Thirdly

Get better soon!

someone unashamedly posted a letter on the club's notice board, accusing me of carrying AIDS and threatening to infect the entire team. - That sucks. Through the collective effort, we garnered over $20,000 from the vibrant Laguna Beach community, fostering a small yet determined army to stand by my side in support of this vital cause. - Sweet! I think I might just know who wrote this one, hue hue hue hue hue 😈

Yay! You're Gay! Now What?: A Gay Boy's Guide to Life- Not me looking up if this book is actually pink or not. 😅

Same here! I'm just strolling in all late running on Hispanic time.

Ryan is in big trouble. In trying to hide his involvement, Jeff's sister reveals something Ryan didn't expect. How will Jeff react to Ryan's blunder?

I doubt it's the desktop, though the slow boot time is concerning. Retighten the cables behind the monitor to see if that helps or swap out the cables for new ones. You can also swap it out for a new monitor, AND new cables (which usually come with the new monitor), but make sure to check what plugs you have on the desktop for monitors. Are they the white head cables, blue head cables, black head cables, hdmi? You'll want to replace the monitor with the cable that connects with the same type. (Why do I say this? Because I hate conversion plugs. Most don't work half as well as they should unless it is a conversion cable that is wired one way on one end and another way out the other.) As for the slow booting, I suggest starting to transfer things over to an external hard drive (make sure it's not a western digital passport brand, as I had trouble with those in the past). Make sure it is at least 1tb to 2tb big. Make sure it can connect via USB and NOT "USB-C" as I imagine your desktop doesn't have that plug. Be sure to boot the PC up first completely before you plug the external hard drive in. Then, start transferring as much of the important files you want to save over to it. After they have been transfered, you can delete the "heavier" files like videos and music and pictures off the desktop to lighten it's load (the files will now live on the external hard drive instead). This also serves as a back up in case the desktop does die on you, you will still have all your important files (only up to the day you did the transfer, at least. The more you remember to copy things over regularly to the external hard drive, the less files you have to lose). Remember to only unplug it after 1. Everything has fully transfered over and 2. After you shut the computer down to prevent any files from warping. There is also a way to do this digitally with a cloud storage like Dropbox, but that gets pricey and they charge every month, I believe. Too rich for my blood. You only have to pay once for an external hard drive and then it's yours until it, too, eventually dies (which won't be for years...for example, if you only plug it in to transfer/swap out things once per month, it could very well last up to 8 or more years). Edit: As for RAM, it's easy to upgrade and replace, but you have to verify the amount that specific desktop can carry (the exact name and model, which you can find out the next time you turn it on by searching for "computer info" and it will tell you the exact brand and name, then you can google the maximum amount of RAM it can have). For example, some older desktops can only hold up to 8gb of RAM and not 12gb or 16gb. Some desktops only have one slot instead two slots for the RAM to sit in. So, if there is only one slot and its max is 12gb, you'll have to hunt down one RAM stick that is 12gb big. If it has 2 slots and its max is 12bg, you can either hunt for one 12gb stick or for the 2 sticks of 6gb each (which is likely cheaper). Even if there are 2 slots there, you can't "double up" with 2 12gb sticks, making it 24gb thinking it will help because the maximum amount for that example is 12gb. The desktop would just not start back up because it becomes confused. It's like trying to shove a double A battery into a triple A battery slot.

Those two prompts could be rolled into one, and I'm trying desperately not to become distracted by that fact.

I've recently gone into a rabbit hole regarding overactive imaginations (they keep trying to call it "maladaptive daydreaming")... and I'm starting to understand why my mind is overflooded with plot bunnies and ideas that propagate and multiply. So, if anyone needs help bouncing ideas (and not just for this event, but for anything, really), I don't mind shaking a few of those bunnies out of my ears and handing them over.

