#a text;austin ramsey

[thisxpoison]

tag drop for austin ramsey

[l0stxpieces]

tag drop for austin ramsey

[superghfan]

General Hospital Spoilers: Austin Receives A Worrisome Text, Mystery Man?

Austin has known this mysterious man has been stalking Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms) since they were at the PC Pioneer camp in Pautauk, New York, and apparently knows him. When he confronted him at the camp, where he and Maxie were counselors, he told him to stay away from Maxie, so apparently he knows his interest is in her! Some GH fans speculated that it is Peter August (Wes Ramsey) risen from the dead, but that is unlikely, considering Austin would have called law enforcement had that been the case!

So who is this mysterious man who apparently also has Austin’s cell phone number; could it be someone he knows from Pautauk? Austin has mentioned he has an autistic brother, possibly Jonah Gatlin (Scott Curtis) his older half-brother; but how would he know of Maxie?

It is possible that Austin may have another full brother, but again, where would he know of Maxie from to become obsessed with her? On the other hand, Austin is a doctor on staff at General Hospital; perhaps the mysterious texter could have gotten his cell phone number from someone there.

It is also possible that the worrisome text could have been forwarded from Austin’s answering service; many doctors communicate by email or text these days. Whoever it is, Austin is disconcerted by the text he receives and he knows this person is after Maxie and her family, presumably for a nefarious reason! When the stalker showed up in the woods near Pautauk, Austin had included Maxie’s family in the warning to him to stay away!

x

[thechloepierce]

@gemma-harris | @austin-ramsey

“I’m sure I told him the right time... I know I did.” Chloe said, sitting in the waiting room anxiously, glancing towards the entrance to the building every few seconds for Austin. She was worried the doctor was going to end up coming out and calling them in before he got there. “Maybe traffic’s bad...” She decided. “Oh... maybe something happened with his mum.” No, because he’d text her. Chloe needed to chill out and she knew it.

[jo-mcavoy]

Die Another Day | Closed

Jolene wanted to stay in Baberton actually - she did. She wanted to get to know Jackie better, help her through this whole friend thing. She wanted to be with her sister and look out for her because she knew how broken she was and how much she might have needed her to be there to make sure nothing horrible happens. Jolene always felt like the oldest sister despite being the youngest. Jolene wanted to be with the rest of the family but she couldn’t get the thought out of her head that Mark was still out there somewhere, lurking and laying in wait. There was risk of him coming back here and taking Anna again, or even hurting Austin’s future babies. Jolene knew that prison had changed Mark for the worse and she hated to think of how he’d treated her sister (and his children) and she didn’t feel able to sit back and just let the fates decide.

Jolene had made the decision to track him and take out the revenge she once took out on their sick twisted bastard uncle.

Of course, having no idea that her sister’s alter had already taken care of the problem for her. Jolene did know her sister had problems and she wanted to be around to watch over her and make sure she stayed safe, but this was more important. So she’d packed her bags, sent a goodbye text to @jacqueline--bailey. She wished her luck and told her she would be alright. She also said she would see her again sometime but she had family stuff to deal with.

Then she stopped by @davis-ramsey‘s place and told him she had to go out of town and to look after Anna with everything he could. She said she’d stay in touch but she didn’t tell him she was planning to kill his brother - just in case he wasn’t on board.

She jumped in her car and left town, making for the last place Anna told her she and Mark had been, to start her mission.

[annaxramsey]

@austin-ramsey​

After Austin had gotten home from the party, Anna had gotten up from the couch. She’d gotten a text from a friend who’d gone and found out about Isabel and him. Anna leaned against the door frame, watching her son for a few moments before she spoke. “...have a good night?”

[kane--sharpe]

@anna-ramsey

Kane couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually been on a date with someone and he was sure it had to be at least a year ago with Kota. Not that he wanted to think about Kota right now. It was nice to have something else to focus on. And he had to admit, Anna was a nice distraction. He got dressed, wearing one of his nicer suits and made his way to her house to pick her up. He thought about just texting her that he was there, but he didn’t see Austin around so he decided to be a gentleman and walk up to the door. He rang the doorbell and took a step back, waiting for her.

[secretsummernextgen]

[FEMALE, SHE/HER]. Hey, is that [VICTORIA MOROLES], no that is just [ALLIE RAMSEY-PIERCE] around Baberton. I heard they are [20] years old, and their birthday is [NOVEMBER 1ST] and they’re [HETEROSEXUAL]. They can mainly be found working as [STUDENT] and they have been in town since [ALL OF THEIR LIFE]. Some say they are [CONFIDENT, ALLURING, CLEVER] and can be [VINDICTIVE, IMPULSIVE, THOUGHTLESS]. If you see them around town, clearly they have survived or maybe they  are just barely surviving. Either way, Baberton welcomes you! Enjoy your stay.

Bio:

Daughter of Austin Ramsey and Chloe Harris-Pierce. Step daughter of both Manon Ramsey and Gemma Harris-Pierce. Twin sister to Bailey. Half sister to Oliver and Charlotte.

Was dating Wyatt Everett-Williamson at the time she was murdered.

Allie was an absolute daddy’s girl. She loved her mothers of course but she just had a special bond with her father.

Allie was obsessed with the dark history of Baberton despite the fact every single parent of everyone she knew seemed to be trying their hardest to cover it all up - she just went online and found all the information anyway. Every blood-soaked piece, and it intrigued the hell out of her.

Always wished that she could have met her aunt Annie and had stolen a few of Annie’s diaries from where her mother kept them hidden away, and was reading through them.

The night she died (a month ago) she was lured into the woods by a text message and was too curious to turn the offer down, wanting to know who was reaching out to her this way.

Secrets:

Was receiving text messages from someone called -A. Allie assumed they were messing with her, having someone realised she had been interested in Baberton’s past, but had to admit it still freaked her out a bit.

Found out who Nicola Wright’s mother was and was threatening to tell everyone and have Nicola turned into an outcast.

Set the fire on the doorstep of Johnson’s Liquor a few years back that badly injured Polly’s mother, Rita.

Was having an affair with a teacher, one of her mother’s friends.

Found out about Imogen Matthews and Emma Williamson’s affair and was blackmailing Emma Williamson for money to keep her mouth shut about it.

Had visited Jamie Kirk one time in prison.

Created a youtube account under the name ‘Baberton Ripper’ and was leaving messages on Leila Nichols’ youtube channel telling her that they were going to kill her because her content was so bad.

