Ken Thomas could tell by Kevin's action that he wasn't happy. He sent the other boys to their rooms to get their homework done before dinner, but he asked Kyle to wait until he had a chance to talk to his brother.
'Dad Ken' did the Three Knock Rule before entering the twins' bedroom. When he walked in after the third knock and calling Kevin's' name he found the older twin laying on his bed crying.
"Kevin … what has you so upset?" lightly asked 'Dad Ken', as he put his hand on the boy's shoulder.
Kevin didn't respond, so Mr. Ken sat down on the bed next to the lad and this time he rubbed his hand over the twin's back. There still was no movement.
"Kevin … we need to talk this out. … Come on 'son' … turn over and look at me," said 'Dad Ken'.
Kevin heard what 'Dad Ken' said, but he really didn't want to talk. What he really wanted right then was his real dad. But 'Dad Ken' persisted and Kevin knew he wouldn't go away until he talked to the man, so he sat up, wiped his eyes and nose and then looked up to Mr. Ken.
After Kevin wiped his eyes and nose, Mr. Ken positioned himself right alongside the eleven-year-old twin. He then put his arm around the lad and said, "Kevin … to me it appears something is really going on with you. I came up hoping that you will talk to me, so I can understand what's really bothering you. So, what do you say? Will you talk to me and tell me what's going on with you?"
Kevin sat there not saying anything. He'd already turned his face away from his foster dad and began looking down at the floor. The two sat there for about two minutes before Mr. Ken put his hand on the lad's chin and turned his face so they two were again looking at one another.
"Kevin … please tell me what is going on inside of you. Why it is so important that the two of you sit in and talk to Doctor Doug?" again lightly asked Mr. Ken.
"I don't know," was Kevin's response.
"I think you do Kevin. I believe we went through this once before. Do you remember?" lightly said Mr. Ken.
"What is it that you want me to say?" asked Kevin.
"Kevin … I don't want you tell me anything other than why is it so important that you and Kyle talk to Doctor Doug together," replied 'Dad Ken'.
"I just do. We always do things together … so I don't understand why we have to stop doing the same things together just because this doctor comes here to talk to us," honestly said Kevin, as he looked directly into 'Dad Ken's' eyes.
"Oh, OK, now I sort of understand what this is all about. Kevin … it is good you two have such a close bond, but … as you get older, I am sure that you both will find different things that will interest you. Kyle might get into tennis, and you … you might like drawing and art. At that time you won't be able to do everything together because you both will be going in two different directions," counseled Mr. Ken.
"Maybe, but for now … we are still doing things together and I think we should talk to Doctor Doug together, too," argued Kevin.
"You heard Charles … Doctor Doug wouldn't let Collin sit in with him, so do you really think Doctor Jennings will break his standard procedure and allow you two to sit in together?" asked 'Dad Ken' seriously.
"I only met him that one time last week and he let us talk to him together then, so why wouldn't he let us talk to him again this time?" Kevin argued back.
"OK, I'll give you that. … So … what say we wait until tomorrow when Doctor Jennings gets here and we let him make the decision. He is the doctor and he knows his job and why he wants to talk to you two separately. … What do you say? Will you wait until tomorrow and let Doctor Doug decide?" simply asked Mr. Ken.
Kevin sat there for a few moments thinking over what 'Dad Ken' just said. He figured he wouldn't win against the man, so he decided to agree and see if he can talk the doctor into letting them sit in their talk together.
"OK, 'Dad Ken', I'll wait until tomorrow and ask Doctor Doug if we can sit in together," agreed Kevin.
'Dad Ken' hugged the lad and the two smiled at one another. Mr. Ken felt he had won which was why he smiled. Whereas, Kevin smiled thinking he could talk the doctor into letting Kyle and him sit in together.
"OK, Kevin, what say you go wash up and start your homework. I'll go back downstairs and tell Kyle he can come up here to finish his homework. You OK with that?" asked Mr. Ken.
Kevin said he was as he wiped his eyes one last time. The two walked out of the bedroom together and hugged. Mr. Ken walked down the hallway towards the stairs while Kevin stopped at the bathroom and walked in.
At dinner that night, the conversation stayed away from Kevin's mini-melt down. They talked about what the kids who were invited to The Cove said about their weekend and how their classmates handled their not being invited. They also talked some about what Richard had to say about his dad going on a job interview.
