Wayne Mitchell and Bill Dirketson walked Stewart Russell and Judy Turner to the Foyer door. As the two visitors were ready to leave, they all heard a thundering commotion coming from upstairs.
"Mr. Wayne, Mr. Wayne," yelled Charles, as he ran down the stairs, followed by his 'brothers'
"Slow down there sport. What's the rush?" said Mr. Wayne.
"Mr. Wayne, it's on YouTube. They have a video posted of the fight at the high school. You'll want to download it before it is taken down. It sure is graphic!"
Wayne Mitchell hurried back into the Study. Stewart and Judy followed quickly behind and so did Charles and his 'brothers'. The Estate Master called up YouTube and asked Charles under what name the fight was listed. As the video came up, Wayne did his magic to download the posting and save it even if it was to Mr. Ken's PC.
There were a few other videos of the fight posted, but those were from different angles, so Mr. Wayne quickly downloaded them as well. Bill's lawyer and caseworker watched over Mr. Wayne's shoulder as he did what was necessary to have the proof that Bill was innocent.
"I would never have thought to look on YouTube," spoke up Ms. Judy. "Thank you, Charles, for letting us know before we left. This changes things dramatically."
"I'll still want to request copies of all that CCTV footage. And, if they don't want to readily give them up, I'll obtain a subpoena for the CCTV footage and get it from Mr. Stanley," offered Bill's Lawyer. "That way we'd have the fight from the school's cameras looking down and that coupled with these videos off the internet we'd have a rock-solid case."
Billy looked so relieved that they had the proof that he was the one attacked and not the aggressor that he almost collapsed into one of the chairs. Robert saw the look on his older 'brothers' face and he went over to him and hugged him. The other Cover boys saw what was happening, so they joined in the group hug. Tears streamed down Billy's face.
The adults looked on as the boys just stood there in their group hug. After a little time, Mr. Wayne suggested to the boys for them to go up to their rooms and work on their homework. The Estate Master told them he'd call them when it was time for dinner.
Mr. Wayne made copies of the videos for Stewart, who took them with him as he left to go home. Ms. Judy and the Estate Master talked some more about Bill. Ms. Judy asked Wayne if he was going to call his boss. Wayne told her Mr. Ken usually called after dinnertime and he was going to wait until then to tell him.
Judy Turner looked at the time and realized Eric was home alone. The woman told Mr. Wayne she needed to get home to her son and make dinner. Mr. Wayne laughed and told her he'd probably have burgers and dogs ready for her when she returned. Ms. Judy laughed and said that would be okay with her.
Upstairs, the six boys gathered in Robert's room and they watched all the videos with Bill narrating the blow-by-blow fight. The three youngest Covers were amazed at how Billy used his feet to knock the bully over, and how he clobbered the one student in the nose. It was then all the boys learned the first bully broke his arm and the second student had his nose broken.
Billy's cell phone rang and when he saw it was Brett, he went over to his own room. The two friends talked about the fight and Bill told Brett that his lawyer, Stewart Russell, would be contacting him to get his statement.
Brett sounded concerned that he'd get involved and his parents would not let him go over to The Cove anymore. Bill relieved his friend's angst when he told him the fight was already posted on YouTube and showed he was the one attacked not the attacker.
Bill received two more phone calls like Brett's. Both Kaden and Lonnie called as Bill's text had asked. They talked about the fight and that it was already posted on YouTube. Bill did tell his friends about his lawyer wanting to get their statement about the fight. Bill also told them the principal was going to suspend him and do nothing to the other three teens who started it all. After hearing that, the friends said they'd be happy to talk to the lawyer.
That evening Mr. Ken met with another of the three men who wholeheartedly supported the building of the five-lane divided highway, to and past the Crystal Lake Amusement park. The two men talked at length about what was happening at the commission and why the other four members were against rebuilding the road.
