InTheMindOfSunshine

While that would have been a funny turn of events, I didn't tie the universe that tightly together. Haha.

I sensed this was going to be a hard question... Lincoln's the type of person who likes having power over people. (An example outside of Gabe would be Finn. Though it's never outright addressed, the identity of his previous, horrible, roommate was in fact Lincoln.) Gabe is sort of like a game to Lincoln. He's a bit obsessed with Gabe and originally expected Gabe to come crawling back to him within days of breaking up with him at the beginning of the story. Gabe doesn't because of the thrill of a new school year and new people, especially Henry. When Gabe didn't go back to him, Lincoln decided force put himself in Gabe's life instead. That's why he lobbied to move into Cameron House and why he went out of his way introduce Gabe to Ryan. Lincoln believes that he can still control Gabe. When Gabe stood up to him in defense of Auggie at the dinner in chapter eleven, Lincoln finally realized that he had lost his control. His last chance of controlling Gabe is by tearing him down again, by destroying any romaticized version of Henry Gabe may have possessed. It doesn't go as well as Lincoln would have hoped--by that, I mean Lincoln wanted Gabe to come back to him--he delieved the final blow: voicing the awful lie Gabe had been telling himself. So basically Lincoln wasn't at the house to convince Gabe to kill himself but rather to convince Gabe to choose him over Henry. The fact that this drove Gabe to suicide was an unexpected flaw in his plan. ...Hopefully I answered your question without too much confusion.

I toyed with the idea of killing Gabe off completely, especially during the early parts of the draft. Early on, it was supposed to be about how suicide affected those left behind. That's why I initially made Gabe so dependent upon Auggie and Kyra. Then I realized, as I mapped out the entire backstory of Henry, that I really didn't want to write it that way. So I promoted Declan to a bigger part and decided to, instead, let Jude's death serve as a tribute to my original plan. So, no, the story did not go how I originally planned it to go at all. When I finally decided for certain that I was not going to kill off Gabe, by that point I was already around chapter six, I the drew up a rough idea of the set-backs which he would face, namely Henry's questionable issue with the subject of suicide. Most of those ideas ended up becoming part of the story. So I always planned to put Gabe through hell, but I didn't always plan for him to survive. For the most part, I construct stories around a particular scene. For this story it was the opening scene. For Ground Rules, however, it was the umbrella scene in chapter eighteen, which was pretty much the beginning of that chapter. Borrowing Family was the same: it was contructed around chapter nine in the scene between Wes and Lachlan. There are exceptions to this, though. The Paradox Series was created from a general idea of bullying. The stories on which I am currently writing all stemmed from general ideas of various issues.

I'm glad you enjoyed the stories. As for Artie, there was a time when I seriously considered killing him off--either by the police or perhaps by Riley and Dexter during their final showdown. As I got deeper into the story, I realized that killing him off seemed to cheapen all that Spencer and Nix had suffered. Then when it came time to actually decide his fate, I decided to allow the justice system to deal with him. He was already too far gone psychologically that sentencing him to an normal prison sentence was nearly impossible. A mental facility really is the best place for him.

Thanks, Lisa! And thanks to Cia for chosing this story. I haven't actually looked at it in a long while, and it's a nice excuse to pull it out of the files collecting dust on my computer.

I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. As for Artie's fate... you'll just have to read and find out...

At one point during the previous story, I wrote up a character list. I believe it was around chapter nineteen of the Paradox of Friendship so it may be a little out of date, but here is the list I made then. It's a bit rudimentary, but it does lay out the major characters and then some.

If not for Trebs commenting on my forum, I might have missed this. Good thing I did not. I'm very surprised and very honored. Thanks, Joann, for taking the time to write the wonderful review. Honestly, I have no words to describe how much this made my day.

Thanks for telling me! Knowing my luck, I would have missed it.

Yes, once a week, though there might be a hitch that prevents me from posting every Saturday. If that happens, usually I post within the next couple of days.

