Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2017 17:29:18 +0000 (UTC) From: Jay Carrington Subject: My Son and His Friends - Chapter 54 This work is copyrighted by the author, J. Carrington and commercial use is prohibited without permission in writing from the author. Personal or private copies are permitted only if they are complete and include the copyright notice. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. This is a story of a man's relationship with his son and his son's friends. The writing is very detailed and is a written representation of what the author saw as he was writing the story. It will contain some sexual scenes, but it is not totally about sex. The series of chapters are completely fictional and are the result of the author's fertile imagination. Any resemblance to any real person(s) is purely coincidental. The story contains consensual sexual behavior between young adult males and an older adult male. It depicts both unprotected sex and protected sex. Safe sex practices are the way to go if you plan to be around for years to come. If you are underage (below 18) or object to the subject matter, please leave now as the door that let you in will also let you leave. If you enjoy this site, you are encouraged to donate to Nifty.org so that it will continue to operate. You can buy a visa gift card and use it to donate to Nifty anonymously or you can use your credit card and you can see the transaction on your monthly bill. Anyways, this is a great site which serves the needs of our select population. Chapter 54 - My Son and His Friends The drive and ride home was rough on all of us. I really worked to keep some kind of foolishness and creative thinking going as we drove from Mom's back home. Myles would join in for a while, and then, he would stare off into space. I allowed him to have some time to think things over before I called on him to join me and Ryan in some type of game or conversation. At one point, he said "Pops, I don't understand, why me? What have I ever done that would cause me to be the one that has to keep seeing the doctors and going for more tests?" I thought about it, and said "Myles, we don't know if there is a problem, all we know is that the doctor wants to check you out again, and Matt's Dad wants to be a part of that because Matt loves you, and thus, so does his Dad. " I continued "You have a group of people who love you and will be there to support you as you go for your examination and anything else that might follow. Every one of us loves you and don't you forget that." He smiled and said "I know." About that time, I decided to play teacher, imagine that, and begin to review some basic pre-high school content issues. This did not go over easily, nor did it make either of them happy, but I persisted. Finally, Ryan decided to take charge and started a story. He passed it over to Myles, who then passed it over to me, and this went on until one of us brought it to an end. As they told their parts of the story, I enjoyed listening to their descriptions and the flow of their imaginations. This was a great technique to keep Myles and the rest of us focused on what the other was saying and at the same time tying what had been said with new thoughts. The stories were fantastic. Finally, we entered our hometown, and I drove down our street and into the driveway. Phil was already home and was working in the front yard. He stopped what he was doing and helped us unload. He looked at the case of wine and shook his head. I began to tell him about the trip to the winery, and how I had tasted the wines there. He picked up a few of the bottles and read out their names. He said "I really want to try this Granny's Arbor." I said "It is delicious, it has a blackberry taste, but the Georgia White Muscadine has a really great taste, too."." We entered the house, and I told Phil to put that bottle of Granny's Arbor in the refrigerator to chill until we decided to use it. I called Michelle and let her know that we were back, and she said that she had just clocked out and would be by shortly to pick-up Myles. I told her that I would like for all of us to go out to dinner, and she tried to wiggle out of it, but I can be persuasive when I need to be, and I was. Finally, she said "Okay, but only if you let me go home and change clothes." I agreed and in about an hour she rang the doorbell and was in one of her matched shorts outfits. She took Myles and Ryan in her car while Phil and I rode in his truck to the Olive Garden. We entered the Olive Garden and were seated within fifteen minutes. Our drink orders were taken, and we decided that we would not order appetizers. Most of us knew exactly what we were going to order when we sat down, so there were no major decisions to be made. Our drinks were brought to the table. Michelle asked about our abbreviated trip to Mom and Dad's, and I let the boys have first crack at answering her question. They told about our trip to the outlet stores, to the grist mill, to the winery, to Helen, to the Falls, and finally their day with Barbara. After listening to them, I looked at Michelle and said "I think that about covers it." She laughed, and Phil cracked a smile. Our waiter brought two bowls of salad and two baskets of breadsticks to the table. We passed them around and began to eat while talking about a variety of topics except Myles' upcoming appointments. Our drinks were refilled, if necessary, and our orders for our entrees were taken. Phil and I ordered the Southern Tour of Italy, Ryan ordered lasagna, Myles ordered Chicken Marsala (no surprise there), and Michelle ordered Fettuccini Chicken Alfredo. The boys turned to Phil and asked him what he had been doing while we were out of town. He talked a little about the projects at the development, but he spent some time talking about the projects that he had started or completed at the house, and ended up talking about spending time with Jay. He said that Jay had come over one afternoon and helped him with one of the projects in the backyard. He went on to brag on Jay's ability to understand what needed to be done and to do it without a lot of supervision. Myles looked over at me and said "Pops, do you think he is talking about our Jay?" I shook my head and chuckled. Phil continued; "After we had worked as much as we could on that project that afternoon, I suggested that we grill hamburgers and swim in the pool. I sent Jay home for his swimsuit, and I pulled some of the frozen hamburger patties out of the freezer, along with a bag of fries. I put the fries in the oven to cook and started the grill. Jay returned about that time, and I let him handle things in the kitchen while I tended to the grill. I'm telling you guys, he was fantastic. He had everything in the kitchen under control and ready for the burgers when I pulled them off the grill." Ryan looked over at me and smiled. Michelle excused herself to go to the ladies' room while we continued to talk about Phil and Jay's time together. Michelle returned, and said to Phil "Phil, I have known Jay for a long time, and in that time, I have learned that he is full of surprises. When you think he can't or won't do something; he does, and when you think he will do something; he