jkwsquirrel

Thanks Onim! Ol' George pulled through for his son! But I don't think Paula will be as easy.

Something tells me we haven't heard the last of Frank.

When I read you lived across the street from President Obama as a child, I naturally assumed you grew up in Kenya. lol

Thanks! I don't think we'll see much change in George, since he's known all along anyway. Maybe we'll see a change in Billy? (or maybe not, he is a stubborn young man)

Thanks Benji! Yes, getting through this encounter with his dad was an important step for Billy. Have you noticed that Billy never really comes out to anyone, and yet everybody seems to know? He only thinks he's hiding. As for me, 50 years ago today I didn't exist!

Thanks glennish! I'm glad you liked it. You caught it, George stopped calling Billy "boy" after the boiler room incident for exactly the reasons you described. This chapter was Billy at his best.

Well, Billy's kind of dense when it comes to people.

Thanks Wesley! I'm glad you liked it!

Fairly quickly, word spread around town that Dustin was in the hospital and that his parents had split up. There were rumors, of course. There always are in a little town like Donora. It wasn’t hard to see that Frank Smith was an asshole and a drunk, and that Carol Smith was a bitch. So the most expressed feeling about their split was one of surprise that they had stayed together so long more than anything else. Dustin’s hospitalization was rumored to be everything from an accident on his b

No need to feel like a jerk for disliking a character like Joey. He is still a jerk, but he's more complex than he may first appear. I think you've described his situation well.

Brett is very persuasive. He doesn't need blackmail, but he does know about Mike's relationship with Dustin since Billy told him about it.

But then you will miss the feeling of sweet anticipation! I remember waiting for Comicality to update chapters of "New Kid in School" back in the Stone Ages, and those gaps went from a few days, to a few weeks, to a few months...

Thanks Israfil! It was fun to see Billy knock Joey down a peg or two. You've described the situation well. Joey is big and tough when he has an advantage, but once Billy fought back he melted. That story's definitely not over yet! We'll have to explore Brett's relationship with Joey a little more. As for what Brett did in this chapter, it was definitely his finest hour.

Thanks Okie! We'll answer some of those questions soon, my friend!

That would be quite a picture! Who knows what's going on with Joey? Much to explore!

Hopefully Carol can live up to her duties as a mother, and not slide into deadly routines just because they are comfortable. Frank definitely crossed the line, but will it be enough for the Smiths to see the light?

Thanks Spikey! You nailed it. It'll be interesting to see what Carol does when the initial shock wears off. There's definitely more to explore with Jack. He may just have the keys to unlocking the mystery of Brett's father.

Nope, not cousins. I can also say pretty confidently that Joey is not being molested. I'm thinking more along the lines of a young man who is cracking under the pressure of living up to his parents' unattainable expectations. He is in over his head. Think back to his reaction to being suspended from school. He wasn't the suave charmer his father is. He was scared shitless that his dad was going to find out, begging for the principal to change her mind. That wasn't some one-time incident, that was the real Joey. Joey is just as unsure of himself and uncomfortable in his own skin as Billy is. His way of acting out is to be ultra-macho. Most of his bullying takes place when there are people around to see him picking on the socially-inept loser. But his life is empty, his relationships with girls are meaningless. In this regard, you are right about transference; he wants Billy to be as miserable as he is. But the fact that Billy is happy in his relationship with Brett just pisses him off.

Hmmm... I'm pretty sure Brett and Joey are not cousins. Jen and Heather may be like sisters, but they are just best friends. I would compare Joey and Brett's relationship to the relationship between Billy and Emily. They are friends because their parents are friends. Joey is definitely NOT gay. That would be stretching reality a little too thin. A love triangle is as complex as my writing ability can go. I think Joey started bullying Billy because he wanted sole possession of the only boy's name in their class that ends in "y."

Thanks Shadowy One! Yes, you caught on that even though Joey is a jerk, Billy isn't innocent in the whole thing either. Billy could have let Joey walk away, but he always has to poke the bear. As is usually the case, Billy can be his own worst enemy. There's much to explore in the McKenzie family history. I told you the laptop wasn't long for the world. Purely a plot device to get the boys to Mike's house. Once it outlived its usefulness, it died. Kind of like ObiWan You have more faith in Carol doing the right thing than she deserves. You're right about one thing though, this part of the story is almost more about Dustin than Billy. What will happen when Dustin realizes that Billy knew and didn't tell? I think the cigarette was a one-time nerves thing for Brett. He's not going to become George in that regard. As for how Frank found out? Word gets around in a small town. That Dustin thought he could get away with it wasn't too smart on his part. I chalk it up to a case of reality hitting him like a sledge hammer.

Well, it's not going to be quite that easy! But yes, healing can't really take place until the disease is dealt with.

Thanks glennish! You're right, this is just the first domino to fall. Billy would have been quite the jerk to get mad at Brett about being in the park after what he did.

Thanks Benji, This is Brett's finest hour. He did the most noble thing anyone has ever done for Dustin, knowing that the consequences would be severe. How Dustin reacts will depend on how tightly he wants to hang on to that illusion of his family.

You're on the right path. Who knew being the Golden Boy wasn't all it was cracked up to be?

Sad but true, Wesley. Dustin was bound to get caught eventually. I consider Brett's actions in this chapter to be his crowning moment of awesome.