Modified Cub

It was nice for Dad to take Joey out for breakfast and to have a heartfelt talk with him. It took Ryan's backstory for him to connect the dots a little but still he supports and loves Joey no matter what and is rooting for him and Jack. I don't know why Joey is so shaken by Jack finding out about him and Roman unless more happened that hasn't been revealed? Great chapter!

Joey's insecurity and inability to see things rationally are a weakness but he's a teenager and we all were there and acted in much the same way probably. Roman is indeed the best. I see where Joey's coming from regarding his pay but he does get taken well care of by his parents and so while he thinks it sucks it's actually quite even with the other workers.

Whew, that dream at the beginning was 🔥!!! Glad to see that Joey's mom eased up on him regarding the punishment. It seems that the brotherly bonding was innocent although it seems odd that Joey didn't realize his sexuality was leaning in the male-male direction. Maybe Ro's bi-curious? Nice of the family to surprise Joey by bringing Jack home a day earlier but I'm sure the honeymoon phase will end at some point. Great chapter and nice to see some happiness again!

It's sad to see how Shaun's parents are treating Joey especially considering how close they were but it does appear that they'll make Joey out to be the reason why Shaun did it. It's rather mature of Joey to not attend the funeral although I think he'll regret it at some point. Good to see Joey & Dean bond and really embrace their feelings rather than bury them. Dean's mom is hilarious and was a bright spot in this dark but necessary chapter. Great writing as always!

When I saw the chapter title I immediately thought Shaun was gonna hurt Jack or Joey or maybe embarrass Joey in some major way, but not suicide. Although the numerous missed calls and texts to Joey did ring alarm bells. As well as his messages to Dean. It's tragic and obviously Shaun had much deeper problems than just being jealous of his best friend getting with his crush. His injuries and the treatment by his "parents" didn't help the situation either. I love Orca! He's a refreshing character and maybe will fit in to the friend group - not as a replacement for Shaun obviously - but maybe someone else Joey can turn to for support and friendship. Another strongly written chapter full of various emotions. Bravo Mr. Matthews.

So Shaun was pining for Jack for 2 years and didn't have the balls to pursue him and when Joey lets things happen naturally and Shaun sees how happy J&J are, along with his physical altercation with Joey and having to come out to his parents (or the school outing him in a letter), he literally lost his mind. I think Joey was justified in the way he reacted to Shaun's pathetic excuses for his lies and although he needs to tame his own temper at least Joey had enough foresight to not react physically again. Good on Roman for having Joey's back again. Superb writing and wow the rollercoaster ride continues - I hate rollercoasters but this one is too good not to enjoy!

Ah, the classic cliffhanger. Shaun's parents are disappointing to say the least. Toby seems like a good friend. Joey needs to speak up to his parents - I think he works pretty hard for a high school student. Loving Roman's character more and more. Great chapter!

I can see how Jack might be hesitant to be with Joey if he thinks he'll be violent towards him if they have even a basic argument. Joey's mom is a great one and although teenagers often take mom's for granted in their adolescent years I hope he'll eventually realize just how much she loves and cares for him. Shaun is pining for Joey and has been for years in my opinion. I'm rooting for Joey & Jack.

What a revealing chapter! Shaun has lost his mind. Great chapter!

Poor Jack!!! That POS "father" deserves whatever's coming his way. I hope Joey doesn't feel responsible once the adrenaline rush calms down and he realizes what likely prompted the POS to do what he did. Roman is a great supportive big bro and reappeared at just the right time to be there for his baby bro. SUPERB writing as always!

That swim meet was intense but way to go Jackson! An awesome chapter and finally the guys get their act together! Looking forward to the next chapter!

Great chapter! Glad to see Hunter's been healing and that Puppy has been taking Taylor's advice and standing up to Hunter. I too would've loved to have Cindy at the birthday bash! I'm relieved it's not over yet!

Another powerful yet insightful chapter. All of the comments above mine made great points. Taylor sharing more about the twins and how awful that accident was gave us a deeper look at what caused Hunter to lash out so urgently at Puppy after his carelessness with meth. I don't think Hunter meant what he said when he told Puppy he didn't love him or meant to actually physically hurt him. Hunter definitely has issues that he'll have to work on - provided he makes it through - which I hope he will. @James Matthewsyou're an incredibly gifted writer!

