This chapter was late by four days; I'm incredibly sorry. It's getting to the point that I'm too busy revising for exams that I don't have time to upload new chapters on a regular basis. So I can't promise that I'll upload a chapter every week, only when I have time. Again sorry to people who have been following this story.

SJ

Looking in the mirror on the Monday morning, John stared deeply at himself; focusing on the little details on his face. As long as it passed the time. He hasn't seen Anderson or Sally or the rest of the group since the Friday, and he really wanted to keep it that way. He hasn't even seen Sherlock since Friday, once they left the alley and Sherlock walked John home, they hardly talked. There was no knock on his door on Saturday and there was no knock on his door on Sunday.

It was amazing enough that John actually remembered something about that night, considering he'd never been so drunk in his life. Some would say that he was lucky to remember; only a part of him agreed.

Scooping water into his hands, he splashed his face to wake him up; to prepare him. He grabbed the towel and dried himself before walking downstairs and into the kitchen. It was the same routine every day, only today he stayed at home for a little while longer than usual. For once in a long time, he actually sat at the table and ate breakfast with them. Even his sister noticed that John was acting rather odd.

"You alright John?" asked Harry, dipping her spoon into her cereal, "You look more odd than you usually do."

"Why do you care?" he asked, sharply.

"I don't care John. Why would I care? I just thought that it was custom for an older sibling to ask their younger sibling if they're all right. Answer me or don't, I couldn't care less."

"Aren't you going to be late for school?" asked his father; straightening his tie before grabbing his keys, "I could give you a lift if you want."

"No, it's alright. I'll walk."

"Do you think you'll get to school in ten minutes when it usually takes you forty-five?" said his mother. She pulled John from his seat and pushed him and his father through the kitchen door, "I don't think so. You're father's going to take you in and that's final."

Both were shoved out of the house and into London's street. They both looked at each other and sighed with tiredness before heading to the car. John asked as he checked his watch, "Aren't you usually in work by now?"

"I know. I know. Tell me about it. And then there's the traffic you get in the morning, so it's likely that we're both going to be late, but worry not. I'll just call my boss and tell her I'm going to be late."

"Oh, you're alright. But what about me then? The last time I was late for school I was humiliated by the teachers and half of the bleeding class."

"Not my problem John." he started the car and pulled out of the driveway. They were only driving for five minutes until they hit a large queue of traffic getting packed in the small street.

"Shit! Shit! Shitting shit!" his Dad slammed his palms into the steering wheel before hitting his own head on the wheel, "I know I said I'd call my boss but I really don't need this now!"

"Me neither! And what happened to not worrying? There goes your plan of NOT worrying. What are we supposed to do now?"John asked, checking the time on his phone. The chances of the traffic clearing and him arriving at school on time was slim; highly unlikely.

"I have no idea John. Wait one minute, can you just stay quiet while I call the office?" he said, not really asking as he pulled out his phone and dialled his work. John did as he was told and kept his mouth closed while his father chatted away on his phone, "Yes. Yes. I know- Thank you so much-Yep. It won't happen again. Around ten hopefully. Alright, bye." his father said, putting down the phone.

"Should we call my school?" asked John as he searched for the number on his phone.

"Yeah, just pass the phone here." Quickly John tapped the numbers into his phone and handed the phone over to his father. Both waiting patiently for reception to pick up the phone, "Hello, I just wanted to call to say my son is going to be late for school today. Why? Well we're stuck in traffic and looks like we won't get there until ten. I know, it's just- Yes it is important but- Alright, again sorry about this."

His father gave one last 'sorry' on the phone before putting the phone down and tossing it to John, sighing over the trouble of calling, "Well, they said you won't be here for long if it happened again. I tried to explain but they wouldn't shut up. Remind me why I sent you there?"

"Why are you asking me? Anyway, it's too late now. I can't go anywhere else." said John. Looking out of the window was what he did while he waited in the traffic; his father was typing furiously on his phone, probably something to do with work. Seeing everyone's lives go on as normal while he was sat there doing nothing but stare out the window made John feel like running back home, just to stay in his room until he was dragged out by his own two feet.

