Still Another Chance ~ Book Four of Another Chance

(A Crossover with Priorities)

by Zarek Dragon

Author’s Note:  To avoid unnecessary repetition, the reader will need to read the corresponding chapter in Priorities to get all the interactions between the various characters.

 

Phoenix got up and left the meeting. Zac was getting ready to thank Aunt Sallie for her time when she asked, “What do you think of taking in another boy right now? I know that you weren’t planning to start yet, but you have Phoenix already.”

Jim asked, “I take it that you have a boy needing a home?”

“Yes,” Aunt Sallie replied, “He came to us because his father was abusing him for being gay. And I mean that monster totally abused him.”

Tuck thought for a bit, “That being the case, will he trust us?”

Aunt Sallie sighed, “It is doubtful at first, he doesn’t even trust us, so I’m hoping you can earn his trust, perhaps using the horses to help.”

“I don’t know,” Zac stated. “Bring him in and we can at least try and see what he thinks of the idea.”

Aunt Sallie disappeared for a moment and came back with a sixteen-year-old boy. As he walked in, Jim greeted him, “Howdy, my name is Jim, what’s yours?”

The boy didn’t respond, so Aunt Sallie said, “This is Alexander Martin; he is the boy I was telling you about.”

“Xander,” the boy grunted.

Joe asked, “What was that?”

“Alexander is the name that man gave me,” the boy stated. “I go by Xander.”

Joe questioned, “Okay, Xander, where is your mom? Why didn’t she…”

Xander blurted out, “Don’t talk about my mom. She died giving birth to me.”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know,” Joe offered.

Tuck suggested, “If you would like to tell us what brought you here, we are here to listen and help, but if you’re not ready, we understand. We are willing to help however we can. Aunt Sallie thinks you…”

Xander interrupted again, “She ain’t my aunt.”

Aunt Sallie looked hurt, “You are right, I am not. Most of those who reside here call me Aunt Sallie, but you don’t have to.”

Tuck was beginning to look exasperated, “Fine, Sallie thinks you would feel more comfortable at the ranch. You’ll mainly deal with Joe and these other young men. I will be your teacher, someone you can discuss things with if you are willing, and hopefully be your friend.”

Zac said, “My father left when I was thirteen, so I can’t imagine how you feel. All of us are not that much older than you, so hopefully we can be friends and help you, that is… if you let us. Our rules are simple…”

“Here it comes,” Xander spat out.

Zac continued, “The main rule is respect, so please refrain from interrupting.” As Zac continued with the rules, the same as they were explained to Phoenix, Xander sat there. His face remained stoic. Once done explaining the rules, Zac asked, “Do you have any questions?”

Xander replied, “Yeah, how many of you are already planning to use me like my father did?”

Tuck had a tear rolling down his face, “Xander, I know this will be hard to believe, but none of us.”

Xander looked at Tucker and laughed, “Yeah right. You’re probably thinking of being first.”

Zac sighed, “Xander, if you truly believe that, perhaps you should stay in the group home. But if you want a chance to have a little freedom, work up to twenty hours a week, wherever you desire, and learn to trust some adults, we would like to give you that chance. Another Chance is mainly my husband’s and mine, but Jim’s brother Joe is part owner and runs the home. Tuck works for us as one of the teachers, and is married to Jim’s cousin. I can assure you, you will be safe.”

Xander sat quietly for a minute.  Aunt Sallie was getting ready to ask what he thought when he finally spoke up, “What kind of work would be expected of me?” Jim started going over Xander’s option at the ranch and then told him that if none of that suited him, he was free to look wherever he wanted. Finally Xander declared, “I’ll give it a shot, but the first time anyone tries anything, I will call the cops and get that place shut down.”

Joe smiled, “The Sheriff is my Dad, I’ll let you use my phone. I promise even if we were like that, he wouldn’t put up with it. You will be safe.”

They took Xander back to the ranch to meet the rest of the group and to eat lunch.

The group didn’t wait around for the orientation. Jim and Zac were glad, especially when they had an unexpected ‘guest.’

As the boys got off the coach they tried to decide what to do. Roger got an idea and presented it to the group.

