Dodger

It seems the cracks are appearing! 😏 Or maybe they've been there all along and Robbie's only just noticed.

Well, we do know that Rory has never had a girlfriend so who knows. We may as well throw his hat in the ring for him. if only to make it interesting. Jamie may not be able to live a near normal lifespan but he is on the ball as far as his illness is concerned and this is a big plus for him. He knows everything about his condition and can monitor and treat it as well as any doctor. As we know, people who can do this usually live longer and better quality lives. Thanks @droughtquake hope you enjoyed Frameline42.

Alex does seem to have dropped his guard a little now that he no longer has to cope with his father and his older brother isn't on the scene anymore. He's still a work in progress but Robbie has obviously seen enough good in him to want to help him and be his friend. Alex deserves some luck, then maybe one day he will have the confidence to come out of the closet and find some kind of happiness. For someone who has played only a small part in the story so far, Jamie has been remarkably popular. Some of it is down to his illness but I think a lot of it is to do with his cheerful personality and his determination to live as normal a life as possible with a very debilitating illness. His 'no-problem' approach to Robbie and Nathan's relationship must have won a few people over as well. Thanks CG.

Thanks for reading and commenting @deville I hope you enjoyed the story.

Thanks for reading and commenting @AusGlitterati It doesn't seem that long ago when I was posting this chapter but I shocked when I saw the posting date was almost a year and a half ago. It shows how long the story's been going for. Thank you for all the likes, your support hasn't gone unnoticed. 😁

You make some very valid points here @Benji The boys do seem to be on a slightly different heading at the moment and Robbie definitely has an obsession with Alex that he can't shake. Robbie has some important decisions to make. 🙄

It's a lot of reading but I can't thank you enough for sticking with this story. You are one of a group of hardcore followers who have read every chapter and I can't thank you enough @everett Weedin jr for putting it on the map.

Approaching 100 chapters I was starting to wonder if the story was wilting. I've resisted recent temptations to end it earlier than it should to give it the ending I believe it deserves son there are still a handful of chapters remaining. Thank you for as always @SolarMaxx

I agree with your summary of Don! Perhaps Robbie is finally maturing and able to see past his own misfortune. We know he feels for Alex but there are other feelings mixed up in it too which are difficult to separate. Better examples of Robbie's development are the two boys you mention, Rory and Jamie. As for Nathan we can only look at things from Robbie's perspective and see the things he sees. Nathan was perfect in the beginning because that was how Robbie saw him but now we're discovering that like everyone else, he has faults. Thanks for the feedback @tesao

Thank you @Butcher56 for another in depth comment. I enjoy reading them because the feedback you give is excellent. Glad you're still enjoying it.

Thanks Steve No matter how many times I visit Niagara, it's always breathtaking. The sheer size and power is awesome. All the honeymoon stuff kind of makes it tacky and it's a real tourist trap. I think it's one of the most photographed places on earth and I had to fit it in to the story somehow.

Thank you again @wenmale64 for another great comment. I'm so glad you're still enjoying the story. 🤩

Yeah I did have to make a couple of last minute changes which delayed posting and probably answers the last part of your question too. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter 100 up soon!

Wow Ryan and Randy must be middle-aged by now! It's about time they left school. Having said that, your stories and characters are timeless, of course. Congratulations, @Comicality on a genuine milestone and thanks for all the great stories along the way.

Even an unshackled Nathan at his operatic best was no match for Kirsty’s accomplished vocals from next door but needless to say, we got a lot more value for our money than the unlikely couple in number twelve. They were in the room for less than an hour. A relative sprint compared to our marathon and we were still only warming up when they left. I soon realised why he was so reluctant to sneak off and indulge in any naughty activities with me at the party. Knowing what he had planned, Nathan

Thanks @Bft I'm glad you stuck with it too. The story was completed before I began posting so I was hoping people would continue reading knowing that the ending would ease the pain. It was difficult and at times I wanted to say 'carry on reading, everything's going to be okay in the end. I couldn't do that, of course, so it's a relief to hear your comments. I'm sure not everyone was prepared to push on and I can't say I blame them either. I know it was difficult to read. Thanks so much for your support and comments.

This is interesting. I have heard of the Trevor Project. Darcy's religion was, of course, fictitious and only loosely based upon LDS or JW beliefs but I suppose there's not a great deal of difference between murder and driving someone to suicide knowing what the likely outcome will be. It's obviously still a problem and unlikely to change from within the organizations anytime soon. Thanks @droughtquake

I'm honored you chose this one, @droughtquake I'm glad I didn't disappoint. You're quite right though, I couldn't have killed off David too. I just wouldn't have been able to do that. I had a feeling you were at Frameline when I didn't see you among the earlier commenters.

Thanks, Gary. I'm not used to answering this many comments but it's been good. The intention was to use Fred as a kind of distraction so that it wasn't all doom and gloom for the reader. I wanted to add a tiny bit of humour through him to lighten the mood and basically save my skin from the wrath of the mob. Anyway, I'm glad to get this one under my belt and I'm pleased that so many people stuck with the story and enjoyed it. Cheers.

People don't realize how much things have changed in such a relatively short period. We tend not to talk a lot about things that have improved. I learned a lot researching for this story and ended up doing far more research than was necessary because I found it really interesting. Especially the Vietnam war which was, of course, a decade before the year of the story. Anyway, I'm glad you and so many others enjoyed the story. It makes it all worthwhile. 😏

Thank you @soundaddict_nz I'm guessing the nz is New Zealand?

Sooner than you might think @Edward Watch out later tonight for 99 of TCC! It's a little naughty so beware! Thank you for your kind words and interest in the story. Sorry if it was a little difficult in places.

Thank you so much @Karl 1960 I really understand what you're saying. I expected to lose a few readers along the way. It's inevitable, it's tough to read stuff like that, especially when you know this kind of thing has happened for real and is still happening in places. I felt for Simon and hated Jeff just like everyone else but I'm pleased you made it through and was there to enjoy the ending. Even though it was still sad. There was hope and maybe thers's some hope in real life too.

Thank you @empresslovesreading Definitely one of the highlights has been reading your comments. Thanks for your help and for going easy on me. I've only been there once and that was as a kid so I don't remember much but I love Boston.

Thank you @JeffreyL for a wonderful comment. It was a difficult story to write but it turned out better than I thought it would. I have to thank @Timothy M. and @Carlos Hazday for the much of this.