Uziel: I'm glad that you are enjoying "The Paradox of Promises" even without reading the first story, though I imagine a few things might have been (or will be) confusing. As a writer, I have gotten to know these characters quite well so I hope you get to know them, too. Spencer is not weak, though he can come across as being so once in a while. I should have the next chapter posted Saturday(ish) so keep a lookout for it!

The sequel to "The Paradox of Friendship" has finally been written. Entitled "The Paradox of Promises", it follows the continuing story of Nix and Spencer. The two teenagers are left to deal with the repercussions left by the conclusion of the first story. This was never meant to be a stand alone piece but rather a continuation of Nix and Spencer's story. As with TPoF, this story is rated mature and contains scenes which are not for the faint of heart. Here you can discuss any aspect of the story that may not have been addressed in a review or you can ask any question regarding to the story. Link to the story: The Paradox of Promises

Thanks, Sean. The sequel is still in works, by the way. I hit a few set-backs and my college classes are a bit more work than I'd anticipated. I can't guarantee when it'll get posted, but it will. I can promise that.

The violence is an area I took liberties with. I realize in reality things would be different, but this is fiction, and there is a story to tell. The story isn't about the violence, but the violence does play a major part in the story. It's a catalyst for the remainder of the story. Could Kendall, Reese, Ember, and Parker have interfered? Probably. Why didn't they? This has been going on for roughly two years. Why haven't they stopped it before now? Because, as I said earlier, friendship means more to them than an outsider. In the beginning, Riley and Dexter were questioned for their actions, but eventually, it wasn't so surprising. Besides, what does Spencer mean to any of them? Nothing. He's an outsider. Why was the violence in the open instead of in private? Partly because Riley and Dexter wanted Spencer to pay for his past and partly because it highlights the atrocities of Spencer's daily life. It's to the extreme so that it is noticed. Of course any type of violence is noticeable, but I wanted to set up a contrast between Riley/Dexter and Artie, who, in my opinion, is the true antagonist of the story. Everything Artie does is behind-the-scenes (until the final part of the party at Dean's). He's friendly and seems to be everything Spencer wants in a friend, plus Artie's a packaged deal. If Spencer's friends with Artie, he's also friends with Zeke, Hagan, Dean, Liyah, and Trudy. But Spencer didn't know they were playing him. Everything was kept secret. Spencer only caught fragments of information at random times. They were careful to keep him in the dark. Riley and Dexter, on the other hand, were very open and straightforward. So maybe that puts the others--Kendall, Reese, Parker, and even Nix--in a position where they can and probably should stop them, but that's not the point of Riley and Dexter's form of violence. There are reasons the others don't step in, but it's not because they're evil or heartless or less than human. They're none of those things. They're as human as Spencer, which may seem like a far-fetched claim, but it's the truth. At the very least, Spencer knew Riley and Dexter hated him; he was never aware until it was too late how much Artie hated him. The fact that they (as in Nix and his friends) are willing to admit their failures and ask (if not beg in some instances) for forgiveness shows how human they are. Maybe they're not the best people in some cases, but they're fiercely loyal and the best people for Spencer to become friends with. (Oh, and through my experience, American high schools don't lack humanity as seen in the story. The other students standing around just served as another level of contrast against Artie.) So why does Spencer go back to class after each beating? In the "real" world, he wouldn't be able to, but this doesn't take place in the real world. It's fiction and the only way to truly understand this story is to accept the fact that it takes place in a warped sense of reality. The violence in this story isn't the first he's ever experienced. He's learned to categorize the pain and to ignore the majority of it. If Riley/Dexter see weakness, it's a vulnerability that Spencer can't afford--the same goes for being weak in front of Porter and his gang. It's a part of his life, and maybe, just maybe, being at school is better than being at home (referring to Chapter 26: Brothers, for example). I don't know if I've actually thanked you for your feedback, but I do appreciate it. It helps me see this story in a different light and is helping me to decide what needs to be clearer in the sequel or in future works. This story will probably never be rewritten. I may edit it for grammar or typos or to correct a couple of errors, but I will never do a complete overhaul. I'm satisfied with it overall, at least enough to have posted it here. So anyway, happy readings!

