Mentoring, Chapter 11
With the second semester beginning soon after the holidays, a new program came into being. On the surface, it appeared to be simply a way for high school students to mentor young readers. But beneath that, it was an attempt to curb bullying in elementary school so it wouldn't grow stronger in middle school and high school. The administration felt that having the "big" kids buddying with students in the lower grades could make both groups more sensitive.
Because of his budding interest in becoming a teacher, Harrison jumped at the chance to participate. And, because of her growing interest in Harrison, Sophia decided to join the group too.
It turned out to be a good deal of fun. The younger kids loved the one-on-one attention. They enjoyed being read to by their mentors, and they liked reading to them in return.
About two weeks into the new term, school was suspended for several days in a row because of weather. A polar vortex caused arctic air to flow southward from Canada setting record low temperatures in the Midwest. School officials had to cancel classes in the wake of wind-chills reaching as low as -40 F in some areas. Anyone outside for even a short period of time could suffer frostbite.
Travis and Sawyer didn't dislike school, but the prospect of spending time together with very little homework hanging over their heads was welcome indeed.
The boys convinced Kyle and Jane that Sawyer would feel better being away from his own house where the damaged door to his bedroom had yet to be replaced. It would be good for Jane to be out of the house as well. So, mother and son were guests of Kyle and Travis for several nights while awaiting a contractor to make the repairs.
For propriety's sake, Kyle had made up the guest room for Jane. The stirring in his loins when they were together, made him feel like he'd enjoy sharing his king-sized bed in the master bedroom with her, but he felt he shouldn't act on it like he might have if both were childless. She was the kind of person he could see himself with in the future. At the very least, he needed to take things slowly.
Home alone, with their parents at work, the boys had leisure to explore their mutual interests without restraints. Right after breakfast, they showered together in the main bathroom.
They wanted to ride the wave of excitement for as long as they could, but it was impossible to hold back once they'd started to rub their soapy bodies together. As they got close to their orgasms, they kissed, hungrily and open-mouthed. That sent them over the edge with moans and gasps.
After it was over, they giggled about sounding like a sex video. The difference was that their responses weren't stilted and filled with dirty words. Theirs were genuine and heart-felt.
When they'd rinsed the cum off their bodies, and the glass shower door, they toweled each other dry and ran naked to Travis's bed where they spent several minutes basking in the afterglow. As a result, they fell asleep.
They weren't accomplished cooks, but they managed to cobble together a couple of pretty tasty sandwiches from the supplies Kyle had left for them. Those, along with potato chips and some tangerines, satisfied their physical hunger until dinner time. Their sexual desires got somewhat satiated in bed a few minutes later. Then, they took another nap.
Neil especially liked having a few days off, and he didn't waste them! Taking on the sponsorship of the Gay/Straight Alliance had consumed more time than he'd anticipated. A couple of days free of all responsibilities allowed him to make additional plans for future lessons in his classes. Of course, Aidan was happy to assist when he could. In return, he asked Neil's opinion about a project he envisioned for his students. At that point, Neil truly felt like he was an equal. Their mentoring was now a two-way street.
The second day of no school, the men went through their closets to weed out some things they hadn't worn in a while. It was like an early jump on spring housecleaning. Of course, they took time off in the afternoon to make love as well. No sense in wasting an entire day on upkeep when they had the rare opportunity for appeasing their sexual appetites in the middle of the day.
In the evening, they spent an hour making wedding plans. Given their current financial situation, there was no reason to wait any longer. But there wasn't any reason to rush to the courthouse either. Originally, they'd thought June would be the optimum time because neither would be taking any classes or working a second job. However, they thought of another possibility which would be special and would solve a problem as well.
"What about getting married in Texas over spring break?" Aidan asked. "We could use the condo, or maybe stay in the honeymoon suite Syd and Pete had."
"I know your mother will be disappointed if she's not there. Maybe they would spend time at the condo this spring and be there for our ceremony. I wish Grandma could come too."
