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    jkwsquirrel
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Retaliation - 1. Storm on the Horizon

For three years I had been cursed with metal and wires glued to my teeth. But finally, I was going to be freed from their grasp. I’d been poked, prodded, and pulled. I’d had my mouth rearranged by the forces of time and Dr. Martin’s orthodontic expertise. But it was finally over. It was time to say goodbye to my braces!

I sat in that chair, that same chair in which I’d had so much work done to me over the last few years. I could remember the day when they’d started. How I’d dreaded what was to happen to me! A much smaller, twelve-year-old Billy Roberts had entered that office that autumn day with a big gap between his two front teeth and an overbite and left the office with a mouthful of metal. I didn’t smile for a week afterward. My best friend, Brett Reilly, kept insisting that braces were cool and that he wanted them himself, but he didn’t know what he was talking about. It was a terrible way to start the seventh grade. But all of that was about to be behind me. Now, on a blustery and cold day in March of 2003, my long orthodontic nightmare was finally coming to a close.

Dr. Martin sat down beside me and did some exploring inside my mouth. I looked out the window at the darkening sky. We were going to have another winter storm soon. The weathermen had been almost giddy with tales of how much snow we were going to get. The groundhog had been proven right when he said six more weeks of winter. We had been pounded with snow all February, and it looked like March was going to be more of the same.

“I’m sorry Billy,” Dr. Martin said. “I don’t think you’re ready yet.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You need at least another three months, maybe longer,” Dr. Martin replied.

I felt my heart drop through my guts. I had to fight to keep from exploding, but I managed to keep my cool. I’d gotten much better at controlling my temper in the last year. I just grimaced and replied, “Well, I guess if you have to…”

“Nah, I’m just kidding you. We’re going to take them off today,” he said with a chuckle. “I get them every time with that one!”

I just stared at him. “If you don’t start getting these things off me, I’m going to do it myself.”

“Whoa! Easy there tiger!” Dr. Martin laughed. “You’ll be beating the girls off with a stick in no time.”

Dr. Martin was joined by an assistant, who did most of the work while Dr. Martin worked on another kid. Having my braces taken off was much easier than having them put on. It reminded me of when I’d had the pins taken out of my broken hand. They had to knock me out to put the pins in, but they just numbed me to take them out. I’d expected it to be more difficult. The assistant pulled the bands and wires off for the last time and then they used some kind of chemical to loosen the glue on my teeth. After a few minutes, they just pulled the metal brackets right off like they were nothing. After that, they did a simple cleaning and it was over. The whole process took about a half hour, if that! They gave me a mouthwash and then I was done. I slid my tongue all over the front of my teeth, and for the first time in four years there was nothing in my mouth that wasn’t a part of me!

“So do you want to see?” Dr. Martin asked as he handed me a mirror.

I took the mirror and held it up to my face. I smiled. The boy in the mirror smiled back at me, a boy who had no gap, no overbite, and no braces! I couldn’t help but smile! I couldn’t quite say I was me again, because I’d had braces for so long that they were almost a part of me. No. This was a new and improved Billy Roberts looking at me from the mirror. I kept running my tongue over my teeth, feeling them as if for the first time again.

“Now let’s get a mold for your retainer,” Dr. Martin said, ruining what had been a perfect moment. It didn’t take long for the dental assistant to take the necessary molds of my mouth and just like that I was released! I would have to come back in a few days to pick up my retainer, and I’d have a few follow up appointments, but it was truly and finally over. No more braces! I wanted to dance!

I walked out to the lobby and mom insisted on seeing what the dental insurance had paid for. For once, I was more than happy to show off my smile. She said I looked fantastic, and then we scheduled my next appointment for a few days later to pick up my retainer.

With one bit of teenage business behind us, we quickly prepared for the next teenage milestone. “Do we still have time?” I asked as we walked through the parking lot.

“Your appointment isn’t until three o’clock. The question is, are you ready?” mom asked, handing me the keys.

“Mom, I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole life. I aced the permit exam. Dad’s trained me to parallel park. You’ve let me drive everywhere we’ve gone for the past two months. I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”

I sat in the driver’s seat and drove confidently to the licensing center. It was time for me to get my driver’s license. I couldn’t believe how awesome the day had turned out. I’d had an early dismissal from school. I’d had my braces taken off. And now I was going to get my license! Could life be any sweeter than this?

