Rndmrunner

Stormy weather ahead for Declan and Bailey. Bailey will likely resent that Declan took it upon himself to act on the bullying. Regardless of Declan intentions, Bailey may well feel that it is his decision to make and that he has been betrayed and patronized. Decline may also take heat from the football team. They will work through it in the end.

One of the things that I love about this story is that it doesn't get stuck in a "he loves me ... He loves me not refrain ... We know that the two characters care for each other but now we have to see if they are good for one another as life is messy and complicated as are the characters. Amazing job!!!

I just finished "The Tzar of Love and Techno" by Anthony Marra and I have started Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"

Reggie has a lovely youthful optimism interspersed with regular teenage catastrophizing (word?)

These diary entries are funny and silly and yet serious and thoughtful. You capture the mood perfectly. Looking forward to the next instalment.

okay, so now I have tears in my eyes. That was very touching without crossing into saccharine territory. Eli is embarking on a new beginning but in spite of family still seems very much alone. Thanks

A sweet interlude!!!!

Funny and lovely entry. I wonder if you have to go for dog training though, like most dogs Banjo probably has you training well underway. We are between dogs right now, ours died a year ago. It takes time for me to be ready for another pet as they are each distinct and not replaceable. We should start soon because a young puppy is still a couple of years away from being a dog - cute, loveable, playful, troublesome - yes, but not a dog. About the chewing,here is my 2 cents, and it is worth exactly that - puppies often chew when teeth are coming in so it is sometimes easier to direct their chewing to acceptable items - sticks, toys rather than trying to suppress it altogether. Good luck

A really interesting chapter. All the disclosure happened in the previous chapter and yet this one moved the relationships forward the most: a subtle deepening of Robbie and Nathan's relationship, Robbie and Sue and Robbie and Nicole. Sometimes when little happens the universe is reshaped.

Nothing wrong with cliff hangers .... as long as you own up to the responsibility of sending out a new chapter soon to take us out of our misery - if only to the next cliff Great chapter - I really enjoy how the friendship is developing slowly and nuanced as we and Liam take stock of Alec

You have a real gift. Your characters seem to spring forth fully formed. It may take a while to get to know them as the story progresses but they were always there just slowly peeled back like an onion for the readers to understand: Ryder and Teddy are no exceptions. Thank you

This is a lovely way to tell your story. You consistently nail the right tone of cockiness, insecurity, naiveté with moment of growing insight when you pour out the contents of Reggie's whirling brain. A delight!

All I can say is who put the sunshine up your arse. Where is the dark writer really lurking?...... Great Start !

I was really worried that you would throw a nasty curve and the end of the story. Thankfully you let the boys move forward towards peace - maybe they insisted on it. Characters have a way of taking on a life of their own. Great story. Thanks

Reggie is the definition of a teenager. He is changing so fast and learning to deal with a whole new set of experiences. Any perspective that childhood gave him is blown away by the new situations and challenges that he faces. The journal wonderfully captures all of this and more.

For some stories weeks pass between chapters. 8 hours seemed just as long or longer. It's actually harder when you know the chapter is coming.

I was overthinking the plot. I sensed a change in how you wrote the characters of Walter and Nancy in that they were spoken of differently before they appeared in a scene. I then tried to thing a scenario to account for the apparent change. Sometimes it is better to just stay quiet and read.

One question that speaks to the very beginning of the story: I seem to remember that Walter and Lucy were originally cast as absent and distant parents in the first few chapters. Aaron was pissed at them. This seems inconsistent with their actions since. Earlier they were much in the mod of Nancy's parents and now they are more like Walter's. I hope that they are not just drawn to drama so Aaron gets somewhat ignored because he stays in line and Riley gets the attention as they try to "save" him.

I find that I can agree with both BlindAmbition and Bubbly1234. As you said, your stories are dark and real. The dark part is certainly true. For me, i can understand that the violence can be a part of the realness but that also has its pitfalls. It is a tricky tool. So many movies use senseless carnage and pretend that there are no consequences and it becomes a joke. I appreciate how you are more honest about it as shown with the scene in the last chapter with Cater's mom on the Southside. I get it, this aint no Cinderella story. In some ways it is though, there is generally redemption for your heroes, they just don't always stay alive. I fear Riley is doomed to try and redeem both himself and the Southside. If so Carter's story will follow a similar trajectory as Velocity's.

I love how you wrote Frank, a truly wonderful character. You are getting me all misty. Sweet.

Liam shouldn't have to be assaulted for Alec to have a chance to redeem himself but it was sweet (if you don't count the homophobic violence). I expect charges or no charges there will be consequences. This was a team member not a random stranger after all. The wait begins for the next chapter.........

I love your stories and your characters. I just have to deal with the darkness and the violence. Jayden probably understands

another great chapter. I am still surprised that Jayden, from a conservative Jewish family would look to becoming a tattoo artist and getting a tattoo. Judaism is pretty strongly against tattoos.

I like the story but find the casualness towards violence and lack of empathy disturbing. i am just a mere trail runner but I know that injuries both hurt and the damage cannot be dismissed at will. While soldiers may need to kill and maim to stay alive, that does not mean it does not take its toil on their hearts and minds.

It is interesting for me to understand the meaning of "respect" and "disrespect" through your stories. I still see these terms as an internalized perception of someone arrived at by based on the actions or values of the person being evaluated as compared to the act of how you show that you are accepting or rejecting of someone's status. I can see that the teenagers in your story however highly prize the outward esteem that they are shown by their peers.