Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 10:50:44 EST From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: The Castaway Hotel - Book 7, chapter 8 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 Emoe57 for his editorial assistance with this chapter, and Art, the real Vinnie and John for their additional input on each chapter. 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 7-by BW (Young-Friends). Copyright 2003 by billwstories Chapter 8 - Many changes. September 2003 The next time I spoke to our lawyer, he told us that other than some motions that might be made and some discovery issues that would have to be addressed, the boys wouldn't be needed until sometime in October. I asked him if it was typical for these types of proceedings to drag out that long, and he assured me this would be considered being on the fast track, if the trial actually did start by then. He said both sides needed to prepare for the trial, both would see that more investigation was done and witnesses were prepped, and so on, but they might not even be able to get it all done by then. I'm not sure if I was upset or relieved to hear this, because I knew the toll it was taking on those involved. Next, I asked him if he would need to prep the boys in advance, and he said he would, but he would do it on a weekend, so the boys wouldn't have to miss more classes. I told him we appreciated his efforts and consideration, and then I advised him that I would contact each college in advance, to let them know what was happening and get things squared away, so it wouldn't affect any class loads or grades. He said that would be a wise precaution to take, as some colleges had a limited number of classes a student could miss or cut and still pass that course. Now, I went back to trying to get everyone ready for the start of the college semester, as Jake and I would be driving the boys to their various campuses the following week. The other boys would be starting school the week after that, which meant I would also be going back to work. I thought maybe I should sit down with Jake now and discuss the idea of resigning as Superintendent of schools, as the boys would be my primary focus and be requiring my full attention. If I stayed working, I'd probably be taking extra time off during the year, which I didn't think would be fair to the school district. Jake and I discussed this issue at length that evening, looking at it from various perspectives, and when we had completed our evaluation, we both agreed I'd go talk to the board president the following day. That night the house was quieter and more subdued than I ever remember it, and I was worried this might set the tone for days to come. I knew everyone was concerned, but I didn't want them to spend all their energy on worrying about what might happen, so I decided to call a family meeting to discuss the case and see what we could do to relieve some of the tension and uncertainty. Once everyone was gathered in the living room, I grabbed my pen and portfolio, so I could start taking notes. "Okay, we all know what's been going on here, so I think it's time we started to see what we can discover, to help protect those falsely charged. We know the Hubbard boy got beaten the Thursday before we left, so I want everyone to think back and try to remember what you were doing and when, but also try to remember if you can vouch for any of those charged while you were getting ready for our trip. Now, I don't want you to lie or make anything up, because that would eventually come back to bite us in the butt later, and being caught in a lie would make the boys appear to be guilty, even when we know they are not. We have to stick with the truth and the facts, and that will be the best way to get them cleared." Everyone began to think back to over a month before, which wasn't an easy task to do, considering all we'd done in between. Finally, Vinnie spoke up. "That day Kevin and I finished our packing, and then we got some things out for Mark, things we thought he might need on vacation. He wasn't going to be back until the next day, and that would have left him very little time to pack." "Great, and did anyone help you do that?" "Yeah, Danny and Brandon did some of Mark's laundry, while the were doing their own." "And what time was that?" "It was before dinner," Vinnie answered, "cuz Kev and I spent most of that night alone in our room." I wasn't sure, but it almost looked as if Vinnie blushed after he said that. "Okay, that's a start," I told them, jotting that information down on paper. "Anything else?" "Yes, I helped my dad fix dinner that night," Shannon blurted out. "We knew you'd be busy checking on everyone else, and making sure they had everything they'd needed, so Dad asked me to give him a hand." "That's right," Jake agreed. "I'd forgotten that." "Did anyone else help you?" "Sammy and Andrew set the table and got everything ready." "Okay, we're making progress here. Who cleaned up after dinner that night?" "It was me and Graham," Cole answered. "We cleared the table and did the dishes that night." "Okay, anything else?" Brandon looked sheepishly at me, like he had something to say, but he wasn't sure he wanted to tell me. I just looked at him and waited for him to finally open his mouth. Eventually he felt he had to tell