I might have to go to grade school as an assistant to learn/re-learn genres. I feel like I keep mis-categorizing my s***. 😂

Ah, GBBB, magically sitting there despite my getting more laughs on Ash's Marriage Trigger, which I didn't even categorize as comedy. 😂

What the s**t, Ben. I could have sworn I was following you, but I didn't get a notification for your new story and realized I didn't have the follow on the story profile thingy. Anyway, as for the story itself: 1. Congratulations on completing your second prompt-based story, so you could start a collection if you want (it's what I did, but I have so many stories, I like to group their worlds together). 2. Hop was the White Rabbit in my head the whole time from the moment I read that title. Then, when I read the name "Alix," I nearly lost it!! 😂 3. It was super cute. I loved it. 🥰

I didn't specifically know it was Lee, but I had a feeling it was one of my kin, for sure.

No, Cia, don't do it. Multiple entries aren't fair to guessers and writers alike. Have the writers with free time work on the anthology or other event entries instead. 😂

Thirdly wouldn't be all that upset if her workplace was burnt to a crisp via an incendiary device.

Grew up a dog person, have cats now. So, both?

Brandon felt a sense of relief. That had been worrying him all day. But the way Tyler had mentioned it was special made him feel all bubbly inside. And though they rarely saw one another during the day, it would be amazing not to pretend when they did. He said softly as he reached out to caress Tyler’s cheek, “You’re special to me.” - Shot me through the heart again. Dagnabbit. “I first told them I was gay when I turned twelve. It was something I knew forever. At first they acted like it was a phase I’d grow out of. But then when I didn’t change, they began to believe I was rebelling against our religion, or looking for attention,” Brandon continued in a soft voice as he snubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray. “And finally three years ago, they sent me off to pray away the gay camp.” - Such cruel and unusual punishment. Good lord. “Well, I won’t run away,” Tyler promised. Brandon laid down and wrapped his arms tightly around Tyler as he said, “I know, I wouldn’t let you anyway.” - Yaaaay!

This was the first date he’d be meeting Tyler’s friends as…whatever it was they were. And he wanted to make a good second first impression. - Brandon, though you may not know this, you're technically going for a good "THIRD first impression." They saw you pound the hell out of Tyler's ass. “So how’d you convince Devin to go along with this whole double date idea anyway? I don’t think he likes me very much.”Tyler walked over and opened the door as he asked, “What do you mean?”Brandon entered the warmth of the theater and explained, “He’s never been mean or anything. But lately, he’s been giving me dirty looks everytime he sees me in the hall.” - 🤣!! “It’s the movie where Brad Pitt played Achilles and Orlando Bloom played someone brooding.”Mindy’s face lit up as she exclaimed, “I remember that movie. Brad Pitt is hot.”Brandon was impressed. Devin seemed to have a few more layers to him then he expected. Though Devin ruined that by saying, “Hey, I’m right here you know.” - 😂! Tyler grabbed Brandon’s arm and led them towards the parking lot. After they got into Tyler’s Jeep, Brandon buckled his seatbelt and said, “That wasn’t near as bad as I thought it would be.” - Awww. It was awesome.

“You actually conned some poor girl into marrying you?” Brandon asked in disbelief.Jesse held up three fingers and declared, “Three, he has three ex-wives.”“Three?” Brandon exclaimed in shock. “I don’t believe it.” - I believe it! “And before you say otherwise, I get the fact we’re friends. And yes, outside of Daniel you probably are my best friend. But sometimes you are a complete idiot when it comes to gay people.” - Awww, Matt, he said you were his bestie! “Jesse understands me, maybe the only person that ever has. When he arrived at Glacier Bay High in his senior year, he could’ve been the most popular boy in school but for some weird reason, he threw that all away to be friends with me.” - Awwww. “I’m happy to know I can still upset that prick all these years later. Makes up for the fact he’s one of the few people to ever kick my ass in a fair fight.”“I thought no one could kick your ass,” Brandon said in a shocked tone. “With the right motivation, anyone can get lucky. And trust me, Daniel had plenty of motivation.” - 😂Damn, Daniel. “You always seem to be scrambling to get money to buy odds and ends,” Matt said bluntly as he gestured with one hand. “And who the hell knows what you’re doing to earn it. I’m offering you a chance to earn money fairly a few hours a week. You can either take your pay in cash or trade your time for any art supplies you might need. Something for something.” - Aaaaawwwww!!! Brandon had barely shut his door when his phone made a mooing sound, a sound that was reserved for his only real friend, Ashley Powers. - 🤣 Ryan’s eyes narrowed and for a moment Brandon saw a flash of anger caused by his rejection. Then Ryan said in a harsh tone, “That doesn’t matter. Do you think I tell my girlfriend that you’ve been sucking me? Just don’t tell him.” - Hey! That may work fine for you, but not everyone behaves that way and you should respect that. She giggled excitedly and screamed out, “I’m so happy for you. How long has this been going on? Wait, you’re a top?”“Why does everyone seem shocked by that?” Brandon complained. - 🤣! ‘If you go on this date with me, you can tell her whatever you want.’Brandon looked up from his phone and said, “It’s Tyler.”“Tyler Scott?” Ashley exclaimed as she jerked the wheel so hard she almost went off the road. - I don't even have the words to express just how much I loved this part right here.