The man told Mr. Ken it wasn't that those men were outright opposed to it; they just wanted to be re-elected. The county commissioner told the owner of Crystal Lake those four men felt if they spread that $10.5 million dollars in their areas, they'd have a much better chance to hold on to their seat. Mr. Ken smiled at what he heard.
The man then told Mr. Ken that he had alluded to the first man that he had an idea that might be able to change the other men's minds. Mr. Ken told the second politician it would be great if he could talk to all three at the same time. But, he knew from the Open Meetings Act that if any more than two met and talked about issues within their jurisdiction they could face charges.
The second man suggested he just talk to two of them and they would take good notes for the other man. Mr. Ken mentioned he had another meeting set for the morning with, the third man and the second man said he'd be there. The two shook hands and agreed to meet in the same place, at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
As soon as the man left, Mr. Ken, the owner of the amusement park called his Real Estate Property Office. Being the office was an hour earlier than where he was, they were just about to leave when their boss called. If none of them had been there, Mr. Ken would have called his office manager at their home.
In essence, Mr. Ken told them about all of the For-Sale signs along the road to his new property, Crystal Lake Amusement Park. He directed them to inquire about all of the properties, but to make sure they used all of the different corporations he'd established for that purpose.
Mr. Thomas then talked directly to his Property Manager and told her to contact the Real Estate Company he was dealing with on the piece of lakefront property right next to his Crystal Lake Amusement Park.
Mr. Ken told her what he heard about the first company returning their first refusal option. He directed her to make contact to see what was happening with his bid on the property. The woman knew to see if she could get the property for a lower price.
Dinner at The Cove was lively, as they all had to talk about the fight. Even Momma Maria listened to the conversation, as she was surely interested in what happened to Bill, since he returned from school looking so disheveled and beat on.
It was during dinner that Mr. Wayne learned the boys watched all of the videos posted on YouTube, multiple times, and that Billy had narrated them for his 'brothers'. The Estate Master had to laugh to himself that the boys were so resourceful. When the talk got around to learning how to do all that stuff Billy did to those other boys, Mr. Wayne put an end to it.
In the Study, later, the boys did ask if they could get their newest 'brother' to show them some of his moves. Mr. Wayne had to be careful here, so he told them, 'that was an issue they had to discuss with their 'dad''. He explained that he was only in charge until Mr. Ken returned and that type of decision was his alone. The younger boys didn't want to hear that, but knew the man was right.
As the Covers had their after-dinner meeting, Billy's cell phone rang. He saw it was Mr. Ken and he told Mr. Wayne. The teen quickly asked how he should handle telling his foster dad about the fight. The Estate Master told him to be up front about it and just tell the man.
"Hi, Mr. Ken. You called me first tonight. Thank you!" was how Billy answered his phone.
"Yes, sir, we're all in the Study talking about happened today," replied Billy, which was heard by the people in attendance in the Study.
As it looked like Billy was listening to Mr. Ken talk, Mr. Wayne whispered over to Bill that he should tell Mr. Ken what had happened to him. Then, Charles quickly added for him to tell their 'dad' about all the videos on YouTube that show he is innocent.
When he had the opportunity to talk, Billy took a deep breath and said, "Ahh, Mr. Ken, ahh … I ahh … I have something I have to tell you. I, ahh, I was in a … I was in a fight at the high school today."
"Yes, sir, I'm OK and … and there are videos. … Mr. Ken, someone posted their cell phone videos of what happened on YouTube. They, they show me … they show that I was the one attacked and … and that I defended myself. I told you I would."
"Yes, yes Mr. Wayne came over to get me. He … he then had Mr. Russell and Ms. Judy come to the house to talk to me about what happened. It was then that Charles saw there were videos of the fight on YouTube and they all watched them. Just search High School Fight."
"Yes, all my 'brothers' watched them. I even narrated them for them," laughed Billy.
"Yes, sir, Mr. Wayne told me we'd get through all this together. And, thank you for listening to me and … and not getting mad."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir, and we'll see you late tomorrow night. Bye!" finished Billy as he ended the call.
