Krista

That's how I would describe Joel. Davin has shown loyalty, it is difficult to stay close to someone that you love, but you see that they may not value you the way you want. Easy to put distance there. He hasn't. But yeah, Joel if he doesn't slow down may lose something before he has it, with Davin.

Yeah, the poor guy knew he messed up the night for everyone else. Even after the later beers settled into his system. It was a long night for him full of unknowns, coming off a high middle of the day. Since it was the same Friday of his chanting... talk about every opportunity to be over stimulated. No wonder he stopped caring how many beers he downed. He downed them pretty close together too. But yeah, they were tender with one another in the tent.. with the massaging, head rubbing, and restraint to keep better judgement in line, something Joel struggled with all day really.

Yeah, it's those beers 4 - 6 that does a guy in, the poor thing. This is the third time that Joel has out maneuvered Jaxton. This last time far worse than the other two. And there's video proof of it all over the school... yikes. A smart person would take the loss and try to gain back what he lost some other way... surely.

Offered to take the very shirt off his back to dry him off and warm him up, even.

I love that comment in the writing. Joel putting Jaxton on equal standing really quick. A glistening wet, lean, body can cause a bit of distracting rift in our better judgements. Colt hasn't been as prickly of late either. I'd say Joel has been a lot more prickly than anyone in this story, to be honest. And Davin bless him. He moves on from Broody/moody Colt to Prickly and angry Joel. He deserves something for his trouble.

I don't think he sees himself as a fighter, thinking he's been running/hiding his whole life. He has been fighting though... I don't think he wants to be angry, and you're right it often goes hand in hand with depression or despair. Hopefully he'll start seeing Jaxton for what he is, someone that needs overlooked. That he doesn't need to worry about him or people like him - including his mother and older brother. That he does have a support system. Despite crashing through the entire party, Davin, Colt, and Gavin stood by him through all of it... in their own ways. Maybe he'll see it. If the Video reaches Celia or anyone outside of the more private underbelly of teenage social medias, then there will be consequences. Coaches do not like coaching kids like that, to be honest... and I do think Jaxton doesn't look as bad overall by comparison. I did like writing the creek scene. Maybe one day they'll have a peaceful and epic party that they can remember fondly.. at least for Joel and Davin it's been an 0 - 3 kind of year. But then again, if Davin and Joel had stayed at the one good party they wouldn't have had the privacy to try out kissing again.

This whole 'month' has been a world changing series of firsts for him. It started out with him losing everything, then having to come back from that. You're also right in saying that his distance and self-containment started well before this story started. If his secret had been kept, he wouldn't have fell into a lot of these 'firsts' and not all of them have been good. But they are experiences. and yeah, Bullies like to talk trash and some may upgrade to using physical bullying. Joel seems to be able to beat them at their own games so far. At least he's showing he's no longer going to be pushed. I hope you're right about Baseball, at least for Davin's sake. This night was a bit of a growing pain with them, I'm thinking. No one wants to worry and babysit someone that might be spiraling in the wrong direction... it feels rather helpless. It's taxing either way. But, Joel is still self-aware enough to know what him being drunk and acting out looked like. It embarrassed him. Good ol' fashioned embarrassing can be a good teaching tool. Lol. Yeah, Colt did not see that coming from Joel. He definitely didn't see the follow-up from Sierra coming either. The poor man was shivering and they were jokingly both trying to... I don't want to say flirt? Make him blush maybe...

Better place and time, you're exactly right. Good thing Davin stopped Joel's traveling hand, despite kind of putting the thought in his head by making him take his shirt off... but yeah, tent walls are thin and voices carry. Davin tried to put a healthy bit of space between his tent and the rest of them. They really flirted with being overheard/caught. Monday at school might be interesting for Joel with that video circulating. I wonder how people will take seeing the Tempton guy on top of their future Homecoming and Prom King?

Yeah, he wanted to stay on the periphery of everything, so he walked a straight and narrow line there. People liked him, but I don't think he would be the first or second person they'd call to invite to a birthday party or to hang out... Now he's becoming a bit reckless and making some questionable decisions. But he's always shown some hints that he will defend himself. He might just not care as much about what people will think about him whenever he does. And yeah, I see it gaining both some respect... and the wrong attention all in the same double-edged outcome. I wonder if Jaxton will show up for a 4th round with him? 😮 Is he that dumb?

