Summerabbacat

I thought, up until now, Diego was supposedly the smart one. What the hell did he return to Holden, Wilson and Burns for. Surely one visit was enough after they conned him into paying a retainer. And to be confronted by another haughty bitchy receptionist. He should have said "you are only a shop girl bitch so drop the fucking attitude". Start listening to Steve's advice Diego, it could not be any worse than your own judgment. To be fair though, Diego is under enormous pressure delving into fields he is not au fait or comfortable with to not only ensure the safety of his own sons but to protect Kenny now too, so he is bound to make poor decisions. Do not let Calvin, the school board or bitchy receptionists win. He should also report Holden, Wilson and Burns to his new lawyer (Steve's friend) to determine if he has any recourse against them and their totally unprofessional and rude conduct. Great chapter @John Henry. I was seething and am now merely ranting about the behaviour of the skanky little millennial princess who called herself a receptionist. Stuck up little bitch needed a fucking good slap and a reminder of her station in life.

Surely one of the males in this story plays baseball. If so, Seth or any of the "cast" apart from the odious Maggie, have every reason to borrow it and teach Stacy a lesson on how to behave. Slapping Seth, continually addressing him as "fucker", reason enough for him to shut her up permanently. Roni annoyed me again in this chapter. Craig's emotional problems may have been contributed to by Seth (at Craig's "request"), but Seth is not his responsibility. If Craig was to finally admit to himself what he truly is or appears to be, he may have less angst. Unfortunately for Craig I strongly suspect his father is a "sports fan" who expects Craig to achieve what he himself probably could not (and being gay does not fit into that equation). You were correct in your assessment of Craig's sexuality @weinerdog, but I am hard pressed to believe Ty is gay. I believe Ty is one of those rare heterosexual male school friends, someone who is not at all bothered by gay male teens and only wants what is best for his very best friend. The flip side to my belief is that Blake is very observant and as you have pointed out, he thought Ty may have been Seth's boyfriend. Another exciting chapter @Ronyx. Stacy continues to appal, annoy, agitate and anger, but definitely not arouse (hardly surprising Craig could not get hard for her, even if he were straight it would have been a miracle for it to occur). As for the rest of the cast (apart from Aunt Marie and Uncle Steve), their behaviour would be best described as snafu. I am assuming Aunt Marie is Mommie Dearest's sister as both are fully aware of Stacy's appalling behaviour, but neither appears to have the intestinal fortitude to address it.

They often have the cash to cover up their "sins" too @Mancunian. If they need an abortion they will pay for one and for the discretion of the doctor. If they want a same-sex experience they will pay for one and for the discretion of the escort. When caught they also invariably have a 'come to Jesus moment', pray for forgiveness and all is forgiven by their followers. I got the impression Dan's mother has only become friends with the district superintendent. They well may have met at their local chapter of Moms For Liberty (or its equivalent) and recognised a fellow Nazi sympathiser.

Excellent chapter @John Henry. I can only but imagine a group akin to Moms For Liberty frothing at the mouth to have Kenny removed from school. The true faces of evil are very scary and very fucking ugly. Diego won't put up with any of their neo-fascist bullshit.

@drsawzall I think you have unfairly judged the hitherto unseen family cat, Sheena. She has shown remarkable restraint to date in her acceptance of her humans’ irrational and erratic behaviour. She could so easily have used Stacy’s face as her scratching post or Stacy's, Seth's or Mommie Dearest's beds, wardrobes and/or shoes as her litter tray. Perhaps @Ronyx is saving those treats for a later chapter. I believed Seth to be a lot smarter than Stacy until this chapter, but it would seem he has taken one of her stupidity pills. He is at least aware though that his reaction to Craig’s dismissal of their trysts is absurd. Stacy is too stupid to realise anything is amiss at all in her relationship with Craig. I can only hope this story concludes with her as a corpse, in a nunnery or in a same-sex relationship with Maggie. Roni disappointed again with her plea on behalf of Craig for Seth to keep quiet and accept Craig's trysts with him were all a big mistake. I wonder how she would feel if someone encouraged Cindy to state her relationship with Roni was all a big mistake. Not too bloody pleased I would think. Once again I think Seth should have told her to go fuck herself. I don' t think he should broadcast he has had sex with Craig (I would be too ashamed to admit I had sex with such a loser), but he should not deny, at least to himself, that it was all a big mistake, poor judgment perhaps, but hey he was horny and opportunities presented themselves. Craig will not have to worry about Stacy castrating him as he has no balls to remove. If his rocket fails to launch on a second occasion he may find Stacy less agreeable to keeping quiet. He could always attempt to quell any suspicion by laying the blame at Stacy’s feet, she is after all a thoroughly unlikeable person. Blake is perhaps the most principled and sensible of all the main characters @weinerdog. He is certainly the most honest to and about himself. I had high hopes for Aunt Marie, but alas she let me down again in this chapter. I suppose I am being unrealistic in thinking an aunt would chastise a niece or nephew for bad behaviour, but she could at least have taken to Stacy with a meat cleaver. A riotous chapter again @Ronyx. I feel like Sheena, an observer gobsmacked, but guiltily entertained by the animals in the circus. Although I despise the use of animals in a circus, those in this circus garner no sympathy from me.

