Krista

Yeah posturing is something that I think a lot of people coming out of high school live to regret... unless they still feel like what little they accomplished in high school still matters now they're well into adulthood. If you think your social standing in high school is more important than where you are ten years later, then ouch. Situationship! 😮 Davin and Joel felt that.

Maybe Joel stood up to him enough that Jaxton doesn't see any rewards for continuing their little dance... unless he can get something out of it. Or hopes to gain something out of it. The longer Joel is there though, the more people will get to know him for just being Joel. The baseball team, the Ames twins are high in the hierarchy, Faith, Sierra, Davin and Gavin... so he's not scraping the bottom of the silly and shallow world of High School dramatics. If anything Jaxton probably heard a lot of uproar about Joel coming to the school and felt threatened. If I had to guess.

I think Mr. Swindell is trying his best. Sometimes you just get a class of unmotivated people that don't want to do the homework as well. That's where my head was when I wrote that sentence though. He does seem checked out a little bit too, Swindell. In the bogged down world of teaching Math will probably do that to you... Even the nice math teachers aren't well liked based on the subject they happen to teach. Such is life. And yeah, poor Roy doesn't know that many people he could ask for help, unless he knows people in Tempton. Being Jonny's lapdog since he was a wee little brat probably didn't earn him a lot of friends that can do Calculus though. The two dumbasses can struggle on that boat together, I'm thinking. Lorianne may save them as I doubt the Kepler twins are sneaky math geniuses. I think 'most' people probably think Joel is either in the process of dating Lorianne, or they already are... doing things. Reputations and what have you. So, unless they catch him out with Lance, Roy, or Jeremiah they probably just think he's new and lost? I don't know... If that is the 100% designated gay table, then him staying at it after being there ages might get him noticed for that... you can be new and dumb, but you can't be not new and still dumb.

Off season practices were fun, if not a little brutal... But yeah, a lot more just overall bonding and nonsense too without the stress of being within the season itself.

Same, really... had a rough start to the week and didn't want to do anything at all... I don't think I even looked at the progress of this chapter until I posted it.

If you're not first, you're last.

Thank you for taking the time to read this story, and leaving a comment and review. Werewolves and/or just paranormal action isn't my comfort zone. This was a product of a rewrite and a partial DNF too. I was so concerned that it wouldn't read well with me cutting about twelve pages out of the writing. I felt bad for the way it ended, but I wanted to practice something new and the Prompt challenge is good for that, since I drew a theme I'm not too comfortable with as it was. I didn't want to get too bogged down into mostly "accepted and established" lore with them. Or character norms. Wanting to focus on attempting to flesh out two characters quickly. Parts of what I cut was my trying to establish lore then realizing I didn't need it with a one-shot story such at this.

“If Jax gives you any shit, call one of us,” Davin said as we stood in front of the Charger. People were filing out of their cars around us. I had my bag slung over my shoulder, my ball bag in the trunk waiting for me after school. The papers I printed out for Celia to sign in my hand ready to drop off at the front office to be filed, making me eligible to play the season for Fletcher. “I’ll be alright,” I said not looking in his direction as I stared up at the fucking ugly building. Ugly i

Still in the essence of fairness and not having awkward moments, since everyone will know Joel and Davin are in a romantic relationship. I'd think Trace and Celia would have to put their feet down and lay the ground rules and change sleeping arrangements. The dynamics of what they think is going on, isn't what is going on. So when that comes to light/if it ever were to, then I don't think they are the types of parents that can overlook romantic entanglements. And it still wouldn't be fair for Davin and Joel to be able to continue as they are, if/when found out. And, it be a non-starter for the others. It is much easier to have the same set of ground rules and expectations for every child, I'm thinking.

You would think the Birthday chapter would be next, wouldn't you? Hmm. I still think I have time for massive rewrites before Friday. It is coming, I promise. I mean it has to, surely. It is written at least. lol.

