PrivateTim

Jackson is a major league asshole and his mother is a saint to have put up with his crap for so long. I don't think she and her husband were neglectful, I think like many parents with only one child they were indulgent. No. If my best friends were urging/leading me to do what I know is wrong, they would not get many more chances to stay my best friends. What have any of the "church people" done to anyone in this story to justify calling them "harpies" or losers, as has been done? The only losers in this story so far are Jackson and his friends.

He has shown signs when he and Luke slept together and his morning wood lasted longer than normal and Jack even worried if his tenting the covers was noticeable. I am glad they kissed and I am glad Jack returned the kiss, especially since he appeared to do it to keep Luke calm and from panicking.

I never mentioned Will’s priorities, I said his "interests", which is different. Everyone I know, and certainly in Will's universe of The Menlo School and Harvard-Westlake, has an idea of what they want to do in the future. Those plans have probably changed every other year since the age of ten, and may change three more times in college, and again once he starts a career, but at least people do have thoughts to the future and choosing where to go to college is an important part of that. When I was a senior, if you wanted to be an architect, you went to Cal Poly SLO or USC; a filmmaker, USC, UCLA or Chapman; a doctor, UCSD, UCI or Stanford; winemaker, UC Davis; a business major, USC, ASU and Harvard; and so on. Future plans did effect school choice as did things like if you played sports, if you wanted the Big Football School experience (USC, Cal, UCLA), small school experience (Claremont Colleges, Occidental, St. Mary's, etc) or religious (Azusa Pacific, Pepperdine, Cal Lutheran, etc) and lastly, what your family could afford. But I'd say the #1 driver was future plans.

Stylistically I wonder about several things: “You church people,” I hissed, rolling my eyes. “You make my high school sound like a, well I don’t know, but it’s not that bad. I have enough fun there and no one gets hurt.” In a small town, the name of the high school is most likely the name of the town, so why wouldn't Jack say, "Westerville High (or what ever the name of the school is) isn't that bad" vs "my high school". If Cindy and Luke's mom are best friends, and they go to church together, surely Jack would have gone to church as a kid and maybe be allowed to stop going at a certain age. And in small towns, a lot of times churches are the glue that holds together a town, and more people go to church than not, whether or not they are actual believers. So wouldn't Luke and Jack have known each other as kids? Done family BBQs, etc together? They might have become estranged after Jack stopped going to church, but they still would have had a history of some sort.

How did you have any respect for Jack to begin with? He's been an ass since the story's first paragraph. I actually think on a subconscious level Jack is afraid to have Luke in school with him. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind there is the question of why he had morning wood for so long when Luke was around. No mystery why Luke would ever speak to Jackson again, he likes Jack. He may not fully understand how or why (or maybe he is more aware than we know), but he likes Jack warts and all.

It is one thing to be in Boston for a week when it is cold, but when the first snow falls in October and is still around in April.... it gets old pretty fast.

What's up with Jackson's mom? How about she has a son Jackson who is a spoiled complete ass-wipe who hasn't had to face enough consequences for his actions and attitudes in the past and now she is realizing that leniency didn't work. Jackson's mom is a pussycat compared to Luke's mom.

The thing that has never been discussed is what Will's future plans on. He has never mentioned any hobbies or interests besides fucking (which becomes old at some point) and surfing (which he already rejected as a career). To me Harvard is good for four things, Law, Medicine, Politics & Government and Business (MBA). I don't see any reason to go to Harvard to get a degree in any other field.

It is more like, "Okay, gag and barf. Almost similar words were exchanged with (fill in name) and Will and similar pledge."

That was a movie you know.... not real life like CAP. 🤣

Despite going to hundreds of sporting events, NFL, NCAA, NHL, MLB, NBA, Pro Rodeo.... never once did I feel a need to have sex in a bathroom, despite being a horny teen. As to Roger, I like him, but he still has LOTS of baggage. If I was JP, I'd want to be sure Roger was healthy before we got seriously involved.

