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Begun: 17-01-2005,
21:50 CET.
Ended: 18-01-2005,
01:09 CET.

Good three weeks went by since Christmas AND Chapter 15. Now when we've read chapter 16 that means we got two thirds of SC 3 — if Nick holds on his plan. The chapter is a long one, around 17.500 words, the third longest chapter of all books so far (the longest was SC2, 28, then came SC2, 38). BTW, with the end of this chapter SC3 has reached the length of SC1.

Because the previous chapter did not answer some questions we had and Nick did not answer all of them in the forum (he answered some of them but not those ) we have been desperatedly waited for this one.

Addition to HTML version:

Eventually SC 3 counted 30 chapters; several chapters got split and expanded. Therefore chapter 16 was about just after the half of the book.

It is Monday, Paul is back from the weekend as are we. It is starting in design class so we might get some Joska. Trip came to the decision about keeping the team of him, Paul, Antonio and Samantha together. This could be a hint considering Paul's company. We know Paul is still with Trip or opaque but perhaps Antionio and Sam are too. Paul is beginning to plan his schedule for the next quarter and after the weekend he is still counting on Gina and Kendall. He wants to spend time with them, wants also to model at Shioban's (please note that the name Shioban is an Irish variation of Susanna!) and he definitely wants to take more classes together with Trip (and the team).

Then Joska is making his appearance. It is surprising that he knows about the students, which of them had been in the labs through the weekend (he seems to have good spies or is a work-a-holic which is spying for himself, i.e. he went to the labs and looked who was there and who not).

Seems also that Joska has a new goal, Trip:

"Perhaps you've come to your senses and decided to give up your dreams of becoming an architect?" Joska asked.
"No, sir," Trip said.
"Then where were you and your team this weekend, while all your classmates were industriously toiling away on their final projects?"
"Antonio went home for the weekend," Trip said. "Samantha was here on campus. And Paul and I went to visit my family in Nashville."
"Nashville?" Joska asked almost pleasantly.
"It was my little brother's birthday."
I got the strange feeling that Trip was actually enjoying himself.
"Your little brother's birthday?" Joska mocked. "How quaint.
And I suppose you didn't feel the need to work on your project this weekend?"
"No, sir," Trip answered.
"And why not? What makes you and your team so special, Mr. Whitman?"
"We finished on Friday," Trip said.

Actually not only Trip was enjoying himself, but also I was enjoying him. As they turn in their projects I have learned a thing. Earlier I assumed that Midterms are after about 3 months. Now I realize that I was wrong. Since they are in their Fall quarter midterms have been probably after about six weeks. (Perhaps one could tell me exactly, I really don't know, in Europe the system goes a bit different I guess). Nevertheless: we still do not know anything about Gina's results. We do not know about Kendall also, but we know that she is serious in her studies. In some cases we have more clue's than Paul, but here we have the same informations or maybe less. Paul perhaps knows, but Nick did not tell this. The point is: Does he know or not? Did he took care of their results or he still forgot to ask, because he had a fixation on himself?

The lesson is ending with Joska leveling "his inscrutable gaze" at Paul. And Paul will come back tomorrow.

Next event: Football with the Pikes. Gina is to see Paul and there is a sentence which is a bit strange at this point:

After all, I wasn't upset with her.

I thought the last month Paul was upset with both of them.

"This whole girlfriend/best-friend thing stinks."
"Huh?"
"I wanna throw my arms around you and give you a big kiss," she said. "But the guys on your team know Kendall as your girlfriend, right?"
I nodded.
"Maybe that wasn't the greatest idea after all," she said.

That is right. Things would not be so complicated and Paul would be the A&A Stud. And there comes the next mystery (we hadn't had any this year so far.):

"I thought it would be easier than this. And I didn't think Kendall would ... Oh, never mind. Anyway," she said,

What Kendall would or would not? What Paul should not mind about? We have not had much time to consider this Nick is presenting the next surprise:

"Do you think we could get together tonight? I"
I want to spend some time with you."
"That sounds like a great idea," I said.
"Maybe""
"Maybe"?" I prompted.
"Maybe we could invite Kendall?"

Does Gina doing this because she needs some advice from Kendall (and she does not know how to get it) or is it only calculus with Paul's feelings ... like she showed the wish to compromise but...?

