Growing Pains ✔

Chapter 1

October 1979

'Will you stop going on at me, mom,' Jamie whined as his mom pulled into the parking lot of Westbury high school. 'I'm tired of the same lecture every morning.'

His mom Charlotte sighed dramatically and looked at him with pursed lips. 'Jamie these are the best years of your life.' He held in a groan and concentrated on trying to flatten his wavy brown hair. 'You have less than two more years of school left, I want you to enjoy it.'

'Yeah mom I do, I just keep it well hidden.' He grimaced as John Lombardo Junior pulled up beside them, and his mom waved. How she couldn't see what a total asshole her friend's son was he did not know. John Junior oozed arrogance from every pore.

'Don't be sarcastic Jamie, it's the lowest form of wit,' Charlotte said turning her eyes back to him.

'I wasn't trying to be funny.' He grabbed the door handle thinking maybe he should start walking to school, it would spare him the earache. If he could just get up earlier in the mornings. Not that he'd have to if his mom would let him have his own car. It was so unfair, he was nearly seventeen and Charlotte wouldn't get him a car saying his dad ought to buy it. His father was equally adamant his mom should buy him a car from the maintenance he paid her. Neither of them would give way, not caring that he was caught in the middle without his own transport.

He got out the car, turning to say a quick goodbye to his mom.

'Hey Mrs Kinsella,' John hollered sticking his head through the car door and pushing Jamie to one side.

Charlotte smiled indulgently. 'Hi John, it's nice to see you. You two have a nice day now.'

John slapped his arm around Jamie's shoulders, watching as Charlotte backed out of the parking lot, the early morning sun dazzling them. 

'You know your mom's pretty hot for an older woman. How old is she?' 

Jamie pulled a face. 'How old is your mom?'

'Eh?'

'Our moms went to school together,' Jamie said speaking deliberately slowly. 'They were in the same class. Don't you know your own mother's age?' Jeez, John was hard work this morning.

John laughed. 'Oh, right, yeah she's thirty-five.'

Jamie rolled his eyes. 'So what's up Junior?'  He saw a brief flash of anger in John's eyes at the use of his old nickname. John alternated between idolising his father, and loathing that he was little more than his dad's mini-me. Jamie grinned letting John know he knew he'd got to him. 

John made his own smile wider. 'All's good with me, never better.' His lip curled into a familiar sneer. 'So you're still getting rides off your mom?'

Jamie shrugged John's arm off his shoulder, ignoring the question.

'What's the matter, won't Lou buy you a car?'

Jamie's jaw tensed but he kept the anger out of his voice. 'Why would Lou buy me a car, he ain't my dad.'

John laughed loudly. 'Oh shit, yeah I forgot. It's just him and your mom have been together for so long I keep forgetting he's not your real dad. I mean where is your dad, we never see him?'

'He's around,' Jamie said not caring. John's attempts at getting him riled up were so frequent he was becoming adept at brushing them off. John, however, continued to mock him about his deadbeat dad, not letting the facts get in the way of his flow.

Jamie simply nodded, and together they walked into homeroom, John still chatting away. Anyone watching would have thought they were friends but they hadn't been truly friendly since they were about thirteen. Once their moms weren't engineering play dates they drifted into different friendship groups.

Jamie took his seat next to Laura Penbrook, briefly saying hello. John sat on the edge of the desk, narrowing his eyes in Laura's direction, giving her a quick once over.

'Hey,' he said smiling, and Jamie could see her pale cheeks flush. 'I guess you drew the short straw with the seating arrangements.'

Laura looked up her brows furrowing. 'What, no, it's fine,' she stuttered, briefly glancing at Jamie her face going even redder.

'You're so nice saying that,' John drawled. 'But you'd have a much better time sat next to me.' 

Inwardly Jamie groaned, he couldn't believe how lame John's lines were, and worse the girls seemed to fall for them. Somehow, in spite of his questionable personality, John was popular with most of his peers. Jamie guessed it was down to his dark good looks but he didn't understand how John continued to hold anyone's interest once he opened his mouth. He'd once heard Louis remark that John was the image of his dad, and wasn't it a shame the similarity ended there? Charlotte had hushed him up however Jamie had thought he'd nailed it, John lacked his father's personality.

'Jamie, why don't we trade seats,' John said snapping him out of his reverie.

'I don't mind sitting here,' Laura said, and John laughed indulgently.

'You don't need to spare his feelings, he doesn't have any.'

Jamie opened his mouth to protest, and then thought better of it. Why waste the oxygen? Their teacher, Mr Hunter came in, and John had to go and take his own seat.

'I don't have a problem sitting next to you,' Laura whispered. 'I don't know what John was getting at.' 

Jamie glanced at her and nodded. 'He wants to ask you out, that's all.' Her blue eyes widened at his words, and he kicked himself. He shouldn't make this easier for John.

'He has a girlfriend, Debbie...' Her voice drifted off as she caught John's eye, and she flushed once again.

'Yeah he's seeing Debra Gifford but he's probably bored of her now.' He knew John was. It had been a challenge for him to get the cheerleader to go out with him but after a few months, he was ready for a change.

'Well I'm not interested,' Laura said holding her hands up to her face in an attempt to cover her blushing.

Jamie shook his head. 'I don't think that'll put him off.'

Laura opened her mouth but no words came out, and Jamie turned his eyes to their teacher. He knew that if John had decided to make a move on Laura, it was only a matter of time before she succumbed to his dubious charms. He couldn't help feeling a little depressed at the thought.

                                                                   ~~~

Thank you for reading, the first few chapters are fairly short until the story gets going.