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Begun: 27-02-2005,
19:40 CET.
Ended: 27-02-2005,
23:28 CET.

Now that chapter 18 is up, some SWAGs made in the Scipio_Forum are to be proofed. We know, from a message Nick posted in the forum in the first days of this year, that chapter 18 will feature The Pines, but not in a manner we're thinking. Okay, I've cheated, as I dowloaded this chapter I first went to the end (but will not tell what I saw) — that was the first time ever I did this since I am reading Summer Camp (I started as Nick posted SC1,5 or 6 to ASSM.)

As before I am doing my analysis without aditing it, as I read the chapter in a different window. Why I am doing this? First, it is funny, second it is training my English (un-) skills and third (oh, I missed an Oxford comma here), the chapter is lasting longer, practically the whole evening.

Since the last chapter ended very funny, I expected that this chapter would start with some problems, Nick has this done before (he did it also vice versa). The chapter is opening with a discussion about the G-P-K relationship, which actually started Beth. Very fast she says, that she spoke with Elizabeth, a fact the forum readers have discussed before.

"It's a really complex situation, and none of us are happy. I mean, it'd take me a while to explain, so..." "I already know some of it," she said reasonably.

Beth is implying, that she does not know the whole truth, since Gina told Elizabeth her own POV. Also Elizabeth's 'report' to Beth might be in some way 'influenced'.

Kendall hoped Gina would go to UCLA instead of UT, and she wants her 'turn' as my only girlfriend.

At this moment I don't remember that. (I would need to do some research through SC3, that would be against the methodics of this 'thought'). I rather believe, that this thesis was said some time ago by Gina and Paul believed what Gina said. (But as I said, I don't remember and can be wrong, but I will find out!)

All of us adult readers (hopefully, we are adults, aren't we?) are wondering, why Paul was not asking his mother or his mentor about his problems (BTW, I some private email exchange I was asked for a hint concerning a certain problem, for the three of you, the hint is 'mentor'!), so we are glad, that Paul finally is doing what he was supposed to do.

Gina's sorority sisters aren't really helping the situation, but she had her claws out before any of that flared up.

That's also to be proofed. I don't remember that. It can be, that Nick didn't tell that explicit — remember, we're not getting every minute in the life of Paul et. al.

I can't get them to talk to each other, and neither one wants to be the first to extend the olive branch." Besides, Gina already tried that, and it didn't work, I recalled with resentment.

Another half-truth. I remember two opportunities, Gina tried to do this, but in both cases some externe factors had caused the trouble (Kendall did not attend Regan's party, probably because of Hayley-slut and Gina didn't want to be seen with non-Greeks at the strip after the football match, so the score is 1—1!)

Beth says:

"If none of you are happy, and you aren't communicating, then you'll only prolong the inevitable if you don't do something."

What is some in Beth's eyes. What she is expecting? Nick is repeating here the central question of the laste maybe ten chapters of SC3, the question was asked sometimes before, Susan has said it, when visiting Knoxville, Trip spoke about it, first when both got drunken and also later. Paul is slow in the uptake, but now he should get it. Some readers also. Most reader's have there favourite girl — I hadn't. Until SC3 I liked Gina and Kendall the same. SC3 did change it. If I had to choose, I would not decide for a horny, cum-addicted, very dark-blonde, but rather for a horny, intelligent girl which is clever enough for me. Though, maybe not too clever. ;-)

"I'm going to have to make a choice," I said heavily.
She nodded.
"Yeah, Trip told me the same thing."

He has to choose. He already knows. But he doesn't want it to do.

Hey, Nick said, that he needs reader feedback. Some time ago was a discussion in the forum about a peculiar word (remember, Dai?), this word is making up here:

"Still...," I said.
"Still...," she echoed.

After the discussion Paul had with his mother, he's calling Gina. The reader's are in expectation of this call, the tension is growing. Gina was rare in SC3,17 — actually, she had only a few lines, when Paul considered about her and their relationship. She appeared only in one paragraph, when Paul met her for lunch, but we didn't know what was spoken.

Gina was pretty sure that she had made the Dean's List; despite all of her extracurricular activities with the sorority, she did work hard on her schoolwork.

