Chapter 15: Closer

This is going to be uncharacteristically short. This is by no means represents my opinion of this chapter. The truth is that I find this chapter to be the most engaging thus far. The only significant event that transpires is the band performance at the end. What this chapter offers instead is a well-constructed story of the events and interactions between Pete and his friends leading up to the live performance; and this portion of the chapter is, for me personally, exceptionally enjoyable.
Opening at Card’s house with a post jam session conversation, this chapter starts off with our friends all playfully chatting over the final playlist for the event. The tone and tenor of this scene (as well as those that follow) are the jackpot payoff for all the character development done previously. The small bits and pieces of fact, observation, personality traits, etc. come together in this chapter as these characters all step forward as believable and viable participants in the events they experience. The tone of voice, the turn of phrase, the habits, the expressions are each owned by their individual character and work together to bring them from the background to the foreground. In this opening scene the line “We finally get to pick the we want” is clearly Por. Why, because in this story Por is the one who speaks like this; just as “Call me that again and I’ll kill you” is Card. Even the boy who says so little (Hack, of course) remains true to his character in that sense. Card is serious and taciturn, while Por is boisterous and extraverted, just as they have always been written in small bites in previous chapters. In this chapter they spring forward to highlight the main characters in a much more significant way. These scenes and exchanges extend all through the remainder of this chapter and each slice is a gem.
What happens for Pete in this chapter is a psychological shift toward accepting and coping (he’s still a little distraught) with his feelings for Earn. Earn plays the part of Pete’s close friend, and his steady and upbeat emotional portrayal in most this chapter is a stark contrast from the last. But in the role he plays, Earn serves like a blank slate on which Pete gets to write out his inner thoughts and feelings as he winds his way through the chapter trying to figure out their relationship. Pete knows he likes Earn, and he knows Earn likes someone else, but does Earn also like Pete? Pete admits that before he was uncomfortable with the heat from Earn’s touch but now he can’t seem to keep his hands off him. On the cab ride home from Card’s Pete tries to get Earn to talk about the person he likes, but Earn won’t budge. Earn turns the tables and asks about Pete and Lhew are doing, which eventually leads to Pete telling Earn that they had . The surprise revelation works the opposite way Pete had hoped and Earn becomes quiet and contemplative, leaving Pete trying to figure out if he’s embarrassed, jealous or depressed. In this way Pete is trying to tease out Earn’s inner feelings toward him, but getting mixed signals in return that jam Pete’s ability to figure it all out.
The remaining events of the day leading up to the live performance are a delightful read as I wrote above, and each moves the story along toward Pete’s letdown at the end of the chapter. Along the way there are also tie-ins with the series as well as character interactions (Per and Win) prior to the live event. Of course the live event is the main tie-in, and we get a Pete’s eye view of what transpires. The big breakthrough Pete makes in this chapter comes during his band’s performance in the live show when he realizes that the other person Earn likes is Noh. He runs down the list of clues he had previously overlooked, and internalizes the defeat, calling himself an idiot for thinking that Earn might actually be interested in him. And while he knows he has Lhew by his side, he still feels disappointed and angry at himself.
From psychological perspective, the trip Pete took in this chapter was realistic, but I would suggest that an addition be made to his conclusions at the end. This may seem too slight to even be noticed, but I think Pete should acknowledge/admit that he chose to overlook the list of clues for Earn’s attraction to Noh. He doesn’t need to explain why, but just that he did. It will give his decision to blame himself at the end more weight. The other angle would be to not have Pete internalize the defeat, but I assume it was written this way for the next chapter.

 

Chapter 16: Fight

This is another chapter that features events from the series bridged by original material. We are far enough along in the written story for its narrative and characters to provide some great interstitial storytelling that actually improves the murky storyline developed by the series. 