won't. He is unpredictable, but he is overall a good and fun kid to be around." Phil said "It has taken me some time, but I agree with you, I kinda sorta maybe like the guy." Ryan said "Well, you would not have said that about ten months ago would you?" Phil said "Absolutely not, he was the biggest pain in my ahhhhhh - backside." Michelle said "Phil, we've heard that word that you wanted to use, and I bet every one of us would agree with its use." Our entrees were served, and we focused on them while talking. Our waiter was superb and kept our drinks refilled without them ever going dry. I was thinking, this guy needs a great tip, because he knows how to treat his guests. After we had finished, he came to the table and asked which of the Dolcinis, we wanted. I said "I think we will pass on that" but he said "Oh it comes with your meal tonight." So, we looked at the choices and Ryan, Myles, and Phil chose the chocolate mousse, Michelle chose the Amaretto Tiramisu, and I chose the Strawberry and White Chocolate Cake. They were fantastic, and we scraped our dishes to get every bit of the goody out. I called the waiter over and asked for our check. He said "Your check has been taken care of tonight, you guys have been fabulous, and I have definitely enjoyed serving you." I said "No, I haven't paid the bill, you must be mistaken." He said "No sir, your bill has been paid." I sat there and tried to figure that one out, and suddenly it hit me. I looked over at Michelle, and she smiled. I said "You shouldn't have done that," but, she said "It is my treat for all the things you do for Myles and in doing so you help me. Doug, you are a lifesaver for the two of us." I thanked her, as did the rest of the guys at the table. We stood, pushed our chairs under the table, and walked outside. As we walked to the parking lot, Michelle pulled me back, and asked if I would ride with her and Myles to their house. I agreed. Phil understood and took Ryan home with him. I rode co-pilot with Michelle. Myles informed me that I had better say a quick prayer because she wasn't the "bestest driver in the world". Michelle turned around and said "First of all bestest is not a word and second, I think you may live to regret that statement." He then began to profusely apologize and beg for forgiveness. I enjoyed seeing the interaction between the two of them. I knew Myles loved his Mom and that she loved him, but it was so good to see it played out. I thought for a few minutes on the fact that Ryan did not have that motherly interaction, and I felt that he had been cheated. I then thought about Myles because he did not have father. My negative thoughts were short-lived because both boys lived in a neighborhood that was like a family and had several "adopted parents" to look after them and for that I was grateful. We arrived at Michelle's house, went in, and sat down. Myles looked at his Mom and said "So you guys are going to talk about me, right?" She said "No Myles, all of us are going to talk about you." He looked at me, and I said "This involves you." He sat back on the sofa next to his Mom. Michelle began by bringing us up to date with her conversation with Dr. Chesterfield and the appointments and upcoming tests. She said that Dr. Chesterfield was very pleased to have Dr. Bennett on the case, as he was a well respected doctor in the region. Michelle said that Myles would have to be at the hospital at eight o'clock Thursday (tomorrow) for blood work, and that he would have to be fasting so he could not eat anything after midnight tonight and that he had an appointment for a CT scan at ten thirty. She explained that she had scheduled that so that he could eat between appointments. He was somewhat relieved and pleased with that. I listened to the plans, and ask if she had talked to Dr. Bennett. She said that she had not, but she would before the week was out. She asked Myles to stand up, and she and I examined the lump on his leg. It looked to me like it had grown a bit, but I was not going to say anything to alarm Myles. All of this had him tense, even though he made a valiant effort to appear to be brave. I asked Michelle if she was working, and she said that she would after he had finished with his appointments. I said "Call me when he starts the CT, and I will come down and pick him up." Michelle thanked me, and then, Myles looked over at me and said "Why don't you go with me?" I said "Myles, I think your Mom wants to take you, but I will see you after all of this is complete." He accepted my answer, but it was not what he wanted to hear. Michelle dismissed Myles so that he could take a shower and get ready for bed while she and I finished our conversation. We finished our conversation, and Michelle offered to drive me home, but I insisted on walking as I needed some think time. I gave her a hug and began walking home. As I walked, I started thinking that we really needed to do some things in the next few days to keep Myles busy, and his mind off his situation. By the time, I had walked home I had devised a plan which would involve the rest of the boys and their families. I stopped before I entered the house and called Meredith. I told her that we needed to have a group meeting tomorrow night at her house with adults only. She asked why, and I told her that it was about Myles. She said that she didn't know that anything was wrong with him, and I said "There are some issues with him right now, and I don't want to have to tell this over and over, so if you don't mind, please wait until tomorrow night. I promise to give as much information as I know at that time. She agreed and agreed to host. I called Christine, and she accepted for she and Colt. We all agreed to meet at Meredith and Justin's at seven thirty Thursday night. I walked into the house and sat down with Ryan and Phil. Phil asked "So anything you care to share?" I said "We just talked about tomorrow's schedule, and then, I decided to call a meeting at Justin's tomorrow night for the adults." Ryan was concerned about Myles, so we talked for a few minutes about some things that we could do to help keep his mind occupied and that would be fun for everyone. Around ten o'clock, I really began to lose my steam and told the others that I was headed to shower, and then, to bed. Phil said that he could live with that plan too, so he followed me. Ryan said "I guess I am going to my room since everybody has left me." I said "Check the doors before you go to your room." I walked on down the hallway to my room and began to take my clothes off. By the time I got into my bedroom, I was down to my boxer briefs, and they did not stay on long. I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Phil joined me, and we were soon under the shower head. Phil was tired, and so was I, since I had driven home from Mom and Dad's, had gone out to eat, and then, had a talk with Myles and Michelle at their house. I was drained and ready for bed. Phil and I didn't even play in the shower. We tended to business, and I guess the closest that we came to anything was when he decided to massage my shoulders, as I was extremely tense. We finished the shower, dried off, returned to the bedroom, turned out the lamps, and got in bed. I