We have to believe that. This theme was discussed earlier, considering the sororities and a believed drug addiction.

"Paul?" Gina asked finally, her voice small.
"Yeah?"
"Were you serious when you said that I was the reason you didn't get into Sigma Chi?"
"Listen," I said, "I'm sorry I said that."

I assumed, that Gina would rethink about what Paul snapped at her. Pityfully, Paul isn't telling the truth here. Again, he wants avoid hurting Gina. Hell, each of us has several relationships behind, we know that isn't possible. Gina is coming over, and we all want to read things like that, Nick:

Keep this passage in your mind!
(Added to HTML)

(... )I started kissing. Our kisses were tentative at first, but we quickly moved beyond our initial hesitation. Soon, we were kissing like long-lost lovers (which, in a way, we were).
"God, I've missed this," Gina said, when we finally separated.
"Me too."
"I hate when we argue," she said. Then she kissed me again.

Yeah.

What is following, makes some SWAGs of the forum rubbish. Many of us already wrote Gina off, but because Nick is called TERB, he is bringing a nice sex scene with Gina and Paul. (IIRC the first since the Thanksgiving chapter). I guess, he will play with us for some more chapters — and we still don't know if he really breaks up with Gina and Kendall.

"You are incorrigible," she said.

Many are, Paul, Chris, me, and even Nick.

"My batteries died a week before exams,"

Gina has a vibrator? Kendall hasn't — ehem hadn't, the day before. We're getting an explanation for this. Regan fooled around with Margot, another sorority girl. Gina wasn't needed. Oh, the vibrator is called Rocky. Three Coulter girls and her mother, but now we know three Coulter men: Chris, Pinky and Rocky. ;-)

That phrase was used as Gina was with Paul together the night before Thanksgiving. Paul and Gina are discussing Leah, but it doesn't fit in the situation, it seems: Though, in SC the things obviosly are fitting, so we're reading further. Some paragraphs are about Leah and guys and shyness, but then Gina shows claws. The reader already expected, that things are turning better, but here it comes:

"You've already got one girl too many in your life."

Immidiately, Gina alologises. But we know that and even Paul remarked it in SC3,17: Gina ever is saying something for which she's apologising and ending the discussion about the problem, in oposite to Kendall which is speaking about the piss-offs openly. The result is, that Paul is going to feel bad.

Nick, what's this? A zoo? We know that persons in SC are grinning sheepishly or their head is cocking to one side, but what's this:

Then I grinned cockily.

Surprisingly (for the reader) Erin is agreeing that Paul would not sleep with Leah. She thinks it is good so. (Appearantly it was, since those readers who read Strickland's "After Fidel" know!) Well, I believe, that also Leah could have her own story. (Writing this sentence I got such a little silly idea how the Coulters came to their family name in this story — because "Gina could have been the wife, but screwed it up!" <Please laugh!> )

Some lines after, the scene was ending with Gina accusing Kendall again, but Paul has to agree here, the next morning Susan is calling. Why? Was it her own idea, or did a certain person phone her earlier? Nevertheless, Nick said about The Pines, so she had to appear and the chapter already is a third through, so it is time.

"I thought maybe you'd like to come over this weekend. You could spend a couple of days here and unwind, without any responsibilities."
"This weekend?" I asked. Then I Got It. I looked up at Mom.
She returned my stare with bland equanimity.
Was Susan's invitation a coincidence? Hardly. I'd been set up, and I knew it.

Today Paul is fast on the uptake. (He only took a paragraph longer than me!)

"Go already," Gina said from the table.
"You don't even know what I'm talking about," I said to her.
She rolled her eyes and then shook her head, as if to say, "Silly, of course I know what you're talking about."
Mom smiled artfully.
"Are all the women in my life conspiring against me?" I asked no one in particular.
"Yes!" Mom, Susan, and Gina answered at once.

No. Not Kendall.

What all this women have though out? (I believe that also Elizabeth was informed.)

"She's pledging ΑΟΠ ... that's Alpha Omicr—"
"I know the Greek alphabet," I interrupted, (...)

