Up-Sized Neighborhood, part-5

[muscle16a]

Upsized Neighborhood
by Muscle16a

[COLOR=#0000ff][email protected][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#0000ff][email protected][/COLOR]

(part 1: [COLOR=#0000ff]http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13428[/COLOR] )
(part 2: [COLOR=#0000ff]http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13468[/COLOR] )
(part 3: [COLOR=#0000ff]http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13677[/COLOR] )
(part 4: [COLOR=#0000ff]http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13813[/COLOR] )


Part Five: Two Milestones


As I approached our house on my skateboard, my mind was reeling. Todd said I was beautiful! And from the way he phrased it, it sounded like Billy had said I was beautiful too! And as we parted, Billy had called me ?Muscles?. Nobody ever gave me a nickname before (?Dweeb? doesn?t count); and not just a nickname, but a *good* nickname!

I couldn?t believe how fast everything seemed to be happening. Three days earlier, I was a weak and skinny 14 year old nerd who was always picked last for teams, who never won an armwrestling match, someone who nobody, as far as I knew, except for maybe my Mom, thought was beautiful. Today, while I was still pretty skinny, I was no longer weak. I possessed both an athletic ability and a level of self confidence which I never had before. I was befriended by someone who appeared to be the most popular kid in the neighborhood. And the two best looking boys I had ever seen up close thought I was beautiful. ?How much better could this get?? I thought to myself. As I got to our driveway, I noticed that the minivan was still not back - the family must still be shopping. Then, I saw Mark Cormes approaching on his bike from the opposite direction.

?Hi Jake,? he said, smiling, looking at me right in the eyes as he always does. ?Are you going to work out now? I wasn?t sure, but you said I could lift with you, and I really wanted to start ? uh, if you are, I mean, and if its ok, and, uh, you know ?? His usually quiet voice rose in excitement, but then sputtered to a stop. I told him that I still hadn?t finished my workout from the morning, and that he could work on his upper body while I did legs. His face lit up with pleasure.

At my suggestion, Mark started with chin-ups and dips first. I was going to do full squats, and I was eager to see how much I could lift. I remembered quite clearly Paul?s look of astonishment as I pushed out of my crouching position and hit him and lifted him off the ground and into the air during the football game earlier that day. That takes strong legs, I thought. As Mark began to do chin-ups, I lifted the barbell up onto the stand and loaded 120 pounds on it. I figured that I should be able to squat at least as much as I could bench press - probably more. And I was right. As I bent my knees and lowered my body, being sure to keep my back straight, I felt my thighs and butt (quads, hams, and glutes, I thought to myself) flex in response as I easily returned to a standing position 12 times. Mark had finished a set of chin-ups - I think he did about 10 of them - and was watching me. I put a 10 pound plate on each side of the bar and got in position to do my next set, but first turned to Mark.

?This isn?t a spectator sport, dude. Do your next set!? I gave him a grin as I said it, and he jerked his gaze from my body and jumped up onto the bar and continued chinning. And we went on like that, matching set for set on our different exercises. I handled the 140 pound squats almost as easily as I had 120. Another pair of 10 pound plates, and I began to feel the strain: I could only do 10 reps at 160. Mark moved to the dip stand as I tried out 180. It was heavy! But I managed to get 5 repetitions while maintaining my strict form, just as my book had instructed.

?Do you think you can do 200?? Mark asked me excitedly. I told him that was going to try and asked him to spot me in case I couldn?t. He came over and stood behind me as I lifted the weight from the stand onto my shoulders. It felt really heavy, but I began to lower myself down to where my thighs were parallel to the floor and then began to raise myself up. I could feel blood rushing to my thigh and butt muscles as I strained and I concentrated on keeping my back straight. It was hard, but I did it. I then grunted ?one more? to Mark, and began to bend my knees, paused at parallel, and then strained my legs once again. With a loud grunt I finished the rep. I had squatted 200 pounds twice! I felt really strong as I placed the bar back on the rack. Mark was staring at me with that look of awe on his face like earlier that day. I smiled and told him to get his ass back to work. He laughed, and mounted the dip stand once more for his next set.

