Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:47:13 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening, Book 5, chapters 37 - 38 Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 5 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 37 -- Small Accomplishments. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. On Monday, I went in to my office. I was pretty much up to speed on most things now, so I was now ready to fly solo. This meant I could go through the day without all of the constant meetings that were scheduled to fill me in about the issues I wasn't familiar with. All in all, it hadn't been too bad of an adjustment period for any of us and everyone was being super-nice. I knew this was just because we were still in the honeymoon period and this wouldn't always be the case. However, I'd try to enjoy it while it lasted. One afternoon, after I got home from work, I discovered a letter in our mailbox. It was addressed to the Thomas Cole AEA Memorial Foundation, using our address, so I figured it was merely another request for the free packet of material. Therefore, I was surprised when I opened it and began to read the letter. It got to me immediately and this is what I read. To the person who founded the Thomas Cole AEA Memorial Foundation, I just wanted to let you know that you helped to save my friend's life. You didn't do it yourself, but by letting me know how dangerous AEA is. After my teacher told us about this in class, it made me talk to my friend, so I could make him promise not to do it any more. I think that promise saved his life. Maybe I should explain how it happened. My friend and I are both 15 and he got into AEA because he heard his brother's friends talking about how kewl it was. They raved about what a rush they got when they shot their load while doing it and said it was way better than normal. My friend thought this sounded great, so he started doing it too. After our health teacher explained the dangers of AEA in class and passed out the stuff you sent her, I tried to talk him out of doing it any more, but he wouldn't stop. He said it felt too good to just quit. I did get him to promise me not to do it unless someone else was there with him, so at least he wasn't going to do it alone. That's why I was always there with him whenever he did it, and we both kind of just got off at the same time, you know. Even though I did it at the same time he did, I wouldn't try the AEA. One day he kind of passed out after he shot, with the rope still tied around his neck. I was able to get it off him when I saw what happened or else he would have died. I even had to give him mouth-to-mouth, since he stopped breathing because of it. I'm also glad I took that class from the Red Cross. I'm sure he would have died if I hadn't been there, cuz he had the rope tied to the bar in his closet and then around his neck, while he sat on the floor. When he passed out, he kind of laid back, with his body on the floor, but his head was kind of dangling in the air. It was really scary. After that happened, I convinced him to give up messing around with AEA completely. I guess what happened must have really scared the crap out of him too, because he didn't argue with me about it this time. Since I nearly lost my best friend, but was able to save him because of the stuff you gave our teacher, I thanked her for telling us about how dangerous it was. That's when she told me I should write to the Foundation and let you know you helped save my friend's life and thank you too. So, thank you for what you did and I promise neither of us will ever mess with AEA again and we'll do everything we can to stop others from doing it too. Your friend, Bobby I was really moved by this letter, and now knew we had saved at least one life due to our efforts, so maybe Tom's death wasn't entirely without purpose. I decided to make a copy of this, to keep for myself, but I was going to send the original, along with an additional note from me, to Tom's parents. I thought they should also know that the Foundation created in Tom's name had helped to save someone else from the same fate and felt it might give them a little solace, or maybe bring a greater sense of closure to their suffering. I also hoped I would hear back from them about this. Apart from that good news, other things weren't going as well. The search for the new Superintendent was moving along smoothly, but proceeding more slowly than any of us would have liked. The school district had posted advertisements in the local newspaper, as well as the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh papers, but they had also posted it with some of the online job search organizations and in several professional publications. The letters of application and resumes were beginning to roll in, but not in the quantities, nor quality, we might have wished. The selection committee would meet occasionally, to go over them and would immediately weed out those that didn't meet the minimum requirements or the ones where the applicant's credentials didn't seem to be quite what we were looking for. It was beginning to seem that by having this opening so late, it grossly limited the number of people responding to it. If the letters of application made it through that process, then we would conduct telephone interviews with the candidate, to get an impression about their personality, educational philosophy and communication skills, before the committee