Will Grayson, Will Grayson Chapter 16 Summary

will grayson

  • It's four days before Hold Me Closer opens and Tiny really needs to see will. It seems the other Will Grayson isn't talking to him and Tiny is bummed.
  • So Tiny calls to say he's going to show up at will's school, which freaks will out a bit, but he tries not to show it.
  • Gideon, meanwhile, thinks it's kind of sweet.
  • will sneaks out of his physics lab to meet Tiny (and annoys Maura by mentioning that he's meeting his boyfriend).
  • Naturally, Tiny is Tiny, so just about everyone notices him. And he wants to hold hands with will. Too bad will is not the hand-holding type.
  • At lunch, will introduces Tiny to Simon, Derek, and Gideon. Simon and Derek are pretty surprised to see Tiny in the flesh and Tiny is clearly jealous of Gideon. It's slightly awkward.
  • Will decides that they should just skip out on the rest of the day, but Tiny has one quick idea before they do. He makes a beeline over to Maura's table in the lunchroom.
  • Tiny gives her a little speech about how Maura tried to ruin will's life, but she actually failed because he met Tiny and they're super happy. will has finally had enough and he drags Tiny out of the cafeteria.
  • They get to the car and have it out. Tiny should not have done that—will has been ignoring Maura for a month.
  • Tiny is upset because the day has taken kind of a bummer turn, so he suggests that they go to a special place that will make will happy again. will can't think of anywhere, though.
  • Tiny suggests a swing set.
  • will's neighbors have a swing set, so they head over there and sit; they talk about love. Tiny thinks that Sleeping Beauty is a pretty good metaphor for love: You have to push through all the thorns to get to the beauty.
  • will isn't buying it, though; his life isn't some fairy tale musical like Tiny's is. His life is awful and Tiny's is magical and fabulous.
  • Not so, Tiny tells him. He has problems, too. Like his size, for example. Does will think it's easy walking around with a few hundred pounds on your bones? It is not. But Tiny is fine with who he is; he doesn't want to be someone else.
  • But you know what he would like? For someone to appreciate him for a minute. He tries so hard to make people happy and no one seems to care. Tiny is doing this whole musical to make a difference and no one seems to care. Poor Tiny.
  • will realizes that this is not going to end well—he doesn't want to be with someone who loves him for his needs—so he ends things, saying he just can't do this and he doesn't feel anything.
  • This isn't the truth, though, and once Tiny leaves, will realizes just how bad things have gotten. He does feel things, even though he tries not to. So he runs back to his house and calls his mom to tell her that he loves her. Because it's true. He does.
  • Later, when will has calmed down a little, he calls Gideon. Being with him is different than being with Maura or Tiny. Gideon isn't looking for the best or worst in him; he's willing to like him for both.
  • Before bed, will decides to IM Tiny. He just wants to tell him that he was right—he can do something good in the world. Someone sure needs to.
  • But Tiny never answers back.