A/N: Okay, here we go with part two...
Warnings: underage drinking and some sex in this one. And obviously language as well (quite a lot of F-bombs in this chapter)
Have fun reading :D
James was sitting on his window sill, looking at the outside world. He had been grounded for three weeks and was more than ready to be let back out to the freedom!
James would be the first to tell you that when life consisted of nothing more than school, homework and chores, it sucked BIG time! Three weeks of not hanging out with Kendall, Carlos and Logan was freaking boring, and the progress he had made with Lucille Hennings from sophomore class was surely lost to someone from her own year or older! Crap!
He was banned from his phone, TV and video games and was left with reading – which was not James Diamond's cup of tea, helping with stuff around the house and working out. These last weeks James had been running more than ever, doing hundreds of crunches and push ups, and though staying fit was important to him it became pretty trivial very quickly!
x-x
James had considered sneaking out later that night. There was going to be a huge party just a few blocks over, but the thought of being caught again, making his dad lose it again, being grounded again, made him discard the plans almost as soon as he had thought about them!
His mom was out of town on a business trip, so chances of getting caught were actually pretty slim, but he wasn't willing to risk it!
James sighed to himself and craned his neck to follow the hot girl walking by on the street. She was wearing a rather short dress and a small breeze made it fly around her legs, making her butt visible for a second.
"Dayum!" James mumbled, feeling compelled to jump to the ground and chat up the beautiful girl right there.
James flinched when his door suddenly opened. He whipped around and saw his dad in the doorway. Mike leaned on the door frame and smiled at his son.
"What?" James asked with a bit of unintentional attitude.
Mike ignored the tone in James' voice and raised his brows.
"How would you like being let off the grounding early?"
"What?" James asked again, this time without any attitude.
"Consider it being released for good behavior..."
James couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was not like his dad at all!
"I heard about the party... and I thought that you needed to get out of the house" Mike said with a smile, feeling a huge knot form in his stomach from lying to his only child like that.
Actually he hadn't lied yet, but his reasons for letting James off, weren't as pure hearted as he made them out to be!
James narrowed his eyes a bit and looked intently at his father.
"What's the catch?"
Mike huffed and then smiled at James.
"There's no catch, James, I just think you've deserved your freedom back..."
Now feeling pretty sure that his dad actually meant what he said, James slipped from the window sill and practically ran to the door.
"Well then I'll take the offer..." he patted his father on the shoulder and sprinted down the hallway, "thanks Dad!" he yelled just seconds before Mike heard the front door slam.
The guilty knot in Mike's gut quickly subsided and his thoughts started going through the plans for the night. With both Brooke and James safely out of the house this was certain to be a great evening!
x-x
After getting the pretty girl's phone number James called Kendall to let him know that he was now on for tonight.
"Your dad reduced your grounding?" Kendall asked incredulously, "that's great and all, but it definitely doesn't sound like him..."
"No, I know" James answered, "but I figure I'll just enjoy it, meet up with my new acquaintance at the party tonight, finally get back in the dating game! I feel like a freaking monk!"
Kendall laughed at that but couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. When did Michael Diamond ever reduce a punishment! It certainly hadn't ever happened before.
x-x
The music was pounding, red plastic cups flooding the entire house and more than a hundred teenagers were having a blast. Carlos was hooting wildly as he attempted to snowboard down the long flight of stairs. It went surprisingly well and he didn't fall until the very end. He whirled through the air and then collided roughly with a dark-haired girl, making them both tumble to the floor.
Carlos was quickly back on his feet, giving the trusty helmet a loving pat. He extended a hand to the girl on the floor and she instantly accepted.
"Hi, I'm Carlos" the Latino said happily and smiled a the girl, "sorry for knocking you over! I was just trying to have some fun!"
"It's okay" she answered, shaking her head slightly as if to focus her eyes, "I'm Jessica. Maybe we should just go snowboarding with actual snow next time."
Across the room Kendall shook his head with a smile and looked at Logan.
"I think he better stick with that one. Pretty, sweet and open-minded!"
Logan nodded in agreement. Carlos rarely stumbled across girls who embraced his crazy, stunt-craving side!
"What do you think about her, James?" Logan asked and turned towards his friends.
He raised his eyebrows and then looked at Kendall with a bemused look.
"Wow, he ain't wasting his time!" Logan laughed, making Kendall smile broadly.
James was currently staring intensely at the girl he had met earlier that day and felt the teenage hormones raging through his body. Damn, she was too hot! And she was 16! Double score!
The short-dressed, hot girl, whose name was Monica, was sending James suggestive looks, pursing her lips and flipping her hair flirtatiously. James sent her the famous, dazzling James Diamond smile and was instantly rewarded when Monica took a step forward and pressed her soft lips against his. Works every time, James mused, losing himself in the kiss. This night would definitely be a full blown celebration of his newly gained freedom, and James was sure that he wouldn't feel like a monk much longer!