I was never angered by your previous post. I was a bit indignant but not angered. I purposefully strayed away from addressing the characters in my previous response, because I am reluctant to say much at this point. There is a sequel to this story (which I doubt you'll read). It's not posted yet so I'm extremely careful not to divulge too much information about the characters for fear that I will inadvertently give away parts of that plot. That is the last thing I want to do. So I'm not going to explain this in its entirety. Not because I don't have a response but because there's only so much I can say at the given moment. The story is told from Nix's point of view, and Nix is the protagonist, not Spencer. That means a LOT. It distorts the narration slightly so that the reader sees the majority--but not all--of the story through Nix's eyes. The fairest way to examine Nix's friends (Kendall, Parker, Reese, and even, at times, Ember) is to ignore the character of Spencer altogether. Other than a few technicalities and random instances, they have nothing to do with Spencer for the most part. They're a very exclusive group of people, and Spencer, it just so happens, is not among the exclusive group (at the beginning of the story). Besides, what do they owe Spencer? He's nothing to them--much like the throwaway characters of Jason Mallory or Anthony Johnson. So they don't stand up for for Spencer, but who does? No one. He's an outsider, and, because of his personality, a loner. So maybe they should stand up for Spencer, but that would require them to take a stand against their closest friends. Their inaction doesn't mean they agree with Riley and Dexter. It just means that Spencer isn't more important than their friendships. That's harsh, yes, but it's the truth. It's high school, and this is an area I deliberately exaggerated. They're teenagers. These may seem like broad excuses, but they're not mature adults. They're going to make mistakes and miscalculations. Separately, there is little I can say about Nix's friends at the moment, because this is a topic that appears frequently in the sequel. I'd rather leave a bit out of this response than give away the plot to the sequel. There are many things exaggerated in this story. It's fiction. I took the liberties that were necessary to tell this story. Yes, I realize there are moments of extreme bullying and violence, but that's just part of the story--part of Spencer's life. It's his reality, and it would be awful to sugar coat it. To understand not only the characters of Riley and Dexter (and Artie, if you're referring to the later scenes) but to also understand the character of Spencer, these scenes were necessary. I could have ended this story with the downfall of everyone who ever wronged Spencer, but what's the point in that? How would that make Spencer feel? What ending could have been plausibly better for Spencer? As an outsider, it is easy to think that something could have been different and better, but for Spencer, living in the moment, he got what he's always wanted: friends. It's not perfect, but life is far from perfect. There could never have been a truly fluffy ending for this story. I couldn't do that for myself or for the readers. How would you have felt if all of the characters had went through everything they did only for a pristine and too perfect happy ending? Probably robbed. This was a happy ending for Spencer and for the other characters, regardless of whether they deserved it or not. So do I think I've failed the characters? No. This was their reality, their warped reality at that. Are they evil? No. If they were evil, there would be no remorse. Some have cruel tendencies, but they're not inherently evil. I know I'm probably not being clear, because I'm not entirely sure how to explain the abstract concepts that are behind the characterizations and the conclusion of this story, especially with the limited information that I can talk about. When the sequel is posted and everything is out in the open (by the way, there is a bit that is left unfinished at the end of this story, including a few things that seems to be already wrapped up), then this will either be clearer or I can explain it better. Does it hurt my feelings that you are mad at me because of this story? No. That just means that you connected enough with the characters to be, at the very least, sympathetic towards them. I like the extreme characterizations of the eight main characters (yes, I include Spencer) because each serves a purpose. Nix, for example, is oblivious so that the reader doesn't know too much to begin with and so that the plot can develop accordingly. The characters aren't random; they each have their part to play in the story and they play it well. Questioning my humanity or trying to prick my conscious doesn't work. I won't change this story, because I firmly believe that there are some stories that should evoke the darker emotions--anger, hatred, etc. I like the darkness of this story, because it challenged me as a writer. Life is messy--maybe not always as messy as it was in this story--but it's not pretty.

