Chapter 44: Clash

It should come as no surprise that I am very fond of this story since most of my comments are pretty much a hug fest, and I think this might just be my new favorite chapter.  I am going to cut back on the copious summarizing I usually do and focus my comments on the story and the storytelling techniques.  I have high praise in both regards, although to be completely up front from the beginning, I am going to dissent from an event in the storyline.  Overall the story is structured in a recurring pattern of foreground action, followed by backstory, followed by action, and so on, with each turn of the cycle adding more and more information as the narrative takes focus and begins to tie in with preceding chapters.  Eventually these rotations converge in the present and the chapter proceeds to its conclusion.  I enjoyed this immensely.

My first praise is for the title of the chapter.  Truth in advertising is always appreciated and there is plenty of “clash” to go around in this chapter starting in the opening segment where we find Pete stalking behind a wall in an unspecified part of the campus.  We don’t know where he is exactly, but we do know that he doesn’t like to go there.  The heat is intense, the air crackling with electricity, and thick with mystery and suspense.  Tension hangs in the air steadily climbs as the action unfolds.  By the end of the opening paragraph we know Pete is waiting for students to leave the area he’s spying on, and that Card, in part, has put him up to doing something he would rather be doing alone.  The close of the first paragraph kicks the door open to the next and we learn that Por is also present, and his incessant complaining about their mission risks blowing their cover.  Pete is in an admittedly sour mood, which raises the tension even more as the boys start sniping at each other.  The whole cloak and dagger nature of their task has Pete struggling to keep Por quiet by closing a hand over Por’s mouth, focusing our attention on the intrigue even more.  Por indicates that what they are about to do will make violence a distinct possibility before it’s revealed that the boys are here to obtain something specific and have only have 30 minutes left to get it.   The mention of a time constraint emphasizes the urgency even more.  When Pete spies again from their vantage point, he sees only one boy remaining after the others depart.  Por expresses confidence at being able to dominate their quarry, but Pete cautions Por that he’s more than just a pretty face.  The heat remains high and the tension continues to climb.  Por makes a relationship joke at Pete’s expense and Pete threatens to cut him, raising the tension higher still, and only minutes later threatens to throw Por from the railing as they continue to bicker with each other. 

As far as I am concerned this is a prime example of very strong storytelling.  The “clash” of the chapter title is on display everywhere.  The boys are fighting with each other even as they prepare to confront the mystery person they are spying on.  And this, of course, takes place before the backdrop of the continuing clash between Pete and Earn which is also alluded to by both Por’s wisecrack and Pete’s admission to being in the foulest of moods as noted by his biting retorts to Por.  There is the stab of conflict rippling through every interaction represented so far in this chapter which hooks you in hard and refuses to let you go.  Then the story does something brilliantly sinister by walking away from this compelling opening and dropping in a backstory in the form of a personal reverie in Pete’s head (this is the first rotation in the pattern I mentioned above).   Pete covers the slow progress he, Card and Lhew are making on the finals project and how unstable his emotions have been lately.  His world is still gray and Earn is still acting like nothing is wrong and trying to win him over.  Pete’s litany seems so status quo and mundane at this point.  After all, we’ve heard all of this before.  Yet it reminds us of their status and informs us nothing has changed while laying the ground work for incorporating the preceding action into the larger story arc.  It also pulls the pace of the story away from action/tension and into an emotional space we are already familiar with right before the story plunges us back into Pete’s tension-packed mystery mission.  (I think of it like getting out of a relaxing warm hot tub and jumping into an ice bath and then back to the hot tub again.)  The last thought running through Pete’s mind is a frustrated accusation aimed at Earn for ignoring their relationship issues as if nothing has happened, and then suddenly we’re pulled back into the foreground action and Pete is aggressively shoving Por around the corner of building as if his internal frustrations are feeding into his actions in the present situation. 

