The Paradox of Friendship

[InTheMindOfSunshine]

Hi

Thanks so much for your reply. I want to again emphasise what a great story this is but i have to take exception to your comment that Riley & Dexter shouldn't be held accountable for Porter's actions in tazering Spencer. Riley & Dexter tied him uo so he was defenceless. Dexter invited Porter into the torture saying " we're open to help if you guys are interested". Dexter than smirked when Porter pulled ou the tazer. Porter goes onto torture Spencer with the tazer. If that isn't absolute gulit and responsibility for the tazering than i'm confused. They than enjoyed the torture. Watching someone being tazered is a very unpleasant sight but they allowed Porter to repeat the tazer to a battered, gagged, tied up Spencer.

In fact I think this scene calls into question as to what are the limits that Riley & Dexter will go to in hurting Spencer. Would they knife him, cut his throat, hang him ? I think anyone reading to this point would have to say well maybe. Afterall tazering can kill, beating someone into his spleen can kill so why not ? We know they are punishing him for some perceived wrong despite the fact they don't know the full facts,know he is younger and could be the nicest guy in the world. They have been judge , jury & so why not executioner.

I understand you as an author see good in these guys and maybe they have some good in them and maybe they will become better guys but they really could never be called good guys.

I completely agree with your comments on Nix. He is a work in progress and his character development is torturous for us readers as he develops from a coward to something better. However it does make the story so incredibly good.

Again this is an amazing story and thanks so much for the story, the passion it causes and your patience with us.

 

The tazering scene is actually more complex than the face value of it. Yes, Dexter and Riley rendered Spencer defenseless. Yes, Dexter invited Porter and even smirked when he saw the tazer. BUT there is a line that says Riley was disgusted at his own actions when stuffing Spener's mouth with his own sock. There is also the fact that Dexter only allowed Porter to help them; of course, it was at the silent request of Nix. There is a fine line that Riley and Dexter do toe in this scene, but they never cross it. They have their limits. They're not murderers; if they were, Spencer would be long dead by now. Riley and Dexter know enough of the 'event' to see Spencer in an entirely different light than Nix or the reader does at this time. There is an upcoming scene between Riley, Dexter, and Spencer that sheds a little bit of light on Dexter [and, by extent, Riley]; I don't know the specific chapter because I haven't decided the best way to split up the chapters so I can't tell you specifically which chapter it'll be in.

 

I hope this explains a little bit more of the characters of Riley and Dexter. I encourage you to continue voicing your opinion; you're helping me see Riley and Dexter in a whole new light.

[seanthomas]

Hi

I was confused by what you meant by this line below. Are you saying that the tazering only went ahead because of Nix's failure to help Spencer .In other words Dexter was expecting Nix to stop it but he didn't. The line is " There is also the fact that Dexter only allowed Porter to help them; of course, it was at the silent request of Nix."

If so Nix's guilt is so much worse. You're saying not only did Nix fail to intervene but that Dexter had his tacit approval to do it.

[seanthomas]

Actually i just re-read this again. I think you are saying that Dexter & Riley may have done Nix a favour at Nix's silent request to ONLY invite Porter into the torture. I don't think that was much of a kindness given the extent of the torture. My reading of that section was that Riley & Dexter only wanted to share their "fun" with one person. Also i think they crossed the fine line well & truely with the tazering and they would be capable of progressing to futhur cruelty if the circumstances allowed it.

It could also be argued that Dexter & Riley don't kill Spencer as they enjoy the torture a bit too much especially Dexter. Dexter seems to enjoy Nix's discomfort with the torture..

Edited May 7, 2012 by seanthomas

[InTheMindOfSunshine]

Actually i just re-read this again. I think you are saying that Dexter & Riley may have done Nix a favour at Nix's silent request to ONLY invite Porter into the torture. I don't think that was much of a kindness given the extent of the torture. My reading of that section was that Riley & Dexter only wanted to share their "fun" with one person. Also i think they crossed the fine line well & truely with the tazering and they would be capable of progressing to futhur cruelty if the circumstances allowed it.