While I appreciate feedback, I have to say that I don't agree with what you've said. It is your right, as the reader, to voice your opinion, but the moment you insult me as an author, that's crossing a line. I've had multiple responses to this story--many that enjoyed it and others that respectfully informed me why they didn't--and I don't think your response falls into either of those categories. I can assure you that my humanity is fine... perfect, even. I'm well-balanced; this story may be my work, but that doesn't mean that it reflects anything of my personality or my humanity or my way of thinking. I personally like my characterizations; there is a level of complexity to each and every character. I'm quite satisfied with all of the characters--the good and the bad ones. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: I wrote this story for myself. I didn't write it to please anyone else. I took a range of characters, put them in a storyline, and twisted it to my liking. I told a good story, if I do say so myself. Are there things I could change? Yes. Will I change these things? Probably not. This story is such a large piece that I've had to pick and choose what to include in order to tell the whole story. It's always evolving, but I'm quite satisfied with what is posted. That is all that matters. I'm not going to say anything about the characters beyond what I've already said, because I doubt it'll matter much anyway. I will say that I have no intentions to rewrite the torture scenes. Without those scenes, the characters are just talking and not owning up to their claims. That sounds harsh, but what kind of story would this have been without those scenes? I'm not saying that the violence made this story, because it didn't, but it was an part of it that couldn't be excluded. Yes, those scenes are awful, but how would you see the good without seeing the bad? This story was never meant to be fluff. As for what everyone 'deserves'... I find that claim disturbing. First off, this story is rated MATURE. That should be an indicator that it isn't for the feint of heart. Furthermore, I chose the tags with care. Among them are hate, rape, and abuse. Each of those is a sign of what is featured in the story. Lastly, if the previous two indicators slipped anyone's noticing, I took the time to write a prologue of sorts, in which I done a quick foreshadowing of what was to be in the story. I even put a warning on the more graphic chapters. I did everything short of summarizing the entire story to warn anyone of what was to come. To be frank, I have no compassion for anyone who ignored every single warning I took the time to give, read the story, and then complained because it was "awful" or "too violent" or what have you. I don't meant to insult you, but that's the cold, hard truth. So do I agree with your statement about who deserves what? Absolutely not. Finally, and this what you should know above all of the other things I have said, I have NO INTENTIONS OF DELETING THIS STORY. So you didn't like it. Well, okay then. Have you ever considered that there are other (potential) readers who (will) like it? Have you ever thought that there may be something in that whole story that might resonate with someone and make some sort of positive impact? (I am in no way egotistic enough to think that this story is that important, but it's a valid claim--it's a valid claim for any story a writer has taken the time to write, edit, and publish.) I'm not deleting this story because one reader doesn't (or more readers don't) like it. Besides, this story angered you, and on some level, it should. Not every story is meant to cause warmth and giddiness and happiness. There are moments in this story when the reader could feel those emotions, but overall, this is a particularly dark story. Anger can be just as strong as love in some cases. Once again, I appreciate feedback, but there is a difference between critiquing a story/writing style and attacking an author. So you finished the story and you hated it, that's your right. It's also your right to respond whenever you feel compelled to, but try to tone down insults in the future. Oh, and happy readings. Thanks, H.