The Cover boys knew that one of their cell phones would soon ring. Those boys who didn't have their cell phone with them ran out of the Study and up to their room. Robert figured if his dad started at the oldest boy, he might call him next. Then, his phone rang.
Mr. Ken called each one of his 'boys' in the order Robert figured. He talked with each one for about ten minutes knowing it would take an hour to do so. The boys, especially the younger ones, fully loved it that their 'dad' made that special phone call, just to talk to them.
When the owner of The Cove had talked with all of his 'sons', he called Wayne. The two Cover men talked at length about the fight Bill was involved in. Wayne then told his employer what transpired at the high school when he went there to enquire about the morning's phone call about the fight.
Mr. Ken asked Wayne to keep an open mind about Mr. Stanley. He asked him to give the principal the chance to show he didn't know of the added CCTV footage. Mr. Ken told the Estate Master to let Stew present the written request, or the subpoena, and see what is turned over. Wayne Mitchell agreed to do that.
When he went upstairs to say goodnight to the boys, Mr. Wayne started at Robert's room. He then went to the twin's bedroom, then Charles' room, followed by Matthew's. The man's final stop was at Bill's room.
"Knock, knock, knock," said Mr. Wayne, as he tapped on the doorframe of the room.
"Come in, Mr. Wayne," offered Billy.
"So … tell me. Do you feel relieved now that you've talked to Mr. Ken who, I suspect, told you not to stress out about what happened?" offered Mr. Wayne.
"Yea, I was afraid he'd be really pissed, err mad at me, for getting into a fight. I sure hope he can view the videos, so he can see what actually happened at school. And, even if the videos have been removed, you have the copies that he can see when he gets home. I am really relieved though. Hopefully, Mr. Ken won't send me away," answered Bill.
"Bill, I personally don't think he'd do that. You are not at fault, here. I hope you realize there will be fallout, though," said the Estate Master.
"What do you mean?" asked a surprised Bill at the statement.
"Well, you've got to consider your friends and how their parents are going to look at what happened. Then, there are the other kids at school and how they are going to look at the fight. On top of that, the boys you really hurt may cause problems for you from their own friends," replied Mr. Wayne.
"What about me being sued? You said the boys might do that. Ahh, if they started it can they still sue me?" asked a curious Bill Dirketson.
"Bill, in today's environment people sue at the drop of a hat. All I can say is that to me … you are the wronged person and all you did was defend yourself. They could say you did more than you should have. But, on the other hand, there were three of them and only one of you and nobody … nobody stepped in to help you. The courts would have to sort it out.
"But, first, let's get through tomorrow when I drive you back to school. I will have to give Mr. Stanley my written request for a School Board hearing. Then, he will either accept it and it will happen, or, he will rescind the suspension and we'll all move on from there," explained Mr. Wayne.
"But what will happen to the other three teens? If my suspension is squashed, then shouldn't it mean the other three should be suspended, too? Shouldn't it?" asked Bill.
After the two talked for a few more minutes, Mr. Wayne told Bill to try not to overthink this and to try and get a good night's sleep. The man gave the teen a shoulder hug and then went to his own bedroom to do what he just told the boy to do.
The next morning, at breakfast, the five younger Cover boys couldn't stop talking about what happened to Bill and what they saw on YouTube. They all said they couldn't wait to get to school and tell their friends about it. Mr. Wayne just kept reading the morning newspaper not showing the smile he had over the enthusiasm the boys bellowed.
When Billy came down for breakfast, Mr. Wayne told the teen he wouldn't catch the school bus, but that they would leave for the high school around eight. The Estate Master explained he wanted the extra time to talk to the principal and get a feel for what is going to happen with or without the formal request for a School Board hearing.
Bill again asked the man what he thought would happen to the three who attacked him. Mr. Wayne said the ball was in Mr. Stanley's court, and he had to make the next move. The man said that if there were indications that the other three would not be suspended he would force the School Board hearing.