Gina gives Paul a kiss in public... is this a real feeling or pure calculation? Paul's friends and Kendall are there and they know her to be Paul's girlfriend.

The game is starting Paul is running and — carambolage with Rod. The next surprise. We did not know that he can anything other than to be fucked in the ass, be drunken and take drugs. Well, Paul is overrunning him and Rod isn't amused. He says Paul some fucks but before we know what happens T.J. is here for kicking Rod's ass if needed. Next surprise. How many surprises will be in this chapter? (One would expect surprises for Christmas or Birthday, Christmas has been and my Birthday is at Feb 27 only...)

There is another incident with more ass and fucking and it is coming what I (and probably most other readers) were thinking since the first 'accident' — Paul is tituling Rod "buttfucker". The cat is off the bag.

Soon after the match the conflict continues and Rod is hitting Paul. Some would consider it as the next surprise that T.J. got there immediately and also Glen is involved. For me that was no surprise. I may be on error, but T.J. is not the bad guy only that Paul sees.

The conflict is not ended Rod is not giving in, he does not cool. But soon it ends, Rod is defeated by Glen. How?

"Aikido"

Glen is a fighter? Next surprise. Before Paul considered if or not to thank T.J. he says:

"Fuck you, Loverboy"

Maybe "fuck" is the most used word in chapter 16. Could still mean "Paul you are an asshole", he also could've meant "Don't mention it." Nevertheless, Paul knows that he just made an enemy who could cause me ... and Gina ... a lot of problems. Gina's problems we are seeing for some chapters and that Rod is problems I am aware of the party chapter which I hated.

Gina cannot care of Paul since she is within the Pikes and Chis so it is on Kendall. Bad news is my next thought. Mistake. Paul is telling of Gina wanting to join him and Kendall and for solving their problems. So he says Trip he would not join them going out because he has to talk with Kendall and Gina — now this is a surprise for Kendall, that Trip know. She says then, that Gina also should come with them. Seems that also Kendall wants to end the Cold War. Another surprise. We have more surprises in this chapter than I can count with my fingers.

But Paul sees the catch:

Gina could do something with us in private. But after the Pike loss and the near-brawl with Rod, Gina couldn't go out and publicly celebrate with us. The odds of someone seeing her with "the enemy" were simply too great. I knew it, Gina would know it, and Kendall definitely knew it.

And then comes — I think so — one of the most important statements of the entire Summer Camp, and I am saying that in the knowledge that some 400.000+ words still are not written. Gina says:

I can't go out in public and celebrate with you.

You wanna hear my opinion? Gina saying this means for me she is not his girlfriend anymore. She is a bitch. The problem is: Paul will blame Kendall for that I guess, for what Mr. Asshole should have been blamed for. Paul is lying to her, saying that the idea was his. We do not remember him lying? Before that, sometimes in SC3, it was half-lying or not telling all of it. Here it is lying a hundred percent. Not good.

"Paul, if a Pike or Chi O sees me with you and your team, I'm history. Don't you understand that?"

Ok, I confess it. Kendall was manipulative. He talked Paul inviting her and Gina to the Strip, but it is not possible, not acceptable for Gina. And Gina also manipulates, the boomerang comes back:

"I want you to spend a quiet night with your girlfriend," she said. "Your first girlfriend.

There it is. Gina is the first girlfriend and Kendall is the second. (Sidenote: It is chronically, isn't it? Who will be the third girlfriend?) But Gina does not mean it chronically but considering dominance. She wants to dominate. Paul is lamenting that he told the guys and Gina again blames Kendall. Gina is ending the telephone call as is ending the first quarter of the story.

And Kendall certainly got her wish. After all, I wasn't with Gina, was I?

The next Kendall is apologizing, but Paul is seeing it only as a charade. He is also lying to her. Bad. Very bad.

It seems that Paul is going to have more conflicts in this chapters than Nick spent us surprises — Paul is also fighting with the TA when Joska comes in. It ends with Joska signing his card after having changed Paul to Ledbetter's class.

Give them to me like hard-won little bricks, you arrogant bastard, and I'll turn them into a building.

Nice statement, Nick.

