Chester57

Okay, pretty good start to the new Saga but I’m a little put out that Belle and Ms. Cartwright appear to be on their way out of the story. I really like those two so hopefully this isn’t the end of line for them. Does anyone really think that Craig will propose to Becca? It keeps coming up but I’m convinced it’s just a high school thing. Craig will be in college God-knows-where for a year before Becca graduates. Promise ring or not, there’s too much against it. Big break-up coming there. This father-son talk that Jack will have with his dad is starting to get me puzzled. At first I thought it might be something earth-shattering like, “Jack, your Aunt Blanche is your real mother and Tara is your half-sister” or something along that line. But when Jack mentioned that Mike seemed to enjoy making him wait for it, I wonder how serious it can be? Amanda wants to work in politics? That I believe! ...And that was the best sex scene of the story.

Interesting title. Does it perhaps indicate that certain relationships are going to be changing? I have two possibilities in mind but I’ll wait to read the new chapter.

If Beth gets killed I will be very pissed off since she’s my favorite You feel me, Jashley? But seriously, I agree that Ms. Cartwright’s death would affect Jack deeply. It would be just as bad— if not worse— than Coach Walburn’s suicide. Jack would mourn for the loss of a friend, but it really doesn’t affect anyone else in the story. Now, Grant dying would send Amanda over the edge and that strikes to the heart of Jack’s family. So, maximum damage results.

I somehow don’t believe that it will be anyone in the core group. The Saga that just ended was about ‘rebuilding’ the group. Jack has made progress with everyone except Amanda. If Grant dies in a crash then she will be distraught to the point of withdrawal, just like she was when Sam cheated on her. Guess who will be the focal point of Amanda’ anger and despair?

Probably not. This next Saga begins the last semester for the group at Brow Ridge so events will no doubt happen fast and furious. Now, Mr. Long… your previous post dredged up some unpleasant memories from my own high school years. I dug out my yearbook and right near the middle was a page titled ‘In Loving Memory.’ Four classmates didn’t survive to walk across the stage on Graduation Day. I really didn’t know any of them and only recalled one of the tragedies with any clarity. The guy died instantly (according to the police) after slamming head-on into a telephone pole. I never knew the details of the crashes that killed the other three but for damn sure they were all DUI. Another one that I most definitely did know… a pretty girl who lived down the street, the youngest of three sisters. I was a senior when she was a 9th grade freshman. What a sweetie! No, there was nothing between us and I think she liked me because I would always give her a lift to wherever she wanted to go. A couple years go by and now she’s a junior. One morning my Mom tells me that dear, sweet Elena from down the street had been in a terrible accident last night. Four girls in the car and all of them drunk. At the hospital it is determined that Elena has suffered a severe spinal injury and is now— at age 17— a quadriplegic. I swear I cried for a week, just as I’m crying now bringing all this back. Elena’s family moved away shortly after that. To once again quote Billy Joel— “The good old days weren’t always good.” A good ending to the Saga. Don’t blow it again, Jack— the learning curve gets very steep from now on. As I said, I think it’ll be Grant who buys the farm. You read it here first.

I’ll go out on a limb and say it will be Grant, if only that it would make great drama considering the friction between Amanda and Jack.

Glad you were able to celebrate with your loved ones. Hope it didn’t rain too much— we got drenched here in Ohio.

I hope the situation with Belle gets resolved. She’s going to have to get off the fence and tell Jack that what happened wasn’t his fault. Also, what is really going on with Ms. Cartwright? In Chapter 75, Beth said: “I know I started the whole stupid ‘too familiar’ thing and I’m sorry about that. It’s…well, it kind of stems from a whole host of other problems and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”, and “Can you just forget that I’m your fucking teacher for a bit?” Okay, Beth has some serious emotional baggage and has attached herself to Jack for support. Perhaps Jack reminds Beth of someone in her past— someone she really loved. One more thing… What’s with Ms. Pallin and why does she hate Jack? She just doesn’t like her male students? Or is it personal? (but that’s probably for a future saga).

Jessica is not going to switch from hating Jack & Kayla yesterday to wishing them well today— certainly not after they both humiliated her publicly. Don’t forget that Jessica is a skilled actress as well as a scheming, vindictive bitch. In short— watch your back, Jack. Good chapter

Happy 27th Birthday to Jashley13! Here’s hoping the Navy gave you the day off (but probably not). However you spend it, Joe— have a great one!

Especially Jessica. The love-hate relationship with Jack will boil over soon. I know that this was supposed to be a ‘re-building’ saga but I think there’s a cat-fight coming.

