methodwriter85

Doesn't Missouri tend towards more conservative? And judging by his background, I'm betting serious money he went to an homophobic all-boys Catholic school. Of course it'd be harder for Tony to deal with being gay. Not to mention that he basically blames his dad being a gay slut for dying on him when he was 3. That said, I'm hoping that Will is finally getting the inkling that Tony is NOT real boyfriend material, at least for now. Other than attending a college 700 miles away, it's going to take him a LONG time before he could comfortably hold a boyfriend's hand in public. Will, I can't see him really being cool with that. Especially since it looks like guys at Harvard-Westlake are fairly open about being gay, and there he could meet a boyfriend who isn't going to flinch if he tries to take his hand in public. (There's something to be said about the fact that Will's of that generation where you can start seeing guys being openly affectionate in public, in places that aren't actually the gayborhood.) PrivateTim mentioned JJ running in place, and I thought that was something to think about. Does JJ really need a major emotional growth spurt right now, especially since he's not the narrator? JJ's 14 and in 9th grade. JJ's also in a sport that doesn't allow him to socialize much; therefore somewhat inhibiting his social skills. Him being immature works as a good balance and dramatic foil to Will's precocious maturity. Will's on one end, physically and emotionally, on the growth development spectrum, whereas JJ's on the other side. I think it works well to keep JJ as still being a little boy while Will's already grown into a young man. You get both sides represented- the guy you knew in 9th grade who seemed more like he should have been in 11th or 12th, and the guy in 9th grade who seemed to be very much still a little boy, both physically and emotionally. I'm sure when JJ is 18 years old and graduating from high school, he'll think about what he was like when he was 14 and cringe, like most of us. There's one incredibly embarrassing 9th grade yearbook picture floating around out there. Let's just say the 15-year old me thought it would be really cool to have a picture taken of me meditating. It wasn't. And it showed up in my senior yearbook. Ugh.

Chapter 44 -When Tiffany's son is born on Will's 14th birthday. There's a reason I picked this tune. Brownie points to whoever figures out why. -When Will and Tony have their magic kiss. "Under the Milky Way" by The Church -When Tony rants at his father for giving this deal about liking guys to him. Will, run. Seriousy. Run.

Since we're starting in on JJ's junior career in figure skating, I thought it'd be cool to start a thread with videos and such relating to the world of figure skating. Here's a video where a reporter talks with the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club, which is pretty well-known and currently the National Collegiate champs. I like this video because it reminds me of the cheesy promotional stuff that Daisy mentioned as being a big part of figure skating, with the girls cultivating this image as helpful, sweet girls with a squeaky-clean image. And I like at the end where they discuss how they put together their routines, as well as where the girls cheerfully tell them how many hours they put into figure skating with nary a frown on their face. To contrast that, here's a more candid video, from skaters Melissa Bulanhagui and Haley Dunne. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU28UUsjG2E I like that this talks about how they deal with injuries and such, and the general up's and down's that come with this world.

When I think of Mouse from Be Rad and Man In Motion, I think of Kyle Gallner from Veronica Mars and The Haunting in Connecticut. He has that "wounded little boy" look to him down pat. And Kyle's good-looking, but in this really quirky, slight body kind of way, which seems right for Mouse.

I'm curious- what would your size and build have to do with what people perceive about your party affiliation?

Damn, it makes me want to take a trip out to New York City so I can see the boat dock!

Sterling Beaumon? He was on an episode of SUV once. Lost fans might know him as Young Ben. I think he's a nice-looking kid, but in a geeky and very preppy WASP way. Like he should have grown up in the early 80's instead of the 2010's. Plus, I mean, his name is Sterling. Seriously. Almost as elitist-sounding as Alistair. This is a more recent picture of him. He's now 16. I think this kid could have totally rocked the early 80's prep look back in Mark's day.

Broadway/Times Square is the coolest thing you'll ever see. Oh, and FAO Schwartz Toy Store. They have cute guys standing out front dressed as toy soldiers.