would determine whether we were interested enough in them to request they come for an in-person interview. If they agreed to make the trip, we would tell them it would be seven to ten days before we set up the interview and then advise them our plan was to hire and have the person onboard by mid-August. Over 80% of the applicants who had reached the telephone interviews were eliminated after we spoke to them, for a variety of reasons. Some did not share the same educational philosophy or goals the board had established, while others didn't seem to be able to think on their feet or their personality was deemed to be too abrasive to fit in with the locals. Others were eliminated because they didn't seem to have the required verbal skills necessary for someone in such a high position, as this person was in essence the spokesperson for the entire district. One was also eliminated because of the grammatical and usage mistakes he made while answering questions, such as choosing words that were inappropriate in that context. It appeared this would be a long and time consuming process, so we had to focus solely on favorable end results and not on a speedy timeline. During this time I also started my new trio on their driving lessons. Although I wasn't so worried about Trey and Nick, I did have some questions where Vinnie was concerned. I wasn't sure if his muscular deficiencies would cause him problems in driving or require him to use special equipment, like hand controls instead of the traditional foot pedals. I also wasn't exactly sure how to broach this subject with him, since I didn't want him to think I was trying to discourage him from getting his license, but I needed to know he wouldn't be at a disadvantage or put at risk because of his handicap. Eventually, I just decided I had to try to do this as tactfully as I could. "Vinnie, I know you want to get your license," I told him, after getting him alone, "but I do have some questions to ask you about this first." "Okay, that's not a problem," he replied, looking quite unfazed about my singling him out. "I'm glad you feel that way and I hope these questions don't offend you, but these are things I feel I have to ask," I continued. "Don't worry about that. I owe you way too much to let anything bother me," he replied, and I hoped he was being sincere and not merely trying to butter me up. "Well, I hope what I have to say won't bother you," I reiterated, still slightly concerned. "First, are you going to need any special equipment or anything different in order to learn how to drive? I mean, I'm not sure if your legs will be able to do everything that is required of them." "Nah, I know I'll be fine and won't need anything special," I shot back, without hesitation. "My legs will do just fine." "How do you know that?" I countered, trying to pin him down and make him be more specific. "Well, my dad used to let me drive his car on some of the back roads near our house," he confessed, "and I could operate the pedals without any problems. It really wasn't that hard." "Okay, if you're sure," I agreed, "but please let me know if you have any doubts or change your mind." "I'm sure. You'll see," he told me, "but I will let you know if anything changes." "Okay, I'll hold you to that," I confirmed. "If you are as committed to this as you are with everything else, I'm sure you'll do fine. We'll go out Saturday for the first time, okay?" "Yeah, that'll be great," he agreed. "Well, I'll let you tell Trey and Nick about it then," I continued, "since you three will make up this group." "That sounds good to me," he confirmed, "and I'll be happy to let them know. Thanks, Pop." After giving me a quick hug, he took off to inform his new partners in crime -- I mean driving. The first lesson actually went pretty well, in fact even better than I'd anticipated. It was nothing heavy, just my typical first lesson where I go over some of the basics and then let them drive around the empty school parking lot. I like to do this so I can get a feel for where they're starting from and how much work we'll have to do. Since this was the most diverse group I had worked with to this point, I wasn't sure what to expect. You see, there was Trey, my meek, quiet and thoughtful one, juxtaposed against Nick, the aggressive, sweet-talking conman, and then there was Vinnie, who was bright and confident, yet had the physical limitations to overcome. I somehow knew this class wouldn't just be a repeat of the others, yet I surmised it might also be the most rewarding of all my efforts. In a way, I was really looking forward to this challenge and the individual victories that awaited us at the finish line. After we got back home, I jumped on the computer and discovered I had received another email from Ricky. That reminded me of something else. Even though it was only June, I figured I had to start planning for Ricky's birthday, which was on July 7th. I would talk it over with the boys, to see what they thought we should get him, but we'd have to send it within a week, two at the most, to give it plenty of time to arrive there for his big day. I suggested the boys try to be discrete and get some ideas from Ricky, either when they talked to him on the phone or through their emails, since I felt my doing so would be too obvious. They didn't seem to mind my request to discover what he might want; in fact I think they liked that idea of getting it out of him, without him learning what they