Krista

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Mikie!

So sad.. I didn't know of his medical condition either. He was always so nice.

Oh yes, yes I am. I promise, promise, promise!

Thanks for reading! I don't know if you intended the review to feel a bit, poetic? Maybe not the right word, but I really enjoyed the style of your review! (Sorry for reviewing your review, lol) Thank you for liking the story, I like that you see the dance between Luke and Jackson still ongoing.

The next morning when I opened my eyes, I felt a weight on my side. Sometime during the night I had turned my back on Luke and in the coolness of the night, we had drifted together. That wasn’t what woke me up though, it was someone attempting to unzip my tent, the bright morning sun already shining through the thin material. “Dude, get up, get your clothes on,” Toby hissed still fumbling with the zipper. “She’s here!” “I have my clothes on,” I groaned looking down at my morning wood r

Aww. I like to have accepting friends in my stories. They make the story better and more fun for me to write. It definitely is easier to deal with than the alternative and I may do stories like that in the future, but not this one. Being unaccepted is a very real thing though and maybe Jackson will see that in this story to some extent.. but maybe for not being gay. I'm glad you like the scene with the friends and the end with a hopeful Luke! Thanks for reading!

Thanks for reading! Yeah, it definitely could have been a calamity and a really messy situation. I knew going in from a few chapters ago that this party would be the turning point. So I couldn't have them back-pedaling on one another more so than they already were. I'm glad the friends gave them a push. Derek and Toby are great guys, right?! Always has their boy's back. Thanks for reading, I'm glad you're liking the story!

Thanks for reading! I thought about really having Jackson struggle with being who he is... but I lost that along the way and this new version appeared. He seems to self-aware that it is easy for us to think that he has accepted himself. Maybe his own confidence is doing him some good, especially with this. He has been measured and judged his whole life - for swimming and for being 'popular,' maybe he had enough reassurances from his friends and the people around him to stay confident through change. I know people like that, so I'm glad you still think he is within his character. Luke's family is more central in the next chapter, for sure. So, you'll get see something more on them very very soon!

Thanks for reading! Just another bonfire party for most people - little did everyone know it was such a turning point for two. I like that idea, so thank you for planting that thought in my head. I guess for them - it would seem bigger than what really was. Thanks for reading!

Thanks for reading! I like depicting the trouble that people have reconciling something with themselves. It isn't easy and everyone has something like that to deal with... I think. Although Luke's is his sexuality. Thanks for reading!

Thanks for reading! At first Luke seemed sure of himself.. only because he made the first move in the cover of being alone with Jackson in a pool. In the light of day around the people they both know, I guess it dampened his courage. I think they're sort of leaning on one another - at least they aren't dancing around anymore and seem to be allowing things that are there to happen. Maybe? The Parents are more central in the coming chapter(parts). Might see a significant difference between the parents as well. I definitely wanted them to be more involved, but so far only one parent has been - Jackson's Mom Grace.

Thanks for reading! Jackson does seem more sure of himself despite everything that has gone on in such a short amount of time. Maybe that it just his personality, to take things as they come and accept them? Not sure, I've not really worried about him much over the past few chapters. Hopefully the changes haven't been too easy on him.. I think there have only been small hints on Lily about her being more... observant than the rest of them. That is why I chose her to be the one to first come up with the possibility that the reason Luke was now part of their group... and all the trouble Ally and Jackson had... that could be the reasoning for it. Anyway! I'm glad you're like the story.

I'm glad they won. They show what a nicely rebuilt and properly managed team could achieve if they keep looking forward. There seemed to be a lot of life around their dugout and a lot of fun. Baseball needs fun, it has become too business oriented as of late.. and some brevity and something new.. could only be good for the sport. They also were pretty dominating in the regular season, I do hate when teams flounder at the end when they do so well, so I'm glad to see their hard work paying off. I am a Reds fan too. I cannot ever be a Cleveland fan (and don't get me started on St. Louis), so I was happy when the Cubs battled all the way back to tie the series 3 - 3 and then win last night. Also.. the cubs have an interesting way to celebrate home runs in Chicago... I won't say more on that.

