InTheMindOfSunshine

There are many ways Spencer could have gotten to that room. Due to the fact that that question is answered in a future chapter, I will refrain from answering now. Dean does imply that he is looking forward to their plans for Spencer, but he was more looking forward to scaring Spencer and getting revenge for the car accident that claimed Connor's life. (Recall in chapter nineteen Kendall and Reese said Dean and his brother, Eli, were hanging out Connor the night he died.) As for Spencer fighting back, that will also be addressed in later chapters, but previous events should shed a bit of light on Spencer's reaction to those situations. They all may have played their part in befriending Spencer and getting him to that party, but that does not necessarily mean they knew everything that was going to take place. You pose two very good questions. Why does Spencer insist those around him get hurt? And does he believe he's the reason Connor's dead? Spencer's feelings surrounding Connor's death are quite firm, and he tell the story of his past with Connor in chapter 36, which will be posted on Tuesday. I'm reluctant at the moment, therefore, because I don't want to spoil Spencer's story. If, after reading the next chapter, you still have those questions, I will gladly answer them.

It is true that Trudy, Zeke, and Hagan all played a part in trapping Spencer in the life-threatening situation. They did lull him into a false sense of security on Artie's orders. They were aware of some of the danger Collin posed, but not all of it. They may have seen the bruises and the scratches and so forth, but that does not immediately mean they drew the conclusion that Collin had inflicted them. Spencer did not spend the next day with them (as he is obviously without them at the hospital). They could have easily assumed Spencer had a run-in with Riley and Dexter or with Porter. You said 'one word would have saved him', and it did--it just took a while for that word to be spoken. Artie was smart enough to keep his cards close to his chest and not put too much trust on any one person. Yes, they did wait several hours before speaking up, but there are two things I want to point out about that. Number one, Spencer wasn't screaming the entire time. It's just that he was screaming at the 'right' times for the narration to cover it. Number two, which is probably more important that number one, it's not smart to look at their (as in Trudy, Hagan, and Zeke) situation from Spencer's point of view. They've been friends with Artie for a length of varying time. They've followed his lead without question for that entire time. They've never questioned Artie, because they've not yet had a reason to. They trusted him, much like Spencer trusted them all. Trudy said she thought they were just scaring Spencer, and that carries more weight than at first glance. She, and the other two, were under the impression that Artie would put an end to it himself after a little while. It would still have been a horrible offense, but they didn't imagine it would carry on as it did. By speaking up, Trudy and Zeke and Hagan shifted the balance of power away from Artie. They started questioning him. They started distrusting him. They chose Spencer--a boy they'd only known for a few weeks--over Artie--a boy they'd been friends with for a long time. None of this, of course, excuses their actions. They did do wrong. It does, however, differentiate them from Artie. They saw the error of their ways and changed that. As for whether or not Zeke or Hagan would have spoken up had Trudy not, I'm reluctant to answer that now. I believe that that is answered later on, and a little uncertainty is a good thing every once in a while. Also, I don't want to address Hagan's motive, because that will be revealed later on as well. It could be that he done it just to save his relationship with Max, or it could be a whole other reason. I don't think it's explicitly stated in the narration, but Collin and Artie were the only two who entered the room Spencer was in. Zeke, Trudy, and Hagan would not have been able to tie Spencer up because they would have realized exactly what was going to take place. (Recall Trudy's reaction when she opened the door to the room Spencer was in.) I'm not going to comment on the Porter issue or the technical/legal stuff now either. I'll let those simmer. Trudy, Zeke, and Hagan played their part (both knowingly and unknowingly) in destroying Spencer's life. That is true. There was a lot of scarring from the entire ordeal to Spencer and even to the others. This isn't something that anyone is going to bounce back from instantly. It will take time for the wounds to heal over enough for anyone to move past this. (I am in no way implying that anyone will ever truly get over what has happened.) I also don't want to comment on whether or not there will be another climax... I'll let that be a surprise.

I'm glad you like the story. There are forty-one chapters planned for this story, and as I have just now posted chapter 34 (not counting the prologue), there are still a few chapters left. It's updated every Tuesday(-ish) so keep a lookout for the new chapters.