were up to. Even though I figured I'd probably end up sending him some extra money too, so he could enjoy himself and be able to do more things while he was there, I wanted to do something more than that for his birthday. Hi Dad, My host parents took me to see some of the area over the weekend. It was really neat. They kind of live in the foothills of the Blue Mountains here, and they took me there to see some of the places that everyone comes to see. First, we went to this place called Echo Point, so I could see what they call the Three Sisters. It's three mountains jutting up into the air, but it's supposed to be three sisters who were turned into stone. They said it is part of some Aboriginal legend. I guess that a long time ago there were supposed to be these three beautiful sisters in one tribe and three brothers from another tribe fell in love with them. The problem was that the tribes didn't really get along, so neither tribe would let them marry. This made the brothers mad, so they captured the three sisters and took them away, but this started a big war between the tribes. This put the three sisters in danger, cuz they might get killed during the war, so a witchdoctor from their tribe turned them into stone, to keep them safe. He planned on turning them back after the war ended, but the witchdoctor got killed in one of the battles. That caused a big problem, because he was the only who could turn them back, so they have been left as these rock mountains ever since. Peter and I even walked up and down what they call the Giant Stairway. It's got like 800 steps in it, so that's why my host parents didn't want to go with us. We had a great time, but it can be a little scary. I slipped once and thought I was a goner. Peter laughed at me when it happened and I just sat there, because I was afraid I'd crapped my pants, but that didn't really happen, thank God. Well, it was still a good time. I got even with Peter later though, after we got back home. The next morning I sneaked into his room and pounced on his bed while he was sleeping. I scared him really bad. I think he even peed himself a little, but he wouldn't admit it. I told him he deserved it, but he just pushed me off him and raced to the water closet, that's what they call their bathroom. Oh, I forgot to tell you about their house. It's what we would call a ranch house and it has three bedrooms. The biggest bedroom is my host parents' bedroom, and then there's Peter's room and the guest room, which I use. They have a kitchen, dining room, and what they call a lounge room. That's kinda like our living room or family room. They have a pool too, so Peter and I will do some swimming. I'm hoping to talk him into skinny-dipping with me when his parents aren't home. Maybe we can get Kylie to come over and join us, lol. Oh, yeah, maybe I forgot to tell you. Kylie is the girl that Peter introduced me to. We've been talking a bit and getting to know each other. She's kinda nice. Well, I'll write again in a few days. Love you all and miss you, but not that much. Hehehe Please write me back. Love, Ricky Everyone got a kick out of Ricky's email, as it was vintage Ricky. It showed he is still the adventurous one, as well as a prankster, and can have a good time with either boys or girls. He's very versatile and adaptive, and it sounded like he was enjoying himself. I did get a little concerned when I read about his slipping while climbing those stairs, but knowing Ricky, he probably played that up to make it sound worse than it was, just for our benefit. It probably wasn't nearly as bad as it sounded, or at least I hope it wasn't. I try to get a couple of the boys to respond to each of Ricky's emails and I try to send something to him as well. That way he'll get a chance to hear from each of them, at one time or another, without being overwhelmed by having a mailbox full of emails all at once. I hoped he appreciates how it is working out. On the job front, the search for a new superintendent is not going very well. We aren't positive if this were merely the result of the opening happening so late in the hiring season, which meant the most qualified candidates had already accepted other appropriate positions by this point. As a rule, superintendents are usually brought on board just as the old school year is coming to an end, while openings for other positions are generally filled over the summer and up to the moment when the new school year begins. No matter the reason for our problems, we knew the quality of the applicants we were getting fell short of meeting our standards. Out of all the letters of application and resumes we went through, we did phone interviews with fifteen of those applying, but only two of them were good enough to be considered for a face to face interview. We invited each of them to come for a two-day visit and interview, figuring this would give us sufficient time to evaluate them. One of the candidates was male and the other a female, but neither had a solid administrative background showing a progression of increasing and varied responsibilities. Not only that, but they also didn't have a grasp on what the future of education might portend. Neither was able to give any indications of what changes they foresaw happening educationally in the near future, no matter how much we tried to draw them out. Above all else, the district needs a leader with definite visions for this job, so we concluded we would just have to keep