Graeme

It was only a few words, but I think they summed up so much...

While it's justified to think that Troy is overreacting, we all need to take into account the lesson that Claire and Jayden learnt at the mall. Troy has to be able to trust the people around him, and learning something that he thinks is important in the way he did naturally shook the trust he was developing in Jayden. When examined from that point of view, Troy's not overreacting by much. It's a natural tendencey to want to protect someone who has been hurt, but too many people haven't been telling Troy important pieces of information. Remember, no one has explicitly told Troy that Jayden is living with his family -- he's guessed that himself from what he's overheard. As Detective Wallance thought (though I still think he has a tendency to put his foot in it when he doesn't need to), Jayden living with the Neals is something that they really should have discussed with Troy, or at least told him what was going on.

I think it's time for me to re-read this, myself.

I liked that opening scene. Too often teachers and school administrators are portrayed as uncaring, so it's nice to see an administrator being portrayed in a positive light, someone who wants the best for their students. I had to smile, though, when Mr. Fallingsworth asked the question about Jayden playing sport. That's a stereotype I find a lot in American high school stories: it's the athletes that are the ones that stand out the most to the administration, not the scholars. The scene between Troy and his mother was very emotional. Troy was being a bastard and needlessly cruel, but as I read it I found I was unable to admonish him. I could feel why he was doing it and I understood. Penny nailed it perfectly later on when she said he was filled with anger and frustration and needed to let it out. He's been too well brought up to let it all out on strangers (nurses, not withstanding, with them he was more stubborn than cruel), so his mother coped the full load. Later on, when Jayden was at the hospital, again he showed an almost instinctive understanding of what Troy needed. He kept everyone else away because he knew Troy wanted it to be just him and Jayden. As long as the others kept their distance, Troy was able to concentrate on what he was trying to do (walking, in this case)...and Jayden. I also noted the way that Jayden led Troy, with Troy's hand on Jayden's shoulder. While Jayden was still in charge because he was leading, Troy had control, too, because he could let go and stop at any time. That's something Troy desperately needed, because he's lost so much control over his life that sometimes he's feeling like he's being smothered by others doing things for him. Jayden's the one who supports him, rather than controls him, and that's making all the difference. And that ending scene, with Troy asking if Jayden's cute...

Jayden's reactions to the Neal family and where they live are the core to the chapter, but one of the parts that struck me the most was Troy's father's comment about how he'd give up all his wealth if it returned Troy to the way he used to be. Money can't buy everything... For Jayden, moving in with the Neals is like stepping into a new world. He has a new beginning, and he's finally able to start to let his past go. Unloading his history on Penny was a weight off his shoulders, rather than a reminder of what he's been through. He was discarding the straitjacket of the last two years and is preparing to start anew. He's still nervous, because you never know how something new will turn out, but he's finally starting to move forward again. That's what this chapter was about: Jayden, with the help of Troy's family, starting to live again. Starting to want to live again...

It's as if Jayden knew instinctively how Troy needed to be treated. Troy needs to know he's not helpless, as he told Jayden later, and that's the way Jayden treats him -- as someone needing help, not someone who is helpless. On the flip side, even though Jayden was intending to leave, there's that line early in the chapter where Jayden thinks that he doesn't want to lose Troy's trust in case he needs help in the future. He may not have realised it at the time, but he was already thinking of being there for Troy when Troy needed him. I love how Troy reacts differently to Jayden compared to everyone else. It could be the part about being a stranger, but there seems to be more to it than that. The fun part is that Jayden and Troy don't seem to understand what's going on between them, either, but that's not stopping them from establishing a bond.

Jayden's reaction to the school principal, and later on Claire, is so typical of someone who has had a lack of sleep. Over-reacting, everythings is black-and-white with no shades of grey, and emotions tend to run out of control. It's an excellent piece of characterisation. That scene at the hospital between Jayden and Claire is probably one of the key scenes in the story. While the attack created a tentative link between Jayden and the rest, that scene is where the link strengthened. Claire now understands that Troy isn't the only one in a bad way because of that attack. Troy is still her primary focus, but she's now trying to see what she can do for Jayden, too.

I don't hate Will. I'm disappointed, but he's made his choice and given that choice it's better for all concerned that he stays away from Troy. In my mind, he's now irrelevant and can be ignored. Hate is too strong an emotion to waste on him.

I take back what I said in the last chapter review; I no longer like Detective Wallace. He's supposed to be an experienced detective, so I don't think what he did at the start of the chapter was a mistake. Publicly thanking Jayden like he did feels more malicious or manipulative than a mistake. Having the news reports say it was a relative who turned in Tyrone and Anthony was just the icing on the cake (the media obvious didn't consider the consequences of that statement, either). As Jayden told Detective Wallace, it may have been the right thing to do, but that's cold comfort if one day soon they fine Jayden's cold body. That ending is so poignant. The two squeezes for no, repeated again and again...it brought a tear to my eye.

I was beginning to dislike Detective Wallace when he put so much pressure on Jayden, but the way he hugged him at the end of that scene made up for a lot of it. He's doing his job, though I'm not sure he truly understands the pressure Jayden is under. It's interesting how much of a good impression Jayden gives to all the new people he's meeting. Yes, he's meeting them in a situation where they're inclined to feel favourably towards him, but that's not always the case. Penny didn't know who he was, but she still clearly liked him when they first met. You don't strike up a conversation with a stranger unless you think it'll be okay. It says something about the sort of person Jayden is...and who he could've been if his mother hadn't died.

