PrivateTim

Surely there must be some kind of a Writer's Guild Disciplinary Board I can turn Arbour into for making Brad so stupid this chapter. I mean making a character a little stupid is fine, but to give your character next level, out of this world stupidity must violate some kind of rule? Doesn't Brad speak to Stef often enough that Stef asks what is up with his grandkids? Your kid is competing in major national and international competitions and you are unaware of it? Naw.... it's Arbour's fault....... Brad CAN'T be that stupid.

“Did you read that in some book?” I asked, giving him shit. “I think what he’s calling you on is that you weren’t any better as a kid, and you probably would have reacted the same way or worse.” But isn't that the point of being a parent? You try to help your kid based on the mistakes you made. Maybe handle it a bit differently, but Brad is not being unreasonable about his 14 year old son not going to college parties and getting drunk. Maybe a better approach is to sit down with Will and talk about what the consequences of getting drunk and teen drinking are. Point all the things that can happen when you get drunk and have impaired judgment, talk about how alcohol and teen drinking led directly to Billy's death; maybe even tell Will to talk to Claire about how Billy's death effected her. I can tell you from experience, losing a sibling, and a especially a twin, as a teen never leaves you. You think about it everyday and maybe multiple times a day. It never leaves you alone. No one in real life should ever say teen drinking is okay, few ever would.

If Will had started puberty at 8 years old he wouldn't have been the shy, sweet kid he was at 12. He'd have been undergoing the emotional whiplash that comes with puberty. Just because you have a big dick at 12 or 13 doesn't mean you started puberty early.

That Carl knew about Wade's gay uncle (who I believe was in the U.S. Army) and it wasn't Matt who told him says that someone is pulling Carl's strings and his thing with Matt isn't by chance. The question is who and why?

No, I respond to the "Will is wise beyond his years" that I've been hearing since he was 13, which means for 12 years now 🤣

Matt is the classic one step forward, two steps back.

Here is a fun project for your team.... in all the chapters of CAP (1,500? 1,800?), in how many chapters do characters puke (500? 800?)?

In California they are boys because they have not yet reached their majority. In CA, even though he is an emancipated minor, he is legally still a minor.

I think this chapter more than any other reveals what Will is..... he is a 17 year old boy. He has all the immaturity, emotionalism, angst and hormonal dissonance that goes with being a boy. He has no idea what Travis wants in terms of, would he let the Schluters bail out Curtis and his company if it meant Travis would be safe. Whether or not Curtis could be trusted to keep his end of the bargain is a different discussion. That Will would make a snap judgment without pausing to even consider options belies the "wise beyond his years" mythology that some cling to with Will.

Ryan doesn't have "gay urges", he is a 14 year old boy, which means he is hornier than the off-spring of a rhinoceros and a unicorn. A very old study showed that more than 40% of men had a same sex experience by age 21. I'd guess that number is much higher now.

If the book were 25 chapters, I'd say "anytime now", but at 100 chapters long..... plan your bathroom breaks and don't forget to eat. We are going to be here awhile.

John Paul is so different from the JP of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator. It demonstrates a theme I return to often, that with age comes maturity and wisdom. No, it isn't automatic, but with age come more and more experiences and those allow you to grow. JP is a great influence for Wade. The brilliance of the writing in this chapter is we get to see what Wade sees in Carl.

Oh damn, why can't I rep myself. 😂 This spot right now, this is where..... Matt convinced me he was a clueless douche.

I get that this book would only be about 12 chapters long if Brad and Robbie didn't have their heads buried deep in their asses and actually took some time to talk to Will and find out what was wrong. It would also be a great time to convince Will that he'd get a better response from them if he didn't get all nasty and smarmy, but acted like a mature person, not an angsty teen.

PS I'm gonna go with Mr. Grafton as Travis's father.

Each rereading different things pop up. First is what a fucking pussy Gathan is. Dude, sac up, it's just a chick. I'm not cutting Matt any slack, he is still a moron if he thinks there is anything out there better than Wade.

Or the author's need for drah-maw! 🤣

I thought about Australia, but it is only one country with limited ways out and limited places to go. Much easier to get lost in Europe or a U.S. big city. Heck, Travis could probably hide in Tim's mission.

I think staying at Escorial would be the safest route. I don't know if JP ever had safe rooms built into Escorial, you'd think so after some of the attempts on the family, but if they did, Travis could hide in one of anyone came snooping for him. If Travis went to Europe, he could fly into a Milan and then catch a train to France, deeper in Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, etc. An American teen in a big city (Berlin, London, Paris, etc wouldn't draw a lot of attention. If his law firm is worth anything, they should have European affiliations they can have help hide him in safe apartments. I would change my hair, maybe even go with good wig to make it longer. But, he could probably hide in Dallas, Chicago or New York with the help of Will's family. I would let Curtis Buck know that Stef and Brad are watching him. Yes, and it would be a shame if they didn't live in their assigned "yard". One of the best experiences you can have in college is that freshman experience of living in a dorm with a bunch of strangers and learning how to make it work.

While this book isn't as painful as some, I'm having some trepidations about rereading again.

Oooooo, I really like this idea....

I'm Henry the 8th I am....

Looks like 12 years since I last read Paternity. I still like The Politician's Son better 😝 I guess we are seeing the start of Jeanine's unraveling. It made a nice storyline, but still sad. Mental disorders are something we ignore until the problem really escalates.

Such a great book, Thanks Mark and team for such a great effort. Darius may be the only guy ever who wished he got his 16 year old girlfriend pregnant. Usually it is the girl who deludes herself that a baby with her man will cement them together. The only people who think having a baby makes things better and easier are people who've never had a baby. Life never gets simpler or easier, it just gets harder and more complicated.

I am not disturbed at all, nor do I think Brad is ruthless. He is merely doing what needed to be done. I do think dummy Dino leaving some swimmers behind was stupid and will have consequences, but that is to be dealt with later. Someone who messed with my son, a bullet in their head would be the least of their worries.