Family Instincts 16

STANDARD WARNING: This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to individuals, living or dead, is pure coincidence. Do not read this story if you are offended by man-to-man romance or sex. Do not read if you are underage according to the laws in the country, state/province, county, city/town/village or township where you live. There is sex between males. You have been warned!

Copyright 2001 by Nick Archer. Permission is granted to Nifty Archives, ASSGM, and gaywritings, to post one copy. No part may be copied, reproduced, republished, or reposted on another website without written permission from the author.

Matt’s lips twitched as he tried to suppress a smile. Tim let a chuckle escape before he covered his mouth.

Matt saw the veins in Jake’s neck start to bulge. He knew Jake was near a meltdown, and he had to get Jake away from the situation, fast. He grasped his bicep firmly and tried to lead Jake away. Jake jerked away from Matt’s grasp.

"You aren’t my dad, Matt is my dad," Jake screamed. The capacity crowd in the gym suddenly silenced. All heads pivoted to the scene in front of the Cardinal. "Where were you when I needed you? Where were you when mom beat me? Who was there when I needed help? Matt was, not you."

For many eighth graders in Illinois, a trip to Springfield is obligatory. Besides being the state capitol, Springfield is home to Abraham Lincoln’s Home, Tomb, and the Old State Capitol. Nearby is Lincoln’s New Salem, which is a recreation of his hometown in the 1840’s.

The early Friday morning was cloudy and overcast when Matt roused Jake and Brian at 5:30. They all took showers and the boys wordlessly ate cereal. Matt re-read the sheet Jake had typed up on the computer a few days ago and distributed to the other kids.

Group 3 – Bus 1 – Mr. Rosato’s Group

The Coolest Group

Allegra Thigpen John Miles

Diane Castor Valerie Mazzuca

Brent Van Den Horst Mike Rosen

Dave Dabagles Carl Lawson

Tammy Vansickle Pam Lister

Brian Rosato Jake Wagner

Stay with Mr. Rosato at all times. He will be wearing a blue White Sox baseball cap.
1. Don’t cause any trouble for him. Or else!
2. If you get lost, stay in one place, and we will try to find you.
3. Major problems will be reported to Mr. Groves or Mrs. Murphy! It could result in detentions!
4. Have fun!

So that’s why Jake insisted I wear the baseball cap today, Matt thought. He looked over the list again. He knew most of the kids on the list. Matt was rather proud of Jake for making the little sheet – it showed leadership. Matt doubted he would have any problems with this group of kids. They were the cream of Forest Trails Junior High.

While Brian and Jake crunched their Frosted Mini Wheats and read the cereal box, Matt mused about the trip. He knew this group of kids was carefully handpicked. He also knew that Mike didn’t really fit in with their crowd – the poor child really had more in common with the chess club and debate team -- but somewhere along the line, Jake or Brian or both must have insisted on his inclusion. And Matt doubted that anyone would try to debate them.

A bit later, Tim woke and prepared himself for work. He woke Tommy and made sure the boy took a shower. The previous night, Tim supervised as Tommy packed his school clothes in his backpack. He was going to take Tommy over to Leah’s where he could sleep another couple hours before leaving for school.

Tim sighed, but did so with a smile on his face as he slid an arm under his neck, and another under his knees. "Come on, Tommy Twotone."

Tim’s biceps bulged as he carried the preadolescent boy, but he was not a burden. Matt intercepted them in the kitchen.

Matt groaned. "Bad pun." He kissed Tim. "Thanks so much for taking charge of him; making sure he was ready for the day, getting his shower. Just getting him out of bed is a chore." Matt’s eyes darted to Tommy’s face. He was still pretending to be asleep. Matt kissed Tim again, this time letting his tongue probe Tim’s mouth.

"I’ll give you swapping spit!" Matt said, and kissed Tommy lightly on the lips.

Tommy laughed and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "I don’t know where that mouth has been."

"Thanks, Tim," Matt kissed him again. "I love you." Matt addressed himself to Tommy. "I love you, too. Be good for Leah!"

He turned his attention to Jake and Brian. "Ok, let’s go looking for Lincoln."

The rain had stopped for the time being, but the sky was still leaden as drowsy adolescents and chaperones gathered in front of the Junior High. Three yellow busses awaited the onslaught of kids. Matt tried to remember the last time he had ridden in an honest-to-God school bus. The kids themselves were unusually quiet and docile this morning. Their attitude was: Just get us on the busses so we can go back to sleep.

Jake stationed himself in front of the still-closed bus door. Meanwhile, Brian introduced Matt to some of the kids he hadn’t met. Tammy was a very petite and pretty blond who had moved from California.

