That was the second speech I had heard Kyle give, and I had to give him credit. I could never in a million years stand up in front of a crowd like that and talk. He didn't read a speech like I had seen guys do on TV. He had those kids eating out of the palm of his hand, and every bit of it was pure Kyle. I was surprised he didn't tell them "got you last" when they screamed out that "splash." That night when we were all in the den, he made up a mess of those snacks he makes. That stuff was so good, I wish I had had three hands to get some of all of it at one time. "I think we need to have a party Saturday night," Kyle said. "Back to school." "I was wondering how long it was going to take you to figure that out," Rick said. "Noon to whenever? Lunch and dinner? All the usual stuff," Kyle asked. "Yeah. Get it organized," Kevin said. "Okay," he said. "I'll put the word out. I'll just plan for fifty, and that should do it."
The day after Kyle's speech, Gene called Rick and me into his office. I figured it was just a routine meeting to catch each other up on what had been going on in the business that week. Gene had all the usual water, coffee, juice, and pastries in his office waiting for us. I knew the pastries and coffee were fresh from the coffee shop on the first floor of the building, but I wondered how many meetings those bottles of water and juice had already been to. Typically, Rick and I had water and Gene had a cup of coffee. "Guys, I wanted to talk to you about some changes we're going to make around here," Gene said to start us off. "Okay," we both said. "One of the best things I ever did was hire you two guys to run the two halves of the business. Profits are way up, and everything is looking real good. To the point that there is very little for me to do. I'm not ready to retire yet, though. "Ever since Clay passed away, Rita and I have been reevaluating our lives. It's not a secret that she went through some very rough times, but that's behind us now. We're ready to move forward. "Yesterday, I signed the final paperwork to buy the Harbor House Hotel in Destin. I plan to personally run it as the GM. Rita and I will be moving to Destin to a new house we're building there right now." That was quite a bombshell. Rick and I looked at one another, wondering what it meant. "I'll stay on as CEO of Goodson Enterprises, of course, but I don't really do anything in that capacity, as it is. I know you both have questions from time to time, and I'll still be around to answer them. But you guys don't really need me." "So what will our relationship be? You and I, I mean," I said. "That was the issue I had the most trouble with, Kev. The Harbor House won't be part of Goodson. It will be owned by a separate corporation, Goodson and Son, Inc. So as far as you're concerned, you're still only responsible for eleven properties, not twelve. If I need you, that will change, and I'll put somebody else in as GM. For now, though, it's out of the loop." "And you're moving," Rick asked. "Yes. Rita and I need to be out of our house. There are just too many memories. Plus, it's way too big for us. Kyle's not there very much, as you know, and we need a new start." "What about Kyle? He won't leave here, will he?" "Oh, no. We're going to buy him a condo here, and Rita and I will buy a little one here, too. Probably only two bedrooms for us. We're not leaving this community altogether. That's for sure. And we won't move until after Kyle's eighteenth birthday. I think a lot more than most kids his age, Kyle's grown up. He probably won't be here much longer, either. I know Tim wants to go to medical school, and he can't do that here. I expect they'll be gone in two years." All of a sudden the reality of Tim and Kyle's moving away hit me. That was exactly what Rick and I had both done, of course, along with countless other people, but somehow it didn't seem right, it didn't seem fair. I wondered if my parents had felt the way I was feeling, and Tim and Kyle's departure was still a good two years away. "Gene, you have to do what you have to do, and you know Kevin and I will support you completely. But what you just said about the kids is about to make me lose it, man," Rick said. "I know, Rick. Imagine losing one for good," Gene said. For the first time I had a glimpse of the enormity of Clay's death in the lives of Gene and Rita. I had thought of it many times before, but the realization of what it will mean when Tim and Kyle move away made their loss of Clay palpable. It was no wonder it had plunged Rita into depression. The three of us were silent for a long time, each one caught up in his own thoughts about the issues we had exposed that morning. Already that summer we had said goodbye to Seth, Chris, and Jeff. We had said hello to Alex, Chip, and Denny, of course, and maybe that was the way our lives would ebb and flow. Our family had come into existence by accident, so to speak, and it had grown and expanded unplanned, as well. "It looks like I've thrown a wet blanket on your day," Gene said. "Gene, I was just thinking how much love can hurt," Rick said. "It can, Rick, but would you be willing to give up the joy out of fear of the pain," he asked. Rick took my hand, something we never did in front of Gene. "Let's go, Babe," he said. The three of us stood up, and Gene grabbed us in a hug. We stood there clenched in one another's arms. * * * That night we all went to the high school football jamboree. Beachside had its own stadium where they played their home games, but the jamboree, which involved all the public high schools in the school district, which was really the county, was played at the big stadium in town. There was quite a traffic jam when the jamboree was over. We had gone in Rick's car so there would be only one parking place to find. That was always a problem at a big event like the jamboree. "Kyle, Rick and I had a talk with your dad today," I said, once we were all situated in our places in the den. "Oh, yeah? Did he give you a raise?" "No, he didn't," Rick said. "So what did y'all talk about," he asked. "Destin," I said. "Oh. I knew that was coming. He talked to me and Tim about it a few weeks ago," he said. "What's going on," Jus asked. We told the kids the news. "You knew about that but didn't tell us," Jus said, like he couldn't believe it. "He told us not to say anything about