Wayne Gray

Thanks for reading and commenting, Geemeedee. They did forgive him quickly. They know him. They also know that, though wrong, he thought he was doing the right thing for Mason. And there's no way Clay could have known that Jeremy had additional "things" lurking in his past to cause such a reaction. Also, Clay and Orson both are still recovering from the mental trauma of a gunfight. You're not exactly seeing him at his best. Maybe I should have called that out, but it's in the back of at least Greg's mind. It's fine to be in the minority. Feel what you will, and experience the story as you like. I appreciate all of it.

Thanks, Parker. Clay doesn't do anything halfway: he screws up epic, and he apologizes the same way. Jeremy is mercifully not thinking much right now, but we'll see how it goes when he's awake and aware. There's more to come on Wednesday.

Thank you, molly. Yes, it's hard to see someone so raw, vulnerable, and bared to the world. He's wounded but with help, he may heal.

Thanks, molly. Hard to know where we'll end up, but I'm willing to at least start the journey.

Thanks, Tonyr! They're all just doing their best. When good people do their best, almost everything can (ultimately) work out.

Orson's a smart guy. Clay isn't dumb, but he also wasn't seeing things clearly. He's still scared, but he's doing his best. Thanks for reading and commenting, Danilo. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. 🙂

June 05 (Tuesday, 4:35 AM) Clay woke at an annoyingly early hour, thanks to his lack of adjustment to Pacific Coast time. Instead of trying to go back to sleep he sighed and got up, dressing in a sweatshirt, sweats and tennis shoes. The morning air was cold inside the cabin, so he knew he'd need the warm clothes. He also needed coffee. Leaving the cabin, he began walking to the kitchen. It was dark and misty out, and almost silent. Apart from the river, there were only the little sounds

Thanks, Parker. I'm glad you feel it. I hope you get to live it, because it's... ah, monumental.

Perhaps you'll both find what you need amidst the Life you're already chosen for yourselves. Good luck on your path, wherever it may lead.

I can honestly say, I don't know yet. I can also say... it's going to be awfully fun finding out.

What other places? I'm at a loss, and need to know! Hehehe. Thanks, tim.

"Own me for a while." A whisper, and a plea. On his lips, a smile. and in his eyes I see, an oath to set me free.

Thanks for commenting, Parker. Awww, well I appreciate the nice words concerning my characters. I know that I love them all, even when they are as wrong as Clay. There's more to come. We'll see if the campground lives up to its name or not.

Hi, Tom. Thanks for the comment. Yeah, we both know the mindset of the south. Clay messed up. He's trying to protect Mason, trying to control the situation around him so that he stays safe, and in the process pushes Mason away. I thought about something on the way in to work today. Clay has recently been in the most stressful situation you could probably imagine (getting shot at, and watching a friend suffer and nearly die). He's likely flailing around, trying to find something he can control, something he can "fix". Yeah, he saw a counselor after the shooting (so did Orson), but these things carry echos for a long time. Right now, we're looking at a Clay who is still processing something terrible, and he's not quite through it yet.

Orson has a futon, and a bed. All of the cabins have both. 🙂

Thanks for commenting, Fae. I think sad and angry are good words to describe the emotions in this one, so your reaction is entirely appropriate. Clay's afraid. If he stopped a moment and thought about it, he'd know that Mason will soon just do whatever he wants anyway, since he is turning eighteen in a few days. He'd realize that he's about to lose his boy if he doesn't figure out another way to be. He'd know he hurt the man he loves the most by acting how he did. He'd hate himself for hurting Jeremy, a young man who is one of the most selfless he has ever met. But he can't see any of that... not yet. Orson does feel welcome. They went through a lot of effort for him, and he deeply appreciates that. He's also the kind of guy who wants to make sure he evens things up, he wants to carry his weight. We'll see how that goes for him as we go.

