Rabble_Rouser

I'd have to agree with Tim on this one. WAY back when I was the age of the characters (ok, maybe a bit younger than Aaron... ) ok,when I was 16 my parents found out I had been heading into Quebec (where the drinking age is 18 but I could get served at 16) to hit the bars. My parents weren't impressed but they told me that if I got busted don't bother calling them until after 8am the next day to drive the hour to the nearest Surite du Quebec station (cop shop)... in other words if I drove and was stupid enough to drink (or got busted for underage), I had to face the consequences... needless to say I never drank when I was the driver and always made sure I had a way home (or at least to a friends house). Steve

Hey Lydon, cut yourself some slack! When I read the Carter books I always thought that they were snapshots of different points in Carter's life and once I figured out where in the timeline the book took place in I was happy. I'm glad to hear that you'll be doing one final book in the Carter series as I've enjoyed them (even if I can't figure out how they make it across Ottawa so fast... I've tried to match their speed records ). I was suprised to find out how much flack you took about this series when you introduced Marc as the love interest. Thanks for the great writing and I'm looking forward to more! Steve

Ok I'm not going to argue that Seth was justified to leave Aaron at the party drunk the first time but it negates the arguement people have been using that it is the socially responsible thing for Seth to leave his bed to go rescue Aaron in this chapter. The first time he left a drunk Aaron at the part WITH his car & keys. This time he doesn't have his keys so there is much less of a chance that he'll drive this time. So was he irresponsible the first time or is he committing relationship suicide as Tims suggests? Why is it other people's responsibility to look after anyway (I can't believethis... I'm starting to channel my Dad...)? I have yet to see Aaron give a rats ass about anyone else in the entire story, so the other question is why would they bother? I'm not saying people don't have an obligation to prevent people from drinking and driving, because it's not usually the drunk behind the wheel who gets hurt, but shouldn't it be Aaron's friends at the party (especially Kevin) who should make sure he stays put until he's sober? Or maybe it's this cold that's making me grumpy... Steve

I know that there are people who'll disagree with me but I think the following is definite proof that it's Rory that Luke wants:

In the whole Seth/Aaron & Rory/Luke should they feel jealous thing, no-one has yet mentioned one simple difference. Seth has no evidence that Luke is lusting after Rory or that Rory has any desire to become involved with Luke other than in a brotherly way (but it will happen!!! ) but Rory has been told point blank by Aaron that he wants Seth and will take him from Rory. Rory has made it abundantly clear to Seth that he probably wouldn't even hit the brakes if Aaron stepped in front of Eddie's truck if he was driving. Seth still seems inordinately involved with Aaron and goes out of his way... this is the second time that we've known about that he's gone to the party house to see Aaron and he was a little too interested about Rory's confrontation with Aaron on the road home and what was his main concern.." did he head towards my house". I'm not saying these things mean anything but they do leave me with a feeling of unease about the whole Seth & Aaron relationship.

I like "Crash" better than the other choices but "With Trust" is ok too. Mind you I wouldn't care if you called it "Dom's Story #7"... I'd still checking for new chapters a couple of times a day and be over-analyzing it in the forums! Steve

Far be it for me to shoot down NJ's theory (I'm working on providing proof that Alice and Luke won't end up together... ) but Seth could leave Aaron there without worrying about him driving...

LRITE = Luke & Rory In The End... and your membership card is in the mail...

I hate to admit that Nicholas might be right (no, not about Luke and Alice) but I'm thinking that it's Dave who Luke has the crush on for. Amazing chapter Dom!!! I can't believe that you're churning out a new chapter every 2-3 days (not that I'm complaining or want you to stop ) Think we saw one major clue that Rory will decide to stay in Arizona... I really think Rory will realize before the story ends that he will give up more by going back to Alice than he would gain. I loved the Jealousy, Seth is jealous of Luke, Rory is jealous of Aaron and Luke is jealous of.... Angela? There's still something nagging at me about Seth (and no, it isn't the laminated LRITE membership card I got in the mail yesterday...) something just doesn't fit with Seth that is making wait for the other penny to drop (and the same can be said about Luke) If Luke thought Rory has no interest in him, he was handed a definite clue in this chapter...