When we got to the licensing center, I parked in a short line of cars in the testing area. I watched as the cars ahead of me honked their horns and flashed their lights. Then each one drove off, and I moved closer to the front of the line. After what seemed like an eternity, it was my turn. I wasn’t even nervous! I had never failed a test in my whole life, I wasn’t about to fail now!

“Now remember, Billy, relax. You know what you’re doing. I believe in you. You just need to relax, that’s all. Relax,” mom said, really not helping me to relax at all.

My mom gave the man giving the test her license information and signed a paper for me. Then she went into the center to wait. I easily honked the horn and turned all of the appropriate lights on and off for the tester. Then he sat in the car next to me.

“Roberts, eh?” he asked. “William Aaron Roberts.”

“Yeah. But everybody calls me Billy,” I replied.

“Can you pull up to the white line, William?”

“Sure,” I replied. I did as he asked. I turned the car this direction and that. I parallel parked. I followed the squiggly lines on the pavement. I drove the car out into the street, just like he asked. This was going exactly as I’d planned. I was on a roll. The tester laid his pen down and we even had a nice little conversation as we drove around the neighborhood. We quickly approached the licensing center again.

“Okay, Billy. Just pull in here and you’ll be all done,” the tester said.

“No problem,” I replied. I turned my turn signal on and pulled into the road he’d told me to turn into. Suddenly, to my horror, I realized I had just pulled into the exit instead of the entrance. I gasped and slammed the brakes, almost running head first into a car.

“I can back out!” I explained in panic.

“No, you can’t,” he replied. “I’m sorry, son. I meant to turn into the entrance up ahead, not the exit.” The car I’d almost hit pulled around us, the driver giving me a dirty look as she passed. “Just pull up to the building.”

I did as he asked. I parked in front of the building, and then I closed my eyes and rested my head on the steering wheel. I couldn’t believe I’d just been so stupid.

“Well, I actually have to change this report because I’d already signed it as passed. I’ve never had anyone pull in the wrong way before.”

I groaned audibly.

“Don’t worry. You can come back in a week.”

I groaned again.

“You’ll be fine, son. I’m sorry.” He left the car and I watched him go into the building and talk to my mom. I slid myself over the gear shifter thingy and into the passenger seat. I couldn’t believe how stupid I felt. I never wanted to drive again.

Mom walked to the car. She had walked to the passenger door, but finding me sitting there, she walked around the car to the driver’s side. I wasn’t so much angry as I was humiliated. I sat there with my arms crossed looking out the window. How could I have been such an idiot? I was numb. I had never failed a test in my life. Mom knew better than to talk to me. She simply started the car and began the drive home. The snow was beginning to fall, but it wasn’t yet sticking to the road.

“We can schedule the test again in a week if you want,” she suggested.

“I’m never driving again,” I sulked.

“Oh stop it!”

“I’m serious,” I moped. “This sucks so bad.”

“Well you can sit there and feel sorry for yourself or you can keep on practicing and come back even better next time.”

“How is practicing going to help me? I went in the wrong exit! I suck!”

“Okay then,” mom said. “We’ll just forget about it and your father and I will drive you everywhere you need to go for the rest of your life.”

“Why can’t you let me be mad without rubbing it in?” I asked. “I just bombed in the most humiliating way possible. I feel like a moron. I just want to be mad for a while. Is that too much to ask?”

“No, I suppose not,” she said. We drove along in silence for a while as the snow became a lot heavier. “I saw Joey at church the other day,” she said, hoping to change the subject. “He’s such a nice boy, Billy. I don’t know why you don’t get along with him.”

“I don’t get along with him because he’s a jerk, mom,” I replied. “Just because he goes to your stupid church doesn’t mean he’s a nice boy. He might have been nice when we were in elementary school, but things change. I hate him and he hates me. You don’t know what he does at school. He’s got everybody convinced he’s this nice kid, but once nobody’s looking he turns into a dick. I mean, did you forget that he almost got me expelled last year?”

“I don’t see why that should stop you from trying to be friends,” mom replied. “Brett punched you in the mouth and you were best friends again by the next morning.”

“That’s because he’s Brett. He was sorry he did it. He apologized and I forgave him.” I replied. “Joey’s not sorry. He’s even more of a jerk than ever! You only know the side of him he wants you to see. You don’t know what he’s like when adults aren’t around.”

