FOUNDER'S SCHOOL FOR BOYS
Authors note.
Hey all. I have been building this story in my head for years, and it took a pandemic to move it from my head to these pages. This story is just made up from things I fantasized about when I was little. There is no truth to it and any resemblance to something that may have happened in your life is purely coincidental, although, I would love to hear about it.
I am a little ADD so it is hard for me to sit down and write. I will not do it if I do not get feedback. Nifty give us an outlet to write things that we cannot talk about in the real world, so donate http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html and be sure to give the authors feedback on what you think after you read their stories..
Remember to please keep the fantasies here on the pages of Nifty. What I am asking is read about him, dream about him, look at him, but don't put hands on him.
I do hope you and your families are staying safe and heathy through these trying times. ENJOY.
CHAPTER FIVE
CAUGHT IN THE LIE
It has been
two weeks since I visited Founders School for Boys. I hadn't heard anything yet
and was starting to figure that I must have messed up my tests somehow. I am
not sure how though, I worked really hard on them. Maybe it was the fight, that
must be it. No, the Headmaster said that I would be punished for that when I
came back. I was so frustrated that I was hardly sleeping and doing worse in my
classes than normal. Then the bomb dropped.
We
were at the dinner table with my dad saying the prayer and giving thanks.
"Bless us, O Lord, and these, thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy
bounty. Thank you for our family and for guiding us
through the adventures ahead. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen." I looked at
my father and wondered why he thanked God for the adventures ahead. Then I
heard the whistle of the bomb as it fell into the center of the table. "Boys I
received wonderful news today. We have been chosen to go on a mission to Syria.
The Millers just got back so we are going to take their place." Donny was all
excited, talking about how great it would be to help out there. My mom was just
smiling at his happiness. Then they all looked at me, and my dad asked in his
happy voice, "Brian my youngest son, are you excited?"
It
took me a minute to form any words. So many things were going through my head,
mostly of course, that even if I got accepted into FSB I would never get to go
now. "You are joking, right? Don't you read the news, there is war there,
people are dying there, and you volunteered us to go without even talking to us
first?
"Son
calm down. The Millers were there for two years, and they are fine. I know this
is not news that you want anything to do with, but your family is going, so you
will just have to accept it and try to make the best of it."
"I
don't get it, Dad, I thought you understood me and accepted that I am not like
the rest of you. I respect your beliefs, and I thought you respected my right
not to believe."
"I
do son, but the fact is that this is what we are doing, and I expect you to
come along and be polite and do what you need to do."
I
got so mad I could feel my ears turn red and I left the table and went to my
room. Thankfully, no one tried to come talk to me, so I didn't have to be
disrespectful to anyone. I wondered if I should try to call the Headmaster and
let him know. Then I lay on my bed and cried till I fell asleep. The next
morning did not find me in any better of a mood. My
mom asked, "Brian, did anything happen at school that I should know about? I
received an e-mail this morning asking your father and me to come to the school
on Friday."
Had
I not been angry, I might have cared, "Not that I know of." With that, I
grabbed my backpack and left for school early. I found a quiet place to hide
while I waited for the bell to ring. I wanted to go sit at my tree, but it
faced the parking lot, and everyone would see me sitting there. The school day
was slow, and the evening found me in my room still not talking to anyone.
Just
after my shower and before I crawled into bed, someone knocked on my door. When
I didn't answer, the door opened, and Donny came in. He sat on my bed and asked
me to sit with him. I did and he put his arm around me and asked, "How long are
you going to be mad at me?"
"I'm
not mad at you, just mom and dad, but mostly dad."
"Do
you think he did this to just to make you miserable?"
"No,
but obviously what I think doesn't matter to him, or he would not have done
this without at least talking to us first."
Donny
thought about that for a minute. "You are right, he should have talked to us
about it, but this is an amazing opportunity for us, and I guess he just
figured we would all be on board."
"Look
at it from my side Donny, You, Mom, and Dad will be (making air quotes) "taking
the word of God to the peasants" and what am I supposed to do? You know I don't
believe in that stuff. Do I just sit in the corner playing with my new friend,
the cockroach?"
My
brother tried to keep a straight face then said, "Brian, he may not really be
your friend, he may just be using you for free food. You can't trust them you
know." Now he was just laughing, and no matter how hard I fought it I couldn't
help gigging too. "I know this is not what you want, and I will do everything I
can to help you through it. You have to accept it and try to make the most out
of it." Well, that stopped me from laughing and I went back to being sad. "Now
you want to tell me what kind of trouble you are in?"
I
looked at him, not understanding the question. "What are you talking about, I
know Mom and Dad aren't happy with me, but I didn't do anything to get in
trouble for, why?"
"Mom
and Dad have to be at school tomorrow morning."
"Well
it wasn't me, maybe you did something wrong." I pushed Donny back and sat on
his waist tickling his sides. "What did you do wrong bad boy? They finally
found out what a troublemaker you are?"
He
flipped me over, now sitting on me tickling me, knowing I was twice as ticklish
as he was. "Nope, it couldn't be me, I am wonderful. This sounds like a little
brother issue. Everyone always knows that the little brother is the
troublemaker."
That's
when we heard my mother from the door saying, "Ok boys that's enough. Donny, if
you make him pee his bed, you will be remaking it."
My
brother stopped leaned down and kissed my forehead, "Even though we both know
you are the troublemaker I love you, little bro."
