Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 10:41:05 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: The Castaway Hotel - Book 5 chapter 2 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. I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this chapter and to Ataan for his suggestions about the storyline. If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com. * * * * * * * * Although the boys in these stories have unprotected sex, I strongly urge all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms when having intercourse. * * * * * * * * The Castaway Hotel-Book 5-by BW (Young-Friends). Copyright 2002 by billwstories Chapter 2 - Life goes on. January 2002 I'd been home about a week before my family allowed anyone else to visit. My boys were being very protective of me, making sure I didn't get overexcited or that I didn't exert myself in any way. It was nice that they cared so much, but to tell you the truth, I was getting very bored. The next afternoon I got a call from my superintendent, asking me if he could come over for a visit and, of course, I told him he could. I was happy to have someone new to talk to and I assumed he wanted to see how I was healing and find out when I'd be coming back to work. When he arrived we exchanged pleasantries, talked out my condition and prognosis, but then he caught me completely off guard. "Josh, I hope you don't mind or think me presumptuous, but I've been doing some leg work on your behalf. I've talked to both the school board and the retirement system to get them to authorize a full early retirement plan for you, based on your medical history. Everything is all set and all you'll have to do is sign some paperwork." "Wait a minute," I responded, shocked at the idea of leaving my job. "I don't want to retire and I have no desire to sit around the house and just grow old. I plan on working a few more years, at least until most of my boys are out of school." "Why, Josh? You certainly don't need the money or the aggravation, so why wouldn't you be thankful for such an opportunity? You have to put your boys first in your life, not that you haven't, but they are the ones who really need you and the ones that I did this for. I'm just trying to make sure that you're going to be around to take care of them. Besides, knowing you, you'll be taking in even more boys as the older ones leave, so knowing you like we all do, you wouldn't retire until you were in your 80's or 90's, if at all." He gave me a wink after he made that comment, and I knew he'd made a valid point. "Well, I do appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but I think I'd feel useless if I were to retire and just sit around at home. I think it would better for me if I were to continue working for now." "Useless? How in the world can you feel useless when you have so many boys depending on you? Look, Josh, you're a bright and compassionate person, but it's time for you to focus on what's most important to you, and that should be your family. I'm not saying that we wouldn't miss you if you retired, or that the students at your school won't lose a little something without you being there, but I'd rather see them lose a little than have your boys lose you completely. After the shooting and now the heart attack, I seriously think you'd be wise to take the early out and put your family first. I won't ask for your decision now, but I suggest you talk it over with the boys and whomever else you feel might be able to help you make the right decision, and then get back to me. Josh, I only did this for your benefit, not for mine. Selfishly I'd like to keep you around forever, but I'm not sure what would happen to those wonderful kids of yours, if something were to happen to you." I thanked him for coming over, spent the next few hours considering his arguments, and then I called Sally Swarthout to get her opinion. After talking for over an hour with her, I called Judge Shay, to get his view on this situation. I talked with Steve for over an hour too, and then thanked him for his assistance, but I still wasn't convinced which would be the right decision. Later that night I called a family meeting, to talk this over with the boys and Jake, as I felt they had the greatest stake in any decision I made on this matter. Jake and I had already talked this over privately, before the boys got home, so I knew how he felt, but now I wanted input from the boys. At first they weren't sure what to think, but after I presented the various arguments to them, they also thought it would be best if I quit working. I think it was Andrew's comments that eventually persuaded me that I should make the most of this opportunity. "Daddy, I turn eleven in two more weeks, but I still need you to be here to help me. I already lost one mommy and daddy, and I don't want to lose you too. If quitting your job will keep you with us longer, then I think you should stop being a principal and just stay home with us." I just looked at him after he said that to me, held my arms out to him so he would come over to me, and then I hugged him as hard as I dared. "Andrew, that's