The ending of the story will be both satisfactory and unsatisfactory. With a story such as this, it was impossible to have a *perfect* ending. Many characters will get the endings they deserve. I won't say which ones that statement applies to, though. I will say that there are no characters who know every aspect of what has gone on during the story. There are different degrees of justice--not just legal. I don't want to get too specific, because I don't want to give the ending away. Will Monica adopt/foster Spencer? Maybe, maybe not. Will there be jail sentences for everyone who deserves it? Possibly, but then again, possibly not. Will everything immediately be perfect and happy? Nope.

You pose many rather possible avenues, and one or two of those might just be what ends up happening. I won't say anything more specifically, though. I will say that Nix will eventually realize the significance of the Epic and will also take another look at the stories he's thus far heard. Help in any form may just as well come in many unexpected ways. Artie's plan is extremely meticulous, but there are a certain number of variables that have to be just right for him to exceed. The likelihood of *everything* going down as he has planned is very slim, as you have already guessed.

The entire story is written in slang. The narration of the dialogue and the overall plot line is native to the region I live in, because it was written first and foremost for me. With that being said, no, I will not do a 'full revision'. "The Paradox of Friendship" has been completed for a long time. If I had felt the need to work out kinks and other miscellaneous items that appear to be inconsistencies, I would have done so long before now. I prefer the 'messy' style it's written in, because it mirrors the overall plot. I wrote it in the way I did purposefully, creating new things as I went along, so that the entire story would be told. The reader does know things ahead of the characters at times, but I always wanted a sense of overall obliviousness to the story. A full revision would do away with the essence of the story. I don't mind external explanations, because that means there is a sense of mysteriousness to the story - that means there is conversation between the story and the reader.

option: Gene Splicer PHD has already hit on this. I realize that in the real world very little of this story could take place in the manner that it has, but that's the joys of fiction. As an fiction author, you have the ability to create an entirely new world with it's own set of rules and customs and so on; that is what i have done with this story. I never intended to for "The Paradox of Friendship" to take place in the real world; I'm not that sadistic. When I wrote the tasering scene, I didn't do any research on tasers because I didn't want to use a real-world device. I used a taser from the real world as inspiration, but that's about as close as I got with it. I imagine the taser Porter used had different settings, and he had it on either low or medium - a bit of a kick, but no long-lasting effects. Porter used the phrase "swiped" when he explained how the taser came into his possession. That's not necessarily implying the taser was just lying out in the open. I imagined it was locked safely in a drawer or even the gun cabinet. Porter merely picked the lock and took it from his father's office. Why didn't anyone report the taser?/How was Porter able to bully Spencer with it without school personnel stopping him? A reoccurring theme throughout the entire story is the absence of adult interference - whether that be parents, teachers, or doctors. If an adult stepped in every time something happened in this story, there wouldn't be much of a story. These are teenagers. They made the mess. They deserve to clean it up. One should lie in the bed one has made, as the saying goes. Does this mean I'm completely against adult involvement? No, but I wanted the main characters to act without restraint of authority figures. seanthomas: I think I may have hit a bit about adult interference already in my reply to option. Where Dr. Willows (or Monica as I will probably refer to her) is concerned, she was not created until later on in the story. Initially, she was sort of a shadow character whose mentioned a couple of times but never makes an appearance. Then I decided to add the 'Epic of Arizona', and once I decided that I realized that I would eventually have to introduce Nix's mother as a character. I wrote this story differently than I usually how I usually write. Other than the fact that I didn't write this in chapter form, everything I wrote stayed in the final draft. Instead of getting so far into the story and then deciding there was a better way to write it, I toughed it out. I didn't go back and add in scenes or delete scenes. In the early days of writing this, I wasn't aware that it would spiral out to be as complex as it ended up being. All of the newer story lines (that is, the story lines in later chapters) are a direct result of the older story lines. You're probably thinking, "Well, yeah. Isn't that how most stories are written?" What I mean is that this draft of "The Paradox of Friendship" is the first and the final draft. There are no alternate beginnings or ends or scenes or anything. What you read is what there is. In my notes, there are some cancelled story lines that never got written down, but that's it. I have went back, after I finished it, and tied somethings together a little neater. I've fixed (hopefully all of) my errors and corrected what needed to be correcting. Why did I tell you this? Because originally, Monica Willows was just an adult figure that Nix lived with. She was always his mom, but I hadn't planned on her being a character. I won't say much about her now, because she'll get her time before the story ends. What I will say is she only has so much power. In the real world, yes, she would have contacted the authorities and all of that long before now. She would have done her due as a doctor and as a parent. But that's not entirely feasible at this point in the story. What if, by telling the police, she makes it worse? What if instead of bullying Spencer, someone kills him? As a doctor and as a parent, she should do something. It doesn't seem like she is doing anything, but looks can be deceiving. There is so much more to Dr. Monica Willows than what has thus far been presented. As for Nix. Lovely Nix. I agree. He should thank Spencer, but he doesn't. In a couple of chapters, Nix will open up more as a character. He's still a bit closed off now. When he does open up, that'll help explain why Nix functions the way he does. At this moment, Nix still believes the worst about Spencer. He's heard Artie's story and Riley/Dexter's story of the 'event'. While the former is a bit sketchy, the latter is from two of his best friends. That may seem a bit petty. Why didn't Nix say thank you in the three moments you mentioned? He was unable to. At the party, he was sick from his allergic reaction. Recall the first allergic reaction Nix had to honey in the story. He was sick for a while and unable to communicate. This time, he was similarly sick though not bed-ridden. Ember and Kendall were encouraging Nix to leave the party when Spencer seen them together as he was being drug up the stairs by Connor. In Monica's office, Nix was too shocked by the bruises and cuts on Spencer's face to do much more than stare. In the cafeteria while Spencer was telling the Epic, Nix sat a good distance away from Spencer and fled before the children left Spencer. He could have made time, yes, but he did not.

