How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
"I matter less than what he thinks is important," Link says. "And what could I have told him?
"Whatever you were thinking," James says. "The truth."
"What could I have told him that was true?" Link asks. "What is there about me that's true, and is it anything he wants to know?"
[…]
"You could have told him whatever you are telling yourself," James says.
"I don't think that would have helped much," Link says. "Which is, I realize, your point." (14.77-79, 81-82)
Ellen has a hard time following this circuitous conversation, and we don't blame her. James wants Link to just talk to his dad about everything they've been sweeping under the rug (or should we say hiding in the closet? Ba-dum-bum). However, Link doesn't know enough about how he feels to tell the "truth" about it—which is why he's kind of stuck.
Quote #11
I think it is the men he has been with that make James reluctant. The men he slept with in order to annoy Link. I read in one of my books on gay identity (or was it yet another good-sex-is-safe-sex pamphlet?) that when you have sex with someone, you have sex with all the people that person has slept with. Perhaps James is somewhat creeped out by the idea of those men coming into contact with me when they were meant to help him reach my brother. (18.13)
Link isn't the only one trying to sort out his sexual identity. Even though James is much more comfortable talking about the fluidity of his attractions, he's still pretty unsure about what it all means to him.