it," Kyle said. "I couldn't break his confidence." "No, you couldn't, and you didn't," I said. "You're not moving, though, right," Justin asked, obviously worried. "Hell, no, I'm not moving. He said they were going to buy me a condo here. They're going to get one here, too," Kyle said. "I don't understand rich people," Jus said. "What do they need a house and two condos for?" "To live in. What do you think," Kyle asked. "Now you got me all worried, Kyle," Jus said. "Are you going to stay there all the time?" "Nothing's going to change, Bubba. Don't worry about it. You couldn't run me away from here," Kyle said. "You are going to leave one day, though, aren't you," Jus said. "Probably. When we go to college," Kyle said, "but you and Brian can come with us." That was a possibility I hadn't even considered. "Guys, I don't want to talk about this right now. Nobody's leaving for a long time," I said. "Yeah? Tell that to Jeff," Justin said. "Fellas, people grow up and leave home. That's the way it's supposed to be. It's always been that way, and it always will be that way," Rick said. "Sometimes they leave home before they grow up," Denny said. The four on that sofa were Justin, Brian, Denny, and Alex, in that order. Not a one of them had a home outside of our house, and they had all left home before they had grown up. We were all quiet, no doubt contemplating what Denny had said. I know I was. I decided to change the subject. "Is the party all ready for tomorrow night," I asked. "Yes, sir," Kyle said. "I've got to get some gas for the boat tomorrow morning, but that's really about it. I'm sort of tired. I think I'm going to bed." Kyle and Tim told everybody good night, and they went up to bed. "Yeah, he's exhausted," Justin said. "Jus, give your brother a break, man," Rick said. "He does get tired sometimes, you know?" "Yeah, he gets tired of sitting around with that big ole hard-on he's had since we got home," Jus said. We all laughed. "I'm tired, too. Are you tired, Brian?" "No," Brian said. Justin got the cutest look on his face when he said that. It was sort of a mixture of amusement and panic. "Got you last," Brian said. "You devil," Jus said, and he laughed. They said goodnight and went up. Rick and I bid the other boys good night, too, and we went to bed. * * * The party the next day was fun, but there wasn't anything out of the ordinary about it. After they got tired of skiing, the boys congregated in the clubhouse. There weren't enough places for them to all sit on furniture, so quite a few were on the floor. "I'm scared to death about starting college Monday morning," Justin said. "I don't know if it was such a good idea for me." "It'll be good, Jus," Jeff said. "Aren't you and Lex and Cody in class together?" "Yeah, but so what," he asked. "Well, so we'll be there to help you not get lost," Cody said. "We're going to look out for each other, aren't we?" "Yeah, and I need a lot of looking out for, too," Jus said. "We all do," Alex said. "What about me? Starting high school's pretty scary for me," Chip said. "Me, too," Denny said. "I'm nervous about being picked on, like at my old school." "Same here, buddy," Chip said. "I felt the same way last year," Chad said, "but I didn't really get picked on that much. It got less and less, too, as the year went on." "Well, we can't help who we are," Gage said. "And just like we stood up for Chad last year, we'll stand up for you guys. If anybody starts anything, you just tell me, and I'll hit 'em with my purse." They all roared with laughter. "I know for a fact that Mrs. Ortega won't let people get away with that harassment shit this year. We talked about that. Evidently what I said in my speech last year made her think. She's always been good about looking out for the underdog, but I think she plans to get way better at it," Kyle said. "Kyle, I didn't tell you how surprised I was to see you up on that stage for orientation," Denny said. "You didn't tell me you were a big shot at school." Kyle shrugged. "Well, he is," Tim said. "But he's still down to earth, Denny." "Cool," Denny said. "I wonder how many other high schools have a gay guy as president of the student body." "Probably more than you think," Kyle said. "By the way, people around here are pretty tolerant, but I don't think it's a good idea for you guys to come out right at first. Or ever, unless you have to." "You guys? You talking to me," Chip asked. "If the shoe fits, Chip, wear it," Jeff said. "I never even thought about being gay until I met you all," Chip said. "It's all about sexual attraction, right?" "Right," Kyle said. "I don't feel any sexual attraction to anybody, boy or girl," he said. "I don't even really know what that means." "You will, buddy. Don't worry about it. We've talked about this before, remember," Kyle said. He was amazingly gentle with Chip. "But if you do decide, eventually, that you're gay or bi, I still wouldn't blab it around." "I know that," Chip said. After a while, they drifted off to other activities. Some shot pool, others played ping pong or darts, some went into the pool, and others played with the Play Station. After dinner, we all went into the pool. Some of the adult friends preferred to wait until it was dark, or at least dusk, to get naked and in the water. The party broke up around midnight, and we all went to bed. "Mont and Terry want us to go out on their boat tomorrow," Rick said after we were in bed. "What did you tell them?" "I told them we'd call tomorrow morning and let them know. Do the kids have anything going on, do you know?" "Nothing that I know of," I said. "Kyle asked me if he and Tim should spend tomorrow night here. What do you think?" "Brian and Denny need a ride to school, although I guess I could take them," he said. "That's right. I forgot Justin has a class at eight, so he won't be available. It might be a good idea if Denny rode with Kyle on the first day. It might enhance his status to be seen walking in with him," I said. "True. Let's tell him to stay here. I'm sure that's what he wants to do, anyway," Rick said. I was on my back, and Rick was on his stomach. He propped himself up on his elbows and started kissing me. That was just the beginning, of course. Rick is always a gentle lover, but that night he took extra pains to make it good for me. "I love you more than life," I said. "I love you that much, too."
