Krista

Ugh, I hate the bug where it doesn't allow certain replies to send? The only thing I know to fix it, is to do a quick response, then edit the original if it accepts it. ---- It could be therapeutic for them to wreck the place, spray paint, slinging vases at walls. Orange on bright and crisp white walls... yikes. All the while the only power the parents have is to sit and watch it all unfold on their security cameras after the phone calls end up being ignored. I don't see Gavin doing that, though. I see him tricking them out of the deed then putting a for sale sign out front to make a profit. Davin on the other hand, maybe. He might also start cleaning the house after he sobered up a few hours later though.

Kind of makes you wonder if it was truly Colt's friendship they wanted, or Celia and Trace's obvious warmth and welcoming nature? I mean, all we've seen from Colt is that he's moody. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... I'm sure in their younger years Colt and the twins were three little energetic delinquents. Jury is out if that has changed, or not... I'm leaning towards a no, just on different levels. And, you do make a point. The people that are obsessed over the appearance of the place rarely show up. They're jetting off to far away places and still expecting their rules to be enforced. The house to look clean. For the cleaning crew to keep a schedule. Hell, even the deck will get built with them not even being there to witness it... Gavin did leave early... but Faith was apparently waiting for him. That could be rather motivating... but to ditch your brother and your friend... Nevermind, he's a teenage guy... of course he's going to.

Collectibles... interesting word choice. Sorry... I swear this story does pick up, eventually.

I don't know, I think there was a slight switch. Davin's home life isn't normal and he was walking along giving him a tour of a place that didn't feel like home. That would have felt strange to Joel. It would be like Joel giving someone a tour of the Connley Ranch, as he's still somewhat removed from there. He'd have a lot more to say about his childhood home. Davin showed him 'rooms' as if the rooms had a purpose and nothing more. It was weird and Joel was the one that had to accept what was presented in front of him. Yeah, I guess now we know why they have their own "rooms..." I don't think calling them 'guest rooms,' really ever fit...

You're welcome! It was a wee bit of an early post for me, the wildthing got the edits back to me early. This is the second half of the last chapter, probably the last chapter I'm going to split up until the massive last chapter. That will mean some 15k - 18k chapters are coming up, but I think the pace starts to kick up a notch and if I split some of those up, it may not feel like it is. Also, welcome to the 'almost' half-way mark in the story. We're over 100k. I did tell y'all that we'll get to learn a lot more about the twins in this chapter. I just didn't say that it was going to be a happy little ride for them. Indifference can hurt if you ever thought they cared for you. Otherwise, I'd take indifference. I can typically be just as indifferent right back in their faces... but if I thought I mattered, then I think it is one of the worst feelings someone can make a person feel. I'd rather have given them a reason to leave, hate.. anger, something. But if they were important to me and they just shrugged their shoulders and left one day and never came back... then yeah. Indifference can be heavy. And yes, Joel did feel for them. It is a mindset that he can understand, although it is a lot more fresh of a hurt for him. He might start seeing that he's on an even playing field, at least with the two of them.

Gavin took the driver’s side, and I opened the passenger side and climbed into the back seat. After I was clear Davin got in and closed the door. Looking out the tinted window, I saw more of my reflection than I did the outside. The engine was quiet, I expected a roar from the shiny muscle car, but it quietly backed out of the parking spot. I felt the back seat lurch upward as we backed onto the pavement and towards the garage. When Gavin had enough room to turn all the way around, he put the ca

I think that's what a lot of people thought. There were a lot of Charlie fans too, if I'm remembering correctly. My pick was Henry, btw... he had such optimism for just waking up. Problems didn't bother him... he sought solutions like a bird dog does a bird. Calm. Intelligent. A true golden soul, so they say. Patience of a saint, mind you... he was dealing with Cindzilla. Easy pick for me. lol. In his youth he had a thing for fixing cars, driving them fast, and motorcycles... a more stocky, greased up Ginger. He can take you 0 - 90 in an old muscle car, but still be able to put on his Sunday bests and compliment your momma. ALL DAY LONG... all day long. I do remember some people making a comment about Derek's big burly, hairy Daddy type of thing he had going on... I mean, he tossed Toby around like a bag of grain. For this story... I wish I could tell you who I prefer, but I can't. It may surprise some people.

