Chapter 9 went up a bit earlier than I had expected. I'm still trying to get the hang of the submission wizard.
This chapter features another event based loosely on my own life.... But in my case, rather than my rival, it was my so-called best friend! In both junior high and high school, he had a nasty habit of ending up going with girls I had hopes of dating. (THREE times between 9th and 12th grades!) Eventually I learned my lesson and quit confiding in him about my crushes.
A note to "Dave~" who emailed me anonymously: Your observations validate everything I've tried to do with this story so far. Thanks for writing!
In general, I've been getting more emails as the story progresses. I'm doing my best to keep up with replies.
Remember, readers: if you email me anonymously, I can't reply!
Useless trivia: The Americanized term "Mayday," used when calling for help via radio, comes from the french "M'aidez" which translates as "help me."
M'aidez-vous, s'il vous plait?' translates fairly closely in English as "Help me, please?"