jkwsquirrel

We'll get more answers as we go along. Billy seems to think something's wrong. Brett himself has a theory he'll give us in the next chapter. Jen's just got her head in the sand. Brett does have some anger issues, but he's more of a thrower of objects, not a violent kid. Lots of pent-up rage, that's for sure.

Could be any number of things. We'll just have to find out together! Thanks!

Billy lost something alright! Who does that? - A horny teenage boy! lol Seriously though, Billy isn't in control of his life at the moment. Even the losing of his virginity was Brett's initiative, not Billy's. Billy is being tossed about on the wind and waves because his port in the storm has been missing. He's lost without his family, especially his dad. What seemed like a grand adventure is turning out to be something less. I like Dustin too. He's fun to write. So wounded and vulnerable. He's had it pretty rough. There was nothing that came out of him during his meltdown that wasn't put into him by his abusive parents and sister. One day Brett will get what's coming to him for the way he treated Dustin.

Thanks again! I think if you go back to scenes with Dustin's parents and the words they use in their treatment of Dustin you'll find that much of that abuse found its way into Dustin's mind. When he flipped out, much of what came out of him was what was put into him. "You hear me?" This was Brett Reilly at his most sadistic and vicious. This was what I meant when I said that Brett uses his insight and intuition for evil. He knew just where to hit Dustin. But like any good bully, he couldn't take it when the one he was bullying hit him back. Once Dustin struck back he blew Brett out of the water and left him a sputtering mess at the end. Poor Billy. He feels like a tennis ball being batted around at the moment, but it'll get better for him!

I'm grateful, my friend! Glad you're enjoying the ride!

Thanks Lisa! I agree with your assessment of the previous reviews! I have some of the best readers and reviewers. I love the passion! Brett is the best psychologist in his family. He understands people intuitively at a very deep level. He's also very blunt with his comments so he sometimes hurts people without meaning to do it. If Brett would use his insight for good, he would be an amazing friend and confidant. Unfortunately he prefers to use his powers for evil. It has been strange writing this part of the story without George in the picture. He is kind of the conscience of the story. We've been seeing him through his son's eyes, so at times he can seem intimidating and gruff because that's how Billy relates to him. The next chapter is very rough. You're right to be afraid!

Was it all just a beautiful dream? Oh, I didn’t want to wake up. The bed was so perfectly comfortable and so warm and soft. Everything felt so perfectly right, so of course it couldn’t last. “Wake up. We’re going to be late,” Brett informed me. I stirred in my bed in the guest bedroom and woke up from the most beautiful dream. Brett and I were married and living on a beautiful island by ourselves where we could be naked and have all the sex we wanted all the time. It was l

Billy can be extremely stubborn, that's for sure! Billy is quite conservative in a lot of ways. With his parents, that's not surprising. We'll find out about Dustin soon enough!

I suspect you're right about Brett. There's bound to be more trouble ahead for him, but at least there is hope for him yet. Not sure he was ready for what happened. He's still got some growing up to do. On the whole, it was a very good day for team Brett!

That's right, DQ! If the boys thought sex was going to make their relationship easier they're in for a surprise. We haven't heard the last of Dustin, that's for sure!

Not going to lie, that's why I chose the title. I wanted the big moment to be a surprise for you just like it was for the boys. Hopefully it was enjoyable!

Thank you! An interesting turn of events, I'd say! The boys were bound to do it at some point. Make up sex is one of life's joys. A very intimate chapter.

Thanks Wesley! You'll find Brett is full of surprises. This isn't the first time Billy's had a look around Brett's room. We haven't heard the last of Dustin!

So, what was I supposed to do now? I pulled myself up off the floor and lay down on my bed, clutching my sore hand. It really hurt and was throbbing. I couldn’t believe how quickly my whole world had collapsed. I felt about as low as I’d ever felt in my life. I never thought Dustin was capable of hurting me like he’d done. After our years of friendship, the last thing I expected was for things to have ended the way they did. But I guess it was over now. How could we ever be friends again

Desperate people do desperate things! Never underestimate the lengths these boys will go to to hold on to what they want.

This was a necessary chapter. The boys had to confront each other at some point. It had been festering beneath the surface for quite a while. Brett wounded Dustin, and Billy pulled off the mask. What was under the mask was pretty scary. For all of Brett's bravado and bluster, he's legitimately afraid of Dustin. When Dustin started hitting him back he crushed Brett. Brett knows Dustin is smart, and also bigger and stronger than him. Brett acted out of desperation when he used the intimate details of his relationship with Billy to hurt Dustin. We're on the cusp of maturity here. These are the actions of boys who are on their way to something deeper. It's a scary time for them.

We'll find out where Brett went in the next chapter. This was the "bump in the road" chapter. Well, more like a smoking crater, but still... I'm actually quite happy with how it worked out. Everything in this chapter was meant to be there. Dustin and Brett see things differently than Billy. Whether they were right about each other is another story. The truth may be somewhere in the middle. Brett baited Dustin along until he realized that Dustin was actually more than he could handle. Once Dustin started hitting back he destroyed Brett, leaving Brett a screaming angry mess. Dustin is a very dangerous young man who is driven by desperation, and it makes him do desperate things.

We'll find out where Brett went looking in the next chapter.

There will come a time when Brett will get what's coming to him. Things can go a number of different directions at this point. The boys may surprise you. The road to maturity and rehabilitation is often bumpy.

This was the low point. They are right on the cusp.

You've got it! If they ever get their act together they would be awesome. But being petty and jealous little assholes seems to be their default mode at this point in their lives. (At this point in their lives!) They are all right on the cusp of manhood, they just don't know how to handle it yet. They're still boys, and life is moving very fast, dragging them kicking and screaming toward maturity. How they handle it may be surprising. Brett was always a dick. From the beginning. Brett's mom is more like a roommate than a mother. Maybe we'll explore that sometime. (We're totally going to explore that sometime!)

One of the saddest things in life is that many times the child who is abused becomes the abuser. Dustin is on a dangerous road. Everything you said about Brett is true. He's a jerk at this point in his life. There's been no reason for him to change who he is because everyone has indulged him. What will happen when someone finally confronts him on his bullshit who actually cares about him?

I can't disagree with any of this! lol! Give it some time and it'll all work out.

Well, it finally happened. After a week of constant supervision by Dr. Reilly, she finally left us alone! It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and it was going to be a great day! School was finished, and Dr. Reilly told us that she had some work to do in Pittsburgh and that she hoped we didn’t mind if she left us on our own for the day. We tried to pretend that we would miss her. We really did! I felt like a brand new kid! I was starting to dig myself out of the rut my life had been

I think building trust is what it's all about. Posting regularly (weekly, bi-weekly) on a schedule that readers can follow really helps. Or letting readers know the author is taking a break but will be back on such-and-such date boosts both trust and anticipation of a new chapter. That requires planning on the author's part. Posting stories which follow the rules of grammar and spelling to the point that errors are rare (there will always be something) shows readers that the author cares about the work they are producing enough to take the time to present it in the best possible way. After all, if the writer doesn't care, why should the reader? Finally, I can't stress enough: Finish what you start! Nothing violates the author-reader relationship more than an incomplete story. When there is trust, there is nothing more rewarding and beautiful than the writer-reader relationship.