Topher Lydon

Chapter Three: The Performance Justin leaned against the battered fender of his Ford pickup, two blocks from the main entrance of Hilcrest High. He nursed a bitter, lukewarm Tim Horton’s coffee in one hand and gripped his phone in the other. It was a cold, grey Monday morning, the kind of day where the air felt heavy and damp with pre-winter misery. He hadn’t slept. His heart was a frantic drum against his ribs, beating out a world-class sense of doom. He was wearing his best—

That early, on a Sunday, in Leamington Spa? Bob's in bed, Bob refuses to get out of bed before noon on a Sunday. There's no busses running, and the shops are all shut... 'cept for the dorky coffee shop down the road. But, you know, it's full of :: shudders :: teenagers!

I came up with this one last summer while suffering through the vomit express from Birmingham to Warwick nightmare, and I feel for the poor engineers and guards that have to deal with the chaos

They are about to have the most interesting breakfast coffee date of Tyler's life.

Hartley "rose" to the occasion

Mr. Ellis a a bureaucratic type of evil. He likes things balanced, no outstanding arrears.

Ollie loves Orel very deeply. When he finds out, there isn't a hole deep enough to bury Tarquin. Ollie is not a tough guy, his weapons are numbers, but he wields them with the ferocity of a sword. just, give Ollie a chance to realize where he belongs, he's also a beaten dog and Tarquin holds his leash.

I like characters that grow. Lydia loves her cousin dearly. Finn is important to her, and Orel is a friend she wants to be a better friend to.

Three reasons exist why the go along with the Blackmail. The most important of these is: It needs to be explicitly clear that if the blackmailer drops the photos and blog online, it goes viral and their parents will find out. Tim's dad is violently homophobic and would destroy his future. By agreeing to fake-date at school, they can actively control the flow of information. As they discuss in their "Rules of Engagement," they can pretend to be a couple at school, but lie to their parents by claiming they are just "study partners" and "stress relief partners". The fake dating is a firewall to keep the truth from reaching Tim's father. Again I have not done a good job of making this clear in this chapter, something I might have been able to catch had I not been up all night hugging my toilet bowl and wishing the colour green did not apply to my face. Hah, I will fix this logic CLEARLY in tomorrow's chapter.

Canada was interesting at the time, responsible Government was endorsed by Queen Victoria, who was, herself, quite progressive at points. Canada was a Dominion, but self governing without revolution. It was the model that set the pattern for all of the transitions to self-governance to come. I'd think it'd be an interesting transition, but in reality not much of a change.

Tarquin the monster birthed by the Horrific, evil, and depraved Alistair Merrick, his father. He is every inch his father's son. Taquin got the charm, Oliver the business sense, and Orel the intelligence.

Aiden and Marshall are treats to write, just that earnest 14 year old energy. I really wanted to write something that was just a time capsule of that age in life.

Poor Charlie, and yes, Mom's ALWAYS know. It's like RADAR. Chloe still thinks he's a pod person, and Gay concussed Charlie is far more interesting than old Charlie. As for Tyler He's not observant, he's just... trying every line in the book to get the hot boy in the reform Blazer to go out with him and getting EXTREMELY lucky

Chapter Three The Hartley family car was a black Range Rover with tinted windows and leather seats that creaked expensively with every turn. Taine sat in the back, pressed against the door, watching the streets of Leamington Spa slide past with the detached interest of a tourist in his own city. He'd lived in Warwick for forty years, had shopped in Leamington, attended conferences there, walked through the Pump Gardens and up the Parade on rare days when his body had cooperated. N

errr a very long time ago, in an alternate timeline.

I get that i could have strengthened that reasoning in this chapter. It is done in later chapters, but I could have done with a tighter message in this one.

It comes down to Tim's Dad and controlling the narrative Tim's dad finding out is the danger. Out at school on social media can be controlled, hidden. A direct message to him saying "Here's a photo of your son" yep.

13 Hearts, by the way, the number of players in this game

Garrett is ready to find happiness, Finn started him down the road to realizing that he was in love with Kyle. And that, importantly, Kyle had been in love with him for a long, long time.

The quick amongst you may be going: Miller? Hill Crest High? Where have I heard these before. Hill Crest, home of the Hawks, is the next school over from South Carleton High, and their biggest rivals. Miller is a familiar name because it is *that* Miller family. It's a Merrickville adjacent, next county over, story I just had to, sorry

Welcome to Tim and Justin's nightmare Their lives are no longer their own. And every move is monetized.