Serpent Mound - 3. The New Kid

The white van marked with the emblem of Children’s Services of Tennessee pulled into the circular driveway in front of the century-old mansion that now served as classrooms and administrative offices for the Academy. It was 9:00 am, and the campus was a beehive of activity, with cadets hurrying to their next class or out into the parade grounds for morning calisthenics.

Gary stood at the top of the steps under the front portico, and watched as the passenger door opened, and a handsome boy with dirty-blond hair and the beginning of a muscular physique stepped out and grabbed his duffel bag. He stood at the bottom of the steps, looking around at the campus and the bustling activity of the cadets. His brow furrowed and he looked at the ground as the case worker who had driven him here all the way from Nashville walked around the van and strode up the steps to greet Gary.

“Good morning, Headmaster Arnold,” the caseworker said briskly, “I’m here to deliver Bernie Smith into your custody.”

Gary chuckled and glanced down at the boy staring at his feet at the bottom of the steps.

“Now Walter,” Gary replied in a friendly manner, “Don’t go scaring the boy in the first five minutes after he gets here. He’s not in my ‘custody’ because he’s not in prison. He’s just at his new school, and his new home for the next couple of years.”

The boy looked up and scrutinized Gary. He saw a tall and muscular man with a heavy brown beard and neatly trimmed hair wearing a slightly snug pair of khakis and a gray polo shirt embroidered with the Academy’s emblem that hugged his chest and arm muscles.

For a moment, as the boy looked up at him, Gary saw a flicker of recognition, as if he reminded him of someone he knew from his past, and the boy’s eyes softened and shimmered as if he was going to cry. But just as quickly as it came, the flicker disappeared, and was replaced by an angry brow hanging over an annoyed expression.

“Bernie!” Walter the caseworker exclaimed, “You wipe that expression off your face this minute and come up here and say hello to Headmaster Arnold!”

Bernie began trudging up the short set of stairs, still glaring at Gary as he came.

“Hello, Headmaster Arnold sir,” Bernie said, extending his hand.

“Hello, Mr. Smith,” Gary said taking the boy’s hand in his meaty paw and giving it a shake, “Let me say right away that I don’t expect you to call me Headmaster Arnold all the time. That’s quite a mouthful, and we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other. How about you just call me Gary, and instead of Mr. Smith, I’ll just call you Bernie. Deal?”

The boy’s expression softened just a bit. He didn’t quite smile, but it was clear that he wasn’t as angry as he was just a minute earlier.

“Deal, sir… uh, Gary,” he replied.

“Well now that the introductions are made, why don’t I show you your dorm room so you can drop your bag, and then I’ll give you a tour of the campus before lunch?”

Bernie nodded, but Walter cleared his throat with a bit of agitation.

“I’m sorry, Headmaster Arnold, but there are some papers to sign first.”

He pulled a folder out of his satchel along with a pen and flipped through the pages.

“I just need you to sign here… here… and initial here… to officially authorize the transfer of custody.”

“I told you before, Walter,” Gary said, signing the papers, “This isn’t a prisoner transfer, this is Bernie’s new home.”

“Yes… Well…” Walter replied. “That takes care of everything then. Unless you need me for anything else…”

“You can go now, Walter,” Gary said. “I’ll call you if I have any trouble with this one.”

Walter nodded and quickly strode down the steps back to the van and got inside.

“But,” Gary continued in a low voice that only Bernie could hear, “I’m not going to be calling Walter because I’m not going to have any trouble with a bright young man like you, Bernie. Am I?”

“Nobody ever thinks they’re going to have any trouble with me at the beginning,” Bernie said, looking down at his feet again, “But trouble just seems to happen anyway.”

If Gary had been anyone else, he might have taken that comment as a warning, or a threat, or an omen of unpleasant things to come. Instead, he reacted in a way that the boy never expected.

Gary laughed.

He laughed a big, hearty, belly laugh that echoed across the campus and caused the busy cadets to stop and glace over at their beloved Headmaster.