“Why don’t we go kick my Papa out of the kitchen and prepare lunch? All of us working together could do it easily and it would be kinda cool too, what do you all think?”

Since they were at the Boys’ Home at that time, they sat in the dining room to plan things out. Roger knew that Henri would want to know his plan before he agreed to it.

Roger looked at the boys he had available. Besides himself there was Trevor, Alex, Nigel, Jared, Colt, Patrick B, Scott, Jake, Patrick H, Austin, Jacques, Robert and Eric. After a moment of thought Roger stated, “Okay, there’s probably a lot of leftover beef from last night. Has anyone besides me and Trevor ever made bread from scratch?” Robert, Jared and Eric raised their hands. Roger thought and said, “That’s perfect. I have an idea, let’s go talk to my Papa.”

The Brat Pack, as Jackson nicknamed them, minus three, moseyed over to the party barn to speak with Henri. Phoenix was absent due to his orientation, Eric Pressman and Garrett Radcliffe were visiting Garrett’s cousin, Brock VIII. Alex’s and Nigel’s new brothers, Colt and Jared, joined the group. Roger only hoped to catch his father before he started preparing lunch.

As they approached the party barn, they saw Henri about to enter. Roger called out to him and he turned, stopped, and smiled.

“Are you boys enjoying your day? The tours were magnifique, don’t you think?”

“We did, Papa,” Roger stated before continuing,” we have an idea.”

Henri had a notion of what their idea was and asked, “You do? What is this idea?”

“Papa, we’d like to prepare lunch.”

“I could use the help with Ange and Joe not here, but I’m not sure I need all of you though.”

“No, Papa, we want to do it ourselves, you can either watch or go relax.”

Henri thought about it for a moment and finally said, “If you think you are ready to run a brigade, I will not stop you. I will be nearby if you need to ask me anything. I am certain you will be fine though.”

Roger led the boys into the kitchen then, and realizing this kitchen was just a smaller version of Chez Henri, he assigned jobs to each boy. Jared, Eric, Robert and Trevor, he assigned to make 12 loaves of bread that they will slice for the bottom of the sandwiches. Henri interrupted, “You can use the dough that I made this morning and left to rise. Just make a fresh batch of dough to replace it so I can use it for the dinner.”

He assigned Colt and Alex to get the rest of the beef from the previous night from the refrigerator, they were then to slice it up. He assigned Jacques, Jake, and Austin to portion the meat into quarter pound portions. Henri told them there was about 80 pounds left and he’d need about 50 pounds for the Hunter’s stew he was going to make, so they were free to use the rest. Jacques spoke up, “That means we make 120 portions, forty each.”

That left Nigel, Scott, and the two Patricks.  They would first start some potatoes cooking as well as the ears of corn. While they were cooking, he would show them how to make the gravy. He told everyone that if they had any questions, they should ask him. Everyone got to their assigned tasks. Henri, who had been listening to his son, couldn’t be more proud. 

Meanwhile, the bread makers were portioning the dough and getting it into the oven. Once that was completed they asked Roger what they should do until the bread is ready to come out of the oven.

”The potatoes will be ready to mash right after the bread comes out of the oven. The bread needs to cool before taking out of the pans. While it’s cooling, can you please drain the potatoes, and use the ricer, the device that looks like a basket with little holes in it. There are two handles on it, to mash them.” When the boys looked and couldn’t find it, Roger calmly went over and got one out of the drawer.

With everything underway, Henri left the kitchen and was sitting in the dining room. It was a few minutes after noon when Jim walked up with a boy Henri had never seen.

Jim asked, “Henri, Is lunch already finished?”

“No, the boys are making lunch and they kicked me out of the kitchen,” Henri laughed then continued, “My own son actually kicked me out”

Jim and the boy laughed then Jim introduced the boy, “Henri Duchamp, this is Xander. He’s going to be joining the Boys’ Home.

Henri put his hand out to shake, but the boy ignored it. Jim gave Henri a look that told him to let it drop so Henri lowered his hand. Jim told him they were going to head over to see the horse barn before lunch.

At about 12:45, Roger came out with a plate of food. He placed it in front of his father. Henri looked at the plate and smiled. He turned to his son and said, “This is very well presented, but how does it taste?”