girlunderground: I'm glad that you've enjoyed the story. Thank you for responding to it. My response, it seems, will be as long as, if not longer than, yours was. There is a sequel in the works for this story. It's taking me a little longer to write it due to unforeseen set backs, but it will eventually get finished and posted within the next few months. I knew as soon as I finished "The Paradox of Friendship" that it needed a sequel. It is such a complex story that there is a lot that I had to cut or it would have ended up being even longer than it is now. With that being said, though, I believe the finished product can stand alone. I never pictured the story to be cookie-cutter perfect. Because there is a sequel, I am hesitant to go into depth with any explanation of the characters. I don't want to give too much away now. Spencer isn't as humble as he may seem to be. This story is told primarily through Nix's point of view. While that may not seem to be that big of a deal, it is. That will make more sense later on when the sequel is posted, but I digress. Spencer is only forgiving and accepting of Nix and his friends--not of every single person who has ever done him wrong. He's not strong enough to stand up against his foes (i.e. Porter, Collin) so he submits instead of fights; that's not humility. That is self-preservation, which is what Spencer is best at doing. Justice comes in many forms. For example, everyone that was at Dean's house was arrested. That's a bit of justice. Were Riley and Dexter arrested for bullying Spencer? No, but that doesn't mean they're not paying for what they've done. Sometimes forgiveness is worse than punishment. I won't explain that for now, because that will eventually become clear. The sequel will pick up where this one leaves off. Just because this story ended, that doesn't mean that the sequel will completely disregard its events. In fact, quite the opposite will happen. Why, then, didn't I include every repercussion from everything Spencer has dealt with in this story? Because everything he has been through can't be dealt with in a few hundred or thousand words. Those are things that will stick with him and with everyone involved for a long time to come. They're not something anyone can get over in a short period of time. Everything is not okay--not even close--but Spencer would rather have friends who are devastatingly sorry than shun them. You made the argument that Spencer would have forgiven Artie, Dean, and Collin if the story had been turned around, but it's not as simple as it seems. Spencer didn't forgive Riley and Dexter because I, as the author, wanted him to. There is a certain degree of my writing that is out of my control, so to speak. I create these characters, and overtime they become so real to me. I look at their circumstances and see the decisions they would make, not the decisions I would make if I were in their shoes. It wouldn't matter how much Artie, Dean, or Collin said they were super sorry, Spencer would not have forgiven them as he has done Riley and Dexter. For one, neither Riley nor Dexter expected Spencer to forgive them. Yes, they wanted him to, but they weren't going to force him to forgive them. They even said themselves that if Spencer did not want to be their friends, they would honor that request and treat him nicely. Spencer forgave Riley and Dexter for many reasons. Not only are Riley and Dexter Nix's friends, but Spencer understands them in a way that few people do. He's seen them at their worst--and their worst was at Spencer's expense--but he's also seen enough of them at their best that he understands the driving force behind them. It's not revenge; it's love and loyalty and all of the other things that Spencer craves so desperately. Life isn't perfect, but this is as close to perfect as Spencer can get. He's no fool; he doesn't want to let the opportunity of great friendships pass him by because he's too caught up in the past. As for Artie, Dean, and Collin, they can't be compared to Riley and Dexter. It's unfair to the latter two if they are. Artie, Dean, and Collin have no aspiration to become Spencer's friends. Artie and Dean only pretended to be his friend. If there is one thing Riley and Dexter have not done to Spencer, that would be lie. They've never pretended to like him, but Artie, Dean, and Collin did. Spencer knows the difference. He's not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice. The thing about this story is that I never wanted to censor too much of it. I tried to keep it as close to reality as I could, even exaggerating certain aspects to emphasize something or other. Spencer has been beaten up, tasered, humiliated in multiple ways, and even sexually assaulted, but it wasn't for nothing. Every scene led to another and helped to convey the overall story. I won't apologize for writing it or including it in the final draft, because the violence was necessary. I wrote a forewarning before ever posting the first chapter. I even posted a warning on the worse chapters. If I censored the violence, then I just had a couple of bullies to weak to stand up for their beliefs and a oblivious protagonist for nothing. I know that it was hard to read, but I don't see the point in restricting any story because of difficulties. Parker is a special character; he's very different from Nix's other friends. Many people have criticized Parker for his inaction. He's judged too harshly. In chapter 09, a bit of light is shed on Parker's character. He still feels like an outsider. Why? Because he's only friends with Nix and the others because he's dating Kendall. All of the others--Nix, Kendall, Dexter, Ember, and the twins--were friends first, and then they paired off into romantic relationships. He isn't in any position to take a stand. He feels as much of an outsider as Spencer does. Another thing I want to point out about Nix and his friends, they're tight-knit and loyal--but only to each other. They don't like outsiders. They keep to themselves. They're nice enough to the general student population, but no one goes out of their way to make someone else's day. There's nothing wrong with that, either. That's just how they are. They all have a 'heart', but they aren't required to make every single person they come across happy. They're only required to make their friends happy. This is on purpose, too. It's meant to emphasize what Spencer doesn't have but desperately craves: friends. The fact that Spencer is accepted into their group is exception. Just because Spencer didn't refuse their friendship doesn't mean he didn't grow as a character. He gained so much--friends, a piece of mind, a safety new. He doesn't want to make Nix choose between him and his friends; he knows what it's like to be alienated. He doesn't want that to happen again. I hope that I didn't offend you during this rather lengthy response. I only meant to explain a bit about the characters. There are many things I held back from saying, because I don't want to spoil the sequel, which I hope you will think about reading once it's posted. I appreciate your feedback, and I'm glad you now have an account and can enjoy the expanded opportunities of this site that go along with membership. I can't give you a definite date for the sequel, but you can expect it in the coming months. Happy readings!