I had a great chuckle at the spelling mistake "food" instead of "good" Chris.

The biggest development in this chapter, which I think has been building for a while, was Bryan's declaration of love for Steve. He has seemingly shed most, if not all, his opposition to Steve, and has recognised that Steve is not only good for Diego, but also for Caleb and himself. After reading the confrontation between Diego and Calvin I have had many different speculations as to the reason Calvin wants to see his boys. All speculations relate to financial gain. I am wondering if he is stupid and/or desperate enough to try and kidnap them to force Diego to pay a ransom for them. Bryan's continuing display of emotion may ultimately be therapeutic. Kenny is certainly assisting in this respect. He, Kenny, is not ashamed to display his emotions, even if he is teased by other students for doing so. @John Henry the revelation as to Calvin's motive must surely be getting closer as he appears to be becoming more brazen or is it desperate.

From the pen of a slightly younger cranky old bastard (I was born in 1963 so my truly formative years were the 1970's), I have to agree with much, if not all of what you opine @drsawzall. I think the ethos of many developed nations is similar to that of the USA, although perhaps not as extreme. I may be wrong, but I think the obsession with "celebrity culture" is pervasive world-wide, but perhaps at it's most repugnant in your homeland. For me personally, the "gun culture" and extreme religious conservatism of many of your fellow Americans is something I cannot understand or tolerate at all. I could lament for 10's of thousands of words about the decline of civility, civic pride and compassion, the appalling treatment of animals and the destruction of the environment, but it mostly seems to fall on deaf ears. It is "communities" like GA which afford me admiration for some of my fellow species, something which declines with each passing year. I think one of your fellow countrymen has mentioned the Texas energy abomination in comments before which I have read, and if I remember who it was correctly, he is a proud Republican, but even he was appalled. I am well aware that not all Texans are the same, but as a non-American I have to say Texas, Georgia (except for Atlanta), Florida (particularly in more recent times) and smaller states such as Kansas and Alabama, are synonymous with bigotry, stupidity, cruelty, religious zealotry and right-wing solidarity.

Hopefully Aunt Marie's behaviour was typical in this chapter because she is the first reasonable, pleasant and sane XX chromosome human to appear in this story, although she too indulged Stacy's bad behaviour by allowing her to disappear immediately she had consumed her dinner so she did not have to help with the clean up. Speaking of Satan I, her treatment of Seth worsens with each passing chapter. I am not offended by any expletives and use them frequently myself, but the vitriol with which she uses them when demeaning or demanding something of Seth infuriates me. She is trash through and through and should be treated accordingly. Uncle Steve summed her up well; he clearly recognises her for what she is. Roni, what a disappointment she was in this chapter. Her anger with Seth and the manner in which she spoke to him warranted a severe tongue-lashing at least. Who the fuck does she think she is. Her blaming Seth for Craig's current unhappiness pissed me off. Firstly it is none of her damn business and secondly, the only "blame" which could be levelled at Seth for Craig's predicament is that he did not say no to Craig when he instigated all their sexual encounters. If I had been in Seth's shoes I would have told her to go fuck herself. The only consistently likeable humans in Seth's orbit are Aunt Marie and Uncle Steve (although they have only made one brief appearance to date), Ty and Blake. The latter has many problems certainly, but he is at heart a kind person, or at least he appears to be. As for the rest of the cast, kerosene and a lit match would improve them all. I am loving this story @Ronyx. I don't recall ever reading a story where I am having so much fun hating so many of the main characters. Ghastly, horrible people abound. It must be what attending a Republican convention or a NRA meeting would be like.

Some things NEVER change. Stacy and Maggie are still the daughters of Satan and Stacy's mother still not only indulges her appalling behaviour, but rewards it. I have changed my mind @Ronyx, Stacy needs a visit from Carrie and Freddy Krueger. Craig is still a confused, entitled and now seemingly dangerous arsehole. For all the tragedy that has permeated Blake's life he retains a quick wit and dark sense of humour at times. “There’s not much to say,” he began. “I’m gay.” He paused and waited for a reaction from Roni, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she reached down and gripped his hand. Tears welled up in his eyes, and I thought he was going to cry. “I came out to my parents when I was thirteen. They’ve hated me ever since. Mom keeps telling me that I am the child of the Devil.” Tears started flowing when he said, “She hit me once when I told her she shouldn’t have fucked him.” What a vile woman. Perhaps Carrie and Freddy can pay her a visit too. I do hope you have some truly dastardly "rewards" planned as justice for Stacy, Maggie and Blake's parents in particular @Ronyx.