I try not to.... at least with overly personal things anymore, which is why I edited the comment I just made... lmao. Too bad the quoted portion doesn't show the edited versions of comments in the quotes. I doubt my Husband will happen along this comment and be like, "Honey, what secrets?" Because, he'd have some 'splainin' to do too. Although, he does somewhat know that I do this kind of writing. It is shocking to me that I used to have a tell-all Blog on here, I didn't spare anything or anyone in those. Now I cringe at thinking what all I put out for people to read.

I hope that is a good thing. If not, blame Jackson... not me.

ahh, which is honestly a draw for me when I sit down to write stories such as these. Hindsight is a bitch, letting my characters suffer through the before-hindsight sort of life is fun. And, it allows escapism from my own... lol. But yeah, ignorance of youth can be tragic, but it can also be beautiful... in its way. But, the "I told you so's" didn't work on me from my mother, I doubt it will work on my children. I'll try not to have the annoying sing-songy-tone and smile on my face that my mother liked to use on me whilst saying the words. It made me plot which barely above the law nursing homes I can shove her in later in life...

I think we all have those secrets. There aren't too many people out there walking around as open books... There are things that I will never tell. Not because I don't think no one would accept hearing them. There's pain and if I can spare them the 'history' that caused it, I think it is best that I am the only one carrying it around. Especially since I've made peace with those things myself. But that is my thinking. A smarter person might tell you --- it is a lighter burden if there's more people around you willing to carry it.

Aww. I do hope that gave you peace.

My revenge for these comments will be swift and glorious.

It was a shock to me too, mind you... and I lived it. Luckily I picked something that I ended up enjoying... but it all started because my undergraduate studies opened the door for me... lol. I'm lucky, because if I didn't like those doors I was screwed and wasted years of my life.

I do like writing them. For me, these characters are interesting in their overall growth. It is a time in a person's life when they're figuring it out... and they have the freedom to do so. As in, they're not burdened down by adult expectations like a job, bills, keeping a roof over their heads. There is also this knowing feeling that all that is coming and those big decisions are looming like a mountain on the horizon and the only road available is the one that goes right over it. Having the freedom to still be... naive? I don't want to say innocent... for reasons. That's why I also like to depict older teenagers that are on that journey, because there is a fleeting timetable and I can live in the happy medium of that and depict those fears of growing up, but still living fully in the 'now' of late teenage life where they think they're a little bit invincible. Still have time to be reckless. That they can be messy and still recover. It is definitely not a time period in ones life that people should belittle or take for granted. I did not have the upbringing my characters have had, I did not have to come out. I did not have to wonder what people thought about me, if they'd accept me for such and such reasons. I was allowed to be as I am and take what came. Although, I still "came of age" my own way, and could reflect on some of those feelings, then inject them into the writing... as people usually do. And honestly, people do 'come of age' well into adulthood. It can be a lot to finally be sure in the shoes you're wearing... so they say. I know it took me a bit to land on my profession. I'm glad it was something that my undergrad was supported by or I would've been a lifer in college... at least for a time. There was a time in my life when I wanted to be a Math teacher... yikes. Glad I came to my senses. but yes, with saying that... I have been writing these stories for the bulk of my writing here. I dabbled I believe once in Fantasy, and didn't do all that well with them. Then I wrote a full-blown soap-opera. Roommates was still a coming of age story, although it depicted older characters, but that story is rather old. I kind of want to lean into ideas that have never been on the burner for me. I just wish I honestly knew what those ideas are so I can settle into writing my next story whilst this one is still in the posting phase. Who knows, I may still do coming of age/slice of life stories... I may just do them in Fantasy, or period pieces, etc. Maybe this type of story is the butter to my toast.

Well you made writing a 54 chapter nearly 500k story sound like a stroll in the park. If I had that schedule in my college years, I'd lose all sense and sanity. Right out the window. And, I have a Doctorate degree in my field... and even with that in mind, your college years sounded daunting. I am glad you came out the other end of it knowing what you just accomplished. My goodness.

Thank you! The 'idea' could work with new characters without established relationships and such a lot better. I don't want to do it though, I've never been an author that liked to depict a lot of drug use in my writing... at least when it comes to something more advanced than alcohol and tobacco... which I don't think I've ever really depicted tobacco use a lot either. I think it did feature some in AYC, but I can't remember. So, that would be another issue I'd have to overcome, I couldn't force a fast resolution on it either. I have a few more snippets that I'm weighing my options on. I may re-release "The Vagina That Heals," for giggles... but I don't know that in this day and age people would get that it is 100% a joke.