Bill was surprised that Mr. Wayne would do that. He figured Mr. Ken would be the one to decide that, so he asked why he, the Estate Master, was doing that and not his foster dad. The Estate Master told Bill that because he was initially involved, Mr. Ken told him to be the lead on the issue. Mr. Wayne then added for Bill not to be too concerned over it, but to just try to stay focused on his studies, and let him and Mr. Ken know if people begin to give him any trouble.
When the younger Covers arrived at their school, they immediately got with their friends and they just had to tell them about the fight their older 'brother' Bill was involved in yesterday at the high school. Some of their friends used their cell phones to search for the videos. After they found them, there were loads of Ohhhs and Ahhhhs heard out in the schoolyard.
Mr. Wayne and Bill arrived at Alvin York High School around 8:30 a.m. and immediately headed to the administration office and asked to talk to Mr. Stanley. The secretary asked if they had an appointment. Wayne Mitchell said he was there to discuss William Dirketson's suspension from yesterday, and that he had the formal letter for a School Board hearing.
The secretary told Mr. Mitchell she could take it, but Mr. Wayne told her he had to place the letter in the principal's hands. The woman didn't question the Estate Master's demands. All she did was ask them to take a seat, and the principal should return right after the first bell.
As the Covers sat there, Sawyer Merkell, the senior class student Bill met the day Mr. Ken brought him to register for school, saw them sitting there and stopped in to talk to Bill.
"Bill, my man … you did a number on those football players, for sure. I saw the video on YouTube last night, and, on top of that, those guys were stupid for attacking you right under the CCTV cameras. What dumb-shits, for sure. So, why are you here?" asked Sawyer.
Mr. Wayne nudged Bill to answer.
"Mr. Stanley wants to suspend me. So, Mr. Wayne, who works for Mr. Ken when he is out of town, has a formal letter to give to the principal requesting a School Board hearing. That is IF after seeing all the posted videos he decides to suspend me.
"The question I have is … if he cancels my suspension, what will happen to the three who attacked me? I take it the Student Handbook says students' caught fighting are to be suspended. I guess we'll see," replied Bill.
"Well, good luck. Hope to see you at lunch," said Sawyer, and then the senior walked away.
When Mark Stanley, Principal, Alvin York High School, saw Wayne Mitchell and William Dirketson sitting in the office he figured they were waiting for him. The principal talked to the secretary before even acknowledging the two people sitting in the administration office. After the secretary told the principal why they were there Mr. Stanley went over to the Covers.
"I'm told you want to see me," nonchalantly offered the principal.
"Yes, I have the formal letter requesting a full School Board hearing over your proposed suspension of William Dirketson. That is, unless you have viewed all of the CCTV footage and have decided that Bill was attacked, and all he did was defend himself," replied Wayne Mitchell, legal guardian of Willian Dirketson.
"Of all the video I've viewed and the seriousness of the injuries Bill inflicted on two of the three boys, tells me that the suspension should remain. So, if you have your letter, I will accept it and call the School Board President, Mr. Ostrowski. He will contact you with the date and time of the hearing," announced Mark Stanley.
Wayne asked the principal if he ever saw all the cell phone videos posted on YouTube. The man replied that he doesn't have time for Facebook or any of the other silly places the children go to amuse themselves. Mr. Wayne told the man he should find YouTube and search for High School Fight and watch for himself.
Then, Mr. Wayne asked the principal if he had all the copies of the CCTV footage, he asked for yesterday. Mr. Stanley told the legal guardian he had to have an official written request in order to obtain them. Mr. Wayne acknowledged what the man said.
Bill's legal guardian then made sure Bill could attend classes until the results of the hearing. The principal said he could until the School Board made its ruling. Billy asked for a Hall Pass since the first period had already begun and he needed that to walk the hall to it. The secretary filled out a form and gave it to Billy. The freshman told Mr. Wayne he'd see him later tonight and then left the office.
