thismy

Thanks for the update! Living in the Midwest, I don't get much in the way of hurricanes(I'd be very scared if we did), just tornados. Stay safe. I've been writing a lot recently, but I've hit a problem. I'm not a very funny person. Like, sure, I'll crack the occasional joke, but generally, I'm not able to do it. So adding jokes in my writing is hard, because they often feel forced. Joe can do it quite well, to the point where I've had to stop reading because I was laughing so hard. I was wondering what anyone else who writes does to incorporate humor into their stories. Mine certainly aren't all serious, so sometimes I feel there's a gap.

I can attest to that! "For some reason I can't explain" I feel like Jack may not tell Kayla initially. I'm not sure what tells me this, but to marginalize the situation, he might decide that it'd be better to not to tell anyone. Then, when he tells Kayla, after its been eating at him and she can tell, she'll be angry. I don't want that to happen, but it seems like something he'd do. Actually, no it doesn't. Jack's been nearly 100% transparent with Kayla, (who knows, the secret about Amanda might get out soon), and it doesn't seem like he'd keep that, so while it's worth mentioning, I don't think it'll happen. So most likely he'll tell her immediately. I know I just contradicted myself there, but whatever.

See, based on my experiences, the bitchiness isn't there. And I'm young. My high school might have been an exception. (It was quite the island of sanity and civility-pretty sure it still is) However, do bitches, shity people, and bullies exist? Of course. But the world isn't rank with them. Again, I'm not a girl, but I don't see it. And I know, "haha teenage girls are irrational." But seriously, the aren't that fuck over the moon.

My point is that I don't believe she'll go suicidal. Granted, while some teen girls are mean, I think you're giving them too much credit. Now I'm not a girl, so I don't know the girl-to-girl dynamic that well, but the raging hate that you argue doesn't have a backer. Ok- who has any motive against Belle? - Aside from Jessica? No one we know of. Now hear me out. Jessica is trying, desperately, to be friends with Jack and Kayla. She wants in. Whatever the motive, she needs to build up good character points. Even if she does have some sort of personal vendetta against Belle, she's had nearly a year to act on it. In that year, she's been on much worse terms with them. Why not just take shots at Belle then? The evidence doesn't point to a specific hate for her. Attacking Belle, whom Jack and Kayla both like a lot, sure wouldn't help her cause.

I disagree. Belle is still a cheerleader, and she made it clear, she was quiet happy to leave Jessica. Her status didn't do much for her. She was just one of "Jessica's entourage." Not a whole lot else. As well, the acceptance of bi/gay people has grown a lot, even in the few years I've been out of high school. People are cheated on all the time. The fact that it's her boyfriend leaving her for a guy won't make that much of a difference. If anything, she gains for being cheated on/left. However, I will say that the splitting of Joe/Belle would provide for maximum fracture.

I was thinking about the Belle suicide/Craig rescue idea. I though it was a good idea, and I was even considering doing a short write up of how I would picture a scene like that going to share with you guys(and gals). But then I said, "wait a minute. That doesn't make sense." And here's why: Belle saw her dad right after he killed himself. She saw what that did to her and the people she loved. She knows what it feels like to lose someone that way. She can imagine what it would do to her mother. Also what it would do to her friends. And Belle's smart and seemingly caring. She wouldn't want to subject the people she loves to that, and I think she'd know where to go for help. It doesn't seem plausible. Sure, she'd get distraught over losing Joe, but not suicidal. Oh, and the wrist slashing thing doesn't seem likely it'd happen either. Belle has been down that path already.

True, very true. I like her character, so this'll be something to watch. Now, on to tooting my own horn. Called it!. I mean, not that it was for sure, but it was within the realm of possibility. And now it's happening. This should be fun to watch play out. Will Jack and Kayla try to stop/change Joe's mind? Also, the things happening with Ms. Locke are interesting. I'm wondering when she'll cave. Probably during late-stage rehearsals.

Or alternatively, problem worsened. We all remember that threat Becca made to Jack. Kayla freaked the fuck out when she did. If Becca started talking about Jack causing problems, Kayla's response may be something along the lines of: "bitch, shit's gonna go down if you talk bout' my man like that."