The chapter you are referring to is Chapter 29: Honest and Truthful Friends. Yes, there were some unfavorable Spencer moments. He was found in freezing cold after being beaten up by his mother's boyfriend. There was reference to Porter's attacks and the end of Riley and Dexter's cease-fire. However, it was a change of pace from the previous two chapters that were the 'reveal' chapters for Nix. Spencer was given the opportunity to be a part of a real family - disregarding Zeke's (possibly horrible) intentions. He also felt what it was like to have 'friends.' As the reader, you know so much more than Spencer. You, at least, suspect that Artie may not be all butterflies and rainbows. Spencer doesn't so for him, this chapter is so much better than many before it. With the exception of the times Nix has been nice to Spencer and stood up to him, Spencer has never felt this much comfort. That's why I think it was a 'breather'. This chapter also didn't jump into any major story lines. It was an interlude between Nix's reveal and the inevitable climax. I don't think the violence against Spencer has become so blunted that it makes it OK. I don't think the violence of this chapter was as surprising as the violence in the previous chapters. You already expected Riley and Dexter's cease-fire to end. Porter bullying Spencer and Carl (Spencer's mother's boyfriend) beating up on Spencer have both been consistent actions throughout the story (or at least for a few chapters). The violence was purposefully not graphic in order to give the illusion that life went on for Spencer. I won't say whether or not you were correct about your timing in the review, as I'm sure you'd rather read for yourself. I will say, though, that there are a few chapters following what I consider the climax of the story. It's such a large piece that I was unable to end the story within a chapter or two following the climax. There are many loose ends that I had to tie up and a few that I had to leave alone, and it would have been impossible to have done all of that in such a condensed amount of space.

