James doesn't mind when Robbie calls him clever-clogs or smartarse, he doesn't mind when innocent teasingly calls him the boy wonder because he knows they don't mean any harm. It usually sounds like they mean quite the opposite. There is something affectionate in the way that they say it, a twinkle in their eyes and a smile that suggests acceptance, maybe even friendship.
When Hooper does it the feeling that gathers in James' chest is very different. He hadn't minded so much the first few times but it's the disgust in Hooper's tone that makes James hand tremble slightly and a lump gather in his stomach.
It's unpleasant, uncomfortable to start with, but bearable, as long as it was just Hooper. But Hooper had friends and the snickers grew more frequent. He isn't even surprised when the practical jokes start.
Turning up one morning to find his chair seat had been drenched with water and ending up looking like he had wet himself for the better part of the morning had been bad enough but things quickly escalated. Someone swaps one of his CD's for one with a virus on and ends up wiping his entire laptop clean losing him days if not weeks of work, both actual work and private material he had been storing on the hard drive.