Jasper

Hey, thanks for reading! Yeah, it's kinda difficult for me to figure out just how likeable Elijah is... But my guess was he's a sneaky little grower. You'll love him eventually Oh and don't worry, the house of cards WILL fall... But in the end it's all about the rebuilding so that's nice

In the middle of maths, my phone began to ring. I mistakenly took it for someone else’s. And so I rolled my eyes at the general stupidity of humanity and waited for it to stop. When it didn’t, I glanced behind me to spot the culprit. You can always tell them: they go very still, unnaturally so, the muscles of their neck straining; a strange expression moves their face, an enforced nonchalance; the more intelligent of them attempt to copy their peers by searching for the idiot with the ins

Yeah, there'll be a happy ending. Don't want to ruin anything though, so that's all I'm saying

When you take the train, and you just want to listen to music, but this old lady sits next to you and begins incessantly telling you all about her newfound relationship with her deceased best friend's hunky octogenarian husband--they met at the funeral, their eyes locked over the casket, he's all dreamy and makes her go gooey inside, the usual--and she won't shut up all the way from York to Edinburgh. When she's done with that discussion she takes to analysing your accent and declares that you can't possibly be a Northern boy because you don't talk like a farmer. And you have to explain all about your private school education, and that your parents are Southerners, and that not everybody in Leeds speaks like a farmer anyway... And when you get slightly pissed off and tell her that, really, she can't tell one British accent from the other anyway because she's from Australia for Christ's sake, she gets all angry and calls you rude. And when she finally gets started on the general lack of respect of youths of today you're forced to whack her over the head with your thermos flask, shove her under the chair in front of you, and switch to a new compartment. Okay, the last bit didn't happen.

Hey Lisa... I know, I know. I sure make liking him difficult don't I? I'm gonna get the next chapter up asap, see if I can help ya'll forget that Jamie's public outing ever happened... What do you reckon--is he too unlikeable? The bathroom thing is pretty rare. The only place I've really come across it is Waterstones. Sucks, I know Sophie never did read the new Twilight book anyway.

Yeah... But that's what character progression is for, right? Guess all I can do is promise retribution, reconciliation, and all manner of happy things by the end of the story

In my dreams, I watch the locks of my hair fall languidly to the ground. They’re beautiful in their lifelessness: shiny and dark and utterly dead. They litter the floor around the barber’s chair like a massacre of autumn leaves; and I’m mourning for them, filled with grief, the tears crawling over the flesh of my cheeks—because it’s amazing to me and miraculous that they grew from my head in the first place, those dark, shining curls; and now they’re no longer there. I’m bald again.

Hey--just thought I'd say, you guys are great. I'm humbled by just how involved in these characters you're getting--I really didn't expect this at all. About the Hardings--Elijah has kept them at arms length as long as he can. Regardless of what they feel towards him, from his perspective they'll only ever be strangers. Until he learns to change, of course. As for the hair... I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone I'll have the next chapter out in a few days... Thanks for your support

Hey Conner I like to think that Elijah has everyone figured out except himself. He's a pretty perceptive guy, but he has difficulty identifying his own problems, as we all do to an extent. That said, he's very clever. And despite what he says, Elijah's completely in love with Tom. Guess we'll just have to see how that works out

I'm touched that you read Out of the Woods despite that it's in progress. Thanks. I'll try and live up to your expectations And England's awesome--how could I write about anywhere else?

The house made me feel clumsy and slow. It made my mask slip. With it gone, I felt lighter and happier and so much more alive—no longer a slug on the ground but high above now, a fierce and soaring eagle. I’d grasp that slug in my talons and joyfully rip it apart; the entrails I’d drop far away from me in the ocean or over the great boughs of a forest, and I’d never see them again. Until the next time I was stupid enough to bring someone home. I didn’t stay with Chris long. I found

Hey Conner, sorry for the late reply. You're completely right about Elijah--he is manipulative, and maybe he's not very likeable as yet. He's got a way to go. But's he such an interesting character to write about--and hopefully he's interesting to read

Michael, you're incredible. Next chapter's coming out in a day or so... Just for you

Hey Lisa... Wow, thanks for the awesome review You're totally right, Elijah's very much a product of his childhood, and it shapes everything he does. But there's always hope right? You never know, perhaps by the end of the story he'll have grown a little...? Dang it. Guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out

Two years ago, in our final year of GCSEs, I had been filled by a sudden and terrible premonition: a school full of kids, some my age, most younger, but none older—and, garishly tied around the collar of each and every one, was a brightly coloured tie. A house tie. And I was wandering through the ranks of my fellow schoolmates, arranged in lines as if in assembly—and I was lost amongst them, and unable to find my way out, and etched onto each face that I saw was the same belittling sneer.

I really want a drink that comes with those cool paper umbrellas.

I'm really glad you're liking it! If you want to learn a little more about what makes Elijah tick... I reckon the next chapter will make you happy

It was a Wednesday, which meant one thing: swimming practice. I smothered my irritation. I ended up following the new kid on the way to the changing rooms—Jamie, I had discovered his name was. He was too skinny to have a great ass but it wasn’t a total disaster either. I followed the lines of his broad shoulders, tapering down a strong back to a narrow waist; he was built for swimming. I could almost see the envious glances he’d get when he started to strip out of his clothes. They’d assess

Thanks Michael! Next chapter's coming up in a day or so.

Grrrr... Thanks for the advice Cia Who knows? Maybe you'll grow to like Elijah. And the plot.

Aw shucks... You'll make me blush

Love that song! MGMT is gooood. So, I kinda hate the music video for this, but the song just won't leave me alone. There aren't even any words to it that I can figure out.

Thanks Conner, glad you're liking the story!

I do agree that there are genders. Biologically there are massive differences between men and women. Our behaviour is highly affected by hormones so in that sense having that child grow up gender-neutral is obviously never going to work... But on the other hand, gender identity is also very much a social norm. Girls like the colour pink because girls are told to like the colour pink, not because evolution has dictated that they like pink. Two hundred years ago it was normal for both boys and girls to wear dresses until puberty, and if I'm not mistaken pink was considered a 'male' colour during the Victorian age. Obviously raising a boy to be a girl will never make him grow a uterus, but all dogs like to catch a ball because evolution has made them instinctively want to catch a ball as hunters, not because everyone told them when they were younger that catching a ball is a 'dog' thing to do. Gender stereotypes are definitely not the same as 'dog' stereotypes.

Well, age eleven I was moved to a single-sex school... Definitely a real eye-opener. Before that I'd had my first crush on a girl aged ten, although I'd felt something for guys before then, but after it's been almost overwhelmingly guys. I'm not suggesting the two are necessarily related except that being surrounded by so many guys probably just forced me to self-realisation far earlier. So, aged thirteen, I watched Dodgeball--you know, the film with Vince Vaughn--and I thought it was the most incredible thing that the female 'love interest' could just announce at the end of the film that she was bisexual, make out with her girlfriend on camera, and all the other characters would just shrug and be like "Huh... Okay." I was so inspired by how easy it looked that I came out to my parents that night. Obviously it was nothing like it was in the movie, but the end result hasn't been terrible