I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I'm in the midst of writing the sequel, and it's coming along rather well. It'll see the progression of Spencer and Phoenix's relationship and Spencer's home life following the ending of this story, and the issue with Spencer's glasses might be solved in one way or another.

I'm glad you enjoyed this story. If I do post the sequel, it won't be before the beginning of next year so keep a lookout for it.

I'm glad you've enjoyed the story. The last chapter has actually gone through a couple of changes since I first finished this story a few months back. Originally, there was no mention of Artie and the others' punishments. I ultimately decided that not only did Spencer deserve to know but the reader also deserved to know. The punishments aren't satisfying, but you're right that's life. (Which is why I didn't change their punishments after I had decided on them.) At this moment in time, I do plan to finish and post the sequel (which might address their punishments a little more in-depth.)

It's a bit surreal that I will post the last chapter of this story on Tuesday(-ish), but I'm glad you've enjoyed it. Riley and Dexter were (and still are) hard to like or even stand at times. There will be a bit of justice for all of the wrongdoings, but it might not be as satisfying as you're hoping. I do agree, though, that Artie does deserve his rear end beaten.

sdaddy: I've received many different responses from this story, and yours has been one of the most moving ones. I've known since I first began writing it that it would be a difficult story to read. The character of Spencer was the only character that I did not sketch out to begin with. I knew the basics of Nix and the rest of his friends, but I did not plan out Spencer. Spencer was a response to the situation he was placed in. A friend of mine would say that I put Spencer through everything that I did because I can't write fluffy stories, but that has very little to do with it. I wanted to explore the darker side relationships and the different levels of friendship. From the very beginning, while I was still playing around with different story lines, I knew this story was going to be a bit dark, but I always knew there would be relief and a [mostly] happy ending for Spencer. He deserved it. I couldn't keep that from him. Artie is a very meticulous character. Before the fateful party, Artie was very much sane and not nearly as cruel. He's been friends with the others for a long time. He was friends with all of them before that party. His friends barely noticed the change in Artie, because he was meticulous enough to keep it concealed for the most part from them. Artie's friends are old enough to form their own opinions, which is what happened when Zeke, Trudy, and Hagan spoke up at Dean's; it just took them a while to do so. I believe this is explained a bit in the next chapter which will be posted on Tuesday(ish). Everyone who was involved with that should be punished. There is quite a lot for them to pay for and for many characters to make up for. I don't want to say much about the future of Spencer for now. I mean, I would love to tell everything, but I have qualms about doing so. I don't want to spoil anything. Thank you for your response to this story, and I'm glad you like the story. I do hope that I do not disappoint you in future chapters. While I'm not happy that you can relate to this story because of your experiences, I am happy that it's spoken to you. I hope that Spencer's happiness has met your satisfaction and that you enjoy the chapters to come. KC Grim: You have happened upon the story at rather good time. There are two chapters left, which will be posted on the next two Tuesdays and will therefore be completed in about two weeks--that is, of course, assuming that nothing drastic happens between now and then. I'm glad that this has caught your interest, and I hope that you enjoy the story. It's a bit dark and (according to a friend of mine who actually had to wait until each piece was written to read it) a bit frustrating at times. Hopefully that doesn't scare you off.