The real gem in this chapter for me is the conversation between Pete and Lhew regarding their “best friend” problems. I have always been up front about how much I like Lhew and her honest, independent and intelligent approach to everything. She proves herself in her initial conversation with Pete on two fronts. First, she shows that although she’s intelligent and level-headed, she still makes mistakes of judgment in her own life for which she’s willing to take ownership. Second, she is capable of supporting Pete and providing him with insight into his own issues with Earn even if it is not what Pete initially wants to hear (tough love). I just can’t like her enough for these qualities. An argument can be made that Lhew is in a conflict of interest by giving Pete the advice to support Earn’s quest for Noh because it improves her chances with Pete. While this is not impossible, I have yet to see any duplicity in Lhew’s character. In fact I have so far found her integrity to be solid. I’m just a reader, but I don’t think it’s in the cards that she’s going to break bad, so from where I’m standing her advice to Pete rings true.

Pete comes away from his conversation with Lhew understanding that he doesn’t have any right to be angry with Earn, and that Earn is first and foremost his best friend that he should be supporting. This is solid and sound advice. Unfortunately, when Pete tries to run with it he manages to invert everything, as people trying to live up to conflicting ideals often do. In the written story, Pete is really in a lose-lose situation. If Pete tries to chase Earn for himself while Earn is after Noh, then Pete will be unsuccessful (in essence he’ll find himself in Earn’s shoes vis-à-vis Noh). If Pete tries to support Earn in his pursuit of Noh, then Pete has to sacrifice his own feelings toward Earn for Earn’s potential betterment. In the written story, this makes Pete’s actions as portrayed in the series far more real and believable. The series has the tension between Earn and Pete hover around vague feelings and violated trust. In the written story, Pete is ually attracted to Earn, and this makes the shifts in his temperament and motivations far more grounded in his internal conflict. Pete may start out as a friend with good intentions to support Earn, but Earn’s evasiveness and unwillingness to trust Pete in return hits emotional buttons very quickly, precisely because Pete likes Earn beyond friendship. The faster Pete escalates, the more Earn resists him which only further intensifies Pete’s emotional reaction. Pete’s roller coaster actions and reactions are tied directly to the conflict he’s living through as evidenced by all of the exchanges he has with Earn throughout this chapter; culminating in the runaway sword fight where he goes from trying to lighten things up to egging Earn on to end their friendship. The events in this chapter are part and parcel of Pete’s dilemma which has only ratcheted up since he acknowledged to himself that he’s attracted to Earn.

I’m going to digress a bit and mention that the position Earn takes in the series regarding his attraction to Noh is somewhat puzzling to me. Earn openly courts Noh in public by brazenly singing him a romantic song (he even stares down Phun because he sees him as a rival for Noh’s affection), but then he plays coy about making his feelings known to his best friend. He’s following his own path and timeline for opening up to Noh about how he feels, so I can understand why he doesn’t want Pete to jump the gun in public, but I am bothered by why Earn can’t be open to his best friend about his attraction. Earn acts like he seems to think his attraction to Noh remains a secret, although I don’t see why he does. I suppose that chalking it up to Earn feeling awkward or timid about his attraction to Noh is okay, but it seems out of step since he is clearly willing to act on it by singing to Noh publically and afterward giving Noh a present. Pete (along with others at school) has already figured this out, so why not invite your best friend into the inner circle? I think Earn makes a mistake in not doing so, unless he fears that Pete will be somehow hurt by the knowledge. For all Earn knows Pete might be supportive, but Earn seems unable to realize this. Maybe he’s just 17 and trying to find his own path through the experience. I mention all of this only because I understand, based on my own thoughts and the plot of the written story, why Pete seems so betrayed by Earn and why he flips emotionally from wanting to help Earn, to striking out at him from his feelings of rejection. And, of course, Pete’s rejection is beyond that of just a friend. And let’s not forget that Pete’s feelings of rejection and betrayal are intensified because he has already shared details of his relationship with Lhew and faults Earn for not trusting him enough to reciprocate. As stated above, I think the writing in this story makes the events from the series seem far more understandable and realistic, and I firmly believe that’s what makes this chapter so successful.

