It was shortly after 9 AM when Charles woke with a start. He looked at his clock and seeing what time it was he shook Cooper and told him he needed to go down and wake the others. He told his new friend that Mr. Chris, the Estate Manager, and Momma Maria would probably be there already and he didn't want the guys walking around in just their briefs and t-shirt.
Charles dressed and headed down to the Theater. Along the way, he ran into Mr. Chris and told the man he was going to get the guys up and they'd take a quick shower before they came to the Nook for breakfast. Charles told the Estate Manager he thought Mr. Dan would have gotten them up already. Mr. Chris said he met Mr. Dan leaving for his police physical as he arrived. Charles then asked the man to let Momma Maria know what he had planned. Mr. Chris said he would and the Cover headed down to the Theater.
"Hey, guys, it going on 9:30, so it is time to get up and get dressed," called out Charles, as he entered the Theater.
Hunter and Jacob turned and looked up at who had come into the room. Seeing it was Charles, they got out of their combined sleeping bags sporting their morning wood. They saw Charles smiling at them so they both threw their pillows at their host.
Dylan and Tyler had awakened and heard and saw the exchange between the three new friends. They both got out of their combined sleeping bags but they didn't show as big a morning wood as the other two friends had. Charles still smiled at them and it was Tyler who gave their host a middle finger salute. That got all five boys laughing.
"Hey, where are Camm and David?" asked Charles.
"I thought I heard someone getting up in the middle of the night," said Dylan, "but I was still tired and didn't look to see who it was. I must have fallen back asleep as I never heard anything after that."
"I'll go find them," said Charles. "Oh, by the way, Mr. Dan has already left for an appointment he had. Mr. Chris and Momma Maria are both here, though. I told Mr. Chris we'd all get a quick shower, so put your clothes on and meet me by the stairs. We'll go up to the big boy's bathroom and get cleaned up." Charles then left the Theater.
As the Cover headed out to the Great Room, he couldn't help but notice two bodies huddled in an oversized sleeping bag. He went over to the bundle and shook the people inside.
"Hey, Camm, David … it is past 9:30 and Mr. Dan is gone but Mr. Chris and Momma Maria are here already. It is time to wake up and get a quick shower. Go get your clothes before heading up to the boy's bathroom. Hurry up!" said Charles.
Camm stuck his head out of the combined sleeping bags and said he and David would get a move on. The lad then pulled the zipper and there, lying nude, was David with his morning glory standing tall.
"Oops, I didn't mean for you to see that," smiled Camm.
"No problem there Camm, but don't let Mr. Chris see that. Now, get him up and both of you get dressed and head upstairs to the bathroom," smiled Charles.
"I'm up," said David. Then looking at his mid-section, he quickly put his hands over his erection and smiled up a Charles. "Oops, where'd that come from?" All three lads smiled.
The eight lads met in the boys' bathroom. Cooper was already there in the shower. Charles told three more to hop in and wash their hair and take a quick wash so the others can get cleaned up. He told them all to hurry as Momma Maria was waiting breakfast on them. Charles then took his clothes off and joined Cooper in the shower, even though three others were already in the shower area.
The lads all sported boners as they showered and a few errant hands did grab a few of them, but it was all done in fun as was the dick tag they played the previous evening. Lots of laughs were had by all. Even with all the ass grabbing going on, the eight pre-teens got cleaned up in record time and were all down in the Kitchen Nook by 10 AM.
"Good Morning, Mr. Chris," offered Charles. "Good Morning, Momma Maria," added Charles.
The rest of the lads followed suit and sat down at the Nook's table that overlooked the lake.
"What's cans I's gets yuse tos eats?" asked Momma Maria.
"Momma Maria, because we got up so late, why don't you make us something simple. Whatever will make it easier for you," replied Charles.
Momma Maria took Charles at his word and made breakfast tacos for the eight hungry lads. She quickly made homemade tortillas and then scrambled some eggs. She already had bacon, cheese and the refried beans ready so when the tortillas were done she placed the food in the middle of the table and told the lads to help themselves.
The guys each grabbed a tortilla and began to add eggs and either bacon, cheese or refried beans. Some decided to just have beans and cheese. In the end, each lad had at least three breakfast tacos and two large glasses of either milk or orange juice.