Okay. Here's where, yet again, I am JJ in many ways. I grew up with older sisters that were pretty protective of me, and with a mom that was pretty permissive and didn't do much to reign me in. Long story short, being treated like a little boy by my family enabled me to enage in a lot of immature behavior for far longer than I should have, and I think it's the same deal with JJ. He's so coddled by everyone that it's hard for him to take personal responsibility for his own actions. I think that's what JJ was attempting to do by turning Ryan in for the bullying- apart from currying favor with Alistair, JJ thought he was doing the independent and right thing and taking proactive action there.

Just as an aside- it really is funny that both you and I tried to think of Disney actors when it came to casting guys like JJ and Alistair. Before Lucas Till I was really set on Sterling Knight for JJ, but Mark didn't seem all that enthused by Sterling. I was thinking WB/CW guys as well. I got Wade aka Nico Tortorella from his very short-lived stint on the Mischa Barton modeling show from '09. Matt aka Evan Wadle...I think I just saw his pictures posted on a gay website. I was orginally thinking Kellan Lutz for Matt, but Mark wasn't feeling that so later I hit on Evan. I pretty much had Sean Faris as Will picked out like two years ago. It seemed obvious. JJ took the longest; Colton Haynes as John Hobart was probably the easiest pick I've made that hit the target right on the first try. Colton Haynes I remembered from his stint on "The Gates"- and come on, a guy that combines "cute" with "unbelieveably gorgeous" that well would just have to be Jack and Claire Hobart's son. I find this pretty fun because eye candy is never a bad thing, and because it's a fun guessing game. And because it makes me remember when I used to put up pictures of David Boreanaz, Chad Michael Murray, Nick Lachey, and Jason Behr on my bedroom walls and computer screen.

Older? I thought Alistair was supposed to be a small kid who looked 12 like JJ did. I can totally picture 13-year old Thomas Dekker lisping those lines in that conversation with Will. I kinda wanna say Joseph Gordon Levitt circa Ten Things I Hate About You, but I can't see him playing uptight. I wanted to say Gregory Smith circa 2001 as well, but Gregory Smith just has way too cool of a vibe to him at all times to play someone like Alistair.

Right. It wasn't that long ago that I still held naieve assumptions about politicians. 2004 was the first election I could vote in.

Brazillian model Evandro Soldati as the hot wrestler that Will's likely going to bang? The big nose with the close-together eyes give him such an exotic, memorable look. And I'm totally picturing Thomas Dekker during his geeky childhood turn as Nick Zalinksy on "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" as Alistar Crownbeam. I remember my jaw dropped when I saw Thomas Dekker on "Heroes" and realized that geeky, lisping little boy had grown up into a totally hot emo guy.

Well, yeah. But there was/is the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, Virginia Tech, bunch of other stuff. Of course, we gotta consider that the 90's were more your "teenaged/college" years, while the 90's for me were when things were simpler because I was a child. Plus you're forgetting how pissed off Democrats were about the Bush administration, of which JP will most likely be an ardent critic of. My viewpoint is shaded by the fact that my friends/contemporaries graduated, on average, in the late 2000's into a shitty economy. Which won't really be of concern to trust fund babies like JJ and Will, but I'm sure they're going to have friends who can't find jobs and the like. (Mark's always made it a point for the protagonists not to live in a total bubble where all of their friends are trust fund kids like themselves.) And then there's all the Iraq War stuff, which is likely to hit Gathan's circle of high school friends pretty hard. Here's an article I shared once, about my generation's penchant for being nostalgic for the 1990's- Twentysomething And Already Nostalgic Here's a section that basically summed it up: The 90's just seemed like a much better time than the one we live in now. If I could, I really wish I had been born ten years earlier, so I could have gone to college in the '90's. And it was that last period of innocence, which was shattered forever after 9/11. The 2000's just sucked by comparison.

It's funny watching Bush go on about "responsibility", since his administration couldn't exactly be called that. Or Al Gore's ad and knowing that he got divorced.