VictoryPanda and *HJ*, Thank you both. I don't know what else to say, but thank you. seanthomas: I don't mind discussing the story or even reading your opinions of the story. I understand that you don't like Riley and Dexter. If they didn't bully Spencer, there wouldn't be much of a story. Though they're definitely not the model citizens, they do play a rather important part in the story.

seanthomas: I do think Riley and Dexter are mean at times. I think they're cruel. I think they're revengeful. I think they're a lot of things, including - but not limited to - mislead, loyal, brave, true to their word, and, above all, fighters. (Fighters in the sense that they fight for what they believe in; I don't mean that in a derogatory way, though I'm sure you'll see it as so.) I also stand by my statement that they're not malicious machines. Machines don't have human emotions; they don't hurt or love or hate or anything. Machines just 'do'. Riley and Dexter, if you look closely enough at them throughout the entire story, are complex characters. I could have written this story from their perspectives, actually - and I can still write a story from either one of the perspectives. They're not simpleminded characters or machines. They have their histories just like Spencer has his. Riley and Dexter don't bully Spencer because they're wired to do so. They have pasts, which I won't go into details of because that comes up in future chapters. I need to make a huge correction on my previous statement about the age gap. I apologize for not being accurate when I responded earlier. Between Connor and Spencer is about three years. As long as it's consensual, they're age isn't really an issue. I was incorrect earlier when I said Spencer was thirteen at the time of the 'event'. I didn't look at any of my notes, I just did a quick calculation in my head based off the fact freshmen were fourteen. I just found the notes that I made as I was writing this story. Spencer actually was fourteen at the time of the event as he had reached his fourteenth birthday during the November before the 'event', which occurred in May. His other classmates (Nix, the Hadley twins, Kendall, etc.) where wither going on 15 or were already 15. That was my mistake. Connor (who had also not reached his birthday) was seventeen. Connor wasn't an adult, and Spencer was not as young as I previously estimated him to be. I should have looked before I answered.

This story was never meant to take place in the 'real world'. Reading it as so is a mistake. The setting is a completely different reality than today's world. It is very similar, but I've taken liberties throughout the story that makes it unable to take place in this world. Riley and Dexter aren't sociopaths; they aren't cruel to everyone they meet. Maybe you think their reasoning is shallow, but I don't agree. As a reader, you know so much more than any character in the story--more than Nix, more than Spencer, and certainly more than Riley and Dexter. They have one perspective: their own. Dexter and Riley aren't all-knowing. They know what they saw. They know how they perceived it. They know how it made them feel. I don't think they are reacting to the 'event' correctly, but they do. They lived through it and were deeply affected by it. They may be reacting in the worst possibly way, but there are only four people who witnessed what went on in that room. One of them is dead; three of them are still alive. Riley and Dexter can tell their story, but it'll never be in its entirety. It's nearly impossible to recreate what you've seen, because your memory distorts what actually happened. Besides, how can two teenage boys such as them let their innermost feelings spill to a general audience? Riley and Dexter, during their story to Nix, greatly downplayed their own feelings to what had happened. They are not as mentally unbalanced as they may appear at first sight. While Nix does seem to be the one to stand up for Spencer, he's not a superhuman. In fact, he's probably the most fractured of all of the characters. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your friends--even more than it does to stand up to anyone else. While Nix has his moments of bravery--such as when he walked away the first time--he's not in the right mindset to ultimately save Spencer from everything right now. He doesn't have the capability. There is one missing piece that must fall into place before Nix can stand firmly on his feet without swaying. This must happen before he can become true to Spencer. I've stated this before, but this story does not reflect reality as we know it. It was never meant to. It's an exaggerated sense of today's world. With that being said, I purposefully leave out the teachers and most adults. If a teacher jumped in every single time Spencer was bullied, then the bullying would have to take place off school grounds, and that could potentially get messier than it already is. The events had to play out between Spencer and Dexter/Riley in order for other things to fall into place. Spencer, as I think I've said somewhere before, is not social enough to seek out a teacher for help. Sure, he skipped a grade, but that does not automatically get him privileges other kids don't have. The whole school doesn't stop to witness Spencer's beatings; only a select few and the others, if they're around, mostly ignore it. This story is already such a large work - larger than I expected it to be when I set out to write it - so I didn't want to delve into that particular issue at that time. Doing so would have added another twenty thousand or so words, because, due to the manner in which I've written this story, I could not have merely given a passing reason. I chose to leave it out entirely in order to get to the more important aspects of the story - to the aspects that would lead to the climax. Spencer manages to patch himself up rather well, having had a bit of experience with doing so by now. If he's ever went to the hospital, it was to a free clinic, where they don't actually care why he's hurt as he is. He's not financially well off, not by a long shot. He generally gets scrapes and bruises, which are the kind of injuries that only hurt if you notice them. I imagine he's in a bit of pain all of the time, but I leave that up to the reader to decide for his or her self. In this chapter you're referring to (Chapter 29: Honest and Truthful Friends) Spencer 'forgot' his pain because Zeke gave him some pain killers. As for the hospital, Spencer works as a storyteller and slips under most of the staff's radar. I'm not going to address the issue of Nix's mom at this time; it'll be told in the story. Yes, Spencer saved Nix's life. Though it sounds cruel, that's not enough to call a permanent cease-fire. It was a temporary one. If it had been the end of Spencer's troubles with Riley and Dexter, then Nix's allergic reaction would have been the climax, and that was not a good enough ending for the characters, for myself, or for the readers. Later, this will be addressed in the actual story so I won't actually go into a full-blown out reasoning. I mentioned this previously, but I purposefully exaggerated many aspects of this story, including, and probably most especially, bullying. Bullying is scary and downright horrible. I've witnessed many minor occurrences and there was even one boy that I graduated high school with a couple of years ago that received a broken arm just because our classmates decided he needed to be 'brought down a notch or two'. When I started writing this story, I felt the need to exaggerate the bullying so that it might speak to someone. I don't know if it did or if does or even if it will. You said bullying needed to be 'touched' on, but I think it needs to be fully addressed. Spencer isn't a saint, but there's a reason he hasn't committed suicide or even considered it. He's also not rash or neither does he have the nerve to kill someone else (such as Riley or Dexter). That's just not in his capabilities. I'm not saying he's weak or that he's unable to stand up for himself. Instead, I'm saying that there are a few reasons why Spencer hasn't just ended it all one way or another. I'll say this one more time: I never meant for this story to be 'realistic' in the sense you are meaning so you saying that I was not successful is actually a compliment.

