Group home

Maxwell

TW: abuse

- Okay James, you can go look around the house a bit. You will be sharing a room with Ryan, you will get along easily. He is very nice. - Carter said

- Um, can I ask something? - James said nervously

-Sure bud- Cameron replied smiling at the boy

- Who is Maxwell? Cause you and the boys mentioned him but he is not here.

- Oh Maxwell is a very nice boy, he is normally very well behaved, you shouldn't have any issues with you. He is 18, and I believe he may be from your hometown. - Cameron answered, making James' jaw drop - wait, what's wrong?

James tried to calm down. "He can't be, there are a lot of Maxwells that are from Toronto and 18, and moved here..." He said to himself. He took a deep breath and  faked a smile to the guardians.

- It's okay, it's nothing.

And just when he was about to get up the door opened. They all 3 looked at the boy entering the room, and it wasn't until the door closed and the boy turned around when James let out a quiet "oh shit"

- You?! - Yelled who happened to be Maxwell, approaching James, making the youngest get up and take steps back terrified - What the hell are you doing here you little piece of shit

- Maxwell, enough. - Carter said, but didn't seem to stop the boy

- Max, look, I know things between us didn't end up very well, but you need to let me explain, okay? - at this point Jame's back was almost touching the wall, hands up on defese mood.

- There is nothing to explain you bastard - and right when Maxwell's arm started to move to hit the boy, Carter grabbed him and he put him aside. He got close to his ear and spoke softly but firmly, wich was the scariest part of the guardian.

- Listen clearly, if you don't stop this behavior this second, I am going to put you over my knee right here in front of him and give you the spanking of your life with my belt, understood?

- Y-yes sir

- Now get your ass to my room. Right. Now. - and with that he let the boy go, who  ran upstairs.

James was out of breath, his heart still racing. The guardians were very confused, and they looked at him obviously for explanations. The poor teen was shaking badly, but tried his best to speak.

- I um... I'm sorry I-I didn't know he would be here. - James started feeling really dizzy, and Cameron noticed and grabbed the boy before he fell down.

- Hey buddy, why don't we go to the bathroom okay? We can wash your face and try to calm down. You don't need to explain anything right now. - James nodded and let himself drop into Camerons arms, who helped him walk to the closest bathroom.

Meanwhile, Carter got up the stairs and entred his room, surprised to find a crying boy sat on the bed.

- C-Carter I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean to be like-like  that - He was a crying mess, and Carter felt really bad for him.

The boy had anger issues, but he wasn't really a big troublemaker. Carter had a soft spot for the boy. He sat next to him and pulled the boy closer for a hug, letting him cry on his shoulder until he calmed down. Then, after all the silence, he started speaking.

- Max, I don't know what the hell is going on betweek you and James, or what has happened in the past. But you will live together from now on, and you better fix your problems before you end up killing eachother. - the teen let out a shy smile - Now, want to explain yourself?

Maxwell stared at the floor for a bit, and then took a deep breath and started talking.

- James and I were in a foster home together. I had been there for about 3 months when he joined us. At first we were really close, and it felt like we were brothers. But then things got pretty bad with our foster parents, and the dad started hitting us both. One night, James accidentally broke one of the dad's beer bottles, and it got all over the floor. We were both really scared, but I helped him clesn it up. We were too dumb and forgot to take out the trash. So obviously our floster parents founf the broken glasses in the can, and called us both. James was the one to go first, but he didn't say anything. I decided to say it was both our faults, because I csred about him. We were expecting to be beaten up that moment, but the dad said we were going to get it individually. We each went to our rooms, and I wakted for ages until the dad came, veey angry, with a baseball bat in his hand. He started yelling, saying that that bitch James had escaped, and that now I was going to get double, to take his part. - Max took a pause, tears coming down his face again - I got beaten up so bad that he broke 2 of my ribs, my whoke face was bleading and I ended up unconscious on the floor. And that little bitch never showed up again. I was taken by the cops that same night, and I never saw neither the foster parents or ajames ever again.

Carter kept quiet, processing everything and letting the boy catch his breath again. Max looked up at himwith teary eyes.

- Am I getting punished Cartie? - Oh boy he knew how to touch that soft spot.

- No Max, I'm not going to punish you. You are going to talk to James at some point, and I'll help you work on it, okay?

- Thanku - he hugged him again. They both got up, and before the teen got his hand on the doorknob, Carter grabbed his shoulder.

- But if you end up hitting him, and I do not care who starts it, you are going to get my belt, understood? - shivers went down the boys spine

- Yes sir.