New School Blues

By: John Bowling
(© 2011-2012 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 4 

We left the diner and went home. Mom and Dad were there, just finishing lunch themselves.

"Dad, can I take Greg over to see the warehouse?"

"I'll have to go with you, company rules that visitors, even family and in-laws, have to be escorted."

"We're not married yet. Actually, I want to be finished with high school before that. And out of college before any kids."

"Sharon would love a few grand-kids, but how?"

"Greg, can I make you pregnant?"

"No, I fit the Dad physique better than you do, even if it were biologically possible. We could have fun practiceing making each other pregnant. Better, we could foster or adopt."

"You mean guys like the twins?"

"Twins?" Dad asked.

"Yea, the one's at my uncle's ranch this morning. We'll fill you in later."

"No, they are too close to our age, maybe even older. Our prospective kids are younger and need a good home, and not until we're done with college. Yea, the idea of you making me pregnant, we could at least practice doing that, or vice versa."

"Guys, that's getting close to TMI. Each of you grab a note pad and pens. There will be stuff to learn in this visit, and not about family relationships!"

"Like school, only a Saturday. Does it qualify as a field trip for credit?"

"I doubt it."

We all climbed into Carl's car. Prior to our move, the company had bought the property the warehouse was on, and hired a contractor to upgrade the building. When Dad got here, he told me, he had directed them on setting up interior walls to make offices with two Cat6 wired LANs and we would add WiFi later, a break room with full kitchen, a room for printers to do package labeling. He also made sure the loading area was a platform with ramps usable by semi trucks as well as smaller delivery vans.

We arrived and parked, and Carl walked us around the building. "Look and see if you can spot any kind of potential security problems, tell me, and write it down."

"Does that mean we are working for you?"

"Your mother is doing a special dinner tonight. That ought to be pay enough."

"What about child labor laws?"

"You are both over sixteen. Perhaps if you want to do some work after school we could make an arrangement. You, too, Greg."

"Yea, Dad, have him work loading trucks so his muscles get some exorcize. If he gets them bigger and stronger, he might become a decently butch husband."

"Look who's talking, puny. We'll see who's husband material tonight!"

I grabbed his bicep and squeezed on it, and he flexed it. "Yup, definitely husband material, AFTER a year of hard work!"

"And who just got all hot and bothered?"

"Who, me? Just because there's a little more bulge there. You gotta let me feel all of them tonight, Mr. Greg, soon to be super boy, Cooper!"

"Guys! Perhaps we shouldn't let you two sleep in the same house tonight." Dad remarked. "Your mother will have to air out the house for a couple weeks after all that testosterone, along with using lots of her 'stink purty' spray deodorizer."

We continued to walk around, close to the outer wall. There was an enclosed area with trash dumpsters. It had a gate with locks. Continuing their walk, wethey walked onto the loading dock, and examined all of the rolling doors. WeThey were all in good shape, Further around, they noticed the side walls had windows that were about ten feet above the ground level.

"Those windows provide some light during the day, and, along with the skylights, helps reduce utility bills. We are using super bright LEDs where we can, and florescent where needed. Notice the cat walk under the windows that make it easy to wash them. There is a cat walk on the inside also."

"Do the windows open?"

"They do, but are not normally open."

"I noticed the ladder going up to that cat walk, enclosed by a cage." Greg said.

"Yea, and there is one window open." Mike added.

"There is a locked gate at the bottom of the ladders."

"It's not locked, now. Did someone forget to close it after they washed the windows,?"Mike?”

Dad walked over, closed, and locked the ladder gate. "Let's go inside and check the new camera system to see what might have happened. They have been working for a few days."

We walked around to the front door and Carl used his security code on the keypad. A red light flashed, and the door's magnetic lock released. Inside, we closed the door again, and walked over to the offices. One had a couple of monitors with desktop computers. Pressing a key, the monitors came to life displaying a dozen cameras, both outside and inside, and one monitor had a list of the last twenty entries accessed by the alarm system.

"What software are they running?" I asked.

"The OS is Linux and the camera image capture software is ZoneMinder, with some added programs for the alarm system and auto locks. There is a programming team at the main company who programmed and packaged everything."

"It doesn't look like Windows. I have Linux on my computer at home, with a different desktop interface."

