B1ue

No, I agree that Tiffany is doing her job and doing right by JJ in that role. However, she's now living with him and dating his mom. That's going to create a feedback squeal where his ego is concerned. Minor point, but December 2nd, unless you mean that December 3rd starts the new class. But that wouldn't really make it a cut-off date, since the cut was made to exclude that date. There was a Caleb in this chapter? *checks* There was! Hadn't registered. Possible, but I don't think so. I'd have to check again, but I think Caleb is a bit younger than Gathan, closer to Zach or even John in age. Besides, I think Caleb's mom would lose a gasket or seven at the thought of her son hanging out with a Hayes boy, and that's not really somehitng you can hide in a small town. Seriously, you can't. My parent's busted my sister and I when they weren't even in the same city as us, the gossip network was so efficient (someone that drove passed our house -> someone else -> who called my aunt -> who called my mom, who demanded to know why there were people at our house when they weren't there. Entire thing took maybe half an hour, because they'd just gotten there!)

And that's about when I told the entire rest of my generation "Alright, you guys have fun. I'll be over here, where we wear clothing that fits."

Perhaps. We're just not seeing happy-JJ at the moment, but you have an excellent point about Gathan not being the most unbiased of observers. It probably hasn't helped that Tiffany moved in. Brad, Robbie, Will, Darius, and Matt are pleased for JJ, but none of them truly care much about his ability. It's too far outside what they are and the image they present to the world for them to value. Matt comes closest, I think, but the others would be just as happy and encouraging towards JJ if he was only a little good at the sport. That's to say, while they all to a greater or lesser degree recognize JJ is taking himself seriously, I don't think they are. And if you're correct about the olympics, that attitude is going to burn. On the other hand, it might have served to keep his swelled head in check, but for Tiffany. Tiffany will keep building him up, in the interests of trying to get him to go as far as he's possibly able. This isn't a bad thing, but I doubt it'll make him pleasant to live with. I hope he gets a true friend soon, an equal of sorts, but not a competitor. Matt is good for him, but a bit distant. Oh, wait a minute. I just remembered that JJ stayed in school for a reason. I wonder if that comes to anything.

Not just Gathan is saying JJ is a diva though. Stef and Brad have both made comments, and Brad saw him as a bit prissy, though he didn't place the judgement on him that Gathan seems to be. I'm not saying you're wrong in your interpretation MW, but it seems to me that JJ is becoming less forgiving, more stuck on himself than he was if still happy-go-lucky.This JJ would never have stayed in the same room as Bitty, for example. And yeah, part of that is because he's older, but part of its because he's just becoming prissy. You might be right that he thinks the world of people he likes, but how much are they going to like him, when he goes on and on about the people he doesn't like, and is not interested in forgiving or moving on from slights real or imagined? Brad and Robbie seem to take it as a given that eventually they will be blacklisted by the boy, maybe not forever, but at least as long as it takes for the other one to piss him off. And, having said all that, Mark more or less said he changed JJ from being a nice kid to a prissy little diva, so we can probably just accept the logic and character change, and let it enhance the story as it unfolds. Not like it's the first time this has happened *cough*Jeff/Lark/Marcel/Nick (who has changed three times, though there have been explanations provided since)/probably Drew*cough*

I've loved this song my enitre life. I usually think of the original version by the Zombies, but I've heard others that I've liked as well. I didn't even mind when "Glee" did a cover, though like all the times they've done a cover of one of my favorite song, I've been wary (though twice I feel their interpretation improved it on the original, such as "Bad Romance"). And in all the times I've loved and thought about this song, there was one reading of it I never considered, and that stopped me cold. My aunt passed away a couple months ago. The scariest moment, the moment that drove me to tears, was a few months before when she had a bad drug reaction and lost herself for a couple days. There was just, no one home, and in one of the most intellegent and alive people I've ever met, this scared me more than the thought of her dying. This hit home what she was going through. And this song brought up that memory. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5IRI4oHKNU

I'm going to continue encouraging you to broaden your databases. Though I was pleased with the last story, don't get me wrong. This is more...helping. Yes, let's call it helping. 2000 was arguably the height of the trance rave scene on the west coast. DJ Sammy, Louie Devito, and Mars & Mystre are couple names I can recall. I was still not admitting the extent that I liked country at that time, but "I Hope You Dance" was a standout, and a pop hit as well.

And somewhere, Jeremy is consoling himself with a bottle of jack, weeping the tears of someone who has antoher story in 2000 to soundtrack. I like the start. Gathan sounds like an interesting guy, a firecracker, but not one that takes himself seriously.

