Summerabbacat

"Mother knew how I felt and sympathised: she didn't trust him either. But his generosity, no matter how controlling, had been a necessary lubricant in our lives." What a marvellous use of the word lubricant @Robert Hugill. The overall description of Uncle Edwin made me think of Louis' Uncle Vernon, both perhaps involved in some "shady" dealings, although it appears Uncle Edwin has been somewhat more successful than Uncle Vernon, and does not come with the cloud of a "missing" artefact over his head. I see that Staines is a real town, not one you have constructed by splicing together characteristics of two or more real towns. A rather unfortunate name though, which has according to its Wikipedia entry, been changed to Staines-upon-Thames, "thanks" primarily to it being the home town of Ali G. The continued reference to Alex's mother as Mother made me think of Vaughn, whose Mother I seem to recall eventually did "acquire" a given name, but I can still only remember her being referred to as Mother. The source of Alex's nickname of Sandy was a hoot. The iconic scene of Sandy the good girl, suddenly appearing decked out in very form-fitting, high-waisted leggings and off the shoulder top, had me laughing to think of Alex similarly attired. Neil as a hunk. Now that surprised me @Robert Hugill. Perhaps he should be decked out as Danny.

That is most unfortunate. Given what is pushy loud-mouthed bitch she apparently is, I can sympathise with the school administrator(s) and principal, but they were foolish to take her word for it. I assume the police will have to provide a response to her regarding the report she filed. Hopefully she will be admonished for filing a false report, although I guess unless the police are able to prove she knowingly did so, their hands are tied. I imagine she will have further alienated Benjamin with this action and he will have nothing to do with her, although given her behaviour she may not care. I would be very surprised if she had finished yet @Paladin. She strikes me as someone who does not like to lose, and having "lost" twice now, she will only become even more vengeful. Speaking of Noah and Maria, will we see a more significant appearance by the former and any appearance by the latter at all during this story?

I assume Natasha works at the school to which she lied about court orders made regarding any change to the childrens' school records having to be approved by her. If my assumption is correct, I am hopeful Natasha will either be sacked (which is not likely) or at least subject to disciplinary action of some sort. I am also hopeful Natasha may be charged with filing a false police report or at least fined for doing so. She really is quite stupid for having done this, particularly if she tries to make further false reports, which would not surprise me at all. Natasha has fired, or should I say, misfired several salvos now @Paladin. Perhaps Martin may need to take some punitive action of his own. It would be interesting to know if the court orders made when she and Martin divorced could be revisited in light of her deceit, and if any changes could be made thereto. I think Martin should not underestimate the lows to which she will go, particularly when she finds out about his newly discovered father and his significant wealth.

I think @Doha may be correct. Jack and Vince may learn something from either Tharion or Theodore as a pup which will help adult Theodore to overcome what he is facing in the present. They just have to find Theo in the present to defeat the forces of evil which appear to be swirling around all three. Your imagination is boundless @Laura S. Fox. A very impressive chapter.

I have to wonder what it is that has "drawn" Russell to Fabian as "the one" to take his place in the band? Is it merely Fabian's reverence for Russell's green guitar and/or his obvious appreciation of the band's work, or is it something more personal? The comments of my fellow readers on this chapter in particular @Lee Wilson, indicate you have another winner with this story, quirky and unique. I noticed in this chapter Stars & Slackers have become S&S, just like Electric Light Orchestra became ELO. Just imagine if the band had been named Stars & Meteorites, they may have had a very specific following.

Jeez Louise, reading your well written summation had my hay fever playing up again and it is autumn in Sydney, Australia.

Well that was a delightful, cheerful and positive chapter until near the end @Mark Ponyboy Peters, when it became a bit of a sob-fest again (damn hay fever). Ultimately, I believe the tears shed will strengthen the relationship between Patrick and his cousins, Patricia and Katherine, and his Aunty Rose and Uncle Max. I was somewhat surprised when Kieran indicated he knew very little of Patrick's parents as they have never been mentioned that he can recall. Seemingly, they are not well liked by their relatives, perhaps part of the reason being their treatment of Patrick. And Patrick's disclosure of the death of his lover from an AIDS-related illness only added to the sense of waste I imagine he, and perhaps his cousins, Aunt and Uncle felt at the fracture of their family for so many years. One can only hope they can rekindle some of their youthful closeness and happiness, which I suspect will be very welcome by Patrick, who may become a confidant for Kieran and Charlie as they move forward with their relationship. An outstanding chapter, one which caught me by surprise at the end, bringing back many memories of the late 1980's and into the 1990's. A very, very, moving chapter. I hope going forward Kieran and Charlie are also able to forge a closer friendship with the Thompsonville Six.

Stop The Music? Convince his incubator he is a worthy human being 😢😢😢.

Why restrict it just to Sam @Cane23, all three of them need a fucking hiding. If Sam gets nothing from his father's estate he will not be hanging around to help the bitch who is their mother. He only ever shows up for money or a place to sleep. Once their father starts on rigorous treatment for his cancer, will Sam stick around? I doubt it. And what about their useless mother, she will expect to be chauffeured to the hospital to visit him. Presumably she cannot drive, well then catch the bus bitch or walk. OMG what a hideous family James has. Not one of the three has a redeeming feature. It seems James has always been on the outer, and for what reason?

I understand the arsehole is often referred to as a rosebud by those who enjoy fisting @drsawzall. I wonder if Bastien falls into this category.