I
reached up and gave him a big hug and said, "I love you too Donny." I kissed
him on the cheek. He got off me and kissed my mom goodnight as he passed.
My
mom came in to tuck me in and sat on the side of the bed. "I know you are mad
at us, but we really believe this will be good." I didn't answer her, I mean
what would I say? The only thing that comes to mind is what Mark and Jeff said.
"I'm calling bullshit on that", but I felt like that would not go over well, so
I just kept my mouth shut. "Baby, do you know why we are being called into the
school tomorrow?"
"No
Mommy, honest I have not gotten into any fights at that school in a long time,
and no one has been mad at me that I know of."
Then
she said a little louder than I thought she needed to, "Ok then it must be
about your brother, he is the troublemaker in the family anyway."
From
next door, Donny yelled, "Hey, I heard that."
I
started laughing so hard, I thought I might pee, but I didn't. "Goodnight
baby." Mom said as she leaned down to give me a kiss.
"Goodnight
Mommy." I said kissing her back on the cheek.
The
next day things went as they normally did, I stayed out of the line of sight of
the bullies who liked to pick on me. This kept me out of fights, but I guess it
doesn't matter now. What can they do, expel me? I am about to leave the country
against my will. My third-period class is math, which is my favorite subject,
and Mr. Walters is my favorite teacher. Class ended when the bell rang. I
collected my books and started heading out when Mr. Walters asked me to stay
back. Once the classroom cleared he grabbed his briefcase and told me to follow
him. "Am I in trouble Sir?"
He
smiled down at me and said. "Maybe." We headed down to the office, so I was
getting extremely nervous.
When
we got to the office Mr. Walters knocked on the principal's door and we were
told to come in. To my surprise, I saw my parents, brother, the principal, and
the Headmaster. For a second, I thought I was going to be sick. Did my parents
find out about me going to FSB? My thoughts were interrupted by the principal
saying, "Come in and sit down please Brian." I sat down next to my mom. "Brian,
we have an issue to discuss with you that I am not happy about, but first I
need to make some introductions. Mr. and Mrs. Burke, I believe you know Brian's
math teacher Mr. Walters."
"Yes,
we have met." Mr. Walters said as he came forward to shake my mom and dad's
hands. He looked at Donny and shook his hand as well. "Good to see you again
Donny. Donny was in my class a few years ago." He told the group.
"That's
nice to know." The principal said. Pointing to the Headmaster he said, "And
this is Headmaster Robinson from the Founders School for Boys in Clayton."
Everybody shook hands. "The Headmaster's reason for being here will become
apparent shortly. Since the issue was discovered by Mr. Walters, I will let him
explain why we are all here today."
"Thank
you, Sir. We are here today because we have an issue with Brian. He has been
lying to all of his teachers, and this has to stop."
I
almost fell out of the chair. I had no idea what he was talking about. I could
see my parents were not happy, and my Dad stated, "I can see Brian being in
trouble for fighting, or not doing his homework, but my boy is not a liar." I
felt so bad, I had no idea what Mr. Walters was talking about, but I had lied
about my trip to Clayton.
Mr.
Walters raised his hand and said, "Please let me explain. The issue is that
Brian is a straight-C student. Now that might not seem like a big deal, in
fact, you may even think if he tried he could do better, and you would be
almost right. Let me explain how Brian being a straight C student is a lie."
I
don't know how he figured it out, but I knew I was caught. He pulled some
sheets of paper out of his briefcase and passed them out to everyone including
me. "What you have in front of you is Donny's last report card. You will notice
he has grades from five different classes. He received two A's, a B, and Two
C's." He looked at Donny and said, "This is a decent report card, even though
you received a C in math and one in Spanish. If you need help with math in the
future, I am always available, or ask Brian for help."
Everyone
looked at me wondering what Mr. Walters was talking about. "Now, the reason I
used Donny's report card was not to embarrass him, but to show you how things
work. What we do as a school is average the grades out, so that we can identify
students that fall short and need help. For example, averaged out makes Donny a
B-average student, which is excellent, and you should be immensely proud.
Turning back to Brian, the odds of Brian being a straight C student are
extremely low." He turned to look at me, "Would you like to tell them the odds,
Brian?"
The
question was rhetorical because he went on before I even thought to answer.
"What I am saying is that there is such a thing as a straight-A student, we
have many here. There is also such a thing as a straight F student,
unfortunately, we have a few of those, but not many. Being a straight C student
as Brian has been for the last two years would require Brian to figure out how
many questions he has to get right on any given test. The question then
becomes, how does a boy getting C's in math accomplish this."
My
father interrupted and said, "Really Mr. Walters you answered your own
question. What you are accusing my son of, would be way over his head."
"Exactly
what I thought at first, that is why I conducted an experiment. I believe I'm a
good teacher, and pretty observant. I felt in my heart that Brian was holding
back. It's for this reason that I gave my class a quiz a week for two weeks.
The first quiz I gave, Brian received the same quiz as the rest of the class.
This was a quiz on everything we had studied up to that point." Pulling out
more sheets of paper and passing a copy to each person. "As you will notice
Brian received his usual C. The next week I passed out the same quiz as the
week before, only I rearranged the questions. All the students received the
same quiz except Brian. I went to another teacher who teaches seventh-grade
math and asked her for a quiz from that class, this is the quiz I gave Brian.
As a fourth grader, he should have failed this test, but instead, he received,
not to my surprise, a C." Then he passed out a copy of that quiz to everyone.