I don't think Riley and Dexter are indefensible. Riley and Dexter are not malicious machines. They're human beings. They have motivation for everything they do, and, unfortunately. a bit of what they do is no doubt mean. At the end of the day, everyone makes mistakes, and it's those mistakes that teach people the greatest of lessons. "Filth" -> Why do Dexter and Riley refer to Connor as filth? It has been two years since the party. They have had some where around 700 or so days to think about what happened. That's 16800 hours. That's a LONG time to think things over. At the time it happened, neither Riley nor Dexter believed Connor (or Spencer, for what it's worth) was filth. They weren't 'filth' because of their homosexuality. Connor became 'filth' because he cheated on Reese. "Boy" -> I guess it's a difference in dialects, but where I live, the word boy does not automatically mean 'kid'. There are high school boys. There are college boys. Boys is synonymous with the word 'guys'. Sure, boys are men when they reach adulthood, but even eighteen year olds are called boys. It's just a slang that I've inserted into the story. So no, Riley and Dexter are not highlighting the age gap, because it's not important. Connor is still up in the air at this point in the story (Chapter 28: The Proof). There is no indication how 'brave' Connor was or how much 'bravery' it would have taken Riley and/or Dexter to stand up to him. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: just because Connor was older does not mean Riley or/and Dexter would not have stood up against him. There's an entire aspect of Riley and Dexter's redemption that takes the cake. I'm not saying that you'll agree that they're redeemed. I'm not saying any one will, but the truth of the matter is that both Riley and Dexter are redeemed in the most important way. Because they are redeemed in such a manner, that's all that matters.