I disagree. From what I recall, Brad was not totally honest, and led Dan on for the months Robbie and he were on the rocks. I don't think Brad lied, per se, but he let Dan believe what he wanted to believe, that Brad and Robbie were basically over. However, my sympathy with Dan is limited. First, he sat around and waited for Brad to fall into his lap well past the point where he had a good idea Brad was gay. I can't really call someone else out over being timid, but I do demand that he deal with the consequences of that decision. Also, who the hell holds a grudge over something like that for fifteen, twenty years. Bet it drove him nuts that Robbie was still hot, and extremely succesful. Not that Dan was ever a heartthrob, but he'd have taken more satisfaction from a Robbie that had allowed himself to go completely.

Will/Zack/John: In the words of a country song "makes you wonder who's cheating who, who's being true,a nd who don't even care anymore." Darius: I think that might have been me. I was joking, but Marks' only comment was a devil sign, which I found slightly worrying. JJ: Couldn't agree more. While I'd have thought about drowing him in a river were I to meet him in real life, reading about his personality is entertaining. Though i wodner what's his beef with Gathan.

I would suggest trying it a bit more before giving up completely. Further into the semester there will be fewer newbs to train in their duties, and it'll likely be easier to find someone to pick up your shifts if you really can't do them. The first two weeks of a new quarter were always hell on me as a supervisor, since every day I had to train at least two or three, and up to ten or so, people how to do their jobs. And I wasn't even the only one training people. Also, they will almost certainly be less inclined to be helpful to you next time around if you prove they cannot count on you, for any reason, even perfectly valid ones like your class load. If you can't do it, you can't do it, and class work is much more important than the extra couple hundred a month you'd earn. But bemindful that there will likely be consequences, even if they aren't fair.

Yes, because that's exactly the reaction we'd expect for someone who is in the closet. Besides, even if all that were to come to be, Matt would promptly offer to work it out in bed, with both of them by preference. And then Tiffany would have to kill him. I kind of like the idea of her being a van den Boss. The extra syllables indicate either recent immigration or enough money/clout that Americanizing their name to simply Boss would hurt them rather than help. Plus, the inevitable conversation: Tiffany -"Robbie, Jeanine, Brad, I want you to meet my father." Robbie - "Hello!" Jeanine - "A pleasure, sir," Brad - "Er...actually, we've met. Just once, a long time ago, but I've treasured the memory since." Robbie (from behind the hand over his eyes) - "Meaning you've slept with him." Brad - "Meaning I slept with him."

Er, I always found the chorus to that song to be a bit cutsie. But yes, I am happy, thank you. Wait, what? Link?

Nah. The only thing that'll happen in California to Ella is Darius will fall in love her. What? He's just as programed at the genetic level to find Hayes offspring hot as the rest of them.

Jeremy Dominguez In dreams, nothing is real But no one minds, because nothing is believed He likes it there, deep in dreams, Because nothing there can hurt or shock him But soon, he’ll awake; Not for long can he hide in comfort. The wake, it comes. Now. Brown eyes open to the strands of Michele Branch A hand, equally brown, neither tanned nor not, Hits the clock, ending the music. He pauses, sighs, then he moves. A tall, slender body, a study of in-betweens Moves naked

F---ed Up Love Song It's like we're living Out some love song, The way I need you The more you do wrong. At times, I've wished That you'd stop breathing, And in the same breath Kept you from leaving. Boy I can swear this, One day I'll kill you, But I know that same night I'll dream about you. What love is this That makes me grin As hair turns gray And I writhe within? I want you so bad To get the f--- out, (To f--- me ragged), Cause damn, you're too good

On Being Californian Where are you from We are asked We talk in a circle Telling stories of boat rides Diasporas, and Migrant trails The brown girl claims French Ancestery One boy names pioneering forefathers Other fantastic tales are told Some believable, Some not And finally, we get to me "My family is from Los Angeles" I say. "No, where are your people from?" "Los Angeles" "No one is REALLY from LA." "Yeah, what part of Mexico Did your parents migrate fr

To My Son Who Will Never Be I dreamt of you today, you know and the night before as well You charmed the birds down from the trees You smiled the sun up into the sky We laughed about stuff that never was We played we were people who never were We sang songs about loves that were and will be We hid treasures that only our eyes could see I told stories of times when I worshiped the wind And chased it across the cerulean sky When sunlight caressed my mahogany s

The Piano Player I see now words betray me still. How can I hope to write of what stopped me fast mid-step, what caught my pace this day? How do you talk of beauty without beauty turning trite, meaningless as a snowflake deep in winter's play? I did not see his hands move, and so I cannot say with certainty how carefully his fingers found their place To weave that bitter tapestry angels could not play, All this from a stern faced boy; a lion made of lace. I'd forgotten I love

Ray Bradbury was once quoted as saying it is impossible to write 365 bad stories. I have discovered that it is quite possible to write that many bad poems. However, in the heaps of bad poems I've written, there are a couple that are decent, and a couple more that tell a good story. Here they are.

