Krista

Lol. I personally have never been pregnant, so I can't imagine what those cravings and such would be like. Thank you for reading and enjoying the story so far. Lol. Yes, I think Cindy overstepping her boundaries should have earned her a detention. I couldn't imagine seeing the two of them in the same classroom together though. Good thing she teaches freshman English and not senior. Luke didn't participate in the food fight either, he was 'nowhere to be seen,' so even though Cindy placed full blame onto Jackson - she couldn't blame her son. So him showing her that, may have prompted her to release him? Also, it was going his 4th week of being grounded. So maybe she just thought it was getting a bit overdone? Henry's influence could have played a part as well. Or like you said, she might have wanted to unground him, because she had a new cause to keep her busy. Well it was about to start Luke's 4th week. So far Luke hadn't been into much trouble at all, he was probably getting tired of being grounded. He also probably cooperated fully with her, knowing he really did scare her half to death. He didn't act up in almost four weeks, so I guess I just figured with that in mind - enough time had passed. Ella and Derek were about to be handed down punishments as well. Jackson is also a repeat offender, he's been in Welker's office numerous times over the years. So I guess I just thought, with a bit of a track record, a week's worth of detention was rather soft for Welker to give. I don't know, I can see where a food fight would have caused a lot more trouble. People could have slipped and fell, gotten hurt/hit in the eye, etc - which would have been a larger issue for a school to handle. It also delayed an entire lunch period and disrupted the flow of the school's system as a whole. I mean, that was my take on it. Another day of Jackson acting on impulse and it backfiring spectacularly. Grace is used to him getting into trouble as well and Welker probably told her that he took the blame and accepted the punishment. So her rushing down there to cause a fuss about no one else being punished, would have just embarassed him. So at least she didn't do that. Lol. Yes, I think him taking the blame definitely saved him with this one. Welker was ready to make it very hard for him with swimming.. and then I think Grace an Craig would get involved. Thank you for the sweet comment about Grace just easily affirming the relationship he has with Luke. It is heart warming when a parent says they like a partner, when Mom told me that she liked my 'future husband at the time' it really made me know I found the right person. So in that sort of situation when she was also asking him about his sexuality in all this - she decided to just accept it, praise Luke and the relationship, then leave Jackson to his business. And yes, I have given it some thought about him getting caught, but I think I recall Jackson and Luke talking about making sure to delete conversations? Maybe I dreamed it.. lol. Sorry for the delays, it is difficult at times to write a story of this size and capacity. Thank you for staying with the story regardless. Lol. Thank you for reading. Jackson getting into trouble and being an issue at school is something he does. He's done it from page 1 and we'll see if that continues. It is part of his entire character arc, he has shown growth outside of that. But being impulsive and willing to toe the line is just who he is, he's done it outside of school as well to varying consequence. I think I've only used him getting detention twice? They were called to the councellor's office once as a group, but they weren't in any sort of trouble. Then I think after the prank they were in detention for a couple of hours, but I didn't really focus much on that as a whole. If anything, my editor tells me I overuse, Bailey 'Fucking' Ashton. @wildone Cindy may not see that she is doing anything wrong. Henry might, but we don't really know that. Other than her blowing up and Luke finding out what she said to Jackson that night aside - she may be warm in other ways. Luke also scared her, so her being restrictive this one time, probably made a lot of sense. It was out of character for Luke to drink, it is far worse that he came home nearly passed out drunk. So for her sake, she might need to calm down, but to her knowlege she may not see the damage she is doing. --- Again, sorry for the delays.

Thank you for reading and liking the chapters and such as you've read through it. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.

Not saying your torment might be waiting for you by the end of it. *whistles*

‘He’s still grounded, nice try,’ I read the response from a text from Luke’s phone from a couple of days ago. It was a risk for me to be texting, but it had been three weeks. What sucked worse is that I was sitting on the other side of the cafeteria from him right now, staring at him. I didn’t know why I just didn’t stand up and cross the space between us and sit down at his table. It was full of the Church school castaways now, only Olivia stayed and reminded me, daily, that Cindy was winning,

You'll need that discount, dealing with the likes of that riffraff.