"And this is Carl Lawson." Matt shook hands with an incredibly tall, thin boy with glasses.

Brent Van Den Horst was a handsome dark-haired boy with hazel eyes, and a dimple in the middle of his chin the size of a peanut M & M. Matt thought that he needed to shave the thick fuzz on his upper lip.

When the bus driver opened the door, Jake was the first onto the bus. He claimed the most prized seats for himself and his friends: The very rear seats. Matt smiled to himself. Some things never, ever change.

Matt thought; There probably hasn’t been so much fuss about a seating arrangement since the Last Supper. Yet, there were no arguments and not once did Matt hear "You’re in my seat." The kids simply arranged themselves as if the seats were prearranged. Pam and Tammy sat together in the other rear seat. Matt had heard that Jake and Pam had had yet another argument, which explained the fact they weren’t sitting together. Mike sat alone in a seat directly in front of Brian and Jake, and was clearly distressed about the two boys sitting together. John and Brent were seated in front of Pam and Tammy. Matt observed them. Their interest in the girls in the rear seat was obvious, but the girls treated them as second-class citizens.

Dave and Carl sat in front of Mike. Poor Mike alternated between talking to them and glaring at Jake. Allegra, Diane and Valerie formed another trio.

Matt debated his own position in the bus. He didn’t want to sit too far back and ruin the fun. He also wanted to give Brian and Jake some space and not appear to be hovering over them. Yet, he didn’t want to appear unfriendly by sitting in the front. Besides, he had been asked along to help supervise and for doing so, his fees and admissions were all being paid by the school. He chose a seat in the middle of the bus.

The kids quieted quickly as the bus left Park Forest, and headed toward I-80 west. Once they passed Joliet, the bus pointed its nose south on I-55 to Springfield. It would be a three-hour journey. They would stop in Bloomington for breakfast and eat lunch in Springfield. Most decided they were going to snooze until they stopped for breakfast in Bloomington, more than two hours and a hundred miles away.

Rain drummed on the windows of the bus. The kids were constantly lowering and raising the window because when the windows were up, the bus became stuffy and uncomfortable, and with the windows open, the rain streamed in.

Matt pressed his lips together and nodded. "I think I know why." He explained to Groves what had happened at Confirmation.

"When it’s all said and done, I think it’s pretty amazing that Jake is functioning at all. He still is probably one of the most popular boys in the school. If Jake says something, it’s gospel. If he told a kid to walk around school naked, they’d probably do it. That’s what I’m concerned about. If the other kids see Jake acting out and getting away with it, they might follow suit."

They pulled into the lone rest area just south of Pontiac. Some kids made a beeline for the restrooms. Others stretched or played on the playground equipment. The rain had stopped again.

They stopped for breakfast at a McDonald’s in Bloomington. Groves had wisely called ahead, and the restaurant was ready for the huge tribe with extra employees.

Matt sat at a table with Groves and Mrs. Murphy. Matt had nothing but his customary coffee. He watched Brian and Jake across the restaurant. Brian broke off half his hash browns and gave them to Dave. Jake requested an empty cup from the counter and poured half his orange juice into the cup for Dave. The scenario became obvious to Matt: Dave had no money for food.

"I think I’m going to check on the Dynamic Duo," Matt told Groves and Mrs. Murphy.

Matt placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "I’ve never eaten breakfast at McDonald’s. I was hoping you’d help me order."

"Three of those, please," he told the girl at the counter. Brian will help him polish off the extra one. "How about the sausage biscuits?" Matt asked, trying to add something without eggs to the order that he could eat.

When the girl assembled the order, Matt paid her and Dave took the tray. On the way back to the table, he removed one sausage biscuit and a container of orange juice. "I guess I’m not as hungry as I thought. You can have the rest."

"Look what your dad bought. He only took one sausage biscuit. He said he doesn’t eat breakfast, so he gave the rest to me. Is that true that he doesn’t eat breakfast?"

"It’s true," Brian confirmed. His eyes sought Matt’s across the room. He smiled at Matt. I’m surprised he even took the biscuit, Brian thought.

Matt attempted to get comfortable in the hard bus seat. He closed his eyes and tried to doze, but his ears still recorded the voices in the bus.

Valerie: "What do you want to sing?"
Mike: "A Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall?"
There was a chorus of groans.

Mr. Groves: "That’s enough back there. I don’t want to hear any more anti-gay remarks."

Pam: (to Tammy): "I could deal with it if it were another girl. But I lost him to a boy!"

Once in Springfield, the first stop was Lincoln’s Home National Historic Site. It was a tidy, white two-story cottage near downtown Springfield. It was the only home Lincoln ever owned. Here the guides led the kids through the rooms, many of which contained original furniture and other artifacts the Lincoln family owned and used. Upstairs, they viewed the separate bedrooms for The President and Mrs. Lincoln. Many kids giggled.