"Well that was a waste of time-" said his father, shoving his phone into his pocket. It was an eerie silence before his father turned to him, "So...this 'Sherlock' that you seem to be spending a lot of time with...what's his problem, eh?"

"He doesn't have a problem."

"Are you sure about that John? Remember the way he talked to us, at dinner? If you weren't there I would have done something. But even you can admit there's something wrong with him."

"Nothing's wrong with him!" said John sharply as he turned to stare at his father.

"Alright. Alright. Calm down, I was only asking." he saw the traffic ahead move forward, so he put his car into drive and moved it closer to the queue, "I can't believe he talked to your sister like that, he had no right. I mean who does he think he is? He's one cocky bastard isn't he?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that." said John, getting furious with his father, "And he's right. Harry does have a drinking problem and you know it. You're just blind of the obvious, or you do know and you're trying to tell yourself otherwise."

"Don't you dare talk to me like that John! You know full well that your sister is not an alcoholic."

"Oh, who's the one lying now? She's pissed off her head all the time-"

"I wouldn't say all the time John-"

"When I say all the time, I MEAN all the time. You know, Sherlock's right about another thing. We keep lying to people and one day people will find out about why we moved. Isn't it better to tell them why we moved in the first place so we don't have to stop hiding?"

"Oh? So you want people to know that we moved to London because you were bullied for being gay!?" his father slammed his hands into the steering wheel and gripped on the handles, "DO YOU?!"

His dad promised that he wouldn't take it so harshly. It was hard when John had to 'come out' to his family; technically he didn't even do it himself. John wouldn't necessarily call himself gay, he still liked both genders. When his friends found out, they did their best to keep it a secret from the school.

The only problem was that a secret can't be hidden forever. After a month of telling his friends, he came to school one day to find everyone talking behind his back and stare at him in lessons. It wasn't until the last lesson of the day that someone teased him about it. When he got home that day, he retrieved to his bedroom; not speaking a word about it to his family. Over the days the taunting got worse and eventually his friends refused to help him out. It was like a blow to the chest when his last remaining friend told him that they both shouldn't be seen together anymore.

One day when walking home from school, a bunch of people from his year started to follow him until they were on an empty street. That was the moment when they decided to circle around him and drag him into a close passage where it was five against one. That was the moment when he got stabbed. Left on the cold, concrete floor; bleeding until he lost consciousness. Luckily enough, he was found by someone who just happened to see him as they passed. An ambulance was called; a crowd surrounded him.

When he next woke up, he was in a hospital bed with a stinging pain in his shoulder that got worse as he lay there. His parents eventually found out about John being gay when they were confronted by a teacher who knew about the bullying. That was one thing that John was so annoyed with; that his family found out about the bullying and him being gay from a teacher. He wasn't even brave enough to tell them himself.

"Are you still angry about that? You know, about me being gay?" asked John.

"John listen to yourself. It's ridiculous. You're just going through a phase, just like Harry."

"I'm going through a phase?! You said Harry was going through a phase when she was twenty years old at the time."

"She's still young enough to not understand all that nonsense, and you are too. You're not gay and that is the end of the matter."

"But Dad I'm-"

"I SAID THAT IS THE END OF THE MATTER!" his voice erupted inside the car and John froze; his body started to tense up as he stared into his father's eyes that burned into him, "You listen to me John and you listen good. You've been here for more than two months and managed to not get yourself in trouble with this stupid idea of being gay-"

"But Dad it isn't-"

"-and I would like you to keep it that way, okay? You're lucky enough that people don't know. Keep it that way. You'll realise when you're older that you're not gay and was in fact going through a phase. Now will you kindly shut up until we get to school." said his father. And that was that. The silence returned; they both stayed quiet. However, John's mind was reeling with worry. Little his father knew about last week; little his father knew about him at all. Why did he have to open his mouth of his and practically shout out that he was gay? The one thing John wanted the most was to erase everything that happened on Friday and return to normal.

"Dad. Turn the car around." said John.