rolled over towards Phil and he spooned me with his hand around my chest and his fingers rubbing through my chest hair. This felt good and it soon lulled me off to sleep. I woke up early Thursday morning with a lot on my mind. I had to get breakfast prepared for Phil and Ryan, begin to wash clothes from the trip to Mom and Dad's, be available to go pick up Myles and keep him occupied after his appointments, and then, later in the evening meet with the families to discuss helping Michelle and Myles. Phil woke up after me, and joined me for my morning shower. We showered and dressed because we both had a very busy day. I went to the kitchen and started breakfast while Phil went to the family room and began to review some drawings for the newest section of the development. I walked down, knocked on Ryan's door and told him to get up and come to breakfast. He came wearing only his boxer briefs which was okay since it was just us guys. He walked into the family room, and Phil looked up and over to Ryan. Phil said "Sporting some serious wood there this morning huh, Ryan?" Ryan tried to clasp his hands over his bulge, but it didn't work. He then turned to Phil and said "Are you a tad jealous Phil?" I looked into the family room as I had never heard Ryan react to Phil that way. Phil just laughed and said "Ryan, you don't wake up every morning with morning wood as your get older, but it is a nice thing to have and enjoy, it looks good on you." Ryan walked into the kitchen and rolled his eyes at me. I called Phil to the counter and we all began to eat our breakfast. Ryan was concerned about Myles so he had questions about the day and what kind of tests was he taking. I did not know, and I told him that I didn't know, but we would find out as soon as I picked Myles up after his tests. Phil finished his breakfast, placed his plate in the sink after rinsing it and headed off to work. I asked Ryan to go back to his room and begin to sort through his clothes that he could no longer wear or didn't want to wear this year. I went to the laundry room and began to do the laundry from our trip. I interspersed laundry with cleaning my closet and chest of drawers. I had quite a collection of clothes that I would not wear this year, so I bagged them and placed them by the door leading into the garage. Ryan told me that he had finished, so I walked down to his room and glanced through his piles. He had done a thorough job, and I sent him back to the utility room for bags. He returned and began to bag the clothes. After he had finished, he placed the bags with mine. Around eleven o'clock, Michelle called and said that Myles had one more test and it was scheduled for eleven thirty. She said that it would take about thirty minutes, and then, I could pick him up. I asked her where he was going to be, so that I could find him. She told me that he would be in the CT Lab. I told her that I would come on, so that I could be there when he was finished with the CT. I hung up, located my car keys and headed out to the garage. Ryan was right behind me. I started to tell him that he couldn't go, but I decided that Myles really needed Ryan, and Ryan needed to see where Myles had been and to hear things first hand. We loaded up, and I drove to the hospital. I parked in one of the parking garages, and we headed into the hospital. I found a diagram of the hospital and figured out where we were and then, I located the CT Lab. I figured out a path to get us there, and we began to walk the halls. I had never really noticed, but it seems that some hospitals are like a maze. This one definitely was a maze. Finally, we reached the CT Lab. Michelle was sitting in the hallway outside the lab. We walked up to her, and I could tell that she was worried. She told me that Dr. Chesterfield and Dr. Bennett had reviewed Myles' records, consulted with each other and had ordered several new tests along with some of what had been performed earlier. I asked if that was an issue, and she said that they had told her that they were just double checking some things before they moved on to other things. Ryan and I sat down with Michelle and waited for Myles to come out of the CT Lab. At approximately noon, Myles appeared in the hallway with one of the nurses. He saw us and told the nurse that we were there for him. He came to Michelle, and hugged her, then he hugged Ryan and me. I could tell that he was still nervous, but was really trying to put on a brave front for all of us. I asked him what did he want to eat, and he did not hesitate in answering that, he wanted to go to Chili's and have prime rib tacos. I asked Michelle if she would like to join us, but she had to be on duty in thirty minutes, so she declined. We loaded up, and I drove to Chili's. We were seated, and our drink order was taken. Myles said that he didn't need to look at a menu because he already knew what he wanted. Ryan asked Myles about the tacos and Myles gave him a good report. I listened to Myles talk about them and when the waiter returned we each ordered Prime Rib Tacos with the hot stuff on the side. While we were waiting Myles told us about what he had done that morning and that he didn't see Dr. Bennett because he was still in his office in his hometown, but that he would come down and meet with Dr. Chesterfield on Tuesday afternoon. Myles seemed knowledgeable about the tests that he had that morning. As I listened to him talk, I found out that he had questioned the technicians and nurses as to what was going on and why? Gotta love that Myles. Our tacos were served, and we began to eat. The Prime Rib Tacos were great, and we all enjoyed them. We finished our meal and headed home. The boys decided to go to Jay's house for a while, so that I could have the house to myself. I began to plan for the night's meeting. I finished my agenda, and then, I sat down and read a little more in my latest novel. Later in the afternoon, I began to think about the night's meal, so I decided to basically cheat. I grabbed the keys and headed to the grocery store. I bought three containers of pulled pork BBQ, two bags of frozen French fries, and two bags of sesame seeded hamburger buns. I returned home and stored the stuff until I was ready to use it. Ryan and Myles came home and were surprised that there were no smells of the night's meal in the air. I told them that we were going to have sandwiches. Both of them frowned and wrinkled their noses. I didn't clarify, so they went to the family room and located a movie to watch. I walked back to my bedroom, grabbed my novel and lay across the bed. I read until Phil came home. I heard him enter and speak to the boys, and then he walked back to our bedroom. He began to strip for his shower, and I lay there and appreciated his body. He has developed what is referred to in this area of the country as a farmer's tan. He has tanned everywhere that is not covered by clothing. I had to tease him a little about having a shiny hinny. He told me that if I would consent, then we could even things up by going to a nudist camp for a week. He walked into the bathroom and started his shower. I decided to join him, so I stripped and entered the shower with him. It has been a while since we played, and I can tell you that