Summerabbacat

Bryan has acted foolishly by not disclosing the truth about Calvin earlier to Diego, but one has to admire his maturity in "copping" his punishment. He could so easily have reacted in a surly and hostile manner, but he recognised and accepted Diego's statement that he would be lost if he were to lose either Bryan or Caleb, ant that for this reason he was being punished. Kudos to Bryan for admitting he was in the wrong.

I am nothing if not predictable @Andre Delport, but I was particularly pleased my favourite member of the Devlin-Major family, Rascal, had a larger role to play in this chapter than he has for some time. And as usual, he delighted all with his playfulness. As noted by several of my fellow readers, the gastronomical delights were to the fore again. Even the non-vegetarian seafood dishes had my mouth watering; not as much of course as the delicious aubergine, tomatoes, avocados and peppers which are amongst my favourite vegetables. And the wines sounded most appealing too. To describe food with such passion and exquisite beauty I imagine you must be a gourmand yourself.

It is easy for me to say sitting in my "ivory tower" @John Henry, but I am starting to lose patience with Bryan and his continual bad decision making. He is clearly not a stupid teenager, but he is certainly doing a damn good job of behaving like one. I am sure you will have a rational explanation as to why he has still not disclosed Calvin's stalking behaviour to Diego, but it is certainly puzzling me. Kenny's summation of the situation was brilliant “so you, somehow, expect the man, who left you with a near complete stranger to chase pussy across the country, to find it in his heart to honor the wishes of a 14-year-old he has no real connection to, outside of DNA?”. And, I think Kenny had every right to be pissed off with Bryan on this occasion. "I promise you haven't been told the truth about me or what happened.” Calvin's lies and deceit appear never ending. He should seriously consider running as a Republican candidate in an election or creating his own mega-church.

I have not until this chapter had any issue with Seth's behaviour. I have had no issue with him having sex with Craig as I think he is well aware that Craig is only using him, although he does at times appear to believe he means more to Craig than just a convenient fuck. I also have no issue with him fucking his sister's alleged boyfriend as she deserves nothing but Seth's contempt. In this chapter though he finally went too far. He was unnecessarily rude to Blake and for that I have given him a virtual slap. Speaking of the little skank Stacy; I did not think I could loathe her anymore than I already did, but she proved me wrong once again in this chapter with her behaviour. And once again Mommie Dearest enabled her selfish, brattish, childish behaviour. I felt guilty @Ronyx, albeit very briefly, for wishing she be subjected to vile unspeakable treatment, treatment that even Carrie would have trouble inflicting. I just hope that when the chaos in Seth's life reaches its peak that Stacy is the chief sufferer in any fallout, and if it is not too much to ask, I want Maggie to suffer greatly too. It appears as if you have been correct all along @weinerdog. Craig's enjoyment of sex with Seth suggests that his continual denial "I'm not gay" is on increasingly shaky ground, particularly when he seems to have little interest in females, although in the case of his alleged "girlfriend" that is perfectly understandable.

Simon very much was @raven1. As commented by @Mancunian "One important aspect that it clearly shows, is that mistreatment in childhood can, and often does, have severe lasting effects on people. This can lead someone to behave in a way that could have possibly been prevented by better parenting and/or earlier intervention."

I agree @chris191070. I am not usually at all sympathetic towards the perpetrators of such heinous crimes, but in this case I felt a surprising degree of sympathy for Simon. I have to wonder if it was Simon who enjoyed hunting with his grandfather or if it was Max who did so. The viciousness of the attacks on Bobby and Ricki was the sign of a very disturbed mind. Although the story was primarily serious and disturbing, I did find humour in the name of the first suspect. The bullshit and hatred which he spewed forth when questioned was reminiscent of the irrational diatribe of an infamous American political figure with whom he shares one of his names.

