Joseph Fatone stifled a yawn as Mr. Patterson and the new
kid finally emerged from the principal’s office. Joseph quickly examined the
new guy. He was tall, lean and looked like a basketball player. Not that Joseph
really paid all that much attention to that stuff or even really knew what
looking like a basketball player was supposed to mean but this guy seemed to
fit the bill. He had a blue knit cap on his head and Nike’s on his feet.
Confidence just exuded from him. If the guy was even remotely nervous at
starting school two months late, he didn’t show it.
“Mr. Fatone, thank you for coming,” Mr. Patterson, Wooderton
High’s principal said as he and the new student walked up to him.
He said this like Joseph had had the choice. Like he’d had
the option between coming in an hour before school started to show the new kid
around or staying at home and sleeping. But Joseph smiled and in a pleasant
voice said, “It’s my pleasure, Mr. Patterson.”
Joseph surreptitiously pulled at the tie around his neck.
God, he hated the whole student council getup. The polyester pants, the dark
blazer, the stripped tie, it all made him feel like he was at church or
visiting his grandparents or something. The uniform, however, came with the
territory and considering all the benefits he reaped being class president
well, he couldn’t really complain. Too much.
“Mr. Timberlake, this is Joseph Fatone. He’ll show you
around the school and help you get settled,” Mr. Patterson said as he
introduced the two students. “Then I’ll have another student, Nicholas Carter
go with you to all your classes. He shares your schedule so he’ll be able to
get you where you need to be on time.” He led the two of them out of the
office.
It was like almost like being on parole, Joseph thought kind
of feeling sorry for the kid. Would the guy be able to shit alone today without
someone telling him how to do it? But that was the way Patterson liked things.
He wanted his school run like a well-oiled machine, with an iron fist, and all
those other clichéd terms.
Also, letting Nick Carter show the kid around wasn’t a
brilliant move on Patterson’s part. Carter wasn’t the least bit impressed with
this kid’s track record. And considering Timberlake's arrival and immediate
entrance into the starting line-up meant that Carter was going to be pushed
back to second stringer, well Joseph couldn’t really say that he faulted the
anger.
“You have a good half an hour to look around before class
starts, you boys have fun,” Mr. Patterson said and smiled as they walked away.
In what galaxy did touring the school equal fun, Joseph
wanted to know. Patterson was so delusional. The principal watched them walk
further down the hall before he went back into his office and Joseph sighed.
Free at last.
Joseph turned to the kid and looked at him inquiringly. “So
you got a first name or should I just call you Mr. Timberlake for the rest of
the day?”
The guy turned and looked at Joseph in surprise and mild
scorn as if he hadn’t expected Joseph to even try talking to him. “I don’t
associate with geeks,” he said in such a soft southern drawl that it took
Joseph a little longer than usual to realize that he’d just been insulted.
Joseph sighed. Pigeonholed by the new kid. Wonderful. It was
bad enough that everyone he knew thought he was some womanizing player—oh wait
… Well they weren’t exactly right. He preferred to call himself a humanizing
player. He was open to all game.
Timberlake was looking, around probably trying to figure out
how to ditch the nerd and in most circumstances Joseph would have let him. Life
was too short to waste on stupid people; except this Timberlake wasn’t stupid,
he could sense that. He was just an asshole. And Joseph, well, he had a soft
spot for them.
“You’d be a lot prettier if you lost the holier than thou
act, dude. As for labels…well, I could comment on your pretty blue eyes and the
fairness of your skin in reference to how you play basketball but I think I’ll
leave the acting like a dick to you,” Joseph smiled sweetly and saw Timberlake
narrow his eyes and look at him sharply.
Suddenly Timberlake’s face relaxed into an expression that
wasn’t quite sheepish, but one that clearly showed that Joseph had made his
point. “Justin Timberlake,” he said before giving Joseph his hand.
Joseph grinned broadly. The kid wasn’t all ego after all,
that was a good sign. “Joey. Joe works too.” He grasped the offered hand firmly
and gave it a solid shake.
Justin looked Joey over, altering the first impression he’d
had of him. With the suit, the tie and the complacent attitude Joey had seemed
like the typical student body nerd. Not that he had a problem with them, he
just didn’t want to be bothered with this tour bullshit and thought a rude
comment would work wonders in getting rid of the guy. Obviously, he had read
the situation entirely wrong.
He yawned. This was way too fucking early for him and he
hadn’t had the chance to grab his usual Toffee Nut Latte, which made him even
more irritable. He looked at Joey who was now pulling his tie and shirt off,
revealing a black shirt underneath. He wondered if he could get him to skip
this little school activity. He was about to make just that suggestion when
Joey beat him to the punch.
“Come on!” Joey said turning down a hall. “Let me get out of
the rest of this stuff and then we can grab some food. I’m fucking starving.”
Justin grinned. The guy was all right.