the best argument I've heard so far. If you want me to retire and stay home with you, then that's exactly what I'll do." Andrew hugged me, followed by the rest of the boys, and I promised them I'd call the superintendent in the morning and let him know my decision. I spent much of the night considering how I was going to occupy my time now, and I even talked it over more with Jake. In fact, he was the one who gave me the best ideas about how I would fill in the gaps. First he suggested that I could take a slightly more active role in the Castaway Fund, spend more time with the boys on an individual basis, and then maybe do some volunteer work or maybe some counseling, if I needed more to occupy my time. I agreed with him that those were excellent suggestions and I would explore them further, but for now I'd just roll with the punches. I had my first opportunity to explore some of this new free time while planning for Andrew's birthday party. I was able to sit down with him and discuss exactly what he wanted this year, whom he wished to invite, and what types of things he wanted to do. What really shocked me was one other thing he brought up at that time. "Daddy, you know I'm growing up now and I'm not a little boy any more." "I know, Andrew. You're becoming quite a young man now." "Does that mean you think I'm old enough to start doing things with the other boys now?" I was a bit surprised at this comment, thinking I knew where he was heading, but I decided to play it dumb for the time being, just to be certain. "I'm not sure what you mean, Andrew. You do all kinds of things with your brothers already." "But I don't mean those kinds of things. You know, I mean the other stuff, the grown-up stuff." "Hmmm, Andrew. I still don't think I know what you mean." "Daaaaad," he whined, getting somewhat frustrated with my game. "You know, the sex stuff! I'm not a baby anymore and I know what the other boys do sometimes. I've heard some of my friends talking about things like that and, well, I've even heard my brothers talking about doing things like that with each other. I'm old enough now to do it too. Okay? Pleeeeeeease?" "I know you're growing up, Andrew, and I now know where you're headed with this, but are you sure you're really ready for something like that? I mean, remember what happened in Texas?" "Yes, Daddy, I remember, but I don't want to do it with some old guy, but I wouldn't mind trying something with Graham or Nick, or even Sammy. I've asked Sammy before, but he said he couldn't, unless you told him it was all right." "Yes, I do have kind of an agreement with all the boys that they'd check with me before they brought anyone new into doing those types of things. Are you really sure you're ready for this? You know I made Sammy wait until he was thirteen before I allowed him to get started." "I know, he told me that too, and he said you'd probably make me wait until then, like you did him." "Well, I think I'd feel better about it if you did. Would that be a problem?" "Yeah, I don't want to wait any more. I want to start doing things now." "Well, it's obvious that you have thought about this before today." "I have. I've thought about this a lot lately and I'd really like to try something with someone else. I've thought about asking some of my school friends to do it with me, but I think I'd rather try it with somebody who knows what they're doing." "Well, you would learn better that way and you wouldn't get so much misinformation. Do you think your body has developed enough to really enjoy doing things like that?" "Yeah, I do. I rub it all the time, when I'm alone, and it really feels good, but I've heard my friends say it feels better when someone else does it to you." "And they are experienced with such things?" "Well, no, but their brothers and older friends have told them that, though they meant that it felt better when a girl did it for them." "And what do you think about girls now?" "I like some of them, but not all of them, but I don't think I'd let a girl touch my thing like that." That comment brought a smile to my face, as I could see that Andrew was growing up, but he was still a little boy in some ways. "Well, what if I let you try something with one of the boys for your birthday, and then we'll talk about it afterward, to see where we go from there?" "You mean you're really going to let me do it then?" "Well, at least once, so you can see if it's something you might what to do again. Does that meet with your approval?" "Oh, yeah, it sure does. Thanks, Daddy." "You're welcome, though I'm still not sure I'm doing the right thing. So, have you thought about whom you want to be your first partner?" I expected him to hesitate and maybe have to think it over, but he didn't pause at all. Immediately he screamed out a name, and it wasn't that of his biological brother. "Graham. I want Graham to do something with me." "Okay, I'll talk it over with Graham, see if he's interested, and then I'll let you know. Is that okay with you?" "Oh, yes, Daddy. I'm glad you're going to ask him, cuz I wouldn't know how to do it or what to say to him." "You