Paternity

[Hermetically Sealed]

I have to say, the whole situation with Pat does surprise me. I mean, I can easily see Brad and Robbie putting him on leave until it was worked out. I can even understand keeping quiet until they knew more, though I see how Will would be bothered by such. I just don't see them dropping him the way they did. Just seems so out of character to not try to find the truth out at the least. It's certainly not like they haven't had their share of false accusations and unfair personal attacks.

 

Also, am I remembering wrong, or didn't Stef and JP know what was going on? I have a hard time believing that Stefan would keep his opinion to himself, especially if he thought someone was in the wrong. And as stubborn as Brad is, even if he didn't agree at first, he would eventually start re-examining his position. Even JP tends to drop his own position in conversation, if a bit more subtly than Stef. I know we have no way of knowing who said what off screen, but it just seemed odd that they waited until a public confrontation to make a stand. Iono, just seems like an awfully convenient setup so that Will could be set up to once again be the wise beyond his years wunderkind pointing out just what herp-derps the adults all are.

[Mark Arbour]

I don't think Brad and Robbie are bad parents but they did make a mistake in failing to 'handle' the situation with Pat and the impact on Will. All parents screw things up, especially from the point of view of the kids. Allowing the problem to escalate without making any attempt to manage it except by deferring dealing with it made it worse and provoked the strong reaction from Will. I really agree with Tim above: "... it just shows that as a parent you can't ever really relax or assume, you have to keep working at it."

 

 

Will's main points, made at the rink with JP and Steff while ignoring his dad and pops was a really well done and well written scenario.

 

Will's calling Pat back and telling him that his legal costs were covered was a mark of thoughtfulness and further reassured Pat that he was not being left hung out to dry.

 

I am really enjoying this interlude with Will!

 

In reply to my chapter review, Mark wrote:

"Thanks. I have a lot of personal experience with this kind of angst and rage. Makes it easy."

 

I was just wondering if Mark is more like JP or Brad???

 

Mark is more like Brad, and his son is more like Will. I've been down this road.

[Mark Arbour]

I have to say, the whole situation with Pat does surprise me. I mean, I can easily see Brad and Robbie putting him on leave until it was worked out. I can even understand keeping quiet until they knew more, though I see how Will would be bothered by such. I just don't see them dropping him the way they did. Just seems so out of character to not try to find the truth out at the least. It's certainly not like they haven't had their share of false accusations and unfair personal attacks.

 

Also, am I remembering wrong, or didn't Stef and JP know what was going on? I have a hard time believing that Stefan would keep his opinion to himself, especially if he thought someone was in the wrong. And as stubborn as Brad is, even if he didn't agree at first, he would eventually start re-examining his position. Even JP tends to drop his own position in conversation, if a bit more subtly than Stef. I know we have no way of knowing who said what off screen, but it just seemed odd that they waited until a public confrontation to make a stand. Iono, just seems like an awfully convenient setup so that Will could be set up to once again be the wise beyond his years wunderkind pointing out just what herp-derps the adults all are.

 

I think Tim described it best when he talked about the panic that can ensue in a situation like that. In the next chapter, we get to see more of Brad's mind-set. And remember that Brad didn't stage that public confrontation, Will did, and he did it because he didn't feel like anyone would listen to him if he didn't structure it as a public admonition.

[B1ue]

I don't think a case of the "panics" is out of the question here for Brad and Robbie. Having an employee accused of a crime of this nature makes even the most sane parents crazy. They didn't handle it right, but they have experience that helps them make a better decision.

 

While this kind of thing might make a normal parent go nuts,I don't know that it is an appropriate reaction for this particular parent/child combination. I'm willing to wait for the next couple chapters, as Brad's motivations unfold, but it's not like they think Will is a virgin, or uninformed when it comes to appropriate sex versus inappropriate sex. I would, in Brad's place, wonder less that Pat made unwanted advances and more that those advances were both wanted and consumated.

 

Or, possibly, Brad's own experiences with Adult/youth sex are creeping back into his psyche in an unepected way. THAT i could completely see both the panic and the unwillingness to make any kind of justifcation for that panic, if he is in fact more traumatized than we'd been led to believe.

