Al Norris

Hmm, knowing full well that not all stories resolve all conflicts, without significant time jumps, I can't wrap my head around the "four more chapters" thing! I really wish you hadn't posted that, Tim. 😢

I hope seeing the therapist that this helps Matt. 'Cause his Mom sure doesn't! That blow-up scene at the start was revealing. When seeing the agent, I'm left wondering if Matt ever told them about the hookup that drugged him and brought him to the creeps in the first place. It probably doesn't matter in the long run. It's just my curiosity getting the better of me!

You guys do realize that interior locking (privacy) doorknobs are very easy to open? They cost less than exterior locking doorknobs. Geesh! I learned about these and how to open them by the time I was 10 (younger brothers and sisters locking themselves in the bathroom)!

Funny that you should mention that! I've been near a couple of large earthquakes and they are scary. On the morning of 1983, a 7.3 magnitude quake hit the town of Mackay, ID. I was with 4 other guys deer hunting in the Copper Basin area west of the town. We had awakened around 6 am, had finished breakfast, and were moving up the hill, following a feeder creek of the east fork of the Big Lost River when the quake hit. Everything moved side to side for a few seconds. Never saw any animals after that. Even the birds were silent for a few hours. I've also had the sorry occasion to witness a tornado up close. It lifted a 30 ft. pine tree in front of my neighbor's house and laid it gently on his front porch! It roped out right after that. It sounded more like a jet engine than a train... At least to me. About 5 minutes later, the vortex dropped down about a mile north of me and destroyed 2 houses before it lifted again.

If that last line didn't sound so serious, it would be hilarious! 🤣 Great chapter, Mark... Except for Tim's dad.

Overall, that was a nice and mellow chapter. Sure, we could tell that Kai had some X-rated thoughts, but nothing to act on just yet. We do learn that Kai was never scared to let people know he was gay and it seems that Adam didn't care who knew.

@weinerdog, as far as I can see, the parents themselves are the problem. They want little Dudley or Charlotte to be what they envision their children to be. Their expectations for their children cannot be anything less than what they dream, or their children are failures. It is the exceptional parent who will allow their children to be what the child wants to be. The extraordinary parent will allow the children to be who they are! This is not some progressive ideation. Left-handedness is not the norm. Educators (and the general public, for the most part) have finally accepted and now allow it. In the same way, homosexuality is not the norm. We are still fighting for that acceptance.

I used the sad emoticon just because of the typical stance of Tim's father. Quite ordinary, even today. And not just in Australia. This could be almost anywhere in the English speaking world. Unless the students were already in the drama club before this announcement, many, if not most, parents would wonder about their children.

Wowser! You had me going with that first part! I'm glad it was a nightmare and not the real verdict. Speaking of which, I'm so happy it has worked out. The cards were obviously stacked against Calvin... Thank goodness!

Oh boy! Returning home to a mother who really wasn't much of a mother... I know exactly how that feels. At least Matty wasn't told the only room was the garage.

I suspect it will release a tsunami of testosterone... Sexual tension be damned!

Ah! I took it as being me since the spelling of my name is not common. Nope. Hard to get distressed over something you hardly remember.

It could be, but why stereotype people at the start? 🤣

What Eyes? Whose eyes? What is important about those eyes? 🤔

None at all. He died in a mine cave-in just after I had turned six (somewhat chronicled in my story, here).

... As Tim tries to play it down!

Good stories, as in real life, have things pop up that never get resolved. Many such things are not necessary for the story to conclude. Again, just as in real life.

Has anyone else figured out that we are not going to see a resolution with Roger?

We had a mild winter this last season. It never dropped lower than -10C. Our Summer, so far, has been cooler! 28C to 38C.

I was wondering if Matt might want a bit of revenge.

I had a sneaky suspicion that Ahmet would be quickly married off. So the chapter went just about where I thought it would go. Those "what ifs" can give you ulcers! Now Matty needs to decide what the heck he wants to do next.

Isn't it wonderful to watch that train wreck? Just can't take your eyes off of it, can you?

You being in Australia and I being in Idaho, USA... It doesn't stretch THAT far! 🤣

Hmm, I'm far from stupid. Strike One. My parents never gave me a choice. Strike Two. I guess I should cut my losses and just go to bed.

Seems to be a few size queens here... And there... 🤭