Dark

Remember that Doug is now almost entirely responsible for the business, what with Ben and Shelly off work. He's a first-time parent, which brings it's own stresses. He's grateful to have Rick as Ben's caregiver and plans to catch up with Ben, but procrastinates because of everything else in his life. That and he's scared that if he calls he'll find out he has to move Ben back in with him and Shelly to take care of him again and he just can't bring himself to do it. Protecting his family comes first and Will is still out there. Ben wasn't Will's only victim.

Rick's been a little preoccupied with the complications Ben has added to his life. He's allowed to make a few mistakes, and his pride, like Ben, makes it hard to admit he needs help or advice. At this point, Rick's in reaction mode, dealing with things as they happen.

Indeed. At least Rick is smart enough to eventually figure this out.

I dunno, I think Rick's alluded to it a few times in his thoughts. I'd say wait until you meet the mother, but you've already read far enough to know what a joy she is.

In a situation like the one Ben was in with Will, the abuser makes sure that the victim is the one at fault. Always. The victim begins to doubt him/herself and then their whole sense of self, their self-worth, image, confidence, all of it begins to get eroded away. Ben's recovered a lot, but you can't simply shake it off. Rick saved him before, the one person in his life who stood up to Will. It's made him a hero to Ben, even if his conscious mind isn't making the connection yet.

You can thank Shelly's overactive imagination for the organization. Our Doug. I never found a way to incorporate that little side mission with the rest of the story, so I don't remember now who originally set it up. Perhaps both of them when Ben announced he was moving out. In some ways it was a relief for those two, when Ben got serious about Will. They were happy to have someone else to be watching over him ... and then it all moved so fast none of them realized they were drowning until it was almost too late. When the shock wears off, Rick starts putting the facts together and it is a wonder that he doesn't just walk away.

This chapter and the next were why chapters 2-4 were written.

Well, you're not supposed to like Will... lol. I considered killing him off, but it didn't work out.

Doug and Shelly are Ben's family. It also helps that they're a little crazy, too. Chapter 3 was difficult for me to write and had no name for a long time. I suppose in some ways it's the transition part of the story, getting you ready for the first plummet of the roller coaster.

Drat, it seems I have yet to completely capture Rick's initial infatuation with Ben. I'd say he has one of those nurturing personalities; Rick's at his happiest when he can care for someone. I'm sure you've met a few.

Thanks! Got to love nosy relatives, even when you want to strangle them.

*snickers*

Whoa, no need to bite my head off! According to the folks I work with now, yes, my last school was "fancy." It's just a different mindset, but the behavior in the students is the same, that's what I was trying to point out. In the inner-city schools I worked at prior to becoming a teacher, I saw the same thing. I have worked in 6 different schools, 3 as a teacher, and saw the same thing. The article resonated with me. There are always exceptions. You may be an exception; I think my youngest brother (he's about your age) is an exception -- but remember we're talking about generalities here. No one's trying to say 'this is the way it is' or that it's the only thought out there on the subject. The "trophy" aspect of childhood has been around at least as long as I've been alive. Since I've become a teacher, those news articles about schools and teachers being sued have caught my attention. You might not believe how many people sue when their darling child didn't make the school sports team or drama thing, or recital or whatever. There's even a group within the education field who believe that all kids should pass their classes if they only try and grades should be done away with because they're detrimental to a child's self-esteem. I have no answers for you - I think it's food for thought. It makes me think back to the on-again, off-again debate over GA's stars and ratings features. Many of our new authors get discouraged when they don't get "enough" reviews or likes on a story. Nobody wants to feel like they're being ignored, but it's interesting all the different ways we've built into our culture to provide ourselves with instant feedback. This week as part of culture heritage, one of the elders taught a group of us, myself included, to make our own kuspuks, a type of shirt worn by Native Alaskans. The female version has the option of a skirt, but in general, they're all the same and historically, everyone made their own clothing. Today I caught myself doing what my kids have been doing all year, stopping at each step and asking our teacher if I was doing it right. On the other hand, it made sense in this context because the cultural method of teaching is to show once, then make together, and then you're on your own. It's one-on-one teaching with the student copying the elder until it's done. It made me think and for that the article was worthwhile.

