Cynus

No wonder why we relate so well, James. I've been Silas too, and it IS awful once you crash.

Believe me, I have no shortage of lasting impressions brought on by the LDS church. I spent 22 years in the religion, after all. It truly is an oppressive religion, and it's amazing how many times their teachings are contradictory. I've never understood how they can claim that family is the most important thing and then rule by guilt and disappointment. Emotional abuse is how they maintain control, and it's awful to grow up in. It's true, and that's certainly the reason why he has such a hard time speaking with Ian. Ian represents the time that his family first broke down, and even though Silas is on the same side of the issue as Ian it's hard for SIlas to see Ian as anything other than the catalyst for the way his life is now. I only managed to have a little fun in scouts. Of course I was part of Mormon scouts, and that means they watched us like hawks... But yes, the poor guy deserves justice.

“You need me to do what?” Chelsea asked as they stood across the street from Mom’s Diner. She was looking at Silas like he was crazy, but he hoped that she’d do what he asked anyway. “I need you to go in there and ask to use the restroom, and then tell me if a man named Ian Drake is inside,” Silas replied, anxiously watching the windows of the diner for any sign of Ian moving around on the inside. “Wait, Ian Drake . . .” Chelsea said thoughtfully, “Is he a relation of yours or something?

My own experience in scouting has taught me that while the organization may frown upon having those of us who are LGBT in their midst, the measures they take to prevent it hardly work. All it does is create an atmosphere of bigotry and hate, which, like many religions do, leads to the boys involved in the institution thinking that they are inferior, or that they are somehow wrong for being who they are. It's truly a shame. I'm glad that you had the opportunity to be part of a much more open organization. The girl scouts have always seemed to be more forward thinking than the BSA, and hopefully one day the boys will catch up.

Thanks, Valkyrie. I love the support it's been getting. I saw this article recently and it reminded me of another fate Silas could have eventually suffered. It's interesting the way the news can remind you of fiction, and it's awful how some fiction eventually comes true. http://brodylevesque.blogspot.com/2014/04/facebook-status-outs-gay-scout-and.html From the article: "FLAGSTAFF -- For 19 year old Garrett Bryant, a Boy Scout since he was a small boy, summertime meant Boy Scout Camp and this summer, also a means to help pay for college- that is until a non gender specific 'relationship' status on Facebook forever altered his plans and his affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America. Bryant who is gay, needed to keep that fact quiet due to his involvement with the BSA whose official policy is to bar openly gay men or women from serving in adult leadership positions. The Arizona resident told LGBTQ Nation Tuesday that earlier this Spring he'd posted- in his words- a "gender neutral relationship status change" on his Facebook page, went to sleep and then realised hours later when he got up that while some of his immediate circle of close-knits friends knew of his sexual orientation, by necessity, he'd kept that secret as best as he could from his Scouting friends and leadership. He immediately logged on and saw one posted that read: " Awesome Man, who is he?" and another that said “Oh, good for you, man, what's his name?’” He says he deleted any posts that referenced his orientation and hoped that his scouting friends and BSA leadership hadn't seen the comments. The first sign of trouble came when he called a friend to see about his application to work at BSA’s Camp Geronimo, located 90 miles northeast of Phoenix, where he had worked the previous summer. He said that instead of getting confirmation he was going to be employed again he was told he needed to speak with the camp's director. On March 25th Bryant says that he was called by the Camp's Director and told that he wasn't not going to be offered the job- he was ineligible because of his personal choices. "I asked him what he meant by that and he said the homosexuality and then he [the director] referred to the Facebook posts."Bryant, who has worked his way up through Scouting since he was a young boy achieving the rank of Eagle Scout says that being denied the job in an organization he loves is a crushing blow."

Well, Silas does look like somewhat of a hooligan, what with his old tattered clothing and his hair that hasn't been cut in awhile. If you were someone who liked to stereotype(Like certain gardeners) then I could see him as scary. Adam certainly seemed a little scared of Silas! Well, maybe scared isn't the right word, but what was Adam thinking? Thanks for the review. I hope that chapter 5 is as well received.

This is the first time I've linked to one of my stories through the forum, but I wanted to create a place for discussion on this one. Hope you enjoy it! [sharedmedia=stories:stories:4753]

Right on the money about who called the cops. That evil old snitch! She should really mind her own business, I think. :)I think Silas kind of deserves to be a cynic considering the way his life has already gone, but you're right, he's not all the way gone yet.

