60 pages left in APoS...

 I got through Bloody Sunday, making sure to keep it a bunch of impressions and not a blow-by-blow account, since it's all from Brendan's POV. He's with Colm and is almost hit by a bullet. When it's calmed down, he wanders away, in shock, runs into a lady who's worse off than him, emotionally, and makes it home. Has no idea where Colm is, and finds out his mother saw some people killed as well. But it doesn't bring them together. They have a quiet vicious argument because Brendan's decided to leave Derry.

He also finally finds out why his mother has treated him poorly -- because he was like none of her other children, more an alien creature because of his calmness and focus and unwillingness to bend to her will, like Eamonn is doing. It's cold and harsh and only comes out because all emotional barriers are down.

Next comes Brendan taking Joanna to the circle fort and then getting his papers set to leave. He's sixteen so can legally do what he wants, and his aim is to join with a cruise ship. All he needs is his mother's permission, which he forges. His plan is to build up some money until Joanna finds out which college she's going to then settle there to be with her.

Something that's come up during this draft is a question in my mind as to whether or not Joanna is as caught up in this relationship as Brendan is. Sometimes it seems like she is; other times it's like she's just playing at it. I may leave it that ambiguous, but I do need to know for myself which way it is, and she's being coy.

You never know with women...or even most men...