jkwsquirrel

I waited in the back seat of the car as mom walked to the car. I wiped angry tears off my face as she inspected the back of the car. Finally, she opened the door and sat down in the driver’s seat. “I don’t want to talk about,” I snapped. “You didn’t do any damage,” she offered, looking at me in the mirror. “This stupid car is a piece of crap!” I exploded. “How the hell are you supposed to see behind you when you parallel park? Goddammit!” “Will

Thanks again Brian! Yeah, the ups and downs of being a family can take us on many adventures. The story is as much about Billy's relationship with his parents as it is about his love life, and how those relationships so often inter-tangle. Should be fun!

Thanks Brian! That was one of my favorite lines!

Thanks Lisa! Your comments are always appreciated! It's Pastor Carl Stevens. Things are getting more serious, that's for sure. We're a long way from Billy and Brett stealing a porno flick and getting in trouble for skipping baseball games! That said, Billy does have some info on Joey, doesn't he? And we know how reliable Billy is with secrets. Paula was in a vulnerable situation. Her husband was in the hospital and her son was having a nervous breakdown. She was looking for something to carry her through and Pastor Carl was there to pick her up. The adults are having issues of their own that are impacting the kids.

The best time to mess things up is when they look their best! Like throwing a strike in bowling. It's more fun because the pins are all neatly arranged. Or when a row of dominoes is ready to fall down. I agree as well, this is Brett at his best! Still mischievous, but less obnoxious. As for the parental units, we'll see just how much they know eventually.

Thanks Lisa! The driving test - Just another adult in Billy's life who messes things up for him and then Billy gets all the crap! Paula - She's never quite satisfied with the son she has. The classic 'why can't you be more like...' Dustin - He's definitely reaching rock bottom, and isolating himself from those who love him. He doesn't think he's worthy of love.

Thanks my friend! No worries about being nerdish or over-analytical here! I love to put little references like that in the story. It makes me very happy when people notice.

This comment made me laugh! Exactly the reaction I was going for! DELIGHTFUL!

He's a schmuck, that's for sure!

Thanks Benji! I find that you can refute with facts all you want but people will still believe what they want to believe. That theory applies to politics as well.

Thanks DQ! Quite the interesting upbringing, and I'm thankful for your perspective on this issues presented in this chapter. Rebellion against the authorities in our lives is a natural part of growing up, I think. Doesn't mean we don't love our parents, just means we have to forge our own identity and we often do that by testing ourselves against the strongest personality nearest to us. That's part of what I'm trying to do with the boys in the story. Thanks for sharing a portion of your story with us. As for Nate, tuck him quietly away in your mind for a while, as he will be seen again in the future, but not for a long time.

Maybe both! Or maybe not...

I woke up early Saturday morning on my back, naked and spread eagle with Brett’s naked body draped on top of me. He loved being as close to me as possible. His head was resting on my chest. His left arm laid across my belly and his left leg was between my legs. I lay there for a while, just listening to the gentle sound of his breathing and feeling his heart beating against me. I lightly caressed his back, causing him to stir. I never wanted that morning to end. I just wanted to hold my n

It does look like things might be reaching a point where the boys are going to be able to move into a new era of openness in their relationship and with others. It would be a shame if someone were to come along and yank the rug out from under them just as they're beginning to make progress...

Brett is in a much better place now that he is receiving the help he needs. Now, the relationship with his mom still needs some work, as we'll see. But Brett is much more able to deal with his problems in a healthier way now.

Thanks guys! So much of Rehabilitation was about Brett reaching the point where he was able to accept that he needed help to deal with his emotional problems in a more healthy way. Once he was willing to get help, he was able to grow. I like Brett a lot more now.

Well, this chapter was on Friday, not Saturday, but you're still on the right path.

The sound of the ATV was getting louder and louder through the storm, and I knew that Brett was getting close. I went to the garage and opened the door. The snow was about knee high as Brett pulled into the driveway and into the garage. I lowered the door as Brett leapt from the tractor. He stomped his feet and shook the snow from his knitted Yankees snow cap. “It’s a blizzard out there!” he exclaimed. Since it was just him and me, I planted a kiss on his frozen lips.

Paula has her own issues to work through. Her confirmation and self esteem have always come from outside of herself. She's a people pleaser, concerned about what others think, and she draws her self-worth from that. The most rebellious thing she ever did was marrying a bad boy like George Roberts. Her focus is on how others perceive her, so she throws a Christmas Ever party because that's what her mom did, or she wants Billy to get along with the social climbing joey, because Billy's friends are a bunch of losers and he'll be guilty by association, and then people will think poorly of her. Her self-centeredness comes from her intense focus on what others think.

Thanks Spikey! I plan to just enter the chapters on the date rather than try to pre-load them again. I plan to update either late Friday or early Saturday morning. So hopefully we'll have a new chapter every weekend for a while!

Everybody reaches their breaking point eventually. The fact that Dustin hasn't snapped and killed everybody is a testament to the strength of his character. I've seen first-hand the "church-shopping" you describe. It's my belief that true religion is meant to challenge one's biases, not confirm them.

Too slow? I'm picturing Huey Lewis with a megaphone in Back to the Future: "I'm afraid you're just too darn slow. Next please!" Yes, the sweet freedom of the open highway awaits! (If Billy can ever pass the test.) Here's the thing about Dustin to remember: He is loyal to a fault. He will continue to defend his family even when it's obvious his family is bad news. Worse, he thinks it's his fault that they abuse him. He's not good enough. He'll never be good enough. He thinks he deserves what they do to him. Totally agree about the "bad apple Christians." I think we tend to focus on the worst elements of people who we do not understand. The same goes for people who think all Muslims are terrorists, or that African American people are lazy or all on welfare. There are bad people in the world, but I still believe that there is good in everyone, and that good will win eventually. While there is definitely a portion of the story that centers on the worst side of Christianity, that kind of hateful rhetoric is destined to fail in the end. And one more thing, Brett is a devout and sincere Catholic himself, and he's very happy with his faith: "I like God and God likes me."

I tried to think of the stupidest way possible to fail a driver's test. Billy, for as smart as he is, is prone to do bone-headed things, including the eponymous "retaliation' yet to come. Oh delicious foreshadowing! I'm hoping that we can explore the difference between good Christian people and the asshole variety. And that growth and hope are possible. It'll just take me a while to get there. And I believe that the asshole variety are that way because they're assholes in general, and they suit their beliefs to their own desires. But we'll explore that later too. As for Dusty, I like him too. He's one of my favorite characters. But I must do what I must do. He is reaching his breaking point. It would be a fairy tale to think that all of the stuff that happened to him could go away without doing a lot of damage. We saw a flash of what Dustin is capable of when Billy confronted him about Mike. This time, it's all about to come crashing down on him, and there will be more of that 'retaliation' from him as well. But I hope you'll stick with me through the darkness. It really will get better eventually. And *SPOILER ALERT* No matter how bad it may look, Dustin come out of his situation stronger than before.

We'll get through it though!

We'll find out soon enough.