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Finally! After over two years of writing only co-works; I was able to finish Ice Fairy all on my own and turn it into a series to boot! It goes up for sale tomorrow at three different sites; Smashwords, Amazon, and All Romance Ebooks. Homework and life are slowing me down on progress on other items; but those will get done too...I promise.

Tuesday, in New York, another young teen felt he couldn't take anymore. For whatever sad reason or reasons, this 12 year old boy hanged himself in the bathroom of an apartment he shared with his mother. For months he had been harassed at school by bullies, for his intelligence, his height, and his deceased father. After enduring incessant taunting for months, Joel Morales transferred to a new school, but the bullying persisted at his new school. Kids chased Morales, threw sticks and pipes at him and teased him for his smarts and his 4-foot-9 stature. Morales’ anguish reached a breaking point when bullies taunted him about his father, who died when he was four years old. His mother, Lisbeth Babilonia, found him hanging in their apartment at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, hours after she had organized a search party when he didn’t return home on time from an after-school club. A classmate told Morales’ family that the boy had said he was tired of the bullying and told them the details of the remark about his father that sent him over the edge, according to the News. School officials declined to comment on the alleged bullying, citing privacy issues. How many kids are going to die, or kill themselves, before adults in this country demand school officials and our elected officials put a stop to the bulling in our public schools? How many before we make the officials accountable for their actions or inaction? How many? Perhaps it's time for the bullied students of America stand up and make their voices heard throughout this land. NOT through violence, not through hate for the hate, but by their feet. Walk away from the schools that refused to stop the harassment, the hate, the violence, the bulling. How can any child be expected to learn in an environment as they find themselves in? No wonder our country's youth scores so low on tests compared to other nations. They don't have time, during the school days, to learn and study, when they are always looking over their shoulders for who may be coming up behind them, for an attack! Or watching their feet, as they are walking the halls, for fear someone will tripped them. Or having to hear the racial, homophobic, or ethnic taunts. Every student that has been bullied should stand with every student that is being bullied, and every student that knows in their hearts that what is taking place in our schools concerning bulling is wrong, should also stand with these students and say, No more. stop the bulling or we will strike and not return to school until new rules are in place that stops the bulling. Every parent that has a child in school should stand with these students and back them. One day it could be your child found hanging and all life gone from the body. It's time for a change, and not the type promised by politicians. It's the kind of change that starts at the grass roots of this country, We The People. This story can be found HERE Please, give a damn.

Life's curves I don't know, I get so confused sometimes. I listen to people talk, read stories (fiction, i know) and like all stories there's usually a grain of truth in them. They do came from someone's experiences. Like it's been said, there's nothing new under the sun. Years ago I admitted to a friend that being gay scared me not because of what other people thought, since I had been through so much already by the age of 27 to worry with opinions not my own. It scared me because I never saw any older gay couples and I didn't want to die alone. I think the fear of dying alone made me reach out through the internet to feel close to more people since I was limited at home. Through all the chemo, radiation, and other crap I had to deal with, I was always scared of dying alone. I mean I knew my parents would always be there for me, but I mean that someone, that special someone. Yet the more I learn about life, the more I feel alone. I don't even know why I'm writing this. I'm not in remission yet, but I should be soon. So, I guess I'm getting better. There's still the bone marrow transplant donor to find and do. But, things are looking better again. Yet, I also see now that I missed out on so much as a teenager. I think I would trade my life today to have had a normal life as a teenager. Making all the mistakes and finding the new experiences. I guess I'm making a fool of myself. Tonight I set up most of the night reading a long story on nifty and envied the characters, even the sad ones. At least they got to experience life. I guess after so many years of battling my battles, I'm starting to become a little bitter over it. I do treasure my online friends, even some of the old guys that pretended to be teens before they either literally died from old age or disappeared. Life isn't always fair, in fact, it rarely is. But, I have to have the hope and belief that if you pour yourself into life, in the long run, it's all worth it. I am however real enough to know that's not always true. And it saddens me to see people have to deal with the worst life can throw at you. I wish the world wasn't like that. And like I said earlier, I dunno why I'm writing this, but here it is, raw, unedited me. Please, if you feel you can't take anymore, it will get better. There's nothing life can throw at us that we can't over come or find a way around it, it will get better. Nothing last forever, including the bad times, it will get better. Reach out to someone, talk to someone, share your feelings, it will get better. Never ever give up, it will get better. There are organizations that are there to help us through the bad times, it will get better. The Trevor Project is just one of those, reach out to them, support their work, it will get better. The Trevor Project