My thoughts upon reading this chapter: (spoilers below (duh)) I'm glad we finally got to meet Kelly. That was interesting. The dynamic between Alan and Amanda seems to have improved, which is nice to see. If there's one thing I've learned that I can attribute to my deductive reasoning skills, it's that of a character gets a name, they'll usually be important. And Joe was dropping names left & right. The fact that they guy in the locker next to him got a name and was mentioned twice makes me think he's got a bigger role to play. Those people in his cooking class? Not the last we'll see of them. Also, IMO, the Rhona running the ring theory gained some points that chapter. The fact that Rhona's brother always seemed to mention her and that his friends revered her makes me think she can get them involved.

She does seem quite protective. We don't actually know that much about her, and often, they Becca and Craig aren't hanging with the group. I'm inclined to agree somewhat with you. Not the biggest fan.

Yeah, that story was to advance my own agenda. it was convenient. I would much rather see a different or new character. In all honesty, Jessica doesn't really seem the type. The problem with choosing "the curve ball" is that I have no fucking clue who it would be. Creating a caracter won't do (that's a half lie, I did that with Tom and a few others, but I digress), because to get what I would consider a suitable setup, I'd have to write a lot more than would be suited for this forum. Rather than a "regular" enemy, frienemy, usually suspect, ect, I, like you, would much rather prefer a new character. However, too many twists, and it becomes overbearing.

In relationtion to my prostitution ring theory, I'll offer some illustration on how I picture some of it going down, or rather, starting. --------------------------------- It was as steamy a session as he could remember. With all the shit that had gone down in the past few months, including some stuff between he and Kayla, Jack was just glad to have squeezed out some alone time with her. (Is that suppose to sound dirty?) Much to his surprise, Mr. And Mrs. Hannigan had gone out that evening. Kayla would talk about their problems when she wanted, and Jack was still working on the "don't try to fix everything" situation. And while they seemed to have made some sort of amends, they weren't exactly peachy. So when Kayla excitedly invited him over with the news, he quickly, though somewhat confused, agreed. Lying on Kayla's bed in post-orgasmic bliss, Jack could feel himself start to drift off. Kayla was nuzzled against him, her head resting on her chest, eyes just closed. But something rudely destroyed his state of peace. It was his phone. Jack grumbled, reaching for it. He smacked at Kayla's side table, attempting to pick it up. Bringing it over to his face, he looked at the screen. An incoming call. His eye scanned over the contact and he sighed. Could he not have peace? "Who is it?" Kayla murmured, her eyes fluttering, but staying closed. Jack hesitated, but Kayla prompted again. "Are you going to leave me hanging?" Her eyes were still closed, her voice was still soft, but the command behind it was enough to get Jack to talk. He let out another heavy sigh. "It's Jessica." Kayla's eyes opened and she scoffed. "Ignore it." She said. Jack was more than happy to comply, dropping the phone back on the bedside table. Kayla let her eyes fall closed again, and a smile pursed her lips. "Much better." But the silence was temporary. The phone burst out again. Kayla stiffened, and almost growled. "Answer that so I can tell that God damn bitch to hop off." Jack went to answer, but not necessarily thinking it was a good idea to hand the phone to Kayla. "Hello?" Jack asked. And, not for the first time in his life, Jessica's voice came across the line in a desperate, broken plea. "Jack." A pause. "Help me." --------------------------------- A fitting peice, I think, as an introduction to the prostitution ring problem. A little bit o' deja vu. Something involving the drama department, with Jessica being in too deep. Or is it a coincidence that the Hanigans just happened to go out?

No, and I personally have never suggested her to play Kayla. In fact, if there was a movie, I'm not sure Emma could fill the role. I feel like her style is different. I have a hard time pinning down an actress who I think would be good, in part because I don't watch a lot of movies. In other news, I'm inclined to believe that any sort of prostitution ring will not come too quickly. That it will be a later in the year problem, something to keep us readers on our toes. I thought for a while that Ms. Cartwright might have some involvement, but I dropped that, unless anyone wants to suggest otherwise. I'm still banking on the Ms. Locke goes crazy and is replaced, or Ms. Locke runs the ring theory.

Side note: I haven't seen anyone mention anything about this recently, but if there were a SITO movie, I think Logan Lerman would be as Jack. (Though he's a tad old now.)