They finished dinner with some laughs. Mr. Ken then wanted to know if all the homework was finished. Learning the kids were finished with their homework, Mr. Ken asked if they were up for a game of Miniature Golf. Ten minutes later the five Covers were headed down to Four Corners and at least one game of mini-golf.
It was almost bedtime for the boys when they returned home from their game of mini-golf. The Cover lads all said good night to Mr. Ken and they headed up to their bedrooms to get ready for bed.
In the twin's bedroom, Kyle asked Kevin about why he ran out of the Study when Charles told them that Doctor Doug probably wouldn't let them be in the room together. Kevin told his twin that they've always done things together and he didn't think it was right that Doctor Doug would split them up. Kevin then told Kyle what 'Dad Ken' and he agreed to about letting Doctor Jennings decide what he'll do.
Kyle told Kevin that he was happy that he and 'Dad Ken' had worked things out. But inwardly Kyle hoped that the doctor would keep them separate because he wanted to talk to the man about things he didn't want his older twin to know about.
The twins met their older 'brothers' who were already in the bathroom brushing their teeth. Kevin and Kyle joined Robert and Charles at the sinks and brushed their teeth, too. When the four Cover lads all had clean teeth, they all peed, then washed their hands and then they headed off to their own bedroom and their soft, comfy bed. With a big day at school and a late night out playing Miniature Golf, they all fell fast asleep not too long after their heads hit their soft pillows.
Morning came faster than any of the lads wanted, but it was another school day so they had to get up. Robert checked on the twins and as with the previous day, they weren't up and out of bed when he entered their bedroom after doing the Three Knock Rule.
"Kevin, Kyle, come on, it is time for you to get up for school. When I get downstairs I'm gonna talk to 'dad' about getting you guys a better alarm clock. If I never checked on you two you'd never get to school on time and 'dad' would be mad because he'd have to take you," said Robert, as he shook each twin two or three times before they got out of bed.
The four lads all took their morning showers together and hurried up and to get dressed so they could see what Momma Maria had made for them for breakfast.
Ken Thomas heard the lads coming, so as soon as they arrived in the Kitchen Nook he greeted them, "Good Morning boys!"
"Good morning 'dad'", called out Robert and Charles in unison.
"Good morning, 'Dad Ken'" said Kevin.
"Morning, 'Dad Ken'", said Kyle, who then went over to the man and hugged him. Kevin saw what his twin did and wasn't happy about it but he didn't say anything.
'Mornigs boysss," spoke up Momma Maria. "Pleasess skits downs and I's wils brings yurses breakfasts to yuse."
"Thank you Momma Maria," piped up Charles, as he sat down to breakfast.
As the Covers ate, Mr. Ken took the time to remind the twins that Doctor Doug should be there around 5 o'clock and for them to start their homework right after having their after school snack. Kevin made a face that he thought Mr. Ken didn't see but had. Kyle smiled at the thought of getting to talk to the doctor again as he really wanted to talk to someone about all the things that were on his mind. The younger twin knew he could talk to 'Dad Ken', but he wanted to talk to someone who he wouldn't see every day and might say something to someone.
'Dad' Ken also reminded Robert to pick up his lessons for the next three days. He told the teenager that he'd already cleared it with Principal Chadwick and his teachers should have everything ready for him. Robert thanked his 'dad for getting that done for him and went back to eating his breakfast.
Before long, the four lads were heading out the Foyer door to head up to the Bus Stop.
"Boys … shouldn't you take an umbrella? It sure looks like it might rain today," yelled Mr. Ken to his 'boys', as they headed up the slight hill to the Main Gate.
"NO, we're good," yelled back Charles.
Mr. Ken had made arrangements to visit the construction site since there was a very good chance he'd be tied up in court the next three days. His construction supervisors were waiting for him when he arrived and they filled him in the status of both buildings. Since the hotel was only three stories high, it was much further along than the eight-story office building.
Ken Thomas donned a hard hat and safety glasses before ascending the stairs of the hotel. The roof was finished and the workers were in the process of standing up the walls while the electricians were beginning the wiring of the third floor. Other workers were busy on other parts of the new building, but for now, Mr. Ken was interested in when the hotel rooms would be finished so he could start 'selling' them. Before he left, he was told the hotel was on schedule and should be ready for its first guest by the first of May. Mr. Ken left with a big smile on his face.
