jkwsquirrel

"I like Billy, but he's an asshole." Yep, you've pretty much hit the nail on the head right there! Behind Billy's front of bluster and rage is a very scared little boy who is afraid that his whole world will collapse if people find out about his deep dark secret. Some of that fear is justified, but a lot of it is in his head. It'll be fun to watch him face his fears and grow.

Thanks! I know that for some readers I give too much away beforehand, but I figure it's better than having something come out of nowhere. I'm glad you are enjoying the background stuff. Sometimes it goes somewhere, and sometimes it's just there to be funny. I really appreciate your kind comments!

Glad you are digging it. Thanks!

Well, I could tell you all about how Billy's a prude and afraid to admit he's gay even to himself and how that becomes a big plot point and kind of the theme of the next two books and how it'll just be so great to watch Billy lose his inhibitions until he finally gives himself fully to Brett, or maybe I'm just lazy and a bad storyteller. You decide.

We're just experiencing the warning shots of the Brett vs. Dustin war. It was quietly bubbling under the surface, but it's about to explode, and poor Billy's caught in the crossfire. I think I broke Billy pretty severely in this part. Now we get the glue and put him back together. I think perhaps the best prescription for Billy's brokenness is a healthy dose of vitamin Brett! As always, Lisa, I'm so appreciative of your thoughts! You really make this experience enjoyable!

Billy excels at blaming himself for things that aren't his fault. Brett could tell Billy the exact same things as Billy's parents and he would think his parents were morons and Brett was saying the most genius thing ever. Besides that though, Brett really is the right boyfriend for Billy. Billy would run roughshod over Dustin and Dustin would just quietly submit in fear of Billy's aggressive side. Brett doesn't put up with Billy's shit. Well, he does to a point, but he doesn't let Billy wallow in misery or take advantage of him. Billy needs someone strong to be his partner, and Brett is becoming that partner.

Thanks Lisa! I always look forward to your thoughts! Billy certainly inherited the Roberts temper. He's a wonderful mix of his parents. He looks like his mom's side and acts like his dad's side. It was inevitable that Dustin would go looking for love outside of his family. He was desperate for somebody to show him the slightest bit of affection. But for a kid in his situation to admit he's gay? Not going to happen. Yeah, Amanda is more complex than she first appeared. A bitch? Definitely. Evil? Not so much. WAR is more than just a story of a couple of boys in love. It's a story about parents and their kids, and how those relationships affect their lives. Billy is extremely loved by his parents, but he just doesn't see it because he's rebelling against everything they stand for. Waaaay back in the second chapter of part one George was wondering what happened to his little blond-headed tyke. He knew his little boy was breaking away from him. The very next night the Black Eye Incident happened. I think you've struck on something fascinating. By inheriting his father's temper Billy has really inherited his grandfather's temper, a temper which led George to run away and not look back. Billy is certainly dangerous when he's angry.

You have no idea how bad I can be. Mwah ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!11 Erm... I mean, thanks!

We're going to explore the relationship, or lack thereof, between Brett and his mom a little more deeply in Part 4. Brett's mom is more like a roommate than a parent. That'll be tested in the coming chapters. As for Brett's singing ability, he has many hidden talents. In fact, Billy is in for a surprise when he discovers some of his boyfriend's musical talents.

I'm glad you're excited about the story. It won't be that long of a wait!

Well, at least this is rock bottom for Billy. No where to go but up from here! At least for a while. We'll sort it all out. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of Brett vs. Dustin. We've had a few shots across the bow but it'll be all out war soon, with poor Billy caught in the crossfire of course. (Come on, it can't all be healing and maturing.) Anyway, I appreciate your kindness, Rob. There is a bigger picture I'm trying to create. I put Billy through the ringer in this part, and so far he has reacted very poorly to all that has happened to him, because he didn't know how to handle it. He's a very different kid from the one who kept his grandma company, and he'll be a very different kid from the one who punched a mirror by the end of part four. It's a journey. I'm glad you're on board with me.

