Krista

Alright fine, the 'help' doesn't need the heated floors. The heated walkways and such would have saved me from ending up under my own vehicle one crisp winter's day, but I don't know if I'd want to spend the money on it. It was not a good start to my day and since my husband was at the door falling over at the sight of me, it was not a good night of rest for him either. Bubble baths are great... lovely, fantastic. I have a soaker tub big enough for two. I just took a bubble bath last night and I want one now. I'm in a terrible mindset right now, so a bubble bath may do me some good. I guess the reason why Bethany feels like a second thought is because Five's sole purpose for coming is Percy, he doesn't seem all that motivated to be of much help. He also didn't seem like a willing participant to actually leave the cottage either. It was Percy convincing him that he needed actual winter clothes in order to function that finally convinced him. But, he seemed there for Percy, which for now, a true statement to make. The rest of his reasoning isn't so clear. Mind you, with how you described the Cottage, the.. caretaker's cottage as it were... they'd have to bribe me with some damn good bribes to get me out in the cold winter days as well. I hate winter. I've always detested it. I want one day of soft powdery to play in snow, take pictures for Christmas things, because I'm female and that's hardwired into my genes... matching clothes and all. Then I want it gone. The main house has to be 5x nicer, so that will at least get me out and across the property to it once it is opened up for the season. But after that... the 5x nicer would be far too expensive to bribe me out of, I'm thinking. They may not get me out of it until Summer when I long for other things. In my first comment I didn't get into the dynamics of the two of them much. I still think the Gay Chicken thing will come back to bite both of them... it will be eye opening. Even if you say Five is mostly straight. It may end up hurting Percy more. Their dynamics in the writing is a fun read. The way they are constantly two separate energies willing to play the same game. It isn't something I'm used to seeing, because there's always a limitation to that sort of interaction. Something in the middle to buffer them. Since they're the only ones there, there's not much to buffer them aside from their own boundaries. There doesn't seem to be that many known boundaries. There's hints at them, but even when those boundaries are prodded, they're not left alone very long. And you're 1000% winning with me and pet names. You may have landed on the one thing that will do me in, since it most definitely isn't shoelaces. I'm continuing the ignore my new name. Petitions will be burned and not honored.

Are these outcomes for your asshole characters? If so, creative. I may need to take notes.

A wee late to this chapter, but you're flying through this story as I already have another waiting for me and I have writing to do... you know. The Gay Chicken thing will cause more harm than fun, I'm thinking. It is cute and not even remotely all that innocent for either of them already. And there's over ten bedrooms in that Cottage, so there's that. Picking ones right next to one another just screams convenience instead of privacy and comfort. The marble soaking tub a bonus. When you said cottage I was thinking a small out of the way thing. I knew Pinecrest was supposed to be fancy, touristy, and expensive. So I should have known that Grandpa's cottage would read more like this than a fixer upper. If they broke something in that monster... with heated concrete *who the fuck?* Then that would be a rather costly and expensive repair. Their families can afford one or two, I'm guessing... but would it be worth it, just the two of them. And, it also sems like Percy has just been given a bit of a gift really, there's a crew coming to do the majority of the caretaking. So, they're pretty much overseeing it, keeping a schedule, but mostly allowed to do whatever the hell they want. And why heated concrete and not heated bathroom/bedroom floors? That's far more common. No one wants cold tootsies first thing in the morning or after stepping out of a warm bath/shower. Cold tile is awful. I must admit the pet names for one another, although part of the joke would tax me. I hate pet names. I have never liked them. My husband is the only one that can get away with using them, because I know that's his love language. But I get cranky whenever someone uses my real first name, so imagine me with pet names. I've been going by Krista since I was like eleven years old. My mother's first husband's wife... convoluted statement, I know. Liked C names... and since she was in the process of remarrying when I came along... also a bit convoluted. I was given a C name to go right along with my older step siblings. There's a pop diva from the 90's - 2000s that went a little 'drrty' that shares my first name. Either way, I'd have to threaten both of them within an inch of their lives if they continued to insist on the playful pet names... and I'd mean every threat. Stephan's gossip is alarming. He didn't seem like the type to go full blown off his boat. Isn't he supposed to be in Ibiza? Maybe that will give him some sort of respite and Stephanie an opening to knock some sense into him. Prep or not, enjoyment or not... that's too slippery a slope, especially since they all know his mindset isn't right during the approach of all that. I wonder if Bethenny will end up being terribly hurt by all this? There has to be a limit to her trusting of Five. He seems honest, but also not so honest when it should count for something. The almost dismissal of her invitation was a bit eye opening for me as well, but I do understand the other side of that coin. Especially if Stephan's seemingly bad spiral being a possible reason for a 'get together.' A punctured Kidney. Yeah, with the bruised ribs, broken bones, and the threat of sepsis and possible minor internals that would go along with all that - he likely won't be out of the hospital in 25 days, let alone feeling up for travel.

I've not read the chapter and I already know you deserved everything written in that paragraph - down to the letter.

Aww.. not to be dramatic about this, but if Cody had access to a time machine... then I think Joel's laptop would suspiciously come up missing or be broken beyond repair.

Ohhh... but most kickers are so tiny. Flexible... but tiny. At least by football standards. An asshole Lineman and Linebacker though would be scary AF... probably more so than the stereotypical QB. Linebackers are meant to be tough and hit you like a damn train... linemen are supposed to be immovable boulders of beef... so yeah, scary. You might be able to outrun a lineman though.

