All the seven Cover boys, counting Eric, could talk about at breakfast was last night's School Board Meeting where their older 'brother' was found not guilty.
"Boys ... Bill ... he wasn't found NOT guilty. He won his appeal of his suspension, which means he was cleared by the School Board. Please remember that, when you talk to your friends at school today. Tell them Bill WON ... W O N his appeal," stressed 'dad' Ken. That means he won't be going to the alternative high school for the rest of the school term."
"'Dad' ... what will happen to, you know, those other boys? Will they be sent to the alternative school?" asked Kyle.
"That, boys, I do not know. The School Board President said they would handle the new issues at next week's Board meeting. I guess we'll have to wait until then," answered 'dad' Ken.
"I hope ... they all get sent to the alternative high school," blurted out Matthew, with a scowl.
The boys left the table, hugged Momma for making them their breakfast, then went to drain their dragons and wash their hands before heading up the rise to catch their school bus.
Momma asked Mr. Ken to tell her what happened last night. The man filled her in with all the 'who said what'. He also told her about how the high school principal had the video altered to support his suspension of Bill. Mr. Ken added that Bill won his appeal and was back to being a student in good standing. The man then asked Momma if she had made the cake she promised. Momma laughed as she walked away.
Billy entered the Kitchen Nook with a great big smile on his face. The teen said 'Good Morning' to Mr. Ken, Momma Maria and Chief before preparing the resident pet's fresh water and kibble. The teen then washed his hands and sat down to breakfast.
"Slept well, I see," chuckled Mr. Ken.
"Yes, sir, I did!" replied Billy, with his mouth full.
"Thank you again, Mr. Ken for, you know, for believing in me and ... and supporting me. I ... I don't know what I'd have done if I lived with my other foster families. All they cared about was the check ... that came every month," spoke Billy.
"Bill, we'll get through anything that comes our way, together. But, you also have to trust and believe in me. Being as young as I am, I look at things much differently than many older foster parents do. You can see by where you live that I don't need that check every month.
"Bill, what I do want is ... is for all of you boys to have a good life, a good home, good food, clothes and a future. That is my wish in life. Now finish your breakfast," said a smiling Mr. Ken.
At the younger Cover boys' school, they all had to talk to their friends about what happened at the School Board Meeting the previous night. Besides telling their friends how their older 'brother' won his appeal, they also mentioned that the principal was caught lying and altering the video in order to justify Billy's suspension.
Dan Chassen overheard that little tidbit of information and filed it away in his head. He told himself he needed to tell Abigail Chadwick, as soon as he had the chance. The teacher continued to listen to what the Cover boys had to say. He then learned the IT lady at the high school was the one who altered the video for Principal Stanley. Now, he knew he needed to talk to Principal Chadwick.
When Billy arrived at school, he was treated like a conquering hero. The word had gotten around that not only had Billy won his appeal, but the principal was exposed not only as a liar, but had the CCTV video altered to implicate Billy as the attacker, when everyone at the fight knew exactly what happened and that Billy was innocent.
On the other hand, there were a number of students who also heard the outcome of the School Board Meeting and were pissed that it turned out that way. They supported the three attackers and they didn't care for Billy at all. They saw him as a representative of the man who had insinuated himself in the local School and Hospital Boards politics and made large waves. The students thought that way, since it was what they heard at home from their parents.
Billy, along with Kaden, Brett, Lonnie, Gabe, and Jamie were surrounded by a throng of student well-wishers. They asked Billy to tell them the whole story of what happened last night. They also wanted to know if Principal Stanley was going to be fired. Billy told them the School Board only made the decision about him.
Billy added that the Board said they would address the other issues next week. That caused the students to ask what other issues were brought up. Lonnie took the question and told the group that Principal Stanley not only falsely accused Billy, but asked Ms. Pauley to alter the videos. And, since the three teens attacked Billy, and not the other way around, the Board now has to deal with them. It was then the first bell rang to start the school day.
Later that morning, Ms. Judy called Ken to ask him if he could come to the hospital and take her home. The owner of The Cove told Chris and Wayne where he was going and that he should return in a couple of hours.