Oh yeah, they'll definitely try every sneaky sneaky thing they can come up with to see if it works or not, I'm sure.

Yes. Yes it did.

I wouldn't come to me for Sci-Fi either. Not even with a map and compass combo in hand. -- I let this topic sit for over twenty-four hours. The reason why I left it sitting is because, at word value it seemed like it was going to go the way of the handful of discussions that crop up here from time to time. I will say this: When you go into a restaurant and your steak is dry and you wish to complain and they send for the chef - and if that chef is female and your response is: Well that's why. You are the problem. Period. Attack the words written on the pages, not the name on the front cover. If the author sucks - to you/a reader, it is more than likely due to their storytelling and writing ability, choices in plot not being to your/the reader's taste, or a myriad of reasons other than whether or not the author has dangly bits between their legs. Race, religion, gender, age, background, lifestyle, tax bracket, etc needs to stay out of the discussion when you're/the reader making blanket all encompassing untrue statements such as that. There is no excuse for it, it is a weak argument made by self-serving people who just like to hear themselves talk down and express their own bias. It is 2025 - soon to be 2026. I'm over it. Do those things matter? They can. My background helps me paint convincing rural pictures. I am a former athlete so writing characters with athletic backgrounds is helped along by that as well. I'm female, so my female characters should read authentically. I work in the medical field, if I ever wished to write a character that is based generally within a few fields I could do it. All because those are lived experiences. We all have them. The rest can be overcome by research, the drive to be correct, editing, reading, putting words to paper over years to hone your writing in general so that all the writing you do comes out better for it. Being observant helps. I study trends in language, style, mannerisms, and how people relate to one another. If the entire first comment was left out of the discussion, then there wouldn't have been an issue. Reddit is a real bastion of common sense, decency, and data backed discussion as well, I put a lot of weight to the opinions I find on that platform. For sure. --- With that said, I genuinely don't think that was the true intention with the birth of this topic. So, although this whole ramble I've done will read rather blunt/pushy in tone, I am not placing blame or a heavy opinion on the original post, just the parroted comment made within it. Anyway, I am female. I've been writing M/M fiction since I was in my early teens back in the early 2000s. I write mostly coming of age Romances, they're slow-burn. Typically written in first person. I like rural settings and for my characters to have an athletic/athlete character/plot element to them. Not always, but most usually there is something there. I will dabble in fantasy, I think I've done it three times with very little success, as far as my opinion goes. Most of my stories have a coming of age element. A lot of them are in high school. I feel I'm too told to write such things now, as I have children who are currently in high school and they scare me, truly. So I will like to branch out to other themes and away from Coming of Age stories, but yes, it is what I'm known for as others have said. I recently dabbled in Werewolves, might do that again, who knows. I hear Demons are popular, I'm sure I can slow-burn romance the hell out of that genre if I put my mind to it. As far as being a reader here: I am an old-school sort of reader that broke myself in on CJames, Dom, Viv, Shadowgod, and others. One of my top stories that I've ever read here was written by @CassieQ. Generally though when I look for stories I wish to read stories similar to what I write myself. I am stuck in my ways. I don't care if they are in first or third. I like for a more slow paced story, or slow-burn set-up within the writing. I like character driven narratives for the most part as well. I made it a point recently to be more active as a reader here. I don't have a lot of time for reading, but I've been able to cross a few short stories off my to-read list and I'm following a few more highly entertaining stories. I want to do more. Maybe I'll take a tiny break from writing after my latest project has a complete tag next to it and focus on just being a reader for a bit. As a general member, I really can't say how I'm perceived mostly. I think it is a mix of blunt/unapologetic and playful/cheeky. I'll take that, probably as good as I can hope for really. Oh, can't believe I forgot this, but I've been told by a few people that I'm rather scary. I personally don't see it, but sometimes the cards just fall where they do.

