Summerabbacat

"At another table, two women – one with bright pink spiky hair, the other with green – were laughing loudly, one leaning over to kiss the other on the cheek." Shades of Zandra Rhodes and Deborah Harry. Zandra Rhodes who is now 85 years of age, but still has her trademark shocking pink hair, and Deborah Harry, the only person I have ever seen who pulled off green hair, kermit green to be specific. And what a positive reflection on the townsfolk of Thompsonville, not only do they not bat an eyelid to see two women kissing, albeit chastely, but they don't bat an eyelid that one has pink hair and the other green hair.

I wholeheartedly agree with you @Philippe; Levi is forming a relationship with Luke independent of Luke's role as his father's partner. Luke was the one who encouraged Levi to visit the community church with him and introduced him to Father Costas, recognising this as something very important to Levi. It appears Levi's faith is providing him with some comfort regarding his mother's passing, even though it is presenting him with challenges regarding his father and Luke's relationship, and the relationships of all their friends. I am hoping Levi will continue to seek the counsel of Father Costas and also develop an even stronger relationship with Luke, who is as you have stated, his "other father".

I believe @centexhairysub if Matt was aware of the extent of the struggles Levi is experiencing, with the conflict between what he has always been taught and what he is realising might be omissions or lies, he would take action to help Levi. Levi is still very private about his feelings and has only shared fairly superficial information; the closest he has come to expressing his discomfort the comments he made about Tim and Guy's PDA. He may confide in Luke at some stage or perhaps Father Costas.

I was tempted to rate this chapter with the ‘Angry’ emoticon rather than the ‘Sad’ emotion, but realised there was still much joy in the chapter to counteract that which angered me. "This is sin, his grandfather’s voice echoed in his head. The desires of the flesh lead men astray." The miserable old bastard aka Levi’s grandfather continues to undermine Levi’s confidence and happiness from beyond the grave. I have often wondered if people who hold these views have had unsatisfying sex lives or if they were just a “dud root” (to quote Kim from Kath and Kim and many other Aussie comedians over the years). I will concede the old bastard may well have held these views because they were the views of his parent(s) too, but it is no excuse. "He had tried so hard to resist. Back home, after his mother got really sick, the urges had quietened for a while. But they always came back – stronger each time. And when the pressure became too much, he had discovered the shameful relief of touching himself. The wave of pleasure that followed always left him floating for a few brief moments . . . only for crushing guilt to crash down on him afterwards. Last night the thoughts had returned with brutal force. The images from the beer garden. The easy affection. All of it mixed together until he couldn’t stop himself. He’d lain there in the dark, biting his lip to stay quiet, hating how good it felt even as tears of shame stung his eyes. Now, in the pale morning light, the guilt sat like a stone in his stomach. Was this his punishment? For not being able to save his mother? For failing her when she needed him most? Levi rolled over and pressed his face into the pillow, whispering a desperate prayer under his breath. God, please help me. Make these feelings go away. I don’t want to be like this…" This entire monologue was heartbreaking, so difficult to read, particularly the thoughts in bold text. Levi is a very intelligent boy (contrary to what he stated in a prior chapter), analytical and a deep thinker. These characteristics can be a double-edged sword; Levi appears to need to know the why of all things which occur, blaming himself if something beyond his control does not have a positive ending. I am well acquainted with this thought pattern, and it is a very unhealthy thought pattern, habitual, and may take some time for Levi to break, if ever. The consolation to Levi’s disturbing guilt was the following: "He whispered a short prayer, asking God to help him be brave in this new life. The house was now quiet around him, creaking quietly in the way that old houses do. Finally, Levi closed his eyes. He was home. But he still had no idea how much this new home was going to test him." And thank you @Mark Ponyboy Peters for the highlight of this chapter, well at least for me: “……. grabbing sandwiches from a corner store run by a lovely lady by the name of Mrs Hamilton, who shared stories about Matt and Luke that made him laugh.” I have been waiting patiently, with bated breath, for the reappearance of the greatest ally the gay men have ever had in Thompsonville, the stalwart of acceptance, the delightful Mrs Hamilton, whose given name clearly cannot be Patricia, Mark. I would love to see her play a bigger role in this story (hint hint). She would be an ideal candidate for a confidant for Levi, perhaps not about masturbation, but life in general, and Thompsonville specifically. This just may be the best chapter yet of this story @Mark Ponyboy Peters. It was certainly the most moving, at least for me. My respect for Levi grew immeasurably in this chapter, his inner struggles illustrated with such authenticity it brought the wretched "hay fever" on at an alarming rate and strength.

The only chance of this happening is if Margot's finger is removed with the ring intact. Now that she has that ring on her finger she isn't going to take it off for anyone. Although she may have bought the ring for Jules, I don't believe Jules will end up getting it as it is now a valuable accessory to Margot's ego.