When he was finished eating, Charles got up and placed his dirty dishes in the sink and went over to Momma Maria to hug her and thank her for making breakfast for him and his friends. Camm followed right behind Charles. The six newbie's all watched what Charles and Camm had done and remembering what was said the previous evening they also got up and placed their dirty dishes in the sink.
It was Jacob who moved away from his friends and walked up to Momma Maria and said, "Thank you for making us such a good breakfast. At home … someone places the food in front of me … I don't get to choose. Last night, you made us a wonderful meal and then that strawberry shortcake; I've never tasted anything like that ever before. Can I give you a hug like Charles and Camm did?"
Momma Maria looked at the youngster and said, "I's loves its whens someones gives me a hugs. Eets tellsa mes theys love Momma's cookinks. And the hugses … they's makes mes fells wanted. Yesis, yous cans gives Momma hugs."
Jacob leaned into the woman and hugged her. Momma Maria hugged the lad back. It was when Jacob came away from their interaction everyone saw he had a few tears running down his face. Then feeling ashamed, Jacob ran away
The boys all stood there open mouthed. Hunter went to follow after his best friend but Charles stopped him and asked that he be allowed to find him and talk to the lad. Hunter nodded and Charles went the same way Jacob went.
Charles found Jacob sitting on the stairs, tears still falling down his face. Charles sat beside the crying lad and pulled him into a hug. They sat there that way for a few moments before Charles began to talk.
"Jacob, it can't be all that bad, can it?" began Charles. "Come on, now, cheer up."
Jacob looked at Charles and said, "I never thought about what the people who work around our house did. It never dawned on me that they do all those things for us and I never thought anything about what they did. How come? … Does that make me a, you know, a bad person, Charles?" asked Jacob.
Charles thought about what to say and offered his friend, "I'd say it doesn't make you a bad person, Jacob. You're just a young boy, you know, like me, who is learning things as we grow up. If I'd never been sent here to live, believe me, I'd never have the feelings I do about Momma Maria, because I'd never been told to look at people in a different way. But you know what? I think that with you now looking at the workers in a different way, it will make you a much better person later on in life. Now, dry up those eyes. There is no need for you to feel bad for whatever reason."
"You really think so?" asked Jacob, with big question marks in his eyes.
"Yes, Jacob, I really do. Momma Maria … she loves working for Mr. Ken and she loves it when people are around The Cove enjoying themselves. I think that is why she stays on here and doesn't open her own restaurant. You tasted her cooking and you know it is awesome. But, I think Momma just loves kids in general and stays just for that reason. Come on, let's go find the others and get your things together so you aren't held up when your parents come for you," offered Charles.
It was when Charles finished talking that the other lads broke out in applause. It made both Charles and Jacob blush.
"You've been standing there all this time?" asked Charles.
"Yep," replied, Camm with a smile on his face. Then, to the rest of the gang, Camm said "Come on guys, let's get your things together and take them out to the garage."
Jacob and Charles walked down to the Theater so Jacob could get his stuff. Charles helped his new friend carry some of it to the garage. The two talked as they walked and each got to know the other better. When they got to the garage, Jacob thanked his new friend and he also told Charles that he appreciated that he talked to him and pointed things out to him he never considered. Jacob told the Cover that anytime he needed help with anything, he'd be there for him. The two shook hands but Jacob pulled Charles into a hug and Charles smiled at the gesture.
The eight new friends were joined by some of Robert's main buds and the large group rode their skateboards on the ramps like there was no tomorrow. The thing was, they all knew that in ten days they'd all be headed back off to school and they wanted to get the most out of their time on them.
The day was a hot and humid one which was typical of mid-August after the cool rain they had not many days ago. The lads got hot and sweaty and before long they agreed to go swimming. This time the newbie's all changed as soon as they entered the locker room and were out waiting for the rest of the guys before heading out to the water toys.
Logan was the King of the Rafts at the beginning but the newbie's joined together and dethroned him quickly leaving Cooper at the top. Cooper pounded his chest like he was Tarzan as he claimed 'King' status, but that only put a target on him and he was dethroned rather quickly. That was the way it went as the lads all competed to be the 'King', which changed regularly.