Henri took a forkful of the mashed potatoes and tasted it, there was something different; he looked at Eric who had joined them and was smiling widely. Eric said, “We were just going to make normal potatoes, but I saw some white cheddar cheese in the fridge, so I suggested we grate some of it into the potatoes as we were mixing it.”

Henri just smiled. He had actually planned on making these exact potatoes for lunch today. He tasted the meat and bread. The meat was succulent; if Henri didn’t know better, he’d never believe the meat was left over from last night’s dinner

“Roger, please call out your brigade.”

“Sorry Papa, they’re still plating the food, if you want to talk to them, you can come into the kitchen.”

Henri put his arm over his son’s shoulder as he walked into the kitchen. “Boys, if I could say something,” Henri paused as the boys looked up from their tasks. Once they were done Henri continued, “The lunch you boys prepared today was restaurant quality, you should all be very proud. Why don’t we let everyone know lunch is prepared?”

The boys had prepared every plate and placed it where someone would sit. Once every plate was ready, Henri rang the dinner bell and it seemed like people were coming out of the woodwork. Everyone took a seat and Zac stood on the stage, He whispered, “Come here Xander, so I can introduce you to everyone.”

Looking like Zac just asked if he wanted a blindfold and a cigarette, Xander stated, “I would rather not.”

Zac shook his head, “Fine, but if you want to start making…” Zac stopped when he saw the fear in Xander’s eyes. Jim was watching the boys’ reaction as Zac tried to introduce Xander. Something about Trevor made him focus more on him.

Everyone was enjoying the lunch and Joe told Henri that he outdid himself. Henri said, “Merci, but it wasn’t me. The boys made lunch today.”

Zac sat beside Jim, who was across the table from Xander. “Is everything alright, Xander? Why didn’t you want Zac to introduce you?”

“Look, I’m here,” Xander stated. “This dump seems better than that group home, I just want to do my time and get out of here.”

Jim was a little offended, “Xander, this isn’t a prison; you are not doing time. We are here to provide you with a safe place to live and a better opportunity to take care of yourself when you turn eighteen. And we won’t kick you out as soon as you do. We will help you get established in your own place after you turn eighteen and finish school, but you will always, always be a part of this family.”

Xander leered at Jim and said, “Whatever… Do I really have to eat this slop?”

“No,” Zac replied, “you can choose to go hungry.”

Xander then took his fork and made the comment, “Fine then, I’ll eat this shit.”

Zac shook his head, “Xander, we’re happy you decided to try it, but please think about what you’re saying. Cursing isn’t necessarily bad, and the word you used is mild, compared to some, but, if you want to succeed in life, you need to think not only what you’re going to say, but how you say it.”

Xander grumbled a bit at being chastised…

After lunch, the boys decided to head back to the dorms to relax. They knew that they’d be going to Yellowstone the following day.

Shortly after they got to the dorms, Eric decided it was time he had that talk with Trevor and Roger he’d tried to have the day before. He walked to their room and this time he knocked.

Roger answered the door wearing his boxer briefs. Trevor was still fully dressed. “Hi Eric, come on in.”

Eric entered and Roger took a seat next to Trevor. They told Eric he could sit wherever he liked. When Eric sat, he looked over at the two, but didn’t say anything. Roger asked, “Would you be more comfortable if I put on a pair of sweats?”

“No, you look fine just as you are.” Eric replied. “I, umm, I’m just not sure where to start or what I want to say.”

Trevor smiled over at him, “Why don’t you just say what you’re feeling.”

“Well, Patrick said the two of you really helped him come to terms with being gay, and I think I am,” Eric stated.

“I’m not saying anything doubting you by this, but why do you think so?” Trevor asked.

“Well, when Patrick was showing me the images of celebrities, I enjoyed looking at the boys more than the girls,” Eric admitted, “and then when I met...” He stopped, afraid to continue.

Roger compassionately asked, “Phoenix?”

Eric just nodded his head, tears starting down his cheek.

Roger said, “Look we’re here to help you understand what you’re feeling, not to make you feel bad. Tell me about your attraction, is it more physical or emotional?”

Trevor then asked, “Would you like me to move next to you so you have a shoulder to cry on, or would you like me to get Phoenix?”