Happy Birthday, my friend!

@Onim, it's not so much "poor Will" as "Will's human, and that means he's not perfect". I agree that it's hard to see someone you love suffer, but we don't know that Will loves Troy. They've only been in a relationship for three months and it's quite possible that it's more lust than love. That doesn't mean that Will couldn't come to love Troy in the future, but it's not reasonable to expect that after three months that Will has built up such a strong feeling for Troy that it can overcome what's happened. As a comparison, there is a significant probability of a marriage breakup after the death of a child. Sadly, the love that resulted in marriage often can't survive that sort of event. Now, I'm not trying to compare what happened to Troy to the death of a child, but I'm using that to show that even two people in a strong committed relationship (which Troy and Will do not appear to be in, not yet), that relationship can't always survive a traumatic emotional experience. Will doesn't come over as someone who the readers will feel much sympathy for -- indeed, he comes over as someone fairly shallow and self-centered -- but what droughtquake and I are saying is that he comes over as human. He is having a natural, if undesirable, response to what has occurred. When something like this happens, the result isn't always sweetness and light.

I agree with droughtquake: Will is human with human failings. A three month relationship isn't always enough to build a strong enough base to weather a storm like this. I would expect more from him if they had been dating for a year or more, but after only three months, their relationship is probably not as strong as it would need to be. Jayden is caught between two worlds: the world he lives in at his aunt's home, and the world he would like to live in where goodness reigns. The police know what happened, but the principal was right to stop them from badgering Jayden to talk. The risk to him if he says anything is high -- he could concievably end up worse than Troy if he speaks. The police gave no indication that they would try to stop that from happening, so he rightly clammed up. I would've been proud of him if he's told them what he knows, but, like Will, he's human and he has to live with what he's able to do, and try to accept what he can't. Ron, thanks for that brief history at the end. I don't recall reading that at your site, so it was nice to read and understand some of the background. It acts as a minor spoiler, but I think we're all half-expecting Troy to end up blind, anyway.

The closest I have been to that situation was when my youngest son was taken away in an ambulance, having so much difficulty breathing that he told me he didn't want to die before he passed out. I had to stay home with our other son, so I spent that night waiting to hear from my wife...

And now we know who showed up on Jayden's doorstep... A two-by-four to the head is pretty serious. I don't think Will's mother's complaint is going to be high on the priority list at Troy's home the next morning.

Flight of the Navigator can certainly do with a modern makeover. While I love the original, there's a lot in it that has become dated. Another movie that could do with a reboot is The Last Starfighter. The original came out about the same time as Star Wars but it was lost in the glare of the better known movie. Concept-wise, I think it could be as good as Star Wars, but it needs the cringe worthy parts fixed.

I can't help wonder how many people get trapped like Jayden. Peer pressure is a powerful thing, especially when it also comes from family. His vision of the future is different to that of his peers, and not one that they'd find acceptable. As such, he's forced into a difficult situation -- give up his vision, hide his vision until he can escape, or resist the pressure and show he won't be the same as them. Jayden has chosen option 2, with good reason. He needs a place to live, and his life could very well be in danger if his cousins and aunt knew the truth. He's not prepared to give up his dream of college, but he's beginning to despair if that's going to happn. Even if he makes it to college, with his cousins dealing drugs, they may follow him to college so they can sell to a new group of chumps. As for the ending...let's wait and see what the consequences are. The situation for Jayden and Troy has just changed...

Since we're doing music videos, here's my favourite math lesson, set to music. New Math, by Tom Lehrer (one of my favourite mathematicians)

They're still teenagers, but Will needs to understand how to respect boundaries. Admitedly, we've only seen Will and Troy in one setting, a party, where Will's excitement may have had him pushing harder than he would normally do, but if he acts like that normally, he's not a good boyfriend. If he wants to maintain a relationship with Troy, it needs to be about more than sex. Troy's an interesting character, which is impressive after only one chapter. He's modest, talented, and keeps his promises. He has a lot of self-control and seems to know what's right and what's wrong. We still have a lot to learn about him, but what we've seen so far has been great! I'm looking forward to (re)reading this story as it posts.

Care Bear Kid Now Giving Away Holidays And to think he started all of this when he was only nine...

I think Ryder has just overcome his resentment of having a new brother He is also working out his problems with Tyler, but Jaxsom stole the scene

Maths is wonderful. You can do so much with it, even using something as simple as algebra... Let x = y Multiple both sides by x x^2 = xy Subtract y^2 from both sides x^2 - y^2 = xy - y^2 Factorise (x + y)(x - y) = (x - y)y Divide both sides by (x - y) x + y = y Remember x = y, so... 2y = y Divide both sides by y 2 = 1 Come back later, and we'll square the circle...

Even so, nothing excuses those arrows on the ends of the curve. Tan lines don't come with arrows...

It's hideous. The axes aren't perpendicular or geodesics... My favourite formula is Euler's Identity.

While Ben is generally not dominant, there have been times when he's taken control. However, when he stuffs up and he knows he's stuffed up, he looks for punishment. He believes he deserves it, but nothing stops what he feels for Travis. Even when it's not necessarily in Travis's best interests, like not telling Mrs. Cooper about Travis's probable internal injuries, he does what he thinks Travis wants. When Travis is hurt, he tries to isolate himself. He pushes people away. But he wasn't able to do that with Ben for even one night. Asking (telling?) Ben to come back to bed with him shows that Travis needs Ben just as much as Ben needs Travis...