Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 17:09:57 EDT From: William Watts Subject: The Castaway Hotel - Book 2 Chapter 1 Legal Notice: The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality. Don't read this story if: **You're not 18 or over, **If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live, **Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex. The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. Legal action will be taken against violators. If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://www.teenboyauthors.org/thewolf/, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories44@hotmail.com. * * * * * * * * The Castaway Hotel -Book 2 - by BW (Young-Friends). Copyright 2000 by bwstories44 Chapter 1 - A new beginning. May 2000 It had been just over three months since we had become a legal family and much had happened to us during that time. The boys had finished up the school year and most of them had done very well. There was one notable exception to this rule, though it wasn't from lack of effort. It had been discovered, at separate times and by different professionals, that Cole and Graham both suffered from learning disabilities. After going through an extensive series of I.Q. tests, psychological testing and medical physicals, it was determined that most of the problems stemmed from their mother's indifference and lack of concern for them. First of all, both boys had suffered from 'fetal alcohol syndrome' that was caused by their mother's excessive drinking problem while she was pregnant with each of them. This had deprived the developing fetuses from getting the nutrition they needed to develop properly and it also robbed them of an appropriate oxygen supply. Both of these problems most noticeably affected them while their brains were still developing and some irreversible brain damage had occurred. It had been suggested that they could be taught to compensate for some of this but it would require an extreme effort on their part and they would be required to work twice as hard as anyone else. The second source of this problem was the poor diet they had to endure while growing up and the fact that they had suffered from a mild form of malnutrition for most of their formative years. This meant that not only were their bodies deprived of the vitamins and minerals that they needed to grow strong and healthy bodies but this deprivation was also severe enough to cause additional complications. Although there was nothing that could be done to alleviate or negate the situation at this point, we could make sure that they had the educational materials and assistance needed to succeed. More importantly, we could also form a support system and provide the encouragement they needed to overcome this handicap. Once the problem was discovered, Ricky took it upon himself to make sure that both boys were able to function and progress with his assistance. He felt that without a little luck during his developmental years, he might have also shared their problems. His mother had also abused alcohol and drugs, mostly drugs, both before and after his birth. She did make sure he was fed when he was little and Ricky learned to take care of himself as he got older. Between his neighbors and later the school system, Ricky managed to get enough nourishment to sustain him and allow him to enjoy a somewhat normal developmental growth period. He did comment to me on more than one occasion that he felt that his short stature and the hyperactivity he suffered from during his early years had been at least partially a product of his mother's drug and alcohol problem. He also thought that some of his earlier educational difficulties were also due to those same factors. I believe this is what motivated him to take such an active role in helping the two youngest members of our family and to take such a personal interest in their development. Ricky was like a little father to the pair and they adored their older brother. Many nights the boys would even talk him into sleeping in their room, snuggled adoringly between them on the big double bed. I think Ricky enjoyed their attention as much as they benefited from his guidance and support. I can't explain the depth of my pride in Ricky for what he was doing or my appreciation for his lifting a great deal of this burden from my shoulders. I made it a point to tell him about my pride and appreciation whenever we were alone and I also told Cole and Graham how fortunate they were that he was so willing to assist them and that he was so patient when they faltered. The pair would just smile at me when I told them this and respond with something like, "We know, dad and we love him as much as we do you." Was I a lucky man or what? Well I guess there were times when I didn't feel so lucky. Like those weekend mornings when Ricky would conspire with his two little charges on a new way to wake me up. One day the three of them would come running into my room naked, leap high into the air and land on me, startling me awake from a deep sleep. Another time they tucked all my bedding under the mattress as tightly as they could, took a length of rope and tide it over the covers, around my chest and completely around the bed frame and then ran around my room yelling 'fire'. I nearly had a heart attack when I couldn't get out of the bed to save my boys but I quickly assessed the prank and let my heart rate and respiration settle down from the sprint pace they had been running at. Later that afternoon I doused the trio with the garden hose and told them that I was only putting out a small fire when they complained. On other days they had thrown damp towels on me to get me up, towels that they had placed in the freezer for 30-40 minutes first for maximum effect. Needless to say this would bring me scrabbling from my bed and screaming mild obscenities at them as I grabbed another towel and flicked it at their butts as they fled before me. On another occasion, my trio of devils had also filled my bed with an assortment of little rubber and plastic creatures as I slept so they would work there way under me as I tossed and turned and lead me to believe that my bed was being invaded by tiny critters. One other morning the three of them got on one side of my