 

I am pretty sure they knew Will didn't like Michael, I am not sure they understood it was a mutually shared feeling between Michael and Will and that Michael used his position incorrectly.

 

Only reason I wondered was that Brad seemed surprised that Will ditched Mike. I know we have the benefit of being inside WIll's head, but Brad has the benefit of being inside the head of someone quite like Will, and I wonder how he could expect any other reaction towards someone he actively disliked and distrusted.

 

In my opinion, it's the trust issue that makes Will's point. All kids have to deal with people they do not like. It's a basic skill necessary for adulthood, after all. But it's unreasonable for Brad and Robbie to bring someone Will distrusts into that much of his life. I hope that WIll, aided and abbeted by the rest of the cast, gets that point across.

[centexhairysub]

Well, my point about Jeanine wasn't so much that she was Will main support parent but that she was home with the kids basically all the time. She knew what their schedules were, she knew if a crisis was looming, she was the parent in the house. I do agree that Will probably didn't confide or run to Jeanine but if something was going on in his life, she probably at least was at least somewhat aware of it. With Jeanine at home and functioning, Brad and Robbie had more leeway to do outside work and activities without having to worry about someone being home with the kids to check in and be aware of situations.

 

I am not going to get into a rehash of the situation with Brad basically letting Will get away with going around Jeanine when it suited him. That was an argument for a previous story. I just think that the one parent that was almost always home isn't there anymore and it is bound to have reprecussions that are sort of floating just under the surface.

[rjo]

The latest chapter was interesting in so many ways. Beyond the warfare between Brad and Will, you have the interaction of the family members. JP and Stef's ascent of Will's position. Matt and Wade joining the bandwagon. At the same time, however, a growing understanding that JJ and Will are not that much different. Maybe just maybe JJ is not as much of a diva as we think. Also maybe just maybe Will is not as much of a brat some of us think. Will and Ryan being there for JJ is showing a new perspective which maybe was here all along. To add to the mix is Pat. The words of Stef echo through my mind over and over. "Some things and some people are worth fighting for." At first I was very upset with Brad. However, after thinking about it the more I understand him. Brad reacted as any parent would to protect his son. We can disagree with his action but not his reason for acting. If we had a son or daughter would not try to protect them? Who would not take on their pain, their hurt, their illness? It is one of the basic tenants of being a parent. One thing is not up for dispute Brad loves Will and Will really loves Brad. That makes Stef's statement even more true. "Some things and some people are worth fighting for." and that may be a son or father or even an employee and a good friend.

Edited March 29, 2012 by rjo

[Mark Arbour]

The latest chapter was interesting in so many ways. Beyond the warfare between Brad and Will, you have the interaction of the family members. JP and Stef's ascent of Will's position. Matt and Wade joining the bandwagon. At the same time, however, a growing understanding that JJ and Will are not that much different. Maybe just maybe JJ is not as much of a diva as we think. Also maybe just maybe Will is not as much of a brat some of us think. Will and Ryan being there for JJ is showing a new perspective which maybe was here all along. To add to the mix is Pat. The words of Stef echo through my mind over and over. "Some things and some people are worth fighting for." At first I was very upset with Brad. However, after thinking about it the more I understand him. Brad reacted as any parent would to protect his son. We can disagree with his action but not his reason for acting. If we had a son or daughter would not try to protect them? Who would not take on their pain, their hurt, their illness? It is one of the basic tenants of being a parent. One thing is not up for dispute Brad loves Will and Will really loves Brad. That makes Stef's statement even more true. "Some things and some people are worth fighting for." and that may be a son or father or even an employee and a good friend.

 

That's really well put.

 

I think that Brad is doing what he thinks he has to do for Will's own good, and sees Will as a rebellious subject, much as Louis XIV would have viewed someone who dared to defy him. Brad's problem here is that he sees this as a power struggle, one he has to win if he's going to mold Will into a 'upstanding' young man and to keep him safe. He's ignoring the deeper issue, the emotional aspect, where Will is basically screaming for his attention. When teenagers want attention, they will find ways to get it, and not many of those methods are pleasant.