Monica pulled back with a slight squelch and smiled at James.
"Do you wanna find somewhere more private?" she asked and sent James a look both timid and wanting.
"Yeah, that'd be awesome" James said, feeling his heart do an extra take. Maybe tonight would be the night he crossed the line for real!
x-x
James was panting, gripping the pillow tightly and looked down to see Monica slowly letting her mouth take in his length again.
"Oh God!" James gurgled and drew a deep breath.
Monica had just removed her warm mouth from James and was about to take off her panties when a collective yell of "COOOPS!" reached them both. Monica screeched, instantly blabbering about her strict, religious father and jumped off the bed to put on her clothes. James followed her example, not intrigued with the idea of being found butt naked with a boner by some huge-ass cop!
"Come on..." James ushered and quickly opened the window.
Monica only hesitated for a second before she crawled out onto the roof and waited for James. They snuck across the black, somewhat slippery roof and succeeded in reaching the end without being seen. A huge willow tree reached the edge of the roof and James immediately climbed to the tree. Monica silently followed and together the two slightly drunk teens managed to slip to the neighbor's garden.
They threw each other a smile, both feeling the adrenaline course through their veins from the excitement, and leaned in for another kiss.
"Call me!" Monica whispered and gave James' butt a small squeeze, "we have unfinished business!"
James let out a somewhat ridiculous noise as an answer and blushed slightly.
"See you later Monica..." James managed to say before the two parted ways.
x-x
James was smiling to himself as he walked home, his heart fluttering in his chest. Despite being interrupted right before getting down to some serious business James had had a great night! Getting out of the grounding, hanging out with his friends again, beers, music and a beautiful girl; what could possibly ruin this?!
At 11.45 p.m. James walked up the driveway, a smile still gracing his features. He silently opened the door and slipped inside the house. He was taking off his shoes when he heard the first noises. James cringed slightly when the nature of the sounds dawned on him. Was his dad watching porn?!I do NOT want to know about that, James thought to himself while a shiver ran down his spine as an unwanted image flickered in his head.
James tip-toed towards his room, trying his best to ignore the loud moans coming from his parents bedroom. He had his hand on his door knob when the female groans intensified.
"Oh, God yes... Mike, Mike, oh!"
The teen froze and tried convincing himself that lots of guys were named Mike and that the speakers in the bedroom always managed to make everything sound so lifelike! Then he heard his father's voice.
"Fuck, Mindy, oh yeah... unh!"
A maelstrom of emotions exploded in James. He felt his hands shake and tried telling himself that he had to be imagining things. James turned around and slowly walked towards the door to the master bedroom. The door wasn't closed all the way and James peered through the crack; he had to be sure. What he saw made him want to puke his guts out. His dad was standing naked as the day he was born, boning a woman he definitely was not married to!
And then everything went to hell! The woman in the bed started screaming her climax out for the world to hear, James' dad grunted in tune with his thrusts and downstairs the door slammed shut when Brooke returned home early. James was frozen in place, stuck in a situation he had no idea how to deal with. He felt like he absorbed every sound, every movement in his presence and at the same time shut it all out.
James wanted to scream, puke, cry, kick, hit and hide. The shaking had spread to his entire body and a new mad rage tore at his insides. James wanted to tear his dad a new asshole then stuff both Mike's legs in there!
x-x
Brooke was bracing herself for what she was about to see. As soon as she entered the hall she knew that her deepest fears and suspicions had come to life! A howling bimbo from upstairs was quite the give away!
Brooke's anger was flaring and when she reached the top of the stairs she felt like a raging bull. This was it. All the talks from the last three weeks about starting over had been pure bullshit, all the promises empty. Brooke had had enough. This time Mike was going to regret his actions!
She drew a deep breath and raised her eyes from floor level just to see her son standing in front of the door to the master bedroom, a look of shock on his handsome face. She approached him carefully and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Go to your room please, James" she said, sounding more stern than she intended.
James flinched at the touch and looked at his mother. He didn't say anything but took a small step towards his own room.
Brooke then charged through the bedroom door, the rage and hurt building, making her husband and his companion yelp in startled surprise.
"Br-Brooke" Mike stuttered, quickly discarding the girl on the bed and covering his private parts with his hand, "this... I... she..."
"So all your words were lies! AGAIN! You fucking asshole, Mike!" Brooke was practically screaming, tears pooling in her eyes but not falling.
Brooke turned her attention towards the young woman who was desperately trying to put on her clothes. Brooke raised a pointing finger at her, then decided that was not enough and so proceeded to go to her, grab her roughly by her arm and drag her towards the door.
