JamesSavik

This is just a snip. The Callahan boys were safe. Well... sort of safe. As long as we could keep our clothes on in public. And Lark, you'll just have to see.

Warning: hormonal teen behavior, stupidity and immaturity. Skip if that bothers you. Spring 1976 I nervously watched a dozen juniors and seniors milling around their cars and talking. A popular senior named Jerry Callahan was there with his friends. They would be graduating soon and seemed to be having a party from March until the end of the school year. I was hiding across the street and down the road a bit. I didn't fear Jerry. In fact, loved him. The Callahan brothers had adopted me into their fold. They had been there for me when no one else was. Jerry’s little brother Trent was my age. We had been friends playing ball for years and were in many of the same classes. When I had problems, Trent reached out to me. Ordinarily, if I saw Jerry, I'd run and hug his neck, but not with all those strangers around. The whole Callahan family were Christians and serious about it—very sweet people with the real Holy Spirit thing going on. Too angry and confused, I rebuffed him, but he kept trying. He invited me to his church one spring Sunday when they were having dinner on the grounds. That’s a brilliant Baptist tradition where all the ladies and some of the church's men will stage a picnic with all their best recipes. It’s about as close to heavenly visitation as we’re likely to get in this life. Of course, my folks were delighted. Mom and I spent time Friday night making pecan pralines. I boxed up thirty-two to take to the dinner on the grounds. I gave Dad some and hid the rest. Those darn things tend to disappear. I spent the Saturday night before at Trent's house with him and his four brothers. Jerry was the oldest, an eighteen-year-old senior who shared a room with Robbie, who was fifteen. Trent was my age and shared a room with his twelve-year-old brother, Stevie. The Callahan boys were all very nice. They were tall for their age, had black hair and blue eyes, and were lanky with jock-ish tendencies. We had a blast that Saturday night. Jerry took Trent, Stevie, and me to see the movie Escape from Witch Mountain. It was a kid’s movie, but we were kids. It was something the Callahan parents wouldn’t veto, and it was fun. After the movie, we went by Dairy Queen, then to their home and settled in Trent's room. Trent and Stevie had bunk beds, and a couch was just across from their bed for me. We all changed into gym shorts to get comfortable and watched Saturday Night Live till Mr. Callahan came by the room and told us it was time for lights out. It wasn’t very dark, as there was a neon Ole Miss Rebel on their wall that acted as a red night light. I was quite aware that I was in a room with two charming boys. Trent settled in on the bottom bunk and Stevie on the top. After some silliness and laughter, we all got quiet and went to sleep. Someone grabbed my foot, and I woke up. Trent’s older brother Robbie was standing over me. He put his finger to his lips and then motioned for me to come with him. Robbie led me downstairs into the lower split-level of their house, into the boys' weight room, and closed the door. He stood by the weights and beckoned me to come close. He whispered, “I wanted to talk to you privately. Sorry, but I had to wake you up to do it.” “It’s OK. What’s up, Robbie?” He paused, and even in the near darkness, it was easy to see he was nervous. He steeled his resolve and said, “I… uhh… have never done this before. I don’t like guys in general, but I like you.” I smiled and whispered, “I don’t like guys in general, either. Just my friends. My scoutmaster put two and two together and got twenty-seven, and that’s why everything went to hell for me.” He grinned back in the dark. “I thought boys who liked other boys were all girly and stuff, but you aren’t like that. You’re just thirteen and bigger than me.” “You’re taller.” “But you’re built. I’ve seen you play football, and you hit like a bulldozer.” I liked what I heard and whispered, “Thanks. I like you and your brothers a lot. It was cool to be invited to stay over. This is the first time since last summer.” Tentatively, Robbie reached over and put his hand on my bare chest. My heart was pounding. I did the same, and his heart was pounding, too. His hand moved down my abs and slipped inside my shorts. I grinned and did the same. He whispered, “You are a big boy.” Laughing quietly, I whispered, “Not this big.” Robbie surprised me when he knelt, pulled