She sighed heavily, covering her face with her hands. “I don’t exactly have a lot of friends and you’re about the closest thing to someone I can talk to.” “I’m your student.” “You think I’m unaware,” she muttered into her palms, looking just as distressed as I was by that fact, “Believe me, if I had anyone else to talk to…even an acquaintance, I’d be talking to them instead of you.” Poor Beth! My heart goes out to her. Damn, I wish Jack would have lent a sympathetic ear to Ms. Cartwright’s problems instead of blowing her off like that. I hope her ex-boyfriend, Eric the dog guy, contracts rabies for cheating on her. According to the above quotes, Beth has few friends and doesn’t trust her colleagues with her personal problems. I’m beginning to think that she was badly hurt in the past and feels safe with Jack. Possible error— When Jack gets hit in the face by the volleyball, Ms. Cartwright says the following: “And I remember doing this a couple of years ago,” she groaned as she sat me down on a bench and started shoveling ice out of a bucket with a metal scoop, “What was that for? Running? Badminton?” I could be mistaken, but the only other time that I remember Jack getting beaned in the face was during a Dodge-Ball game early in the story. Craig deliberately threw it at him. That was way before Ms. Cartwright’s time. Coach Walburn was still the P.E. instructor (or maybe the author was referring to something else).

Looking forward to Chapter 75. Not to take anything away from Jack and Kayla, but Hannah Harrison deserves some special admiration. She is no doubt heartsick over what is happening with her children but still puts on a happy face for the big Thanksgiving feast. (Moms are great, aren’t they?) And I thought THIS was great— “You can make a decision too,” he pointed out, “I haven’t been in a relationship or anything but my dad left my mom when it was going bad.” “How bad?” “She tried stabbing him with a kitchen knife,” he replied sullenly, twisting his mouth, “That kind of bad.” “Jesus Christ…” Why, you ask? Five years ago I sat on a jury where a woman was on trial for killing her husband in this manner. We found her guilty of felonious assault, manslaughter and murder. She got fifteen-to-life.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Hope your weather is as good as it is here.

I forgot all about that! You think that Hannah and Mike are… what? Role players? Swingers?

“She tried to get me to break up with Kelly!” Now this is interesting. I’d like to know exactly HOW Amanda attempted that. By seducing Alan? Or Kelly? Or both? Poor Grant— I think his days are numbered. Better late than never, Jack. Good chapter.

Perfect! We’re expecting rain here.

“And I had to take care of it accordingly.” Famous last words? We’ll see. I’m also thinking that there might be an alternate reason for Nick to have been next door. The thing is— he and Jack eat lunch together. You would think that if Kayla and Nick shared a class that it would have been mentioned by now. Also, it’s been two years since he tried to move in on Kayla. Nick wanted to help Jack with the situation involving Brad so possibly he went to see Kayla to find out if there was some other way to help Jack. Besides, I can’t see Kayla having another guy over for sex unless she was officially broken up with Jack. Now I’m really looking forward to Thanksgiving!

True, but this time we can assume that Brad has learned from past mistakes and isn’t going to believe a word out of Jessica’s mouth. This time he will insist on a real quid pro quo— such as Brad will take revenge on Jack AFTER she becomes his personal fuck toy. Throughout the series Jashley has averaged roughly a chapter every two weeks (but I don’t want to jinx it).

I’d seen Brad give me the glare of someone who wanted to see my lying broken at his feet. That was a disinterested glance compared to what I was now looking at. She flung open the door and stomped out, loudly announcing, “Jack was talking to a felon! When he wasn’t supposed to! He set up a fight!” Perhaps Jack ought to be more concerned about Jessica The Vindictive Queen Bitch than he is about Brad. I noted that something— or maybe someone— is going to have to drive Brad over the edge before he takes action. Jessica may indeed use him as the instrument of her revenge.

And now we see why the author made Dr. Fitzsimmons take a leave of absence. He would have told Jack in clinical plain English, “Get your head out of your ass, Mr. Harrison. The reason Kayla won’t commit to you is that she believes— with good reason— that you simply don’t trust her with important matters that directly concern both of you. Oh, and by the way— seeing as you’re a legal adult, there will be no more discounts. From now on you pay my regular fee for our sessions.” You know, I think that Belle is both lonely and miserable. If Jack can help convince her to get back with Joe it would pay big dividends. Who do you think it will be who next catches Grant with his bone in Amanda’s crotch— Alan, Hannah or Mike?

Very! It’s raining here and I’m stuck inside doing laundry. Perfect timing!

Agreed, good chapter. One technical aspect I didn’t get was why Jack couldn’t reach Dr. Fitzsimmons. He calls Fitzsimmons’ number and now it belongs to a legal service? That sounds like a hard-wired rotary-dial Ma Bell phone system from the Sixties. I realize that Fitzsimmons had to be unavailable so that Jack would confide in his parents but medical professionals don’t just disappear like that. If Fitzsimmons moved or was on hiatus then his patients would have been notified well in advance and given some contact info. Okay, I’m nit-picking— sue me. I’m really looking forward to Thanksgiving and how Jack will reconcile with Amanda and Kayla (oh, come on— you know it’s going to happen).

Thanks! Sounds like you’re on a roll with the new Saga.

Ah, yes— The Revenge of Brad. He will be wary of taking any action that will put him back in prison. Something is going to have to drive him over the edge first. When it does, I believe Brad will go after one of the girls. He is still fixated on Amanda, so she’ll be the likely target. I’m hoping that Beth will help Jack out— and not with naked pics of herself! Nick would help as well. He wanted to go with Jack when he met Brad.