Krista

Mayyyyyybeeeee....

I guess it would depend on the county size in general. Some are huge mini-states within a state, and some barely count as anything. Either way you slice it though, three counties and still in the same general "district" isn't that far away. Not for someone who wanted distance really. But, there is a difference in geography, sometimes three counties away could almost be across an entire state. I don't think I outright say what state they live in, I hardly ever do with writing. Ironically, for Ellis I do, the state and county. I think I've done it with some of my older stories. And who knows with Colt, it might just be that he doesn't want to play babysitter for the stray.

Thanks! I ended up making the call and splitting this chapter up, but I'm thinking about posting the next chapter Monday Evening, since it is a shorter chapter than this one. I think this chapter has a lot of small interactions in it really. You can get a sense of dynamics through a cluster of small interactions, I hope so anyway. 😜

The next morning, I woke up to an arm being lifted off my back just below my shoulder blades. Opening my eyes, I watched Davin retreating from my room, stumbling as he rubbed his eyes. He didn’t look back. It turned out that Gavin wasn’t the only one that took up most of the bed, as he had nudged and draped different body parts over me through the night. His snoring deepened but wasn’t annoying. Having someone else in the room had been less distracting than the room itself. Rolling over ont

Thank you, the pacing speeds up more in the next few chapters... But, it definitely speeds up. I mean - they finally slept again... so, wasn't that Joel's 2nd night? Yikes... 7 chapters in and only two nights into the story. I still think most of the slow pacing was necessary, if I jumped from chapter two for example, to the part I'll be posting Friday (because I'm still in the mood to behave myself), then I think it would feel flat. I'm also not going to touch the rest of that comment.

Glad you had fun, now get back to work. Hmph.

And you're saying that cohesion, "togetherness," and "heart" is somehow more important and an ingredient 100% of the team must have in order for a 'player' and team to be successful. And that isn't a true statement to make, it is a hypothetical. Do you want everyone on your team to get along and be close? Yes. Does that happen? No. Does that mean those teams and players within those teams cannot be successful together? No. Look around at the landscape of all college sports and there is ample evidence of that. Before the transfer portal you had the "One and Done" high school farming teams. They bring in 5+ freshmen that's never played a game together and won championships. Chemistry can happen throughout the season, sure, but it is also just as likely that it doesn't. Duke and Kentucky lived on the farming of freshman that stayed one year with little to no upperclassmen. They were successful. You can be committed to a system, a collective goal, and not be committed to the people around you and be successful. All of the final four teams on the Men's side were formed in the off-season and were successful. You cannot convince me that all of those teams had instant chemistry and led with chemistry and a collective commitment to one another. If that was at all true than landscape of sports would look vastly different than it does. Transfer portals dismantle and reform teams every season, sometimes 90% of the teams leave for other teams, disrupting all chemistry. The last three National champions in men's basketball have come from teams with players that played elsewhere the season before. But those players are heavily skilled in the positions they played and they were coached through the system with formed fundamentals and overall skill, you can overcome chemistry issues if the team allows for that. It's not like Joel is a contemptable asshole that causes a disruption, he simply exists. At least that's how he's depicted as far as the writing goes at the moment. And throughout history there have been famous feuds that disrupted chemistry but the teams were still successful. Jordan/Pippen/Rodman didn't get along and built a Bulls Dynasty. Shaq and Kobe feuded the entire time they were teammates, they were successful and All-stars the majority of those years and the team did well despite all that. Derek Jeter and ARod didn't like one another and they were the face of the Yankees for years. There have been teams that disliked their managers/coaches that still made post seasons and had success. Lebron James has a feud with someone on every team he's ever been on and he's been the face of the NBA for decades, but he's also managed to be on successful teams in the process. So, one singular player that doesn't have the most chemistry with the team they're on is not a make or break situation for that team. It isn't an environment to where 'that player' cannot succeed within that system either. I honestly don't know where that disconnect is. I also never wanted to get that deep into the discussion either. And Little leaguers are children and children weigh things differently than teenagers and adults. You want young people to weigh fun experiences high, because you lose them forever if you don't. The LLWS players would list the experience over learning new fundamentals, or skillsets, or whatever.

