Dodger

The moment Adam sneaked Zack upstairs and lied to his mom, I knew he would once again allow his friend to talk him out of helping him. It's frustrating. This is how the abusers manage to get away with it for so long. Adam is naive though, as are the rest of Zack's friends. They need to report this, talk to their parents about it, and get the authorities involved before it's too late. Zack is in a dangerous place, he's given up and isn't capable or willing to defend himself. The next step is suicide and his friends are helping him do it. An adult would be able to recognize the signs and call the police, no matter what Zack says. Too many kids are lost this way. His friends have consistently let him down by keeping his secret. If they're not careful, they will have the rest of their lives to regret it. I don't agree with Zack's assessment of his mother either. This has been going on right under her nose for years. I cannot believe she doesn't know. She must realize her husband has serious issues. She should have been watching watching her son like a hawk for any sign of abuse. She's ignored bruises and covered for her evil spouse when she should have upped and left taking Zack with her. The poor kid has been let down by everyone. Great chapter to a thoroughly disturbing, but compelling story.

Well, it's no secret that Robbie has always been attracted to Rory and he no longer even bothers to hide it. Rory begrudgingly plays along with his games and before Rebecca, even his close friends and parents were convinced he was gay. Rory could be bi-sexual, of course, and I'm not going to rule anything out, but he's had plenty of opportunities to experiment if he had the desire.

Drat!!!! How many guesses do I get?

Robbie although disturbingly volatile at times has been trying to please Conner any way he can. He feels the need to compete with Conner's ex-boyfriend even though he lives too far away to be a problem. It's more a fear of rejection than a fear of losing Conner but he probably doesn't understand it. Thanks @Arran

Robbie will definitely continue with Jo or vice versa, he's not quite out of the woods yet as this chapter proves.

Okay, I was definitely expecting this. It's a difficult subject which I have tried to diplomatically skirt around for most of the story. Most of the works on this site particularly teen stories, tend to have little or no regard for safe sex. The word condom is never used in most of them. It's only fiction, I know, and not a true reflection of today's youth. It has its light-hearted moments, but I wanted this story to be reasonably realistic when it comes to sex, which in Robbie's case has been a collection of mostly bungled, sometimes frustrating, and occasionally even scary or painful experiences. The fact that he has generally used condoms up until this point, I believe is a much fairer reflection of teens in his era. They are much more responsible than some authors want people to believe. This is something that annoys me, so it's no surprise that I definitely do not condone unprotected sex, no matter what age or gender. It would be out of character, however, to expect Robbie not to try this when the opportunity arises and when he thinks it will be to his advantage. He has had numerous partners in a relatively short space of time, but he also has reason to believe he's safe. Considering his partners, their ages and experience at the time, it's almost certain this is the case, but Jo probably won't see it that way. Robbie tends to learn the hard way, and sometimes deserves what he gets, but on this occasion, I think the readers will be happy to spare him as long as he is able to recognize his mistakes. Above all, he's a survivor. The statement 'fed on a diet of religious bigotry etc' was aimed at Robbie's adopted parents and not Conner's. I have re-read this and I can see how it's easy to get confused, perhaps I should have made it clearer and will probably edit that line. Conner's parents, are probably the complete opposite to red-necked bigots, which is one of the reasons Robbie fears the worst. He knows from experience that Don will want to dig dirt on Conner and his parents, and has the resources to do so. Sorry if I rambled, Steve, but as you already know, I appreciate you asking these questions. It's what I expected.

I think Jo will have plenty to say to Robbie, but Conner has taken his mind off what happened with Alex and that has to be good.

An inferiority complex and an overwhelming fear of rejection makes Robbie who he is. He hides his insecurities by jumping on other people's shortcomings and drawing sympathy. A lot of people will see it as double standards, maybe even as self-destructive, but Robbie is convinced he's in the right. Both boys have feelings for their ex-boyfriends, but the worst Robbie has done is flirt with Nathan. I don't think that's cheating, but what Conner did, on numerous occasions, almost certainly is, and it doesn't exactly help with Robbie's insecurities. A stupid incident with Stephanie kind of weakens his argument, but it was good that he confessed rather than try to cover it up. Unsurprisingly, considering their backgrounds, Conner is much better equipped to deal with all this than Robbie. He's a lot more balanced because he's been brought up in a family where problems are discussed rather than swept under the carpet.

Not what I thought it meant but a perfect description for an old enemy of mine and local bully. Much more polite than the words I used to use to describe him.

Arguing during their first night together can't be a good sign, even if Robbie was being a bit of a prat.

I don't think Robbie has ever really believed it was going to work with Conner, yet everyone else does. Maybe he's not willing to get too attached to him, knowing how easy it would be for Don to ruin it. After all the problems he's faced at home, I'm not sure if he's really looking for a regular boyfriend and at times Conner looks like a poor match.