I've started a new story, 'The Field of Love'. My plan is to post a new chapter once a week. It's a story about a fifteen year old boy finding acceptance and love on a baseball field. I've started a forum for the story and I hope you will leave a review on the story so I can learn from you, the reader. It's my intention to give you the best story I can. Below is the links to the proper forum. The Field of Love Forum for The Field of Love

First of all, I want to thank all of my readers, from those who read the first chapter and ran away screaming to those of you who re-read every chapter when I post new ones. I know it's going at a blistering pace, but I promise that once it goes up, the sequels (yes, sequels are coming!) will be a much slower pace of production. So, have at it. If there's anything you like, don't like or just want to get off your chest about The Last Out and its soon to be posted sequels, let it all out here. Most of you you will already know that I try to respond to every comment as soon as I can, so I look forward to interacting with my readers. Ciao, at least until the next batch of updates!

Hey guys, seeing as Gemini is going slow, and I needed a break to get some new inspiration, I decided to translate one of my favorite stories to English. A huge thanks to Amon, the author of "Die Maschine", for giving me permission! And let's not forget MrM, LillyLee and Nostic, who have helped me make this work. Thank you! This is the bittersweet tale of a German teenager's coming of age. When I was translating this story, I quickly realized I was hitting my limits. Some things just cannot be transferred from one language to another without loss. Instead of trying to rewrite the the whole story, I decided to in doubt go with Amon's way to express things. Therefore at times (or maybe all the time), this story might seem like a foreigner is narrating it. I quite like how it turned out and I hope rather than irritate, it will add to the story. This is the place to discuss the story, but also to ask questions about the background or in case you didn't understand anything (be it language or story related). Sadly, the original chapters are short-ish for GA standards. I will try to make up for it with more frequent posts. Have fun! Sammy [sharedmedia=stories:stories:5261]

Hey, guys! So, as you know, so I'm a newbie here. Unfortunately, I can't post anything on the website, here, because the update that will let me post stories from my iPhone hasn't gone live, yet. So I devised a solution that will hopefully let you guys read the project I'm working on, right now. It's called Greytones, and it's supposed to be set up like a soap opera, complete with seasons and episodes. I've posted it on its own WordPress page, which I will link at the bottom. Hopefully this is allowed, linking outside GayAuthors. If not, just tell me. I'll try to post 3 times a week, but I can't guarantee that. I'll try to post pretty often, however. Tell me what you guys think! Thanks, guys! <3 Atheu Email: atheugoreistories@gmail.com Greytones URL: greytones.wordpress.com

Hey all, Have any of you written a story in the past that you wanted to redo/recreate? I have a box full of old novels I wrote back when I was in elementary and middle school. I had great ideas, dabbling into sc-fi, medieval, even paranormal, but they were written from a child/teenage perspective. I thought of trying to re-create them and make them for a more of an adult and YA audience. Has anyone had any experience with this and can give me pointers on where to begin? Story examples? Let me know! Your assistance is appreciated ^_^. Bryant

Hey everyone! I'm posting here to hopefully try to generate some more interaction between myself and people about my story. I'm a very inexperienced writer, and any honest advice is appreciated (but that's not why I'm posting this). I'm hoping to spark up a conversation about how you feel so far about Muscle Memory. As a writer, my readers' thoughts and feelings are a big part of what fuels me to continue this story. Feel free to share anything, whether it's relating to a certain character or their experiences, how you feel about a certain situation, or just if you want to ask me anything about Muscle Memory specifically or even my writing general. So, to try and get the ball rolling, here is some random thoughts I've compiled about how this all came about: Muscle Memory is my very first attempt at writing fiction. Like, ever. Besides some poetry a few years back, I've never sat down and just written anything more than a few paragraphs, so starting this book was a bit daunting. Especially since I was just out of freshman year of highschool. I started the first chapter not really having any idea where it was going, but soon, a story started to take shape in my mind. Very quickly, I realized how much I loved characters. At times, I worry that there are so many in my book that they seem flat, or that there are too many for my readers to keep track of. It was definitely a risk going into my first writing experience with like 20 characters to juggle with, not to mention that I've basically made each character have something they are struggling with. Again, I worry that I'm losing depth by having so many different story arcs intertwining in my mind, but I also kind of love it. It's what I like in books. Another thing I wanted to mention is that somehow, I unexpectedly fell in love with the villain of my story. I love writing her, and I had lost hope for this story after, say, chapter 6, until one quiet night in late December, around 11 or 12, I was walking down this road and the song DNA by Lia Marie Johnson started playing through my earbuds. The song resonated deeply with me, and I also felt it tugging at something that I had put towards the back of my mind for 5 or so months. I realized that it was a newfound inspiration to give my character Alexa more depth. To do this, I felt as if she needed her own POV, which wasn't planned whatsoever. I've gotten pretty much only negative feedback on this, which saddens me, but now she is very important to the story as a whole. I've had people complain that it takes away too much from Wes and Ethan's story, which I disagree with. This is more than a romance to me. It's deeper. I feel that people who skip the Alexa chapters are missing an integral part of Muscle Memory. So regardless of how my readers feel, I still have a few more POV chapters planned. Anyway, I could go on for days about this, and that's enough rambling for now. Now it's your turn. What are your thoughts?

