Parker Owens

You are very kind. Thanks so much for your encouraging words, and for reading Andy's story.

I am very happy you enjoyed this chapter. I hope to helped make your holiday brighter. Now at least Andy has someone who can't try to begin got understand. He is no longer alone. Thanks so much for all your encouragement and for reading Andy's story.

Glad you are happy; writing to chapter made me happy, too. Thanks for reading so far into the story, and for your reviews, Perhaps the clouds on the horizon of Andy's life will clear a bit. Happy Christmas!

Andy finally just gave in and told Zander the truth. For the few hours left to him before morning, everything is all right. No doubt, he will worry about what happens next when he wakes, which will be after Christmas for the likes of you and me. Thanks for reading Andy's story and for your reviews..

Andy was blindsided, too. But he knew Zander's mother would be waiting - will still be waiting for a full explanation in the morning. And we know she's not going to buy any 'my father this or that' nonsense. So does Andy. In the end, the courage to confess to Zander was there all along. Hope your Christmas is a happy one. Many thanks for your reading and for your reviews.

So glad this chapter made you happy. It made me glad to write it. God Jul, and we'll see Andy and Zander again in a few days. Thanks so much for reading and for your comments.

I am glad you felt the 'finally' as I did when I wrote this. For now, Andy could not be in better hands - or arms - than Zander's. Have a lovely, happy Christmas, Thank you for reading and for your review.

Yes, the dam finally washed away. It took a single serious misstep on Andy's part for it to happen. I hope this chapter makes your Christmas brighter. For the moment, Andy could not be in better hands. Thank you so much for reading Andy's story, and for your review, A happy Christmas to you!

You are most welcome. I hope you don't mind that I didn't put a bow or a tag on it. This was a chapter I liked writing enormously, though it took a long time to complete. Have a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for reading.

I am very happy you unwrapped your present and liked it.

January was the month from hell. At least, the last half of it was. Mom and dad harped on how these were the crucial exams in an important year. Colleges would scrutinize my junior year grades. Coach pushed us brutally in swim practices. We were going to be a top ranked team in the region. Exams, classes, swim meets, driving test, all that. And Mary Ellen Schmidt hanging on my elbow. The best part of each and every day was seeing you at lunch. I looked forward to getting through February. Maybe

Andy clearly loved every minute he got to spend with Zander, at least as much as you and I did. Certainly, he can observe the details of Mary Ellen and Zander interacting, but he's never been in any kind of boyfriend - girlfriend dynamic, so his understanding of the cues and signals will be limited. Kaz and Terry are probably not going togetherness guides in this, either, still, watching the two boys enjoy each other's company is wonderful. Thank you for your review and for reading Andy's story.

I really appreciate your reading this story, and for staying with it thus far. Andy at least understands a little hope, or he wouldn't have stayed in Blackburn. Thanks so much for your review!

Andy eats at two publicly funded school meals each day, supplemented by whatever he can buy for an evening snack. School meals are dull fare, but can be purchased (relatively) cheaply. That he is slowly eroding his cash stash probably means he is 'doubling up' by buying two meals at a time once in a while. The problem occurs on the weekends when there is no school. Thank you. For reading thus far, and for your perceptive review

Thanks for the very kind review. You have said so many nice things, I fear to disappoint you one day. But this month (January) could have been a hard one, one of the hardest. Andy did not chose despair, though he is jealous of the putative gf (Mary Ellen) and distracted by exams. And there is always snow to shovel. I'm sure Andy can't wait for spring, despite the end of his regular income from sidewalk and driveway clearing. I do so appreciate your reading Andy's story, and your many reviews. One more chapter before Christmas! Many thanks.

Did you feel Andy smile? Imagine how Zander must feel, seeing that. Poor guy, he doesn't know quite what to do. And then life intervenes, inconveniently - exams, swim meets, chores, driver's tests, and so on - what's an over scheduled teen to do? It is a lot of fun writing about and conceiving Kaz coaching Andy in running. If nothing else, Andy may gain a little more confidence in himself because of it, something he never had before. And yes, Kaz and Terry are cute, too. As long as I weren't single, it might be fun to meet them. Returning to your last sentence, if you felt Andy smile, then I am very happy. Many thanks for your review, and for reading. One more chapter before Christmas, then a brief break. Thanks!

You are both kind and patient, my friend, and I do appreciate it. Andy's life unfolds slowly, as most lives do. It is fun as an author writing about people discovering the familiar things we all know. It is one of my favorite themes in literature. Not that anyone would call A to Z literature. Andy chose to stay in Blackburn, and was treated to a snowball war and a skating lesson with his favorite person. Soon he will take his mid year examinations. Perhaps his marks will be as good as the last time. That's normal enough, though quite new for Andy. Through the month of January, he has become more firmly established in the tight circle of Kaz, Zander and Terry. This in itself is both normal, and heartbreakingly new for Andy, too. And perhaps a little scary, too. Many thanks for reading and for your heartfelt review. One more chapter before the Christmas holiday, then a very brief break until after.

Well, he didn't know so much where Andy lived, as where to find him. Just in time for a snowball war. And Mary Ellen surely rocked the boat and made Andy uncomfortable and jealous. Clearly she makes Zander uncomfortable, too. Between snow and exams and swimming and everything else, Andy and Zander have had quite a month. And January isn't even over yet. Thanks so much for your review and for reading.

Oh, the twists and turns. A snake could have broken his back. Great story!

Oh, wonderful. I love this poem! A perfect carol for the prompt! I really like the refrain couplets, but it all holds together wonderfully.

I hope you enjoyed their day together half as much as Andy did. That day was really fun to write about. It helps that Andy is going to watch Zander swim, even if the two of them are terribly busy as their exams approach. I enjoyed conceiving Terry as a character, and at one point I toyed with trying a chapter in her POV. I thought that confused matters, though. Maybe I could do that as a 'short' some day. You're right, though, in that Andy sees her probing as a much more friendly thing than he did back in September. Thank you so much for your insight, and for reading so far through this story. One more pre-holiday chapter, and then a brief hiatus until after Christmas. No Julmust for Andy .

It is unfortunate that each thinks the other wouldn't be interested. How often it is that friendships never form for that very reason. Adolescents are often just too scared or embarrassed to break the ice with the truth. For Andy, the truth has always been very risky, so doing that would be doubly hard for him. The New Year happened today, when you are ready for it. Thank you so much for reading and for your review. God Jul!

I'm glad this chapter resonated with your experiences, as it did with mine. Boys often do physical stuff to initiate and sustain friendships. Snowball wars where I grew up - but we played with BB guns and stuff like that, too. Kaz has taken Andy under his wing. Or maybe he's just trying to make him live on 'planet running,' as Zander put it. Skating with Zander was very real to me. I remember wobbling across the ice at a tender age. Your very kind words are so encouraging, and I thank you for them. Even more, thank you for letting me share this story with you. There will be one more pre-holiday chapter this week, then a brief hiatus until after Christmas. Thanks again.

You might be right about Eustace. He's clearly a good man. But Eric / Stefan has not had a life that leads him to trust anyone. He expects the worst because it has happened to him. Eric has enough money to eat, at least, as you say. Poor Toby seems to be the harbinger of doom, despite being a cheerful and friendly soul, which he surely is. Thank you for reading so far, and especially for your reviews. I really do appreciate your commentary.

Thank you for your kind comments. I appreciate your reading the story and your thoughts on Andy's life. It has been quite a journey so far. There are more chapters to come; the next one is Wednesday.