Pete’s anger thaws somewhat after the sword fight and he nearly apologizes to Earn, but Earn bolts the second they’re dismissed by their teacher which saddens Pete. Shortly after learning that the band made the cut for the Live Concert, Pete sees the Facebook post from Earn stating, “Always one step behind.” He immediately tries to reach out to Earn but to no avail, and feeling lonely and isolated, his emotions spiral into darkness. At this point he reaches out for his last lifeline and calls Lhew to ask if she’s free tonight. The chapter ends abruptly at this point, and it’s a great cliffhanger. Is Pete turning to Lhew for advice and support, or is he attempting to throw off his feelings of sadness and isolation through ual diversion? I certainly have no answers, but we’ll no doubt find out in the next chapter. I can’t wait! Thank you.

 

Chapter 17: Apology

At the end of the last chapter I posed this rhetorical question: Is Pete turning to Lhew for advice and support, or is he attempting to throw off his feelings of sadness and isolation through ual diversion? The answer comes at the top of this chapter: both. But Lhew turns out to be too seeing and knowing about the dynamics of their hook up, and is beginning to sound like Pete’s therapist, albeit with benefits. She comes through for Pete on both fronts, physically and supportively. She deftly analyzes and explains Earn’s perspective to Pete and ensures that he commits to apologizing to all the friends he aggravated the previous day. The next day is a new start for Pete and he begins it with a friendly chat with his housekeeper and manages to get the okay to hold a small party at his house. At school Pete meets up with Card and Por, but Earn is oddly absent. After Card jokingly accuses Pete of poisoning Earn, they all agree it’s out of character for Earn to be absent and they grow concerned. Pete eventually issues his mea culpa for his behavior of the prior day, and while Por is immediately forgiving, Card is hesitant, insisting that something is up between Pete and Earn. Pete assures him that nothing’s going on between them, and then we get a nice tease from Por about dropping some big news, but he holds back for a time when the whole group is present. This leads into Pete announcing his party plans which are received enthusiastically. He then turns to contacting Earn to ensure his attendance at the party but gets nowhere with Facebook or his phone. He resolves to drop by Earn’s house after school and begins rehearsing his planned apology, but when he arrives, Earn’s mom turns him away politely. Pete is pretty sure he’s not really sick and tries to call him to no avail. He then texts Earn an invite to the party and invite to talk.

Pete has arranged his house, set out the food and drinks (an annoyingly large selection of too much beer and hard liquor – you know how I discourage glorifying binge drinking) in preparation for everyone’s arrival. The shout “I’m ready to drink!” as Por enters Pete’s house is the opening shot in this scene. Actually, there is some band business to address before the party takes off, but Earn is nowhere to be found. When Por carps at Pete for failing to get Earn to come, Pete is defended (I admit being pleasantly surprised) by Card. After some potential bad news about having to cheer for the basketball team at Huamark Indoor Stadium, Pete gets to announce that the band has made the cut for the Live Concert which only draws a positive reaction from Hack. It is at this point Por reveals that he has to drop out of the band to help at his family’s business. It suddenly looks to everyone in the room that things have completely unraveled when Card unexpectedly volunteers to step in for Por, a move which shocks the room. Card explains that he knows all the songs from listening to the band practice over and over at this house. When Pete responds that he didn’t know that Card could play bass, he replies with his classic line, “You never asked.”

With the business of this chapter nearly concluded, it’s time to party! Here is where this story practically makes you forget all about Lovesick. This is just a ripping good time and you feel like you’re right there in room (or at least wish you were). The action starts out slowly, but climbs and climbs to a hilariously funny , before ending with a bumpy landing. The eating and drinking commence while Earn’s absence lays heavily on Pete’s mind. A ring of the doorbell raises everyone’s hopes that Earn has arrived, but it’s Lhew at the door with three of her girlfriends and they’re crashing the party. After introductions are made all around, they spend a couple of hours eating, drinking and sharing stories. There’s a sweet aside in this portion of the story where Lhew asks about Earn’s absence, and we learn that while she’s troubled that Pete likes him, she still worries about the strain on their friendship.