I am aware, I played team sports. You can be engaged and have a presence within that social structure, but you can also be distant with yourself. It is no different than walking into a job, knowing your role within that setting, and doing what you are there to do. You can have a comfortable relationship with everyone in there, and they still be strangers to you. Where most if not all of your connection to them is themed around what you're all there to do. It is more or less what travel teams are, they come together for a season, they don't know one another, they never get to know one another, but they can still function. Not being close with his teammates won't hurt his batting average, for example. That is his own developed skill and is in direct competition with opposing pitchers. He will get most of that information through tendency scouting and adjust accordingly. His batting stance, box management, and swing are all fundamentals. As is his fielding, is more weighted against what is happening 'in the moment' when the ball is in play. Depending on where the ball is hit in the field, he has a fundamental place on it, if it is hit a certain distance between the third baseline and the second, depending which direction the third basemen has priority of space and/or he does. Same with Second. If it is hit a certain distance into the outfield, then he has a fundamental place to stop and let the outfielders take priority of the fielding. It is something learned by playing and being coached, knowing your role within that system. He can do all that and walk to the end of the dug-out bench, grab a cup of water... smile and say hey to the person next to him, and be done with it all. You see it all the time with pitchers. When they're in the dugout they want to be left alone, the only person they want to talk to is a coach or their catcher. Because they know their only function is to get as many people out and be efficient and accurate with their pitches. They have some fundamental scenarios for fielding, like backing up home plate when the catcher is receiving the ball. Covering first when the first basemen is fielding away from first, etc. Mostly they have a routine and for a lot them, that's sitting and decompressing alone. So, is isn't at all out of bounds for a Short-stop to adopt a system similarly. If you're wanting cohesion, you can have that through having strong self-awareness backed by fundamentals where everyone knows what is expected when they're out in the field. He has been that way since he was 10 years old, which means he's been in that routine through little league, middle school, and high school. The team he is on will know that about him, just as he is.

Aww, thank you. I think I'm still confident with my teenage voice. Although, I am well aware that slang has taken a significant shift. You will not see me have my characters say: "I'm all dripped out, cope." Meaning, "I'm well dressed, and you're jealous." If people start losing the teenage voice in my writing because of that, then I'll just hang it all up and retire. The issues, I've been writing about for decades. The characters I'm thankfully okay with mostly, although there's only so many ways a person can write these stories and they will all have similar elements. So, your words have put some of that to bed. and, to be fair second-guessing isn't an inherently bad thing. If I write it, quit it, and stop thinking about it, then I've lost some growth opportunities there. You can second-guess yourself to a fault though, but I feel I'm too lazy to be that second-guessy, I will throw my hands up and say, "it's as good as it's gonna be..." eventually.

I don't want to be hugged by acquaintances, co-workers, or strangers - even distant relatives that I've not seen since I was like three. I'd be like.. "Who the hell are you? OHHH Aunt Linda four times removed...." And I'm from the south we get kind of touchy-feely down here, especially if there's juicy gossip or something scandalous that needs to be told. I call it the, "Honey have you heard..." hand-grab. And yes, it still happens, but mostly with older people, but I've been on the receiving end of that enough times that I don't instinctively want to pull my hand back. And, I'm nosey, I want to know the scandal and they may not feel inclined to tell me if I pull my hand back all rude and such.

Edited to Add: It wouldn't let me Quote @PrivateTim's comment for some reason. I've tried to post this comment 10x over the past two hours, tried it as a stand-alone comment and it accepted it. So, sorry if that causes any confusion. It won't let me edit and add the quote either, so something is a bit amiss there and I can't figure it out. I think it also depends on the friendship group, if they grew up together with a lot of physical affection I doubt that goes away as they age. Especially twins who would be comfortable being physically affectionate - or rather smack-happy/punch/kicky as well. Them being comfortable with overall physical touch would likely branch out to their other friendships. Typically females will retain physical touch easier, but male physical affection although displayed a bit differently at times - playful ball swats and all - is still rather common at least if there is a lasting connection between them. There may be geography or cultural influences that can sculpt how people act with one another. As far as Joel's sexuality, I agree. I think Joel stating that he lived in that mindset since he was ten years old, as him looking back and remembering a feeling or a thought that he could be different. He didn't know what it was, not enough to declare anything. But it would be something that was rooted foundationally that he will always be able to recall in his lifetime as that being the moment he knew 'something'. It may have been cemented into his brain by hearing a comment that made him pause and think, 'that's me,' likely from Westley, maybe his mother, could've been a neighbor, or anyone. Being how he's depicted, it likely wasn't a good comment. It was written at least in this chapter as an in the moment situation during a conversation with Trace where his mindset was more important than his sexuality, even though that mindset is partially rooted well within his sexuality. I think Joel keeping himself at a comfortable distance, or standoffish while playing a team sport isn't too farfetched. Sports is about repetition, fundamental, overall fitness, physical ability. If his comfort zone was keeping his teammates at a comfortable distance, then I don't think it is an impossibility that he could function well in that environment. It could even be considered an asset if that clears his mind and allows him to focus on what he's doing. It doesn't take telling someone their life story in order for them to be able to field a groundball double-play, for example. He may never initiate the celebratory circle at home-plate after a walk-off homerun, be the first to dog-pile the pitching mound after winning a big game, or whatever. He might be a good teammate on the field, but he might not be invited to birthday parties. I think it could be very lonely for him to live in that distance, being in a, "I'm not going to tell you my personal bull crap," basis with people.