I love Ryder’s irreverent sense of humour, never better expressed than by: "He was leaning against the motorcycle. Of course he was. Black t-shirt, jeans, boots, a cigarette he was finishing off as I came through the door. He looked at the church behind me, the cross on the steeple, the stained glass, the sign that said St. Michael’s Catholic School, and then he looked at me. “Nice place,” he said. “Very holy.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 As many other readers have commented, Ryder’s interactions with the “seahorses” was reminiscent of Owen’s. He charmed Theo, delighted Max, impressed Levi and appealed to Ellie. Even the hard-to-impress Nora was nonplussed by his visit. And while on the subject of Nora, my attitude towards her has “thawed” somewhat @weinerdog. Beth may not have responded to Ryder as effusively as the “seahorses”, but there was nevertheless a warmth in her response to him. I have little doubt she recognised Ryder is more than a ‘study buddy’ from Ohio State. She may not realise the full extent of Owen and Ryder’s burgeoning relationship, although I reckon she probably does, I believe she has given it a seal of approval. She may be a quiet one, but I believe if the rest of Owen’s family and Margot give Owen grief she will be a voice of reason. I doubt she will have much sway with the others who appear incapable of independent thought, but Owen will not be alone.

"And his tongue – his tongue was otherworldly, because it managed to be in so many different places at the same time, going round and round Lawrence’s manhood, from the base to the tip, a feat in itself since Lawrence was well aware of his personal endowment, which wasn’t the easiest to handle, as he’d come to learn from his past sex partners." Lawrence has not been one to boast previously so I assume we can believe his statement regarding his endowment. It appears he may be blessed with an abundance of gifts, and not all of them intellectual. A power bottom's delight. @Seraph28's description in comments on the previous chapter of Bastien as a "homme fatale" were further illustrated in this chapter. One has to wonder if the seduction of Lawrence was merely a game, a challenge, particularly given what Lawrence discovered in Lukas' notebook: "If Lukas kept that picture, it had to be proof of his feelings toward the Hawthorne heir. Lawrence turned it, to see if any date and place were written on its back and did a double take when he read the only word there. Lies???" Whatever Bastien's motivations, he is, as described by Lawrence, something of an oral aficionado. Given your penchant for 80's music @Laura S. Fox, I thought this little offering may delight, in recognition of Lawrence's "gifts". It was a top 20 hit in Australia in 1986, at a time when "gay club" music regularly crossed over into the mainstream:

Sabrina Carpenter on stilts?

Hopefully she won't stop with just her lies.

As much as Elena's objectionable behaviour (smoking whilst cooking, smoking at the dining table whilst Billy and Caleb ate their dinner) irritated the bejesus out of me, her no nonsense attitude and condemnation of Diana Holloway made up for her lack of consideration. I am surprised Billy has a father and brother, both of whom apparently live in the family home, such that it is. Billy's description of the family home as a shithole appears accurate, however, the photographs of Billy at least give the impression the home has warmth, something Caleb has never known. "Caleb's chest tightened. "What did you tell her?" "Enough." Billy handed him a pile of clothes. "She knows about your mom. About the pills. About the... the way she treats you." He paused. "She knows about us. Not the details. Just that you're important to me." Caleb held the clothes. They smelled like laundry detergent and something else. Something warm. "She doesn't care?" Caleb asked. "She cares that you're not eating. She cares that you look like you haven't slept in weeks. She cares that your mother is a controlling bitch who's been feeding you poison and calling it medicine." Billy's jaw tightened. "She doesn't care that you're a boy. She never did." The text in bold illustrates in a few short sentences the difference between Elena and Diana, the former a loud-mouthed lioness who will doing anything to protect her young, the latter an alligator who will eat her young to protect herself and ensure her own survival.

Imagine my excitement (for a millisecond) when I misread the comment above as ……. making a fatal appearance…. Unfortunately I erred, or then again maybe not?

I don't know as I have never eaten there. I never eat fast food takeaway of any kind, even if they have vegetarian and vegan options, unless they are solely vegetarian and/or vegan takeaway. We do have another Mexican food chain in Australia, Guzman Y Gomez, which is Australian-owned. I ordered takeaway once from them many years ago and they do have vegan options. I personally love spicy food and quite like the Mexican food I have eaten, but doubt it was authentically Mexican. Australia has a population of less than 7,500 people who were born in Mexico and almost the entire population lives in either Sydney or Melbourne.

They are "blind" @weinerdog. Will it do any good though? Billy's mum is a single mum and they have very little money according to Billy. The town may see her as white trash, and Diana Holloway is clearly one cunning bitch used to protecting herself and laying the blame squarely on Caleb. I find her medicating of Caleb the most extraordinary and repugnant thing about this whole story. Vickie deserved what she got and the blackmailees may all be a little dodgy.

Another "food" operation providing plenty of customers to Donnelly & Sons @weinerdog? I did not realise they were here in Australia until I saw one the other day. I have just read they had 27 stores but 20 have closed due to poor sales.

Literally. Now that would be a hoot.

I did not know that. I assumed it had always been autumn in the UK too as this is what we call it in Australia. I like autumn, it is one word which has not been erased in favour of American terminology.

He is so passive about everything @jcdii Hopefully Beth may initiate a discussion with him, one during which much will be revealed by Owen, before the brown stuff hits the fan.

