Chapter 304 Dorian
They were totally floored when they heard James, then it hit them, and they shouted, "James, no way, it's you!"
"Yeah, it's me, Leopold, Eirian. Been a while," James grinned. He kept his mask on, but his eyes gave him away.
Running into folks from back home in a new place always felt kinda nice.
After two years, James noticed Leopold and Eirian looked older and more beat up, like life had been rough. Probably had a lot to do with their kid, Dorian.
They were stoked to see James and super grateful, getting all emotional. Back when they were neighbors, they always liked James, even though he was jobless and folks talked smack about him. They still thought he was cool and spoke highly of him.
There were a bunch of people around, so it wasn't the best spot to chat. Leopold and Eirian, thankful for James' help earlier, invited him into their car to take him home for a meal.
James couldn't say no, plus he missed Eirian's cooking, so he was in.
Their place wasn't far, just a quick drive away.
But it wasn't the fancy apartment they used to have, just a cozier house.
"James, our place is kinda small now, hope you don't mind," Leopold said with a smile, though James caught the sadness and embarrassment in his eyes, confirming they hadn't been doing great.
James wasn't dumb enough to bring it up. He just smiled and said, "Why would I mind? I'm just pumped to eat Eirian's cooking again."
Seeing James was still the same thoughtful guy, Leopold nodded and smiled.
James kept his mask on even after they got inside, so Leopold asked, "James, you sick or something? Why the mask?"
Eirian looked curious too.
James thought for a sec and then said with a wry smile, "Had a little accident, got some scars on my face."
"What happened? You okay?" Eirian asked, worried.
James gave them the short version and said with a lighthearted smile, "Just some scars now, but I'm good otherwise."
He noticed that besides being surprised and sympathetic, Leopold and Eirian didn't seem to know about him saving those seven kids.
He shrugged it off, figuring not everyone kept up with the news. In a place like Lindwood, it was normal for some folks to miss it.
Leopold made tea for James, and when James took off his mask, they were shocked at how scarred he was, almost unrecognizable.
James expected their reaction and didn't mind.
He switched gears and asked, "So, Leopold, where's Dorian? What's he up to these days?"
Hearing this, Leopold got all twitchy and tried to cover it up by sipping his tea. "Dorian? Man, I don't really know what he's up to. Sleeps all day, works at night."
"Gotcha," James replied, not pushing it.
After a bit of awkward silence, Leopold sighed and said, "If only Dorian had half your sense, we wouldn't be stressing so much."
James put down his teacup and asked, "Leopold, is Dorian still getting into trouble like before?"
Leopold looked like he didn't want to talk about it.
From their chat, James figured out that Dorian hadn't straightened out at all. In fact, he was worse. Hanging with shady folks, hitting up nightclubs, and bringing home sketchy women, driving Leopold and Eirian nuts.
James wasn't shocked. He always thought Dorian was a trouble magnet, and it was just a matter of time before he went off the rails.
As they were talking, the door swung open, and a grating voice yelled, "Mom, is dinner ready? I'm starving."
James looked over and saw Dorian, looking all impatient.
The guy was pale as a ghost, with dark circles under his eyes. He walked like he was about to keel over, clearly from too much partying.
Two years later, and Dorian looked even worse.
James never liked Dorian much. The guy was hot-headed, lazy, and always causing trouble. Two years ago, his antics were why the family had to move.
But, gotta admit, Dorian was pretty good-looking, like a movie star.
Dorian barged in and slammed the door, no manners at all.
James caught a whiff of strong cologne, hinting Dorian was up to no good.
Leopold couldn't help but snap, "Dorian, why'd you slam the door? You'll break the place down!"
Dorian sneered, "This dump should've fallen apart ages ago. It's a total eyesore. How do you guys even live here... Whoa! Is that a person or a ghost?"
After kicking off his shoes, he turned and saw James, looking shocked.
Leopold got even madder and scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting? This is James!"
He quickly told James, "Dorian's just being immature, don't mind him."
James already knew what Dorian was like and didn't take it to heart. He just felt bad for Leopold and Eirian, who were such nice folks but had to deal with a son like this.
"It's cool, Dorian and I go way back. No biggie," James said with a smile.
Leopold still felt embarrassed. If it wasn't for James, they'd be in a financial mess today. They were super grateful to him, and now Dorian was being a jerk, which made them feel even worse.
At this point, Dorian recognized James. He walked up, stared at James' scarred face, and burst out laughing, full of schadenfreude.
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