When he finished inspecting the hotel, Mr. Ken walked over to the office building. He was met by the construction supervisor who took the owner in the only operating construction elevator to the top floor where Mr. Ken's home-away-from-home would be located.
Mr. Ken inspected the layout and was impressed by the size of the rooms. He walked out onto the rooftop where his wading pool would be located and then walked to the side and looked out over the temporary safety railing to appreciate the view he would soon be enjoying.
The construction supervisor continued the tour by taking the building's owner to different floors and explained where there were in the construction process. In the end, the supervisor told Mr. Ken they were on schedule and the office building should be finished and ready for occupancy by the end of next summer. Ken Thomas was very happy with the report.
When Mr. Ken returned home, he had a couple of phone messages along with Mr. Chris waiting for him.
"Boss, Mr. Jackson called a few times wanting to talk to you. I told him where you were but he said he didn't want to disturb you out there. He did ask me to encourage you to call him as soon as you walked in. Your other call was from Ms. Judy about Robert spending Friday night at her place. And last, but not least, the new fall contracts are ready for your review. I'll leave it at that and let you call Mr. Jackson," chuckled Chris Dominions, as he walked away.
"Hey, Bill, I just got back. Chris said for me to call you ASAP. What's up?" voiced Mr. Ken.
"Ken, I heard from Ed Higgins, Mildred's lawyer, first thing this morning. They want to meet with us later today to try to reach a deal on our differences before we go to court tomorrow. I told them I couldn't commit until I talked to you. They would like to meet with us before 4 o'clock this afternoon. What do you say?" asked Bill Jackson.
"Bill, did Ed mention anything about Robert's suit?" asked Ken.
"Yes, as a matter of fact he did. He kind of indicated that if we can come to some sort of agreement about her firing and her returning to The Cove that the lawsuit would be mute," replied Bill.
Hearing what Bill just told him made Mr. Ken laugh. He laughed so hard that Bill had to move the receiver away from his ear, so he would be able to hear out of that ear for the rest of the day.
When the laughing stopped, Bill asked, "I take that as a NO to us meeting with them?"
"Bill, that woman thinks her shit still doesn't stink. She knows she will lose the suit Robert has filed against her, so she wants us to continue to talk with her and hopefully give Chris' job to her and at the same time make Robert's lawsuit go away. I have no sympathy for her and I want the chips to fall where they may. We have a plan of attack against her and for Robert's sake, I want to put closure on her abuse of him. Tell Ed Higgins that we will see him in court at 9 AM tomorrow," was how Ken Thomas closed his conversation with his lawyer.
With that phone call out of the way, Mr. Ken called Judy Turner.
"Hi Judy, I'm returning your call. I am at home right now, so when you get this message give me a call. Catch up with you soon." That was the message Mr. Ken left on the woman's voice mail, as she hadn't picked up when he called her.
Ken saw the short stack of folders laying in his inbox on his desk, so he figured they were the ones Chris mentioned to him earlier. He picked up the first one and began reading through it. He saw the contract was to begin on the 1st of October and was for the General Weekly House Cleaning. He also noticed he did not recognize the contractor's name, so he put it aside to talk to Chris about it.
The next contract was for the Christmas and New Year's Eve parties and it was with the catering company he'd used ever since he held his first Holiday parties back when Collin lived there. He initialed the sign off sheet indicating he approved of the contract and put it into his outbox.
The other contracts Mr. Ken quickly reviewed and approved were for the Day Maids, the Christmas Decorations, the New Year's Fireworks, and the Halloween Party.
It was the Halloween contract that caught his attention and it made him feel like he was missing something important there. For that Holiday he didn't have an inside Halloween Party. He just had some large scary decorations and loads of candy ready to pass out to the local kids as they came by. However, there was something nagging him in the back of his mind that he just couldn't put his finger on. He figured he'd talk to the boys when they came home from school. In the meantime, he decided to hold onto that contract before giving it to Chris.
It was early that afternoon when the skies opened up. The moisture started as a fine mist but before long, it was a steady rain that turned into continuous downpour. Mr. Ken thought about what he called out to the boys as they went off to school that morning and figured they'd all be soaked when they get home that afternoon. He knew none of them even had a jacket but he figured the rain would bring in a cold front that will make the mornings cooler than they have been.