Will should go to UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography and you know it. One of the best, if not the best school of oceanography in the world. Will can surf every day, troll Black's Beach, and study a subject he loves. But whatever he does, Harvard is not the right place for him. It might be okay for Marie.

“Casey noted that I had relationships with a lot of different dudes, but they were all pretty unique, and they really didn’t spill over into how I felt about the other guys,” I said. “It’s like each relationship is in its own little box.” Will has enough little fucking boxes for a full scale replica of the Great Wall of China. “I think he also knows it’s going to be really tough if we try to operate like a married couple, and he wants us to think about that.” What does "operate like a married couple" mean? No boundaries on who you fuck? No commitment? Why bother even calling it a relationship? If people cannot control their baser instincts, then we are throwing 5000 years of civilization down the drain. What was the point of the fight for gay marriage if commitment isn't part of the deal? Tax benefits? This sounds like Will's dream of having his cake and eating it too. Lastly, maybe Will can't control his dick, but lots of guys can. What happens when one partner is content with just the other, but the partner (looking at you Matt) is not? Do you not love someone enough to sacrifice your self indulgence? I would argue that isn't love.

Not in CA in general and especially not in Santa Cruz in a house with no other houses close by. Nice to see Billy take a walk on the wild side. I remember what happens in this book. I just don't remember how we get there.

“He's a predator. He likes to fuck around with other guys boyfriends.” Possibly the most ironic line in CAP history, said by the Predator of Chronicles of an Academic Predator. Why are people blaming Jake for hooking up with Sam, when it is the adult who bears the responsibility in a relationship with a child. If Jake came on to Sam, all Sam had to say was "no, I am in a relationship, you shouldn't even ask" and maybe young, impressionable Jake would have learned something. And even though Jake knew Brad liked Robbie, they were not boyfriends and all Robbie had to say was no, if he didn't want to have sex with him. It takes two people to have sex and few things piss me off more than when I would hook up with a guy and then after he got off wanted to blame me for having sex with him. It's like, dude, you could have said no. “I knew you when you were 16. You were a flawed person then, just like now,” JP said, teasing and lightening up the mood, “but you never showed his mercenary disregard for others. You have always had a conscience. I don't believe he does.” Jake's life has been completely fucked up since meeting these people. They have known Jake for all of two months now and Jake's life has completely gone to hell since then. EVERY main character in this story is flawed, some more than others and EVERY main character in this story, at one time or another has shown a mercenary disregard for others. Who the hell are they to judge Jake. They helped create the mess he is, it is up to them to try and fix him. I am pretty sure they had psychologists in 1980. They need to get Jake to one and then most of them need a spot of the couch right behind him.

Hate Jake? Why would anyone hate Jake? He is just a 16 year old kid. But for Brad's selfishness, he never would have been in Claremont at all, but Brad wanted what Brad wanted, just like he always does. And who is Brad anyway to flip all this morality shit on Jake to begin with? Brad wants to pick and choose his own moral code, but if he gets to, everyone gets to. If he can judge Jake for being with Sam, then Brenda can judge him and Robbie. And with Jake and Sam, it isn't Jake who is in the wrong, it is Sam, the adult. And if Jake moved to LA and got in either Greg's or Stef's pants and it caused problems between Greg and Stef, that is on them. They are the adults who are supposed to have self control and wisdom and all that.

Have I mentioned before that I think Brad is a selfish asshole? Perhaps not, so I'll say it here, Brad is a selfish asshole. He isn't trying to help Robbie, he is trying to help himself. There is ZERO excuse for outing Frank's and JP's relationship, none whatsoever. They should have stayed at Escorial and sorted things out. If Robbie really didn't want to go I don't think Frank would have forced him. But all Brad cares about is what Brad wants. He is a double asshole for betraying JP's confidence, after all that JP has done for him.

Yeah, sorry, but Brad is still a selfish asshole. He supposedly "loves" Robbie now, but he is going to treat him like shit because he may have to move, partly because Brad kissed Robbie in front of his parents because Brad is still a selfish asshole and he wanted to do it, for himself, without thinking of anyone else or possible repercussions. I'll have more to say later in some of the sadness to come.