I disagree with your statement that 'nothing happened that was so bad'. A boy - Connor - lost his life. Reese was still in love with him at that time. Riley and Dexter considered him a friend. Death affects everyone in different ways and for different lengths of time. This is one of the reasons Riley and Dexter honor their promise to Connor. No, I didn't really address the question of whether Riley and Dexter would treat Connor as they do Spencer had Connor lived. I find it an irrelevant question. Without Connor's death, many things would not have played out as they did. There were too many variables at play. What I think you're getting at is whether Riley and Dexter are bullying Spencer because he's younger, weaker, and a nobody. The answer is no. Spencer's vulnerability plays a very small part in Riley and Dexter's motivation. Hypothetically if Reese had dated Spencer who cheated on her with Connor and Spencer got himself killed, Riley and Dexter would treat Connor as they do Spencer. It wouldn't have mattered if Connor was older or 'stronger' or anything. They would have sought the same thing they're seeking with Spencer. Nix isn't really sure what he knows right now. He has a lot to deal with. In order to help someone else, Nix must first help himself. That's a bit blunt, but there's no point in beating around the bush. Instead of looking at this situation from Spencer's point of view, take a second and look at it from Nix's point of view. He's been oblivious to things for so long because that's how he deals with things. Now his eyes are being opened to the horrors surrounding him. There are only a few people he can trust truly without a doubt, and two of those people happen to be Riley and Dexter. They're his close friends who are warning him against getting hurt. It's unwise to fault Nix for thinking of himself; it's human nature. Nix isn't a superhuman; he has his flaws and his weaknesses just as he's entitled to.

You pose a lot of questions, and many of them will be answered around the climax of the story so I'm not going to address them now. The thing about Riley and Dexter is that they are set in their ways and have a strong sense of loyalty and of justice; these can be good things or they can be bad things. You would probably argue that they're bad things, and that is your prerogative. They're also not morally weak, because they do have strong morals. It just so happens their morals are not always conventional. Just because I created Riley and Dexter doesn't mean I have to be fond of them. I'm also the creator of Ellasyn, and I most certainly do not like her. I still write her. I still gave her a decent storyline, but I don't like her. I like Riley and Dexter because they're not afraid to stand up for their beliefs. Connor living versus dying would spin this particular story in two totally different directions. Without Connor's death, Reese's life wouldn't have spiraled out of control; therefore, Riley and Dexter might have been slightly antagonistic towards both Spencer and Connor (because Connor cheated on Reese with Spencer). Don't overestimate the still-mysterious Connor, though. Age does not mean strength or courage. I won't say much more about Connor for now, though. It was time for Nix to face the facts he was presented with. He wasn't okaying Riley and Dexter's actions. He was simply stating that they had been right the entire time. He was admitting that he was blind to their side of the story. Yes, that paints Nix in a bad light (much like many other things in the story), but Nix was never meant to be a perfect protagonist. He makes his mistakes and places his bets on the wrong horses at times, but that's what drives him. Right now, Nix has heard two stories: Artie/Dean's and Riley/Dexter's. Between the two stories, he's obviously going to believe the latter one because Riley and Dexter are his trusted friends. After all, what motive does Riley and Dexter have to lie to Nix? Say what you will about Riley and Dexter's moral consciousness and what have you, but they are not liars. This is an interesting take on both Porter's alleged connection to Artie's gang and on Hagan as an overall character. I will neither confirm nor deny your accusations at this time.

Dexter and Riley are actually unaware of Spencer's home life for the most part. They do not know where he lives, nor do they care to know. All they know is that he's not well off with money and probably not well-cared for. They don't know of the abuse. Spencer is only a year younger than them, which isn't that much of an age difference in the overall spectrum of things. There are many excuses for their behavior, but you won't like any of them. For instance, Riley and Dexter are driven by their emotions. Emotions are just as important as anything else in life, including logic/rationality. If emotions were not important, human beings would not have them and would not rely on them. The exact quote is: "Nix felt a stab of sorrow for Connor like he had not felt in almost two years." I think you've misinterpreted how I meant this sentence. "Nix felt a stab of sorrow for Connor like he had not felt [for Connor] in almost two years." That's what that sentence is supposed to mean. He's felt many stabs of sorrow on behalf of Spencer. If Nix did not feel anything, he would not have stood up for Spencer at any point. I know you say Nix is weak, but he's not as weak as you may think. Nix stands up to Riley and Dexter - that in itself takes a great deal of courage. Riley and Dexter aren't nameless people. Nix actually cares about their opinions. Nix is *friends* with them, and yet he still stood against them. Sure, he has his cowardly moments - such as breaking that promise to Spencer or not standing up for Spencer every time - but he is a lot braver than you give him credit for. You want Nix to have a miserable life, but isn't his life already miserable? Besides, no one would get the justice they deserved if Nix was the 'loser' of the story, not even Spencer. While that is a fantasy that could be drawn from the story, it won't happen. Even if it did happen, Spencer wouldn't be happy with it. He hasn't spent this entire story befriending and losing Nix just to give it all up and try to find something "better". Besides, Nix's obliviousness and other aspects of the characters might come in handy and be beneficial to Spencer in the end. Zeke. I've always liked Zeke. (Of course, I've always liked Riley and Dexter as well.) I won't say anything about his future actions. He will take his stand before Nix has his shining and character-defining moment.