Found out about her mother’s past as a stripper and was anonymously blackmailing her with the pictures. She just thought this would be another easy way to get money, it’s not like she planned to actually release them.

Sent Layla Waters a newspaper clipping about the death of a man who drowned in a lake along with a little note attached telling her that she should ask her dad about it.

[craftylittlea]

Hand-Me-Down | Closed

date: 31st October 2021 who: Chloe Pierce, Gemma Harris, Austin Ramsey.

-A (text): This started with her, and it's going to end with you. Come to Annie's tree tonight or else I'll take away someone you love. -A

Chloe: Chloe had almost forgotten this bitch was still out there. She’d been in a bubble but now it had just burst. She didn’t like the reminder that this started with Annie and reading that it ends with her just made her mind go to one place - still she couldn’t exactly risk anybody she loved getting hurt. So she didn’t really think about it as she forced herself up onto her feet and left the house.

Austin: The moment that Austin got that text, he knew something was wrong. He could have went to Isabel, but he worried that would only make things worse. So he stopped by and picked up Gemma instead. Just saying the Chloe was in trouble. That was all it took to get her into the car. “We will start at Annie’s tree and then work our way out.” He said this as they moved into the woods.

Gemma: “That sounds like a good idea.” It had been odd to come home and not have Chloe there. But then Austin showed up and told her that Chloe was in trouble and showed her the video. And they drove out to the woods. “Yeah, that sounds like a plan.” They moved into the woods, and out towards Annie’s tree. “Chloe?!” She called out.

Chloe: Chloe wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting but this wasn’t it. She’d entered the forest and gotten a little way in before she was grabbed. She ended up tied to Annie’s tree and she felt quite stupid because of course what else should she have expected? She was already not keeping these babies safe and she was angry with herself. She wriggled as best she could but she couldn’t get free, looking up when she heard the voices. Oh, no… “Gemma? Quick, get out of here!”

Gemma: Gemma continued to move towards Annie’s tree. Hearing Chloe, she hit Austin on the arm and the two of them ran over. “Baby?” The blonde asked, panicking a little bit. Moving over to her, she touched her cheek. “Are you okay? Austin can you get the ropes?”

Austin: “Chloe!” They ran over to her, hearing Gemma. He nodded his head. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s get her out of here.” He started to untie the ropes when he seen the shadow. Someone in a hood. “You guys need to get out of here now.”

Chloe: "You guys have to go!" She had been crying and she was getting more scared someone was going to get hurt now. She wriggled as Austin began with the ropes but she looked around again. "They're here.. they said it started with Annie and it ends with me."

Gemma: "We aren't leaving you, Chloe." The blonde told her girlfriend, as she helped Austin with the ropes. Hearing her mention that -A was there, she looked around some. After hearing a snapping of a twig. "No, nothing is going to happen to you or the babies." 

Austin: Austin continued to work on the ropes, looking over at Chloe for a moment. "No, -A is wrong. This is me." He got them undone. "I'm part of their team to help get revenge for what happened to Daisy. But then you got pregnant. I choose you and the babies. Not them and my stupid revenge."

Chloe: "What are you talking about?" She stared at him. "You mean..." He'd been doing their dirty work?

-A: "Aw, don't worry, Chloe. I get it, baby brain. But you better catch up quickly. I don't have all night. Though it seems someone's made their decision." They had weapons and could defend themselves so sthey weren't worried about being outnumbered.

Gemma: Gemma couldn’t believe what she was hearing also. “You put Chloe and the babies in more danger over this?!” Gemma wrapped an arm around Chloe.

Austin:

“Yes, you know exactly what I mean.” Austin looked over at -A. “Take it out on me. Let them go.”

Chloe: Chloe knew he was upset about his sister but she didn't know what this could achieve. "I.." She didn't know what to say so she didn't say anything else. -A was right here and she felt like she needed to run but she knew she wouldn't be able to. "We have to go..."

-A: "Come over here then." They told Austin, staring him in the eye.

Gemma: Gemma moved her arms around Chloe more when Austin moved to stand in front of them. “Come on, baby.” She helped her up the best that she could.

Austin: Austin moved to stand in front of them. Moving over to -A. “Do your worse.” He would fight to protect them. “Because I do choose them in the end.”

-A: They lingered by the tree they were standing at, where they had a hatchet within easy reach. "Oh, I will." -A told him, staring him down through their mask. In one swift movement they grabbed the hatchet in one hand, grabbed Austin in the other and pulled his arm down, pinning it against the tree. Then they brought the hatchet crashing down.

Chloe: Chloe was scared. This person had killed so many people and she wasn't sure what she was meant to do. "Austin, no..." When they grabbed him, Chloe screamed.

Austin: “Chloe get out of here..” He begged, he was more then willing to die for them. After all they were sorta of family. Hell they were which is why he had chosen them. He hadn’t expected -A to grab him like they had. The moment that they pinned his hand down and then cut it with the hatchet, he screamed out in pain. Naturally he tried to cover it up with his other hand.

Gemma: Gemma found herself screaming as well. She watched as -A had grabbed Austin and cut off his hand. “Come on we gotta go..” The moment that Austin fell to the ground, she knew that they had to go. All of them.

Chloe: "Oh my God! What--!" This was insane, she couldn't believe that had even happened. "We won't make it, he'll bleed out! Call an ambulance..." She reached for her phone but she didn't have it. She could see blood and she was starting to panic.

-A: They didn't care if Austin would survive or not, they didn't care either. He was no longer any use to them, whatever allegiance had passed. They made sure to grab the hatchet so they couldn't pull fingerprints and slipped back into the trees.

Austin: Austin had fallen down to the ground. Doing his best to keep his hand covered. Somehow his head found its way into Chloe’s lap. “I’m sorry for all of this.”

Gemma: “We need pressure on it.” The blonde thought out loud. Ripping some of her own shirt to wrap it around Austin’s stub. Finding her phone, she held it up. “Stupid service come on.” When she finally got some bars she called 999.

Chloe: She shook her head, sinking to the floor as she held onto Austin, unable to tear her eyes away from his injury. What the fuck was happening right now... "Austin, just hold on, alright." She tried to help keep pressure on it, feeling pain herself but ignoring it for just now since her adrenaline was so high.

Austin: Austin was losing a lot of blood, and he wasn’t sure if he was going to make it or not. This would be his punishment and he deserved it. “Just make sure to tell them that I loved them and would do anything for them.”