At ten o'clock that morning, back east, Mr. Ken met with two of the three Commissioners who supported the rebuilding of the roadway into the five-lane divided highway that would pass directly by his Crystal Lake Amusement Park. The owner of the amusement park had an idea he wanted to present to them with the hope they could convince the other five members of the county board to go along with his proposal.
After the three men had filed their coffee cups, the two commissioners asked Mr. Ken what sort of proposal or offer he had for them. The amusement park owner then told the men how he built Four Corners after getting some concessions from his own county's Commissioners' Court.
The two men immediately balked at hearing there would be a need for some concessions. Mr. Ken knew he had to calm them down, so he asked them to hear him out. They agreed, but filled their coffee cups first.
Mr. Ken then told the men how the unloved Four Corners area, near him, was neglected by the county and developers. Ken Thomas told them how he bought up the properties in order to personally develop the area, but the county's plan didn't show any infrastructure money earmarked for it for a long time.
Mr. Ken then explained how he went to Commissioners' Court and offered to pay for all of the needed infrastructures in order to begin developing the property. He told the men that since he was using his own money, he asked the County to give him a percentage reduction on his taxes on those properties and businesses equal to his entire outlay, plus some interest, until the concession was recouped.
Mr. Ken then told them how the area is now one of the fastest growth areas in the county with a 400-unit apartment complex going in and a major grocery store's promise to build when the apartments begin to be rented. He also told them what was already built along the roadway that his money built.
Mr. Ken then took out his tablet, turned it on, called up Google Maps and showed the men what the Four Corners area now looks like as of Google's last update. Ken Thomas also showed the men the Lakeside Water Park and the Lake Water Safety and Rescue Team Headquarters he built for the county as well as the hotel and office building, which were going up along the road leading to the Water Park and Rescue Headquarters.
Mr. Ken further told the two men that his proposal was to pay the county's portion of the roadway construction, $10.5 Million, and all he would ask for is a $125% return on his investment. He added it would be spread out over the years against his amusement park, and any other properties and business he builds along the roadway, until all the money, approximately $13.1 Million, was recouped.
Mr. Thomas added that if they accepted his proposal, they could spread their $10.5 million out as they wanted, and still get the roadway built that would certainly bring new business and housing developments and other venues to the area. Mr. Ken then reminded the men that those would bring in extra tax dollars that would not be charged against his investment.
The Crystal Lake Amusement Park's owner then told them he had the first option on the adjacent lakefront properties the former amusement park owners once had. He further explained, he would expand the amusement park and start the process to build high-end homes along the lake once the divided highway was at least 80 percent complete.
The two men were astonished that a person would spend his money in the way Mr. Thomas was proposing. They had never met a developer who used their own money for anything upfront and they were a bit dubious at what they heard.
Ken Thomas knew they would be skeptical about what he wanted to do, so he gave them a name, Commissioner Joseph Barnneby, who was called a County Judge. He gave them the judge's full name and work and home phone numbers to call.
Mr. Ken asked them to call the man, today, to get the initial confirmation about what he told them he'd done in his home county, and that he was prepared to do the same there. He then reminded them he had a lot to lose if Crystal Lake failed.
The men indicated they would make the call and talk to the other man who thought the way they did. They also promised that if Judge Barnneby convinced them, they would start talking to the other men. One man did tell Mr. Ken he would be expected to appear in front of the entire Board to talk openly about his proposal. Mr. Ken said he would attend if asked.
When Mr. Wayne returned to The Cove, he called Stewart Russell to tell him what transpired at the high school. Mr. Russell told him he had a written formal request to take to the high school to request copies of all the CCTV footage. That surprised Wayne, but Stewart explained they start slow and go big if they resist. The lawyer added he'd have a subpoena in his back pocket and would use it if the school put up a roadblock.
