AFriendlyFace

Hey everyone, thank you all so much for your advice and for taking the time to read about my problem. Anyway I actually HAVEN'T gotten a chance to see him since, I only have that class on Tuesday and Thursday, and today I didn't go, because I stayed out too late last night having gone to another nearby city to visit a close friend for her birthday. I REALLY regret not going to class now (yeah a little bit because I should go of course, but mostly because I wanted to see what was going to happen with him.), but on the bright side, I'll have more to talk about Tuesday, I intend to ask him what I missed and stuff. And also I think I will take the advice of most of the people here, and just try to get to know him better and find out from there. I think I'll see if he maybe wants to grab a bite or something after class Tuesday. Anyway thanks everyone :-)

Hey everyone, so I wanted to ask you guys your opinion on something. First though, let me start with a brief description of my situation and stuff. I'm currently in my final year of (undergraduate) college (I'll probably be going straight into grad school though). Anyway so last week I'm in one of my classes, and for the first time I notice this really cute guy (yeah I don't know why it took 2 months to notice him, I guess it's because, in all honesty, I'm kinda spacey and often just lost in my own thoughts, plus I think he usually sat further in the back than me), anyway he's really cute and I THOUGHT I was getting "gay vibes" from him, so I go sit next to him, and manage to come up with a couple of casual things to say, but we don't really get into a real conversation (after all class was starting). So anyway today I have the class again, and again I go sit next to him, and acknowledge him with a friendly smile, but this time I'd barely gotten there before class began, so I didn't get to talk. Well when class ends, I'm pleasently surprised that he strikes up a light conversation with me. So anyway we chat casually for the time it takes to actually get out of the classroom (it takes a little while since everyone's leaving at once), but then when we leave the classroom, still chatting, I very foolishly turn right (because that's the direction of the parking lot), whereas I can see he's going to go left, why it didn't occur to me to just walk with him in that direction for awhile, and then go do something in our student union (I mean there's always something you can do once you get there, or I COULD have just turned around after he'd left), I'll never know, I guess because I'm (A) a total dumb*** sometimes and ( B ) because it was going pretty well and I didn't want to give myself a chance to ruin it. So anyway I leave feeling pretty good about the whole thing overall, and when I get home I decided to get online. So I get online and check out this website, facebook, which is basically a site that has a branch at many of the universities throught the nation, it has people's profiles, pictures, and messaging capability. So anyway when I get on it occurs to me to try to "facebook him", which wasn't a problem since it also gives you a list of people who are taking the same classes as you, and he was on the very first page. Anyway I check out his profile and take note of a couple of things, like the fact that under "interested in" he's listed women, and under "interests" as well as a few other routine things he's listed "girls". So I'm actually pretty shocked, I mean I didn't think I could really be positive just by looking at him, but once I'd spoken to him a few times, I was really sure he was gay, heck I was even thinking he was interested since the second time he initiated the conversation. I know it's unfair to go by steriotypes, but really I think if any third party person was likely to guess, they'd guess I was straight and he was gay, not the other way around. Oh yeah one more thing, on facebook there's this section where your friends can leave you public messages, it's usually just "happy birthday" or "dude, you missed a great time this weekend" and the like, but anyway this one girl had left a message joking with him about how she'd confiscated a purple bracelet he had, and that he should thank her because he was already coming off as gay anyway. So now I really don't know what to think. I was glad to see that message his friend had left because at the very least it means I wasn't the only one who thought he was gay. I mean I'd never come on to a straight guy. But I figure another option is that he's just not "out" (actually neither am I, but on my profile I left blank all the things that would definitively point to a sexuality, which in and of itself is a clue I suppose if you're looking), so if he's a closet case well that's certainly more complicated, heck I thought I was the one who was going to be the complicated closet case (and believe me I wouldn't have a problem if we were alone, or around people in public I didn't know, or with one set of friends I have that I am out to, and besides all that I think I'd be ready to come out if I found a meaningful relationship,,,,,anyway see how easy it is for me to get off topic :-P). What I was trying to get at was that I really was interested in this guy, I really thought he was gay, and I still think he may be. If he's just not out, but he's dealt with all that stuff in his own head, then there's no problem, if he's just starting to/or still coming to terms with it, then fine I'm happy to be there and be supportive etc. But if he's actually in denial, I don't think I want to go there, I might just make things worse for him, not to mention having a lot of drama on my hands. And of course if he's just really NOT gay, then obviously I want to drop it before I make a fool of myself and freak him out. So what does everyone think?? and how can you tell if someone's gay or not?