Splendid comments @Jjeffalch. James' mother is every bit the bully his father is, she just does it in a quieter manner and with stealth. She is very manipulative, particularly in aiding and abetting "poor Sam"s behaviour. James enables her to treat him like shit, seemingly out of respect and pity for her as she plays the helpless victim, just like Sam does. In many ways I prefer James' father. He is a bigoted arsehole to be sure, but he has not "used" James like his mother has. I am far less polite than you though @Jjeffalch. I am of the same school of thought as @CincyKris.

On Love? On A Feeling? On Classics? @Robert Hugill does manage to "reel us in" very quickly with each new story, doesn't he. And I noted The Art Of Living at #3 in the Most Read Mystery genre on GA for the month ending 24/04/26. I can almost hear Eileen saying "Shitting hell Bobby, there is life left in the old girl yet. The peasants must love reading about the lives of those in the arty commune, and probably like my dry sense of humour too".

It is an unusual premise @Lee Wilson, but one which is proving to be very interesting thus far. Fortunately Fabian appears to have enough talent as a guitar player even without Russell's "assistance" from beyond the grave. No Milli Vanilli-like deception on Fabian's part. I know S&S are a hard rock group, but I would love for Fabian to do an extended solo guitar homage to Prince on Purple Rain.

James’ mother is a bitch, a truly despicable user. It is no wonder Sam is a user, he is just like his mother. It won’t happen of course, but James should drop his mother off at the hospital, go home and NEVER return to his parents home, switch his phone off and pretend his parents and brother are dead. Let them rot.

I know the songs by AC/DC @Lee Wilson. Fabian is very respectful, addressing S&S’ manager as Mr Leon. When he starts touring with the band they may have to give him lessons on how to trash hotel rooms, treat groupies and get drunk. His youthful appearance may be very popular with groupies, but all the sex will occur “off stage” of course.

Damn! I did not notice that. How about the Clinton definition of sex then? Maybe you can name the guitar Monica.

"Beauty was mandatory at Veridien. Lawrence took in the ornamental bushes that cinched the entrance wall like a belt. Early frost hadn’t yet blighted the red fruit, so it still clung aplenty to the twigs. Lukas’s toxicology report had been clear: no alcohol, no known narcotics, and no identifiable poisons. However, the forensic pathologist’s notes had made an interesting read – slight inflammation of the throat and signs of mild gastric irritation." and "Bastien raised his eyes. He looked at Lawrence from below, his eyes clear and passionless. “Mezereon,” he repeated. “Ingestion leads to poisoning. Not fatal if treated in time, of course.” I wonder if the two are linked? According to its Wikipedia entry, daphne mezereum, the mezereon, if ingested by humans causes its victims to experience a choking sensation. Handling the fresh twigs can cause rashes and eczema in sensitive individuals. Given this, did someone, perhaps Lukas' murderer, rub mezereon on both his throat and on his anus, before and/or after murdering him? And if so, was this in sexual retaliation, someone jealous of Lukas' sexual relationship with Bastien, someone who wanted Bastien all to himself, someone who is the mastermind of all what happens in Veridien Academy. Ali perhaps does not like Bastien or may be jealous of him, but I am almost certain he dislikes Anton, possibly intensely. He, Anton, certainly gave off unfriendly vibes when Lawrence met him, and I suspect he has a very dark side to him, a ruthless intent if someone gets in the way of what he wants and believes he is entitled to.

A very impressive conclusion @Josh Aterovis. Ricky and Joyner are scum and I don't care what happens to them, but Alexander was a "victim" of his mother's alcoholism and Ricky's greed and bullying. I know he shot Bridget, but I still have sympathy for him. I am sad that we may have seen the last of Seth and to a lesser extent Micah, but as for Arsehair, good riddance. Now the "burning" question for me, is Eve still kicking?

I did not expect she would; I was being a little facetious.

Perhaps Alex could write something for The Pink Singers to sing @Robert Hugill. I listened to Byrd's Mass for Five Voices on a Youtube clip and it was quite pleasant. Not something I would buy or listen to often, but certainly better than heavy metal or rap. I wonder if Alex has similar characteristics to the poet, Grey Philpott? It is difficult at this point in time to imagine a romantic liaison between Alex and Neil, but then one must remember Vince Philpott and his relationship with Peter. And more importantly, will Venetia Murray make an unwelcome return in this story? A pleasantly soothing opening chapter @Robert Hugill. The piece above reminded me somewhat of Rufus Wainwright's Agnus Dei.

Did you mean Fabian rather than Nigel @weinerdog? If so, I think your speculation is a distinct possibility, especially in Wilsonlandia. Paranormal gay sex @Lee Wilson? The guitar, long considered a phallic symbol, literally becomes a phallic symbol, with Russell bewitching Fabian and Fabian behaving like a cocaine-fuelled groupie.

It looks very picturesque and pristine.

It might work to your fantasy's advantage @weinerdog. Jacy would be so distraught he would need to seek comfort in the arms of another. Fletcher would not be able to comfort him as he would be dealing with his own grief, so Jacy would turn to Killian for comfort, and voilà.

The manner of Russell Anderson's death brought forth memories of Bat Out Of Hell by Meatloaf and perhaps the greatest death disc of all, Leader Of The Pack by The Shangri-Las. An interesting start to your latest offering @Lee Wilson. Did you ever visit Parsippany when you lived in New Jersey? Some very impressive architecture on very old houses.

Very entertaining @Josh Aterovis.