Wow, this is a bit of an eye-opener! I can't imagine berating an author when you don't think an update is coming soon enough or telling them how you want a story to go! Where's the fun in that? I've really enjoyed the forums for Dom's stories and trying to figure out where he's going to take us and what twist's he's foreshadowed are a big part of what makes reading the stories so much fun. Sure I'd love to see my favourite authors post a story every couple of days but people need to realize that their favourite author has a job (and a life) and has a direction that they want to the story to go. My assumption is that most authors have the story mapped out before they release the first chapter and that you should just enjoy the ride they are taking you in the world they are creating. I have some author's whose work I follow pretty religiously that only post once a month or once a quarter, that is the pace they create their work... why complain? If they acquised to people's demands, something would have to give, either the story quality would deminish or the author could decide that it's not worth the hassles he/she is getting and abandon the project. If you want to see another chapter from an author who's writing you're enjoying, try dropping them a quick email telling them you've been enjoying the story, give some specifics why and say that you're looking forward to the next chapter and to keep up the good work. When I was a kid and being a little shit my grandmother would frequently remind me that "you attract more bees with honey than vinegar". To Dom and the others, I don't blame you for being a little gun shy when people get demanding or stalker-ish... you obviously love what you're doing and have more patience than I do. I would pretty freaked out when readers get threatening, especially for authors like Chris Lydon who made it pretty plain that he lives in the same city I do and frequently mentioned things going on in his life... it wouldn't be hard for some nut job to find out where he hangs out. I would suggest that authors keep aspects of their real life confidential and remember that the delete key is the handiest one when dealing nasty emails. On behalf of those who rarely write authors directly about their work, a big "Thanks!" for the fun stuff you give us. Steve

Yeah but it'll be after she hears what TLS (Aaron) did to her little Rory and she dies when she goes to Arizona and dies when she rams Aaron's car killing them both (and Seth who's heading to the park with Aaron) in the explosion... thereby setting up Rory and Luke for the big "happily ever after"! LRITE 4 EVER! Steve

Another amazing chapter from Dom! Seth endeared himself to me a little more by being understanding when Rory cancelled on him and showed up at the house just to make sure Rory was OK. My heart went out to Luke who I imagined was feeling mixed emotions of being happy for Rory and saddened that he didn't have these items to remember his mom with. I think Rory reached the critical mass with Eddie needed to stay in Arizona and I think even if Seth wasn't in the picture, he would now stay simply to have a relationship with his Dad. Thanks Dom and I'm looking forward to the next chapter! STeve

My denial about Luke & Rory is dying faster with each chapter. The only way I could see Dom twisting it at this point is that Seth is actually using Rory to get Aaron. I know this sounds like a HUGH stretch but Seth seemed a little too interested about Aaron when Rory had his run in with him on the road home from Seth's and Seth still seems to look out for Aaron (note the party Aaron took Rory to and Rick's party). Could it be that Seth is trying to make Aaron jealous with Rory in an attempt to get him back and show him what he's missing out on because of Aaron's philandering ways. Whew... that took the last ounce of denial I had... I may have to accept Seth & Rory in Ch.28. BTW, Alice didn't need Rory's help painting the house because she's getting it ready for him to sell as her time is up. (And I almost feel bad for her... maybe she'll visit and with her already noted dangerous driving skills take out Aaron with the Eddie's newly repaired truck paving the way for her to sweep Luke off his feet for avenging the injustice done to him )

NJ's right! We already know that Evil-Alice doesn't play by everyone else's rules... He doesn't stand a chance against her! Steve