Donnie
took one look at it and looked at me in surprise. "Brian, this is the test Mrs.
Price gave to me last week, and I got a B on it. How did you get a C?"
I
shrugged my shoulders not knowing what to say. Mr. Walters continued, "Needless
to say I was confused. I could not understand why Brian would manipulate his
grades to hide how smart he was. Now, I have seen students who were exceptional
at math but failed in other subjects, so I asked his other teachers to give him
exams at least a grade or two above what he should know. During exams given to
the class, Brian's teachers slipped him exams above what he should know." He
passed out more papers to everyone. "As you can see he received C's on every
one of them."
I
recognized my handwriting, and I do remember taking these tests, but that was a
while ago. How could I have been so stupid to miss this? I should have realized
that these were not things we studied in my classes, but to be honest, my
classes are so easy I don't pay much attention.
This
time my mom spoke up, "So let me get this clear, you brought us in today to
tell us that Brian is very smart but acting stupid. You are also telling me
that he has been lying to all of us by manipulating his grades so that he never
gets over a C in any of his classes. Am I on track so far?"
Mr.
Walters looked at me, "Well Brian, is she right so far?" I was caught, he knew
everything, and I had no way out. I nodded my head yes.
My
dad started the interrogation, "Why Brian? Believe it or not, I am not mad, in
fact, if I were going to be mad at anyone it would be me." I looked up, not
catching that logic. "You and I have had some serious talks about my sermons
and other world-related subjects, and you were always able to keep up. I should
have put two and two together. What has got me utterly confused is why you
would hide who you are like that."
Everyone
looked at me for an answer. Tears were rolling down my face, "I didn't want to
be smart. I already get teased enough for being small and fat, I didn't want to
give them any more to make fun of me with."
Donny
of course came to my rescue. "Ok everyone leave him alone." My brother looked
at Mr. Walters and the principal and asked, "I don't understand, why is he in
trouble? I can't see where he did anything wrong, or anything to hurt anyone."
The
principal spoke, "You are right Donny, Brian didn't cheat, influence anyone
else, or hurt anyone with his actions. What he did was put us at a disadvantage
to help him grow. I guess this would be a good time to turn this over to
Headmaster Robinson."
My
dad interrupted and looked at the Headmaster. "I am not sure why you are here
or what you have to do with any of this?"
"That
is a fair question. This was a lot of information for your family to take in,
so I will be brief. Ken... I mean Mr. Walters is a graduate of the Founders
School for Boys." I was very shocked by this information. "I have watched him
grow from a spoiled boy to a man that I greatly respect, and I am proud to call
him my friend."
I
could see how proud he was of Mr. Walters as he continued, "We were having
dinner a few months ago when he mentioned Brian to me and what he believed was
going on with him. I suggested the test to find out for sure. When he told me
what he learned and how bad he felt for him having to hide his intelligence, I
asked if I could meet him. If it would be ok with you Mr. and Mrs. Burke, may I
ask Brian a few questions?" My mom and dad agreed to allow it. "Brian, can you
please come over here?"
I
walked slowly over to him like I would with any stranger, even though I really
wanted to run to him. Once in front of him, I said, "Yes Sir?"
"Brian,
if you were in a place where getting A's was really important, and everyone
worked hard for it, do you think you could do it too?"
I
forced myself to keep a straight face and think about it. "I guess I would if
other kids didn't make fun of me for it."
"I
know that would not happen. Now what if going to this place meant not seeing
your parents for a few weeks at a time?"
"Even
Donny?" He nodded yes. "I am not sure I would like that Sir I would miss them
terribly."
"Tell
me something Brian, how many friends do you have at this school?"
I
looked at my mom and dad, then looking to the ground I said, "I don't have any
friends here Sir. No one here likes me." I heard my mom take a quick breath.
"Why
do you think you don't have any friends here?"
"Because
I am weird, I like to just sit by myself and read. Also, because I am short and
fat."
The
Headmaster did not press on after he heard a little crying from my mom. "Brian,
How about in your neighborhood, how many friends?"
"None,
Sir."
"Ok
Brian, why don't you go back to your seat and let me talk to your parents." I
went back to my chair as the Headmaster started to speak. "Mr. and Mrs. Burke,
I am not sure how much you know about Founders School for Boys, but I would
like to tell you about it. We boast proudly of having the highest GPA of any
school in the country. Our graduates will speak at least three languages
including their own. One hundred percent of our graduates go to college. Twenty
of Forbes's top one hundred are graduates of FSB."
My
dad looked at him confused, "That's wonderful Mr. Robinson, but what does that
have to do with us?"
"Sir,
I would like to offer Brian a place at our school."
My
mom and dad looked incredibly surprised, "Why, you don't know Brian, or how he
would ultimately perform at your school. I hear what Mr. Walters is saying, but
how do you know that he would be able to keep up with your student body. You
are asking us to take a big gamble. You can't take a boy like Brian, put him in
a school like that, and then take it away from him if he does not perform to
your liking. That would destroy him. On top of that, there is the issue of
tuition which I could not afford on my salary. Beyond that, I have been offered
and accepted a mission from my church out of the country. Thank you for your
very pleasant offer, but we will have to decline."
The
smile never left the headmaster's face. "I understand your reluctance Sir, but
please allow me just to answer your questions." My mom put her hand on my dad's
knee, telling him she wanted to hear. My dad nodded yes, and the Headmaster
continued.