me what was on his mind. "Danny, Frank, and I ran to the store that night, to pick a few things up for the others," he advised me. Now I saw why he had been concerned, because that put two of them out of the house on the night in question. "What time was that and when did you get back?" "We left just after 8:00," Frankie announced. "I remember because I finished watching my television program first, and that ended at 8:00." "Where did you go, how long were you gone, and when did you get back?" "Well, we went to CVS first," Danny announced, "cuz we need lube to take on the trip, and then we went to the grocery store to pick up some snacks." "Anything else?" I wanted to know. "Yeah," Brandon added, "we saw some friends as we came out of the grocery store and stopped to chat with them for a few minutes, but that would mean they could put us in town before it happened." "Were you three together when you met them?" "No," Frankie responded. "They went out first, cuz I remembered something I forgot, so I went back to get it. When I came out they were all talking, so I went over and let them know I was done." "Great, then those friends saw you with Frankie and not Pat and Shannon?" Brandon's eyes lit up. "Yes, they did," he said, smiling. "And what time was that?" "Sometime between 8:30 and 9:00," Frankie told me. "I remember that too, because I wanted to call a friend, to ask him if he knew if they'd hired anyone for one of the jobs we'd both applied for, and I knew I had to call him before 9:00. He lives with his parents, who go to bed early, and they get mad if anyone calls after they go to sleep, cuz the phone in their room wakes them up." "Well, that's some good information. Anything else?" We continued to talk things out for over another hour, and when we finished, I had several pages of notes to share with our lawyer. I think the boys felt a little better too, knowing there was some evidence they were in certain places at specific times and with other people than those they had been accused with. Maybe this would help put everyone in a slightly better mood now. Monday, I drove over to where the board President worked, to make an appointment to see him as soon as I could. He happened to be in his reception area when I arrived there, and he spoke to me immediately and wanted to know what was up. I told him I needed to talk to him, in his role as board president, so he asked me if I could meet him for lunch at one, and I agreed. I said good-bye and told him I'd meet him at the restaurant later. Once I left his office, I set about picking up the things I'd promised to send to Nick, and then I went to ship them out. After that, I went to see the lawyer, to share the notes I'd taken during our family meeting, and after leaving there, I thought about how I was going tell the board president about my decision When I arrived at the restaurant, the board president wasn't there yet, so I waited patiently at the bar. He arrived about five minutes later, apologized for being late, and then we were seated. After we ordered, he asked me what it was that I needed to speak to him about. "I'm sure you've read in the paper about my boys," I began, and he nodded. "Well, for the next few months I'm going to have to focus on helping them and I will probably need a considerable amount of time off from work. I actually think it would be unfair to the school district for me to do that, so I've decided to resign." I pulled an envelope from my pocket and handed it to him. It was my letter of resignation. "Josh, please don't do this. I talked to a couple of board members yesterday, anticipating you might be facing some conflicts, and we decided we'd do whatever it took to free you up for your family. The high school principal can fill in as acting superintendent for a while, and the assistant high school principal can take over the helm at the high school, while his boss covers for you. It will take less than half the school year, and we really don't want to lose you because of this." "That's very kind of you to offer, but the start of school and budget time in the spring are the two most demanding and important times of the year, as far as the superintendent's job is concerned. I would feel grossly remiss in my duties, if I were not able to give the job my full attention during this time. I really think the district would be better served by accepting my resignation." "You may believe that, Josh, but we don't. No one knows this district like you do, and no one is in tune with what's happening in the community either. I, and those I've already spoken with, all agree that we'll do whatever it takes to keep you and give you the time you need to deal with your family problems. I think we proved that to you last year, when you were dealing with Cody's illness." "I know and appreciate everything you did, but with all the problems that keep arising, I don't see how my continued employment would benefit the district in any way." "Josh, we think we'd be better off with you leading the district even part-time, then an outsider or someone less competent doing it full-time. Please, accept our offer to assist you, and you can make it up to us after your boys have been cleared, if you still feel you have to." "I'm still not comfortable with this idea, but if that's what you want, I'll talk