“I don’t know,” the boy cried, “I just know I like the way he looks, and then last night when he was comforting me, I enjoyed his touch.” Then to answer Trevor, Eric added, “I want Phoenix, but what if he doesn’t like me the same way?”

Trevor smiled, “If I read him correctly, he does as much as you do, but I think he’s afraid of the same thing.”

“It’s harder for a gay boy than a straight boy. A straight boy, while he might be nervous, isn’t afraid he’ll get beaten up just for asking a girl out. But a gay boy worries about asking the wrong person. Eric, you have found someone you know is gay... ask him. Talk to him.”

“Seriously?” Eric questioned, “you honestly think I should just walk up to him and ask him out?”

Roger chuckled, “Why not?”

Trevor added, “If you’d like we can invite him here and be here when you ask.”

“Because he is so perfect,” Eric averred, “and I am far from it. Even the man who donated sperm to create me didn’t want me.”

“And Eric... Phoenix’s mother killed his father because she didn’t want him either.”

Roger then said, “If you want my opinion, you two can help each other.”

“Well she was an idiot,” Eric debated. “I mean, who wouldn’t want such a perfect boy.”

Trevor then winked and said, “If I didn’t have Roger, you’d be pretty damn perfect in my book. Remember when we talked on Skype? I said you’re better in person than in the picture? Well, now that I’ve met you in real life, you’re better in real life than on camera.”

“No, I’m not...” Eric argued, “I’m a mess.”

“We all have our flaws,” Roger started, “Trevor is always forgetting to lock the door...” this caused a round of laughter before Trevor picked it up, “And Roger is always... damn I can’t think of a flaw in him...”

“Over sexual?” Eric threw out.

Roger got up and sat next to Eric, not unexpectedly, Eric’s eyes shifted down until he realized what he was doing, Roger took his hand and said, “You’re not a mess. You’ve been through an event that nobody should have to go through. Phoenix has as well. You two could very likely be the reason to get over things.”

Trevor added, “Love is a powerful healer.”

About that time there was another knock on the door, again Roger went to answer it, still in his boxer briefs. As if on cue, it was Phoenix. Phoenix looked at Roger and asked, “Can I talk to you and Trev... Oh, I see you have company, I can come back later.”

“Actually, why don’t you come in?” Roger replied.

Slowly entering, not sure what is going on, Phoenix headed toward Eric and saw his tears... “Eric, are you alright?”

Eric responded, “I was just talking to these two. They were trying to help me figure something out.”

“About what?” Phoenix was curious.

“I’m not ready to tell you, not right now.”

Phoenix put his arm around Eric, and whispered, “OK, whenever you are, I will be ready to listen, and help you as best I can.  You know, I like you a lot, and Jim thinks we can help each other. I really didn’t understand why he thought that until you told us what happened to you.”

Trevor looked at the two, and then said to Roger, “I think they need to talk, maybe Phoenix would like to tell Eric what happened to him. Why don’t we give them some privacy?”

“But it’s our room, and I wanted a nap,” Roger chuckled and then added, “but their friendship means even more.”

As the two boys stepped out into the hall, Patrick and Scott were heading to their room. Scott looked at Patrick and asked, “Doesn’t he ever wear pants?”

Chuckling, Patrick commented, “You should see when we go swimming.”

Roger shot back, “You don’t wear any more than I do.”

Patrick said, “And, those boxer briefs are almost like pants compared to some of the stuff he wears.”

“Yeah, I saw that last night, remember,” Scott replied.

*** In the room

Eric asked, “Is what Trevor said true? Did your mom really kill your dad?”

Phoenix nodded his head and started crying. Eric started rubbing his back as Phoenix told his story, “Let me start from the beginning. I knew I was gay for over a year, but I was always quiet, afraid of what would happen.  One night after supper, Dad came into my room and he asked me, ‘Phoenix, I found some questionable stuff on my computer. I think I already know the answer, so please be honest. You are my son, and I love you unconditionally, but are you gay?’ When I confessed that I was, Dad hugged me and said that if I ever wanted to look at that stuff, he would like for me to ask permission. I felt relieved.”