“That’s good to know. But I really wasn’t worried about that. Not after you getting all butt hurt because I jacked off once with you in the same room.”“I seem to recall it was twice, at least you admitted to two times,” Tyler fired right back. “Who knows how many times you blasted into my sheets?”“I’ll never tell.” - 🤣 No one ever looked at him like Tyler had all the past week. - Aaaaawwww. Are they dating? They had dinner, after they fucked, that was something he’d never done before. Fuck me, this is hard. And since Tyler has no idea what was going on in his brain, he just sent another panic text.‘but then so am i’ - 🤣 Though just thinking about the boy brought a giddy feeling in the pit of his stomach that surprised him. - Aaaaawww.

If he was going to face the beast in its den, he might as well feed it first. - I need a Tyler as a friend. I am so easily bribed by food, it's ridiculous. “Really? You can explain why you were on your back with your legs resting on that blue haired freaks shoulders while his cock was buried in your ass? You can explain that?” Devin said in a voice that sounded too clinical for Tyler’s liking. - OH NO! He saw everything! The trauma! I'm dying... I mean, Brandon did have the "now or never" mindset when he was tapping that booty. “But they weren’t with Brandon,” Devin yelled out. “Not a single time.”“So it wasn’t for having dirty gay butt sex, it was for having dirty gay butt sex with Brandon.”“Why would I give two shits if you’re gay?” - Tyler, you are such a lucky guy. Just the bestest friend. “Wait, did I make you gay?” - 😂Aaaaaaaaah! I am grinning way too hard trying not to laugh like a loon in public. “Why didn’t you at least text me and say you were busy instead of leaving me hanging all afternoon? Nana kept asking about you. Where’s Tyler? And what was I supposed to say to that? Sorry Nana, he’s busy getting drilled in the ass by a whore but I’m sure he wishes you a happy birthday.” - 🤣Can't breathe... best chapter ever. But why didn’t you tell me, I’m your best friend?” - EXACTLY! Devin's just on it, I swear. “I’m just saying,” Devin countered as he rubbed his leg. “Before the bet, straight with girlfriends. After the bet, on your back with your legs up.” - 🤣*slapping my knee* “You own every Hayden Christensen movie,” Devin said with a big grin. “That’s a sign right there. There is no other reason to own any movie he’s in unless you find him attractive.” - Same here, Tyler! I adore Hayden! I wouldn't jump into bed with him, but he is adorable. Tyler blushed and said, “That was actually the first time we had sex.”“So I was lucky enough to see you losing your virginity,” Devin said bitterly. - I am crying.😂 I'm laughing so hard. Tyler grinned and reminded his friend, “You also walked in on me when I was losing my other virginity.”“That’s right,” Devin snapped his fingers. “I will never open another door you’re behind without knocking first ever again.” - Really? Damn, Devin. Knock next time. “That’s so last year,” Devin said cheekily. “Wait, did you say painting by flashlight or fleshlight?” - WHAT? 😂 “Come on, back then, anything that even resembled sex got my motor running,” Devin defended himself. “Maybe we didn’t jerk off together but we have definitely jerked off at the same time.”“I am learning way too much about you today. It was bad enough that you walked in on me getting fucked.” - I love his honesty. “So seeing yourself jerking off in a painting got you excited and you fell on his dick.” - 🤣Can't breathe again. This was my favorite chapter so far, even beating out the boys finally getting together, which I also loved. Oh man. Just brilliant. Bro-ness at peak level.

