skinnydragon

Thank you for the review and kind words, Graeme! I believe you are correct about this being the first time Toph spoke to the reader. It might also be the first chapter of his "diary" which has not been segmented into discrete sections.

Thanks Tim! I think you're correct about Gary's effect. The biggest result seems to be actual action on Toph's part. He's been so passive up to now. Forcing Gary to a mall to change his casual wardrobe is an example of this positive result.

Thanks Parker, Toph took a long time constructing those walls and fences. It's nice to see them start to come down. Even at this glacial pace

Hey Rex! It's good to see Toph building toward a future instead of allowing himself to be buffeted by the waves. Thanks for your kind words.

Sooo if ED meant to assassinate Brad, that implies she is running out of options?

Sometimes it takes a flood to start building levees.

Something spikey mentioned gave me an aha moment. We all know Jackson isn't at heart a bad guy. Calling him a jock, and expecting that to explain him, is puerile at best. So what exactly is Jackson? Spikey mentioned Cindy was afraid Jackson was going to bully Luke. That's when I remembered some adolescent psychology I picked up somewhere. This is a common action of a pre-adolescent who likes someone. So Freud that I'm not, there is the possibility Jackson's 'problem' is that he's immaturely frozen in time. A not-uncommon occurrence. And he likes Luke. Anyway, the only villain of the story, to me, so far is Cindy. OK. My Dragon droppings for the day.

Thanks CG! As I mentioned to Parker, things that seemed so happy and content a few chapters ago are beginning to unravel. I like your 'delusions' description. It's so apt. David's implosion is coming all right. But, believe it or not, Alex will turn out to be a good guy. ---No! she's not transgender.

Thanks oxala! I guess this chapter WAS sort of a segmented affair, with three people moving on their own paths. That's so unusual for our little town, where no one has secrets from each other.

Thanks Carl! I think you're right about the dreams, except water might not be part of the abuse, only tangentially. Good research on vixere! David's gonna do some too next chapter. C'mon! You've never laid in bed at night conjugating vivo and then fallen asleep dreaming of the third-person plural perfect active indicative?

Thanks Parker! Everything moved from happy to unsettled pretty fast. Let's hope Lanni's innate intelligence is enough to thwart Cal from another conquest. Of course, Alex's innate intelligence doesn't seem to be doing her much good right now.

Thanks jess! David will remember to research vixere tomorrow (David's time) and he'll share with us. Yes, Randy is zeroing in on something. David will notice too!

A beautiful introduction to May, Parker. But it speaks to love with a wisdom not at all springlike. In that, it becomes a haunting contradiction. Nicely Done!

Fall begins, as it often does, with the first hint of a chill. Thinking back, one can neither remember the exact day nor experience which suggested the warmth would not return. Gradually, inexorably, winter moves in. Cold fronts replace the gentle indications afforded by the liberality of autumn. One’s outlook on nature subtly shifts to a defensive posture. Thoughts of understanding or forgiveness harden much as water freezes into ice. One’s winter is not the season for resemblant consideration

In Chapter 14, the nineteen year old Toph made a rather startling statement for an artist. He implied there was one ‘correct’ way to interpret Shostakovitch's fifth symphony. He actually did have an important point, but we should probably chalk up this narrow statement to his age. Teens are drawn to black and white. Great music, as any great art, is subject to interpretation. In the case of a symphony, you have the orchestra (80 to 100 musicians) interpreting it and the conductor interpreting it – sometimes influencing the orchestra to varying degrees. You also have the listener’s interpretation. Some people put a great deal of faith into what others read into the music. The most famous example is probably Beethoven’s 5th symphony. It has been interpreted as fate knocking at the door or Beethoven triumphing over his impending deafness. There is a little anecdote which is very telling. Arturo Toscanini, the great Italian conductor was asked what his particular interpretation re: the meaning of the beginning of the first movement, with its famous four note motto. Supposedly, he said, “To me, is allegro con brio.” Which is the tempo marking. He was poking fun at all the psychobabble. In the matter of Shostakovitch, there is case to be made for psychobabble. Soviet Russia under Stalin was dangerous, especially in the late 1930’s. People disappeared into the gulag regularly, including artists. Shostakovitch had lost friends in this manner. He himself was under scrutiny. His 1934 opera, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, was one of the reasons his music was condemned in 1936. His Fourth symphony had to be withdrawn. He kept a suitcase packed by his door in case he was hustled off to the gulag in the middle of the night. He did not know what this fifth symphony would bring him. And so he wrote, in music, what it was like to live in Stalin’s Russia. This we know from his own autobiography. It is agonizing and beautiful in that way. The coda of the fourth movement sounds like a celebration whose feet is stuck in tar. He called it ‘forced rejoicing’ – safely after Stalin was dead. In fact, there was a constant war between Stalin and him. As conditions deteriorated, Stalin would always tell the populace, ‘things are getting better.’ Realizing what ‘getting better’ really meant, Shostakovitch would toast: ‘here’s to things not getting better.’ So what Toph wanted to hear was that haunting sadness, the terror and forced rejoicing. This youtube link is to a 1983 performance with Yevgeny Mravinsky conducting. He, by the way, conducted the original performance in 1937. He knew what Shostakovitch meant . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWm8duGvkmI A more exuberant performance would be Leonard Bernstein’s with the NY Philharmonic, which is all over youtube. This was Lenny’s interpretation, and he was entitled to that. Toph hated it.