Bryan has acted foolishly by not disclosing the truth about Calvin earlier to Diego, but one has to admire his maturity in "copping" his punishment. He could so easily have reacted in a surly and hostile manner, but he recognised and accepted Diego's statement that he would be lost if he were to lose either Bryan or Caleb, ant that for this reason he was being punished. Kudos to Bryan for admitting he was in the wrong.

I am nothing if not predictable @Andre Delport, but I was particularly pleased my favourite member of the Devlin-Major family, Rascal, had a larger role to play in this chapter than he has for some time. And as usual, he delighted all with his playfulness. As noted by several of my fellow readers, the gastronomical delights were to the fore again. Even the non-vegetarian seafood dishes had my mouth watering; not as much of course as the delicious aubergine, tomatoes, avocados and peppers which are amongst my favourite vegetables. And the wines sounded most appealing too. To describe food with such passion and exquisite beauty I imagine you must be a gourmand yourself.

It is easy for me to say sitting in my "ivory tower" @John Henry, but I am starting to lose patience with Bryan and his continual bad decision making. He is clearly not a stupid teenager, but he is certainly doing a damn good job of behaving like one. I am sure you will have a rational explanation as to why he has still not disclosed Calvin's stalking behaviour to Diego, but it is certainly puzzling me. Kenny's summation of the situation was brilliant “so you, somehow, expect the man, who left you with a near complete stranger to chase pussy across the country, to find it in his heart to honor the wishes of a 14-year-old he has no real connection to, outside of DNA?”. And, I think Kenny had every right to be pissed off with Bryan on this occasion. "I promise you haven't been told the truth about me or what happened.” Calvin's lies and deceit appear never ending. He should seriously consider running as a Republican candidate in an election or creating his own mega-church.

I have not until this chapter had any issue with Seth's behaviour. I have had no issue with him having sex with Craig as I think he is well aware that Craig is only using him, although he does at times appear to believe he means more to Craig than just a convenient fuck. I also have no issue with him fucking his sister's alleged boyfriend as she deserves nothing but Seth's contempt. In this chapter though he finally went too far. He was unnecessarily rude to Blake and for that I have given him a virtual slap. Speaking of the little skank Stacy; I did not think I could loathe her anymore than I already did, but she proved me wrong once again in this chapter with her behaviour. And once again Mommie Dearest enabled her selfish, brattish, childish behaviour. I felt guilty @Ronyx, albeit very briefly, for wishing she be subjected to vile unspeakable treatment, treatment that even Carrie would have trouble inflicting. I just hope that when the chaos in Seth's life reaches its peak that Stacy is the chief sufferer in any fallout, and if it is not too much to ask, I want Maggie to suffer greatly too. It appears as if you have been correct all along @weinerdog. Craig's enjoyment of sex with Seth suggests that his continual denial "I'm not gay" is on increasingly shaky ground, particularly when he seems to have little interest in females, although in the case of his alleged "girlfriend" that is perfectly understandable.

Simon very much was @raven1. As commented by @Mancunian "One important aspect that it clearly shows, is that mistreatment in childhood can, and often does, have severe lasting effects on people. This can lead someone to behave in a way that could have possibly been prevented by better parenting and/or earlier intervention."

I agree @chris191070. I am not usually at all sympathetic towards the perpetrators of such heinous crimes, but in this case I felt a surprising degree of sympathy for Simon. I have to wonder if it was Simon who enjoyed hunting with his grandfather or if it was Max who did so. The viciousness of the attacks on Bobby and Ricki was the sign of a very disturbed mind. Although the story was primarily serious and disturbing, I did find humour in the name of the first suspect. The bullshit and hatred which he spewed forth when questioned was reminiscent of the irrational diatribe of an infamous American political figure with whom he shares one of his names.

What an insufferable, nasty, uptight little bitch Lauren (aka Barbie) was; a member of 'Moms for Liberty' in the making. Ms Justice would be very proud of her arrogance and bigotry. And as for Thomas Walker, he would be best treated to a journey like the one described in @drsawzall's joke (I had never heard this before, and as someone who works with lawyer's it gave me a great laugh). I think Diego would be well served to talk to Steve's lawyer friend. Diego's revelations of Calvin's prior behaviour whilst shocking surprised me somewhat as I thought it would be even worse. I found the most telling was the admission by his mother that he had been an habitual liar since childhood. @John Henry another most enjoyable chapter. I am beginning to think Steve is going to play a major part in any protection or rescue of Bryan and/or Caleb from whatever dastardly plan Calvin has in mind.