Happy Birthday Dom! Hope it was an awesome one

Hey Dom, Happy birthday! I hope you had a great one. Yeah chapter 23 of TOU was really awesome I loved it, can't wait for the next one. As far as writing goes I agree, Dom's great and there are quite a few excellent, young writers out there.......I just wish I were among their number. I recently decided that I wanted to write professionally (as well as of course novels and stuff), but I can't seem to figure out where to begin. Sadly like Lucy said I seem to already be in the habit of putting off actually sitting down and writing, I just get the ideas and then don't follow up on many of them, and complete nothing . Oh well Maybe I'll get better. Anyway have a fantastic year Dom, take care all.

Yeah that was a really really awesome chapter! I was SO proud of Quinn for once in this chapter. Not for standing up to his mom (I've got mixed feelings about that), but for the way he actually delt with some of his own issues, and recognized where his feelings were coming from. I am of course mostly referring to his interaction with Marissa, but also the way he realized he was being too demanding, and insensitive with his interrogation of Jude. It also rocked that he actually managed to apologize. He also FINALLY talked to Brad, I think he did pretty well, he could have been a little more supportive though, I mean after all his friend basically told him he was dealing with some seriously bad stuff himself, and while I can see how Quinn would want to stay focused, I also kinda wish he woulda just stopped, looked Brad in the eye and said "what's going on, tell me about it". But I can't complain I get the impression that parts coming, and yeah like I said at least for once Quinn's actually dealing with his thoughts and feelings. As for Marissa, I still think she's getting the shaft, she's doing all the work to maintain their friendship, and even after their little heart to heart, the best Quinn can give her is an "ok" when she says she'll call him. I think he should have given her a big hug and made it a point to call her right away, before she even got a chance to call him. But I can understand if he's still a little conflicted, he's doing better at least. When it comes to Brad, yeah I think what he's saying is he wants things to go back to the way they were with Quinn, for Quinn to just, for lack of a better way of phrasing it, "not be explicitly gay" around him until he can deal with it better. Basically not get touchy feely with Jude in front of him, or talk too much about that stuff. Which really does seem pretty fair if you ask me, It's good that Brad wants to learn to accept it completely, the fact that he can't yet shouldn't be held against him. Anyway it does seem that Brad's got some stuff going on too, and I wish Quinn would decide to be there for him the way he's recently tried to be there for Jude. Heck at the rate he's going it looks like by the end of the story Quinn might actually manage to be a really good person, someone people are actually lucky to date/be friends with/be related to. Ok I guess that might be a little harsh, he's always seemed like a nice guy, but he's just been so self absorbed the whole story. I think it's funny everytime he mentions Marissa being self centered, I agree she often is, but for most of the story he's been much MORE self centered and blind to the feelings of those around him. I do get the impression he's a good guy though who's just going through a bad time and handling it poorly. (or at least he was, now he's actually doing pretty well)

Hey Dom, hope you have (or had) fun at the wedding. I'm so frickin "pro-relationship" right now it's not even funny. And lately the last several weddings I've attended have translated into "here's a good a time to notice how alone you are and how you'll never be the one to get married". Yeah yeah, I know it sounds bitter, but here's the kicker, I'm actually not bitter, I'm genuinely happy for anyone and everyone who manages to find love, and far from being angry or bitter when I see other people in love I actually find it hope inspiring, like maybe someday I'll actually find someone special. So what's the point of this ramble you may ask? (good question I should probably ask myself this BEFORE I actually begin a ramble) Well anyway I think the point of this particular ramble was that you shouldn't get too bummed out about romance and relationships. True love does exist and I do happen to believe (in theory at least) that it doesn't recognize age, gender, race, sexuality, religion or any other human category. So try to stay positive and maybe just maybe this pretty guy will be pretty on the inside too and turn out to be "the one" (Besides you're my favorite "romantic" gay writer, if you get disillusioned with romance what hope is there for the rest of us? )

Chapter 28 of TLW Owen and Aiden are talking and Aiden's just asked Owen if he's ok with not having any kind of relationship with his parents. Owen replies that he's not ok with it, and Aiden asks why after everything that's happened to him:

Well I'd have to say I really did find that post a little depressing. And speaking as someone who's within a year of actually being a psychologist, I'd have to say I still don't really think it's my place to delve into the morality of modern relationships (at least not as a whole), personally I think it's the responsibility of every single individual who intends to enter one, to first develop a sense of morality about it. Perhaps some of the previous posts about the hopelessness of monogamy do hold a grain of truth, as much as it sucks I think people are going to have to accept that there ARE some things their "soulmate" still can't do for them. For example maybe you like classical music and need to have it around you, but your significant other just can't stand it. Or maybe as in the example above you want to be topped and your partner can't/won't. Maybe you need someone who's comfortable displaying affection in public but your boyfriend/girlfriend always clams up. Whatever it is, I personally feel like it's up to each person to make decisions based on what's most important to them. Realize that perhaps no one person CAN do everything for you to complete you, so take what you can get, and what you most need. If you absolutely have to have someone who's affectionate make that a top priority in finding a mate, if you HAVE to have someone with a great sense of humor, be sure to find someone with those characteristics. Then when it comes to the lesser things that may still be important to you but that the other person just can't give you, blow it off. Ok so it sucks that you can't go to a concert with your spouse because they can't stand them, well go with friends, watch it on TV or buy the CD, or just make the sacrifice. Being in a monogamous relationship isn't about always being completely happy with that one special person. It's about finding that one special person, seeing all that they have to offer, and then seeing all the things they can't give you, and finally being able to say to yourself or them "you know what, I don't care about those other things because I love you and you give me everything else." Far be it from me to evaluate other people's relationships and morals within those relationships, and if an open relationship, or a relationship in which "mistakes" are ignored, works for them and they're really happy, then fine, go with it. It isn't any of my buisness. But as for me I'll hold out for monogamy. I'll wait for someone who gives me the important things and then learn to handle the other things myself, or just do without for the sake of our relationship. I agree Demonic, maybe our lives are too complicated to find someone who'll be our everything. But before I go into that electronics store for that CD I just HAVE to have I'm going to check out the music section of the local grocery store. And if they don't have that cd, I'll just buy some freash fruits and veggies, pick up a few magazines and a carton of milk and go check out, and count myself lucky that MY store has most of the things that matter to me. But I'm probably not the best person to give advice on relationships anyway, I DON'T have anyone in my life, and I know that even if I do find someone, while I may rationally know that they can't do EVERYTHING to complete me, I'll probably still nievely hope that maybe just maybe somehow they will. But isn't that what makes love so grand? The hope (at least in the beginning) that maybe this will be the fairy tale.

hey Nickolas, I know EXACTLY how you feel, I used to get ticked off at people for the samething all the time. I'm the kinda person that when I'm talking to someone on IM I'm really involved in the conversation and want a steady stream of responses, I don't even like it if the person takes too long to answer. I've even had a strain put on a couple of my friendships for the exact same reason, once because someone said "gtg" and then just left without giving me a chance to say anything else (a huge pet peeve of mine) and once because a different friend was a cronic "I'll answer your last IM about once every 5 or 6 min. if you're lucky" kinda person. Anyway after alot of stress I came to realize exactly what Michael just said "everyone's computer etiquette is different". I feel like it's unacceptable because if we were talking in person it would be rediculous for someone to go several minutes without responding, or to just eventually walk away without say anything. But I now realize that ISN"T how alot of people feel. Mark's right in that the person should try to make an effort to do better if they know it's an issue for you, but remember while they should try to meet you halfway you should also try to meet them halfway, be understanding and patient etc. If it's an important conversation see if you can do it face to face, or over the phone, or specifically say "hey I need to talk to you about something important and I'd really like your undivided attention could you please put all other conversations and activities on hold for a bit so we can talk about this" (but only do that if it is important not just if you want to chat and want to make sure to have his full attention). One of the same people I referred to early who always took forever to answer, and made me feel like I was talking to the internet version of a wall alot of the time is also the person I've had my most serious IM conversation with ever. I was going through a really rough time and needed to talk and as lurker suggested I did say something to the effect of "hey, you got a minute? I'd like to talk", and I'm happy to say that she was great the entire time, extremely responsive and supportive, and down right prompt with her responses. So I'm sure if you could count on your friend in general you could also count on him in IM when it REALLY COMES DOWN TO IT. He probably just doesn't feel like most of the time it's that important that he stays focused. I have another friend who is extremly responsive and talks my ear off and if anything ends up waiting on me more than I end up waiting on him, and of course I enjoy those types of conversations more, anyway the point is everyone does view the cyber world as different and everyone interacts in it differently. Also remember your friend may never change his careless, distracted ways, I know it's very frustrating (and it would undoubtedly bug me to no end), but if you really care about the guy you may have to chalk this up as just something you have to accept about him. If your friendship is otherwise healthy and he's full of redeeming qualities, and you know that when it came down to it if you had to get his attention you could, perhaps you just ought to roll your eyes and blow it off like Michael suggested, just saying something like "well that's Zach for you" to yourself and move on. Anyway take care and I hope you feel better about the whole thing.