“Well I can’t believe that. He’s been nothing but a gentleman. His parents are pillars of the community. You should give him a second chance. He’d certainly be better for you than that Dustin.”

“Mom don’t start,” I sighed. I knew she was going to bring Dustin up again for the hundredth time. “I’ve told you, Dustin’s alright. He’s just got a lot on his mind. He’s definitely a better person than Joey!”

Mom laughed. “Dustin Smith a better boy than Joey McKenzie? That’s ridiculous! Just look at their parents! Joey is a good Christian boy who has been nothing but a saint since your argument. Dustin is nothing more than a thief and a thug. Just look at him. I don’t like the influence he has had on you. I mean look at your hair.”

“Oh please! My hair’s got nothing to do with Dustin,” I protested. Sure my dark blond hair was getting longer. I’d got it cut in August before school started and hadn’t cut it since then. Now, almost eight months later it was down almost to my shoulders in the back and past my ears on the sides. But that wasn’t because of Dustin. It was just the way I felt like having my hair. I wondered how long I could go until I got tired of it, but as long as it was annoying mom I was willing to keep it no matter how unmanageable it got.

“And after what he did to his neighbor…” mom continued bitching.

“Mom, I agree with you that what he did to Mike was really dumb,” I said. “But it was just a one-time mistake and now he’s being crucified for it!”

“I hardly think comparing his situation to what Jesus went through is an appropriate comparison,” mom said. “Jesus never stole a car. I don’t trust him, Billy, and I don’t want you to be around him. I certainly don’t want him in my house.”

It was becoming more and more difficult to defend Dustin after what he had done to Mike during Thanksgiving break. Mike had worked so hard to protect Dustin and had given him a job. But then Dustin stole Mike’s Mustang and drove it all over town. The police found it parked it in the middle of the Donora-Monessen bridge. Dustin was sitting on the edge of the bridge looking out over the water, waiting for them to arrest him. Mike was pissed. Dustin got in a lot of trouble. He had to go to juvenile court and he wasn’t allowed to get his license until he turned eighteen. Mike didn’t press any charges but the police did. He pled guilty, and his record would be erased when he turned eighteen too. No one was really surprised when he could barely move when he came back to school. Most people figured his dad beat the shit out of him, and so did I. Something had definitely changed in him since then. He stopped playing basketball and quit the high school baseball team right before the season started. Mike wanted nothing to do with him. He would sometimes come to school barely able to walk, and he was so pale you could almost see through him. He hardly talked to me anymore, or anyone else. His greasy black-dyed hair was so long it was able to cover his face completely and was half-way down his back. He always wore black to match his hair color. Even his shoes were black. Since Mike had fired him, I suspected that Dustin had gone back to selling himself for money up at the park again. Of course, that was if he had ever stopped at all even when Mike was paying him.

To be honest, mom really didn’t have much to worry about as far as him having any bad influence on me, because I was just as concerned about him as she was, maybe even more so because of my suspicions about his health and career. Even Brett had eased up on his worrying about my relationship with Dustin, because there was barely even a relationship to speak of anymore. I hadn’t really talked to him in weeks. It just made me mad when my mom tried to run my life.

When we got home, I didn’t feel much like eating. The snow had turned into a blizzard. School had already been cancelled for Friday, so I further delayed doing the paper that was due Monday when we got back to school since it would now be a three-day weekend. I asked mom if Brett could come over, and she said that he could if he could find a way over through the snow. I quickly called Brett’s new cell phone he’d gotten for Christmas.

“William,” Brett said when he answered.

“Anthony,” I replied.

“Did you get it?” he asked.

“Nah… I messed up,” I replied.

“Shit!” Brett replied. “You mad?”

“Nah. I’ll try again next week. School’s cancelled tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s like God is giving me a wonderful birthday present,” Brett replied. His sixteenth birthday was coming on Saturday.

“You want to come over tonight before it gets too bad?”

“Okay. I’ll have to call my mom to tell her. She’s probably going to stay in the city overnight anyway. I’ll drive the four-wheeler over and in the morning we can plow people out and make some money.”

“You going to be okay driving over here in this weather?” I asked.

“Dude, it’s me,” Brett replied.

“That’s what I’m worried about!” I said. “Well, just be careful.” I warned.

Once the plans with Brett had been made, I felt a lot better. I joined my parents at the dining room table and let them know that Brett was coming. Mom wasn’t too happy that he was going to be driving the four-wheeler over in a snowstorm, but it was an essential part of our plan to make lots of money plowing driveways. About halfway through dinner, dad finally noticed I didn’t have braces anymore. I swear if I didn’t have to eat from time to time my parents would probably forget they had a kid.