As I continued to work out my legs, I paused from time to time to give Mark some tips on form and range of motion. After I removed most of the weight from the barbell and adjusted the stand, I grabbed a pair of dumbbells to do lunges and Mark got down on the bench to do bench presses. He could only lift about 70 pounds for reps, but I realized that he was a good deal stronger than I was back in Michigan a few days earlier. Mark had done 10 chin-ups pretty easily, while the ?old? me could barely do two. And he was really concentrating hard on doing his exercises correctly. When he got to 7 reps on the bench, I saw him start to struggle a bit and I moved behind the weights to give him a spot. Every time he pushed the weights up, I would tell him ?one more?, and he would do another one. By rep number 10 or 11, he was really straining, and I could see a vein pulsing in his neck from the pressure, but with a bit of help from me he pressed the weight back up. I was careful to only help a little bit so that Mark would have to do most the work. After 3 sets of bench press, Mark did some military presses, lateral raises, flys, and curls. Meanwhile I did my another kind of squats (with the barbell on the front of my shoulders instead of behind my neck, and my elbows to the front), and some deadlifts, and calf raises. I kept up a fast pace, and Mark kept up with me set for set! The heat of the day, and the humidity, and the hard lifting made both Mark and me drip with sweat. After about 45 minutes or so, I was about to suggest a break when I saw our minivan coming up the driveway.

?Jake-o!? Dad shouted for me. ?Come help with the bags, would you?? I ran over to the car to grab some of the bags of food, cleaning supplies, hardware, light bulbs, paper towels and the like. As I grabbed a few bags, I noticed that Mark was standing next to me offering to help. Mom looked over at him questioningly.

?This is Mark Cormes? I told her. ?He lives a few houses down the street.? My parents said hello, and Mark responded with a smile. He seemed more comfortable talking to my parents than he was talking to me!

?Jake is teaching me how to lift weights!? he told my folks with a big smile. ?We?re gonna work out together all summer and get strong for High School.? He then looked over at me with that wide grin and that admiring look in his eyes, and I noticed Mom smile as she observed the way Mark was looking at me. With four of us helping carry bags (Miriam didn?t help, as usual, being too busy with her stuffed animals), it only took two trips. Mark and I sat down at the kitchen counter, and Mom poured us a cold drink. While we cooled down, we talked about school, video games, computers and such. I found out that he had a World of Warcraft account, like I did (we even played in the same realm!), and we talked about that for a while. I hadn?t logged on to Warcraft since before the move, as I had other things on my mind! Just then, the doorbell rang. Dad put down his newspaper and went to the door as Mark and I continued discussing the relative merits of Paladins versus Druids. I heard the voice of a boy coming from the door.

?Jake-o!? Dad yelled, ?Somebody is here to see you.? I got up and went to the door, and saw Mark?s brother Rob standing on our porch. I motioned him to come in. I then introduced him to Mom and Dad as Mark?s twin brother. The three of us sat around for a few minutes when Mom asked us if we were hungry. We were, of course, and she placed a bowl filled with dried fruits and nuts in front of us. I looked at here curiously - dried fruits and nuts was NOT a common snack at the Powers house! She seemed to know what I was thinking.

?Your Dad is trying to lose that potbelly of his, and you?re doing your bodybuilding, Jake, so I thought we should try and make a change to more healthy foods as a family! No more cookies and Hot Pockets,? she said with determination. I wasn?t entirely sure that I could survive without Hot Pockets, but I smiled back at her and told her I thought it was a great idea.

?Eat up, boys.? And then, she turned to me and said ?I?m glad to see you?re making friends, Jake,? and smiled. Of course, she said it right in front of Rob and Mark, who both looked up at me with a knowing smile as she said it. Parents are always doing dumb stuff like that: You say something like that later, I thought, not when the friends are standing right there! So I made the only appropriate response - I rolled my eyes - and Mom smiled and walked back into the kitchen. Rob and Mark chuckled softly - they have a mom too, after all.

?Jake-o,? I heard Dad call from the next room, ?I have something for you. Come out here with me.? I left Mark and Rob munching on trail mix and saw Dad walking out to the garage. I followed him as he went to the minivan and removed a huge container from the floor of the back seat. It was an eight pound jug of weight-gaining protein powder!

