Graeme

The description of the drive was frightening. I have to wonder if Andrew was having second thoughts about taking Will home. As for the setup, I can almost understand the mentality of someone trashing Will's locker, but stealing the coat when there's a snow storm on the way is criminal. The thing that saves the person who did that is if they assumed Will won't be walking.

Snow days are also a mystery for those of us who grew up in a place where it didn't snow... An interesting start, with some nice character introductions. From the story description, we know Andrew is going to play a major role, but I'm intrigued by Jared. Not a lot was said about him, but I already have a good first impression.

I couldn't help notice that Cameron thought about keeping his distance from Kevin because he didn't want to get between Kevin and his brother. He wasn't thinking about himself, but was trying to think what was best for his friend. That's true friendship (even if what he was trying to do was not what was needed). Similarly, Stanley spelled out in detail what it means to be a friend. It was what Kevin needed to hear and Ihope it sinks in. As for parents with twins and triplets, I've seen too many examples of parents who give their kids 'cute' names. The worst I've seen are a pair of fraternal twins named Chris and Chris (actually Christopher and Christine)... Kevin and Devin is mild in comparison.

Everyone else has covered the highlights (my fault for being offline yesterday) so I just wanted to make the observation that it's the straight couple who are having sex, while the gay couple are holding off. I found the contrast interesting. Devin looks like he's going to become obsessed with sex, so I hope Ashley puts the brakes on (though I don't see that happening).

You won't be billed as author membership is free, but we're using the "store" feature of the forum software to "sell" author membership, and that's why it asks for information that in this context is unnecessary.

Thank you. That was exactly what inspired the story in the first place.

Thank you! Both grandparents want what's best for their grandchildren. Mrs. Lynton's prejudices drove a lot of her actions. Mr. Lynton showed a couple of times that he doesn't have any real animosity towards Peter and Alan, but he didn't feel they were best for his grandchildren. He happened to be wrong, but his heart was in the right place. Unfortunately, he was led astray, so rather than taking the time to see if his judgement on Alan and Peter was right or wrong, he went along with his wife's plans.

A wonderful understatement... Cameron is reliving his fears but hasn't recognised that something is different this time. This time, he has someone on his side. Now, that may not end up changing anything, and he may still end up bullied and abused like last time, but it may. Unfortunately, he's too afraid to take the chance. I actually understand Paul and Devin. They, too, are afraid. Afraid of being called a 'fag', afraid of what others will think of them if they get that label. In many ways, they're the flip side of Cameron's situation. They don't want to experience what he's been through, and will fight with whatever weapons they have at hand to make sure it doesn't happen to them. There is a reason why teenage males are one of the most homophobic groups. They want to fit in. They don't want to be seen as being different. They don't want to be the outsider, and they go to extremes to make sure it doesn't happen. In Devin's case, he's not gay, but he doesn't want to be accused of it. The jury is out on Paul's motives, but the result is the same.

After a year in space, NASA finds returning twin is no longer genetically identical to the twin that remained on Earth. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-15/twins-separated-by-outer-space-no-longer-identical/9553134

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-14/stephen-hawking-dies-aged-76/9547454 May he rest in peace. A truly remarkable man who overcame so much during his incredible life. I think I'll dig out my copy of A Brief History of Time and have another read...

It's a testament to Ron's skill that we are introduced to five significant characters in a relatively short chapter, but they're all individual and distinctive. We can already see the conflicts arising, along with intrigue as to what's going to happen. Based on the story title, I think we can assume that the twins will separate to some degree, and the romantics (such as myself) are hoping that Kevin and Cameron can become a couple, but the roles that Ashley and Paul will play remain to be s een. I see this story as partly a study in pressures. Kevin and Devin are not only family, they're identical twins. There is a pressure there to get along, but Devin is already feeling the effects of peer pressure that is trying to drive them apart. Cameron desperately wants things to work, but the pressure of his history is making him wonder if he's better off hiding in a hole, rather than taking a risk with Kevin. As for Paul and Ashley, I think we're going to need to wait to see what pressures they succumb to.

A collection of Good News stories for the week: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-09/good-news-cervical-cancer-eliminated-and-a-pay-gap-closed/9525394?section=good-news I think the first one is the best, but the fourth one, about Philandro Castile's charity is a close second.

LOL. Yeah, it's definitely complicated

David has had a shock. He's working his way through things, but he's still floundering. He doesn't have the background to understand what he doesn't know. And, yes, Randy definitely is in an awkward spot

TJ and Randy come from two different worlds, but despite that, they feel a connection. However, it's not that easy to escape their worlds and be together, and this story shows that struggle. Unlike a traditional love story, where the protagonists stand together against the forces that try to tear them apart, this is a story where those forces are within the characters, and they need to find the strength inside themselves to first accept themselves, and then to find the courage to reach out to the other. This is not a light-hearted story, but it is definitely one worth reading. The characters are well written and distinct, as is normal for Ron's stories, and you'll fall in love with them as they go through their struggles, both internal and external.

Thanks, @Ronyx. Another great ending to another wonderful story. While life is looking up for TJ and Randy, the ending reminds us that relationships take work. Things don't just fall into place, that there are rough edges that needs to be smoothed before the parts fit together. While I would have liked to have seen more of what happened in the opening parts of this chapter, rather than being told about them in summary, I'm not sure I could have survived a chapter of Randy's hopeless search, or a chapter of TJ's depression and fears that Carter was dying. I'm looking forward to the next story you decide to post.

Yes, Aussie rules players wear tight shorts, but they're not that much different from rugby shorts. Sadly, over ten years later, Ian Roberts is still one of the few top Australian athletes to come out, and still the only one from the top tier of any of the football codes.

Randy and his family have given a lot to TJ, but the one thing he really needs is not something they can give, and that's self-esteem. He's feeling guilty and worthless, and doesn't know where to go. The little bit of self-esteem he gained after first moving in with Randy has evaporated, and needs more, but from where? Carter again shows that he recognises that he was wrong with his intial assessment of Randy. He knows Randy is good for TJ and has finally told him so. Carter is more a peer for TJ than Randy, so maybe his heartfelt comment will be enough to push TJ back to Randy...or it may be all that's needed to push TJ over the edge with the knowledge of what he's thrown away.

Given what you already know about David, do want to place a bet on that?

David isn't the most appealing protagonist, but blindness to the obvious is, unfortunately, a very human trait. He has convinced himself of X and despite everyone around him saying Y, he's sticking with X. It takes a lot of work to change someone's mind when they're convinced they're right.

What? A teenager going a little over the top? Surely not. That sort of thing just doesn't happen in real life...

I don't think David is convinced he's 100% in the wrong, though.

Thank you! I still cringe on some of the things in the early chapters, but overall I'm happy with how the story turned out.

I'm glad TJ found the courage to tell the truth. He knew the consequences and they scared him, but he told the Lawrences the truth about what happened anyway. That's a difficult thing to do, especially for someone who has been conditioned to accept what's happening to him. As for the last scene, I can just imagine Wilson and Dean hovering in the background, waiting for something to happen, and then moving in at just the right time. They knew there would be an incident, sooner or later, but equally Randy and TJ wouldn't want to be smothered, so I'd like to believe they waited, and then acted when needed.

We know Carter has feelings for TJ, and we know what he said about Randy treating TJ as a charity case, but I can't help wonder what he was thinking and feeling when Randy's dad hugged him....