This response made my day, Okie! I'm so glad that you are enjoying what we're doing here. It's a lot of fun for me too. And yes, we'll have a much more mature Billy by the end of Rehabilitation than we had at the beginning of Broken Boy. Thanks for your wonderful responses to the story! I've really appreciated them!

Thanks for these important resources DQ. No one should have to feel alone. There's six billion of us. Someone out there will listen to you, has been through what you've been through, and will understand.

Yeah, the ol' cliffhanger ending. This is the only book that doesn't "end." Part of the reason I write in parts is so that I can conclude things neatly so that each part is its own story. Except for this one. Ha ha ha! Thank you Jay! I've enjoyed your perspective on things.

Thanks Wesley! Forgiveness will be a big theme of Part Four. Some forgiveness will go well, and some won't. Such is life. That said, the war between Brett and Dustin has just begun!

Thank you for reading, Stephen! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

The ride to the hospital took an eternity. Everything seemed to be going so slowly. The road stretched on and on forever. I was in shock. I knew I was in shock but I couldn’t snap myself out of it. My mind kept coming back to the same horrible question: How had I allowed this to happen again? The burden was too much for me to bear. In the back seat, my two best friends in the world sat bickering with each other. My dad could be dying or dead already, and they were acting like two-y

Well, we'll sort everything out concerning George soon enough. Let's talk about Brett! Brett is one of my favorite characters to write. I love the little scamp. He's very different from the serious and sarcastic Billy. Brett just wants to have fun. He is very forgiving. He has to be to be with Billy. Life is a game to him. Billy does not think Brett is stupid or "retarded." Billy knows Brett is smarter in areas that Billy is not. He's people smart. Billy is just careless with his words, and Brett has called him on it. Brett's not as concerned about being lawfully good as Billy. Right and wrong are more flexible for Brett. Brett can be vicious when he doesn't respect someone or finds them to be phony. But here's the thing I love most about Brett. Remember what George said about love back in chapter 6? "A lot of what love is all about is learning all the bad things about the other person and loving them in spite of it all.” That's Brett. He knows Billy's issues better than Billy knows himself, and knowing all of that, Brett loves Billy anyway. Brett isn't fooling himself, thinking of Billy as something he's not. There are times when Brett is the most mature character in the story. And then he'll ruin it all with a fart joke or something, because fuck being serious.

Thanks Okie! Almost there!

Well, maybe not all teenagers are evil after all! Billy is fortunate to have people in his life who are willing to be patient with him and see the good in him. We'll have to find out just who the Broken Boy will be!

Thanks, Spikey! No perfect characters here! Billy's cynical nature won't allow him to see that there are people who do care about him in the world. However, his ego won't allow him to admit he might be wrong about that. Billy and Brett might get around to solving some of their relationship issues in the next book. They might even find out what true love is. But yes, Brett's a horny fifteen year old and really wants to get laid. We'll deal with the fallout from George's stroke more in the next book. There remains a bit more darkness yet to come.

Yes, the signs of George's declining health pointed to something bad happening. As for Brett, Billy obviously looked around for a few seconds and didn't find anything, so Brett must be innocent, right?

I think we all have a picture of ourselves in our minds that doesn't quite match reality. Billy certainly doesn't see himself the way that other people do. In some ways they see him far better than he sees himself, but in other ways they point out flaws that he doesn't want to see.

I stumbled down the path toward Brett’s house. I was in a daze. Right at that moment, my best friend was being molested. And I was running away from it. I felt like such a douche. I should have gone back. I should have called the cops. I should have done something. Anything! But I didn’t. I didn’t know what to do, really. What could I do? I was just a kid! What if I told and things got even worse for Dustin? What if his dad killed him? Or worse, what if I told and Dustin hated me

Yes, we are definitely in the endgame now for the Broken Boy. We're heading toward a smashing conclusion.