we made up for lost time. I loved sucking him in the shower and having him play with my cock and balls. He inserted his finger in me and told me that this is the area that he was looking forward to playing with tonight. He pushed in and stroked my prostate. I resumed kneeling in front of him, tightened my lips around his cock and slid up and down his shaft. I swirled my tongue around his cock head, rubbed his taint, and played with his balls. In a few minutes, I felt his cock throb and it began to thicken. I pulled back so that just his cock head was in my mouth, and he started blasting cum. I tried to swallow it as fast as I could, but it overflowed my mouth. I licked his cock until he stopped me because it was so tender. I stood up, and we kissed. He pulled me tightly against him and said "Doug, you have no idea how much I love you. I could be with you 24/7 and it wouldn't be enough for me. I am so thankful that we found each other and so happy that things are working out for us." I pushed back, looked him in the eyes and said "My thoughts exactly." We got out of the shower, dried off, returned to the bedroom, dressed, and walked out to the family room. The boys looked over at Phil, and Ryan said "Phil, Dad said we are having sandwiches tonight, can't you do something to change his mind?" Phil looked over at me and said "Sandwiches?" I shook my head yes, and then, I said "You will all be happy when I finish and call you to the counter." I walked into the kitchen, turned the oven to 400 degrees, pulled out the cookie sheet, opened the freezer, grabbed one bag of fries and put them on the cookie sheet. I grabbed the aluminum foil, opened the refrigerator and took out two containers of the BBQ. I opened the BBQ and spooned all of one and half of the other container onto the aluminum foil. The oven was ready, so I put the fries in the oven for 22 minutes. Seven minutes later, I placed the BBQ in the oven. I opened one bag of the hamburger rolls and placed them on a sheet of aluminum foil. I waited until the BBQ had about nine minutes left in cooking time, then I put the buns in the oven to warm. I put the ketchup on the counter along with plastic plates and cups. At the two minute till done time, I started filling the cups with ice and set the two liter soft drinks on the counter. The oven timer dinged, and I called everyone to the counter. The smells that floated out of the oven when I opened the door spoiled the surprise. Everyone was happy with the choice and there was nothing left after they had finished eating. I cleaned up rather fast and spent some time with them in the family room playing a game. The boys won, but it was fun. At seven twenty, I began to get ready to go next door. I grabbed my aagenda and headed over. I rang the doorbell, Justin answered the door, and invited me to come in and join the rest of the group in the family room. I walked in and sat down. Meredith said "Doug, you sounded rather urgent last night when you asked for this meeting. Can you tell us what's going on?" I said "I am going to share as much as I know with the people in this room as it is going to take all of us to help Michelle and Myles." I looked around the room and everyone was taken aback by my words. I began by talking about the lump on Myles' leg, told them that we had watched it on the trip to the farm, stressed that Dr. Bennett had looked at it and directed me to tell Michelle to have it checked by a doctor when he had his physical, talked about the doctor's examination of it after the physical and then, the following tests and blood work. I told them that we had to come home early from my Mom and Dad's because the doctors wanted more tests. As I talked, I looked around the room, and I could see that everyone was taking everything I said to heart. I finished and Justin said "I agree Doug, we have to be there to support Myles and Michelle. How is Myles handling things?" I said "Justin, he is trying to be strong, but it has shaken him. He won't let his guard down around Michelle, but it really hurts him to see her with tears in her eyes." Everyone said that they understood. I began to lay out some thoughts. I figured that we could do some cookouts at my house or one of the others, that we could keep the boys busy with movies, short day trips, or swim parties. Christine asked when would we know something from the tests, and I told her that it would probably be the early part of next week. She said "That is a long time to be stretched and stressed." We worked on some additional thoughts and had a plan of action starting tomorrow (Friday). I was ready to leave, but they wanted to talk to me about high school. They asked about the dress code, the amount of homework, the clubs, sports, social events, and a myriad of other concerns. I answered their questions and then, Christine said that she and Meredith could take the boys to buy back to school clothes. I said "That sounds like a great idea because Ryan cleaned his closet and chest of drawers today." I said "I will tell Michelle so that she will know that it is an option rather than her having to add that to her list of things to do." I left and headed home. I opened the front door, walked into the family room and both Phil and Ryan were on the floor watching a war movie. I joined them and when the movie was over, I told them that it was bedtime. I turned off the lights, secured the house and we all went to our bedrooms. We got to our room, closed the door, stripped, turned out the lights, and got in bed. Phil rolled to me, and then, on top of me. He leaned down and kissed me on the lips, the cheeks, the forehead, the ears, the neck and began to move downward kissing as he went. He moved back up and began to nibble on my nipples and swirled his tongue around them. I rolled him off me, and then, I rolled on top of him. I did basically the same thing to him that he had done to me except I kissed on down below his belly button and licked his cock. I liked the taste and smell of Phil. He smelled faintly of soap, but he also smelled manly. As I was visiting that area, he began to get hard, and his cock began to move by itself. I grabbed it and began to suck Phil giving special attention to his slit and his pre-cum. In a few minutes, Phil was rigid and he rolled me back to my side of the bed, and he was on top. We played a kissing game and then, he used his legs to spread me wider. I got the message and raised my legs so that they were wrapped around his waist. He allowed a lot of his precum to leak down my crack and it coated my hole. He grabbed my legs and placed them over his shoulders, moved up, and his cock found my hole. Tonight, he tried using only pre-cum as a lubricant. It worked. He was soon all the way in me. He slid in, and I tightened around him. He pushed me up with my legs bent back toward my head, and then, he began to slowly glide in and out. This was a great position, and I could really feel his in and out movements. My back was beginning to tire, but the rest of me was enjoying the attention. My cock was oozing pre-cum and my stomach area was coated in it. Phil really began to pound me, and I reached for my cock, but Phil slapped my hand away and told me to leave it alone. I lay there with