"We
have been educating children for over a hundred years. Once we start we don't
give up and we don't fail. So, unless Brian himself gives up, there is no way
that he is not going to a top-rated college. I have faith in Mr. Walters, if he
says Brian can do it, he can. That being said, based on what I have heard
today, Brian could have given up, and become a real issue for you and this school,
but he didn't. Instead, he expertly positioned himself in the middle and hid
there from other students, parents, and even most of his teachers. That is some
serious ingenuity that once harnessed can be directed toward his future and
will make him unstoppable. Brian is obviously a highly intelligent boy, but
what good is it if he is lonely. He walks around these halls trying to avoid
other children. There is so much more to FSB than just school. We will educate
him outside of the classroom as well as in. He will become a part of a
community of other boys that will love and care about him. That unfortunately
is something a boy like him can't receive in a normal school environment."
He
turned to look at Donny, "Donny how many friends do you have at this school?"
Donny
gave me a sad look, "I have many friends here Sir."
"Donny,
I am also led to understand that you are very into your church as well, how
many friends do you have there?"
"I
have many friends in the fellowship as well."
Looking
back at my parents, "Understand this is not about how Brian was raised, you
would have to be wonderful parents to raise two such wonderful and polite boys.
This is nothing more than just a difference in personalities. With Donny, he is
more outgoing and surer of himself. Where Brian is shy and feels like he is not
good enough to have friends, which is ridiculous of course. However, very real
to him."
He
looked my dad in the eye and said, "For these reasons, I have no fear of
failure with Brian. Now to address your concerns about tuition. I have
available a Crossman scholarship that will cover all costs from start to
finish. The school uniform is supplied by the school and the scholarship will
cover everything else from books to food. As for you being out of the country,
that is also not an issue for us. We have students from all over the world and
many American parents whose jobs are out of state or the county. Everyone in
that situation can make a schedule for a video call with just an email. Tell us
what time you will be available, and your son will be on the
call. I hope that answers your concerns."
My
mom and dad looked at each other and my dad said, "You have given us a lot to
think about. I am not sure this will work for us, but we will discuss it." Dad
looked and the principal and asked, "Would it be okay with you if we took Brian
and Donny with us for the day, we have some things to get done?"
"That
would be fine." The principal replied.
The
Headmaster handed my dad a book and stuck out his hand to shake. "Mr. Burke,
this is the FSB handbook and my business card. Please call me if you have any
questions. There is a lot that goes into an out-of-the-country parent versus a
parent in the same state." After shaking hands with my father, he shook my
mom's hand and then my brother. He got to me and said, "Brian, I know this is a
lot to take in, feel free to talk to Mr. Walters and ask him anything." He
winked at me when he said it. He then shook hands with me, the Principal, and
Mr. Walters, and he was gone.
My
dad took us for pictures and then to the county courthouse so that we could all
apply for our passports,. While we were waiting, I grabbed my dad's hand and
asked, "Are you mad at me for doing what I did with my grades?"
"Brian,
I am not happy that you didn't feel like you could come to us and tell us what
was going on. I feel like I should punish you, but I am at a loss of what to
punish you for. You really didn't hurt anyone but yourself, and the only lie
was a lie of omission. I just don't think there is really anything to punish
you for." I felt a little weight lift from my shoulders, leaving only a million
pounds left.
Once
we were done with all of that we went to Denny's for lunch. I really hadn't
spoken much since school because I was so lost in thought. I had been so
focused on my desire to attend FSB, that I never thought about the fact that I
would be away from my family. I thought about how, when I have a hard time
sleeping or get scared during a thunderstorm, I go to Donny's room and crawl
into his bed. He wraps his arms around me, and I feel safe and loved, who would
make me feel safe if Donny were not there, telling me I would be ok and how
much he loved me. I would miss my hugs and kisses in the morning from my
parents, I thought I knew what I wanted to do, but now I am not so sure.
We
hadn't talked about what happened with the Headmaster, and I was not sure how
to bring it up. That didn't stop Donny though, "So dad, what do you think?"
"Think
about what?"
"You
know what, the huge opportunity that was just offered to Brian."
"There
is nothing to think about. We are leaving the country, and I am not going to be
nine thousand miles away from him."
"I
understand. So basically, you lied, and you are selfish."
"Excuse
me?"
"You
preach that we should always try our best to put ourselves in the other
person's shoes and see how they feel. You also preach that we should never
ignore an opportunity to help someone achieve greatness. However, here you have
chosen to not do either of those things." I was watching this conversation like
a ping pong match, back and forth, back, and forth. I had never seen my brother
talk to my dad that way before, and by the look on my mom's face, neither had
she.
I
could tell my dad was not happy about this conversation, "So you, with as close
as you and your brother are, you would not have an issue being so far away from
him."
"Of
course, I would, I would miss him like crazy. This is not about me though it is
about Brian. He and I talked last night, and he asked me a question that I
could not answer at the time, and still can't answer. He asked me to look at it
from his side. The three of us will be talking about the word of God to the
people, and he wondered what he was supposed to do, you know he does not
believe as we do. We already know from Sunday school that he can't fake it."
All of a sudden both my mom and my brother broke out in laughter. "He did let
me know that he will be ok, he will just sit in the corner with his new friend
the cockroach."
My
dad just stared at my mom and brother trying to regain their composure. "What
are you laughing at? I do not see anything funny about that." I was not
laughing, but I did find it funny and smiled.
"You
just had to be there. The thing is Dad, no matter how much we want Brian with
us, this would be too big an opportunity for him to pass up. Full-ride
scholarship to one of the best schools in the country. Not letting him go would
be selfish to the extreme."