Yeah, that's quite an insult, especially after the day they had. Thanks @Wesley8890

Someone has to put a name on the board, so I'm going for @comicfan

I sat cross-legged, cold, and naked on Conner’s bed as he made light work of undressing. A sweater, t-shirt, and vest, all found their way to the floor in quick succession, revealing a smooth chest, and a well-defined set of pecs. He had an athlete’s body that put mine to shame and a sudden and distinctive body odour that I found disturbingly alluring. His pants took a little longer; he had to wiggle them off his thighs and pull them over his calf muscles while balancing awkwardly on one leg

Heeeeeelllllllllllllloooooo!!! Looks like no one's in. ¬ Just the sound of crickets ¬ Hope everyone had a good Christmas.

Robbie's behaviour during the long run up to their relationship was a little odd. He seemed unwilling to commit himself and refused offers to visit Conner at his farm. There was a good reason behind this as we know, which Conner is still unaware of. He assumes Robbie's reluctance to get involved in anything physical was mostly down to inexperience and a strict family. Conner may not know Robbie that well yet, but he likes what he's seen so far, and he's relieved that he's finally accepted his invitation to visit. We know his family were concerned about him spending so much time on his own and felt guilty for taking him away from his childhood friend and only boyfriend, Derrick. We don't know too much about Conner's state of mind prior to meeting Robbie, but it obviously worried his sister enough to search for potential friends for him. I think a lot of his exuberance stems from his isolation, lack of friends, and losing his boyfriend. He has invested a lot in Robbie and, of course, he's also excited by the prospect of sex. It will take some time for Robbie to adjust to Conner's family and their attitude to sex and relationships. They have rules and don't encourage their children to have sex, but they don't believe it's dirty or immoral either. Not what Robbie is used to at all.

Thanks @Arran I think Robbie would prefer to skip breakfast altogether. Maybe Conner's parents will spare him any blushes.

Don would gladly pay for Robbie to go back to England and must be regretting the effort he put in to persuading him to go to Canada in the first place. There are reasons why Don can't do this and one of them is Robbie's citizenship status. By returning to Canada, Robbie would have surrendered his right of abode in the UK and will need to wait until he's eighteen to apply for joint citizenship. He will be able to get this because his mother was English, but until then he can only visit for a holiday and would not be entitled to schooling, healthcare, etc. The other reason, of course, is Sue, who is unlikely to allow Robbie to leave the family, no mater what Don says.

This is a good point. It's an exciting time for both boys and for Conner it's an opportunity to replace his lost soulmate, best friend, and boyfriend. He's bound to be a little enthusiastic and I hope Robbie is able to understand this and find a compromise.

Thanks @Timothy M. I think Conner and his family will be good for Robbie. It's early days and Christmas time so it's likely Conner will calm down a little when things get back to normal. Robbie should bear this in mind and not be too hasty. His real problem is, as usual, at home. Let's see what happens when Don realizes that Conner's parents don't share his draconian views on sex and relationships.

I agree with much of this. Conner has a lot to offer and his family are a world apart from Robbie's. I think he's very fortunate to have a boyfriend like Conner and we can see how much Rory has benefited from his relationship with Rebecca. Robbie could do with some self-confidence and a level-headed guy like Conner may help him to avoid some of the mistakes he's prone to making. Sometimes he needs someone to tell him what to do. It goes further than just sex.

Merry Christmas @Butcher56. Going back to Tom may prove impossible even if both boys wanted it, and at the moment there's no real evidence of this. The UK and Canada share a lot of things, but they don't have an open border, and contrary to what a lot of people think, both countries have tight immigration controls. It would be difficult for Tom to get Canadian citizenship, without which his stay would be limited to six months. Robbie would be able to apply for dual nationality because his mother was English, but it's still not easy and until then he wouldn't be permitted to reside in the UK. Conner seems like a far easier option and he does have a lot to offer if Robbie keeps his head and doesn't make anymore stupid decisions.

Thank you @Wesley8890 for your continued support. Merry Christmas my friend.

We'll have to see how this one pans out. Both boys will have to make adjustments if they want to progress. It's difficult at the moment to see how Tom and Robbie could get together, except for the occasional holiday.

Meeting the boyfriend's parents is a little nerve wracking for most people and Robbie is no exception. He also needs his space, which Conner will have to respect if they are to move forward. They may have known each other for a few months, but not very well and I think Robbie's right to say their relationship starts that day. It helps both boys out of a sticky situation, but there can be no more transgressions from either one. Conner, of course, is no more Swedish than Rory is English, or Fran is Italian, in a land made up almost entirely of immigrants. They all try to keep and hand down their culture and traditions before falling, inevitably into the melting pot. But every nationality brings something to the table. Canada may perceive itself to be progressive but as far as sex is concerned, it's still very stuffy, and more akin to the UK than Scandinavia. Most teenagers would love to be have a boyfriend whose family were like Conner's, but it can also be difficult and uncomfortable for someone like Robbie, especially after living with Don and Sue.