18 Weeks Of Twoey

[skinnydragon]

I'm not sure this topic is needed. It might sit empty. 

But the story is about 10% posted and a majority of the characters are present, so if anyone wants to discuss what's going on, this might be a place.

DavidDragon

[sharedmedia=stories:stories:4898]

 

[Drew Espinosa]

Sweetie, it's fine to post a topic for your story and I know your readers will be pleased

 

Now, I must catch up on my reading to participate! See ya soon!

[Defiance19]

You mean I have place to plead Davey's case?!....I mean David! Not that he's going to be my sole focus, but you know I'm partial! 

 

I hope everyone chimes in. It's going to get interesting with those guys. 

[Defiance19]

I missed CG's rant over David this last chapter.... 

 

I forgot to add this in the comments: Will the sex with Erik put Twoey at further odds with Danny? Because things are already strained and if Twoey is feeling less inclined to pick up where they left off, (assuming they have that opportunity) will Danny feel even more put out.  

 

 

Also, I had the thought, if David doesn't get a hold of himself, he could grow up into some version of Ian!

[skinnydragon]

CG seems to have given up on David 

 

I get the feeling Twoey is compartmentalizing his 'relationships' right now. I might be wrong, but I think the action with Danny caught him off guard a little, and he doesn't view it in quite the same way as his mentor/teacher relationship with Erik. Perhaps he needs another boy in the mix to begin to define himself better? Yikes. 

 

Speaking of Yikes David/Ian? Wow I never saw the similarities there.   Now I have to do some soul searching. 

[Timothy M.]

I've been reading the story but staying away from reviewing and reading the reviews from others so far. I'm in two minds about this story, it's well written, and the teen angst and confusion is well portrayed (albeit painful to witness), but on the other hand I'm terribly frustrated about the characters and their actions, and I'm afraid I'll resort to unfair ranting if I start reviewing. I'll keep reading and I hope I'll eventually manage to comment.

But having a story topic is a good idea, since readers can then get together to rant over or defend the characters and the author.

Edited September 27, 2015 by Timothy M.

[Parker Owens]

Still dismayed that Twoey wants Eric, wants Danny, wants Matty....etc.  This will do something to the way he views other boys, and himself later on, I think. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think the character himself will need to convince me of that somehow.

[skinnydragon]

About Twoey's behavior.

 

We sort of see what's causing David to begin his downward spiral. He's attracted to Twoey and will hang on to his 'straight' relationship, despite his unhappiness with it. These two sides of his brain are in clear conflict, and there's much to come from that.

 

But we may be not noticing a similar conflict in Twoey, who keeps saying David is straight but seems to reserve that special place in his heart for no one else. And so he satisfies his newly opened appetite with place holders.

I could be wrong, of course, but I sort of see that dynamic.

 

As with most things in life, I tend to pay less attention to actual behavior, realizing most behavior is a manifestation of what I should be paying attention to.

[Parker Owens]

Interesting. David (as characterized so far) seems pretty true. Not sure about Twoey.

 

One thing David can do to dig himself out of his Kathy hole is to play that little cross for all it's worth. He can hide behind that religion thing (the pastor he hates so much could be good for something, after all!) and play the 'purity' angle.  Just saying...

[Defiance19]

There's no way David is digging himself out of that mess just yet. Lol..  Maybe once he realises why he's letting himself get strung along.

Parker is right in that David's character rings pretty true. I know an adult who could easily be him.. 

 

As for Twoey, I don't think it's just about David. I think he's using sex to hide, and that was convenient because he was ready to explore. I think though, if the circumstances were different and the guys were into alcohol or smoking pot, that's what his 'thing' would be. Just my opinion, but there's so many days yet, we'll see how it develops...

[Parker Owens]

After the last chapter, I can see a whole panorama of possibilities opening up for the story. The hard part for the reader is to figure out where David is going; he seems kind of static right now. He's still frustrated, still annoyed at the pastor, still wondering about girls, still...but that's perfectly normal, too, so who can the reader be to judge?

[skinnydragon]

David is sort of static right now.

He's really got no where to go.

David's in more than one situation where he's beginning to believe other forces are conspiring against him.

Monday 9/22 will reinforce something to him which, up to this moment, we suspect as only paranoia. 

Parker is correct about a panorama of possibilities.

[Parker Owens]

The desolation David must feel after the latest chapter makes me think again about how kids respond to this kind of violent loss. Twoey in an ICU, Danny dead and gone, and the whole fabric of the world for the circle of friends is now shredded. What can they all make of it? And how could Twoey's Mom ever be a counselor to any of them? Some kids are resilient, but all of them get marked for life in some way.

[skinnydragon]

Yes. It's a sad truth. It is definitely a turning point in David's life.

 

His extra problem involves the internal conflict over his feelings for Twoey, or at least the implications of those feelings. He can't live with those implications.

If Twoey dies, maybe his conflict dies too.

If Twoey lives, who knows what will happen.