Gemma: Gemma heard the sirens in the distance. “They are coming, Austin just hold on.” She turned on her flashlight on her phone. Looking for his hand. Finding it. “They can get it back on.”

Chloe: "Stop it, you're not going to die!" She turned as she heard the ambulance coming, wincing as another sharp stab of pain ran through her. "Fuck...." She muttered.

Austin: Austin was doing his best not to focus on the pain in his wrist because his hand being gone. Looking up at Chloe. "What's wrong?"

Gemma: Gemma moved over to them, putting her hand onto Chloe's back. "Baby? Is it the babies?"

Chloe: "I think... I think they're coming..." She said, panicked.

Austin: "Now?!" He winced out in pain but did his best to ignore it cause Chloe needed him. But the ambulance showed up along with some cop cars. He went to sit up a little bit, and then fell right back over and passed out.

Gemma: "Over here!" Gemma yelled, panic had clearly set in for her since Austin passed out. "They cut off his hand! My girlfriend..she's in labor!" She told the EMTs as they moved over to them. "I have his hand."

[march2texas]

Schedule for Stroll Thru Texas History May Event |

Schedule for Stroll Thru Texas History May Event

Friday, May 14 and Saturday May 15, 2021

Stations, Stage, Cannon, Sponsors & Map

Parking Location: Parking behind Acton Baptist Church at 3500 Fall Creek Hwy in Acton. Handicap parking only for wheelchair access.

Station # 1 THF Booth –

Welcome and Schedule

FIRST AID

Information, volunteer, donations

Guess How Many Beans Fundraiser

Extra Credit Stamp for a Grade

Selfie Contest: Bookmarks are available at the THF table with details, rules, and items to photograph. You need to be in the pictures with, or without friends. #StollThruTexas

Station #2 Stone Building (the oldest building in Hood County) Rotating every 30 Minutes.

The Story of the Texas Navy Association – Bob Satterwhite [1 lunch]

Stories and Songs – Martin and Murray [2 lunches]

Old-Time Music -Vanderveers (Saturday Only) [5 lunches]

Station # 3 (east of the stone building) Overview of the fight for independence.

Sam Houston – David Hansford has performed in movies since 2011. He is an accomplished character actor and as Two-Bit Pete is well known as a cowboy poet.

Bowie – Dink Thomas actor/model who has been in movies, television and commercials.

Travis – Brendan Hartman starred in multiple church musicals, written & directed shows, & studied theater at Collin College.

Station # 4

Mier Exposition & the Black Bean episode – Members of the Young Texas Hero Teen Board – Nathan, Jonathan, Corbin, Rachel, & Elizabeth, & sponsor Gail Heep

Texas Rangers – Jayson Lippert

Station # 5 Native Americans

Running Water – Frank Arellano overview Tribes of Texas, tools

Mr. Bishop arrowheads

Station # 6 Chuckwagon and Roping

Ron McWhorter & Longhorn Chuckwagon Ministry

Station # 7 The Rebels

Granbury Camp & Terry’s Texas Rangers Sons of Confederacy heritage group – Dickey Freeman, Jim Scott

Cannon- Mike Smith & Terry’s Texas Rangers

Women who fought in the War Between the States- Sandra Neeley [Friday only]

Station #8 Frybread and Native American Culture

Audricka Young frybread, & sharing culture

Station # 9 Crockett Family

Elizabeth Crockett ��� Lauri Matthews, 3 times great-granddaughter of David and Elizabeth Crockett

Station # 10

Davy Crockett, – Errol Flannery, 4 times great-grandson of David and Elizabeth Crockett

John McGregor – John McGregor, bagpiper and Alamo defender – Dr. John Taber

Station # 11

Sylvanus Castleman, a personal friend of Stephen F. Austin and member of the Old Texas 300 – Ron Sutton, a descendant of Castleman.

Station #12

Susanna Dickinson – Only American survivors to leave the Alamo alive – Teresa Sims, a THF founder

Station # 13

Juan Sequin – Texas Tejano Hero – John Luna

Patricia de la Garza De Leon – Built the first school and many churches & funded Houston’s army – Jeanne Luna

Station # 14

Station # 15 Texian Volunteer Army 1836

Other booths and vendors to visit:

Granbury Writers’ Bloc Authors

DAR & SAR

SRT & DRT

Vendors Friday & Saturday

Tea Punk Teas – merchandise

Chunky Monkey Shaved Ice –

Food Vendors

The Food Box DFW – Saturday only

On Patrol and at the THF booth:

John Campbell, Peggy Freeman, Valerie and Samantha Jones, Linda Speldos, Diane Munford

Stage Schedule

The stage area changes at times listed on the schedule and highlights different performers. The presenters will be at their station if not on stage.

9:00 – 9:20 Coffee with the Cowboys, get the events schedule and map.

Stage Area 9:00 Music with Martin and Murray

9:45 (At Station 7) Cannon Fire

10:00 Stage Area

Opening with Mc Gregor bagpipe and Stephen F. Austin

Sam Houston, Bowie, & Travis – an overview of the events for the fight for independence.

Crockett & Mc Gregor & A black powder salute to the heroes by the Texas Army.

10:45 Juan Seguin and Patricia de la Garza De Leon

11:15 Susanna Dickenson and John William Smith carried Travis’ letter to Sam Houston

11:30 (At Stage 7 ) General Granbury & Terry’s Texas Ranger Troops and firing the Cannon at noon.

12:10 (In the cemetery at the Elizabeth Crockett Memorial – Elizabeth Crockett & Bagpipe music.

12:30 (On Stage) Martin and Murry on Friday & Vanderveer Brothers on Saturday

1:00 (On Stage) Austin and the Old Texas 300 Ron Sutton

1:30 (On Stage) Juan Seguin and Patricia de la Garza De Leon John Luna and Luna

2:00 ((On Stage) Susanna Dickenson- only woman of European descent to leave the Alamo alive.

2:30 (On Stage) Houston, Bowie, and Travis – an overview of the events for the fight for independence.

