Krista

Oh goodness. To be honest, Cory would spend a lot of his football season injured, so he'd be rather bored on the bench, I imagine. There was a lot there left, but my brain had already moved on to, "The Best Year," I think I started that story while ending this one. And, since you already read it, you know it became a monster of a story with a huge word count. Mercy. Cory is a precious character that needs protected, a sweet boy. If I'm remembering correctly. lol. He was the reason I wanted to write Jackson, to be honest. The conflict would've been that people didn't accept his sexuality after being outed, and I think there's enough stories swirling around the world about homosexual characters fighting to maintain their sanity, finding acceptance where it is, and standing up for themselves. I don't think being an injured football star with a scary father would've protected him from some/most of that. I didn't want to transition into that conflict, I doubt it would've been a fun write. So, I let them party... up until I didn't. And yeah, the parents took an L on interrupting something they should've known was about to happen with agreeing to let the cabin be an option for some of them. Even if the girls didn't come, they had to know alcohol would've made it regardless of the entire guestlist. And, there was still the issue with Cory and Clinton, if they didn't want wild teenage shenanigans that also could've included the sexual variety and creativity of all that then Clinton should've been left off the guest list too. But it would've been boring if it was just the three of them. lol. Thank you for reading and flying through most of my stories. They get significantly older now, so the writing and editing quality takes a hit.

hmm... appropriate name, I'm thinking.

Thank you! It was a really fun project for me to write over all. I saw you reading through this one and, "The Best Year," so I want to thank you for taking the time to read both of those stories... Also... you read fast. lol

I mean, with his friends out of the picture Luke has his opening. If Jackson didn't go sliding bare assed across the gym floor covered in soap, this story wouldn't have happened. 😮 My opening line to this story could've been: It all started when I got a floor burn on my left ass cheek. If that's not a hooking sentence, I don't know what is.

I do remember people thinking that Jackson was going through the motions with his friend groups, that he didn't really see them as significant friends. Although, I think it was the distance I placed between them that caused that, as they didn't seem to look to engage with Jackson whenever he was grounded.

Aww, I'm glad you liked it. It took me literally a couple of years to write it... I felt so bad for the people that had to wait on me.

I don't think you'd like a story where I wrote their college years. It would only be interesting, in knowing the ending, right? They're happy, safe, sound. There are some transitions within the friend group. Heather and Toby didn't make it as a couple. Connor and Olivia didn't make it. Toby and Olivia are secretly dating. Simon and Charlie surprisingly made it. Somewhere along the way Cindy comes around and accepts Luke's choice in Jackson, and semi-okay with his sexuality. Grace has the twins. Oliver and Tara join him at the university of Georgia. Oliver first, then Tara later. We know Oliver and Tare end up engaged/married. We already know what 'has' to happen. What we don't know, is 'how'. Was it messy? Did Luke and Jackson break up at any time, then reconcile. There are hints that their summers were full of sex, partying, togetherness in the last chapter. I think it would have to be messy though, right? Distance is a challenge and the relationship is deep, but new. There's a promise and certainty that also hangs over them, to marry. That promise between them could keep them reconciling through the mess... but will you be interested in reading a mess? I say mess, because Jackson has lived in a world where everyone knew him. He 'thinks' everyone likes him to a degree, except for the people he doesn't care for or respect. He carries a lot of confidence with him because of that. What college means for Jackson though, other than Luke, is a blank slate. He is a nobody. Swimming isn't like football or basketball where the players come in with their names already known. He is not used to that. He will have to navigate isolation at first. But that navigation is also very much pointed in a conflicting direction - a big one. Like having two North's on a compass. That's Luke. I honestly don't know if I could get back into his voice for a story of that nature. It would feel very different, I think.

I know you excluded parents, but Henry is my top tier character in this story. He is my number one. lol. Thank you for reading through this story. Luke and Jackson being one and two is nice as well. Some people get a bit annoyed with protagonists, especially in first person POV's because of their actions/reactions throughout the writing. Jackson being second, because I challenged people who read his character, is nice. I wanted to see if I could write a story worthwhile with a protagonist that can be a bit difficult at times to like. Charlie slipping into third is interesting. I think if I were to ever expand this story and branch away from Jackson/Luke to write a story based on a different character it would be him. He's cheeky, he's a bit narcissistic, he has no filter. Simon struggles at times to deal with his energy, but we also know Simon and him stay together despite the differences and distance between them. He's also more elite of an athlete, I see him getting medals in olympics. I also know I don't have it in me to write those swimming scenes anymore. All the unrealistic tension that I created around it, plus trying to reconcile it back to plausible realistic outcomes was a stressful way to go about it. But I need the tension, otherwise I'm writing endless paragraphs about a dude mechanically swimming. Or no paragraphs of him hopping in and out, winning or losing. I don't know if one can fade to black a sporting moment, it would read horribly, I'm thinking. Anyway, sorry to ramble. I also saw that Tara was missing and she was also a favorite of mine. If this were a heterosexual story Tara would've been the choice. Jackson certainly liked her. If I were an evil author, Oliver would also be in the running during the college years as a temptation. *whistles* Probably a good thing I didn't write the college years.

Yeah, poor Olivia.

Oh, I stand corrected. I think you're now officially the president of that club. I remember there being some people who privately reached out and told me it wasn't realistic for Luke to be the bottom. I think they were working with the stereotype that Jackson was this hyped up on energy jock-type, so he couldn't be the one bent over. I wrote him as someone confident enough to try when Luke wasn't... and he ended up liking it. Sex to me is never in shades of black and white, I think it shifts. I mean I know it shifts really, as we become more comfortable with sex. And yes, there are strict tops and there are strict bottoms in M/M relationships. But I like to show the experimentation of learning personal preferences with sex, I don't want to slam a door just because someone acts a certain way or the writing is screaming at me to write them a certain way. Luke to me never presented as a full on bottom, or top. He presented as a person that wasn't comfortable. Jackson presented himself as someone who was overly comfortable, but only in a world he has control over. I don't think Jackson questioned himself as often as Luke seemed to, he liked the kiss. He liked Luke. They continued to kiss. I think at most, he said a "guy wasn't in his plans..." a few times, and that he didn't know what that made him. I can't remember really, this story is a bit old for me and I'm removed from it. If it wasn't such a daunting read, I'd want to someday sit down and read it, but I also need to be writing. Neither screamed raging bottom, though. At least to me.

Since I went into the writing of Jackson for him to read negatively, even through rereading so you know what to expect, I'll collect the win in 2026 too.

I would be too. Welker is the softest of kittens by comparison, if I'm remembering correctly.

You may be moving up in the ranks... lol. There were some people that were like... "WHyyyy, Luke's an obvious bottom... why did you do this?"

Because he's just Jackson and most people don't change, they remain on their own... for the lack of a better word... spectrum. We may adapt, we may accept things differently, soften, change our minds, etc... but there's always bits that makes us who we are. I didn't want to change that about Jackson just because he's showing growth. Growth isn't linear, it's a mess. Also, Jackson getting into trouble was fun to write... lol.

I think I know what we're talking about, without me skimming the reading/comments. I think I remember surprising a lot of people.