Dan Fischer made it back to The Cove by about 2 PM and he was not very happy. His police physical went well, but the police surgeon told him he was going to recommend to Sheriff Barnes that Dan could be put back on limited service which essentially meant desk duty. Dan wasn't happy with that potential change to his status because he was beginning to enjoy his time at The Cove. He knew if the Sheriff accepted the doctor's recommendation he'd be working the duty desk and he wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy what he had at The Cove.
Dan decided to change into his swim suit and head out to the water toys and the boys. He knew they made a game out of being the 'King' of the rafts and he decided he was going to be the 'King', this time around. Dan didn't announce his intention but after he threw a few of the bigger lads off the top the boys figured they had a 'ringer' on the water toys and they were determined to bring him down.
The group of boys gathered on the connecting platform and devised a strategy to dethrone the 'big guy'. Cody wanted them to do a frontal assault and overpower the man. Camm suggested they attack from all four sides and distract him so he didn't know who was going to be the spoiler. It was Cooper who suggested they let the man think they were going in to barbeque and when he dove in to follow, someone would be hiding in the Jungle Joe raft and claim the title.
The lads argued over all the plans but in the end they agreed Coop's plan had the best chance of getting Mr. Dan off the top of the Iceberg raft even if they felt that they were cheating. Then they laughed about the cheating angle and then, they had to decide who would be the one to hang back.
Charles argued for Camm to be the new 'king'. Logan argued for his friend Cody. Dylan argued for Tyler. Just about everyone argued for a different person to be the one who hung back and take the title. It was Jacob who got everyone's attention and then argued that Charles deserved to be the one to hide and become the 'king'. Jacob argued that Charles has always been the one to get the barbeque started, and that this, after all, was his home, and he'd never seen his new friend ever get to the top and claim to be the 'King' before being dethroned.
The lads talked amongst themselves and, before he knew it, Charles was agreed upon to do the subterfuge to catch Mr. Dan off guard. Charles reluctantly agreed to stay back and hide but he also had a big smile on the inside that the guys voted that he be the new 'King' for that day.
The plan they chose was to fake an attack and then before they reached the top of the Iceberg yell they were hungry and were going in for burgers and dogs. Camm waited a bit and yelled to Mr. Dan and asked him how many he wanted. After hearing the man's reply, Camm dove into the lagoon's waters and swam to catch up with the others.
Mr. Dan didn't know what to make of the lads feigning an attack on him and challenging him for the top spot then all of a sudden breaking off their attack and heading into the beach and then patio. He watched the lads swim towards the beach and that they were close to one another as they headed in. Mr. Dan thought something might be up be he never suspected they were trying to fool him into following them to the patio and the barbeque. Dan Fischer finally decided the boys had been out there long enough and were indeed hungry, so he dove off the top of the fourteen foot high Iceberg water toy and began to swim in.
Charles had stayed hidden behind one of the pillars of the Jungle Joe, with his heart racing as he hoped the strategy would work. As soon as Mr. Dan dove into the waters, the Cover remained in place until he decided the man was far enough away that he could run across the platform and climb to the top of the Iceberg and yell he was "the King!"
Charles watched Mr. Dan swim away and when the man was almost halfway to the beach he jumped from behind the wide pillar and ran across the platform. The lads who had already reached the beach saw the lad begin to run on the platform and begin to cheer Charles on.
Unfortunately for Charles, he didn't time his gait right and as he ran along the moving platform he lost his footing and slipped and fell. Mr. Dan stopped swimming and looked back to the rafts. He finally figured what the boys were doing so he turned around and swam hard for the Iceberg.
Charles heard his friends yell for him to get up and run harder for the top of the raft and that Mr. Dan had turned around and was headed there, too. Now it was going to be a race between the older man and the twelve year old as to who would get to the top first.
Mr. Dan continued swimming towards the water toy and he was swimming strong. Charles had gotten up off the platform but his steps weren't even and the platform began to bounce up and down due to the boy's inability to move smoothly.
"You're not going to be the 'King' young man," yelled Mr. Dan, as he saw Charles get his footing and finally reach the bottom of one of the raft sides. Charles scampered up the Iceberg but he had some difficulty getting his footing on the faux footholds because he wasn't all that tall and he had to stretch his legs to get a good grip so he could climb the steep wall.