want to do it, but wouldn't know what to say?" "Well, I don't think you just go up to someone and say, 'Do you want to play with my wiener?' Do you?" We both had a chuckle over that and I agreed with him that approach would be kind of blunt and possibly put the other boy in an awkward position. He made me promise that I'd do it as soon as I could, and then let him know if Graham was willing to do it, so I gave him my word. That seemed to make him very happy, and he hugged me and kissed me to show me his gratitude. The reason I suggested on asking Graham for him, however, was so I could speak to Graham and tell him what I thought should or should not be attempted, if he agreed to help Andrew out. After dinner I called Graham aside, so I could explain all of this to him. "Graham, I had a young man make a request this afternoon, and it concerns you." "Me? How does it concern me?" "Well, your brother Andrew wants something special for his birthday, and he wants you to give it to him." "Cool. What does he want? A bike? His own television? What?" "Nothing quite like that. He wants to have his first sexual experience, and he wants you to be his first partner." "Me? Oh, wow! But won't Sammy be jealous?" "He might, but this is what Andrew wants. If Sammy does get his nose bent by this, then we'll just have to explain things to him. Are you interested?" "Oh, yeah. Andrew is really neat and I hoped some day I could do something with him, but I never thought I'd be the first." "Well, he mentioned you a couple of times when he spoke to me about this, so he's obviously thought this out." "Really. Neat. So when are we going to do this?" "Well, I figured you two could get together the night before his birthday. I thought I'd ask Ricky and Cole to ask Sammy to spend the night with them, so you could have the time alone with Andrew. Would that be all right with you?" "Yeah, that would be super." "Great. I don't want you to try too much with him, though. Maybe just a hand-job or maybe even a blow-job, but nothing more. Okay?" "Yeah, sure, Dad. I understand. He's still a little guy and we don't want to do too much too fast." "Exactly. Well, I guess I can trust your judgment then." Graham flashed me a big grin, knowing this was quite an honor and that I was placing my trust in him to not get carried away. It was a responsibility he was happy to accept and more than capable of fulfilling. I told him that I'd let Andrew know that he had agreed to do it and I'd take care of setting everything up. While we were waiting for Andrew's birthday to arrive, I had other things to occupy my time as well. First, I was still trying to help Kevin cope with the loss of Brent. He had been doing quite well, especially since Graham passed on that message from Brent, but he was still hurting and I was trying to figure out different ways to help him work through his grief. Fortunately, I had some help in doing that, and Kevin actually initiated one of those opportunities. It all began shortly after I came home from the hospital, while my loved ones were visiting me. John Spence had gone out of his way to seek Kevin out too, hoping to help to console him, and he learned a great deal about Kevin during that time. Kevin had made a brief comment during their talk, saying that he wished there was a way he could keep everyone from forgetting Brent. Mr. Spence took that comment and came up with an idea that he thought might do just that, and suggested to Kevin that they could establish the 'Brent Currie Scholarship Fund'. Kevin thought it was a terrific idea and was all for it, so Mr. Spence did the rest of the work on his own. After Brent had died, many people had wanted to do something at that time, but none of us knew just what would be appropriate. In lieu of flowers, Steve Shay had suggested that people could make donations in Brent's name to an account he established at the local bank, and we'd decide how best to use that money at a later date. Our first thought was that we could then donate that money to the Castaway Fund, in Brent's honor, possibly using it to support a single child or family. That was our primary line of thought until Mr. Spence came up with his idea and Kevin thought the idea of a scholarship was even better. In addition to the money in the account at the bank, Mr. Spence donated enough of his own money to it, so substantial scholarships could be given away in Brent's name for at least ten years. It was all quite exciting. Now he asked Kevin to help him establish the guidelines under which these scholarships would be awarded, and Kevin jumped into this wholeheartedly. Originally I thought Kevin might come to me for ideas or suggestions, but I was surprised when he didn't. He did all of the work by himself and he didn't come to me until he had his ideas well organized, and then only to seek my approval. He approached me one evening, telling me what he thought the criteria for the scholarship should be. He suggested that since Brent had come from a situation where he'd had very little material advantages, he wanted the scholarship to go to someone who wouldn't be able to attend