Bernie looked up at the big, laughing man with wide eyes, and if he hadn’t been so serious about the statement he had made about trouble happening everywhere he went, he would have been tempted to join in.

“Come on, lad,” Gary said after he’d laughed himself silly, “Let’s get you over to the dormitory and find your room.”

As they walked, Gary glanced down at the blonde-headed boy striding sullenly beside him toting his heavy duffel bag.

“Bernie,” Gary said, “When you first looked up at me a few minutes ago, it seemed like I got a reaction from you. Almost as if you thought you knew me from somewhere.”

“It’s just your height, and build,” Bernie replied, “And your beard. You sort of remind me of my Papa… I mean… my father. I only have vague memories of him before… before my parents died in the fire… but from my memory, he looked a lot like you, just not quite as tall… or muscular.”

“He must have been a fine father,” Gary said, looking down at the boy sadly.

“I don’t remember,” Bernie replied, dipping his head and pulling up his shoulders as if he were a turtle trying to retreat into his shell. “It doesn’t matter anyway. He died before he could get to any of the good parts of being a Dad. All he got was dirty diapers and a bratty toddler.”

“I’m sure he loved every minute of the time he had with you,” Gary said, “Dirty diapers and all.”

“Do you have any kids, Gary?”

“No, Bernie,” Gary replied, “I’m gay, so I never got to have children. But I am pretty good at helping kids who really need it find a way to get past their problems and become good men who can live a good life. Is that something that you’d want help with while you’re here?”

Bernie stopped walking and looked at Gary.

“You’re gay?” he asked almost in a whisper, not sure if it was a secret that needed to be kept from the other cadets. “Does Walter know? The place where I just came from was… really religious. If they’d known I was gay, they would have thrown me out on the street instead of going to all this trouble to give me another chance. I don’t think Walter or anybody he works with likes gay people very much.”

“No, Walter doesn’t know,” Gary replied, “And it isn’t something that the Cadets here talk about outside of school, because although I feel they have a right to know, they understand that it isn’t their right to talk about it to others.”

Bernie thought about this for a minute and nodded.

“Now let me ask you this, Bernie,” Gary continued, “You just said, ‘If they’d known I was gay, they would have thrown me out.’ Were you speaking hypothetically, or is there something you’d like to tell me now?”

Gary looked around uncomfortably to see if anyone was within earshot of their conversation.

“All the cadets are in classes now, so nobody can hear you,” Gary said reassuringly, “But, you don’t have to tell me anything you’re not ready to say out loud. It’s not my place to make you tell me something that personal. It’s something that I had to learn to be comfortable with myself in order to say it out loud as easily as I just told you.”

“Gary, sir,” Bernie said, looking the big man in the eyes, “I am gay, and you’re the only person I’ve ever told that.”

“Thanks for telling, me Bernie, and welcome to the club!”

Bernie laughed at that, but his face grew serious once again.

“Please sir, don’t tell any of the other cadets, okay? I don’t want them…”

“Are you afraid that they’ll tease you or try to start fights because of being gay?” Gary asked, “Because I assure you, they won’t. We teach all our cadets to be good citizens, and that means treating everyone with respect despite any differences we may have.”

“No, I’m not worried about being teased or picked on,” Bernie replied, “I got a good look at most of the other guys here when we pulled up in the van, and I’m pretty sure that I could kick any of their asses if they tried it.”

“First of all, no fighting,” Gary said, “But if you aren’t worried about being picked on, then why don’t you want them to know that you’re gay?”

“Because I’d like to see if I can make friends with somebody who likes me just as one of the guys, you know,” he said. “If they know I’m gay, they might think I’m falling in love with them or hitting on them or something when all I want is to be friends. Does that make sense?”

Gary smiled and squeezed Bernie’s shoulder.

“That makes perfect sense. Your secret is safe with me, and then after you’ve made a whole platoon of friends, you can decide for yourself when is the right time to come out and tell them.”

