NaNoWriMo: Hiding Out Loud, Chapter 5

*UPDATE*

Ooh, look, an update for Camp NaNoWriMo! (info on that here: campnanowrimo.org/)

So yeah, I haven't really changed much about the story, but I decided to finally update the cover images and a few minor things I happened to notice in passing. So there's definitely a chance there's still some mistakes here there, but just bear with me, okay? The April session of Camp NaNoWriMo starts in less than two days, and I figured it was time to update this stuff a little, including putting the "camp" part in the text header. 

Also, I decided to just call these segments chapters without quotation marks. Long or not, at this point I might as well just call 'em chapters. It isn't hurting anything. 

Hopefully, this April will bring Hiding Out Loud to it's long-awaited and much deserved conclusion. 

*END UPDATE*

Well, after a very long and frustrating day, I present chapter 5. Which I somehow managed to finish despite the day's insanity. Which I will try not to make any more mention of.

I'll go ahead and admit right now, that text was not a pure creation of my own. Believe me, if I had to come up with something that idiotic sounding, this part of the story probably wouldn't have been finished by today. Rayleigh's story does have roots in my real life, though I did obviously have to make some changes. Either way, the fact is that while this chapter was the easiest to write so far plot-wise, it definitely was the hardest to both finish, and write in terms of recalling pieces of my past I hope I never have to relive again as long as I live. But the deed is done, and at just over 42,000 words, I'm kind of excited to be working more and more towards the climax and eventual end. Less than 8,000 words to go! It's not over yet, but I know I can do this!!

Don't know what NaNoWriMo is? Look here: nanowrimo.org/ 
Secondly, I promise the actual story is going to be a lot less dark than what you can see of the prototype cover might suggest. (And what you'll be able to see of the cover in it's entirety, should I decide to post that too.) The cover is simply what I could think of that I felt captured the essence of the story I wanted to tell and still looked interesting. 

Oh and "chapter" is in quotations marks because I can't really decide if I want to actually use chapters or do breaks some other way. In the PDFs, there won't be chapter markers, but the submission titles will have them since calling them "parts" doesn't really sit well with me. I feel like if I'm gonna call them "parts" they could be longer. Like, a LOT longer. 

And a few notes on our dear narrator, Wren: 
He's supposed to be super detailed like he is. Partially because that's my writing style, and partially because it's part of his personality, he notices the eight-hundred insignificant details and, if we can break the fourth wall for a minute, he narrates what he thinks the reader should hear. It's his story, let him tell it, please.
 Wren's been through more than you might think but will see, in time, and therefore his mental organization has been a bit skewed compared to the average person, which contributes to what I mentioned above.
 He is a complete and utterly adorkable straight nerd. It may not seem that way at times, but I promise he is. Keep in mind, I've never really written from a guy's perspective like this before. For me, this NaNoWriMo novel is about trying new things to freshen up old ideas that I've had forever. Writing from both a guy and Wren in particular's perspective is a key part of that. 

And I think I'll be stopping there before I spoil the plot. 
Gentle but firm criticism is VERY welcome! As is encouragement to continue the story (though this isn't as far as I've gotten, today I actually ended off "chapter" four) Also, feel free to let me know if you want me to post the cover by itself instead of just as the preview image for the PDFs!

_{Oh, and to any fellow NaNoWriMo's: You can find me on nanowrimo.org/ under MysticSparkleWings, same as here~ I'd love some writing buddies up there!}

Hiding Out Loud (c) MysticSparkleWings