“I can imagine,” Eric interrupted. “So far, everything sounds almost utopial, if there’s such a word,”

“I think you just made it up, try utopic,” Phoenix chuckled. “Things were going good until I asked him if I could look at a site called Story Lover. Dad just smiled and started to nod his head, but Mom asked what kind of stories were on the site. When I told her, I was expecting her to be like Dad, I mean, she was my mother.”

“I’m guessing that she wasn’t,” Eric inquired.

Phoenix shook his head, “No, I never saw her so mad. She asked Dad if he was letting me look at gay porn, too. He tried telling her that I was just reading stories and hoped it would help me cope with being gay. She hit the roof and ordered him to kick me out of the house. At first, I was shocked by what he said, he said OK, but then he added, if I was being kicked out, he was, too. I am his son and it was his job to protect me.”

Phoenix paused, so Eric said, “I wish Spermy was more like your dad. I mean, I didn’t really know I was gay until yesterday and he rejected me.”

“It’s his loss, Joe is lucky to have someone as perfect as you as a son,” Phoenix commented. Eric thought about making a remark to that comment, but Phoenix started speaking again, “Dad didn’t even give me time to grab anything, he just wanted us out of the house and we went to a hotel. The next morning, he said he was going to check the mail and if she wasn’t home, he would come back and get me. I waited all day for him and he never came back. Then I saw on the news that while he was checking the mail, that woman who I used to call Mother ran into him with her car. She was smiling the whole time.” Phoenix broke down and started crying. Eric pulled him tight and they started crying into each other’s shoulder.

Trevor and Roger headed back into the room, hoping Phoenix told Eric what he needed. Upon entering and seeing the boys crying on each other’s shoulders, their arms wrapped around one another, Trevor stated, “You know I’m always available to talk to you guys... even after I go home. You both have my Skype info.”

Phoenix looked at Eric and suggested, “Why don’t we go back to our room and talk. Roger does need a beauty nap.”

Trevor said, “That’s a good idea. I better leave too or he’ll never get any sleep. I’m going to go take a walk.”

Zac was walking with Xander towards the barn when his phone rang. He saw that it was the Rescue, so he answered it. Jacob was on the other end, “Zac, I’ve already called Jackson and Jack, but they aren’t even close. We have a mare giving birth, and I think the colt is coming out wrong.”

“Alright, I’ll be there shortly. I’ve only seen a breech birth once in my life.” Zac responded as he headed for his truck, signaling for Xander to go with him.

Xander questioned, “You don’t trust me, to leave me alone?”

“I may need your help,” Zac explained. “Turning a breech horse is not easy.”

Xander accepted that as a possible truth, but still wasn’t sure. They got to the Rescue and found the mare. Jacob was beside himself, not knowing what to do. Zac got in the stall and asked Xander to help him turn the colt just as Jackson and Jack arrived. Jack spoke softly to Zac and Xander cried, “I... I, I don’t know what to do.”

Jackson calmly stated, “Just listen to my instructions and do what I say. Everything will be alright.” As Jackson coached the boy, he did exactly what he was told.

As the foal was lying on the ground, Xander asked, with tears running down his face, “Is he alright?”

“I hope so, but until he stands, he’s not out of the woods,” Zac explained.

Xander spoke slightly above a whisper, “Come on, little guy, you can do this. I have faith in you. Come on.”

Zac watched Xander as he continued trying to coax the foal. The boy was genuinely concerned.

Slowly the foal planted his front hooves on the ground and started to stand, but collapsed. Xander was getting ready to assist him when Zac grabbed his arm, “He needs to do this on his own.”

The foal tried a few more times, all without success. Xander had tears running down his face as he continued to coax the foal. Jack told Zac, “You may want to take him out of here, I’m afraid I’m going to have to put the foal down. He’s too weak to stand on his own, he’ll never survive.”

Xander snapped, “No, please, give the little guy one more chance, please?” Xander dropped to his knees, with his hand folded in front of him, begging, “I’ll do anything you ask if you give him another chance.”

Jackson whispered into his dad’s ear, causing Jack to smile. Nodding to Jackson, he turned toward Xander and replied, “That is the name of this Rescue. If you promise to give us a chance to be your friend, I will wait but if he can’t stand on his own, it would be inhumane to keep him alive.”

