Parker Owens

Andy Watches Zander in School You move with fluid grace in all you do. Intently through the crowds of faceless ones who populate the halls you stalk your way. I am your prey, you must not see my face nor yet my clothes, lest anything betray intelligence of where I live in school. For in your pleasure you could lie in wait, to pounce and rend me into pieces fine. You'd feast upon my fear, but as you chew a moment's happiness I'd know: it's you. Zander Watches Andy Sleep I watc

Robbie and Fran certainly have a hot time, but it seems more and more that Robbie is having to work harder and harder at it. Sensation is one thing, and real out and out attraction is another. But if Fran and Robbie get hot, I imagine he and Nathan will be combustible; enough to heat the house in a Canadian winter. Thanks for this chapter!

I like this very much. I can relate to the feelings it brings up, and to the frustration of not being able to ease the pain. Thank you for this one.

I have always liked the way you use words in your other poems. It continues here. This has a wonderful, breathless quality to it that you convey deftly and effectively. You have kissed someone unforgettably, here. Lucky guy.

What a lovely start to this story. Patrick appears to be a guy with a lonely gift. A perfect eccentricity in England. Who is the lucky Dane?

I have encountered more than I would like; some are polite and persistent, others outspoken and aggressive. The latter are dangerous, like the Chandler woman. She got her snoot smacked by the judge, which is the least she deserves. Pity she couldn't join your dad. Andy is still anxious, though. Thanks for reading Andy's story here, and for your comments.

I wish I saw that more often. Could not agree more - I wish that was normal for everyone. Thanks for reading and for commenting.

Oh my. This is so tragically true. Makes me remember the story of an ancient professor I heard about, walking on campus during an unusually warm January. Shaking his cane at the sprouting flowers, he cried: "Get back, you fools!" Perfect thought.

This is grand, Gary. The imagery of the birds on the wing over and around you as run is as vivid as cinema. Love the way your rhymes propel us forward as if we were running with you.

You are right in that Andy's legal issues are not resolved, not by half. But you are also right about allies: starting with Zander, then moving out to Kaz and Terry and Monica and Garrett, and still further to the Judge and Mrs. Marjorie, Andy now has some shelter from the storm, should he choose to trust them. Judge Harrison is a county-level judge in a smallish mostly rural county, dealing in family and probate court matters. At least, that's how I perceived him and his role. He does enough daily work with families and children that he knows the regulations in his sleep, I imagine - though the clearly antiquated 'foundling statute' that Garrett found seemed to surprise him somewhat. Andy may develop that pugnacious character you mention, but I think that is a very long way off. Besides, at heart, Andy seems to be more likely to conciliate than fight, unless he is cornered. Bruce and his family have a backstory I thought about, but it is something I thought far too cumbersome to add to Andy's journal. Perhaps there is another avenue waiting to be explored, but we'll see. No promises. I'm sorry you dread the day A to Z will end. It has to happen eventually. I'm so very glad you have enjoyed it. The characters have come to inhabit my heart and brain, which is both good and bad - I'd like some room there to be able to write something else! Thanks for your generous words and insightful review. Most of all, I am glad you continue to read Andy's story.

Here we have the unfair limitation of seeing the world through the lens of Andy's journal. Ms. Chandler's comeuppance will likely be a very quiet political knifing; a deft demotion or transfer by the county authority she so rudely embarrassed. The trouble is, Andy is unlikely to see it or know about it until long after the fact. But Judge Harrison's rebuke will surely start those wheels turning. It is very hard for Andy to stop thinking about flight as a real alternative. He loves Zander and his family, though, and they are worth the fight. Thanks for reading A to Z, and for your cogent review.

You are certainly right - Ms. Chandler could still do Andy a lot of harm, and he knows it. Andy is anxious and unhappy about this. And breathe the words 'Uncle Ray' anywhere near him, and he's likely to bolt. The track tryout was fun to experience from Andy's perspective, wasn't it? And maybe Andy will give Kaz a run for his new, but they may be in different events. Thanks for your commentary, perceptive as always. And thanks especially for reading A to Z this far.

Hollow and empty, you paint that perfectly well. This is an exercise in sadness, a portrait of unhappy loneliness. Expertly done - enough to make me weep.

Judge Harrison is a good ally to have; clearly Ms. Chandler didn't count on that. She's unlikely to let matters stand, but the restraining order/injunction now in place will force her to think of something else. Andy's urge to run overcame any thought of calling out for help. When has anyone come to his aid before? And I never want to race Andy anywhere. Could get hurt that way. Maybe Andy should have called out "pervert!" and watched the fun. He didn't think of that, either. Thanks for your thoughts and I really appreciate your continuing to read Andy's story.

The courtroom portion of this chapter was fun to write. What a good thing it is that 99.44% of all CPS workers and supervisors are great people. What a pity it is that Blackburn has someone in the 0.56% category. Andy has a slowly growing group of adults he can trust - and this is a great improvement over just six months earlier. But you are right that fear is back, and with it, anxiety. These are unwelcome acquaintances, back again. He hasn't run this time, at least. Andy wondered what the swim coach was teaching - probably didn't look like anything he's seen Zander do. Thank you so much for continuing to read Andy's story, and for your insights.

