Mark Arbour

I agree with you, and thanks for "the perfect 10". I think they still have a way to go to work it out, but the basic desire is now there on both sides.

Thanks. You like Jeff, eh? We'll see how that works out. ;-) Granger's on a weekly posting schedule for now. Expect that to continue. There could be a few rocky times in the near future, though.

I think that the more intense the feelings Will or Brad have for someone, the more intense their anger can be at that person.

Thanks. Their bond really is deep and special, deeper than either one of them realize.

I'm basically a sap at heart. :-)

That was pretty funny. I don't think that Will (the cat) would have to do that. I think a simple nail to the nose would take care of the dog. That is true about chapter intervals. You were warned before you started taking this drug. I think you'll get answers to all of your questions in the next 5-10 chapters, give or take a few.

This was a pretty long but intense series of events, so it was important to post them closely together so my readers, a docile bunch, don't get pissed off. They can also have short memories, since I did a similar thing at the end of St. Vincent. I'm not sure if this has come through as well as it should have, but Darius likes to be the center of focus, not that he needs all the attention, but he likes to be seen as the older brother who's more or less at the apex of things. In that, he emulates Brad. So when Will goes off on this tangent, it's probably going to piss him off, because Will's stealing the limelight. He'll view Will's trashing of the house and running away as ridiculous stunts to get attention, and probably view them scornfully. Jeff and Matt haven't slept together, but good guess. I think Darius cares, I just don't think he gets how much things have changed around home since he moved to Paly.

Thanks for remembering my team! I think that the thing to remember about Cody is that while he's sensitive to what other people are thinking, he tends to be pretty self-absorbed. I'm not sure I see him cancelling trips or disrupting his life to deal with teenage drama, especially when it doesn't involve him getting laid. ;-)

October 20, 2000 Santa Cruz, CA Will I read my dad’s email one more time, thinking about where I was, and where he was. It only took me a few minutes to figure out what to do next. I picked up my phone and dialed Stef’s line. Part of me wanted to call my dad, to grab for him while I still could, before he gave up on me. I was feeling desperate now, desperate to reconnect with him. But that wasn’t fair. Stef had been the one who’d been there for me through everything. I knew that

That makes sense. I figured they'd be scanning for him from the shore, so a later start would make sense. Still, the time change would be a huge factor. Good point

Conversely, there are those willing to condemn Will for his "I'm gonna wreck your things and runaway" attitude while ignoring the "mature, wise beyond his years" moments. Like Sharon, I think your last sentence sums things up really well. You really need to work on your verbosity.

That's pretty much it, in a nutshell. As opposed to a shellfish, which is entirely different. Everything is more meaningful, more intense, and more dramatic. Wade's a smart guy. It wouldn't be like him to let something like this come between him and Matt. Matt, on the other hand, is much more ruled by his dick.

What an awesome review. I laughed my ass off. You're right: disappointing sex is usually a very bad omen in the CAP world. Sadly, in the real world, it is much more common.

You make some really good points, but I have to say, you seem kind of pissed off tonight. Here's a hug. It's a shame I'm not a cab driver.

Not all good looking dudes are great fucks...but some are. ;-)

Why thank you, and I'm glad you like the posting blitz. It will probably end after the next chapter. The cab driver isn't creepy, but it is a bit slutty of Will to bang him. I posted some thoughts/questions on that in the forum.

The thing with the cab driver was basically Will screwing up and making a bad decision, but not a horrible one. I'm trying to decide if it was actually a sign that he's getting more mature. Before you tell me I'm nuts, ask yourself this. Have you ever had sex with a guy just because you were lonely? And afterwards, you felt kind of bad about it, but not terrible? That the whole thing was just a little slutty, even though no real harm was done? It's an interesting transition from the "oh my God, I'm so in love with you" attitude most young teens have about the guys they mess around with. I think this was really his first casual sex partner where it was actually casual. I'm not sure what to think about it.

Aww. I love coddling you. ;-) Seriously, I knew we'd have to hyperpost through this part of the story; it's just too sadistic not to. If I was that bad, I'd be CJ. :-)

This is just one big cliffhanger...impossible not to be since it's a serial story in the middle of a big event. So I make it up to you with frequent posts. That's ending soon.

Robbie doesn't work things out well on his own. He needs a face-to-face meeting to get it. Right now, Will is this nebulous being out there.

Thank you. I think healing is possible now, too.

Yeah. What you said. Like we didn't already know that.

Change is really hard, especially for a guy who's stubborn like a mule. He's getting there, though. Thanks for your kind words!

Well, this was 2000. Maybe back then.... The Jeff interaction is actually both.

Awww. I'm glad you liked the e-mail. You know better than to get too attached to peripheral characters. ;-)