As they boarded the busses again, Matt spotted Jake trying to talk to Pam. She was having no part of it, and simply walked away and ignored him. Mike kept trying to get Brian’s attention. While Brian was not ignoring Mike, neither was he paying much attention to him. A group of boys stood in a circle talking and gossiping and Mike placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder and listened. Brian still ignored him. Matt felt sympathy for all of them, and just a bit frustrated at Brian and Jake. I thought I had taught them better manners. He knew the road to adulthood was full of potholes and detours, but he also knew they would eventually work it out for themselves.

The next stop was the Illinois State Museum and the Old State Capitol. The Museum was rather dull especially since Matt and his sons had just spent several days in some of Chicago’s museums. From there, they walked a few short blocks to the Old State Capitol, a handsome limestone building with a burgundy tiled dome. Here, Abraham Lincoln served as legislator and gave his ‘House Divided’ speech.

As they exited the building, Jake playfully bumped into Matt. "McDonald’s for lunch! Mmmmm! I know how much you love McDonald’s, Matt," he teased.

Matt crooked an arm around his neck and gently rubbed his knuckles over Jake’s hair. "About as much as I like passing a bowling ball."

This time, however, they were going to pick up the food and take it to New Salem. Groves had compiled all the orders and faxed them to a Springfield McDonald’s. He gathered their money and took it into the store. The food was bagged by order, then the bags stacked into cardboard french fry boxes. The intention was to sort through them and distribute them once they reached the park, which was about 20 miles northeast of Springfield.

But, the kids had other ideas. The scent of the fries and burgers whetted everyone’s appetites, and Mr. Groves needed little convincing to pass the lunches out as they traveled to New Salem. Matt helped Groves and Mrs. Murphy pass out the lunches. Again, Matt discovered Dave hadn’t purchased a lunch, so he shared his with the boy. He was very grateful.

The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration had painstakingly reconstructed New Salem in the 1930’s. First archeologists revealed and documented the original building foundations. Of course there were no photographs of New Salem to work from, so the builders had only written records and recollections to rebuild the structures. The result was a village of twenty or so buildings and a new stone building for administration.

Since Matt’s last visit, when he himself was in eighth grade, they had added a new reception center complete with it’s own McDonald’s. Some Lincoln artifacts were housed inside the reception center. They watched a short multimedia presentation about New Salem, Lincoln’s life when he lived there in the 1830’s and 40’s, and how the park was reconstructed.

For this portion of the trip, the kids were basically on their own to explore. They were to meet back at the busses at 4:30, a half-hour before the park closed. Allegra, Diane and Valerie stuck to Matt’s side as they toured the buildings. The distinct odor of the buildings – wood preservative, wood smoke, mildew and rot – brought Matt back to age fourteen. Matt held a map and tour guide as they walked from building to building. He caught a glimpse of Brian and Jake running, with Mike following them.

"Imagine going to school here!" Diane observed. "I’ll bet it’s colder than a witch’s titty in the winter. Oops!" She covered her mouth and looked embarrassed.

"So, what’s Jake like at home?" She asked, partially to deflect attention away from her inappropriate phrase.

"What do you mean?" Matt asked, although he had a pretty good idea. She wanted celebrity gossip. Matt felt like a reporter on Entertainment Tonight. He could picture it in his mind: The Secret Life of Jake Wagner! What he eats, what he watches on TV, how he feels, what he thinks! It’s an ET exclusive!

"Well, he’s pretty typical for his age," he said as they walked out of the school building. "I guess...."

Shouting interrupted him. Jake and a girl -- Matt thought the voice belonged to Pam -- were screaming at each other nearby.

The screaming was nearby. Matt glanced around the corner of the building. At the next log cabin, Pam stood in the doorway with Tammy behind her. Jake and Brian were walking away from them. They desperately searched for an exit from the yard, which was surrounded by a rustic fence.

He turned to Diane, Allegra and Valerie. "Would you excuse me? I need to talk to Jake and Brian...and maybe Pam."

Jake and Brian were making a hasty retreat down the dusty road that had once served as the main street of the settlement. He called after them, but they either didn’t hear him or ignored him.

"I see Allegra over there," Tammy said. "I think I’m going to catch up with her." Tammy left as well, leaving Matt and Pam in the musty building.

She laughed her throaty laugh, but instead of sounding bell-like, it sounded wooden. "Sorry for what?"

Matt tried a southern accent. "Y'all trah ta bring up them younguns raht, but they jist don' listen. They's followin' the devil, they awe. I'll take me a willah switch to that boy soon's we git home."