At the hospital, it took Ms. Judy more time than the doctor told her it would to have her released. As she and Mr. Ken waited, they sat and talked. The man asked Judy if she would like to recover at The Cove. He explained, there, she would get good meals and Momma Maria would be there if she needed any 'woman's' help. Ms. Judy smiled at the way her friend, Ken, phrased it.
Judy Turner thought hard about accepting the offer. She didn't want to be a bother and at home she had all her clothes and she could get some house work done while she healed. It was while she was thinking that Ken told her she needed to rest and relax and not overdo herself until at least five days had passed as the doctor told her.
Mr. Ken also reminded her that her son was staying at The Cove, and they could see one another and talk and interact with one another and, on top of that, she could check his homework, too. Then before she could respond, Mr. Ken told her they would stop at her house, let her pack some clothes and then later he and Eric could come back and get their dirty laundry and get it clean in the HE (High Efficiency) washers and dryers. She told him he convinced her.
Just before the two left the hospital, Mr. Ken called Momma and told her Ms. Judy would be staying with them for a few days, and that she had a specific diet she needed for the first few days
Momma told him she knew he would bring her there, and the guest bedroom was ready for Eric's mom and she would have a light lunch ready for her when they returned. Mr. Ken laughed at hearing that.
When the owner of The Cove returned with Judy Turner, Momma met them in the garage. Momma told Ms. Judy she figured she would be hungry from eating all that 'glorious' hospital food, so she had some nice warm soup ready for her as that was what her diet recommended for the first few days. Ms. Judy thanked the woman as the trio walked into the Kitchen Nook
Mr. Chris and Mr. Wayne were waiting in the Study for their employer. When the man entered the room, they both stood which caused Mr. Ken to laugh out loud. He said with a chuckle, "I'm not anyone special, so there is no need to stand when I enter."
"You're our boss, boss, and to show respect, and to make sure you don't fire us, we want to pile it on thick, boss," said a now laughing Wayne Mitchell.
When the three men began their talk, Mr. Chris told Mr. Ken the next Texas Boater Safety Course was this and the next four Saturdays. The Estate Manager told his employer they might be too late to register for tomorrow's course and/or there might not be enough slots left if he wanted Bill, Charles, Matthew and any of their friends to attend at the same time.
Mr. Ken asked why he added Matthew's name to the list. The Estate Manager told the owner of The Cove that all three sailing instructors he talked with recommended the Course as a first step to learning to sail, as it covered all the safety aspects Matthew should know. Mr. Chris recommended they shoot for next Saturday, and he could ask for at least ten slots. Mr. Ken agreed to have him set that up.
Mr. Chris then offered updates on the Memorial Day Picnic, the Fourth of July Picnic and fireworks and the Labor Day Picnic. The man said he asked about availability and then had the businesses put The Cove on their schedule. Mr. Chris added the fireworks scheduler confirmed they were already on their schedule for the Fourth and New Year's Eve, but they needed to confirm the Memorial Day Picnic date with his preferred caterer within a few weeks.
Mr. Wayne took over and told Mr. Ken the skate park contractor said the park would be available by the Memorial Day Picnic. He added that the sun shade sails may not be installed until the sun shade sails contractor can measure between the support poles to ensure a proper fit and that could be during the week after Memorial Day.
Mr. Wayne also briefed on the status of the Pavilion. The Estate Master told his employer that it would be finished and then they had to fill the storage room and freezer for the Picnic. Mr. Wayne said the Pavilion would be finished well before the weekend, so they would have a few days to get the cooking utensils, paper products, knives, forks and spoons, as well as the burgers, hot dogs, sodas, and whatever else they thought they needed.
Mr. Ken told the man to add large bottles of grease fighting liquid soap, scrubbing pads, rags and brushes, a drying rack and an under drying drain. The owner of The Cove asked if they had thought of having a stereo system installed so the boys could listen to some music. That question caught both men off guard. Mr. Wayne said he'd make some calls and get some quotes right away.
The men continued to brainstorm about the Cove Skate Park and Pavilion. They wanted to make sure they didn't overlook something significant or insignificant. Then, Mr. Wayne asked about the tables and chairs. Mr. Ken hit his head with his palm and said, "How did we ever forget about those?"