it over with my family again. I'll call you back in a day or two, to let you know what we decide." I was grateful that the district appreciated the job I had done in the past, but I still wasn't convinced I should stay. I went home that night and talked it over with Jake and the boys, and they finally convinced me I should keep the job, as long as the district was willing to cover for me and let me have the time off that I needed. In fact, it was the four boys who were charged with these crimes who were the most vociferous about me not resigning, so I bowed to their judgment. I called the board president at home and informed him that I would say, and he thanked me and promised that I would have all the time I needed to be there for my family. Once we had our family meeting, the rest of the week seemed to go better for us and now it was time to take the boys to their respective colleges. Frankie and Mark had agreed to watch over the house and take care of the others, while Jake and I took the boys off to their various institutions of higher learning. I was taking four in my van, while Jake was taking three of them in the Suburban. Ricky, Pat, and Shannon were all freshmen this year, while Danny, Kevin, and Brandon were sophomores, and Dustin was a junior. If Frank had chosen to go on, after his two-year degree, he would have been a junior as well, but he decided his two-year degree was all he wanted, for now. The trip went pretty well, as the older boys were looking forward to getting back to college and seeing some of their friends again, while the freshmen were excited about starting this experience and being on their own. I think out of everyone, this was going to be hardest on Jake, because this would be the first time he and Shannon would be apart for any length of time since he and his wife had divorced. I know it seems funny hearing it's going to be harder on the parent than the child, but that's exactly how it will be in this situation. As I dropped each boy off, we all helped him carry his things to his dorm room, to speed up the process and help make it easier on him. After that, we would spend some time looking around the campus and helping him settle in, but we obviously spent more time with those who were going away to school for the first time. I dropped two off the first day, and the remaining three of us got a motel room, before I dropped the other two off the next day, before heading back home. Jake was there long before I was and had dinner ready and waiting for me when I arrived, but I could tell something was bothering him. I wasn't going to broach the topic, as I wanted to do that later, in private. The dinner table seemed almost empty tonight, with the seven boys off to college, and now there were only ten of us left at home. As I looked around at the seven remaining boys, Mark and Jake, it seemed as if something else was wrong, and it all suddenly clicked into place, when it occurred to me that we were missing Brent and Cody too. Suddenly, the old empty nest syndrome started to take hold, and I began to acknowledge that it wouldn't be much longer before the house would be empty again. Well, I'm pretty sure Jake would still be here with me this time, but next fall Cole, Trey, Nick, and Vinnie would all be leaving for college too, and the year after that Graham and Dion. Seeing my older children had informed me that they and my grandchildren wouldn't be coming around any more, I was beginning to think back to what it was like before Sally talked me into taking in Ricky, and then Danny to live with me. I remembered the loneliness and sense of uselessness I felt, before I started to build my new family, and I wasn't sure I could deal with that again. I suppose I could take in more sons, but with my health issues and advancing age, I wasn't sure if that would be fair to the boys who needed a young, energetic father to do things with and for them. After we finished eating, and while the boys were cleaning up and doing the dishes, I asked Jake to accompany me on a walk up the road, just the two of us. He agreed immediately, not suspecting I had an ulterior motive for my request, and we started making our way up the road. "So what's wrong?" I asked him, as soon as we were a hundred yards or so from the house. "What do you mean?" he countered, playing dumb. "Come on. I could see it in your face the minute I got home and I've been reading it in your body language all evening. Something is bothering you, and I want to know what it is." He looked at me for a second, studying my face, and then he looked back up the road and kept walking for a few more steps, before he finally spoke. "It's Shannon," he finally responded. "First of all, I'm worried about this mess he's in, and second I miss him really bad. We've never been apart for any length of time before, and I really want to be with him as much as I can, especially while he's dealing with these charges." "I know, but you have to know when to let go too. He's growing up, Jake, and soon he'll be on his own. I know the legal problems are adding to your not being able to deal with that, but you're going to have to let him stand on his own two feet. I know that's not easy, as I still have to deal with it every time one of my boys move on, and now having lost my older children and grandchildren