Brad has known Robbie what, all of 30 days? There is a difference between love, lust and infatuation. I get that everyone is different, but I don't get how you can say you are in love with someone and be with someone else so casually.

Brad is the one who couldn't commit to the relationship. Was he really in love with Robbie when he said it in Yosemite? If he had been he would not have blown Lark just days before. Love is willing the good of another and that means making sacrifices. If you are thinking about yourself, it ain't love. In 1980, when this story is set, a lot of relationships that started at 17 ended in marriage. The median age for marriage has skyrocketed since then. "I was a little, shall we say, assertive in explaining the morality of a man sleeping with a 16-year-old boy, but...." Ummm, excuse me Professor... over here.... ummm weren't you sleeping with a 17 year old boy named Jeff?? I pushed him back and jumped on top of him, forcing my lips onto his, grinding my body into his. He resisted, tried to fight me off, and clenched his mouth to block my kisses. I believe that is called "rape" and based on what Robbie has told Brad about his getting raped, then seeking it, but not really wanting it, Brad should be smarter than this and JP should get Robbie in therapy. “Sounds good,” I said, so we took the longer, more scenic route. Yeah, Stanfurd to the Malibu Colony is 571 miles on the 101 vs 569 on the 5. The time difference is about 3 minutes. 😂

It is incongruous that Brad has this self awareness about his shortcomings, but is unable to control himself. It was douchey to invite to invite the waiter to stay. That is Brad's horniness and he doesn't realize the misery he is setting up in the future between him and Robbie. Right now Robbie is piecing together that Brad cannot be relied on to control his dick. And again with the drinking too much, losing control and memories and puking and hungover. How hard is this to figure out? I got drunk my first semester of high school (water polo end of season beach party) and wound up puking my guts out after drinking Gallo Spañada. I didn't drink again until my junior year in high school. It was not hard to figure out.

“Cut him out of my life?” I asked. He nodded. “That seems a little cold to me. I have a feeling he's really going to need us in the near future. I don't think he's going to be able to stay in the closet.” Dewd, seriously? Jake let your father's partner fuck him, seduced Robbie after you told him you were into Robbie, but you worry about cutting him out of your life? That it seems cold? He is going to need help? What about Doug whose life you ruined? That wasn't cold? You threw him out of your PARENT'S party and he needs help. Pull your head out broski.

Brad doesn't care. Brad is all about himself. If I was falling for a guy, I wouldn't fuck anyone else or fool around with anyone else, but Brad is too much of a selfish bastard for that. I also again fail to see the attraction of drinking too much. You puke your guts out, feel like crap the next day, make an ass of yourself and make very poor decisions.

Have I ever mentioned how fucked up I think Brad is? It is okay for Brad to fuck Jake, but not Robbie somehow. Regardless of whatever Jake's deal is, Brad went through all kinds of mental gymnastics to justify fucking Jake, but he's pissed/butt hurt that Robbie is? Brad feels compassion and sorry for Sam, who is his father's partner, but caught him fucking a 16 year old; yet he is pissed off and has ZERO compassion for Doug, who DID NOTHING TO HIM, other than freak out over the sex he and Brad had. And for that Brad tells huge whopping lies about him in an attempt to hurt him. Hell, it could be downright dangerous, what he did to Doug, BUT it is fucked up Sam he feels sorry for. THEN Brad is unhappy with Doug because BRAD wants to classify him as gay. That isn't Brad's place. People get to self identify on their sexuality and no one can tell them otherwise. To do so is a form of bigotry. So no, Brad did not score any points with me this chapter.

Ah, I so remember the Emporium in San Francisco. So many great department stores of my youth have closed, Liberty House, Bullock's/Bullock's Wilshire, Marshall Field's, Wanamaker's, Gimbel's, and many more and now they are all effing Macy's.... pisses me off. Speaking of pissed off.... what is up with Brad? Just because Robbie is gone when he wakes up he freaks out? And then treats Robbie like shit? Dude's got major problems.