Okay, I'm going to forgo my usual intro since this isn't technically a part of the story, just me apologizing for the delay and giving some information about some changes I've made. Just a FYI this has no bits of the story in it.
First of all, I sadly had to get rid of Dunham. For those of you who are reading this and are looking at the screen like "what the heck is this guy talking about", don't worry about him. He was an AI that I had given Michael as a bit of comic relief for the story. I soon realized that I had nothing in store for him and didn't really see why I should keep him in. I'm sorry for his loss if any of you actually got to like him in the two chapters he was in- I loved him and wish I could keep him in. Trying to put him however, in was holding me down and sort of making me reluctant to post the next chapter.
That brings me into my next thing- I AM SO SORRY FOR LEAVING THIS STORY HANGING! I have a plethora of reasons as to why I haven't updated yet. Just a warning, I'm about to go into "rant mode" and might start sounding a little eccentric during some of it.
First of all, I had to pull the "school comes first" card because Pre- calculus has been kicking my ass in the tests and quizzes. Neither of my first two tests topped 65%, which is really bad considering the teacher makes them worth 70% of your total score. It was only after my last test (which was a 102) did I feel confident enough that I could put some time towards the story.
Also, I spent last weekend at an Order of the Arrow fellowship (for those of you who aren't in boy scouts, a fellowship there is basically a service weekend disguised as a "fun" time thanks to a couple of games saturday afternoon, a spirit award, and a theme for the weekend). My chapter has a completely insane chief (leader) who somehow got us signed up to help with a movie thing about the OA. At first it sounded pretty cool. That was before I spent until 11:30 P.M. reenacting an initiation ceremony while trying to hold my pants up because one of the guys heading it up was in a costume thingy and needed a belt for it. For a picture of what I looked like, imagine a teenage ginger in the middle of the night next to a bonfire surrounded by native Americans, in his class A clothes (the stuff many of you probably think we wear 24/7 on every scout outing even though we don't) desperately trying to hold his pants up, pissed off beyond belief, and just wanting to get into his nice tent and go to sleep since he had spent the last couple of nights worried over the math test he had taken earlier in the day. I then had to walk 30 minutes back to my tent (with my belt thankfully) and crawl into my tent and fall to sleep only to be awoken by my glorious chapter chief who was making a non- mandatory 3k- ish run mandatory, AT 6:30 IN THE MORNING AFTER THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, I MEAN, COME ON DUDE! (FYI due to the stance i'm taking here, you probably think I hate this guy. I don't. I just think he's a little overzealous with spirit and all that at times. I'll be rolling over and going to sleep next time he tries to suggest that.)
Anyways, back to the run. Somehow his guilt tripped me into coming. Halfway through the run, it started raining (I had fortunately brought my rain poncho). It did not stop raining until lunch time and then went back to raining shortly thereafter until midafternoon. One thing you should know about the camp- all of the roads are an orange clay lovingly referred to as "camp ****** asphalt" (I won't say what the camp's name is because you might figure out who I am in my chapter since I am one of two gingers there. Besides, if you were there, these clues should be more than enough to tell you where it is). Needless to say, the clay had turned into the consistency of god knows what. Then we had the ceremony for the new members, the dinner, and the echo show showing what we had done that weekend. By this time I was ready to crawl back into bed when, Surprise! They needed us for a couple more shots for the movie. Sadly I was unable to help them as two of my friends had just gone through their ordeals (the thing you go through to actually get in to the OA) and one of them wasn't feeling well- requiring my other friend and I to walk him back. I know what you are thinking. That's a pretty lame of you GN! However, in my defence, if that guy had passed out, it would have taken both of us to get him back to his tent considering he is a relatively big guy and i'm a relatively weak guy. Then, since we were already there, it seemed a shame to go all the way back to the lodge, so my friend and I crashed in my tent. Sadly the POW WOW (Native American for- hit drum with stick and yell) started soon after that and was conveniently close to my campsite (although, I doubt anyone that side of the nearby military base missed it). Needless to say, that knocked me out for the entire weekend and into the following Monday since I always have trouble adjusting from a sleeping pad back to a tent.
All of that coupled with laziness the reading of other peoples stories on the website, watching funny YouTube videos, dealing with several other story ideas still rushing through my head right now, desperately waiting to get the House of Hades and read it in one night and then rage about the definite cliffhanger of an ending, and the fact that was preparing for my first crack at the SAT I took yesterday (another thrilling rant on the ineptitude of certain individuals in charge of the test and a run in with my chapter chief who fancies himself as a comedian at times) are the reasons I haven't updated in a while. I'd like to continue ranting, but this is starting to look less like an update, and more like a chapter when you look at the length (if you do want to hear my SAT rant, let me know in a review and I'll consider putting it in). just know that I am very sorry, I have not forgotten this story or you faithful readers, and I assure you that the next chapter is underway and I'll have it up as soon as I feel it is worth me posting (I hope to get the mission done in one super long chapter so Michael can get on with his life). Plus, it's getting late and I have school tomorrow. So all in all, I guess I want to say is-
I'M BACK GUYS! I HAVENT FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU! EAT LOTS OF BACON! I'LL SEE YOU IN A FEW!
Remember to favorite this story, or better yet, give it a review! (seriously, if someone could find the kindness in their heart to take some time out of their day to give me a review and tell me their honest opinion of how they think i'm doing, I will love them in a non- gay way unless they are a girl).
-GN