What an insufferable, nasty, uptight little bitch Lauren (aka Barbie) was; a member of 'Moms for Liberty' in the making. Ms Justice would be very proud of her arrogance and bigotry. And as for Thomas Walker, he would be best treated to a journey like the one described in @drsawzall's joke (I had never heard this before, and as someone who works with lawyer's it gave me a great laugh). I think Diego would be well served to talk to Steve's lawyer friend. Diego's revelations of Calvin's prior behaviour whilst shocking surprised me somewhat as I thought it would be even worse. I found the most telling was the admission by his mother that he had been an habitual liar since childhood. @John Henry another most enjoyable chapter. I am beginning to think Steve is going to play a major part in any protection or rescue of Bryan and/or Caleb from whatever dastardly plan Calvin has in mind.

I am a teen of the 70's too @JohnnyC, having grown up in rural Australia. My teenage years were filled with the usual angst, but I certainly did not have to worry about fellow students coming to school armed with weapon(s), ridiculous social media, climate change and global pandemics. I also had wonderful music to accompany me through my teenage years.

Love those predictions @weinerdog. In reading them I have come to the conclusion the "chaos" in Seth's life will reach its peak at the school dance and the chaos will not just be restricted to his own life. I think all the cast are likely to experience some degree of chaos directly before, during or after the school dance. Now if only I could persuade @Ronyx to invite Carrie or maybe the spawn of Carrie to the school dance. She would make quick work of Stacy, Maggie and Craig. I thought for a fleeting moment Mommie Dearest was going to FINALLY treat Stacy like the spoilt brat she is, but no she let her get away with murder again. Mommie Dearest needs to obtain a large shillelagh or switch and when Stacy behaves like a spoilt 2-5 year old, deliver a good whack across the bag of the legs which may stop her from being such a bitch. As for the way she speaks to Seth, it is about time he slapped her in the face, consequences be damned. She has displayed no redeeming features at all to date so it is hard to imagine she has any. Seth needs to be very careful with Blake not to lead him on or behave inconsistently with him. Blake is very fragile and seems drawn to Seth for comfort, which Seth is providing to a certain degree. I also suspect Blake is far more attracted to Seth than what Seth realises. Another entertaining chapter @Ronyx. Momentum is building for chaos beyond our imagination. I look forward to it.

I'm still not Chris and I could be the grandfather of a teenager.

The reason I chose the 'Angry' emoticon in respect of your comment above @Mattyboy was because of the content of the second sentence. I had exactly the same thought as you. Regardless of the fact the sperm donor abandoned his children, I think it is a very plausible explanation that a right-wing church or right-wing group with religious affiliation e.g. groups named as extremist by the Southern Poverty Law Centre, some of which have been started by wealthy Karen's (read hateful bitches) who don't like COVID safety measures in schools, who agitate to ban books and limit discussion about race and LGBTQ identities, providing financial support etc to ensure Bryan and Caleb are removed from the "clutches of an evil faggot". Mind you these same see you next Tuesday's would not then provide any ongoing support for the care of Bryan and Caleb. These people are a blight on humanity and the best argument yet for retrospective abortion. I just hope Calvin has not "conveniently found God". Another well written chapter @John Henry. I am not sure I agree with @drsawzall that things are as dire yet as he seems to think, but I do think every time Bryan communicates with the sperm donor he is increasing the chances that something bad is going to happen to him and/or Caleb. He needs to tell Diego NOW what is happening.

You have not been deprived @drpaladin.

I strongly disagree with any reviews comparing any of your works to Call Me By Your Name (the film anyway). I suspect from the little I have read the original screenplay as written by James Ivory may have been quite different, particularly when compared to the screenplay he wrote for Maurice, another gay-themed film which he also directed. One critic described Call Me By Your Name as "craven commercialism" and a "super-bourgeois fantasy" that "exploit[s] the queer audience's romantic needs by packaging them and falsifying them". Quite accurate I think. Then again I also disliked Brokeback Mountain, which really surprised me as I had seen three Ang Lee film's before this, including another gay-themed film, The Wedding Banquet, and thought all three were magnificent. I will no doubt incur the ire of some, but I thought Heath Ledger's performance was woeful and the film needed a severe editing.

I am sure @James Carnarvon would make a much better film than Call Me By Your Name (not that it would be difficult). I am still amazed the screenplay was written by the wonderful James Ivory, although according to the film's Wikipedia entry, the screenplay was substantially altered by the director, much to the film's detriment I think. The performance of all the actors I thought very good, it was just the story was so "thin", it was akin to watching a travelogue promoting the part of Italy in which it was set as a tourist destination.