I see it differently. There is no way they'd allow Faith and Sierra to stay overnight at their house. They most definitely wouldn't be allowing them to sleep in the same rooms/beds with Gavin and Colt. So, for them to find out about Davin and Joel, if anything, out of fairness to everyone else in the house, even Lacey whenever she gets to that age and future expectations they can't allow Davin and Joel. Ground rules and expectations, discussions, and changes would be made. Joel is a special circumstance, teenage hormones though is rather universal between the four of them... and if they're going to handle heterosexual hormones one way and homosexual hormones another, then that's not fair.

Yeah, when the decision was made to stick with Davin I changed Roy's character a bit. Made him more aware of the opposite sex instead of trying to create a lot more chemistry between Joel and Roy. I can't do that now, but in the early writing with me on the fence, Roy was the second option. But now I think I've made Roy distinctly straight. Jeremiah could be a silent sneak option still. But yeah, not gonna do it either way, Davin - Javin, is safe. I'll have more opportunities in my writing to depict first loves falling apart...

I don't know how many times I've worried over and backspaced comments throughout this whole thing trying not to be spoiler-y. I know I failed a couple of times and went too far.. and was like.. woops. I mean when I notice it like ten minutes later and it's already been quoted and reacted to, I can't be like... ahahahaha tricked you... because the very thing I said fell right in line the next chapter posted. But yeah... as fun and rewarding and nice all of this has been, it's also been a trainwreck and I have fought with my sanity at times. I say that with so much appreciation though, I never expected this. I will be sad when it goes after the next two chapters are posted.

If I explore those dynamics, I would have to break Davin and Joel up, wouldn't I? If Roy is in the story for that sort of exploration still, there can't be a Joel/Davin. Nothing to Hide, would be a good title then. Because Learned to Lie was sort of a mis-direction sort of title. Joel never lied, since his lie was his sexuality, he wasn't all that good at being a liar, he always gave himself away. But yeah. I don't think I have the heart to do Davin like that, not anymore.

Damn that was chaos and poetic all in the same breath. Why those women would go back to him, I don't know.. but if he got away with it, I guess all I can do is shrug. At least he found the one for him later.

Bethany's self-sabotage of the relationship is her doing, I'm going to say. She can't be surprised after what we learned from Five in the coming to terms conversation they had. So, despite being drunk for two days straight, being very physical and in silenced denial they finally talked about something. It was a nice conversation that Percy was going to try to bulldoze himself through, because he was already preparing for the worst possible outcome. That he was going to hurt Bethany, push away Five, and lose him to California and life and Five to Florida. And Five surprised him by pushing him to admit all that. They still don't know what the hell they're going to do. But they're talking about slowing down to figure it all in the next two weeks. In their minds distance and time is an issue and they're still living this sort of vacation double-life. It's not going to work. Bringing up Phone sex is like putting a band-aid on a crack in a dam. Maybe they'll realize that. It may break them either way, but at least their heads will be all the more clear for it. Dreams are meant to be something you love and push for, it isn't supposed to be something you hide yourself in. Percy loves baseball, I think. Five loves swimming. They both love their lives outside of one another. Although Five has a reckoning when it comes to Bethany, he can't have his cake and love Percy too. Especially since Bethany seems to be more than willing to ruin her relationship before it has a chance to ruin her. I'm getting that mindset from her at least. It isn't a healthy place to be, but I get it. People who have been hurt want to distance themselves from that again, and if Five admitting feelings put up that roadblock, and that mindset is true to her character, then yeah, she would have drove him up to Percy herself... They seem to be teetering on uneven ground. As far as the mines go, I do fear for all of them. Michael is out to prove something and he's going to do that... but the continued thought that the mines aren't safe has me thinking... yikes. There are innocent people along for that ride and Michael seems to be a "hell or high water.." sort of person. Especially if his program is something that's going to make him a lot of money.