looking. After this less than encouraging episode, the search committee decided to extend their deadlines. They agreed to do this in hopes that other, more qualified and acceptable candidates might apply. This meant we were, in effect, starting the process over again. Therefore, we notified the publications we had posted the position in earlier that we were extending our search, while also agreeing to study what other publications or vehicles we might use to get this information out. Along these lines, we decided to send personal letters to all university and colleges within a 300 mile radius that awarded advanced degrees in educational administration and ask them to post it in their placement listings or possibly send out copies of the information to candidates who had earned such degrees within the past five to ten years. We didn't want recent graduates to apply and calculated those with a few years experience in the field would be better suited to meet our needs, but only time would tell. Back on the home front, the driving lessons were going pretty well, but we did need to make a few adjustments. One was that we rotated between using the Grand Am and the 4-Runner Vinnie had donated to the family, because it seemed to be easier for Vinnie to operate the pedals in the 4-Runner. In thinking about this, I concluded it had something to do with the angles of the seat to the pedals, as the Grand Am was much lower and laid out in a more horizontal fashion, but the other boys didn't mind switching back and forth. However, it did mean Vinnie would definitely take his road test in the 4-Runner, where I would give the others their choice. Therefore, I might have to schedule those tests on two different days, one day for each vehicle. My biggest job with this group was trying to get Trey to be a bit more aggressive at times, like when he was accelerating to prepare to pull into traffic. At the other extreme, I had to pull the reins in on Nick, as he tended to be a bit over-aggressive. Vinnie, on the other hand, had learned he had to be a little aggressive if he wanted to succeed, just to overcome the obstacles he encountered in life, but he also knew he couldn't get too aggressive, because of his disability and the limitations it imposed on him. Surprisingly, at least to me, he seemed to be doing the best of all of them, and I wasn't even sure at the start if he'd be able to drive. Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 5 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 38 -- A Revolving Door. The following Monday, I received another email from Ricky and it immediately became clear he was still enjoying himself in his new home. Hi Dad and everyone else, I had a really neat weekend. My host family took me to a couple of different places and I had a lot of fun. On Saturday, we went to the Australian Wildlife Park, which isn't very far from here, and it was really neat. Although I've visited other zoos and wildlife parks with you before, this one wasn't like any of those, because they have a lot of different animals than what I've seen in any of those other places. I knew about some of these animals before I came here, but there were even more that I didn't know. They were really neat and got to learn a whole lot about them. When we went to see the koalas, there was a raised platform that visitors were allowed to walk along while they were there, so that put us even with the tops of the eucalyptus trees. This meant we got to watch the koalas as they ate and saw how they behaved where they really live, in the tops of these trees. It was waaaaay kewl. The koalas look like real-life teddy bears and they're so neat that it almost makes you want to grab one and take it home with you. They also have five species of kangaroo, including an albino kangaroo, and they also have wallabies, which are like small kangaroos. Peter, my host-brother, kept singing this dumb song about 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down,' but it did get me asking him questions about what some of the things he was singing about were, and then I even got to see some of them. I'll write some of the lyrics down, so you can see what I'm talking about. The chorus goes -- Tie me kangaroo down, sport, tie me kangaroo down, tie me kangaroo down, sport, tie me kangaroo down That's the part he kept singing over and over and it really started to get on my nerves, until he started singing some of the verses. The first one went like this -- Watch me wallabies feed, mate, watch me wallabies feed, they're a dangerous breed, mate, so watch me wallabies feed, altogether now! -- and then he sings the chorus again. But when he sang this, I asked him what a wallaby was and that caused him to buckle over in laughter. "Blimey, don't they teach you chaps from the States about anything?" he asked. He talks kind of funny like that, but it was sort of like listening to Nigel and his boys. Well, after he said this I got mad and told him they teach us lots of things, and sometime I'd show him stuff I know that he doesn't, but I wanted to know what that dang thing was he was singing about. That's when he told me it was like a small kangaroo. Another verse went like this -- 'n' take me koala back, Jack, take me koala back, he lives somewhere out on the track, Mac, so take me koala back, altogether now! -- and then that stupid chorus again. Of course, I knew what a koala was, so I didn't have to ask him about that, but then there