New Kid at City High, Chapter 12
As is often the case, second term moved even faster after break. Besides classes, there were the usual sports and other extracurricular activities to keep students occupied.
The jazz band performed several times in the spring. The full concert band had extra rehearsals to prepare for playing at the graduation ceremony.
One special assembly stood out in everyone's mind. Carson King, the guy who had raised over $3,000,000 for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital talked to the students about the benefits and pitfalls of social media.
He began by telling about how he became an "accidental" fund-raiser. (Some of them knew the gist of the story but enjoyed the additional details.) At Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, he'd had this crazy idea for having a few laughs and, perhaps, raising enough money to replenish his supply of Busch Light beer. With a homemade sign displaying his Venmo account info, he attracted the attention of the ESPN camera.
Within 15 minutes, his friend Tyler ask him who was blowing up his phone. He looked at his account and it had $400 already. He began thinking of a Pizza Ranch party until the sum reached $600. Then, he decided he should do something more noble which could help a lot of people.
He went on to appear on ABC's Good Morning America, and Busch Brewing Company started matching the donations. Everything was going great until a reporter for the Des Moines Register dug up stuff, which was considered racist, that he'd posted eight years earlier.
Anheuser-Busch dropped him like a hot potato, and he felt terrible. He held a news conference immediately, apologizing for what he had posted. It had been a quote from a Comedy Central show. The words weren't even his own, but he was paying the price.
"My point is this, social media is a wonderful way to accomplish something, but it's also a place where your mistakes last forever. What I did at 16 is haunting me eight years later, and I'm honestly not a racist!
"How many of you have a social media account?"
Nearly all hands went up.
"How many of you think what you post will be there 10 years from now?"
Again, a lot of hands were raised.
"You're right! There's a lesson to be learned. Be careful of what you post. Think before you send it.
"We all make mistakes. Back when you learned to walk, I'll bet you fell a lot. We all did. But, that's how we finally mastered it.
"Just remember that you can make a difference in this world if you're honest and accept your mistakes and do better. Who knows? You might be able to help a lot of people even if you start small. Each one of you can make a difference in someone's life."
"That assembly today was really cool," Benji said. "It made me think about what Sophia and you did for me the first day I walked into the restaurant."
"Lunch wasn't like raising three million!" Gio exclaimed.
"It was worth a lot to me. You became my friend, my connection to this town and this school. I wouldn't trade you for 10 million!
"Imagine if everyone showed that kind of hospitality to strangers. This world would be a better place."
In the middle of May, Ben received a message from his ex via Tony's grandmother, Adelaide. It was short and to the point. In it, Annette apologized for trying to interfere with her son's Christmas plans. She had hoped that he might visit her over the holiday and realize how much he missed the city and the academy. She had also thought he could help Tony's father deal with having a gay son.
Since her unsuccessful attempt to have him come home, she had gone to counseling and was accepting of the fact that Benji had no choice in how he was "wired." She missed her husband and her son and hoped that someday they might be friends again. She promised not to push anything before Benji was ready.
When Ben showed his son the contents of the message, Benji heaved a sigh of relief.
"Wow! I feel a lot better. I've been waiting since Christmas for the other shoe to drop. Travis told me about how his mother kept trying to mess up his life and I thought I might be in for the same thing. I don't feel as angry toward her as I used to, but I'm not in a hurry to see her either. I'm s-o—o-o glad you brought me four hours away from where she is!"
Ben appreciated the tight hug his son gave him.
Memorial Day weekend wasn't only the first holiday of the summer, but it was also area high school held their graduations. City High's ceremony would be a dignified event with music, speeches, and, of course, the handing out of diplomas. It was held in a university gym which large enough to hold the hundreds of people who would attend.
Benji, Gio, Sawyer, and Travis were involved in the band which would play as the seniors processed into the arena and again when they, as graduates, made their exit. Between those "bookends" they would also accompany the audience as they attempted to sing the school song and would back the concert choir when they sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic, which was a traditional favorite.
With the downbeat of Pomp and Circumstance, the audience of family members and friends began to quiet down. Soon the class members made their way down in four lines to fill the rows of chairs in an orderly fashion. It didn't take long for all 465 members to find their seats.
