Dodger

Thanks Tim. Could Morgan outsmart and outmaneuver Don? Well Don hasn't played it that well so far, making all the wrong decisions and jumping to conclusions without bothering to look for the facts. Robbie's guardians have a great opportunity now to learn from Nathan's parents, who would be willing to give them advice if they allow them to. Maybe Morgan is a bit of a dark horse and has a few tricks up his sleeve to go with his bad jokes. Daniel proved to us in the beginning that he's not homophobic. The boys will have to put up with few friendly jibes from their straight friend/cousin and he will probably get in the way as much as possible to frustrate them but his reaction to their beach story, was a good indication of how far he's come already. He told Robbie that he would get over it and he is. Daniel has shown a lot more maturity than his dad, but he is bound to feel a little left out at times. Perhaps he needs to find himself a girlfriend.

Don's initial reaction and his refusal to listen to reason has put him at a disadvantage. It could have been so different, he missed a glorious opportunity to bond with Robbie, and ensure the respect of his family. As you say 'who cares what he says'. Thanks, JayT

Thank you @Benji It seems unlikely that Don and Morgan will become friends. There are definitely some games being played there, but who's playing who?

Who was it that said. 'I like to keep my freind's close and my enemies closer'? I think that there are a few charades going on here, and even counter charades. Morgan set the tone earlier with his joke about Nathan being his spy and infiltrating the family. Thanks JP.

Thank you, Steve for reading and following.

Morgan and Don have little in common so it will interesting to see how this turns out. I can't see them being this friendly when they're sober.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITLOVER Sorry I didn't see this yesterday.

I thought you might pick up on that. I added the word 'unwanted' right at the end before posting. The answer, of course, is NO! So we will have to wait and see what words of wisdom he has to offer Robbie.

Ha ha, yeah that would have been a neat trick to play on him. Bringing along a bottle of scotch was a smart move by Morgan. Don really needed something to chill him out, although I'm not sure if he will be quite so happy in the morning, especially if he ends up sleeping on the floor!

As much as I tried, I could not get Nathan to divulge any details of Alex’s alleged bullying. He obstinately refused to discuss the matter with me, so I talked to the guy who knew him better than anyone else, bar me. “First I’ve heard,” said Daniel. “He’s never mentioned anything about it to me.” “Are you sure it’s not like I’m going to cause any trouble or anything? I just wanna know.” “It was a little rough for Nathan when he first came out, but that was at our old school, and A

Skinny made a big impact on this site, had a lot of friends and left a gaping hole when he left. No one seems to know exactly what happened in the end, which hasn't helped, but you're right Drew, he is still missed.

Thanks Carlos, I'm glad to see this feature back and it looks like you're going to do a very good job. Adding Skinny's question at the end was a nice and fitting tribute.

Walter's not done yet CG

You're right about everything here I'm afraid and even though the general consensus seems to be that Robbie has been stupid and made all the wrong choices, it's not difficult to understand some of the reasons for this. Despite a comfortable lifestyle, emotionally, he has faced an uphill battle to fit in from the very beginning. There were a lot of opportunities there that have gone begging and not all from Robbie. Don, Sue, and even Daniel have all managed to miss opportunities to fill an important and obviously vacant position in Robbie's life. Thanks for commenting @spikey582

Alex will have to pull off a houdini like act to escape from the hole that he dug himself into in the beginning but it's still possible for him to redeem himself. Maybe we will find the missing pieces to the puzzle? Thanks @SolarMaxx

You're right, honesty does go a long way and Robbie does feel a little cheated in that department. He has really lacked stability in his life and could have done with someone there to advise him who he could trust and learn from, rather than just picking things up along the way without really making any progress. Thanks for your comment @redwood

You're absolutely right. @Benji we might have to do something about this Only kidding, but you're very perceptive.

Hey @ColumbusGuy I'm so pleased that you're still here, because you were one of the original guys who encouraged me at the beginning of the story. I know it has been a rough ride at times and Robbie hasn't done himself a lot of favours along the way, but we will soon be approaching the end of this extended story and I'm hoping to keep your interest.

Thanks @Dahawk Sue is fast overtaking her husband as the most despised character in the story at the moment and it's easy to see why. Alex seems to be going in the other direction to Sue, but still has a way to go if he is to make amends for his behaviour in the beginning. I'm just saying things that you already know of course, but I appreciate you reading and commenting as always. By the way, I love your website. It's really impressive.

Thank you @Butcher56 I'n glad that you're enjoying the story, even if it is a little difficult to read sometimes with the family's homophobic mantra. It's true that Robbie has helped them by making life difficult for himself along the way, but I think that we can all feel his frustration at the moment.

This is interesting. I wonder what makes you think that @Benji or is just a hunch. You might be right.

Thanks @JayT I can almost guarantee that you'll find a new angle that no one else has considered. I'm ruling nothing out!

If procrastinating was an Olympic sport, then Robbie would probably walk off with the Gold Medal every time. Thanks @Rndmrunner

You make a good point here; maybe Robbie Alex will find try to apologise to his former victim, although we don't yet know exactly what happened. On the other hand he may try to cause problems for the boys. There are plenty of ways that he could do that if he wanted. As for Sue, yes. she has changed quite a bit since Don got involved which has proved detrimental to Robbie and compounded his problems. Robbie's backing down at the moment because he believes that opposing them is futile and will only make things worse for himself. Thanks @Sweetlion

A public flogging would be good. Robbie must be feel betrayed by both of his guardians at the moment. He needs to keep Nathan and as you point out, he won't be free until hr tells him the truth. Nicola was a witness to Sues crass behaviour in the kitchen and Daniel is also aware of what's been going on. Maybe he can organise a mutiny or let Nicola organise it. Thanks @BlindAmbition