I agree! The question being, who does the fight happen between? Joe v Jack? (I hope not) I have one theory. This is based sort of off a few movies I've seen, particularly, The Perks of Being a Wildflower, which is a great movie, by the way. (I love Emma Watson(really, she's fantastic)) And some of my own ideas. It goes along these lines. Joe joins the football team this year. Although, I think Craig said something about him missing the tryout date. Whatever. So Joe's bi, and while he loves Belle(probably) he can't help stealing a few glances at his teammates. This is not really a problem, but a few factors start contributing to concern. Belle notices that Joe's hanging a lot with his football buds, which causes her to worry. But Joe is not-so-subtle with his glances, and his football "buds" pick up on it. Bad leads to worse and they attack Joe. It goes from there. I might write up that scene and post it, but I'm not feeling too hot today.

I'm inclined to agree. Although, when class president elections happened (I only recall there being senior class presidents) where I went to school, it wasn't a big deal. The point being, is everyon voting? How many people go to Ridge View? Even if it comes down to popularity, if he can secure a handful of Joe Schmoes, he might have enough to put up a fighting chance. But yes, in the end, I don't think that Craig can win. The odds are stacked against him. Furthermore, if we can expect turmoil in the group/ at school, then Craig might not be able to devote as much time as he needs to win.

Uh yeah, I'm a no go on the sexual abuse, thanks. I could try to read it (maybe), but it'd be hard for numerous reasons. The Tara-Kayla thing seems way too far fetched, unless the Hanigans and the Marieno's(or whatever their names are) are really good at acting. You can his things from children when they're young, not 16. I don't see any stituation where they could have met.

The most compelling evidence of any sort of "fracture" so far is between Jack and Joe. That in itself perturbs me because I like Joe a lot, though he seems to have gotten more douchey lately. So while I can speculate about many things, my ideas are somewhat limited. What I have to offer: The prostitution ring may not be at Jack's school. It could be something to do with Tara. Ie: Tara gets swooped off her feet by a nice guy and introduced to a group of friends. She falls in line with them and they slowly start to draw her in. She figures out but she's already in too deep. Fracture might be somewhat literal with the Hanigans. They get a divorce. Somehow, as Mr_Fairplay mentioned, Kayla finds out about what Amanda did initially, however, that was before Jack and Kayla were dating. So the conflict may not be so drastic. Another prostition ring involving our usual suspects: Nick & Jessica. Ms. Locke has a mental breakdown and leaves school. The new position is filled by a nice young lady, who gets close to the female students in particular, then uses the casting as incentive to join her "special project."

How do you know who died? Or if anyone died? I'd figure if it was told from first person, past tense, that the teller may have survived. That whole thing was the fault of Harry Potter. I've been watching all the movies, so there was some influence. If you'd like closure, I can provide it.