The calm before the storm.
Copyright © 2017 jkwsquirrel; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Why are you putting my Dustin through so much Hell??? WHat did he ever do to you??? All he wanted to do was love Billy and be with him, but no....looking forward to more soon.....hint hint.....soon 

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27 minutes ago, jkwsquirrel said:

Thanks Jay!  Dustin stole my lunch money when I was a kid and now I'm taking it out on him!  Mwah hahahahhahahaaaa!!!!!!11

I'm the Villain around here.....stop trying to steal my maniacal laugh mwahahahahahahahahahaha

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Why is Billy’s Dad so distracted? This makes his mother’s religious obsession even more pronounced! She’d hate Brett even more than Dustin if she was aware of what kind of a ‘corrupting’ influence he’s been…

 

(The fact that the chapter was posted, but didn’t show up on the Newest Stories list is a bug that they’re aware of.)

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Ouch, what a way to not get your license!  I feel bad for Billy.

Billy's absolutely right about Joey being a two-faced asshole, a lot of 'good Christians' are, unfortunately.  And I've already gone over my feelings on Paula in the forums so I won't talk about that.  If she knew about Brett they'd never be allowed to see each other.

 

Dustin:  The boy really deserves a break.  There's more to the story than him just stealing Mike's car, I'm sure of it.  I think he just gave up and stealing Mike's car was a cry for help.  Now he's ruined things with Mike, pushed everyone away and gets beaten regularly at home, he's withdrawn and probably doing drugs it's not looking good.  I'm going to come right out and say it, I think Dustin's suicidal at this point.

 

I always liked Dustin and thought he deserved better, and seeing him so broken...I'm not sure I want to keep reading anymore.  And things are only going to get worse.

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2 hours ago, BlindAmbition said:

We're off to a bumpy start... Something tells me it's only gonna go down from here. 

We'll get through it though!

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55 minutes ago, Shadow086 said:

Ouch, what a way to not get your license!  I feel bad for Billy.

Billy's absolutely right about Joey being a two-faced asshole, a lot of 'good Christians' are, unfortunately.  And I've already gone over my feelings on Paula in the forums so I won't talk about that.  If she knew about Brett they'd never be allowed to see each other.

 

Dustin:  The boy really deserves a break.  There's more to the story than him just stealing Mike's car, I'm sure of it.  I think he just gave up and stealing Mike's car was a cry for help.  Now he's ruined things with Mike, pushed everyone away and gets beaten regularly at home, he's withdrawn and probably doing drugs it's not looking good.  I'm going to come right out and say it, I think Dustin's suicidal at this point.

 

I always liked Dustin and thought he deserved better, and seeing him so broken...I'm not sure I want to keep reading anymore.  And things are only going to get worse.

I tried to think of the stupidest way possible to fail a driver's test.  Billy, for as smart as he is, is prone to do bone-headed things, including the eponymous "retaliation' yet to come.  Oh delicious foreshadowing!

 

I'm hoping that we can explore the difference between good Christian people and the asshole variety.  And that growth and hope are possible.  It'll just take me a while to get there.  And I believe that the asshole variety are that way because they're assholes in general, and they suit their beliefs to their own desires.  But we'll explore that later too.

 

As for Dusty, I like him too.  He's one of my favorite characters.  But I must do what I must do.  He is reaching his breaking point.  It would be a fairy tale to think that all of the stuff that happened to him could go away without doing a lot of damage.  We saw a flash of what Dustin is capable of when Billy confronted him about Mike.  This time, it's all about to come crashing down on him, and there will be more of that 'retaliation' from him as well.  But I hope you'll stick with me through the darkness.  It really will get better eventually.  And *SPOILER ALERT*  No matter how bad it may look, Dustin come out of his situation stronger than before.

 

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48 minutes ago, jkwsquirrel said:

I tried to think of the stupidest way possible to fail a driver's test.  Billy, for as smart as he is, is prone to do bone-headed things, including the eponymous "retaliation' yet to come.  Oh delicious foreshadowing!

 

I'm hoping that we can explore the difference between good Christian people and the asshole variety.  And that growth and hope are possible.  It'll just take me a while to get there.  And I believe that the asshole variety are that way because they're assholes in general, and they suit their beliefs to their own desires.  But we'll explore that later too.