Hey Nickolas, Well I have no idea what any of you are talking about (and that works for me, glad to be out of the drama ;-)), and just found out reading this that snow dog is leaving, I'm very sorry to hear that too. Oh yeah speaking of "too", I've been reading your story, which I'm enjoying very much by the way, and I think you should just make it as long as you want, it's your story and you should feel free to be as thorough or concise as you deem necessary. Anyway I'd noticed that you always use "to" in your story, I don't know if this'll help but I'm a big believer in remembering stuff with some sorta mnemonic aid (the only trouble is sometimes I get so elaborate it's easier to just remember the real info than the aid lol). Anyway maybe this will help you, if not it can't hurt. "TOO" has two "o's" in it, so basically you've added an extra "o". That's good because the majority of the time "too" is used in means "IN ADDITION". like in my comment above "I'm very sorry to hear that TOO", just like you and everyone else, I'm ADDING my sympathy and so also adding an "O". Or like "let me come TOO please" (you want to ADD yourself to the group going, so add an "o" as well. The other most common use of "too" is when you're discussing degree of something. Like "I'm "TOO" hungry to wait any longer". In this the extra "O" can be remembered because in alot of these situations people might be whining about something and adding emphasis to the "too". Like if you just said "I'm SOOOO hungry", "I'm TOOO tired to get up" (Just remember you can only get away with adding one extra "o". As for "TO", "to" is most often used as a preposition, I don't know how much you know about prepositions but basically prepositions begin a clause (or prepositional phrase), which could be taken out completely and the sentenace would still make sense, prepositional phases just add more info. Like in the above example I said "I'm too hungry TO wait any longer", the "to wait any longer" is a prepositional phrase and could be left out, it's just explaining what I'm too hungry to do (wait any longer), and "to" is just the preposition that begins the whole thing. It would have still made sense if I'd said "I'm too hungry" it just would have been as informative. Anyway all that's not important, basically the thing you have to remember is that "to" is a preposition and like the other MOST COMMON prepositions: on, in, by, and at, it's a very short two letter word. So just lump "to" in there with "on, in, by, and at" granted those are by no means the only prepositions and some prepositions are fairly long words (although, through, beside etc.), the short two letter prepositions are definitely the most common. "to" can also be used as adverb, but again that's not as common and you'll probably automatically use it correctly anyway. So the take home message, use "too" (with the added "o") when you're adding something I.E. "bring the fork and the knife too." (the speaker is adding the knife as something he/she wants brought along with the fork, so go ahead and add a second "o"." or use "too" when you're being emphatic (like it's with such a high degree) I. E. "he was just "too" fast to catch.", (if you were really complaining to someone you might say it like "he was just tooooo fast to catch."). As for "to" think of it as the same as the other little prepositions (in, on, by, and at), so remember it only has two letters. Also "to" is typically dealing with place "....to the store" "...to bed" ".....to the bank", but it also is frequently used to express purpose or cause "....to see if she was ok", ".....to find out who won" lolol and even ".....to express purpose or cause" Anyway I hope that might help, but I wouldn't worry about it too(ooooo) much if I were you, your english teachers will keep taking off for it and if you publish anything or write something formal you'll probably want to get it right, but for regular stuff I don't think there's anything wrong with it, it gives your writing personality (like I said I'd already noticed it in your stories), it's just like Dom always says "anyways" in his stories, "anyways" isn't really a word, it's just "anyway", but I like it because it gives his writing a more personal touch, also one of my best friends always says "anyways" even when she talks so I find it even more endearing. Anyway the point is if you really do plan to continue writing, and of course finish all your english classes, yes you should work on it, but I wouldn't really worry about it beyond that point, I used to sit there and pick at people's grammer and diction obsessively (I can't help it my mom's an english teacher :-P), but then I realized I was missing the point of what they were actually trying to convey in their writings. Anyway take care and have a great day, I look forward to your next chapter.