Ken Thomas took a quick look at his calendar and then told his employees they had five weeks to get them there and installed. Then, the man remembered he told the boys they could pick what they wanted to sit on and eat from.
Mr. Ken added he also wanted a serving height counter with cabinets and shelves underneath on the backside. He explained, he wanted the boys to have more storage space, but a good place to set up the fixings, so the people would not be getting close to the hot grill.
One more added benefit he said was it would look more professional, so they needed to either ask the contractor to add it or they needed to ask the restaurant suppliers what they had they could use. Mr. Chris added that to his list of things to do.
Mr. Ken told the men he'd talk to the boys tonight at dinner. He laughed when he said, "My bet is they'll have what they wanted by the end of the day after all their friends have an input." All three men laughed at that.
Mr. Wayne asked his employer about the amusement park trip and when he thought he wanted to do that. The Estate Master said it would be good to know, so the travel group could begin to make the arrangements for hotels, rental cars, or limos, and the airplane. The man also asked who was going, and if Collin was going along. That caused Mr. Ken to stop and think. He told the man he'd get back to him on that.
Lunchtime at the high school wasn't any quieter for Billy. By then all the students had heard about last night's School Board Meeting and what happened. They all wanted to, at least, meet the freshman who challenged the establishment and WON.
Billy and his friends had a difficult time eating their lunch, due to so many students stopping by, to thank the Cover for taking care of those three bullies and fighting Principal Stanley and winning. It wasn't much better for Billy and his friends when they went outside to talk.
Billy did get to remind Gabe and Jamie to bring their swimsuits, a towel and their skateboards to The Cove tomorrow. The Cover told them to arrive at twelve noon and be ready to answer some questions for the guards before they would let them into the grounds. Billy said he'd try to remember to be up there when they arrived. Kaden, Brett and Lonnie all laughed and told the two new friends how he got there late for them.
"Oh, and if your parents drive you over they may get the chance to meet some of the other parents of my 'brothers' friends. Mr. Ken likes the parents to know one another. Your parents can ask the long-time ones about what Mr. Ken does for the boys.
"Mr. Ken feels the information coming from the parents, whose sons had been coming over for months and months, is more believable than coming from him alone. Sure, after you've been over to The Cove a few times, your parents will understand what a good place it is to keep their son out of trouble at," explained Billy.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Gabe.
"Well, Mr. Ken took my 'brothers' and all their friends to SeaWorld's Howl-O-Scream and Six Flags Fiesta Texas Holiday in the Park celebrations. He paid for the bus and their tickets and he even fed them dinner at both places. All the boys needed was money for their lunch and drinks and any games they wanted to play. And, there's lots more," offered Billy.
When Matthew, Kevin and Charles came home from school, they decided to wait for Billy to come home and have their after-school snack, so they headed upstairs to start their weekend homework.
When Robert, Eric and Kyle sat down for their Momma snack, the woman first asked them if they wanted to wait for Billy, too. She told them it was no trouble for her to serve them now and their 'brothers' an hour later. The three Covers looked back and forth to one another. The three decided to wait.
Mr. Ken then stopped by the Kitchen Nook and told Eric his mom was up in the guest room on the right. The man told the teenager he convinced his mom to spend a few days there while she healed. Mr. Ken also added that they needed to go over to their house tomorrow and get Eric more clean clothes and collect all of their dirty clothes and get them all washed before he and his mom returned, so Judy didn't have a lot to do and possibly hurt herself.
Eric and Robert quickly ran up the stairs to go visit with Ms. Judy. But, before they entered the bedroom, Robert told Eric he needed to knock on a closed door. The teen added his mom could be sleeping and Eric should lightly knock on the door first.
The teen did just that. He did the 'Three Knock Rule', but in a low-key fashion. On the third knock, Ms. Judy said, "Come in". Eric and his Best Friend walked into the room. When they did Ms. Judy opened her arms for Eric, and her son went directly to his mom while Robert stood back. The three then talked.
When Billy returned from school, Momma told him to go up and get his 'brothers'. She explained all six wanted to have their snack with him. Billy said he thought he only had five 'brothers', so he asked if Mr. Ken had gotten another foster boy.