I won't say much about the possible connection between Artie and Riley/Dexter except to say that Artie has not directly spoken to either boy. In a few chapters, it will become obvious where Artie gets his 'inside' information from. As for the US high school terms, a freshman is usually fourteen going fifteen years old. A senior is generally seventeen going on eighteen years old, depending on when the student's birthday falls. The high school I had in mind while writing this had freshman through seniors. With that being said, Connor was seventeen two year ago. Spencer, being a year younger than his classmates, was thirteen. It is a bit of an age gap but not unheard of, as Connor was a senior and Spencer was a freshman at the same high school. I won't say much about their relationship, though, as that's a key part of the final chapters. I believe Riley and Dexter's motives are explained in the chapter i just posted (Chapter 28: The Proof). I'll let you read that chapter and think it over for now.

There's an aspect of this whole vendetta that hasn't been addressed much in the story. The main narrator, Nix, is mostly oblivious to it (as he is with most things). In the most important way, most of the characters will be redeemed. That's not to say that you, or any other reader, will agree that they've been redeemed. Nix may be a bit of adjunct characters at the moment (Chapter 27: Defending His Honor), but he will not remain so. He's just trying to figure out the 'event' for both himself and the reader. Spencer, I will argue, is not an adjunct character; he's just trying to avoid as much of the action that he is able to. Max, although he doesn't speak or act like it, is still a 'kid'. It is no coincidence that he is a freshman in high school. Now, I'm not saying that there's anything perverted about his and Hagan's relationship, but Max's age does reflect a bit about his character. Oh, and if/when Monica Willows finds out about her sons, she'll be most unhappy with Max in a loving parenting sort of way.

Yes, Nix saw himself following the same destructive path as Connor, and yes, that does imply Nix fears there is something wrong about a relationship with Spencer. You're going to judge Nix harshly on that note; however, there is going to come a time when Nix has to overcome his fear. I'm not saying that it happens in this story (and I'm also not saying that it doesn't), but it will happen at some point during his life - or he'll end up alone. After the way he's responded to Spencer, maybe he does deserve to be alone. I don't personally believe that, but it's arguable. Through Spencer, Nix learns a lot about himself, about the consequences of his actions, and about how much courage it takes to stand up to his own friends. Nix makes many mistakes - far too many to mention - but he's not heartless about them. When he stood aside and let Riley, Dexter, and Porter beat Spencer up (and tazer him in Porter's case), Nix realized his error, albeit a little too late, and tried to make up for it. Yes, it was a pitiful attempt, but he tried to make amends. Now, I'm not going to say whether or not Nix's upholds the promise he made to Spencer before they got off the bus, but circumstances will arise that will test Nix and Spencer's true characters. For those circumstances to arise, some things are going to get worse while others get better. Help for he who needs it - be it Spencer or be it Nix - will come from the least likely place(s). You said 'no-one is that stupid not to put that together.' I disagree for the mere fact that I wasn't aware I'd written it so obviously for Nix. Artie does warn Nix of Spencer's danger, but there's a difference between Artie and Nix: Nix is closer to Spencer than Artie can ever hope to be. That makes Nix's predicament that much more fragile. Also, Nix was a little too preoccupied with Artie's version of the 'event'. Not much else processed, and Nix isn't known for putting one and one together to get two. The majority of Artie's gang's information about the party did not come from Riley and Dexter. Trudy and Dean, at least, were also at that party. They were aware of what had happened, though they did not know the nitty gritty details of what happened between Connor and Spencer. I agree, though, that Riley and Dexter wouldn't be favorable towards Spencer in relaying any type of story; they were, after all, shaken by what had transpired. It's not Riley and Dexter's style to go completely out of their way to do something elaborate; they're too rash for that.