my shorts down, and went down on my cock. I whispered, “Robbie, we can’t. Not here. I’d never forgive myself if we got caught, and you had to go through the same hell I have.” He gave my cock a final flourish with his tongue, reluctantly relinquished it, and stood. As soon as he did, I knelt and took a taste of Robbie. He was very turned on, whimpered, grabbed my head and ejaculated almost instantly. I stood, he hugged me, and whispered, “I thought you said we can’t.” “I wanted a taste of you, too. You're yummy, and you’ll sleep better now.” He asked timidly, “Can we hang out sometime?” “I'd love too! Ever ride your bike to school?” “I haven’t for a while, but I could.” “Pick a day when the weather is good and ride your bike. After school, follow me onto the trails, where we can be alone without getting busted.” Robbie grinned and said, “I can do that. It’ll be fun.” We hugged again, which felt spectacular to me. Robbie kissed my cheek and returned upstairs. I waited a moment, followed, and stepped into a bathroom to relieve myself. When I turned on the light, I surprised Trent jacking off over the toilet. He put his cock up and blushed furiously. Putting my finger over my lips, I closed the door and turned out the light. There was a nightlight in the bathroom that provided dim illumination. I approached the toilet and whispered, “We’ll sleep better.” I pulled out my cock and started jacking. Trent grinned and did the same. I was pretty cranked up, and Trent had a head start, so it didn’t take long. We heard something outside in the hall, so Trent stood behind the door. When I opened it, Jerry stood in the hall waiting for me. He, too, indicated I should follow him, and we went back down to their weight room. He closed the door and had me sit on the couch. I sat beside him, he put his arm around my shoulder and said, “I know you and Robbie talked. Jimmy, I’m not going to mince words. You’re a very good-looking kid. Just being alone with you here is giving me wood because I know what we could do. We have a cousin we fool around with. Robbie and I both like it, but we can’t get caught. My parents, my brothers, if it got out, it would wreck us.” Whispering back, “I’d never hurt you guys. You’re the only ones who have treated me decent since last summer.” Surprising me, Jerry kissed my cheek and said, “I’ve always liked you. Of all Trent’s friends, you’re my favorite. Then, over the last couple of years, you got huge. You’re a sore temptation, you big ole rascal.” I giggled and said, “Thanks, Jerry. I love you guys. Maybe one day, when it’s raining, you can drive me home.” Jerry smiled and said, “Done deal. I’ve got a girlfriend who doesn’t make me as hard as you do.” The next morning, we got up, went to Sunday school and church, and then had a feast. All thirty-two pralines vanished, and I had to promise the recipe to Mrs. Callahan. Jerry, Robbie, Trent and even Stevie were a tonic to me. In the fall, when things were at their worst, I'd been so isolated and afraid. Being embraced and even loved by these boys made me tear up. What I thought would be outstanding was a mixed blessing. Sex with Jerry and Robbie was addictive. We'd get hard just seeing each other. Robbie followed me onto the trails on good weather days, and Jerry would drive me home when it rained, and we would do stuff at my house before my parents got home. The sex was great, but I got to the point where I couldn’t say no to them. I gave Robbie my anal virginity. It didn’t take long before they were both fucking me. I loved it, but it left me feeling empty. It was something I thought I’d do with Scotty or Brian later on, but I was doing it with the older boys, whom I came to love, but I knew for them, it was just for fun. They were always nice to me, but it hurt because they couldn’t love me back the way I loved them. If I walked by and Jerry or Robbie saw me, neither of us had much control. Jerry and Robbie were cautious initially, but as we enjoyed it so much, they took chances we couldn’t afford. Crowd or not, if they saw me, we try would find an excuse to be alone, which would lead to disaster. I had to stay away to protect them. I couldn’t just walk by them, and it was too far to go around. Why wouldn’t they just go inside? Out of the dark, a young adult voice startled me, “Hi, Jimmy.” All I could see was an outline in the dark, overcast night. It looked like it might be a nice outline, but I was scared. I asked nervously, “W…who are you?” The figure did not advance and answered calmly, “My name is Larken, but