Theroy 1: this might be a tad heavy, mind you. ---------------------- I always thought life could be so roundabout. That things were never clear. I was wrong. I don't know exactly why it happened. I've never been able to figure it out. But what down that night, like many events in my life, this one particularly so, are what made me who I am. It was awful. I won't tell you that I wouldn't change a thing, because, well, that's plain bullshit. I would have done everything to avoid it. Tom. I never thought about Tom. No one did, really. He was unassuming, nice, quiet. He didn't make a show. But yet here we were. Now, I won't regale you with all the bloody details, for this is not the time, nor the place. However, I'll reveal the climax. ******************* There he stood, alone in the amidst the smoke. Tom. I was crouched low, holding Kayla. "Where is he!" Tom roared. I moved. "No, Jack! Please!" Kayla pleaded. "Kayla," I said, grasping her hand. "I owe them." "No! You don't owe anyone anything. He'll kill you." She was groveling now. A sob escaped her. "I hear you, Jack Jack!" Tom taunted. "Kayla, he's going to take them out." I said, standing. "Please." Kayla's voice was broken. "Don't. Don't be so selfish." "Selfish?" I asked, still stunned. "I'm not being selfish. I'm helping everyone." "Not me!" Kayla burst through. "What would I do without you? If you leave, you leave me!" She moved to sit up, but gasped in pain. I tore a strip from my jacket and pressed it against her wound. "I have to. I love you." I said quickly, planting one kiss on her lips before letting go of her hand. "No!" She gasped. "Please." She pleaded fleetingly. Tom was standing over something, or someone. "Look!" He shouted. "Jack doesn't even defend his friends!" He looked at the heap on the ground. "Craig, is it? The douche gone good?" He kicked at Craig. A small yelp escaped. "Your errors still haunt people. I will justify those people. Vindicate them!" Tom smiled sadistically. He raised the black object in his hand. There was a shriek, as Becca launched herself at Tom. Tom whirled, smashing his pistol into her face. She crumpled to the ground. It looked like Craig struggled to get up. "Aww, Crawaigs wittle girly friend has to potect him!" Tom mocked, as one would talk to a baby. "Prepare for the end." "Stop!" I said. My voice was surprisingly loud. Tom looked up. "Ahh, the main event." Tom grinned wolfishly. "I'm so glad you could make it." "Stop what you're doing, Tom, please. You can turn back." I pleaded. "You have the power to end this." "And our hero makes his appeal!" Tom shouted grandly, opening his arms and spinning in the plaza. "And you're right. I do have the power. Why would I stop?" He asked. "These people, Tom, they're innocent. You want me." I offered. "Hmm, what do you suggest, Jack?" Tom let loose another maniacal grin. "If you take me," I said, stepping towards him and offering my hands, "will you leave the rest? I give my self freely." I heard Kayla sob again. I fought against the tears. "How magnanimous." Tom laughed. "You're a saint, Jack. I can agree to your offer." I sighed, and stepped closer, ruble cracking beneath my feet. "Take me." I offered my hands. Tom smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid I'm not taking prisoners. But I'll acknowledge your will." He leveled his pistol at my head. I thought of Walburn, of what happened. I closed my eyes, wondering if it would be quick. I waited for the embrace. "Good bye, Jack!" Tom sang. "BANG!"

shiiiiiit. This should be... Interesting. My thoughts: chapter was fairly light, but there was underlying tension in that picnic scene. The "heh heh" and the upfront teaser were very intriguing, hence how I started this post. "The Fracture". It's the most ambiguous title we've gotten. From the end-of-chapter hints, I'm banking on a split in the group. Ie, a couple (besides Jack and Kayla) split, and some sort of argument happens between some of the girls or the guys. I see Jack v Joe as the most likely. Why? I don't know. They've been butting heads all summer, seemingly more than just friendly play. Oh, and the prostitution ring. Don't get me started. There's about a thousand and one ways that could go, and it'll probably be the worst way. I have a few theories, and I may present them here soon.

Can't wait for the next chapter! No need to reiterate, but I'll do it anyway. Take as much time as you want, I'm just glad that I get my fix when I can. No need to apologize for absence. If you don't mind me asking, what sort of work do you do? No need to be specific, I'm just curious about the general stuff.

I've a few points to make, for the sake of conversation, but I'll address this first. I'm not so sure that it's over quite yet. There are a few loose ends. First and formost, the conversation with Tara Jack needs to have. It hasn't happened yet, and I don't see that being carried into the next saga. Yes, the emotional baggage from the threesome, but not the conversation. As well, there's Kayla's parents. We're not seeing resolution in this upcoming chapter, I don't think, but something to lead into the next saga. What I think is we'll see some sort of end of summer pool party. End it like they started? Or we dive right in, but I'm not too sure on that. So, there's a few things we haven't seen in a while. This is going to be a big year. Joe has been hinting at that for chapters. From what we've seen so far, shits bound to hit the fan. A few things I'm hoping for: More problems that Jack and Kayla face together. Recently, and throughout the story, we've had a lot of Jack-Kayla conflict. Sure, they've faced a lot together, but I want to see more of Kack (or Jayla). The two as one being, facing an outside problem. Jashley has mentioned a few items, and said that this story is long term. So who knows when things like the pipe bomb, or the water torture comes into play. Craig as class president? Election shenanigans? Kelly Grayson & Alan? Does Joe have feelings for Sam? More Jack-Rhona action of course. Maybe something from Amanda? That handcuff thing was weird. Maybe Kayla finds out about that night so long ago. When will Tara's boyfriend come? Something outlandish. (Return of Brad, or Jeff. The rise of LAJAK. Mrs. Locke has a mental breakdown, so a new drama teacher comes.) Edit: I missed the reality check writing this. Whoops. So I guess this next one will be the last.

Tell me about it... I was also thinking along the lines of the Hanigans coming home in the middle of their session.