Bang On The Block

Chapter 1: The News

James was frantically glaring at his computer screen while clicking away with his mouse moments away from winning his game. He didn't notice his mum slowly opening his door and walking in.

 "James,"

she exclaimed, but he continued to click away at the computer screen. It was only when she placed her hand on his shoulder, which made him yelp and spin around.  "What Mum? i told you about coming in without knocking!"

 She was a bit startled by his sudden jump, but she smiled. "sorry, I'm going to Walmart. Do you want anything?"

 James blinked and quickly looked back at his game to find a large 'Game over' title splattered on his screen. He groaned and slammed his head on the desk. Slowly, he turned towards his mum and muttered, "A croissant is fine."

 His mum smiled, nodded and walked out of his room not caring about his little game that he lost. He sat up and switched off his computer. He wobbled over to his bed and laid flat on his back staring at the ceiling, after a couple minutes, his phone started to vibrate frantically in his pocket indicating that someone was calling him. He ruffled through his pocket and looked at his phone to see who was calling him, It was Lucas his long distanced friend from the UK. He answered the phone and put it to his ear, and said with a depressed tone "what do you want?"

 The only thing he could hear was the laughter from Lucas and his usual British accent which still makes James giggle. "Someones a bit down today innit?".

 For some reason, when Lucas says the word "innit" in any situation, it seems to brighten James mood every time, which happens again. James smiles and chuckles to hear Lucas chuckle with him.  "nothing... Just a bit salty cuz my mum made me lose my game"

 Lucas sighed in a way that James guessed he rolled his eyes with his sigh. "Get a life mate."

James kissed his teeth at him. "what do you want?"

 James could hear Lucas shuffling a bit through the phone before stopping. "i heard your dad's coming to work for my dads company. Is that right?"

James tilts his head in confusion to ask "what i never heard anything like tha-". 

At that moment, his mum stormed in without warning for the second time making him yelp even louder and he fell to the floor. He looked up at his mum with an angry face while his mum stared down at him. She slowly lifted a small bag gripped in her hands "i got your croissant..."

he sighed, stood up and took the bag, sure enough there was a cold croissant sitting in the corner of the bag and his mum left. He could faintly hear Lucas's voice from his phone  "Yo mate you there?" 

he rushes to his phone to hold it against his ear "y-yeah im here"

 Lucas sighs "what happend? Did you fall or something?" 

James grunted and gets on his bed again "my mum barged into my room to give me a croissant..."

 Lucas giggled

 "and you fell off the bed?"

 He mutters some words before sighing "yes i did.... you got a problem with that?"

 there was dead silence like Lucas was trying to hold his laughter before faintly saying "no?..".

 James grits his teeth at him as he lies back on the bed "what do you mean by my father gonna work for your father?"

 James could faintly hear Lucas muttering something before saying "what do you not understand?"

 James groaned loudly before saying "oh for-! my dad never told me his company got bought!"

 He heard a loud "oooh" from Lucas as he finally realised what James was trying to say. James giggled before saying "you're so slow man"

 He heard a loud grunt from Lucas before he growled "Shut up! you just dont know how to explain stuff properly!"

 James rolled his eyes "whatever man."

 Lucas chuckled a bit before saying "I have to go now, keep paying your overpriced hospital bills"

 then hung up instantly. James looked at his phone, he chuckled lightly before putting his phone down and stretching.

 As he was beginning to relax, he faintly heard his mum's voice yelling his name "James!" 

He sat up and looked at the door before yelling "what mum?!"

 there was an awkward silence as his mum didn't respond. He called out for her again but received nothing, he swore he could hear crickets in the background. He groaned and mumbled while exiting his room and stomping down the stairs. He peeked through the kitchen door before saying "what mum?".

 She spun around with her face having a hint of anger in it. "i heard you mumbling some naughty stuff when you came out of your room... care to explain that?".

His jaw dropped "so you heard my mumbling but not my yelling?"

She shrugs, "you know that when i call your name you're meant to come anyways"

He stares at her in disbelief "i did not know that, you never told me that..."

She rolls her eyes and looks back at the stove "at least you came... Anyways. Me and your dad have something to talk to you about.."

He tilts his head "am i in trouble?"

She turns back to him "no, why would you think that?"

He instantly turned around "um.. no reason..." and he sat on the table.

After a couple minutes, he could hear his father stomping down the stairs, his loud footsteps were similar to a large brick being dropped which could be audible throughout the entire house. 

As his father had just woken up, his stomping was 10x louder and was getting louder and louder by each step. He entered the kitchen while rubbing his eyes and yawning, it looked like he fell asleep while working because he was somehow still in his work clothes which was scrunched and folded in many places 

"Afternoon James, Afternoon honey." His father said in a grog-ish tone. James giggles a bit as he exclaims "it's 7:42 dad." He saw is dads eyes widen as he shook his head to wake up more and glaces at the clock "oh... evening i guess." He sat on the table and stretched.

 At that moment, His mother placed a bowl of soup in front of him which consisted of chicken, vegetables and a bit of under cooked pasta, "say thank you" his mother said sweetly. James looked up at her in disbelief "i dont want sou-" His mothers sweet face got more ominous and stern as if daring him to finish his sentence, "i said... say thank you..." James felt his balls shiver as he stuttered "t-thank you... for the soup... mother..." Her face became sweet again as she nodded "your welcome"

James grunts a bit as he picks up his spoon dipping it into the soup and taking a sip of it. It was purely just flavoured water that was boiled. He sighed and put is spoon down, he couldn't complain or do anything to protest, he could only take small sips of his soup and nibbles of his chicken. his dad however, he gobbled the soup up in a few table spoons as if he hadn't heard the term "food" in days.

 After he finished his soup in less than a minute, James was still struggling to down his third sip. His father turned towards him and smiled "i have some news". James finally swallowed his sip and looked at him. "what?" His father smiled even more "we are moving to England!" He shot his fist up in the air as a little celebration.

James blinks and drops his spoon. "England..." He stood up from his chair to protest but decided against it, he sat down again and said "Out of all places on earth, you pick ENGLAND?!"

 His father stares at him for a bit before sighing "Look, i got a new job opportunity by your friends father and they are willing to pay for us to move there. This is for the best of us."

now that his father had said it, he remembered Lucas saying that as well. He looked down at his soup which was now fully cold and nodded. He quickly stood up and walked out of the kitchen. His mother tried to say something to him but he was already storming up the stairs.