Krista

Happy Birthday!

Thanks for reading! I was worried that the back pedaling by Cindy putting her foot down and messing everything up would be a bit much for people. It needed to happen though, the guys were getting way too comfortable for Cindy's liking. I'm glad you're hanging in there and still liking the story. Maybe she fears that Luke is turning into Jackson, someone she has no respect for and is just trying to shield him from that. Lol. Mind you, she's going about it all wrong, I think. But she is his mother, it may take a lot before Luke completely closes her out and I think maybe Cindy knows what buttons to push - or how far to push? Lol, come on! Some people like socks. Haha. At least his parents bailed him out on that. It is difficult to buy something nice for someone you really care about sometimes.. and he's new to the whole boyfriend thing. He probably knows more about what girls like than what Luke does. The poor dear probably doesn't see that she is grasping at Sand - she probably thinks that she is finally gaining ground. Maybe she is? She did get her way last chapter, didn't she? But she definitely has more people working against her than for her. Thanks for reading! Yeah, I think she was waiting for just the opportunity to pull him back out of school. She didn't want him to go there in the first place and be around kids she didn't approve of.. or a system she didn't approve of either. Does Henry know? Or is he just a lot more forgiving than Cindy where Luke is concerned? Is he trying to mediate on middle ground with his wife and son? Those questions will have to be answered won't they? Lol. A spiritual disaster is the way I would have put it, definitely. That fear would overwhelm someone like Cindy. If she was willing to lose a best lifelong friend to save her son... what else is she capable of? I think we got a nice representation this chapter at how far she is willing to go. Like you said though, it may cost her a lot in the end. I'm glad you explained her side - her place - in the story so nicely, it settled my mind a bit on how far I need to go with her character and with Luke's a bit. Thanks for reading! Love this review. I don't want to dive too far into Cindy's home, which I say, would've been loud and preachy the moment Luke stepped through the door the other night. Instead I focused on the fallout, in Jackson's mind and world. Cindy is already a good antagonist, so giving her a louder voice would just be overdoing it a bit. Jackson and Luke alike fell for one another and given any other trip towards one another, I doubt it would have worked. Forced interaction and all.. lol. If Luke had went to Jackson's school from the beginning - I could imagine them being enemies instead of love interests. So yes, neither of them saw themselves in the situation they're in with one another, but at least for now it is where they both want to be. Oh come on now, I gave one of my kids my tablet and cell phone to play with and she had it pretty well figured out in no time.. lol. Luke probably has to use computers and such in school, in the library, etc for homework. He's likely been around cell phones with friends from the church and such.. etc. Aww. In a way it is bad for them. Luke isn't in school, where he'd most like to be during the day instead of having a hovering Cindy and a teacher giving him his lessons in the home. Not many eighteen year olds would put up with that for sure. Henry is a character I really like writing, even if he only shows up every now and again and is mostly absent. Maybe he'll get his wife to understand before it is too late... but he'll be there to pick her up and Luke as well, I think, if it all falls down around them.

Swearing to myself, I shoved a pair of socks back onto the rack where I had just snatched them from. The laughing on either side of me told me that I didn’t want to buy socks, but I had been all around the mall looking for something, anything, that caught my attention enough for me to buy. “You know, when you said you wanted a bro day, I didn’t have all this shit pictured,” Derek said nudging a second pair of ugly socks with his index finger. “Shopping.” “Shut up,” I groaned for what f

I won't.

Aww, I love this review. I'm glad the story does bring back some good memories from your growing up. Even if it might be just a little bit bitter sweet. Retrospect can be good, even if there are some regrets. I'm glad you liked the story and shared your review with me. I forgot all about not answering these comments.. lol. So I too, am late. Yes, the shower scene was doomed to be interrupted, their plan to bolt wasn't the best thought out plan in the world. How could they not know that Grace would be right behind them... since you know.. they came from the same place.. lol. I think after this chapter Cindy will most definitely take a stand and I am glad you brought up Henry as well. Benji! I don't know if Luke is the ultimatum type, I think he likes to try and see the good with the bad... or else, I think there would be no Jackson/Luke story.. lol. Jackson was a bit of an ass in the beginning and if Luke was anything like Cindy he would have totally dismissed him from the start.. What a tragedy! But.. it would have saved me a ton of writing and you know how I can be a bit... slow on that front. lol. Thank you for reading! I think the ending does set up the next chapter nicely... I think it may surprise y'all though, when it is finally posted. I'm glad to hear that! As an adult it is hard to get back into the mind of teenagers/younger adults. I know I don't like reading stories where the Teens seem way too adult for where they are in life and what they are doing... mistakes and a little selfishness make them interesting. Aww. He is a sweetheart, probably the most innocent/tender heart-ed character I've written so I'm glad you're seeing that in him. They may be ready for fight for what they want, but they are still young.. and adults have a lot more they can bring to the "battle field.." sadly. Maybe they won't have it too hard in the coming chapters. They will definitely be tested, Cindy won't let the end of that chapter go down easily. Lol! Hmm, I say they may be finding paint stains and specks on their bodies for days to come after all that. But yes, I say that was a slow and very tense walk back home in the dead of night and cold for Luke. I wouldn't want to make many walks like that. Grace has shown her support of the guys. She sees Jackson as a grown up and not a little delinquent now. I think the coin has flipped in Luke's home though, so we'll see what Cindy does next and if the guys have any chance to fight for what they want. It is sad to think there are parents like that. Not even about the gay thing, but sports.. dating in general.. body image. Acceptance is a very easy thing, but some parents fail to come by it and that is sad and anger inducing for sure. I'm not sure they could be out, though, not really. The friends they have may support them, but there are still some smaller obstacles and teenagers can be cruel little shits as well. It is just that Cindy is eclipsing everything... and maybe the other issues won't be half as bad as what she is. For their sake I'd want that to be true.. lol.