Hey Dom, I'm so very sorry that you've recently recieved some bad news. Bad news just sucks! But as Mark said you seem like a strong, intelligent guy, and I'm sure you'll be able to cope with whatever life throws at you, but as Michael, Conner, and Danny advise please take good care of yourself, and make sure you have enough support from your friends and family in this time of crisis. I am very eagerly awaiting the next posting of TOU (in fact I'm practically chomping at the bit), and of course if writing will make you feel better (and I know how theraputic it can be) I encourage you to do that, but make sure you don't overwork yourself during this stressful period. Anyway take care of yourself. A Friendly Face

Personally speaking I'd say that he acts confident to hide his insecurities. I mean if he has attempted suicide before, then at least in the past at some point his self-esteem must have been fairly low. Similarly while he MAY turn out to be as "loose" as he comes off, I'd bet that his overly flirtatious, sex-crazed comments also represent more bark than bite. Of course those aualities in a leading character would make for a very interesting story too. So yeah I'd have to say I'd also enjoy reading a story about Taylor.

Well I hope no one winds up dead, I like happy endings ;-)

Hello Nick, and everyone I know I'm fairly new to the community and have only posted in the forum a few times, but I just wanted to say that I too felt the attack on you by the unregistered guest was wrong, and uncalled for. And I hope you don't let it bother you. That said, I hope you don't mind me reading your blog and the autobiography you've been posting. Actually I only just realized that blogs were a part of this community (same for pms which I still haven't figured out how to do). LOL honestly all I thought there was were the hosted authors stories to read and a forum to discuss them in. Anyway I'm pleased to be enlightened, and as I said I've been enjoying your story. You are an excellent writer, and from what I've read in the story seem like an excellent person as well. I too have seen the film "reefer madness", and yes it is absude how people try to skew the facts to support their own agendas. However, personally speaking I also disapprove of all drugs in general, and would be likely to advise their avoidance. But I also do believe that gobears was right in saying that pot is one of the least harmful drugs people can do, so just be careful and do it responsibly if you must :-) Have a great day.

Well said shadows, and I think after reading chapter 20 we can all see that you were right.

Well I definitely agree with Michael et al. Quinn should have insisted on going with Jude and called his mom from the car (if he had his phone) or once they got to Jude's place. And yes I think he could have come up with something more supportive to say then "will I see you again?". I found Quinn very frustrating this entire chapter, especially the way he treated Jude. First of all after the romantic way Jude woke him up the best he could do was reproach him and then shove past him to get dressed. Also he DIDN'T call Jude back yet again after his talk with Marissa. Then it never even crossed his mind that Jude's parents owned a place on Union, even though Jude was clearly upset about the idea of having lunch AFTER he found out they were going to a place on Union. And then yeah, he should have been much more supportive of Jude after his mother ambushed him like that. I kept hoping he would say something like "come back to the table, and you can tell my mother anything she asks as far as I'm concerned". Although on the other hand I doubt Jude would have been in the mood to talk about that stuff with Quinn's family right then anyway. Quinn should have just gone with him. Anyway I think everyone's being far too hard on Marissa and far too easy on Quinn where they are concerned. Bao is right when it comes to Marissa, Quinn is the one who has the problem. She responded better than either Bree or Brad initially. She basically said "hey you can talk to me about it" and "maybe I can understand", and then he just threw all that in her face and told her off. THEN instead of really being mean or insulting she just said that she STILL wanted to be his friend. And the self-centered A** still couldn't think about anything else but whether or not SHE'D CAUSE TROUBLE FOR HIM. When basically he'd been about as mean as he could, it almost seemed like he was trying to tick her off enough to out him. In my opinion he was mean, insensitive and just plain stupid and tactless. OK so maybe he was trying to stick up for Trina or something, but I don't think that was the time or the way. I mean everyone's treated someone else badly before, and as regretable as it is, in this instance especially I think it should have been kept seperate. I mean what she said is true, she hated Trina and always has, whereas Quinn "is the boy she fell in love with at twelve", if she's a half decent human being there's every reason to believe she WOULD treat them differently. I'm not saying what she did to Trina wasn't wrong, it was, but they did have a long history of enmity between them so it is different (I don't even think the Janie comparison is warrented, Janie turned on Aiden, Marissa and Trina were ALWAYS against each other). Finally whatever the reason Mar and Brad are having lunch together (and I agree it could be any of the reasons stated above), it could also be something as simple as two friends having lunch together, I'm sure Quinn came up, and they probably vented about him (which I think they'd have every right to do), but basically they've been close since childhood, so it shouldn't be that odd that they'd get together for lunch. If Quinn were really maturing and trying to get past all this stuff, he'd have waved or gone over to say hi or something. Anyway I like Quinn and I'm trying to cut him some slack, but I almost can't help but think that Jude deserves better. And perhaps Mar does too. But I'm sure when he gets back to normal, and quits being so self obsesed he'll be really great to Jude and make it up to him, and maybe he'll treat his friends and family a little better too.