Went and saw it today and it was better than I expected and the theatre was pretty full (considering it's been in wide release up here since Dec.23... about 50% of the theatres in my city are running it). I was a little wary because I've gone to see some movies that have been big hits with the awards crowd only to want to gouge my eyes out part way thru to make the pain stop. Definitely worth paying the bucks to see it in the theatre if you have the chance. The setting was spectacular (not surprising since it was filmed in Whistler/Banff area). The story pretty much revolves around the relationship and there is only one breif sex scene (although you do get a glimpse of Jake & Heath jumping into the river... ) I took particular pleasure in seeing 3 teenage jocks sitting in front of me with their girlfriends and they didn't make a single negative comment during the whole thing. One told his girlfriend he was glad she dragged him to see this on the way out... maybe there's hope after all. Steve

Wouldn't it be poetic justice if Aaron did drive off with Rory and Gail only to have Seth call the cops to have Aaron arrested for auto theft and kidnapping! Bet that would be a challenge for him to explain to his parents why he was involved with a second auto theft (and can't be the innocent victim this time) and why he needed to get Rory alone (ok, almost alone) before Rory or Seth used the words "ex-boyfriend" in court. That would help heal my broken heart from the Rory & Seth hookup. Edit: This would also give Rory a reason to stick around or only make his time with evil-Alice short lived as he would have to be in town to testify (most likely). Steve

Denial has worked well for me in the past and I think I'll use it for a bit longer to keep my hopes of a Rory & Luke connection alive. I will admit that Seth will be almost as good for Rory as Luke without all the potential problems that comes with dating someone you're living with. Ah, it was nice to see TLS (Aaron) make another appearance ... now the biggest question will be can Rory control his mouth when he forced to confront Aaron or will Gail learn a few new words she can use at the most unappropriate time? If Luke is at the park and sees Aaron climbing into the truck, TLS could get a blast from all three of his recent boyfriends. Thanks for a great chapter Dom and we'll see if my denial can last until Ch27 or if I'm forced to accept the reality of Seth & Rory (unless Dom is being REALLY evil and there's another major plot twist coming). Steve

Dom, Reading about drug use and unprotected sex should be in a story if it's integral to the plot line and it's realistically portrayed including the consequences. It's a fact of life that people don't always make the best choices in life and I've always been attracted to your stories because the characters are believable. Growing up in a small town outside Montreal (with 18 being the legal drinking age and generally european attitude towards alcohol and drugs...) was different than many of my friends in university. My parents and most of the parents of my friends had no problem with drinking at 15-16 years old but they were VERY strict about drinking and driving. This really didn't make drinking part of the whole teenage rebellion thing and after a couple of hangovers, you learn moderation. When I went to university near Toronto none of my friends had any real experience with alcohol until their sophmore year and some got themselves into alot of trouble. I have tried a few drugs (mainly pot, hash & mushrooms) but I stayed away from them mainly because I saw some friends (and more than a few relatives) destroy their lives when they became addicts. I think the contrast between Aiden & Trina shows that you portray drugs & alcohol realistically and responsibly. Steve

At first I simply thought Aaron (I'll add one TLS for Vic ) was spineless and didn't have a set big enough to deal with the troubles he brought down upon himself. Luke (I can't believe I'm saying this about my favourite DD character...) was no angel either as he has admitted to willingly participating in many of Aaron's early misadventures on the wrong side of the law. The difference between the two is Luke saw what he was doing was morally wrong and corrected the behaviour. As the story unfolded, I began to form the conclusion that Aaron was hedonistic, for a lack of a better term. He made sure he got what he wanted. I really have a hard time believing the "woe-is-me" story about Aaron's family because he has hardly been a reliable source of information and it could easily have been a line to manipulate Rory's feelings. I also find it hard to believe that Aaron would take his brother's blackmailing with such a nonchalant attitude given what we heard about his past actions. There's something with his whole family life that doesn't make sense to me at this point. Are we really sure Aaron is unhappy with his life? He says he has no friends but we repeatedly hear from Rory that he finds Aaron at the park with "friends" starting in the first chapter. He continued to abandone Rory at the party to talk with his friends. This "no friends" business could easily have been another line he fed Rory to manipulate him. Do I think that Aaron is evil? No, but I don't think that he has alot of redeeming qualities. If he is truly unhappy with his life, it's within his power to correct the situation but he would have to accept responsibility for his actions and make reparations to those he's wronged (Luke, Rory, Eddie, Jase & maybe Seth). At this point he shows no remorse unless it will get him something he wants. Steve