?I stopped at the GNC in the mall, and thought this would be perfect for you. I know you?re trying to gain weight, and I have a feeling that some of Mom?s new healthy snacks aren?t going to be exactly ? uh, filling.? I laughed, and told him I had a feeling he was right, and thanked him. ?Just don?t bring it into the kitchen right now,? he told me. ?I?m not paying for your friends to gain weight, just you!? I smiled at that. Dad was still Dad even when he was being generous.

A few minutes later, Rob, Mark and I were in the garage. Mark wanted to show his brother the exercises that he had done earlier. I mentioned that Mark was stronger than I was before I started lifting (which was technically true), and I he smiled broadly at me, grateful for the compliment said in front of his brother. Rob said he was disappointed to miss that workout, but he had to because of some chores he had neglected, and that he would be there next time. After a few minutes, the twins said they needed to get home, and they jumped on their bikes and rode off. I was about to go back into the house when I saw Mark returning alone on his bike. He rode into the garage, jumped off and came over to me.

?I just wanted to say thanks, Jake, for letting me work out with you and all the help and everything. You?re really nice,? he said to me in that quiet voice of his. He then turned his head to glance behind him, and, seeing nobody there, he suddenly leaned over and gave me kiss right on the lips! He then smiled at me, jumped back on his bike, and rode away without looking back. I was stunned! This was the very first time I ever kissed a boy! Although, to be honest, I didn?t do any of the kissing. It was all Mark. And it wasn?t a very sensual kiss either - nothing like the hot tongue-entwining wet kisses that I watched on YouTube with envy - just a quick little peck. But still, it was a milestone! I knew that Mark really liked me, and even though I didn?t feel the same way about him as he obviously thought about me, he was still a cute boy. I licked my lips and could taste his scent still lingering there. Yes, I thought to myself, I could get used to this kissing thing. Now, it was just a matter of getting somebody to whom I was more attracted to kiss me - like Billy (unlikely) or Todd (more likely).

I spent the rest of the afternoon (what there was of it) watching TV in the living room with Miriam. I had had a big day, and really enjoyed just vegging out in front of the tube, resting my exhausted body on the couch as Miriam?s Disney Channel programs played. At 6:00, Mom called us in for dinner. She had made her Beef Stroganoff over noodles, which is one of my favorite dinners, and I think I ate about 3 pounds of it! Mom and Dad and Miriam kept looking over at me taking serving after serving out of the enormous bowl in the center of the kitchen table, but I just couldn?t stop eating! Mom puts a lot of sour cream in the sauce, which makes it very rich, and paprika, which gives it just the right amount of spice. After a while, I began to feel full, and I put down my fork and sat back in my chair, noticing that my family was watching me. They had all finished eating several minutes before me! Dad then let out a laugh.

?Finally full, eh Jake-o?? I told him that I was, and then thanked Mom and told her how much I loved her Stroganoff. She smiled at me, happy (as always) to see me eating well. Then, Mom announced that she wanted a family meeting. The subject: Summer activities. Dad?s time off for moving had ended, and in the morning he would be returning to work at his company?s new Fort Lauderdale offices. Miriam was signed up for an arts-and-crafts oriented day camp nearby, which would keep her busy (and out of my hair) five days a week from 9am to 4pm for the next 8 weeks. Mom, between keeping the house, her bridge, golf, and all her other activities, was never one to sit around doing nothing. The only question mark was me. I told Mom and Dad that all I really wanted to do all summer was hang around the neighborhood with my new friends, and eat, sleep and lift weights to get ready for High School. Dad seemed all right with that plan, but Mom wasn?t.

?Don?t you think you?ll get bored? What about getting a job? I know you would find it useful to have money in your pocket?? I told her that it would be fine if I could find a good job, but that wasn?t so easy to do when you?re 14. Mom suggested I apply to be a junior counselor at Miriam?s day camp. I made a face and told her that the idea of taking care of little kids all day did NOT appeal to me.