Momma Maria laughed and told the teen that he'd forgotten about Eric. Billy laughed as he headed to go and get his 'brothers'. But, as he left the Nook, Momma yelled to him that Eric might be visiting with his mom, so he should check the guest bedrooms for him and Robert. Billy said he would as he hurried to the stairs.
The seven Covers came down the stairs like a thundering herd. Mr. Ken yelled out from his Study for them to be a bit more 'cat like'. The seven boys all laughed and then walked a bit softer, if there is such a thing for boys.
As the boys ate their afterschool snack, Ms. Judy came into the Kitchen Nook. Eric quickly told his mom to sit by him and have a Momma snack, as he made room for her to sit down. Then, Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne came to the Kitchen Nook to see what Momma had made the boys for their snack. Of course, they had to have some as well.
After their fun filled snack, the boys headed back up to their rooms to make sure they had all their weekend homework done. Then, the boys got together in Robert's room and talked about Charles' adoption next week.
Kyle wondered what their 'dad' was going to give Charles as his adoption gift. Charles said he hadn't even thought about that and he really didn't care. All he cared about was he was going to have a 'forever home', now.
Dinner that night was held in the Formal Dining Room. There were three adults and seven boys and Momma Maria told Mr. Ken they would all have more room to spread out in there verses the Nooks smallish kitchen table.
At dinner the first conversation centered on Ms. Judy and her surgery and how she was feeling. Mr. Ken told the woman he and Eric would go over to their house tomorrow morning and get more clothes for her son and all the dirty laundry they could find.
The man added that Eric could start doing the laundry, when they returned, using his four HE washers and dryers. Eric didn't say anything, as he was used to helping his mom with chores and that was one of them.
Mr. Ken then asked his son and Robert when they planned to cut the field. That caught them both off guard and they sort of hemmed and hawed. The boys 'dad' asked them to look it over tomorrow and decide when they would do it. Mr. Ken also told them he also wanted it cut in time for the Memorial Day Picnic, so they had better plan it out.
The next item on the agenda was that Mr. Ken told the boys he'd forgotten about buying the tables and chairs for the Pavilion, so they had until breakfast Monday to tell him what they wanted. The man told his 'boys' he only had five weeks to order and have them delivered and installed, if necessary. The boys all got smiles on their faces hearing they finally got to help.
With dinner over, Mr. Wayne decided to head on home. He told his boss he had few things he needed to get done and he'd see him tomorrow sometime. But, just as the Estate Master got up to leave, Momma Maria stopped him in his tracks. She told him she had a surprise for someone at the table and he needed to be there.
A few moments later Momma brought in a big three-layer cake with fifteen candles burning on the top. Mr. Ken knew immediately what it was and he began singing Happy Birthday. The boys knew it was for Billy's fifteenth birthday and they joined in with their 'dad'.
Billy blushed that Momma Maria had done that for him, but he was all smiles, too, as the birthday song went on. When the song was finished Billy blew out the candles and everyone cheered.
Momma left the well-wishers and said she'd be right back. When the woman returned, she had another cake. This time it was a sheet cake and on it was written, Congratulations on your WIN! Everyone cheered again because they all knew the significance of what that meant.
"What are we going to do with all these cakes?" asked a laughing Billy.
"We'll eat them," intoned Matthew, to laughter from everyone.
Momma Maria cut the Birthday cake and served a piece to everyone there. As she did that, Mr. Ken went to the freezer and brought out a 3-gallon pail of Neapolitan ice cream and began serving it to anyone who wanted some.
As the little party began to wind down, Mr. Wayne did get to leave. Also, Billy knew he needed to thank Momma for the cakes, so he asked for everyone's attention.
"I want to thank Momma Maria ... for making these cakes for me. I can't ... I can't ever remember having a homemade birthday cake let alone two cakes for two different reasons. Ms. Judy ... the best thing you ever did for me was to bring me here to The Cove, Mr. Ken, Momma Maria and all my 'new brothers'.
"I never knew what a family was all about until ... until I came here. Thank you everyone for being who you are and accepting me as I am." Billy then smiled, as 'happy' tears began leaking down his cheeks.
