Summerabbacat

"Dean’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “I don’t know. But not that. If I wanna hook up, I can do that. What we had… did,” he paused, jaw working “it wasn’t just that. I like being with you. Just don’t,” his voice dropped “don’t go telling people. You do, and you’ll see your dad. Understand?” I have to disagree with my fellow readers who seem to be supportive of a relationship of some sort between Dean and Kris. I was leaning towards this too, until Dean made the comment above. The comment may have been made in jest or was merely a throwaway comment, but I don't care. I may have no sense of humour, but a threat such as this should not be taken lightly. Any smidgen of respect I had for Dean was extinguished by this comment. I no longer care if he is repressed, struggling with his feelings, depressed, sad or whatever. He is a fuckwit and Kris should stay the hell away from him.

Damn it if my "hay fever" did not play up again reading this chapter @Lee Wilson, runny nose and streaming eyes such that it looks like I have been weeping. This story has provoked my hay fever to play up on several occasions nhow. Yesterday it was 34°C and today it was 36°C supposedly, real @Summerabbacat weather except it has been windy too, which is what can cause the hay fever in the first instance. Continuing with the @Lee Wilson lite themes in this story (thus far), this chapter was one which sadly closed an era of what appears to have been a very happy life for Darren to date, apart from the recent death of his parents. He is fortunate to have already been in a relationship with Luca, otherwise he would likely have ended up in foster care.

It's not a red herring @weinerdog. It is what @Mark Ponyboy Peters and @Summerabbacat would call a Rock Lobster. A massively successful Rock Lobster. And if you want more words of wisdom and fun follow Kate, Cindy, Fred and Keith to the Funplex.

North it is @Gary L. Newcastle is the 2nd largest city in NSW after Sydney, with a population of approximately 510,000 compared to Sydney's 5.5 million.

Prepare to drool, erect and moisten (and that's just from listening to his voice).

Louis is very kind-hearted, assisting Ian and Charlie with tasks which would be very simple for most of us, but ones which presented Ian and Charlie with a real "challenge". Hopefully this will not make him an easy target when Thomas comes-a-calling for Farouk's Nimrud Panther.

Indeed you did, and I took absolutely no notice of you at all @Mark Ponyboy Peters as they hurt my nose. I am such a "delicate" little thing, I use a sleeve instead. The first time I heard a song by Cigarettes After Sex I was unsure of the gender of the lead singer. When I looked at a photograph of him online I got such a shock. His appearance seems completely at odds with his voice. I discovered them whilst listening to Orville Peck's last album on Youtube music one night. Do you like Orville @Mark Ponyboy Peters? He is smokin' hot, even with all his tattoos, and the boy can sing. I like me some female country singers, but very few male country singers. Orville is one of a select few.

I have to wonder what disturbs Liam more; the fact that Adrian appears to be attracted to him, or the fact that Adrian reminds him of Kevin and he is attracted to him, even if only subconsciously. Does Liam feel that he will be betraying Kevin if he finds love/companionship or something entirely different again? A most enjoyable read @ChromedOutCortex.

I have only just today realised @Mark Ponyboy Peters how many of your male characters, both straight and gay, occasionally (or more often) let their hair down and have a really good sob. This must be why I find so many of them appealing. They are "man enough" to do so, not succumbing to toxic masculinity bullshit which says grown men who cry are pussies, pansies, poofters or whatever other insult boneheads who think like this utter. Rick expressed his melancholy and sorrow on several occasions in this chapter, and was all the more attractive for doing so. "As we approached Stockton Cemetery, my heart skipped a little as I thought of my best friend, my lover, now lying there at rest." This kicked off my "hay fever" tears with a vengeance; and, "It was done from a photo I knew well, that Tom had taken of Martin and me, standing on the river bank behind their house and all dressed up for our high-school formal, standing back to back, each with our arms folded across our chest and our heads turned towards the camera, sunglasses pushed up onto our heads and grinning madly. We thought we were just so cool! " had me wailing like a Nonna at a funeral. "The kitchen was still that gaudy nineteen-seventies combination of lime green and orange, accompanied by sunflower yellow paint on the walls". Clearly I am going to like Tom and Beth immensely. the only thing which could have improved the kitchen would have been a divan covered in shocking pink and Prince-purple fabric. The message is in the title of this song, from a band I only "discovered" recently and like very much.