most people call me Lark. Your mom taught my little sister. She said that if I ran into you, to tell you I know your dad was with the 2nd Infantry at Pusan.” Relaxing, I walked toward him. Lark asked, “Why are you hiding out here?” I sighed and said, “I’m dodging Jerry Callahan, but I have to pass his house to get home.” As I approached him, he whistled and said, “I’d heard you were a big boy for thirteen. Isn’t Jerry Callahan a senior? Is he messing with you?” “No. Jerry’s cool, but he’s got a bunch of his friends in his driveway, and some of them aren’t. I'm friends with his little brother, Trent.” Finally, getting a good look at Lark, I was sure I’d seen him around. He reminded me of my cousin Bill before he got his foot blown off in Vietnam. He was in his twenties, tall, had long blond hair, and wore a Rush t-shirt. Lark said, “My car is over there. Would a ride home be helpful?” I looked back toward the Callahan house. The mob in the driveway was still out, milling around their cars and trucks. I said, “Uh… yeah, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble.” “Sure, kiddo. Are you hungry? I was going to grab something.” I followed him. Food was a great idea, and no one was at home. “Yeah, thanks.” We got to his car, and it was a blue Charger. I said, “Your car is tough!” He chuckled and said, “Thanks, Jimmy.” Lark drove us to a little hamburger shack across the road from the Comic bookshop and got us both a burger and a shake. After we ate, Lark said, “I don’t mean to bring up bad memories, but I know what Gaddis and Rainer did to you and your friends.” “It seems like everybody knows,” I replied, exasperated. Lark said, “Easy, Jimmy. I know people are giving you trouble over it. Even other cops think Gaddis is an asshole, and Rainer cheats on his wife. They’re both hypocritical assholes and should have never done it.” All I could think of to say was, “Thanks. A few people have told me that. It’s not easy to live with.” Lark said, “Can I trust you with a secret? If I can, I might be able to help you.” Intrigued, I replied, “Everybody knows my worst secret. I know what betrayal feels like and would never do it.” He pulled a badge out of his pocket and said, “I’m an undercover cop. If any city cops or Sheriff’s deputies give you any trouble, tell them you work for me.” I thought about it and asked, “What does that mean?” Lark said, “Cops talk to people to find out what’s happening. So, if you hear of anybody planning a bank robbery, you’ll let me know.” “I can do that,” I replied, laughing. “All my friends are kids, so I doubt I will hear about anything like that.” Lark said, “I know your friends Nate and Doug. I try to look out for them, too. Look, I know you guys smoke a little weed. So did I when I was your age. An asshole like Gaddis would give you hell over it, but I understand it’s no big deal.” Nervous again, “I won’t have to burn my friends?” "You won’t have to burn anybody. I just want to help. I could have a word with kids who are too old to push you around, flash a badge, and tell them it would be a good idea to leave you alone. You seem quite capable of handling kids your own age. I sometimes hear about jobs you could do to earn some cash. You can’t tell anybody other than cops, OK?” “That’s cool. To tell the truth, there’s an adult I’m worried about, I had a scary run-in with a while back.” “What’s his name?” I said, “I only know him as Pete. He drives an old blue Chevy truck with a sign on the back that says Triple-A Plumbing, and he’s always got a knife. I don’t know. I probably said the wrong thing or something. He scared me.” Lark thought briefly and said, “That sounds like Pete Ainsworth. He’s a big ugly mutt, and scares everybody. Don’t worry about him anymore.” I laughed, feeling elated. Getting Pete off my back would be huge, and having a cop in my corner was incalculably valuable. Lark saw I was pleased. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Are you feeling better, Jimmy?” “Yeah! It feels good to have an adult on my side. Many of them look at me like I stink or something.” Lark said gently, “It’s difficult to look at you and remember you’re just thirteen. If I didn’t know better, I'd guess fifteen or sixteen, but I can tell by your eyes. It’s hard to be bigger on the outside than you are on the inside. I was the same way as a kid.” I was elated, finally to meet an adult who understood me! Lark dropped me off at my house and gave me a number to reach him. He hugged me before I got out of the car. He had me, hook, line, and sinker.