Little Whinging was quiet again. Not even two months ago, the residents of the Surrey suburb woke to bright lights streaking across the sky, the roar of a motor bike in the middle of the night, and barely audible cursing. In some places, (lesser places to the reckoning of Little Whingians) that might not even have roused a baby, but the neighborhood might as well been the victim of an air raid, for all the disruption caused. The next morning offered little comfort. Mr. Rupert from the next commu

A Harry Potter Fan-fic, set just after the wedding in Deathly Hallows. Describes how I saw the attack on Arabella Fig, auxiliary member of both incarnations of the Order of the Phoenix.

My aunt recently passed away. She's been fighitng breast cancer for almost five years, and we've had a few close calls this last year, but she finally asked to go home the week before christmas. I was working, and wasn't able to break away until Thursday of that week. She died that Wednesday. She was my mom's little sister and best friend. Smart as hell, pretty much the Tax expert for all of the relatives. And beautiful. Most of that side of the family has more looks than sense, but she had both and was the best looking of her sisters. Her daughter and I are nearly the same age, and were raised closer to siblings than cousins. She was, in many ways, a second mother to me, and coming out to her was nearly as scary as coming out to my parents. We finally had the funeral service the first week of January. My uncle wanted to wait until after the holidays, to not have their mother's death hanging over Christmas for my younger cousins. Not that it helped, but I don't think hewas ready to deal at the time, and it was his choice. My family was well behaved, for us. The lack of booze helped, probably. The church might even let us back one day. Oh, sure, one of my aunts has declared blood feud against a nun that told us where we were and were not allowed to put pictured up at the funeral, but since that aunt lives in a different county, I don't think much will come of it. There was only a little yelling, and my aunt (who is pushing 50) muttering "you're not the boss of me" once the nun was out of earshot. It was very much a women's event. I have many aunts, and more female cousins than male. Not only that, but my female relatives have in the main outlived their spouses and brothers, which is something I try not to think about very often. IN any case, that buffet line was organized by clan almost without conversation needed, and I found myself ejected from the kitchen pretty quickly and sent to organize the drink bar. I think I was only allowed to do that much because I used to be a waiter, or I'd have been made to wait outside with the other guys. There was a slide show of my aunt organized. My cousin spent an entire night setting it up, and putting it to music. I wish I could have helped, had known they needed help. Not only do I stay up all night regularly for work, but there were some songs I would have liked to add. " " made my mom cry when I played it for her, and I sang to her " My voice is not great, but she appreciated the effort. I've cried little, myself. Not only because I've been expecting it for the last while, and was prepared, but I could see the exhaustion in my aunt's eyes whenever I've seen her this last year. She lived her life as a bundle of energy, strong and wise, opinionated and cantankerous. I've no doubt she would have been a crazy old cat lady, if only she hadn't hated cats. I will miss her, her example and drive. There was so much she didn't have time to pass on, that only she knew from my grandmother. It's said each generation is poorer than the last. We're proving it. Goodbye Aunt Linda. I thought it was nice of the church to read Proverbs for you, but anyone who's ever met you knew the reading wasn't something to live up to for you. It was just your life.

I can't recall, but is Tiffany definetly White? Not passing, not light colored, definetly White? Because if you wantto give Jeanine, and hell, Wade's (assuming he's the dad) families something to choke on beyond the lesbian aspect is a mixed race couple.

Hah! Beat you. For my victory, I insist you include at least one country song as an accompaniment to Millenium somewhere in the next five chapters. They're in the country. You can't claim it doesn't at least partly apply anyways.

I disagree with KYE. I'm not going to go into specifics, but I did something fairly similar to what Brad and Robbie did. It helped, at least in muting the emotional response I had to the place itelf. Then the memories got weird, and I had to work through THAT, but I wasn't afraid of the place or places like it after. Wally and Clara. Zach is the younger of their two children. As for cell phone kid, it was Matt's half-brother Caleb, child of Laura and Charlie (didn't see their last name). Don't judge me. I had to look it all up too. Granted, I knew exactly where to look, but still...