Ocasionally we get another Gina hatred on Kendall. I don't know how Paul feels at this moment but I have enough. Enough from the girlfriend for three years which turned into a bitch. I don't want Paul to dump her, but he has to talk with her and then with Kendall and then with them both (if both of them still are with him after the talks). Now Gina gets angry about Kendall needing to have a ride to Chattanooga.

The chapter is full of strong statements, here is another:

Paul is giving Kendall her ride and Paul stays for dinner at the Paytons. It has been a while since we read sex in this story, IIRC it was in chapter 14 and it is Kendall who is giving Paul a blowjob. Then she wants to get fucked. Paul is reluctant. There is no place in the car he says. Has he still the Making A Baby Thing in mind? They fuck and before Paul is leaving then, she says:

"Gina doesn't love you," (...). "Not like I do."

Paul must be annoyed of this, both of them are claiming him for herself and blaming the other. Such a waste.

As Paul is coming home and David is saying:

"Do we still have that recipe for Roast Leg of Little Girl?"

I thought back on Elizabeth's words about 'those barbars! grilling 'dead cow', I couldn't help. <g>

Later Beth is asking Paul if it is still bad with Gina — a surprise for Paul — but Susan told and she also was in contact with Elizabeth. Please note what Beth said:

"Gina hasn't shared a lot of details with her mother, but Elizabeth can tell that she's not very happy."

Later Gina comes over. She is confessing she was bitchy and this word was used only once before in Summer Camp, in SC2, 19:

Jenny's a nice girl, when she's not being bitchy.

Some of us used this word in the forum discussing Gina's behaviour and now it is proofed that Gina is a Forum member. We just have to figure out. (Maybe Gina Marie Wylie?)

BTW, the story is slightly after half-time and so much happened until now. Gina does not want to whine about Kendall anymore, but she wants to talk about — Leah. She wants to have sex with Paul — says Gina. Since Gina did not get to watch Paul with Kendall for a longer time, since the library evening I think, she needs to watch Paul fucking her sister, I guess. It was said in the forum, it is psychopathic. And here it is also calculation. Gina maybe wants to show Paul that he could have two Coulter girls if he wants. They won't need Kendall. What a bitch! (What do you think: who is the bitch I meant here?)

"And I only share you with special people."

Aha. No further comments.
So Leah will have her comeback as does the classic SC dialog:

"You're such a goof," she said. "But you're my goof."

Gina says:

"Well, with guys, you either like each other or you hate each other. There's no in-between."

Paul's answer is:

That's not quite true, I thought. But it's close enough.

I believe he had T.J. in his mind.

Well it is the chapter of big and small surprises, so it is no surprise we get another one:

"Do you mind if we just snuggle tonight? Instead of" you know?"

The sex manicac number 1 in this epos wants just and only to — snuggle. Huh? Well, it is Thanksgiving and after some fucking the next morning there are some thanks to Mr. Testicles et. al. That afternoon they go to the Coulters, the turkey is a giant and Kara is there also — with a boyfriend. Next surprise.

It isn't for long and the "kids" are watching TV in the Guest house (though I did not remark whether Erin came to the Coulters' house and is around or she was forgotten at home.

Paul gets a suprise when finds Leah shaved. The threesome with her sexy and I have the feeling that there will come an aftermath when they are back in college.

There is another thing to be considered in the very last part of the chapter, as Paul is joing Trip, Luke and Jeff in their suite.

Josh asked about you. I told him you were with your family, but that you'd come visit soon."
I felt my face heating.

What was that about???

This chapter brought us a stunt on the football field, many conflicts and discussions — I was on the border of ability to take it —, hot sex with Paul and Gina and Kendall — but together —, we got a threesome and many surprises. And we have been introduced to — The Fucking Cunt. (Though in the Forum was invented an acronym for her, TFC, I did not believe she would appear in the story. )

And we learned that Leah is shy about boys and has not yet met Mark Douglas who she will marry. And so she isn't Aunt D as well because we meet both of them After Fidel dies at an airport, what will happen some years after the prologues are taking place. (You will just have to do some calculations and you need to discover one detail.) (A hint: Bejing)

During the weekend in Atlanta there was no sign for any drug use. Did TERB only play with us in that terrible chapter 13? Does Gina blow only ocasionally?

The chapter did not answer our questions, Nick, but we found some new. "You are incorrigible." (with strong british accent, pleaaze.)