I see that this wonderful story hasn't received a thread yet. Let the discussion begin. We keep talking about the fact that Declan is eventually going to figure out what Bailey's been doing, but its interesting to note that he's had a few opportunities to ask about it now, and he's chosen not to. I think that Declan already knows what's going on, and he doesn't want to make it more real by talking about it. It's not in his normal character, but I think we've seen that when Bailey's involved that Declan doesn't act in ways he normally acts.

For discussion of themes and topics. The book can be found here: https://www.gayauthors.org/story/dodger/thecockneycanuck After 47 chapters and lots of drama I think it's time this story has a discussion topic where readers can interact with the author and each other. There are certainly plenty of situations, characters and emotions to bring up, and of course most of all Robbie the Cockney Canuck. Dodger has kindly given me permission to start this thread and has promised to be part of the discussion, so now is your chance to ask questions and make comments. I'm sure we'll have fun.

Several year old story. No longer remember title or author, (not much help I know). One involved boy taking refuge in neighbors doghouse. One involved boy being nailed to cross in basement. One, boy locked in freezer for punishment. Perpetrator in all stories is victims father. Anyone remember. I've tried searching using archive with tags to no avail. If this is the wrong forum for such a question, mea culpa.

This my first story ever and I'm not sure if I have what it takes to write. It's a story about the trials and tribulations of Andy Collins and friends as he confronts his sexual orientation in a small mining town of Pine Hills nestled away in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky. Please read and let me know what you think about the first chapter of the first story I've written. Trials and Tribulations

I joined the forum back in June of 2011. I was excited about it because I wanted a change from my last at-the-time community. It was a gaming one. If you have ever played a video game competitively, you know how cutthroat that type of environment is. Mine was pretty much a planet of insurmountable monsters who fed on victories and were allergic to sportsmanship and any sense of decency. Regardless to say, I wanted out. I was away from here for a while. The point is I'd like to be back. I started writing again these past two months—a long hiatus, so mind the rust—and the story I'm posting here is the one grabbing my attention for now. If you like it, great. If you don't like it, I understand. If you hate it, even better as that makes for an interesting and insightful opinion. Thanks for listening, even if you stopped after the first paragraph. X) The story: https://www.gayauthors.org/story/chris-prieto/salvo

What if the one you love, who doesn't know you existed, is in danger? How far will you go to protect him? There are some things in this universe best kept secret and away from the curious hands of humanity. Alfred's tale is just among the unfortunate ones that exist out there. The Servant This is a one-shot story, but I hope it pleases your palate. Enjoy...

Hey guys, Just posted my first story -- check it out and please feel free to let me know what you think by review, PM, or chat (when I'm in). Thanks! https://www.gayauthors.org/story/merlin/wheretheroadmaylead

This is one of the sweetest little films ever! Watch it if you haven't seen it already. Press the captions buttons for English subtitles as the film is in (I believe) Portuguese.

Playlist (YouTube) Playlist (YouTube) Playlist (YouTube) Alan Matt Craig Hubris reading order: Alan - after the final chapter of Nemesis: Because I Want You. Matt - between chapters 4 and 5 of Nemesis: Soulmates Never Die. Craig - after chapter 8 of Nemesis: Soulmates Never Die. Alan & Matt - after the final chapter of Nemesis: Soulmates Never Die. Patrick - after chapter 12 of Nemesis: Loud Like Love. Devon - after the final chapter of Nemesis: Loud Like Love (can well be read before the epilogue).