mattress, lifted it up and rolled me out onto the floor. I would never have guessed that they would have been strong enough to do that but I would have been wrong. Another memorable time was when they took their boom-boxes, each set to maximum volume on different radio stations, and turned them on simultaneously in a triangle pattern surrounding my bed. After they scraped me off of the ceiling, I chased them all around the house, smacking their bare bottoms playfully each time I caught up to one of them. Ricky was still great for remembering how to cause mischief and he was teaching his little brothers everything he knew. That was causing them to become closer and bond even more. Cole and Graham also had two other young boys who thought they were the greatest, my two grandsons. When we met for our joint summer vacation at Virginia Beach with my oldest children, the two little ones couldn't be separated from their youngest uncles. They played together, ate together and the four of them even shared one bed together. The four of them enjoyed this invisible bond during their whole time with each other and I would say that there were more than a few tears shed it was time for all of us to return to our homes. Everyone agreed to come home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas and we had to explain to the boys that they would see each other then. We also arranged for my grandsons to come and spend the whole of next summer with us and I would give them back to their parents when we met for another joint vacation in August. I think that this attachment bruised Ricky's ego a little, as my grandsons monopolized Cole and Graham's attention, but he stoically accepted the fact and moved on to spend his time with Danny, Kevin and Dustin. I think he actually enjoyed the break from his wards and it was pleasant for him to renew his ties with his older siblings. Unknown to him, Ricky was caught in that web between childhood and adolescence when there were times when he wanted to remain a child and other times when he wished that he was completely grown. This trip gave him the opportunity to move from one camp into the other and enjoy the benefits and new opportunities that hanging with his older brothers could provide. During that same period of time, the whole family had become celebrities of a sort. After the adoption proceeding had taken place, word got out to the local paper about us and they ran large, feature articles about us in their Sunday edition, complete with photographs of all the boys. This story was later picked up and featured in 'USA Today' and then we were showcased in 'Newsweek' and 'Time' magazines. None of us felt that we deserved or wanted this much attention but once the genie was out of the bottle there was no easy way to cork him back in. We received numerous letters, cables and emails via the local newspaper and I took the time to read them to the boys as we sat around the dining room table. After each item was read, we would decide as a group how we wished to respond to this correspondence. In general, the boys suggested that we be polite and appreciative but they agreed that we should also not try to encourage them to think of us unique or special. They felt that there were other mixed families out there who were doing just as much for their children and we didn't want to set ourselves up as being the only or ultimate 'family life icon'. We were just one small raft in a sea of thriving non-traditional families but, for some unknown reason, we had become this season's media darlings. We just wanted to remind everyone that there were others out there who were equally deserving of such attention and praise. As the school year began at the end of August, I had one boy in each grade from sixth to eleventh. Cole and Graham were each one-year behind the rest of their age group but this didn't concern them in the least. In fact, Ricky was only three months older than Cole even though he was a full grade ahead of him. The boys had all started their fall sports, with the exception of Cole and Graham who did not care to participate. They did go and support their brothers, however, and the brothers made sure that they came over to greet them at least once at some point during the competition. That small gesture made Cole and Graham feel special and they enjoyed the fact that their brothers would always go out of their way to do that for them. Their brothers would also frequently encourage their closest teammates to go over and say hello to the youngest pair as well. Cole and Graham soon became unofficial mascots for these teams and were often the focal point for some impromptu cheerleading. We were into our third full week of school when my secretary told me that I had an important call. I took it in my office wondering if its nature was personal or professional. "Hello, this is Josh Currie." "Hello, Mr. Currie. This is Judge Steven Shay. I don't know if you remember me but I'm the person who presided over family court when you adopted all of your boys." "Of course I remember you, your honor. It's nice to hear from you but I suspect this is not a social call." "Quite right. I have a favor to ask of you and your boys. I had a young man appear before me on a minor offense this afternoon and I'm not convinced that a severe punishment is necessary. I believe this young man is a product of his environment and that he needs to be removed from this environment if I expect him to change. My only options are juvenile hall and foster care. You have the best foster home that I've ever known about and if the boy can't flourish with your guidance and the help of your new sons then that would tell me that he belongs in a more confined environment. I wish to give him a chance with you, if you agree to it, before I might be forced to send him away." "The boys and I have talked about the possibility of our being asked to take in others and they have made me make them a promise. I had to promise them that I would never refuse to help any other boy that we discover who needed our help. They have each expressed to me in their own way that they feel that coming to live with me has been the best thing that has ever happened to them and they want me to give every young man who needs help the same