Graeme

Thank you! Regarding those two bedrooms, we don't know the exact shades of blue and pink. When we bought our current home, our bedroom was a rather overpowering blue. We told ourselves we'd repaint it, but we never did (we added an extension to the house to make a new master bedroom instead). We got used to the colour and it didn't make as much of an impact after awhile as it did initially. If the second bedroom was a soft pink, I can see someone getting used to it quickly. And, in case it wasn't obvious, the end of this chapter, the day Cricket Australia made their press release, is the day of the AFL national draft.

Thanks, Tim! Another comprehensive review The AFL Players' Association takes the welfare of its members seriously. They have an induction camp each year to welcome new draftees, and one of the areas they cover is social media. The advice that Alastair gave Ross is pretty much directly from what the Players' Association tells new members. And before you ask, no, I've never attended one of the induction camps, but there have been a few media reports on what goes on and I took the information from there.

Liam's found a place to stay, so all we need to find out is if Kevin likes a pink room... Deon is in shock. The death of Phil Hughes affected a lot of people in Australia and around the world, but Deon was there when the accident happened. That deepens the shock. Clarissa has hopefully started the healing process, but we don't know how long it will take. You are spot on with your comments, but Deon is still a teenager. He still has some growing to do.

Clarissa glanced around the Sydney apartment. “No.” Liam blinked. “We’ve only just stepped inside the door. How can you reject a place that fast? Anyway, I’m the one who’ll have to live here, not you.” Clarissa crossed her arms. “Firstly, look around. There are stains everywhere, which means it’ll be a massive job to clean the place up. That’s assuming some of those stains will come out. Secondly, to afford any of the places you’re looking at, you’re going to have to share with someone. My job

As the others have already said, you're doing an excellent job of showing Zac's confusion. That statement he made at the end, where he said he didn't need friends because he has a girlfriend, is a perfect example. Everyone knows that you can have a girlfriend and other friends. The only real way to interpret that statement (and I wonder if Zac will realise what he's said) is that he's saying he has a girlfriend and therefore doesn't need a boyfriend. Zac's problem is obvious to others around him. Billy spotted it almost immediately, but I get the impression that even Kenny isn't oblivious. Zac's girlfriend also knows that something is wrong. It's only going to be a matter of time before someone triggers an explosion. Billy's come close already, when Zac started to hit him. Because of that, I don't think Billy will be the one who sets Zac off; Billy is going to be too cautious. I think it'll either be Kenny or Adrian.

I know I'm late, but Happy Birthday!

I've tried once to write a story with an unreliable and probably insane narrator. It wasn't as successful as this one I think it's pretty clear by the end that Ethan isn't a shifter -- he has a serious mental health problem. Well done!

Definitely worth reading! I enjoyed it when I did so and I hope everyone else does, too.

I know I've read this at your site, but I can't remember all the details so I'm looking forward to reading and remembering it again. One thing that struck me when I originally read it, and again just now, is how arrogant Kenny is. He didn't know who the best catcher was, but he did what he could to ensure the person he wanted becomes the catcher. That's not teamwork; that's being selfish.

There is a deceptively large amount of material in this chapter, but I'm not going to try to cover all, or even most, of it. Instead, I'll concentrate on one point: Toph's realisation he's never been hugged by his mother. Indeed, the implication is that he's never really been hugged before, and hugging is a major part of showing affection, especially at a young age. Is a lot of Toph's problems simply because he was never shown affection? We all know he was emotionally stunted, but was that one item enough to make a difference? It's an interesting subject to contemplate I can see this story being used in classrooms in the future as a study on emotional development. There's certainly enough material there for students to work with

Thanks, Tim! Warwick and Ross still have problems, but they're trying to work them out. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they can stay together It was only a matter of time before Kevin spoke to Alastair about Daphne. Alastair is based in Melbourne, so Kevin had to wait until Alastair was in Sydney because he wanted them to talk face-to-face. Letting Alastair know about Ross was a bonus, but Jim had already told Ross that he needed an agent if he was going to come out.

That's okay, Tim. You comment so much that if you had trouble working out what to say on one chapter, that's not a big deal

Thank you! Being openly gay could have helped Ross's chances in the draft, but it would definitely have put an incredible amount of pressure on him from all the scrutiny. Warwick has shown before that his head doesn't always control his emotions. You're right about what's he's proposing to do, but he's not thinking with his head

I'm ashamed to admit that I've missed this story until just now. A beautifully told wonderful love story...I can't think of anything else to say except thank you

Julie stepped into the gym and immediately frowned. Ross was the only person present, and he had too much weight on the bar to be safe. His inclined-bench-press technique was good, but if he lost control she knew he could seriously injure himself. She quickly slipped into the spotter position and prepared to assist if needed. She gauged his level of fatigue and made a decision. “Four more, and then you stop. Breathe through them and push through the pain. I’ve got the bar if you can’t do it.”

That's where you posted it... I'll move it to The Lounge Oh, and Happy Birthday, Foopy!

This one brought a tear to my eye. It's bittersweet, as ultimately most transplant stories are, but also heartwarming: You've got our mummy's lungs

Congratulations, Valkyrie! A well deserved promotion

How refugees are finding their feet at a drop-in football clinic

Thank you. When I was doing the research for this part of the story I found that almost any sort of reaction was possible. I thought I was being a little melodramatic, but apparently it was quite plausible. I'll also admit that this was one of the most challenging chapters to write. It had to be 'just right' or I wouldn't have posted it. As an aside, I have a friend who had suppressed memories from a childhood incident. I used what he told me as partial inspiration.

I hope that Lola keeps Cory out of his funk. It's a smart move in many ways, because now Cory has someone he's responsible for, and rthat responsibility will mean he'll have less time to worry about his own situation. Of course, Lola is probably going to object at times when Efrain and Cory wants sex...and I can't wait for the first time that happens It'll be fun to read. And I bet that Preston falls in love with Lola, too, and that he ensures that Indie doesn't object too much to having a pet around the house.

Paralysed pregnant woman finishes half-marathon five days after the race started

I think it's clear that Ross and Warwick have feelings for each other, but they've had a major failure in communication and that fact came out at just the wrong time. Or maybe the right time, if it helps them reset their relationship on more realistic lines. There are still not guarantees that they'll be able to keep their relationship going, but hopefully they'll be more honest with each other, which is a good start. The draft's not too far away...

Thank you! I wouldn't say inevitable, but it wasn't unexpected. As you've said, now that both them have a better understanding of where the other one is coming from, they'll either realise they can't make it work, or they'll realise that they've got to do more if they want it to work. Kevin's never said or thought that Daphne's unattractive, only that she's not attractive. It's more that she's plain than ugly. To a young man (he's only 19), looks are important, but he's learnt that they're not really that important. Personality and compatibility are much more important, and that's what he's recognised.

Yes, it's easy for parents to mess up their kids in so many different ways. Kids pick up their parents' attitudes very easily, and often either align their own attitudes with their parents', or go for the opposite. I've had to cringe at times with some boys when I've heard comments they've made regarding women because I know that they've got that attitude from their father.