Every month since I've been with Kevin and Rick has been better than the month before it, and I've grown to love those guys almost as much as I love Brian. When you toss Kyle, Tim, and Jeff into the mix, I was one happy guy. That's why when they started talking about Gene and Rita moving, and Kyle getting a condo, I almost lost it. It's bad enough Jeff is moving out, but he really wouldn't have been comfortable living with Tyler right here with the rest of us. I could accept that, even though I didn't like the idea. But for Kyle and Tim to move would kill me. And they really only spend two or three nights a week at our house, anyway. They spent more time during the summer than usual, though, and I sort of got to like having them around all the time. Another big change was starting college. I wanted to do it, but I didn't want to do it, at the same time. I knew that didn't make sense, but that was how I felt. The fact of the matter was, I was scared shitless about doing it. I mean, it wasn't like I had just gotten out of high school like Cody and Alex. I didn't even know what you did in high school, let alone whether I could do it. I knew they would all bust their asses to help me, but there was a limit to how much of that they could do. I didn't say very many prayers, but I asked God to help me not make a fool of myself Monday morning. We went out on the big boat with Monte and Terry on Sunday. It was fun on the island, like it always is. An afternoon thunder storm blew up real quick off the Gulf, so we had to come in earlier than usual. That was okay, though, because we hadn't been to church yet that weekend. By coming in early, we were able to go that night. Kyle told me he was going to become a Catholic, and I thought maybe I might want to do that, too. Not till after I was in college, though. Not too much new stuff at one time.
The summer was over. It had been an unbelievable time for me. In the space of two-and-a-half months, I had run away from my step-father, hitchhiked to Florida, had surgery, gotten my first real job, become a member of an unbelievable family, admitted to myself I was gay, and gotten a boyfriend. It had all happened pretty fast, and I didn't know how much had gone on in my life until I stopped to think about it that Sunday night. The next morning I was starting college. "Are you okay with everything," Cody had asked me before he left Sunday night. He was such a sweetie, and I really liked him a lot. "I'm okay, I guess. But so much has happened in such a short time," I said. "I know. But that's the way life moves, you know?" "I know," I said. "Are we going to school together tomorrow morning," I asked. "Absolutely. I'm going to pick you and Justin up at 7:15. We can't be late the first day," he said. "He's so scared," I said. "I know. We're going to take care of him, though, aren't we?" "Oh, yes," I said. "That boy's going to be just fine."
"Brian, I'm so scared about tomorrow," I said to him in bed. We had just made love, and I knew he probably didn't want to hear that. "Buddy, don't be scared. What do you have to be scared of?" "Starting school. I never did that before," I said. "Justin, do you have any doubt that I love you?" "No, of course not," I said. "You're going to see a lot of freshmen tomorrow. A lot of people in general. How many of them are saying tonight what you and I just said?" "Probably not that many," he said. "Probably not many at all. And what I just said isn't going to change if you make straight A's or if you make straight F's. It's never going to change, Justin. I'll always be right beside you in bed." "You don't care if I don't do good in college?" "I don't give a fucking shit about that. I'm always going to be right here next to you, no matter what," he said. We were both quiet for a few moments while I took that in. I knew it before, but I loved hearing it again. "Brian, I love you so much, Little Buddy." "And I love you that much more. Whatever happens," he said.
Kyle and Tim and Brian and Denny are coming to get me tomorrow morning, and I'm going to walk into that school with those boys. I'm going to be so damn proud, I can't even stand it. I've got some really cool clothes for my first day, and they are going to make me look cool. I just know it. I took a bath tonight, instead of a shower, and I know I'm getting hair. It's coming in. Finally. I think my penis is bigger, too. I don't know for sure, but I think it is. Maybe it's finally happening. I don't know. God, why me? Is it because I'm an only child? I want a big brother like Kyle or Justin or Tim or Brian, or any of those guys. I guess they're my big brothers, but you know what I mean. I wanted to be CEO of Goodson Enterprises, but that was before I knew Kyle and what was up with that company. Maybe now I just want to be Kyle's friend. Denny's Perspective It was all kind of a haze to me. I mean, one day I'm in a trailer in Blountstown, Florida, with four little kids who were obnoxious as hell. The next day I'm in a kind of mansion in Emerald Beach with a houseful of gay guys. I was kind of reeling from all of that. Every day there was something new, and it was always good. I was pretty scared about high school, but Chip and I were going to hang together. And I knew all those upperclassmen. I thought it was going to be okay. The End
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