Former Member

I forgot how much I loved Ellis and Matt! ;–)

Are you speed-reading these chapters? It was only one minute since you posted the comment for the last chapter! ;–)

I used to be late to high school all the time! It’s a good thing they never locked the gates during the day. We had an open campus and lots of people left to get fast food for lunch. My friends and I would sometimes walk the few blocks to the park to eat our lunches. :–) But that was back in the ‘70s when people weren’t obsessed with security. It seems idyllic now, but we were still dealing with the polarization that the Vietnam War caused and we were still adjusting to the Civil Rights era changes. Leisure Suits and Disco! ;–)

Which is why I’ve never dated an athlete! ;–)

The right conclusion could trigger the posting of the next chapter! ;–)

Weird kinky GA sexting! ;–)

Paintball was a clever idea! But judging from how poorly I used to do in Bungie’s Marathon series, I’m sure I’d have been the first one killed! Clumsy and uncoordinated isn’t the best combination for these sorts of things! ;–)

This is an example of why you don’t seem like you’re in your late 20s! ;–)

Since homophobia is often linked somehow to school shootings, I was guessing that was the issue here too. And it seems to be confirmed by the VP’s reactions towards Adam and his mom. But it could just be coincidence or the fact that Troy is a popular kid… Usually, when homophobia is involved, it’s a kid who is rightly or wrongly perceived to be Gay. Bullying is closely tied to the homophobia. Some of the victims of bullies try to prove their masculinity by shooting their tormentors. People often feel helpless and hopeless when it doesn’t feel like the bullies are punished for what they are doing. I would mention who I blame for this phenomenon, but that would get me banned from GA.

Reading about Eric’s drawings reminded me of my father’s post-retirement art classes and the framed watercolor he had shown at a small exhibition. The painting was one of the things I claimed when we were clearing out their house after my parents moved into an assisted care facility. (I have a few of my mother’s tchotchkes that I claimed too.) ;–) Does the village have any sort of annual gathering where they exhibit artwork and crafts? Most counties in the US have county fairs where, in addition to prized livestock, there are competitions for various kinds of food, crafts, and artwork. Larger communities have senior centers that might show crafts and artwork of their participants. Community centers, parks or recreation centers, and libraries are often the venues used. Having others beyond Andy & Adam praising his skills would be an even bigger self-esteem boost to Eric! ;–)

@Will Hawkins & @Wesley8890: ‘We were awakened when we heard…’ sounds better to my ear. ;–)

Growing up LGBTQ isn’t like growing up a Person of Color or a religious minority. You don’t automatically have parents and family who understand what you’re going through. You don’t automatically have people who experienced the same things you’re experiencing. ;–) Even unconscious racism can be jarring. I remember having a retail customer remark that I wasn’t what he expected based on a previous phone conversation. Over the phone and online, no one can tell I’m not white. I’ve been led to believe my ‘accent’ is a blend of Northern and Southern California which is an extension of the US Midwestern accent. My vocabulary falsely leads people to think I am a college graduate. Mark is lucky to have Aunt Janice in his life. He and Bobby will be able to talk to someone who knows what it’s like to not be just like everyone else. She’ll be able to help them find resources and organizations that are LGBTQ-friendly. ;–)

But I don’t have any clocks in my apartment! My microwave oven has suffered through too many power outages and I’ve given up on resetting it. I check the time by looking at my computer, TV, or cellphone. ;–)

Maybe @Wesley8890 inadvertently let slip a spoiler about Benji’s future! ;–)

Are you sure you’re really more than three decades younger than I am? There are times when you seem so much more… um, mature than a 28-year-old! And then you say something else that makes it clear that you’re very young. Stay young! There’s plenty of time to be old! ;–)

My brothers and I used to copy our records onto cassettes so we wouldn’t damage the vinyl by playing them too much – and cassettes were portable. On the Styx Paradise Theatre record album, the second side ends with a very short instrumental. My younger brother hadn’t realized that the song existed and he’d stop recording before the song started. He was very surprised when I asked him about the final song! ;–) That sort of thing doesn’t happen with CDs or digital downloads… ;–)

There’s more than one Saturday, August 11th… ;–)

I notice you didn’t mention which Friday this time. I remember you saying it’ll be posted ‘next week’ a couple months ago. I won’t hold you to a specific Friday… ;–)

I was all set to read the long-promised new chapter! But since it was your birthday (yesterday in your time zone), I’ll forgive you. I hope it was a good day! ;–)

Happy Birthday, Jack! (I did remember your correct name, didn’t I?) ;–)

That sounds like the Romulans! Or was it the Mirror Universe analogue of the Federation? But the Klingons were the Star Trek equivalent of the Soviets in the original series. ;–)

You’re going to post the next chapter now? ;–)

It wasn’t a problem once I realized that I was reading a flashback. I must have been distracted when I read the line with the date (or maybe my eyes skipped over it). You had a lot of exposition to provide in this chapter.

I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the dates mentioned. I got confused about the accident happening in Australia. It took me a bit to realize it was a flashback and then I felt very stupid! ;–) They didn’t involve international or even interstate travel, but the rest of it reminded me of the times my parents were hospitalized (on separate occasions). Two of the four occasions were emergencies, but two were planned operations. The whole family gathering in the hospital. I hate hospitals!

"It's kinda fun to do the impossible." -- Walt Disney