Woops! Totally missed this, I'm not used to my comment section going on to multiple pages. Lol. Thank you for your kind words. I'm not sure my patients would agree. Lol. They don't call us Physical Terrorists for nothing. (Physical Therapy) I'm typically the one that has to get them up and moving after painful surgeries and the like. Making old bones and worn out muscles keep working, and that sort of thing. I do try to be gentle and understanding though.

I read it at a glance and thought you posted Nudenik.. and I wondered just how old I've gotten that I missed another meme that turned into a slang term. That had been around just long enough for official dictionaries to assign definitions to..

It is a mindset that might help people get rid of nagging writer's block. Soldiering on and putting words to paper, even if it ends up as something that will never be seen. You can always pull from those ideas 'laying on the editing room floor.." later on. I already have 3 DNFs for The Best Year, one I posted as a deleted scene. One I scrapped and deleted, but now I'm thinking it would have been interesting to post as a deleted scene as well. I have half a chapter entitled Chapter 40 - DNF.. lol. I've already pulled from it twice to complete chapter 40 the one you will see and I used a portion of it for Chapter 41. It isn't bad to be of that mindset if you take it for what it is, an experiment to see if you find something that works for you and the story. I still like the story, Jackson has been really fun to write. I just find it difficult to wind down stories to a close, it is a challenge I've had since I started writing. I know I can't write Jackson forever, I want to move on eventually.. lol. There's only so much of, 'A year..' to put into The Best Year. I already know 'what' I am going to cover as far as major plot points. I already know how I want to end the story as well. Just the physical labor and the minor filling and fleshing out is the unknown - as those become a lot of the bulk of a story. Those can make or break the scenes that are necessary, if they don't build right, they don't support the major plot points. They're just as important, otherwise readers just feel like they're being jerked around like they're on a carnival ride, only seeing glympses of what should make up an entire picture as they're zoomed around in a cirle. Those scenes I am struggling with now are mostly my own doing, so getting past those will be lovely, for that I will have to soldier on. I just hope I do it in a way that keeps you all engaged. So it isn't a bad mindset really, it is a mindset that could be necessary for a bit. You shouldn't force feed your writing though. If it isn't there and you force it, readers can see it plain as day.

Yeah, for a sequel to work there has to be a sort of conflict that moves it. If it is medical, I could probably do a lot of that off-hand, since I am in that field. I wouldn't need a lot of research material. Something that directly happens to Ridley would also need to take place though, most of you wouldn't read a story about the direct interaction between Ridley and his father. Maybe you would, but I feel there has to be something more to not have that bog things down. Yeah, me and Steve do get into weird sort of discussions and such. The coin flipping was just one of those random moments where I was tired of waffling back and forth on continuing the story or doing a sequel or just tucking my head and soldiering on with TBY. I am finding it a bit of a challenge to fall back into Jackson's character after writing Ridley, I keep thinking I've made Jackson too subdued.. they're not the same type of character at all. Thank you for reading the story and enjoying it! You can hope, hoping for things can be good at times.. optimism is good as well. At least if something did grow from this story, there's only 33k words and 5 parts to reread and become reacclimated in his world.

Thank you again for reading. I have nothing on the table after, "The Best Year," ends. I don't know when that story will end, it is 40 chapters in and close to 260,000.. words?!? I can't remember.. lol. But I also can't promise things, as we've learned from this story, they carry a lot of weight.