Just then, the phone rang. It was Bill Jackson. The lawyer said he called to tell Ken that Ed Higgins told him they were ready to fight them in court. The lawyer relayed that Ed was going to revise the original lawsuit and upgrade the asking amount from ten million to twenty-five million. That made Ken laugh which caused Bill to join in.
Then Ken asked Bill if they should up Robert's lawsuit to thirty million. The two had a good laugh over that, but in the end, Ken asked Bill to actually do that if Mildred went through with changing her lawsuit. They agreed to meet at 8:30 the next morning to discuss any last minute changes to their defense.
When the boys returned from school, they were almost drenched to the bone. Momma Maria saw them come in through the garage and knew there was something wrong. When she saw them, she told them to take off all their clothes, leave them there in the garage, go up the back stairs, and take a warm shower. Fifteen minutes later all four Cover lads came back to the Kitchen Nook for their after school snack.
Mr. Ken saw the boys running down the rise into the parking corral, but he never heard them come into the house. When they didn't come into the Study, he went looking for them. It was Momma Maria who told him what she made them do. The man inwardly laughed and asked her to have the boys go to his Study after they had their snack.
"Hmmm, those weren't the clothes you all wore to school this morning. So what happened? Did you all get caught in the … RAIN?" laughed 'dad' Ken.
"You saw us coming down the hill and come in through the parking corral didn't you, 'dad'?' said Charles.
"Yeah, I did, but when I didn't hear you come into the house I went looking for you. Momma told me what she did. Maybe next time you will think about what I have to say when it comes to the weather. OK, enough about that. Boys, please have a seat.
"I want to talk to you guys because … when Mr. Chris brought me some contracts to review there was one that had to deal with … Halloween. When I reviewed it, I got this feeling I was missing something about Halloween, so … I wanted to ask you guys if there is something I'm supposed to remember. So …?" finished 'Dad Ken'.
The twins had only been at The Cove for about ten days and didn't remember saying anything about Halloween. They then looked over to Robert and Charles to see if they had anything to say.
It was Robert who reminded his 'dad that SeaWorld, down in San Antonio, held a Howl-O-Scream, and that year it was going to be held from the end of September through the end of October. The pre-teen told his 'dad' that he mentioned it to him when he and Charles got back from their visit to SeaWorld with Mr. Dan.
"Yeah, 'dad', I remember we talked to you about what we could do before school started and mentioned SeaWorld, so we could do all the stuff we didn't get to do when Mr. Dan took us. Then Robert mentioned the Howl-O-Scream and you told us you wouldn't promise anything, but would wait until we got closer to the time. So, what do you say 'dad'? Will you take us?" simply asked Charles.
"When you say 'take us' do you mean just you four, or … do you mean I take all of your friends too?" laughed 'dad' Ken.
Kevin and Kyle looked to one another as if they were sort of talking to one another in their minds. The others in the room also noticed it, recognizing that was the second time they saw them do that.
Charles looked at Robert as if he wanted him to say something, so the teenager did.
"'Dad', well yes, it would be more fun if our friends are there, too. That way we can talk about what we did together rather than, you know, us just telling them what we did and they wouldn't have a clue," answered Robert.
"So, I should have taken all of your friends on our Disney Cruise?" laughed 'dad' Ken.
"That's different," said Robert rather quickly.
The five Covers sat there for a few moments before Mr. Ken reminded them they all needed to get their homework done. He then reminded the twins that Doctor Doug would be there soon so they needed to get going. He told the four lads they would continue their discussion after Doctor Doug left. The boys filed out of the Study and headed up to their bedrooms to start their homework
When Doug Jennings arrived to talk to the twins, Mr. Ken took him aside and told him how Kevin was reacting to his visit. He told Doug to make his decision and to stick to it. The doctor agreed and Mr. Ken went upstairs to get the twins.
When Mr. Ken and the twins were standing in front of Doctor Doug, Mr. Ken looked to the lads and said, "Boys, you remember Doctor Doug. He is here to talk to you both. Kevin you wanted him to talk to you and your brother at the same time. This is your chance to tell him why you think it is best for him to talk to you both at the same time."