all sensors in my body ready to fire especially those in my mid-region. I felt Phil push in, and he held his position while he shot his cum in me. He finally began to let my legs come down on either side of him. He looked down at me and commented on how much pre-cum was on my stomach. My stomach hair and treasure trail were slick with my pre-cum. Phil went for my cock and began to lick it and my balls. He returned to my cock and began to suck it. He did a couple of swipes to the head and it about sent me through the roof. He tightened his suction and began to glide up and down taking more of my cock on each down thrust. Soon, I felt my cock enter his throat and that did it for me, I began to cum. I shot two shots before he could move back to my cock head. He tried, but he could not hold all of my cum in his mouth so some of it leaked from his mouth and down his chin. That was a good cum for me. I opened my eyes and looked at him coated in my cum. I invited him down for a kiss, and I cleaned his face. We lay there for a few minutes and then, I decided that I could not sleep with that much cum on me, because it had plastered my body hair. I got up and headed to the bathroom. Phil asked me what was I going to do, and I told him that I was going to get another shower. He said "Alrighty then, I'll join you" and he did. We seriously showered, dried off, and went back to bed. I looked and decided that we needed to change sheets, so I stripped the bed while Phil got the clean sheets. We made the bed and were in it, as soon as possible. Phil backed up to me and I spooned him. We fell asleep and that is the way I woke up Friday morning. I was running my usual Friday morning routine when all of the boys began to show up for a day in the pool. I left them to enjoy each other's company as they would soon be back in school, speaking of which, I had to go to work on Monday. Ryan came in around lunch time and asked if we could have sandwiches and fries like we had last night. I told him "No." He was taken aback and wanted to know why. I said "Oh, you guys don't like sandwiches, remember?" He said "Those were good, and we want them again." I agreed and walked to the kitchen to begin preparing their lunch. I suddenly remembered that Meredith and Christine had agreed to take the boys shopping for school clothes on Saturday, so I called Michelle and let her know. She said "That sounds nice of them, but I don't want to overload them." I said "We decided to let them shop for their own clothes this year, so that we won't have to listen to them complain." She said "Now, I like that. I will send Myles with my credit card." I hung up, fed the boys, moved them back to the pool area, and did some more reading in my novel. Mid-afternoon, Phil called and wanted to go out for dinner, so we agreed to go to the Mexican Restaurant, and then, to a movie. Michelle called and said that she would be home tonight, so she would take Myles home at five-thirty. Jay and Rob went home, and I sent Ryan to his room to dress to go out. I did the same thing, except I added a shower to my agenda. Phil came in, showered, dressed, and was ready to go in forty minutes. I handed the keys to Phil, and he drove while I sat in the co-pilots seat. We parked, went in, and were seated. As usual, we had a great meal, and Phil decided to pay since it was his idea. I made a call to Meredith, on our way to the movie, to discuss the weekend's plans. She said that she and Christine would take the boys shopping, and out for lunch on Saturday and that they would have them back in time to help with the cookout at my house. I reminded her that I had to work on Monday and she said "Doug, I know how to take care of them, you just put food out, and that takes care of their needs." I laughed, and we hung up. By that time, we had arrived at the theater, Phil parked, we got out, walked over, purchased our tickets, and entered the theater. We enjoyed our time at the movie and then Phil drove us home. I walked back to my room and got into bed while Phil sat up with Ryan and discussed the movie. He came to bed later, but I was already asleep, and he did not wake me up. We slept in and took it easy Saturday morning. Meredith and Christine took the boys shopping, so Phil and I had the house to ourselves. I received a phone call from Meredith around noon. She said that things were going okay, but that she wanted to share with me that Ryan and Myles did not want to buy their underwear in front of she and Christine. I had to laugh, because as much as they ramble around my house in their underwear, they have become really private about some stuff. She asked me if I needed her to pick up anything for the cookout, and I told her that I was making a list and would be headed to the grocery store in a few minutes. She requested baked beans and Cole slaw. I agreed and added the ingredients to the list. I reviewed the list and headed to the grocery store. I entered and grabbed a buggy. I began to pick-up the items that I had on my list, and then, I added a few. As I was working my way through the meat department, I heard someone call my name and I looked up. It was Landon. He said "Glad to see that you're home. Will you be available to work with us on Monday afternoon?" I stood there and thought for a second, and then, said "Landon, let's try, but if something comes up, I may have to reschedule." He said "I hope nothing comes up because I am getting really panicky about this science stuff." I said "Landon, you have done great in my classes; you are letting your imagination get away from you. Calm yourself down, think through the question and then, go with your gut feeling." He said "Mr. B., that is easy for you to say because you have all of the answers. I have always studied for your tests and yes, I made good grades, but I don't remember all of those facts, and especially that chemistry stuff." I said "Landon, we will work on it Monday, and I will see what you can remember without you using your notes. Hopefully, that will help you feel better about yourself." He smiled and said "I am going to let you get back to your shopping as I am on my break, and they don't last long." He left me, and I continued my shopping. In ten minutes after Landon left me, I finished my shopping, had checked out, and was loading the groceries in the car. I drove home, unloaded, and began to lay things out that I would use to prepare the dishes for the cookout. I began by preparing the baked beans, the Cole slaw, a macaroni salad, and a extra large bowl of banana pudding. After I had the Cole slaw and the macaroni salad prepared, I placed them in the refrigerator. I let the banana pudding reach room temperature, topped it with a meringue, slightly browned it in the oven, let it reach room temperature, and then, placed it in the refrigerator. In the meantime, I kept the baked beans stirred as they cooked. I mixed the ground beef and ground chuck together and made the hamburger patties. I layered them and placed them in the refrigerator too. I was ready for this cook-out. After I had finished in the kitchen, I texted Michelle to let her know that we were having a get- together meal at my house and that the dress was whatever you have on at six o'clock. She