"Hmm... I'll bet Mom and Dad would be happy to have her stay with them. They'd probably put Pete and Syd up too. I'd love to have them be our best men."
"In that case, I think we should go to the hotel for sure. Your parents have only three bedrooms, and I'd feel a little strange about spending my honeymoon on the sofa in the room next to my in-laws," Neil blushed.
"It's not like we haven't been intimate in the bedroom close to them in Arizona, but I get your point."
"If we did get married out of town, it would eliminate trying to narrow down our guest list of staff and students. Jared and Gabe might feel left out if we didn't have them in the wedding party if we were here. You know our kids for the karate club and the gay/straight alliance would want to be invited. I wouldn't want to exclude anyone who wished to attend, but I'd like to keep it small enough to be in a chapel. And, I wouldn't want them to feel like they had to bring gifts."
"Here's a possibility," Aidan suggested. "What about having an open house in the summer at the time we'd originally planned for our wedding? It could be an informal party at our house, or maybe the park, and we could ask them not to bring presents."
"Yeah, or we could suggest donations to the food bank in lieu of gifts."
"I think we're onto something! Let's text Syd and Pete to see if they're available to go to Texas before we get too excited.
As much as they appreciated their unexpected break from the routine, they knew the days off would have to be made up in some manner if the trend continued. By the third day, they were eager to get back to business as usual.
On the fourth day, school opened two hours late because the windchill kept the temperature below zero in the early morning. By 10:00 AM it had moderated considerably. With a slightly warmer week ahead, it looked like things might get back to normal.
The January thaw was short-lived. February turned out to be cold with lots of snow which sometimes fell on top of sleet, making driving treacherous. On some days, school was delayed by two hours and on others it was cancelled altogether. The semester would definitely be extended by a few days in the spring.
Kyle was dreading the drive to Osceola for the pointless hearing over Travis's custody. The roads were supposed to be in normal winter-driving condition by the end of the month, but another storm could change things in a hurry.
Sawyer wanted to go along to support his boyfriend, but his mother and Kyle agreed that it wasn't the best idea. Instead, Sawyer would be responsible for taking good notes in the classes they shared, so he could help Travis catch up on the work he would miss.
Kyle also thought the presence of the two love-birds together in court might serve to support Jennifer's claim that the boy was being allowed to "live in sin." While they would be smart enough not to hold hands in her presence, their looks of admiration for each other were hard to miss.
Kyle knew Judge Larson's view of right-wing religious nuts, but there was no reason to rock the boat unnecessarily. Jane agreed, and the boys could see their point, though they still would have enjoyed being together.
Kyle and Travis left at 6:30 AM on the 23rd of February so they'd have extra time in case of a delay on the road. It was a good thing they had, because they got caught in stalled traffic due to a multi-car pileup on Interstate 80 east of Des Moines. There was a patch of black ice which hadn't been treated in time to prevent the accident. By a stroke of good luck, they missed being rear-ended when Kyle took the shoulder to avoid hitting a semi which had jackknifed.
In an attempt to clear the area of vehicles which hadn't been involved in the crash, the highway patrolmen allowed them to join a slow parade on the shoulder to get around the wrecks. Some cars got bogged down in the snow at the edge of the lanes and had to be pushed. The whole process cost them 20 minutes, but they were still slightly ahead of schedule.
When they eventually reached the courthouse, they had 15 minutes to spare. They used part of the time to relieve their bladders and to meet with Mr. Steiner, their lawyer.
Jennifer and her lawyer, Mr. Cross, came into the courtroom 10 minutes late. Judge Larson wasn't pleased with their tardiness, but he made an allowance because of road conditions, although neither of them had more than 10 miles to travel.
Mr. Cross read their petition and then sat down. Mr. Steiner presented his client's position, stating that Kyle's custody of Travis had been in no way jeopardized by Jennifer's false claims. He said they viewed this as harassment, and he planned to file for an order to make her cease and desist. Not only had it taken Kyle away from his job, but Travis was missing school as well. He cited the treacherous journey they'd made to get there as well.
