Mark Arbour Posted April 25, 2012 Author Share Posted April 25, 2012 (back commenting after... nearly two years! shame on me!!! ) Until a few chapters ago I was ready to ascribe Will's behaviour to a "bratty teenager" phase, but now it seems apparent that the issues are more deep-rooted than that. The last chapter shows at least that Will is not over his experience of kidnapping and rape in Paris. For a long while I thought that it seemed unlikely for him to be over it so easily, and indeed he wasn't. I guess that Mark planned it this way in advance, so kudos to him! Welcome back!!! Sometimes I stumble into things and it just looks like good planning. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B1ue Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Except of course Will had already planted drugs in Martin's coffee. Will started the chain of events without knowing what the consequences would be. I did say I thought he was being a moron, prior to actually getting backhanded. Also, I don't see how Will putting drugs in the coffee started anything. It certainly finished it in a hurry, but my reading was that Will was going to be backhanded no matter what he did. Martin was establishing dominance, in what's usually an effective manner. And WOULD have been effective, if he'd been dealing with what he thought he had, a spoiled thirteen year-old with no real problems except that Daddy ignored him. While WIll is largely that, he does have a certain amount of cunning and a few experiences that would push his limits out farther than we might expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrivateTim Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I did say I thought he was being a moron, prior to actually getting backhanded. Also, I don't see how Will putting drugs in the coffee started anything. It certainly finished it in a hurry, but my reading was that Will was going to be backhanded no matter what he did. Martin was establishing dominance, in what's usually an effective manner. And WOULD have been effective, if he'd been dealing with what he thought he had, a spoiled thirteen year-old with no real problems except that Daddy ignored him. While WIll is largely that, he does have a certain amount of cunning and a few experiences that would push his limits out farther than we might expect. What I mean is that Will, before he was backhanded and before he knew he would be had already decided to spike Martin's coffee and runaway. He set a course from which there was no turning back. That it served to keep him from a very unpleasant situation was a very lucky happenstance for him, but he was going anyway. The only thing that was different was his meltdown, that wasn't really Robbie and Brad's fault at all, other than they chose Martin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B1ue Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 What I mean is that Will, before he was backhanded and before he knew he would be had already decided to spike Martin's coffee and runaway. He set a course from which there was no turning back. I realize this is what you meant. That's why I agreed with you. And Martin, I feel, was a mistake. I'm sure they did try and get someone reputable, and he certainly attempted to give them what they were paying for, as he understood it. The problem, I think, is in how they approached the issue. And I'm a bit surprised, to be honest. With Robbie and Brad's experiences with therapy over the years, I'd have thought they'd have tried that first. If they genuinely thought he had a dirnking problem, and their willingness to not search Will's room makes that slightly doubtful, I don't know why they didn't get medical help for Will. If they didn't, and they thought Will was just being a moron (with some justification), then what the heck are they palying at? Do they know themselves, or are they jsut so frustrated and so unable to make progress that they're willing to accept any solution to settling Will down, no matter the long-term consequence of their relationship. Or do they see an ideal long-term relationship between Will and themselves as one where they say jump and WIll doesn't have to ask how high, he just knows? I'm trying to give all parties the benefit of the doubt, and assume that they arne't just being jerks. But I am curious what is going through their minds. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ85 Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Imagine the most evil, maniacal...grin, you can think of. That grin, all by itself, can sum up how I feel about this chapter. Go. Stef. Go. I still hope he relieves Brad of all his job responsibilities, even if it were to be only temporary. What would be the point of keeping him on, after making it plain that he has no use for him? It'd also be nice to hear directly from JP, just how he feels about all this. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXJasonXX Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Thank you so much for updating so quick...you totally spoiled us lol. and luckily for me the next few days will fly by so before I know it there will be a new update. Loved this chapter and LOVED Stef, I am glad he let robbie and brad get all pissed then leveled them, if not I would be fearful that they would just get more angry afterwards at will for ruining their stuff when in this case they were able to find everything that could piss them off before finding the reason for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddydavek Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Chapter 32 is up and for all the speculation in the forum, I think Mark handled it brilliantly. Wade and Stef got it and after seeing the results at Brad's house including the cars, clothes and kink room, including the pictures that Will took after his beating; Stef just managed not to rip Brad and Robbie new assholes as he explain the facts of life to them. J.P. is yet to be heard from and of course, Will is still hurting, traumatized and generally feeling unloved....And finally, Brad has not heard from Jeanine over all this and she will find out and may have a lot to say as well. It is usually pretty amazing how strong a mom can be when one of her cubs, even one that is not her favorite is wounded. Great job and my appetite is whetted for the next one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted April 26, 2012 Author Share Posted April 26, 2012 Writing this series, there are a few characters who are consistently fun to dialog. At the top of the list was Tonto, but Stef's a close second. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centexhairysub Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 (edited) Well, Mark mentioned her and I wouldn't be suprised at all if Tonto appeared after rising from the grave and flying 1st class to LA... I swear, the whole time I was reading this chapter, I really felt that Stef was summoning the spirit of Tonto, God, I miss her... I really disagree with a couple of people on this forum, I don't think Will started any of this. I really do believe that 80% of this issue between Brad and Will is Brad's fault, 15% Will's, and 5% everyone else that didn't realize that Will was still traumitized over Paris. Yes, Will did roofie the asshole, and Robbie got it to by default; but I can say I would have done something equally brilliant if I had been in place. By God, you may not start the war; but once it has started, you fight to win... The police showing up was JP's first salvo, but I sort of bet it will not be his last. And the person I would really be afraid of if I was Brad is Claire, she is going to make him wish he was somewhere else. I also agree that Jeanine may just snap out of her depression, the description by someone else of a mother bear protecting her cub, is quite accurate. OMG, I swear three chapters a day wouldn't be enough... Mark, great job and I just can't wait for the next update... Edited April 26, 2012 by centexhairysub 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naaz Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 (edited) OMG, I swear three chapters a day wouldn't be enough... Mark, great job and I just can't wait for the next update... oh, wishful thinking! but I guess I could get by with that.........were it really to happen. By the way, does anyone know how Stef knew the psycho's name? Edited April 26, 2012 by naaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted April 26, 2012 Author Share Posted April 26, 2012 oh, wishful thinking! but I guess I could get by with that.........were it really to happen. By the way, does anyone know how Stef knew the psycho's name? Stef said he had an unpleasant conversation with Brad, so I'm assuming he got it during their "talk". Well, Mark mentioned her and I wouldn't be suprised at all if Tonto appeared after rising from the grave and flying 1st class to LA... I swear, the whole time I was reading this chapter, I really felt that Stef was summoning the spirit of Tonto, God, I miss her... I really disagree with a couple of people on this forum, I don't think Will started any of this. I really do believe that 80% of this issue between Brad and Will is Brad's fault, 15% Will's, and 5% everyone else that didn't realize that Will was still traumitized over Paris. Yes, Will did roofie the asshole, and Robbie got it to by default; but I can say I would have done something equally brilliant if I had been in place. By God, you may not start the war; but once it has started, you fight to win... The police showing up was JP's first salvo, but I sort of bet it will not be his last. And the person I would really be afraid of if I was Brad is Claire, she is going to make him wish he was somewhere else. I also agree that Jeanine may just snap out of her depression, the description by someone else of a mother bear protecting her cub, is quite accurate. OMG, I swear three chapters a day wouldn't be enough... Mark, great job and I just can't wait for the next update... I'm so glad you see the true power of Claire's influence. I'm not so sure about Jeanine though. On the one hand, she could be very protective, but on the other, she tends to view Will as being out-of-control anyway, and this would just substantiate that even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddydavek Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Mark wrote in reply to a posted review on this chaper: "Because when it's his own son, things are different, and the decisions are tougher. Maybe this is one of those things that you have to experience first-hand to truly understand, I don't know, but it makes complete sense to me (having gone through this myself) that someone who normally makes rational, calm decisions finds himself completely unable to do so when it comes to his son. Unless you get that, you won't get this story. That's OK. As you've noted, I wrote others." I agree, having gone through the teenage years with a son, your feelings of responsibility, being protective and wanting to properly guide your son do make you less rational at times. Now, being totally bull-headed like Brad is strictly Brad.