I wouldn't want to be a fly on the wall.. lol. Not during that intervention for sure!

They may be good for one another, but Cindy most definitely wouldn't see it that way. Lol. Poor guys. I'm glad you think they compliment one another nicely and are good for one another - I wouldn't want people thinking that Jackson isn't good for Luke at this stage of the story, probably in the beginning.. but nah, not after all this changing.

Happy Birthday!

I thought about it, but no I haven't gotten anything planned for them to be honest. It is a bit of an older story for me, so I'd really really really have to concentrate on it before I'd be able to do anything with it because I've forgotten a lot of it.. lol.

No, it is completed. I'm glad you like this story!

Happy Birthday, Myr! Have a great one.

Happy Birthday, Graeme!

As the night went on, and well after we found out that paint balls could hurt and leave a mark, people started to leave. Even Tim looked relieved to finally see the crowds thinning. We were some of the last ones left and Welker, to his credit didn’t try to round us up and herd us out the door at a reasonable hour. Instead, as the clock ticked towards one in the morning and the food ran out I yawned and absently rubbed at a red lump forming just below my right elbow from one of the paint balls. T

Lol.. if you noticed, the boys aside from Jackson all ended up using the facilities at the same time as well. Which was unintentional until Steve pointed that fact out to me in editing. I thought it was cute, so I just left it... The Easter Egg is actually the small talk around Pizza about their biggest Football rivals. The Quarterback has a broken arm... he's apparently gay and has a boyfriend. The team was in a bit of turmoil that left the coach wanting to leave and take another job after the end of the season. Doesn't that sound like something that happened before?

It is.. until you find out that the Phenomenon STEVE happens after Taco Tuesdays..

Cindy is a control freak for sure. She definitely wants to know what is going on with Luke, probably Henry. I wonder what all Henry gave up just because he was... "blinded by love," they certainly do seem a bit mis-matched. At least Luke took after his Dad, could you imagine Luke-zilla? lol. High school girls.. seeing everyone else paired up, and wondering why their one friend is still single.. lol. Maybe that's the reason? They may not realize there is a completely different reason for Jackson's complete dismissal of the idea of dating. Luke and Jackson may start robbing stage coaches and trains headed out west after learning to ride horses. Yeah, Cindy is taking a very hard stance on Jackson and she's willing to lose a great friend in Grace by alienating Jackson like she has. Lol.. she-who-must-not-be-named.. Jackson being single isn't normal for them, for sure. He has been dating, Lily, Heather, and Ally.. I didn't really hint on how long those relationships where or if there were more girls in between them. It would be odd for "the future prom king.." to be so single right now, especially after Ally moved on a bit with a new boyfriend. What is Luke going to do? That would be an interesting question. I don't think Cindy would take that confrontation too easily either, it may have just told her that she needs to be more strict and less forgiving with Jackson and dealing with Luke. Yeah! Hmm - That would be a huge step for sure, probably out of all the writing I've done.. these two characters seem to be the ones that are the most shy about that particular thing. I just hope to handle that part of their relationship well, no matter what happens between them. I'd like to be a fly on the wall if Luke is pushed too far. He sure does have some things bottled up about the way Cindy is handling him right now. She made sure to talk to Jackson alone w/out Luke or Grace in earshot. She may get more than she bargained for if she pushes both boys too far. I like your explanation about the girls as well. They are good friends, have been for years. The fact that Jackson was able to keep them after dating them, especially Ally and how that relationship ended does hint at exactly how close they are. But they're also getting annoyed with Jackson's indifference and with the way he is acting strangely and altogether different from where he was at the beginning of the school year. Grace has decided to meet Jackson on his level instead of trying to push him up to her's. If only Cindy would learn how to do that... Ally is still a problem, yes, it is one that I think, Jackson would want to take on in private.. or at least on a one and one situation and he hasn't had that chance with her yet. Some of it is because of Luke, another reason is that she still doesn't seem to be all that comfortable around Jackson right now either. There are definitely a lot of small hail stones hitting Jackson's window... hopefully it won't turn into a full blown tornado. ---- Ahh! I totally forgot about the multi-quote it makes it soooo much easier to reply to y'all's comments.

Lol. That seems to be a popular sentiment.

I like 'how' Jackson stood up to her. He did it in a way that wouldn't get Luke into more trouble than he already would be for taking in the entire day with Jackson. I think maybe... Derek and Toby just want things to go back to normal.. in a way where they're all on the same page with one another. The reaction the girls had about finding out the news about other gays out in the world may have given Derek hope for Jackson to just get it over with.

Hmm.. UFC in Sunday dresses? Could be fun.

Sure did! I'm about to post the section on the forum and explain it a bit.

Probably wouldn't have warmed her heart towards him any if he had.... but maybe after that talking to she gave him he'd like to toss a few for sure.

Lol. Yeah, it surprised Luke for sure that he didn't get pushed away.

By the time we finished the ride and after we tossed the ruined sandwiches, we were late for homecoming. Luke didn’t seem to mind though and if I had my way we would be on our way back to my house for more privacy that a conveniently empty house provided. Not that I was brave enough to do anything, and the ride and the carelessness of us being alone was addicting. It wasn’t a stolen moment out beside my house, but something together and without the fear of prying eyes that we would have to answe

Happpyyyyy Birthday!

Congratulations!