It could also be argued that Dexter & Riley don't kill Spencer as they enjoy the torture a bit too much especially Dexter. Dexter seems to enjoy Nix's discomfort with the torture..

 

It was a favor that it was ONLY Porter. Spencer was already outnumbered, but it would have been even worse had Porter, Sebastian, Liam, AND Derrick been invited by Dexter. Also, Dexter did not know about the tazer when he invited Porter. Once the invitation was out in the open, it would have been hard to take back. Dexter doesn't enjoy Nix's discomfort; instead, he's curious about it and unhappy with it.

[seanthomas]

I hope it is ok but I want to challenge your concept that Dexter and Riley are fundamentally good guys. I think you as the author and hence creator of Dexter and Riley may be very fond of these characters and a little biased in your comments. These are some examples

1 "It was Porter Matthews who electrocuted Spencer, not Dexter or Riley. They shouldn't be held accountable for Porter's actions. They can be held accountable as accomplices but not for the actual act."

You made this comment despite the evidence that Dexter and Riley tied Spencer up, beat him , gagged him and invited Porter into the assault

2. "Also, Dexter did not know about the tazer when he invited Porter. Once the invitation was out in the open, it would have been hard to take back."

Earlier when it suited them, Dexter and Riley had no trouble stopping Porter from assaulting Spencer to repay the favour they owed him. Also even after the shocking double tazering . that wasn't enough so they than simultaneously punched him, approved Porter to do it as well and than just to confirm how happy they were about the tazering Dexter told Porter " why don't we work together more often "

I personally feel this is about the most damming evidence that Dexter and Rilay have crossed every line possible and can never be considered remotely good despite any preceding event. This was pure evil.

3 "It was a favor that it was ONLY Porter"

The series of events in this assault were so bad that you can not possibly argue that it was some sought of silent favour. Surely if any more than the 3 were involved, could it have been any worse, There was no time for the others to be involved anyway as the bell went.

I accept Dexter and Riley may have been good & decent people in the past. I accept that Dexter and Riley may regain some of their goodness which must be hidden deep inside them. However their actions in between are so bad that it strikes them out as being good guys. A person with the slightest morality or conscience couldn't take the actions they have taken no matter the reason. You have stated that they have cruel and awful moments and are borderline sadistic. By definition this precludes them from ever being good guys.

If you convince me otherwise at the end of this story i will be astonished and you will not only be an amazing author but capable of miracles as well.

Edited May 9, 2012 by seanthomas

[InTheMindOfSunshine]

I hope it is ok but I want to challenge your concept that Dexter and Riley are fundamentally good guys. I think you as the author and hence creator of Dexter and Riley may be very fond of these characters and a little biased in your comments.

 

[...]

 

I accept Dexter and Riley may have been good & decent people in the past. I accept that Dexter and Riley may regain some of their goodness which must be hidden deep inside them. However their actions in between are so bad that it strikes them out as being good guys. A person with the slightest morality or conscience couldn't take the actions they have taken no matter the reason. You have stated that they have cruel and awful moments and are borderline sadistic. By definition this precludes them from ever being good guys.

If you convince me otherwise at the end of this story i will be astonished and you will not only be an amazing author but capable of miracles as well.

 

Overall, I've always thought of Riley and Dexter as the "good guys" of the entire story. If the story was obviously divided between the good guys and the bad guys, I would always place Riley and Dexter on the good guys' side. But why? Even after their *horrible* treatment of Spencer? Even after their borderline sadistic behavior? Because in this case, the good guys aren't always *good*. For example, Nix is the protagonist, and he fails Spencer more than he saves Spencer, as you've probably noticed. Yet, Nix is still on the side of the good guys. [i consider Spencer to be the 'secondary' protagonist, by the way.] Riley and Dexter, on the other hand, are the side of the good guys because of their overall characters. If you factored out their relationship with Spencer, they would be typical teenage boys. Factoring in their relationship with Spencer, though, things get a whole lot more complex. When it all comes down to it, the motivations of the characters is how I cateogrize the good guys and the bad guys. No, it's not good motivation to ever be cruel to anyone; however, the motivation that Riley and Dexter have is a rare exception. It is the sort of motivation that can cause good people to do irrational things. I understand that you probably do not and will not for a very long time--if ever--see Riley and Dexter as the good guys. I will say one thing: their intentions towards Spencer may not always been cruel.