was another verse that I didn't know what it was about, but I didn't ask him about it this time, because I didn't want him giving me more crap. That verse went like this -- Play your didgeridoo, Blue, play your didgeridoo, ah, like, keep playin' 'til I shoot thru, Blue, play your didgeridoo, altogether now! -- and then that bloody chorus again. Blasted, did I really just write bloody? Now I'm starting to sound like Peter. Hehehe Peter says it's like swearing. Anyway, Peter must have seen the look on my face and told me what it was, without making fun of me this time. He told me the didgeridoo is a musical instrument, which is sometimes referred to as a natural wooden trumpet or a drone pipe. The Aborigines, who are like our Native Americans, since they were the first people in Australia, are the ones who first made this and Peter says it's unique to Australia. I thanked him for being nice and explaining it to me. I think that made him feel bad about making fun of me earlier, but I just figured I'd pull another prank on him later, to get even. lol The last verse was kind of funny, and I'll bet you'll guess why, once I tell you what it said. It went like this -- Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred, tan me hide when I'm dead, so we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde, and that's it hangin' on the shed!! Altogether now! Can you picture them cutting off his skin and then hanging it on the side of a building, like some people do with animal hides. I thought it was funny, so I hope you did too. Anyway, getting back to the Wildlife Park. After that we saw a bunch of dingoes, which are reddish-brown wild dogs, and wombats, which look like really small bears. I don't know how they came up with the names for all of these animals, but most are really funny sounding. The emus we saw looked like small ostriches, and the goannas are lizards, well, actually they're sand monitors. The park also has eye-level underground viewing areas, so you can see the wombats and goannas underground, where they spend much of their time. They did have other animals that were really neat too. They had fairy penguins, which are the smallest of all of the penguins and only get to be about ten inches tall. They have blue feathers on their back and white feathers on their fronts, which is a lot different from the black and white penguins I was expecting to see. They also had some Tasmanian Devils, which surprised me, cuz I thought they were only cartoon characters. The real ones are about the size of a cat or a badger, and they're black with a white chest. These are not animals to mess around with though, cuz they can be really mean. They have lots of sharp teeth and they attack each other like all the time, so most of them have patches on them where the fur is missing from being attacked. These also have scars from where they've been bitten by other devils, which made me glad my brothers are not quite that bad. hehehe There was also this big saltwater crocodile, and some smaller ones too, but they said the big one was the largest one in captivity. It looked really ferocious, especially in the underwater viewing area. I probably wouldn't even make him full if he ate me, but I sure am glad I didn't have to worry about that. lol Well, that was Saturday, and we spent the whole day there. Then Sunday we went back to the same general area, to go to Wonderland. That's kind of like Disney World. They say it's the largest amusement park south of the equator. They have all sorts of rides and shows, and they even have a thing called Blinky Bill, which is a person in a giant koala costume, kind of like meeting Mickey Mouse. Some of the rides were neat, even though some of it was geared to the little kids, just like Disney World, but it was still a great time. I think if I can get Kylie to go out with me, I'll try to bring her here. Peter and I have been really close and we've had lots of fun. It's like winter down here, so I couldn't get him to go skinny-dipping yet, but I will. Oh, I forgot to tell you about school. I'm taking all business courses down here, because I've decided I want to major in marketing in college. Dad, you've always said I could sell sand to a thirsty man or a bikini to an Eskimo, so I thought I'd go with my strengths. lol Well, I enjoyed all your emails, and Peter read them too. I had to explain some things to him, but he's cool with everything. I even thought maybe he could come visit us sometime, so he could get to know all of you. I'm sure everyone would like him, especially you Dad. He's a little like me, that's why. Oh, and things I might want or need here, could you send some jockey shorts for Peter. The kind they sell here aren't as soft and he loves mine. He wears size 14/16. And maybe you could send something special for my host parents. They've been really great to me, making sure I get to see and do things while I'm here. I'll talk to you about that on the phone when I call, Dad, cuz I'm not sure what would be a good gift for them. I know you'll have plenty of ideas, though. As far as my birthday goes, just call me that day and wish me a happy birthday in person. Remember, it will be the 6th there, or early on the morning of the 7th, but I'll look forward to your call on that day. Wow, can you believe how long this email got! I almost wrote a book. Dang, I've never written this much before -- even for a school assignment. I'd better sign off then, before someone