Parker Owens

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.

You are really good about making connections; perhaps you teach English Lit? This chapter was fun and difficult to write at the same time. So may activities for Zander and Andy to try, but skating seemed like, fun. It was. Funny how even a homeless kid, stashed away in a closet can feel busy, busy busy at times. Wonder how Zander feels. Swimming season can be grueling, I think. Exams are coming up. They'll be terribly busy then, Many thanks for your perceptive review!

You hit is squarely: teens can be very shortsighted. Zander and Kaz are used to big gatherings where people circulate, wander, and interact all night. Andy definitely isn't, and he hardly knows how to handle that idea. That, and he isn't sure who beyond Kaz, Terry and Zander might be friendly. Well, he discovered Kaz's sisters are friendly enough. It's good Andy chose not to hit the road again in the cold winter. But what happens in the new year? The new year happens Monday. Thanks so much for reading the story to this point, and for your thoughtful review.

My mind wandered idly during the warmdown laps at the end of swim practice. As I moved almost languidly through the water, a problem nagged at my brain. How to get nearer to you? After having you so close before Christmas, just seeing you around town or in school didn't seem anything like enough. I'd almost come out to you then before Christmas, huddled together on the bed, watching a movie. But later I was glad I had chickened out. Lena and you had kissed at the party, I knew it. I'd seen you

Oh. I get the surprise - Twoey already has a clue Danny's gone, but David is the one who is completely undone. And boy, is he undone. Not unhinged, not unglued, but the ties the bind him to the world of his own control and his picture of normality are unknotted. or at least some of them. David loses more of the control that values so much; loses more of the veil of what cloaks his life in regularity. Now he has to deal with it all. No, he isn't safe at all. And he hasn't even begun to be able to face the external demons that will come looking for him (we can think of several at this point). Loved this chapter for the honesty David couldn't avoid: he loves Twoey. Loved this chapter for Twoey's sufficient recovery that he is beginning to think about what he can do for David. Loved that the two of them know they are bound together somehow.

Thank you so much for your lengthy and thoughtful review. Eric is discovering farm work. It has its satisfactions and rewards, as well as its day to day drudgery. It is very hard work. For Eric, it is a chance to feel rewarded and praised for the hard work he puts in - something his brute of a father never let him experience. He's gaining experience, and maybe a little confidence and plenty of muscle. He also gets to eat more often than he has been on the road. The problem of the real Andersons is always looming on the horizon. As for telling Eustace what really happened at Toby's place, that seemed unlikely. Yes, Eustace was speaking unjustly, but Eric has learned by bitter experience never to tell adults anything. It hurts to do so. Better to just shut up and take it. It's what his father taught him to do. The problem of washing and brushing up wasn't important until Eric had to be in contact with someone every day. Eric probably uses Eustace's bathroom in the house whenever he can, and the field margins or the woods when he can't. Ugh. I really appreciate your taking then time to read the story and to write your thoughtful reviews.

Poor Andy was stuck reading books from the church library for fun, when he wasn't shoveling snow or something. Christmas Eve was good, but the rest of the week, well...at least he got something good done with the snow blower. And he got to run into Zander again, so that wasn't all bad...thanks for reviewing and for reading this far,

Andy may be improving as a writer because he has so much time on his hands. Heaven help us if his life ever gets busy. Thanks for catching the state line metaphor. Poor Andy is awkward, and will learn being social only slowly. If he hangs with K and T and Z long enough, maybe he'll get comfortable enough in his own skin to fit in. The new year begins on Monday. Thank you so much for reading and for your kind review.

Sorry to have disappointed you at Midnight, but Andy did have an epiphany of sorts, as you say. And his awkwardness will only slowly be unlearned, I think. The new year begins on Monday. Thanks for taking the then time to read and review!

And to Andy, too, perhaps. But Andy showed up later...Zander had been there for a while already, and there's plenty of sociability going on. Hard to know what was up before Andy arrived. As you say, it's not Zander's best moment. Thanks so much for your excellent thoughts and for reading through this chapter.

This chapter tells us a lot of background for the Kasimierski family, about the sociable nature of Kaz and Terry and Zander, too. If they were friends, Zander's withdrawl would surely have been noticeable in the spring. Glad you understood the left turn, too. Thank you for reading and for your kind review.

More is coming Monday. Andy is staying out for now, which is a big step for him. And what does that say for the new year ahead of him? Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review.

Thanks you for this review. Andy has been living in constant shadow of the storm that looms on the horizon. That he chose not to bolt for the road is important, but so is the knowledge that personal attachment is holding him in place. He's never had any of that to worry about before. I appreciate your continued reading and remarks.

That would be a better resolution than going on a diet! But at least he's decided to stay put for now. Andy gets the itch to run under pressure, undeniably. Of course, there might be pursuit from Kaz's sister...Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. Next chapter is Monday!