Dodger

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.

There was a little over half a day remaining before the end of the year, and I was still in my bed with no intention of getting up. I had my reasons. After a tumultuous twelve months in which my life had changed beyond all recognition, I didn’t want to take a chance on anything else going wrong. It was easier to blame all my misfortunes on a year rather than admit to making mistakes, or being a victim of circumstance. Now with the end in sight, my bed seemed like the safest place to be.

Thanks Parker for a great review. It was a nice surprise. I will add this to my list of stories to read.

@lilansui I’ve just spent a good half-an-hour browsing through your list of stories, and it’s impressive. You must be able to write in your sleep. I have to admit, up until now, I’ve been shamefully unaware of your work, but I intend to put this right. I'll be following you in the future but not in a bad way, I'm not a stalker or anything, and even if I was, I'm only after your stories. Well done, my friend.

Hey Gary. Obviously they mean well, but you're right, because it's quite sad as well.

I'm also a little confused by this, but I want to remain neutral.

You make some good points as always, @NimirRaj You're right about Nathan. He knows exactly what he's doing and he's aware that Robbie still has feelings for him. It seems like he's trying his best to scupper his ex-boyfriend's relationship with Conner. He may feel he's justified in doing this. It's difficult to ignore your feelings for someone especially if you believe they feel the same way. However, if this is the case, then Nathan should lay his hand on the table and be straight with Robbie about how he feels and then back off. Robbie can choose without having to cheat. Either way someone gets hurt, but it's only high school. Robbie may be better off on his own for a while. Forget about boyfriends and concentrate on his schoolwork.

Wild horses wouldn't stop him. Rory ticks all of Robbie's boxes except one. He's not gay.

Haha, Don isn't quite the size of an elephant but he's not going to feature in any weight loss ads, should he ever get the job. As for Nathan, Don has always seen him as a threat to his family and had all but succeeded in wrecking his friendship with Daniel when Robbie arrived on the scene. His subsequent relationship with Nathan was unacceptable to Don and one of the reasons why he exploded. In his mind, Robbie betrayed him by dating Nathan after Don had given him a home and a new life. If Robbie gets back with him then Don won't be too happy and it's likely that one or all of them will end up in an elephant sized hole in the garden.

Tom seems to have a lot of fans considering he only plays a bit part in the story. Thanks for commenting @James B. your vote has been counted.

That's right, Nathan made it easy for Don, because he fits his preconceived idea of a gay male. Even if Don is aware of their relationship, Conner would be a much safer option for him than his sworn enemy Nathan. In Don's twisted mind, Conner looks and acts like a normal boy and he lives in the middle of nowhere. Considering his limited options, Don would likely accept this as a lesser of the two evils. Maybe that's why he's so happy. I agree about the gym. If anyone's a stereotype, of course, it's Don. I think we all know people like him wherever we are in the world. They're all exactly the same.

Alex does seem like the bookies favourite. You're absolutely right about the sex. That needs to be addressed quickly before both of them become complacent and accepting. If Robbie prefers throwing snowballs then something's wrong. I doubt if that would have happened with Nathan even when their relationship turned a little sour.

Yeah, the fight scene with Nicola was written from personal experience. Robbie is lucky in that respect. I have more than one older sister. Don's office is in Toronto, which as you know, is quite a journey from Cobourg, but he doesn't go there every day and he sometimes stays in the city. This makes him very unpredictable, which has always been a problem for Robbie who has no idea if or when he's going to be at home. Sue would most likely have a better idea. I think if Robbie was attracted to Conner in the same way as he was/still is attracted to Nathan, he would have been at his door a lot sooner instead of continually putting him off in the beginning. Robbie may have felt it was the right thing to do to be with Conner, but their relationship is already flat. Robbie can either try to live with it and hope things improve or follow his heart and try to get back with Nathan, who may be unwilling to do the same. He may also want to consider the impact of such a move on his parents. Don seems happy with Conner but how will he react if Robbie gets back with Nathan. Another option would be to simply not have a boyfriend for a while. It seems to be working okay for Nathan.

Robbie and Conner are getting on but their frequent disagreements are not a good sign at such an early stage of their relationship. Conner needs to listen to Robbie and respect his wishes. Robbie is attracted to strong characters but he also needs some breathing space. His continued attraction to Nathan is worrying and unlikely to go away.

I can't imagine Don giving up his family values that easily, so we have to assume he's got something up his sleeve. Robbie is also suspicious, but he may be jumping to conclusions with Sue and Mr Andrews. We'll see.