impunity

This was a really great chapter. I loved how you wove all the chapter's components together by having Neil observe Jordan and Sean at the match then meet Sean and Lorraine. Neil's stalking is getting more invasive. The irony of his getting Jim's former job was delicious! I share Mr. O'Grady's concerns about Neil's plan to drop out of school, especially as Neil's reasoning is faulty. Of course, he also doesn't know that Jim will be doing a clinic at his school, so that will be another lost opportunity to meet him. I'm still hoping that Clarissa's interventions will improve Neil's social life to the point that he loses interest in Jim, but this would make for a less interesting story.

I don't know who to feel more sorry for: Andrea or Anastasia. Ugh!

I love these guys! Thank you for a wonderful chapter. Looking forward to the conclusion! Winter needs to come early this year.

I am not especially into politics, but I do love a good bit of intrigue. This was especially intriguing. Well played!

I liked this one, although, I admit, I'm not a fan of racing. Does Rebecca really believe that Kieran mooches off Shastan? I hope that was part of the setting-things-straight conversation. I almost fell over at the arrogance in "look how you repay us". Of course, she could have been referring to Shastan's tendency to do the cooking.

So Brad ended up with Will's birthday present? Fortunately, Will seems to not know or, more likely, not mind. So, was Cody's nervousness a reliance on Will's presence, as Brad interpreted it, or was he worried that Will would insist on having sex with him? I wasn't sure. I'm feeling more amused than bothered about Zach's arrogance, probably because he hides it so well (another closet?) from his teammates.

I'm hoping Clarissa's efforts improve Neil's image at school. Having some friends his own age would go a long way towards solving his problems. His obsession with Jim is so creepy and stalkerish that it's easy to forget he's just a sad, misguided kid. Even if Jim were single, it's unlikely that, at 21, he'd want a boyfriend who's still in high school.

I definitely don't think that a career-ending injury would be of any benefit to Zach. Most likely it would lead to a lifetime of bitterness and resentment over "what could have been". Think Al Bundy minus the blue-collar lifestyle (and the obnoxious wife).

Actually, we're at the close of the 18th, but still just as slow. I expect it's being delivered by ship.

I love Will and I'm not ashamed to admit it! Also, the expectation that Will act like an adult has been even though he was 13-15. Sixteen just happened between the last chapter and the one we're expecting (*nudge, wink*) tomorrow.

My understanding is the look started as an affectation of prison garb or, more specifically, the overly-large-prison-trousers-and absence-of-belt combo. Oddly, in our neighborhood, where the look is alive and thriving, belts are frequently added and worn below the arse. I'll admit that, depending on the arse, the look isn't always entirely unattractive. However, it does result in waddling which never looks good on anyone.

I was willing to give Alex the benefit of the doubt before jumping on the "Alex is evil" bandwagon, but now I'm not so sure. First, his aggressiveness suggests that, as others have noted, he has targeted Will as his next "whore". It'll be interesting to see if he hits on Will again; "my brother won't like it" (paraphrased) might not be a sufficiently persuasive excuse in the long run. Second, unless we accept his ignorance of JJ's crush at face value, and albeit with a very small sample size (N=2), Alex seems to be picking his "Madonnas" and "whores" in pairs; since JJ doesn't have a partner, who better to act as his foil than his sluttier younger brother? Third, while Will's attempt to seduce Cody with the "legal in Massachusetts" line is cute, endearing and sexy, Alex's use of the same line with Will is just predatory and creepy. We (the collective reader) know Will's penchant for seducing older men, but does Alex know this? Clearly, his use of the line indicates that he realizes that having sex with a (just barely) 16-year-old is not universally acceptable in the US. (I'm pretty sure that, with the exception of the French pedophile, Will has initiated all of his sexual encounters with older guys, many of whom don't know his real age.) However, the most compelling evidence was Wade's observation regarding JJ's inability to understand the difference between harmless flirting and real seduction. The irony in that statement -- that Alex clearly didn't understand it either -- was truly brilliant! Thanks for another entertaining read!

I just started reading this story and am really enjoying it. One thing is bugging me, though: with so many free services available, why did Russell not just create a new email account?

After several false starts (I had a little trouble getting past the prologue), I read this entire story in a couple of days. It was really engaging, and I found myself really caring about your characters. I like that your writing is not necessarily about gay people, per se, but about how they fit into society as a whole. And about how attitudes change as the idea of being gay becomes less "other". Thank you for a great read!

Great ending to a really sweet story! Thanks!

I didn't get a chance to review this when it posted (work is insane right now with no end in sight), but I wanted to add a quick note of appreciation. Brad's Sisyphus line, "...damned to ride a roller coaster," was truly splendid! It may be my favorite of the series so far.

Brad's Gay Bar 101 tutorial was hilarious! I love that Rosa is moving to Boston, and even more so that JJ both initiated it and closed the deal.

I loved that JJ gave her a raise!

I'd like a chapter narrated by Rosa.

Don't count on it, hon. Most places will card for the sake of carding. It's a regular occurrence for me and, while I could probably pass for 30-something, I definitely don't look like a teen. On the subject of age perceptions, I find it interesting that Steph, who is self-conscious about his own age, is referred to as Will's grandfather, as opposed to his uncle which is equally valid but a lot less aging. Actually, that brings to mind another question: does Brad consider Steph to be a father at this point?

Thanks for another great chapter! I am totally aligned with Tim on the "yay, no stalker!" thing.

I'm not sure I understand the issue here. Mark listed Brad and Will as narrators. Isn't that enough to expect that they'll narrate? As an aside, Brad and Will are my perennial favorites, but JJ is becoming increasingly more interesting. I look forward to hearing more from him.

I appreciated George's consulting the Governor before accepting the Spanish invitation. It demonstrated that he does work within the existing diplomatic infrastructure when appropriate, as opposed to in Lisbon where the available infrastructure was a self-aggrandizing fool. I had my suspicions that Cardona was behind the invitation, and was gratified to learn that this was the case. Also, damn, that was hot! George's loneliness is very much evident in this chapter. On the other hand, his temptation to abandon Lady Elgin's ankle (which was conveniently attached to the rest of her) to the waves was, frankly, hilarious.

Sweet chapter. I'm glad the dynamic of their relationship is shifting to be more equal. Adam was so much more dominant for so long.

Poor Oli. This is just getting sadder and sadder. And it's not about sex; it's about having a conversation with someone who can actually answer back. And, yes, his dad is an utter cockweasel. So, we're on to the Terminator now. You're really establishing Oli's (or is it your?) SF cred. Btw, have you ever watched the Sarah Connor Chronicles? It got canceled right when it was heading in a cool new direction, but we really liked it while it lasted.