After the awards, speeches, and musical numbers were finished, the long process of each student making his or her way across the stage finally took place. The noise level increased as members of the audience cheered for their graduate.
When everyone had received their diplomas, Dr. Dickinson asked the audience to show their appreciation for the latest alumni of City High, and they stood to give their applause. Then began the exit procession.
Finally, the last class members filed through the doors and the band's job was finished.
"Whew!" Benji gave his brow an exaggerated swipe. "It's been a long morning!"
"Yeah. Just think, a year from now it'll be you and me walking across that stage. I'll be glad to graduate, but I'll miss City High as well."
For the next several days, there would be scores of graduation parties. Obviously, Benji and his friends wouldn't be invited to all of them. However, they were close to a number of seniors and would attempt to at least put in an appearance at the festivities which honored their friends.
Among the parties the boys would definitely attend, were the ones for Vin, Sophia, and Harrison. Vin had taught them a lot in karate and was an openly gay kid whom they admired. Sophia had been instrumental in introducing Benji to Gio. And, Harrison had become the guardian angel for many of the gay kids on campus.
Vin's celebration was done to style by Aunt/adoptive mother, Carol. His Aunt Vi insisted on contributing to the cost. Although he was no longer in her care, Calvin was the boy she had raised for several years. There was a bond between the two of them despite not being blood-kin.
His Cousin Caleb and boyfriend were helping host Vin's party too. Caen stuck closely beside Vin as well, doing whatever he could to be of use. He hoped to have as good a turnout for his celebration.
Some of the younger group, like Benji and his peers, were happy to get better acquainted with Caleb and Bret who had been instrumental in turning around the culture of the high school so that it was a more inclusive one than it had been several years before.
Sophia's party was fun and well attended. The family went all-out to provide an excellent array of food. Slices of hot pizza were the main attraction, accompanied by an antipasto and various Italian desserts. It was much tastier than the deli sandwiches and chips which were the usual fare at such parties.
Benji was pleased to attend. He'd long since gotten over his "fear" of her. She was still outspoken, and he still disliked what she had done to Gio as a child, but she no longer intimidated him. If fact, he was sort of glad she'd run interference for her younger brother. If she hadn't, Benji and Gio might not have gotten together, certainly not as quickly as they had.
Her boyfriend, Harrison was at her side for most of the event. They were attending college together in the fall, and it looked like their high school romance might stand the test of time.
Harrison's event was exactly what he wanted it to be, but it might not have been without some intervention. His grandfather, Red, had left a message on the answering machine saying he would attend despite the no-contact order Harrison and his mother had in place, and he was bringing a keg to celebrate properly. Harrison had voiced his fear to his friend, Sgt. Orr, on the police department and the officer had figured out a way to scare Red off unofficially.
Although he wasn't on duty on Sunday, Orr drove a patrol car to the party and parked it on the street in front of Harrison's house. He didn't remain for the whole time of the open house, but he left the vehicle there after his friend picked him up to run errands. Red didn't show up after all.
Tradition dictated that other students brought cards but no gifts for the graduates. Parents, relatives, and adult friends might slip money or a gift card into the envelop, however.
The boys followed tradition except in the case of Harrison. Benji, Gio, Travis, and Sawyer each put a $10 bill in the cards for their protector. When he opened the cards after the party was over, he counted up $75 from various guys as well as notes of thanks. It nearly brought tears to his eyes. His kindness had come back to him.
His father and his uncle had probably extorted lunch money from the sort of kids whom he'd protected. How much nicer it felt to have those kids as friends.
Graduation, and the aftermath, were times of mixed emotions. Seniors were happy to be finished with that part of their lives, but they would miss many of their friends as they went their separate ways.
The same was true for those remaining at City High. They were glad to advance to the next grade, but they would miss the older kids who had become their friends. In a few cases, they were pleased that some bully-types would no longer be around to make their lives difficult.
Benji and Gio were thrilled that Grandpa Giovani wanted both of them to work part-time in the summer. They could make a bit of spending money without being tied down to a full-time job. Giovani gave them a flexible schedule so they could still enjoy bike-riding, swimming, and other fun activities. Sophia and her mother would sub for the boys during band camp.