3:00 (On Stage) McGregor and Crockett

3:30 (At Station 7 ) Generals Granbury & Terry’s Texas Ranger Troops

firing the Cannon at 3:45

3:30 Stage set up for Celebrate Texas Concert

3:45 – TShirt & book give away

Friday Concert Schedule

4:00 – Martin & Murray

4:40 Nin Hulett

5:00 – Ridge Roberts

5:30 – Mike & Alecia Echols

6:10 – Raffle Drawing

6:15 – Kristyn Harris

7:00 end

Saturday Concert Schedule

3:30 – Raffle Drawing

4:00 – Martin & Murray

4:25 – Raffle Drawing

4:30 -Vanderveer Brothers String Band

5:15 – Ridge Roberts

6:10 – Raffle Drawing

6:15 – Kristyn Harris

7:00 end

Texas Heroes Foundation Board Members

Errol Flannery, John Campbell, Laurie Matthews, Heather Flannery, Danny Shipman, Jayson Lippert, Linda Speldos, Valerie Jones, Peggy Freeman,

THF Photographer – Shad Ramsey

Texas Heroes Foundation Founders:

Cullen Crisp, Teresa Sims, Richlon Merrill, Chris (Boots) Hubbard

Gold Sponsors: Hood County Development District No.1,

Texas Champion: Diamond C, Signmaster’s

Texas Defenders: Chicken Express, Pearl St Station, Walmart, Gilbert Environmental, Hill Country BnB, Granbury, Live Oak BnB, Glen Rose,,Farinas, Board & Brush, Granbury Segway Tours, Pemberton Cellers & Winery, Fossil Rim, HEB

Friends of Texas (Sponsors and donations of over $100):

Carol and Bob Cook, Teresa Sims, Mikeal Long, James Veale, Grumps, Riverhouse Grill, Hammonds BBQ, D’Vine Wine, Sledge Distillery, Barons Creek Winery, Christian Brothers Automotive, AutoZone, BrightWorks Car Wash, Hill Country BnB, Granbury, Live Oak BnB, Glen Rose, Farinas, Board & Brush, Fossil Rim, Granbury Segway Tours, Pemberton Cellers & Winery, HEB

Map, Schedule and Legend will be available at the Texas Heroes Foundation station #1 and security station at the handicap entrance.

See map. If it is raining, we will have a short presentations and regular concert at Acton United Methodist Church Youth building across the highway.

Questions? Please call or text: Peggy Freeman 214-675-5752. First Aid: (see map)

2021 Stroll Thru Texas History is Dedicated to:

J.C. Campbell for his years of support to the Texas Heroes Foundation.

And to

Robert McMinn – educated & entertained as our 1860’s surgeon for several years.

Uncategorized on http://texasheroesfoundation.org/uncategorized/schedule-for-stroll-thru-texas-history-may-event/

[bigyack-com]

What Happens When You Get Famous Off One Song?

MILTON KEYNES, England — Last summer, a teenager named Tom Austin decided on a whim to record a rap song. He’d never made music before. But even as he was writing down lyrics — picking out references from an iPhone note of random stuff he’d been keeping — he was strangely sure of himself.“I don’t want to sound bigheaded,” he said, “but I knew it would do bits.” (Translation: Mr. Austin knew the song would connect widely.)The result was “Mary Berry,” a delightful, deadpan ode to life in small-town Britain. The title is a nod to the 84-year-old former “Great British Bake Off” co-host. In the song, Mr. Austin says he “needs a girl like” Ms. Berry; he defeats a local man in badminton; pulls out a secret Android cellphone; performs his own circumcision; threatens to fight the TV host Piers Morgan; flexes his discount Slazenger sneakers; and announces, “Top thing on my bucket list is to slide tackle the Queen.” For his rap alter-ego he borrowed the name Niko Bellic, an Eastern European gangster character from the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.As Mr. Austin later wrote on Instagram: “I decided to make a song within like 2 days and then 3 weeks later I signed a deal for it, now it’s 2mil+ streams across 3 platforms CRUUUD.”This success seems both calculated and hilariously accidental. In the intro to the song, he offhandedly shouts out the flashy East London afrobeats group NSG; not long after its release, he was touring Britain as their opening act. He’s taking meetings and other “bits and bobs,” Mr. Austin said, and carefully planning a second single with a record label. He is now 19.In 2016, 13-year-old Billie Eilish posted the song “Ocean Eyes” on her SoundCloud and went to bed. She woke up to see it had accumulated thousands of plays overnight. She is now one of the biggest pop stars alive.The 16-year-old rapper Bhad Bhabie has built her career off a catchphrase-minting “Dr. Phil” appearance. The 13-year-old country singer Mason Ramsey has capitalized well off a recorded Walmart yodeling session. Their sudden, culture-saturating music moments would have been impossible before SoundCloud, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Now the music industry, social media and the influence industry at large are racing to adapt for, and borrow from, such overnight success stories.Tom Austin — or Niko B, for that matter, as he’s now calling himself, possibly to avoid litigation — is nowhere near as well known as Bhad Bhabie or Billie Eilish. His success, to date, is very much niche, and contained within Britain. But he’s at a crossroads each saw for themselves. He made a song. It did bits. What’s next?

Getting Down on Friday

A decade ago, instant virality could be a curse. Rebecca Black was 13 in 2011 when her uncanny-valley banger “Friday” — written for her in exchange for $4,000 of her mother’s money — exploded.“It took me years to get healed,” she said in a recent interview. “When you’re 13, nobody can explain to you how mentally extreme everything is.”Back then, she had vague dreams of Broadway, but no real career plan. In the years after “Friday,” she fended off all kinds of cynical business entreaties.Now at 22, she’s built a team around her that she trusts. And she’s back making music: “Sweetheart,” her latest release, is available on all streaming platforms. She’s also talking about her experience, and getting very positive reactions.“I had to figure out the long and hard way that nobody can give you this career,” Ms. Black said. “I had to do it in my own way.”In the years since “Friday,” it’s possible audiences have become less judgmental.While there’s still a bit of stigma associated with sudden virality, especially when it feels easily won, maybe we understand now that tunes can come from anywhere. Maybe we got tired of getting upset.Or maybe the latest generation got better at being ready. In the end, Bhad Bhabie has bangers. Mason Ramsey is a legit country radio presence. And Lil Nas X’s path to success was, on a much grander scale, similar to Tom Austin’s. He used meme knowledge and a social media base to turn “Old Town Road” into the longest-running No. 1 single in Billboard history.Ms. Black, as a pioneer, had no idea what was about to hit her. Teen creators now live knowing that any given thing they post might just change their life.