After practice and answering a shit ton of questions from Mom and surprisingly Dad, I wanted to eat the healthy concoction that wouldn’t satisfy me and get the hell over to Toby’s for the party. I missed hanging out with them outside of school, it seemed so long since we were all together and not under parental supervision. I also wanted a distraction from Ally and Luke. The best way to do that was to be shit faced with friends that wouldn’t ask me too many questions. It was also odd that b

When I lived in the City, I thought I would run out of candy, so I bought a ton of it. We only averaged like.. five or so stops by trick-o-treaters though. The.. "Church parking lot.." or "Courthouse" version of Trick-o-treating has taken hold here though. People just walk around a circle and then go home. I honestly don't see the point in the trouble.. lol. Just go out and buy a ton of your favorite candy.. hope no one shows up.. then eat it and be happy. Out here where I live now, I know not to expect anyone aside from family members that want to show me their costumes. *Doesn't stop me from buying the same amount of candy though. Other traditions.. a game night. Our family does game night during Halloween. Some people dress up, some people don't. Since I have to dress up with the three kiddies anyway, I do dress up..

Happy Birthday Lacey!! Hope you have a great one.

Happy Halloween! Hope y'all took it easy on the sweets. Bets Myr went as Sasquatch.

Congratulations!

Thanks for reading. Yeahh.. I honestly can see Jackson telling his mother that no other parents was present.. lol. The Garrisons do seem like the type of people to frown upon parents showing up, I mean Tony didn't let the boyfriend stick around - even if he was nice at telling Charlie to get rid of him.. lol. He still told him to do it, so I think Tony likes to be in full control of his palace - so to speak. So I think to save Jackson the embarrassment of having to kick his own mother out of practice, I just won't have her joining them.. lmao. There was a lot of jocky-ing for position last chapter and I feel only two people still don't know where they stand. We'll see if that becomes a problem for Jackson or not. At least he is learning already - even if it is on the side with Emily. But he is being instructed by someone that was an Olympian.. I mean DDDAAAMMNN.. lol. Not many people would ever be so lucky. And you and Graeme will see if your delusional hope is worth having in the next chapter or so.. lol. We're all authors, yes.. we all know how evil we authors can be.

Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're liking Jackson's growth as a character. Maybe it does have to do with Luke and losing swimming as a future that woke him up and made him realize he has to do a lot more work... I was afraid that maybe Jackson grew too quickly.. that people might fault me for not having him relapse more in the story, to make change a bit harder? I felt it may have been too easy.. lol. But I think forcing him backwards would be... forcing things at this point. Not going to say he's not going to have some fun his final year of high school though. There are still milestones I wish for him to cover.

Thanks for reading! I do hate seeing Jackson apprehensive. In the beginning of the story he was so full of himself that he couldn't see that he could fail. At least that growth is good, that he can see that even if he does everything he can, failure is still a possibility. At least he's back on more solid ground with his swimming and has a better frame of mind about it. He was on the fast track to becoming an entitled Townson brother.. Heavens! I'm glad you liked the chapter.

Thanks for reading! I hope Charlie becomes a good role model for Jackson. Drae is all business he wants to compete and knows they need a full line up of swimmers to be able to do that, so he's at least going to give "the new boy" a shot. I like them both as a contrast to the spoiled Townson brothers. You will definitely see what happens next with Luke in the next chapter.. I just need to write it.. oops. lol

Thanks for reading! I couldn't make it too easy for Jackson on his first day of practice with the new team... Those Townson boys are the example of spoiled.. but I could also call them insecure, a new guy coming in - and unknown.. that could wreck their perfect bubble...? Charlie, I think represents what Jackson could have if he was brave enough to take it. So hopefully he is!