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Birth
David and his wife Vicki give birth to their son, Nic. -
Divorce
David and Vicki determine the how bad it will be when having to prepare for the handoffs as David and Vicki decide to file for a heart breaking divorce to start off the novel -
Out with the old in with the new
David Becomes involved with a new girl karen who he had meet in 1989 but then reconnects and later introduces her to Nic while she was visting their hometown -
Illegal Substance
David finds marijuana is Nic's stay over bag -
Denial
David questions Nic about smoking and Nic denys it -
Suspension
David is called into a meeting for Nics suspension for buying Marijuana on campus, David finds himself in a situation being that he hadnt known about this issue when told he replies with a shocking "im sorry this must be a mistake"(Sheff 74) -
A new habit
Nic agrees to see a therapist -
summmmmmmer
Nic spends as much time away from home as possible and later admits he is using drugs -
Congrats Nic
David Vicki and Jasper drive up late spring to attend Nics High school graduation -
Family over friends?
David begins to become weary of Nic's new crowd of friends but realizes he cannot chose his friends for him... david later questions Nic "what made you want to try pot? it wasnt very long ago that the idea of smoking anything a cigarrette nevermind marijuana(Sheff 55) -
Cheers
David learns that Nic had been drinking and it was his and Karens liquor -
Slammer
David learns Nic is arrested due to Nis failure to appear in court after being cited for marijuana possession an infraction that Nic hadnt told David about being that David loves and believes Nic he still bails him out -
Time For a change
after David drops Nic off at the airport he meets up for a renowned child psychologist... David didnt think he was settling well with the divorce -
Distractions
Nic informs David that he wants to attend Berkley in California But later seems very distracted and makes David worried when he stops reurning his calls -
The gateway
David gets ahold of Nic
" i blew it"
"where are you"
David drives to an alleyway to meet him
"Dad I messed up but ill be fine"
david learns Nic is doing Meth (scheff 103) -
curfew
David is informed that Nic has been missing curfew and becomes worried when he starts calling his friends waking them up but then david has the thought to Call Nic's therspist for comfort -
Last resort
David decides it is time to do everything possible to get Nic into a rehab program -
Lost All Connection
David loses all connection with Nic and tries to re gain connection with him by going to L.A and walking the streets in search of his beat down son so he stops a police is hopes of a cop seeing him -
Nic is that you?
David gets a phone call and realizes its Nic calling from a former girlfriends house witha worried tone -
Bon Jour
David is inormed that Nic is going to Paris to play music in the metro set -
Help
David gets Nic help but Nic doesnt appreciate it much because he says all they talk about is god and he cant get past it -
Another Change
David and Karen decide to accompany Nic on his journey East to help him settle in and get ready for freshman orientation at Hampshire college -
Time for his own change
David trys to detach and let go.... Al-non teaches parents that it is not their fault -
When it happened?
David gets a call awaring him that Nic had to have 911 called because he went unconcious and calls the hospital and asks if he can speak to Nic -
Rock Bottom
David is informed By Nancy (Karens mom) that Nic is under a pie of blankets in her canyonside home Nancy later calls David again and Nics assure his worried father that he has stopped using -
All time low
David gets a call from Julia, Nics girlfriend and was awared that he stole hypodermic needles from her mom that she had been using due to cancer and told Dabid that he is injecting drugs by shooting them into his arms -
L.A the promise land
David agrees the let Nic move to L.A and live near his mother where his AA friend helps him find a technician job for awhile until Nic stops reurning calls and David relizes something is wrong where his mother goes and files a missing persons report -
The Final Copy
My Addicted son appears in the New York Times magazine -
when Is enough enough?
David feels as if his head is exploding he has karen call the ambulance where he cannot understand a thing "a broken suitcase" (sheff 243) he said his brain is filled with everything he cannot remember and he cannot "open" it but tests reveal there is no aneurism -
Finally
David realizes that today marks Nic being sober for 2 years -
The Breakdown
David gets a phone call from Nic expressing his want to tell David what is going on, he moved from his apartment to hers and has been high on speed balls and Meth... David expresses his inner dad begging Nic to get help because he was approaching two years until he realizes he is irrelavent in Nics survival -
Only way Is down
david learns that the descent is quick... Nic later loses his job and can no longer maintain a phone bill and has deserted his closests friends -
cut-off
David no longer answers Nics phone calls because all in which result in needs of rent money or shitty promises of getting sober because it sinks in to David that Nic has always been on drugs amd is terrorized by the thought of his son dying -
The final good lie
Nic tells David that he and his girlfriend finished off their last stash of meth and decided it was time to get gelp together and get back into rehab... David becomes tired of the let down and replys with a "Call me when youre AA sober" (sheff 282) where he is given one final option of going to rehab or having the police come and get him.... Nic decides it is time to finally get help -
Once and for all
Nic got help from his therapist and that now allows David to find self happiness in the fact that he can rest at night knowing his son is finally safe -
An eye opening memoir
Beautiful Boy is published and is a New York Times best seller
