Dodger

“I’m warning you, Tyrone, stay away from me.” My voice though was hardly intimidating and closer to a whisper than a threat. He shuffled a little closer and I tensed up ready to defend myself against the bluest eyes that I had ever seen. He was too close; close enough for me to smell his deodorant, close enough for him to bite me again if he wanted to, and close enough for him to lean forward and kiss me on the lips. ‘SHIT’! It was just a peck, nothing to get excited about. I

Ha ha, well, maybe they're both playing games. They're both self-obsessed and both think that they're are lot smarter than they actually are. Thanks AC. More in a minute.

Hey Tim, I've been trying to get you all the 22222 and yeah I enjoyed writing that bit. Don has obviously been so busy trying to keep Robbie and Nathan apart that he's forgotten about Nicola or maybe he doesn't care what she does. If I were him, I would be more concerned about my daughter, what with unwanted pregnancies and such, but there you go. Don has his own priorities but then so do his kids.

Thank you @Dahawk Robbie was obviously deeply affected when he found out about Jamie's illness. Before moving to Canada he spent two years caring for his mom and watching her die, so he's no stranger to this kind of thing. There is a connection there as far as he's concerned but Jamie's personality endears him to almost everyone, probably even Don. I'm sure that Robbie, Nathan, Rory, and Daniel will make sure that Jamie has the best day of his life.

Thank you @Sweetlion Sad but true I'm afraid for a lot of young kids not just with CF but across the board. Maybe this experience will help Robbie too.

Sorry about that @spikey582 A lot of headway has been made in recent years with Cystic Fibrosis resulting in a big improvement in life expectancy and you're right because in most cases they are able to live into their middle ages. There are other factors to consider that play a big part and obviously some people are stronger than others. Jamie has suffered consistently with infections which have caused irreparable damage to his lungs and respiratory system and as a result has spent much of his life hospitalized and on oxygen. It's a severe case in other words and his life expectancy is late teens to early twenties at best and his condition will get much worse at the end. It is an illness that I have become familiar with through a family member who suffers with it, although he is a lot better than poor Jamie.

Thank you @Wesley8890 Glad you enjoyed it.

I'm not sure if anyone could survive outside around here at the moment. At the weekend we had temperatures as low as -27C and even in Toronto it han't been above -10C since Christmas. Those temperatures are not survivable for humans for long periods of time, so I don't know what happens to the homeless population of Toronto at these times but there are plenty of homeless people there. I've seen them sleeping on the subway grills to keep warm, but that wouldn't be enough at -25C although it's gone up to -1C today which is almost like summer around here!

It will definitely have an affect on both of them. Robbie has taken an interest in Jamie's life and illness and should be able to learn from it and become a better person. He may not realise just yet how much his unconditional friendship means to a boy like Jamie.

Thanks droughtquake. You're right we're not used to seeing this side of him, but there's a reason why he feels a strong connection with Jamie and why he wants to be his friend. Don't worry though, he's not about to go through any major personality changes. Don't expect him to join the Salvation Army and start handing out blankets to the homeless. He's still the same self-obsessed teenager as he's always been.

Thanks Tony, Robbie has shown us another side of his character here that may have even surprised him.

Daniel woke me up just after eight and I stumbled around the room looking for something to wear. "How are you feeling?" I felt a bit queasy but I didn't know why. "Do I have to go somewhere today?" "I don't think so," said Daniel. "Maybe you should lie down and get some more sleep." "But you just woke me up?" "I was worried about you.” “Why?” I sat down on the bed and held my delicate head in my hands. Daniel stood next to me and tapped me on the shoulder. He was hold

Thanks for letting us know Emi, come back soon my friend.

Thanks Emi, I will definitely do this and review and rate them as well. Happy Epiphany to you.

We shall see. Thanks @chris191070

All will be revealed soon. Thanks @Israfil for your comment and I agree about the co-workers like Bob. I've met a few like him.