“I promise,” Xander cried out. Jack nodded his head and they watched the foal. Xander was begging, “Please stand, your life depends on it.”

The foal made another attempt and though shaky at first, he stood. Xander gave Zac a hug, relieved to see the foal standing.  Jackson walked over, “Young man, you saved that mare and her colt. What would you like to name him?”

Xander asked, “What? I get to name him?”

Jackson smiled, “If you want him, he’s yours.”

“Seriously?” Xander asked, “Can I name him Little Guy?”

“If that is what you would like, but he won’t stay little for too long.”

“That’s alright, even full grown, he will always be my Little Guy.”

As Jackson was talking to Xander, Tony walked up behind Zac. The two shook hands, “It’s good to see you again, Zac.”

“You too, Tony. Things going okay at your ranch?”

“Couldn’t be better. Watching Jackson work with that boy… he’s a natural.”

“I know, I just hope someday I can be half as good as him.”

Tony and Jackson went off talking, and Jackson offered to show him around both ranches.  Zac walked over to Xander and said, “What do you think? You just saved two lives.”

Xander turned toward Zac and said, “That was amazing; I’m thinking that I’d like to work at the Rescue. Did you really mean that you want to be a friend too?”

Zac replied, “Yes, I meant every word, now let’s go get cleaned up.”

Xander looked, “But I don’t have any clean clothes. What I am wearing is the only thing I had left after that man ripped up everything else before he was arrested.”

Zac smiled, “Jim and I might have something that will fit you, and these clothes will wash if you get them soaking in cold water before the blood sets in. Come to the house with me and we’ll get you squared away, then we can go to Walmart and get you some clothes.”

Before Zac entered the house with Xander, he asked Chris if he could come with them. Xander looked puzzled, but Zac explained, “This way, we both are protected, not that I would try anything, but you have a witness if I did, and if for some reason, you decided you didn’t like me, you can’t claim that I tried anything because I have a witness. I don’t think you would, it’s just a precaution. If I bring any boy from the Home, I should do this.”

Xander looked down, “I understand, and it does make sense.”

Zac was looking through Jim’s side of the closet, Xander was sitting on the bed and Chris was sitting at Jim’s desk when Jim walked in. He was a bit surprised seeing them in there. “What’s going on?”

Zac replied, “Xander helped me with a breech foal at the Rescue, and he doesn’t have any clothes to change into. He’s about your size, so I was going to let him borrow some of your clothes until we can get him some.”

“The Wrangler Jeans will probably fit him better than the Levi’s,” Jim stated, without hesitation, “and I rarely wear them, just give them to him.” Then he looked at Xander, “Do you prefer t-shirts, polo shirts or button-ups?”

“I’ve never had anything except t-shirts,” Xander was starting to break down, yet showed signs of anger, “they were easier for him to take off me.”

Jim knelt down, “You needn’t worry about that, no one will ever treat you like that while you live here. You are safe from all of that abuse. You do understand? I won’t say that you won’t have sex while here, but if you do, as long as you and whoever consent to it, we don’t need to know about it, but if anyone tries to force you, or should you try to force anyone, we want to know.”

“I would never force anyone to have sex,” Xander said defensively.

Jim smiled, “No, I don’t think you would, but I had to say that. You seem like a good kid who was given a raw deal. It is boys like you that we want to help. Joe was kicked out of his house for being gay. I could tell you about others, too, but it’s not my place. I just know, Joe wouldn’t mind me telling you.”

Xander looked at Chris, “What about you?”

Chris smiled, “My dad is the Sheriff. He married Jim’s mom. When he was a deputy, his partner abused me and I’m straight. I feel for you because I know what it’s like. I can promise you, when Dad found out what was going on, he was mad.”

“Not at you, I hope,” Xander questioned.

Chris shook his head, “No, he showed me how much he loved me. He was ready to shoot his partner to protect me. Xander, Jim is right, as long as you live here, you are safe.”

Xander started to cry, “I want to believe you, but I was hurt so bad, it’s not easy.”

Zac stated, “That’s understandable. You promised Jack to give us a chance, that is all we ask. Now here are a couple pairs of jeans, a t-shirt, a polo shirt and a western shirt. If you like, you can use our shower, the door has a lock, if it makes you feel comfortable, or you can go back over and use the shower in the dorms.”