Thank you! I am glad you liked this part and the story. Thank you for taking the time to read and leave a comment, they are all appreciated. Ridley Cameo in TBY? Hmmm.. I could be like Disney and slip easter eggs into every little thing that I put out.. lol. I've done it before. Honestly, I don't know where Ridley lives. I pictured him more Mid-West for some reason, maybe Kansas? Indiana.. somewhere like that. This was brought up by Mattyboi, about it being like an old skin and a metaphore about growth in spite of everything. So I am glad you commented on that specifically. I also told him it was a happy accident, which it was. I am glad when readers read stuff into things and amaze me, because sometimes I am pretty surface level - you get what you see - sort of a writer and that was me just trying to be comedic, but if there are side perks to that scene, I'll take them. I'm nothing if not greedy. I wish it could have been his father. But I also think that would have involved a lot more writing. Ridley's Mother seems like a sort of back-seat parent, she lets them do their own things, because that is what she did when she was in high school. So she isn't judgmental or surprised by what they get up to. I mean, if she was 'really' worried about Cara being at that party, she would have marched herself right over and retrieved her. Instead she just went to bed. Is it good parenting... I don't know, it is just different. lol. So her taking the time in the morning to really try to open Ridley up was a big step for her, from what we saw anyway. We don't know what all happened right after the bombing. Ridley and Gabe's relationship is moving really fast, but I liked that. I also agree, that the very thought of true and sexual intimacy with Ridley right now would send him running. So Gabe might need a few cold showers. Thank you for enjoying this story and for leaving a comment! The journey was also getting there, yes. I don't know what his continuation of that would look like. I would think it would be rather unaltered from what they were doing towards the end. Just taking all they're comfortable with in the small moments of freetime they get. Thank you for reading it! I am glad you enjoyed the story. Thank you! I'm glad you read the story and left a comment. Thank you for reading! I did leave a lot out on the table about their future and how Ridley would continue after the last part. Aww! Sorry. I am glad you read and enjoyed the story for what it is. I think the tux being two growth spurts in the past, probably did save Ridley from a lot of stress of actually being at the dance. I honestly don't think he would have had a good time. The only person he feels remotely connected to on a substantial level would be his sister. Cara has her own friends, probably a lot of them... and Ridley's comfort zone probably wouldn't include the rowdiness I would think that group would have gotten up to. Then Gabe was half-working and would have obligations. I didn't want Ridley to look like a lost puppy following Gabe around, I never would have wanted that.. so instead, he wallowed in a too-small tux and ate popcorn feeling half-sorry for himself and probably half-relieved.. lol. And yes, Calories are ruthless little boogers. Thank you! I hope he does, he's still on a fence and I think he's just now starting to see how bad he was, so that could go either way. He'll either see the light at the end of the tunnel or blame himself for the last two and so many years. Either way I wanted to leave the story on a more optimistic approach and him taking it. 😮 is it begging for a sequel? Lol. Thank you for reading and enjoying this story. I had to discuss the ending, to make sure it felt like a bit of an end, a natural end anyway. Awww. We left them settling into the couch, hopefully talking. Probably awaiting Cara's immenent return to spoil the mood a bit, but that's what little sisters do. Then an on-the-road update from Mom. Other than that, they'll have to just live it out and see. My other story has a character that is reeling from living the life of a gay high school kid. So I didn't want to mirror that in this story, so on that note it was a breath of fresh air for me to write. So I am glad you liked that aspect of the story as well. Ridley knows who he is, Gabe seemed to see that enough to write that in the paper. He just didn't know that he had shut everyone out, he thought it was just the people at school, but when he found out that his mother and sister also felt the weight of Ridley's isolation, I think that surprised him. Also, I have been in a hot chocolate sort of mood of late, but I typically don't like it. so.. hmm. lol I am glad you liked this story! *Hides* Thank you for reading and leaving a comment. I am glad you enjoyed the story as a whole. --- Okay! I do want to address some things, @wildone and I flipped a coin. Well he did, but he's rather trustworthy for a Canadian, I think. Heads = Sequel. Tails = No Sequel. It flipped Tails. So, there's that.. the fates have answered. So I'll be wiping my lingering thoughts about where I would have gone if I were to approach the sequel. Don't blame him, blame the coin, a Twoonie of all things... if those aren't trustworthy coins, let me know. But, on a serious note. Sequels are hard work. There are some loose ends with this story, it is short and to the point. If I had some more time and when I decided it needed to be broken down into parts, I probably should have fleshed those parts out more. But I resigned myself for it to be what it was. I can't really and truly dive into the loose ends on the off chance that I would continue this. It is at a size of a story, that if I did - it wouldn't be 'too huge' of an investment for a reread for me and the people still interested, if that day was to come. So I think I know what 'most' of you wanted... or would want for a sequel. I also fear that weight would cause what ever sequel born of that knowlege would be a struggle. Authors who attempt to write what the readers want, tend to shelve the projects, just from the pressure and the loss of their own sort of free will within the story. (I'm not saying I feel pressured or pressed, I am nothing if not set in my ways) Sequels also need something to happen that is big enough to carry a story past the original. Otherwise, I would just be continuing Ridley from where I left off and it not really be a sequel. So I would worry about.. what exactly needs to happen for there to be enough weight for a sequel in the first place. There either has to be a resolution from the prior end, and the development of a new conflict... or like I said, something unseen that sends the story into something that needs its own growth and resolution. So with that in mind, I will for now say goodbye to Ridley - who I am so glad to know that you all love. Also I do have, 'The Best Year,' waiting for me, so to be fair to the people still waiting for that story to end, I will need to get my fingers moving on that story.