?I don?t blame you,? Dad volunteered, and Mom glared at him. In the end (and due primarily to Dad who, surprisingly, sided with me on the issue), it was decided that my plan for the summer would be acceptable, so long as I kept up with my reading list. (My parents have been preparing a summer reading list for me since I was Miriam?s age, and this was the first summer I actually wasn?t so sure I would complete it!) Eventually, the family meeting was concluded, and not a moment too soon for me. I was exhausted, and wanted to go up to my room to shower off all the sweat from my eventful day, maybe play on my computer for a bit and go to bed early (Mark and I made tentative plans to meet in Stormwind (a city in Warcraft) at 8:30 and duel - I was going to demonstrate to him that his feral-spec?d Druid was no match for my holy-spec?d Paladin, but I might not make it that late, I thought, as I yawned loudly).

?That?s nice, honey? Mom said. ?I?ll be up to tuck you in, in a little while.?

I continued yawning as I walked upstairs, went into my room, stripped off my clothes, and entered the my bathroom. Of course, I had to stop and flex a bit in the mirror. My muscles were bulging and pumped from my day?s activities veins were sticking out to show how much exercise I had gotten that day, and I spent some time flexing and feeling before I got into the shower. I noticed that my shoulders seemed broader even than this morning, and my chest seemed thicker. My waist was still tiny and my abs rippled with that fat-free definition that I had ever since I woke up that first morning in the motel in Charleston, despite the huge amount of food I had consumed that day. When I flexed my biceps, I thought they too looked a bit bigger than they had during my morning?s more rigorous examination. I also noticed something that I had not seen that morning: My lats! As I panned my eyes from shoulders to hips, I could see the lat muscles pushing their way out from the sides of my body, not really like the ?wings? of more advanced bodybuilders, more like little flaps. They weren?t huge (of course). I was still skinny. But clearly my chin-ups from that morning had had their intended effect! I was getting a v-shape! The other noticeable change from the morning was my butt: As I turned to the side to look at my profile, I couldn?t help but notice that it stuck out further than I had remembered it doing before. It was round, firm to the touch, and I saw it dimple up when I clenched my glute muscles. It looked pretty hot, I thought, and my dick started stiffening. I laughed, amused by the idea that I was turned on by my own ass! I was enjoying myself, but still felt exhausted; and so I got into the shower to get clean.

The hot water felt good on my tired body, as I soaped myself up and rinsed myself clean. My hands massaged my small but perfectly shaped pectorals, moved down to feel my rock-hard abs, and then further to my quickly expanding dick. I hadn?t jerked off since first thing that morning, and I was feeling horny. Of course, my mind kept going back to that morning, as I tackled Billy to the ground and landed on top of him, feeling his hard and fit muscles underneath me. I remembered how hard and highly peaked his bicep looked as we armwrestled, how surprised he was that he couldn?t put me down, and the friendly way he put his arm around my shoulders. I remembered how I had dominated that 6 footer, Brian, at armwrestling despite his weight advantage; how he struggled with all his might but still couldn?t overpower my skinny arm. Most of all, I remembered Todd?s baby blue eyes looking shyly at me through the bangs of his hair as he squeezed my bicep. As you might imagine, it didn?t take too long for my dick to reach it?s full hardness as I continued to pump it with both of my hands. In a very short amount of time I felt that warm sensation spreading through my groin, and I came. It was intense, even more intense than that morning, as shot after shot sprayed out of my rock-hard dick, striking the wall of the shower with a ?splat? sound. There is something so pleasant about jerking off in the shower. I love the way that all the evidence disappears with only a spray of water from the showerhead!

I got out, dried off, and stepped on the scale. I was shocked to see it registered 112 pounds. That was 5 pounds more than that very morning, and 15 pounds heavier than I was four days earlier when we left Michigan! At this rate, I thought, I won?t be able to call myself ?skinny? for much longer. I gave another flex in the mirror, and then re-entered my room. The sun was down, but there was still plenty of light in the sky on this early-June evening. It didn?t matter to me how much light there was: I was too tired to think about anything except crawling into my bed. Mark and I would have to wait to duel - I wasn?t interested in logging onto Warcraft tonight. I ignored my pajamas again, as I decided that I was now too old to wear any clothes to bed. I liked the feeling of being naked and free-flopping when I slept, and intended to only sleep that way from now on. As I snuggled under the covers, thinking about my day, I began to relax and started to slip into sleep, when I heard a soft knock at the door.