Nick, that's only working in written text, but not when speaking... BTW: The trick with the accronyme explanations on the HTML version is really clever. I don't know if many readers are using the textversion, but I think it could be helpful to put up a list with all accronymes in the extras section.

After that, in an excurse through Heather we get the impression, that Gina is really learning — I am only wondering, why Nick is telling about it so explicit. Is it coincidence, that he was doing this chapter, as the discussion about Gina, parties and coke was very intensive in the forum?

Gina is explaning why she wants Paul to visit Susan, but Paul is reading in her words, that she's hoping for a future for them both, w/o Kendall.

Shortly after Nick is throwing one cliche from aboard:

"We don't have to do anything," she said.

That's never said in a sex story.

The next part of the chapter is difficult to understand for people without any knowledge about flying: I felt reminded on my military service, on reports like this: "ASEX Orange Tree low level, unidentied aircraft at ... on border, heading north" — dear, twenty years ago or so.

Actually these paragraphs are interesting, they can give a hint where The Pines are supposed to be. If one with the knowledge of South Carolina is doing some analysis, the location possibilies can be narrowed. As it is turning out, Nick hadn't lied that The Pines would in SC 3 be different to we would expect. (Some chapters back I believed he would go there in Spring break.)

The camp itself looked very different in the winter.

I read a word which IIRC hasn't appeared before:

"[Gunny] He's as big a curmudgeon as ever..."

Is this a reference to Denny Wheeler, I am wondering? Surprise, Gunny has a girlfriend now. Really amazing, how Nick is developping even minor acting persons in the story.

I was used to entering her kitchen and feeling the chill of air conditioning, (...)

Don't sue me — is this correct? It seems weird for me, the '-ing' form after the used to. Never saw that before. Hey, I am only a perfect English-language-truncator!

"Now you're teasing me," she accused.

Maybe, The Pines in SC3,18 isn't so different at all.

"Ha! Don't worry about that. I was well on my way to taking you for granted,"

That's reference to earlier parts of SC3. See what both Kendall and Susan said to Paul concerning the Sex Shop Experience.

"Oh, I've missed you," she said with a bright laugh. "You don't know how good it is to have you here."

What's Susan missing? Being Paul's mentor, being Paul's lover or teasing and talking to each other? It's only a SWAG, but IMO Susan — still — has no boyfriend, lover, whatsoever (please see also tphiles interesting forum message from Sunday, 27-2-2005, can be found at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Scipio_Forum/message/21930 ; you need to be logged in into Scipio Forum for following the link)

Without any doubts, scenes with Paul and Susan ever have been funny, since the peas appeared in SC1, and B & B (bed and breakfast ... ehem ... breakfast and blowjob). Okay. I confessed it in the beginning, that I have cheated. Won't do it again.

"You don't have any other 'visiting lovers'?" I asked, half joking, half serious.
"None with penises," she said, slowly stroking mine. "Well, none with real penises."

Oh, one question answered. (Honestly, that point I hadn't cheated!) Now I understand why tphile posted his message, he got aware of this chapter earlier than me.

Susan tells that sometimes she is phoning a call boy service for getting a stud.

It took me a moment to realize that she was talking about me.

Me to. (Actually she talked about Paul.) I realised it, when she talked about 'panties' — how about you, fellows?

Sometimes, I'm a little slow on the uptake.

True.

I laughed.

Me to. I laughed loud, until my stomach was aching. (Sidenote: That's yet another task for a volunteer — a top five (or ten) list of the funniest passages of SC).

"You're horrible," I said.

Incorrigible.

"I'll give you a tip," I muttered playfully. "And then I'll give you the shaft."

Nick at it's best. Ehm. I remembered something here. I looked on a CD ROM I burned some years ago, containing a full website, by C.J. Burke, called "The Bill-Clinton-Joke-Of-The-Day-Website". For November 1st, 1996, there was the following entry:

Clinfinition™: Give the shaft.
Example:
- Do you think Clinton will give Susan MacDougal the shaft:
- I'm sure, he already has.

Yes, "Susan Mac..." !!! !!!!!
(And please note: 'Mac', not 'Mc'!!!)