"Get out of my house!" Brooke growled at the young woman, disgust washing through her.
"Don't hurt her, Brooke!" Mike roared while quickly putting on his boxers. Brooke merely growled at his words.
The girl started howling and nearly collided with James as he barged through the door, a look of unbelievable hurt in his eyes. The young woman had the decency to look ashamed and cast her eyes to the floor as she ran past the teen.
There was a second of complete silence and both Brooke and Mike seemed to have temporarily frozen on their respective spots. James took three long steps forward and reached his father.
"You fucking bastard!" James yelled and clenched his fists.
"James go to your room!" Brooke demanded, she didn't want her son seeing this and was angry that he hadn't listened to her the first time.
Mike, angry with both himself, Brooke and James, felt a rush of rage run through him.
"Don't you take that freaking tone with me, James! This does not concern you! Now, GO TO YOUR ROOM!"
"Doesn't concern me!" James roared, tears glistening in his eyes, "FUCK YOU, DAD!"
He raised a fist and let it connect harshly with his father's cheekbone. The punch gave a satisfactory crunching noise and James narrowed his eyes while pulling back his arm again.
In the background Brooke gasped, conflicting feelings running through her. Mike cupped his hurt face and looked at James in shock. He drew in a breath and removed his hand, a red bruise already forming on his cheekbone. Reflexively Mike lifted his other arm and without thinking slapped James hard across the face. The smack echoed through the room and James took a step backwards, his dad's red hand print shining on his stinging cheek.
"Don't you touch him!" Brooke hollered stepping in between her son and husband and pushed Mike, making him fall backwards onto the bed.
"He fucking punched me in the face!" the man growled, getting back up.
"Yeah, well you need to get the hell out of my house unless you want me to punch your nose in!"
Mike sighed overly dramatic and tried grabbing Brooke around her shoulders to make her calm down. However his gesture had the exact opposite effect! Brooke huffed and let out a dangerous growling sneer before proceeding to slap Mike so hard he spun around and stumbled to his knees when he collided with the bed frame.
"Pack your stuff and get out!" Brooke said in an eerily calm voice.
x-x
James was standing in the middle of the room, watching the unfolding scene between his parents. His heart was pounding so hard he was sure it could be heard in freaking Europe, his cheek still warm and red and his entire life falling apart around him. His dad was throwing a temper tantrum worthy of a two-year-old and his mom was in a state of continued yelling and crying.
"Stop it" James whispered, feeling more tired than ever before.
No one heard him and the screaming and yelling continued.
"Please stop!" James tried again, this time a little louder.
His dad sent him a quick look but then continued his tantrum. A second later Brooke threw a large bag in Mike's face and demanded he gathered his stuff and left immediately.
"I don't wanna look at your goddamn face a minute longer, Michael! We're done! YOU FUCKED A FREAKING SCHOOL GIRL, MIKE! I WANT A DIVORCE!"
"FUCKING STOP IT!" James screamed, tears spilling down his cheeks, "JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Both Mike and Brooke quieted down and looked at their son. He had never looked so lost, and yet neither of them went to comfort him.
Mike felt anger, desperation and shame wash through him and he wanted nothing more than to hug James, convince him that life would be okay. But he didn't!
Brooke felt fear, betrayal and sadness pump through her veins and she wanted nothing more than to hold her son tight, stroke his hair and tell him he would be fine. But she didn't!
x-x
James let out a sob and stormed out of the room. He heard his mom and dad yell for him but continued down the stairs and out into the slight chill of the late September night.
He called Kendall and, despite his breaking voice, managed to tell him what had happened and what he needed.
x-x
At 4.00 a.m. James had no more swear words to get out and no more silent tears to cry. He felt hollow, like an empty shell and looked at his friends. The greatest friends on the face of the earth! Always and forever they would be there for each other, James thought, a jolt of love shooting through his body.
"James" Logan said gently and placed a hand on James' shoulder, "it might not seem like it right now, but you will be fine. Life goes on, you know..."
James didn't say anything but offered a tiny huff.
Two minutes later he was slipping into sleep, images of the night haunting him. His dad, the man he used to look up to, fucking a girl only ten years older than James, his mom yelling and screaming, making it known without a doubt that the marriage was over! It was over, his family was falling apart!
And just then, when everything felt like a black, never-ending spiral, other images flashed for James' eyes. Memories from his childhood with Kendall, with Carlos and with Logan. Memories that made him smile and his heart pound. Memories that told him that family wasn't limited to blood. Those were his brothers and as long as they were in this together, he would be fine. Just like Logan had said; life goes on.
Even after a divorce.
A/N: I think that was it... bit of a cheesy ending there, sorry :P Hope you enjoyed it though. As always I'd love some feedback...
- Rikke