Can I just say how much I really liked Will actually hanging out with kids his own age instead of hanging around college guys like he's 20 years old? Given a name like "Raine", I'm hoping that she's like one of those cute Emo chicks that I used to hang with back in 2000-2001. Not like mid/late 2000's emo with the Myspace girl-jeaned guys with crazy hair, but late 90's/early '00s emo, with the streaks of multi-colored hair, cardigans, and Buddy Holly glasses who shared their poetry online at LiveJournal. It feels like the majority of people we've met so far are either jocky rich guys, jocky poor guys, or a geek, and high school ran the gamut way more than that. It's actually kinda annoying how television always depicts high school as being ruled by the snotty preppy jock crowd while the geeky kids cower in fear, and there are no other types of people. It made sense with Matt and Gathan, because they're hockey players and I can see them primarily associating with other jocks and preppy cheerleader girls. Will isn't going to join a team sport, however, and it makes sense that he'd be more of a high school floater, associating with different types of people. Will seems like a guy who has a core group of friends, but also hangs out with people that aren't skater/surfers like him, so I can see him ranging from jock guys to geeks to the emo/artist types. It's just weird to think that we're finally hitting the year countdown to 9/11. These people really have no clue how shitty the next decade is going to be. Well, Ipods and smart phones and facebooking was fun, but for the most part the 2000's blew. The 90's were so much better. I guess Will isn't "upset", per se, just annoyed but realizing that it's the way things have to be. It will be interesting to see what happens next year, though. Will's 15th birthday is three days after 9/11, so right when all the 9/11 hysteria and panic was raw and new. I was kinda hoping you'd give one of the Irish twins a 9/11 birthday. That could have been cool. I always feel bad for friends that have 9/11 birthdays. Seeing the date "September 11th, 2000" was kinda weird for me- just one more year and the country changes forever...

Chapter 43 -When we meet Will's complete crew of high school friends. -When JJ and Will bitch at each other all throughout the chapter about having to share a car ride. (JJ should be happy that he's getting his license mid-10th grade year while Will has to wait until 11th grade starts. Sucks for you, Will!) -When Gathan ponders about how, in the end, it doesn't really matter who gets elected president. vs. -When Gathan thinks about Matt and Wade's open relationship.

Will, if it annoys you that your mother needing bedrest put a wrench in your plans for your 14th birthday, I can't WAIT to see how you feel the week of your 15th birthday. Damn, was that really what this country was like 11 years ago? Damn. It seems like forever ago. At least we have our explanation as to why Gathan as a political science major doesn't seem all that interested about the presidential election.

Zach is lucky he looks like this, and that the devil horns don't show. I'm not sure what it says about me the first time I saw Liam Hemsworth, and I thought immediately, "Wow, he really looks like a Hayes guy come to life!" Another guess- Robbie's going to make a lot of money off those Harry Potter movies. Just a guess. LOL.

Rage is a cover for angst, usually. But I do agree. All that repression is going to lead to some big explosions. I basically have a pretty good read on JJ because in many ways I AM JJ. JJ did it because he wanted to suck up to Allistair. JJ now thinks they're best friends, and he'll annoy the hell out of Allistair until he gets dropped. It probably didn't work out, because let's face it- 9th grade boys/girls don't go for guys who still look like they're 12 and don't have their peach fuzz yet. They go for advanced guys like Will and John. I'm kinda surprised though that JJ didn't decide to stay at Malibu for high school, because it seems like they already worked out an arrangement with the school, and he could have finally been able to go to school without being in Will's shadow. From all accounts it's going to be an uphill battle for JJ to get cleared for the weeks of school he'll have to miss, according to someone who went to Harvard-Westlake. I'm just looking forward to the fact that 9th graders are supposed to clean up the cafeteria for one period- can you just imagine the bitching that JJ would do? Matt observed, back in Bloodlines, that JJ's treated like the delicate flower that needs to be protected by his brothers. JJ's turning 15 in December. I think it's finally starting to irk him that his brother, who's almost a year younger than him, treats him like the kid brother. Note: Back when I was their age, I usually rounded up my age to the next number when I was within three months of the next birthday. Now it makes me roll my eyes that Will keeps calling himself "fourteen", but back then I'm sure I would have done the same. You want to be older all the way up to your 21st birthday. Now I'm almost 26 and I desperately want to hold on to 25. Actually, 19 would be better. I miss being 19. Getting old sucks.