Thank you for reading the story! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Ridley is giving Gabe whiplash too, but Gabe doesn't seem to mind. I think his father getting better might soften Ridley a little bit, I don't know if his father could handle seeing the damage he did to his son, even if it was completely out of his control. So maybe Ridley will heal and be a little more like the Ridley he left behind. Yeah, I would put that down to Ridley just battling with what he wants, but also what all of that would mean for what he has felt for two years. Yeah, Gabe has to be rather persistent and faithful to think that Ridley is worth it and will come around. But after the second kiss, there has to be hope, if the kiss was a one-off, even after ending on a bad sort of turn, he could leave with a little bit of that. Ridley on the other hand, at this point is probably ready to leave the situation completely. We'll see if he has a change of mind and how that happens. Ridley was hurt, to be honest. Yeah, I don't know what I would do, knowing someone I loved was out of my reach, both physically and socially. Especially someone that was a big part of his life and someone he looked up to and for guidance. He listened to his father's advice and enjoyed the moments he got to spend with him over the years, to have that ripped away in an instant, then not knowing - at least for a bit - that his father may not survive. Then to have him survive, but be taken away from him... no. I wouldn't know how to react.. Ridley chose to put people out of his life. I wasn't thinking about how sad and haunting the ending scene could be, with them meeting in a dark street knowing who the other person was. Sorry! Lol. This one was a bit of a sad story for me to write, but there was just enough good to keep me thinking it wouldn't drag people completely down. Thank you for reading! Yeah, Ridley is reeling, but keeps getting drawn back towards Gabe. Like a Moth seeking light, really. Lol, I loved you calling Gabe the betrayer. Also really loved the basketball metaphore. I haven't read Laura's Good Guys Don't Date Bad Boys, I remember the title catching my eye, but I never have time to read for fun anymore. I stare at a screen all day and I prefer physical books than online reading after all that. I will give it a look though, for sure. I had a good cry at that part of the newsletter. I think I cried three times writing this story, I thought I might be a softy... but I don't word getting out, I have a reputation to protect after all. I am glad you liked that passage, the paper was something I struggled for days over, wondering how I want to write it.. and how I want it to be read. Then how it should sound coming from a character and not me. If the paper had too much "tone" of Ridley in it, instead of Gabe, I would have failed. lol Aww, I'm sorry. Me too, me too. Very beautifully written comment, I must say. So thank you for that. I can't say much else about it as you've covered everything that I could respond with, in your own words and I don't want to muddy them with mine. I am glad you like this story and are enjoying it this far into it. Yeah, Gabe's intention was never to hurt Ridley with his paper, but to maybe wake him up.. maybe for Ridley to see who he is or 'could' be to people. If Gabe can see it after knowing him for minutes, then it wouldn't take long for others to see it too. Ridley just has to let them and forget about Matt's thorough distancing/leaving him behind when Ridley was no longer cool. That was indeed intentional. People actually listened to the Newsletter and caught themselves. Although, realistically people tend to forget about such things... or keep the habit intentionally. So them listening is just something that I forced onto everyone, despite it might not being exactly realistic either out of forgetfullness or stubbornness/disrespect. I hadn't thought about the paper being a weapon as far as you have explained. I wanted it to be a weapon thrown at Ridley's walls. To be honest, if a team did attempt that, then that would suck. But Ridley is also robotic on the court with laser-like focus, so I don't know if he'd even pay enough attention to notice. Being about him, I doubt it. Being about his father - probably, but it could work against them too. It could piss him off and maybe a pissed off Ridley would drop 50 on them. That is how I would write it anyway. It that were to happen. Matt's relationship with Ridley was superficial, Matt needed a friend when he too was young and uncool. When they hit puberty and Matt shot up first and Ridley didn't, he no longer fit into Matt's idea of what a friend for him should look like. Then when Ridley's father's experienced what he did, Matt stayed where he was and let Ridley fall to pieces, even if Ridley wanted distance. Matt's involvement could have been a precursor to how Ridley responded. Thank you for reading and writing a comment so far! --- Also, the basket-ball metaphores were very enjoyable to read, so I am glad you all went back and forth with that. GA and ball talk.. hmm, can't say I'm surprised.