I sort of like what Lit said, especially if you don't think you have enough material for Tim's suggestion (which is a great choice, btw). But Lit had the concept time dependent. Why not have it activity dependent. For example, if the boys wanted to put a spoiler on the back of the truck (hehe ) you could cluster a few chapters around that event and involve whatever supporting cast you wanted, without needing to focus on a slice of their (the supporting cast's) lives. In that way J&M would always remain the focus, but you would continue to flesh out their friends and make them more 3-dimensional too.

YAY Curtis! I hope

So great CG! A thoroughly fun chapter with lots going on and you could feel it almost getting overtired! And then it was! The draw of sleep and then the touching ending, with Jay in his father's embrace. Just too wonderful! Jay & Miles has so much going on at all times. Great writing CG! Thanks for sharing this with us!

An interesting chapter Hunter! I'm not going to get on the moralistic bandwagon with Devin. Nope. A sexually active freshman at any college I've ever seen is NOT going to be celibate. Period. High school romances are doomed in college anyway, even when they involve a same age couple. Alex and Devin could. not. work. More the problem is who saw them. It's no big deal, since Bryce is 'out' and we are at college. Devin's roommate could be trouble, but what would he be doing in the baseball shower room? I guess we'll just have to wait! ...hehe

A solid chapter Tim! Some of the background of Patrick's family comes out, but there is some deeper stuff he (and we) don't know yet, I'm sure. Lets hope Fiona is the key to unlocking that weird bunch of snobs. I have hopes for her being a good person. All Patrick's 'new' family seems to be coming together also. Much less frightening though. Thanks for the bang-up chapter!

Vixere! - Cicero *** I dreamt of fishes again, but this time Burch was there. Can anyone explain to me why Burch is in one of my dreams? I mean, the fucker is dead! In a toilet, like he deserved. I don’t think there were any fish in that toilet. But in this very, very weird dream he’s talking to me – gently. Right away you know this was a bullshit dream. Burch never talked to me in any way but with scorn. Back to my dream. So he’s talking to the fish, but he’s also talking to me.

God, I thought from the title it was going to be about age. Since I'm fast approaching that milestone, I figured tim will give me some good advice. OK, back to reality. AC is right. Your writing comes across with such ease here. Actually you do it all the time, but we're talking about this verse. You're always a pleasure to read, tim!

Thanks jess! In Twoey's defense, Erik was his only exposure to gay sex, one sided as it was. He had a couple dalliances with Matty, but Matty isn't boyfriend material - yet. Too bad, because Matty/Twoey could have worked. Well not too bad, I guess, if we're pulling for David/Twoey. Cliffie? Oh Uncle John! I guess there is a missing piece or two. Probably exactly two.

Thanks Carl! Haha - If Matty only knew that crazy girl who scared him is the one who beat him to getting David's juices "in one hole or the other." Do you think David is ready for the next step? Na-ah ...I can't see that. He'll probably knock her out with his leg cast in self defense.

Thanks oxala! Thankfully, school starts tomorrow (David time) and Alex will have to confine her smothering to only a few hours each day. It'll give our hero some meditation time. Maybe he needs a new adviser for his new life challenges.