Mancunian

Is Thomas making Adam ill? Or is Thomas the catalyst of a metamorphasis that Adam is about to under go? I guess we will discover the answer soon.

I guess you wanted to make an impact in the first chapter of this story, well you succeeded and I want more. A unique start and it is well-written.

There is some gritty action in this chapter that reflects what happens in real life all too often. I'd say let's hope Carl has learned a good lesson, but I doubt he has, he is more likely to get worse in his behaviour and actions. On the plus side, at least some of the team are not fans of Carl's behaviour but that doesn't mean they are on Pete's side either so let's hope they stay neutral, it's better than being against him. Has Pete made a friend or more with Mitch? Only time will tell and peer pressure could have some influence here. As for Tom? Well, the jury is out as we still don't know about him or where he really stands. Hopefully, Pete's recovery will be quick and there will be no lasting effects.

Peter's life has changed, in some respects for the better as he now has a home where he is loved, cared for and respected while being supported as any child should be. Unfortunately, there are still bigoted, neanderthal, homophobic pricks about and they will, no doubt about it, cause him problems. I only hope he doesn't get seriously hurt, or worse, by them. It's good that he is physically able to fight back but it could also be a catalyst in making things worse. Let's hope the better home life is enough for him.

This story may have been posted elsewhere previously but this is my first reading of it and judging by the prologue it is going to be an interesting read. Others have commented that Peter's mother was either seriously affected by her husband's death or her true nature was held in check by her husband when alive, I guess that it is probably a mixture of both. If Peter reminded her in any way of her husband, and he probably did and this caused her to 'go over the top' in her reactions, that doesn't excuse anything by any means. Either way, she needs serious help although she will deny it. Peter is doing what he feels he has to for the sake of self-preservation and who can blame him, I just hope it isn't a decision he later regrets, especially if her vitriol is now directed at any of his siblings. Now I want to know what happens next.

The slow build-up of the tension from Cosmo making plans before breakfast, to him leaving via the window. From then the intensity slowly grew with every action taken drew me in. Skillfully written in a way that made me feel for Cosmo hoping for someone to stop him. When Cosmo and Elisabetta were trapped on the mountain road I thought that would be the end of the chase and they would be arrested, but no, you turned up the heat. I'm glad that Cosmo finally saw something to cling to which will hopefully be the start of a good future. But I'm also dismayed that Elisabetta made different choices, I may not like her but I wouldn't wish her gone in that way. I'm hoping that your 'attempted' warning means that she hasn't succeeded, I'd prefer her to 'face the music' and hopefully turn over a new leaf after facing the consequences of her actions. My heart goes out to Giorgio, after witnessing those events he is probably traumatised, and he will need a lot of support.

We have all heard of messages from beyond the grave, but BJs from beyond the grave? And full-blown sex too? (pun intended) From Tom's reaction, it must have been good, lol. I'm surprised Ken got the info from the tax office so easily, usually departments like that would take their time. If Bart hasn't been living in the apartment how did he arrange the lease and how has it been paid for? I'm surprised Ken didn't ask for that info. Could Tom's psychic lead prove useful? only time will tell.

Thank you for sharing your work Gary. They are part of you and as such they each contain their own inner beauty as do you. Thank you, again, I appreciate you sharing a part of your inner self.

At the very least Marco will have a friend who he can claim as his own, but I secretly hope it's more than that. Uncle Maurizio comes across as a decent man who will look after Giorgio the way he needs to be looked after and Giorgio seems to agree. Could he be the one adult that could get through to Cosmo? Cosmo needs someone and he could do a lot worse than listen to Maurizio. It looks like Elisabetta is not going to be around for much longer and I am wondering if she has plans to try to take Cosmo down with her, I wouldn't put it past her. I felt more hope and positivity in this chapter so I've got my fingers crossed for some good outcomes. Now I'm wracking my brain to remember when Maurizio appeared in earlier stories.