It was good that Benji had some days free because Grandpa Ted and his boyfriend, Kris came for a visit in June. Ben was casting about for sights and activities to entertain them, but the men insisted that being together as a family was the main purpose of their visit.
Ben and the boys did plan some activities. They went hiking one day at Backbone State Park. It wasn't any competition for the Grand Canyon, but it was a fun time. On the trip back, they stopped to tour bat caves. That was done by boat, propelled by college guys with good upper-body strength. The sight of those healthy young men was worth the price of admission!
Another day, they traveled to the Amana Colonies to learn about the one-time communal living system. The boys learned a lot of facts they hadn't known about the community. They'd originally assumed the people were a branch of the Old-World Amish. There had been some similarities but the Amana people had adapted to the modern world much more quickly – even to the point of manufacturing kitchen appliances.
After paying a visit to the timber and glass chapel near Lake Deli, Ted and Kris thought it was the most beautiful setting they'd seen for a wedding.
"If I'd known about this place, we could have planned to get married while we were here," Kris exclaimed.
"So, what's preventing you from doing it?" Ben asked. "Since you drove here, you don't even have the hassle of rebooking flights."
"Well, it's probably booked up for the rest of the season," Kris sighed.
"We can find out when it's free," Ben suggested. "You guys aren't under any time constraints, so you can simply plan to stay until it is."
"But we don't want to disrupt your lives too long. You have work to do, and so do the boys," Ted said.
"I'll bury myself in my office at times I have to work. If Benji is at the restaurant, you can go exploring on your own. There's still the Amish settlement in the Kalona area, and the John Deere museum in Moline, Illinois. They're not difficult to get to and you might find them entertaining."
"You could also go to the city pool, if you don't mind being around a bunch of kids," Benji mentioned.
"We don't need to be entertained all the time," Kris insisted. "We'll be happy to sit in the backyard and read. I love the lush green landscape."
When the men checked the website, they found that the chapel was, indeed, heavily booked for the month. However, it was available on Wednesday of the following week. They called the phone number and were connected with Greta Johnson. She took their reservation, which they backed up with a credit card, and began arranging the event for them. It would be easy since there would be only five guests in addition to the grooms.
As soon as they ended the call, they went to the courthouse to apply for a marriage license.
While their wedding wasn't as elaborate as some, it was, none-the-less meaningful for the couple. Jane Masterson wasn't there to help because she was under the weather. However, Greta oversaw the details and their new assistant, Sara Gardner, was quite capable.
The main thing missing from the usual service was live music by Dennis Gallagher. Fr. Jerry explained that his husband was performing in Chicago in Mozart's Magic Flute and would be there until the middle of the following week.
Ted and Kris were content with the recording of the man's beautiful tenor voice.
They still had their one-night honeymoon in the nearby guest cottage. After the luncheon, Ben and the boys went back home.
The next day, Ted and Kris checked out of the cottage before noon and drove down to Kalona to eat lunch. They toured the "old village" made up of vintage buildings which had been moved in from other locations. The guide, an older lady with lots of personality, told them about the history of the area. They were surprised to learn that the name, "Kalona," for the town which had been created when the railroad came through, was actually the name of the founder's favorite bull.
They visited an antique store on the highway on their return trip. There, the found a set if Pyrex mixing bowls like the ones their mothers had when they were growing up. Those seemed like a useful souvenir of their trip to Iowa.
Back at Ben's house, Ted and Kris insisted on taking everyone out to dinner. Not surprisingly, Benji wanted to go to Pagliai's for the lasagna special. The following day, the Arizona visitors began their trip home.
One day when Benji and Gio were about to be relieved from their serving duties by Sophia, a teen came into the restaurant looking for a place to sit. As was her custom, Sophia snagged him immediately.
"Hi, I haven't seen you in here before. What may I do for you?"
"Well, I'd heard this was THE place to eat lunch, but it looks like it's gonna be a long wait."
"I can shorten your wait and find you a couple of lunch companions if you don't mind eating the person-size cheese and sausage pizza special."
"That sounds great!"