Crafting the Second Single on the Poets Estate

On a recent weekday on the high street of the tiny old town of Newport Pagnell, near London, Mr. Austin sat in a foofy coffee shop with a Realtree-style coat zipped to the neck. (He only opened it once, briefly, to remove a single key from a Prada fanny pack surreptitiously strapped to his waist.) He grew up, and still lives, in a humdrum subdivision down the road called the Poets Estate. He and his buddies used to skateboard, break into abandoned places, hang out at the kebab shop.And the rest of the time — “deffo, 100 percent” — he was on the internet. At 8 or 9, that meant building Lego animations on YouTube. (“Like, a skeleton horse chasing a guy,” Mr. Austin said.) By 14 or 15, it was prank calls and mock news channel stuff. He managed to build up a bit of a YouTube following, then switched his attention to Instagram, where he first posted cool-guy fit pics before having a revelation.“Mate, if I’m just showing you what I’m wearing, that’s not gonna get me anywhere. This is Instagram. You can’t deep it,” Mr. Austin said, meaning “take it seriously.” So he pivoted and started posting stuff like “me looking in the mirror, and in the mirror is this really buff guy,” he said. “It was the right turn to make.”Around the same time, inspired by the multi-hyphenate talent Tyler, the Creator, he introduced a clothing label called Crowd; he now sells to customers as far as Dubai. He used to work at a Subway, but quit when a Crowd pop-up netted him more money in one weekend than he’d previously made in a month. He even wrote an elaborate resignation letter: “Thanks to everyone even Carlos bye Marisa I hope I can transfer my sandwich making skills to my future day to day life.”As much as anything, “Mary Berry” was a promo for Crowd. (The video is full of Crowd clothes, and a post-video drop was his best-selling to date.) But it was also born of a generational D.I.Y. ethos: Why not do it?Mr. Austin points to Alex From Glasto, a fellow pasty British teen who won viral fame last summer when he was pulled onstage at Glastonbury by the rapper Dave to perform the hit “Thiago Silva.” Since then, Alex From Glasto has released his own single. “I was like, ‘No offense to him, but if this guy can blow up …” Mr. Austin said, trailing off.The making and release of “Mary Berry” was tied — breathlessly, naturally — with Instagram documentation: edited fake DMs from Drake asking to get on the remix, surreal footage of Mr. Austin surrounded by a platoon of life-size Mary Berry cardboard cutouts. “I did a video of me throwing a basketball out a window and then the Lakers being like ‘yo, we need to sign you right now,’” he said. The first Instagram Story tracking the journey is just captioned “about to become a full time rapper.”He also got friends who are big on Instagram, like @GullyGuyLeo, to post a snippet of the song.Then he landed attention of @ImJustBait, an influential British meme account run by a slick operator named Antz. (According to lore that Mr. Austin repeats reverentially, Antz started it without even having a cellphone. “He used his friend’s phone! Now he’s got, like, the most known Instagram page!”) Antz messaged Mr. Austin, saying, “yo, you’re jokes.” Now Mr. Austin is signed to Antz’s imprint, WEAREBLK, an entity created specifically to avoid the pattern of established labels profiting off viral successes they had no hand in creating.So Mr. Austin is now officially, and accidentally but not accidentally, an independent musician. At an appearance at the taste-making Boiler Room Festival, he heard people sing his lyrics back to him for the first time. His tour with NSG took him to London and Birmingham and Manchester alongside “mad big artists.”“I felt so bad because all these artists put in so much time and I’m just like, ‘what is going on,’” he said. The juvenilia-fueled song made the rounds and even got back to his grandma. (He said she texted him about one of the more anatomically graphic lyrics.)Next up, hopefully, is some money. “My dad’s a builder and he doesn’t work right now, which is tough. And my mum’s a teacher in a special needs school. So pay off my parents debt, that’s the very first goal,” Mr. Austin said. “And after that it’s like — whatever. Literally tomorrow I could try beatboxing, and then, a year from now I could be a really famous beatboxer. Anything I wanna do, I’ll just do it. Cause there’s no reason for me not to do it. So I’ll do it.” Read the full article

[thisxpoison]

(austin) [video attached of chloe going into the woods] Make a choice Austin, you are with me or her. I suggest you choose fast. -A

Austin looked down at the video. Shit. Chloe. He couldn’t let anything happen to her or the babies. Chloe and the babies were choice. Always. Grabbing his keys and stuff he left his apartment in a hurry.

[l0stxpieces]

tag drop for bailey ramsey-pierce

[esoteric-codes]

Lessons From Early AI: On Cognition and Reasoning

“It is by no means obvious that in order to be intelligent human beings have solved or needed to solve the large data base problem” - Hubert Dreyfus

In the late 60s, AI had failed to meet many of the predictions made a decade before. There were no programs discovering new mathematical theorems, or playing chess at more than a dopey amateur level, or processing more than the most rudimentary natural language -- most importantly, it had not become self-learning. AI researchers remained enthusiastic, blaming the slow growth on hardware. Hubert Dreyfus, however, predicted that AI, as it was conceived then, had already hit its limits, that it was grounded in a flawed model of intelligence. 

According to Dreyfus, computer scientists had unwittingly adopted a Rationalistic view of the mind dating back to Plato. A key strategy of "Good Old fashioned AI” (GOFAI), as Dreyfus called it, was to build trees of information and use search algorithms to scan across the tree to collect information: a dog is a mammal, a mammal is an animal, etc. This mimics the concept of mind that Plato had put forth: the mind holding a map of the world as we understand it, which we use to rationalize and come to an understanding of a given situation. 

In Dreyfus’s "What Computers Can't Do" (1972), he encouraged AI researchers to consider other models of the mind, including Heidegger's concept of “thrownness.” When we want to hammer a nail, we don't recall data about hammers, analyzing their history or associated facts; instead, we pick up an object that we barely register in a linguistic form, thinking of it only in terms of its current utility (a "driver-of-nails"). This is the difference between cognition and reasoning. Likewise, when playing a game of chess, we don’t mentally run through the 20,000 possible outcomes from a given scenario. Instead, we focus on parts of the board that feel wrong, based on our experience of playing the game -- expertise lets us hone in on what’s important, rather than considering every possibility. While his critique was seen as ungenerous at the time, he was more of less proven correct: Connectionism, the statistically-based competing model of AI (then in early stages), now dominates the field.

One of the early successes of AI (in the GOFAI era) was Terry Winograd's SHRDLU, a program where one orders an mechanical arm to manipulate differently shaped blocks in an artificial space (all of this simulated through text). SHRDLU could understand what blocks you mean by what you were saying previously, despite the fact that many blocks are identical -- in other words, it could understand context. However, like many of the other early AI successes, it would not scale; adding new elements to that contained world quickly ran into a database too large to manage on hardware of the time.