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrivateTim Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 (edited) Well, Mark mentioned her and I wouldn't be suprised at all if Tonto appeared after rising from the grave and flying 1st class to LA... I swear, the whole time I was reading this chapter, I really felt that Stef was summoning the spirit of Tonto, God, I miss her... I really disagree with a couple of people on this forum, I don't think Will started any of this. I really do believe that 80% of this issue between Brad and Will is Brad's fault, 15% Will's, and 5% everyone else that didn't realize that Will was still traumitized over Paris. Yes, Will did roofie the asshole, and Robbie got it to by default; but I can say I would have done something equally brilliant if I had been in place. By God, you may not start the war; but once it has started, you fight to win... The police showing up was JP's first salvo, but I sort of bet it will not be his last. And the person I would really be afraid of if I was Brad is Claire, she is going to make him wish he was somewhere else. I also agree that Jeanine may just snap out of her depression, the description by someone else of a mother bear protecting her cub, is quite accurate. OMG, I swear three chapters a day wouldn't be enough... Mark, great job and I just can't wait for the next update... I love Tonto, as most people do, but remember neither was Tonto perfect. Don't forget how she first reacted to J.P. and don't forget what a manipulative little brat Stef was. The biggest blame I ascribe to Brad was his permissiveness with Will. He created the monster. Had be been more of a father, less of a surfing buddy we might have avoided getting to where we did. Evidence of his parents love is all around Will, he simply chose not to view it as such. In the reunion chapter I hope Brad paddles out into the line up at Haleiwa for his reunion with Will. I also hope we get at least one trip to Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. Edited April 26, 2012 by PrivateTim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCtoGO2 Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I normally do not make comments about Mark noy any other authors or their stories. However the last two chapters are simply extraordinary. We all are lucky to have Mark on this website. Thank you Mark. BRAVO! . 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centexhairysub Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I have gone back and re-read Paternity from the start in the last couple of days. I really do think Will is acting out in a large part because he never really dealt with what happened in Paris. I have to believe in some way he blames Brad and Robbie for the kidnapping and rape, because it was about revenge on them. Even if this is illogical, Will is a hormonal 14 y/o... It is rare when I agree with Private Tim, so everyone mark this down; I think one of the biggest mistakes parents make is trying to be their childrens' best friend. The kids already have friends, they need parents. Now, if you can be a parent or sometimes if you are not the actual parent but the authority figure and be a friend great; but that is very delicate balancing act that few actually pull off. When humans are young, they need parents or others acting as parental units more than they need friends. I think once a person reaches a certain age, and that is different for everyone; you can shift the role more and actually become more of a friend rather than a parental unit. I can honestly say my mother is my best friend... I have lots of other friends but I am closer to my mother than any other person on the planet. However, when I was under 16 y/o, my mother was the parental unit first and everything else second. I think this is a mistake that Brad has made in this story of trying to be Will's best friend first and a father secondary. He further undercut this relationship by making it where Jeanine really couldn't act as the parental unit where Will was concerned. I can't wait to see where Mark takes this story next... I can see some real trials and tribulations coming because I think Will is smart enough after what happened in Paris to know they can track him through his phone and how to avoid that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjo Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 (edited) Chapter 32 was, is outstanding! Stef was impressive! He layed almost all of the blame on Brad. Where it belongs. Will is not his enemy Will is his son. Stef was right on. They have never dealt with the kidnapping and rape. They removed Pat without a word to Will. They hire Martin who beats the crap out of Will. All these are facts. Unquestioned facts. Not the best track record in parenting. Whose fault? Brad! If you don't believe that read