thinks I can actually write. I love you all, Ricky A short time after we all read the email from Ricky, Nick came up to me and made an announcement. "Pop, I think I want to sign up to be an exchange student next year, like Ricky did." "Oh, really?" His statement caught me completely off guard. "I didn't know you were interested in anything like that." "Yeah, I think it would be neat," he explained. "I'd really like to get to live in another country. I mean, you know I can survive on my own. I think I proved that before, so do you think I can?" "Well, before we decide that, you'll have to call your parents and get their permission first," I advised him. "If it's okay with them, then we'll get the ball rolling on that when you go back to school. Would that be okay with you?" "Yeah, that would be great. Should I call my mom and dad now?" he asked, more anxious than I had seen him about anything other than sex before. "I'm not sure they'll be home yet, considering the time difference," I informed him. "Why don't you just wait until later tonight, or you could wait until you go back for your summer vacation there. Remember, you are leaving this weekend to spend a few weeks with your folks. Did you forget that you and Brandon are flying out together? He'll fly with you to Oklahoma and then he'll catch another plane to get to Texas. I hope you remember that your parents took their vacations specifically during these weeks, just so they could spend time with you." "Yeah, I remembered I was gong, but I don't really want to wait until then to ask," he answered. "I want to know now." Just like Nick. The boy has to learn patience and how to delay gratification, but I don't think this is going to be it. "Well, we still won't be able to do anything until the fall, so there is really no need to hurry this," I countered, hoping that might cool his jets a bit, although I doubted it would. "Hey, I'm going to miss Nigel and the boys coming here too, aren't I?" he suddenly realized and began looking dejected. "Dang, I totally forgot about that." "You're only going to miss part of their stay," I consoled. "We'll wait until you're back before we do the fun stuff. While you're gone, we'll probably only take them to see Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York City, so you won't miss much, since you've already seen those places." "Okay, but I wouldn't mind going again," he replied, but looking better because he wasn't going to miss out on going someplace he'd never been. "I know, but you'll have fun with your parents too," I offered. "They are really looking forward to spending time with you, because they haven't seen you since Christmas." "I know and I'm glad they want to do that now. They're so different from how they used to be," he offered. "Okay. I'll wait until I go there to ask, but only if you promise we'll get this started as soon as we can." "I promise and that won't be a problem," I agreed. "Have you narrowed down the countries you might want to go to?" "Well, Australia sounds nice, but I'm pretty open. I'm also pretty good at Spanish. I had to use that a lot when I ran away and you know I'm taking it at school. I've even kept in practice with Carlos. I email him quite a bit and we IM each other too, so my writing in Spanish has gotten better, and then I talk to him in Spanish whenever I get the chance." "I didn't know you stayed that close to Carlos," I replied, somewhat surprised, "but it sounds as if that will help open up a lot more options for you than Ricky had. I guess you're certain you want to do this then?" "Oh, yeah. Every time I see an email from Ricky, I know I want to go," he told me, and I could tell from his expression he really meant it. "He sounds like he's having a real blast over there." "Yes, I think you're right about that," I agreed. "Well, it sounds like a plan, so we'll talk about it more when you get back." "Thanks, Pop. I knew you'd help me do this," he added, before turning to walk away. "Don't thank me yet, at least not until your parents agree to let you go," I warned him. "I don't want you to get too excited about this until they say it's okay." "Okay, I'll try not to," he told me, but I could tell by his demeanor that he'll find it very difficult to keep his emotions under control, if either his parents or the committee turn him down. As you probably noticed, this was something I hadn't expected, so I made sure not to commit to do this for him until he got his parents' consent and input. I don't think it will be a problem, because I believe they'll also see this as an excellent opportunity for him to continue to grow and develop. I also think I should sit down with him when he gets back from seeing them, so we can talk about what he wants to do with his life after high school. I think it's important he does this before he gets too far into this process, but since he is starting to actually think ahead now and planning at least part of his future, this would be a good time to take advantage of his sudden bout of foresight. That, in itself, is a minor accomplishment for Nick, since he's always been more focused on what pleasure he could receive here and now, rather than what lies ahead of him. Except for his interest in music and the guitar, I've never seen him become this committed to something that didn't have to do with another male's body parts. I spent the rest of the week helping Brandon and Nick get ready for their trip. Oh, they could pack their own