I intend this topic to be a general discussion of the story. I'll start with my hopes. First, I don't think I want or need to see a continuation of Chapter 1. Near the end, I had to stop a couple of times to breath and regroup. Before continuing I found myself glancing at the scroll bar to assure myself that I was almost done. I'm hoping for an honest portrayal of what it takes to bring Shade back from hell. I have high hopes for Dory, and would not be surprised if he guards Shade like a Doberman. This would force Dory to deal head on with the effects of Shade's abuse. I cannot yet imagine how he'll cope. I doubt Dory's had a challenge he could really sink his teeth into before (sorry ), so we don't yet know what he can do. How these two kids can be "adorable together" while they struggle over all of this is beyond me right now, but Nephylim will enlighten me.

Have you ever wanted to go inside the head of a musician? A tall, angsty one at that; whose exterior is brash and rude, but whose soul is tormented with the past and the world around him? How about when this same soul meets up with a very tortured teen, a Brit, one who will turn his life upside down? This is the premise for Upstaged, a series penned by myself and the very talented Nephylim. We have posted the first two installments in their entirety here on GA, with the third about six chapters in. It's a world of teenage and young adult drama, angst, worries, love, sex, finding out about one's self and what they're truly made of.

I am looking for a story posted in the High School section of Nifty, however I have forgotten the title. Basically the main characters are the bully and the bullied are somehow involved in a plane crash and marooned in an island. In the island they spent some time reconciling and developing their relationship which they end becoming lovers. During their time in the island they also discovered some rare unmined jewels and when the island was about to be destroyed by a volcano they were rescued by a Russian ship and went home, but their drama only starts once reuniting with their respective families. Can anyone please tell me the name of the story so I could search it and read it again? I do seem to remember it is a part of a long saga.

Hi everyone! My name is Dylan, for those of you who don't know me! I'd appreciate it if you could stop on by and take a look at my story "Rooted in My Heart" - It'd mean a lot to me! Love you all~ Description: A lonely teenager simply searching for love in life, finds a connection to a childhood acquaintance and tries desperately to befriend him. When his best friend comes up with a plan to solve his problem, will it work, or will it only cause him more pain? Link: https://www.gayauthors.org/story/autumn-dream/rootedinmyheart

Priorities originally stared as a response to Prompt #408, but it's grown into a full length story, so I felt it proper to create it's own thread. Please, feel free to comment on the story here, in addition to your reviews. I'd love to see a discussion about the story started. Chapter 3 - Like WOW! has been posted, you can access it here. Thanks again for reading and all your feedback. It's through reader feedback that we as writers grow. True

A place I put my short ramblings, short stories, and other random stuff. I'd love to hear from you on this stuff. Your comments, suggestions, and anything else are what keep me going. You can find it here: https://www.gayauthors.org/story/atruefan/shorts Looking forward to hearing from YOU!