Dissociative Identity Disorder Here's a malady that has often been misunderstood and is one of the most abused troupes in fiction. Often called Multiple Identity Disorder, it is a very rare, misunderstood and often presents itself in unique ways. For years, DID (formerly called Multiple Identity Disorder) has been controversial. Some psychiatrists have denied it exists, and it was used as a dubious and failed criminal defense strategy in high-profile murder cases. DID is extremely rare because it takes a horrendous amount of abuse to trigger it. Any sane person, family member or teacher who witnessed it would blow the whistle - unless they are religious fanatics. Victims are often raised inside cults and subject to abuse of all sorts: physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. DID is a rare response to abuse trauma. Other responses are much more common, and DID is often comorbid with all sorts of other psychiatric maladies. DID is much more common in females than males and the stats are confusing, but most of them look like a 65/35 female/male split. Contrary to fiction, personalities almost always retain the gender of the sufferer. Abuse causes Dissociation, or an emotional detachment. Many people who experience abuse trauma describe this state as "going away". Repeated abuse/trauma can cause this state to extend and form personalities amenable to the abusers. For instance: John Doe is a teen who has been abused in all manner of ways since he was a small child. Four different personalities manifest. Good John is a sweet boy who is compliant and obedient. Good John will obey and do all his chores. He's a people pleaser. Bad John is the angry child who has been suppressed. Bad John understands he's a punching bag and acts out on his anger. Sexy John is compliant with and enthusiastic about sexual abuse. It's easier that way, doesn't hurt as much, and it is over sooner that way. He may trick or lure other children to the abuser. Calculating John is a cold and calculating personality that lies in the background and manipulates things for all the John's benefit. Calculating John is a controlling personality who is distinct from the others. His imperatives are survival oriented. He watches and makes decisions like not antagonizing his abusers. John will appear to be the same person, but one of these personalities will be predominate. Needless to say, if you take on writing a character like this, it can be a wild ride. For instance, if Sexy John is in charge in the middle school locker room, things are going to get interesting. Bad John will be wildly popular with the kids who sneak smokes behind the building, and Good John will be a teacher's pet. Calculating John will blame others for all their misdeeds. DID is the aftermath of a disastrous childhood. Sufferers present from mild to profound symptomatology. You will need to do a lot of research and think through how this character will act and react to situations and which personality will manifest. It makes my head hurt thinking about just how deep a dive it could take. I have only one character who manifests a mild form of DID. It's Joey Ashcraft from the Company. Joey's mother is an alcoholic who stays drunk and eventually became unemployable. Joey became a hustler to bring cash home and evolved a protective personality called Rebel. Where Joey is a sweet little boy, Rebel is loud, brash and aggressive-a survival adaptation. When Rebel was removed from the chaos and provided support, Rebel receded as he was no longer necessary, and Joey became dominate. Rebel is still in there and will emerge if he's threatened, but in his new circumstances where he's safe and secure, Rebel is unnecessary and Joey is dominate. He is under psychiatric care. This was an extremely simplistic example, but about the best I could manage. For a short example, see: Two for the Price of One