Although hints were liberally made, it is here that we learn the mystery person being spied upon is Phun as he’s standing outside the Student Council Office.  This knowledge adds clarity and perspective to the scene.  Por is charged with distracting him while Pete sneaks inside in search of something, but upon entering he finds the room in disarray making his mission impossible, impossibly more difficult as the clock counts down the time remaining.  This quick sequence of events is a brief flash into the foreground narrative before we are returned to the backstory.  Apparently Pete is once again eating a sack lunch alone in their classroom as Card confronts him about it before handing over a container of pork and squid.  Pete is initially enticed, but backs off when he learns that Earn bought it for him.  Card finally pushes him to eat it and Pete soon begins to think fondly of Earn before he stops to remind himself why he’s still mad at him.  Deep down, though, he admits to himself that he still loves the guy.  Eventually Pete asks where everyone is and learns from Card that they are meeting with the Music Club.  With the thought of Earn and Noh in the same room, Pete is initially concerned, but downplays it when Card asks him if he’s okay.  Eventually Earn, Por and Tee enter the classroom, and Earn asks Pete to guess what awesome event the Cheer Club gets to plan.  As Pete’s annoyance starts to seep out, Card jumps in to ask what Earn is talking about, and they learn for the first time that the due to budgetary constraints and the poor planning and laziness of the Music Club President, the secret Year End Concert they normally sponsor is being taken over by the Cheer Club.  This turns out to be an underground student run event aimed at pulling off a series of popup performances in rapid succession, always a step ahead of school officials.  It takes a serious commitment and farsighted planning as well as a group of dedicated performers to pull it off in all of the unlikely venues, many of them locked and off limits to students.

I have to call a timeout to make a personal comment, so please indulge me for a minute.  The secret Year End Concert is an awesome idea!  I love this invention so much because it reminds me of the senior pranks we played at my high school back in the Stone Age.  I grew up in California, so I can’t speak for other areas of the county, but senior pranks were a common practice where I grew up.  Most of them were pretty lame, although some were hilariously funny.   Just like the heroes of our story, I also attended an all-boys school, and as one of the troublemakers in my senior class, I worked with a select group of like-minded miscreants and managed, through careful planning, to sneak onto the campus in the middle of the night and lock half the buildings from the inside with chains and padlocks forcing the school to cancel classes for the next day.  Believe me when I say that it was the most popular prank I experienced in the four years I attended school there and most of us took the day (a Friday, as we deliberately planned it) to go to the beach and party.  So that’s why I love the idea of the Friday students breaking some rules in the name of fun.  There is something empowering about giving those in charge the finger, believe me.

This portion of the backstory winds down with Earn asking Pete to handle an important assignment because he needs someone he trusts with full confidence.  Pete gets pulled in by Earn’s sincerity and agrees, understanding that it is unrelated to the tensions between them.   In a flash we are pulled back to the action and Pete is proclaiming victory in his search for the mystery prize inside the Student Council office and we finally learn the focus of his mission; a specific set of keys to certain school buildings for access during the Year End Concert.   Pete is supposed to deploy a complicated duplicating kit to take impressions of those desired, but he’s interrupted by Phun and an apologetic Por in the process.  Phun demands an explanation for Pete’s actions, and after a series of threats and one-upmanship by both boys, Pete explains about the Year End Concert and the need for the keys.  Phun seems completely unsympathetic at first, but ultimately upends Pete’s assumptions about him by agreeing to let Pete take the keys for a couple of days while admitting that he may have been indirectly responsible for why the event skipped Noh’s mind in the first place.  Before letting Pete and Por go however, Phun extracts a promise from them not to spread around his role in the caper.  Pete thanks Phun with sincerity and lets it slip that he doesn’t dislike him anymore, and Phun reciprocates in a jokingly awkward manner before the boys run off with their prize.

From this point on the mysterious foreground action and backstory converge in the present and the chapter rolls forward to its conclusion which from a structural storytelling perspective makes perfect sense.  This last passage adds some nice storytelling touches, particularly with its nod to the Phun-Noh relationship.  Better still, it seems that the animosity Pete has previously held toward Phun has been discarded by Phun’s display of understanding, humanity and comradery.  I think the conversation between Phun and Pete really captures a side of Phun that rings true to his character in the novel, including his decision to let Pete go with the keys.  In fact reading the dialogue, all could see was White’s face, grin and mannerisms from the series (I have always loved the series for the visuals it provides).  I owe the ability to see their exchange in my mind’s eye to the firm writing of this dialogue.  Anyway, Pete may have been surprised by Phun’s actions, but Pete’s opinion of Phun up to this point has been so skewed he could never imagine Phun being decent enough to do such a thing.  I know there are readers that have issues with Phun’s moral character, but I find his actions in this instance completely congruent with his character.  I am pleased to see this surprise development in the Pete-Phun relationship portrayed in this chapter.  Thank you for writing this into the story.

