Wow, I'm impressed with all the articulate, reasoned responses I'm getting lately. Thanks to everyone who is posting.

Thanks to Onaleia. The relationship is illegal in the US, and yet a lot of people have a sort of double standard about it. A sixteen year old girl and a teacher is considered far more horrific.

Gerry's right about this Clark not having some of the advantages that our Clark had. Yet at his core, he is the same person, and this makes what he did feel even worse.

Maria, you can see that some of the questions you were asking about are answered in this chapter. Clark wasn't the only one.

As for whether Trask was already here, we'll have to see.

Thanks TJ, James and, um...Monkey.

Shayne's handling of the under-age 'relationship' is one of the things I really like about this story. As he and Onaleia have said, this is illegal: under US law, Clark was under the age of consent. It was therefore statutory rape. Sexual abuse of a child by an adult.

I'd be interested to know how many readers saw Clark's 'relationship' with Lilah in terms of abuse when they first realised it was happening.

Shayne's absolutely right that people's attitudes are very different depending on whether it's an older man and a teenage girl, or the circumstances we have here. Too often, if it's a teenage boy and older woman, it's regarded as a 'Mrs Robinson' kind of relationship and the boy's considered lucky and something of a stud.

Clark doesn't see it yet in terms of abuse, even though his foster-brother made it clear that Lilah was a serial abuser of her husband's pupils. I wonder how Lois will see it? Will she just see Clark as a bastard who led on one woman (Rachel) while secretly having an affair with another? Or will she see Lilah as the abuser she was?

Fascinating twist, Shayne, and very well handled - but then, no more than I'd expect.


Wendy

I don't understand why Clark don't see that in terms of abuse and yet consider it a 'special relationship'.

Andreia

Wow this was a powerful segment Shayne. I agree that Clark, although not innocent in this situation, is being abused by Lilah. (reminds me of Delilah, Clark being Samson in this)I feel sorry for him in the hospital with Lois there scutinizing him. I wonder how long it will take her to figure out he isn't what he says he is. Laura

Hi,

Great part. If He talks Lois can find the truth and Clear his name.


Did Lilah accused Jess?

More ASAP, Please.

MAF

Complex, fascinating, and utterly believable. How well you paint the predatory Mrs Holden. I can't even begin to understand a woman like that, but I'm willing to believe people like her exist. Horrid, horrid, horrid!

Yvonne

Unfortunately, persons like her exist, all right, and apparently more of them than most of us are aware of. I've been shocked by recent reports of female teachers taking advantage of their male students.

I know I haven't been commenting, Shayne, but this is an incredibly well-written story, and I find the premise excellent and original. I'm trying to follow it, in spite of the way life has been crowded with all sorts of crazy stuff recently.

Nan

Another awesome segment here, Shayne, just love those "small town" digs.

As far as Clark and Lilah, believe it or not I see something of a cool psychological bent here, Clark without a parental influence, Lilah stepping up to give him the love and concern he was craving.

He's in highschool, right? Not early highschool cause he's talking about college. I'm thinking he's old enough to know there's some line crossing happening here, Shayne's writing it that way, but bringing up the abuse thing is just nit picky.

Back in the late sixties, early seventies, it WASN'T a big deal, so poking at that aspect is just kind of pointless. On the other hand it will affect how Clark acts and thinks of himself later on in life, so that aspect definitely has a point, but not one to be harped over.

Just my view. Great installment, Shayne.

TEEEEEEJ

Actually, Clark was something like 16 or 17 when this was happening, which makes it early 1980s - 1982 or 83. Certainly recent enough for this kind of thing to be seen in law as sexual abuse/paedophilia. However, it's certainly by no means clear that people at the time would have seen it that way, and this contributes to Clark's own guilt about it, I guess.

As to whether the abuse issue is important to the story, I suppose Shayne will let us know in future instalments...


Wendy

Interesting...

My first reaction is that kids are naive. Something gets called 'special' and then you get suckered into something before you even realize that you're in over your head. But well, who amongst us hasn't been suckered into something we regret? Not that we all did something like this, but anyway moving on, I think my point is, people can be really manipulative.

Anyway, as a foster kid, Clark shouldn't be that naive, but when you have someone like his coach's wife involved...especially someone he probably looks up to since Ma and Pa Kent aren't around for that...well, a watched pot never boils, as they say. Maybe Clark should have watched his pot a little more carefully.

You're writing out this situation very well, Shayne.

JD

Wonderful job on this Shayne, I am captivated by this story.

Clark really has his story mapped out for any unwanted doctor questions, I feel for him always having to fend for himself

Can't wait for more!

~Liz

Another interesting part Shayne, my perspective of young Clark has taken a left turn.

Wendy asked what peoples first thoughts were of Clark's relationship with Lilah, and mine wasn't one of abuse. But now I see that it was and I feel bad for Clark

Looking forward to reading more.

I have to admit that reading this story, recently, has been very painful.

Speaking from personal experience, it was thirteen years before I came to understand that what had happened to me at 12 years of age was sexual abuse. I had an emotionally distant father and the 'attention' was was getting from this other male (I refuse to call him a man) seemed to fill that need. I just wanted someone to think I was special and pay particular attention to me. I eventually believed that it was something I had wanted as well. It wasn't until I was 26 years old that I was helped to understand that what had happened to me was wrong and that I hadn't wanted it to happen.

So, yes, it is an escape mechanism and it can last as long as the person needs it. Sometimes, escape mechanisms do more harm than good, unfortunately.

I have to admit that at first, I thought it was Clark that was in the wrong, but once I realized that it was Lilah that had been the pursuer, I thought...well, I can't really tell you my thoughts as they would look like little *******s.

James


EDITED: Also, I noticed a ref to Rachel that I think should have been Lilah

I'm sorry if my story is bringing up unpleasant memories, James, and I'm honored that you are still reading it.

I work as a counselor intern in Texas, doing clinical interviews for a psychiatrist. As such, I hear the life stories of people every day.

Abuse is far more common than most people are aware of, and recent studies have shown that female abusers are also much more common than people think. The effects that this can have on someone's life can be profound, and I have talked to many people who were rejected by their families when they finally found the courage to reveal the abuse.

Clark doesn't see what happened to him as abuse. This is, as James has said, a way to protect himself. Society tells him that as a boy, he is supposed to be always accepting of that sort of attention from an older woman. Some people will even tell him that he should feel lucky.

It should be remembered, however, that in the flashbacks, Clark has just turned seventeen. Lilah was his teacher in the year he was 15 turning sixteen, and it's likely that she pursued him for quite some time before he finally gave in to her. The difference between pursuing a fifteen year old and a seventeen year old is considerable.

The law often lags behind the times. Sex with students over the age of 16 didn't become a crime in Kansas until a year ago. It is now a felony.

There is a double standard, in which young boys are treated differently than young girls. Even news stories talking about sex between a fifteen year old and a female teacher refer to it as an affair, whereas when the gender is reversed, it's considered something far more sinister.

Many people have good lives despite abuse, but it never makes things easier. No one deserves to be taken advantage of, and an adult having sex with a child is by definition an abuse of power, and an abuse of trust.

Yet boys don't report it. Society expects that they will enjoy what is happening, or in the case of a homosexual relationship, they are too ashamed to report for fear of being judged.

It takes courage to talk about what happened, and sometimes all it takes is for one person to break that code of silence to give others the belief that they too have the right to speak out.

That's when the healing begins.

Thanks again for the comments everyone.