 

As for Dusty, I like him too.  He's one of my favorite characters.  But I must do what I must do.  He is reaching his breaking point.  It would be a fairy tale to think that all of the stuff that happened to him could go away without doing a lot of damage.  We saw a flash of what Dustin is capable of when Billy confronted him about Mike.  This time, it's all about to come crashing down on him, and there will be more of that 'retaliation' from him as well.  But I hope you'll stick with me through the darkness.  It really will get better eventually.  And *SPOILER ALERT*  No matter how bad it may look, Dustin come out of his situation stronger than before.

 

I failed mine because the guy said I was driving too slow, and I only did that because I wanted to make sure to stay under the speed limit.

 

I find that the good Christian people are generally the ones that aren't always bragging about what good Christians they are.  That's also true for many other things.

 

Dusty: I just hate it when bad things keep happening to people I care about.  He really deserves better.  He has a bright and promising future ahead of him and he's throwing it all away because he lives with a bunch of despicable human beings.  It really breaks my heart to see it and I hope we've hit rock-bottom with him, I don't think I could stand watching him suffer any more than this.

 

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So fun watching the boys grow up. Now they are 16 and have a new level of freedom with a license (assuming Billy can extract his head from his butt and pass it next time).  Dustin has reached his breaking point and doing everything he can to get taken out of his home. Poor kid.

 

as a devout Christian, it always pains me to see the hypocritical "Christians" portrayed in stories.  I know there are many, but certainly not all of us are that way. Thanks for trying to show the difference between the two!

 

so glad the story is back because I've definitely missed it!!!

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I’m now thinking Dustin ‘stole’ Mike’s car because he was trying to get away from something horrible happening at home.

 

 

And as for religion, people often search for a church that reinforces their existing biases and prejudices. If the church changes policies or beliefs contrary to their biases, they leave that church and search for one closer to what they already believe. The typical politically right-wing fanatic is fearful of change and differences – they want to build walls to keep strangers out. They don’t like having people around who do not think, believe, speak, or look like they do. They write laws and regulations (including housing covenants) to prevent differences from entering their neighborhoods – if those rules and regulations are struck down as illegal, or prove to be insufficient, they flee to suburbs where they try to legislate strangers out of town.

 

They often claim to be self-made, but do not acknowledge the boosts they were given by the efforts of their parents, grandparents, and ancestors. Very, very few people have actually done it all themselves. When you do a little digging, you’ll almost certainly find someone who gave them a little extra help at some point. It takes a village, but they want people to think they just sprung up, all alone in the wilderness like a wildly mutated plant or something.

 

 

I believe that when people show no empathy for others who are suffering, they are giving the finger to anyone and everyone who showed empathy and gave any sort of assistance to them as they were growing up. If everyone were as equal as they want to claim, there would be no rare diseases or freak accidents, everyone would grow up in a household with sufficient food, clothing and shelter, and no one would have hundreds or thousands of times the resources that others have. Those who are blessed with more have a responsibility to share more with others – and research shows that poor people donate a larger percentage of their income than the wealthiest people..

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Don't have much to say that hasn't already been said.  I know you already saw my reaction to Billy's mother singing the praises of the cretin Joey.   I think what pisses me off the most is her dismissal of what Billy tells her.  If I'd told my parents that a kid acted all goody-two-shoes around adults but became a totally different person when they weren't around they would have believe me.  

 

I hope this bug that prevented this from showing up in the news feed doesn't affect all the future chapters, cause I don't want to miss them.   

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12 hours ago, spikey582 said:

Don't have much to say that hasn't already been said.  I know you already saw my reaction to Billy's mother singing the praises of the cretin Joey.   I think what pisses me off the most is her dismissal of what Billy tells her.  If I'd told my parents that a kid acted all goody-two-shoes around adults but became a totally different person when they weren't around they would have believe me.  

 

I hope this bug that prevented this from showing up in the news feed doesn't affect all the future chapters, cause I don't want to miss them.   

I agree totally that the woman should at least take her son's comments more seriously...

But for her whatever other people tell her is obviously more important. She does not seem to be the brightest bulb anyway.

Hopefully Billy's father can set her straight... not much hope for that happening though

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On 6/17/2017 at 4:45 PM, Shadow086 said:

I failed mine because the guy said I was driving too slow, and I only did that because I wanted to make sure to stay under the speed limit.