Good grief!!! I don't know how I made it through this heavy chapter. You had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The reasons Hunter gave were chilling and if watching his boyfriend try to take his own life isn't enough for Puppy to not follow others as a sheep then perhaps hearing about Hunter's twin will. Puppy will probably need some therapy for sure after that. I've got to know what happens next!

Great move on Max's part taking Puppy back to Greenstone to make him realize all the errors of his ways lately. Steven is being immature - that's what teenagers excel at - but he should've realized there would consequences for him too. It'll be interesting to see how the Hunter-Puppy dynamic progresses. Awesome chapter!

Great chapter. As obsessed as Dave was, Hunter has taken that to a new level. I suspect he cares a lot about Puppy but doesn't know what love is given his home situation. I thought the punishments were rather light but man don't piss off Susan!!! I think Max will demonstrate somehow to Puppy what happens when you develop a drug habit. I don't think Hunter will go away easily either. I wonder if the sexual incident at Jessie's will cause Steven to question his sexuality or maybe he's already questioned it and just threw caution to the wind and gave in to Puppy's insistent advances. I need the next chapter ASAP, lol!

That was a crazy chapter! Puppy made a couple of bad decisions here and although Steven's heart was in the right place, he also didn't think through what the implications of said decision could be. Not surprising considering these guys are teenagers though. I feel like Susan will have a fit when she finds out. It is admirable that Steven's willing to rescue his brother at a moment's notice - the growth in their relationship has been good for them both. I had hopes that Hunter, although a bit of a loner and a stoner, would ultimately not jeopardize his relationship with Jensen, it's obvious that he really is bored. I'm eagerly awaiting more!

Great chapter! Hunter's life hasn't been easy that's for sure. I wish Puppy would've been honest with his parents about Hunter's parents but he's still trying to figure out how to navigate relationships but like @chris191070stated I hope that doesn't begin a downward spiral for him. Hunter coming out certainly was a brilliant move in that it keeps people from wondering about his home life. I'm hoping Dave seeing a therapist of some sorts will help him move on.

Great chapter! Thank you!

Great first chapter! Gotta love the Puppy-Dave drama! I'm hoping Puppy can put the nightmare behind him soon. Hunter getting braids? That actually sounds hot to me!

I agree with @chris191070 - a brilliant way to start the next story! I eagerly await more!

I got to the end of this chapter and was so mad! But, you redeemed yourself with the reveal of Puppy 2 so you're forgiven. I just feel like there are some loose ends. I have thoroughly enjoyed this story and I eagerly await the next volume! Thank you for sharing this coming-of-age story with us!

That was quite the chapter and there's a lot to unpack there. I'm glad that Mr. Watson came to his senses about the Puppy-Cindy relationship - they obviously have a familial connection that wasn't going to be broken despite anyone's wishes. What Dave did to Puppy was wrong and Steven's immaturity recording it was also wrong. I'm rather shocked about Steven's intended hard drug use. I guess the signs were there that he might be putting on a brave front in front of Puppy but I think he's lonely and despite seeming happy is rather depressed about not being able to find a compatible girl to date. Kudos to Susan for flipping out and trying to really prove a point to her boys about what could happen should they get hooked on meth. I like Dave but even I'm completely over his BS and constant jealousy. That being said I had high hopes that Hunter would prove his reputation wrong by treating Puppy well but in my mind even though it seemed like Puppy consented, that was rape without question. Although Puppy enjoyed it I guess, it made me feel dirty for him. Essentially Puppy was sexually assaulted twice and didn't realize it or just didn't know how to process it. Powerfully written chapter!

This was such a powerful chapter!!! Max & Susan's superb parenting once again shined as they tried to navigate the boys through the breakup. I feel bad for them but Dave's jealousy issues would've prevented anything positive from developing long-term. It's quite remarkable the growth that Puppy has done in just a short time with the support and love from his wonderful family. While Steven does have his own issues it's refreshing how he's not afraid to "pussyfoot" around situations and just lays everything on the line.

Steven is definitely a horny teenager who's quite the voyeur but he's definitely helped Jensen come out of his shell. The Cindy mystery continues but we're getting bits and pieces to really keep the intrigue going. Great chapter again!