Dan Fischer finally reached the raft and he clambered up onto the end of the platform right next to the raft. The two racers were each on different sides of the water toy so Mr. Dan couldn't reach out and trip Charles as he anxiously climbed to the top to claim being the 'King'.
Dan Fischer never thought the lads would pull something like that on him, so he fought to get to the top before Charles. As the two raced to the top, it appeared with his longer legs, and easier time taking the faux rocks, Mr. Dan would win the race. While all that was going on the raft, the lads on the beach kept cheering their Champion on. Charles, hearing his friends encouraging him to win, worked harder to get to the top before his nemesis, Mr. Dan.
Up at the estate, Mr. Chris just happened to look out at the lagoon when he saw the lads swimming in a big group into the beach. He then noticed Mr. Dan was at the top of the raft and he figured the lads were mad at the older man for joining in and ruining their games. Chris then noticed Dan dive off the top of the water toy and begin his own swim into the beach.
Mr. Chris figured the lads were going to light the grill so he decided to walk down to the patio to tell the lads he only wanted one burger as he and his wife were going out to dinner that night. Then, upon his arrival, he heard the lads begin to cheer someone on to get to the top of the raft before Mr. Dan. Hearing that put a smile on Mr. Chris's face and he began to watch what was going on out in the lagoon.
The lads on the beach, and Mr. Chris up on the patio, saw Charles was just about to the top and Mr. Dan was almost there, too. It was going to be a photo finish and the lads wondered if Mr. Dan would throw Charles off the top if he got there first.
Charles did get to the top a fraction of a second before Mr. Dan did. The twelve year old figured The Cove's guest would throw him off the top once he got there so he had to figure out a way to protect himself. It was then, Dan Fischer made a mistake. The man leaned back some to tell Charles that he was going to be the 'King' after he threw the lad off. Charles saw Mr. Dan was off balance so he reached out and pushed the man. Dan hadn't seen that coming and as Charles pushed at him, the man lost his balance and began windmilling his arms to keep his balance. Charles reached out again and pushed the man one more time.
That time, Mr. Dan saw it coming so he tried to reach out to grab the lad and pull him off the raft, but it didn't work that way. Charles was prepared for the man to do just that so he ducked down as soon as he pushed the second time and Mr. Dan's grab finally put him totally off balance and he fell backwards into the water. The man's big splash told the lads their plan had worked.
When Dan Fischer hit the water, it was as if someone had won the biggest race of their life as the lads let out a roar that Charles had won and was now the King of the Raft. The boys jumped up and down that Charles not only won but their plan worked and Mr. Dan was put down into the water. Charles heard the cheers and he pumped his arms in concert with his friends.
Charles then looked down at Mr. Dan and said, "Sorry, Mr. Dan, you gave me a good run for the money but we prevailed and put you off the top of the raft. You are no longer the 'King'." Charles then laughed at the man.
Mr. Dan, for his part, called out to Charles and said, "You lads fooled me and I fell for it. And you, young man, did a good job defending your position and you deserve being the 'King'. Congratulations, Charles, now let's swim in together and let the lads make our burgers and dogs."
The man and the boy did swim in to the beach together and upon their arrival the lads' cheered Charles one more time and then many of them either patted him on his back or hugged him. To Mr. Dan, they laughed at his being fooled but they thanked him for being a good sport over the wool being pulled over his eyes.
Logan and Camm did the grill master honors that day while Mr. Dan and Charles let the rest do all the work. Mr. Chris came over to the two competitors and talked to them about what that was all about. He laughed at how the lads fooled the man and he shook Charles' hand for being the winner.
The lads and the men talked about the subterfuge as they ate and they all laughed about how Mr. Dan wildly windmilled his arms as he fell backwards into the lagoon's waters. Some lads had wished they had their cell phone handy as it would have made a great YouTube video to 'share with the world'.
When the group finished eating and the lads got up to clean up, Mr. Dan asked the lads for their attention. "Guys … I want you all to know that Mr. Ken and Robert will back home tomorrow evening sometime. I tell you all this so you can plan the next few days. You are welcome to stop by tomorrow but come Sunday I want you all to call either Charles or Robert to see if it would be alright to come over. Mr. Ken and Robert will most likely be tired and Mr. Ken may have lots of things to take care of. He may even want to take his lads out shopping for school clothes.