chance." "Well, I see that they not only adopted your name but your kind, loving and compassionate spirit as well. I knew that day your family stood in my courtroom that you were all very special individuals. I want you to express my gratitude and admiration to each of them. You are all very fortunate to have each other." "Thank you, your honor. Is there anything else you can share with me about this young man?" "Yes there is. His name is Patrick Murray, he is fourteen years old and he is in the ninth grade. Perhaps I should say that he has been placed in the ninth grade because of his age but he is taking many remedial courses even after attending summer school. He has had a very chaotic life. Originally, Patrick was raised by his maternal grandparents and he lived with them until they became too old and feeble to be able to cope with his needs. He went to live with his mother and his father at different times, separately of course because they are not together as a couple, but they had too many of their own problems to deal with to raise a young boy. An aunt and uncle eventually took him in, his father's sister and her husband, but they move around quite frequently, supposedly to follow various jobs. I suspect that there is more to their nomadic wanderings than just employment opportunities and this may be compounding Patrick's problems. He has never been in the same school for longer than three months and, therefore, his education has been a collage of unconnected pieces. He is a bright child and I believe that he would blossom in a stable situation. They only moved to our school district at the very end of last year, too late for Patrick to be enrolled in regular classes, so he was signed up for summer courses. During the summer he also fell in with some of the less desirable members of our local citizenry and it was an incident that happened while in the company of these individuals that brought him into my courtroom. I believe that he had been pressured into doing what he has been accused of and I'd like to see him removed from this old element and given a chance to grow in a loving and caring home. That is where you and your boys come into the picture." "I see and I agree that this young man has not had the greatest opportunities to succeed. When should we expect him?" "Would this afternoon be too soon?" "Not if 5:30 would be alright with you? Some of the boys have sports practices and other activities and it will take me that long to round them all up, brief them about the new arrival and get them home to meet him." "Good thinking. I suppose that's why you're such a successful parent. You look at all aspects of the situation before you make your decision. I will bring Patrick around myself because I'd like to see the boys again. I would like to congratulate them for turning their lives around and for making the most of their present situation. I would also like to express my gratitude for their most mature attitude about helping others in similar situations." "I'm sure that we will all profit from seeing you at that time. I'll see you at 5:30 then. Good-bye." After school let out, I went around and collected all of the boys at the various locations and soon we were on our way home. I quickly informed them about Patrick and that he would be joining us shortly after we arrived. Suddenly there was a buzzing in back of me as the boys started to discuss various things amongst themselves and I couldn't concentrate on what any one group was saying as all of these discussion were overlapping and drowning each other out. We arrived at the house and I pulled into the driveway before the boys unloaded and went about their activities. As I was strolling up the sidewalk, Ricky approached me and asked to speak with me privately. After the others had entered the front door, Ricky made a suggestion. "Dad, there is only the one open bedroom and Patrick won't have any choices like the rest of us had. I want you to show him that bedroom and mine and let him choose the one he wants. I can move in with Cole and Graham if necessary, I'm there most of the time anyway, and they've already agreed to it as well." "I'm sure that they did but I'm not sure what I'd be doing to myself if I allowed my 'three stooges of pranks' share a bedroom, thus giving them the opportunity to make plans on how to best torture the rest of us." Ricky smiled and then flashed me a fake injured expression. "Ohhhh. That hurts Dad. Do you really think that we'd do something like that?" I didn't answer with words. Instead, I looked him in the eyes and raised my eyebrows as high as they would go. "Okay, don't answer that," Ricky shot back. "Maybe we have done some things that were a little wild but I'm still your favorite, aren't I?" "A little wild. Let's put it this way Ricky, would I be your favorite if I did those same things to you?" Ricky flashed me another pained look. "That's low dad. That hitting below the belt and it really hurts. I'm beginning to think that you don't love me any more." He flashed a half grin as he said this. "Of course I love you Ricky, not because of your little pranks and instigative abilities but because of your thoughtfulness, like offering Patrick your room, and because of your considerate and patient help which you bestow on Cole and Graham. You were my first new son, Ricky, and that alone will always make you special to me but it's all of your special little qualities that make me love you the most." Ricky wrapped his arms around me in a powerful bear hug and I quickly did the same to him. When we broke our embrace, I scooped him up, threw him over my shoulder like a large sack of potatoes and carried him into the foyer. The other boys wanted to know what that was all about and Ricky and I just smiled at each other and giggled. "It was caused by a thoughtful little suggestion that your brother made to help the new boy." That was all I told them trying to be honest but not divulge all of the nuances of our discussion. I set Ricky down and the boys all went about their business. Those who had homework went to do it. There was a boy on each of the computers and Kevin offered to help me prepare for dinner. He went to set the table while I began to fix the food and I reminded him to include two extra settings for our