Al Norris

While I don't remember what happens to Dear Teacher in the next chapter, it can be easily proved that she did, in fact, target the two gay kids in her class. I don't want to be in her shoes. Uh uh. Not at all! In other news, it seems that the whole student body is supporting Richie (and maybe Earl) against the teacher. Now we need to find out what, if anything, goes on between Richie and his Dad.

I'm with Graeme on this chapter. That was a rotten thing to do to your supposed best friend. Oh, I understand it completely but it doesn't make it right.

One of the things that I liked about this story is how @Ronyx works the stages of grief into how Richie is reacting to his world. For those of you that know it, stop and think about what Richie is doing and thinking. If you think about it, you can see that Richie is bouncing back and forth through several of the stages. Even exhibiting multiple stages at once. This is entirely normal. Some people may reach acceptance quicker than others. Some take a long time to hit that level. Regardless, Richard is a narcissistic and domineering (but I repeat myself) control freak! 🤮

Crap! I had forgotten about this chapter. sigh. Geezo, one of these so-called adults really needs to get Richie some help.

And Jake.

Definition from the APA: The disorder, the Berserker/Blind Rage Syndrome, is characterized by (1) violent overreaction to physical, verbal, or visual insult; (2) amnesia during the actual period of violence; (3) abnormally great strength; and (4) specifically target-oriented violence. That fits Liam but doesn't seem to fit Jake. I'll concede that point, @Avogadro1001.

That sounds like a hell of an idea! I wonder who will go up there first? Ben? Tim & Guy? All three?

I would suggest that Richard needs an Anger Management Course but I suspect he's been to a couple already. This is before he gets charged with Child Endangerment, Assault, Battery, and just plain Child Abuse. Of course, we all know that would never happen! Richie needs professional psychiatric help. NOW, not later. Put him in the psych ward so that he is forced to confront his issues. As it stands, he will not listen to anyone, unless forced. And get away from Wade!

I was hoping that this would all start making sense. OK, Daniel is, er, was Jessica's brother. In a fit of blind rage (the same kind that Liam displays), Jake kills Daniel. Only after Daniel said something to Jake that Jake couldn't stand. What? Was Daniel letting someone else screw him? Did he want to screw Jake? It doesn't even have to be anything sexual (but I find that hard to believe) and we may never know. What we do know, now, is that Jake has the same anger problem that Liam has... Hmm, is that endemic to the lifestyle they are leading? And just where does Jessica and her family fit into the broader picture? So many questions and so few answers. Dylan? Are you listening, son? Get the Fuck away from these people!!! 😭🤯🤢🤮

I'm about a third of the way through the next chapter... I can say what I do and what works for me. Don't know if it will work for you though. I write it. I send it to my beta reader. He marks it up. I accept or reject the suggestions. I wait a day or two and reread it - making changes as I go. Then I send it to my editor. Same process with him. I use Grammarly, so there is generally not much editing to do, but he finds stuff that makes sense anyway. After that, I've gone through the chapter 4 or 5 times. At this point, I'm done and it is ready for posting. I hold myself back and refuse to read it again. However long it has taken to write a chapter, there are 1 to 2 weeks after that that my Beta reader and editor work through it. It's done. I literally have to force myself not to read again and mess with it. Like I said, it works for me. It may not work for you.

The more we look at our work, the more we want to tweak or even change portions of it! 🤣🤣🤣

Lukas is falling in love with Christoph. It seems Christoph is also falling for Lukas. Lukas is now looking at staying with Uncle Sev through his surgery and convalescence. This means staying in Austria for several more months. Lukas is also rethinking going to law school. Is it really what he wants to do as a career? Lukas has choices to ponder and decisions to make.

A cautionary note for anyone in this situation or knowing someone who may be in or near this type of situation. 1. Make sure you get a divorce for reasons of abandonment. 2. Formaly file co-guardianship papers (for whom you want guardians of your children, should you die or become mentally incapacitated). 3. Make a will with the guardianship specified (yes, this is done all the time). The spouse who abandoned you will not have more than a toe to stand on, in court.

This was a powerful opening chapter. The first time I read this, I never bothered writing to @Ronyx. I was so PO'd that I didn't want to spew my vitriol at him. I suppose it does happen in this way, but we have to remember that we are being presented with Richie's point of view. We have no reason to suspect anything else... Like the way Richie's Father views things. That view, may or may not, change how we feel. The one thing that consoled me then is that in the real world, the wishes of the deceased would weigh heavily on the court. Richie is old enough that the court would seriously consider his wishes as to which set of adults he wants to live with. Add to that the court would take a dim view of the Father leaving the marriage when the Mother became sick. Yes, yes. Daddy-O may have had valid reasons, but the coincidence would be hard to prove to the court.

