Dodger

Nathan has too much personality to write off. They got together because it was convenient more than anything else but there was certainly an attraction on both sides. Nathan will definitely feel that Robbie was holding him back, while Robbie will feel that Nathan was trying to get away. They're both guilty of being teenagers and blowing the whole thing out of proportion. Come on Robbie/Nathan, get over it. It was just a high school romance. It was never going to last forever. Robbie had plenty of opportunities to talk to Nathan about Alex. Things may have been different if he had been more honest. We are, of course, only hearing Robbie's side of the story.

Alex has been fairly subdued because he was recovering from the injuries inflicted by his dad. Now that he's back to full health, we're starting to see more of the old villain creeping in. This was more than just a squabble over a photograph. It was an opportunity for Alex to re-establish himself as the dominant male (Don excluded) and remind Robbie of the pecking order. The problem is, it will only make him more appealing to Robbie, whose interest in the bad boy has lessened somewhat since his arrival and recent good behavior. A domesticated Alex doesn't quite do it for Robbie, but the rest of the family could be in for a bit of a shock if he returns to his old ways.

I think Robbie has learned from his mistakes. He's not so gullible now and he understands how important Rory has been to him throughout. The contrast between his home environment and Rory's is undeniable, but he was able to see the same difference at Nathan's house. Two completely different friends but both have benefited from good parents and enjoy a very secure home life. Robbie hasn't been so fortunate. Unfortunately, he is still drawn towards the bad boys and glitter even though he realizes the possible dangers involved.

Yes, he's a lovable character and a good friend to Robbie. He deserves to have some fun.

In the right circumstances, I'm sure Robbie wouldn't object to being tied up himself, but this was simply a case of him helping his slightly tipsy friend after a fun evening out together. I'm sure most people, have been in similar situations, gay or straight, it makes no difference. My very straight friend had to almost carry me home once after one too many strong ales in England. Only he wasn't so gracious. I was left on the couch while he took my bed! I remember waking up in the middle of the night in just my underwear freezing, with only a thin sheet covering me and wondering how I got there. Desperate for warmth and sleep, I did the only sensible thing and jumped in with him. He didn't mind, it was my bed after all! Alex, of course, will always read more into it, because he's never experienced a friendship that doesn't involve some kind of abuse. He would also have helped Rory, but the outcome would have been a lot different. Alex will probably hit on Rebecca and Conner, and see nothing wrong in it, but there will come a time when he has to take some responsibility for his actions.

The streets of Cobourg were dark, cold, and mostly deserted, but Rory and I were glowing and still full of zest as we began the short walk back to his house. Despite an inauspicious and clumsy start, Fran’s Halloween party was fun and a huge success, especially for the Blues Brothers. Everyone knew I wasn’t overjoyed by my ex-girlfriend’s attempt to set me up with a blind date, and if Rory hadn’t agreed to go with me, I probably would have cancelled. Now, I had to admit it would have been a

Thanks @SolarMaxx. To be honest, I'm not sure how often blind dates work out either. The one and only time I agreed to something like that was a total disaster. Maybe Robbie will have better luck. He's due a slice of good fortune and Conner seems like a nice boy, but first of all Robbie needs to concentrate on his health.

The river in London, Ontario is called The Thames River, whereas the much larger and more famous river in London, England is called The River Thames. London, Ontario also has the world's oldest baseball park still in use, and is the birthplace of Justin Bieber, your favourite pop star.

I doubt if Don will allow Robbie to stay with a gay man and he definitely wouldn't want him to go back to England. Probably the only place he would be allowed to stay would be Fran's house, which is probably the most dangerous place he could be. Surrounded by alcohol. Looks like Robbie may need to be hospitalized again if he is to get proper rest.

Thanks Tony. We have to hope this is not the case, but Robbie should be more honest about the way he's feeling and not try to hide it.

Thanks @tesao. I think both boys were unashamedly drooling over Conner's sister's description of her twin. Trying to out-drool each other. We will see what happens but first, Robbie will need to focus on his health and mental issues.

Ook. Thanks for mentioning the Librarian. I wasn't familiar with Terry Pratchett's work, but your comment pushed me to do a little research and I've ordered The Colour of Magic. I believe this is the first book of Discworld.. It looks interesting and it's the kind of book I would have enjoyed reading when i was younger. I'm not really sure what those things are on the side of Thor's (Marvel version) head, but according to Rory, they're wings and they're on the guy's helmet. In England, I once met twins, male and female, who were almost impossible to tell apart. They were much younger than Conner and his sister and they were obviously going to change as they got older, but this is where I got the idea. Thanks @Timothy M. I'll let you know how I get on and what I think of The Colour of Magic.

I think the school and the police will be taking it seriously but without any new leads or information, there's not a lot more that can be done. Robbie has never been interested in finding out who did it or for what reason. He prefers to to think of it as an accident because it's easier for him to deal with it that way. This is an interesting point and I have to admit I was also wondering yesterday how it was Nathan that suddenly became so unpopular. I have suggested that perhaps Don will be more accepting of the new boy but I wasn't being critical of Nathan. It was more a swipe at Don's inability to cope with Nathan's camp side. Let's face it, Nathan has done little wrong that we know of and certainly Robbie still has a lot of feelings for his ex-boyfriend. He still believes he made a mistake by walking away and not contacting him and maybe he did. Take heart, Nathan is a central character in this story and still has a part to play. I'm trying to go easy on the guy. He hasn't had the best of years. Thanks for your interesting comments @Freerider sorry it took a while to reply.