That tiny flickering light of hope for Cosmo is still there, but only just, I hope he doesn't let Elisabetta snuff it out for him. Cosmo must be feeling like his emotions are playing a game of tug-of-war with him. On one side is a good life which is what he really wants but feels it's beyond his reach, and on the other is Elisabetta who is almost succeeding in convincing him he has no hope except for with her. He is a young man with a very low opinion of himself, his true worth and the opportunities in front of him. He needs a knight in shining armour to come to his rescue and bring him to his senses, someone who is strong enough to give some of that strength to Cosmo. But I ask, is there anyone left to help him? I hope so.

There are so many good parts to this chapter it's hard to contain the excitement. Isabella came up trumps putting Vincenzo in his place, I loved that. Then the naive innocence of Marco as he suddenly catches on to the growing attraction that Giorgio has for him and the realisation that he just might fancy Giorgio and return those feelings, even if it is just a casual attraction. Then the ugly side of life comes into play with Pietro being assaulted. Marco may not have heard what was said but you bet that Elisabetta said enough for some to connect Cosmo to the attack. If that's the case will Cosmo have the decency to identify her? Let's hope so.

That flickering light of hope for Cosmo is getting dimmer and further away all the time. There is still a chance of hope for him but it continues to get smaller and will continue until he distances himself from Elisabetta. It wouldn't surprise me if she somehow tried to get him to off himself just so she could watch someone die, yes she comes across as that fucked up in the head. I fear that Cosmo will not see any value in any of his friends, the few he may still have, unless something happens to one of them but then it could be too late. The whole situation is totally screwed just like real life can be, but then that's the attraction of the story, it reflects real life, sometimes closer than we realise.

Wow, Marco is coming into his own and he should be proud of himself, he is growing and maturing on the inside. He has listened and taken into consideration what Angelo and Gianni have said about Cosmo, but he hasn't given up. His thoughts and actions have shown a considered withdrawal to give Cosmo time and left the door open to a continued friendship where he will be prepared to help, which is a considered and mature course of action. In doing that he has opened the door to Giorgio too by offering the hand of friendship, I just hope for his sake that the offered hand is taken and not bitten, the first steps look positive so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Marco is also showing wisdom by including friends who he knows he can count on for support. If Elisabetta can change her ways that will be a longer and harder road for her to take, if she can't it would be better for the authorities to step in and take responsibility for her care, maybe then Cosmo will have a better chance of seeing what is in front of his eyes and make better choices. Maybe if Cosmo sees Giorgio making positive changes with Marco's support and friendship it will make him think again, we can only hope, but I for one hope that it makes a good difference to Cosmo and helps him to see how good a friend Marco is.

Steve has been given some good advice, hopefully, his footballer friend and Mia will come through for him. My advice would have been to invest in a baseball bat, it's probably not the best advice. Brandon has what he needs the most, the support of his partner and his children, in what is a difficult time. Something tells me that the funeral and other arrangements may not go smoothly but I hope I'm wrong. A nicely written chapter and a sensitive subject dealt with sympathetically.

This is obviously a difficult time for you and your family, my heart goes out to you all. I wish only the best of outcomes for you and your family, you will all be in my thoughts as I send my best wishes, hugs and strength from this side of the pond. You and yours will always have my support.

I'm at a loss as to what to say here. Cosmo finally realises that he does have good friends but I wonder if he really values them. I'll give him credit for trying to go back to work, but unsurprisingly it doesn't go well. Now will be the real test of his backbone, can he deal with the consequences of his actions and too to change his ways for his own future benefit, or will he give up and seek out Elisabetta and Giorgio? They may all be good kids separately, but together they are bad for each other and themselves. I'm hoping that Cosmo is not a lost cause, but I realise I may be hoping for the impossible.