guests. When he was finished with that task, Kevin came out to see if he could assist me with anything else. I was just finishing preparing the chicken and was about ready to put it into the over and I told him that everything was done. At that moment, the doorbell rang and boys came flying from all directions to meet our guests. Graham was at the door first so he opened it and welcomed our visitors inside. I greeted both of our guests, shook their hands and led them into the living room to chat. All of the boys followed us in and flopped down in various places so they could hear what was going on. Graham crawled up onto my lap and Ricky took a seat on the arm of my chair. I introduced all of the boys to Patrick and each boy gave him a brief history of how they came to live with me. After they had finished this, some of the boys began to tell him what life was like in our household and about some of the things we had done together. When this had ended, Judge Shay congratulated the boys on all their successes in school and sports and he complimented them on their concern for the welfare of others, as was pointed out to him in our earlier conversation. "I want to tell all of you that the day I was able to announce your adoptions and make this a true family will always stand out as one of the most cherished highlights of my career as a jurist. I was impressed with you then but I'm more impressed with you now. This family will always hold a special place in my heart." After the judge had finished speaking, I sent the boys off to show Patrick around the house. Before he left he informed all of us that he preferred to be called Pat. We all told him that we would honor his wishes and the boys went off while I took the judge into the dining room for coffee. When had just finished our second cup when the boys came back in. "Well, Pat. I take it that they boys have shown you around the house by now." "Yes, sir. They've shown me the house and we walked around outside for awhile." "Then you've seen your choices for a bedroom?" "Yes, sir. I have." "Well, I just want to let you know before you choose that if you choose the spare bedroom we will have it remodeled for you. That is the only bedroom that hasn't been redone since our new family started forming. Some of the other boys have had the opportunity to select their own wallpaper and other items for their rooms before they moved in. You would be given the same opportunity." "I was going to choose that bedroom anyway, sir. I wouldn't feel right chasing Ricky out of his bedroom." "Oh, don't worry about that. He doesn't spend much time in there at all. You will soon discover that Ricky, Cole and Graham are attached at the hip and they spend most of their time dreaming up diabolical pranks to pull on the rest of us. You may not understand this now but I'm sure that you'll understand this fully before you've lived with us for two weeks. I'm sure they will show you little mercy just because you're new to our home." "Oh, dad," Ricky complained. "You're going to have him thinking that we're rotten and he won't trust us at all." "Exactly," Danny shot back. "If he learns that he might survive with Dr. Jekyl, Mr. Hyde and Igor in the house." "Yeah and he'll learn to sleep with his door locked if he doesn't want any un-welcomed surprises during the night or in the early morning hours," Dustin added. "We're not all like that, Pat, but you've got to watch out for those three. They have a knack for waking people up by scaring the crap out of them." Pat was laughing, as Ricky looked pained. Cole had his hands on his hips feigning disgust and little Graham began pouting. The judge was doing all he could to contain his laughter. "Dad, they're going to have Pat think were evil or something," Cole complained. "Well, would they be wrong?" I asked in returned. "Dad!" the three of them yelled in unison. "Well, you boys have pulled various pranks on each one of us multiple times. I think your reputation is well earned and we should give Pat the benefit of our knowledge." "Some family this is," Ricky huffed. "We still love you," Kevin added. "It's just that none of us trust you any more." That did it. Judge Shay and Pat could contain their mirth no longer and both were laughing loudly. "I'm sorry," Judge Shay apologized, "but you boys really act like brothers who have spent their entire lives together. Don't worry, we can see that all of these little pranks were done with the utmost love and weren't malicious in any way. It's just comical to see how you all feed off of one another and how you each have your own endearing qualities. Patrick, excuse me.Pat, I hope that you will learn to appreciate their good natured ribbing and let yourself become part of the fun." "Yes, sir. I'll try," Pat answered him trying to look as serious as possible. The judge excused himself and explained that he had to get home. We let him know that he was welcomed to stay and eat with us but he politely declined saying he had other plans. He thanked us for our hospitality and for the evenings entertainment and then he advised Pat to make the best of this opportunity. Everyone said good-bye to the judge individually and his car was soon backing out into the street. "Pat, for the time being you can sleep in Ricky's room," I told him. "He can bunk in with his partners in crime. You can go with me to the home improvement store after school tomorrow and help me pick out supplies for the renovation. I'll call my contractor in the morning to set up a date for the work to be done. In the meantime, you will be in Ricky's room, Curly, Larry and Moe will share the jungle room and the rest of us will be on our guard against attack." This brought another round of chuckles from most of the boys and another round of protestations from my trio of pranksters. I ignored the boys and went into the kitchen to check on dinner and I advised the boys we would be eating in approximately ten more minutes. I told them all to wash up and meet me in the dining room and they vanished. Kevin took Pat with him to show him where to clean up. * * * * * * * * If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://www.teenboyauthors.org/thewolf/, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mails may be sent to: bwstories44@hotmail.com.