Mr. Cross objected but was overruled.
When Judge Larson asked Travis for his input, the boy was quite adamant about wanting to remain with his father. He mentioned his improved grades and his widening circle of friends as reasons to continue his present living situation.
"And I'm taking karate too," he beamed. "I'm the happiest I've ever been, and I've had no thoughts of suicide."
"He's happy because all his friends are gay! He even belongs to a gay club and he's being led into depravity," Jennifer shouted.
"While this isn't a formal court case, Mrs. Britton, I'll ask you not to interrupt. You'll have the chance to speak in a few minutes."
Jennifer wasn't pleased, but her lawyer cautioned her to keep quiet, lest the judge bar her from the hearing.
When it was her turn to address the court, she went into a 15-minute tirade about the culture wars and how our soldiers were dying because society allows gay marriage and abortion. She ended by claiming God was currently punishing the country with bad weather so people would change their ways.
Judge Larson closed his eyes at one point so it wouldn't be noticeable he was rolling them. When she wound down, he asked Mr. Steiner if he wanted to make a rebuttal. Steiner said he felt her statements spoke for themselves. The judge suppressed a grin and called for a 30-minute recess while he wrote up his decision.
Kyle, Travis, and their lawyer walked a couple of blocks to a café to stretch their legs and get something to tide them over until lunch. The stress of the drive, and Jennifer's ranting, had increased the rate of metabolism for father and son, alike. Mr. Steiner told them not to worry. He knew the judge well enough to read his body-language. There was no way Jennifer had impressed him in a positive manner.
"Here is my decision," Judge Larson stated. "The said minor, Travis Britton will remain in the sole custody of his father, Kyle Britton. His mother, Jennifer Britton, is to have NO contact with either of them by any means of communication including, but not limited to, postal service, phone-call, text, email, social media or any other possible means. She is also ordered not to make any further frivolous petitions to this court. Travis's orientation and his association with others like him are NOT reasons to reconsider his placement. The ruling of this court is based on the constitution of the State of Iowa, not the doctrine of any one sect of religion.
"This court is adjourned."
Kyle and Travis hugged. Jennifer left in a huff, mumbling about "the last days."
Travis excitedly texted Sawyer, Harrison, Aidan, and Neil with news of the outcome. He would continue to text with Sawyer from time to time during the ride home.
Kyle drove to Des Moines for lunch. It was a little past their usual mealtime, but the restaurant they went to was worth the wait. They celebrated with excellent pork tenderloin sandwiches, a food they didn't often include in their diet.
After their meal, Kyle allowed Travis to drive for over an hour until they got to the rest area near Grinnell. The Interstate had been treated since their morning travels and there were no slick spots to worry about. Travis loved having the opportunity behind the wheel. It felt good to know his dad trusted him in the driver's seat.
That evening, Kyle took Jane, Sawyer, and Travis out for a lobster dinner to celebrate their victory in court. In addition, Sawyer was invited to sleep over even though it was a school night. Travis felt loved!
At school the following day, Travis received high-fives from his buds, and several teachers. Some of the guys in karate club embraced him as well. Harrison was one of the guys who'd hugged him. It was cool that Travis's straight hero didn't hold back. Life in his new school was turning out better than Travis had hoped, even after he'd come out.
The final court decree made Travis one of the happiest kids in the state. It coincided with a break in the weather, and an excellent grade-report. His spirits rose with the temperature and even the threat of ice-jams and flooding couldn't dampen them. Fortunately, flood barriers in the area held, and there wasn't any wide-spread damage.
The next big even in his life would be spring break. He wasn't going anywhere, but the prospect of having a week free from school to romp with his boyfriend was enough to put a smile on his face.