too, I can really appreciate how you're feeling. You just have to put it out of your mind and find something else to concentrate on instead." "Like what? What do I use to replace my son?" He kind of snapped at me when he said this, but I could see from the expression on his face that he immediately regretted how he had responded. "Don't worry about it," I tried to reassure him. "I won't take offense to anything you say. I think I, more than anyone, can appreciate what you're going through right now, and I'll only tell you what I think is best. In time you won't feel so bad about it, but for right now, this could drive you to drink, if you let it keep eating at you." "I know you're right, but right now my heart is in total control, even though my brain tries to counter my emotional side. I will try to do what you suggest, but I'm not so sure I can. He's been my whole life since his mother walked out on us, well, that is until I hooked up with you, but I also feel responsible for getting him out of this legal mess too. The problem is, I don't have any idea about what to do and I feel so powerless to help him." "We all do. All we can do is try to remain calm and objective, and try to think of ways to help, like holding that family meeting and trying to find an alibi for each one of them. I think some of the information we came up will help our lawyer plan his defensive strategy too, so that helped all the boys. We'll continue to try to think of other things as well, so don't give up hope." "I won't, as long as you'll help me." At that point I gave Jake a hug, even though we were out where anyone could see us, but as far as I know, no one did. We finished our walk, talked some more, and then we made our way back home. I think he felt a little better by the time we got there, but I knew he still had a long way to go. That weekend I also had to take a group of boys out to help the Beckers. We had been a little remiss since we got back, with only Frankie going out to give them a hand on a regular basis, seeing the rest of us had other things on our minds. However, we had promised to do this for them, and I wouldn't let anything make us break that promise. During the week, I asked for volunteers to go out to work that weekend, and got more than I needed. From that group, I chose four boys and took them out to the farm on Friday afternoon. I didn't stay long, though I did talk to Mr. Becker for about a half hour. He thanked me for our help, told me how his wife and son were doing, and informed me about his plans for the harvest. As we talked, I realized this was one special guy and I was glad we could help make his life a little more bearable. After driving back home, I remembered something else, something that had slipped my mind. This weekend Mark's mother was arriving from Oregon, because she had agreed to move here, so she could be closer to her son. Mark had finally talked her into moving to the area and had even made arrangements for her to look at some apartments the following day. We had arranged for her to stay with the Spences until she decided on a place to live, and Mark was beside himself with excitement about her moving here and their being able to be close again. That morning, Mark went to the airport to pick her up by himself, as he wanted to spend some time alone with her first. We were all planning to go out to dinner with them later that evening, allowing her time to settle in to her room at the Spences. I was at the Spences with Jake when they arrived, so we could welcome her, but we only planned to stay a few minutes. It was nice to see her again, and she seemed very excited about this opportunity, but I think she was especially excited about being with her only son again. "Hi, Susan," I began. "You look wonderful and you seem to have this special glow about you today." She began to blush. "Thank you, Josh, and that's nice of you to say. I think the glow you refer to is from my being with my son again. Thank you so much for making this possible." "Susan, I didn't do anything. It was Mark who made this happen. He wanted it as much, if not more, than you did. He's missed having you around to help him too." "Yes, I know. He's told me all about that. In fact, the last thing he told me, before I agreed with this move, was that he'd like to have me here, so he could help take care of me and I could be there for him. He said that way he'd have both his mother and new father near him for support and guidance." Now it was my turn to blush, and when I looked over at Mark, he was blushing too. "Okay, okay. I admit it," Mark finally announced. "Is it so wrong for a guy to want to have both his mother and father around to make sure he doesn't mess up too badly?" Now he walked over and gave his mother a kiss and a hug, before walking over to me and wrapping his arms around me in an exuberant embrace. As I looked over his shoulder, everyone else in the room was glowing, as they watched Mark's spontaneous show of affection for the two people he seemed to love the most. Jake and I took our leave after that, to give Susan time to unpack, rest, and get adjusted to the new time zone, as we were somewhat experienced with how hard that can be. Before we left, we informed her we'd meet at the restaurant at 6:30, as she would be riding with Mark and the Spences. When