I wrote this as a just for fun tribute piece for an anthology GA did to commemorate the passing of Carlos Hazday back around Christmas. The readers loved the characters so much they demanded a sequel, so you get to see more of David, LJ, Rowdy, Travis and more of their friends in Initiation Weekend which takes place six months later at the end of school. To folks who have never heard of a time honored rural tradition of pasture parties, it should be fun. Think Dazed and Confused, but with a little more structure, supervision, direction, and purpose.

This is a horrible mess. It's a situation that's ass-backwards from my experience, but I can see it happening. The gay kids are protected, and the staff may be so gullibly woke to be blind, or afraid to reign them in for fear of being perceived as homophobic. This is a unique story with engaging characters in Ross and Perry. Even the baddies in the tale are a spectrum, ranging from immature followers needing a whuppin' to kids who are showing signs of real sociopathy. There's a SHTF moment coming when the sheriff arrives, but I think Perry's getting the message that Ross and other "white hats" are trying to help - if they can just get him off the falls. For some reason, I feel like Adam will be a key player going forward. He might be poised to defect from the GSA mafia and do the right thing. He's showing remorse. Bravo, and I can't wait for more!

Early Onset Puberty in Boys Precocious Puberty can occur in both boys and girls for a number of reasons. It can be caused by glandular malfunctions or, tumors. This is an actual physical disorder, and can occur in both sexes as early as seven. Early Onset Puberty is natural, runs in families (genetic), and can be very awkward for a boy socially. Suddenly, a fifth or sixth grader, can tower over their peers, and have all the puberty-related changes like a growth spurt, deepening voice, maturing genitalia, and libido to match. For most boys, the more obvious manifestations of puberty begin around thirteen or seventh grade. Early onset puberty can start at ten or eleven and can present some challenges for boys. First - parents can miss this completely. Sure, little Billy is getting bigger, but he's a growing boy. Right? Second - when a boy in elementary school, fourth or fifth grade, starts puberty, it invites comment and curiosity by their peers. Third - most boys of this age aren't prepared for puberty emotionally. Boys with early onset puberty are apt to engage in sex play, and exhibitionism, which can cause them a great deal of trouble. They literally can't engage in sex with their peers, as peers aren't ready or equipped for it. They often end up with older partners and negative consequences. Sexually, they are the equals of boys two and three years older than they are, but they don't have the emotional maturity and experience to match. Their peers may react with jealousy at their more developed... attributes. Two examples of my characters who are blessed (or cursed) with early onset puberty are: Scotty Cross from The Summer Job. Billy Barnes from The Company. _________________________________ These are my notes. More when I get them out.

Abuse Trauma Yeah, this is a fun topic. This is the quiet kid who comes to school wearing long sleeves to cover the bruises. As it progresses, it's to cover the cuts. Abuse victims often transition directly to substance abuse, often as early as middle school. I've heard this character archetype called the Lost Child. That's often how they're perceived. This is a kid who will try to be invisible and won't easily interact with peers. If someone approaches them, he'll view them with hostility and suspicion. Their self-worth is cratered because, if they can't even get along with their parents, why would anybody else want to have anything to do with them? Abuse takes four forms: physical, sexual, emotional and neglect. All four can leave deep emotional scars. It's also very, very difficult to spot, especially in boys because they don't want to talk about it(1) and will fervently deny anything is wrong. If you look at the statistics, boys very rarely report abuse because of fear, shame, and the reputation of the system for acting precipitously or incompetently. This denial can last into adulthood. Victims blame themselves, or worse, just assume that's how things are. While it's difficult to get a boy to report abuse, many times their behaviors absolutely scream it. However, these behaviors can be all over the map. Think of a Venn diagram with two bubbles that overlap. One bubble is the introverted style, and it's exactly as it sounds. Typical behaviors of the introverted style of an abused boy are: avoidance, shyness, low self-esteem, poor physical care, and if given a chance they will participate half-heartedly or not at all. Think Goth kid. He seeks escape inside himself. The second bubble is the extraverted style. This is your typical charming bad boy. He may present as a bully and seek physical confrontations. He may act out physically or sexually. You will often find them playing sports where they can be physical as an outlet. He seeks escape externally. Where this gets confusing is that the two styles can overlap and present features of both styles. Sometimes they can flip over time, leading to dramatic personality changes. A common theme with boys suffering from abuse trauma is they try very hard to fit in and NOT BE NOTICED. Boys who have suffered abuse trauma often end up in trouble - especially over substance abuse issues. They are treated for alcoholism or addiction, but the underlying problem is unaddressed, complicating any kind of recovery. Other forms of trouble they are likely to fall into are shoplifting, vandalism, and fighting. While most people might shrug this off as boys being boys, and there's some truth to that, but when it becomes a pattern, there is a problem. To writers, characterization for a boy with abuse trauma is challenging. Their behavior can range from people-pleasing to violently anti-social. I feel if we write this character, we should do him justice. They will be complex and difficult, but if done right, they'll steal your readers' hearts. Two of them are in my latest story - Initiation Weekend: Tommy Johnson and Rebel Wright. Tommy is a 17-year-old who has tried his best to please an angry, abusive father with rage issues. Rebel Wright, a stormy 14-year-old, is much more subtle, but his behavior gives him away. Notice how his behavior patterns flipped from an angry bully to sweet to the point of gullibility. The best characters aren't just words. People are complex critters, with layers and depth. When we explore those depths, characters acquire dimensions that transcend the mere two dimensions of prose. If you build them right, the reader can almost see them and feel for them. _______ (1) Certainly not with an adult, but they may open up to a peer. Sometimes friends can be literal lifesavers.