Ditto Mitchell's comment. Sam is gonna blow Mom and Pastor's minds completely - and not in a good way. Already wondering how David's father can allow the poison of that church to be anywhere near his kids. Seriously wondering how he can be married to a woman who takes that garbage seriously. What David witnessed is utterly cult-like and unchristian. David is trying to set up Twoey with Chuck, it seems - perhaps to assuage his need to feel normal, whatever that means? But maybe Sam's revelation can tear some of the veil away from David's definition of 'normal.' And David needs to let Sam know how much he cares for his friend, too. In my opinion, anyway. Thanks for a great chapter! Want more! Please sir?

I am so glad you liked it! I couldn't help grinning a little when I posted it, knowing you'd get to sink your teeth in it a bit. Better still, Ms. Chandler got smacked down in firm legal language. What's Swedish for "This is an embarrassment," anyway? Despite his victory, Andy is still rattled by this whole episode, and rightly so. Tak so mycke!

Andy's initial observation back in September was that Blackburn High School was much more laid back than Carlsberg. This seems to be largely borne out. It may be good training on the part of Mrs. Vetter (the principal) or maybe it's just good class dynamics. That Bruce was on his way to a third place finish before hurting himself may play into the coach's mind. But Bruce isn't likely to compete for a while, yet. Right now, Andy is badly rattled and entertaining fears, despite his victory in court. Ms. Chandler has done that much, at least. Thanks for reading this part of Andy's story, and for your kind words in review.

Sorry about rattling your nerves. If it's any comfort, Andy's are rattled more. Fear is back in his mind, and it's surely unwelcome. The grey-suited pair are both spooky and real; these things do happen. That Andy had allies when he felt threatened was a huge change from just a few months earlier. Zander must have felt stretched in several directions, too; anxiety, needing to be close, and then having to share Andy with this newcomer, Jeff. But he seems to put up with it, if only because Andy is there. The pole vault is such a tricky thing to learn - that Andy botched it, but came up unfazed is a big step. The court hearing was one of my favorite bits - so much I had to leave out or leave unstated. You have to feel for the county lawyer who must have felt like a sacrificial lamb that day. Doubt a bout of contempt-related jail time would have deterred Ms. Chandler. She'd have worn it like a badge of honor. Thanks for reading along with Andy again today, and for your generous and insightful remarks.

Frack, indeed. Ms. Chandler got her comeuppance, at least this time. The Judge's words were about as big a smackdown as you get in the courtroom, and she's certainly embarrassed the person who appointed her. We knew that would happen, but Andy plainly didn't, and now he's rattled. Very rattled. Fear has returned to him as an unwelcome companion. Thanks so much for your outrage - Andy would appreciate it. And thanks for reading another section of Andy's story, which I really, really appreciate.

Sometimes county functionaries can be dense as well as bigoted. If they are political appointees, that can happen. At one point, I had a whole Ms. Chandler backstory all figured out and outlined, but I discarded it as being too cumbersome. Guess it might have been useful after all. Yes, it's really good that two sharp lawyers are on Andy's side, plus a judge who is pissed off at Ms. Chandler. Not that Andy can see this clearly: fear has returned as an unwelcome companion. Thanks for your review and for enjoying another part of Andy's story.

Well, Andy sure doesn't believe FPS is done, and that's what matters. Yes, it was very close to kidnapping. The Judge didn't call it that, but his injunction makes it much harder for them to shadow the boys legally. But Andy may not reckon on that. Your impression on Zander's outing is about right, at least as Andy reports it - sometimes a dropped bomb is kind of a dud. Or, in this case, it explodes in a way very different to what might have been expected. In any case, neither Andy nor Zander get to hear the whispers in the corridors. But then, their minds are distracted. Thanks again for your kind words and reflections, and for reading another part of Andy's story.

This is a hard time for Andy - not physically, but in his thoughts. He is tormented by visions of what might happen. Fear has come back to stay, and it's not a welcome return. But life goes on through it all. All of Kaz's patient encouragement paid off - Andy and Zander would have beaten Bruce anyhow, but Bruce managed to injure himself trying to keep up. Karma. (Bruce's story is something else again...he's been losing in the pool to Zander all winter...). Andy appears to have sorted out that some adults are trustworthy - Monica, Garrett, Dr. O'Shea, Mrs. Marjorie (perhaps), the Judge (also perhaps) - and some aren't. Even so, that's getting to be a growing list - and a much, much bigger list of trustworthy adults than he had back in August. Losing Zander at night is a huge misfortune - a high price to pay to keep FPS happy in the event they come again. Thanks very much for your deep and perceptive review, and for reading another part of Andy's story.

Oh, how sad. How very February. But you aren't alone, Emi, not here, not now. Four short lines effectively breaking the heart. You write it so well.

Ms. Chandler got wrung out and hung out to dry. Her motives weren't clear in the first place, but she's got to be smarting from the reprimand Judge Harrison gave her. At least - for this moment - she has to back off, but that isn't likely to make Andy feel more at ease. Thanks for your perceptive review and for reading another chapter in the journal.