this chapter again. I am hoping Stef, JP and Wade will be able to find Will before any more will happen. How would Brad feel if Will decides to live at Paly instead of Malibu. I'm not sure if I could trust them again if it was me. If the question is who is the bad parent or who is the bad child? Brad wins as the bad parent hands down. If you doubt that read chapter 32 again. I used to think Brad was a pretty good guy. No more. Just like I thought Robbie was a kind and loving good guy. Not any more! The only thing I can say thank God for Stef! Edited April 26, 2012 by rjo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrivateTim Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Chapter 32 was, is outstanding! Stef was impressive! He layed almost all of the blame on Brad. Where it belongs. Will is not his enemy Will is his son. Stef was right on. They have never dealt with the kidnapping and rape. They removed Pat without a word to Will. They hire Martin who beats the crap out of Will. All these are facts. Unquestioned facts. Not the best track record in parenting. Whose fault? Brad! If you don't believe that read this chapter again. I am hoping Stef, JP and Wade will be able to find Will before any more will happen. How would Brad feel if Will decides to live at Paly instead of Malibu. I'm not sure if I could trust them again I it was me. If the question is who is the bad parent or who is the bad child? Brad wins as the bad parent hands down. If you doubt that read chapter 32 again. I used to think Brad was a pretty good guy. No more. Just like I thought Robbie was a kind and ;oving good guy. Not any more! The only thing I can say thank God for Stef! Trust is a two way street. Will has been given every advantage life can offer. His parents have lavished him with gifts, trips and privileges most kids never see. They let him smoke pot, date guys who are way older and generally have let him run his own life, including choosing his own high school. When your parents have indulged you so you have to have some trust in them and figure they love you. Just three weeks ago, Sept 22, 2000 Will thought to himself, in reference to his room, "It was actually a cooler gift than he (Ryan) knew, since it was a constant reminder of how much they both loved me." So what awful thing have Brad and Robbie done in the last three weeks that has his teen angst running amok? That makes him think they don't love him, they hate him? Nothing really, just Pat being removed and it was only 11 days ago that Will took the cab home rather than ride with Michael. But is that really the problem? Pat is gone and that triggered all this? Pat worked for Brad, not Will. Would it have been nice to have sat Will down and talked to him about Pat, sure, do parents have to or even owe an explanation to a 14 year old? No, not really. We still don't know what police or sheriffs investigators might have said to Brad and Robbie about NOT telling Will so they could interview him untainted. What is driving Will's psyche right is remnants from Paris, the kidnapping and attempted rape, the torrid affair with Berto that didn't end well (July/August?), the Tony affair, Pat's problems and finally the Ryan affair, all pushing him over the edge. Will was a train wreck before Martin. Martin was a literary device to bring the emotions to a head. If it hadn't been Martin, it might have been the return of his mother that was the trigger event. I have never been a big Brad fan, I always thought he was kind of self indulged (like someone else), but his role in where Will is right now is more enabler than instigator so climb off his ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CthulhuTheGuardian Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Oh Mark, Mark, Mark. As a teenager, I love your writing. It keeps me interested (not hard to do), and you always leave cliffhangers (which I hate, hate, hate). I also love the perspectives that you write from. It's like you talk to teens to get how they would feel. How Will is right now is exactly how I would feel if Brad and Robbie were like that. As the guy above said, three chapters a day would not be enough. I could read a book of yours in about a day. In fact, I have done that. Twice. The first book in the CAP series, and the 10th. I cannot wait for the next few chapters. I wish I wouldn't have checked to read this one because I feel they are too short (speaking from reading 10-12k word chapters from Beloved). I had the biggest smile on my face this whole chapter. Thanks for making my day every time you post! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