I think you have been watching too much CSI San Diego (?) @weinerdog or is this your empath skills coming to the fore again?

Just the one @Quixo? I had a bucketful, but am blaming it on hay fever. It was supposedly 34°C in Sydney today, nice and warm but with so much pollen and dust and overnight smoke from burn-off for the impending bushfire season, my two cats and I have been sneezing on and off all day, and have had sore runny eyes.

IF, and it is a very big IF, she likes cats, Sara and Keren, and accepts Rick is gay and not a lesser person because of this, I will consider forgiving her. If any one of these conditions is not met, she can take a hike.

I thought Tad was 16 and Jake 18 which is not that much of a difference, well at least in numbers.

Rick's sister, Gina, was/is a hard-faced bitch; bloated by gluttony and poisoned by homophobia; a toxic twat with tuck-shop arms, over-bleached hair and dressed in a too-tight baby pink tracksuit and ugg boots. Rick got out and made a life for himself. Where is Gina now you may ask? I respond, who fucking cares. Whilst I share some of @weinerdog's and @akascrubber's concerns regarding Rick's disclosure of information about the intended safe house for Jimmy and Shane, I suspect (or is it merely hope) Rick is a good judge of character given his profession. We also don't really know anything about the relationship between Rick and Adam. How, where and how long ago did they meet? What is Adam's profession and how has he managed to do so well for himself financially? Was he born into wealth or is he a self-made man? Interestingly Rick and Helen appear to have come from a very different home environment, one from a life of doing without and the other from a life of private schools and the best orthodontists money could buy.

AC Barrett has a wife and children. This makes me despise him even more, a "beard" and children whom he has used to further his career, presenting himself as a regular "family man". 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 When he is sent down for his part in Jarvis' criminal activities I hope Fergus "Fistfucker" Fletcher takes a fancy to AC Barrett and teaches him to submit to the real "headmaster's" discipline. Casey was very brave to appear at Jarvis' bail hearing. He could so easily have been spotted. Rick is forming an attachment to all the boys thus far. I hope not only for their sakes, but for the sake of Rick too, none of them come to any harm. I was not fond of Adam in earlier chapters, but I did not once think he might have any link to Jarvis or to the murders, more of which I suspect will occur. Will Jimmy Tan be the next victim? Although it is unlikely they are linked to the Mardi Gras murders, I certainly won't lose any sleep if Jarvis, Azzopardi, Ryan or Barrett end up "in the drink" like Alexis did. I wonder if Jarvis has any links to any outlawed motor cycle gangs or large drug dealers? You have a captive audience @Mark Ponyboy Peters, surely the hallmark of a tale well told.

Paul was "sacrificed" because of a prior "indiscretion" on Razi's part. No surprises his indiscretion was a right-wing "family-values" Republican who liked it rough. As desperately sad as Paul's murder was, two good things will eventuate from it; the "liberation" of Thaddeus Yoder and the rehabilitation of Jake Sheridan. Perhaps a little romance may be on the radar for the two @Josh Aterovis?

"From down the hall came Marcus’s muffled voice, soft, almost to himself: “It’s okay, little brother. You don’t gotta hide forever.” Given this comment from Marcus, methinks he may suspect what is troubling Dean. I understand his fears, the fact he was "conditioned" by his father to be ashamed of what he most likely is, but it is about time he put his big boy pants on, and became a "real man", a man who likes cock and is neither afraid nor ashamed to admit it. Like @Davide, I think Dean is being a dick to Leah, although I would use a far harsher word in describing his behaviour towards her like arsehole or c u next Tuesday. Leah is not entirely blameless of course, seemingly having already conjured in her mind a far greater relationship between the two than what has transpired between them to date. She has been quite obvious in what direction she would like the "relationship" to head, so much so that even Dean is aware of it. He should therefore be honest with her instead of using her as a beard. Until Dean sorts himself out and ceases his pity party I think Kris should also be very wary of getting "in too deep" with someone who has the emotional maturity of a millennial princess. The last thing Kris needs in his life is a user and abuser, characteristics Dean has displayed in varying degrees. This story has a real depth to it @ChromedOutCortex, real people with real problems. And as annoying as I am finding Dean I do have sympathy for him and "get" where he is coming from. I just think he needs a kick in the arse to get him moving in the right direction.