"Greg, have you ever done any programming in PHP, Python, html, and CSS?"

"Some. I did a few web pages for friends and a few things for myself."

"Want to work here doing programming and working with the main office people? We need to add some things here, and there are some other applications anticipated that they don't have time for at the main office. There is a web site where they do free classes on computer programming you should check out 'www.udacity.com'."

"Sure. Thanks."

"Damn, there goes my opportunity to make Greg into a super boy."

"Then I guess you and I will just have to use normal exorcize equipment. Maybe you can become the super husband!"

"What was that, on the camera image on the top right?" I was looking at the camera images and noticed some movement.

"That's the break room. It looks like someone is in there. I know the construction crews are off today, and we don't have anyone working for the company yet except for two newly hired wild teens and their old man."

"Speak for yourself! We have been very circumspect."

"OK, Mike, what about last week at school?"

"Well, uh, I had reasons, and most of them were you!"

Greg turned to face Mike and wrapped him up in a cuddle cage. "Maybe, but you love the results."

"Yea, and you, too. Should we go over there and check it out what's happening in the lunch room?"

"Let's call the sheriff first, just in case."

Greg took a closer look at the camera picture. "No, let's check it out first. We just had the sheriff over at my cousins because of the twins. And this guy looks like someone I know. I don't see any indication of anyone else here, except us in that display."

We walked out of the office and into the break room.

A startled teen looked up. "Mr. Vargan, what are you doing here? This place is closed for the weekend. Hi, Greg. Good job on my replacement! He's, Hot. Is his hair always that red?" He asked.

"Well, you tell me the answer to that question yourself. I am the C.O.O. of this facility, and you apparently know these two."

"I'm Stan Turner. I've known Greg for years, and I've seen hot stuff there the last few days, but don't know him."

"This intruder is AKA Tramp, my boyfriend until he went AWOL." Greg told us.

"The one with the awesome legs?" I asked. "If I'm to be the super built husband, I'll have to man handle the competition."

Greg turned to me and said: "Yea, and do some punishment for me."

"Mr, Vargon, I had permission, from both you and the Sheriff, to be undercover and use your facilities."

"You told me? I don't remember that. And Mike, the hottie, is my son and a new boyfriend for Greg."

"You can say that again. Be good to him or I'm going to take him away from you. No, I didn't tell you directly, but I did tell your dad. Couldn't let the cat out and warn the rats!"

"OK, what are you doing here?"

"I'm a special squad of one, for the Sheriff's secret investigation. We've used this old building occasionally for our investigations in the last few years. When I noticed what you were adding to it, I wanted to see if the video cameras could be useful. When a couple of them are panned and tilted the right way, I can observe some potential crimes. We expect to have this case wrapped up by the time you start operations."

"That will be in just a few weeks. Given that the Sheriff has given his approval for your doing things, and you have not, and better not damage anything here, I will go along with it. Do I have a guarantee to that?"

"Yes, Sir! And I found a way to fool your security system."

"The window ledges? We noticed. If Greg vouches for you, I might consider hiring you to be part of our security team. Then you can fix that hole that cat escaped in to and the rat out of. You apparently know how to operate the cameras and the monitor system."

"Yea, I learned. What I don't know is the security codes, so getting in was a hassle. Getting hired would provide for a better cover for me, but I do, at times, have to be physically out at remote places for this investigation."

"We can work that in, with at least one other person in that job. I have interviews starting on Monday, and these two are going to work here also. Even if they need lots of training. You will all get appropriate security codes, and you, Stan, AKA Tramp, will help us correct the ways you've been getting in here."

"Tramp fits me better, and in more ways than my love of trampoline. It helps with the investigations to be a teen aged homeless guy, in case you've noticed my derelict outfit. I've also met some other guys that deserve a chance at a better life."

My cell phone rang, and it was the hospital calling about the twins getting released.

"That was the hospital. Dave is doing OK, but he needs people around him to make sure that his concussion is not going to be a problem. The twins will be released about three, and they don't have a place to stay, now that the Sheriff has closed off the bunker under the tracks. It's a bad place to live in, under any conditions. We were going to check around, but my parents won't be back until late Sunday."

"Dad, could they stay with us for a few days? We have a room that has some boxes in it and no furniture. We could get some sleeping bags for them."

