Marty

Thanks, JeffryL. It's always good to hear that someone has enjoyed what I have written. 😊

And that's really the most important step of all - coming out to oneself.

Thanks, Northie, I really enjoyed that! Have to go out for the evening now, but look forward to reading the next series soon (although I may leave it until it's complete - I'm not a fan of having o wait for chapters...)

When I originally saw the word "memes" I assumed it was pronounced something along the lines of mairms. Some of my younger friends would laugh at me and insist that it should be pronounced meems. I still hear the word in my mind as mairms. But now I tell the Gen Z kids when they make fun of me for pronouncing it incorrectly that it's short for "Me! Me!" And then I tell them that hopefully they'll finally grow up and stop only thinking about themselves. (Mind you, they usually get their own back by asking me when I'm ever going to grow up...)

We never did get the answer to Dylan's “By the way, what’s Vern’s real name?” question at the end of the last chapter. I can't help wondering if his real name might be Chad...

Thanks, crazyd. I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. As you may have realised from the copyright notice it's not a new story for me. The original was written as part of an anthology for another site. The theme for that anthology was "Ash: The Unseen Character."

(Wednesday , 20th December 1972) The snow first started falling as I was driving south from Llanrwst towards Bettws-y-Coed. It wasn't all that heavy so I wasn't too concerned as it was still December, and the heavy snow didn't usually come in until late January or into February. Also, I had other things occupying my mind. I was wondering whether Andy was going to say anything to anyone about what I had said to him the previous night. If it got back to school I wasn't sure what would happen.

Simon flees to the mountains after telling his best friend how he really feels about him. But what is his friend going to do with the news?

Well... I sure didn't see that coming! (Of course the ambulance may arrive in time...)

Yea, there's something strange about the two exotic dancers. Like Miles says, I am sure they initially said they met in college - but at times they've also suggested that they've known each other for years... My first thought after realising they weren't too happy about having to kiss was that they might really be brothers (twins even), but even Impunity's suggestion that they really are just friends but one of them may actually be straight adds the possibility that Eric may have a chance with the non-straight one (and I have thought from near the beginning of this story that the title refers to Eric switching sides sexually - but knowing the way CJ likes to write I wouldn't be surprised in the least to find that I am completely wrong with that assumption).

I'm half expecting that the General will allow Fel to capture the pennant, but will remove the flagpole that she has to fly the pennant from in order to win the game.

Spoken words. People do not always speak grammatically correct. Get over it!

There's not much I can say about this chapter (or, indeed, the previous 98 chapters) that hasn't already been so eloquently said by all the other reviewers - but this story has really captured my imagination, Dodger. Like other readers I'm also curious to see whether Robbie's and Nathan's relationship can stand the test of time but, rather than speculate, I'm content to leave it to your more than capable hands. You have developed the characters very well, so I am sure that, as you develop them even further, your readers will not feel that something too out of character happens. 😊 P.s. I think you meant to say that the distance from Cobourg to Niagara Falls was a hundred and fifty-two kilometres (not miles). 😉

I must admit that I have thought the same about Nicola for several chapters now.

I found the following, but it doesn't look like it's the one Leftcoast was talking about.... www.storylineonline.net

The story of an Irish teenage boy, with an abusive father, trying to find love and acceptance.

“What you doing up so early?” mumbled Declan, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Jamie paused with his hand on the window latch. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you,” he said softly. Using his elbows to push himself into a sitting position, Declan looked at the clock beside his bed. The digital display read 07:14. “Well you failed. But you’ve still not answered my question. What you doing up at this ungodly hour?” “Keep your voice down!” said Jamie in an urgent whisper. “I’d ra

While climbing a mountain the narrator has an epiphany. (Submitted for the 2007 Fall Anthology "The Rainy Day")

I’m sure I’m not the first person in the world to have noticed how holidays never seem to last long enough. Whilst the weeks leading up to them have a tendency to drag on forever, once they’ve started they seem to be over almost as soon as they begin. And, almost to prove the point, another one was fast drawing to a close. Another summer fortnight spent doing what we enjoyed most. Climbing mountains. I don’t know just what it was, but there seemed to be something almost magnetic in the ver

Of course you do realise, I trust, that what may be the real answer is not necessarily the most interesting... I think the naked Joey or the orgy are much more likeable (if not particularly likely) answers! Marty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o22eIJDtKho Johnny Cash's brilliant interpretation of Trent Reznor's Hurt Marty PS: apologies for posting two replies. For some reason I was forbidden from posting two youtube links in the same post...

Feel So Low by Porcupine Tree (From the 2000 album Lightbulb Sun) Marty

Gawd! I honestly hadn't realised that!

Considering Dom has WT listed as a "Short Story" on his GA Author's page, I have to admit that I have been feeling surprised at just how many chapters have already been posted. Not that I'm in any way complaining. The end of any story by Dom always comes to soon as far as I'm concerned.

It's really amusing me how everyone jumps to conclusions. It's also amusing how people see things that I don't. I've not actually seen Jame make any confession. Just a few angry words. Not surprising in a way, either. There's been bad blood between Jame and Nels (and his friends) for years. Jame has had to suffer being called Assface of all things by Nels and his group of friends for years. The first day Nels ever met Milo (who was with his friend Jame) he was in the car that destroyed lots of Milo's art-work (and could have caused serious injury or even death to Jame and Milo). This story is written from the first person perspective - from Nels' perspective. A few people above have commented on how we don't always really know the circumstances of other characters (Jame in this case) [or we know one thing and assume lots more because of it - that almost sounds like a possible definition of prejudice to me], or seem to be gloating over the fact that we now know that Jame is studying ballet - so it's now okay to be gay, but not okay to be different in other ways, is it guys? Good chapter, Dom. I see the next one is up as well - but will wait a while (digest this one) before reading it. Marty