"Just the sort of nonsense teenage boys say, it isn't worth repeating." Jon answers tersely, because yeah you can imagine the sort of stuff teenage boys say about mothers. He wasn't sure why they decided to rag on Martin all the sudden, or if they even had the slightest idea that Martin's mother was less than ideal, but regardless it had grated on him quickly.

"Well... yes. You know running away can actually be a terrible response? Giving chase triggers aggression in people, which ultimately makes getting caught worse. They've done studies of it in animals enough though I'm sure there's enough cases of police brutality after a long chase to give good data." He pauses then clears his throat. "... anyway, the point is if they caught up and you were there you'd likely try to help or defuse the situation, they'd likely say what they were saying and- I'm sure it's obvious what a mess it would have been. They would have targeted you to some extent if they've decided to spread nasty rumors."