the dinner hour arrived, Sally and the Shays also joined us, as Mark's work with the Foundation had made him a valued member of our extended family. Throughout the evening, we tried to bring Susan up to speed with the area, telling her about some of the places that would become a vital part of her new life here. After that, we answered questions from her about things she wanted to know, and slowly she began to feel more comfortable about the big move. During this time, I became aware of the fact that Mark had made sure he sat between his mother and me tonight, and I knew this was probably the first time since his youth that he felt he was sitting between his parents and having a real family meal. The rest of the boys understood how he was feeling and they were happy to allow him to occupy the majority of my attention tonight. After all, they were used to sharing me, weren't they? After dinner, Susan went back to stay with the Spences, and Mark accompanied her and stayed for a while too, to make sure she was comfortable. Once he felt she was okay, and after she told him she was very tired and needed to get some rest, he came back to the house and we talked for a while. First, he thanked me for helping to make this possible, though I denied having done much, and then he told me his plans for the next day. After that, he also thanked me for being his new dad and gave me a big hug, which I happily returned. After we broke the embrace, I told him I enjoyed being his dad as much as he did, but he told me I'd never understand how much it meant to him. Rather than argue the point, I just told him I loved him as much as any of the others, and he flashed me another smile, before giving me another hug. The following day he took his mother out to look at several places; some were apartments in apartment complexes, but there were also a couple of apartments in large older homes, a few were half of a duplex, and one was a small home for rent. After looking at the various options and discussing it with her son, Susan decided that she liked the small home for rent best. It had two small bedrooms and a lovely bath, and she felt it would be best to meet her needs, as she'd also have a guest room, if she should ever have visitors. They quickly made the arrangements and signed a lease, and now all we'd have to do was help her furnish the place appropriately. Mark and his mother were both quite excited when they arrived back at our house, as Mark wanted to tell us all about where she would be living. I knew the place, as friends of my late wife and mine had lived there when they were first married, and they stayed there five to seven years before moving to a larger home. I remember it was a nice place, though small, but perfect for a single person or couple. I was happy for her, but I could see from her expression and demeanor that she was happy and excited about it too. We had Susan over for dinner that night, giving her a chance to become reacquainted with what was left of my brood again and allowing her to see the animals in their natural habitat. Oh, no, not au naturel, just in their natural environment, where they were most likely to act as they normally would. She seemed to enjoy her time with us, as she told me later she was glad that Mark got to be part of our family for a while. Even though he was older when he joined us, he had told her many times how great it was to feel a part of such a large and loving home, and that it helped erase some of the pain and sense of longing that still lingered from having grown up with only his mother for support. She told me she had tried her best for him, but didn't realize how much a boy needed a father and possibly even siblings to feel complete. I told her she had done a fine job with him, otherwise he wouldn't have grown into the terrific young man he was now. That was due to her love and care, and I reminded her that many kids have some regrets about their youth, but that was to be expected. I reiterated that she had nothing to be sorry about, as she did her best with the card she was dealt, and Mark would never have a bad word to say about the way she raised him. She thanked me for what I said and then I took her on a tour of the nuthouse. After we left Susan at the Spences that evening, Mark came back with us and was more enthused about everything than even his mother had been. He told me about the house and how it was so perfect for her, and then he thanked me for suggesting he ask his mother to come here to live. Mark was so excited about this change in circumstance, that he begin to act almost like a little kid again, and I was so pleased that he was so happy. I told him Monday I'd have the Spences take his mother around to pick out some furniture for her new place, as we decided it was be easier and better if she sold her old stuff before she left, rather than trying to move it across country. That made Mark even more giddy, and I marveled at how his mother's happiness and his own paralleled each other. I guess that comes from only having the one other person around most of your life, so you become more in tune with what they are feeling and what pleases them the most. Sunday started off as usual, with all of us going to church, and Susan joined us, sitting next to Mark and his girlfriend during the service. After