A Face in the Mirror

By EJKatz

Synopsis: An Au in which Blair meets Jimmy during a very difficult time in his childhood. Blair is 14 and Jimmy is 17. Naomi’s current boyfriend has a thing for tormenting and abusing the young guide. Can Jimmy actually help or is his own situation too problematic?

PLEASE: Feedback and Flames are always welcome and are always appreciated

and any suggestions for improvement will be taken into consideration.

Feedback will be taken seriously, Flames will be met with hysterical laughter.

Thanks. EJKatz

Warnings: This is an intensely angst-ridden story. Also rated NC-17 for language, violence and maybe some other things thrown in for good measure. I am not playing nice with either William Parker or Naomi Sandburg so if you don't like that and you like those characters don't read this. However, if you like to read for the sake of reading and can handle something a little different than feel free to enjoy

Now on to the Story

Part One

He stared at the face before him, a face that was too thin to be considered even remotely good looking. And now, marred as it was by the black eye he would have even less chance of asking Maria Sheffield out to the dance on Friday.

Silently he cursed the life that had been afforded him. He knew his mother meant well but she was too stoned half the time to even be aware of what was going on. And Mike… well he didn't even want to think about Naomi's latest and greatest.

The night before had not been the best, to say the least. If anything it was one night which Blair would not look fondly upon, ever. And to think it had started out with such promise, too.

When Naomi and Mike had gone for dinner, Blair was able to study. He had brought his stuff out to the living room where the light was better to read by, even though Mike had told him many times that he was to keep to his room. With the two of them out he could study in the proper lighting and not kill his eyes. He already knew he needed a new prescription but he was loath to ask since Mike would freak again. Especially after the expense of the last pair of glasses.

He'd gotten most of his work done and was well into his studying when they had come home, much too early. Naomi was as high as a kite as she enthusiastically greeted her son. She kissed him and pulled him up to twirl him around twice until Mike caught him by the arm, nearly wrenching it out if its socket.

Blair gasped in pain.

"What the hell is this mess, Brat? I told you to keep this shit in your room. How many times do I have to repeat myself before you learn? I thought you were some sort of genius." Mike pushed him away, hard. Blair fell to the floor. He tried to catch himself but he wasn't fast enough. His hand caught painfully beneath him and he felt the sudden sharp pain as it bent back further than it should have been able to go. It wasn't a break, those he knew only too well but a sprain at least. Painful but not life-threatening. He smothered a groan of pain.

He cried out in pain but Mike was already pulling him to his feet. Blair could see Naomi over Mike's shoulder. She was dancing to the tunes in her own head and wasn't watching or listening to Mike's tirade. Not the first time but Blair sometimes wished with an almost desperate intensity that she cared just a little more, paid just a little more attention to his situation. Just once he wished that she would stand up for him. They used to do so well when they moved when things got tough. At least until she met up with Mike and he got her hooked on the hard drugs. In particular, Cocaine.

Blair was brought out of his thoughts by a hard slap on his face by Mike as the man continued to speak. "Listen to me you little freak. Get this shit out of my sight or I will do it myself and you won't be seeing it again."

Blair began to pack it up but with his sore wrist he was unable to move as fast as Mike wanted and he soon felt the sting of Mike's hand against the back of his head. It was a hard blow the pushed him forward. He just managed to stop himself from hitting the table. Without looking around he continued to gather his stuff.

"Come on, you little shit, move it." Mike yelled, his fist flying out to catch Blair full on the face. He fell this time, hard, knocking his head on the table, his books and papers flying in all directions. Mike kicked out and caught him in the stomach. Blair curled around the blow, protecting his stomach with his arms but leaving his head open for the next blow that rendered him unconscious.

He'd woken this morning still on the floor with his papers and books scattered about and aches that covered his entire body. This told him that it was doubtful Mike had stopped the beating once he was no longer responding. He shook his head to clear the fog and ringing. He could hear nothing, there was silence behind the closed door where Naomi and Mike slept.

With a heavy sigh he turned from the mirror and finished packing his backpack for school. It was slow since his wrist throbbed horribly. He really didn't want to go to school but there was that history test and it counted for more than half his final grade.

'And therein lies my other problem.' Blair thought to himself. Not only did he get a drugged out hippie for a mom, with a temperamental boyfriend, but he also had to be too smart to keep to his own age group. Fourteen and in grade eleven. How dumb was that. He had no friends because the other students were at least two or three years older than he was and none wanted to be caught dead hanging out with a nerd who was smarter than most of their teachers.

He heard stirring coming from the other room so he hurried his preparations and was out the door before either Mike or Naomi appeared. Ten minutes later he arrived at the old red brick building, which housed his school.

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