Aside from making Jackson a bit annoying and difficult to like, I do like to write coming of age stories. That is what I set out to do with most of my writing so far, with a little break here and there. I do want to step away from coming of age though. I've been in that sort of genre for a bit. I always knew how I wanted to end 'The Best Year,' that was never a doubt in my mind. Getting it there was the issue with me at times, because the story to me just never felt like it was going to get over that hump of getting there. I could have, numerous times jumped it up there, but I kept introducing little bits of conflict and adding more character stuff to the plot that I then had to turn around and resolve all over again. I am glad you feel that TBY told the whole coming of age arc, with both Jackson/Luke and the rest of the teenagers, but the parents as well. I remember a lot of you not being too happy with Jackson, or the parental figures in the story at one point. I'm glad you thought they grew together throughout. What helped me along with TBY was also coming to the mindset of, "I've not done this in my writing yet..." I never had a character go to their prom. So I wrote the prom portions of the story. Then I thought, "well I never had a character get married..." and that fell in line with how I wanted the story to end anyway, so I just upgraded the ending from Jackson and Luke's anniversary party, to their actual wedding itself. I was going to marry them off-screen. I actually thought about jumping from pre-'epiclogue' to them moving into their first home together as a married couple. Backtracked that a bit. But yes, it will always be a story that I am proud of, but it was also a story that I have to admit almost done me in with this whole writing thing.

Aww, I'm glad you came back to the story. As much as I fought and scraped by at times to gather up the motivation to continue it... to see people reading through it again, or starting it, or whatever.. it does make me proud to have finally actually finished the dang thing.. lol. I hope to never hit the 400k range in words ever again though, that was a task and a half.

I do wonder how many of my friends describe me in such a way. And, I am not in the least a UNC fan. I can't be. No... no... no. I do like the powder blue though.

We lost some members due to illnesses that were reading that story, it does weigh heavily on me that I couldn't get them the complete story before they left us. I know one kept joking about my weeks to months between chapters. I miss him. I also did lose a lot of readers during that story, because of those delays. It was a wakeup call for me to finish anything that I plan to post. I know some writers can't do that, they need the motivation. I do as well... readers carry this for me. I do writing for me, but I take the time to post and such for y'all. And for me, but mostly for y'all. I was of the mind that I lost a lot of you with TBY, that I almost said I was finished with the work of working up a story for posting. Ridley and Elias kind of convinced me to move forward with more writing and here we are. It is symbiotic. The Author should work for and with the readers in a nice and healthy community building way, and the readers should, if they're a reader.. give something back. I have been so... grateful with this story so far, for y'all taking the time to leave me reactions, comments, and just small-talk banter. So, I thank you guys too.

Aww. It took me 5+ years to write, "The Best Year..." people suffered a really long time for that one. Sadly.

Rest easy, for better or worse this story is completely written and waiting to be posted. What's taking it so long is that I'm splitting massive 20 - 50k chapters up and doubling the chapter count. If I left it alone, this chapter would have been 20k in words. In my documents I think it is the first half of chapter eight. Here it is chapter twelve. I am nervous that me splitting these massive chapters up may be doing some harm to the story. He did open up, but it it was in a way that wouldn't be beneficial for Celia to really act upon, because she knew it was him reeling from that phone call, I'm thinking. But yes, there are some hints into how Davin's parents are as well... and there are some connections there, with both twins really, because none of them have a stable family life it seems.

I agree. That is why I cancelled this sequel. It was too much of a change for all the established characters to overcome. I posted this, because I had the idea to release some unfinished/abandoned stories. To show some of the works that wouldn't ever see the light of day. Explain why I no longer would be continuing them. So, the sequel to 'Are You Christian,' isn't something that I'll ever consider working on. I probably needed to explain that better before I posted. I have a few more unfinished stories just like this, but if it isn't something people would really bother with wanting to read, knowing the idea will never be finished, maybe it would be best if they stay just with me and not posted here as "prompts..."

Looking out across the trees and houses below, Landfalls looked a lot bigger up here on the water tower. I sat with my legs dangling over the edge, my arms crossed on the safety railing, resting my head. Landfalls Water Company was in faded Carolina blue, with rusty patches from the lack of repainting and over the years it became one of my favorite places to think. I had graduated from Landfalls High and in a week I would be heading off to the University of North Carolina. Looking back, I