we need a little controversy.

 

 

It was a joke.

 

That’s what Chris thought the first time he heard it. The kind of song parody radio stations just loved to do because they didn’t seem to realize that it wasn’t that funny. Chris figured it had to be because anything other than a joke wouldn’t make any sense.

 

It wasn’t until about a week later when the guys started calling him up and leaving messages on his voice mail << dude, did you hear it? >> that he started believing it was real. Which wasn’t any less confusing – Eminem usually hit out at people who said shit about him and Chris could only recall saying good things about the guy.

 

Not that the why’s really mattered all that much. He got on a single. A – fucking – Eminem single. That filled him with so much glee he could hardly contain himself. He wondered when he’d get the chance to ask him about it. He hoped it would be soon.

 

…

 

The drink in your hand is warm and watered down by the melted ice. Your date is around somewhere but you don’t feel the need nor do you have the inclination to look for her. You scan the crowd and see a solo Aguilera across the room sipping her drink, Ashanti waving her hand around as she talks to a small group of people, celebrities all around making small talk and taking advantage of free drinks and food.

 

You twirl the contents of the drink in your glass and sigh. You’re bored out of your mind and wish the boys were here. You don’t know why you decided to come to this specific after party anyway – ok, that was a lie, you had hoped that, well that, he’d have shown up. You’re too bored to wait around anymore so you set your drink down on the nearest table and scan the room for your date.

 

Your eyes bounce over heads and still suddenly. Jackpot. A shorthaired blond head is circulating the room. You stop and think about that image and picture a head without a body floating around the room, socializing and it makes you laugh.

 

You bring your thoughts back to the figure who is now propping himself against a wall with his entourage clustering around him on the couches. You haven’t talked to him at all about the song – in fact you haven’t talked to him at all – and although you had both made mention of it on TRL, you had yet to say anything to each other about it.

 

You don’t really think about it, you just start walking. It’s a golden opportunity and you refuse to pass it up. Besides you’re feeling brave and there’s some little devil on your shoulder telling you to mess with him.

 

“Hey man!” You say grinning as you walk up to him.

 

He’s laughing – well at least he was laughing before you got there, now he’s…not so much doing that. His eyes examine you from head to toe and when they come back to your face there’s a marked look of disgust on his. He turns back to the story that’s being told and effortlessly shuts you out of the conversation. Not that it fazes you or anything.

 

“So…I like the new album, man.” You say this like your opinion matters to him and he doesn’t waste any time letting you know that it doesn’t.

 

“Get the fuck out of my face.” He says this quietly and doesn’t even look at you when he says it, which leads you to believe that he doesn’t really mean it.

 

“Especially like Without Me,” you continue as if he hadn’t said anything, “but don’t you lose, like, thug points when you actually know a member of Nsync that isn’t Justin Timberlake?”

 

He continues to face his friends who are starting to give you speculative looks.

 

“I’m a little bitter though. I mean, you didn’t even put me in the video, man—”

 

“Do you have a fucking death wish or a big desire to get your ass kicked?” He turns around and faces you this time. He looks pretty angry so you’re thinking maybe he did mean it after all.

 

Not that it fazes you or anything.

 

“You have this weird fixation with kicking my ass.”

 

His blue eyes sharpen on your face. “You Kirkpatrick?”

 

“You mean you didn’t know? And here I thought I was your new buddy.”

 

“Just making sure. Wouldn’t want to beat the shit out of someone on assumption.”

 

You laugh. He glares. You’re thinking this is good; all your relationships seem to start this way.

 

“Really? Didn’t think it would matter.”

 

He looks at you confused. “What would matter?” He asks and then looks irritated, probably because he’s actually partaking in the conversation.

 

“If I was me or if I wasn’t me because I didn’t think you were that particular with the ass kicking.”

 

He still looks kind of confused at the explanation but gets the gist of it. “You saying that I’ll fuck anyone up?”

 

You shrug.

 

“I don’t.”

 

You shrug again. It’s not that you don’t believe him, you just want to see how far he’ll go with the conversation.

 

He starts saying something, like he’s about to continue trying to defend himself, but stops himself. “Fuck this. I don’t have to validate shit to you, Kirkpatrick. Get the fuck away from me.”

 

You grin. Well that didn’t last long.

 

“All right. All right.” You lift up your hands in defeat. “But seriously. Next time you shoot your video, I want a cameo, dude.” You turn away satisfied that you’ve harassed him enough for one night and leave to find your date.

 

When you eventually find her and are finally on your way out you take one last look at Em. He’s looking around the room and when his eyes meet yours they narrow menacingly. You grin, make a phone with your hand and mouth, “call me”.

 

When you leave you’re not fazed but he sure as hell looks it. You smile all the way home.

 

__________

 

 

 

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