Roychelray: I assume you didn't make it very far into the story, but that's alright if you could not. I knew before I ever posted this story that it would be a hard one to handle in some cases. I didn't care. I wrote this story for myself. I didn't write it with the intents of it being read by anyone and being critiqued. As the author, I love every character (in different ways: plot wise, characterization, usefulness, overall, etc). I appreciate the storyline I've created and, of course, I know more than just the average person about each of the characters and their pasts/futures. Before I posted it, there was one person who had read every word I'd written on it, including some of the things that got scratched out. This person helped me 'snowball' ideas and talk out potential plot lines. I've seen firsthand this person's responses to the majority of scenes within this story so I always had an idea of how a scene could be read or interpreted. With all of that being said, I am very aware that Riley and Dexter are unlikeable characters; however, I wouldn't go as far as to say they're flat characters or that they are unlikeable all of the time. I would not say Dexter is a 'typical fairly stupid [] jock with his barely better than [...] girlfriend.' Dexter can a jerk, and he can certainly be a bully. Observe him anywhere but around Spencer, and he's an all right guy. There is more than just the Dexter that is presented to Spencer. There is the Dexter around his friends and the Dexter with Reese (who, by the way, isn't as bad as what's presented in the beginning of the story). While you probably think I am defending Dexter because he's my character and I love him, I am merely pointing out that ignoring certain qualities of Dexter that only appear when he isn't around Spencer is not fair to Dexter. He isn't a jerk or a bully all of the time. Neither Riley nor Dexter have a psychological disorder. Human emotions are very powerful--so powerful that they can cause people to act against their better judgments for even a long period of time. The 'event' may or may not 'justify' their actions to an outsider, it does to them. This may sound harsh, but that's all that matters to them. They know more about the 'event' than Nix or their other friends or the reader does early on in the story. They're not just bullying Spencer because he is there for them to bully. They wouldn't bully someone else if he wasn't there. There is a reason they're mean to him. They're not just sadistic or cold-hearted or down right awful human beings. While I would agree with you that their friends are selfish in that they do not care about anything beyond their own little group, I would ask: is that really an absolutely awful thing? Is that any different than what people do in our world? They have their friends and the people care about. That does not mean they have to care about everyone. That does not mean they have to go out of their ways to make sure everyone that they come into contact with every single day is okay and loving life. I would go as far as to say they don't owe others anything more than what is owed them: respect, common courtesy, etc. But wait. Haven't I just contradicted myself? Maybe. But have any of them (save Ember, who is a special case) gone out of their way to be mean to Spencer? I don't think so. They may not have stood up to Riley and Dexter (which could make them equally as guilty but I digress) but they have not been purposefully mean to Spencer. They've even attempted to be civil towards him. Kendall insisted Parker keep him company after Nix stood up for Spencer against Porter. Reese makes the statement of "he's not that bad" at some point in the story. While no, they do not save Spencer from Riley and Dexter, they do, however, act civilly towards him. Nix is different, though. You doubt he has any redeeming qualities, but he does. They're just buried deep inside in the beginning of the story because of something that's happened in his past. Nix does fail a lot, especially in the beginning, but that does not mean he always will fail. He's a work in progress, something that is obvious throughout the story. He has his stepping stones and his backtracking moments, but he can be redeemed (if only in the most important way). I'm not sure how far you've gotten in the story. I doubt very far, because there is no mention of Artie or of any of his friends. There is more break from pain in the plot than it appears to be in the beginning. The beginning, after all, is very lengthy because there is so much that needs to be set up. Spencer isn't always beaten up. He actually finds a bit of solace many times throughout the course of the story. Nix doesn't always fail. There is more (a whole lot more) to the story than just Spencer getting beaten up and Nix failing to save him. This is a longer response than I expected to write. If it seems like I've attacked you, it was unintentional. I hope I have explained a little bit of the bigger picture. Thanks for giving this story a shot, and happy readings in whatever you read in the future.