@raven1, Frankie Howerd was similar to Benny Hill and the comedy of Are You Being Served in that his comedy featured lots of double entendres and sauciness, delivered deadpan. He was similarly camp to Kenneth Williams, although I don't think quite as affected. He died the day before Benny Hill and the two were supposedly friends. The three shows you mentioned were enormously popular in Australia. Benny Hill even had a number 1 hit on the music charts with Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West), which was also hugely popular in the UK. Your comment regarding @James Carnarvon selling the Ravello stories to the BBC was "spooky". I was only thinking myself recently that the stories would, if "properly" done, be a perfect vehicle for short 3-4 episode TV series per book, the kind of series the BBC does (or at least has done in the past and may still do except I don't watch TV to know) very well. Perhaps the Pet Shop Boys could be commissioned to write some suitable music for the series and James would have to be retained as a consultant at least, if not the script writer.

The "rebel" or "irreverent cynic" in me was particularly impressed with the one-child status of many of the families @James Carnarvon given the story is set in Italy, the home of Catholicism, and surely one of the Christian religions' most ludicrous moral edicts "thou shalt not use birth control". I don't know if this is still the case, but for some time Italy in more recent years had the lowest birth rate in Western Europe, which I found deliciously ironic. The correct pronunciation of Tiziana as explained in your link above surprised me. I recall her not liking being called Tiz, but had no idea as to why. I fully understand now. Reza's "naughtiness" brought to mind a British TV comedy from the 1970's which was shown in Australia, Whoops Baghdad, starring a very popular English comedian, Frankie Howerd. The only thing I can remember about the TV show (apart from how camp Frankie Howerd was, although as a 10 year old that was not yet "on my radar") was that two of the characters, the daughters of the main male character, were named Saccharine (the virginal daughter) and Boobiana (the busty flirtatious daughter). To a 10 year old the latter's name was the source of great mirth.

Indeed so @raven1. The "family trees" were very interesting @James Carnarvon. The thing which struck me most was that most of the families had one child and that many of the parents were widowed at a young age. I was certainly aware of this as each story progressed, but to have it presented in one place at one time was more impactful.

You are so suspicious @drsawzall. You previously speculated Mommie Dearest may have a secret "love interest" (or at least a fuck-buddy), but I had forgotten this. I accepted her statement she was going away for a work conference. Maybe her secret "love interest" is a work colleague and a conference is conveniently scheduled, albeit for a shorter period of time. The speculation the love interest is married is certainly very credible, but I have an additional speculation of my own. You have assumed the "love interest" is male; what if this is not the case? It seems everyone detests Stacy except Mommie Dearest and Maggie (for now anyway). I think Ty is aware of where Seth's "interests lie", but is waiting for Seth to acknowledge it to him. I don't think Ty will have any issue with Seth being gay. As for the rest of the cafeteria table mates, vapid and narcissistic describes them well. Fairly typical teenagers I would say. I found Amber's behaviour very disappointing. She seemingly expressed grave concern for Blake's wellbeing and was very keen to have Seth visit to see if he could help Blake. They arrive home and she behaves like a complete bitch to Blake. I have some sympathy for her though as being constantly exposed to Blake's dramatic mood swings must be tiring and difficult for her to understand. Some of her behaviour may even be attributable to her feeling frustrated that neither she nor her parents appear to be having a positive impact in Blake's life. I cannot recall if @Ronyx has disclosed which of Amber's parents is the sibling of which of Blake's parents; whichever one it is needs to "read the riot act" to the said sibling. Amber's parents are clearly not equipped financially or have the time/resources/inclination to help Blake in the manner which he needs, and they should not have to be. He is not their responsibility.

Indeed she is @Bft, as are we of her. I even love Yentl, both the movie and the soundtrack. I don't care that she was too old to play the part of Yentl and that Isaac Bashevis Singer, whom I greatly admire, commented "I did not find artistic merit neither in the adaptation, nor in the directing." I think she made a great film, full of charm, social commentary and wonderful performances from all the cast. And as for the music, stupendous, especially Papa, Can You Hear Me.

