This story blossomed from an idea that my friend and I came up with. We decided to work on it together and do the alternate chapters. My friend, fuudgiee, did this chapter.
Chapter 1- I'm in.
Normal POV.
Chapter starting.
James couldn't believe he had finally done it. After all the bloodshed and tears he had literally spent going through the torture dubbed basic training, he was now part of C.H.E.R.U.B, ready and waiting for a mission.
When C.E.R.U.B had first explained to him that they were basically teenage spies he had thought he was dreaming, it had been good enough that he had finally gotten away from his old life but it wasn't like every day or even every lifetime that you got asked to become a secret spy at the age eleven.
Now after finally completing all the all the training he needed to be declared an agent, he could start on his new life of mission's explosions and fast cars: at least he hoped there would be explosions and fast cars.
Just a few weeks ago he had been in a jail holding a cell for shop lifting alcohol whilst hanging out with a rough crowd from the orphanage he had been placed in after his mother died. Now he was one of the good guys busting crime and setting the world straight on the right side of the law.
When he looked in the mirror he was almost in disbelief that it was him looking back. James had always been on the largish side; nowhere near his mom's obesity but he hadn't been one of the fittest kids in his year.
After the rigorous exercise his body had been forced through in the past weeks he was happy to show off his budding six-pack to anyone who would pay attention. And for the first few times he had showed it off to his friends they had actually paid attention.
His little sister Lauren always analysed his actions at his old school, saying that he acted out of frustration because of the way his classmates treated him. Well she could possibly be partly right, not like he would admit that, but if you had everyone mocking and picking on you during the entire time you'd been at high school you'd probably end up trying to knock a few of them to pieces as payback.
It had grated him to the bone the way that they would act round him. It was almost as if he was contagious in a blaringly obvious way.
Everyone would skirt round him and pull sickened faces at the same time as heckling derogatory names.
Lauren had always gotten into fights trying to stick up for him, most likely only because she felt guilty for telling him to let his secret out of the bag. She hadn't counted on their entire school being homophobic. But he forgave her; he had chosen to listen to her, never going to do that again was he.
The past was behind him now, the only down side in his life at the moment was that he didn't know how Lauren was doing with his beast of a step dad.
He would figure out a way to get her away from him eventually. He didn't trust his step dad, he was a pathetic excuse for a man and his life was only heading downwards.
Kyle and Bruce were going to meet him at his room later so they could all walk down to dinner together. They were great friends; Bruce and he had become good friends after he got over Bruce dislocating his thumb in the beginning test.
Bruce had what they called little man syndrome, because he was so short he often acted tough to compensate but the difference between Bruce and most other small guys was that Bruce actually had the ability to back up his tough talk.
Kyle had been the one to recruit him for C.H.E.R.U.B. He was funny, cool, good looking and if James was honest he would admit he had a bit of a crush on him.
It could be because Kyle had been the first one to be nice to him since he had come out of the closet.
But he suspected it's more than that. It could be the way he imagined Kyle looking at him or the way their shoulders occasionally brushed as they walked side by side, the way when he talked to him he didn't have any undertones of disgust in his voice.
But he wasn't going to screw things up this time. No one would find out he was gay no matter what Lauren said was best. He was happy to stick to lies. He wouldn't risk the good things he had going at C.H.E.R.U.B all so he could be honest with himself.
Honesty was over rated any way.
As long as he gave no one any reason to suspect he was gay then no one could think badly of him for that reason. He didn't care if people disliked him for any other reason, which would be their own issue to deal with.
He had always been sensitive about his sexuality because of the way Ron had reacted when his mom had told him. His mom had been drunk as she usually was when Ron was around, and it had just 'come' out. Ron had then turned to him the next time he wandered through the sitting room and started calling him a poof and a queer, a pansy ass and a fairy. Since then any one calling him names or making fun of him because he was gay rubbed him the wrong way.
When Bruce and Kyle came knocking at his door he was in the bathroom making sure his hair was falling just right and that all his clothing was matching, it may be classed as a gay thing to do but there was no way he was giving up looking his best to keep up appearances.
Kyle was bashing on his door but his hair was still going wrong, he checked the clock on his bedside table, which said, 5:10pm, dinner was still on for another 50 minutes.
"Just a minute!" James shouted towards the door the knocking was coming from.
He was not leaving unless he got his hair done no matter how impatient his friends got. They could go on without him if they got so desperate, he was sure Kerry was probably already down there with Callum.
"Come on James, hurry up! Otherwise all the good food will be gone!" James could almost hear Bruce's stomach growling from across the room. Then again that could just be his groaning in impatience.
You'd think he didn't understand good hygiene.
The next thing he knows Kyle is barging into his bathroom with an amused look on his face.
"Seriously James, you're almost as bad as I am with your appearance. No one's going to care if your boxers don't match your socks." Kyle was trying to sound suffering but failing due to the smile on his face.
James concealed the blush that tried to creep up his face from Kyle mentioning his boxers. He turned back to the mirror; if Kyle thought his presence there would speed him up he was sadly mistaken. It seemed as if Bruce had gone on without them anyway.
Kyle watched him for a minute as he tried to place each strand of blonde hair in its rightful place before letting out a sigh of frustration and attempting to fix it himself.
James watched in the mirror as Kyle moved his hair to the way he normally had it, with fascination as those long fingers threaded through his hair- it felt like heaven.
He could feel Goosebumps creeping up his arms. He looked up at Kyle in the mirror who had a look of concentration on his face, at least he did before remembering himself.
"Hey man, quit it!" James jumped away from Kyle's hands and looked in the mirror avoiding Kyle's gaze. He gave a huff when it appeared that his hair was how he had been attempting to get it. Seeing his reaction, Kyle chuckled and shook his head as he exited the bathroom. With one more scowl towards the mirror James followed after him, telling his brain that though it may seem like a good idea to tell everyone he was gay, it would only end in disaster.
Moments like the one he just shared with Kyle made him almost regret hiding his secret because they made him like him even more. But he was set on his plan, no one would know how feeling Kyle's fingers through his hair had made his stomach turn to mush and made him want to grip the sink to hold up his week knees.
Nope, no one would know and that was exactly how he wanted it. He would live his life at C.H.E.R.U.B as any other normal teenage agent who learns numerous languages and how to work the newest kinds of bugging technology could manage.
Chapter end.
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