When Kevin, Kyle and Matthew took their mid-morning break from classes, and were out in the playground, their friends wanted to watch the fight videos again. Other students, who had heard the story of the fight also wanted to look at the videos, so they hung close to the Covers and their friends.
Even at lunchtime, all the five Covers' friends could talk about were the fight videos and how their big 'Brother' took care of three students who attacked him. They also speculated how the one boy broke his arm. They could readily see, though, how the nose was broken by the way Bill hit the second teen.
Sawyer searched Bill out in the lunchroom. When he found him, he asked him and his friends to sit and talk with him and his friends, so they could talk about the fight. Billy found he had a few admirers in the group, since he dealt with the football bullies when many others had tried but failed.
Other students who saw the fight stopped by the table and told Billy they supported what he'd done. Billy quickly asked them to write a statement of what they saw, sign it and give it to him on Monday. Many said they would.
The group at the table also watched the fight videos and many of the seniors laughed when the boy's nose got broken. From all the conversation at the table, Billy figured there was a faction in the school that many students, including those seniors, despised.
Billy never got the full story of what was going on between certain groups of people at the high school. He reckoned if he continued to talk to the seniors, he could get a much better picture to take to Mr. Ken and his lawyer.
Before the lunch period was over, he asked his friends to talk to others who may have seen the fight and to ask them to write and sign a statement and bring it to school on Monday. Billy then told his three friends he'd see them at The Cove at twelve noon tomorrow.
During lunch, Wayne briefed Chris on what was going on with Bill. He gave the man a full rundown of what happened when Stewart Russell and Ms. Judy arrived and Charles finding the fight videos posted online. Chris was surprised about the posted videos as he said he wasn't one to use the internet for anything but work, or family-related information. Wayne showed the Estate Manager the videos after they ate.
Ken Thomas headed back to Crystal Lake to take a better look at the park and to talk to Arnie and Jason, now that the intrigue over the expansion of the road was on the front burner. The park owner told his operations manager and administrator what he was going to try to do, but they were to keep that information close to their vest.
Both men were surprised that their boss would use his money in that way. But, then, Mr. Ken explained how he built up the Four Corners area and his plans to do more there. The owner also told them how if the Commissioners go along with his proposal, he would recoup his money through the reduction of his taxes for the park and any other properties and businesses he builds.
Arnie Arnolds understood how the park's owner wouldn't have as large a tax bill every year and thus could use that money on park improvements and expansion. Jason wasn't all that versed in money investments and all the exchange of money that would be returned back over time. He realized he needed to get Arnie to explain that all to him, in case he ever got his own park to run.
The one thing that Mr. Ken wanted to talk to Jason about, were the park's employees. The owner pulled his park's Resident Administrator aside under the guise to ride one of the golf carts the park had, to inspect the property. As they rode around, Mr. Ken asked Jason if there were maintenance people he wouldn't keep on and if not, why.
Jason was surprised at the question, but recovered quickly and told his employer that he felt they were all good employees and that if there was anything they needed to, it was to hire a few apprentices.
The park's administrator explained he wanted to hire young men and women, from the different trade schools, like carpenter, electrical and metal, to start learning how to work on the rides and eventually have the opportunity to be where he was. Mr. Ken smiled at the honesty of the man. They continued to ride and talk about the park, until it was time for Mr. Ken to head for home.
As Billy walked the hallways between classes Friday afternoon, many of his fellow classmates stopped to thank him for taking care of those bullies. Billy quickly told those students he needed as many written and signed statements as he could get to bolster his case at the School Board hearing. He explained that Mr. Stanley wasn't going to drop his suspension even though the posted videos showed he was the one attacked. Many students said they'd do that for him.
After the younger Covers returned home from school, they went to have their after-school snack, but Matthew reminded them he was going to have his with Billy. The youngest Cover then headed up to his room to start his homework.
When Billy returned home, and stopped at the Kitchen Nook for his after-school snack, Momma reminded him that Matthew was waiting for him to have his snack with him. Billy thanked the woman for telling him that and quickly went up to the bedroom area to retrieve Matthew.