"Also, come Monday Charles will not be here. I'm sure his friends will be welcome to stop over but you all need to know with school starting in ten days that things around here, and probably your own homes, might get a bit crazy. One more thing … my police physical … it went well today and the surgeon is going to recommend to Sheriff Barnes that I can go back on limited duty. If that does happen, it will mean I will no longer be around to help chaperone you guys.
"Guys … I want to tell you, I've had a great time being around all of you. You know I am not married and have no kids of my own and now that I've been around you monkeys' I know what I am missing by not having any kids of my own. I want to thank you all … for being the wonderful group of young men you are. I'm sure we'll meet up again but never change who you are."
The boys didn't know what to say to the Deputy Sheriff, other than to thank him for being there when Mr. Ken couldn't be. They all went to the man, shook his hand and again personally thanked him for being there for them.
After the lads went back to cleaning and straightening up, Charles came over to Mr. Dan and asked, "Why won't I be here on Monday, Mr. Dan?"
"Well, I talked to Mrs. Foster and she said I could take Todd with us when we go to SeaWorld. So … will you be ready?" teased Mr. Dan.
"That means I can take one of my friends," smiled Charles.
"Yes, it does, but it makes it a big problem for you," replied Dan Fischer.
"It does? How?" wondered Charles.
"Sure it does. Now, which one are you going to ask to go?" smiled back Mr. Dan.
"Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. I took Camm to Fiesta Texas but … well; I think I want to take someone else this time. The question is, who?" wondered Charles.
"Good luck, young man. Oh, we'll leave a half hour earlier than the other day since it is a bit further to go. We'll probably do the same as last time. You know, get maps, figure a way we want to go, but this time they do have what many consider a great water park so we might want to wear our swimsuits, go there first, then see the shows and ride the few rides they have," explained Mr. Dan.
"We didn't go to the water park at Six Flags, so why there?" asked Charles.
"Well, because Fiesta Texas had a lot of rides for us to ride, whereas SeaWorld focuses on animal shows and has a few rides we'll try. … I've already talked this over with Mr. Ken so he is onboard with your going. All you need to do now is choose who you'll take. Well, I need to make sure my uniforms are ready to go in case Barnes calls me up and activates me for desk duty," added Dan Fischer. The man then got up and walked away.
Charles caught up with the gang as they changed back into their street clothes. As they finished changing, they all headed to the ramps. As they walked to the parking corral, the lads talked about what Officer Dan had to say about school starting soon and needing to call before coming over the next few days. Once they got to the ramps they went right back to where they left off.
At 6 PM, like clockwork, parents arrived for their son. David's mom, Sophie Fritzer, wanted to meet Dan Fischer to talk to him some more about The Cove and his involvement. The parents of the other newbies also listened in to their conversation and some were disappointed that the man was going back to duty and wouldn't continue to be a positive influence on their kids.
Dan blushed at their accolades and told the parents he was impressed by how well-mannered and courteous he found the boys in his short time knowing them. Dan explained how he often saw the boys help set up the barbeque and eagerly join in cleaning up afterwards. The Sheriff's Deputy told the parents the lads treated everyone equally and never tried to be the center of attention or be their leader.
What the adults talking to Mr. Dan didn't realize was that he turned the tables on them by telling them those things they never thought their boys were ever like. Most of the parents only saw their kids at home and/or heard what they said to friends over the phone never recognizing what they were trying to instill in their son was actually taking hold. That night many an adult would be talking to their kid over dinner.
As Charles and Mr. Dan walked back to the estate house, Charles got concerned that Momma Maria would be mad at them for not being on time for dinner. As they walked, Officer Dan told his charge they were going out to dinner since he told Momma Maia she could go home early for doing such a good job cooking for Charles's friends and making them so happy. Charles smiled knowing they were going out for dinner.
The man and boy didn't go to Four Corner's to eat. Charles loved it when they went to the other restaurant for breakfast that one day, so the lad asked if they could try something different. After finding out what Charles wanted to eat, Mr. Dan drove around and found a place called 54th Street.
