rustle

Usually, about the least productive question you can ask is "why?" It is what it is. No more, no less. I'm glad you were there, and no one was hurt,

If the guys at my gym did this, I might show up more often, just for the floor show.

"That's not what my aides told me it was about."

Your writing always has an authentic voice. It rings true, clean to the bone. Fiction or forum, it don't matter. You captured the relationships, the ease of close "family" ties in these young men, and painted us a picture. There's still a lot of blank canvas, but the painting is so rich, you just know the rest of the picture would have been every bit as good, if only... Some stories are about plot. Some are about character development, and in some, the setting steals the show. This one is about the relationships, and the fear that walked among us. It's good to remember that fear. It helps us appreciate the hope we see around us today. Thanks for writing, James.

Thanks, Dave. You may be right about the linear thing, but the reviews on this chapter have a lot of merit. If a reader is ever confused, the author should have better revealed something in the writing, made it clearer, or given it more emphasis. I took short cuts that I should not have, 'cause I got in a rush. That's why I'm taking a break in posting. I promise, barring sudden death or incapacitation, Not Done Yet will be completed. But I want it to be a good story, too, not just finished. I may rethink serial posting, too.

Looking back, I should have written a chapter 9a, to bridge the gap in time and events. Casey still slips. Sometimes, he calls Jim and Carol by name. Foster kids are all different in how they accept their foster parents. The foster parents are all different, too. Some encourage, some discourage the use of "Mom" and "Dad." I expected Casey's actions to be unpopular and for readers to find them inexplicable. Teens' actions often are. Thanks for sticking with the story, and thanks for your comments.

James IS polite, but he's got his own brand of assholiness, too. OK, that's an unworthy non-word. Sanctimoniousness. Casey's got a blind spot a mile wide, but he's not a bad kid. Just, a kid. Sometimes, it's tough to remember that.

You're not being too hard on Casey, but going from a hell of abuse and hatred, having a mother who doesn't want him, a sister who may not even be faithfully communicating messages between them, to a world where he's accepted, safe, and has a sense of belonging... James mentioned the word "drunk," and I think that kinda says it, right there. Casey even tried to get James involved in the jock culture. In Texas, high school athletics are little more than cliques. You're in, or you're out, and the peer pressure on someone to conform is intense. Casey's got a long way to go before he's nearly as strong as James. A friend told me recently he had a high threshold of pain. I told him there's a difference between a high threshold of pain and having experienced a lot of pain.

There are those who seek answers in theology, and those who look for loopholes. The killer seeking the holy after killing another should not weigh on anyone's conscience. What should weigh heavily on our conscience is the possibility of wrongful conviction, often the result of zealous prosecutors and others. It is good that we have doubts about capital punishment, and question its morality, or else we might resort to it too readily. But in some cases, society should not bear the continual burden of sustaining the criminal. The cynic asks, though, "How much justice can you afford?"

James' universe doesn't overlap Casey's much right now, but that may change. There's a period of time between the previous chapter and this one, so maybe it's not so soon. Thanks for following along.

I hope that trust isn't misplaced. This story isn't intended to have a linear plot. I even considered this chapter back, but decided to stick with the plan. I hope you'll continue to read.

Cannd, thanks for the review. I appreciate your candor, and I anticipated a lukewarm response to this chapter. Casey's immersed in a world he never dreamed of being a part of right now, and that's a heady feeling. James has chosen another way, and it's often lonely to be your own person. I hope you'll keep reading and give me honest feedback, and that you'll like the next chapter more. This story's not done yet.

Lightfoot James told Sam, “Bows are quieter, so sometimes, you can take a second shot before the rest of the herd gets spooked. Besides, Mr. Reeves likes to sleep late on the weekends.” James had finally talked him into trying a bow, after he’d gotten pretty good at shooting a target. Mr. Reeves let them hunt on his land for free, but he didn’t like hearing a lot of gunfire, and he didn’t want to see them set up a deer blind. When Sam had brought it up, the old man said he figured the deer wer

I've never seen James as a follower, but you never know about people.

He's a compelling soul, all right. Different generations have different social mores. Those have changed an awful lot in the last few years, especially in Texas.

He couldn't have done that unless he had gotten the kind of foster parents James found for him. Casey's not perfect, but he's got a good heart.

To a kid whose parents both abandoned him, I can't imagine any better words to hear, or any that could bring cautious hope so quickly to a vulnerable heart.

1 in 13 doesn't sound very promising to me condoms do more, work better,cost less, and don't require any more forethought than putting one in your wallet A little self-discipline can keep you healthy. We KNOW that program works.

Welcome, folks. I think you'll like it here. There's plenty to read, plenty of personalities to interact with, and plenty of ways to be involved.

The best medicines don't usually taste very good.

I don't see James ever being a joiner. His sense of self is too strong. Right now, James is about as vulnerable as a guy can be. He's distracted. He's upset. And he's asking strangers for a ride. Most coaches I've known cared more about their team winning than about their students. If you weren't on the team, you were out in the cold.

James and Casey are reconciled in word, but it isn't fully settled. They both know it, and their friendship is tentative. That puts James, the loner, in competition with the popular kids for Casey's time and attention. Casey, on the other hand, has peer pressures to deal with, to be one of them, to hang out with them and only them. These guys have backbones, but they've both been taken down a notch.

Nobody's without fears. They usually cause us to act poorly toward others. These guys are teenagers, and appear mature until they're in over their heads. Then, you can see their lack of confidence tripping them up.

Casey's enjoying being popular and the center of attention for the first time. It's a dizzying feeling when you haven't known it before, and you find yourself with more than you ever dreamed of having - stability, belonging, being in demand. It's hard to see the change in yourself. Sometimes, it takes a while.

Let Me Start Over Sam was in the driver seat, and James was riding shotgun in Mr. Reeves’ rusted-out pickup. The old truck’s shocks squeaked every time they hit a bump, and since the road wasn’t paved, the noise never stopped. “Take it easy, Sam! I just got a new filling, and I don’t want to lose it ‘cause you’re racing down a goat path.” Right then, Sam hit a deep rut. While the truck lurched, James clutched the door handle and he let out a yelp. “I wish this thing at least had seat belts