Marty

Thanks for the kind comment. I did originally write a chapter looking at Danny's first day at uni where he got completely confused trying to find al the different offices and places he needed to report to. I decided to leave that one out and jump to the end of his first week instead. But I haven't deleted it completely, as I may use it in another story sometime in the future.

Many thanks for those kind words. One could almost think of these first three chapters as a single opening chapter in which I tried to introduce Danny to the reader. Indeed they were originally written as a single chapter, but I decided to split them into three when uploading them to GA, as I suspect many people, especially when reading online stories, find shorter chapters easier to work with.

Many thanks, @Mancunian. I often worry that my dialogue might not come across as feeling real, so comments like this always make me feel as though I must be doing something right.

Thanks for the comment, Geron. But maybe also proof that sometimes the only way to make sure things aren't as bad as they could be is to take a stand against those who try to make things bad...

And just the outcome the boys wanted. Thanks for the comment.

I like that analogy, @dughlas!

I once saw the following written on a toilet wall: My mother made me a homosexual. If I got her the wool would she make me one, too?

You're not that old, @Arran! I'm actually the older one of the pair of us. 😮 I know what you mean about trying to avoid confusion. But I'd be more likely to do that by putting the speaker's name outside the quotation marks. Something like this: "It's good to see you again," said Mickey (rather than "It's good to see you again, Mark."). But don't worry about it; the story's still eminently readable as it is.

I know what Mark (and the author) meant by that "made him mine" comment, but I still had to stop and think about it when I actually read it. Same as I also knew what Mikey meant by his "I actually felt you cum inside me" comment. Although there are no nerve endings in the walls of the colon that can detect touch, pain, or even temperature, one usually knows when his partner is actually coming inside him (unless that partner is only interested in getting his own rocks off, and has no interest in how the other person is feeling). I can understand the comments about safe sex. As readers we have not really been informed of Mark's sexual history, and definitely not of his history as regards to being tested for STI's. Maybe it was added later, as a result if some of the comments above, but I do notice that @Arran has included a warning about unprotected sex in the endnote to this chapter. And there was at least a discussion between Mark and Mikey as to whether a condom should be used...

I like the way the two boys are slowly getting to know each other. If I were to make one criticism, it would be that it sounds artificial that they keep using each others' names when they are chatting together. I just don't think that would seem natural in general conversation.

Interesting first chapter.

An interesting insight into the lives of Jim and Beccy. They showed a great deal of trust in Jason by showing him where they kept their belongings stashed. Here's hoping all's well with The Major when Kevin, Ian and John get to the hospital.

There was still one worry in all our minds when we finally took our seats for the ceremony. Although it seemed that Griff certainly had capitulated, quite a few people had pointed out that he might just simply skip over Lowry's name when last year's sixth form were going up to receive their prizes. We had agreed that, if that happened, the rest of us would rise to our feet, quietly walk in single file to the closest exit door, and leave the theatre. There'd be no speeches, no dramatics, just a s

Assuming Officer Goodbody is going to stick around in this story, I'm just hoping for Josh's sake that he doesn't turn out to be a self-centred stalker, as @Timothy M. suggests he might do. Unfortunately his actions in this opening chapter do tend to suggest that I may be hoping for too much. I suppose I'll just have to keep reading and find out. Loving the self-deprecating humour, however!

I made a delicious beef stew for dinner tonight.

I once knew a hippy woman who lived about twenty miles from me (she may still, to be honest) who had two children. The daughter was named Willow and the son was named Ash. She had a bit of land that she had planted with hardwood trees. Most of the trees were ash, as well.

Hi Ali Just about to head out of the house for a walk. Think a few others of the regulars in here have something else on as well....

Hi all Hope everyone's well. Sorry to be so quiet. Have a sister over from England. Have been busy showing her some of the sights.

Hi, Page Whatever you say, say nothing (when they ask about you know what).

Sometimes things work better that way. Just let those words flow, bud!

I count six words there....

Correct! My mistake. I'll leave my original mistake uncorrected. That way you might even get other people re-reading the earlier chapters as well.

The way Jason jumped and got upset when Jim touched his arm whilst trying to hand him the bag of clean clothes after he had got out of the shower leaves me thinking something has happened to Jason in the past. My immediate suspicion would be that Bill has sexually assaulted him in some way, but it may go even deeper than that. We were told in chapter 3 that Jason "looked worried, scared even" when he first found out that John was not who he had been pretending to be, which makes me wonder whether he has been let down by people pretending to be something they aren't in the past. Like Droughtquake, I'm not sure whether Jason's apparent infatuation with John/Christian is simply hero worship or something a bit deeper. And if it is something a bit deeper, we may finish up with a little bit of jealousy should the looks Kate has seen John giving Gary, the new support worker, be what she wonders if they are. You're keeping me well hooked with this story, @Mancunian. I particularly like the way you are weaving several different threads together in it: The Major & Kevin and Ian's adoption of him, the pregnancy, the fostering, Bill's predatory nature, to name just a few. You have a talent for storytelling, and I eagerly await the next installment.

This wasn't a debate. They start next month. Tonight was a meeting with Concern (the School Debates Organisers) and the local debate adjudicators, to discuss changes that have been made to the debates' format this year.

Thanks, @Mancunian. You really do say the nicest things at times.