As Pete and Por head toward the secret meeting, Pete gives Por his version of his issues with Earn and counter Earn’s one-sided impression of what’s going on, but gives up trying to explain himself as they arrive at another place he doesn’t much like, the Music Club.  They are greeted by the loud mouth of Ohm and a series of back-and-forth insults are exchanged.  (Three cheers for bringing this compelling personality into the story and portraying him so spot-on.)  After noticing the absence of Earn, Noh, Card and several others, Pete’s initial concern is quelled when he learns Noh ran off to the Student Council Office and that Earn and Card went to fetch a few more attendees (“chicks” according to Per).  In short time Earn and Card enter with a sizable group of girls which includes Josie and Lhew.  Pete greets Lhew happily to whispers about her being Ngoi’s ex-girlfriend as heated stares focus on them.  An awkward exchange of words takes place as Earn and Lhew sit next to and engage Pete in a group conversation before Card calls everyone’s attention to order.  The Music Club members explain their position and what they can provide as do the other clubs in attendance.  The Cheer Club shares where the event will likely take place and Earn explains how his best man took care of everything when asked how they were able to gain access.  This impresses most groups in attendance, but there are a few holdouts who seem concerned that without the Music Club’s sponsorship, their involvement might not be justified.  The Cheer Club tries to list their accomplishments over the prior year to assuage these concerns, but doubts remain, and Ohm encourages the Cheer Club to demonstrate their abilities by performing.  The doubters persist in demanding that some of the girls in attendance join in, indicating that some people present seem be there out of favoritism.  When Lhew stands up making some spirited comments, Ohm throws a chiding remark her way (referring to her as Ngoi’s ex) which garners him a thorough rebuke from Lhew in response.  Earn chimes in defending Ohm’s right to question and comment referring to Lhew as “Lhewd” which immediately draws Pete into the exchange as he accuses Earn of not thinking much.  Earn obliviously asks what he means, and Pete accusingly tells him he knows what he means before Card tries to cut them off and take control.  It’s now Por’s turn to jump in accusing Pete of getting hurt, however, Pete fires right back at him, instigating Josie and Hack to enter the fray on Earn and Por’s side.  Card stands up for Pete by shooting Por a knowing glance before telling Josie it’s not really her fight, but she admonishes that she’s all in if it involves her boyfriend.  Finally Dirk drops into the mix levelling an accusation and equally hard glare at Hack, which in turn instigates Ohm into calling out the eruption of Cheer Club drama the room has just witnessed.  Lhew gets the final word by pointing out that the squabble was all started over a chick no less. 

I know, I know, I said I wasn’t going summarize too much, but this part of the story demanded and deserved it.  I have commented and complimented on the quality of the conversational writing in this novel before, and this portion of the chapter demonstrates a splendid example of the writer’s ability to draft convincing and natural conversation.  And what conversation it is!  OMG!  What starts out as group discussion erupts into the airing of a slew of pent up emotional baggage.  In comments on earlier chapters I have referred to Pete and Earn’s circle as a family of friends, and as I read this passage I never felt more justified in doing so.  I felt like I was sitting around the family dinner table on Christmas - it seems that realistic to me (but hey, I grew up in a boisterous Italian family where the only thing louder than our shouting was the sound of us eating).   I find the verisimilitude astonishing.  As the scene takes off, there is an initial emotional recognition of what’s transpiring, but then the list of participants starts to accelerate with each referencing private matters in a public forum (in front of strangers, no less) all of which escalates the tension even higher as the sense of exposure skyrockets with all the cross-connected accusations being thrown around.  So not only is the drama juicy, but it is revealed in a very compelling way.  The title of the chapter rings true once again.  This is my favorite part of the chapter, hands down.

