Mark Arbour

I'll try to post the next chapter of Valiant tomorrow. Unfortunately, it's a cliffhanger, so I have to hurry and get the next chapter written.

Thanks Kevin. This was one of my favorite lines from Stef: “Perhaps I will have to take my billions and buy some new relatives.”

Thanks! I agree...I thought Matt did a really nice job with Zach. I think he understands him, and that's why he went for a run with Zach, to let him get some physical stimulation and calm down from the situation.

This is probably exactly what Zach was talking about when he told Will that his parents didn't understand what it would take for him to make it to the show. I think it's unlikely that Zach will actually go forward with a guardianship change. I can't see him taking that step, unless they tried to cart him back to Ohio. Plus, I have to believe that posturing alone would have some impact on Wally and Clara, especially since Frank is in Zach's corner.

July 11, 2002 Maui Matt “Fuck!” Zach yelled. He was in the kitchen, pacing back and forth like a caged lion. “Fuck!” “Good luck,” Wade said to me, shaking his head as he climbed the stairs to go talk to Will. Zach grabbed a glass and filled it with water, then took a drink. “Fuck!” he yelled again, and threw the glass onto the floor, shattering it, and sending water splattering all over the place. “Dude. No b

I think that the big issue for Will is that a promise was made by both Zach and Barry. They made a commitment that Zach could go to Europe, and Will motivated JP to adjust his own schedule to accommodate them. Will understands quite clearly where he stands from a priority standpoint, but when there was a promise made, that's when he expects Zach to honor it, and to make room for Will in his life. It would be easy to discount that, and say that Will should understand, but I don't think, if I were in Will's position, I would be all that mellow about it either.

Zach has an interesting dilemma. He clearly is the kind of guy who has an anchor, someone who he trusts completely, and who he invests himself in. When he moved to New Jersey, and along with that realized that Wally and Clara weren't going to be there for him (in various ways), he grabbed for Will and got lucky. Probably for the first time, he's having to negotiate between football and his anchor, and he has to learn to make both a priority, or he will end up damaging or destroying his relationship with Will.

Arizona is a pretty complex place. It's always struck me as a very independent/free spirit kind of place, but that doesn't apply universally. There are the snowbirds and other retired people, and there are a lot of NRA members. Those two blocks of people keep Arizona pretty conservative, and handily in the "Red State" category.

I think your comments on the deal with Will and Zach are spot-on. Will goes nuclear when something hits him in a tender spot, and this situation did just that. It's not so much the battle between football and him in Zach's mind, it's more about Zach breaking a promise...and not to Will, but to JP, whom Will idolizes. I think he's developed a lot more patience, but when hit with such a core threat, that's not saying much.

Well, Maarten is adorable, so we like having him around. :-) As I said below, I agree; I think Will handled the situation with Josh masterfully. JP won't get involved in this issue except maybe in a peripheral capacity. If you'll notice, he stays very much on the sidelines when Will has these battles (which is safer), and only intervenes when he perceives there to be an unfair threat to Will. An example would be when he went over to dinner at Wally and Clara's house, to back Will up as he faced them. And how he set up this trip so Zach could go, in essence completing Will's plans. But I don't see him going "Brad" on Wally and Clara, or on Barry. It's not his style, and he knows that the backlash from Will from him interfering would be pretty unpleasant. (Stef would have a field day with that one!)

Maarten, Sadly for you, Will is going to be with us for a while. While you're your review isn't right, I'm still glad you posted it (SMILE). I think you're wrong about Will and Josh. I think Will did an excellent job, especially since Stef had already given him implicit authority to get involved. Will saw a family/business problem, decided that he was the best person to solve it, and did. And did a really good job. Zach hasn't exhibited an extreme amount of respect for his parents here, as far as they're concerned. He's seventeen, at that age where many young men are ready to break out on their own. Zach is definitely in that category, and wants nothing more than to make his own decisions. Will was in the same situation.

You mentioned JP and Frank...your forgot someone.

Thanks for such a nice review! Will made his points to Zach, I'm sure, but it remains to be seen whether Zach is smart enough to figure it out now. Maybe Matt will help him out. Signs are starting to look better for Matt and Wade. 8 out of 10 isn't bad, considering we're talking five years down the road. It's all so sweet and wonderful. Nothing could possibly go wrong. ;-)

I think that with Zach, he let himself fall in love, and now those trade-offs aren't so simple. Your prediction for drama is forthcoming. :-)

Thanks Gary. I think the entire encounter with Josh is meaningful because it shows Will not only becoming assertive, but taking a leadership role outside the family. He has lashed out at outsiders who have threatened him in the past, but here he was taking proactive steps to help Josh get a clue. Matt's not the only one who is maturing, even though they both do it in fits and starts. :-)

Will wonders never cease? I would also have to believe that Will may not be too far off the mark here, and that Barry and Zach's parents may not have an ulterior motive. I love the way you summed up Matt and Wade's progress.

True on both counts, although I think that Will and Zach aren't at the extreme breakup level, at least at the end of this chapter. All couples fight. Their fights will arguably be more intense.

Alright... I'll make a confession here. The competition is largely a created event, although loosely related to the showcases/combines you mention. This is definitely poetic license. Besides, Zach plays for De La Salle, and they have constant summer practices.

July 7, 2002 Chicago, IL Will I hung up the phone, and smiled at Matt ruefully. “That was Stef. They’re running about half an hour late.” “Terrific,” he grumbled. It was especially annoying that they were late after we busted our asses to make it to Spartacus on time. As if to emphasize that, our limo pulled up in front of the club and stopped. I looked at my watch and it read 9:55. Matt and I just shook our heads. “Well, we might as well go in and see

I always thought it started with Nancy Sinatra.

Thanks for taking the time to write them. It weirds me out on those rare occasions when I have to post a chapter and you haven't left a review for the last one. :-) Chicago is one of the most amazing places in the summer. If you'd have said winter, I'd buy into it, but not the summer. Those people live through a frigid hell for 4-6 months, so when it's over, they really cut loose. Good point on Matt and Wade and their ages. I think that's less of an issue for Brad, but maybe I'm just channeling myself.

Murse

Welcome!

Thanks. I try to keep the chapters relatively consistent in length. That's the problem with a serial novel...reading it in pieces.

What a great conversation! Those are good points. I think that 16/17 year olds, even mature ones like Zach and Will, tend to be myopic, and live for the day. They see these challenges coming, and they choose to largely ignore them, opting to take a "we'll deal with it when it's an issue" approach. I've done some research on gay NFL players, and I think I've mentioned this before, but I'll reiterate in case I haven't. There have been gay NFL players, and people on their team knew about it, but for the most part, they ignored it. The sense I'm getting in the NFL is that it was a Don't Ask-Don't Tell kind of thing. Once it became public, that's a whole different story. In a twisted way, it makes sense that the NFL would follow the military's general attitude on this.