'rotten log known as the asshat quarterback' ouch. Poor Jaxton. I don't know if his stock fell. It is difficult to overthrow small town kings, unless they do it themselves. Some people might think again about following him to Joel's table at lunch though, so that might be a win enough for Joel. I think all he wants is a little peace anyway. And yeah, he did joke with Colt. And it stayed light between them. I think it is the first time Joel has made a sort of sexual joke outside of Davin, who flings his own at Joel anyway. You do raise an interesting point though. If Joel is now brave enough to stand up for himself and not fear consequences as much, then why is he not back at Tempton? He's showing more bravery... bad decisions, but brave. At least compared to what how he was before the first chapter. But, these people are also strangers to him. It's easier with strangers, he doesn't want their acceptance. He was scared of losing it at Tempton, because he had those connections of years with them. Might be the difference.

Poor guy did get cock blocked by them, and soaking wet all at the same time. I may or may not have indulged with that writing. Someone wanted Colt wet, and I delivered him wet. I don't think that's how they meant, but I call it a win anyway. Joel did show a little more restraint than he did with Jonny at least. He wasn't feeling the error of all that drinking yet. I don't know if he had landed a blow on Jaxton's pretty face, if the football team wouldn't have responded to that. I think him not throwing a punch kind of froze everyone, I highly doubt they'd be scared of the threats coming from the twins. and yeah, he realized he might have messed up their night by acting the way he did...

I know, it is about 3 hours past my bed time. I was going to settle in and read, then saw that it's 1:30 am my time. I can't be doing this.

Oh nice. I am more in the mood for an HEA at the moment. I've been doing a lot of "cozy" and comfort watching on streaming services of late, so my reading preferences usually mirror that. It doesn't have to be cozy, just a good HEA at the end of it.

I am down to one chapter between me and new writing... so one week. The thought makes me uneasy. This year I've been rather interested in Christmas stories. I think that's because I've read some really fresh takes on them recently. I would like to ask you though: For new readers of your work, what story or series would you recommend people start with? I'm attempting to become more of a reader here, as I've sort of stopped reading for fun. I miss it.

You don't have to wait any longer. although it is past midnight and hours past my bed time... so woops.

Aww. I guess I kind of did, by not going with Joel and Roy.

Oh no.

I felt myself getting angry at myself for coming here. The stunt in the lunchroom was still too new. The videos of it were circulating, the twins had spared me so far. Davin wouldn’t show me the fallout, saying it wasn’t much of anything. Gavin was probably biding his time until he thought it would be funny and not get his ass kicked. Everyone here knew what I did, Jaxton wasn’t standing five feet away from me when Roy and I started our chant. “Calm down,” Davin whispered and I nodded my he

And here we've arrived again. I mosey off to go finish a prompt and bother a wildthing, and I come back to see all this business.

You keep saying that, but Colt somehow keeps ending up in small scandalous snippets of your doing.

Let's all have a posting party on Friday. There's a number of authors here... Challenge accepted... now watch me be the only one that fails. It would be like me.

Yes, but since Colt was the first guy dropped from the potential love interest, I had to switch his whole dynamics a bit. So we get the assy/moody Colt from me... and the adorable, slightly sensual/playful one from @Jason Rimbaud. Although it won't sway my mind. I was choosing between different characters for Joel entirely. But this.. this is so tempting. To go along with that blond hair and farmer-muscle and big feet, apparently... as I've not ruled either way on the size of his boots.

It may mean Learned to Lie, it may not. Might have to wait for Saturday or Sunday. Dare I say Monday? That would infringe on your posting schedule, but since you're currently treating every damn day as a Monday... you may not mind the intrusion. I have so many chapters of Frosted Hearts to catch up on... you erratic posting silly goose. Sighs. I get the notifications for people commenting and I want to be nosy, but I can't be nosy... I hate spoilers, ick. And I thought Colt was too tall and stinky? We were headed for a Joy pairing, maybe? Or a Ravin? Rovin? I better change that to Doy? So you know which twin I'm talking about.. That's an ick ship-name, I must say. Javin is nice. I do admit Jolt is better as it is an actual word. Then there's Joy, which is slightly less "electric," but still... who would turn down Joy?

I love that you forcibly do the ass-opposite of what I give you the freedom to do. But aww... I guess the tables have turned, because I'm about to say something that I've defended a bit over the course of the posting of this story. Joel, get yourself out of your own head already. (but not really, I love you in your own head)