“Thank you, sir,” Bernie replied. “You know, you’ve been more like a real Papa to me in the first fifteen minutes I’ve known you than all of the foster dads put together in the whole rest of my life.”

“We’re just getting started,” Gary said, and clapped him on the back, “Now, let’s get you settled into your room so I can show you around.”

As they continued their walk to the dorm building, Gary had to wonder; it was twice that the boy had mentioned reminding him of a ‘Papa’, and that wasn’t a very common term that boys used for their fathers in this age. It was, however, very much a werebear term between Papas and Cubs. He wondered if the boy had somehow gotten exposure to werebear culture at some point in his childhood that rubbed off on him. Gary was sure that if it was the case, he could find that out fairly easily once he started some one-on-one counseling sessions with him.

****

Gary helped Bernie get his duffel unpacked in his dorm room. Freshmen and Sophomore cadets had to share a room, but Juniors and Seniors had the option of a single room. Since Gary had decided to enroll him as a Junior, Bernie got a room to himself. His staff had worked the previous evening to get the room ready for the new arrival, and Bernie was surprised to find that the closet and dresser were already stocked with clothing.

“These are the uniforms of the Academy,” Gary explained. “You have two or three sets of each kind, which you’ll be expected to keep clean and ironed. The green pants with the stripe down the leg and the beige short-sleeved shirt are your daily uniform that you wear in the cafeteria, to classes, and around campus. There is a black nametag with your last name on one of the shirts, and you are to wear that above the right shirt pocket at all times, and you will wear a clean white t-shirt underneath. Your uniform for Physical Training classes, known as ‘PT’ are the olive t-shirt and cotton shorts you’ll find in the drawers. Footwear with both uniforms are these brown combat boots and olive-green socks. The boots are cushioned enough for daily wear as well as athletic activities.

“You can wear whatever underwear you prefer under your daily uniform, but you must wear a jockstrap under your PT shorts, by order of the Commandant of Cadets who teaches the PT classes. We’ve supplied you with three jockstraps as well in case you don’t already have one of your own.

“Last is your dress uniform. You only have one of those and it is only for special occasions. You’ll be informed in advance when you are expected to wear the dress uniform, and the black shoes that go with it are to be kept polished.

“So, before we head out to tour the campus, you should change out of your street clothes and put on your daily uniform at this time.”

As Bernie took a pair of pants and a shirt off their hangers and shed the shorts and t-shirt he had been wearing, Gary turned away to give him a little privacy.

“This seems an awful lot like being in the Army,” Bernie said as he buttoned the shirt up over a new white tee and tucked it into his pants.

“Actually, it’s going to be an awful lot like being in the Marines,” Gary replied. “The Commandant of Cadets is an ex-Marine Staff Sergeant, and a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. You’ll be meeting him shortly. His name is Bill, but unlike me, he will ask that you call him ‘Staff Sergeant’. He’s a tough cookie, but just make sure to say, ‘yes, Staff Sergeant’ or ‘no, Staff Sergeant’ anytime he asks you a question, and you’ll do fine.”

Bernie visibly gulped at hearing this, but he finished tying his boots and stood up straight in front of his new Headmaster.

“Very good, Bernie,” Gary commented, tugging at the clothing here and there to make sure the fit was correct. “The last item of your daily uniform is this hat…”

Gary reached onto the shelf of the closet and produced a green cloth garrison cap in the same color as the uniform pants.

“You put this on whenever you are in your daily uniform and outdoors, and when you are indoors you fold it in half and place it over your belt on your right hip in front of the pants pocket.”

Bernie put the cap in place over his belt as instructed, and Gary nodded in approval.

“Are you ready to see the rest of the campus now?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” Bernie replied, “Lead the way.”

As they exited the dorms, Gary looked over at Bernie and casually tapped the top of his head, reminding the Cadet to put on his garrison cap. Bernie hurriedly snatched it from his belt and placed it on his head.

