Carlos Hazday

Thank you! I've fallen in love with the characters I surrounded CJ with in his series and feel the need to provide a little more detail about their lives. As I've aged them, the need to show them on their own has intensified, but CJ and the other friends will always hover around them. Since this story took place in the I-95 corridor between DC and NYC, those other characters had a more active role than in Chipper's story which took place mostly in California. Interestingly enough, that's where the next one is set. I'm shooting for the next CJ story to post early next year. LOL, more like shirtless wearing a leather jacket or vest! Although usually it's a tank top underneath the leather.

I see you've figured out my schedule. June 1 I'll post the first chapter, then I'll revert to Fridays again.

Thanks, bud. And thanks for the corrections! We'll chat later about future stories. Yours and mine.

As soon as I can muster the motivation to finish the short story I started last month, I'll tackle Ritch's story. That one's going to take some time to write since I'll be doing a lot of research as I work on it. Harley and Tank will come after Ritch amd Mexico. My goal is to set them up for an adult life, then provide updates on their lives as I did here with Chipper.

Since the spring anthology's delayed, Malibu will my next story. Check out the photo gallery for the cover.

LOL At the end of every James Bond movie there used to be an announcement that he would return. Sometimes with the name of the next movie in there. Maybe I should start doing the same so readers realize I'm not abandoning the hero. Brad will have at least one cameo in Cadet wheneverI get around to writing it. See you in two weeks when Brett and Cesar take center stage.

Hey, thanks for reading and reacting. Not sure Cristina's ready to tie the knot again so soon after her first marriage failed, but we'll see if and when it happens. In the meantime Malibu will start posting June 1. I look forward to hearing what you think of that one.

Thanks, Dave. I'm missing the NBA playoffs something fierce so I know what you refer to. I'm glad Brad's story provided some distraction from the outside world.

Cliffhangers can be a pain. But I still think the ending for Chipper's story was appropriate. We knew he was set for the time being and Brad confirmed it. Technically, people could say this one alse ended in a cliffhanger since we don't yet know what will happen with Brad's schooling and his relationship with Cristina.

LOL - He'll show up again in other stories. As I mentioned before, The End rarely means the characters disappear. Look at what happened with Phil & Riley!

Thanks, Tor

I'm really going to date myself now. First Lady Betty Ford turned us down when we invited her to speak at my high school graduation; I think I still have her letter somewhere. We ended up with a state representative who quoted Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Trouble Water." That bit and the dandruff of the rabbi who gave the invocation are what I remember most. Feel free to use any part of the speech that moves you with your students. If Def planned to use one of my stories on Earth Day, you can use anything you want too.

LMAO Thanks, Kitt. I actually have that event somewhat planned out. I know where but don't have a firm date. But I do know What happens before and after.

Your feedback helped make the story better, Dugh. Mentally, Brad's stronger than he's ever been. Physically, he's recovered and constantly improving. Hell, he even got the girl! I think I've tortured him enough so his growing relationship with Cristina was my way of atoning for making him suffer. Does him mentioning a girlfriend mean I have to tag the story as a romance? LOL

Thank you! If one of those students benefits from Brad articulating his growth, I'm certain he'd be happy. The next Squad spinoff will track Ritch's four years at the Air Force Academy and Brad will have a cameo in it. Look for it sometime this fall.

I tried to make his speech his own without making him sound like CJ. I started the story with his acceptance speech at the Oscars and thought it would be interesting to end with another one.

Tony, I can't like your comment enough. You captured what my primary goal was: Brad's grown up! The story's format was another experiment. Much like writing a novella in one-thousand chapters. My goal's to learn what works and what doesn't. Very happy you liked it. Obviously, I've outlined a book about CJ's stint at the Mexico City embassy, but the actual book will not be seen for a bit. Even though I have a strong outline and a few thousand words written, there are two other CJ-verse stories slotted ahead of that one. One's ready to go next month, and the other one I'll start working on as soon as I'm done with a short story I've been stuck on for a month. This pandemic affects more than the ill. As usual, it's a pleasure to hear from you.

You're welcome, and thanks for surviving Singer's ending. I was expecting a reaction from you when Brad mentioned him in his speech.

Thank you, Chris. And thanks for the review! Brad went from a happy-go-lucky teen, to a serious young man who appreciates the second chance he's been given. I think the future looks bright for him.

Gracias, Jose. No need to steal, those words and anything else I write I gladly gift my readers. Stick around, new story coming soon.

LOL By now, most readers should realize my endings aren't hard ones. The main characters will return in one form or another. Hell, I even recycled Colonel and Mrs. Edwards for this one. Brad will show up again. Thank you for supporting my writing, Andre.

In today's age, I expect his speech will be on YouTube before he walks out of that auditorium. Hopefully, his wisdom will reach more than the Walls' graduates. Thank you so much for reading and reacting!

I feel the same way. Whenever I post the end of a story, there's a bit of sadness on my part. Conveying how much I enjoy interacting with readers after each chapter is hard. I look forward to Fridays as much as some followers do. We'll be back in a couple of weeks. Thanks you so much for reading and reacting. If you get a chance, go show the entire story a little love with a like, recommendation, and or review.

June 2022 “How many of you know who CJ Abelló is?” Brad estimated about half the attendees raised their hand. “For those of you who don’t, I’d suggest you google him. A two thousand sixteen graduate of Walls, CJ went to work for the State Department after attending Georgetown University.” Although Brad had loaded his speech on his phone, he barely looked at the device lying atop the podium’s surface. “I spoke with him last night, and he asked me to pass along his congratulations

Yeah, but now you have another entire story to read. LOL Ranger's final chapter posts in two days.