"Undress,” he ordered. They were in the large living room, and the temperature was just right. Yet, the field mouse wrapped his arms around himself as if he’d just been ordered to strip on a floating iceberg. “You could buy me dinner first,” Jack admonished him." For someone who is quite näive in many ways, Jack is very quick with a witty retort. I find it very amusing he is so easily able to irritate and confound Theodore, and at the same time reduce him to a mass of sexual frustration with just a hint of shoulder or a flash of his delicate, pale and hairless chest. Jack seems completely oblivious to his sexual magnetism, believing himself to be ordinary, without any sex appeal. Perhaps he should take inspiration from the stunning Sheena Easton who changed from "innocent" girl next door to Prince-duetting sex kitten. I may be gay but I am not blind. Sheena was smokin' hot, a real babe.

I am a big Madonna fan @drsawzall (and yes I am a stereotype), but this is a travesty. I absolutely loathe American Pie by Don McLean, and Madge's version is even worse in the eyes of, or should it be the ears to, @Summerabbacat.

A "fixer" with a conscience? A little Belgian, well perhaps not so little, and seemingly one without the same degree of pomposity as another well known Belgian. It seems Louis was right; Charlie and Kelsey are having a "rough patch" at the moment. I wonder if cocaine might be the problem, or perhaps an ego the size of Stonehenge. And what will be in store for Louis when Tom visits. Tom, who is burned out, and apparently will become reluctant to leave. Perhaps Louis may be able to put him to work to earn his keep. If he is burned out, some good old-fashioned physical labour may well be the cure for what ails him, a sound body to restore a sound mind. Of course, he may be a lazy slob who thinks he can scrounge off Louis given their history. A Tom and a Thomas? Things could get very interesting. Will one of them be doubting? If too many cooks spoil the broth, what do too many Tom/Thomas' spoil? This one is chugging along quite nicely thank you @Robert Hugill.

It certainly appears Razi is the murderer, but this may be where @Josh Aterovis has his greatest guffaw yet. Aterovisian laughter heard all around the world. He wants us to think Razi is the killer to hide the identity of the real killer, Carmen. Yes, that Carmen. Born Carmine Tennanbaum, into a prominent Argentine Jewish family, a family who suffered greatly at the hands of Fenton Black, born Guillermo Morales, a notorious anti-Semite who collaborated with corrupt government officials in Argentina in the 1970's to torture and kill civilians who disagreed with the government of the day. Fenton got a great thrill out of this, and enjoyed it even more if the victims were Jewish. Then again, I still have not completely eliminated Elvis or Tronald Dump, an arch enemy of Fenton's who was using Paul to get to Fenton, until Paul began to suspect him of some shady dealings too, along with his wife, Melange Karshadianskaya, a former model and Hare Krishna devotee, whose favourite colour remains orange.

We are like minded individuals @grinningdog, the human animals are the least appealing, and ALWAYS the most troublesome.

Uncle Phil, a pillar of the community; a rapist, possibly rapist of an underage teenager as we don't know for sure what age Daniel was when Uncle Phil raped him. Raped him on camera to "appeal" to those who would get off on it. Sick, sick fuckers. When Uncle Phil goes down I hope he is NOT put into protective custody. No one will hear him scream his first time. Daniel will have to be monitored very closely, particularly when he starts taking his medication. I am pleased his psychiatrist wanted to see him in 2 weeks to check on the efficacy of the medication.

I agree with a number of my fellow readers who have aired their scepticism regarding Miguel's interest in Hunter. He may be telling the truth that he has a desire for a genuine friendship, one based on who he is rather than what others' think he is. Time will tell. And I have to agree with @andy cannon and his shout out to Max. Max will be Hunter's most loyal friend, and likely protector too. I was very impressed Hunter insisted his dog must be a rescue from a shelter, and not a lapdog or a purse pet.