I wasn't sure what to name this post. There was the developing situation with Baker. There was the mother instincts taking over. The flashbacks while on the couch became my topic.
Read Hi, I'm Lance Meeting No. 52 [Chap. 23] here.
It is interesting that Mike and Lance have had their own private encounters, albeit brief. Lance's flashbacks recalled moments from If It Weren't For the Two of Us.
The one in Lance's apartment where he spilled Trent's secret was a harsh point in their friendship. But they were best friends. Lance's bigger mistake was getting drunk that evening.
See If It Weren't For the Two of Us, Chapter 27 here.
The other was following Lance's car crash. While we knew Mike had helped Lance in the shower, we could only guess how that unfolded as the narrative was through Trent's eyes, who had been in the other room with Lance's father. This is now the complete picture.
See If It Weren't For the Two of Us, Chapter 30 here.
Be it Mike or Trent or Evan, the comfort level of nudity among men varies. Assumptions are made that someone who is athletically fit — and certainly endowed like Lance — would probably have no reservations. But how you were raised is also engrained in your personal perspective. Mike and Lance are pretty open, but with the situation in that chapter, even Lance had internal embarrassment.
On a personal level, I recall being fine at a waterpark with just a swimsuit — until students of mine walked by and said hello. Then I wanted to slither under a beach towel. I was by no means naked, but the environment had me exposing much more of myself than they had ever seen. It was awkward.
Nowadays, I am quite sure that I'm at the more reserved end of the spectrum. Personal friends of mine say they attend "naked cocktail parties" (whatever those are). I can't even imagine me being in that scenario. Everyone is different; we're all entitled to be. And that's okay.
An interesting chapter. I know that Lance despises Baker, but he needs to realize that the person ultimately responsible for Tyler's death was Tyler himself. (I'm sure I'll get a lot of flak for this POV.) Tyler had the opportunity to walk away from the relationship, and Lance even told him to phone him if he needed to, but he never called. A real tragedy, but Baker seems truly repentant. I hope Lance can forgive him eventually.
ReplyDeleteBecause you called this post The Couch, I wanted to say that I think it was interesting that Lance being separated from Jakob was uncomfortable for him. I love how he has developed. Way back when all these stories, he was a total dick (pun intended). Or at least I thought so. You have turned him into a fine young man. It has surprised me that he has become my favorite character, although Jakob might be a close second.
ReplyDeleteA couch of relfections.