After the small celebration, the boys headed straight up to their rooms. They challenged each other to see who could find the best tables and chairs for the Pavilion. But Billy didn't have his computer set up yet. It was then that Mr. Ken came to his room to ask if he was ready to put his new computer together. Bill forgot about the challenge and eagerly set out to unpack the boxes and start putting his personal computer together.
Mr. Ken saw the enthusiasm in Billy as he unpacked the boxes. The excitement came out of the boy at each step of the way as they worked together to get all the parts together, and then hooked up to The Cove's mainframe computer system.
Along the way, Mr. Ken let Billy do everything he felt comfortable with doing. As it turned out, Billy knew a lot more about putting the computer system together than the man thought. Billy also hooked up all the cords to and from the monitor to the PC and for the mouse and backup hard drive. Once that was all accomplished, Billy plugged the power strip into the wall outlet and hit the strip's power button.
Now, Bill looked at Mr. Ken with his smile asking if he could turn the computer and monitor on. Getting the nod, Billy switched the computer on first to allow it to boot up. Then, the teen hit the monitor's power ON switch and the monitor began to warm up and give the teen a startup screen icon/logo.
Once the computer monitor showed the Windows 10 logo, Bill knew the computer was ready to go. The teen hit the spacebar and once the start-up screen was on, Mr. Ken had him go directly to the network and internet settings. From there Mr. Ken walked the teen through establishing the computer with The Cove's private servers.
Once the computer had a good signal, the teen's next step was to check for updates to the operating system. He knew it could take some time for that to happen, so he and Mr. Ken discussed the next series of events that were needed to be done before Bill's computer was setup and ready for him to use each and every time.
The other Cover boys were busy looking through their computers for picnic tables and chairs. They each found at least forty different combinations of picnic tables and seating and now they had to choose which one they liked best.
While Billy's computer was updating the operating system, he and Mr. Ken walked to the other boys' rooms. The boys showed them what they liked, so 'dad' Ken told all of them to print out a picture of their first and second choices. He told them they would go up to the Pavilion tomorrow and decide which ones would work best there.
Kyle also showed him a website that sold a Bean Bag Toss, Washers, Giant Four in a Row and Toppling Timbers games that looked like fun, were outdoor friendly and could be permanently mounted on the sides of the skate park.
Mr. Ken looked at the games and then told Kyle to print the four-game topic pages out and bring them when they look at their picnic table selections up at the pavilion. Kyle had a great big smile on his face when 'dad' Ken left.
Ms. Judy had gone up to talk with her son. But, being the CPS caseworker, for all of the boys, she decided to walk to all of the boys' rooms and see how they were doing. When she got to Billy's room, she heard Mr. Ken and the teenager talking, so she stayed out in the hall and listened.
After talking to all the boys, Mr. Ken and Billy went back to the teen's bedroom to talk while the update finished. They knew it would take about an hour for the operating system on Bill's computer to download the latest updates, so that gave them adequate time to talk.
The two Covers talked about school, the School Board Meeting, Billy's Birthday and his friends. When the download was complete, Mr. Ken told the teen to go to the Windows Settings area to personalize his computer. The man then reminded him not to go to websites that were X, or XX or XXX rated.
Bill had a perplexed look on his face, so Mr. Ken clarified himself by saying, "Do Not view any pornography, period." Billy said he wouldn't. He added he didn't want to ruin the best thing that ever happened to him in his life.
Mr. Ken told the teen he would be back before the teen went to bed, and when he does, for the teen not to plan to stay up all night personalizing his computer. The two had a good laugh.
Ms. Judy met her friend and foster dad, Ken, out in the hallway. She walked them away from Billy's bedroom, so she could talk to the man. The Director of Children's Protective Services apologized to Mr. Ken, telling him she had listened to his conversation with Billy. She said she hadn't made the time to come over and talk with the new foster son, and so she decided to talk to him and the other boys while she was a guest at The Cove.
Mr. Ken smiled at the revelation and then told her to knock on the teen's door and tell him why she was there. The man said the teen was very open to conversation and he didn't think Bill would shy away from talking to her.
"Knock, Knock, knock," said Ms. Judy as she knocked on Billy's bedroom door frame.