 

For those of you who are so inclined, when you go back and re-read some of the chapters in BeRad or other stories, you'll see how even JP grappled in his attempt to cope with these upstart, intelligent kids of his. Brad doesn't have nearly as much patience as JP does, and he's a lot more stubborn.

[B1ue]

I tried to not comment, tried to wait for Brad's motivations to be revealed, but this made me twitch.

 

Brad's problem here is that he sees this as a power struggle, one he has to win if he's going to mold Will into a 'upstanding' young man and to keep him safe.

Look, I get that I'm not a parent, and that the parents in the crowd are going to feel differently on this topic than I will. That because I don't have a child, I have more emotional distance from the situation. But I think that in order to properly evaluate this, that emotional distance is necessary. People keep bringing up "what every parent would do," but that's taking what you, or the parents you know, would do in a situation and and applying it to Brad. And I don't think that's correct.

 

The reason for this is that the previous two opportunities that Brad had to completely overreact in a typical parent fasion, he didn't. There may have been other situations, actually, but these are the two that I can think of at the moment. When Will did his pole dance, Brad did not forbid Berto from seeing Will. Quite honestly, I'd have had the little bastard fired if I thought I could get away with it. There's no way that was a good palce to take a thirteen-year-old, whatever the cause, and whatever the thirteen-year-old in question had to say about it. Later, in this story, Brad does not forbid Will from partying with the college kids. Oh, he doesn't like the idea, but he doesn't try to make Will promise not to go to parties with them. I would have. I'd have even had a logical answer to Will's inevitable protest: in anyone's reasonable judgment, Gathan, Matt, boyfriend #4 (Sam's kid), and Wade have proven they're unable to act as adequite chaperones to Will. If Will cannot promise not to partake when the opportunity arises, fine. Deny the opportunity. These two moments would also be situations where Brad could be expected to pull the "because I am your parent," card, and he's backed off from doing so.

 

Perhaps this is comparing apples to oranges, but I don't think so. I think both Berto and college parties are both pretty glaring threats to Will's upbringing.

 

Of course, we don't see everything. Brad may have pulled Berto aside for a quiet, friendly chat at some point, and we just never saw. He may have done the same with either Gathan, or Matt. Or both. And unlike with Pat, Brad simply managed to take care of the situation without Will being clued in, which allowed him the gumption to attempt it this time around. Or maybe these attempts have taught Brad that when he tries to proscribe behavoir to Will, it doesn't really work, so that's why he's now trying to rearrange the background without Will's iinput.

 

I guess my point is that while his overreaction towards Pat is understanable in general, it's jarring in this instance. Brad and Robbie have been more the "teach competance at living dangerously" school of parenting rather than "protect from all dangers." I'm not saying it isn't possible that they switched it up now, but I would be interested in hearing what's in Brad's head. Does he really think Will would allow such abuse to take place? I know it's asking a lot of a child to be able to stand up to an authority figure like that, but Will has proven to us and to Brad he's a pretty capable kid. And if he really does think that, does he also imagine that the pain from thaat is what's causing Will to act up lately? I can see that being seductive to Brad and Robbie. It would make the great rift yawning between them and Will Pat's fault, not theirs or Will's.

 

Edit: Also, I'd have expected better tactics out of Brad than to just fire Pat. I mean, he can never trust Pat again, can he? Right or wrong, justified or not, Brad's already proven disloyal to Pat, so why would Pat be loyal to Brad? That is just plain dangerous in a post with that level of access to the entire family and thie schedules. Even if he doesn't think like that, Brad's enemies might try to use that, and they may not take no for an answer.

[PrivateTim]

I guess my point is that while his overreaction towards Pat is understanable in general, it's jarring in this instance. Brad and Robbie have been more the "teach competance at living dangerously" school of parenting rather than "protect from all dangers." I'm not saying it isn't possible that they switched it up now, but I would be interested in hearing what's in Brad's head. Does he really think Will would allow such abuse to take place? I know it's asking a lot of a child to be able to stand up to an authority figure like that, but Will has proven to us and to Brad he's a pretty capable kid. And if he really does think that, does he also imagine that the pain from thaat is what's causing Will to act up lately? I can see that being seductive to Brad and Robbie. It would make the great rift yawning between them and Will Pat's fault, not theirs or Will's.

