Growing Pains ✔

Chapter 12

Jamie was like a bear with a sore head at school on Monday, he couldn't bring himself to read any more of his mom's diary but his dad's words were ringing in his ears. Had he tried to get her back? Had Lou stopped him? He told himself it didn't actually matter, if his mom had wanted to leave his dad then that was her business. However, the thought that she'd acted prematurely, and that Louis had come along whispering sweet nothings in her ear wouldn't go away. His dad had said she was immature, and he could kinda see his point. Louis pandered to her to a ridiculous extent and that had to be for a good reason.

'Hey,' John said joining him at lunch. 'It was a pretty good night at your house. My mom was kinda wasted though.'

Jamie looked at him without emotion, suddenly realising that John was embarrassed by his mom. 'Yeah it was a good night,' he said not willing to humiliate John even though he wouldn't have hesitated had the shoe been on the other foot.

'Have you spoken to Laura?'

Jamie remembered he agreed to put in a good word for John. 'Yeah, of course.' Well, he had spoken to Laura, that was technically true.

'It's just I kinda like her, she's not like the other girls around here.'

'Not like Debbie?' Jamie was a little surprised John seemed to like her, she wasn't his normal type, she was too quiet for one thing.

John shrugged looking across the canteen at a group of cheerleaders sat together. 'Debbie's great but it's run its course, and I guess she is like all the other girls around here. It gets boring after a while.'

Jamie nodded, he guessed Debbie wouldn't be broken hearted either. 'Don't hurt Laura okay, you're right, she's not like Debbie and her friends.'

John nodded, and then paused, his eyes on Jamie. 'You know that stuff I was saying the other day about your mom and dad...I shouldn't have said it. Maybe I put two and two together and made five.'

Jamie looked at him doubtfully, it wasn't like John to admit he made a mistake. 'Did you really though? Cos I dunno, I think there's a lot I don't know about. And you didn't get that idea out of nowhere, I think there must be something in it.'

'But you wouldn't know less than I do,' John said his brows furrowed. 'You were there. I guess what I'm saying is if you say it didn't happen then it didn't happen, I must have got it wrong.' John shrugged looking apologetic and Jamie was more confused than ever. 

'But you think my dad hurt my mom yeah? That's what you heard my mom telling your mom?' 

John glanced away, looking out of his depth. 'I think that's what I'd heard but....we were kids, I might have got it wrong. I mean we were both there, and if I heard one thing and you didn't, then yeah, I've probably got it wrong.'

Jamie was at a loss, if John had insisted his version of events was correct he'd have doubted him. But John sounding so hesitant, so careful not to cause trouble, was not like him at all. It made him all the more certain John was onto something.

'I was talking to my dad this weekend,' Jamie admitted. 'He was saying he tried to get my mom back after they split up. And then Lou came along. I don't know what to think.'

'I guess that could have happened, maybe your dad left it too late and your mom had already moved on...'

'But if he'd been hitting my mom then who could blame her?'

John shrugged. 'No one would, but maybe he didn't. I could have it wrong.'

'If you do then what does that say? That my mom threw away the family she had cos she fancied another guy?' He slumped back into his chair not knowing what to think. In the whole mess that was his family, he'd thought that Louis was the good guy. His mom and dad less so. Now if he was to think they could have been happy if Louis hadn't come along, well that put a different perspective on things.