"Mrs. Patterson said she’d always known Margot was the one." Well let Mrs Patterson marry Margot then. Seriously, enough of the bullshit. Next they will be saying Jonah really did live inside a whale. "She ordered tablecloths online and asked my opinion on colors and I said “white is fine” and she said “white is boring, Owen, what about sage?” and I said “sage is fine” and she said “you’re no help at all” with a smile that meant she loved me and had no idea who I was." Sage, sounds ideal for a funeral. What about burnt orange, purple or scarlet? Or better still fuchsia? Although it is a sham, shouldn't an engagement be a celebration? I am becoming increasingly disgusted with Margot, and to a much lesser extent Owen, over the amount of money being spent and the amount of "stuff" being purchased, much of which I imagine is single use, for an event to celebrate a falsehood. If Margot insisted on this sham, the least she could have done was insist on NOT having an engagement party. The problem is, Margot relishes being the centre of attention, being Daddy's little princess. She is as supercilious as her parents. I am really hoping Ryder has noted @weinerdog's comment, contacted Jules and arranged for the both of them to attend the engagement party. Jules as a dyke on a bike, decked out in something very butch, topless, and Ryder in backless chaps.

She certainly was a "piece of work". She has had her comeuppance.

I did not expect any humour in this chapter, or any chapter given the storyline, but in this chapter there was humour to be had. The "love at first sight" meeting between Alejandro and Marcelo, the arrival of Gerardo catching Ximo in his underwear and the dismissal of the sycophantic Emilio due to his alleged incompetence. The cliffhanger, somewhat reminiscent of Who Shot JR? Who's The Mole In The Movement? Regardless of Ximo's discounting him, I think it is Armand aka Roger? He moves in the same circles as Ximo's odious mother and her parents. A self-hating gay man? I think not, more likely someone who has hidden his homosexuality cleverly from those in whose circles he moves, a hypocrite of the highest order, like the traitorous Roy Cohn. Another feather (faux of course) in your cap @Gary L. Looking forward to the continuation of this story, sometime in your autumn, or do the Spanish also refer to it as fall?

I immediately thought that too @drpaladin, but when Caleb stated Vickie never went anywhere near him I wondered if it was so.

Grey Harbour appears to be very appropriately named. If I lived in a town where grey was the predominant colour, especially the weather, I think I would feel like murdering someone, possibly on a daily basis. Did Vickie's mother have an affair with Mr Park? Did Vickie believe he was somehow involved in the death of her mother? There has to be a reason why he is concerned about what Vickie said, if anything, about her mother. I guess it was a bit much to expect one of the students or one of the teachers get up and state what appears to have been the case "Vickie was a blackmailer and I for one am glad the bitch is dead". Realistically, only someone she was blackmailing would know this, therefore they are unlikely to state it, but I hate the way horrible people are "sainted" just because they die, especially if the death is suspicious or tragic.

Dyke bitch. Is that the best the cosmetically tragic skank, Shayna, can do? Clearly her ego is larger than her brain, but probably smaller than the "cathedral" downstairs if Jake's comment she "goes after anything with three legs" has any truth to it. Shir's comment she saw something in Shayna's soul that she is "not altogether comfortable with" was intriguing. Was she speaking literally or figuratively? If the former, does she possess some kind of "supernatural" gift? I had wondered when she first appeared in this story if she might be African American or Haitian given she was raised on the bayou in New Orleans. It is perhaps a stereotype, but if she does have some kind of "supernatural" gift, I am inclined to think it is more likely she is African American or Haitian than white. The brain is an astonishing organ, one we still know so little about. When I sustained a head injury in 2010 the only thing I could remember about the accident at the time and to this day, was lying on the bathroom floor and thinking I am not dead. I do not remember falling and smashing my head open on the corner of the spa bath, telephoning my neighbour to ask for her help, my neighbour arriving and taking me to hospital, or being at the hospital and having an MRI (I definitely would have remembered that under normal circumstances). I could remember coming home from the hospital many hours later as I was fully conscious by then, but not being at the hospital itself. It appears Mannly's current amnesia may be the brain protecting him from the horrific attack he suffered. He may or may not remember his assault, but hopefully will recover sufficient memory to know who he is. A little "comedy" again, albeit unintentional, in this chapter @Vcs. When Shir refers to Mannly as Cher, which she has done before, I have an image of the Cher, albeit a cosmetically altered hybrid, a redundant statement perhaps, in her If I Could Turn Back Time outfit, with a larger derriere and the addition of some cowboy accoutrements.

Is Charlie telling the truth? If he isn’t he is an even bigger arsehole than I thought. If he is telling the truth then Nathanial is in deep shit. A very complex and suspenseful story @J92.

I like Ryder too @dboggs9700, but I had some reservations about his parting "threat" to come to the engagement party. I, like you, am hoping his ploy is to help strengthen Owen's resolve to stand up for himself and not be bullied into submission by his parents and/or Margot. I think with encouragement from his Aunt Beth too, particularly if it is delivered when he has to say goodbye to the "Seahorses", Owen may find the courage to say no and refuse to continue with the charade in all aspects of his life, not just his fake relationship with Margot. I certainly hope so.