Pete is sent off on a quest for a deck of cards, with Lhew calling out to him as “Penguin” while he searches, and Por catches the nickname, finding it hysterically funny. When Pete returns to the room, he pointedly turns to Por while mimicking Card and says, “Call me that at school and I’ll murder you.” Por taunts him with name again and Pete puts him a headlock so Card has to break them up calling them both idiots. It’s a 3-Stooges moment for sure (with Card in the role of Moe), and a great dividend from all the development of the individual personalities in the story, and totally supports the fun atmosphere of the party. At this point the group begins an absurdly funny and entertaining drinking game at the suggestion of one of the girls, which also involves drawing and comparing cards followed by clothing removal, with the additional requirement that players holding the same card have to kiss. Upon hearing the rules of the game the boys are initially tense (especially poor little Hack) but the challenge is accepted by all when Por says, “Sounds simple. Let’s get wasted.” The drinking, clothing removal, and kissing ensues and just about every one of the boys gets to kiss most of the girls, and even some of the girls kiss each other. Pete gets another chance to admire Por’s physique, but as the rounds go on, the game comes to a when Pete and Por draw same card and the rules require them to kiss. Por whines like a baby, but getting no sympathy from the girls, turns to Pete for support. Pete tells him he doesn’t want to kiss him either, noting he’d need Lhew’s permission first anyway, but she gladly consents. With the handwriting on the wall, Por suddenly grabs Pete by the neck and lays one on him. Pete plays along, but when Por slips him the tongue Pete can’t take it any longer and pushes him off in disbelief, only to hear Por claiming that it had to look realistic. Card and Hack are shocked, the girls think it was hot and Lhew doesn’t seem bothered, but Pete is flustered. (I’m almost unconscious in fit of hysterical laughter.) The game goes sideways when Pete and Card both pull aces a few hands later and Por accuses Pete of fixing the game so he gets to kiss them all. Pete is timid, but Card is resolute and commits to do it. As they are about to lock lips, Lhew bumps the table causing beer to spill on them and they break it off to clean up and the game winds down to an abrupt end.

In the aftermath of the game, Lhew apologizes to Pete and admits that she’s jealous because she knows “he lik-...” but the sentence remains unfinished as Pete kisses her. It’s in the midst of this passionate exchange that the inescapable image of Earn drifts into his mind, but Pete reminds himself that he likes Lhew and does not want to hurt her for a fake chance with Earn. The boys eventually drop all the girls off courtesy of Card’s driver and return to Pete’s house where they pile onto Pete’s bed to talk away the night before drifting off to sleep. As the night winds down Pete’s thought returns to Earn, sitting home alone and depressed.

It’s interesting that we don’t get to hear the end of Lhew’s sentence in the closing part of the chapter. Was she going to say guys (as opposed to Earn, specifically)? It would appear so, since the sight of watching Pete kiss one of his friends and nearly kiss another raised her jealous feelings. While it is one thing to know your boyfriend is biual, it’s quite another to watch him kiss another guy right in front of you. Lhew’s jealousy could hold a deeper meaning though. It’s possible that it signifies that Pete’s biuality is starting to weigh on her confidence in how they feel about each other. This may merely be temporary, a momentary manifestation of the kissing incident from the game. I’m not so sure. There could be an awakening taking place inside Lhew that may or may not prove to be significant for her relationship with Pete. We have to wait and wonder if this will be explained in subsequent chapters.

In spite of the underlying theme of Earn in angst, this chapter was a ton of fun and totally entertaining. I know this is heresy to most readers, but if I could read chapters like this going forward, I don’t care if the story ever returns to FD College. Great job!