Find the article here. I found the following points made by the author particularly interesting: 1. We procrastinate because we're afraid to write something crappy, forgetting that the published stuff we compare our own writing to is a final-final draft, gone over by multiple betas and editors, etc., in order to be polished and worthy. 2. The current generation (called the "trophy" kids) are exactly what I see in my classroom! The students don't want to work without one-on-one intensive help, which basically comes down to nodding and saying, 'yes, you're correct' after every question on a worksheet. It's maddening, and heart-breaking. The cause of all this might be different than what's discussed in the article, but I saw the same thing in the 'fancy, middle-income' high school I taught at in L.A. and I certainly experienced the tutoring epidemic there. Such a dramatic shift in such a short period of time!

I don't know how many of you are members of goodreads, but one of the authors there nearly lost his partner to a brain tumor. Someone posted about it in a blog and before anyone really knew it, these two guys had the money they needed to go home and get the care needed (beyond what the insurance was paying out). I learned about this after the fact, but it's amazing how good-hearted people can really be. P.S. Last I heard, the guy has pulled through and will be moving back into his house soon.

I enjoyed reading your reactions; they made me smile, which is awesome after a long day. I love to hear the impressions others have of my characters. Thanks for reading, and for your comments. My ego applauds you.

Thanks for the note. I'm glad you liked it!

My first car was a teal Ford Escort named Katie. Then an Air Force blue volkswagon Beetle my partner called Big Bertha. My last couple years in LA I drove a silver Honda Civic I called Jorge. Nowadays, I drive a 6-wheeler Polaris side-by-side that got nicknamed the Ladybug by one of the elementary teachers (it's owned by the school and all the teachers share). Unfortunately, it's out of commission while we await a new battery. Apparently, there's a history of problems with Polaris ATVs as they're not designed for Alaskan winters. Go figure.

I'm a 'not telling' because for many years I had no words to describe what I felt and even now it is difficult to explain myself. I grew up an angry, bitter kid who had no idea where all the anger was coming from but I directed it at my brother. My sister is really the only person who ever recognized how much I struggled with my insane jealousy. Eventually, I found ways to manage it and then 2008-2009 became a pivotal year for me. I got out of a long-term relationship and started questioning again, because once more I found my anger out of control and spiraling into depression. Some days I'm surprised I'm still here. Anyway, a comic I followed touched on some gay topics and led me to an artistic site dedicated to m/m drawings/paintings/etc. From there, I found several authors I enjoyed and something clicked in my head. I started to do some research. I started to talk, at first to new friends online, and then my family, most of whom I hadn't talked to in years. One of my favorite authors has a website and part of that website had links to stories she liked. I read them all and eventually one led me to one of DomLuka's stories and I found GA. I have come to many conclusions about myself, that I am trans but switching genders is not an option for me (in most of the ways you're probably thinking as you read this). It's funny how just knowing myself better has led me to more peace than I've ever known in my life, but I also still find it difficult to talk about because it's so hard to find the words. Ironic, I know. I thank God I found GA because the community is so accepting and nurturing and I honestly don't know where I'd be if I hadn't followed that link long ago and read that comic.

There's eye candy all over, but there's also "cover-your-eyes" folks out there. Johnny Weir comes to mind. Who dresses this guy? I'm embarrassed for him. Who could think that the comb-over, white jacket over a wife-beater, and an african-american man's bling around his neck could possibly look good? He looks like a vampire trying to pass as a brother.

Well, do let me know if you find a continuity error. I'm glad you're enjoying the action scenes, as I find them hard to write, so it's always exciting when they work!

I guess there was something intriguing enough to come back, eh? Thanks for all the comments, both good and bad, and I'm very glad you found something worthwhile in there.

Yiddish? I'm not sure what you mean. There are so many borrowed terms in the English language ... I use common vernacular and nothing specific is meant by it. Only Bryce and Aure are in the room, though.

Some folks like the many changes in POV, no hard feelings if you're not in that group. I admit it's something that bugs me. If I ever edit this story, that's something I'd like to address in some way.

Hey there, thanks for reading! I like to leave the characters' appearance open for interpretation. Let me know how you feel in a couple chapters. Glad you're enjoying yourself for the most part.