By the 1980s, Winograd was one of the AI pioneers turning away from GOFAI, and he (along with fellow Stanford engineer Fernando Flores) wrote "Understanding Computers and Cognition.” A key point of Winograd and Flores is a lesson from the Speech Act Theory of Austin and Searle: language is not only (or perhaps even primarily) about the exchange of information; we speak for many reasons other than to trade data with other nodes. While this may sound obvious, it was not clear to computer scientists in the 1970s. 

The classic example from Austin is the performative utterance: we can can make a promise, name a ship, etc.: make something occur in the world, rather than state something with a truth value. While this seems friendly to code (we've looked at Speech Act Theory previously on this blog, in terms of the performativity of the text of code), it also pushes the "exchange of information" quality of text to a secondary attribute. Drawing from Habermas, he shows how most statements are not true or false but rather felicitous or misleading, depending on the shared context of speaker and listener in terms of culture, personal history, and other factors that are not so easy to represent or evaluate in AI. 

This problem of context is still relevant in AI: an “intelligent” personal assistant like Alexa can understand phrases in many different voices (a problem more easily solvable through statistical techniques) but is worse than a four-year-old child in understanding what it is we’re talking about. We have learned to speak in an absurdly specific (and often patronizing) way to get such a system to respond appropriately. If we could get Alexa to understand context better, it would perhaps overly humanize her, creating a creepy, a verbal uncanny valley.

So how is this relevant to esolangs?

As designers of programming languages, we’re building interfaces between person and machine at much more raw level than an Alexa. Here, we are even more squarely on the machine’s turf, translating our intent into discreet, logical steps. Looking at the missteps of designers working the other way, we can see the implicit assumptions about language -- how we use it, why we use it, where its ambiguities lie -- and it could give great material for exploring that chasm of understanding in languages that mediate between person and machine.

[narkam]

I was tagged by @ladyofsorrovvs  nd I Love being tagged in stuff honestly 

1. what’s your favourite music genre?

I really listen to a lot of different genres of music, but i suppose rock is my favourite? My favourites are Brand New, Fiatp, Fleetwood Mac, Hozier and Gorillaz so idk. I never refuse to listen to anything at least once.

2. last song you listenened to?

groove is in the heart- Deelite (absolute banger)

3. favourite childhood game? why?

probably sims 3 cos i was awesome at it or animal crossing wild world

4. if you could only dress in one color, which would it be?

black..... or like, a horrible shade of yellow brown just to fuck w people

5. was anime a mistake?

its unholy yes, but let the weebs enjoy themselves

6. celebrity crush?

i dont rlly have a celebrity crush more just ppl i admire a lot? and they include austin carlile (lit the most positive person) frank iero, geoff ramsey and like.a fuckton of hot girls. Dont even get me started.

7. text or call?

I’m a nervous person i prefer texting, but if i need to talk 2 someone id prefer it to be irl

8. favourite movie?

im not much of a movie person but i do love trainspotting, black swan and recently Baby Driver was great

9. can you dance?

 i used to irish dance (very badly, there’s a reason i’m a swimmer) but i will if i’m in a mood lmao

10. what always makes you smile?

my stupid idiot dog walking headfirst into things then standing there in a daze and then just continuing on, how that dog has brain damage i have no idea. Also stealing this on from the person i was tagged by, old mcr videos are too cute and i always smile watching them

11. how many times did you drink water today?

Top meme is how much water i drink, about 2L a day ?? I’m a thirsty bitch (literally)

I tag anyone who reads this tbqh }}}}

[addicted-to-ragehappy]

Another Stray Heart [Platonic AH OT6] [Chapter 3]

Title: Another Stray Heart

Pairing: Friendship AH OT6

Rating: K+

Genre: AU/General

Words: 2969

Prompt/Summary: The world can be a cruel place, for some more than others. This is the story of how six very different kids came together to face the troubles of everyday life. This is the story of how six kids found belonging within one another.

A/N: Finally. This fic is so hard to write, but I won’t quit. I love it so much! I cannot wait, however, until I’m done rewriting chapters. Once I’m not trying to reword shit, it should become easier to write. :) Enjoy! ~No One

–

Geoff somehow managed to sneak into his house in the early hours of the morning, hoping with everything he had that his mother didn’t notice his three-day disappearance. Normally, she never did, instead opting to call him lazy for cooping himself up in his room all the time. However, when he found his mother standing in front of his bedroom door when he got upstairs, he knew he wasn’t going to have an enjoyable time.

“Geoffrey Ramsey, where the hell have you been?” His mother stayed where she was, blocking entry to his room with her arms crossed.

“I was at Jack’s,” Geoff muttered under his breath. “Since when do you care?”

She scoffed. “You were at Jack’s. You seem to be spending more time at Jack’s than you used to, Geoff. At the very least, you could have called and told me where you were going. I didn’t want to waste time calling the cops to look for your lazy ass.”

“And you could have called me, Mom!” The young male felt his nerves snap. “Communication works both ways! If you were really that fucking worried about me, you could have even just fucking texted me!”

“Don’t take that tone with me, Geoffrey! I am your mother, and you will treat me with respect, young man!”

“I don’t fucking care who you are!” His eyes burned with rage. “Maybe when you start treating me like a fucking human, I’ll start giving you the respect you claim you deserve!”

The sound of the slap that Geoff received seemed to echo through the whole house, but stony silence descended upon them soon after. Geoff stood at one end of the hallway, his hand caressing his now-sore cheek, and his mother still stood in front of him, her arm still raised. “I told you not to talk back, Geoff.”

Geoff just stood there, completely stunned. His mother had yelled at him and thrown things in his general direction, but she’d never gone as far as to hit him before. Geoff finally had to admit to himself that his home life was getting worse. “What… What are you?”

“I thought I raised you better than that.”

“You stopped fucking caring about anything after Dad died!” Geoff snapped. “You haven’t done shit to raise me!”

“Who do you think you-”

“Don’t even fucking start with that shit! You’re not a mother, you’re a monster. I want my mom back!”

With an angry huff, his mother looked at him for a moment. “You have twenty minutes to get your shit and get out of my house.” Without a second glance, she briskly headed for the stairs. “Things would be so much better if you’d died with your father.”

