Dodger

Sue wasn't giving much away, but if "he didn't have much choice in the end," then she must have some kind of hold over him. Don's not the type to go quietly, though, and it would be wrong to underestimate him.

Nathan is highly motivated and focused on his dream. I don't blame him for doing whatever he can to make the most of his opportunity, but it doesn't make him a particularly nice person. Maybe you have to be like that to succeed in that business, but I think Robbie understands his position and accepts it for what it is.

Thank you, @Okiegrad.

Thank you, @JohnnyC. Yeah, I get it. The gap between this chapter and the previous one was even longer than usual. Thanks for reading and commenting.

The unseasonably hot weather didn’t last long and it was raining heavily on Monday when I left school and caught up with Nathan as he waited to board his bus. He looked ridiculous in a bright yellow puffy rain jacket with the hood pulled tight around his face and white leggings. As he was about to step onto the bus, I snuck up behind him and grabbed his waist. “Gotcha, Big Bird!” “Robbie! Don’t do that; you made me jump.” “That’s why I did it.” I pulled him away from the door and

I don't know how you find so many different topics to talk about, let alone the time to write them, but I'm always grateful. This is another great article. Thank you, @Comicality

All the stories will be finished, I promise. I've been looking forward to posting this one for ages, but I needed to complete it first.

Tristian is definitely into James, but it's not the only reason he was invited.

Thank you @George Richard. I hope you enjoy the story.

He's either playing games or his business is failing and I'm pretty sure it's the first one. Don's good at his job and he recently got a big contract which enabled him to buy the boat. It seems unlikely that he's suddenly unable to pay his mortgage and too much of a coincidence.

Mr Lube is the lovable rogue and possibly the perfect foil for Nicola. They say opposites attract and in this case, it may be true. Only someone as laid back as he is would be able to live with her. The same rule probably doesn't apply to Robbie. In many ways, Nathan is the opposite of him, and we can already see it starting to cause problems. He didn't need Rory to point out Nathan's shortcomings, but the fact that he did is interesting. We all know Rory is a nice guy with a big heart, but he's also got strong opinions and he's not afraid to speak his mind. Robbie seems to have followed Rory's advice about the dangers of drugs, will he do the same when it comes to Nathan?

I'm not sure if Robbie's ready to be a dad at sixteen, and maybe he doesn't really want to. He knows it's out of his hands, so he wants people to know that he tried to do the right thing. He knows there's a good chance that this kid will show up at his door one day and demand an explanation, and he's probably right. At least the kid will know that it wasn't Robbie's fault. Who knows? When the kid reaches his teens, he may decide he wants Robbie in his life, and at that point, Stephanie will have no choice but to agree. It's an interesting timeline. When the kid is thirteen, Robbie will be a more mature twenty-nine, and the year will be 2024!

At college, Tristian was a bright student, a quick thinker and a comfortable conversationalist. He worked hard and showed remarkable self-discipline, but his targets often seemed unattainable. After meeting his father, I began to understand my boyfriend much better. The confidence he exuded at college seemed to desert him the moment his old man entered the room. The admiral was an imposing figure and, without doubt, a difficult act to follow. I felt sorry for Tristian, living in the shadow

I missed this article, but it’s never too late to comment on such an important issue. I fear people aren’t taking this threat seriously enough, but it is a threat that will affect everyone, particularly those involved in creative arts. You make a compelling case for human creativity and, as usual, use some good examples. Your article cheered me up a little because it reinforced my jaded optimism, but reading between the lines, I also detected a fair amount of hope and uncertainty. I don’t blame you for looking on the bright side, and I sincerely hope the points you make turn out to be true, but I can’t help thinking the opposite. Advances in technology have changed all our lives immeasurably in recent years, and most people would say for the better, but it’s reached a point where I wish it would stop. Enough is enough. I’m happy with spellcheckers, grammar apps, and Photoshop, but I want humans to do the creative bits. It’s just wishful thinking, but if I could freeze technology at this point, I would because I’m concerned that we are about to go past the point of no return. I’ve seen it happen before. I work in a creative trade that has been destroyed by computers, taking thousands of skilled jobs along the way. Craftsmen who spent their entire working lives perfecting their art were replaced by computer programs almost anyone can operate. They said it wouldn’t happen using the same arguments you use, and there’s no doubt people prefer quality hand-made items, but not when the alternative is half the price and twice as quick to produce. Artificial intelligence is still relatively new, but it will get a lot better. Better than we can possibly imagine, and it will happen so fast that we won’t be able to keep up. It sounds dramatic, but it’s unrealistic to believe this isn’t going to have a monumental impact on our lives. Thank you, @Comicality and @Mikiesboy, for addressing and discussing a serious issue that most people don’t seem to regard as a problem.

