Dodger

Unfortunately, this story had to be paused and has remained this way for a lot longer than I anticipated, but it hasn't been abandoned and there are new chapters ready to be posted as soon as it's completed. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks for your comment. I went to school in the UK but I wasn't fortunate enough to attend a private or public school, as you correctly point out. Like the majority of British kids, I went to a state school, or comprehensive. I'm glad you found this story. Unfortunately, it's been on hold for quite a while now while I concentrated on other things, and I've only just returned to it. I want to finish the story before posting any more chapters, but I expect to start doing that soon.

I certainly wouldn't be looking forward to a boat trip with the pastor, even in perfect conditions.

Mr Lube is a strange character and someone who seems totally at odds with Nicola. They make an unlikely couple and Robbie can never quite work it out.

Don often behaves like a child, and it seems like the pastor doesn't have a lot of respect for him, so maybe Robbie is more mature than the man who is responsible for looking after him.

Anything's possible. That would be interesting. If this is the case then Buffy may be the only one with a clear conscience.

Rory might wish he was back on the farm with his ex-girlfriend, but he enjoys hanging out with Robbie and it's an opportunity to have some fun outside of school. The pastor will want to go ahead with the trip even if the forecast is bad. Maybe he believes his faith will protect him from anything bad happening.

Probably not ideal conditions for your first sailing lesson, but Robbie should be grateful that Don couldn't go.

The hour had gone forward to summertime, the days were getting longer, and even baseball was back on television, but in Southern Ontario, it still felt like winter. So far, spring had been little more than a series of false alarms and the week leading up to Easter brought more rain and cold winds. They weren't ideal conditions to be out on the lake, and now I no longer needed to talk to Matthew; I was starting to regret my decision to go sailing with his father. Spending a day on a boat wit

Well done, Mawgrim.

It definitely hurts when someone just ups and leaves like that without an explanation, just when you think everything's going smoothly. it knocks you for six and destroys your confidence, but let's put this into context. This was an online relationship, and as far as I can tell, they never even met, kissed, or went on a single date. It's not like he was living with the guy for five years. In the ever-changing high-tech world it's possible to do almost anything online and the advent free internet video calls has been a real game-changer, but it's nothing like the real thing, and we should be thankful it isn't. To consider ending your life because of a virtual relationship is a little extreme. That's what you get online. It's easy to be fooled into thinking you're in a relationship, but it only takes a single click of the mouse and you're on your own again staring at a blank screen. That's not how it is in real life and if Colin doesn't understand that then there's no hope for him. It sounds cold but if I were Russ, I'd be looking for the nearest exit, but I know he won't because that would ruin the story.

Thanks, @Parker Owens. Reading this at the end of a long and tiring day was a pleasant surprise. It certainly woke me up and got my attention. Like drinking a dozen expressos. I found it powerful and erotic, yet shamelessly inviting. I'm looking forward to more.

Glad I wasn't the only one to make that mistake.

Sorry @CiaI've been working on something for this challenge, but ran out of time and missed the deadline.

Thanks, Steve. I have been trying to back both sides of this discussion, because there are worthy arguments that I find it difficult to dismiss. In the story, Robbie is just as confused. Stephanie has taken responsibility for what happened and she deserves a lot of credit for that. He's totally off the hook and no one can blame him for walking away because it's not his decision. Stephanie seemed surprised when he didn't jump at the opportunity and a lot of what she said made perfect sense, but human emotions aren't always logical. I think Robbie did well to resist the easy option. He has often drawn criticism for his naivety, but on this occasion, I believe he has shown remarkable maturity for a sixteen-year-old who is under enormous pressure. He clearly wants to do the right thing and his suggestion that they wait until the baby's born before making a decision, was entirely reasonable. Stephanie dismissed that option and maybe for a reason. When the baby's born everything changes. Human nature kicks in and it will take a will of iron for him to walk away. Either way it's going to be impossible for him to avoid seeing the kid, so it makes sense not to rush into decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. He was right to question the influence of her parents and their silence on the subject was a big clue that he picked up on straight away. It's difficult to know for sure who's right, but it's worth bearing in mind that circumstances change over time. What may seem like the best move now, may be regrettable in the future. Sixteen years goes by very quickly, and that's all it will take before the kid is the same age as Robbie and asking the same questions about his dad. I had to laugh over your comment about Matthew and you're absolutely right. If the pastor or Symmonds found Jo's card, it would be like finding porn magazine on him, or even worse a gay porn magazine.

So, Brandon's name is out there in tinsel town. Chandler is a cool friend who doesn't like the fakeness of Hollywood, but has to go to the party. I love him.

Glad to hear Jimmy's doing well even if he is a rival for Billy's affections. We all know what's to come, but reading from a different perspective is interesting and, as always, very entertaining.

'I’m so afraid of fucking this up that I’m fucking this up anyway because I’m so scared I’m fucking this up! What the hell?' I know exactly how this feels. Great chapter.

That sounds extremely painful. There's quite a big jib on that boat, so perhaps Mr. Lube will come in useful after all! I agree, Nicola could do with a big dose of humility, but she has vowed never to have children, and somehow I don't see Mr. Lube slipping up in the same way as our protagonist or even Don.

Poor Billy. But a bigger prize is heading his way.

Nice chapter. I like it when the magic works, but WOW it works quickly, and Ernesto doesn't exactly waste any time.

Another cool article with some excellent points. The villains always interest me and I try to make the reader at least understand their actions. I love the use of video clips as examples, but I have to resist playing them straight away. As a kid, whenever I read an illustrated book I would have to leaf through all the pages to look at the pictures first.

After a couple of days of -20C (-4F) today's high of -4C (24F) felt like summer, but heavy snow is forecast for tonight and tomorrow! That should please my dog, he's well equipped for snowy conditions.

I think Robbie is torn between his own experiences as a child and the realities of being a father. He was hurt by Stephanie's decision, but he has offered no alternative and shown very little interest in her predicament. If he wants to have a role in the kid's future then he will need to show that he understands what's required of him and the sacrifices he will have to make. Robbie and Stephanie will be seventeen and eighteen respectively when the baby is born. It's a little young to be taking on such a responsibility but not impossible, especially with supportive parents and in a progressive society. You make a good point about his lack of family experience. Robbie didn't like the idea of David potentially taking his role as a father, but there's more to being a dad than taking the kid to a football game. Don is always going to be a problem, but he could prove to be an unlikely ally if Robbie decides he wants to be involved in the kid's life. Robbie becoming a father would suit Don down to the ground.

This is very true although I'm not sure what more Robbie can do if Stephanie decides to go ahead with her plan. Robbie's motives seem to be based entirely on his own experiences growing up without a father, but is that a good enough reason for him to want to take on such a huge responsibility, and will he be able to make the necessary sacrifices that go with it?