I guess, we and C.J. Burke were talking about oral office ... ehem sex and the following descriptions of a deep throat blowjob are very ... arousing, Nick, thank you.

I don't know how to say it in English, but from German translated, it is "Freudian error" (Sidenote: At this moment, as I am writing this, I am sitting about 15 kilometres from the place where Siegmund Freud was born and grew up). So the following is kind of 'Freudian Error':

Then, completely out of the blue, I asked, "Do you like to have your tits fucked?"

What Wren said (SC3,17) is still working in Paul's mind (slow uptake ;-)

"Sometimes," she replied, laughing musically. "Why?"

Wren does not get a line (it seems that point), but she is here. Interesting.

Interesting is also how Susan explains, why she likes sucking cock, or Paul (hell, I used the Oxford comma, but it is used wrong here) likes shaved pussy, how they're wired. I can confirm. I am into slim legs in super short mini skirts and high heels since I at the age or 14 I think saw an English girl wearing them, I watched each evening being in Italy, at the village of Cattolíca (near Rimini), on the corso. (I cannot tell why, but also am into very long or very short hair, but hair colour or the size of tits aren't important for me. Heck, if the girl has a pussy....)

There are pictures showing one of her brothers, and one is showing Simon. Wren really does not like him: We're not surprised that Wren and Paul also made up to Christy's wall. And she has sketched him in poses he did not model. Wren says, that Christy is good in doing sketches frome her memory.
(Sidenote: Does she use the sketches for masturbating? ;-)

That's just the way I'm wired.

The expression 'wired' I am seeing only the second time in a ASSM story (I still consider SC to be an ASSM story, since it appeared first there and Nick is posting even the SC3 chapters there, some weeks later than on his site.)

"I didn't think we'd be having a conversation about Pavlov and sexual preferences," she said.

Is this a reference to Oosh's story "Pavlov's Bitches"?
(Sidenote: Great story, can be found at www.asstr.org/~oosh ).

We're not surprised, that even Susan owns a vibrator. And I bet, that Beth and Elizabeth do also. But it is funny, how Gina and Susan are 'pushing' Paul to Wren, without knowing about. (Yes, you're right, TERB has written it and he's teasing Paul ... ehem... us.)

The weather at camp wasn't all that great either, but since Atlanta was to the west, the South Carolina weather was bound to get worse as the front moved through.

Another place with very thin ice for me. Remembering school and graduating in geography, in the summer the (Eastern US) weather mostly came from the Atlantic heading to the continent (bringing fex. hurricanes) and the winter weather was determined from the North (blizzards or northerns) or the South. The Rockies and the Appalachian mountains cause weather developments different from Europe (no, I don't want to continue in the Europeans do not get discussion). So, I am curious, how the weather from Atlanta came to The Pines.

Later Paul is calling Gina and there is a point which will cause some SWAGs, I also have one, but not here in these ... serious <chuckles> analysis of Nick's latest effords for entertaining us. Yes, guys, he is entertaining us and deserves some feedback. Though he get's a lot, I guess, you, you and also you in the red sweater right in L.A. should send him a few lines!

Gina is telling Paul she was invited by Regan for skiing. I will take on this elsewhere. It is too interesting to let it loose and to complicated to do it here. Expect my post in a few days in the forum. So here I will go over the whole Gina-Paul telephone call. But there is stuff in it. Don't say I oversaw it. (Sidenote: Am I acting like a TERB already?)

The girls planned to meet in Atlanta on Wednesday and then fly to Boston. From Boston, they'd take a commuter flight to Rutland, Vermont. Finally, they'd drive from Rutland to Killington.

God is in the details, Nick, but do we need to know these details?
(Sidenote: I'll have to take a look in an atlas to be prepared in case of...) Concerning Vermont, I remember the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid — the USA defeated surprisingly the Sovietunion in ice hockey, but more in my mind took place the 50 kilometres race Nordic skiiing, which was won by Swedish athlete Tomas Vasberg, he beat his competitor by 0,01 seconds. Can you imagine that: 50 kilometres (about 30 miles or so) and he was faster some 6 centimetres (2 and a half inches)! Hell, that was one of the most impressive sport events transmitted in television ever. Some months after the IOC decided to give the Gold also to the second, IIRC he was from Norway and since then in Nordic skiing times are only taken in tenth seconds.)