At the suggestion of one of the Admins, I am posting the first chapter of a story I've been working on. Never posted anything before so I would love some feedback on whether this is worth pursuing.This is not the first draft but it would not be the last one either. If the feedback indicates that I may have something worth reading, I'll then try to find an editor and/or beta readers to help give it a final polish. I hope to hear from someone some time soon. :-) Thanks! CJ Do what thy manhood bids the do, from none but self expect applause; He noblest lives and noblest dies Who makes and keeps his self-made laws. Sir Richard Francis Burton The Kasidah of Haji Abdu El-Yezdi Chapter 1: Today Thursday, 16 May 2013 César paced nervously in front of the Concourse B Security Point at Washington’s National Airport-he had never gotten used to the Reagan name on the old but extremely convenient facility. The Delta flight from Miami, carrying his son CJ, had just landed and he was not sure what to expect. Yesterday’s phone call from the boy’s mother had been short and to the point. Their kid would be on a flight to DC the next morning; the teen would explain what was going on and she expected a call from the father, the day following the youngster’s arrival. Passengers on the flight streamed down the corridor as the tall, dark haired father kept looking for his boy until the flow of people had slowed down and finally seeing a young man that had to be his kid. However, what a difference from what the boy had looked like last Thanksgiving when they had last seen each other. Walking towards him was a muscular teen who had obviously hit a growth spurt. At least four inches in the last six months and quite a few pounds of what looked as solid muscle. “CJ!” called out the smiling father. The boy lifted his gaze slightly and slowly dragged himself towards his dad. “Wow I barely recognized you buddy; How are you?” asked the older man throwing his arms around his son, pulling him into his body, wrapping him in a hug. That was all it took for the emotions to take over and the boy began sobbing in his father’s arms, while repeatedly mumbling how sorry he was. “Hey, hey! Whatever you think you have to apologize for is probably not so bad. I’m sure we can work it out. How many pieces of luggage did you check in? Let’s go get them and head home.” César Marcos Abelló, Jr. was a fairly typical teenager until two days before when the shit hit the fan at home and his life had been turned upside down. Born in Miami, the lad moved to Germany at 3½ years old, when his stepfather was transferred to Ramstein Air Base, returning to South Florida in 2009. A friendly but reserved kid, CJ made friends easily and had no problems adjusting to life back in the United States. A straight A student, the teen also participated in several athletic endeavors, both individual and team sports; his favorite activity however, was spending time with his younger brother Ritchie. The five-year age difference was never an issue and the older boy delighted in having the younger kid tag along with him. “I’m sorry dad; I swore I wasn’t going to be a pussy.” The young man adjusted his backpack and started walking towards the baggage claim area as he wiped his face with the back of his hands. “There’s one suitcase and two very large duffle bags.” “It’s okay bud, let’s get your luggage and then we can spend some time figuring out what’s going on. That’s a lot of luggage for a summer vacation; how come?” “Oh fuck! Mom didn’t tell you. She said she had talked to you and that I was going to be living with you here in DC from now on. On top of everything else going on I’m now going to be homeless!” César’s mouth hung open in complete surprise; seeing his boy’s eyes start to tear up again he put an arm around the teen’s shoulders and said; “CJ, I have no idea what’s going on but I promise you that you will never be homeless as long as I’m around, you will ALWAYS have a home here with us.“ * * * The drive from the airport to Georgetown was not long. It took just slightly over fifteen minutes: the George Washington Parkway, the Francis Scott Key Bridge across the Potomac and into the old DC neighborhood. Conversation was minimal inside the car; both men lost in their thoughts, with no mention of the large elephant in the back seat. The man kept looking over at his son marveling at the physical change in the boy. CJ was now about 5’ 10” tall and probably weighed around 175 pounds; mostly lean muscle from what he could see. The dark hair reaching down to his shirt collar, standing up all over the place on top, framed his handsome face. The kid was obviously shaving regularly as he could see the dark stubble on his chin. He was an extremely attractive young man who appeared to be older that his actual age, he had gone from being a skinny boy to stud in the span of months. The father wondered if he was sexually active and whether that was why he had been sent north. Could he have gotten in some sort of trouble with a girl? He would wait until they got home, hopefully the youngster would relax, and then they could chat about whatever had transpired back in Miami. * * * The black Escalade pulled into the driveway to the right of a large townhouse on Prospect Street; as it passed the end of the house, it angled left slightly, driving over a brick patio up to the opening garage door and pulled into the middle of the large space. To the left were two covered motorcycles and all along the back were shelves full of boxes and tools and a couple of workbenches. CJ knew that past the motorcycles, there was a door to a corridor, which led to an elevator and a door opening into the home’s first floor. The house, built back in the 19th Century, had been extensively remodeled at various times with the most recent upgrades having been made in 2010 when they had bought the place. At that time, it was gutted and completely modernized inside. The building rose three stories above street level with a rooftop terrace crowning the structure. A full sized basement was partially finished but provided plenty of space for future needs. The first floor could be reached by climbing a couple of steps from the sidewalk out front, the main staircase inside the house from the basement, the back patio or from inside the garage. A large open space greeted visitors as they walked inside; comfortable leather furniture occupied the front part of it with a wet bar, half bath and fireplace on the wall across from the stairs. Moving towards the rear, a glass-topped table, with twelve chairs around it, sat smack in the middle of the room. All the way in the back was the kitchen proper, separated from the main dining area by a cooking island with