Geoff watched his mother disappear down the stairs before he slipped down to a sitting position on the floor, holding his head in his hands. He didn’t cry, but he felt hot tears pricking at his eyes. It’s official… She hates me… Though his mother hadn’t been loving in a long time, he hadn’t wanted it to end like this… With a sigh, Geoff rose, entering his bedroom for the last time. After taking everything in, he filled an overnight bag with a few changes of clothes and possessions, leaving everything else behind.

As he stormed out the door, not bothering to look back at the house, he dialed Jack’s number, praying to any deity that was listening that Jack would pick up the phone. Geoff smiled a miniscule amount when he heard Jack’s grumbly Hello? on the other end.

“Hey, Jack… I know I just left, but… Something just happened… Can I come back to your place for a while?”

“Of course. There’s always room for you. What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“I’ll explain later. Thanks, Jack.” Geoff hung up before Jack could question him further and continued his walk, the silence of the early Austin morning giving him plenty of time to think.

--

Gavin sat on the front steps of the school, waiting for Ryan to appear or school to begin. As they walked by, the other kids ignored or made fun of him, but for once, he wasn’t listening. He had a friend now. He had no reason to worry anymore.

Perking over to a small commotion at the bottom of the steps, Gavin spotted Michael Jones and Ray Narvaez. Ray was in Gavin’s class, and Michael was a year ahead of them, but the Brit hardly saw one of them without the other. However, as he looked closer, he realized something was wrong. He saw the kid that had picked on him a few days ago – Burnie, if he remembered correctly – tormenting the two others. He couldn’t hear what Burnie was saying, but it was upsetting Ray and making Michael angry, so it couldn’t have been good. Even though he didn’t know Michael or Ray, Gavin didn’t want to sit by and let it happen.

“Leave them alone!” Gavin shouted, rushing down the stairs and throwing a rock at Burnie’s leg. “They didn’t do anything to you!”

“What do you think you’re going to do, shrimp?” Burnie glared down at Gavin. “Your aim is awful, and you couldn’t even defend- OW!”

In the few seconds Gavin had borrowed to distract Burnie, Michael had worked up the courage to jump up and bite Burnie on the arm. Instead of letting go, however, Michael stayed strong and hung from the spot he was biting.

“Get off me, stupid kid!” Burnie shook his arm as hard as he could, and Michael eventually dropped to the ground. Though Michael managed to avoid injury, Burnie wasn’t so lucky, as he watched the new wound on his arm bleed. “I should make you pay for that!”

“You don’t scare me, Burnie!” Michael’s eyes were alight. “Go away!”

Burnie scoffed, but nodded to his friends. “Whatever. I have better things to do than waste time on you three.” Without another word, the curly-haired male stormed up the steps, his friends following closely behind.

Gavin just stood in his place, wide-eyed. “Wow! That was awesome!”

“I’m scarier than big dumb Burnie.” Michael nodded to himself, and then turned to Ray. “Right, Ray?”

“Yeah! Sometimes, I call him Mogar when he’s angry, because it’s cooler than Michael.” Ray laughed. “Anyway, thanks… uh… Gavin, right?”

Gavin nodded. “Yeah. We’re in the same class, but we’ve never really talked. You’re Ray, and obviously, that’s Michael.”

“That’s us!” Ray smiled. “You’re pretty cool. I’m surprised we’ve never talked before. Wanna be friends with us, Gavin?”

“That’d be tippy top!” Gavin bounced in place.

Michael snorted, but laughed as Gavin and Ray followed him away from the front steps and into the courtyard. “You’re stupid.”

“Shut up!” Though his words were sharp, they were filled with a lighthearted tone. Gavin was excited; he’d made a friend three days ago, and today, he made some more. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as he thought.

--

Jack had been walking on eggshells around Geoff ever since his best friend had returned to his house. Geoff’s face had been red and his eyes were puffy, signaling that he’d been crying. But since Jack didn’t want to push Geoff into talking before he was ready, he just pretended not to notice.

Geoff had stayed in his somber silence throughout most of the school day, only occasionally laughing at a joke or answering a question in class, and before long, it started to drive Jack insane. During their last period, which was a P.E. class the two shared, Jack finally mustered up the courage to ask “Geoff, what the fuck happened this morning?”

Geoff sighed, knowing he couldn’t hide it anymore, and muttered “Mom kicked me out…”

“Woah, she just up and kicked you out? Right on the spot?” Jack raised an eyebrow. “Did you guys get into a fight or something?”

“Well, she got mad because I didn’t come home for three days and didn’t call her.” He huffed angrily. “After I told her that she could have called me, we got into an argument, and she slapped me.”

Jack hissed in sympathy. “That’s fucking awful.”

Geoff nodded. “Then she told me I had to get my shit and leave, and said that she wished I had died after my dad did. I don’t know why, but just hearing her say that hurt. I should have expected something like this to happen, but I…” He put his head in his hands. “I just wasn’t.”

The ginger male put a hand on Geoff’s shoulder. “You never would have been ready for that. She’s your mother. You should never even have to think about expecting something like that.” Jack offered a smile. “Wanna ditch P.E and head back home? My Xbox and a round of Call of Duty have your name written all over them.”

“Sounds awesome.” Geoff returned the smile, wiping a few stray tears from his eyes. “You’re the best, Jack.”

“That’s what friends are for, Geoff. I’ve got your back.”

“I know. Thanks.”

--

Ryan hadn’t been to school in three days.

To be fair, Ryan hadn’t been anywhere in three days. Having caught a nasty cold due to the rainy weather he slept out in, he’d avoided the building like the plague, wanting to avoid the school nurse trying to call his parents. And normally, missing a few days of school wouldn’t have bothered him, but Gavin was on his mind. He hadn’t even spoken to his friend since the day he’d saved him from Burnie, and wondered how he was faring. Deciding that he felt well enough to brave the day, he followed the string of school busses that were heading towards the school.

When he arrived in the courtyard, he saw Gavin hanging around two other boys that looked to be closer to his age. Ryan remembered them as Michael Jones and Ray Narvaez. Though he didn’t know the other two, he didn’t hesitate to walk up to the group. “Hey Gavin.”

The small British boy turned around at the mention of his name, and smiled at the friendly face. “Oh, hi Ryan! I made some new friends. This is Michael.” Gavin wrapped an arm around the redhead’s shoulders. “And this other tosspot is Ray.”

“Hey!”

Gavin laughed at Ray’s retort. “Anyway, where have you been? You’ve been gone for a while.”

“Sorry Gav. I got sick.” As if to back up his point, Ryan sneezed. “Didn’t want you to catch anything.”