Conner may be the type of boyfriend Robbie needs and a perfect antidote for his post-Nathan sadness.

You're right, it certainly isn't the best environment for Robbie to be in and it hasn't helped his recovery from what was a very serious injury. The good news is, he has made some very good friends who can have been and will continue to help him. He needs to inform the hospital about his dizzy spells instead of trying to cover up his problems in the hope they will go away.

I think Robbie was pleasantly surprised by Conner. He wasn't happy with the fact that Fran arranged for them to meet, and who could blame him for being nervous when the guy's in a gorilla suit, but it seems to have worked out well. As for his continuing health issues, all I can say at the moment is you seem to have researched this quite thoroughly.

I think Don and Sue will definitely prefer the straight-looking, deep-voiced, farm boy from Saskatchewan than the camp, thespian, Nathan. Don may be disappointed when he realizes Robbie has no intention of trying to get back with Fran, but will no doubt see Conner as the lesser of the two evils. After all, with Don, it's all about perception. He cares little about reality, only how things look. Even a guy who works in advertising could do little to disguise the well-known, overtly gay, Nathan, but Conner will be a much easier proposition for him. I'm not saying that Nathan is wrong for being that way or that Robbie was wrong for dating him. It's definitely Don's fault for not being able to accept people who are a little different, but we all know how it works, and having Conner as a boyfriend may help ease the pressure on Robbie at home. That can only be good but Don will probably regard it as a victory. He was never comfortable with Nathan. There are a lot of Amish people in the area around Cobourg and particularly further east. The horse and buggies are a common sight on the roads around there and there has been a few horrible accidents in the past, particularly at night. You can imagine how dangerous it is on an unlit and often windy road, when a car traveling at 80 kph suddenly meets a horse-drawn buggy traveling at less than half the speed. When you consider the buggies and anyone riding in them are all in black and impossible to see at night. They had to pass legislation forcing them to have reflective stickers on the back of the buggies and I'm not sure if they are allowed to use the roads at night anymore but it's a crazy situation considering the current health and safety mania.

Yes, one half of the Blues Brothers chatting to a gorilla, is a very random and part of the fun, I suppose, of fancy dress parties. Although I'm not a great fan of them myself. Robbie may have to learn to drive though if he plans on having a relationship with this boy from out of town. I can't see Don agreeing to any sleepovers.

Robbie will perhaps try to see this as a turning point in his fortunes but you're quite right about hos medical issues. He knows that he's not right and he also believes it could be a serious problem but he will most likely continue to sweep it under the carpet until it's no longer possible to hide it. This is never a good thing and he should go back to the hospital or at least tell Sue what's happening to him. Maybe Connor will bring some common sense to the table if it's not too late. Robbie is heading in the right direction. He potentially has some good friends now, who can help him through this difficult period. People like Rory and possibly now Connor, are a better option than the self-obsessed Nathan, and troublesome Alex, but less exciting.

Yeah, Connor is the opposite to Nathan in many ways and may provide some stability in Robbie's life. This good old-fashioned country boy who doesn't draw attention to himself may actually prove more acceptable to Don than his very colourful and camp predecessor.

It seems that Robbie has given up on Nathan, at least for now anyway. They weren't always a good match and of course there were the inevitable problems which came with dating his brother's best friend. Isn't Connor, Woody's brother's friend? It's confusing but they are quite different personalities, and I think the reserved farm boy from the mid-west, may prove better fit for Robbie. That's if they can find a solution to the obvious logistical problem of having a boyfriend who is only accessible by car. I think stress is definitely a trigger for Robbie's health issues but he needs tell people whats happening and not keep trying to disguise it in the hope that it will go away. He's frightened, but of course, it will only get worse.

Maybe Conner will help Robbie realize there's life after Nathan.

It was Nathan's intention to meet him. I guess he didn't get an invite to the party. Dizzy spells are definitely not a good thing, particularly for someone so young. The Blues Brothers is one of my favourite movies and of course, an inexpensive costume, providing you've got a suit. Oh and the dark glasses!

I arrived at Rory’s house a little earlier than expected. His dad answered the door. “Come on in, Elwood, or is it Jake?” I shrugged my shoulders and smiled politely. “We haven’t sorted that bit out yet.” He laughed, gave me a pat on the back, and sent me upstairs to his son’s room. The door was ajar, so I pushed it open to find my friend, still in his underwear. He was sitting on his bed pulling on his socks when he turned to me and gestured with his hand. “Shut the door!” S

Love this chapter @MrM Particularly the ending. I was urging Brandon to reveal a little more in the note. Maybe take a bit of chance. The love heart may have been a good idea. It's difficult to know especially at that age. I love the way Brandon gets so wound up over Sam. Next chapter should be good.