the sermon was concluded, we introduced her to a few members of the congregation, trying to help her make contacts and establish herself in her new home. I thought everything went quite well, as Susan and one other lady seemed to hit it off really well, so maybe she had even found a new friend. The woman even offered to come over and help her clean up the place before moving her things in, an offer which Susan graciously accepted, after a few mild protestations. We went out for brunch after that, as was our custom after church, and we had another enjoyable time. Susan was getting to know some of my boys better too, but this also gave her a chance to meet and get to know Mark's girlfriend as well. After a few tense moments, where neither of them was quite sure how to proceed, they began to find a common ground in Mark, and soon started to warm up to each other. This seemed to please Mark immensely, and I could tell there would be no problem between the two women and any struggle over his affection. After we got back to the house, Cole asked me to go with him someplace, though he wasn't being very open about where. All he would say was there was something he wanted to show me, and it wouldn't take very long. Knowing he seldom asked for much, I agreed, realizing this must be important to him or he wouldn't have asked. He wanted to drive, so we took the Grand Am, and soon I found myself staring at a thirty-year old Mustang GT Fastback, in need of a lot of work. "Dad, I want to buy this and fix it up," he told me. "Cole, if you think we need another car for the family, fine, I will consider getting one, but I don't think this is it." "No, Dad. You don't understand. I want THIS car to fix up." "Do you realize how much work this is going to need? The body alone is going to take a tremendous amount of work, but I'm sure it's also going to need engine work too." "I know, Dad, but I want to do it. I've been taking all these classes on body and engine repair, and I really want a chance to try something like this on my own. I'll use my own money, but I just wanted you to say you understand and that it's okay with you." He looked at me, awaiting my approval. "Do you realize this may take a lot of money to fix it up, even with you doing all of the work?" "Yes, but I really want to do it. Okay?" "And where will you do this work?" "My automotive teacher said I could work on it as part of a project for class, so I can use the school facilities for now. He'll get what I need, when I need it, and I'll just pay him back as we go along. What do you think?" I thought about this for a minute or so. "Well, it seems like you've done your homework and know what you're getting into, so if this is what you really want to do, it's okay with me." Cole started dancing around, and I almost began to see him as he was shortly after he came to live with me, a young boy who was eager to please and even insignificant gestures could mean so much to him. He had been so deprived growing up that even some of the most simple of things seemed like a big deal in his mind, and here he was again, overjoyed about me letting him buy a junk car. About that time the owner came out of his house to see what we wanted, so I explained the situation with him and negotiated a deal. I think he tried to take advantage of us, after noticing how excited Cole was about wanting the car, but I got him down to what I thought was a fair and reasonable price. I gave him a down payment, getting a receipt in return, and then I told him we'd be back the following afternoon with the rest of his money. I explained that we'd tow the car away at that time, though he assured us we could drive it away, if we wanted to. I explained to him that we wouldn't be licensing it until Cole had completed his repairs, so we would tow it away for now. He said he understood and everything was set. Cole was nearly bouncing in his seat as we drove back home and he bolted from the car as soon as it stopped, to run inside and tell some of his brothers about his good fortune. I was pleased that he was so excited about this, especially since it was something he could do at school, as Cole's learning problems had often made school difficult for him. That's why we got him into a vocational program when we could, and it was nice to see him so energized by something that was school related, but would also benefit him in the future. We both knew he would be one of the few, if not only boy who wouldn't be going off to college after graduation, so if this will give him a leg up on finding his niche in life, I was more than happy to support him. I wish everything were this easy to deal with. * * * * * * * * If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at 'BW's Rainbow Youth Connection,' at http://bwsryc.gayauthors.org/ You can also locate my stories by clicking on the Nifty author link and scrolling down to "BW". This will give you the links for everything I have posted there. I also love to hear from my readers and get their reaction to my stories. If you don't mind, please share whatever information you feel comfortable with, because it helps knowing my readers better when I decide what to write or how to gear it. Please email me at bwstories@aol.com and let me know what you thought, so I can do even better in the future. Thanks, Bill.