 

Edit: Also, I'd have expected better tactics out of Brad than to just fire Pat. I mean, he can never trust Pat again, can he? Right or wrong, justified or not, Brad's already proven disloyal to Pat, so why would Pat be loyal to Brad? That is just plain dangerous in a post with that level of access to the entire family and thie schedules. Even if he doesn't think like that, Brad's enemies might try to use that, and they may not take no for an answer.

 

I guess you don't understand a parent's visceral reaction to the "m" word. It clutches at your throat and a your stomach drops out. Even if you know your kid's been sexually active, "molestation" brings up all kinds of scary scenarios in your head.

 

As to Pat, would he work for Brad again? I think yeah, even if people are slow to your corner, the fact that they get there at all makes you grateful to them. Even if you are cleared of the charges, the whispers and doubts linger from some people.

[MJ85]

Any way you slice it, given Brad's own experiences from when he was Will's age, and Will's experiences now, I don't think it makes sense to simply take what would be a parent's normal reaction to "the big M", paste it onto Brad, say "oh, that makes sense", and be done with it. For Brad's reaction to match a typical parent's reaction, given the history up to this point...I think something else is going on that we don't know about yet. That's not to say Brad didn't freak out in the slightest...I'm just not sure that that's the only thing fueling his reaction.

 

Who knows, maybe this really is just Brad underestimating Will's ability to handle unwanted advances...but I dunno.

[Mark Arbour]

Any way you slice it, given Brad's own experiences from when he was Will's age, and Will's experiences now, I don't think it makes sense to simply take what would be a parent's normal reaction to "the big M", paste it onto Brad, say "oh, that makes sense", and be done with it. For Brad's reaction to match a typical parent's reaction, given the history up to this point...I think something else is going on that we don't know about yet. That's not to say Brad didn't freak out in the slightest...I'm just not sure that that's the only thing fueling his reaction.

 

Who knows, maybe this really is just Brad underestimating Will's ability to handle unwanted advances...but I dunno.

 

I think Brad struggles with Will's ability to handle situations. On the one hand, he often makes good choices, but on the other hand, as Blue pointed out, he sometimes makes bad ones. I would say this is a characteristic of teenagers, but in fact, it is much broader than that. I'm sure we all could share some stories about the stupid decisions we've made, even as adults. There is an inherent part of fatherhood that demands that you watch out for your kids. It's very strong in Brad, and in this case, it isn't always a positive attribute.

[B1ue]

I guess you don't understand a parent's visceral reaction to the "m" word. It clutches at your throat and a your stomach drops out. Even if you know your kid's been sexually active, "molestation" brings up all kinds of scary scenarios in your head.

 

As to Pat, would he work for Brad again? I think yeah, even if people are slow to your corner, the fact that they get there at all makes you grateful to them. Even if you are cleared of the charges, the whispers and doubts linger from some people.

 

Like I said, I think that's a typical parent's reaction, but not necesarilly true for this particular parent and child. Not impossible, just off somehow. For instance, if this had been JJ or John, I would buy it all a bit more. And with Ella, even though she's proven herself capable, Gathan is not going to react calmly to the slightest threat towards his sister. Nor are Zach's parents, despite all evidence that he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. I would also more readily believe Brad thinking that Will was sleeping with Pat willingly, or wanting to (after all, that's true), and that Pat either was or was planning on abusing his position in such a manner. That would elicit just as strong a reaction, and be a heck of a lot more believable with both principles. And be lots harder to prove form the outside.

 

As to Brad being in Pat's corner, is he? Or is Will, with Brad just being forced to back him to save face? And even Will's motives are going to be suspect. Pat would understandably be nervous about a gay teenager that has shown quite a bit of interest in him. Some corner of Pat's mind has to wonder if Will would be sticking up for him so strongly if he didn't want into Pat's pants. He'd probably like to believe the best of Will, but can he afford to? And he has to wonder if this situation is going to repeat itself a couple years down the road.