This
is where my mom stepped in, "I think it is wonderful that you two are arguing
about this before you have asked the person that this will most affect." She
reached over and took my hand, "Baby, how do you feel about all this? Do you
think that this might be something you want to explore?"
I
was not sure why, but my eyes were watering up. Maybe it was the stress of the
whole situation, maybe it was the thought of being nine thousand miles away
from my parents, or maybe I was just so close to my dream, that I was not sure
if I should take that last step.
I
got up and climbed into my mom's lap. Yeah, I know I am nine years old, and
sitting on my mommy's lap in public is not cool, but I am ok with that. I
wrapped my arms around her and cried for a minute. I know, again, it's not
cool, and again, I am okay with it. When I finally got control of myself, I
looked her in the eyes, "Mommy, I really like school, and I am sorry for doing
that with my grades. If what the Headmaster says is true and I can get good
grades without being teased, and even maybe have friends, I would really like
to go. I am just not sure that I want to be that far away from you. What do you
think I should do Mommy?"
"Baby,
I am having the same dilemma as you are. In my mind, I think that you should go
and take advantage of this incredible opportunity, but my heart says that I
want you near me. I would like to ask you a question about these tests you
took, would that be ok?" I nodded my head yes. "The math test you took was from
your brother's class, how did you know how to do it?"
"Math
is really easy for me, most of the time I can just look at the numbers and the
answer just comes to me. When Donny is not home, I like to take his math book
and see if I can solve the problems, so I guess that's really how I knew those
answers. The worst part was watching Donny do his homework, knowing he had the
wrong answer, and not helping him with it. I felt sad about that."
"What
about the other subjects, how did you know those?"
"History
was easy. I like to read history books and learn why things are the way they
are. I once read that if you don't study history you are doomed to repeat it. I
don't want to repeat the bad stuff, but I guess the elected people don't study
history." I giggled a little about that and so did my family and the people at
the next table.
I
got off my mom's lap to go back to my seat. My Moons Over My Hammy had arrived.
After a bit, my dad spoke up, "Brian, I am not going to make any promises, but
tonight we will sit down and come up with a list of questions for the
Headmaster and call him tomorrow. We only have a week and a half before we are
due to leave, so we have to make some quick decisions as well as pack up the
house and get everything into storage."
We
finished our lunch and headed out, we stopped at U-Haul and picked up a bunch
of boxes, bubble wrap, tape, and furniture blankets. We went home and started
packing. We did a surprisingly good job, even finding a lot of clothes,
furniture, and toys to donate.
We
put a piece of paper on the counter so that when one of us thought of a
question about the school, we could write it down. Over the rest of the day and
evening, the list grew longer and longer. We all sat down before bed and read
over the FSB handbook. It was very clear how the boys would behave in school
and out. The dress code my parents thought was a little strange considering the
outdated idea of robes, but I said that it was not a big deal. My father liked
that it was a strict program, and the wide range of extracurricular activities
offered, but gave me a hard look at the zero-tolerance policy for fighting. If
he only knew that I had already broken that rule. My brother thought it would
be a lot of fun to be around that many kids. Mom liked what she read about the
nutritious food and the ability for the boys to buy snacks from the canteen
only using credits they earned from good grades, good behavior, and completed
chores.
Saturday
found my dad and I in his office going over the last sermon he would give at
this church for the next two years, I could tell it made him sad. We also
packed up his office so the new minister could move in next week. I could feel
my dad's excitement for the upcoming trip. I felt so stressed out not knowing
where I would spend the next two years. "Son let's sit down and talk for a bit.
I am concerned about you going to this school. Don't get me wrong, I know about
this school's reputation a what an amazing opportunity this is for you. Not
only getting accepted but getting a scholarship as well. If we were not going
on this mission, there would be no discussion about you going, Unfortunately, I
am not able to back out of my promise to go, and I just can't get my head
around leaving you behind. I love you with all my heart and leaving you will
truly break it. However, if you decide you want to go and the Headmaster can
answer all of our questions, I won't stand in your way."
I
walked over to him and gave him a hug and held it for a long time. "Daddy, not
being with you, Mommy, and Donny will break my heart too. This whole thing
scares me a lot, but I just don't think that I will be happy on the mission and
the school thing, even though it is kind of scary, sounds like it could be a
lot of fun. I have never really had a friend except Donny, and I really want
one. So, if the Headmaster answers our questions, do you think I will really be
able to go?"
"After
the call, the four of us will talk and make a decision, ok?" I nodded my head
and gave Daddy another big hug.
When
we got home my dad called a family meeting. "A lot is going on right now with
everything that we are about to do. I think we are all feeling the pressure. "I
have talked with Brian, and he has decided he wants to go. I guess the first
order of business is to call the Headmaster and ask him our questions." My dad
pulled the business card out of his wallet, put the phone on speaker, and
dialed the number.
The
phone rang a few times then, "Headmaster Robinson, how can I help you."
"Headmaster,
this is Carl Burke Brian's father. I hope I am not calling too late or
interrupting anything."
"Well
Mr. Burke, I am glad you called. No, you are not interrupting anything at all,
how can I help you this evening?" In fact, we did interrupt something. At that
moment, the Headmaster had a twelve-year-old boy between his legs happily
licking his balls and sucking his cock.
"Well
Sir, I have you on speaker phone with the family. We
have been thinking a lot about your offer, and we have some questions we would
like to ask."