Yes I think you are all right about Marrissa's motives and feelings, they probably are largely selfish, BUT let's not forget they really were friends since childhood, there's almost no way she doesn't care for him, unless she's totally heartless. And of all the people that are supposed to be close to him, he has blown her off the most (OK I can see why, but still). So lets just hope that maybe somehow she'll surprise us all and be cool with it, or something. Anyway I can't wait to read chapter 20. You guys are all great, and Dom's writing rocks! have a great night/day all!

Yep I thought it was an excellent chapter, and yes I can readily identify with Quinn. Also I agree Jude and Luke are kinda similar, but I think Jude's much hotter, sweeter, and cooler. I wish he'd quit smoking though lol. Also I hope Quinn has the good sense to at least pop his head in the door and tell his mother he's home on time, before he starts talking to Mar. Anyway have a great day everyone!

Dentists scare me!

Oh thanks :-)

Doubt it. Don't forget, he tried to commit suicide at some point -- my bet is that he's got the sort of parents one wants to leave dead in a ditch. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well the impression I got from reading the chapter is that he is indeed an orphan. And that the loss of his parents is a very sore spot. He said something along the lines of "my parents weren't F***** up". I got the impression that he was actually fairly close to them and that their death was probably very tramatic for him

Well in answering the original question of whether or not I thought it was necessary for Quinn and Jude to have sex for the story to be complete, I'd have to say NO. I don't think this story is really about sex, and quite frankly I still don't think Quinn is ready as he is right now. However, I would not be disappointed with a sex scene if Quinn progressed a little more in the right direction, and he and Judd got more serious. I know it's wrong to compare the two different relationships, but look at Owen and Aiden in TLW, Quinn and Jude are just no where near where they were when they did it for the first time, and I really think Dom had them do it at the "Perfect" stage in their relationship. I guess I feel this way for two reasons, first of all I'm not a big fan of casual sex anyway, and like I said I just don't think Quinn and Jude are close enough yet (though they definitely seem to have that potential), and secondly, I really don't think Quinn's ready for something like that psychologically. Don't get me wrong I think Jude is REALLY HOT and Quinn sounds pretty sexy too, and Dom writes excellent sex scenes, so I WOULD like to see one between them, I'm just not sure they're ready as they stand right now, but given a few more chapters I think they could be. Anyway as far as the fundamental question of this post goes, NO I don't think this story necessitates a sex scene, it would be perfectly complete and whole without one in my opinion. (Though I DO want one, just after they're a real couple for awhile, and are more "connected") Anyway I just hope the story goes on long enough for everyone to be satisfied. But of course this is Dom's story and he's doing an excellent job of writing it, so I think we should all just be pleased with what he gives us. I know I'll be happy either way. Oh yeah one more thing, Bao what does "T_T" and "O_O" mean? Anyway have a great day everyone and take care.

"All dogs have their day" "Ad nauseam" = to throw up/vomit I do some latin ;-)