[vaessavoy]

Okay, I acknowledge that I've never commented before, mostly because you all seem to have it covered. Or, since I'm not a guy, my two cents wouldn't add much. But I have read all of CAP and have a bit of experience finding out my fourteen year old niece might have been molested. In her case, the police were already involved and the first thing they did (within an hour of the arrest), was to go interview her. Right after they were satisfied that she hadn't been molested, my sister took her to the hospital for a sexual assault exam because my sister thought it was possible her daughter might lie to protect her dad. My sister also filed for divorce the next day the court was open.

 

I'm not saying Brad and Robbie would have responded that way, but if either one of them really believed there was a chance that Pat and Will had any sort of sexual contact, wouldn't they have been concerned enough to want to take care of Will, instead of ignoring him? If Will made that point to Robbie or Brad, wouldn't that undercut their positions entirely? I flew from Minnesota to California within hours of hearing about the possibility and none of Will's parents spent any time with him? It doesn't ring true without more explanation.

[Daddydavek]

The above post makes an interesting observation but has a couple of flaws in the logic. Will's parents already knew he was sexually active and, further that he flirted with Pat; so the overwhelming protective response of a parent while present was not as pronounced. While my personal preference would have been for Brad to talk to Will to see if there was any molestation or coercion, that probably would not have been as dramatic and we wouldn't have had the last two chapters.

 

As I see it, "Paternity" is an exploration of father-son relationships between some pretty intelligent, financially secure and independent minded people. The dynamic has been done mostly with conversations and some introspection with not a lot of fast paced action. Actually, it has been a really compelling character driven story and for that I thank Mark Arbour.

[MJ85]

You know how a cheating lover will sometimes accuse you of cheating in their effort to cover up their own two-timing? Well...what if Michael was gunning to have Pat fired over a supposed molestation because it's really he who has designs...on...?

 

I hope I'm making nothing more than a wild guess with this one, but that is the thought that jumped out at me when I read where they discussed Michael.

[rjo]

Over the last week or so I've been rereading The Land Whore and Be rad to compare Will's and Brad's teen years. Both were shy kids when younger and were able to overcome their shyness. Brad of course had his crazy mother who hated him Will did not. The situation that seems to relate to Will is not with Brad directly but with Robbie. If you remember, it was the time which Robbie's mother wanted to send him to Jesus School. Now I understand that Robbie was 17 and Will is 14 but the conversations are very much the same. I think the question is when does a teen like Robbie or Will became a person and not just a object. Is it 18 or 21 or does it happen at different ages for different people. I believe it is not a magic age but different for each person. Children are not slaves for parents to order around. Yes, parents must protect their children, but not hold them in bondage. Brad has morphed into a control freak. We all know this. He not only controls his children but his partner and Jeanine. Any of you who are parents know the hardest thing is letting go. It has too happen! If the parent does not let go the child's life can be damaged forever. The situation between Brad and Will is about that. We can argue about when is the time let go and how much should Brad let go. Yes Will has made some dumb decidions in the past but so did Robbie and Brad and so have most of us. He has also some good people to help him along the way. People like Wade. I trust Mark will guide Will through life as well as he is guiding his own son.

[centexhairysub]

Well, the new chapter of Paternity has so much new drama just fallilng into our laps. Okay, I will admit that I think Brad and Robbie are more responsible for the current situation than Will. I think that Brad is part of the problem; one moment he seems to be treating Will like he is a grown up and the next like he is eight years old. I do agree with previous comments that a few situations in the past have been ready made for some parental involvment but there was none, and now Brad comes in trying to act like super Dad???

 

I also agree with a previous comment that there is more to the Michael story that we have seen so far. I don't know that it was what an earlier posting suggested but something about him has never rang true, plus why does the most easy going member of the family, meaning Will, have such a bad feeling about him???

 

On the Kristen front, I have to say listening to her story the thought that came to me was the guy she was with had been put up to it by Zach. I thought at the time that it was strang how Zach was acting before and after Gathan found Kristen with the guy.