"Of
course, ask away." Over the next thirty minutes, we asked questions and he
answered. My mom was happy to find out that they had a state-of-the-art medical
center and a top-notch doctor. The other answers that the Headmaster gave
seemed to make everyone feel better.
The
final questions my dad asked were the important ones as far as I was concerned.
"Sir, as we explained in the principal's office, we are leaving the country
very shortly for a church mission. I understand we are only a few weeks into
the start of the first semester, but how soon would we be able to get Brian
into your school if we decided that's what we wanted to do?"
"The
sooner the better. We have a lot of testing to get done, physicals, house
assignments, books, and uniforms. The sooner he starts, the less he is behind."
"Thank
you, Sir, I will let you know as soon as possible what we will be doing." Once
Dad hung up the phone we all looked at each other and all felt that our
questions were answered.
The
following Wednesday found us at the Founders School for Boys, in the
Headmaster's office waiting for him to arrive. About ten minutes later he
walked in. "I am so sorry for the wait, one of our boys had an accident and
broke his arm. He is a gymnast, and quite a good one if I do say so myself.
Anyway, he decided to do a routine that he was not ready for and without the
coach there. He landed bad and broke his arm. I am sorry to tell you that on
the first day, but I believe we here at FSB work very hard to keep our boys
safe, but things happen, and it's all in the way we handle it that makes us
better."
My
mom put her arm around me and asked, "Is he going to be okay."
"Of
course, he is, he was taken to medical where he was given something for the
pain, x-rays were done, his arm was set, and put in a cast. His parents have
been notified but work out of the country so will fly in if he wants them to.
Mike is a tough kid, and I doubt once the drugs wear off, he will find out that
all of his friends will be lining up to sign his cast and that he will not want
his parents to make the trip. So, here is what we are going to do, I am going
to take you three with me on a tour of the school, including medical. While we
are doing that we are going to leave Brian here with my assistant Brad. Brad
will get him some information and get him issued his school uniforms." With
that, my mom, dad, and brother took off.
Brad
stood up, came around his desk, and gave me a hug. "Good to see you again
little man. I knew you would be back."
"Brad,
how come I couldn't go on the tour with my family?"
"Because
you are a celebrity around these parts buddy."
"I
don't understand."
"Do
you remember how after the fight in the dining room everyone wanted to thank
you and pat you on the back?"
"Yeah,
I remember. I didn't like that very much."
"Things
changed a lot around here after that day. Kyle getting expelled, started this
whole thing where kids came in here to talk about Kyle and his friends, as well
as a few others. There was a big assembly and the Headmaster let everyone know
in no uncertain terms that bullying would stop now and that if he found out
about any more bullying going on the police would be informed so they could
deal with it. Letters were sent to the parents making sure that they understood
this. Everyone knows it was you who got the bullying stopped, so let me ask you
a question. What happens when you are walking down the hall and one of those
kids that is no longer being picked on, comes up to
you and thanks you for it in front of your parents? You know since you have
never been here before today."
I
started to feel sick, "Oh my god, things would not go over well with the rents,
that's for sure."
He
was smiling down at me, "And if that wouldn't be bad enough, what happens if
Timmy sees you? Do you think he would walk calmly past you, or run screaming
down the hall giving you a big hug when he got to you?"
The
thought of Timmy running down the hall yelling "Brian" made me laugh.
But the thought of my family's faces made me laugh harder.
"OK,
Brian, let's get you your uniforms." Brad led me over to a room on the other
side of the office. He opened the door and turned on the light. "Ok kid,
strip."
I
took off all of my clothes and put them in a laundry bag that he gave me. Then
he handed me a pair of tan shorts, white shirt, black
socks, and black shoes. I looked up at him and said, "I don't understand, I
thought Cboys went naked under our robes."
"We
are, but what are the chances your mom, or your brother won't look under your
robe?"
"I
didn't think about that. I bet my mom will for sure."
"Of
course, she will she's a mom, and they all do that. The boys in the other
houses all have fourteen pairs of shirts, shorts, socks, and underwear. You
won't have any underwear because we have no need for them. You will have only
three uniforms in case you have a visitor, or we go on any kind of outing with
people from the other houses. You will have fourteen
pairs of socks though." I got dressed, pulled on my robe, and looked in the
mirror. I have to say, for someone who doesn't like his looks, I look good. We
went out into the office and Brad started going over paperwork, like my copy of
the handbook, this week's menu, and my house assignment. "Ok, here is your copy
of the Crossman House rules, and the name of your big brother."
"That's
silly, I know my big brother's name, it's Donny."
He
laughed, and said, "No goofball. In the house, all of you little guys are
paired up with one of us older guys, and he is called your big brother. He is
the guy that will help you understand "all" of the House rules. How you will
act around the men in this school and the ones that you go see. He will go over
this and make sure you are still on board."
I
looked at him a little nervous and said, "I understand, and I am on board."
"Good
boy." He said as he messed up my hair. Just then my family came back with the
Headmaster. I noticed Brad stack up my papers but put
the house rules in his top drawer.
I
ran over to my mom, "Look Mommy at my pretty robe." She felt it and then pulled
up the bottom of the robe to look underneath. I could not help but start
laughing, which caused Brad to start laughing.
My
brother came over and said, "What's so funny, are you naked under there?" He
lifted up my robe, and I started laughing so hard I thought I was going to pee.