So this is where I dissent from what comes next in the story.  We were just treated a dramatically gripping scene, but it is used, in my opinion, to launch an unbelievable plotline progression.  In essence, the story jumps from reality to fantasy.  I cannot buy into the audition that follows because I cannot suspend my disbelief in the group’s ability to spontaneously perform so exceptionally.  In a previous chapter I took issue with the believability of the boys being able to climb onto a professional stage at the Valentine’s Day concert and perform despite not practicing for an unspecified period beforehand, so what transpires here raises those same concerns by several factors of magnitude, especially considering the number of singers and the complexity of the performance.  Even if some of the group had prepared in advance (in anticipation of being challenged to audition at the meeting – which in itself is unlikely) Pete being able to join in stone cold from zero just makes me cringe.  I understand that the group-sing is a tension breaking device based on the lyrics of the song (which is not a bad song choice, btw) aimed to set up the chapter conclusion by healing the group argument we just witnessed, but I just don’t buy it.  I consider myself lucky to be invited to make comments on this wonderful work, even though I am not a writer.  The fact is that manner in which this chapter is constructed makes the scene I am objecting to indispensable to the plot.  While this scene does not work for me, most readers will not find this fatal, and I certainly do not expect anyone to accept or agree with my opinion.  By the same token, I don’t think my comments hold much validity if they are not faithful to my opinions.   

Ohm’s enthusiastic response to the performance is echoed by the crowd and it appears that for Josie and Lhew, at least, it was a healing experience.  Card eventually appeals to the dissenter’s and gains their approval, and with that the meeting adjourns, giving Pete, Earn and Por a chance to step away for a private conversation.  Por steps up first stating he’s been kind of obnoxious lately as way of blowing off steam, and Pete apologizes for snapping at him, and tells him if wants to know what’s going on (referring to his relationship challenges) he just needs to ask, reminding him that he was not being lying about the whole one-sided assumption part they talked about earlier.  At this point Por departs in search of Josie, leaving Pete and Earn alone. 

Both boys feel the awkwardness, but Pete summons up the will to speak first and asks Earn if he knows that he still loves him.  Earn acknowledges that he does and quickly adds that he loves Pete in return.  Pete goes on to acknowledge that some of his past actions were questionable, but transpired before they were a couple and asks Earn if he understands that.  Upon getting Earn’s confirmation, he goes on to say that those events weren’t secrets; they were unimportant so he just never brought them up.  Setting his reservations aside, Pete then tells Earn that if those things made him feel insecure, he apologizes for not sharing them with him.  Earn’s enthusiastic reaction and his question about them being cool with each other now forces Pete to clarify that they are not.  They still need time apart, he explains, until Earn realizes why Pete remains angry, stressing that until he does things won’t be cool between them.  As Pete heads back into the music room, Earn shouts that he didn’t look upset earlier when Pete looked at him while they were singing.  Pete turns and tells Earn that he might be angry with him, but he still loves him.  In reply Earn asks what he can do to get them out of this weird funk they’re in, and Pete just tells him to do what he’s asked and think things over.  Hesitating before opening the door, he repeats his position that until then, they’re still on break before entering the room while hoping Earn will understand.

The exchange between Por and Pete clearly involves a stand down from the tension seen between them at the opening of the chapter.  Although the conversation between Pete and Earn starts off hesitantly, it is clear that the success of the audition has dispelled some of the friction between them.  Pete fulfills his commitment from the last chapter to explain himself to Earn and he apologizes for allowing his prior omissions to lead Earn astray.  He has also ensured that Earn understands he still loves him while maintaining his integrity and pushing Earn to absorb what he’s just learned as he reconsiders the issue as to why they need to remain apart.  From a mechanical perspective, I believe the last part of this chapter is essential to the story arc because it builds toward the crucial issue of a Pete-Earn reconciliation, thus setting up the future direction of the story.  It will be very interesting to see what comes next and how it will play out across the Year End Concert storyline.  With the exception noted above, I loved the construction of the chapter and the pacing created by the action sequences juxtaposed backstory, the always well sculpted conversations, the innovative concept of the Year End Concert, and best of all, the group clash of sniping and conflict.  That’s a lot going on for sure and a delight to read.  Thanks again for such an engaging story.