 

I do think that Will is bashing Robbie a little to hard, it seems he really only tried to get Robbie's attention that one time. Now, I don't think that Robbie should have blown him off like he did but I have to wonder if that wasn't more on Brad's orders/suggestion than how he really felt. Plus, it seems to me from past stories that Robbie often takes Brad off on his birthday and no one has ever really made an issue out of it before. I know that Will is feeling a little threatened by what is happening but seems to be going after Robbie as just another way to hit at his dad.

[davewri]

Will has grown up in a pack of Alpha males. No surprise that he might be a little headstrong, he's learned from some real pros.

[methodwriter85]

I do agree with previous comments that a few situations in the past have been ready made for some parental involvment but there was none, and now Brad comes in trying to act like super Dad???

 

I'm putting myself in the mindset of a 14-year old kid, and I'd be pissed off it my dad acted like my buddy for the first 13 years of my life, and then suddenly switched things up to try and be Mr. Super Dad. It doesn't work like that- you can't switch your parenting style on a kid. You have to be consistent and consistently Brad has for the most part been about letting Will do whatever he wants. It's too late to suddenly start slamming your foot down and expect that the child is going to listen to you, when you never taught him the word "no." 14 is way too damn old to try and teach him that. That should have been ingrained by the time he was 4.

I'm hoping that Wade, Tiffany, and Matt are taking notes here on what NOT to do with Riley.

I'm guessing Brad and Robbie are really realizing at this point just how much they really lucked out with Darius and his general lack of a teenage rebellion.

 

I wonder if JJ gets one too when puberty finally kicks in, or if JJ's need to look pristine at all times pretty much means he'll never have a rebellious teenager stage.

Edited April 2, 2012 by methodwriter85

[Westie]

I kinda miss Wade.....

 

Teenage drama is what gossip girl is for...

[rjo]

Will's major problem as Wade pointed out is that Will doesn't know when to stop. I think part of that is learn over the years. If we look at Brad there are times he goes too far for too long also. What is great and maddening at the dome time is that here are people who love each other maybe too much at times who can't seem to really understand each other. They always talk passed each other. In one way that is do much like real life, what happens in families all over the world. Each generation has difficulty with the next. It has been going on since the beginning of time and will until the end of time.

 

As for Wade, Riley and Tiffany: Wade is a different person than Brad or Will. He acts after he has thought about things much more than Brad or Will do. I think Wade will be a great dad and will always be close to his son.

Edited April 2, 2012 by rjo

[PrivateTim]

Okay, I acknowledge that I've never commented before, mostly because you all seem to have it covered. Or, since I'm not a guy, my two cents wouldn't add much. But I have read all of CAP and have a bit of experience finding out my fourteen year old niece might have been molested. In her case, the police were already involved and the first thing they did (within an hour of the arrest), was to go interview her. Right after they were satisfied that she hadn't been molested, my sister took her to the hospital for a sexual assault exam because my sister thought it was possible her daughter might lie to protect her dad. My sister also filed for divorce the next day the court was open.

 

I'm not saying Brad and Robbie would have responded that way, but if either one of them really believed there was a chance that Pat and Will had any sort of sexual contact, wouldn't they have been concerned enough to want to take care of Will, instead of ignoring him? If Will made that point to Robbie or Brad, wouldn't that undercut their positions entirely? I flew from Minnesota to California within hours of hearing about the possibility and none of Will's parents spent any time with him? It doesn't ring true without more explanation.

 

Interesting perspective and I am sorry for what your niece had to go through all around, but I think there are key differences. One is no matter how much we pretend, we treat 14 year old boys and girls very differently on things like this. Two, Will is known to not be an innocent or a virgin and it is known he is gay. I think that shapes how the dads would view the situation. They might be afraid to know what really happened and delayed to think things over.The police would have wanted to interview Will, but Robbie and Brad might not have wanted that. This family isn't just any family, the local police (and we don't even know what jurisdiction is conducting the investigation yet) wouldn't be able to run roughshod over the family like they do to others. If the police weren't allowed to see Will, and we know they weren't, they might have requested that he not be told. They like to interview people when they can catch them unawares. It is also unlikely that Malibu, which is covered by LA Sheriffs under contract to the City of Malibu, is the same agency conducting the investigation. That is most likely being done by Beverly Hills PD or LAPD. In either case they have zero power to demand to see Will. They need to go to court if they really wanted to force cooperation.