This book is on my list of possible reads. Thank you for your review.

Despite all the talk of love and being loyal to Nathan, I think we all know if there was an opportunity for Robbie to hook up with Rory, he wouldn't be able to resist. Nathan must realize this too, which is why he sees him as such a threat.

Loveable Rory is everyone's favourite character, and he's been a loyal friend to Robbie from the beginning. It's possible he has feelings for Robbie but is still confused about his sexuality.

Don has used bribery to keep his family in line for years. He knows they rely on his income to pay for their comfortable lifestyles and believes that he's indispensable. It's likely that he's simply being an asshole and trying to prove his point, but he's not doing himself or the family any favours and it will probably backfire. If he really hasn't got the money all of a sudden, then where has it all gone?

Thank you @Gary Linstalment. I'm glad you enjoyed the latest installment.

Mr Lube wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but despite his many faults, he had some endearing qualities and an oddball personality that was difficult to dislike. Helping him replace a few rotting decking boards in the backyard had to be better than being grounded for a week, and he seemed to have it all figured out. So, after a quick assessment, he grabbed some cash from Sue, and we headed into town to buy some materials from the Beer Store. Riding in his beloved Chevvy convertible wi

This is a lovely story, Parker and beautifully written. It's easy for families to become disconnected over time, even without a reason, but in this case, Rob was clearly to blame. Actions have consequences, and what he did with his friends was unacceptable and a crime that went unpunished and unrecorded. I can understand why Jamie would want to keep his brother in the dark, even after all those years, but it would have been sad had he never found out. It was somewhat satisfying that Ed was finally able to meet Rob and force him to confront his mistakes. This story also highlights the shortfalls and sometimes tragic consequences associated with insurance-based healthcare. Jamie's death and suffering were easily preventable. Thank you, Parker, for sharing this work with us. I wasn't aware that you stopped writing, but I'm glad it wasn't permanent.

Sorry, Steve. I must have forgotten to reply to this comment, but it definitely deserves a response. Judging by the other comments, I think most readers were pleased to see Robbie finally accepting Sue as his mother. It's been on the cards for some time, but it still came as a bit of a surprise to Sue, who has worked tirelessly to make Robbie feel a part of the family while doing her best to protect him from Don. Nathan is a fun-loving, popular, and seemingly perpetually horny boyfriend, but Robbie has never been comfortable with certain aspects of his personality. Despite all the talk of love and promises not to cheat on each other, their relationship still looks very fragile, and it's difficult to see it lasting past high school. Robbie seems like he has already accepted this and expects Nathan to move on as he potentially makes his way up the ladder in acting. Whether or not this opens the door to a possible relationship with his ever-dependable and unconvincingly straight friend, Rory, remains to be seen.

Despite his complaints about Conner, Robbie seems quite happy to accommodate Nathan in this way. Daniel may have come off slightly worse, but he proved that he can give as good as he gets, and Robbie may think twice before lashing out at his brother in the future. This could be a good thing. Don for sure won't leave of his own accord. He will cause as much disruption as he can.

I have to admit, that I was unaware of the word count, so thanks for pointing this out.

Robbie showed how caring he can be when he helped nurse Nathan following his attack, and he's proved in the past, particularly when it came to Alex, that he enjoys being dominated. However, it may be a mistake for Nathan to assume that Robbie will be content playing a subordinate role to his growing ego. Caring for Nathan's needs may prove to be a difficult and unrewarding task.