[Timothy M.]

Yes. It's a sad truth. It is definitely a turning point in David's life.

 

His extra problem involves the internal conflict over his feelings for Twoey, or at least the implications of those feelings. He can't live with those implications.

If Twoey dies, maybe his conflict dies too.

If Twoey lives, who knows what will happen.

 

I would have thought that if Twoey dies, this would force David to reexamine his feelings and realize why he is so devastated. On the other hand he'll probably slide deeper into depression and anorexia, so he may suppress those issues even more.

[Parker Owens]

So hope for David against the slide into despair. But he'll go from numbness to desolation to rage and then...where? I'm scared that Twoey will be the target of his anger - that he'll get blamed for it all.

[skinnydragon]

What Parker fears could happen, if not now then later. The only thing that might help is the fact there are others around who could influence David. Even a severely negative influence could change his course. 

[Timothy M.]

Why didn't David tell the school nurse that the meals at home were inedible? That might have gotten him off the hook a bit. Not that I don't want the school nurse to pay attention to his eating disorder... But let's be realistic - the FIRST thing she's gonna do is call 'Tommy's mom' and tell her David is underweight and needs to eat more ! Or at least that's what happens over here. That's gonna make matters even worse for him at home.

[Parker Owens]

Agree with Timothy on that...in many places a school nurse will report this concern to parent; may even notify Child Welfare authorities if she/he suspects parental neglect. Twenty pound weight loss is highly significant.  Now that would be really deep quicksand for David.  

[skinnydragon]

Why didn't David tell the school nurse that the meals at home were inedible? That might have gotten him off the hook a bit. Not that I don't want the school nurse to pay attention to his eating disorder... But let's be realistic - the FIRST thing she's gonna do is call 'Tommy's mom' and tell her David is underweight and needs to eat more ! Or at least that's what happens over here. That's gonna make matters even worse for him at home.

 

 

Agree with Timothy on that...in many places a school nurse will report this concern to parent; may even notify Child Welfare authorities if she/he suspects parental neglect. Twenty pound weight loss is highly significant.  Now that would be really deep quicksand for David.  

 

This may happen, or have happened. If Tommy's mother fielded that call, where do you suppose she'd go with the information? David's father? David? or Enos Johnson. 

She may already have intruded on David's privacy, now it could get much worse. Tommy's mother is a key we haven't yet explored, I think.

The author will hopefully flesh her out a bit more for us.  

[Parker Owens]

Some stream of consciousness stuff...Can I imagine a little? Sorry if I'm being difficult... I'm familiar with upstate New York, the territory not far from Syracuse. Can't imagine that the death of a Brigadier General and his son wouldn't generate more news, especially if one of them were discovered naked. Something's got to leak out sometime. Quiet can be purchased only for so long in this day and age..

 

Even if the army successfully covered matters up, what hospital is Twoey in? Probably in Syracuse ICU or perhaps Rochester? Maybe Binghamton? Twoey's mom must be making a hell of a commute every day, in any case.

 

Enough of that. Wonder if Twoey's mom is wracked with guilt and what-ifs right now. Wonder if Twoey's Dad will use this to try and get custody of his boy and try to make a man out of him - once he recovers, of course. Wonder if David will learn to cook?

 

I learned from my mom, who started so many things with a sautéed onion that it became instinctive for me as an adult. How would David learn? That in itself is worth imagining. Would send David recipes, if one could. Now there's an idea for a related story thread: "David's 18 Weeks Recipes."

 

Stream of consciousness has slowed to a trickle. Thanks.

[skinnydragon]

Haha ...Believe it or not,    David learning to cook is a serious device in Part 2, and you'll have it all explained tomorrow. Come on Parker, don't be mind reading me!

 

Hard as it is to believe, Daleville has a hospital. It serves the many nearby communities and, of course, the fictitious Army base. IRL the nearest base is Fort Drum near Watertown, but this is fiction.

 

Twoey's father ...well wait for tomorrow. 

 

If Danny and his father were killed in a car crash, it wouldn't generate any media circus. If the other stuff came out within a few news cycles, it might.

 

OK, enough of this fun. I have to put a few finishing touches on Chapter 32, which is longish for the Twoey story.

[Parker Owens]

Yes, there used to be more air and army bases in upstate New York, now they're pretty much closed. There's a hush-hush (sort of) one near Ovid that's 90% shuttered, I think. There was an airbase east of Syracuse, and another one in Plattsburgh. Fort Drum is pretty much all that's left, if I recall right.

 

Oh well.

[Timothy M.]

I'm so glad Twoey's dad fucked off back home where he came from. What a jerk! 

[Parker Owens]

I wouldn't be surprised to hear more from the nasty father, though - especially if Twoey survives, and particularly if the story of what really happened gets out. How could allege that Ginny isn't properly supervising the boy, endangering his welfare. And the father would do that just to spite Ginny, just to inflict more pain on her - and perhaps on Twoey, also.