Chapter Two

This was one of my favorite chapters to write. I loved being able to mold Jared and Payton's relationship. I wanted them to have a playful relationship that was secretly loaded with tension. I wanted their first conversation in the book to be light and fun while their true feelings for each other were very serious, and the reader is able to decipher this through Jared's thoughts. He feels more strongly toward Payton than he lets on.

This chapter is also where I first introduce Payton and Kim's characters. Kim comes across very superficial and without any depth, this is something that Jared even describes her as. However, I wanted Kim to be more real. She is like many High School girls trying to find herself and her place, wanting to be accepted and noticed, but not sure how far she will go to get it. Throughout the novel I try to slowly add more personality traits to her character that readers can relate to and even like.

Payton is described as almost the complete polar opposite as Kim, in looks and personality. Payton doesn't care about popularity or what other people think, however she comes across as perfect to other people. She is beautiful without even trying and knows exactly who she is. People are drawn to her. We all know people like this in our lives; the ones who are impossible to forget.

When I was in High School I took a psychology class. I expected it to be easy, which it was. What I didn't expect was how interesting it would be. I loved it. The Psychology class in my book actually plays a very important role in it and I refer to the 'Stages of Change' throughout its' entirety. I used the stages of change module to help the flow of my book. It is a great life reference. Everyone at some point in their life has habits that they need to change, they don't necessarily have to be addictive behaviors, the process is the same. Here is some of the diagrams and information I referred to while writing https://www.google.com/search?q=Stages+of+change&espv=210&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=2kqvUqSDIM-9oQSdxYLABg&ved=0CDQQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=666.

The second part of the chapter was the hardest to write. I knew what I wanted to happen and the reaction from Jared that I wanted, it was just extremely difficult to write what I wanted my readers to feel when they read it. This is the first time B.J. appears in the novel. Maybe it is because I was so emotionally invested into this novel that it was so hard to write. In a sense I needed to try to describe what I thought my son would have looked and acted like if he were to be standing in front of me. It was like an intangible thing that I couldn't grasp. I didn't want to get it wrong, but I didn't know what was right. I wanted B.J. to seem mysterious ... because that is kind of what he is to me. He is a mystery. I would like to say that if I were given the chance to see him, that I would instantly know he was my son ... but maybe not. So I just tried to make him similar to his brother, Jared without giving too much away.

I worried that the hints would be too obvious and that instantly every reader would know that B.J. (this new kid) was Jared's brother, but a few people have told me that they didn't know and that they were surprised once they read the truth. It would be interesting to know how many readers figured it out early on, so feel free to comment and let me know.

All in all, the second chapter was really fun to write, once I was done I started to feel like it was real. I was really starting my dream of writing a novel!