Is Kathy in a persistent vegetative state (the lower brain is ok, so autonomic functions work), basically breathing on her own, heartbeat, etc? If yes, then go ahead and dismiss her attorney. I doubt the Judge will ever hold him bound. All of his files on this case would be turned over to the Public Defenders Office, just in case she ever revives and is cognitive. I'm sure he will be glad to get shed of this! As for Able? Justice was served. Partially. The chapter was a fine read (see my avatar).

Hmm, knocking Raymond to the floor was priceless. Taking Dion to a gore movie, not so much. James needs to remember about Dion's past when they do things like that. Looks like there is hope for James and Dion... If only they can talk to each other. Something has to break through that mask Dion is wearing.

The scene with James' Mom wanting to know about his sex life was surreal! I can imagine how trapped he felt. She should have dropped the 20 questions as soon as James said he wasn't gonna answer. But Noooo... She had to keep pressing the issue, completely oblivious to how he felt. Then there was the "first aid" scene with Dion. I so wanted James to kiss him but Nurse Dorothy intervened. Talk about timing. The good thing about that was that after James adjusted himself, he sorta saw Dion do the same! That should get his mind working. Ah, I wish I had had a Mr. Wilbur as I grew up! It sure would have made things much more clear to me. As it is, I actually got to play that role a few years ago in real life. That was a treat 'cause 4 years later, I found out things worked out for the boys.

I wonder... It was bad enough that Dion's brother was killed in front of him (in the head no less) but I wonder if Dion's friends left him shortly after that. It would be because Dion had shut down after the shooting and his friends just drifted away because Dion isolated himself. In Dion's state of mind, yes, everyone left him.

James' Mother is going to go overboard and obsess about gay people and her son in particular! I can just see it, LOL! I do hope that Jackie and Roy get together as much as I hope Donovan finds some sort of comeuppance. Um, would a 6 by 3 foot hole work?

I am so sorry that you had to go through that. Rape is rape and no one should have to face that. Wrong! there was penetration. That alone makes it rape. James is lucky he wasn't injured. Especially if Donovan was as large as it was said. @Ronyx, this was a good chapter. You described what happened without going through the minute detail that others would have done.

All I can think is that James is about to be raped. As long as Donovan is, when he's soft, this is going to be horrendous for James. Even a shower will enlarge in girth. God forbid that Donovan is a grower!

Donovan had a suspicion about James. Confirmed when he caught James looking. In fact, Donovan admitted he was putting on a show for James. Later, he shows up naked to get a towel from James, even to the point of pulling on his dick. He could see that James tented before Donovan left the room. This party is where James will put out for Donovan or else. Anyway, I'm betting that like a lot of jocks, Donovan gets what he wants and he wants James.

I've been following and reading Federal District Courts, Circuit Courts of Appeal, and Certain Supreme Court cases since 2002. While I'm not an attorney, I have developed a certain sense of procedure and protocol for how our US Courts work. This inevitably means that I will open my mouth when I shouldn't. I've POed more than one author when I've questioned court scenes. Once any of the prison staff make it known that the idiot is a child molester/pervert, it won't take long for the general population to take action. Some States will now send the child sex offender or child abuser into special protective areas to try and prevent their death. This is the result of lawsuits against the wardens and prisons.

Are you telling me you wouldn't? I don't believe that for an instant!!! 🤣 Kevin's dad is not Guy's dad. Still, we don't know what this Step-dad would do or say.

The attorney for the defendant will recognize that he is going to lose and will try to cut a deal with the prosecutor. Without "good cause," the Judge will not allow the attorney to abandon the defendant. Remains found in "the hole" will cause the Judge to recess the trial until forensics are made. Should the new information be connected to the instant (current) case, then further charges would be added and the trial would continue. Else new charges would be filed and a new (different) trial scheduled. Should either defendant be found guilty and remanded to prison, their life expectancy is zero. Jailhouse justice is swift and sure. Regardless of the above, I'm happy that @Lee Wilson didn't select the most horrific of methods to produce vaginal and anal scarring. I'm also glad that my guess at pimping Jill out didn't come into play.