One of the things I'm good about is doing research to flesh out my characters and try to make them real. Their psychology is an important part of understanding them. A classic mistake is creating a character bio in your story. Many times I've seen an author introduce a character: John Doe is 18, tall, muscular, hung like a horse and is a freshman at state. Sure, that's a Nifty 😉characterization, but not satisfying and very superficial. While this has the virtue of being succinct, it doesn't give the reader the pleasure of getting to know him. There are many tricks for doing this like having other characters describe them when they meet, their friends talk about them or getting to know them through dialogue - straight from the horse's mouth so to speak. An important part of characterization that's much more subtle is their psychology, and that's a very deep well. To write a character, you have to understand the character, and see the world through their eyes. This is a huge challenge, but it creates authenticity that resonates with the reader. In this thread, I'm going to share some of my research. In one of my recent stories, I had a character with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder). The stereotype of a kid with ADHD is that they bounce off the walls, and that's fair as far as it goes. There are several flavors of ADHD, but that's only one of them. That can describe how people with ADHD act, but what's going on inside their head? This is a rather brilliant short film that can give you an opportunity to see through their eyes.

Some authors have an absolute gift for understanding how peoples heads work. This isn't something that comes naturally to most writers unless they've studied the subject in school or spent a bunch of time on a couch with someone talking out their own issues. I fall into the middle of that group. I've studied the subject because I've often been told I'm crazy and decided to look into the benefits, and I've sat on a couch a time or two. IMHO, characterization is one of the hardest and most important aspects of writing fiction. Not everyone is the same. People have all sorts of characteristics and quirks. The most memorable characters in fiction, the ones who stand out, and you'll remember, the masters of the craft make the magic happen in four steps. 1) You must establish them as unique. This goes MUCH deeper than physical description and a blurb that they're a nerd who hates sports. What sort of nerd? Do they read Romantic era poetry, are they grade hounds, or are they an up-and-coming hacker? Why do they hate sports? Do they wear glasses and are uncoordinated, or have they had bad experiences? Details matter. The reader isn't psychic and can't guess these things. 2) You have to establish them as sympathetic. If your protagonist is Mr. Perfect, flawless in every detail, (Rae or Captain Marvel disease) this is a formula that won't work. Mr. Perfect is going to remind people of that clique of rich kids in high school who could get away with anything that everybody hated passionately. It's the flaws and challenges of a character and their response to them that make them human and relatable. 3) You have to set the stakes. What's in it for the character? Fitting in, overcoming a catastrophe, coping with grief, finding love, recovering from difficulties, finding their lost cat? There has to be the opportunity for drama. Finding a lost cat after a tornado may not sound that interesting, but believe me, it could be pretty traumatic and dramatic! 4) You have to take this character on a journey through which they grow. They must face challenges like escaping from hungry bears, triumphing over their fears, or finding the lost cat among the chaos of the aftermath of a tornado. To accomplish that feat, they must find it in themselves to overcome, improvise, adapt and find a way. How we do this is the art in our craft. We've all got our own pallet, and most of that comes from our experience, and reading how other authors do it. There are two masters at this I'm going to provide as examples. Driver - In his story the Quarry, Driver introduces us to Dave Devino. At the beginning of the story, he's a kid who