You are a smart man @drsawzall. I have always assumed there is a monetary reason as to why the sperm donor has reared his ugly head again. It did not occur to me Donna may have something of worth to leave in her estate, let alone leave to her ex-husband. Surely she would have changed her will to ensure Calvin got nothing, but then again if she was strung out on drugs she may not have given such things a thought. Bryan needs to tell Diego of his sperm donor's harassment. The more Bryan angers him the more likely Calvin is to do something reckless and perhaps endanger Bryan and/or Caleb's lives. Well done again @John Henry.

Craig's rhetoric "I ain't gay" is laughable and frankly pathetic. Bitch probably thinks because he is a "top" (to date anyway) that he is all man, and that only "bottoms" like Seth are "faggots". "Bottoms" like Seth are more man than Craig will ever be. "Bottom shaming" by gay men is as homophobic as toxic masculinity.

The reason for my ha ha emoticon @raven1. Never has dysfunction been so entertaining to read and the heinous characters so enjoyably detestable. Although there is certainly some serious storylines present, particularly Blake's life, I find humour, albeit dark, in some of the dysfunction on display. Perhaps, this is why Serial Mom appealed to me so greatly.

Simplicity in the hands of a gifted author can be as entertaining, enchanting and rewarding as the grandiose and dramatic. With this story @Libby Drew you have demonstrated this in abundance. A very small "cast" in comparison to most stories, set in a small town with the motivations and desires of the main characters relatively "tame" and "ordinary"; and yet, those same characters, so authentically written, leapt off the page from beginning to end. Another delightful example of your talents in creating characters @Libby Drew as opposed to caricatures. If I have one "gripe" it would be that I would like to have learned more of the backstory of the Professor. He barely made an appearance, but with just a few words spoken, I found him intriguing.

“And after graduation, you didn’t owe it to me to stay, but you did anyway. It made me ashamed.” He cleared his throat and straightened. “The way I acted...” Michael stood to grip his shoulder. “Paps—” “So if you’re wanting my blessing or approval or whatever it is you think you need, you’ve got it.” He raised watery eyes to Michael’s face. “Both of you.” So simply written and yet so poignant @Libby Drew. The sentiments expressed by grandfather to grandson had me sobbing. And the encounter between Michael and the Professor once again challenged Michael's perception of himself as somehow not worthy or capable. I believe he has won the admiration of a man who will become a mentor if he dares to take that leap of faith.

I was a little surprised at Roni's flippant comment to Craig "Here,” she said. “He’s all yours.” I got the impression from comments she made to Seth in the previous chapter she is well aware Craig has some less than attractive personality traits e.g. he is a bully. Whilst his threats to kill Seth may be hollow, we saw him demonstrate physically violent behaviour towards Seth in this chapter, which in addition to the threatening verbal comments he has previously made, paint a picture of a person Seth would be well advised not to expose, whether intentionally or unintentionally. @weinerdog raised a very good point, something which has never crossed my mind, regarding Blake's threats to harm himself. Whilst I think it unlikely he will carry through on his "threat" to kill himself, his behaviour could "be dangerous for other students." His threats to kill himself appear hollow, he would be more likely to do this if he had said nothing, but he is so unpredictable he could do it in a moment of extreme distress or unintentionally harm other students. And I have another comment about the eating habits of the teenagers in this story @drpaladin. Left over chicken, Pillsbury biscuits and grape jelly (which I assume is what we in Australia refer to as jam), not to mention the soda and potato chips, as a meal for a boy who is clearly malnourished. Crap food is not going to help Blake's mental health, but I guess it at least got him eating. If he is frequently starving his body, as appears to be the case, it is not going to help his mind at all. A very disconcerting chapter @Ronyx. Blake's revelations were very upsetting for Seth. His revelation of his "home" to Seth is one of the saddest things I have ever read in a @Ronyx story. It is well known teenagers invariably have mood swings, but Blake's appear more frequent and extreme than the average teenager. I believe his parents are largely to blame, but there may be something even more sinister afoot. I will be very interested to read what GA's other resident doctor, @drsawzall, has to say about Blake's behaviour.