Too slow?  I'm picturing Huey Lewis with a megaphone in Back to the Future: "I'm afraid you're just too darn slow.  Next please!"

 

On 6/17/2017 at 6:23 PM, Okiegrad said:

So fun watching the boys grow up. Now they are 16 and have a new level of freedom with a license (assuming Billy can extract his head from his butt and pass it next time).  Dustin has reached his breaking point and doing everything he can to get taken out of his home. Poor kid.

 

as a devout Christian, it always pains me to see the hypocritical "Christians" portrayed in stories.  I know there are many, but certainly not all of us are that way. Thanks for trying to show the difference between the two!

 

so glad the story is back because I've definitely missed it!!!

Yes, the sweet freedom of the open highway awaits! (If Billy can ever pass the test.)

 

Here's the thing about Dustin to remember: He is loyal to a fault.  He will continue to defend his family even when it's obvious his family is bad news.  Worse, he thinks it's his fault that they abuse him.  He's not good enough.  He'll never be good enough.  He thinks he deserves what they do to him.

 

Totally agree about the "bad apple Christians."  I think we tend to focus on the worst elements of people who we do not understand.  The same goes for people who think all Muslims are terrorists, or that African American people are lazy or all on welfare.  There are bad people in the world, but I still believe that there is good in everyone, and that good will win eventually.  While there is definitely a portion of the story that centers on the worst side of Christianity, that kind of hateful rhetoric is destined to fail in the end. And one more thing, Brett is a devout and sincere Catholic himself, and he's very happy with his faith:  "I like God and God likes me."

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On 6/18/2017 at 5:15 AM, droughtquake said:

I’m now thinking Dustin ‘stole’ Mike’s car because he was trying to get away from something horrible happening at home.

 

 

And as for religion, people often search for a church that reinforces their existing biases and prejudices. If the church changes policies or beliefs contrary to their biases, they leave that church and search for one closer to what they already believe.

Everybody reaches their breaking point eventually.  The fact that Dustin hasn't snapped and killed everybody is a testament to the strength of his character.

 

I've seen first-hand the "church-shopping" you describe.  It's my belief that true religion is meant to challenge one's biases, not confirm them.

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17 hours ago, spikey582 said:

Don't have much to say that hasn't already been said.  I know you already saw my reaction to Billy's mother singing the praises of the cretin Joey.   I think what pisses me off the most is her dismissal of what Billy tells her.  If I'd told my parents that a kid acted all goody-two-shoes around adults but became a totally different person when they weren't around they would have believe me.  

 

I hope this bug that prevented this from showing up in the news feed doesn't affect all the future chapters, cause I don't want to miss them.   

Thanks Spikey!  I plan to just enter the chapters on the date rather than try to pre-load them again.  I plan to update either late Friday or early Saturday morning.  So hopefully we'll have a new chapter every weekend for a while!

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Follow the story and you’ll get notifications (even if a known software bug that they’re working on fixing notifies you accidentally when the chapter has been preloaded, but not yet available).

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On 6/19/2017 at 5:02 AM, Freerider said:

I agree totally that the woman should at least take her son's comments more seriously...

But for her whatever other people tell her is obviously more important. She does not seem to be the brightest bulb anyway.

Hopefully Billy's father can set her straight... not much hope for that happening though

Paula has her own issues to work through.  Her confirmation and self esteem have always come from outside of herself.  She's a people pleaser, concerned about what others think, and she draws her self-worth from that.  The most rebellious thing she ever did was marrying a bad boy like George Roberts.  Her focus is on how others perceive her, so she throws a Christmas Ever party because that's what her mom did, or she wants Billy to get along with the social climbing joey, because Billy's friends are a bunch of losers and he'll be guilty by association, and then people will think poorly of her.  Her self-centeredness comes from her intense focus on what others think.

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Personally, I think the driving instructor should have taken the blame for that. Didn't he say he meant Billy should turn into the entrance up ahead, not the exit? He should have passed him. Nothing will change when he takes the test next week; he passed everything already.

 

Paula expounding on the virtues of Joey had my blood pressure rising. :lol: She should really listen to her son when he says Joey's a two-faced ass.

 

I'm really feeling badly for Dustin. He may be getting beat up by his father and/or sister, but he could also be getting beat up by the johns he's servicing in the park bathroom. Mike and Billy were the only people he felt safe with. Now he burned his bridges with Mike, and he barely acknowledges Billy. He feels he's got no one in his corner.

