Mark Arbour

February 29, 2004 Malibu, CA Will “Dude, Keith is my friend,” Travis said to me as soon as we were out of earshot. “Can you not be a complete asshole?” “He’s a douche and he always has been,” I said. His eyes narrowed as he got angrier. “Can we not argue about that right now?” “Fine,” he said, as I led him beyond the changing rooms and up the stairs to our house. When I glanced at the beach, I saw Keith staring at us intently. “Hungry?” I aske

I can total see this. Especially the last pic.

Zach likes her, she’s a good beard for him, and he makes her more popular. 😂😂. You sticking up for Zach. 😂😂

February 28, 2004 Malibu, CA Will “What do you mean you watched us?” Zach asked. “You fucking watched us?” “No, I watched you fucking,” I said playfully, pretending that being there hadn’t bothered me. “You watched the whole thing?” He was a little unglued, but I expected that. “The whole thing,” I confirmed. He collapsed onto his back and sighed. I gave him some time to digest things, knowing that when h

Larry, I wasn’t upset, I genuinely wanted feedback. Sorry it didn’t come out that way.

That's a really good question. Before Gathan.

Pretty much everything about this situation is weird. I think Will is capable of a committed relationship, he just doesn't want one. And you're right, Zach makes for a perfect partner for both of them, for that reason. I think their big problem is that their feelings are too strong for that. Larry, thanks for your post. I'm going to use it to pose a broader question: what exactly has Zach done wrong? It's easy to be mad at him for staying in the closet and damaging both of them, but he has been very candid with Will about his goals and his priorities. So I'm wondering...what makes him such an asshole that I should have the bus divert itself from it's route to slaughter JJ (winks @Sharon) to hit Zach instead? I really think Zach has much more to lose here. For Travis, being outed could cause him some problems with his trust fund, but he'll still have enough cash to go to college where he wants to. For Zach, it would end his career, and since he's all in on that, it could also end him. Laughed my ass off at this one.

February 28, 2004 The Buck Mansion Malibu, CA Will I stood there in the closet and felt the earth falling away from me, and it took all of my effort not to hyperventilate. So Travis was the other dude? Holy shit. I didn’t even know he messed around with other guys, much less Zach. Thinking of Zach really annoyed me, since I’d witnessed him lying to Travis, right to his face. And what the fuck was wrong wi

That certainly seems like the type of reaction Will could have (upset with righteous outrage) but I think you have to factor in Will's basic confusion in this situation, and the fact that he has strong feelings for Zach and unclear feelings about Travis.

I’ve personally had that experience and it was unsettling.

I think Will realized his mistake.

This has been such an awesome discussion! Just for fun I posted a poll in the Club. Poll

Such a good discussion in the story comments I thought I’d post a poll.

He’s even better without clothes on

February 28, 2004 The Buck Mansion Malibu, CA Will I was having a really good time, but it was also a bit uncomfortable, and the reason for that was the latent tension between three people: me, Zach, and Travis. I decided to take a break from the conversation and head to the bar. I got a refill then paused to think about the situation. From my perspective, the basic issue was that I was reconnecting with Travis and I was having a blast, but since my atte

I think Will is more direct and open than his relatives, and he’s more likely to try and solve a problem than go to the extreme of a hit, but I can see him taking that step if it were vital. I agree with you on Wade and JJ.

I don’t know if it’s possible for two unhealthy people to have a healthy relationship

What do you think an appropriate punishment would be for Patrick?

Where the fuck have you been? 💖 So great to see you back in the “comments “.

Scrubber's comment about Will sensing trouble is spot-on. Will may have vague memories of Curtis Buck, but he is clearly irritated by the way the guy tracks his kids and Zach. Will recognizes the control freak mentality of such a person, having dealt with one his whole life, which will prompt him to try and anticipate problem situations. That's what he's doing here. I'm not sure why Will would really have to worry about that. Will is out, with really nothing to hide, so how could a guy extort money from him? There are indeed federal guidelines on sexual harassment, but most schools are allowed some leeway to set their own policies. In any event, I don't really think this is something Will would worry about. All that power and money comes in handy from time to time. 😀 I'll bet you find that one hand quite useful. 😀

That is an excellent suggestion. Done.

May 30, 1801 HMS Calliope Off Karlskrona, Sweden Everyone aboard was staring ahead at His Britannic Majesty’s Baltic fleet, some 12 ships of the line and assorted smaller vessels. It was hard to imagine a more majestic sight than that of these powerful battleships under almost full sail, confidently displaying their command of this body of water. Clear skies just added to the overall magnificence of the moment. “Flag to Calliope, captain to repair on board, my lord,”

February 27, 2004 Hotel Bel Air Bel Air, CA Will I flushed the toilet, glad to be rid of its nasty contents, and collapsed on the cold marble floor. I knew I should get up and go talk to Zach, but I was worried that I’d throw up again. I wasn’t sure how long I laid there, but I must have passed out because I felt a hand slowly stroking my back. “Where’s your t-shirt?” Zach asked. “I lost it when I was dancing,” I lied, hoping he wouldn’t be able to read

I haven’t heard from him either. I hope he’s alright.

That's an interesting idea. I could see that, where he's basically locked in 'rebound' mode. On the other hand, I still think he'd be slutty. He is Stef's grandson and he is 17. 😀 Let's put Will's drug and alcohol use into context. He's running with a fast crowd, and drugs are part of that culture. He isn't showing any signs of drug or alcohol addiction, nor will he, because that's not part of who he is. It would be totally unrealistic for him to go to a frat party like that and not go at it like a rock star. Besides, his body seems to explain things to him in the end. 😀 I think getting so fucked up that he passes out and is vulnerable is also a very real threat, especially after the bar in Australia, but I think Will learned from that. Note that he did a shot with Taylor and Zach but managed not to do another one after that because he didn't want to be completely out of it. I have a number of friends who will do this at parties, where they decide how fucked up they want to get and then work to get to that level and stay there. Personally, I haven't mastered that, because I usually pass out.