texted back a smiley face. Around four o'clock, Meredith and Christine returned with the boys. They came over to tell me about their day. It seems as though the four boys played havoc in a couple of stores trying to decide about shorts, slacks, polos, and button up shirts. I smiled as I listened to their stories. Ryan entered the house with five bags and Myles entered with six bags. They both told me that they would share their purchases with me and Michelle at a later time. They stored their purchases in Ryan's room and joined us in the family room. They wanted to know what was being served, and I gave them a rundown on the menu. Meredith and Christine left for a few minutes to grab a few things at their house for the get-together and in about forty minutes they were back. Meredith began to slice three tomatoes and an onion. After she had sliced the onion, she took several slices and diced them for use on the hot dogs. Christine began to lay out the plastic plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery that would be needed for the menu items. I asked Christine if she would open the large bag of fries and place them in the oven around five thirty-five and she agreed. I placed the hot dog and hamburger buns in aluminum foil and asked Meredith if she would put them in the oven when the fries came out. She agreed, so I walked outside and turned on the grill around five thirty and began cooking around five forty- five. Everyone had arrived before six o'clock, so we herded them into the house as soon as the food came off the grill, and they began to fix their plates. Everyone knew the routine, so they grabbed their food and found a place to sit and eat. There was a lot of talking and laughing as everyone talked about their summer. After everyone had eaten, I walked to the refrigerator and took the banana pudding out and placed it on the counter. Ryan was the first to dip some out of the bowl, and everyone else followed in short order. By the time everyone had dipped them some, there was very little left. Ryan claimed it for lunch on Sunday. After we had eaten and tidied up the kitchen, the adults gathered in the family room and the boys headed to Jay's house to play some video games. After the boys left and it was just the adults, I asked Michelle if there was anything new to report. She sorta shook her head no, but after thinking some more, she said "Guys, I can't tell you how much this get-together means to me and Myles. He is conjuring up all kinds of issues and frankly he is beginning to scare me. We have looked at that lump on his leg in the morning when he gets up, and at night when he is sitting around the house. I would imagine that it has been the same thing when he has stayed at Doug's." I said "He has, but he hasn't said much about it." She said "I believe that it is growing, but I can't say that to him, or he will freak out." Meredith spoke up and said "Michelle, he did not seem to dwell on it today as we shopped, he showed it to me when we started to leave the house this morning, but didn't mention it any more. I think we kept him busy today, and that was one of our purposes when we decided to go shopping." Michelle thanked Meredith and Christine for taking Myles shopping and asked how it went. Meredith and Christine took turns telling the tales of back to school shopping with the boys. I began to bring some closure to the night by telling everyone that we would have a get- together dinner at Meredith's and Justin's tomorrow night. Michelle began to shed a few tears and she said "Don't mind me guys, I am not upset, but I am touched with how supportive you are and how you don't wait for anything. I consider every one of you as my family because I really don't have one anymore. Meredith walked over and sat with Michelle, pulling her in for a hug. Meredith said "Michelle, this group is family, because we all care for one another." Christine said "I grew up in a neighborhood, but we were never this close, and you guys are right, it does seem like a family. In fact, I feel left out when someone does something, and I am not a part of it." Meredith said "Christine, are you hinting at Doug?" She spoke up, and said "Well, I wasn't, but I have to admit that Doug and the boys do some interesting stuff." We finished the night by detailing the activities on tap for next week because I would be at work. After a while, everyone left knowing that we had a plan for the week and knowing who was in charge of each day. As I walked back into the family room, I turned the stereo on, and Phil and I stretched out on the floor of the family room and listened. Ryan came home in about fifteen minutes and joined us. It was strange; we just lay on the floor listening to the music and didn't say a word. Around eleven o'clock, we got up, told each other good night and headed to our rooms. Phil and I took a quick shower and got into bed. It had been a good day and it saddened me to think that my summer vacation was coming to an end. I fell asleep while thinking about the events that had happened over the summer. There were many good moments, and as I lay there I could only think that the worst could be on its way. I woke up Sunday morning when I heard a door slam somewhere in the house. I lay there for a few minutes and then, Ryan called to me to tell me that he was going to Jay's house. I looked at the clock. It was nine o'clock in the morning. I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but it just didn't work. I punched Phil and told him that we need to get up and accomplish some things. He complained, but complied. We took a quick shower, dressed and decided to go to Waffle House for breakfast. I always enjoy Waffle House, and it was exactly what I wanted. I reminded Phil that we would eat over at Justin and Meredith's later that evening so we didn't order a lot of food. We finished our breakfast and afterwards attended to some errands, as well as, a trip to the development. Phil kept referring to one section of the development and insisted that I take a walk in that area. I did, and it was peaceful with large shade trees, a large variety of trees and shrubs, a flowing stream, and a good distance away from any heavily traveled highways. He began to show me his vision for that section and suddenly I understood why. Phil had worked a deal to buy that large section so that he could develop it to his specifications and desires. I congratulated him, and he just smiled. We drove back to the house and unloaded our purchases. I walked back to our bedroom and began to ready my stuff for my first workday. I looked over my clothes and made choices for each day of the week, made sure that my shirts were presentable, and that everything matched. After I finished my preparations, I returned to the family room and told Phil that it was time to enjoy the pool, so we changed into swimsuits because we didn't know who might pop in and headed to the pool. The pool water was refreshing, and we both enjoyed it. In about an hour, Ryan and Myles joined us, and we all enjoyed some "them against us" battles. I looked at the clock on the wall alongside the pool, and noted that it was five fifteen, so I told the guys that we had to get out, get dressed and be