Thanks for the comment, Mancunian. Clay is definitely in the wrong, and he absolutely hurt people he loves thanks to his ignorance. He has sort of been a wrecking ball to three other lives, all thanks to his stubborn adherence to his antiquated beliefs that Mason is in danger. He is dealing with a lot, as you said above. Yet, now he has even more to deal with, all thanks to his own actions. Greg and Mason both love Clay. Those we love can hurt us the most, and that's why this is so damaging to them. But, for Jeremy... things are different. There's his past he already struggles hard to overcome, and Clay doesn't know how much he hurt our young redhead. Orson is a bit of an outlier right now. He doesn't have a dog in the fight, so to speak. Maybe he will be able to see something those who are so emotionally invested can't. There's more to come.

Hi Dave, thanks for the comment. In a perfect world, Clay would have carefully considered all of the information Mason sent him, vetted his sources, asked careful questions to verify the data, and trust those he loves to make good choices. And I have to tell you - I despise "perfect" characters. I lose interest in stories with them, and I don't write them, because they're so unreal and uninteresting. Clay is as real as I can make him. He's flawed, and scared, but loving too. It's all right that you don't like this part of the story, you probably shouldn't! Clay messed up, and in the process he hurt a lot of people. What matters now is how all of them move forward, but most importantly, Clay.

Thanks for the comment, droughtquake. All of those things are valid. Clay has worked really hard packing and moving, he drove a long way, and he carries worry for his friend Orson and for his son, and he comes home to find Mason putting himself into what he considers a dangerous situation. It's a lot. Orson knows little of Jeremy. He knows only that he works for a medical clinic and heads up a program for at risk GLBTQ young people. Clay never mentioned neither that Jeremy and Mason like one another, nor Jeremy's status. Perhaps that's Clay hoping the "problem" would go away if he didn't think about it. But, if Greg heard Mason and Clay yelling from Orson's cabin, you can bet Orson knows that something happened between them.

Yeah... he really hurt Jeremy. 😞

Hi, Tonyr. Don’t be sorry, I’m glad to hear from you and get your thoughts on the chapter - good, bad, or a mix of both. 😊 I think people understand why Clay reacted how he did, but that they’re disappointed in him. If Clay was my good friend, and he had done this, I wouldn’t think he’s crazy. Instead, I’d think that he was simply afraid for someone he loves. It’s okay to understand Clay’s actions without approving of them. Really, I think that’s where most of us fall here. More to come. Stick with me.

Thanks for the comments, Chris. You're right. Something good did happen here, and that was that Orson and Clay are safe at the campground. Orson's tired and worn down, but he is genuinely thankful to have a place to be, and he's happy to not be alone. So we've got that happy bit going for us. And then... there's the rest of the chapter. This is one of those moments when a reader sees what a character is about to do, and we're shaking our heads at them: "No! What are you doing, Clay?!". But, the key is to make it relatable or understandable. Most of us get why he's freaking out. We understand, but don't condone. Of course, that's easy to do when we have nothing on the line. We're looking objectively at Clay's situation, while he is working from a place of fear and emotion. Yeah. He made the wrong call, but that makes him human. I want readers to love my flawed Clay, but also, I don't want them to like him much right now.

Thanks for commenting, Geemeedee. Yeah... Clay is royally getting into a big ole mess right now. He's letting fear overrule logic, and that's the root of so many problems in the world. None of our guys are immune to the effects of ignorance, though they (and we) have an obligation to remedy it. Maybe someone will remind Clay of that before he screws things up so bad that they can't be fixed. Sorry... no post tomorrow. That'll be on Sunday. 😛

Thanks, rick. I really do like this story. I'm happy others seem to as well.

Thanks for reading and commenting, Danilo. Well, Clay is scared. He's being very reactionary, and has closed himself off to new information that might help him figure things out, but this is also really how many of us react. Clay isn't perfect. While acting on his desire to ensure Mason is safe, he's doing a lot of damage to a lot of people. We'll see if he figures things out before he loses his son.