I don't know Elisabetta and Giorgio's backgrounds but I get the distinct impression that they are from as dysfunctional a family as Cosmo does, which could easily explain their behaviour. Cosmo doesn't feel as though he is wanted or welcome which is reinforced by his brother's attitude toward him, add that to his hidden sensitivity and it's no wonder in that vulnerable moment when Elisabetta turned up he is now acting out. Marco may not feel an attraction to Cosmo but he does feel a friendship, this may well be what emboldened him to speak up to Cosmo and reach out. That feeling of friendship and anger at Cosmo's reaction appears to have woken up something inside him that brought about a bolder Marco when he reacted to Giorgio and then met up with Luca and Emilia. In many ways, it all looks to be adding up to confrontations, arguments and probably worse before anything gets resolved or calms down. I'd say that I'd love to be a fly on the wall when it all goes off, but then, as the readers, that's what we are, the proverbial flies on the wall.

Hi Gary, I can understand that bad news is making you feel down just now. Please remember we are all here for you and care about you. If you feel up to talking I'm here for you to lean on and ready to listen, PM me if you feel it's better to do that.

Poor Cosmo, for all that others see when they look at him he is quite a sensitive soul. Okay maybe he did misread things, he is young and blinded by what he thinks is love but did Vincenzo really need to be so vindictive? Hopefully, he will recover from it and learn a few valuable lessons. His problem now is Elisabetta turning up when he is feeling down and vulnerable. My guess is that it was probably Elisabetta that Vincenzo saw but I doubt she was giving him lustful looks, she's probably been watching from a distance and waiting for an opportune moment to approach Cosmo which Vincenzo has given her with his vitriolic rebuttal. I hope he does get his comeuppance but what will happen to Cosmo in the meantime?

I feel drained and frustrated at not being able to concentrate long enough to write anything, but I'll get over it. I still can't decide what to write next although there are plenty of choices. 🤔

Aloha Albert, I hope you and Steve are well.

I feel for Marco in this chapter, it expresses his feelings well and explains how many foster children feel when placed in a caring home. One of the youngsters that my parents fostered once tried to explain it to me and it went something like this;- "You know that your life has improved and you are now being cared for, and to some extent, loved. Despite feeling all these positive things, there is still a sense of something missing. You can't quite put your finger on it, but you know there's a void that needs to be filled. You could spend your entire life searching for it, but you'll never know if you find it or not. It's like being a part of something, yet still feeling like an outsider." That's not exactly what he said it's my interpretation from the best I can remember. In this story Marco never had siblings so it's not that, although he did have parents that he remembers and maybe he has memories of happier times when he felt loved and wanted. He will also remember that Angelo and Gianni looked after Sammi for a while and experienced some difficulties in relating to him before Sammi went to live with Rezza. Does he see that as Angelo and Gianni rejecting Sammi? And if so is there a latent fear that they will reject him too? There is more to Marco's feelings than the lack of a boyfriend, I hope he resolves them before they have a chance to materialise in a negative way.

So the wheels of justice are moving slowly which must be frustrating when you need that search warrant to aid a murder enquiry. The lads initiative in gaining access may have been fruitful but it could also cause a problem if Ken needs to use the information they found, maybe it would be best to let everyone think the info was discovered when the warrant is granted. As for the suspects, both named Bart, either could still be suspect number one. Just because the Bart from Liverpool doesn't show up as having re-entered the US doesn't mean he hasn't, maybe he changed his name or re-entered by some means that is not recorded, there are many possibilities. It could even be possible that neither of these guys are in the frame, Bart maybe a nickname given by Theresa Sachs which could mislead Ken without him knowing. Clues or red herrings? The jury is still out.

A good opening chapter, it establishes Cosmo as an individual with his thoughts and feelings. He is as unique as everyone else and deserves to have his story told too.

Well now we know Miss Sachs's fate and it wasn't pretty. Could Ken be onto something by checking out the yearbooks? Even though Miss Sachs was Calvin's high school 'beard' doesn't rule him out, but then it doesn't rule him in either. Mrs Baum's behaviour now looks suspect, especially not recognising them as previous students who have returned to become teachers, if her memory is that bad maybe she is past her sell-by-date as a school principal and should resign. What actually killed them, the beating or being shot? It could have some significance or possibly help discover a clue later in the story.