A/N : I kind of guessed what the reaction was going to be to chapter 9 and I was right. All I want to say is that, if you've been reading this series of stories from the beginning, then you will know that no matter how much trouble gets caused it usually gets sorted out eventually.
Thanx to everyone who reviewed; Cassandra Anthemyst, Cordelia Osbourne, Slytherin Chick, Azkaban Canuck, MeLLoDraMatic, A Sorta Fairytale, another teenage drone, XxArEULoStxX, Lexi, NutBarZ, Starbright Moonlight, ndblue123, KrystinePotterLover (sorry if it was all too dramatic for you. Btw, Footloose is one of my favourite musicals!) - you lot are the reason that I love to write! :)
Now, on with the story...
(Disclaimer : see chapter 5)
"James Boris Pelkowski, what the hell are you doing?!" Nina shrieked at her brother, who quickly moved away from Diana and ran one hand through his hair, uncomfortably. Diana just stood in stunned silence, for a moment, at what had just happened, and then bolted from the room, pushing past Nina as she went.
"Did you have to walk in right at that moment?" James turned to his sister in annoyance.
"It's a good job I did or God only knows what might have happened"
At the age of fourteen, Nina Pelkowski knew the ways of the world. Her mother had told her everything about everything as soon as she was old enough to understand it. Lilly had been quite determined that her children would be properly educated not only in school, but in the way the world worked, and that meant that everything she knew about the opposite sex had been passed on to both Nina and Laura before either were ten years old.
"Nina, we were just kissing, don't over do the dramatics" James sighed.
"Just kissing?" Nina waved her arms for emphasis, "The girl you were 'just kissing' happens to be Phillippe's fiancée!"
"Oh thanks for telling me, I hadn't noticed" James's sarcasm returned with a vengeance.
"Jay, this isn't a joke" his sister was clearly very annoyed, "Or is it?" she said, remembering her brothers reason for existence recently - to generally ruin everyone's life, because he felt his had been ruined for him.
"Are you deliberately trying to hurt people?"
"No!" James shouted, "Y'know I respect Phil, he's a decent guy....sometimes maybe too decent" he mumbled, "but I wouldn't deliberately screw him over, you know that"
"Then why do this?" Nina didn't understand her brother. She used to, she used to know him and understand him, but not lately. He'd changed so much, he was like a different person.
"I don't know" James admitted with exasperation, "We were talking and Diana....she's a beautiful girl and she's good to talk to and we seemed to have stuff in common...she was upset about something and she said she liked me and....I don't know it just happened!"
He slumped back onto the sofa and his sister came and sat beside him.
"Jay, what happened to you? Ever since Mom and Dad started fighting you've changed so much and now this happens..."
"I never set out to hurt people y'know. Not really" he interrupted her.
"Then what's it all about" the girl could not understand.
"I don't fit in, Nina, you know I don't" he said sadly.
"Of course you do" she assured him, "Sometimes I feel like I don't fit in, but then I realise that I'm part of a family who loves me and we do all fit in somewhere"
"Nina, you don't understand" James said with exasperation, "I'm the reason Mom and Dad fight, it's all because of me..." he trailed off, realising he'd probably said too much and having no idea that the problem had been resolved without his knowledge.
"Are you going to explain what you meant by that?" she wanted to know.
"I shouldn't tell you..." he said, quickly getting up and making for the door.
"Jay, come on, I'm your sister and I just want to help..." Nina begged for an explanation and he turned back to cut her off mid-sentence.
"That's the point, you might not be my sister"
She looked shocked and he quickly explained.
"I heard Mom and Dad when they were arguing one time. You and Laura were asleep, but I couldn't sleep, not when I knew they were having one of their 'talks'. I overheard them talking about me, and Mom, and this other guy. The point is, Nina, this other guy could be my father"
The young girl looked dumbfounded by the revelation and James half wished he hadn't told her so much, but it was too late now.
"So, what are you telling me?" she shook her head in the hope her confusion would clear, but it didn't.
"What I'm telling you is, I might not be your brother, or Dad's son, or a Pelkowski, at all" he concluded.
A/N : Please review and I'll post again soon.