Your mileage may vary on this topic; I'm just reading into it because I have a lot of similarities to JJ, sometimes to the point where it's like getting a mirror put on some of my less-than-favorable characteristics. The shit-stirrer tendency, especially. Yes, JJ grew up loved and in a rich lifestyle. But he also grew up the guy who was never quite as good or as well-liked as his brothers were. Darius and Will could pick up things and pretty much be good at anything they tried; JJ would try but he wasn't good at anything until he found figure skating. At school, he was picked on while his brothers were much more popular and well-liked. A lot of that may have been his own doing, but when you're 14 it's harder to take a look at yourself and realize that your own behavior may be the reason why people don't like you. He also gets crapped on because he's nearly 15 but looks closer to 12, which is pretty damn embarrassing for the teenage male's psyche. Now he's in a sport that requires him to practice long hours, give up family vacations, give up hanging out with what friends he does have, and maintain a pristine and family-friendly image at all times. That's going to cause at least some tension and anxiety within himself. And when JJ goes through all of that and STILL doesn't win gold in '06? The angst will be palpable.

Nah, Mark's already thought ahead to a series he'll write when he's done with CAP. We pretty much got Will and JJ's generation left; take them out to about their early 20's in the late 2000's, and fade out on the clan. It'll be good, I'm sure. 2008 would make a great endpoint to the series, unless Mark wants to go up to JJ and Will's mid-20's and fade out in either 2010 or 2011. 2008 HAS to get covered, though. That was just one crazy year. In any event, this thread is more about what you guess might happen on the way to the end of the story. It's a speculation thread, in any event. Another guess- Zach Hayes will wind up at USC, and wreck havoc on JJ and Will during their senior year of high school. I can't see him coming out to California when he's still in high school, because Claire doesn't take bullshit so I can't see her offering the same thing she offered to Ella, and Brad/Robbie probably sense that he's trouble, too. Therefore if Zach does wind up in California, it would likely be by way of a football scholarship.

You gotta keep in mind, though, that Mark has on more than one occasion admitted that he doesn't really take break-ups well, especially when he was in high school/college, and part of that is going to translate into how he writes his characters. They're just not going to go, "Oh, I'll be okay. This is for the best." That would be so unlike the Crampton/Schluter/Hayes angsty teens we've come to know. I get what you're saying, though. It would be nice for someone to look at a break-up pragmatically, especially when we're talking about a relationship that occurred within a span of two months. Which I'm kinda hoping will happen with JJ, because he's got his career to focus on and relationships would take a distant third in his priorities.

Here's what you got to remember about Gathan, though. He's an emotionally damaged young man from an abusive background who's never had a serious relationship, or felt truly loved before. Of course he's fixated on Kristin. I think it was a given that JJ was going to be a neurotic mess. He's a short kid everyone makes fun of who grew up in the middle, overshadowed by two brothers that easily make friends in a way that he can't. JJ was also the kid who was never really good at anything he tried to do, while Darius and Will seemed to excel at everything. Now JJ finds himself, at the age of 14, in a sport that has basically forced him to give up his childhood/adolescence for a shot at Olympic Gold. Said sport comes complete with ludicrous off-ice expectations and a need for a pristine image while being in a family that is FAR from the family-friendly hetero normative image that the powers that be seem to want. This kid will stand for hours in his room practicing just one stance. I really don't see where he would have turned out to be a well-adjusted, easy-going kid like Will. Besides, if all three of Brad's kids were well-adjusted, self-assured types, where would the dramatic fun in that be? Wasn't the whole Paris deal basically Mark realizing that he made Will way too happy and well-adjusted, so that was meant to give Will some real issues to deal with so he wasn't just a happy rich kid who got whatever he wanted in life?

Have you ever noticed that the cockier a guy seems, the more likely it is that he has total insecurity issues? It took me until I was in my 20's before I realized that the cocky guys who were the total golden boys and seemed to have it all figured out were actually pretty neurotic messes inside the facade. The thought I just had...Matt took to JJ, and they both share a cocky attitude, although JJ's attitude took awhile to develop. They both have a need to prove how great they are to people. Meanwhile, Wade took to Will, and they both have more of a laidback attitude, because in the end they don't really have anything to prove to anybody. Kind of an interesting parallel there.