 

Chapter 18: Confide

Twenty-five years ago during a salary negotiation with an old hardline New York lawyer, I once had the audacity to demand a $2000 per month raise. The wily old trial attorney was initially taken aback by my demand, but knowing my value to his firm he then stopped talking as a slim smile started to form on his lips and then he nodded slightly and said, “Well, young man, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.” I got the raise, but more importantly, I learned a life lesson I have never forgotten. So when I started to recognize how much I loved the original writing that I found in these chapters, I knew that if I wanted more I had to ask for it. I am completely satisfied with having done so, and like the last few chapters, in this current release, I have my payday. To my mind, the story being told here has, so to speak, come of age in this chapter. While the plot and characters spring from LS, they are now able to offer completely original scenarios that read coherently with only tangential references to LS, although LS is clearly this story’s raison d’être. This chapter is a day-in-the-life kind of romp through a series of completely original events in Pete’s life that meander through times with friends, loved ones and family, finally touching down with events from the series at its conclusion. 

I think the opening scene makes my case. Por screams the chapter into life with “Earn! Get your out here!” The boys have crashed Earn’s self-imposed exile and stand outside his house attempting to rouse their absent leader and coax him back into the real world so they can prepare for the Live Concert. While Hack asks the polite questions, it’s Pete who pragmatically intones that they are wasting their time (since Earn hasn’t responded to any of his calls or texts for days), while Card provides the voice of propriety noting that what they are doing in Earn’s yard is suspicious. The renegade Por starts throwing stones at the house and Card, again so perfectly in character, coldly threatens to “cut” him while giving him his death stare. This is a pitch perfect display of a group of friends and bandmates confronting a challenge together in their lives each in their own characteristic way, and completely invented. Courtesy of Card’s chauffer, they make the rounds dropping off Por so he can work on cars with his family (Pete gives him leftover pizza and fried chicken from the party because he’s such a generous friend), and they head off to practice at Card’s house.

The scene at Card’s goes well. Card, standing in for Por on bass, surprises Pete with his playing ability and the group plays well together, but Pete shares the underlying reality. Hack is a passive personality, Card is quiet and rational, and Pete is emotionally bottled-up. Without the loud mouthed Por and the prankster Earn to provide energy, the group is flat. (This is a very insightful realization on Pete’s part, but it’s made more satisfying by emerging from his emotional read of the situation through their musical performance. The music is technically solid, but lacks spark and inspiration brought to the table by the missing members.) Pragmatic Pete calls the practice to an end since they learned the two songs they know they will play at the Live Concert. (We get a plant of what’s to come when Card tells Hack about Pete’s mom is returning from a business trip the following day, forcing an early practice on the group.) After a fancy lunch courtesy of Card’s servant staff, the boys hit the chauffer driven road to drop Hack, and then Pete off at their respective homes. 

During the ride to Pete’s house he exchanges texts with Lhew, and while she asks if he’s spoken to Earn, (No!) she also mentions that she thinks Card may also be biual based on vibes she picked up the previous night at the party. Pete contests this view with Lhew. When Card asks Pete if he’s texting Earn, Pete tells him it’s Lhew and then proceeds to tell him that she thinks Card is attracted to him. They both agree the thought is crazy, but Card responds that he can’t believe a hot girl like Lhew would put up with him. After a smack on the head from Pete followed up by protests, Card tells Pete that the group gives him because they know he gets big-headed about his relationship, adding that the group isn’t stupid, they all know that Pete is good-looking. The rare compliment coming from Card surprises Pete and Card blushes too. When Pete thanks Card for his advice previously in the week, Card uses the opportunity to question Pete about what’s going on with him, noting that he knows it’s not something trivial, but Pete is too afraid of being judged to come out. Card reassures him that when he’s ready, he and Por will be there for him. This entire set of events and the conversation between Pete and Card is a really nice, honest and heartfelt exchange of the feelings underlying their friendship, reinforcing Pete’s strong points and demonstrating that Card is more dimensional than he appears on the surface. Is Lhew once again pointing the way to potential future plot developments?