When I pulled into the driveway I sat staring at the aged brick and concrete pillars that framed a small front porch. I could only make out the other houses in the hazy blue of the early sunrise when I looked out the window. Some people were already up and stirring, heading into work on a weekend shift somewhere. Yawning, I killed the engine and slid out of the car, closing the door gently behind me. The curtain moving in the window caught my attention and told me Mom was already awake. She woul

Hi! I'm glad you muddled through the story to the ending. My first couple of stories are very roughly written. I was Sixteen and didn't know what I was doing. So they're a bit of a grind and a test of perseverence to get through. I haven't read them in over a decade myself and I honestly don't plan to. So I'm a little bit rusty on what all this story even has in it, I vaguely remember a beach trip? But that's about as far as I go.. lol. The two endings, I do remember, because the first one didn't go over well with anyone. It seemed too abrupt and cruel that there was a bit of a backlash from it, so I wrote the secondary ending shortly after. If the stories weren't so old and what, 'got me started' on here as a GA author, I would probably remove them. This one and Something Unexpected, but even Roommates had issues, grammar, pacing, etc. They were written between 2003 - 2006ish? I want to say.. I don't know. I know I was still in high school at the time. Then GA upgraded their archives and story system, so the stories appear younger than what they are and I think that surprises new readers/members who choose to read, Something Unexpected or Good Guys before they read my newer stories. The difference in quality and overall appeal is just overwhelming. So I do a little cringe when I get a comment or see someone reading these stories. lol. Maybe I can write a do-over series on all three.. Or at least the ideas within them, just to see if I can do it better, with an improved skillset at my disposal. (I won't, but you never know what boredom will turn into) Thank you for leaving a comment and to be honest, finishing the story itself.

For some reason I struggled to say this word outloud.. lol.

