Charmed By Dabeagle

And I thank you, EJ. I appreciate feedback and that extends to opinions I may not agree with. Sometimes readers see things or interpret things in characters that hadn't occurred to me and I appreciate that insight just as much as the things that people identify with and enjoy.

Thank you!

Thank you for reading and taking the time to write in, Chris! I appreciate getting your thoughts on new stories, both positive and negative. Come back soon!

Wow, I love it. I did not see that coming though. He was doing a good job covering. I really believe he wasn’t gay and that is down to your excellent writing. I am damn glad there is a part three and I can’t wait. What a sweet way to come out. Dylan is sharper than some might give him credit for but not me. Anyone that could stick with Nate must be smart and have a good heart. I may have wanted Dylan and Nate to become a couple but that does seem a long shot at least for now. I would be very interested to see Dylan and Crispin become a long term couple. Seeing how it has developed so far I could easily accept them as true soulmates.

Crispin’s mother may be more perceptive than he even suspects. His uncle Todd seems to have misjudged his sister and brother-in-law. At lease his sister as she seems very alert to her son’s changing life. Why else would she check in Dylan’s bag? I do not think it was merely a concern about drugs. Crispin tells he mother both that he broke up with his long term girlfriend and that he was going on a date with her new boyfriend and Dylan. Even a not so bright mother could do the math. Her son Crispin was going out to the movies with two other boys and his now former girlfriend. Not only that but one of the boys is a new friend that she has not met and will be spending the night before the double date.

The questions Crispin’s mother asks him about Dylan and his parents seem more probing than might be expected of just a new friend. Crispin may very well be misjudging his parents conservative beliefs. Being neat freaks is not really a conservative trait. That seems to be the only fact about them revealed so far. I would suspect that both may have talked about their son maybe being gay. After all, he has dated her for three years, and as she said, if Crispin doesn’t get her pregnant soon rumors may start again. Now that he has come out to Dylan and he has become his boyfriend, Crispin must soon come out to his parents. Their reaction may not be what he expects or fears. That is becoming the response more often now. Thankfully.

That's a lot to say right there, David! I agree that Dylan is a good and decent person and the way he's responded to the needs of a friend is quite admirable. At one time I did consider making them a couple and I had a dark, dramatic story line in mind. However, as things developed, I felt that it would be easily spotted and anticipated and bore the reader, so I ended up not going that way. I do love how easily Dylan and Crispin fell in together, a natural fit of two people who have had a little time to get to know one another, enough to know the value of the other person even if they don't know it all.

I won't comment on Crispin's parents either way, except to say they definitely play a role in the third part of the story arc, except to say you do bring up points that I hadn't considered! I'll take a close look at your comments here before I sign of that Standing Up, the third part, is done.

Thanks for the great Comment!

Like so many of your stories, it certainly took Crispin a long time to get up the nerve to come out to Dylan. They’ll make a very good couple, but we’ll have to watch out for Crispin’s parents. His mother sounds like a suspicious bitch, but I have a feeling that his dad knew the boys were going to sleep head-to-head. It would be nice to see a story about Crispin coming out to his parents, but sometimes that just never happens.

Great story of a boy who’s scared to come out.

Thanks for the comment! You'll get your wish in the final arc of this story line, Standing Up. Tune in soon!

I owe you an apology, Dave, and your comment at the end of “Charmed” pushed my buttons and I finally realized how much I’ve been taking you for granted as a writer. I have to say that you’ve had my unspoken but honest admiration of your writing talent ever since I stumbled upon “The Meaning Of Life” years ago. That’s one I’ve read over and over again since it showed me that it was possible to find stories to read online that were not only exquisitely written but also weren’t afraid to introduce difficult themes and questions that got at the heart of what it means to be human. I’ve come to regard you as that sort of writer, and every story you prepare and post for us has seized my interest and admiration because I know it will show me something fresh and worth knowing. Plus they are Really Good Stories, entertaining and satisfying and leaving me always wanting more. So here’s my heartfelt ‘thank you’ and apology for keeping mum so long.

James Merkin