“Good job,” Gary said, “You’re learning already. Don’t let the Staff Sergeant catch you without your cap on outdoors, or he’ll have you running laps until you pass out.”

“Anything else I should know about the Staff Sergeant to make my life a little easier?” Bernie asked with a crooked grin. “He sounds like a real ball-buster.”

“Oh, he is,” Gary replied. “Be prepared that he dresses in the old-school Marine attire for PT classes, which include shorts that are… much shorter than the ones with your PT uniform. They’re called ‘silkies’ and the Marines did away with them for fashion reasons many years ago, but a lot of the old-timer veterans still prefer wearing them for workouts. They show off… a lot of leg, but don’t you dare laugh at them or he’ll have you running laps till you puke.”

“Got it,” Bernie said, “No laughing at the Staff Sergeant’s hot pants. Anything else?”

“Yes,” Gary replied, “Since I’ve already told you that I’m gay, I may as well let you know that the Staff Sergeant is gay too. If fact, he’s my husband.”

Bernie’s head whipped around to look at Gary in surprise, but Gary just grinned in response. Bernie grinned back and fell into line beside the Headmaster as they headed back to the mansion building.

“The main building is over a hundred years old and was the mansion and residence of the family who founded the town of Mt Savage,” Gary explained as they entered the front door. “The Dean of Faculty’s name is Daniel, and he’s a direct descendant of that family. Daniel, Bill and I live in the two suites on the third floor of this building, and the rest of the teachers and staff live in the apartment building on campus. All your classes will be in here with the exception of PT and some other specialized classes. When you get your class schedule from the Staff Sergeant today, all the room numbers will either start with a 1 or a 2. Classes with a 1 are here on the first floor, and classes with a 2 are on the second. Got it?”

Bernie nodded his head, and Gary gave him a brief tour of the mansions first and second floors.

“The stairs to the third floor are strictly off-limits unless there is an absolute emergency, and you have to get ahold of one of us after lights-out. In general, all cadets are to remain in their rooms after lights-out until reveille in the morning or else you’ll face punishment. Understood?”

Bernie nodded again but noted the location of the forbidden steps. He tried not to imagine his Headmaster and the as-yet unseen Staff Sergeant sleeping together and having sex right above the rooms where he would be having class.

Gary led the Cadet out of the main building and over to the Gymnasium, showing him where the workout facilities and locker rooms were located and where he would be having PT classes during the cold weather.

They walked over to the cafeteria where lunch was just being served. Bernie had the cap routine down already and tucked it into his belt as they entered the building. They grabbed two trays and walked up to the serving line. Bernie did a double take as he noticed that the usual school cafeteria lunch ladies were replaced by two big burly bearded men resembling lumberjacks. The food that they dished out was fit for a lumberjack as well, and Gary made sure to introduce the cafeteria staff.

“Guys, this is Bernie Smith, he’s our new student starting today. Bernie, these are the guys who will be feeding you every day, Rodney and Marcus.”

“You two don’t look like typical lunch ladies,” Bernie commented, which resulted in an eruption of laughter from the giant men behind the line.

“Lunch ladies!” Rodney exclaimed, doubled over laughing, “Oh, shit! That’s priceless! None of the Cadets have ever called us that before!”

“Oh damn, Gary,” Marcus said, “I like this one!”

“In addition to being excellent cooks for a crowd of growing boys, Marcus and Rodney saved my life from a dangerous criminal when I was camping in the woods with a group of cadets years ago. They’re good guys. Treat them right, and they’ll make sure you never go to bed hungry.”

Bernie nodded respectfully and took his plate of food from the pair.

“Gary,” Marcus said, “You tell that Jarhead Cub of yours that if he keeps jogging past the cafeteria’s back door when we’re out there on our break wearing those shorts, smelling like… you know what… he’s going to get it one of these days!”