4 Decades, Steven.

Yeah, I don't think Matt would have said anything if the Paper was rather benign. I can say that now that the chapter containing the paper is out. lol Not sure if it is Gabe's first kiss, but it definitely was Ridley's first kiss. A kiss tends to change the dynamics of a story in Romance, that's usually when things are starting to come together, finally. lol. This kiss definitely did though, yeah. But did it change Ridley? *whistles* That scene had me wrecked as well, but I knew I had to do it. I had to give readers hope and proof that there is good in Ridley's future and what better way to do that, than to have it happen on what should have been Ridley's biggest night. Not in his own mind, mind you, but in a player's mind that maybe wasn't going through a tragedy and other things. The scene itself wasn't difficult to write, but I did cry. I hoped people would feel some semblance of maybe happy tears while reading. If not, then the entire story leading up to that part might have fell flat. You're supposed to feel a little bit of something there, so I'm glad you did - even if it was a good cry. Thank you for reading! I am surprised to see that readers are associating a protective/fatherly sort of memory or feeling with this story. It has been commented some in prior parts. It is a big underlying theme for sure and I do like the connecting comments. The story actually started with that idea in mind, plus the other one you mentioned about how he got his name and that connection. I wanted to write a character that was isolated, partly by choice, partly because he was pushed aside. The Article is posted in part 4. I can say that now that the part is posted. Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed this part. Thank you for reading. Emotional scenes and parts are nice for me to write, but I know they can be hit or miss. So I'm glad you liked it. Sorry! There may be a few more, I know I cried at least twice more? I think, when I was writing this story. Maybe the other times won't be as felt by readers. I am glad you have enjoyed this story so far. And yeah, Ridley most defintely would qualify as a runaway train at this junction. lol Aww yeah, that was an extremely thoughtful gift by any stretch of the imagination. I doubt many people in that predicament after going that far, wouldn't get a kiss. Or at least, that's what I think should happen.. haha. I'm glad you thought the phone call was just right, it is a little fun and a little scary to write scenes of that nature. You can cheese/ham them up, or they can fall flat. There does need to be a balance to get it right, so I'm glad you commented on that specifically. Lol. Well part 4 is posted, sorry for the bit of a late response. It did end on a cliffhanger and I didn't really want to explain or possibly give away much of the rest of the story. It is posted now, so hopefully I fulfilled some of your wishes for the next part.. lol. Thank you for reading and enjoying the story so far! It is complete, so no waiting with this one. Yeah, it is an odd place to be. You're there, and in the back of your mind and despite your own wishes you've become a centerpiece. He had to know they were cheering him on, probably a little bit more than that rest of the team... and it not even touch him the same way it is affecting the rest of the team. They definitely felt it more, at least until he got the gift right before his name was announced to the crowd. He definitely felt that, but it still didn't change the night for him, he still was just playing a game he was good at. The night instead became what it was far outside of what happened with a ball in his hands. (Struggled to keep that spoiler free for anyone reading comments before they read the chapter) You bring up an interesting sort of point. I've always felt that Matt was more to blame for any lost friendship between the two. He stopped coming around before the bombing. He didn't really reach out afterwards either. To me, Matt isn't the best person at this stage of the story, so I don't think Ridley ever felt any sort of romantic/crush sort of connection to Matt. He misses him, or the friendship he had, but he also closed that door a long time ago himself and isn't really looking back either. Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. Lol, yeah you disappeared on me. 😮 I thought you might've went potty or something. I didn't know you were off getting tissues or I would have allowed you time to get over it. Thank you for thinking I do these emotionally heavy scenes just right. It is something that can really bog down a story if you do it for too long. It shouldn't be like ripping off a band aid and it shouldn't be open heart surgery either. It is one thing to feel it, feeling something is okay. It is another to derail the story with the scene. We have to keep in mind, that despite the tone or what ever, people read for enjoyment and to escape into a different world for a bit. So a nice balance is always key.

Realizing what I had just done my eyes shot open, but when I tried to pull my hand away from his shirt, he gripped it harder and grabbed hold of my other arm with his other hand. He pulled me back and I grunted as my weight shifted uncomfortably into the console between us. When his lips started moving against mine, that was forgotten and I closed my eyes again. Then he abruptly broke the kiss, gently pushing me away. “That was,” he breathed, “can we go somewhere else so we can do that some

The rest of the week I felt a small bit of anticipation fluttering in my stomach about the feature. True to his word, Gabe didn’t bother me anymore. I looked for him between classes, through the faces I didn’t really know because I didn’t care to. I doubted I really gave him anything to use for the feature and when they hit the wire baskets in the hallway for us to pick up, I grimaced when I saw me in full uniform on the front cover. It was an official team picture, so I had my safety glasses on

I know what my mother would say about swinging free and loose with your privates.

