Call me son one more time...

A Bromance, a very platonic Bromance.

Thomas: 40

Sally: 37

James: 16

John: 9

Lafayette: 15

Philip: 16

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"James, can you eat something honey?" Sally asked, looking over at James as he pushed the penne pasta around his plate. James didn't say anything, bring his fork up as he ate a few pieces of pasta.

"So, John, did you have fun at school today?" Thomas asked, peering at John. He usually was lively, but he had started getting quite, much like his brother.

"It was okay I guess." John said, nodding at his own statement.

To say that Thomas was worried was an understatement. Both of his boys barely talked to anyone, James was always sickly, and John would just get in moods. He would be happy, go to school, walk home, and then, something would happen in the hours span between when he walked home and when he sat down for dinner. He would go quite, shy.

Sally couldn't tell at this point if she should be more worried about the boys or about Thomas. He started making James go to counseling, and he has tried multiple times to make new friends. She knows that the boys do need to be staying socially healthy as well as mentally, but at some point enough is enough.

"John," She doesn't even look up, but he can hear the rigidity in her voice. "Either tell me what your problem is, or go to bed. You don't want to go to bed early now, do you?" Sally asked. John looked up, a scared glare on his face.

"N.. no." John let his head sink as his mother looked back up at him. She saw a few tears leave his eyes as he started to speak. "I don't wanna go to school with out Maddie. Teachers treat me differently, and.. then I get back here and papa doesn't even let me see him. I just want to see Maddie."

James had gotten wide eyes from the statement, but had still managed to keep silent at it. Thomas was in shock from the halfway point, of him being part of the problem. Sally was quick, though, to go and pick up John, cradling the broken down child as his small somber sobs continued.

"Johnny," Sally slowly shushed John as she started to walk back to the young boys room.

Thomas cleared his throat looking over at James, who was still sitting, not eating a thing. He noted the shine of a tear on his sons cheek before speaking. "James, are you okay?" Thomas waited for an answer, but it never came. James just simply stood up, walked over to his father, and gingerly let his head fall on his fathers shoulder. Thomas put a hand on his back, slowly rubbing circles in the teen's t-shirt. "You want mom?" Thomas asked, peering at the boy as he nodded. "Great, let get up then. Come on, I want you getting some more sleep."

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"So, did James say anything or did he just nod?" Sally asked.

"He just nodded. I don't expect anymore." Thomas sighed, going over a million things in his head. "I'm gonna pull him out of counseling." Sally's eyes went wide at this. "I feel like he's making no progress with a person who we're paying top dollar for, and then that Marquis and Philip come over and he's the biggest hot shot ever." Sally was now smiling, loving the fact of her son out of another doctors office.

"Do you want me to ask him about having Lafayette over tomorow? I can already tell you the answer."

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"James!" James quickly looked up to see Lafayette and Philip riding up the drive way on there bikes. He quickly ran out, running straight into Lafayette as the two hugged.