"Some boxes? More like half the room. I suppose if they were organized along one wall, it would be at least as good as that bunker or cellar they were living in. And you, Tramp, could use a regular shower, now that you are a fragrant vagrant. Between that and the testosterone from these two... Whew!"

"Thanks, Dad Vargan." Greg said. "We'll go get them in a few minutes. Tramp, want to go with us and meet the twins?"

"I think I better stay incognito for a while. Though perhaps I should talk to them over the phone. I do feel respons---. No! Never mind that." Tramp seemed a bit agitated.

"OK, just don't get into any trouble." Greg gave Tramp a hug, then turned and gave Mike a bigger hug.

--- Now, listening in at a cozy hospital room with a pair of twins and Doctor Kenyon. ---

"Doc, will Dave recover from this, like no memory loss or...?" Doug asked.

"There should be no permanentpertinent physical damage, but he will probably have occasional pains or memory blockages for a few months. He apparently was not hit as hard as we originally thought."

"Good, I don't want to lose my last relative, especially such a cute one."

"Cute? I'm the tough one here!"

"See, Doc, he does have a mental shift. He used to be cute and loveable. Now he thinks he's the man."

"I always was, I just didn't let you know. Now it's time to reduce the passive in my aggressive."

"Yea, 'bought time you give me a thorough, horned up pounding."

"Guys, keep it appropriate. Do you want Doctor Cooper to check you over?"

"The sickologist? No, I think I may like the newly aggressive Dave."

"If I tell her you said that, she will insist on a complete exam. It probably would be good to have her talk with both of you at least once. She is out of town until Monday, but you could do an office visit with her?"

"We don't have any money handy to pay her!"

"Well, I hear there is a new company in town that's hiring, and could probably get you on their health plan."

Just then they heard a knock on the door, and in walked Mike, Greg, and Carl.

"Speaking of that... Mr. Vargan is the one who will be hiring. We were just suggesting they have a talk with your Mother, Greg."

"Yea, anyone who lives in a fruit cellar, AKA, bunker needs their head examined!" Greg spoke up, emphasizing 'fruit'.

"My place is becoming fruitier all the time, with those guys moving into our spare bedroom. When Greg’s over, he will have to bunk with Mike now. I should be the one conversing with Marge Cooper just to deal with it." Carl chuckled.

"Dad, Greg will always bunk with me. Or when I get my muscles built up enough to be a super husband, I'll have to whup ass on him."

"You wish. I'm still your cage keeper!" Greg wrapped me up again, and made it tight with his solid muscles.

"Careful. I don't want to have to do you where everyone can see."

The twins piped up, in unison, with: "Yea, do him now, so we can watch and learn!"

"Guys, this is a hospital room, not romper room."

"Do you guys often say the same thing at the same time?" Greg asked. "Mom would be interested if you do."

"No." and "Yes." both at once, then looked at each other and reversed who said what.

Doctor Kenyon then suggested: "Get your things together. I've signed the release papers, and these three are going to get you settled, at least temporarily, in a proper bedroom!"

"You expect two awesome dudes like us to go with them? I guess if you can't come up with anything better. But we reserve the right to defend ourselves from a couple of weird wimps."

Greg and I both spoke up: "I know we.." "..can handle.." "..them.." "..until they.." "..recover!" "Then we'll have to..." "..show them who's.." "..in charge and.." "..and use cages.." "..if they 'Miss'.." "..behave!"

"It'll be you two who 'Miss' behave! And speaking of talking in unison, you guys are a lot worse by organizing your phrasing that way."

"And we never practiced that."

"Perhaps we should?"

"Not in my house you don't. A pair a gay couples I can handle - I mean put up with -, and some unison conversations, but linking phrases is just too much!"

“Come on, Dad, you know you love it!”

To be continued...

---- Author's Notes ----

I have been taking a while between chapters, primarily due to other things that I enjoy doing.

I thank Darryl, you know, the guy with the radio ranch in the mid-west, for editing my chapters so far. And Gerry Young for his help with the first couple of chapters. They have made sure everything is a decent read.

Darryl would have added a comment, but I forgot to remind him. And I thought I was the only one with loose bits flopping around. His reply with the edited chapter was “Great chapter!”. Let me know what you think, even if you don't like it.

Posted: 04/20/12