Billy turned to see who it was and seeing Ms. Judy, the teenager said, "Oh, hi, Ms. Judy. Please come in."
"Bill, I stopped by because ... well, I've been remiss in not checking up on you sooner. As your caseworker, I need to stop by periodically to see how you're doing and getting along with your foster family. I probably already know after hearing what Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne did for you and how you responded to your 'brothers' and Momma Maria.
"I take it, from what you said earlier, you are happy here with Mr. Ken, Mr. Wayne, Momma Maria and your 'new brothers'. Care to tell me anything more?" encouraged Ms. Judy.
Billy smiled at the question and again told the woman that what she'd done for him was the best thing that ever happened to him. The teen told his caseworker that, ever since he came to The Cove, Mr. Ken had made him feel as if it were his forever home, and he could stay there until he went off to college.
The teen continued and told the CPS Director how Mr. Ken bought him all new clothes, how his 'brothers' accepted him and made him feel like he actually had them as his 'brothers'. Billy couldn't say enough about what Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne just did for him. The teenager told how they believed him from the beginning and then hired a lawyer to defend him.
Billy added everyone was there for him and they all treated him as one of the family. Billy further told his caseworker that right from the beginning, he helped with the Easter Egg Roll. He explained how he and Robert made the prize coupons and printed them out on different colored paper.
He told the woman how he helped his 'brothers' and their friends fill the Easter Eggs with coins, candy and coupons. The last thing he mentioned to Ms. Judy was that he felt loved there and best of all, safe.
It wasn't time yet to go to bed, so all the boys went down to the Study to talk to their 'dad'. Mr. Ken heard them well before he saw them as they seemed to be arguing over something. When the boys came into the Study, they had brought the printouts of their first and second choice for the Pavilion's picnic table and chairs.
"Dad, we wanted to talk to you about our picnic table and chair choices before we look at the Pavilion tomorrow," said Robert. "We all have different pictures, but they seem to be alike at the same time."
"Well, seeing them outside the place they are going to be used might be OK, but ... we won't have much perspective as to how they may look and work because we aren't there. And, it is too late to go up there tonight," answered 'dad' Ken.
"Well, we could still look at each other's and say what we think is good or bad about them," offered Kyle.
"You boys want to do that? You know ... a show and tell sort of discussion?" asked 'dad' Ken.
The boys looked at one another and smiled and then they all said, "Yeaaaa!"
Ms. Judy saw how her friend, Ken, worked with the boys. She saw how he talked calmly to the boys and gave them opportunities to reply to his questions. She watched how the boys responded to the man, and eagerly wanted to do things to help and be a part of The Cove.
The boys, decided to start with the youngest and work to the oldest. Matthew began showing the group his first choice and told them why he selected it. Kevin, said it looked like his and yelled, "He cheated. He looked at mine," then Kevin laughed. The other boys joined in.
With that, Mr. Ken had Kevin bring his printouts up to the front of his desk and stand beside Matthew. He then had the older twin talk about his choices. Everyone saw how Matthew's and Kevin's selections did look the same, but they also saw the differences. The biggest being, the one that was Kevin's was round and Matthew's was square. Everyone laughed.
Kyle was next and he showed his table as being long, like 6 feet, and would be mounted to the concrete floor and could never be moved once installed. Robert asked his 'brother' why that one, and why have it permanently mounted.
Kyle explained the table came in 6-, 8- and 10-foot lengths and would allow more of their friends to sit together when they ate. Then, he told them when it came time to clean up, they wouldn't have to move it away and then back. The younger twin reasoned it would make it simpler.
Eric then spoke up and said the bench seats have a bar attached to the table and that would make it difficult to get into it and sit down. The visiting teen said otherwise he liked that idea. Kyle smiled at hearing that.
Robert went next. He had chosen a square table like Matthew's, but it had a solid surface top, unlike the metal mesh tabletop his two 'brothers' had selected. He mentioned it was easy to get into the seats as the support bars came under their legs for when they sat down. He added they could easily move them when they needed to wash the floor.