It could go either way. He did have a good game though, they were playing a scrub team, it was a scrimmage. And they were already blowing that team out before half-time, unfortunately. So we'll see. The night is just getting started for the people not directly involved with the Football stuff.

Cody should be asking that question, because the new writing added a few more miles onto his journey. I do like supporting characters. It is my happy place in the writing, especially if the plot is a bit more focused on 'serious' things and this story focused more on Joel's serious than anything else. And I have more freedom in making them who they are without a lot of restrictive importance. I have stopped watching shows when they kill off/move away from my favorite side characters. But I've also stopped watching shows/reading books when they started focusing too much on them. A happy balance is needed. I don't know if y'all would like a "day in the life of Gavin Kepler..." but I dare say it would be an interesting one...

I think he'd make one hell of a good one. Jaxton spin-off in the works? Although the story would seem familiar to me... by the tune of almost 500k words and almost ten years of my life.

Yeah, I think there are some breadcrumbs unintentionally being dropped by Davin and Joel... Joel's hyper sensitivity to that sort of fear will clue him in, but will Davin notice? Oh gosh. I am more scared about this next chapter than I was this one.

If it keeps them off drugs and out of jail... why not? What else are they going to do? Behave? lol. And yeah, High school is about friends... and we've not seen Joel have very many of them. Davin skipped the friend and went right to the kissing part, but he doesn't know Davin any deeper than Colt and Gavin... just what he looks like naked... I guess that's a start.

Yeah, I kind of leaned heavily on the cliche with Jaxton being the QB... didn't I? But in small rural high schools where Football matters most... who else could it have been? A tight-end that doesn't like being called a tight-end? Maybe. lol... I could have thrown a curve ball and made the kicker be the asshole... no one suspects the kickers. Missed opportunity there.

Maybe Faith will take up knitting or something... Mind you it isn't Faith keeping Gavin away, it is Gavin following Faith around. Who knows, she might need a break from him. lol. A belly rub is probably what Colt is hoping for... amongst other things. That's why he's at the football game at all, I'm thinking. lol... but yeah, he's moody. Oh no... 😮 Those questions would traumatize Joel... which might make Gavin more willing to ask them in the first place, but still. Well... I don't know about 230k... please no. But... if not for the new writing, this chapter would've been the end. Not this one specifically, mind you, but we'd be done at chapter 26...

Aren't they all? I mean that lightly and seriously at the same time.

Friday night football was big for me. Nothing else to do on a Friday evening and at least with me, everyone in my "circle" of closer friends would be there anyway. The game is a backdrop to everything else... gossip, parting planning, grudges/fighting, etc. You never knew what was going to happen, except one team on the field was going to win. With my school it was usually the visiting team that did, but meh...

Good and sound advice. I don't think Celia would accept another round of busted knuckles. She might have to start enforcing curfews to keep them all out of trouble. 😮 😮

Yeah, there's probably a lot of them walking around that could wear that hat, to be fair.

What are the chances that Jaxton just ignores Joel and they all have a great time at the party? If you were to bet the odds...

I don't think a few weeks in is going to stop eighteen years of pure (silly?) rivalry hatred. The Football team hasn't shown him any kindness either. So, why wouldn't Joel secretly want to see them battered up and the scoreboard lopsided in Tempton's favor? Maybe if Jaxton and his dumbass lackies were nicer to him, he'd maybe want the score a little closer... but I highly doubt he'll want to see Tempton beaten that night. His competitive streak in baseball though, that's a different story. Unless the team ends up being assy to him too, but at least Chase, the one teammate they met was thrilled about the idea and he already has Davin and Gavin in his corner. But yeah, Joel still bleeds orange and black. He was just too scared to be himself at Tempton, but he never blamed the people there. It was his parents and Wesley that caused him to land at Fletcher County, it wasn't anyone at Tempton High.

Colt reminds me of a cat. Affectionate for five minutes and then they're chewing on the very hand they were nuzzling against wanting pets. He can be kind and good, I think deep down he is that. But he can be a bit assy. Sassy? He has a weight on his own shoulders though... and weight is hard to carry.

This is the first chapter of the "new writing.." so I'm glad. I was nervous about the new writing, as it wasn't in the original and it is already making me edit the 'final' chapter. I've already had to cut four large paragraphs. I may end up having to cut more, we'll see. But since it is the first of the new writing to be posted, it kind of cements the rest of them to follow as well. Which means I have to get back to writing. I know the interactions of just the guys was something that people wanted to see more of. I wanted to see more of it too. Joel was so turned inward that he couldn't allow himself the freedoms. Then Colt hasn't been all that willing either. Gavin comes and goes as he pleases mostly. Then Davin is seemingly trying to have a good year, a little bit unexpected for him too. and yeah, Jaxton has been slighted twice, hasn't he?

All the guys I know were rough and tumble types... they were always grabbing, groping, random piggy-backs, and all that. Making kissy faces... I found it hilarious really. So I tend to write characters of that nature to support the main themes.. I think I always have a character like Gavin represented in the story. It's just in this one, he's been a bit absent. The playful kiss, I had to toss in there, I think he would've done it. Davin and Joel are becoming a little bit more comfortable.

I liked writing the Gavin that showed up in this chapter. He's been there more or less, we just didn't get to see it because you know.. girls and such. Sigh. But when Faith is busy, we get to see Gavin.