methodwriter85 Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 (edited) I'm so glad you see the true power of Claire's influence. I'm not so sure about Jeanine though. On the one hand, she could be very protective, but on the other, she tends to view Will as being out-of-control anyway, and this would just substantiate that even more. Honestly, I think Jeanine would only go into mother bear mode with JJ, maybe Madison. It's been telegraphed that since Day 1 Jeanine was protective of JJ, and it's possible that because Will was pretty much always Brad's child and that she never really got any say in how Will was raised, she didn't develop that kind of protective bond with Will that she developed with JJ when he was a preemie in intensive care. Which is interesting, because Will is her actual biological child while JJ isn't, but as we've learned in CAP, it's less about blood and more about who raises you. As for Tim's point, I gotta agree with him on that. I was hoping that Brad and Robbie would have gotten the message over what kind of situations can be created with overly permissive parenting due to what happened to Billy and would have taught their own kids what the word "no" meant, but I guess not. I have never been a big Brad fan, I always thought he was kind of self indulged (like someone else), but his role in where Will is right now is more enabler than instigator so climb off his ass. It's been weird. Will actually has been, for the most part, immensely likeable to me ever since the start of the Tony storyline in PMS where we got to see him as marine biology nerd instead of just seeing the overly precocious sexpot. Mark's done a good job of making it so that there are a lot of simliarities between Brad and Will that you can say the apple didn't fall far from the tree, but I haven't felt like Will is a rip-off of Brad. I like that he seems a bit more down-to-Earth than Brad did, and that he's not about trying to be the powerful social leader at school the way Brad did. I remember reading the start of Be Rad, and to be honest, Brad didn't seem to have as much insight as Will does- Brad came off as much more superficial and about appearances than Will does. Edited April 26, 2012 by methodwriter85 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ85 Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 It's been weird. Will actually has been, for the most part, immensely likeable to me ever since the start of the Tony storyline in PMS where we got to see him as marine biology nerd instead of just seeing the overly precocious sexpot. Mark's done a good job of making it so that there are a lot of simliarities between Brad and Will that you can say the apple didn't fall far from the tree, but I haven't felt like Will is a rip-off of Brad. I like that he seems a bit more down-to-Earth than Brad did, and that he's not about trying to be the powerful social leader at school the way Brad did. I remember reading the start of Be Rad, and to be honest, Brad didn't seem to have as much insight as Will does- Brad came off as much more superficial and about appearances than Will does. If I remember correctly, Brad was further along in HS in Be Rad than Will is right now, yes? I have to think that makes a bit of a difference there (the 1980 Vs. 2000 difference notwithstanding). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmike1969 Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Chapter 32 in a nutshell: Robbie: "My Car!" Brad: "My Shoes!" Steph: "My God, you both are idiots!" Brad re: Martin --> "We found out about him on the Internet so it must be true..." The Following is not stated in the story --> Jeff: "Why am I still hanging around these people?" Rosa on Monday morning: "You bitches don't pay me enough!" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
methodwriter85 Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 The Following is not stated in the story --> Jeff: "Why am I still hanging around these people?" Jeff's internal response: Oh, right. They're rich and good-looking, and they're a sure "in" to primo weed and hot dudes. If I get them to like me enough, I'll get a 50k car out of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B1ue Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Nice summation! I haven't said this in a while, but this story is pretty interesting. It's bringing out all kinds of interest and perspectives on the question f parenthood. Great job in finding a way to make that approachable to us, Mark. Martin was a literary device to bring the emotions to a head. If it hadn't been Martin, it might have been the return of his mother that was the trigger event. You're probably right about this. It's unfortunate that this triggering event is going to delay getting Will and everyone else the help they need, since it is a valid reason to flip out, and will quite possibly mask the deeper issues that led up to this point. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmike1969 Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Jeff's internal response: Oh, right. They're rich and good-looking, and they're a sure "in" to primo weed and hot dudes. If I get them to like me enough, I'll get a 50k car out of it! Except they fired his boyfriend.... That earns them a -1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLH Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 (edited) After reading through the posts for the last two chapters, my first thought was "but Will was RAPED!" There is nothing on this Earth that can shatter the psyche of a completely sane adult male, let alone that of a 14 yr old BOY like that of being raped. The pedophile Martin should be counting his blessings that he survived his encounter with Will, I don't think he'd have been so lucky under other circumstances. The attitude of some in here almost sounds like the old "Well he had it coming"... Just sayin'. Edited April 27, 2012 by GLH 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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