college otherwise. I told him that was a very appropriate suggestion and that I concurred with his line of thought. He also suggested that it should be offered to someone whose grades may have been mediocre only because of those same circumstances, such as having to hold down a job while in school or maybe from not having had access to a computer or other similar advantages, but who had the potential to achieve at higher levels. He had made this suggestion because Brent had told us he hadn't been a very good student before he came to live with us, but his grades steadily improved with our encouragement and the advantages he had living with us. I told Kevin that was a wonderful suggestion, but it would be very difficult to set up a workable evaluation process to assess that specific attribute, and that's when Kevin came up with a way he thought it would work. To prevent everyone and their brother from applying for this money and to make sure that only the right students were considered, Kevin suggested that only teachers from the local and surrounding counties would be able to recommend students for this scholarship. He felt that they'd be the best judge if that student had a greater potential than they had shown, one that had been substantially hindered by circumstances beyond their control. I told him if that is how he thought it should work, then I would support his decision, but he should discuss this with 'Grandpa' Spence before he finalized the criteria. He said he would, but I could see how excited he was just to know that he'd be helping to keep Brent's memory alive. The weekend before Andrew's birthday was parents' weekend at Dustin's college. At first I wasn't sure if my doctors would allow me to attend, but after several conversations with them, they told me I could attend if I took it easy and didn't do the driving. I agreed, and they told me I could go. After discussing this with Dustin and Jake, we decided it best if the whole family didn't come for this. First of all, some of the events had limited attendance, and second, most of the boys would find it kind of boring, but they thought the most important point was that it would take some of the stress off me, by not having to worry about so many people all of the time. Instead, we decided it would be best to limit it to two or three of Dustin's brothers, in particular the next boys who would be going off to college. We felt that this might help them to get them excited about their own future and give them a small taste of what it would be like. Considering Kevin, Danny, and Brandon had already applied and would be the next group to leave home, I was going to take them with me, and Jake would stay home with the other boys. Everyone seemed agreeable with that suggestion, so that's how we planned it. When calling for motel reservations, I discovered that we were kind of late in that regard, so the room we were able to reserve wasn't all that close to the college campus. That didn't matter, as we figured the extra drive wouldn't be all that bad. We let Kevin drive us there, with Danny and Brandon giving him directions. We went to the motel when we first got there, to make sure we checked in and didn't lose the room, and then we drove to the college to meet up with Dustin. He really looked good and quite happy, and he told us he was really enjoying being in college. After we had a chance to get past the small talk, he told us about his roommate, whom he said he liked a great deal. I was glad that he had been paired up with someone he liked, as a bad roommate can make it hard to adjust to being away at school. From there he took us to a place where he'd promised to meet us with his roommate and excitedly introduced us to him. His parents were also with him, so they introduced us all as well, and we took a few minutes to get to know each other better. After that, we all went together to see the college football team play, even though it was a small time, Division III school. I enjoyed talking to the other parents during the game, as they led very interesting lives, but they were far more interested in us. They told me their son had mentioned our family to them and told them some stories about how we had all come together. He had learned these things from what Dustin had told him, and the parents questioned all of us extensively about what things were like at home and how the boys got along with each other. They told us they were curious because they had wanted a large family when they first got married, but it was not to be. Their family size was eventually determined by physical limitations, starting with fertility problems, which were compounded by the wife's difficulty in carrying a fetus to full-term. Because of those problems, they ended up with only the one son. The football game was actually quite exciting, with the home team winning in the final quarter, and then we invited the others to join us for lunch. Over the meal we discussed many things, as the boys got to talk with everyone too, and then our sons took us on a tour of the campus. Kevin, Danny, and Brandon were quite impressed with