[Stephen]

I only found this story yesterday and read it all through at once.

The story is one of those that if not written with such style and

captivating manner, the violence and unappealing main characters

would run you right off. Let's face it, if this wasn't fiction, then half of

the main characters would be in Juvie, and we'd be left with either no

story at all or else a soap opera. So write on, and we'll just know that

it's fiction, where anything's possible.

 

When I really think about it, I can only say that this community of

characters reminds me of the schoolboys on that island in Lord of

the Flies. Is that just me?

 

The character I fnd to be the most intriguing is Spencer. I want to

know why he just stays there in hell and not escape? Suicide isn't an

option, so why doesn't he drop school, or simply run away. Even the

mean streets wouldn't be worse than being a caged up target, -at least he'd

have more room to dodge the attacks. So what motivates him to stay?

Is he a hapless optimist, or masochist, or what? What is it that makes

him remain in circumstances that force him into brutality. Does he get

his strength from making those children happy for just a few minutes a

day? I'd really like to know what drives him.

 

I'm glad about the arrival of some new characters that may be balanced

(or totally unbalanced) people, since most of the others have lost my interest

...unless some of them die or get thrown into prison, or something really

wild happens like the back door of the bus flies open on the conveniently

bumpy road and they fall out into...whatever you choose.

 

I'm going to keep on reading because I am truly captivated by your

writing.

[seanthomas]

Thank you for your reply. It is so awesome to discuss these issues with you. I think i finally have some understanding of what you mean by a good guy. I can see how if you take out their actions towards Spencer that they are probably just normal guys. The totality of all the sequential brutality of the tazering scene was so bad i just can't move beyond it. Even Riley was sickened by his actions in that scene with the gagging and yet he was involved in so much worse offences after that. So if it sickens him than it is just so hard to believe that it is ever possible to forgive Riley & Dexter. However i am open to that possibility. More likely i may at some stage understand their actions.

I'm not sure that you addressed my feeling that you were a little to ready to not hold Riley & Dexter totally responsible for Porter's actions. I think i gave previously a fairly compelling argument that they were totally responsible for that. However i see your argument that when you detach their action to Spencer they are otherwise as good and responsible teens as any others.

Edited May 10, 2012 by seanthomas

[seanthomas]

I hope i'm not being annoying but i was wondering up to this point in the story if Dexter & Riley see Spencer as a "bad guy" or just someone who has to be punished. They know about his hospital work so i was wondering whether they see Spencer as evil or bad. I suspect they know more about Spencer the person from the past or have they never really got to know him.

I was also wondering whether it was his sexuality that is his crime in their eyes & this seduces guys like their friend Connor who died in the accident and maybe this is why they are so worried about Nix. So in this case they don't see him as bad but more like a disease that has to be swatted/crushed all the time to protect others and be punished for the past. To them he represents some form of danger.

I'm probably completely off in this interpretation but your story really gets you wondering.

Edited May 10, 2012 by seanthomas

[InTheMindOfSunshine]

I only found this story yesterday and read it all through at once.

The story is one of those that if not written with such style and

captivating manner, the violence and unappealing main characters

would run you right off. Let's face it, if this wasn't fiction, then half of

the main characters would be in Juvie, and we'd be left with either no

story at all or else a soap opera. So write on, and we'll just know that

it's fiction, where anything's possible.