She laughed again and approached slowly. Matt sat in the door stoop. Someone had planted a small herb garden next to the building. Matt identified rosemary, basil, parsley and mint. The mint scent was the strongest. He looked into her dark blue eyes and could see her confusion and pain. He picked off a leaf of mint and started to chew on it. He offered her a leaf.

Matt’s informality and his sense of humor had allowed Pam to lower her barriers. She sat on a lower step near Matt’s feet. Matt squinted at the yard. At last the sun was breaking through the clouds.

"He doesn’t realize he’s doing it. I’m not making excuses for him, honey. He’s just going through a tough time."

"I know, Pam. I have tried, too. In the end, though, only Jake can make the decision. He has to decide when he’s had enough of feeling lousy. Then, he will reach out for help, and that’s when we need to be there."

In her direct, almost tactless manner, Pam asked the question that was foremost on her mind. "Is he gay, Mr. Rosato?"

"Pam, we have this little rule in our house that we can’t talk about each other’s sexuality."

She was fishing for information and playing her cards very well, Matt thought. Matt chose not to take the bait.

She knew Matt wasn’t going to answer her question. Pam was a smart girl, and she knew the answer to her own question. She had simply wanted confirmation. She lowered her voice. "I could handle it better, I guess, if my competition was another girl. But it’s a boy. I don’t know how to deal with that."

"I wish I had some words of wisdom for you. I tried to help Jake talk about his feelings. I thought it would prevent him from hurting other people, like you. But he’s only lived with me less than six months. I can’t fix all his problems in six months. Still, I’m sorry he hurt you. You seem like a very nice girl."

"You have a choice to make, too. You could stand by him or you could move on with your life. You need to know that if you stand by him and wait for him, he may never be the boyfriend you want. But you may gain something even better."

"A good friend. One thing I know about Jake, Pam, he is loyal to his friends. He stands by them through thick and thin." Matt noticed the sun glinting off the highlights in her brown hair. He heard her sniffling.

Matt stood up and offered a hand to Pam. "Can I have a hug?" Matt knew he had to ask, especially to hug an unrelated girl. You never can be too careful these days.

She was about to contradict him; instead she threw her head back and laughed. "Your breath smells so good. I think I will have a bit of that mint."

Matt chuckled and pulled a leaf off for her. He glanced at his watch. "Oh, my God! We’re late! It’s almost a quarter to five!"

They trotted toward the main entrance at a rapid pace. A male cardinal flitted in a tree nearby.

"That’s the state bird," Pam commented. When the busses were in sight, but they were still out of earshot, she said, "Thanks, Mr. Rosato."

"You can call me Matt. And you’re welcome. Come by the house anytime. You are always welcome."

They were the last ones to board the busses and the kids were impatient to get going. The windows of all three busses were filled with kids hooting and hollering at them.

"Whoa! Mr. Rosato!" "Older man, Pam?" Wolf whistles accompanied the comments, some of which were lewd.

The commotion only got louder once they boarded the bus. The only available seats were about three-quarters of the way back on the same side that Brian and Jake had claimed. Carl and Dave were now in the other rear seat.

Matt found he was tired as they started their journey home. They stopped again in Bloomington at a smorgasbord restaurant for dinner. This time, Matt openly paid for Dave’s dinner.

"You don’t have to. Don’t worry about it. Just return the favor to someone else sometime."

The kids stuffed themselves. The harried employees could hardly keep the food filled.

Darkness enveloped the busses soon after they started on their way home again. The flash from Brent’s camera blinded them at intervals. A game of Truth or Dare began.

Matt marveled that they would play with an adult in such close proximity. He debated whether he should stop the game, but decided it was a rite of passage for fourteen-year olds everywhere. He could simply claim he had dozed off and had no knowledge of it.

They both giggled as they puckered up. The kiss was so fast, Brent didn’t have time to get a picture.

"Dare." Matt was sitting directly ahead of her. He slumped in his seat, closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. He was afraid of what was going to come next.

Matt couldn’t resist. He opened his eyes and turned his head as casually as he could to the back of the bus. Brian and Jake were standing. Standing on the bus was forbidden.

They sat, but Mike, who was sitting in the seat directly in front of them, screamed, "They did it! They did it!"

Matt shook his head. Had Brian and Jake just committed social immolation, or would they be the toast of the school?

The four arrived home at 7:30 that night. They were all exhausted. Mike went right home. Jake and Brian went to take showers.

"Yes, I did, sir, and so far Tommy has not complained of stomach pain. Oh, there’s a message on the machine from Bill. He said it was urgent. He said to call him at home if you got back after hours."

"Matt, I have some bad news. Al’s dad had petitioned the court for immediate custody of Jake."

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