Chapter 1: Welcome home

Jordan Newton stared at the tall iron gates as the grimy taxi sped away. He knew he should move, either towards the large estate to accept the fate that had been thrust upon him or in the opposite direction as far away as his thin legs could carry him to freedom and all the hardships that accompany that path. Anything other than just stand there like a skinny statue.

Ultimately the decision of what to do was made for him when the gates opened and a tall middle-aged in a conservative dress with long black hair streaked with gray stepped up to Jordan. "Am I correct in assuming that reason you are standing outside my property holding luggage is because you are the new ward I am expecting?" Jordan meekly nodded. The woman's steely blue eyes caught his attention and refused to let go. Jordan had to crane his neck to maintain eye contact since the woman towered over his short frame. "Good. Come along now. We have much to do and precious little time to do it." she said. Seemingly sensing his urge to run the woman took him by the elbow and led him up the path to the huge house.

At the end of a hall on the first floor of the east wing was a room that the woman took Jordan to. The small plaque next to the door proclaimed the room to be the office of Renee Blanchard. Inside the woman, Renee, had nearly shoved Jordan into a chair. She then walked around a large oak desk and took her seat in a large plush chair that was almost more akin to a throne than a piece of office furniture. The room itself was the first modestly sized thing Jordan had seen since he arrived. Most of the space was taken up by the desk, a bookshelf, a filing cabinet, and a couple of potted plants leaving only enough space for a few people to be in the room at any given time. The lack of personal trinkets made the room seem a bit cold and sterile to Jordan, more like a movie set than a place any actual person spent any significant amount of time.

"Well young Mr. Newton, I am Renee Blanchard, owner and proprietor of the Blanchard boarding house. You will address me as Ms. Blanchard until the time has come when I feel you have earned using such familiarities as calling me anything by any other name." Renee said, her manor stern and forceful.

Who the hell talks like that? Jordan thought as he struggled to keep a straight face.

"What I do here is provide shelter to young men such as yourself while helping them down the path to who they are meant to be. These young men must of course meet very specific criteria, I unfortunately have neither the time nor the inclination to aid every hard luck case that comes my way. My wards come here for various reasons. Some come here because they have a clear picture of who they want to be and know I can get them there. Some come here because they got into trouble and might find themselves on the wrong side of a set of bars without my guidance, don't worry though, I don't take the violent ones. Some come here because they have become financial burdens their families can no longer bare, I have quite a few that after college had to move back home. And then there are wards like you who for whatever reason no longer fit into their families."

Jordan's face darkened. "My new step mother and I don't get along. I get that she doesn't like having a left over from my dad's previous marriage around but why did they ship me off instead of just waiting a few months for me to go off to college?"

"Well," Renee said, not appreciating being interrupted "Whatever their thought process was you are here now and under the agreement signed by your father you are to stay here until I determine that either you are fit to join society and obtain a safe and stable living situation or that you are a complete and utter lost cause and are beyond my means to help."

"You mean I can't leave? What am I, a prisoner?" Jordan felt dread rising in his chest.

"No you are most certainly not a prisoner. As I have already said you are my ward and in accordance with the contract your father signed I am your legal guardian till I deem fit to relinquish that role. Until I am certain that you can be trusted not to run away, endanger yourself, or bring shame upon my house you are grounded as it were."

"I don't remember agreeing to any of this."

Renee waved her hand dismissively at Jordan. "You didn't have to. You were still a week shy of eighteen when your Father signed. Since he was your legal guardian and you were still a minor at the time your input was not needed. Like it or not your father signed both his name and yours to my contract and you are bound by it." Renee leaned back in her massive seat. Her expression was as stern as ever and her arms crossed over her ample chest. It was clear to Jordan that this woman would not entertain any argument.

"Now, Mr. Newton, place your luggage on my desk." When Jordan reluctantly complied Renee opened it up and began rummaging through Jordan's belongings. Her face softened a bit when she saw how meager his belongings were. Just a few plain t-shirts, a pair of pants, and some undergarments. She had met Jordan's father several times prior to the signing and he did not seem in any capacity poor and she had told him in no uncertain terms that the severing of ties would be immediate and permanent. There would be no correspondence, no care packages, and no shipping of personal belongings at a later date. That's why most of her wards came with at the very least a favorite book, a cherished childhood toy, a well worn family heirloom, or a few photos of their old lives. Some tie to their former lives to give them comfort during the changes in they would soon go through. But Jordan was barely adequately packed for a weekend long trip.

Closing the bag Renee's blue eyes once again focused on the young man across from her. "Here we have a dress code and I am afraid none of your clothes are up to snuff. Remove what you are wearing." Renee said. Jordan Sat there unsure of whether he should comply or if she was joking. "Come now, quickly. We don't have all day." Jordan stood and slowly began to disrobe till he was standing only in his underwear. "The boxers shorts too." Jordan looked at her horrified when she said this. She recognized the fear in his eyes all too well as she had seen it many times before. "Young man, I can assure you that I have seen many penises of all different shapes, sizes, and colors so I will be neither repulsed nor impressed barring any unique deformities. Now off with them."