Billy spoke up and said he bet they were heavy and they would wind up dragging them and eventually they would scrape or gouge the concrete and wear out the bottom support legs. He said he liked the idea of the tables being permanently mounted to the floor. Kyle smiled again.
It was Eric's time to announce his selection. He, too, had selected permanently mounted tables. His first choice was similar to Kyle's. But his table had the benches permanently mounted as well and they could position them so they had more room to sit down and then get up for seconds, without having the table so close to them that they stumble.
The boys looked at the printout and they liked what they saw. Billy asked if it came in different colors so it could match and/or contrast with the colors of the Pavilion. Mr. Ken didn't say anything, but he liked that idea best.
"'Dad'," began Kyle, "Can I show them my other suggestions?"
"What other selections?" asked Charles? "I didn't know we were to look for other things for the Pavilion. If I'd known that, I'd have looked at bike racks and trash cans, too."
"Yea, I think we also need half-sized lockers up there, too. That way our friends could lock up their skateboards and not have to bring them over every time," suggested Robert.
"Boys ... let's have Kyle show you what he asked me about earlier. Kyle, you're up!" said 'dad' Ken.
Kyle smiled as he got up out of his chair. When he was in front of Mr. Ken's large desk, he brought out his first suggestion to add some other 'fun' things to do at the Cove Skate Park, a Bean Bag Toss Game. Some of the boys didn't have any idea what that was. All Kyle would say is, once it is permanently mounted on the outside of the Skate Park, they would enjoy it.
Kyle then brought out his second game. This one was called Toppling Timbers that played like Jenga®, but the sticks were large-sized. Kyle said the sticks were in lots of different colors and it would be a fun game to play under the Pavilion and could be played at any table.
The third game Kyle wanted his 'brothers' to consider was a Giant Four in a Row game that played like Connect-Four®. He said the game was another fun thing for them to do when they got tired from skating, or it was raining. He added it was like what Kev played on the Breeze.
Kyle then introduced his last game. He called it Washers and could be played on two different boards. He told them the game was similar to the Bean Bag Toss and would add another fun game to play up at the Pavilions when their friends were tired of skating.
Kyle said he saw the games while he was looking for picnic tables, but this one company also sold these types of games and he thought they would be fun to play when they got bored or it was raining. He asked his 'brothers' to vote for them if they wanted their 'dad' to add them to the Cove Skate Park and the Pavilion.
Billy quickly spoke up and told his 'brothers' that if they had them now, they could play them while they waited their turn on the ramps. He said he played the home version of the games Kyle was wanting them to approve and he, for one, was for them.
Matthew then said he liked the idea of something else to do and he was for them. Kevin jumped up and said he liked the idea, too. Charles joined his younger brothers' and called for them to be added to the Pavilion.
The only holdouts were Robert and Eric. All the boys stared at them. The two teens turned their backs at their 'brothers' and whispered something to one another. Then they quickly turned back to face the others in the Study and said, "Yes, we want them too!"
But Charles stopped everyone and asked what his 'brothers' thought of bike racks and outdoor lockers big enough for their friend's skateboards. The boys talked about it some and their decision was for their 'dad' to add them to the list of Kyles' games.
"So, boys, should I add trash cans to the list, as well?" chuckled 'dad' Ken.
The boys agreed to that addition. It was then 'dad' Ken told them they still needed to walk up to the Pavilion tomorrow to see how the picnic tables and chairs would still fit, and where they would place the bike racks and lockers and of course the trash cans.
As the boys went up to their rooms to get ready for bed, Judy told Ken she liked the way he had the boys help with setting up the new play area, and then letting them offer their opinions as to what they wanted to see.
Ken told Judy he should have done that a month ago and now it was going to be crunch time getting the contractor to add some concrete pads for the bike racks, lockers and possibly the trash cans. He added he hoped he could have everything installed by the Memorial Day Picnic. Judy just laughed.
Ms. Judy didn't accompany Ken as he said goodnight to the boys. Each of the boys thanked their 'dad' for letting them get involved with the skate park build. Only Charles asked his 'dad' if he could have his adoption on Friday to correspond with his birthday. 'Dad' Ken laughed at the request and he told the pre-teen he'd see what he could do.
All of the Covers slept very well that night.
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