Brad
said, "I am sorry Mrs. Burke, I bet him his chocolate milk at dinner that you
would look under his robe, and then I bet him his brother would do the same. I
can't think of anyone's mother who hasn't done it. Donny was the wildcard." I
finally got control of my laughter and wiped the tears from my eyes.
I
looked at Brad and said, "Ok, Buster, you won that round, but I will get you
back."
Brad
just laughed and said, "No you won't, you're too short." That got me laughing
again.
Then
I looked at Brad and said, "Brad, I want you to meet the best big brother in
the whole world, and my best friend Donny."
Brad
reached out his hand and shook Donny's. "It's really good to meet you Donny, He
has not stopped talking about you. You know you are going to make this real
hard on us."
Donny
looked confused. "I am not sure I understand."
"All
the boys that come here will go through a period of missing their mom and dad.
I have gotten really good at helping them through it. Rarely have I seen a boy
as in love with his brother as Brian is. Getting him past the missing you part
will be the hardest."
I
could see a tear forming in Donny's eyes. "It won't be any harder on you than
it will be for my parents dealing with me. I have loved that kid since the day
he was born, and the thought of being without him for two years is killing me.
It helps knowing what a great opportunity this is for him, and how miserable he
would be where we are going." That's when I started crying too and ran into
Donny's arms.
The
Headmaster came up to us and said, "Donny, I can't even imagine how hard this
will be on you but know that we will take care of him and keep him safe for
you. I will give your parents a website to log onto where you can talk and see
him. Your parents just have to log on and let us know what time you want the
call to be, and I will make sure he is there for you. I hope that helps a
little bit." The Headmaster put his hand on Donny's back and led us all into
the office.
I
could see how hard this was on my family, it was not any easier on me. My dad
was the first to get himself together enough to speak. "As you can see
Headmaster, this is tough for us. I am happy about the video calls, but not
being able to hug and kiss him every day is the hardest part of this whole
deal. Ok, you said you have some paperwork for us to sign."
"Yes,
of course, there is a lot of legal stuff we need to go over. Boys, can I get
you two to go wait out there with Brad while we go over this boring stuff?" We
both nodded and left the office closing the door behind us.
We
were sitting at Brad's desk when a boy who looked like he was sixteen or so
entered the office and came up to us. I recognized him right away but tried to
act like I had never seen him before. Brad stood and said, "Hey Tyler, about
time."
"Sorry
bud, Mr. Wallace held me back for a quick conference after class."
"I'll
let it go this time," Brad said with a smile. "Tyler I would like you to meet
your new little brother Brian, and his super cool older brother Donny."
Tyler
leaned in and shook my hand, and then sat down next to Donny and shook his
hand. "Donny, I have been told how close you are to Brian. I imagine you are a
very protective brother. I also understand that your family will be out of the
country for two years, right? Donny nodded yes. "So, let me explain what my
role will be in your brother's life for the next two years. My role is not to
take your place, which could never happen anyway. It will be my privilege to be
there for Brian for anything he may need. That could be to help him with
homework, as someone to talk to when he needs a big brother type, or a shoulder
to cry on when he is missing you and your parents. Believe me my shoulder will
be awful wet for a while."
I
felt kind of embarrassed about him talking that way about me. "I'm not a baby
you know Tyler," I said kinda mad.
"No,
I didn't think you were Brian, and I will take it all back if you tell me that
you will not miss your brother so much that it will make you very sad."
I
looked at Donny with tears in my eyes, I threw my arms around him and said, "I
will miss you so much Donny, I don't want you to go. Maybe the Headmaster could
let you go to school here with me." I knew that was not going to happen, but
the thought and saying it made me feel better.
Donny
hugged me tight, "You know I can't do that, I have made a commitment to Dad and
the church, this is your thing, and I think you will do great things here. My
thing is the mission and I am going to do great things
there. I won't lie, I was hoping when we got here that we would find this to be
a horrible place and we would take you with us after all, but it isn't. Now
after meeting Tyler, I know my best friend and the holder of my heart will be
taken care of and kept safe for me."
I
saw a little tear in both Tyler and Brad's eyes. Tyler cleared his throat and
said, "I promise Donny, I will protect him and keep him safe. Is there anything
I should know?
Donny
spoke right up, "Yes there is. Thunder really scares him something fierce. I am
not sure if he will let himself be scared in front of the other guys, but he
always comes to my bed and crawls in with me. I know he is scared because he is
always shaking so bad."
I
looked over at Tyler expecting him to be laughing at me, but he wasn't. "That
is one of my many responsibilities towards Brian, and I take my
responsibilities very seriously. Brian, you should never be afraid or
embarrassed to come to me when you are sacred, even in
the middle of the night. Donny again, you have my word that he will be ok."
Donny
looked at Tyler with a hard look I have not seen very often. "Tyler, I do not
condone violence or threaten people, but I will make you this promise if
anything happens to my little brother, it will be you that I will come after.
Have no doubt that I mean what I am saying, I will make you pay."
"Fair
enough, I am not worried about it though, because as of now and with your
permission Brian will be my little brother and I will protect him with my life.
In addition to that, Cboys stick together, so
whatever Brian needs, he will have over a hundred other brothers who will be
there for him. Are we good?"
Donny
looked at me, and then turned to Tyler and said, "Yes we are good, and I turn
my brother over to you, but only while I am gone, then he's all mine again."
Tyler
held out his hand and Donny shook it, "You have a deal Donny, but what happens
if it turns out I like the kid and want to keep him?" He asked with a smile.