 

Overall my gut is I think Brad and Robbie were afraid to dig too deep and avoiding Will was the only way to not get into it.

 

You know how a cheating lover will sometimes accuse you of cheating in their effort to cover up their own two-timing? Well...what if Michael was gunning to have Pat fired over a supposed molestation because it's really he who has designs...on...?

 

I hope I'm making nothing more than a wild guess with this one, but that is the thought that jumped out at me when I read where they discussed Michael.

 

No, I just think Michael is a punk ass bitch who doesn't like Will and he knew hurting Pat would hurt Will.

[PrivateTim]

Lots of interesting stuff in this chapter.... is this the first mention of a pool at the Malibu homes? I think there are only four pools on the beach in the Colony....

 

And while I get poetic license, could Will really see all those things in Gathan's eyes from across the rink? I was hoping that they would stay broken up.... never did like that little tramp...

 

This part is a whole topic unto itself, "[/background] “Sometimes people who are being molested don’t feel like they have a choice. They feel trapped. Or maybe they think they want that to happen, even if it’s a bad thing.” "

 

I've seen this from both sides of the occurrences. I've known young guys who were in willing relationships with older guys and older guys in relationships with younger guys. Many times the younger guys have later felt preyed upon or manipulated, even when at the time, they told everyone around it was what they wanted. It is an interesting situation and so seldom turns out well for anyone.

 

I love Will, but he is being a bit unreasonable. What has he done to show his parents he is capable of making adult decisions for his life? If I had done a naked pole dance when i was 13, I'd still be grounded. Not many 14 year olds get a lot of input to major decisions about their lives.

 

Lastly, we still don't know what the police are doing or what part they played in the firing of Pat. The first person a police investigator would have wanted to talk to after the initial "victim" would have been Will*. The police would certainly have been in touch with Brad/Robbie and their lawyers and we don't know what advice or instructions were given or how Brad and Robbie reacted to the request. I am sure a few chapters are already written, but I'd love to see that police interview with Will when and if it happens.

 

 

*this is basically a repost of my "review" and I wrote it before reading the above post about what police investigators might or might not have done.

Edited April 2, 2012 by PrivateTim

[methodwriter85]

And while I get poetic license, could Will really see all those things in Gathan's eyes from across the rink? I was hoping that they would stay broken up.... never did like that little tramp...

Aww, come on. Kristin is pretty cool. And Gathan and Kristin could be the big power couple to lead Claremont into the 21st century.

 

 

I've seen this from both sides of the occurrences. I've known young guys who were in willing relationships with older guys and older guys in relationships with younger guys. Many times the younger guys have later felt preyed upon or manipulated, even when at the time, they told everyone around it was what they wanted. It is an interesting situation and so seldom turns out well for anyone.

 

I had a hook-up with a 39-year old when I was 15 that was incredibly damaging. I felt guilt and shame about it for years, even though I had thought I was in control and it was what I wanted.

I love Will, but he is being a bit unreasonable. What has he done to show his parents he is capable of making adult decisions for his life? If I had done a naked pole dance when i was 13, I'd still be grounded. Not many 14 year olds get a lot of input to major decisions about their lives.

 

 

Well, Will does play the whole "I'm getting a 4.0 and volunteer at the Mission" card a lot. I mean, Andy in Cross-Currents was similiar in the sense that he did all sorts of crazy things yet when it came down to it, he always fufilled his school obligations, and his parents were pretty much okay with whatever he did.

[PrivateTim]

Well, Will does play the whole "I'm getting a 4.0 and volunteer at the Mission" card a lot. I mean, Andy in Cross-Currents was similiar in the sense that he did all sorts of crazy things yet when it came down to it, he always fufilled his school obligations, and his parents were pretty much okay with whatever he did.

 

I never got the impression that Andy's parents knew all that he was doing.

 

It would take a lot of Misson volunteering and "Our Father's" and "Hail Mary's" to undo a pole dance not to mention, a "step aside girls, gotta gargle".