“Oh, he knows,” Gary replied with a wink, “I think he’s trying to stir up trouble hoping the two of you will make the first move. I say let him have it!”

As Gary and Bernie sat down to eat, Bernie looked over at Rodney and Marcus again and then to his Headmaster.

“Don’t tell me the cafeteria guys are gay too?” he asked quietly.

“Sure are,” Gary replied with a wink.

“I don’t think there’s this many gay people in the whole state of Tennessee!” Bernie exclaimed, and Gary chuckled as they started eating their lunch.

After finishing their meal, they cleared their dishes, and Gary explained that a few times a month, he would be assigned Cafeteria Duty to help Rodney and Marcus prepare meals and to wash dishes afterwards.

Emerging from the cafeteria, Bernie put his cap back on his head without being told and Gary led him in the direction of the football field.

“This is where I leave you for today,” Gary said. “I’m going to hand you off to the Staff Sergeant for the afternoon. He’ll be showing you around the rest of the athletic facilities and giving you your daily class schedule. He’s responsible for every Cadet in this Academy. Remember that he’s a war hero and make sure you show him due respect and the two of you will get along just fine.”

At that moment, a block of twenty Cadets in their PT uniforms went jogging past them, in time to a vocal cadence being called out by a deep voice from the back.

“Keep going till you get to the cafeteria, and then fall out for lunch!” the voice shouted to them as they went by. Bernie turned to look at the source of the voice and was frozen in place with awe.

Jogging up to them was the most perfectly handsome, muscular, and hairy man that Bernie had ever seen in all his life. The man had a thick blond beard and long hair that he kept tied up in a knot at the back of his head. His olive t-shirt bulged with his chest muscles and his biceps were so large the cuffs of his sleeves rode up above them. He had a narrow waist and just a hint of a middle-aged belly that he carried very well, and the whole package sat atop a pair of hairy legs as thick and sturdy as any tree trunk Bernie had ever seen. He looked like a gay man’s Viking fantasy, dressed up in skimpy military-style workout clothing.

Bernie felt himself growing hard in his uniform pants looking at the man who trotted up to him now, and he blushed and looked down at his feet so that he wouldn’t embarrass himself.

“Bernie,” Gary said, “This is Bill, the Commandant of Cadets, but as I’ve mentioned before, everyone at the Academy calls him Staff Sergeant.”

“Bernie,” Bill said extending his hand in greeting, “Has the Headmaster shown you your dorm room and the campus buildings this morning?”

“Yes, uh… yes, Staff Sergeant,” Bernie replied as his hand was engulfed in the man’s huge paw and shaken forcefully.

“And have you had your lunch?”

“Yes, Staff Sergeant,” Bernie replied.

“You’re going to be a quick study, I can tell,” Bill said. “I want you to hustle back to your dorm room and change into your PT clothes and then come back here, double-time. I’ll give you ten minutes. Go, Cadet!”

Bernie turned and began running back toward the dorm, not wanting to disappoint the Staff Sergeant by taking too long. As he ran his garrison cap flew off his head and landed on the ground behind him. Bernie didn’t notice and kept running toward the dorm building.

Bill jogged over and picked it up from the ground. He looked at it and then impulsively gave it a sniff, causing him to frown.

“Don’t be too hard on the boy for losing his cap on the first day,” Gary said, walking over to where Bill stood, “He’s learning fast already and I’m sure he’ll be ashamed for losing it right in front of you. The boy let me know shortly after he arrived that he’s gay, and I could smell the arousal coming off him like a tsunami when he saw you for the first time.”

“Yeah,” Bill said, “I caught that too, but there’s another thing I just picked up about him from the scent on his cap just now.”

Bill handed the garrison cap over to Gary.

“Give it a sniff.”

Gary held the cap up to his nose, and colored lights started flashing in his brain.

“Kindred!” Gary exclaimed, “The boy is bear kindred!”

“That he is,” Bill replied, taking the hat back from his mate. “This new student just got a lot more interesting!”