Donny
laughed and said, "Then we are back to fighting again. I do have a question
though, what's a Cboy?"
"Oh,
sorry. That is a Crossman boy, it's a nickname that the regulars came up with."
"Regulars?"
"Yeah,
you know what a Crossman is right?"
"Yes,
we read all about them in the book the Headmaster gave us."
"Then
you know that this school was built for Crossman boys to be educated in ways
that were not being taught at other schools. When they decided to open the door
to outsiders, the regulars did anything to get in here."
"So,
Brian will actually be a Crossman? He hates religion, that's why he is not
coming with us."
"We
are a religion in the loosest terms of that word. We are more of a community
than a religion. I think we are a little tighter-knit
than most religious groups."
"Ok,
I think I understand." Donny looked at me and asked. "Are you sure about this?"
I
looked at Donny and Tyler, "Donny, I promise that when you come for me I won't
let him keep me. You will always be my big brother and best friend. I love you
more than I can count, and as you know, I am really good at math." I giggled at
that.
Donny
said, "Oh now you show off your math skills." He started tickling me and looked
over at Tyler. "I expect you to keep up on his tickle torture, he needs it a
lot."
I
was laughing so hard, and we heard the Headmaster's door open. Donny stopped
and I tried to compose myself. I looked at Tyler and said, "I don't need tickle
torture."
Laughing
Tyler said, "That's what your brother told me needs to happen, so it's out of
my hands now."
The
Headmaster called me, Donny, and Tyler into his office. I was the first one in
and I saw my mom crying. I went to her and climbed into her lap, "What's wrong
Mommy? Please don't cry."
She
wiped her eyes and said, "It's ok baby, I had to sign a bunch of papers that
made me realize how much I will miss you."
I
hugged her tight and said, "I will miss you so much too, so I have to get my
hugs in now," I laughed and hugged her again.
The
Headmaster spoke up, "Mr. and Mrs. Burke, I would like you to meet Tyler. He
has volunteered to act as Brian's big brother until Donny returns to him." They
all shook hands. "Tyler will be there to hold Brian accountable for things
outside the classroom. He will make sure that Brian is doing his homework and
helping when he needs it. He will also make sure that Brian is taking his
showers, brushing his teeth, and doing the chores that his schedule requires."
He pulled out a piece of paper from his desk, "Here is what a schedule looks
like. This is not Brian's but he will be similar. This
has the boys' class schedule, and extra-curricular activities that he signed up
for, and of course chores that he will be required to perform in his House."
Donny
was the first to speak up, "You mean he is going to have to clean toilets,
showers, and mop floors?"
"Of
course," Tyler said. "Some of the parents tried to hire people to come in and
clean the other houses, but the house rules forbid that."
My
parents look a little confused. The Headmaster went on, "The children in the
other houses, coming from wealthy families, are generally spoiled, so coming
here is a big wake-up call. We are not their mothers or in this case maids. As
we talked about the other day, as a boarding school,
education has to extend further than just the classroom. Maybe these
boys will have maids and butlers when they leave here, but we have to make them
as self-sufficient as possible."
He
went on to say, "I have boys that come in here at thirteen and have never made
a bed or cleaned a toilet. Let's just say that there is a lot of whining at
first when they find out beds are made every morning, and chores like cleaning
the toilets are a requirement. I have even expelled boys for failure to do the
simple chores required of them. Their parents won't help enforce the rules and
their children are removed. Brian is going into the Crossman house, where even
though they are wealthy families, these boys were raised in homes where they
have had to do chores since they could walk, so there are never any issues in
that house."
My
mom nodded her head, "Both my boys know how to make a bed and clean toilets, I
can promise you that. They are also required to do chores in the house
regularly. You won't have any problems with Brian doing chores."
"I
am sure I won't. So, let's move on to signing the rest of the paperwork. This
is the contract you all need to sign. This tells about
our zero-tolerance policies, as well as the rules you have read in the
handbook. Read this over and ask any questions you have, then I will need you
all to sign at the bottom."
Donny
asked, "Why do I need to sign, I am not going here or his parent?"
"That
is true Donny, and I mean no disrespect to your parents, but you are just as
important to him as they are. If Brian decides to break a rule, not only is he
letting his parents down, but he is letting you down. I think that would hurt
him just as much if not more."
Donny
said, "I get it, but Brian has been in a few fights at his old school. If
someone starts really picking on him, he will fight back."
Tyler
stood up to look right at Donny. "I hear what you are saying, and we know about
the fights. Bullying is something we take very seriously, which is why it is
listed as zero-tolerance. In addition, we as his brothers will be there to keep
that from happening."
Donny
looked at me, "I love you, little brother, don't let me down." With that said,
we all signed the contracts.
Now
was the hardest part, saying goodbye. Let's just say there was a lot of crying,
hugging, and kissing. Then with one last wave, my family was gone, and I would
not be able to see them in person again for two years. I was crying hard at
this point, and Tyler picked me up and hugged me as I followed through with
making his shoulder soaking wet.
Once
I gained control of myself, Tyler put me down and reached out and took my hand,
"We have some time before lunch, let's take a quick tour of the school. After
lunch, we will go to the house, get you unpacked, and go over what you need to
know about your new life."
The
Headmaster agreed and added, "Brian, after lunch, you still have a punishment
coming, you understand that right?
"Yes
Sir, I understand."
"Ok
then boys, on your way, and don't be late for lunch."