Yeah, there's been a distinct pace change with the last two chapters, I've noticed. But I'll leave the rest of my comments for the next chapter.

I liked the interactions with the parents. The father coming in all bullish, then finding out he didn't have all the information. The Mom taking control of the conversation, because Dad was saying things in anger that he'd regret. When he cooled off more sensible thoughts began. They will still need to discuss everything, but the phone conversation was what it should've been. Both topics are better discussed sitting across from everyone involved with a coffee table in between them or something. Not over the phone. Grandpa is going to hear it though, harboring a fugitive really. They left that conversation without a lot of ill feelings. Unresolved issues, sure, but they let it rest for later. So yeah, it was really well done. I guess I either missed or forgot where Percy was out to his parents. It might have been early in the reading and I'm forgetful/oblivious. Sometimes I read too fast and I'm like.. wait what? 😮 This story is fast paced, chaotic, it hits surface level feelings, because the characters are living mostly in surface level feelings. There has always been this underlying feeling of them all being liars to themselves, what they want, how they're really thinking. In the last three to four chapters it started to get deeper, and the characters did too. I like the chaos, the game, the mental agility they've held on to throughout the writing. There's a lot of it to enjoy. Percy has been the most bogged down inside his own head since the beginning. But now we're seeing that Five has began to wake up to the realization that he has been too. This is all a nice packaged story. Be happy with it.

Aww. This has me so teary-eyed. I understand though. If my husband was to decide tomorrow that he no longer loved me, it would be over for me too, I'm thinking. He picked me up a little bit and held me, protected me. And I've fiercely protected him. We work. So it will break me. He was not my first love though, I have been in love three times. One broke me. The second time I broke him, and I still regret that I ever fell in love with him, because I knew he was all-in on me and it didn't work out. That's why I like HEA stories. Life breaks us... I don't need to continue to break things in writing. It may be something I will one day feel like doing with a story or character, but it isn't something I look forward to at the moment. So rest easy with that, I guess. Thank you for sharing this though, I know it probably took a lot.

The grocery store trip was cute, until the prostitution thing. Percy should be in law enforcement for how aware he is of his surroundings. Icky thing to do in a dang shopping store of all places. People need rescuers not stuck in their phones to notice such things more often... we've become a people of oblivious people or worse, viral-hog bystanders that would rather post it all over our social medias instead of actually help. But anywho... the rest of the chapter. Five can cook... damn does it sound like he can cook. He can also do other things. I'm too much of a lady to say, but they definitely crossed a lot of lines in their drunk states. I do wonder who is feeding the parents all this information though. To come out with it out of the blue on both counts. Homosexuality and quitting school. Either they've decided to pay attention to his sexuality and knew all along, or someone is slipping information. They didn't know he had quit until then, that anger was more raw... The best sex ever though... whilst shit-faced drunk off their asses? I think the liquor might be wrecking that judgement or recollection a little bit? I've seen drunk people thinking they're Kelly Clarkson on Karaoke night. But who is to say they could power through all that and still perform at the best of their feral and filthy abilities...

Yeah, I suspect the guest bedroom will be renovated quickly for Davin... or they'd enforce the rule the twins must sleep in the upstairs guestroom together. Either way, all parties involved would be horrified... absolutely horrified. Y'all do not know how close I've been to breaking Davin and Joel up on occasion. That is why Roy is in this story still, to be honest. *whistles* I was still of the mind that I was either going to have them never become a thing aside from that kiss in the field... or break them up because Joel and Roy just had more chemistry than Davin and Joel. I was almost ready to open that door, but I was somewhat talked out of it. I've done "first loves" are the only "loves" all over the place. Every pairing I've ever had... stayed that way aside from one, but all they really did was kiss before the dude was found out to be a liar... Other than though, every. single. one. Romances lean on first loves being the only loves... but that's not realistic either. People start and end relationships, even when they were once deeply involved. But anywho, food for another day.

Final book.