There is no sense in pretending

Gus had his annual breakdown this week, it's actually past due I think. He's been managing well with five advanced placement classes, college decisions, daily play practice, and some community choir he got himself mixed up in.
It's not like I'm lamenting his gang activity here, it's the overachiever which is on the other end of the spectrum, but equally punishing and dangerous.
That's because either way, if you do nothing to further yourself or everything, there is going to be a price to pay. He is in the play Bye Bye Birdie, and has a pretty pivotal role so Wednesday when he walked into the house only an hour after he left claiming play practice ended early, I thought nothing of it, until later when Eamon, Jake and I were talking about something, and out of nowhere the words, "he walked out of play practice" poured out of my mouth.
And, he had, he was overwhelmed and on the verge of tears when we confronted him, perhaps it was the bare light bulb and spare interview room. But we got it out of him nonetheless. He needs to learn how to say no, that's something I can't teach him, but what I can impart to him is that he just needs to find someone to blame when he can't do something rather than actually having to decline.