at Jay's by six o'clock. Myles wanted to know if his mom knew that he was eating at Jay's, and I told him that she would be there too. That brought a smile to his face. Everyone was ready, so we walked over to Jay's and rang the doorbell. Jay opened the door and invited us in only after he asked, "Do you guys think y'all are special? You should just open the door for yourselves and come on in, you know we are all family." I smiled because that was Jay, he didn't want to have to do door duty. We entered, and Meredith ushered me and Phil straight through the house to the lanai. We sat down at a table after grabbing a glass of sweet tea and joined Colt and Justin. Justin looked over at me and said "Doug, do you think we can plan a trip over Labor Day, like we did last year?" I said "Man, I sure hope so, what are you thinking?" He said "Well, the boys mentioned that they had really wanted to return to the mountains during the summer, but that hasn't happened, so I was thinking that might be a possibility." I said "That sounds nice, can you do some more research and see if you can find rooms as that may be a big issue, because finding something to do won't be." He said that he would start working on it tomorrow, and then, he turned to Phil and said "Phil, I hope that you can find time to join us this year." Phil said that he would see what he could arrange with his crews. We continued talking until Meredith called us to come fix our plates. We walked in, and she and Christine had prepared an Italian Dinner with lasagna, spaghetti with meat sauce, Chicken Parmigiana, garlic buttered breadsticks, a garden salad, and some fried eggplant. We made a line, picked up our plates and utensils and made our way through the food choices. I could see that she had worked really hard on this meal as nothing was commercially prepared. I complimented her on that fact, and she just beamed. She said "Doug, I try so hard to meet the bar that you have set, so it makes me feel real good to hear you say that." The men returned to the lanai and sat at the table again. We ate our meal and talked about the possibilities for trips over the Labor Day Weekend. Colt mentioned Myrtle Beach, and Phil mentioned Tampa. I just listened as I was ready for someone else to be the lead on planning and making decisions. Meredith walked out to our table and told us that she had just placed several desserts on the counter and if we wanted some then we had better get a move on because the boys didn't know yet. We walked in and headed to the counter only to find that the boys had found that the desserts, and they were making their choices. Meredith had prepared a ricotta cheesecake, a chocolate mousse, and a tiramisu, all of which are my favorites. I had to have a sampling of each, and they were absolutely delicious. The men returned to the lanai, ate our desserts, drank several glasses of tea and continued our talk about Labor Day. I finally looked at the clock and realized that it was after ten thirty, and I knew that I had to go to work the next morning, so I excused myself and headed home. Phil and Ryan joined me, and we walked across the yards to our front door. I punched in the code, and we entered. We headed to our bedrooms and were soon in bed. I awoke Monday morning and felt the heavy dread of going back to work. I could remember the days when I was excited to return to work, but those days are over since we have moved to a "business model operation". I enjoyed the days when we taught life skills, taught students and saw them as individuals who needed longer to learn concepts rather than being tied to a pacing guide that dictates how quickly we must move through a course. Gone are the days of decisions by educators as we are working at the behest of legislators, lobbyists, and others who know nothing about the process of educating students. I abhor the fact that all of this is being done for a test. Oh well, laying here complaining won't solve the problem, so I guess I will get up and start my day. Farewell Summer Vacation, Farewell! Phil woke up and turned to me, and said "Who are you talking to?" I had not realized that I had been talking out loud. I said "I was just thinking out loud about how much I hate going back to work this year." He said "Doug, I have hinted, but you haven't picked up on it, but any day that you want to come work with me, you can. You could handle the management end which would free me up to work with the crews and suppliers. I looked over at him, and said "Phil, I've heard you, but I can't leave the school system until Ryan is out of school. I appreciate the offer, and after Ryan has finished twelfth grade, I may take you up on it." He got out of bed, and I joined him in the shower. I finished my shower, dressed and headed to the kitchen. I decided to make omelets for me and Phil and to let Ryan sleep a little longer. After eating, I cleaned the kitchen, grabbed my stuff and headed to school. I walked into the school's office and picked up my key and my mail. The office was full of teachers doing the same thing, so I moved out of the mayhem and headed to my room. I reached my room, opened the door, and headed to my desk. I dropped the mail on it, and walked around the classroom. I began to think about how much work I had to do before the room would be ready for students in seven work days. I thought about the fact that I had four days of training, and three days of working in my classroom, meeting with department members, attending school meetings, and rushing to get my room set-up. I glanced at the clock and realized that our first meeting was about to start, so I headed to the media center and sat with a large group of teachers from the science department. Mr. Richards welcomed all of us back, and then, he gave his review of the new changes in state law, district policies, and finally some school-related changes. He welcomed several new faculty members including a new football coach and stated that we were off suspension and would have a football team this year, but he made sure that the coach knew that he would not tolerate any misbehavior out of the players. We listened and took notes. I received a text from Michelle around eleven fifteen telling me that Dr. Chesterfield and Dr. Bennett would meet with her and Myles tomorrow afternoon at two-thirty. She said that she was worried and asked me to please pray for them. I tried to focus on the meeting, but I kept reflecting on her message. I did say a silent prayer for them. I joined a small group heading to a pizza joint for lunch, and on the way, Gail Hobbs asked me what was on my mind. I looked her way, and she said "Doug, I happened to see you when you received a text this morning, I could tell by your facial expressions that it was not good news." I shook my head to let her know that she was correct, and said "One of the neighborhood boys has had a medical issue that has required a number of tests and doctor visits. His Mom messaged me to let me know that they will be meeting with the doctor tomorrow afternoon. She is worried, and asked that I say a prayer for them." Gail said "Doug, I can tell that you are really concerned as well, I will place this young man on my prayer list, and if you will tell