had recently lost his father and was stuck in the angry stage of grief. If you want to get technical, he was suffering from what shrinks call Complex Bereavement Disorder. In his case, he had lost his Dad and had no idea how to cope without him. This is actually a very common condition with the prevalence of divorce. Kids in this condition try to fill that hole in their life with all sorts of things, and most of them are toxic. In Dave's case, it was drugs, and they took him to a terrible place. Dave had to recover from addiction, figure out and resolve his emotional problems, and learn how to be and have real friends. It's a fantastic story. If you've never read the Quarry, you are missing out. Driver accomplishes all four of the elements in grand style. Dave is unique, he's instantly sympathetic, the stakes are life and death, and Driver takes him on a triumphant journey where he grows into a better, stronger person. It is the kind of story that you will never forget. In fact, I read it when I was pretty sick with addiction, and it helped me decide to clean up. When we write, if we do a good job of it, our words can deliver an impact far beyond simply enjoying a story well told. Cole - In his story Ren, Cole introduces us to a kid who is unwanted to start with and instantly disposable when it was discovered he was gay. Ren had every excuse to be a loser. PTSD from Physical and Emotional, abandonment trauma, major depression and low self-esteem. I was riveted to this story because I had a lot more in common with poor Ren than just being from Mississippi. It became one of those stories that I COULD NOT STOP READING. Cole accomplished what he did with this story because Ren was so unique, there's no forgetting him, he is (for some people) an instantly relatable character, and the stakes were high. The issues he was dealing with literally kill people. His character arc made me want to give him a standing ovation. I learn from seeing things done right, and these are two of the best examples I could think of. Cole will blush, but he knows what he's doing, crafting characters who are behaviorally and emotionally realistic. Any novice would do well to read any number of his stories and watch a master at characterization at work.

Perhaps it is an ugly part of human nature.

To overcast to see anything today in Dixieland.

I'm enjoying the story. It's quite the contrast from my time in skool back in the 70s when the gay kids were the ones harassed to their wits end and run out of school.

This would make a great movie.

I loved this story. The protagonist had the best possible name, and things worked out for him.

The Philosophies of Science Fiction Star Trek: "Let's appeal to their humanity. What do you mean they don't have any? Quick! Someone reverse the polarity of something and hang on!" Star Wars: "Let's just wing it. Hell, the Force is basically a religion based on luck, so let's not over plan anything here." Dune: "If the 'spice must flow', why is everyone so determined to screw that up when everything depends on it? Also give me back my PlayStation you joyless freaks." Firefly: "Let's be bad guys...OK, not really bad, but bad guys you'd still be all right bringing home to mother." New Battlestar Galactica: "I'm pretty sure we spaced your mother. Also, who told the tin cans they were actually allowed to kill anyone after the pilot episode?" Old Battlestar Galactica: "Frack, Starbuck there must be more women left in the fleet that aren't my sister. Also, I just saw a kid with a coconut destroy a Cylon. Are these things using Windows as an operating system? Because that would explain a lot." Babylon 5: "Things are happening way above my pay grade, and we need an actual plan. Also, God is dead, but we should really go to church more often." Lexx: let's bang nearly everyone, and everything we can, and then eat a planet or three. EVE Online: Here’s a ship. Fuck you. Stargate SG1: I’ll irritate my enemies with my sarcasm and then shoot them in the face. Stargate: Universe: No need for bad guys, the crew will kill itself—oh, wait, the show got canceled; guess, we never find out. Lost In Space: Run away from creepy Dr. Smith, Will Robinson!