Kevin looked at the doctor and began his argument for them both to be in the same room at the same time. He told the man how they always did things together and they sometimes kind of talk to one another in their minds and thus they knew everything about each other and so it shouldn't really matter. Doctor Doug asked Kyle what he thought and he essentially told Doctor Doug it really didn't matter to him. That made Kevin smile figuring he had won.
Doug Jennings stood there and made it look like he was pondering Kevin's request. He asked each lad a question or two before making his decision.
"Boys, I understand as twins you have this …this sort of connection between each other and you can sometimes 'talk' to one another that no one else can hear. I truly understand that. I've seen that a few times in my practice. But, I want you to know that it is in the practice of my specialty that we ONLY talk to one patient at a time.
"If I remember correctly, I did talk to you together that first time, which was against our general rules, so this time I must insist that I do talk to you one at a time. It might not be what you want, but no matter if you talk to me or another doctor you will both be seen separately. Now … who goes first?" finished Doctor Doug.
Kyle said he'd go first since he had all his homework done. Kevin walked away dejected and 'Dad Ken' saw that so he followed. He wanted to talk to the lad.
Doctor Doug and Kyle walked into Mr. Ken's Study and the doctor closed the door. They each went to one of the comfortable leather chairs and sat down. They smiled at one another and Doctor Doug started their talk.
"Kyle, I want to thank you for agreeing to talk with me one-on-one. I was afraid I was going to have a mutiny on my hands when Kevin argued for you both to be in here with me," began Doctor Doug.
"Well, I really did want to talk to you alone," confessed Kyle.
"Oh, I thought you agreed with your brother?" replied the doctor.
"I just said that to make Kev feel like I agreed with him, but … I was real happy when you said you wanted to talk to us separately," revealed Kyle.
As Doctor Doug and Kyle talked, 'Dad Ken' followed behind Kevin as the lad made his way down to the Theater. The man waited for a few minutes before walking in the very large room and when he did, he found the older twin crying.
"Kevin … what is it that has you so troubled, young man?" asked 'Dad Ken', as he sat down with the twin and hugged him.
Kevin didn't say anything but he did lean into the hug and then grabbed onto the man. The two sat that way for a few minutes until Kevin's tears began to dry up.
"Kevin … I think there is something going on inside of you that is much more than you having disagreements with your brother and your wanting the both of you talking to Doctor Doug. I hope … I hope you will want to share them with me. You know … I can't help you … if I don't know what is wrong," reasoned 'Dad Ken'.
Kevin looked up at the man and said, "I really miss my mom and dad, Mr. Ken. I really, really do. I think with, you know, with everything that has happened to us I just want us to be back together again. I've never been away from my parents this long, ever. I think that maybe I am just home sick and everything that happens that I don't like makes me act out. I can't wait until this Saturday when I can talk to my dad. And, my mom, of course," said Kevin, in a very convincing voice.
To Doctor Doug's question about what Kyle would want to talk about, Kyle said, "Doctor Doug, there are lots of things I want to talk to you about. I want to talk about how my brother has changed towards me over the past few months. How Kev gets mad at me for saying 'Dad' instead of 'Dad Ken' when we answer Mr. Ken's questions or are talking to him. How when we are around our friends he has to be the one in charge. But the biggest thing I want to talk to you about … has to do with my brother and my dad. You see … they go off together on most Sunday's and … and they don't take me, ever. They … they leave me … all alone … at home." That said, Kyle broke down and cried.
Doctor Doug knew instinctively that, that was the thing he needed to focus on first. The man let the youngster cry for a bit before giving him some tissues. Once Kyle had calmed down, he asked the twin to tell him more. It was then Kyle told Doctor Doug how his dad started to take Kevin with him on Sunday and they'd be gone most of the day. The lad revealed that when he would ask Kevin where they went the twin would tell him that his dad told him not to tell him. Kyle even told the doctor that even when he tried to look 'into his mind' like that they do when they sort of talk silently to one another he could never see where they went or what they did.
Kyle also told the man that it started back after they turned ten. When Doctor Doug asked for more information about that, Kyle told him that their dad used to take showers with them up to about the time there turned seven or eight, but then a few months after they turned ten he began to take showers with them again. That revelation piqued the doctor's interest, so he asked Kyle to tell him more.