I'm glad you enjoy the story. Honestly, beyond the first incident with Spencer's glasses, I mostly forgot about that little detail about him. I was re-reading this story earlier this week and realized my error. His glasses would definitely add a bit to many scenes through out the story. At some point I plan to go back and add in references to Spencer's glasses so that the reader remembers them. I have no idea when I'll get to that though. Thank you for pointing this out to me. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Ember's text message was vague. She just mentioned that she and Nix were going to help Spencer and that she would explain everything later. It wasn't very detailed, but she didn't expect anyone to get the message until the next morning, when Ember could explain what was going on (or what she knew of it). Dean and his brother Eli were close to Connor. They blamed Spencer for Connor's death. Because of this, Dean steeled himself from Spencer's screams. He wanted revenge; this was a way to get it. Artie's gang was there when Collin led Spencer away, but it was a party. There were thousands of other things going on. No one expected Collin to hurt Spencer at that party, and they were unaware of most of the specifics of Artie's plans. Also, Artie was the only one who saw him the next morning; the others had either already left or were still sleeping when Artie and Spencer left. The others did not see him until the ice cream parlor later on that day; there would have been hours for Spencer to have run into some other trouble. If they would have asked Artie if he knew what happened to Spencer, it would have been all too easy for him to lie to them. A little white lie would not have hurt Artie. It also wasn't as easy for the three (Trudy, Zeke, and Hagan) to snap out of the 'trance' Artie had them under. They've been friends with Artie for a while; they respect him. They have not until now spoken against him. For any of them to stand up to Artie and to put a plan into motion to thwart Artie's plan, that took a lot of guts. I doubt one of the three could have stopped Artie--even if that one person had been Zeke. I also doubt two of the three could have stopped Artie. It took all three of them to build up enough force to stop Artie (and Collin and the others who supported Artie). They were mostly unaware of what was going on in the room between Spencer and Connor. Eventually, they worked out that just 'scaring' Spencer was not what Artie had in mind. Had Spencer been gagged, it may have taken a little while longer for someone to speak up and ask about Spencer. Or it might not have. (Why didn't Artie or Collin gag Spencer? Because they wanted to hear every second of pain that he experienced. They wanted immediate satisfaction from what they were doing.) I don't mean to at any point infer that Hagan, Trudy, and Zeke are now 'guilt-free' because they stopped Artie and Collin. Those three are not. They will suffer repercussions, and some of those repercussions will be worse than others. They did play a hand--both knowingly and unknowingly--in this event, and they will pay for their parts. This story is largely told from Nix's point of view, who has very little contact with Artie and his gang. Because of that, the narration leaves out a large part of their histories and some parts of their characteristics. One of the reasons they all followed Artie was loyalty and respect (though he turned out not to deserve either of those). But that is only one of the reasons. Another reason, for example, is Zeke's past (which will be hinted at later on in the story); it plays a large part in his character as a whole--in how he's changed since the very first time he was introduced. (With the obvious exception of Spencer) Trudy, Zeke, and Hagan got the worst ends of the deal. They stood up to Artie and saved Spencer at their own expenses. Zeke already pointed out the facts to Artie. He knew, as well as the other two, that he was (and they were) going to get punished for what they had been involved in even if they were the ones who put a stop to it. It's not just the legal side of the entire situation that will hurt those three. They are not quite the deceivers they started out being, but it may unfortunately be a little too late for them.