Like what, I don't know, because I'm rather innocent and a lady. 😮 No, don't tell me, it may be too much.

I can imagine Trace overhearing the boys talking about it and telling them to leave it be as they worked on the fencing... I highly doubt the twins can be subtle for most of their day.

I made the attempt to do that. It is not worth it, at least in my opinion. It caused way too much looking back, and I wondered what the collateral damage may be for some things. Not that I thought many people I grew up with would read it, but it isn't impossible and I'm trying to stay a bit anonymous for the safety of my family and children as far as my online footprint is concerned and that includes GA. And to be fair, my upbringing, although strange to me, would be outright boring for most people. Or maybe not, I did have a tell-all blog on here at one time, so who knows what people really thought, I can't remember the comments I received, but I'd imagine a lot of.. 😮 reactions, mostly due to my blunt wording of such things and not what was actually happening. I do remember posting a controversial joke poem about gay men only being gay because they haven't had sex with a woman. It was called, "The Vagina that Heals." My younger years on GA, I'm surprised I wasn't shown the door, I'm thinking. (Oh and I still have the Poem)

Hiding from the first part like I'm a hide and seek champion. Davin, I think he meant he was used to sharing a bed, because he's a twin and has done that a lot growing up. I don't think he's uncomfortable sleeping alone or needs someone in the bed with him. Just that doing so wouldn't bother him or be uncomfortable and he didn't want Joel thinking he's putting him out by taking his room away from him, of sorts. And I know there's an imperfectly perfect guest bedroom downstairs... a practical person, maybe even a teenager "that could sleep anywhere," should be able to sleep there... surely. Maybe?

Damn, that was very visceral. So far, I think I've marginally to barely mention any of those thoughts with Joel. Also, don't know if it is a good thing or bad for this chapter to bring those thoughts back. I typically hate it when my brains wishes to dwell on things of this nature, but sometimes I can appreciate them if I know full and well that I've overcome them, or am no longer there. But my brain still gets a cussing either way, so.

I couldn't imagine it, reading a lot of the comments from Chapter One put Joel in a different perspective for me. Some of the emotions, outcomes, and wishes some of y'all had who dealt with similar things. They were different than my friends who experienced it, mostly because I was there to witness it and different locations and circumstances played their parts.

Yeah, who knows. Are they more like: or or

They're twins, they probably get called by one another's name all the time. It is 'my' mistake in naming all the C names again. Colt, Celia, Cody - even Connley.. So I doubled down on some of them. I'm thinking there's more C names floating around that's coming up, but who knows anymore... Oh, and if you've read some of my other works you'll see the name Gavin popping up more than a couple of times. Sighs.. names. I even use baby naming websites that lists over 1000 names for girls and boys, so 2000 names to choose from ranging from traditional, to old, to modern, alternative spellings... - yet here we are...

I must admit, I had to look up Tactile. We'll see if Davin is compassionate, tactile, or just more outgoing. I don't know that many tactile teenagers though, to be honest I've not met very many full fledged tactile people in general. I typically don't set out and label my characters as anything. I give them traits, motivations, and develop things along with the writing, so maybe people will see Davin as something that I never took the time to label in the writing. I also use vastly more colorful terms like: "Dude's a greasy haired asshole, spoiled his whole life and protected and it shows..." you can guess which character may have that description. Apparently, he's also an unintentional hero of sorts. *whistles* I'm also hushing right up about the dynamics of Davin, Gavin, and Colt.

Yeah, I think at this point it would be quite the shock if Celia and Trace turn out not being solid. Which is an interesting word choice for them, they are rather solid, in their beliefs, structured parenting, expectations for their days, etc. Very stable people and stability now may be just as important as anything else. Here's to hoping that it's more than just a crack developing as well.

That push and pull conversation was a nice write for me, I enjoyed it.

Thank you, glad you liked it.

Aww, made me a bit teary-eyed reading this comment. It takes a lot of strength to be a person like the friend you described.