Xander replied, “If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to use your shower so I can get cleaned up sooner.” He went in the bathroom and closed the door. Zac wasn’t surprised when he heard the lock, but then when he heard it unlock, he felt like he was making headway.

Zac waited until Xander came out before taking a shower himself. After he was done, he and Jim took Xander to find Joe.  Joe was in the Party Barn’s kitchen with Henri, helping to make Henri’s hunter’s stew. Zac told Joe where they were going and Joe offered to take Xander after supper. Zac said, “I think I’m making progress with him, so it might be better if I do it. Jim is going with us, so if anyone looks for us, we’ll be back. Want us to take Patrick and Jake with us?”

“No, they are having fun running with the rest of the munchkins. They can stay here,” Joe offered. “And here is the night manager’s card. It should get you a discount.”

While Zac was talking to Joe, Jim called Heather to see how much they could spend on Xander. Heather explained, “I was planning to get a stack of gift cards, $500 each that you can give each boy to get things they may need. I have a feeling that many won’t have very much when they arrive. I’ll grab the check book I use for the Foundation and meet you at Walmart. There is also a petty cash account for you boys to be able to get things if necessary, without going through me. It’s small compared to the Foundation’s account, but has enough for most emergencies. If you need to use it, just let me know so I can replenish the account. Only you four boys can sign that check.”

“Thanks, Mom. Zac and Xander are here, we’ll see you at Walmart,” Jim replied.

As they were heading toward Walmart, Zac asked, “Xander, when you went to shower, I heard you turn the lock, but then…”

Xander gave Zac a smile that lit up his face, “Yeah, I unlocked it. I want to believe I can trust you, and I took a chance. I believe you proved that, especially since you just admitted to knowing I left the door unlocked. Ever since that man found out I was gay, events in my life have told me that I can’t trust adults, but for some reason, I feel I can trust you.”

Zac averred, “I’m sure the fact that we aren’t that much older than you helps.”

“Possibly, but I feel it’s more than that,” Xander claimed. “So far, everything that you’ve said, either this is a well-rehearsed lie, or you really do want to help boys like me. And if you want to help, I’m no fool.”

At Walmart, Xander met Heather and she went shopping with them. He was surprised by how much fun he had modeling clothes that he liked and he was able to get a few other things that he wanted. Xander apologized when he saw that his purchase rang up to $612.74, but then the manager came over and gave them the discount they were promised. His final total was $490.19. Heather said, “You have ten dollars left, but I will give you some extra to help until you start getting paid.” Heather paid for Xander’s purchase and then told the manager that she needed ten gift cards for the Home. As a precaution, should they get lost or stolen, Heather thought ten gift cards at a time would be best. Handing the gift cards to Jim, Heather left.

“Will I get paid working at the Rescue? I thought it was volunteer work,” Xander asked.

Zac smiled, “Yet, it made you feel good enough that you chose it. While you won’t get paid what you would if you worked at the ranch, we agreed that we would give boys who wanted to volunteer at the Rescue an allowance of sorts so they would have some spending money.”

“Can we not call it an allowance, though?” Xander asked. “That would make me feel like a little kid.”

Zac smirked, “You can call it whatever you want. Reimbursement for your time, or whatever.”

Xander inquired, “So, are all those boys residents of the Home?”

“No, we haven’t officially opened our doors, yet, so we only have you and Phoenix,” Jim explained. "Several of the boys are here from South Dakota for a wedding. If you let Zac or me introduce you, I can tell you who is who.”

Xander surprisingly agreed, “OK, I think I’m ready, now. Do any of the boys know what happened to me?”

Zac replied, “Not our place to tell them. If you want to share, it is your decision, but aside from those of us in the meeting with you, no one else knows. All anyone else knows is that you were being hard-shelled, so to speak.”

Xander had a tear running down his face, “I guess, I was being that, wasn’t I?”

“Xander,” Jim sighed, “you had good reason. I’m glad that you’re feeling more comfortable with us, and I hope we earn your trust even more and never do anything to lose it.”

“All the same, thank you for understanding and being patient with me. Even though you are barely adults, you are the first ones who have.”

