Thank you for joining me this day. I appreciate your interest and hope that I can hold it.

Author's note: If you want to read the story, start on "2. Chapter 0ne: Meeting Mackenzie" and read from there. This is just a really long and drawn-out author's note.

Emails/reviews are welcome and appreciated. I already know I'm perfect, but I like to hear others say it, too.

Also, if you mark in the review that you would like me to notify/update/contact you/respond to a question/fall off the face of the planet/something related to that, then go ahead and leave your email address. I will try to respond to everyone in a timely manner.

WARNING: This story will contain: bad language; sexual situations; offensive comments insulting pretty much everything I can think of; homosexuality and heterosexuality (to the degree of having two males or a male and a female involved in: heavy make-out sessions, groping, anal/oral/vaginal sex. Although I don't believe I'll write anything truly graphic, beware that there is a possibility) so if you follow this story, check the rating. Religion bashing of all kinds (including but not necessarily: Christianity, paganism, Buddhism, witchcraft, occultism, satanic worship, Trekkies, and non-specified others), and a really long story in general.

These characters are technically mine: Any similarities to people in real-life is either not intended or is done with permission of the inspiration behind the character. The names are fictitious as far as I know, including the town's name.

Compiled below is a mini-outline. As I post each new chapter, I'll write the date in and then a small synopsis of what is in it. I'm writing these as a I go, so please forgive me if I take a long time between chapters. I will send an email to anyone who wants to be notified of an update, or it should be safe to check in once a month. I can -almost- guarantee that I'll be posting that often, at least. If it takes me more than a month to update, expect to see two or more chapters up the next time I post.

IMPORTANT! The time setting for this is between the present and August of 1999. The chapters will jump around, that's why they're all dated. I'm sorry if there is any confusion about that, but if you have questions, the outline below might actually help (that's part of why I wrote it). If this still confuses anyone, let me know, and I'll try to rearrange the chapters somehow to make it less confusing (although I -really- like the way it is now).


Author: Rae
Title: Beyond Friends

Most of the errors in the first three chapters have been fixed, but not all. In general, once posted, I do not revise my fics, unless someone tells me 'Dude, you can't spell worth beeens and you're grammar is like totally and completely unorganized, so get it right or I won't read any more'. That type of thing generally helps to let me know what I need to do.

On with the:

***Chapter Outlines***


Chapter 1: Meeting Mackenzie:

August 25, 1999: An introduction to both of the main characters. Mackenzie MacEntire is starting a new school and is none-too-happy about it.

September 4, 1999: On a shopping spree, Mack encounters some of the locals, including Charles McDonough.

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Chapter 2: Meeting Charles:

November 12, 1999: An in-depth look at Charlie and the relationship he's formed with Mack after only two months. Some hints of what may come.

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Chapter 3: Becoming Friends:



October 1, 1999: Mack learns that Charlie isn't predictable.

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Chapter 4: Charlie the Irresistable:

A note about this chapter: I had written it out and was pleased with it. I pressed EXIT. Normally, I save from there. The 'Save changes made' box came up, and I pressed NO. Hours of work gone in the blink of an eye.

October 2, 1999: Charlie's an angel and we meet Mack's mother!

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Chapter 5: Mack the Unmovable:

October 29, 1999: Mack's a devil and we meet Charlie's father!

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Chapter 6: In Disguise

October 30, 1999: It's the Saturday before Halloween and poor Mack gets a rude-awakening.

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Chapter 7: Open Doors

November 1, 1999: It's a Monday and Charlie notices something amiss, which may lead to a closer kinship with Mack.

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Chapter 8: An Unexpected Display

November 5, 1999: Thank God it's Friday! ...Or not...

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Chapter 9: Stunned

*Gggrrrr... I was ready to post this chapter and even had it in the Document Manager when I found a spelling mistake. I'm not saying that there aren't more, but it just bugged me that I didn't find it until that moment. Grr...

November 12, 1999: Takes off from the dialogue in "Meeting Charles". It can stand alone, but you may wish to reread the first part of "Meeting Charles", up to the point where the dialogue stops.

November 17, 1999: Charlie receives his first clue into why Mack gets out of school later than expected.

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Chapter 10: Food and Fun?

November 25, 1999: Mack and his mother are invited to Charlie's for Thanksgiving Dinner and nothing goes as planned, or so it seems.

Charlie learns a few things and has angst.

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Chapter 11: A Not-So-Happy Holiday

December 22, 1999: Charlie drags Mack out of the house, but the respite is short-lived when the MacEntires's receive a guest that Mack wasn't expecting (and one he isn't too happy to welcome), but it teaches him something important.

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Chapter 12: Resolution *Warning: short chapter*

January 10, 2000: Charlie and Mack get back into the swing of things at school after the holidays.

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Chapter 13: Back to the Games We Play

January 14, 2000: Mack visits relatives, and Charlie looks after his dad before being dragged to a kegger (beer party).

January 15, 2000: The boys wake up.

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Chapter 14: Revolving Doors *short chapter: sorry!*

January 15, 2000: Mack has to expalain why he's home early, but ends up revealing even more in a moment of spontaneous confession to Charlie.