Mark Arbour

I think that Will is basically willing to listen to reasonable demands. The problem he's struggling with at this point is that they're so arbitrary. Adults are better (IMHO) at spotting the nuances of actions. We can see that sometimes when people do stupid things, or make ridiculous demands, there are other, more desperate needs buried beneath those demands. I think that's where Jeanine is right now, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to expect Will to get that. I think Brad will find that it's like arguing with a mirror, and that is pretty funny to write. My favorite piece to write in this chapter was this: There's nothing quite as irritating as a parent as being hit square in the face with one of your own best weapons.

Will “Yeah,” I said as I answered the phone. I was bored and grumpy. John was gone, the waves were flat, and there wasn’t shit to do around the house. I didn’t want to leave my room anyway, since if I did I’d probably just run into my mom and argue with her some more. In fact, I was so apathetic I’d neglected to even look at the caller-ID. “Will,” I heard my dad say. “I need you here in Dallas.” I was alert immediately. “Dallas? Why?” “Someone tried to shoot me, but th

What an excellent post! Thanks for saying that! I can understand why you'd all feel so concerned about not being incredibly polite and not offending anyone here in my forum because I never cause problems around here. I'm always so kind and agreeable. I'll give you guys something new to talk about an post the next chapter shortly.

Thanks Tim!

Hope you all enjoyed Chapter 5. Thanks for the reviews!

"Ah what might have been..." This being fiction, you wouldn't have ended up in one of Her Majesty's gaols. ;-)

Cousin Darby may be more than Granger bargained for.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! It has to be tough for someone like George who is reserved to handle this kind of grief.

October, 1796 Granger was back on his quarterdeck, trying to keep himself focused on the task at hand, at getting to Corsica, but the weather was not cooperating at all. It was October, the perfect time for a fall gale, something that would push him and his crew to the limit of endurance, tax them physically and test their strength, and force them to channel all of their energy into fighting it, leaving nothing left for anguish or sadness. Yet there was no gale; the weather was

Alright Californios, where would Will, JJ, and Darius hang out in 2000, noting that they live in Malibu? What about John and Marie, in Paly?

I suspect you are correct.

Kinky? Duh. What did you expect? ;-)

I have no problem with your posts, your opinions, and I value feedback. It would be disturbing in the extreme if you were a shy wallflower. I understand where you're coming from, but there are peripheral issues here (not with you, but in general) that bother me. One is that it seems there's this double-standard, where an older man can date a much younger woman and it's alright, but an older man dating a much younger man isn't. I've addressed this issue before, and I'm sure I'll address it again, but to me, as long as both parties are over the age of consent, I find little to fault in a liaison. At what point does an age difference become "wrong?" Is a 35 year difference OK, but 36 is not? The second issue revolves mental health. Therapy is usually the prescribed solution for someone like Gathan, and there's a good chance it will help him, but it's not the only way, and the methods therapists use are not always effective. I think so many times people ignore the resources around them, and in this case, Stef is just doing his bit to help Gathan along, in his own fictional way. Finally, it really disturbs me that people are bitching at you for stating your opinion. That's what these forums are for, and quite frankly, these forums are the reason I'm at GA. This interface, the ability to get feedback and enjoy these interactions, is what makes this site valuable to me as a writer.

Such wisdom, from someone so young.

Visualize this: You are a wealthy, successful man in your mid-50s. You see the world in shades of gray, and you don't get hung up on societal rules and mores. You know that most of those were developed by uptight people that hate your kind anyway. You don't have all the hangups about sex that Americans seem to be born with. In front of you is a 17 (almost 18) year old guy in an amazing amount of pain, and you have it in your power to help him through some of it. To do that, you have to violate some of those rules, and maybe annoy some members of your own family, but you've seen this guy in action, and with your astute instincts, you know he has major potential. You can offer him sexual love and intimacy, even though it will be fleeting, knowing that ultimately it will probably generate into a more stable friendship, a conventional mentor thing. How do you balance out the cost-benefit here? Of course, your partner could be upset, but he understands you, and he knows what kind of guy you are and what your motives are. Besides, didn't he have a fling with a young guy about 10 years ago, when the age difference was just as pronounced? So what do you do?

Or some kinky, sexual rendition of cowboys and indians?

That's my job. ;-)

He is kinda hot, isn't he. :-)

Sorry about the blue writing. I can change it if someone has better suggestions, but I think it would be hot to hear Steven Hawking reading it. Regarding Gathan and Stef "still" having sex. I see this as an interlude thing, something to help Gathan move on to the next step of his sexual life. "Still" implies that it's been going on for a while. In fact, they started having sex on a Friday (or was it Thursday) and it's just now Tuesday. I could make Will this amazing, lovable character, or I could make him a teenager. I chose the latter.

Sedona, Arizona. Get some weed, some crystals, and hike.

July 10, 2000 Chesterfield, MO Gathan “That seemed to go well,” Stef said as we took our seats in the plane. “It seemed to,” Brad agreed. “Whatever,” I said. “You were rock stars.” They smiled at me to thank me for my compliment, but I could tell they needed more. “Dude, you could tell by the looks on their faces when you started talking they were scared shitless. They thought you were there to tell them you were shutting down the plant and laying them of

He's a perfect Zach, Jeremy. He even has that mercenary look about him, that says he just doesn't give a f**k about other people.

LOL

JP can be a badass, but Tonto is the scary one.

JP can be a badass, but Tonto is the scary one.