 

The next segment of the chapter is my favorite. Pete is dropped at home to discover that his dad has taken time off work to prepare for his wife’s return from her trip. He engages Pete in a series of probing questions that seem a bit out of character for him, cluing Pete in that something is up. When Pete’s dad whips out the leftover Tequila from the refrigerator, Pete fears he’s about to die. (Having lived through similar encounters with my own father in my youth over almost identical circumstances, this scene had me doubled over in laughter. I knew EXACTLY how Pete felt.) In spite of his flash of fear, Pete is able to equivocate his way out from under suspicion, and his father quickly turns into a very understanding, yet concerned parent. (I’ve already made reference to an old 1950’s American TV show called “Leave it to Beaver” before, and the author claims he’s never seen the show. Pete’s dad is a carbon copy of Ward Cleaver, the father in the TV series, so I’m beginning to doubt the author’s veracity… ^__^). Joking aside, the encounter ends with a very touching reinforcement of parental concern and care from father (and mother) to son, along with a reassurance from his father that Pete will never be a burden as long as trusts his parents. While Pete feels relief, his dad adds the caveat that if his grades suffer, his extracurricular activities will be ended, much to Pete’s annoyance.

Pete spends the rest of the afternoon either texting with Lhew about silly little things and photos she repeatedly sends him or playing DOTA with Card. Every so often, however, he thinks of Earn and sends him a message in hope of getting an answer, but this fails. Eventually Pete’s dad knocks on the bedroom door to arrange for a meet up time the following day to buy gifts for Pete’s mom. This conversation brings back a flood of memories from Pete’s youth doing things together as a family and the memories bring him great joy. (These moments of Pete and family are a very nice addition to the story. I also like the attitude of the parents toward their son. They are very concerned, but it derives from their love for Pete and is expressed in very supportive and caring terms. It is unlike the vibes we get in the novel and series about Phun’s relationship with his parents which seems very formal and bound up in notions of family hierarchy, familial duty, and social status. Pete’s family life appears more like Noh ‘s relationship with his family as portrayed in the novel.) As Pete winds down his evening toward bedtime he continues texting his friends. Por’s had a hard day of fixing cars - Pete pants a bit at the thought of seeing his shirtless friend covered in grease, Card is tearing up newbies in online gaming and making some cash on the side, and Lhew is still sending Pete goofy pictures. Unfortunately Earn’s silence still lays heavy on Pete’s mind and he just hopes his friend is okay. His concern will remain through band practice the next morning, since Earn is once again a no show, so they practice some extra songs to be ready to play at the Live Concert. Afterward Pete calls Earn’s house number and learns from his mom that Earn will definitely be at school the next day. Pete is elated to learn that he’ll be able to see Earn the next day and be enchanted by his dimples and endearing lisp, and his mood measurably improves.

Later in the day on their return drive home from hunting down presents at Siam Square, Pete and his dad discuss the presents they bought for his mom. The conversation turns south on Pete when his dad casually mentions that he knows Pete is dating Lhew. Pete quickly racks his brain to figure out that his dad must have learned of his relationship from P’Kwanjai who overheard Por squawking about it during the post-party breakfast P’Kwanjai fixed for them. Pete tries to reassure his dad that she’s been to the house before, back when they were in the 7th grade, but then Pete suddenly understands with dread that his dad is working toward having the talk with him. When his dad starts talking about “urges” Pete can’t help but interrupt, but his dad presses on, seemingly determined to carry out his parental responsibility in the matter, redlining the needle on Pete’s awkwardness meter. (This had me howling again. I felt like this was lifted out a teen movie, and perhaps it was, but I love how his dad keeps sneaking up on Pete from an unsuspecting position of innocence. It’s even funnier to think that his dad is such a purely good person that he has no idea he’s even doing it. It’s a dynamic of comedy that always works.) Eventually Pete convinces his dad that the subject has been presented in ed classes and discussed among his friends. The coupe de grâce comes in the guise of box of condoms Pete’s dad pulls out of the glove compartment of the car. The fact that they are ultra-thins makes Pete’s embarrassment and humiliation complete. This is every teen boy’s nightmare and it is beautifully (and hilariously) written. Bravo!