When they entered the restaurant, Charles was amazed at all the paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling and hung on the walls. When the two sat down and looked at a menu, they saw that 54th Street was primarily a sandwich restaurant but offered salads, soups, burgers, pastas and other types of food. What they liked about the place was that it offered a large number of different entrée's so they each could find something they'd like to eat. Of course, as they returned to The Cove, Charles talked Mr. Dan into stopping at his favorite place, DQ.
Chief was anxiously waiting for the two current Cove residents to return. When Charles opened the Foyer door, Chief jumped up on him and almost knocked the lad over. The reason that happened was because Charles had brought The Cove's resident dog a dish of ice cream for her to enjoy. When the pre-teen presented the cold concoction to Chief she had it lapped up in less than three minutes. After she finished, Chief licked Charles all over for bringing her the yummy treat.
It was still fairly early in the evening, so Mr. Dan and Charles went into the Study to talk. They talked about their upcoming trip to SeaWorld, and of course, Charles asked Mr. Dan for his idea of who he should take along with him. Dan Fischer asked the lad a few questions and then suggested to the preteen that if he was interested in getting to know his friends better, he should consider taking someone other than Camm.
"That's the problem, Mr. Dan. I know Camm best and you know I don't know the others as good," argued Charles.
"But, Charles, if you want to get to know any of your other friends you have to spend time with them," reasoned Mr. Dan. "You have Asher and Mason, who you've known longer than the six you just met at the Go-Kart Track, so you could consider one of them. Then, of your six new friends, think about who you gravitate to. From what I've seen, Hunter and Jacob appear to be real good friends as are Dylan and Tyler. That leaves Cooper and David to consider if you are sure you want to leave Camm home this time around," counseled Mr. Dan.
"Yeah, you gave me something to really think about. I like all of my new friends … but since I can only take one, and Camm has already gone with me, that only leaves me eight friends to choose from," chuckled Charles.
"Charles, you don't have to make the decision tonight. You could probably wait until tomorrow evening to ask your friend but I'd suggest you also have a second name in the back of your mind if the lad you want to go can't go for whatever reason," further counseled Officer Dan.
"I never thought about that, Mr. Dan. See, I am so glad we are talking about this now and not waiting till Sunday night for me to figure out what to do. You know … I think you'd make a good dad if you were to have kids. You seem to enjoy being around us and you talk to us real easy, not like many adults. Sometimes, I think adults have forgotten they were once kids too," finished Charles.
Charles told Mr. Dan "Goodnight" and then headed up to his bedroom with Chief following close behind. Charles thought about whom he'd like to take with him on Monday, but he just couldn't decide. He liked them all and then he wondered if he'd make a few enemies if he didn't decide on the right person. He enjoyed being with Cooper and what they did last night but he also liked Camm and what they'd done together. 'Decisions, decisions,' he thought to himself. He figured he'd talk to the guys tomorrow to see who has or hasn't been to SeaWorld and maybe that would help him decide who to take.
Saturday morning, when Charles came into the Kitchen Nook to fix some breakfast tacos, Mr. Dan stopped him. Mr. Dan asked the lad if he wanted to try something different for breakfast. Charles' eye lit up at the suggestion and readily agreed to go with the man.
Just as they did the previous weekend, the man and boy drove around to find a different place to eat. That day they decided on Denny's. After reading the menu, Mr. Dan ordered the Grand Slam Breakfast and Charles ordered simple scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns. As they ate, they talked about the decision Charles was to make later that day. Charles told Mr. Dan what he intended to do to try to figure out whom to ask. Dan Fischer agreed with the preteen's method and told the lad he'd be around if the boy had any questions or needed any advice. Charles thanked the man and the two dug into their breakfast.
Charles and Robert's friends started to arrive after twelve noon as was their practice. The gang went immediately to the ramps and began riding their skateboards. As they rode, some of Robert's friends said how nice it was that there weren't as many people there riding as there had been at times. Everyone agreed that with only eight to ten people, everyone got more time to skate.
While the guys were waiting their turn to skate, Charles would talk to them about the amusement parks they've visited. Charles knew why he was asking that question but his friends thought he was asking to compare what they saw and did to what he had with Mr. Ken and then with Mr. Dan.
Charles found out a lot about his new friends as they talked. He also found that David, although he traveled quite a bit, didn't get to do very much as compared to the others. It was then he decided to ask Dave to go with him on Monday.