Monster - Abridged
Monster - Prequel to Not Waving But Drowning:
A summary of the main events taking place throughout the story
Jared lives in a small town and his dream is to become a teacher. When that dream is threatened by the prospect of Jared failing his college calculus class, an overheard conversation lands him with Jensen, a supposed math genius, as a tutor.
Jensen works in his uncle Jeff’s - called J.D. by everyone but Jensen - butchery since he arrived in town about a year ago. He lives a reclusive life style and countless rumours about who he is and where he came from go around.
Determined not to be biased, Jared frequents Jensen’s small, one room apartment for tutor sessions and slowly Jensen’s harsh attitude softens. As they get to know each other, Jared is suprised to find out that Jensen is actually a cool guy, a great teacher and an awesome baseball player. Jared also learns that Jensen is gay and reluctant to enter a relationship because of a past experience with a deeply closeted, exploitative partner.
Which is about as open as Jensen gets. It still is a question to Jared why Jensen didn't pursue one of his passions - teaching and baseball - as a career, why he is on anti-anxiety/-depressants and why in hell his apartment seems to get trashed on the odd occasion. But as Jensen promises to explain everything when he is ready, Jared drops the topic.
Their relationship progresses in baby steps and after a meeting with Jared's friends went well, Jensen agrees to meet Jared's family. Jared’s six year old nephew Nick takes an immediate liking to Jensen who knows a lot about videogames and comics. Despite being great with kids, Jensen tries to avoid being alone with the kid. It strikes Jared as a little odd, but he brushes it off as a quirk of Jensen and his insecurity in social situations.
When one night a condom rips, Jared falls pregnant. Just when he got the positive result from his doctor, his brother Jeff confronts him about Jensen. Having gotten tired of waiting for Jensen to talk about his past, Jeff used his position as a cop to run a background check and found out that Jensen did over 6 years in prison for child molestation. Together, Jared and Jeff head to Jensen's place. Jeff is furious and won't listen to Jensen, who insists on having been wrongly convicted.
Taking his brother back outside, Jared asks his brother to wait before he reports Jensen for violating his parole by being near Nick, arguing that Jensen did not do anything to his nephew. He asks his brother for a chance to hear Jensen out first.
Jensen eventually tells Jared about the circumstances of his conviction. When he was 18 Jensen and his best friend Chris were in a secret relationship, living in a deeply homophobic town. At that time, Jensen was also tutor, piano teacher and baseball coach for elementary school aged children. One of them was Chris younger brother, a spoiled brat who has always been jealous of the time Jensen spent with his brother. Claiming he saw Chris defend himself against Jensen's advances, he threatens to out them. Jensen panics and tries to stop the boy from running to his parents. In a struggle Brian's clothes rip. His parents throw Jensen out of the house and call the police. Ultimately, a bad lawyer, a lie and conspiracy between Brian and Chris, who is too much of a coward to admit his homsexuality, land Jensen in prison for child molestation.
After struggling with himself for a while, Jared decides that he believes Jensen. A telephone conversation instigated by Nick, who doesn’t understand why he can’t visit Jensen anymore, is overheard by Jeff and Jared. At the end, Jeff, too believes Jensen.
Jared eventually tells Jensen about the pregnancy. To Jensen, it’s at the same time the best and the worst news. He never thought he’d have a family himself. Having no choice, he tells his parole officers about it, and Jensen is send back to prison for four months until it is decided that he did not violate his parole. However, he has to stay away from his daughter Lily for four months after she is born, until the end of his parole. When that time comes, Jared and Lily move in with Jensen at a new, bigger apartment that Jensen set up.
Together they start a new life.
A summary of the main events taking place throughout the story
Jared lives in a small town and his dream is to become a teacher. When that dream is threatened by the prospect of Jared failing his college calculus class, an overheard conversation lands him with Jensen, a supposed math genius, as a tutor.
Jensen works in his uncle Jeff’s - called J.D. by everyone but Jensen - butchery since he arrived in town about a year ago. He lives a reclusive life style and countless rumours about who he is and where he came from go around.
Determined not to be biased, Jared frequents Jensen’s small, one room apartment for tutor sessions and slowly Jensen’s harsh attitude softens. As they get to know each other, Jared is suprised to find out that Jensen is actually a cool guy, a great teacher and an awesome baseball player. Jared also learns that Jensen is gay and reluctant to enter a relationship because of a past experience with a deeply closeted, exploitative partner.
Which is about as open as Jensen gets. It still is a question to Jared why Jensen didn't pursue one of his passions - teaching and baseball - as a career, why he is on anti-anxiety/-depressants and why in hell his apartment seems to get trashed on the odd occasion. But as Jensen promises to explain everything when he is ready, Jared drops the topic.
Their relationship progresses in baby steps and after a meeting with Jared's friends went well, Jensen agrees to meet Jared's family. Jared’s six year old nephew Nick takes an immediate liking to Jensen who knows a lot about videogames and comics. Despite being great with kids, Jensen tries to avoid being alone with the kid. It strikes Jared as a little odd, but he brushes it off as a quirk of Jensen and his insecurity in social situations.
When one night a condom rips, Jared falls pregnant. Just when he got the positive result from his doctor, his brother Jeff confronts him about Jensen. Having gotten tired of waiting for Jensen to talk about his past, Jeff used his position as a cop to run a background check and found out that Jensen did over 6 years in prison for child molestation. Together, Jared and Jeff head to Jensen's place. Jeff is furious and won't listen to Jensen, who insists on having been wrongly convicted.
Taking his brother back outside, Jared asks his brother to wait before he reports Jensen for violating his parole by being near Nick, arguing that Jensen did not do anything to his nephew. He asks his brother for a chance to hear Jensen out first.
Jensen eventually tells Jared about the circumstances of his conviction. When he was 18 Jensen and his best friend Chris were in a secret relationship, living in a deeply homophobic town. At that time, Jensen was also tutor, piano teacher and baseball coach for elementary school aged children. One of them was Chris younger brother, a spoiled brat who has always been jealous of the time Jensen spent with his brother. Claiming he saw Chris defend himself against Jensen's advances, he threatens to out them. Jensen panics and tries to stop the boy from running to his parents. In a struggle Brian's clothes rip. His parents throw Jensen out of the house and call the police. Ultimately, a bad lawyer, a lie and conspiracy between Brian and Chris, who is too much of a coward to admit his homsexuality, land Jensen in prison for child molestation.
After struggling with himself for a while, Jared decides that he believes Jensen. A telephone conversation instigated by Nick, who doesn’t understand why he can’t visit Jensen anymore, is overheard by Jeff and Jared. At the end, Jeff, too believes Jensen.
Jared eventually tells Jensen about the pregnancy. To Jensen, it’s at the same time the best and the worst news. He never thought he’d have a family himself. Having no choice, he tells his parole officers about it, and Jensen is send back to prison for four months until it is decided that he did not violate his parole. However, he has to stay away from his daughter Lily for four months after she is born, until the end of his parole. When that time comes, Jared and Lily move in with Jensen at a new, bigger apartment that Jensen set up.
Together they start a new life.