 

When I really think about it, I can only say that this community of

characters reminds me of the schoolboys on that island in Lord of

the Flies. Is that just me?

 

The character I fnd to be the most intriguing is Spencer. I want to

know why he just stays there in hell and not escape? Suicide isn't an

option, so why doesn't he drop school, or simply run away. Even the

mean streets wouldn't be worse than being a caged up target, -at least he'd

have more room to dodge the attacks. So what motivates him to stay?

Is he a hapless optimist, or masochist, or what? What is it that makes

him remain in circumstances that force him into brutality. Does he get

his strength from making those children happy for just a few minutes a

day? I'd really like to know what drives him.

 

I'm glad about the arrival of some new characters that may be balanced

(or totally unbalanced) people, since most of the others have lost my interest

...unless some of them die or get thrown into prison, or something really

wild happens like the back door of the bus flies open on the conveniently

bumpy road and they fall out into...whatever you choose.

 

I'm going to keep on reading because I am truly captivated by your

writing.

 

 

I'm glad you like the story, even though the violence contained within is can be rather extreme. I wouldn't say Spencer is a masochist. There's one thing that keeps Spencer going, which will be revealed later in the story so I won't say much about it now. Although, making the children at the hospital happy does help him just a little bit. I brought in the new charcters because there was only so much I could do with the current factors of the story, such as Dexter and Riley's violent tendancies and Nix's moments of cowardice. The new characters will become a feature of the story in subsequent chapters. I hope that I can keep your attention throughout the story. =)

 

Thank you for your reply. It is so awesome to discuss these issues with you. I think i finally have some understanding of what you mean by a good guy. I can see how if you take out their actions towards Spencer that they are probably just normal guys. The totality of all the sequential brutality of the tazering scene was so bad i just can't move beyond it. Even Riley was sickened by his actions in that scene with the gagging and yet he was involved in so much worse offences after that. So if it sickens him than it is just so hard to believe that it is ever possible to forgive Riley & Dexter. However i am open to that possibility. More likely i may at some stage understand their actions.

I'm not sure that you addressed my feeling that you were a little to ready to not hold Riley & Dexter totally responsible for Porter's actions. I think i gave previously a fairly compelling argument that they were totally responsible for that. However i see your argument that when you detach their action to Spencer they are otherwise as good and responsible teens as any others.

 

The arguments you gave regarding Dexter and Riley's liability of Porter's actions were valid. I think I addressed your first point earlier. The second point you made regarded Dexter and Riley's actions after Porter electrocuted Spencer; you called them evil. Their actions were really cruel. Spencer was already in pain and already beaten into submission at the time. The punches were an afterthought. This is Riley and Dexter toeing the line. Maybe they crossed it a little bit. But neither Riley nor Dexter stopped Nix from helping Spencer afterwards. (They both knew why Nix was lingering in the hallway.) This isn't much of a consolation, but had they stopped Nix from helping Spencer, there would be no doubt that they had crossed the line and would never be able to get back on the other side of it. The third point you made is very valid also, and I think I addressed it a little earlier. All in all, Riley and Dexter have their malicious moments. They have their cruel sides, and it just so happens that Spencer gets the bad end of that deal.

 

 

I hope i'm not being annoying but i was wondering up to this point in the story if Dexter & Riley see Spencer as a "bad guy" or just someone who has to be punished. They know about his hospital work so i was wondering whether they see Spencer as evil or bad. I suspect they know more about Spencer the person from the past or have they never really got to know him.

I was also wondering whether it was his sexuality that is his crime in their eyes & this seduces guys like their friend Connor who died in the accident and maybe this is why they are so worried about Nix. So in this case they don't see him as bad but more like a disease that has to be swatted/crushed all the time to protect others and be punished for the past. To them he represents some form of danger.

I'm probably completely off in this interpretation but your story really gets you wondering.

 

I want to thank you for bringing all of these points to my attention. I had a bit of tunnel vision while writing the story. Now that I've finished it though and am posting it, I am thankful for the different perspectives on it.