seating for four. A door, leading to a large pantry/utility room was on the side, right next to the refrigerator. Two bedrooms each with their own bathroom took up most of the second floor. A long counter top with two sinks and a mirrored wall behind was flanked by two separate sections; one contained a Jacuzzi tub and separate shower stall while the other one had a toilet and a bidet. Each bathroom was a mirror image of the other one and in between there was a small laundry room with a washer and dryer. In front of the staircase and over the main entrance was a cozy sitting area with a couple of great chairs for reading or relaxing. At the top was the master suite. A large bedroom with soaring ceiling, a bathroom with all the latest amenities and a double sized walk in closet constituted the main areas. The California King bed faced the front of the room and the northern exposure provided a soft, diffused light while the harsh brightness of the southern exposure backlit the space. In the afternoons, the balcony over the main entrance which faced the street was a wonderful place to relax and watch the world go by down on Prospect. “Hey kiddo, grab your backpack and suitcase and I’ll carry the two duffle bags. Let’s put everything up in your room now and then you can freshen up. Don’t worry about unpacking yet, we have a couple of hours before we need to worry about food so we can just hang out and catch up.” After schlepping the luggage up to the second floor, the concerned father pointed at the bathroom mentioning that there were fresh towels inside and that he would meet the young man downstairs. Once in the living room, he moved toward the bar on the side and grabbed himself a Dos Equis Amber, popped the bottle cap and had a long swig of the beer. A little early on a Thursday to start drinking but he definitely needed to relax and think clearly, so he could get to the bottom of this situation. Ten minutes later CJ walked in looking hesitant and keeping his eyes on the rich Persian rug covering most of the highly polished wood floor. The boy was definitely a looker. He was wearing the typical South Florida teenage uniform of flip-flops, cargo shorts and t-shirt. A white one with the “Big Three” on the front along with MIAMI HEAT in the old Miami Vice font and colors of pink and blue, and 2012 NBA Champions. “What can I get you to drink buddy?” asked César with a smile on his face. The boy looked down and softly asked if he could have a beer. ‘OK, something else to file away for further discussion’ though the father. However, he pulled another bottle from the refrigerator under the bar top and opened it for his son who was just taking a seat on one of the stools across from his father. “Thanks dad; don’t worry I don't have a drinking problem. I just need to calm down a little so I can talk to you”. The older man smiled again; this was one smart cookie. He would keep an eye out for any sign of trouble but decided that, for now, the alcohol conversation would not be needed. “That’s good to hear big guy. I don’t mind you having a drink now and then but until you turn 21, it’s still illegal for you to consume alcohol. Think about that whenever you decide to have one and act accordingly until then. You’re not a little kid anymore and I will not treat you as one; I’m pretty sure you’re smart enough to know what is right.” “So, you think you’re ready to fill me in on what’s going on?” CJ looked up at his dad his eyes filling up with tears again and then just blurted out “I’m gay, Rich caught me fooling around with one of his soldiers and told mom he did not want me to live in their house anymore. He said I could move in with you or go to boarding school but that he would not have a faggot living under his roof.” At that point, the waterworks began anew; the kid put his head down on the bar surface and just cried. César walked around and grabbed his son in the tightest hug he could muster. Stroking the boy’s hair the heart-broken father tried to calm the lad down. Who gave a fuck if the young man was gay? This was the 21st fucking century and his mother’s husband was acting as a troglodyte. How could anyone be so stupid and so heartless? Rich had better not show his face around any time soon or he would end up in the hospital for sure. “CJ, buddy, look at me. Look at me baby,” he said while unwrapping himself from around his son, helping him sit back on the stool. “Why don’t I dump these two beers out and get us a couple of tall glasses of cold milk and some cookies? They work best for me when I need to chill. And let’s go sit down on the couch so we can be a bit more comfortable.” “OK dad,” mumbled the boy. Trying not to display the anxiety and anger coursing through him, the father returned with the promised treats, sat next to his son and put an arm around him, slightly pulling the boy into his body. The next 90 minutes were spent trying to reassure the young man that his world had not collapsed. Yes, he would have to leave his current school and friends behind and start over again but he most definitely had a place to call home. Both their lives would be affected and they would have to adjust accordingly; but they were in this together and together they would work it all out. The continued reassurances seemed to have the proper effect on the kid. After a while the kid seemed to relax, regain his composure and take an interest in his dad’s comments about the move from South Florida to the Nation’s Capital. He had the next couple of months to get settled in and that would not be very hard considering this was not his first summer at the Georgetown brownstone. The big changes would come in late summer when he would start his 10th grade in a new High School. He would miss his friends and old school but the possibilities seemed good and the future did not seem as daunting anymore. Suddenly a deep rumble came from CJ’s midsection and both father and son started laughing. “I guess that means your stomach wants to be fed?” “Yeah, I’m a growing boy, you know?” “I can just imagine how much a growing 15 year old can eat. If you’re anything like your old man was, our food budget will definitely have to be increased. Guess I’ll have to postpone my retirement at least six months so we can afford to eat!” Their laughter intensified each time one of them would look at the other and realize the absurdity of the last portion of their conversation. As their mirth subsided, the sound of a door opening made them turn around to look at the newcomer. “Honey, I’m home for lunch. Did we get a visit from the stork this morning?” exclaimed a familiar voice in a jovial tone. ok, I'm about to hit the button and I'm kinda scared so please be gentle......it's my first time.