Once they were back at the ranch, Jim and Zac helped Xander take his bags to his room, then Zac gathered all the boys he could. He explained, “Guys, I’m sure some of you have been wondering who it is I have been showing around. This is Xander, he will be staying at the Home along with Phoenix.” When Zac started explaining who was who to Xander, Trevor walked up to Xander and asked if they could talk in private. Xander looked over at Zac, who nodded, “Normally I wouldn’t, but since Zac says it’s okay, sure.”

“I can understand your feelings,” Trevor then continued, “Why don’t we have a seat in the dining room so you don't feel trapped in any way.”

Xander was happy that this kid was concerned about how he felt. The two sat and Trevor explained who he was and how he came to be where he is.

The two seemed to hit it off and before long Xander couldn’t believe that he was opening up to this boy, this stranger, about his past. He didn’t leave any detail out. He even lifted his shirt so Trevor could see the scars that Xander’s father had left when he didn’t “please” the man good enough. Trevor had tears running down his face when he said, “Nobody should ever have to go through what you did. I want you to know that if you ever need anything, you can contact me. Here's my Skype info. You can ask Patrick, Eric, Phoenix or Scott, they'll tell you more about me.”

Xander put his hand out for Trevor to shake. The two shook hands and Trevor went off to find Roger, while Xander went back to his dorm room.

Zac knocked on Xander’s door and when Xander opened it, Zac said, “We normally give these at the orientation, but since we didn’t know we would be talking with you, we didn’t have it with us. This laptop is yours to keep. It has all the curriculum that you will need clear up to graduation. As long as you do your school work, you can use the laptop for whatever else you may want.”

“How often will you be checking what I have on it?” Xander questioned.

Zac smiled, Xander is still holding on to a little piece of uncertainty… “Never, the State may think we should check regularly, but the only thing anyone will do is ask to see your homework. Certain sites will be blocked by the network, but if you find a way to them, as long as you’re not showing other boys, we won’t say anything. Sites like Nifty.org and storylover.us will be available. They are sites with gay stories, some are more about romance, and some are pure erotica. I see no harm in reading these stories. For some boys, it may be how they learn about sex and true romance, but again, be discrete when around other boys. Now, if you ever have any questions about any of that, I’m not an expert, but I will explain things as best as I can, or we can google it together and I will try to explain.”

Xander looked down, “I do have a question that I doubt anyone can answer except maybe the one person I don’t want to see, let alone ask…”

“Why did your father treat you like he did?” Zac asked, with a lump in his throat. Xander just nodded. Zac tried to see if he could shed some light on things, “Some people don’t understand that we are normal people, just like them. I can’t really explain why your father was the way he was, but I was lucky, at least compared to you. My father left before he even found out I was gay. The man married to my mom now knew I was gay before he married my mom and he adopted me. At least here, you will meet several people who care about you. While what happened may always haunt your memories, you don’t have to let them dictate who you are.”

“If you were older, would you adopt a boy like me?”

“In a heartbeat, Xander,” with a tear rolling down his cheek, Zac averred. “After breaking down your wall, I discovered that you are a good young man and given the chance, you will be a great young man.”

“Thanks,” Xander whispered, “I needed to hear that. Ummm, one more thing, how well do you know that boy I was talking to?”

François and Henri were just completing preparations for dinner. They'd given Maurice the rest of the day off.  François and Ange would be in the hotel, but Joe Archer-Bolt was kind enough to provide a room for Maurice at the Boys' Home.

Maurice was walking around when he came across his younger nephew, Jacques. Together they played in the common room on one of the video games until dinner was ready.

After everyone had dined on Henri's famous Hunter's Stew, knowing they had a very full day going to Yellowstone the next morning, everyone decided it would be a good idea to just spend the evening in their rooms watching television or… whatever.

 

I hope you enjoy the story and that it draws you in, wanting more. If you have any suggestions or concerns, don’t hesitate to email me.  Thoughts and suggestions are always welcomed and may or may not be implemented. Concerns will be considered and addressed as much as possible.

Also, I have created a mailing list.  If you would like to be added to it to be informed of new submission, please contact me at Zarek Dragon...  Please let me know that you read it on The Story Lovers' Website.

 

 

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