Parker Owens

These two were fun to write about. As a second degree coward myself, I can relate. And the prompt was a fat pitch that couldn't be missed, really. Anyway, thanks so much for reading.

My heart just ached reading this, both for the pain, and for the joy. It is a blessing for you to have shared it. Thank you.

Very glad you enjoyed it. Wondered if the dance the two of them did around each other was kind of avian...

These two pretty much wrote the story all by themselves. I got the feeling I had very little to do with it. Thank you very much for the review and the kind words. And yes, there will be something else coming...someday.

I feel Twoey's inner turmoil. Everything happened according to the unwritten expectations of teen life: get naked, have sex. Some kids can deal with it at that level, some have more trouble. But now that Twoey realizes it's not just sex he wants - maybe - I bet he's going to have a lot of trouble reconciling what he allowed to happen with what he thinks he might want. I am preparing for a bumpier ride ahead.

What did he just say? I wanted to check my ears. I wasn't sure that I'd heard my colleague across the table from me correctly. Did he really just come out to me like that? But he was still talking. "I just thought you needed to know that about me right now, so you can decide." I examined my friend seated on the other side of the small square restaurant table. Eyes a little too bright, hands folded in front of him with the appearance of calm, but full of tension. The taut tendons above the knu

There are leaps of faith. Is there a leap of hope? Originally written as a response to Prompt#448:" What did he just say?" It just kept growing.

I weep. with joy for Wyatt's rescue; with sorrow at Bryan's pain; with grief for the destruction of Bryan's childhood; with happiness that Bryan and Wyatt might have a true family of people who care for them. This assumes Wyatt recovers sufficiently to appreciate any of this. And I smile for the Woods, father and son, who actually talk to each other. Thank you for the light in this chapter that will overcome the darkness that shadowed everyone in this story.

These are some seriously sick people. And poor Ezra. Isn't there someone with eyes in their heads and guts enough to get the police involved? Just one phone call could save that boy's life. And Joshua needs an excuse to come back right away. No chance of angelic intervention is there? The father and Luke actually believe in them, don't they?

And people wonder why kids lose hope and cash all their chips in. A daily dose of darkness, and a permanent veil of black becomes preferable.

This has the look of a good story. I already connect with Ezra, and wish I could be there to help. Looing forward to reading the next chapter in about...seconds.

Ian is one very lucky guy. For that matter, so is Miles. Thanks for capturing their interplay so adroitly.

I like this. Poetry doesn't always connect with me, but this piece does. My throat caught and I understood. Thank you.

Wow. What an introduction. Better still, I liked that the whole chapter wasn't about the sex, but about living and being. Ramrod, though? enough to make any teenage blush, no matter how mature and level-headed he might be. Go ahead. Write two, three, four chapters a week. May my day. Please.

Red Letter Day. And not for the blood and all that. No, today, we get a rescued Wyatt, which is the best think I've clicked on in a long time. It's been very hard all these weeks watching a character we like hurting like that. So, thanks very much for this chapter. Poor Eddie and Bryan. They have to cope with some serious emotional injury now, and while they may look more or less put together on the outside, it could take a long time for them to heal on the inside. And once Wyatt recovers, I'm afraid he'll have a very, very hard time trusting Bryan - or anyone - ever again. Perhaps the wedding will be put off...indefinitely. Oh, dear.

Oh, yes. You just reminded me why I love these two characters. And I have missed them, really. Thank you very, very much for this. God bless Avery for trying, and for Matt who supports him and loves him. These shorts are perfect snapshots in an album whose pictures I will never tire of seeing.

Answer to Twoey: yes, possibly. For some kids, the answer to the question is irrelevant; it's what they want. But most care. How does Twoey feel about this? Glad he's asking the question - how he answers will be important for the way he lives his life way after the story ends. That the reader can get attached to this degree with these characters is a good way of saying how engagingly written and compelling this story is. Kudos to SD for this - and taking a bow could be in order. Agree with ColumbusGuy again - Danny's kind of enigmatic. Not sure how to approach him as a reader. David continues to float along on a tide of Kathy, Kathy, Kathy, which could wind up stranded someplace where he really doesn't want to be. At least he recognizes that in some way. Still wondering how he can get out of that, gracefully. How's the next chapter coming?

I feel for Gary; a black, black sense of worthlessness and hopelessness will completely blight any efforts he makes to be a missionary true to his faith, or even partly so. That, in turn will lead to more self-flagellation, and catastrophic downward spiral. Not sure how Chris can help Gary successfully, especially now that Jason has damning evidence that will, well, damn him. Can't avert my eyes from the coming wreck. Looks like we may lose at least two, if not three, of our characters to emotional cataclysm. Perhaps Jason will have to find a way to dip deeper into the well of decency and kindness that he keeps perfectly hidden from his colleagues. That, or he can blow them all up. Very good chapter, posing plenty of unanswered questions.

Crazed mother, knife in hand, threatens onetime golden son - kidnapped lover expiring in the cellar; police too many moments away....Had to take my heart medication before finishing this chapter. Honestly, such suspense and excitement should be illegal. This chapter gets an award. Practically inhaled it the moment it got clicked on. Now must wait far too many hours (my Craftingmom clock has been reset) for the next chapter. Augh!

Have followed CJ now for a little while. I agree that Caesar and Brett might not be happy with the direction things are taking, but CJ is growing up, fast. Is he emotionally mature enough to deal with that? Really appreciate the clarity of the dialogue, and the story certainly continues to compel further reading. Many thanks for this.

Sounds like a doctoral thesis in the making: "Lavoritorical Etymology of North America and the British Isles, with Reference to Special Phrases and Fixtures."

Okay, now this one is lovely, and we see a side of Ian we haven't met yet. I'd sure like to be invited to dinner at Ian and Miles' house!

Faaaaaaantastic. Way to go, Eddie. Keep life supporting Wyatt for just a little longer...Let's see Carol try to wriggle out of this one. Looking forward to watching her twist slowly in the wind.

Agreeing with ColumbusGuy here. Looks all set to blow up like a truck full of fireworks. Since when did David's pals get to be relationship experts? Of course, it's not like David has a lot of experts to choose from...

Lovely, very cute, and wonderfully economical writing. AC used "delicate;" I might suggest "crystalline." Anyway, these are fun, and probably exquisite torture to produce. Or maybe just a lot of fun to write. Or both. Excellent reads, though.