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Parker Owens

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  1. Parker Owens
    This is kind of a bewildering experience for Andy. Making friends is unusual for him, and he's never been actually included in any group. He's been watching, observing the three tight friends - Zander, Terry and Kaz - for almost six weeks now, and they suddenly invite him in. It has to be really exciting and scary, I think. And to have a teacher apologize is utterly beyond him. I suspect Mr. Karpus is a old softie, but I didn't pursue that line...thank you for regrading and engaging with this chapter. I enjoyed writing it, though it was a lot of work to get to where it ended up.
  2. Parker Owens
    I'm so glad this was good and unexpected. It was a fun chapter to write, though difficult to hone. This was to show how much our lives change when even a few seemingly small things go right. And a very, very happy Thanksgiving to you, too. PS - there's a chapter for Friday, too!
  3. Parker Owens
    Great chapter. David in confusion and indecision and denial; Twoey in anticipation, and the grandfather offstage beckoning. I smell a lot besides then Thanksgiving turkey. All great stuff. Happy, happy thanksgiving. Thank you!
  4. Parker Owens
    October 20 There’s no pretending that nothing important happened today. In the rest of the world, wars started, laws were passed, volcanoes erupted and so on. And these are important, probably. Here in Blackburn, nothing much is supposed to happen. In this little, narrow world inhabited by one dirty, stupid, runaway kid who happens to be gay – absolutely nothing of importance takes place. Daily survival happens quietly, consistently, and without notice. That's how it's supposed to work. Ins
  5. Parker Owens
    Both beautiful Musings, Tim. I am especially touched by Falling. I can imagine what you write so clearly. I see and touch and feel through your words. Thank you for these
  6. Parker Owens
    Oh, thank you for you kind words. You predicted they'd be in class together, so kudos in your direction. Hope this chapter was worth the read and the wait. For Andy, he must feel terribly nervous, terribly exposed. Someone knows his name, someone he's afraid of, even if that fear is irrational. I really appreciate your sticking with the story through its bleak chapters.
  7. Parker Owens
    As I said to Diogenes, I wish every kid in Zander's situation had parents as understanding as his turned out to be. Andy's dad sure wasn't. Though Andy and Zander now know one another's names, it's a long way before Andy will be able to trust anyone, I think. Thank you so much for your reading and insight. This was a hard chapter to write.
  8. Parker Owens
    No. Very sadly, no. Andy discovered that the hard way. But it's what I would want for every kid who has to go through it. And thank you especially for that comment, because I had difficulty writing that portion - trying to balance emotions, and avoiding too much saccharine. Wish Andy had been as lucky.
  9. Parker Owens
    Thank you very much for your thought and insights. You're absolutely right that Andy has to work at relating to people. He's just not used to it. Eustace was good for him that way, but he wasn't a kid. It will take a long time for Andy to feel safe enough to confide in anyone. Safety and trust can take a long time to develop. And maybe Andy will take Mrs. G at face value now - maybe he really gets she was trying to compliment him on his intelligence.
  10. Parker Owens
    Well. Now at least there is something to be thankful for around the Turkey. Andy is still the more deeply anxious and wary of the two, perhaps - but he has very good reason for this. And even if - if - Andy and Zander manage to talk at all, it will take a long time for Andy to trust, as we've seen already. Rejection, or even the hint of that, would hurt him deeply.
  11. Parker Owens
    Thank you for reading and reviewing! Andy is nervous as hell about being spotted, and yet drawn to Zander like a moth to a flame. He's got to be wondering if he's about to get burned again. But it's so damn hard to resist the urge to crush on someone, isn't it?
  12. Parker Owens
    An excellent chapter - wins several hotness points for Matty's entry, and adds interest and complexity to David. Maybe Martin will keep Matty's hands of David. Poor David is going to be as complicated as they come, pretty soon, I expect. He definitely needs to visit with Twoey, and I'm awaiting that day. Hope Twoey finally gets to know the truth and the whole truth soon. Then he can truly begin to heal.