 

Ok, on to the next chapter. :)

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1 hour ago, Lisa said:

Paula expounding on the virtues of Joey had my blood pressure rising. :lol: She should really listen to her son when he says Joey's a two-faced ass.

Parents always think they have a better perspective on life, and usually they do, but they also only see what kids allow them to see…  ;-)

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On 7/1/2017 at 8:24 PM, Lisa said:

Personally, I think the driving instructor should have taken the blame for that. Didn't he say he meant Billy should turn into the entrance up ahead, not the exit? He should have passed him. Nothing will change when he takes the test next week; he passed everything already.

 

Paula expounding on the virtues of Joey had my blood pressure rising. :lol: She should really listen to her son when he says Joey's a two-faced ass.

 

I'm really feeling badly for Dustin. He may be getting beat up by his father and/or sister, but he could also be getting beat up by the johns he's servicing in the park bathroom. Mike and Billy were the only people he felt safe with. Now he burned his bridges with Mike, and he barely acknowledges Billy. He feels he's got no one in his corner.

 

Ok, on to the next chapter. :)

Thanks Lisa!  The driving test - Just another adult in Billy's life who messes things up for him and then Billy gets all the crap!

Paula - She's never quite satisfied with the son she has.  The classic 'why can't you be more like...'

Dustin - He's definitely reaching rock bottom, and isolating himself from those who love him.  He doesn't think he's worthy of love.

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Alright, I'm back after a few days of recollection! Like I said before, I was scared to read through the story because I was getting a lot closer to the end. But I've been thinking about it for a while, and thought to myself: a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. (yep I'm a Marvel fan! Hahaha!)

Now for my thoughts on this chapter:

I never imagined that Dustin could do such a thing to Mike. Either that something happened between the two of them that prompted Dustin to commit that crime or I simply didn't know him well at all. I mean, it was his neighbor's car, where else could he hide it?

I totally understood Billy's frustration! One time I failed the a exam at school badly, I punched sliding glass of my bookshelf. Yep, it's one of my firsts, too!

Spoiler

I'm thinking that there's gonna be a fight between Billy and Joey (as foreshadowed in the previous book). And it's gonna be a total war! Hopefully bigger than Brett vs. Dustin. I would like to see some action! Oh! You can throw in Brett and Dustin into the equation and make them side with Billy! Oh I can't wait to see it!

Billy's Mom scares me. She was doing fine in the previous books until that religion thing came up. And she even likes Joey! Oh this is gonna be messy!

I'm glad that you brought the Winter theme back! Book 2 was one of my favorites because it's when the B&B love story officially started! Brings a lot of memories!

Oh! And Brett has an ATV? Damn that's so cool!

Into the next chapter!

 

 

Edited by noahthesmallpotato
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On ‎6‎/‎18‎/‎2020 at 10:40 AM, noahthesmallpotato said:

Alright, I'm back after a few days of recollection! Like I said before, I was scared to read through the story because I was getting a lot closer to the end. But I've been thinking about it for a while, and thought to myself: a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. (yep I'm a Marvel fan! Hahaha!)

Now for my thoughts on this chapter:

I never imagined that Dustin could do such a thing to Mike. Either that something happened between the two of them that prompted Dustin to commit that crime or I simply didn't know him well at all. I mean, it was his neighbor's car, where else could he hide it?

I totally understood Billy's frustration! One time I failed the a exam at school badly, I punched sliding glass of my bookshelf. Yep, it's one of my firsts, too!

  Hide contents

I'm thinking that there's gonna be a fight between Billy and Joey (as foreshadowed in the previous book). And it's gonna be a total war! Hopefully bigger than Brett vs. Dustin. I would like to see some action! Oh! You can throw in Brett and Dustin into the equation and make them side with Billy! Oh I can't wait to see it!

Billy's Mom scares me. She was doing fine in the previous books until that religion thing came up. And she even likes Joey! Oh this is gonna be messy!

I'm glad that you brought the Winter theme back! Book 2 was one of my favorites because it's when the B&B love story officially started! Brings a lot of memories!

Oh! And Brett has an ATV? Damn that's so cool!

Into the next chapter!

 

 

I'm very glad you kept reading!  I enjoy your comments!  We'll dabble a little bit in all the areas you mentioned in the chapters ahead!

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