clothes and get all of that stuff ready, but I called to confirm their flight reservations, planned when we'd leave -- so we'd get there in plenty of time, and made sure they had everything else they needed to tide them over until they reached their parents' homes. I don't like to leave things to chance or until the last minute, so I made sure everything was taken care of long before it was time to leave. While I was at it, I also finalized arrangements for getting Nigel and his boys to our place and for the trips we'd be taking with them. The boys and I were excited about seeing them again and I wanted to make this memorable. It was going to be a large group to take anywhere, and we wouldn't be able to do most things without having reservations or tickets in advance, so I carefully set about making sure all my bases were covered. Jake and I drove Nick and Brandon to Pittsburgh Friday evening. They weren't leaving until the following morning, but we felt it would be easier to drive there the night before and take a room at a nearby motel. That way, they'd be ready for their flight, which was scheduled to depart before 10:00 Saturday morning. Mark was also flying in that same day, but he wouldn't be arriving until slightly after 2:00, so Jake and I would have time to kill in between. The trip to Pittsburgh went smoothly and we were able to spend a relaxing evening together. Before we went to bed, we spent some time in the motel pool, exercising and cooling off. It had been a hot June day, so I knew we'd all feel better after taking a dip, plus it would help us all sleep better too. The next morning, while everyone cycled through the shower, I turned on the television and tuned in to the local news. That's when I discovered it was good thing we arrived the night before. There had been a major accident on I70/76, which we would have taken, about 6:00 that morning. Another driver had cut off a fuel tanker and the tanker flipped over, when the driver tried to avoid having an accident. Unfortunately, this allowed some of the fuel to leak, and then it's suspected a carelessly discarded cigarette ignited it. The ensuing explosion forced the closure of the westbound lanes and had traffic on the interstate and surrounding highways backed up for miles. If we'd waited and tried to come that morning, we probably wouldn't have made it in time. After we got the two boys on their flight, Jake and I took a little drive, since we didn't want to hang around the airport for four hours. We ended up at a mall, where we grabbed a bite to eat and then took in a movie, before heading back to pick-up Mark. When we got back, we discovered Mark's flight had been delayed, so we still ended up spending nearly an hour waiting around the terminal, but it was worth it, once we saw his face light up when he spotted us. "Hi, Pop and Jake," he gushed. "I sure am sorry I made you guys wait for me." "Why? Were you the one who held up the plane and kept it from landing?" I teased. "No, but you know what I mean," he answered, blushing slightly. "Oh, we know, but we never mind waiting for those we love and care about," I answered him, honestly. He grinned and then we went to get his luggage. Mark was thrilled about being back and said he was looking forward to working with his mentor at the bank again, but he was also excited about seeing the girl he had the fling with last summer. He and the girl had kept in contact after he left and had grown even closer than they were when he was here before. Even though he was living at the house with us last summer, we didn't see that much of him, as he was at work a great deal of the time, and when he wasn't there, he was often with this girl. However, he told me this summer he'd be spending at least a little more time doing things with us, even though he was going to pursue his relationship with her. When we reached the house, many of the boys raced out to greet him and they were sincerely happy to see Mark again. Once he got unpacked and settled in, he asked if I'd mind if he took Danny to the mall with him, since he noticed Danny was a little down from missing Brandon. I told him that would be fine and the two of them disappeared and didn't come back until just before bedtime. I think Mark was a godsend for Danny at this point. Mark also quickly took me up on the offer I had made him over the phone, about making himself comfortable and doing the types of things he wanted to. The first thing Sunday morning, I saw him and some of the older boys heading out to the pool, to swim in the buff. I thought Danny and a few of the others might pass out from the excitement of seeing Mark naked for the first time, and some of them were even sporting erections, before they got in the water. Mark was older and a bit hairier than most of my boys, but no one seemed to mind that fact. He was still a very handsome guy, with a great body and some nice assets, even if he was totally straight. The gay and bi boys couldn't seem to take their eyes off of him, but it didn't seem to bother Mark at all. In fact, I think he made sure to give them all a good show and let them look as much as they wanted, but no one dared to do more. They understood there was a line that Mark probably wouldn't allow to be crossed. In the end, though, everyone seemed to have a great time. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com - but please put the story title in the subject line, so it doesn't get deleted as junk mail.