  13. Parker Owens
    October 3 - Today was full of surprises. Not necessarily good ones. OK, one was good. My new advanced math class? Mrs. Gersheimer is the teacher. She wasn’t trying to get rid of me after all. The bad surprise? Lunch Boy. He’s in my class. When I walked in, I noticed him. Second row, far right. Fortunately, it’s a smaller class, so I was able to grab an empty seat in the far back on the left, about as far away from him as possible. He didn’t see me. I began to have this wild hope that
  14. Parker Owens
    Tim - sad echoes of melancholy airs haunt my brain as I read this. How very sad to feel unworthy, unlovable. It only serves to create and widen the distance between yourself and the person you love, and the feelings just happen - they're so hard to put away. I know about that. This poem make me remember my own bitter moments of self-exile. Beautifully written. Thank you.
  15. Parker Owens
    Tim: it is hard to read, but I appreciate how honest you are being. I try to read with the eyes of love and forgiveness, as you have surely loved, and perhaps forgiven. And I pray that if I ever have the need to forgive, or to be forgiven in the same measure, I will have the strength you have had, for your mother was surely right. You have been the strongest. Many thanks for this.
  16. Parker Owens
    Thank you for reading and reviewing, as you have done so kindly. And yes, a change in schedule will mean some differences in his classes. I'll leave it to Andy to describe them for us. Hang on.
  17. Parker Owens
    Oh, yes. Of course, there's quite a lot going on in both their lives, but the little house on the side street near the park is filed away in someone's memory for later. Sometimes it's fun being transparent. Thanks a lot for your review, and for reading.
  18. Parker Owens
    The cloud banks of trouble are always on the horizon. Andy must be able to feel this. We'll have to wait and see.
  19. Parker Owens
    Terry is certainly trying. If she can break through, then maybe there will be a bit of sunshine,
  20. Parker Owens
    I'm glad you thought it was good stuff. These are shy ( and very shy) people. Andy has to negotiate living in hiding, which is a real problem, I think.
  21. Parker Owens
    No spoilers. Both are essentially shy persons, for reasons of their own. And both have reasons to hide. Hang on.
  22. Parker Owens
    The moment of connection. That was a significant moment, I agree. Andy hasn't hAd that with a contemporary in forever. But there is lots of danger, reefs to avoid, shallows to navigate, storms to weather, if Andy is to avoid getting caught. And overcoming his father's voice is a tremendous victory that nobody will see or recognize. But Andy will know. Thanks for your thoughtful review.
  23. Parker Owens
    You hold me close and whisper that there's nothing more to fear. I take great comfort from these words. These are the words we all long to hear, at least at some point in our lives. You have given voice to the beloved, to the comforted. And in doing that, I, too, am comforted and loved. I thank you for this poem, not because I need the apology, but because it is beautiful.
  24. Parker Owens

    Chapter 29: Ghosts

    Parker Owens posted new chapter in A to Z

    September 14 So I’ve been busy. This is good. My homework is under control. I’m really finding it easier to keep up here. Mrs. Marjorie had plenty of yard work for me to do Saturday. More than that, she recommended me to another older couple who live about a block away from her – a Mr. and Mrs. Abbott. Like Mrs. M, the Abbotts have no children and need their grass cut and other stuff done. The Abbotts and Mrs. M are nicer about assigning me work than Dad ever was, and the work isn't as hard
  25. Parker Owens
    Doctor Fletcher Jones, PhD., Professor of Ornithology, moved about his house like one of the small birds he studied. Never long in one place, a moment here, then a moment there, utterly unable to settle. Right now, he stood at the sink, absently washing a perfectly clean plate he'd taken out of the dish drain. A minute ago, he'd been sweeping the basement stairs. Two minutes earlier, he'd been straightening up the pencils next to the phone. Perhaps there were socks in the dryer to sort? His le
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