“That’s a great idea. Though for the record, I was not undecided, it was you that failed to acknowledge what anyone would know.”“And that is,” Tyler said dryly.“Tonight is a pizza kind of night.” - I wouldn't argue that point, Tyler. Not sure why you kept trying to. “I likes what I likes,” Brandon explained as he ordered a medium thin crust pepperoni pizza with jalapeno from Pizza Slut. - But, Brandon, New York style is so much better. “Why is everything you own white?” - Ah, I hadn't read far enough to get to this part. “This isn’t even my house, I could get lost.”Tyler’s phone buzzed again and he said, “I’ll send you GPS coordinates, I’m sure you’ll be fine.” - Got him there! She touched her red locks and denied, “My hair isn’t from a bottle.”“Um, I didn’t say it was,” Brandon stammered as he looked over at Tyler for support. -🤣

His father finally looked him in the eye and said, “I love you, nothing will change that, ever.” - I'd squish his dad in a hug, too, dagnabbit. “And I’ve already been informed it's not Devin. And that’s very good to hear.” - What do they have against Devin? “Me too,” His father agreed. “Have you asked him about whether or not he returns your feelings?”“No,” Tyler admitted as he made little designs on the carpet with his foot. - Boi! Hop to it and go ask his behind! But I can’t get him out of my head. - La la la, la-la la-la la~ ‘pick me up in thirty minutes’‘Agreed.’ - Good lord. What the smallest bit of honest communication can accomplish lmfao. ‘in uber be there in five minutes’He looked at the time, there was no way he had spent that much time in the shower. - Hotdamn, did he just step into the shower and then immediately step back out? No soap, bodywash, wash rag, sponge, anything? 🤣 He brushed the hair from his eyes and Tyler saw for once he wasn’t wearing eye make-up. - Oh, well at least he washed his face. Bless his heart. 🤣 “I steal my mom’s meds so I can sell them to other kids to buy the scrap iron from Matt and my art supplies.” - I was wondering where he was getting the money from. Brandon looked at him and asked softly, “Are you sure that’s something you want? Please don’t say that unless you really mean it?” - God damn it, that shot me right through the heart. “More than anything,” Tyler replied as he rested his forehead against Brandon’s. - Tyler's the best boi. “Feel free to move about the cabin.” - *opens mouth to say something and then closes it again* Well, I'm glad they sorted everything out. Now if I can just convince them to send the girls my way... 🤔

He would need a lot of help if he would have even the slightest chance of passing the hardest class at Glacier Bay High. - Better buckle down with tutor Blake... wait, that didn't come out quite right. Then he looked back at the shop building and added, “Fuck you too Brandon.” - Tyler, I don't know what you think you saw, but I highly doubt it's what you think you thought you saw. He was greeted by the smell of fresh cut flowers, jasmine, and other smells he could never identify. - That's both heaven and hell all at once to me. I love natural scents, but pollen also kicks my butt. He looked up and saw a boy about twelve years old with the most amazing blue eyes. - So pretty. You already know how I feel about blue eyes. Daniel chuckled and put his arm fondly around Jake’s shoulders and said, “This is my son, Jake.” - I'd squish Jake into a hug, too. He really needed to talk to someone and he wished that someone was Devin. - No one is stopping you from spilling to Devin. What are besties for? Tyler turned around and asked innocently, “You got me an Alexa just so I could buy condoms? Why didn’t I know this before?” - 🤣! Gets me every time.