Too much details here. Let us go further with the story.

As I came back from my journey to the past and Vermont, Paul hit me, right as he called Kendall. She was mentioned a few times, mostly when Paul was comparing her (and her sexual skills) with Gina, but I personally didn't expect her to appear in this chapter (won't discuss my expections here, since I did it in the forum earlier this month).

(...) I worked up the nerve to tell her that I was at Susan's house. I don't know why, but I guess I expected Kendall to be upset (since Susan was another woman that she had to share me with).

Susan is not Gina. (And I still believe that Kendall's aversion is not against Gina but Hayley slut and the Pikes. — Nick we'll have to know what happened!

"Oh, okay," she said.

q.e.d. — quod errad demonstrantum, but more Latin I was never teached ... in Maths —

That's it? I silently wondered.

q.e.d. again.

"No, I flew." "Oh." Her tone spoke volumes.

Fear From Flying, by Erica Jong. Maybe Kendall should also read a book by a French writer, Emmanuelle Arsan, Joys Of A Woman.

I am curious if Kendall would join the Mile High Club sometimes in the future. Paul explains VFR vs. IFR, but since it wasn't explained to us readers, 92 percent of them don't know the difference.

Gina is going out of town, and soon Paul is organising another entertainement — thinking back on Thanksgiving, Paul gave a shit on Kendall, but now, knowing Gina will be fucked by Regan (and others maybe), Paul is inviting Kendall to Atlanta to keep him hopping. (that was used in SC2, 35). Paul, you swine. ;-)

"What about Gina?"

What about Susan. (The Talk, SC1)

Fear From Flying? Go back to SC2 for better understanding of what is coming up. It is strongly recommended. Really. And it is not about flying.

As I read this, I forgot that for both telephone calls, Susan was a witness.

Soon after, Susan is proposing, that Paul is calling Gunny for inviting him and his — lover for dinner and at this moent I got the idea, that Lenore could be involved with the unkown female, who in future gets introduced to Paul, and since Lenore appears to be a French name ( still I have to check that) this Unkown also would have a name with origins in France.

This evening Gunny and Paul are sitting in the hot tub, and Gunny is confessing, that Lenore is "so hot to trot", but (laughing again) considering that Gunny is a Marine veteran, he probably is "hotter than trotter" (We don't know how old Gunny is, but he appearantly is much older than his hottie. ("I'm no young recruit.")

A little later, Lenore put her hand on Gunny's leg and suggested that it was getting late. Translation: "It's time to go."

I understood: "I want to fuck with you!"

The time goes and after a few days, Paul not speaking with Susan about his problems. Eventually, Tuesday, the weather cleared, Paul is preparing for leaving.

"We never did talk about Kendall and Gina," I said at last.
"No." She didn't need to say more.
"But in a way," I said, "I answered my own questions."

Our questions aren't answered now. The tension is growing. Nice draw, Nick.

Her expression invited me to continue.
"I guess I do need to make a decision," I said. "I don't want to, but I've got to."
She nodded.
"You were waiting for me to come to that conclusion myself, weren't you?"

Susan also is an evil rat bastard..

"Yes," she said. "I knew you would, though. Sooner or later."

Worsest possibility of all, TERB didn't reveal Paul's conclusion. I bet, that he already found it.

Nevertheless (I used this word three or four times in this message), this chapter is again ending with Paul being in a good mood (though he is aware of his problems).

As the plane climbed, I was reminded of a poem by John Gillespie McGee.
I didn't know what would happen when I returned to earth — and my life — but at the moment, I had slipped those surly bonds, and I was happy.

Nick presented another interesting chapter to us — we expected more, didn't we? But we can't say, that we're disappointed, can we? At the end of this chapter, the tension is high. We are desperately waiting for a Kendall-Pie-Wren-Tie, we're curious about the ski trip (both of them), but most of we're waiting for the answer to the question: What is Paul's conclusion?