Thanks @wildone Andy will be asking the same questions and wondering how he could possibly have given himself away to, as you rightly point out, a complete stranger. Tyrone of course, lives in a totally different world where he doesn't have to answer to anyone for his actions and any mistakes are quickly brushed under the carpet. There really is nothing that he wouldn't do if the mood took him or if he thought that he could get some fun out of it, and that's all it may be, just a laugh, at Andy's expense. We'll see. The good news, for me anyway, is that the story is already finished so I can post a chapter a week and see how it goes. Thanks Steve. Happy New Year my friend.

When I read 'closeted little jerk' I thought that you may be referring to Andy. I suppose that title could suit both of them, as you rightly point out, they might be a better match than we think. Thanks @droughtquake

Not ye @Wesley8890 but that may be his intention!

I don't think that Tyrone really cares that much about being caught but certainly Andy will. Thanks for commenting @JayT

I smiled to myself and closed my eyes, pleased with my little victory, but it wasn’t over yet. “You’re in my chair!” When I opened my eyes he was standing in front of me, legs apart, barefoot and dressed in a Karategi! “You’re having a fucking laugh?” “I’m warning you,” he said. “I’m a black belt.” He narrowed his eyes and stared at me, tight-lipped, but his soft boyish features didn’t allow him to look threatening and I was more inclined to laugh than be scared. “Y

Hey Steve. I've been waiting for your comment; looking forward to it actually because from the very beginning you have been able to describe the characters almost exactly the way they are in my head. Sometimes I am frustrated because I feel that I'm not doing a good enough job with the individual personalities. Anyway, I have to agree with everything that you've said here. I have described Don as a larger than life character, with strong views and a successful career in advertising. He's a good talker, and Robbie describes him as someone who plays to win, using whatever means he has at his disposal. We have to assume therefore that he's fairly ruthless. Your description of his character is exactly how he is in my head and Robbie's futile attempts to stand up to him hasn't gone down well. Don of course, believes that he's right to do what he's doing, although he wouldn't agree with your assessment. Don is wooing Robbie exactly as he would a big client. He knows that short term results aren't important; he's looking at the long term. He's in a good position, Robbie is no match for him in any department, but he has been able to spot a particular weakness, where Robbie is most vulnerable and is using this as bait. It is a particularly cruel thing to do to anyone and we are now able to see him for what he is. I doubt if he really understands the damage that he is inflicting on Robbie, or if he even cares, but it is abuse and it will have far reaching consequences. I'm sorry about your laptop, but I'm also kind of happy that you got so worked up over it. I know that @Timothy M. did too, and even I was angry with Don when I was writing it, but I have to stay true to the story or it will end up going nowhere. I can't promise an easy ride to the finish or absolute justice at the end, but I don't think that you'll be disappointed either. Get well soon my friend.

Thank you for reading and commenting @Kaimuki I don't know much about George Wallace, but by the sound of it, he wasn't a very nice man. He was obviously convinced that his way was right and so is Don. If he is going to ever change his views then it will be a gradual change in which case Robbie is unlikely to feel any real benefit from it.

Thank you @SolarMaxx Unfortunately Don already has legal custody of Robbie, which was agreed between his mother and his uncle long before Robbie was even informed. The adoption however, doesn't actually alter or take away any of Robbie's legal rights. From personal experience I know that it changes very little, although it wasn't as important to me as I was never in Robbie's difficult position. Perhaps the most noticeable adjustment for him will be getting used to a new surname which sounds very easy but can prove surprisingly difficult. Daniel, Nicola, and Amy will all be big pluses for him, if or when he officially joins the family and no longer any confusion as to whether they are cousins or brothers/sisters to him. It will definitely give him a sense of belonging and therefore a much needed boost. The importance of this has been overlooked by most people, who are understandably more concerned about Don's negative aspects. For the long term, adoption will be a best thing for Robbie, even if he has to put up with some discomfort in the beginning. Your comments are always appreciated.

I'm bracing myself for it Steve, although I might not have the answers you want.