And maybe most of all, guilt like he had somehow cheated on Brandon. - Not really? Not to mention neither of you really decided on labels or anything yet. And if jerking off in the back of his Jeep to images of Brandon wasn’t worrisome enough, the next morning he repeated the action as he remembered the activities of the week before. - You know, I can't say shit about this. I have to consciously NOT think of people I shouldn't be thinking of. 95 percent of them female, and taken. Might have to take Ashley's advice myself, only replacing the boy part with girl. The other day I was checked out by way too many guys, an unusual amount. Not girls. And then when I was waiting in line for something, there was a tall girl (though many are tall compared to me, but that's besides the point). I was at eye level with her chest and I was confused about her outfit and was trying to figure out where the outfit and the top matched together, but it must have looked like I was just straight up staring at her boobs (which seriously weren't even much to write home about) because the next thing I knew she was glaring at me. I mean, at the event I was in, it was hard not to glance around and just land on people's risqué outfits and flashes of skin. But I avoided staring for more than a second at anyone after that. “An asshole is someone who is just that, an asshole. While an asshat is a good person who is just behaving like an asshole,” Tyler said with a big grin. - Ah, I get it... temporarily wearing the hat of an asshole. Never thought too deeply into the difference, even though I grew up with the many myriads of meanings behind the word "shit." “I don’t think you could do anything to make me stop talking to you,” Dylan declared adamantly. - I want to squish Dylan in a hug. Blake’s eyes lit up and he said excitedly, “We can actually use Calculus to determine the validity of that statement and predict the outcome of that becoming reality.” - Dude, you got the gig. Take my money. “He said I was attracted to assholes because I enjoy being treated like shit,” Christine quickly relayed the conversation as Tyler pulled over on a mostly deserted street a few down from Christine’s house. “Ouch,” Tyler said with a wince as he put the Jeep in park. He grabbed a lighter from his pocket and held it out. “You might need the first hit.” - LMAO!! They drove in silence for a few minutes and then Christine said lazily, “If it doesn’t work out with your mystery boy, you could always go after Brandon. He’s cute in a hey I’m an asshole kind of way.” - Christine, my gal, you don't know the half of it. As for that AP teach, I had one in high school and in college, no-nonsense strict graders. I surprisingly got an A at college but had to live with the B in high school.

And sitting this close to her, he had to admit, even if only privately, she was beautiful and smelled like raspberries. It was not an unpleasant smell but he hated her immediately. - Bruh, just send her my way. *gimme hands* She looked at him, clearly confused by his open hostility, she replied, “I just moved here, I don’t have a boyfriend.” He stopped sketching and said much louder than he intended, “Neither do I.” “If you two are done talking, I’d like to get back to the lesson.” Christine looked embarrassed but Brandon looked up and said, “Sorry, Mr. Blackwell.” - 🤣 She patted him on the cheek and said cheerily, “You’re an asshole, I think I like you.” - Oh my god. Girl, what a wasted kiss. Though I don't blame you, I'd want to kiss Brandon on the cheek, too, the cutie. “No one is spying on you Matt,” Brandon called out as several people in line laughed as they listened to the exchange. “Like the government cares what type of porn you watch in your alone time.” “Or that you overcharge for junk,” One of the men in line added. - 🤣That one guy. “He might not be your boyfriend but methinks you want him to be,” Matt said confidently as he held up his hand when Brandon opened his mouth to deny it. “I saw the way you looked at him the other day and just now, I could see it all over your face, you like him.” - Even Matt knows he likes him. Brandon stood there for a moment before he replied carefully, “It doesn’t matter if you’re right or not. Tyler is straight and no one says methinks anymore.” - Methinks you know better. Tyler's bi at worst, gay at best. “I know the family, if he’s anything like his old man, he likes you back,” Matt informed him with a serious look on his face. - Yo, how is Matt the voice of reason now? Brandon, listen to him. Tyler Scott woke on Wednesday morning and groaned loudly. His entire body ached from the pummeling he took on Monday. - Boy has a 2-day delay of pain. Mine is a 1-day delay. “I’m sorry,” Tyler stammered in embarrassment. That had never happened to him. Normally he could get hard just thinking about having sex. And then it hit him, as if right between his eyes. Something had been missing from the moment he crawled into the backseat. He was wishing it was Brandon, not her. - Well then... send her my way? *gimme hands* “It’s not you,” Tyler called out as she slammed the door in his face. As he watched her drive away he said softly, “It’s because of a boy named Brandon.” - He went and tattled. How come you tell her his name and not Christine? Also, this whole story could have been titled "Because of a Boy named Brandon"... missed opportunity?