everything, especially when we got a tour of the dorms and they saw where the boys lived. I think they were more impressed with all the good-looking male flesh that was roaming up and down the hallways than with dorm life itself. After that, the boys wanted to show us around the town, so we all loaded into the Suburban, and took a driving/walking tour of the local sites of interest, at least from a college freshman's viewpoint. After that, we dropped the others back off at campus, telling them we'd meet back up for dinner and the evening's social functions, and then I took all the boys back to our motel room to clean up and change for the evening events. Of course, Danny and Brandon had laid claim to the one double bed when we entered, but Kevin didn't seem bothered by having to sleep with me. When we finished cleaning up, the boys wanted to talk about college life and how exciting it all seemed to them. All three boys were expecting to get their acceptance letters back from the colleges they'd applied to before Christmas, so this was just a catalyst to get them more hyped to move on to the next level of their academic lives. I was pleased to see them like this, and we took time to discuss what they hoped to be once they got their degrees. Even though we had held these discussions before, I wanted to make sure that they hadn't wavered or changed their minds. They hadn't. Danny still wanted to be a pediatrician, as he loved kids, Brandon wanted to be a dentist, and Kevin planned on becoming a pharmacist. They were all very capable students, extremely good in science and mathematics, so they should have no trouble in reaching their goals. In addition to being good professions, they would also make a decent living from them. I had no concerns about this group. Danny and Brandon had already told me that they planned on staying together, both at college and afterward, so they should do very well for themselves. They also indicated that they also planned on coming back to live with me, so they could help keep the Castaway Hotel in operation. I was honored that they would even consider such a thing, but knowing how young men often change their minds, I wasn't going to make them sign a binding contract to that effect. I kind of liked the idea, as it would give me something to look forward to even as I grew old and gray (or bald as the case seemed to be). When it got to the point where I couldn't handle things on my own, they'd be there to take over, but I'd have to wait to see if they still felt this way when they were through with school and able to strike out on their own. After picking the others up and going out for an enjoyable dinner, we returned to the campus for the evening's social function. At this event they had various mixed drinks for the adults and non-alcoholic beverages for the younger crowd, and then there was a band, playing mostly for the students. Dustin's roommate's parents definitely weren't into any of this, so they excused themselves and went back to their hotel room, but I decided to stick around, so Danny, Brandon, and Kevin could have some fun. The boys mixed well with the freshmen college students, enjoying the fact they were often mistaken as being one of the freshmen themselves, and I sat in the wings and watched as they had fun with this charade. I was grateful when the evening came to an end, however, as the band was very loud and my ears were ringing by the time we left. That evening in the motel, as Kevin lay beside me, he told me that he had hoped he and Brent would have been able to attend the same college and been roommates one day. He told me he had finally come to grips with the fact that this would never happen now, but he had something else to look forward to. He said that after what Graham had told him, he knew that Brent would be waiting for him when his life had reached an end too, and then they'd always be together. I praised him for his mature attitude and having worked his way through his grief, but that's when he told me that he'd always grieve over losing Brent, just now he had another dream to look forward too, when they met up again. The next morning we picked Dustin up at his dorm, took him to church with us, and then we all went out to breakfast. The boys and I all had a nice conversation with Dustin, as he filled us in on some of the things he'd seen and done during the first few weeks he'd been there, and then he assured me that he would make the most out of this opportunity and not spend it being a party animal. I told him that I had never worried about that, as I knew he had a good head on his shoulders, and then he told me that was only because of the solid upbringing he'd had. I thanked him for the compliment, and then we finished up. After taking him back to his dorm, Dustin gave all of us a big hug, especially Kevin. He told him that he thought of him often, that he was glad to see that he was getting on with his life, and that he'd always be there for him if he ever needed anything. After saying our farewells, the other boys and I headed back home, with Danny doing the driving this time. The rest of the boys were