Pete and Syd were pleased with the invitation to be a part of their friends' wedding. They hadn't planned to go anywhere this spring because
they'd splurged the year before on their honeymoon and were currently trying to pay off their new SUV. However, if lodgings were available for free, they could certainly come up with the money to travel, especially if they drove.
After much discussion, the couples decided Aidan and Neil would drive down as far as Osceola, and they would all ride to Texas in Syd and Pete's SUV. They would pick up Grandma Rose in Kansas on the way.
Grandma was thrilled to be attending the wedding, and she was excited about the trip. She didn't get away as much as she might have because she didn't have anyone to go with.
Aidan's parents had called Rose to extend a special invitation. They wanted to make sure she knew she'd be welcomed to stay with them in the condo. They were looking forward to getting acquainted with her.
Now all the men had to do was to wait until spring break so they could make their plans a reality.
Aidan and Neil left home right after school on the first Friday night of their vacation. This year, they would stay overnight with their friends in southern Iowa rather than driving straight to Andover. By doing so, they would arrive in time to take Grandma Rose out to dinner and get a good night's rest before driving on to South Padre.
Of course, she thought they should have let her prepare dinner for all of them, but they had insisted she let them treat. She had to admit taking it on would have worn her out since she had to pack as well.
They all retired early so they could get up and on the road at a reasonable hour.
Pete and Syd's Acura MDX hybrid was luxurious and comfortable. The only drawback was that the third-row seating lacked in headroom. That wasn't a problem for the diminutive Rose who loved having her own space, though she had to share it with a couple of small carryon bags.
With four drivers to rotate behind the wheel, they arrived at their destination without being too tired from the trip.
Aidan's parents had dinner planned so there wouldn't be any need to go out again except for Aidan and Neil to go to their hotel in the evening. The rest would stay at the condo, while the two of them took the Fiala's car to their accommodations.
They would do some sightseeing on the weekend because the guys couldn't register for their marriage license until Monday anyway. On Tuesday, the older generation would visit a few more sites after the wedding ceremony, while Syd and Pete did their own thing (most likely a day at the nude beach).
Grandma would fly home on Wednesday, and Aidan's parents would begin their drive back to Arizona after they dropped her at the airport. The honeymooners and their best men would return to the condo to sleep and would do whatever they wished until it was time to head back to Iowa.
The process of obtaining their marriage license on Monday morning was simple enough. They could have gotten married the same day, but not knowing there'd be no hassle, Martha had booked the wedding chapel for Tuesday at 11:00 AM.
The wedding, while not a long, elaborate affair, contained enough ceremony to make it feel like a special event. Martha and Rose lit a candle for the grooms before taking their seats at the front.
The pianist employed by the chapel played a medley of love songs while this was taking place, and also played an abbreviated wedding march to accompany the men as they preceded to the altar.
The traditional Episcopal rite had been chosen by the grooms, and they responded with "I will," and "I do" in the appropriate places. After exchanging rings and having their union blessed by the minister in charge, they embraced their family and friends and proceeded to the hotel for lunch in one of the small dining rooms.
Following their meal, the grooms retired to their suite while the rest went off in Pete and Syd's SUV to take Grandma to watch the dolphins.
"Wow! We're finally hitched!" Aidan exclaimed. "No classes to teach, papers to grade, or kids to ride herd on for the rest of the week. We don't have anything on the agenda!"
"Well, we do have at least one duty."
"Oh really, and what's that?" Aidan teased.
"Making love, Silly."
"Okay, let's get to it!"
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Author's noted: Thanks to Ott H, Allen, Walter S, Bill (SL), Tim T, Skip M, Bill K, Bill T, John L, Tom A, Tony C, Paul R, Gordon, Augy, Jim W, John L, Ray M, and Johnathan R who emailed since last posting.
Thanks to David S. who edited this chapter.
Thanks to Nifty for providing the site for posting this series.
http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
I will probably post a short story in a couple of weeks or so. It will likely be an addendum to Rollo and be in the "beginnings" section.
David