They arrive home with gifts and balloons in tow, and P’Kwanjai has prepared a delicious meal for them to enjoy together. They turn off the lights and surprise Pete’s mom as she enters the house and they welcome her home enthusiastically. After presenting her with some gifts (a pearl watch from Pete and diamond and precious stone necklace from his dad), they sit down to their family meal, where Pete is once again swept back to the happy family times of his youth. These memories form a desire within him to provide the same for his own future children. 

The next morning at school Pete gets to class to find Por half asleep at his desk while Card sits next to Tee some distance away. Earn is nowhere to be seen. Pete talks with Card and Tee for a bit and finally decides to call Earn as his worry builds, but Earn suddenly walks in and gloomily sits down offering no explanation for his disappearance of the past few days. (This portion of the story is lifted from the series.) Pete asks him why he’s not answered calls and texts, but only gets a dejected “Sorry…” out of Earn. Earn asserts that he is not mad at Pete and that nothing is wrong, and when Pete asks Earn who he’s mad at, Earn only murmurs, “At myself.” Pete wants to offer support, but can’t manage to speak. 
After class they linger in the back of the classroom where they overhear Por, Card and Chad gossiping about a rumor that Phun has broken up with Aim. There is also mention of the conversation between Phun and Noh at the bleachers which only brings truth to the rumor of their relationship. This causes Earn to jump up and bolt from the room. Pete follows and finds him leaning against a pillar outside calling someone on his phone (presumably Noh). As Earn turns to walk off, Pete asks him where’s going to which Earn replies, “I’m gonna do something I should have done a long time ago.” Although Pete tries to stop his friend from what he fears will only be a hurtful experience, Earn will not be dissuaded and walks off leaving Pete feeling helpless and worried for his friend’s welfare.

A lot of future plot building material has been provided in this chapter, but it has been done in a most entertaining way. We’ve learned more about Pete and his relationship with his family, but we’ve also been given a deeper gaze into Card and his relationship to Pete by way of Lhew’s suspicions about Card’s potential uality. The elephant in the room, of course, is what will happen between Pete and Earn (and by extension Pete and Lhew). Things seem pretty strained between the boys, and the clouds will not likely lift anytime soon. We are following the series pretty faithfully so far in this regard, and we know the future plotline, but will this story depart from it? It’s not impossible, of course. The written story has expanded so much that it could certainly be in the cards. I look forward to more original developments, and if we travel outside the box, I’m ready to jump on that train in a heartbeat. Great job! Thank you.

 

Chapter 19: Live

Since this is a bit of a “rush job” I’m going to address only the most pressing elements. I liked the chapter, especially the original parts, and recognize that much of what transpires was framed by events from the series that make for a less than convincing story (at least to me). I do not consider the issues raised below about the content of this chapter serious. 

My worst gripe (and this is supposed to be encouraging) about the chapter is that the opening paragraph seems rushed for what is generally a slower paced story. I understand why, but it just seems less like story-telling and more like reporting. I applaud the inclusion of the radio interview. It is very appealing and I like the way Pete (in Earn’s no-show absence) is tricked into sitting opposite Fi and the whole rivalry Cheer Club vs. Student Counsel theme that plays out. And I also love that Fi is kind of manic and over the top, while Pete is more diplomatic and levelheaded (like his character generally is when Earn isn’t floating through his mind and hitting his emotional buttons). 