Kyle told Doctor Doug how their dad talked to them about them getting erections more and more and how to make them go down by making it fun. Kyle said at first it was sort of fun but he didn't like having to do it to their dad. He said that Kevin liked doing it with his dad and would eagerly join in when they all got boners and they played with them to make them go away. Kyle told the man that after a while, he stopped doing that to his dad, but he still took showers with his dad and brother so he wouldn't be left out.
Kyle further revealed that Kevin showed him how to suck on their wieners and make them feel better than anything they'd done before. He told Doctor Doug he enjoyed doing that with Kevin but when his dad wanted him to do that to him in the shower, he said he refused. Kyle did say he that he did watch as Kevin did it to his dad a few times.
Hearing that last part, Doctor Jennings made a mental note to talk to Kevin about it when he sat down with Kevin later after dinner. In the meantime, he tried to get Kyle to talk more about what he and his brother did with their dad in the shower.
After Mr. Ken and Kevin had their little talk in the Theater, 'Dad Ken' sent Kevin back up to his room to finish any other homework he still needed to take care of. Kevin smiled at the man as he exited the Theater. Mr. Ken made another mental note to try to talk to Kyle about what Kevin just told him about their parents to see if their stories matched
It was getting close to dinnertime so Momma Maria texted Mr. Ken to tell him. The owner of The Cove rounded up the three lads and then knocked on the Study door to let the doctor and his other 'son' that it was time to eat.
Dinner was a fun event. The boys talked about school and how the twins got to invite some of their new friends to The Cove. They also talked about the cold rain that occurred today and what it might mean for swimming out in the lagoon. Robert and Charles also brought up Howl-O-Scream telling Doctor Doug they were hopeful their 'dad' would take them down to SeaWorld in San Antonio for it this year. Then, after desert of Black Forrest Cake, Doctor Doug asked Kevin to follow him to the Study, as it was his turn to talk to him.
After the doctor and the older twin sat down in the soft leather chairs, Doctor Jennings said, "Well, Kevin, how about we start with you telling me what the things that bother you the most are."
"Well … I bet Kyle already told you, so why should I tell you too?" asked Kevin.
"Humor me, Kevin. Let me hear how you tell me what bothers you and I'll compare them with what Kyle told me earlier," said Doctor Doug. "Will that work for you?"
"Yeah, I guess so. The thing that bothers me the most … is being away from my parents. I really miss them and I bet they miss us, too. It's been over three weeks since the accident and it's just not fair that we are living in different places," moaned Kevin.
"But, I thought you and your brother loved living here?" spoke up the doctor.
"Yes, we both like living here but … it isn't with our mom and dad. 'Dad Ken' has done a lot for us. He bought us all new clothes and school supplies. He bought us new skateboards and told us he'd get us new bikes if we really wanted them. He's taken us out to dinner at places we never went too before and he's taken us to see our mom and dad. He's even promised to take us to see them this weekend. I really wish we could be together again," lamented the misty-eyed twin.
"Kevin … can you tell me about your life with your mom and dad before the accident?" simply asked Doctor Doug
"Well, we were happy, I remember. We had good food to eat and we had lots of friends. Our parents even told us we would be moving before school started. That was why we were up this way when the accident happened. Then everything changed overnight. It just isn't the same. Sure, we're making friends at school, but they aren't the friend's we've known all our lives. I can't wait to see my mom and dad this weekend," replied Kevin.
For the rest of the session, the doctor and the older twin talked about what the boys did at The Cove and how much Kevin liked Robert and Charles being their 'big brothers'. Kevin got right into talking about Robert and Charles and how they talked to them about all the things that happened to them that put them into the foster care system. Doctor Jennings immediately recognized how Kevin was very animated and talkative when talking about his life at The Cove but was much more reserved when he was talking about his family.
When the session was over, and the doctor and Kevin came out of the Study, they were met by Mr. Ken and the other lads. Ken asked all the boys to have a seat in the Study while he walked Doug to the Foyer door. Doctor Doug reminded Mr. Ken that he couldn't tell him anything that he and the lads talked about. Doug Jennings did tell him it appeared he might have a twin who has some separation issues, but he wouldn't really know until he had the chance to talk to him again next week. The two men made arrangements for Doctor Doug to come back again next Tuesday.