As much as the Gif you posted just sells the entire idea for me.. I must say no. NO, Ladies and Gentlemen wear underwears. It just isn't done, it just isn't done.

It is rare that we have people in this world that touches the lives of generations. We got that with Betty White and I'm glad of it. She walked through life in such an exemplary way that it still amazes me when I read about her life. I typically don't get emotional when a celebrity leaves us, but for Betty I do feel her loss. I hope she felt some of the weight of the good and joy she brought people with her life and work.

What the heck is Gabe going to write about? Hmmm.. lol. I am a bit worried, I don't know if what he writes about is in part 3, I can't recall. Ridley does say things, but he closes the door just as quickly and shuts down any true conversation he doesn't want to take part in. Thank you for reading and leaving a comment. Thank you for reading! Yeah, a home tells a story of a person too. Especially if there are pictures hanging on the walls and Gabe pointed out a couple of them for sure. I don't think it crossed Ridley's mind that allowing Gabe into his home would open up those possibilities, but observant people don't really seem all that intrusive - not until they bring up things you don't want them to, and that you never shared. I honestly don't know if Ridley is in the closet at home, I would have to ask @wildone what he thought, since he's read the whole story already too. For me, I have one way of thinking, but as a writer, sometimes what we have in our heads doesn't always hit the paper the same way. Thank you for reading! I thought it was the opposite, I think he'd rather Mari be in charge of the paper still.. lol. Gabe unnerves him and is pushy enough to not leave things unanswered, at least in part. Mari would have hoped for the email to be answered, but Ridley wouldn't have answered those in a way that would be completely beneficial. Gabe knew that, that's why he ditched the email completely. But I don't think the conversation in this part was of much help either. Thank you for reading! I actually have never seen the movie 'Hoosiers.' I've heard about it and that it was a good film, but I've just never took the time to look for it. Being in the know about the newsletter, I can't say much about it. Will Ridley even read the thing, he pretty much told Gabe that he wouldn't and we've seen that Ridley typically sticks to his guns on things. You cheeky thing. We talked about this in Beta. There is a fine line with team dynamics. There is no one team that is the same. The team was well aware of what they were doing. With the harder than necessary passing and the lack of concentration. Sometimes you need to reward players that go beyond themselves and focus on the team - which Ridley was - as he handled the passes offered him and was focused on practice and not the feature. Otherwise he would be running too. So Ridley having to run punishment laps for something that he was pretty much being bullied into - probably would have given the ones doing it a satisfaction of having him get into trouble with them. Coach taking Ridley's side on this, put them in their place, maybe they needed knocked down a few pegs. So it could go either way, like I said fine line and all that. Also, pity likes - just sayin. Aww, this had me in tears as I read it. As writers we don't expect a lot of people to open up to us, so when we do get that it is special. I do like hearing life stories that are remembered or connected to my writing. As unintentional, but lovely that it was. It was heart breaking to me that you had to watch your father suffer through his illness and that you were so young. I couldn't imagine what that would feel like, so I am glad you shared that with me. Also, Happy New Year to you as well. (A little late, I know). Hopefully we will see this year well with a lot of good in it. Thank you for your kind words about my writing and the way I handled Ridley's inner struggle so far and how it is nicely placed in the larger picture of the story. As I develop characters I do worry that I lose the intention of them or that they move too fast through their growth. Ah.. Jacksepticeye. My younger brother made me very aware of him. Gabe is smart and he is pushy. Even I wondered if his way of dealing with Ridley was a tactic to get a story or geniune interest. I don't know if at this point in the story we know that to be certain or not. I do wonder what people think of Gabe and whether or not you all feel much for the two of them moving forward. Right now I get a sense that there is a consensus on mutual attraction and/or curiosity at the very least. Thank you for reading! Thank you for reading and leaving a comment! Yes, the paper is completely up to what Gabe can come up with. Maybe he will be able to crack Ridley's wall a bit. We'll see. Thank you for reading and enjoying the story so far. Characters are important to me, I go in to stories with a character in mind, not so much a story or even where I want it to go. So I'm glad you're enjoying Ridley's character so far, maybe even Gabe in the short bursts we've gotten to really see him.

