Dodger

Funny thing is, I've always considered this story to be a soap opera, but I was thinking more along the lines of Coronation Street (sixty years). Hang on in there, buddy. The end is closer than you think. I was putting the finishing touches to the epilogue over the weekend. I don't want to give too much away but it won't surpass 150.

The final part of the chapter does imply that the boys had some kind of discussion which resulted in Conner making some concessions. Maybe I should have made this clearer because it seems like a lot of people missed this. It's quite relevant to the story because it shows that Conner is willing to try new things and why shouldn't he, it makes sense. Robbie is continually making references about how Conner will need to change but it would have been pointless discussing this at a party. What's less clear is how Robbie will act when it comes to dealing with Alex. Maybe he would have been better off insisting that Alex meets him at the house.

I didn't know there was such a thing as a nice stay in a detention facility, and I can't think of anything Robbie's done that would warrant it either. Unless I'm missing something, the only law he's broken is underage drinking, which is unlikely to lead to a custodial sentence, unless he was robbing the beer store to do it. Now Alex, of course, is no stranger to breaking the law, although he would see it not so much as a choice, but as a necessity, for his and his brother's survival. Despite what Alex did to him, Robbie still sees him as a victim and wants to help him, which should be commended. Although he shouldn't try to do this on his own. If anyone should be serving time, it's probably Alex's parents. I think it's worth remembering also that Robbie's only sixteen and these are only high school romances. Whoever he dates, it's unlikely to last forever. He's not choosing a husband here or a lifetime partner, even Robbie wouldn't be dumb enough to think that. He's only choosing a boyfriend to have some fun with. They don't really need to be mature, I certainly wasn't at their age and I didn't have the benefit of Robbie's considerable wealth. It's fair to say, no matter who he hooks up with, or what decisions he makes, Robbie's money will give him a better than average chance in today's world.

Robbie didn't do himself any favours in the beginning by allowing Conner to have things all his own way. Nathan flirts with everyone but you're right because he does care about Robbie and Daniel. We don't know what's going on with Ginny's cousin, but Nathan didn't arrive with him, he was just a guest at the party. We only know about him through Robbie's jealous eyes and wild imagination.

Of course, it's entirely possible the poor girl just ate something that disagreed with her. This has kept me amused for hours. One dodgy sandwich and next thing she's being carted off for an abortion or a shotgun marriage to her best friend's gay brother!

Robbie will see things a little different, of course. He thinks he was just having fun with those guys, although flirting with them was obviously pretty dumb. He may need to make a better decision when it comes to dealing with Alex.

Haha, you're right. Robbie doesn't need alcohol to get him in the mood for sex, but deliberately trying to get himself grounded to avoid sleeping with his boyfriend is not a good sign either.

Finding the right chapter title that doesn't give too much away but still has some relevance has always been difficult for me. This was potentially a very dangerous game for Robbie to be playing, although he did recognize it at the end. He wasn't quite stupid enough to accept the drugs, more tequila, or to leave the party with them, but he shouldn't have put himself in that position in the first place. Perhaps he wanted to get one over on Conner by flirting with older guys, but in this case it could have badly backfired on him. Alcohol affects people's judgement and a sober Daniel seemed more aware of the potential danger than Robbie, but perhaps I'm being kind. Robbie's immediate problem is whether he should trust Alex enough to meet him somewhere without telling anyone.

My boyfriend relaxed his grip on my waist just enough for me to turn around. At least we could kiss in the open without having to worry about upsetting anyone. There was a lot of it going on around us, and a high percentage of the couples were male. “Happy New Year, Conner.” I considered it a good start. It was, after all, a big improvement from the year before when I wasn’t even sure of my sexuality. Now I was able to kiss a boy in the open without anyone batting an eyelid. ‘I gotta

This is me also. I'm usually good on my own. I've been self-isolating out of choice for years and never had a problem, but now I'm forced to do it 24 hours a day, I'm climbing the walls. I've noticed the people who are telling me to stay indoors all the time aren't on their own. It's a lot easier for them because having just one other person to talk to makes a huge difference. It's difficult for me to concentrate on anything productive because I'm so stressed. This comes not from fear of the virus but from the harsh consequences employed to defeat it. Amnesty International has always considered solitary confinement a torture and an abuse of human rights. My sanity has taken a real bashing lately. Having read this again, perhaps I shouldn't moan. I don't mean to seem ungrateful for what I've got. My house is quite comfortable and does not resemble a prison cell in any way. I can also go out for a walk whenever I feel the need, so it's hardly solitary confinement. I understand my hardship is nothing compared with the many thousands of front-line workers who are risking their lives daily to keep us safe, healthy and fed. Big, big, thanks to all of them.