When Mr. Ken returned to the Study, he heard the lads talking about Howl-O-Scream and what it was. Robert was telling the twins there would be haunted houses and scary characters walking around the amusement park as well as there being different scary names for the food they sold. When they saw 'dad' Ken was standing there they all shut up.
Mr. Ken smiled at the boys and then sat down behind his desk. He told them he heard some of what they were talking about, but first he wanted to tell the twins that Doctor Doug would be back there next Tuesday to continue his talk with them. Kyle smiled at hearing that; Kevin was noncommittal.
"OK, before we broke up, we were talking about Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld and if we went, who would all go. I heard that you, Robert and Charles, would want to take your friends which means Kevin and Kyle should be able to take their friends as well. This past weekend we had 27 boys here on both days but when you add the four from Saturday then there would be 33 or so who would be going to the Howl-O-Scream. Do I have that right?" asked 'Dad Ken'.
Asking that question got the older boys to start counting the number of kids on their fingers. After they did that two times and came up with different numbers each time Mr. Ken told them to name the kids who they would want to go and he'd write the names down and take the count. The four boys all agreed to do it that way.
Robert started and he named Eric, Logan, Cody, Chuck, Trevor, Brad, Gordon, Josh and himself. Then he asked if he could add Dylan and Daniel to the list. He reminded his 'dad' they were the two kids they met at the water park the day he was attacked Mr. Ken wrote down the names and called out the number nine plus two.
Charles went next and he called out Camm, Asher, Mason, James, Jacob, Hunter, David, Dylan, Tyler, Cooper and then he added his name. Mr. Ken wrote the names down and when Charles was finished he called out the number eleven. Then the owner of The Cove said that made a total of twenty kids.
Kevin went next but he also asked Kyle to mention any names he forgot. Kevin called out Isaac, Blake, Landon, Grant, Andrew, Eli, Nathan, and Nicholas. He asked Kyle whom he forgot because he knew he had to have missed someone. Kyle then laughed and told his older twin he forgot Sam, Terran, Dominic, and Wyatt. Kyle then told Mr. Ken to add his and Kevin's name. Everyone in the Study had a good laugh over that.
Mr. Ken then said, "OK, I count fourteen friends for Kevin and Kyle. When I add that to Robert's nine plus two and Charles' eleven, I believe it brings the total to, drum-roll please, thirty-four, plus two. Boys, I want to tell you that 34 plus 2 is a very large number of kids for me to be responsible for at one time. We had half that amount and I had Ryan and Daniel help me, and they are now both at college. So, boys, I think you can see the logistics of this is going to be daunting for me. We also have to consider the cost of taking 36 kids, plus me. Then there is the number of chaperones I would need to take to SeaWorld, to watch over all of you. How many I would need, I have no earthly idea.
"Boys, I am not saying we will not go but, and this is a BIG BUT, we may have to cut that number down and even if we do that I will still need additional chaperones. What say we all look into this over the next few days? In the meantime, I want you to NOT say anything to any of your friends, and that includes Eric, Robert.
"Boys, I'll have to see if there is a group discount and then try to figure out how I can take that many people at one time. There is a lot to consider if we want to try to do this. Do you all understand what I am saying here?" asked Mr. Ken.
Robert and Charles immediately spoke up saying they understood what their 'dad' was saying. Kevin said he thought he did but that he'd be happy just to go because he'd never been there. Kyle said he agreed with his twin, but he thought it would be more fun to go with at least some of their friends. Before they all exited the Study, the lads all agreed not to talk to any of their friends until a decision was made.
As the boys walked out of the Study, Mr. Ken asked Robert to wait because he wanted to talk to him about the trial that was beginning tomorrow. The other three heard why Mr. Ken wanted Robert to stay so they all headed up to their rooms as it was getting late.
"Robert, I got a call from Ms. Judy today about you spending the night with Eric this Friday night, so you don't have to go with the twins and me and Charles when we go to see the Parchsons on Saturday. She said she has no problem with doing that so you can now plan to do that. I ask you not to say anything to the twins about this until maybe later in the week. What do you have to say about that news?" smiled 'dad Ken.
Robert just went over and hugged his 'dad' and then thanked him for doing that for him. The teen then went up to bed.
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