Pete determines to finally take the bull by the horns and go to Earn’s house to help put him back together in time for the Live Concert. The scene between the two friends actually acting like friends is enjoyable, but Pete’s success in giving Earn a pop psychology pep talk that snaps him out of suspended animation seems untenable to me, in light of how devastated Earn allegedly feels. The high point for me in this scene, as usual, is the internal dialogue Pete has throughout their exchange. This adds so much more to the written story and helps make sense of the show’s gaffs. This brings me to another rant about the series and its handling of the Earn character. This entire theme of Earn being so deeply depressed because Noh doesn’t like him is, in my opinion, another example of the series writers making a muck of things. Not that Earn being depressed is unbelievable or unexpected, but the way it plays out is very choppy and unconvincing. In the novel, Earn’s purpose is to serve as a foil, testing the relationship between Phun and Noh, period. Play your part, say your lines, then exit (yes, I know Pharma Camp is still out there). The series had the idea to make Earn a bigger focus (and dragged Pete way up into the foreground as well), all of which is perfectly fine, but then, it seems to me, they had no ideas beyond that. I think this is why the character keeps behaving and reacting so inconsistently. (I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the writers change frequently on the show.) He swings from being strong, competitive and a champion for the underdog to being weak, indecisive, and depressingly withdrawn (and vaguely catatonic). Earn seems more like he’s suffering from multiple personality disorder than getting his feelings badly hurt. As far as I’m concerned Ngern’s acting is the only thing that makes the character half believable. Okay, I’m done.

By focusing on the hard work and commitment all the band members have put into the preparation for the concert, Pete succeeds in reminding Earn that everyone has made sacrifices and holds an equal stake in the band’s success. It is making Earn understand this that pulls him out of himself and his torpor and back into the real world. One of my favorite parts of the chapter is Pete’s internal dialogue recalling the experiences he’s had the last two months. He summarizes them in a timeline-like fashion and realizes their significance to his life and what he’s learned about himself and his emotions. My other favorite part is after Pete and Earn get to school and meet up with Card and Hack to practice the third song before the performance that evening. The challenge Card raises to Earn over the third song to test his commitment to the group was terrifically tense. I have to say though, and in spite of what he says, I still think Earn is primarily in it for himself and I can’t believe that Card, the critic/cynic, folded his tent so quickly by accepting Earn’s unconvincing mea culpa. I consider this just another example of trying to make sense of plotlines and behaviors from the series that don’t really converge properly. I won’t say much about the performance except that it was portrayed here in the story in a far more compelling way than it came across in the series, so kudos on that for sure (and Card rapping made me laugh aloud. Go Card!). The best part in this scene for me comes at the end of the third song as Pete is reflecting on Earn’s predicament in relation to his own feelings toward Earn. I also thought Pete acknowledging Phun’s success on stage was also nicely done, since we have heard Pete more than once in previous chapters express that he doesn’t really like Phun (which he does here as well, even as he compliments Phun’s performance). And of course, Pete can’t help but notice the effect of the performance on Earn, and how seeing Earn hurting makes him feel sad as well. I especially liked that Por was able to watch the performance and had the chance to join his friends in celebrating their success. 

At this point in the story Lhew calls Pete to tell him that her group won the dance competition at her school and he relates the events of the Live Concert. I have to say this seemed odd to me. Not that she would call, but their exchange seemed kind of flat and forced. I know they are both tired and all, but it felt more like an obligatory appearance as if to remind us that she still exists. I know the call is a set up for the date, but I felt it was a kind of transparent in that way. Just saying… Anyway, I sense something coming for their relationship, although I’m not clear in my mind on the timing, so I get it that in that way she needed to be in this chapter. It just felt weird to me, that’s all.

The post-performance dialogue between Pete and Earn builds on the re-emergence of their feelings of friendship and commitment sown in the earlier part of the chapter in Earn’s room, and the emotionally distraught Earn reaches out to Pete for comfort and companionship when he asks Pete if he can crash at his place, presumably simply to avoid being alone. This is clearly a plot movement, but I can’t quite wrap my mind around Earn leaping from severe isolation to needy clinginess. It seems forced to me, but I don’t think most readers will agree. The alcohol suffused celebration that follows sets up the hugging scene in Pete’s bedroom as the boys crash after a long and emotionally charged day. The last line says it all as Earn is clinging to Pete as if trying to save himself from drowning. This is an absolutely great spot to end the chapter! I can’t wait for the next one to start.

I know it sounds like I didn’t like this chapter very much, but I’m just cutting straight to the most pressing issues in my mind to get this out. I enjoyed much of it as I usually do. I look forward to the next installment and the hopefully the date between Pete and Lhew. Thanks!