"Hey, Benji, tell Grandpa I need a special to go, on the house. Then you and Gio can introduce yourselves and find this guy a spot to eat outside."
A few minutes later, the two boys brought their pizzas, and the one for the new kid, and got acquainted as they walked toward the table they'd first sat at together, nearly a year before.
"I'm Gio, and that was my bossy sister. This is my boyfriend, Benji."
"I'm Liam, and I'm happy to meet you guys. Actually, your sister was quite helpful."
"I'll tell her she has a fan."
"Um, I'm not in the market for a girlfriend," Liam blushed.
"And I'm teasing," Gio grinned. "She's going steady with a big stud she graduated with this spring and she doesn't have eyes for anyone else.
"If you hang around us, you'll get used to the teasing."
"Are you guys still in high school?"
"Yeah, we're at City High."
"Really? I'll be going there in the fall. I hear it's good, but I'm kinda bummed out about moving here for my senior year where I don't know anyone."
"It IS a good place and we'll be seniors too. We can help you find your way around if you want," Gio offered.
"That would be cool! Do you know what it's like to change towns and schools all at once?"
"I do," Benji replied. "You're the new kid just like I was last year. It takes some adjusting, but in my case, it's been the best year of my life. Not only do I get to live with my dad, I've found my guy as well!"
"Um, were you kidding around or are you serious about being boyfriends?"
"Yup!" both guys said in chorus.
"Wow! I never dreamed people would be open like that in small-town Iowa."
"It probably isn't like that in the western part of the state; they're more conservative. But here, in what they bill as `the creative corridor,' we're pretty liberal because of the university and all," Benji said. "Is that a problem?"
"Uh, no, not at all."
"Good, because you'll meet several of our friends who are like us. In fact, here comes one of them now.
"Hey Tony, come and meet the `new, new' kid. This is Liam and he's gonna be in our class this fall. He just moved in from... Um..., where did you come from?"
"California. My dad took a job with Collins Aerospace in Cedar Rapids and Mom's got a job at the University of Iowa, so here we are."
"Hi Liam. My grandpa retired from Collins a couple of years ago. I came from Chicago to live with them, so I've been the `new kid' for a while. I'm glad to relinquish the title!"
Their conversation was interrupted when Gio's phone buzzed. It was a text from Sawyer wanting to know if the guys could go skinny-dipping in his pool.
Gio texted back to ask him if they could invite Liam. Sawyer said it would be fine if he was open to swimming nude.
"Liam, would you like to go swimming with us in our friend's pool?"
"Yeah, but I'd have to go home and get a suit."
"We don't wear anything when his mom's not there. How do you feel about that?"
"Um, I like it," he grinned. "Who all would be there?"
"Just six of us guys, and you've met everyone but Sawyer and Travis."
"Okay, I'm in."
And so, the process of incorporating another kid into the mix would begin. From Liam's positive attitude toward gay kids, it looked like he would fit right in. In fact, the others wondered if he might be on the same team. Is so, he might be a match for Tony. Only time would tell. Right now, they were just interested in getting to know him better.
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Author's notes: Thanks to the following who emailed this past week: Jim M, Walter S, Allen (1), Ott H, Gordon, Lance C, Doc H, Ray M, Chandra B, Tom A, Jim W, Bill K, Tony C, John L, Peter S, Mendy D, Wayne S, Marty H, Jim A, and Les H. It's great to hear from you. As always, I hope I haven't missed anyone.
It's good to stay in touch during this trying time of hunkering down. I know it's frustration, but I feel we must do our best not to spread the virus. Please be safe and take precautions. I wear my mask and gloves to grocery shop and I make those trips as infrequently as I can.
I'm thinking of posting some short stories in the coming weeks. I may get a slightly longer one or two going. Obviously, I will have time on my hands. However, I'd doing some cleaning and touching up in the house. And, the lawn will need to be mowed soon despite the two inches of snow we had last week.
Thanks to David for editing this series.
Thanks to Nifty for providing the venue.
http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
If you enjoyed this tale, I'd love to hear from you. Please write to me at: dlee169@hotmail.com.
Until later, be safe and stay well!
David