John glared at Jamie as he took his seat in detention but Jamie didn't particularly care. John had deserved it anyway, however, his mom was going to kill him. He hadn't had detention since freshman year when he was late for school after her car had broken down. He opened his books thinking he might as well get stuck into his homework. In a sense, it wasn't much of a punishment since he always did his homework eventually anyway.

'What the hell got into you?' John hissed. Jamie ignored him, working through his math questions. 'Hey, I'm talking to you.'

'I'm not listening, go bother someone who cares.'

John coughed. 'You almost gave me a black eye.'

'Well you bust my nose,' Jamie countered, and he had to look away to stop himself from laughing at the absurdity of it all. He looked at their teacher who had his head down, more interested in marking than in referring any squabbles.

'It does look kinda bad,' John said grinning. 'Our moms are gonna have a fit.'

'Probably.' Jamie worked on his next question, trying to ignore John.

'Come on, it's kinda funny when you think about it.'

Jamie's head shot up. 'Funny? You totally humiliated Laura! Why'd you do that?'

John looked sheepish. 'I'm an ass, what can I say? I like her but it's never gonna work out. It's better that she hates me and moves on.'

Jamie frowned as he contemplated his words. 'You want her to hate you?'

'Not really but for now it's easier that way. You're right, I don't want a serious relationship, and Laura's so nice I'll get sucked into one with her.'

Jamie shook his head. 'Laura would understand, don't kid yourself that she wants you back. She's only pissed off cos you're seeing Debbie again.'

'I'm not! I hang out with her, that's all.'

Jamie shrugged, he didn't care anyway. John was making things way over complicated probably because on some level he liked the idea that the girls were fighting over him.

'Anyway, that doesn't explain why you tried to knock seven shades of shit out of me,' John said refusing to drop the conversation. 'I didn't think you liked Laura that much.'

'It was nothing to do with her really,' Jamie admitted sourly. 'I wanted to lash out at someone and you gave me the perfect excuse. I guess I'm my father's son.'

John's jaw dropped. 'What?'

'You heard, I'm just like my dad. I get angry and I throw my fists about.' 

'Jamie has something happened?' John's quiet tone brought him up short. He turned to face him, his head in his hand.

'You know my dad hit my mom, yeah?' he asked and John nodded. 'Well I found out he absolutely battered her. Not just a slap, or a shove. Sounds like he pretty much tried to kill her.' He looked at John whose mouth was hanging open. He closed it again, fish like.

'Shit, I'm sorry, Jamie. I knew he did some fucked up stuff.' He broke off. 'God, poor Lottie.'

Jamie looked down again. Yeah, poor Lottie. There he was thinking his mom was a pain in the ass, trying to minimise his dad's abuse, looking for excuses. There were none. His mom, whatever her faults, was the victim. His father was the aggressor. And right now he was terrified he was his father's son.

                                                            ~~~

John dropped Jamie off at home, and Charlotte pounced as soon as he was through the door. She dragged him into the kitchen away from Andrew and Julia.

'Oh my god,' she exclaimed, her hand reaching towards his face to inspect the damage.

'It's fine mom, it's not as bad as it looks.'

'Fine,' she snapped. 'You're lucky that nose isn't broken.'

'Well maybe that would give my face character,' he said attempting to joke.

Charlotte pursed her lips. 'Why were you fighting with Junior? He's one of your friends.' No doubt she was upset he was fighting with her best friend's son.

'Me and John are cool now, he gave me a ride home.'

Charlotte scoffed. 'Oh that's great, you're friends again. Well, do you think I'll be friends with Darlene after her son beat you up?'

He sighed, his mom was always so dramatic. 'He didn't beat me up, I started the fight with him.' 

Charlotte spun around. 'What on earth for?'

'He was upsetting this girl Laura, you know her?' Charlotte looked at him blankly and Jamie felt impatient. Of course, she didn't know her. Why would his mom have paid any attention to the girl he'd sat next to in homeroom for over two years? One of the few friends he had?

Charlotte folded her arms giving him a stern look. 'Jamie I fail to see why Junior upsetting some girl would warrant you hitting him.'

Her slightly condescending tone riled him. 'He was being a dick so I did something about it.' 

Charlotte flinched but before she could respond the front door opened and Louis came in calling, 'Hey, I'm home.'

Jamie had to stop himself from smiling at the familiar greeting, like they were some kind of sit-com family.

'Louis, we're in the kitchen,' Charlotte said, still glaring at Jamie. 

'Hi gorgeous,' Louis said putting his arm around Charlotte and running his hand over her stomach. 'Wow, your mom's getting fat Jamie.' Charlotte grimaced, and he looked from her to Jamie clearly dismayed. 'What's going on?'

'Jamie's been fighting,' Charlotte said flatly.

'I hit Junior, it was no big deal,' Jamie said quickly.

Louis looked at him more closely. 'Seems like he hit you harder.'

Jamie shrugged. 'Kinda.' 

'Louis this isn't funny,' Charlotte said clearly annoyed he wasn't taking it seriously.

'No of course not.' He looked at Jamie again. 'I guess I should have given you some pointers in how to fight.'

'Louis!' Jamie could see his mom was indignant, and Louis looked almost perplexed, probably thinking it was a stepfather fail that he hadn't taught him to fight. 'Louis I don't want Jamie fighting, and certainly not with Junior. His parents are our friends.' 

'Junior's an asshole Lottie, you've gotta admit that,' Louis said trying not to smile.

'That's not the point.' She pouted at Louis, and Jamie could see him caving in. Of course, Louis was gonna take his mom's side, he always did.

Louis cleared his throat. 'Jamie you can't be getting into fights at your age, it doesn't matter what it's over or who it's with. We expect better of you.'

'Where'd you get that speech from Lou? The Brady Bunch,' Jamie retorted, trying to get angry again.

'Don't you dare speak like that,' Charlotte snapped. 'I don't know what it's going to take to get you to learn some respect. Louis took us in when he didn't have to, he's put a roof over our heads, and treated you as his own. Your own father-'

'Leave it, Lottie, Jamie knows all of this,' Louis said quietly putting his arm around her waist again and resting his hand on her stomach.

Jamie felt both anger and guilt competing inside him. He knew what Louis had done for him, for them, and he knew what his father was. And yet his resentment was boiling over.

'Well maybe I am like my father,' he finally said his voice cold with fury. 'Maybe I'm just like him.' 

Charlotte looked at Louis, her face fearful. 'What on earth do you mean?' Jamie heard her voice waver, giving away her guilt.

'I hit John and I wanted to. Just like dad hit you.'

He saw the colour drain from his mom's face, and she almost shrank before him. 'Jamie you don't know what you're talking about.' Jamie had to strain to hear her words. 'You've got some silly idea in your head-'

'No I haven't! I know, I've read it.' Jamie didn't think it was possible for his mother to get any paler but she did.

'Read it?' Her voice was little more than a whisper.

'Yeah I read it in your diaries,' Jamie admitted as shame flooded through him.

'Oh god.' Charlotte brought her hand to her mouth, her distress clear. Louis tightened his hold on her, and he caught Jamie's eye. The disappointment in his face was clear. Jamie opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He turned and fled. Opening the front door he inhaled the air deeply as if breathing for the first time. He began to run, desperate to get away from his mother.

                                                                             ~~~