?Jake, honey, are you decent?? It was Mom, and I told her to come in. ?You?re in bed very early, honey. Are you feeling well??

?Yeah, I feel great. I?m just really tired,? I told her. ?I had a big day.?

Indeed, I had. When I woke up that morning, I didn?t know anybody in this town. Now, I had made friends with more than a dozen kids around my age, good friends with quite a few boys including the handsome alpha-kid on the block, been kissed, met a stunningly beautiful boy who was both gay and attracted to me; and most amazing of all, I seemed to have earned a certain status in the neighborhood - a status which came from being stronger and more athletic. Kids paid attention when I was saying something. I was chosen over others for teams. Paul?s kid brother John smiled at me with a look of gratitude - gratitude - when I casually said ?nice play? to him once during our football game. He?s my age, and yet he looked at me as a younger kid might look to an older kid. I wasn?t used to any of this, and it was crowding my thoughts, confusing me with unfamiliar feelings and strange emotions. I wasn?t acting like myself. I liked the increase in confidence I had felt all day, but it wasn?t me. And on top of all this, I had done two strenuous workouts with weights far above what I could have managed only a few short days earlier. What was strangest of all, though, was that people seemed to be looking at me and acting towards me as if I was extremely good looking. Mark was staring at me even before I lifted my shirt to show my abs. Kathy and Christine thought I was very cute, as I could easily tell (and as Billy had teased them about) during the hour or so I spent talking with them and the guys. And, of course, Todd?s ?beautiful? comment. I mean, I knew my muscles were growing, but my face was still the same, wasn?t it? Was my appearance changing? Where those pills going to turn me into another person?

Mom came over and sat down on the edge of my bed, looking at me in the eyes. Her gaze shifted to my left shoulder which was the only part of me not hidden by my covers.

?Jake! Look how much bigger your muscles are getting, and you?ve lost all your baby fat!? She placed her hand on my shoulder and gave a slight squeeze. ?I didn?t realize you had gotten so strong.? She lifted her hand from my shoulder to my face, brushing my hair back and placing the hand on my forehead. ?No fever,? she murmured to herself. Mom does the ?hand on the forehead? thing whenever Miriam or I do something out of character, like getting into bed early.

?Mom?? I looked up into her face and she looked back. ?Do I look different??

?Hmmm? Well, to be fair, it?s been some time since I?ve seen you without a shirt on, honey. You always cover yourself with your baggy t-shirts, and you?ve never been one to parade around the house undressed. But I would have to say, yes.?

?No,? I said, ?that?s not what I mean. I know my muscles are getting bigger. I mean my face: Do I look different?? She stared at me, right into my eyes. ?No, honey. You look the same to me. What?s this all about?? I looked away and said nothing. She continued to stare at me and then seemed to have an idea. ?Is this about that Mark Cormes boy?? she asked me. I turned my head back to her. How did she come up with that, I thought.

?What? No! Well, sort of. And some other kids, some girls, looking at me like . . . I don?t know.? I sighed, unable to come up with a better way of saying what I was thinking.

?Like you were a hottie?? Mom said, with a smile. That made me laugh. ?Honey, I?ve told you before, you are a gorgeous boy. An exceptionally gorgeous boy. Your problem has always been your lack of self-confidence, not your looks.?

?Nobody thought I was a hottie back in Michigan.? When I said that Mom laughed loudly, bending down to reach her arms around my neck, and give me a hug.

?Oh, how wrong you are, Jake!? She had a wide smile on her face, filled with love, as she looked down at me; and then she put on her intellectual?s face. ?This move of ours is an opportunity for you, you know. Back in Michigan, you were . . . well, let?s just say that you never seemed to see yourself as anything more than a skinny little kid who was good at his studies and nothing else. That has never been true, of course, but that?s the way you always saw yourself. You see, honey, an intense lack of self-confidence is outwardly noticeable, and is not very attractive to other people your age. But here in Florida, none of these kids have met you before. They don?t have any preconceptions, they simply see you for what you are and how you act. You have a chance to reinvent yourself however you want.? She paused, and thought for a moment. ?Which, I think, you have already begun to do. That?s what your interest in bodybuilding is all about, am I right??

