All
I could do was feel bad about the whole thing.  The Scouts had so much to
offer that it seemed a shame they wouldn't accept that society was changing
and they needed to accommodate it.  It wasn't like there hadn't been
homosexuals in Scouts all along.  It was just that no one had ever made an
issue of it.  I was pretty sure the same held true for atheists.  I could
remember one boy in my own troop who said he didn't really believe in God
but didn't think it hurt him to tacitly accept the Scouts rules.  As he
explained it, if he was wrong, the Scouts might help him and if he was
right, it probably didn't make any difference.  His folks didn't make a big
deal of it and he was well liked.  Pretty much everyone in the troop knew
it so that meant that the leaders must have known but it was just one of
those things that was overlooked.  Both Jerry and his dad were willing to
pitch in and help.
	That got me to wondering if I was wrong in not rocking the boat.
Until it had been forced upon me I had tried to get the policy changed by
writing letters and talking with other leaders.  Most of those who worked
with the boys tended to agree with me as near as I could tell.  It was the
higher ups in the organization that seemed unwilling to change.  In some
senses it was somewhat like the Sterretts.  Mr. and Mrs. Sterrett had both
said they didn't really agree with all that had been advocated by their
minister.  Maybe if they had stood up and made an issue of it, things would
have been different.  Maybe I needed to stand up.  I really needed to think
about that.  Was I playing the coward?  Plus I now had to factor in the
boys.  If I became too vocal it might affect their lives.  I knew I had to
really think about this.  So far it looked like I might have been taking
the coward's way out.  While I certainly had never kept most of those
beliefs hidden, I could have taken a stronger stand years ago.  Did that
make me a bad person or a smart one?  Then again if I had taken a stronger
stand would it have made any difference?  I really wished I had someone to
talk things like this over with.  I had all kinds of friends but this was a
subject that I was afraid to talk about.  Before it had never seemed like
that big a deal but, with the advent of Corey coming into my life, it
suddenly became a real big deal.  If I made a mistake, I could not only
lose him but end up in jail.
	Since I found out about the court date during second period, that
gave me the rest of the day to worry about it.  The problem with that was
that the kids kept me so busy trying to teach I didn't really have much
time to do so.  It's hard to find time to worry when there is a whole class
asking questions and requiring answers.  Even at lunch I didn't have much
time because it was one of those days in which I swear that almost every
kid I knew stopped in to say hi.  I was busy during my afternoon free
period catching up my grading so the office could fill out some stupid form
that the State required.  I swear to God that if the paper industry ever
lost a day's production, the whole bureaucracy would come to a crashing
halt and the world might even stop spinning.  How could the simple act of
teaching some child a subject require so many reports be filled out and
sent somewhere?  Then someone had to at least file those reports even it
they never read them.  No wonder government costs so much money.  Why
couldn't they all get the data off of one report instead of every agency
having to have its own report?
	I couldn't even worry after school because the boys were chattering
away and asking various questions.  Plus we had to stop and buy groceries
and that meant that Mrs. Downie once again cornered me.  Then Rob and I had
to visit and finish talking about our having dinner together.  Both of us
agreed Sunday would be a good day.
	Finally I got home and the boys decided to play some basketball.
Now I had some time with nothing to stop me from worrying.  At least that's
what I thought.  Wrong again.  Dog insisted on a belly rub.  He backed in
between my legs like he usually did when indicating he wanted his rub.
When I didn't respond, he turned around and laid his head on my knee and
looked up at me with his big brown eyes.  I couldn't stand that.  His eyes
looked so sad.  He got his belly rub.  About five minutes later he was
willing to get down and allow me to get back to worrying.  The strange
thing was that worrying no longer seemed as important.  Maybe all I really
needed was a belly rub.

		To be continued...


	My faithful editor Ernie is now battling an illness.  He has just
started chemotherapy.  With luck it will be successful and he will soon
feel better.  In the meantime I would ask that if you have enjoyed this
story, drop him a note thanking him for his efforts in helping to improve
it.  It need not be long, just a thank you for his efforts and wishes for a
speedy recovery.  You might even send a get well card instead if you are
uncomfortable writing a note.
	As we all know, a good attitude is important when battling an
illness.  Please help to raise his spirits.  I normally don't give out
email addresses but in this case I will.  Just send them to
ERNIEALLBRITTON@aol.com
	He is a little under the weather so don't look for a reply.
	One last thing.  The posting of chapters may be a little more
erratic while he battles through this.  Fritz