 

Up to this point in the story, Riley and Dexter see Spencer as both the "bad guy" and someone who has to be punished. What do I mean by the "bad guy"? In relation to Nix and the rest of their friends, Riley and Dexter see Spencer as someone who is dangerous and harmful. Also, because of the events of the party, they see Spencer as someone who needs to be punished. This may seem off the wall and completely unlikely, but Riley and Dexter are not homophobic. Spencer's sexuality has nothing to do with the reason they're mean to him. If this is hard to grasp, it'll become obvious in the story that they're not homophobic. However, with this being said, I won't disagree with your statement of "they don't see him as bad but more like a disease that has to be swatted/crushed all the time to protect others and be punished for the past. To them he represents some form of danger." You're actually sort of close in your interpretration of this.

[seanthomas]

I was wondering if Porter isn't homophobic & the motive for assaulting Spencer isn't personal like Dexter & Riley than he must just be a sadist & Spencer is just a good target. In that case Dexter & Riley would be complicit as they made Spencer a target. Also any future more brutal assaults would become Dexter & Riley's fault as well.

Also i was wondering if Parker told Dexter & Riley about the extent of Spencer's recent injuries from the belt buckle & the extent of the scars on his back. Does this not cause Dexter & Riley to think enough is enough or are they so cold that nothing will. I suspect the later as after the tazering they continued their assault.

[Stephen]

After re-reading the last couple of chapters, I still had no clue

as to why Spencer got on the bus with all his bullies. You didn't

say, but now I think I know why. I won't say either, but I think I

understand a little more about Spencer's motivation. And no, he's

not a total masochist, -just a kinda' sorta' maybe one.

 

I can hardly wait to see if I'm right.

[seanthomas]

Spencer isn't a masochist. It just that things are even worse at home compared to the bus hence the scars on his back. However he accepts all the torture bravely as he wrongly feels he should be punished.

[InTheMindOfSunshine]

I was wondering if Porter isn't homophobic & the motive for assaulting Spencer isn't personal like Dexter & Riley than he must just be a sadist & Spencer is just a good target. In that case Dexter & Riley would be complicit as they made Spencer a target. Also any future more brutal assaults would become Dexter & Riley's fault as well.

Also i was wondering if Parker told Dexter & Riley about the extent of Spencer's recent injuries from the belt buckle & the extent of the scars on his back. Does this not cause Dexter & Riley to think enough is enough or are they so cold that nothing will. I suspect the later as after the tazering they continued their assault.

 

Porter isn't neither a homophobe nor a sadist. I'm not sure if I ever said whether or not Porter's actions were not personal; however, there will be a little bit of speculation about Porter and his motives for assaulting Spencer in later chapters.

 

Parker doesn't say anything to Riley and Dexter about Spencer's injuries. He knows they wouldn't be that concerned, and Parker's about to have something more important to worry about than Spencer.

 

After re-reading the last couple of chapters, I still had no clue

as to why Spencer got on the bus with all his bullies. You didn't

say, but now I think I know why. I won't say either, but I think I

understand a little more about Spencer's motivation. And no, he's

not a total masochist, -just a kinda' sorta' maybe one.

 

I can hardly wait to see if I'm right.

 

Spencer's motivation for getting on the bus with his bullies will be revealed in future chapters. At any time, feel free to tell me your guess; I'm interested to know. You're right; Spencer's not a total masochist -- he's just kinda sorta one.

[seanthomas]

The introduction to the story gives some clues as to where this story is going. It mentions a sadistic mastermind. I now believe that is Artie. Previously i felt it was Porter but i now know it isn't him. It also mentions rape as a theme so now i 'm thinking that this is one of the things Artie has planned for Spencer. I fear this along with torture and even murder. As I said in my latest review i'm worried sick for Spencer.