me his name, I will forward it to my church." I gave her Myles' name and the others in the car said that they would do the same. I work with a great bunch of people. We ate pizza and shared our summer stories, but all too soon, it was time to return to school, and another afternoon meeting. We returned, and the meeting droned on and on, finally it was three o'clock, and I headed to the parking lot. I thought about going by the classroom and working with setting it up, but all I wanted to do now, was to go home. I got home, walked into the house to find that it was empty and quiet. I walked back to my room and changed into my swimsuit and headed to the pool. I needed some pool time as for some reason floating on a float in that pool relaxes me. I turned the stereo system on, adjusted the volume, grabbed my float and waded into the pool. I got on the float and adjusted myself so that I was comfortable and securely centered. I began to drift around the pool moving by the currents in the pool. I closed my eyes and evidently, I fell asleep only to be awakened by a large splash in the pool. I fell off the raft and into the water. I looked around and there was Jay in the pool with me with the other guys standing around the pool laughing. I could have killed Jay, but it was the first sight of the old Jay that I hadn't seen in weeks. I had to laugh too. The others joined us in the pool, and we were having a great time until the front doorbell rang. Ryan answered it, and in walked Dakota and Landon. I had to get out of the pool in my wet clingy swimsuit and walk in front of them. I sent Ryan for a towel and it seemed to me like he took his good time getting back. Finally, he arrived and I did a quick dry-off and tied it around my waist. I excused myself to go change. After I had changed, I joined Dakota and Landon at the dining room table and we began our study session. True to my word, I began to give both of them a number of questions to see what they remembered and to also help them apply what they knew to several multi-stepped problems. I believe that by the time we finished our practice session, they were both feeling much more confident. We closed up and did a little talking about their upcoming college days. Finally, they stood up, and I walked them to the front door. Landon said on his way out, "You know Mr. B., you really did look fine in that swimsuit. I had hoped that one day I would catch you skinny-dipping." Dakota looked at me and said "That is all he has on his mind lately." I shook my head and said "Landon, I don't see that knowingly happening." He replied "Well, Mr. B., can't hurt to dream, right?" They left; I closed the door, and returned to the pool. The boys were having a great time and wanted me to join them, so I walked back to my room, chose another swimsuit and joined them in the pool. Phil arrived and walked out to the pool. He said "Well, I can tell that dinner has definitely not been on your mind as you are out here playing." I chuckled and said "You are taking us out to eat tonight." He said "I had that much already figured out, so go get dressed, and let's go as I am hungry." Rob and Jay headed home. Ryan, Myles and I got out of the pool and headed to our rooms to change clothes. Michelle called in the meantime, and told Myles that she was coming by for him as she needed to talk to him. He was not exactly happy, but she also promised that they would go out to eat as well. Michelle arrived and took Myles. We got in Phil's truck, and he drove us to the diner. We each ordered a hamburger, fries, and a Coke. We ate and talked about our day. I didn't say much, because it was a boring day, so I listened to Ryan and Phil talk. They had much more interesting days than I did. We finished eating and headed home. Ryan headed down to Rob's house while Phil and I settled on the sofa in the living room. We were relaxing and soon my phone began to ring. I looked, and it was Michelle, so I answered. She said "Doug, I have just told Myles about the meeting with the doctors tomorrow. He wants you to go with us, and I have told him that you have other responsibilities and you are on a tight schedule, but it doesn't seem to make a bit of difference to him. He wants you there. I am not sure if it is for his own good, or if he feels that you need to be there for me." I said "Michelle, I will be there, tell him that I will come and listen to what the doctors have to say." She said "Doug, that will make him very happy, but you really don't have to do it." I said "I know, but I will, and he knew that I would." We hung up and I shared the phone call with Phil. He said "Doug, you may be getting in too deep, but then, you are like the Godfather to all of these guys." I smiled and said "I guess so, but I couldn't ask for a better role." I had just got back into the movie when the phone rang again. I looked and this time it was Mom. I braced myself for this call. I answered, and she said "Doug, I have been worried about Myles so I called to see if y'all have heard anything from his tests." I brought her up to date with what I knew and told her that I would go with Myles and Michelle tomorrow to hear the reports from the doctors. She asked me to give her best to Myles and his Mother. She then asked about Ryan, a couple of other things and hung up." I just looked at the phone and shook my head. My Mom was a complete mystery, as I can never predict what she might say or do. Tuesday morning arrives and I make my way to school. I advise my department and Mr. Richards that I will be taking a half day to attend to some business. The department figures it out, but does not say anything. I sit and listen to the morning's meeting and decline to go to lunch with the group. I head home, freshen up and head to the hospital. I am seated in the waiting room when Myles and Michelle walk in and sit down. Myles sits next to me and thanks me for coming. We sit and make small talk until a nurse comes and asks us to follow her. She takes us down the hallway to a small conference room. She opens the door and tells us to take a seat, and that the doctors will be in shortly. I glance around the room and note that it is up- to-date with a computer, a projection screen, a document camera, a video camera for conference calls and a variety of switches. The room was a little on the cool side, so we were rubbing our hands and arms to get them warm. Dr. Chesterfield and Dr. Bennett entered the room and I could tell by Mikel's actions that this was not going to be a good situation because Mikel would not make eye contact with me End of Chapter 54 - My Son and His Friends There are many things which we are all anxiously awaiting to hear, but they will be answered in Chapter 55. This chapter turned out to be longer than I had wanted, but the details were necessary to lead us to the events in the next few chapters. NOTE: I kept writing the story line and have saved it to Chapter 55. I am hoping to finish it soon, (I already have seven pages written) and have it posted because I know that you desperately want to know more about Myles. Thanks for reading this story and I do love to hear from you regarding your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Have a great weekend! Jay