It's odd because it seems to be the more free time I have the less I get done. This time last year I was working almost every day and sometimes really long hours with a lot of driving. Despite lots of ideas, by the time I finished work, I was generally too tired to write. I would have given anything for a month indoors. Now that has happened, I've done even less writing than when I didn't have any time. I've become suspended in time, stuck in my own Groundhog Day where I'm doing the same thing each day, which is basically a little more than nothing. An interesting side note. The cable company sent out an engineer today to install a new set-top digital box to the TV. It's not that difficult to do, but they are no longer allowed inside your house so he had to leave the box on the doorstep and then talk me through the installation process on the phone from the safety of his van. He was no more than 10 yards away from me, so we didn't need to speak by phone, but he wouldn't get out of his van. I am not sick, by the way, and he probably wasn't either. This is the new norm, but who would have believed it just a few months ago. That's the most interesting thing that's happened to me in weeks.

Is that California State or California Nation?

When I was living in the UK they found a dead body in our local reservoir and there were concerns about lead in the drinking water. Not saying it's any better here though. Canada has more fresh water lakes than the rest of the world put together. Clean water is one thing that should not be a problem here, but they still mess around with it, adding fluoride and crap, then charge you for the pleasure.

This is very true. I did a lot of research a couple of years ago for my story "A Soldier's Guide to Single Parenting." This was set in 1978, ten years after the main character was supposed to be in the Vietnam war. That was the reason I chose that year, but when I started researching and asking people I knew about the late seventies, I was surprised by how different things were. I did a lot more research than was needed because I became interested. I don't think we appreciate just how much attitudes have changed for the better since the sixties and seventies. Maybe it's because the changes have been gradual.

I love this. It portrays the frustrations and uncertainties we all have about a largely unknown enemy. They're beautiful to read, but I also hope you don't have to write too many of them, and there's a better ending than most people are expecting.

It's getting increasingly difficult to keep people guessing how this ends. It's clear there is a mutual attraction with Robbie and Nathan that has always been there and when that happens, there's not much anyone can say to stop them. However, don't relax, this story isn't going to just fizzle out.

Probably not a good move dating Conner. It's a pity because his family are really nice and his best friend is dating Conner's sister, which is cool but maybe too good to be true.

There's no doubt that Robbie would also be concerned about young Luke, but asking about him wouldn't have been a waste of time. By helping Alex he would also be helping Luke, but to do that he has to gain Alex's trust. He has to hope now that Alex will call him. If he needs help then there's no reason why he wouldn't. Robbie was the only person he trusted. Robbie has always been obsessed with Nathan. In the beginning he describes him as incredibly talented, clever, funny, and stunningly good-looking. His descriptions now are a little more realistic, a skinny fem-boy who's probably not as good-looking as Conner. He's able to question the unpredictable nature of physical attraction which doesn't follow any rules. Now he has a dilemma. Should he follow his heart and try to get back with Nathan, which would almost certainly create huge problems at home, or opt for an easy life by knuckling down with Conner? If he chooses Nathan, he's unlikely to want to break up with Conner that night. I know they haven't been together for very long and Conner hasn't proved the best of partners, but Robbie isn't that uncaring.

You're quite right, Alex is a victim and I think Robbie recognizes this more than most. He could, perhaps, be forgiven for turning his back on his friend after what happened but he won't. From the beginning, Robbie has had a connection with Alex that few understood, and in many ways has been his only real friend. The problem is, how can he help him without alerting the authorities?

Tom would be a real surprise, Conner less so, Nathan probably favourite, but it doesn't have to be male. I shouldn't encourage this. The cliffhanger was only added at the last minute and I wasn't sure whether to use it or not. Unless they're crucial to the plot they can distract people from more important developments in the story. Sometimes this has been useful but maybe not at this stage. There are some big clues in this chapter as to how the story will end.

The story is set ten years before the horrors we're seeing today, so Robbie and co are able to live fairly normal lives and go outside of the houses. Don't worry, that virus can't stop fiction. The more it attacks us, the more I'm going to write about people hugging, kissing, touching, and breathing on each other. Just like the good old days.

Daniel hasn't shown a lot of interest in girl's up until now, but there has to be someone in the story who isn't obsessed with sex. Everyone else seems to be at it. Even Rory's taken the plunge. The whole cast could probably do with a few months of social distancing.

It's living in Cobourg. Those small sleepy beach towns are notorious. Nothing else for the local teens to do. I fear innocent Robbie has been corrupted by the brazen youth of this town.

Alex is in a bit of a state. He needs help but not from Robbie.

Something's wrong if your making excuses not to sleep with your boyfriend after a week! I suspect that soon farmer Bob may have to sow his seeds someplace else.