Edited May 23, 2012 by seanthomas

[seanthomas]

I've had furthur thoughts about Porter & his motive. You say he isn't homophobic and isn't a straight out sadistic bully. So now i think he is doing the assaults on Spencer for someone presumably Hagan or Artie. He may be paid for this or is just doing it for someone like Hagan for a favour. The assaults by Dexter & Riley are just a bonus for Hagan & Artie.

Max's failure to say something in Spencer's support reminds me of the cowardice of Nix.

[InTheMindOfSunshine]

I've had furthur thoughts about Porter & his motive. You say he isn't homophobic and isn't a straight out sadistic bully. So now i think he is doing the assaults on Spencer for someone presumably Hagan or Artie. He may be paid for this or is just doing it for someone like Hagan for a favour. The assaults by Dexter & Riley are just a bonus for Hagan & Artie.

Max's failure to say something in Spencer's support reminds me of the cowardice of Nix.

 

Porter is a character who likes to blend into the background most of the time. I won't say much about his motives, but you've got a good guess.

 

Regarding Max, though, I will say he is not being cowardly. Max doesn't support Spencer because it might be advantageous to him (and Spencer) to keep quiet. Max didn't go over to Artie's house to defend Spencer. Take a closer look at the beginning of that scene.

[InTheMindOfSunshine]

Some readers have requested a character map, and this is for you guys. I know at this point in the story (Chapter 19) that things are more hazy than clear. In the following list, I've named major/minor charcters and a short description about most of them. These descriptions only contain a little bit of the information that is thus far known. I hope this helps to clear things up a bit. The characters are in no specific order; however, I've tried to break them up into 'groups' (i.e. who is friends with who).

 

Phoenix "Nix" Willows--The Oblivious Protagonist

Dexter Preston--Bullies Spencer

Riley Hadley--Sick with Unknown Disease; Bullies Spencer

Parker Crisholm--From Louisiana

Reese Hadley--Twin of Riley; Dated Connor; Is Dating Dexter

Ember Vincent--Antagonistic Towards Nix and Spencer; Is Dating Riley

Kendall Black--Has Nightmares; Is Dating Parker

 

Spencer Rawlins

 

Arthur "Artie" Dillon--Befriended Spencer first

Hagan Dawson--Initially Antagonist Toward Spencer

Ezekiel "Zeke" Aldrin--Lives across from Spencer

Emerson Dean Clermont--Prefers his middle name Dean; Younger brother of Elliot, who was the friend of Connor

Aaliyah "Liyah" Tamia--Is dating Dean

Gertrude "Trudy" Cranston--Works at the diner; used to date Dexter

 

Ellasyn Duvall--Works at Ice Cream Parlor; Is Dating Nix

 

Max Willows--Nix's Little Brother

 

Porter Matthews--Bullies Spencer

Liam Lewis

Derrick Harmon

Sebastian Brooks

[seanthomas]

Hi

Thanks again for your comments. It adds so much to the story.

I realised Max did not go to Artie's house about Spencer. I gather it was about why they had embarassed him by turning up at his school. However Spencer's name came up & Max had the opportunity to let them know his concerns about Spencer not being bad. He didn't and i now understand that this may be beneficial to Spencer in the future as he may be able to learn their plans for Spencer & assist in warning him.

I suppose i have had problems with the failure of so many people to speak up for Spencer even when they should know that the cruelty & bullying is intolerable. I accuse Parker of this, both the girls ( not Ember.. she is horrible), Nix for so long and the entire student community.. They all are partly responsible. I think even Dr Willows is guilty as she must have seen the facial bruises. She is a Dr & has a legal responsibility to take action. Asking Spencer isn't enough. Why not ask her 2 children if they know anything. She would know they all attend the same school.

Hence my irritation towards Max at the end of this chapter.

One final comment is with Nix. Up to this point he hasn't directly asked Riley & Dexter to leave Spencer alone for good. Why not ? They have responded to other requests.

