Carlos Hazday

That's my problem! I introduce new characters, readers like them, and I can't bring myself to killing them the way Mann always wants me to. I still haven't decided which Cadets will make appearances in future entries. NO Cadet spinoffs! I still have six Squad one to write. Miranda will have a couple more appearances before she graduates. Joel I have plans for.

LMFAO I was actually referring to the next chapter which will be the shortest one in the story. I'm done writing Cadet. Twenty four chapters including the prologue and a word count of around 114k. The next story will be 1 chapter and not more than 3k words or so. It'll be the third children story. After that, CJ and Owen return in their own story. I'm already working on it.

I can see Cesar telling Ritch he's disappointed in him and leaving it at that. That would probably bother Ritch more than being yelled at.

Thanks, James. I'm so happy you sampled this story and decided to read all the preceding ones.

Romeo doesn't seem to know how to keep it in his pants. I can't wait until he has to explain to his future wife how he got the Romeo nickname.

Funny thing is Ritch did not use derogatory language at all. He, however, wasn't forceful in his attempt to quiet his buddies, so he's guilty by association.

What? You think I'm gonna throw in some drama or big surprise? Maybe...

I think he learned his lesson.

Thank you, sir!

LMAO The young stud's sowing his oats the way his brother didn't!

CJ's personality doesn't change. He's friendly, and considering these are his brother's schoolmates, we see his generosity extending to them. He's one of the people who've helped shape Ritch and whose advice guide the younger sibling's actions. Hope whatever your son's going in for has a good resolution. Not sure I want you to miss reading a chapter when it posts. Let me see what I can do.

Thanks, bud. Let's hope that mix of people doesn't lead to Miranda losing her shit again. It'll be interesting to see what happens when they go dancing.

Thanks, Chris.

Someone previously commented on the lack of gay characters and I had to bite my tongue. In some ways, Cadet's a return to earlier CJ stories, where I allowed events to stretch out. How long was it before I had CJ and Owen at last get together? Glad you like Joel. Y'all are gonna see a lot more of him. For the records, this chapter was written long before Cancun was in the news when Texas froze. Politicians aren't the only ones looking for warmth.

Oops, you're not going to like the next one. LOL Anyway, I think if I merge all remaining chapters into one, those may add up to 60k. Ain't happening.

LOL - This chapter was longer than the last 3 and you still want more? Okay. I'll finish spring break in the next one. Don't know about you, but I want to find out if Ritch and Joel both get laid.

“I’ll take care of it.” Miranda, sitting next to Ritch behind the driver, was without doubt angered by the overheard comment. When she tried to stand, Ritch stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Let me handle it. Please?” Cadet Second Class Miranda Kerr, the woman Ritch admitted lusting after, was second in command of the Ski Club. She acquiesced to his request with a nod. “Marsh, could you pull over and turn the engine off?” Cadet First Class Braxton Marsh was at the wheel of the ren

Florida had an 18 yo delegate in Philly. It wasn't his first one though, his dad works/worked for Debbie Wasserman, so the kid sort of knew what to expect. I thought it was cool a kid from Miami was so into politics, he worked to be a delegate. Florida allows riding without a helmet as long as you carry health insurance. I support that approach, which is what you mention. Unfortunately, the required minimum here is pitiful and it might cover half-a-day's cost in a trauma center. Maybe CJ's one of those who believes the death penalty can be applied in an equitable way? I bet if he ran for office that would be part of his platform. Really? Going back to the Greeks? LOL Who said there are only a handful of stories and all we ever do is retell them in different formats? CJ inherited a couple of traits from the author: FLW, motorcycles, and road trips.

But man buns have been popular for a while. I just can't see CJ with one. Tail of the Dragon's the one with the 318 curves in 11 miles. But the mountainous region straddling western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee is full of great roads. A group of friends rented a house in Cherokee once and spent most of a week burning gas.

I discovered it during a rum tasting event and really, really enjoyed it.

The events in Guatemala, and Gus' ensuing terror, are not really surprising. Such atrocities in the country have taken place at least since the Somoza regime. Seldom reported, and often whitewashed by those in power, massacres by official government representatives have driven plenty of Guatemalans to escape their homes. I loved the juxtaposition/resemblance of Central American storm troopers and ICE thugs. And the similarities between the doctor and the nun. Gus seems lucky to have those two strong women appear in his life at the right time. For the record, Guatemalan coffee is my second favorite after beans from Ethiopia. I was lucky to know someone whose family grew coffee in Guatemala and who'd bring me a bag of beans whenever he returned home to visit his family.

Thank you. Dad was 90. He had a decent life. I knew Thai Toni had come up at some point. He'll be in Miami with Ritchie, then with Owen a couple of months later. They'll hit South Beach. Beats the hell out of me. I think part of it was how quickly the thing came together and people were running around trying to organize. I'd been doing a lot of media intervies in both languages, so I didn't mind. Hell, I was there to show support!

@BlueWindBoy While discussing one of the series' characters recently, someone mentioned he's forgotten the man was black. He said it was probably because he rarely paid attention to skin color. I think CJ pays attention. Maybe not out of internalized racism, but out of guilt. I think he's one of those people who recognize the damages of slavery and Jim Crow, and tries to make amends in his own way. Even though neither side of his family were slave holders. Fireworks from anywhere on the 18 acres will have to wait for future stories. CJ may not be a WH visitor for four years, but I guarantee you he'll be a frequent visitor in the future. My brothers and I had both my parents grant us power of attorney over everything. Last year, when dad landed in the hospital for the upteenth time, I told the doctor I wouldn't authorize invasive procedures. I requested they provide comfort care. My brothers agreed when I texted them my decision. Dad died within 24 hours. Unfortunately, thanks to Covid, we were unable to see him before he died. Have I mentioned Thai Tony in the story yet? I can't remember if I have or if I do it in the future. Either way, the incident serves as inspiration for something or other. Fascinating you dug that incident up. Charlie was a friend, he died the following year. A night or two after the news broke, the NAACP organized a protest in front of the restaurant. I'd been collaborating with the organization on something and made the trip to South Beach to show my support. Believe it or not, in Miami, they didn't have anyone in their leadership who spoke Spanish. One of Florida's state representatives drafted me to be their spokesperson with Spanish media. Blew my mind they would trust me to speak on their behalf, when they had no idea what I was saying.

Bonding... sure thing, Fergus. You tell yourself whatever you need to tell yourself so you can get through the night. I get the feeling this may be your last one.