“Hey, wait a minute.” Michael squinted and pushed Gavin away. “I remember you. You’re the kid who saved me from the baker!” The redhead looked up in disbelief. “I wanted to say thanks, but you ran off.”

Ryan shrugged. “Sorry, I had places to be. And don’t worry about it; I’d do it for anyone in trouble.”

“Well I have to pay you back somehow.” Michael grinned triumphantly. “And that means we have to be friends now. And you must be friends with Ray, Geoff, and Jack.”

“Geoff and Jack?” Ryan scratched his head. “Oh, the two idiots in the class above me. We’re cool with each other. And I’ll be Ray’s friend if he wants me to be.”

“That sounds awesome!” Ray fist-pumped happily. “Anyway, we were talking about going to the park after school. Wanna come along?”

Ryan nodded. “Sure, if I won’t be in the way.”

“What? No way! We’d love to have you there!” Gavin jumped up and down, before wincing at the sound of the bell. “We should probably go to class.”

“Yeah.” Ryan turned and walked in the opposite direction of the lads. “See you guys later!”

--

Ray was sat atop Ryan’s shoulders, laughing as Ryan sprinted away from Michael and Gavin. “Hurry guys!” Ray yelled. “Mad King Ryan’s escaping! Help me, Vav! Help me, Mogar!”

“Stop right there, Mad King! You’ll never get away with X-Ray and the princess!” Michael launched himself forward, attaching to one of Ryan’s legs. Taking the gesture as a cue, Gavin latched onto the other leg, rendering Ryan immobile. Ray used the lack of motion as an opportunity to hop down from Ryan’s shoulders and stand in front of him.

“You’ve been defeated, King!” Gavin screamed. “Give Princess Lloyd back to us!”

Ryan kept a firm grip on the stuffed cat under his arms. “Never! The Cat Princess will be mine forever!”

“I won’t let you!” Ray leapt up and tackled Ryan to the ground, knocking Michael and Gavin over with him.

“Augh! I cannot be defeated!”

“Evil never wins!” Michael rolled out from under Ryan and swiped the cat plush from him. “I’ve saved Princess Lloyd! X-Ray, Vav, and Mogar have saved the day!”

Gavin jumped up and down with glee. “Hooray! The Lloyd and the world are safe!” He took the stuffed cat and hugged it gently.

Ray giggled. “Why did you name her Lloyd? That’s a boy’s name!”

“It doesn’t have to be. Lloyd can be a girl’s name if I want it to be. Mama doesn’t want a cat, but if I get one when I’m older, her name is gonna be Lloyd, too!”

“Cool!” Ray shifted his gaze around the somewhat-bustling park, stopping when he caught sight of a small, neatly-trimmed rose bush. “Ooh, roses! I should get one for Mom!”

“Be careful,” Ryan warned. “Don’t hurt yourself on the thorns.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Ray waved off the concern and carefully grabbed one of the roses, picking off some of the bigger thorns. “This one is perfect. Mom will love it.”

“You like roses, Ray?” Ryan inquired.

“Yeah, I love them. They’re pretty, but dangerous. Mom likes them too, so if I find some, I usually try and pick one.”

“I know a wonderful place to get them, and the people that work there spend some time cutting the thorns off the bushes. I can get you some the next time I walk by, if you want.”

“I’d like that!” Ray cheered, but then frowned when he saw the setting sun. “Awwh, it’s getting dark. I should head home before Mom starts to worry. Michael, are you staying over again tonight?”

Michael shook his head. “No, not tonight. I know you want to spend time with your mom, and this is her only day off. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, then. Be careful.” Ray nodded. “Bye guys! See you all at school tomorrow?”

“Yeah! Bye Ray!”

--

Michael had desperately wanted to accept Ray’s offer, but he found it hard to continue to freeload off his friend. Ray didn’t have a lot, and Michael couldn’t afford to give back to his friend. He refused to take everything away. But as the sun set, and the night began to grow cold, he was starting to feel scared and lonely. He’d tried following Ryan for a while, but lost him after crossing the street. Michael knew he’d feel better if he at least had Ryan around.

Michael wasn’t scared of much, and especially not the dark, but there was a swirling in his gut that was increasing his anxiety. It felt, to him, like something bad was going to happen, and it bothered him to not know what. Feeling ridiculous for being so on-edge, Michael avoided hiding in an alleyway and settled on a bench.

I wish Ray and Gavin were here… Michael huffed to himself, watching the few cars on the street pass by. I really wish I’d said yes to Ray… Moments later, the sound of footsteps broke Michael from his thoughts, but what he laid eyes on made him shrink back in fear.

“Michael. My child. I’ve finally found you.”

“D-dad?” Michael started shaking, and he started looking for escape routes. “H-how did you-”

“That doesn’t matter. You’re coming home with me, young man. And when we get back, you’re in so much trouble!”

Michael snapped at the hand that drew near him, causing said appendage to temporarily shrink back. “No! Leave me alone!”

The male before the redhead grew irate. “I said to come with-”

“Hey, grandpa! Leave him alone!”

Michael, as well as the offender, snapped their heads in the direction of the new voice. The redhead sighed in relief. “Geoff!”

“I’ve gotcha, kiddo.” Geoff smiled as he caught up to the pair, and glared at Michael’s father. “Get out of here, or you’ll regret it.”

“He’s my son, and he’s been a bad boy! He needs to come home right now!” He grabbed Michael’s wrist, ignoring the shrieks and the scratches that came from the small boy. “Make me, if you can.”

“You know,” Geoff started, cracking his knuckles menacingly. “You and my mom would get along great. Neither one of you knows how to take care of a kid. But here’s the deal; I’ll give you three seconds to let him go.” Not bothering to count mentally, as he knew nothing was going to change, he braced himself and punched Michael’s father in the jaw. The action knocked the older man back and caused him to let go of his hold on Michael.

The redhead latched himself to Geoff. “Thank you, Geoff!”

“No problem. Let’s go!”

As the pair ran off, Michael looked back. He saw his father get up, but the adult made no attempt to chase after them. Michael wanted to be upset, as he wanted his father to love him, but he knew it wouldn’t happen. He was better off without his father. After a few blocks of running, they slowed down, allowing Geoff to lift Michael onto his shoulders. “What are we going to do now, Geoff?”

“We’re going to Jack’s house. I don’t have a home anymore either, buddy, and friends gotta stick together, right?”

Michael giggled as Geoff smiled at him, and he nodded eagerly. “Yeah. Friends gotta stick together.”