Well I'd say it's because the whole story is about Quinn's coming to terms with the fact that he's gay and ultimately accepting that he (and Judd, Taylor, Trina and other gay people) are still "ordinary" normal people As for Bree being trouble, I hadn't personally gotten that impression. I mean yes she's mad and confused and she has every right to be. From her point of view her brother refused to trust her enough to come out to her (he even implied he wouldn't have told her at all if Brad hadn't blurted it out), stole her potential boyfriend, and then on the very night that all the drama went down invited him to sleepover. (I'm not saying I'm against Quinn and can't identify with him, just trying to see things from Bree's perspective.) Yet actually inspite of all this she once again COVERS for Quinn by telling their mom that Judd was there to see her. So even though she's angry she's still looking out for her brother, if you ask me it's a clear indication that she remains the loyal sister and has no intentions of doing anything to hurt Quinn. The trouble I see developing however, (and my guess as to why Bree is in Myer's office) lies with Brad. And not that he won't be supportive, but that his mother is in danger. She already went to the hospital and had to stay overnight to be monitored. My guess would be that something's wrong. Quinn's already tried to call Brad twice that day to talk to him, and both times recieved no answer, when Mrs. Moore said specifically that Brad was going to be STAYING HOME because his mother's in the hosipital. So why wouldn't someone who's staying home waiting for someone else to get out of the hospital not be at home?.....if they had to go to the hospital to be with the person. My guess is that after this happened, Mrs. Moore, who works at the hospital, called the school to inform Quinn and Bree (since they're so close to the family), and of course they couldn't get Quinn since he was out to lunch with Judd (and of course now Judd won't be able to meet Bree for lunch as planned.), but they were able to get Bree, for whatever reason I think she was waiting in Myer's office for Quinn. I admit I can't think of a good reason why they'd be waiting in Myer's office (except that maybe he wanted to handle telling the very fragile Quinn the news or something), but that's still what I was automatically thinking when reading the chapter. Anyway have a great day everyone! Take care :-)

Welcome to the forum Brandon I hope you enjoy it here. Interesting observations, though I too would have to say that Bree, Brad, Mom and company, probably didn't get quite as much warning as you say. Quinn just seems like the classic example of an uptight, slightly OCD, overly serious kid. I think they are all aware of it, but lets face it some people are just like that. Speaking as someone "recovring" from "mild OCD" himself I can easily identify with that aspect of Quinn. I can also atest to the fact that in a mild form it is very easy to hide/play off, and simply make it seem like you're overly tidy/serious. Think of Felix Unger from "the odd couple" I don't even get the feeling Quinn is as bad as he was, and no one was trying to have him committed. Besides Quinn noticing those things in his room seems easy and obvious to me as well. some mornings I DON"T make my bed, but when I do I always do it the same way, and yes I don't think it's out of the realm of possiblity that he would notice if his pillow was too low on the bed. As far as his drawer not being closed again I can easily identify, I never leave any drawers/doors/cabinets open, and yes I would notice if they were opened. My surprise was not that Quinn noticed these things, but that his mother had been so sloppy, presumably knowing her son was anal about these matters. But while a little OCD may be amusing to those who can't understand it (and yes it can be devestating if it progresses to a full blown case) I don't think Quinn's degree is very serious. As far as the sleeping pills go I would have to agree with you there. His mother was very foolish in not investigating them further. I even find it troubling that a teenage would HAVE to have sleeping pills in the first place, even for legitimate reasons, but perhaps that is because that is something I CAN"T identify with. I do agree though that his family should have had the sense to remove them when they realized he was depressed. As for him and JUDE being in a co-dependent relationship I'd have to disagree. Quinn IS very dependent on Jude, but while Jude is interested in Quinn, I don't think he's in any way dependent on him. He simply wants to help him and is attracted to him. Yes Jude did discuss his own family problems with Quinn in the last chapter, but he did that at Quinn's request, and it seems much more like he's just sharing something personal with his new boyfriend, not actually relying on him for anything. And a little relying on the other person in a relationship can be a good thing anyway. As for Quinn, yes he seems very dependent on Jude, but I think that's just because of where he is in his life. He did handle his situation very badly, but give the kid a little more time to work it out and learn to handle himself better before you write him off as chronically dependent. I think after this period of stress and turmoil he CAN emerge as a well, whole person, capable of being in healthy relationships. As for Taylor I don't think he's without redeeming characteristics at all. Remember he was the one who helped Quinn escape the homophobic counsilor. He also (with the help of Trina), literally helped Quinn escape from school while he was in the heart of his breakdown. What's more he hasn't outed Quinn or anything like that, and he did help Judd take care of him the night he was so drunk at Trina's. I think Taylor has his own problems, and quite a few of them. and this probably prevents him from relating to others in an entirely healthy way, but I wouldn't by any means describe him as a total screw-up. Sure sometimes his jokes seem a little mean, and seem to cross the line, but by and large I get the feeling that in his own head he's doing it to either lighten up the situation or try to toughen Quinn up. I agree he may be WRONG in trying to do this, but I think he means well. He also seems like quite a few teens who relate to each other in that way. Anyway just my thoughts on the matter, enjoyed reading your, and everyone else's, comments.