Thank you for reading! Ridley isn't talking, that much is certain. I wonder who will break that wall down... if it ever comes down. Also, the way I see Ridley and basketball - is that he is a big fish in a very shallow pond. He does so well because - he is rather dedicated, yes, but he's also in a district/area that just doesn't offer a lot of true competition for him? Even then - I think I hinted the school has struggled significantly in the past and now they're doing really well. So who knows, maybe there is some attention swirling around. Ridley wouldn't be aware of that though. Thank you for reading! I feel his mother and to a point, his sister are concerned about Ridley. I just haven't really gotten into the family dynamics aside from the closeness with his father. As far as the school, from what I have seen with my own experiences, is that unless Ridley's grades drop or he becomes a behavioral issue/concern - acting out/causing disruptions, or skipping school a lot - then they would only show concern then. Otherwise they just let it go. It isn't the most ideal scenario, but there are probably true 'students of concern' in that school that time is allocated towards and Ridley - just doesn't require the attention. Also, without the disruptions/loss of grades/etc.. it would take a willing participant in Ridley and I don't think he would ever be willing - if his response to be featured in the school paper is anything to go on anyway. Thank you for reading. I hope the future chapters live up to the first one. Lol. I know after this chapter posted I went back and I completely re-read the entire thing, hoping the tone and such didn't change much. I do enjoy the discussion so far. I'm sure they could find out about the bombing and such, then link it back to Ridley, especially after the story of how Ridley got his name. Small towns also like to write about these sorts of things in their own publications, so the tragedy would be known, at least in archive formats to be honest. Whether it has remained in the minds of the people around him is yet to be seen really. It is interesting that you say Ridley's issues started well before his father's injuries. I only hinted at him possibly shutting down well before the current situation the story is about. Matt dumping him as a friend and Ridley's somewhat indifference to that happening is probably the most telling. As for the adults in the story - yes, I feel they are aware. Well his Mother has to be, she is directly involved, but the Counsellor and teachers probably were just briefed of the situation and told to be wathful, but typically they only watch out for behavioral issues, not changes, right? If the grades are maintained and Ridley doesn't become disruptive or a behavioral issue then they typically don't interfere, or at least that is my take on things when issues such as these popped up in the schools I've attended. Aww, yeah - Ridley is probably one of the more vulnerable characters I have written about. Most of it is internal, but there are hints that maybe school, for him, could be better. Thank you for reading! Yeah, started right in the middle of the action there. Also, thank you for pointing out a segment of the story and calling it a classic. I don't know how many one-liners or dialogs and such that are out there that I am truly proud of myself for.. I know TBY when Olivia said answered for Connor about his Senior Loyalty and she said, "In my pants," when I re-read that as I spot edited - I laughed and was like.. 'How on earth..' - I may have mentioned that before. But Ridley thinking this line with such unapologetic conviction stuck with me, so I'm glad you noticed. ----- I just want to thank you all for taking the time to read this story and post comments. It started out as a short story that got too massive. So my biggest concern with that, is if I moved things along too quickly, but when I decided to face the music and break it up into parts - that the story arc became too fast, then tapered off into something else. Also, I am 'very' worried when it comes to responding to these, since I already know how the story ends. So I don't want to start babbling all over the place and slap you all with a spoiler unintentionally. So know that I have read and enjoyed the discussion so far. I will try to respond to comments individually, but if they felt disconnected or something, that's the reason. I just don't want to accidentally respond with something that I know happens, but may not be in this particular part.

Practice went as expected. Some of the passes from Reed and Matt stung my hands, but after they saw I handled them easily enough it stopped. They still hated that I was being featured for homecoming. Over the years we had gradually gotten better, some of the guys grew taller, some of them were replaced by better underclassmen. We had a winning season last year and this season we had only lost a handful of games. We were favorites going into the postseason district championship tournament. So the