I am a teen of the 70's too @JohnnyC, having grown up in rural Australia. My teenage years were filled with the usual angst, but I certainly did not have to worry about fellow students coming to school armed with weapon(s), ridiculous social media, climate change and global pandemics. I also had wonderful music to accompany me through my teenage years.

Love those predictions @weinerdog. In reading them I have come to the conclusion the "chaos" in Seth's life will reach its peak at the school dance and the chaos will not just be restricted to his own life. I think all the cast are likely to experience some degree of chaos directly before, during or after the school dance. Now if only I could persuade @Ronyx to invite Carrie or maybe the spawn of Carrie to the school dance. She would make quick work of Stacy, Maggie and Craig. I thought for a fleeting moment Mommie Dearest was going to FINALLY treat Stacy like the spoilt brat she is, but no she let her get away with murder again. Mommie Dearest needs to obtain a large shillelagh or switch and when Stacy behaves like a spoilt 2-5 year old, deliver a good whack across the bag of the legs which may stop her from being such a bitch. As for the way she speaks to Seth, it is about time he slapped her in the face, consequences be damned. She has displayed no redeeming features at all to date so it is hard to imagine she has any. Seth needs to be very careful with Blake not to lead him on or behave inconsistently with him. Blake is very fragile and seems drawn to Seth for comfort, which Seth is providing to a certain degree. I also suspect Blake is far more attracted to Seth than what Seth realises. Another entertaining chapter @Ronyx. Momentum is building for chaos beyond our imagination. I look forward to it.

I'm still not Chris and I could be the grandfather of a teenager.

The reason I chose the 'Angry' emoticon in respect of your comment above @Mattyboy was because of the content of the second sentence. I had exactly the same thought as you. Regardless of the fact the sperm donor abandoned his children, I think it is a very plausible explanation that a right-wing church or right-wing group with religious affiliation e.g. groups named as extremist by the Southern Poverty Law Centre, some of which have been started by wealthy Karen's (read hateful bitches) who don't like COVID safety measures in schools, who agitate to ban books and limit discussion about race and LGBTQ identities, providing financial support etc to ensure Bryan and Caleb are removed from the "clutches of an evil faggot". Mind you these same see you next Tuesday's would not then provide any ongoing support for the care of Bryan and Caleb. These people are a blight on humanity and the best argument yet for retrospective abortion. I just hope Calvin has not "conveniently found God". Another well written chapter @John Henry. I am not sure I agree with @drsawzall that things are as dire yet as he seems to think, but I do think every time Bryan communicates with the sperm donor he is increasing the chances that something bad is going to happen to him and/or Caleb. He needs to tell Diego NOW what is happening.

You have not been deprived @drpaladin.

I strongly disagree with any reviews comparing any of your works to Call Me By Your Name (the film anyway). I suspect from the little I have read the original screenplay as written by James Ivory may have been quite different, particularly when compared to the screenplay he wrote for Maurice, another gay-themed film which he also directed. One critic described Call Me By Your Name as "craven commercialism" and a "super-bourgeois fantasy" that "exploit[s] the queer audience's romantic needs by packaging them and falsifying them". Quite accurate I think. Then again I also disliked Brokeback Mountain, which really surprised me as I had seen three Ang Lee film's before this, including another gay-themed film, The Wedding Banquet, and thought all three were magnificent. I will no doubt incur the ire of some, but I thought Heath Ledger's performance was woeful and the film needed a severe editing.

I am sure @James Carnarvon would make a much better film than Call Me By Your Name (not that it would be difficult). I am still amazed the screenplay was written by the wonderful James Ivory, although according to the film's Wikipedia entry, the screenplay was substantially altered by the director, much to the film's detriment I think. The performance of all the actors I thought very good, it was just the story was so "thin", it was akin to watching a travelogue promoting the part of Italy in which it was set as a tourist destination.

@raven1, Frankie Howerd was similar to Benny Hill and the comedy of Are You Being Served in that his comedy featured lots of double entendres and sauciness, delivered deadpan. He was similarly camp to Kenneth Williams, although I don't think quite as affected. He died the day before Benny Hill and the two were supposedly friends. The three shows you mentioned were enormously popular in Australia. Benny Hill even had a number 1 hit on the music charts with Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West), which was also hugely popular in the UK. Your comment regarding @James Carnarvon selling the Ravello stories to the BBC was "spooky". I was only thinking myself recently that the stories would, if "properly" done, be a perfect vehicle for short 3-4 episode TV series per book, the kind of series the BBC does (or at least has done in the past and may still do except I don't watch TV to know) very well. Perhaps the Pet Shop Boys could be commissioned to write some suitable music for the series and James would have to be retained as a consultant at least, if not the script writer.