Loving James — John H. Ames

Surviving a normal high school is hard enough. Surviving Elite High? Close to impossible! Not until you learn the difference between love and obsession…

Sixteen year old James Gordon has it all. He's rich, studious, and bears quite a strong resemblance to Justin Bieber. So, what's stopping him from being a normal kid in high school? The deadly jocks. They torment anyone who's gay or possibly closeted, even though Nick Wild Hawk, star of the football team and the love of his life, John, came out to the whole school in previous years and made being gay at Elite High just another walk of life.

However, even though the jocks have bullied James nonstop and made his life a living hell, he can't help but fantasize about the king of the jocks, Nathan Parker. Nathan is rugged, straight and the most popular guy in school. When fate intercepts and places James and Nathan under the same roof, James' torture really begins. And yet, through it all, James hopes that that his steadfast love for Nathan will change the jock into a lover rather than an abuser. Unless a certain hot, loyal, guy in the background can find a way to show James he is really, truly loved, and has been for a long time. Before it's too late…

Surviving Elite High: Loving James is the third part of the Surviving Elite High Saga which features one the most famous and loved characters in the series, Jacob Ashmore. Book one of the series is available at Budding Moon Press.

Publisher advisory: This book contains scenes of graphic bullying and sexual abuse (not between the romantic couple).

Excerpt:

Chapter One

“I'm getting married.”

Those were the first words out of my dad's mouth as he parked our Escalade in front of Elite High.

I immediately turned to him. Now I knew why he'd had that apprehensive look on his face all week. Why he found it hard to look me in the eyes without seeming like he was about to cry. “What? I didn't even know you were dating!”

He combed a shaky hand through his short brown hair. He looked so much like me, or I looked like him. He had always been so proud that I was his spitting image. “I know. I didn't want to say anything until I knew it was serious.”

His honey brown eyes looked weary. I immediately searched them for the truth since they had never lied to me before. For a few seconds I found them hard to read, but when I did, they confirmed that he had found someone new. He was moving on and leaving my mother's memory behind. Soon, there would be nothing left of her in our house and our hearts. A stranger sneaked in in the middle of the night and took her place without my consent. That usurper meant nothing good for us. “James -- ”

“Who is she?” I wanted to know the name of the woman I was going to loathe for the rest of my life. When he remained silent, I asked again. “Who is she?”

“Olivia Jones, my secretary.”

“How cliché.” I stormed out of the car and ran toward the main entrance of Elite High.

“James!” I heard Dad call.

I ignored him. All I wanted was to forget what he had just told me. I took a deep breath and looked around for my best friend, Madeline, but she was nowhere to be found. The hallway was bustling with students, heading to class or standing around in tiny cliques, gossiping about last year's prom. My former tutor, John Ames, and his boyfriend, Nick Hawking, aka Nick Wild Hawk, had made that night unforgettable for everyone who had attended that night. And even those who hadn't, for that matter. They went to prom as the first openly gay couple ever and Nick proposed to John by reenacting the day they met in front of everyone who was present. How romantic and thrilling that must have been for John! I would have died in Nick's arms and got lost in them. Nick made that night legendary not only for everyone at Elite High, but especially for John, Nick's great love.

Nick. Just thinking about him made me drool and my legs wobbly. The man was perfection to the extreme. I envied my ex-tutor, John, for having a man like him a