?Yeah, I guess? I said softly.

?Well, then, I think you?re off to a good start. Which brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about. What are you going to do about Mark Cormes?? She asked about Mark again! I guess I knew what she was thinking, but of course I didn?t admit it.

?What do you mean?? I asked with as innocent a look in my eyes as I could muster.

?He obviously has a big crush on you, honey. I could see how he was looking at you - out in the driveway and in the kitchen when you were having your snack. He?s not very subtle about it.? I had to chuckle at that because she was right. Mark wasn?t being subtle about his attraction to me at all! ?So, what are you going to do about it?? She asked again. I said nothing, only looked at her. What she said then took me by complete surprise: ?Are the feelings, uh ? mutual?? My eyes widened and I must have turned beet red as I felt the blood rushing to my face.

?No!? I said, which was the truth. She continued to stare into my eyes, and it felt as if she could see into my very thoughts - that way that mothers do. She knew! She knew I was gay, I thought to myself. Was this the time to do it? To come out to Mom? I can?t imagine having had the courage to do it only a few short days earlier, but so much had changed in the past few days ? and not just my physical appearance. Suddenly, I reached a bold decision: She knew already, obviously, so why keep lying about it?

?How long have you known?? I asked in a whisper, barely audible.

?Known that you were gay? A long time, honey. A very long time.? I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, dripping down my cheeks. Mom reached out her hand and wiped them away. ?I?m your mother, honey. I?ve seen how your head turns when an attractive boy walks by, and how you try to hide it. And I?ve seen how your head doesn?t turn when an attractive girl walks by.? She said it lightly, with a smile, but the words were piercing me like daggers.

?You mean, it?s obvious?? My heart began to flutter at the thought of being the butt of everybody?s jokes: Jake the fag, I thought. Is that what everybody was calling me behind my back?

?No, honey? she replied soothingly, ?not at all. But a mother can tell.? Then she reached down and gave me another hug, and held it longer before she sat upright and looked into my eyes again. ?So you do like Mark??

?No!? I denied it again. ?I mean, I like Mark. He?s nice and all. But I don?t like him like that.? And then, more softly, ?it?s another boy that ?? I left it unsaid.

?Oh, I see. Well in that case, you need to talk to Mark. When he said that the two of you were going to lift weights all summer, I thought he was going to burst out of his skin with pleasure and pride! It would be very cruel to lead him on, if you know what I mean.? She looked at me, and I knew exactly what she meant. But I had no idea what to do about it, which is what I told her.

?That?s simple, honey. You have to tell him that you are glad to have him as a friend and to lift weights with him - if that is what you want to do - but that it?s nothing more than that. Think of Mark?s feelings: The longer you leave it unsaid, the harder it will be for him, and the more it will hurt him when and if you get together with this other boy you like, whoever that may be.? I looked up at Mom with surprise. She was right, I quickly realized. I guess I wasn?t too old to still need my mother sometimes. I sat up in my bed and gave her a big hug, which we held for a few seconds before I pulled away and looked at her again.

?Does Dad know too?? I asked.

?Of course, honey? she said, nodding. ?You know your father and I discuss everything together. We both knew that you would tell us in your own time. But when I saw that Mark Cormes boy looking at you the way he did, I thought I needed to say something. I hope I did all right.? I smiled, grateful to her, and her superior brain, for making it so much easier than I ever thought it could be. She leaned forward and gave me another hug, and then sat back. She looked down and saw my now exposed torso, the covers having fallen down to my waist when I sat up a minute earlier. Fortunately, it did not expose anything below my waist. I?m certain Mom didn?t know that I now slept in the nude (it was only my third night doing so), and for some reason I was embarrassed that she might know that I did. But she only looked at my chest and stomach, then my shoulders and arms, and raised her eyebrows.

?My goodness, Jake. No wonder the boys - and the girls - are looking. You?re getting quite the body on you!? She then leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. ?Goodnight, honey. Sleep tight.? And she walked out of the room.

[arpeejay]

God! What I would have done to have a mom like that! :-)

xoxo

Richard

whose children seem to be resolutely straight...