Aaahhh.... Ditto! I just took a couple of extra-strength doses of "denial" because I really want the pairing to Luke & Rory and I want to ignore all the evidence that suggests this isn't going to happen. Another great chapter but I still don't have any clue where this is going... the only opinion that I further cemented was that Rory will decide to stay with Eddie. Dazed and Confused :wacko: Steve

Hey FF, You can find New Brother and other stories by Graeme on www.awesomedude.com and www.deweywriter.com. I'd also recommend his story "Fall Creek Lessons". Cheers! Steve

Something that was mentioned early on in the story (and yes, I'm too lazy to try and find it to quote ) was something that Eddie aluded to in this chapter... the impending family vacation. This has the potential to change a whole wack of things in the storyline. We've been seeing a pretty drastic change in the way Rory is relating to Eddie simply from being forced to spend some time with him at the office. Imagine a couple of weeks! I think Rory is (or at least will shortly) beginning to realize that he doesn't want to go back to live with Evil Alice! The family vacation will also give Luke a serious amount of time with just Rory without any other guys getting the chance to complicate things. Eddie said that he had to work overtime this week (and I think the storyline is in the middle of the week) so he could take time off for the trip (Hhhmmmm, camping & Luke and Rory sharing a tent brings some interesting possibilities to mind ) so I bet that we'll really see things pick up then. As for Luke's role in this chapter, I agree that it's jealousy over Rory but I don't blame him (too much) for the situation he's in. Rory is the king of mixed signals as we've seen from the beginning. It hasn't even been a week since Rory dumped Aaron and I think Luke may have been waiting so he wasn't getting any rebound action... only to have Seth swooping in. At this point I'm thinking about putting the crystal ball in the closet (Aaron, move over dammit!) and simply enjoying the ride! Steve

I agree with Redone and I think the more Rory actually talks (and he might even try listening more often too) to Luke, the better off I think he'll be. Luke seems to really have his "shit" together (unless this is all a part of a Dom-The-Evil-Writer twist). As for the whole Angela & Seth thing, could it be that all Luke's friends know that he has this huge thing for Rory and Angela is just trying to create a barrier so that Rory will gravitate towards Luke? And a big thanks to Dom for the frequent postings to prevent the worst side effects of DD withdrawl!!! Steve

I hate to disagree with Ann (but it had to happen eventually ) but I think that a big part of Rory's problem has been that he's had WAY too much time by himself to think about things. Now before anyone decides that I'm full of __it, the other part of Rory's problem was that when he was "thinking" about things he rarely looked at them in a rational way and spent most of his time figuring out how he could protect himself from his wildly mis-interpreted assumptions or channelling Alice. I found that Seth's reaction to the news of Aaron's appearance was troubling... it could be simply that Seth was worried that Aaron was heading to his place or it could be something more sinister (giving Dom a little bit of drama for upcoming chapters). I think the statement Luke made about throwing his best "material" at Seth at Angela's made me think that he's done everything he did there to Rory including being increasingly more touchy-feely with Rory as the story progresses... I think Luke's just about given up on our clueless-boy-wonder (ok, ok,... he's been a little less clueless lately) and assumes that Rory's not interested, all the while Rory's burning a whole in Luke's jeans with the way he's been staring at his ass. That and the bit about Rory snuggling closer with Luke when Seth approached at the end of the chapter was telling. I think Luke is trying to play matchmaker since, in his mind at least, Rory's not interested in him. After reading this chapter, I'm also starting to understand how heroine addicts feel, the more you use, the more frequent and larger fixes you need! The high quality shit Dom's throwing our way just makes it worse! Steve