jkwsquirrel

Ever meet someone who is so smart they're almost stupid? That's Jen Reilly. Brett doesn't have a mom, he has a roommate.

YES!!! I'm so happy someone caught that Brett read the analog clock backwards! Sometimes you put something in the story and wonder if anyone picks up on it. Brett does himself no favors at school with his "Fuck'em all" attitude, but his teachers aren't really all that helpful either. He the kind of kid that is cast aside early on as a hopeless cause, and then the self-fulfilling prophecy follows him through his life. He's built up that attitude because he is very perceptive, and he know his teachers don't think he's going to amount to much, so he doesn't think much of them either.

Dr. Reilly's no angel either! You're right though. I am very proud that all of my characters are flawed. Perfect characters are boring! I try very hard to make sure that if a character has something go wrong in their life, it's most likely because of something they did to themselves!

The plumber's toilet is always the last to be unclogged. Dr. Reilly is one of the best psychiatrists in her field, but she's not even the best psychologist in her own house.

Could it be that the boys are fighting about a certain green-eyed monster? Dustin and Brett have a lot in common.

You're very right. Kids absorb way more than we think, and blame themselves for the craziest of things.

I've appreciated every one of your likes, my friend! I think you may be on to something with that Brett character!

Thank you so much, William! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your compliments about my writing style! That means a lot to me.

Fascinating. We so often don't recognize our impact, both good and bad in our lives. Definitely causes one to pause to wonder about the way our lives intersect. I'm thankful for the intersection of our lives through this story. Thanks for your responses to my story. I've enjoyed them.

The apples don't fall far from the tree.

Indeed. Wise words.

I can't help but think of Dirty Dancing when I read your review. "Nobody puts Baby in the corner."

Could be!

I'm glad you decided to check it out though!

They were! Billy could have avoided a lot of pain if Brett had answered! Ah, the days before caller id!

We'll find out soon!

Thanks DQ! I see you did a lot of reading and reviewing! Thanks a lot! It's always great when young people can share time with the elderly. Both sides benefit!

Thank you for reading, William! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for reviewing the story.

“Get your fucking ass out of that bed.” It took me a few moments to orient myself to what was going on. I had finally gotten myself into a pretty good sleep. But now, I was being shaken and a harsh voice was telling me to wake up. The first thought I had was that there was a fire! My house was burning down and a fireman was trying to save me! I quickly tossed the covers off me and sat up. “What the hell?” the man’s voice said. “You’re not Dustin!” “Dad, it’s five in the m

Thanks Lisa! Yes, Mr. Rogers, a Pittsburgh guy! It'll definitely be interesting when Brett comes back. So much to talk about... As for Billy, he's very much in that glass closet, isn't he? Poor Dustin! He made his move and got blocked at the last possible moment. Billy is such a jerk. But what's this about Brett buying drugs? I simply don't know what you're talking about!

Thanks for these thoughts, my friend! You've articulated the thoughts, I'm sure, of many readers who are having mixed feelings about what took place in this chapter. Billy usually doesn't respond well to people pointing out that he's being an immature little brat, even from people he respects. He's a fighter. He's usually never at a loss for words, so the fact that Amanda got under his skin and left him with nothing to retort is interesting. Billy has a lot of growing up to do. I really appreciate your kind comments on my writing style. I try to make everything in the story mean something, and I like to reward readers who pay attention to details. I think of writing like planting seeds. I've planted some seeds earlier that are blooming now, and some seeds are sitting there in earlier chapters waiting to grow. I always hope that if someone re-reads the story they'll enjoy it even more because they'll see some of the fun stuff I've put there to find. It's a lot of fun, and a real joy for me!

Thanks jay! Yes, it was very important to me that Amanda have some more character to her. It's so easy to turn someone like her into a one-dimensional monster, but she has her reasons for the things she does. She's still a bitch, but she isn't a monster. Families are complex creatures! As for the way Billy treats Dustin, that's pretty complicated too. Dustin is loyal to a fault. He's loyal to people who don't deserve that loyalty. Sometimes Billy is a jerk. Sometimes he says and does really stupid things. But he's a kid who has a lot of love for his friends and wants to do the right thing, but he's being ripped apart by the battle between those friends for his heart. It's going to be a fun ride!

Thanks Okie! Don't worry about young Mr. Reilly. He's a fighter! He'll be back in a few chapters and it'll be quite interesting to see what his reaction is to all this! Maybe we'll catch a glimpse of what Dustin is up to as well. Thanks for your kind words about my writing style! This is a lot of fun!

Thanks bubby! I love your passion! It's fun to share the story with you. It's a war, my friend! The boys are each going to do things that'll make you wonder what's wrong with them! I hope you'll enjoy it!

lol, I don't mind begging. I love to hear from readers! It really makes my day to write something that makes people happy. Thanks for you kind comments on my writing style. It's fun to think like a teenager again! As for the date, summer of 2000, so you were very close! I hope you'll enjoy the story.