[dolphinbad]

Originally Posted by arpeejay

God! What I would have done to have a mom like that! :-)

xoxo

Richard

whose children seem to be resolutely straight...

I agree with you! It would be wonderful to have a dialogue about this with someone's family.
Great storie! You are a great writer! Thank you for sharing something so good with us!

[Speaker]

Originally Posted by muscle16a

(Mark and I made tentative plans to meet in Stormwind (a city in Warcraft) at 8:30 and duel - I was going to demonstrate to him that his feral-spec?d Druid was no match for my holy-spec?d Paladin, but I might not make it that late, I thought, as I yawned loudly).

HAH! you'd be screwed in that situation. Maybe if you were ret-spec'd.

In all seriousness ive really been loving this story. The characters are really rich and i love authors who can put some humor into their stories like you do. I also really like to get stories that have more to them than growth (which may be a little hypocritical of me, since those are the only types of stories ive ever written, and its been a long time since ive written. Writers block sucks.)

So keep up the good work. Im looking forward to your next installment!

[chocomus]

This was a good chapter. Quite the recapitulation thoughtfull one. Sometimes a lot of things happens and we need to think about them to accept it all.

Good that you did this chapter.

I hope it doesn't hurt Jake to be the heart-breaker guy in the neighborhood.

[sierraca]

Have to echo earlier comments--what a mom! So now there is a Mark-Jake connection (albeit one-way). Will the Jake-Todd be mutual? Truly enjoying the story.

[redroger11]

What more could I say, that the other guys haven't already?
Well, my old standard, for great writers...
Keep Writing.

redroger11

[bobman]

It's hard to add, as redroger11 said above, but wow. This story truly has everything it should have, love, thoughtfulness, wonderful descriptions, and real character development.

[lead guitarist]

I've said it before in comments on your previous chapters, but it bears saying again: This is great! Your story is really shaping up into something beautiful. The slow-growth approach works wonderfully here, because we see how Jake's gradual transformation affects him and everyone around him as it's happening. Your characters have real depth and development. I can hardly wait for each new chapter. Please keep going!

[Demandred]

I'm enjoying this story - and it's nice that his parents are so understanding too! It doesn't feel rushed, and the characters are developing nicely. Keep it up :]

[Jaypat]

This is definately one of the stories I most look forward to reading. Everything is just falling into place for this kid. Suddenly he has the perfect life: a body that is starting to explode with muscle; he's friends with the most popular kid on the block. There's a hottie that has the hots for him and he has the most incredible understanding parents the world has ever seen. He lives in paradise.

Is there something wrong with me that I keep looking for the snake?

[musclemonkey]

This story continues to be AMAZING!

[MAZIVKAROLY]

OMG, you are actually breaking the gay barriers that so many of us have had to live with and struggle over, for so many years of our lives.

Hooray for you! Several times over.

[zilcher]

one of the best stories ever.

can't wait for more.......want to watch as this kid gets huge.

[TemptationIV]

I love this story. I check each day, probably more than once, to see if a new chapter is up.

[philat99]

Quite an enjoyable story and quite a wise mom!
Mike

[byrontexas]

This is a great series.
I check everyday to see if there is a new chapter.
Please continue as soon as you have the time.
Thanks

[fwee]

Originally Posted by byrontexas

This is a great series.
I check everyday to see if there is a new chapter.
Please continue as soon as you have the time.
Thanks

agreed greatly. We await the next chapter eagerly!

[max21biceps]

Hope you're writing....

[TKnTexas55]

I hope so too.. this is a really good story.

[TemptationIV]

I know a lot of people hate when threads are brought back to life like this, but I just wanted to see if there was any progress on this story? No rush, of course, but I'll tell ya it'd ruin my day if I found out this story was dead.

[examfreaker]

Must say, I haven't enjoyed a story on here so much in a very long time - outstanding writing!!

Though I'm barely able to construct a coherent sentence myself, I'm fully capable of recognising superb writing when I read it. And this most definitely qualifies!! I really do hope that the author plans on continuing this tale - really wonderful characterisation etc.

But if not, then like the song goes, Thanks for the memories...!


Fingers crossed!!!!

[musclemonkey]

I continue to look for the next chapter! This is great and I hope to see more very soon!