Edited May 24, 2012 by seanthomas

[seanthomas]

I have been re-reading the last chapter & i am a little freaked out about the relationship with Max & Artie and his friends. First there is the affectionate greeting by the lady who is 40, Alexx. This suggests he is an old & longer term friend of these guys. Similarly there is almost some sort of bond between Max & Hagan. Almost like they were or had had some sort of relationship. The reason it freaks me out is that on one hand these people seem normal even nice at times as when they met Spencer but on the other hand i'm convinced Artie is going to be the sadistic mastermind from whom Nix will ultimately have to save Spencer's life. I think Riley & Dexter will be" redeemed "in helping to save Spencer's life with Nix from the evil Artie.

[InTheMindOfSunshine]

I suppose i have had problems with the failure of so many people to speak up for Spencer even when they should know that the cruelty & bullying is intolerable. I accuse Parker of this, both the girls ( not Ember.. she is horrible), Nix for so long and the entire student community.. They all are partly responsible. I think even Dr Willows is guilty as she must have seen the facial bruises. She is a Dr & has a legal responsibility to take action. Asking Spencer isn't enough. Why not ask her 2 children if they know anything. She would know they all attend the same school.

Hence my irritation towards Max at the end of this chapter.

One final comment is with Nix. Up to this point he hasn't directly asked Riley & Dexter to leave Spencer alone for good. Why not ? They have responded to other requests.

 

There have been a lot of failure by the characters in regards to Spencer, but I needed to isolate Spencer. It's a very cruel act on my behalf, but it helped me with the overall storyline. If Spencer has always had someone to "take a bullet" for him, he wouldn't be the character he is. Furthermore, Nix would not be drawn to Spencer as he is. I've never viewed Parker, Kendall, or Reese as being mean to Spencer. The others, though, I have. None of the three have ever been cruel to Spencer. While they haven't stopped Riley or Dexter or the others, they haven't beaten him up.

 

As for the point you've made about Dr. Willows, it is explained in later chapters just why she doesn't speak up. She could, but Max takes after her a lot--if that's any explanation at all. Also, she's a single mom raising two teenage boys. Her job at the hospital is stressful and takes up a lot of her time. She isn't neglectful; her priorities don't always benefit the right people.

 

Why doesn't Nix ask Riley and Dexter to leave Spencer alone for good? Because it never crosses his mind to. He's seen Riley and Dexter bully Spencer for so long that he thinks the only action he can take is to call them out individually. Even if he did ask Riley and Dexter to leave Spencer alone for good, I'm not sure how long their cease-fire would last. There is still a dark cloud that hangs over them, and sooner or later they would revert back to bullying Spencer.

 

I have been re-reading the last chapter & i am a little freaked out about the relationship with Max & Artie and his friends. First there is the affectionate greeting by the lady who is 40, Alexx. This suggests he is an old & longer term friend of these guys. Similarly there is almost some sort of bond between Max & Hagan. Almost like they were or had had some sort of relationship. The reason it freaks me out is that on one hand these people seem normal even nice at times as when they met Spencer but on the other hand i'm convinced Artie is going to be the sadistic mastermind from whom Nix will ultimately have to save Spencer's life. I think Riley & Dexter will be" redeemed "in helping to save Spencer's life with Nix from the evil Artie.

 

The scene between Max and the others wasn't nearly as obvious as I thought it was, although I think you might have picked up on a little bit of it. Chapter 21 should reveal what I thought I alluded to in chapter 19. With that being said, I am going to refrain from saying too much now.

[seanthomas]

Hi

I was wondering if you could let us know how many chapters there will be in this awesome story.

Cheers

[InTheMindOfSunshine]

Unless something changes, there are forty-one chapters in total of varying lengths.

[darkwind]

where is th 21? i'm eager to read it. is there a schedule? sorry, i'm really anxious.

[InTheMindOfSunshine]

where is th 21? i'm eager to read it. is there a schedule? sorry, i'm really anxious.

 

I should have chapter 21 posted later today. =)