I'm glad you like this story enough to want more. I try to post a chapter every Tuesday. Dexter and Riley are driven by revenge and love, which makes it hard to predict their actions.

It's easy to be harsh with Zeke. He is, after all, being nice to Spencer while friends with Artie. In later chapters, you'll get to see more of the interactions between Zeke and Spencer, and how the two approach their 'friendship'. Keep in mind, though, that it could be a good or a bad thing. As for Hagan... I think you have a subconscious idea of what his problem with Spencer is. He, like Zeke, are not carbon copies of Artie. I'm not saying whether they're better or worse than Artie, though, I'll let you decide for yourself throughout the course of the story.

I personally think Zeke is a hard character to dislike. From Spencer's point of view, Zeke is a nice guy. Zeke may know a lot, but he is not all-knowing. The same can be said for Dean and Hagan. It's not smart to put all of your eggs in the same basket, so to speak. As for Hagan's hatred... that'll be explained in full detail by him, actually. You have very good speculations, especially considering the amount of information not only known but also unknown to you at the moment. The next chapter (chapter 26) should shed a little more light on Zeke, and until then, keep speculating.

You're right; Nix's reaction would pull a lot of weight in Riley and Dexter's reaction. Spencer's involvement with the children in the hospital does effect Riley and Dexter a little bit but not enough to warrant a total cease-fire. Spencer wouldn't be an easy person to hate, but witnessing the 'event' makes it easier for Riley and Dexter to hate him. Yes, this hatred does blind them somewhat.

Deep down, Riley and Dexter both realize that suicide is a possibility for Spencer, but it's sorta one of those 'it can never happen to me' things. If Spencer was the suicidal type, he would have cashed in a long time ago; however, hypothetically, if Spencer committed suicide, Riley and Dexter would react in a mixture of 1, 2, and 5. Depending on the day and the circumstances, they could lean closer to 5 than 1 or two. Admitting this, it doesn't change anything about Riley and Dexter's promise to Connor. It's still a matter of 'when I see you, I think of him'. Imagine the worst thing you've ever witnessed. Now imagine seeing it over and over again. This is how it is for Riley and Dexter. No, the 'event' wasn't the worst thing they've ever saw, but it was the circumstances of it all. You've posed very good questions. Questions I neglected to address while writing this. I just hope I have answered your questions to the best of my ability and can contain your attention through the last chapter of the story.

Riley and Dexter are trying to fulfill their promise to Connor. The "end" they're shooting for isn't clear or specifically stated. In chapter 22, Dexter states, "Every time I look at you, I think of him." That is Dexter's way of explaining himself (and Riley) to Spencer. Neither Riley nor Dexter hope to push Spencer into suicide; they just want 'justice' for what Spencer caused. If Spencer left, Dexter and Riley would no longer have to see him; they would have fulfilled their promise to Connor and would not bully Spencer any longer. But no, neither Riley nor Dexter wish Spencer to commit suicide. After all, that's the easy way out for not only Spencer but also for Dexter and Riley.

Thanks for pointing this out; I don't guess I was clear enough by 'undetermined amount of time'. Yes, I mean Dexter could change his mind at any time; however, Spencer will know almost immediately when Dexter ends the reprieve. He'll even know before Dexter or Riley bullies him. The reprieve applies to two things: Spencer can associate with Nix and he won't be bullied. Dexter isn't completely heartless. To Spencer, he almost is, but to the rest of the world, he's not. Dexter (and Riley) sees Spencer in a different light than everyone else, especially Nix and the reader. Dexter witnessed the 'event'. I don't think Dexter's actions are justified, but I don't think he's completely heartless. I hope this clears up a little bit.