The two Covers walked into the Nook where Momma Maria was waiting for them. She presented them with their snack, which they ate while getting to know one another better. They shared some of their personal stories and their laughter and giggles brought a smile to Momma.
"What's all this laughter going on out here," asked a smiling Mr. Chris, as he came to the Kitchen Nook to tell Momma he was leaving for the day. "It sounds like a good home to me," added a happy Mr. Chris, who then talked to Momma and eventually walked away.
The two Cover lads looked at one another, after what just happened, and then they burst out laughing again. Momma understood the 'joke' between the boys, and smiled along with them.
With their snack finished, the two Cover boys headed to the Study to see Mr. Wayne. The Estate Master welcomed the boys into the room and the three talked. Mr. Wayne was concerned that Matthew still had homework to do, but the youngster told the man that over the weekends they don't get much to do, so he was finished. It was then the other boys came into the Study.
"So, how did waiting to have your snack with Billy work out?" asked Kevin.
"Well, I did get right on my homework and it seemed like it got done faster as I waited for Billy to get home. Then, when he did get home, I realized I wasn't daydreaming as much and the homework was done. Bill came to get me and the two of us, as we ate our snacks, shared some stories and we laughed a lot. It was fun!" replied Matthew.
"So, that was what Mr. Chris meant as he stopped to tell me he was leaving for the weekend. He mentioned that you two were having way too much fun for being 'foster boys'. We both had a good laugh over that," spoke up Mr. Wayne.
"Why would you laugh over us being 'foster boys'?" asked a determined Kyle.
"It was a joke, Kyle," replied Billy. "I heard it in Mr. Wayne's voice. The 'joke' was in other foster homes there might not be so much laughing between the foster kids."
Robert and Charles then told the group about some of the bad, rotten things that happened at the foster homes they were in before coming to The Cove. They mentioned the terrible food, the poor clothes and how the foster parents treated them like second-class children. The two boys told how they had more chores to do than the real kids did and much more. Neither Robert nor Charles wanted to mention the male sex they were forced to perform at some of those homes.
"OK, I think I get it," spoke a somber Kyle. "I guess I had to be there," now laughed the twin.
The rest of the Covers laughed right along with the younger twin, except Kevin. The older twin told them he didn't get it. The Covers looked back and forth to one another to see if they heard what they did. Billy started to explain it Kevin, but then the twin said, "Gotcha!"
All the boys laughed, including Mr. Wayne. All except Billy. That was because he wasn't in on that 'joke'. Robert took the time to explain to Billy how Kevin had a difficult time trying to come up with cutesy things to say back to people, and especially Mr. Ken. Kyle told the older Cover teen how Kevin got joke books for Christmas to help him tell jokes. Billy now laughed.
The Covers were all together when Momma came to the Study to call everyone to dinner. During dinner, they joked and laughed about what was talked about and happened in the Study. When they finished, Kevin asked Matthew if his stomach was 'hungry' enough to eat dinner. That brought about another round of laughter.
The Covers headed to the Study, as they seemed to always do after dinner. There, Mr. Wayne asked the boys to talk about what happened at school. The younger boys told how their classmates listened to their story about the fight and then someone searched for the videos and they watched them on their cell phones. Robert and Charles told similar stories about the talk about the high school fight and watching the videos.
Mr. Wayne changed the subject by talking to the boys about the upcoming weekend. Billy told his 'brothers' he would have another new friend stopping by and he'd have to sign him in at about twelve, noon. One of the twins asked when they could start using the WaveRunners. Robert laughed at that and told Kevin the water was way too cold, even with a wetsuit.
As the Covers talked, the doorbell rang. Chief went racing and barking up a storm and the Covers quickly followed the resident pet. The doorbell rang again, and that time Matthew decided to open the Foyer Door.
"'Dad', 'dad'," yelled Matthew, who then jumped into the man's arms.
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