Me too. Glad I've kept your interest so far.

Those are all excellent questions, and I'm excited for you to read the next chapter. As to who called the cops, well I never say it openly but Robert Rex got it right. The gardener was probably one of the ones that wanted the law in the first place.

Those are all excellent questions, and I'm excited for you to read the next chapter. As to who called the cops, well I never say it openly but Robert Rex got it right. The gardener was probably one of the ones that wanted the law in the first place.

You'll find a lot of answers later on, but I love the way that everyone seems to be thinking so deeply about this story. Thank you for the comment, as always.

You'll find a lot of answers later on, but I love the way that everyone seems to be thinking so deeply about this story. Thank you for the comment, as always.

Silas awoke as Adelaide shifted in his arms. She had heard a sound, but it apparently wasn’t ominous as she settled back against him. It didn’t matter, the damage was done and he was awake, and he shifted in the blankets and looked at the shelter around him. It had stood up fairly well through the night, and the wind that had picked up later had not gotten through the tarp he had laid over the structure and weighted down with heavy stones on the outside. The night had been cold, but between his

Jack's the heart of the band and Brady is the soul. Jack is impulsive and is willing to do anything to ensure the happiness of the people close to him. He has the wanderer's spirit, and even though he really wants to get to Boise because he thinks that their next big thing is there, he also knows that the right thing for the band might be to make Brady a little bit happier and to bring Silas back into the fold. Brady is cool and contemplative, and he always tries to see the bigger picture. He also wants the people around him to be happy but he doesn't need to be directly involved in their happiness. As deeply as he feels for Silas he wants what is best for him first and foremost, and as far as Brady can see what Silas needs is time to figure things out. I've seen it said a few times that people think Brady is being brave or that he has more faith in the "if you love it let it go" then one would usually have, but I find his motivation to be slightly different. He just wants Silas to find happiness, wherever it may be. Or at least, that's what he keeps telling himself. Stacey and Theo are pretty awesome too, but you'll have to stick around if you want to see why.

Silas Drake's past will be revealed more as the story continues, don't you worry. Jack and Brady really are the best of friends, and it took me until now to realize how much they resemble my friendship with one of my closest friends. Sometimes you discover things about why you wrote a certain way and they catch you completely off guard.

Glad to have you around and reading. I love the way Brady thinks and I'm glad you do too. Thanks!

I feel like you've just cracked the master code of the whole story. Well, we'll see how right you are anyway. As I mentioned in replying to another review, Jack and Brady are nearly tied for the characters that represent myself in this story, and I often find myself having discussions like this in my own internal monologue. The performance definitely isn't over yet, and there's a lot more to come.

It definitely is. Brady has his reasons, and like everything with him those reasons are deeper than what he's already revealed.

Then it did its job. There's always a character in every story I write that I resonate with more than the others, and in this case I'd have to say it's nearly a tie between Jack and Brady. Once I wrote them I knew I had to see more of them, and I often find my stories morphing when new characters show up. Hopefully it morphed into something beautiful that you'll all stick around to see! Thanks for the review.

Then it did its job. There's always a character in every story I write that I resonate with more than the others, and in this case I'd have to say it's nearly a tie between Jack and Brady. Once I wrote them I knew I had to see more of them, and I often find my stories morphing when new characters show up. Hopefully it morphed into something beautiful that you'll all stick around to see! Thanks for the review.

The Navigator was originally born from an idea of a homeless boy and his dog. Addy was made to steal the whole show, so I'm glad that she won her way into your heart as well.

The Navigator was originally born from an idea of a homeless boy and his dog. Addy was made to steal the whole show, so I'm glad that she won her way into your heart as well.

“Would you get your feet off of me, Theo?” Stacey yelled, shattering the stillness of the early morning drive. Brady looked up from his seat in the far back and saw Theo reluctantly withdraw his feet from the column that rested between the driver seat and the passenger seat. Stacey was glaring at Theo and Theo just shrugged and bowed his head again to get more sleep. Stacey grumbled and rolled over in the passenger seat as she tried to get more sleep herself. It was Jack’s turn to drive agai

Incredible writing considering your age. Well done, and I'm looking forward to more. You've got a lot going for you here, and if you keep writing to the end I think your story is going to be quite impressive. The best advice I can give you is to make sure you finish this story. I remember it being difficult to push myself to the end of my writing projects when i was fourteen, but as soon as I finished my first story that problem all but disappeared. Finish this story and finish strong, and you'll do great in the future! Good luck.