[debate1]

How goes the writing, this is a great story!

[dwsun]

You Sir are a very gifted writer. This is one of the best stories on the board and I thank you Sir. As you can see, you have us waiting with bated breath for the next story.

[funboy]

Just let it die. Obviously almost 2 months of encouragement has done nothing to bring forth a new chapter. Let it go already.

[lead guitarist]

Originally Posted by funboy

Just let it die. Obviously almost 2 months of encouragement has done nothing to bring forth a new chapter. Let it go already.

Jeez, funboy, you're not exactly living up to your name, are you?

[TemptationIV]

I don't think this is a story I can just let die. A new chapter would be fantastic.

[funboy]

No you should not have reposted. It's been almost three months since the last chapter. I love the story too, but you should only give so much encouragement. Let it die if he doesn't want to post another chapter.

[funboy]

Originally Posted by lead guitarist

Jeez, funboy, you're not exactly living up to your name, are you?

I just don't believe in beating a dead horse.

[Mass Driver]

Dear muscle16a; By now you should realize that the amount of comments on your story are a mark of a very good writer. And please remember that no matter how great a writer, with the Reading Public's wide range of tastes, no one author is ever going to please every one.
So do what you did when you chose to continue reading a good book after a few pages. Apply that ability to see a good book, to the comments leveled at your Brave Writer's Head. When a writer gets published, he ends up needing to file fan letters in different piles, to keep his head on straight(?) and even tempered with the world.

(Oh now I've done it! Which pile am I gonna end up in?)
In my opinion you have been building characters while crafting up a very fine story. You could have made this any number of ways, but I think the hopeful/romantic edge to the muscle growth/new kid in town is a very harmonious blend. The hero still has to have the balls to show his stuff, while avoiding rubbing his victories in the loser's face.
It has come together at an excellent pace and without the doubts being ignored, or listened to, either.

You are the one to decide how this story continues and how it will end. Any one with this kind of talent, has already formed a lot more chapters in his head and has a pretty good idea just how he want's the last chapter to read before the big "The End"
In my opinion, your heart is strong. As well as this story. Don't let anyone get you to believe it's done, before you decide the last word fits.

And then, if you really want to, beat that dead horse just as long and hard as you want to. It is yours and I think you should be proud of it.

Happy New Year!!!!
May the year 2010 bring you Joy and Happiness.

Oh. Uh... And please....
Keep Writing.

Hugs;
MD

[arpeejay]

As someone who has literally gone a decade between chapters on some stories, I gotta say:

(1) He'll get around to it when he gets around to it!

(2) Encouragement is always nice. It may seem like beating a dead horse but it's always appreciated.

xoxo

Richard

[The Pecman]

I concur. One of the best stories I've read on the site. Here's hoping muscle16a will eventually tackle a new chapter.

And (speaking as somebody who's been known to go 9 months between chapters on occasion), I'm very sympathetic to the problem of lack of time, writer's block, and other issues.

[funboy]

Richard, Pecman and I others - I stand corrected. You are all absolutely right.

So let me finish my plate of crow and then say - I too hope that this story goes on someday. It's a great one and I scan the pages of the forum on a regular basis hoping for another instalment.

So a toast to the next instalment whenever it comes and in the meantime, I will continue to read the hundreds of other great works posted here.

[TemptationIV]

yuuup definitely want this to continue!!

[Mass Driver]

Just a side note, but we now have two stoies where the young guys are weightlifting out of theri garage. I love when two stories explore all those great options in a story. Can't wait for another chapter, and I hope you...
Keep Writing.

MD

[Mass Driver]

Just an update and the hope that another chapter will come someday.
Keep Writing.

MD

[collegebud]

Going to throw my support into the ring... please continue!

[muscledude49]

wish u would continue these. know its been a while

[muscle16a]

Originally Posted by muscledude49

wish u would continue these. know its been a while

I did outlines for chapters up to 15 (this was two or three years ago), which I still have, so I know exactly where i intended this story to go . . . but I just haven't been able to re-interest myself in the project. Maybe if I ever win the lottery, and don't have to spend three-quarters of my waking hours making my living, then perhaps I will re-visit this and other old projects.