jkwsquirrel

I'll have to check that story out!

Thanks Dahawk! There's certainly a lot left for us to explore with young Mr. Smith!

It was nice to see Dustin in a better place in his life! Glad to hear you are doing well and managing things in a healthy way. We'll find out what's up with Billy soon.

Not sure about this one. Maybe Pastor Carl sent Nate to one before he kicked him out? Maybe you're thinking of Jerry Freemont being sent to military school? But that wasn't because he was gay.

It's a secret to everybody.

Very true. But there is a big difference between your dad giving you fatherly advice and your best friend telling you the same thing in a different way. Maybe this time it'll sink in?

Thanks Benji! Yes, that was a very meaningful shower at the end of the chapter, wasn't it? I think Jen Reilly wasn't thinking at the time she moved in that she'd be hiding a secret from her son for ten years - driving a wedge between them. She was thinking that there was nothing left for her in New York with her parents gone and her son having been kicked out of school twice. Sure enough, her best friend was there, encouraging her to come to her neighborhood, be among friends, raise her son in a nice place out of the city. I mean, sure, that means that Jack is back in her life, but that was just a one time thing, right? What could possibly go wrong? Who would ever figure out the connection between her son and her best friend's husband?

Thanks jay! It is nice to see a stronger Dustin emerging from the pile of rubble we left him in last time!

Billy is definitely telling us that there is something wrong with him that's more than just depression. No wonder he's so miserable. But having Dustin back in his life will certainly be helpful! We'll see!

Well, to be fair to Paula, it was an ugly chair with cigarette burns and such. One of the things I'm most proud of in the story is Dustin's journey. We watched him crash and burn in spectacular fashion as his demons emerged, overtook, and seemed to destroy him. But there he is, back in town trying to find redemption. There's still that kid inside him that just wanted to make people happy. Billy's life just isn't the same without him.

Thanks guys! We'll explore Dustin's retirement from his "gay-for-pay" lifestyle a little later. One doesn't just crash and burn like he did and bounce right back, even after a year of therapy. There's lots left to explore there. I saw Billy not inviting Brett to come over as just one more sign of his misery, not necessarily that he is angry with Brett. He was content to wallow in his depression.

It's nice to see some maturity among these boys. Ah, but will it last? We'll find out what's up with Billy soon.

We'll get to the bottom of what's wrong with Billy soon. The light at the end of the tunnel draws near!

Thanks Wesley! Things are looking up!

You're too kind! Thanks!

With mom out of the house for the week, I thought that I would have been happy. But being all alone just made me even more depressed! It seemed that nothing I did could make me happy. I hated feeling like shit all the time. I was losing weight even when I ate. I was waking up at night covered in sweat. I was thirsty all the time. Even when I’d drink a pitcher of water I’d still be thirsty. It sucked and it was getting worse. I felt like I was slowly dying, but that was just me being mel

Yeah, I couldn't do it. I had to kill him off for the story, but it would have been too cruel, even for me, to do it "on screen." The scene itself would be too hard for me, and I already had Billy react to his grandma's death. This one was obviously more profound, and Billy's reaction is what drives the story. As for Billy and his mom, that relationship has always been complex, hasn't it? I truly think that everything that Paula does she does out of love from her perspective (not necessarily from Billy's perspective). Unfortunately she is blind to some serious issues with her son. Listening to music is an important part of my writing process. One group that helps me get into Billy's character is... Simple Plan! "I'm Just a Kid," "Welcome to My Life," and "Untitled" help me get into the mind of a kid who thinks the whole world is out to get him. "I'm alone and the world is having more fun than me." That's Billy!

Should be fun! I like tipping dominoes over!

What's that extra "R" doing in there?

Is it really a surprise that the preacher took over the town without a fight? Small town American life in the aftermath of 9/11. 2004 was interesting times... As I mentioned above, this is the ending throes of Billy's depression, not the beginning (as evidenced by his lengthy hair). While it would be unrealistic to think that Billy can conquer the mighty Pastor Carl, he might yet get some licks in. And I find it a great compliment that you want to see my characters get their comeuppance!

Frank got put on a bus, so to speak. After Dustin tried to kill himself, Amanda tells Billy and Brett that her father moved to Cleveland, which is kind of like being sent to Hell, right?

Thanks Spikey! Yeah, this one was just one big kick in Billy's balls. Here's the thing, I already did the breakdown storyline with Billy in "The Broken Boy," and the recovery storyline in "Rehabilitation." This time, I just plunged Billy right in with Billy on the tail end of a long depression. Did we really want to see a year's worth of Billy growing increasingly bitter and hateful as he plunged deeper into apathy and depression? I don't think so. So we are where we are, right on the edge of Billy snapping out of it and eventually kicking some ass. But to get there, we needed this one. Totally agree about Paula's marriages. She had the shovel ready a little early, at least from Billy's perspective. Part of the fun with Billy's story is that he almost always causes his own problems. Sure, bad things happen to him, but most of the time he's the reason they've happened to him!

Thanks bud! I hope you'll enjoy it!

Can't argue with you there, Jay!

What could possibly go wrong?