excited to see us when we got back, and Jake had a special dinner prepared for our return. Everyone wanted to know how Dustin liked college and how our trip went, and then we spent the rest of the evening relaxing. I actually went to bed early, as the trip had been quite exhausting, but I was surprised when Jake turned in early too. I was just lying in bed reading when he entered, and he sat down on the side of the bed to talk to me first. "You know, I've really enjoyed sleeping beside you all these evenings, but I was hoping maybe we could do a little more than that, now that you're getting better. It's you're choice, I don't want to push you or anything, but I think I'm falling in love with you." I wasn't quite ready for him to be so blunt or say anything quite like that. In fact, I was surprised that a guy as young as Jake would be interested in an older guy like me, especially considering my health problems and the fact that he couldn't be sure of how much longer I might be around. Finally I got my wits back together and was able to respond to him. "Jake, I've grown to care about you a great deal too, though I'm not totally certain as to why you're interested in me." "It's because of who you are, especially inside, and your age or your health don't really matter to me. Sure I want you to be around for a long time, but I'd be happy for whatever time we had together, if you want that too." I had to think about my answer before I gave it to him, afraid that a quick response might give him the wrong impression. I enjoyed Jake's company a great deal and I valued his friendship and help, it's just the romantic involvement thing was something I hadn't put a great deal of thought into. I mean, I never really seriously thought they he'd be interested in me that way, so I didn't want to chase a fantasy. I had to be careful that I didn't close the door on that possibility, but I didn't want to lead him on either, making him believe I had already thought this through. "Jake, I really appreciate what you just said and I value you more than you'll ever know, but I haven't been thinking about a relationship, with you or anyone else. I've never thought about anything for myself, at least not until after the boys were gone." Jake looked a little disappointed, but he seemed to bounce back quickly. "That's okay, it doesn't have to lead to a relationship unless you want it to, but I wouldn't mind enjoying some physical contact with you in the meantime. It doesn't have to include any commitments or even any love, unless that's what you want or feel, but I wouldn't mind seeing if there might be any embers hidden somewhere down deep inside. What do you say?" I thought about that quickly, but I didn't have to consider it very long. I knew that I was attracted to Jake, it was just that I wanted to be sure this is what he really wanted, not just that it happened to be convenient. "Jake, I'd be more than happy to explore those possibilities with you, but are you sure you're really ready to become a permanent part of this nut house?" "Are you kidding?" he responded, while trying to stifle a laugh. "That's all Shannon and I have talked about since we've been here. We both feel at home here, like we really belong, and neither one of us wants to think that it might ever come to an end." "Well, you're more than welcome to stay and be part of this family, without having to share my bed." "But that's the best part," Jake responded, giving me a wink after he said it. "Look, I've had a crush on you since our kids started trying to hook us up. Besides having Shannon, you and your family are the best thing to happen in my sorry life. I've been praying that you'd accept my offer, once I got up the courage to ask you, but I've been so worried that you'd reject me. I'm sorry if I sound sso desperate, but you've been all I've been able to think about for months." Now I was really floored, having missed the fact that Jake had felt more than just friendship for me during that time. I had been flirting with similar thoughts about him, except I didn't even think he'd consider being with someone my age, or with someone who had so much other baggage. I mean, what kind of guy would be interested in someone with this many kids still at home, let alone someone who'd suffered the kinds of health problems I'd just been through. "Jake, all I'm going to say right now is that I think I feel the same way about you too, and I'm willing to give it a try if you are." "You really mean that?" he asked, as if he really didn't believe what he just heard. "Of course I mean that," I told him, pulling him toward me and giving him a powerful hug. Then I let my lips seek out his, giving him a very passionate kiss, and then I spoke to him again. "Do you think we should tell the boys?" "No, not yet. Not until we're sure if this is going to work out. I wouldn't want to get their hopes up, only to have them crash and burn if we decide this isn't going to work out." "I agree, so why don't you get out of those dirty clothes and crawl in here beside me." * * * * * * * * If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.