“Hello Justin.”
Justin turned and came face to face with a serious looking Britney.
They’d been avoiding each other ever since the break up and Justin was
surprised and a little confused at the greeting.
“Hey…” He didn’t want to talk to her. Not here, not at school in the middle of the hallway, and especially not when she had her battle face on.
“So, how have you been?” she asked dryly. The tone of her voice made it obvious that she didn’t really care at all.
Justin sighed. “I know you didn’t stop me to ask about my
well-being, so why don’t you just get to the point.”
A frown teased the corners of her mouth but she brushed it away with a quirk of
her lips. “Fine, Justin. I just wanted to make sure you realized that what we
had is over. I’m with Ashley now, so stop calling me trying to get back
together. Because it’s not going to happen.”
He hadn’t noticed the lean frame of Ashley Angel before but now that Britney had mentioned him, he seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Justin looked on, as Britney grasped Ashley’s arm, with unrestrained amusement. He probably should have been angry at the scene Britney was trying to make. At the way, she was trying to make him come across as this pathetic loser, but this was so fucking amusing, this desperate clutch to get back at him.
“I don’t know how I’ll survive without you, but I’ll try,” he said mockingly. “I wish you and Ashley luck. In fact, I can’t think of anyone more perfect for you.”
Britney frowned at his nonchalant attitude. He wasn’t at all acting the way he was supposed to. Where was the jealousy? Where was the anger? Justin didn’t even look upset.
She gave it one last try. Pulling Ashley closer to her, she smiled. “You’re right. He is perfect for me…and a much better fuck.” She eyed Justin’s crotch.
Justin didn’t even blink. “I hope he’s the best fuck in the world, especially if that means you’ll be out of my hair forever.” He turned his back on her. He was tired of talking to her and if he didn’t leave now he was going to be late for class.
Britney grunted in annoyance. He refused to be baited and it was pissing her off. “Where the hell do you think you’re going? I’m not finished with you!”
He turned back around, still not angry. “You never were, Brit. That was always the problem. Why don’t you just turn around and walk away? Don’t embarrass yourself anymore than you already have.” He looked around and noticed a slight crowd was building around them. Great, that was all he needed. He liked attention but not this kind.
Britney gasped and Ashley who had been watching the debacle with wide eyes took a step forward. “Now wait just a minute here. I don’t like, er, I don’t like the tone you’re using.”
Justin raised a brow. “Oh, is that right?”
Ashley cleared his throat and took another step forward. “Er…yeah. Apologize.”
“No.” Justin crossed his arms.
A look of determination came over Ashley’s face. He walked up to Justin until they were only inches apart and shoved him. “Don’t disrespect my girlfriend.”
Justin stumbled back and fell against the wall. He was as surprised at the resolve in Ashley’s eyes as he was by the push. He would have laughed it off had his friends not chosen that exact moment to join the growing crowd.
“Touch me again and you might lose something,” he said, straightening up.
Ashley filled with a sense of false confidence by the fact that he had managed to push Justin Timberlake, pushed at him again. This time Justin didn’t move.
Ashley blinked as Justin grabbed his collar and shoved him against the opposite wall. “Fuck off,” Justin spat. “I don’t want to fight you.”
Ashley shook his head. “Then apologize.”
Justin rolled his eyes at Ashley’s stupidity. “I already said I wasn’t going to, so let’s do this fast. I’m already late for class as it is.”
Ashley let out something between a squeal and a scream before he jerked out of Justin’s grasp and tried to tackle him. He grasped Justin around the waist and pulled him down to the ground. Justin went down but fell firmly on top of him, knocking the breath out of Ashley.
Justin lifted himself off of the dazed Ashley, not sure what to do now. He didn’t want to fight the guy, especially not over Britney. The crowd, however, had already grown and he couldn't back out now. He had a reputation to hold onto. He couldn’t walk away from a pansy like Ashley.
He pulled his arm back, his hand tightened in a fist, ready to come in contact with Ashley’s stomach, when a hand grabbed it. Justin looked up and into the face of Vice Principal Pearlman.
He sighed. Well he was in for it now.
…
Room 202 was fast becoming Chris’s home away from home.
“Mr. Patterson.” He nodded to the principal as he walked
into the detention room.
Mr. Patterson shook his head as Chris walked passed him and slumped into a seat
at the back. He couldn’t understand why a kid with so much potential wasn’t
taking things seriously.
He watched as the students with detention that lunch period walked into the room. When most of the classroom filled up, he made a quick speech.
“No talking, no sleeping. No noise. This isn’t social time. If you have any work to do, I suggest you get it out and start doing it. I’ll be sitting in until the teacher in charge gets here. So get to work.”
The students watched the principal warily before taking out their lunches and getting started on their schoolwork.
Chris sighed. This was his fourth detention in two weeks. It wasn’t so much his fault really. The bus system near his house was a crock and getting to school on time was a bitch.
He took out his notebook, started scribbling ideas for songs, and didn’t look up from the paper even when someone walked into the room five minutes later.
“Sorry I’m late, sir.”
Mr. Patterson raised both brows. “You’re not helping your case, Mr. Timberlake.”
Chris’s head shot up.
“Sorry,” Justin mumbled.
“Just take a seat, Justin!” Mr. Patterson said, his mouth drawn down in a frown.
Justin shuffled to the back of the room. He sat down right in front of Chris without noticing.
Chris gave the back of Justin’s head a perplexed look. What the hell was golden boy doing here? He was so curious he couldn’t stop himself from scribbling down the question on a slip of paper and slipping it over Justin’s shoulder.
Justin jumped a little when the paper fell into his lap. He opened the note without looking behind him and read it. Written on the lined paper was one question. What are you in for? He snorted and wondered who was sitting behind him.
When he had walked into the classroom earlier, he hadn’t looked anyone in the face. He had slipped to the empty seat in the back and opened his books right away to avoid this question. Not that most of the school didn’t know that he and that idiot had gotten into a fight. Where Ashley was right now, Justin didn’t know but he wasn’t in the detention room that was for sure. He’d have to find out later.
He glanced back down at the paper and not wanting to get to his work right away, he decided to write back. He eyed the teacher who had just replaced Mr. Patterson and dropped the balled up paper on the ground when the teacher wasn’t looking.
Chris snickered softly when the paper hit the ground. He couldn’t believe he was passing notes with anyone, much less Timberlake.
He reached for the paper with his foot and dragged it over to his desk. He nonchalantly picked it up and opened it. He stifled the laugh that bubbled in his throat when he read the note.
I killed a man. It read.
He wrote a response and slipped the note back to Justin.
And all you got was detention? Man, it must be nice to be the Golden Boy of Wooderton High.
Scribble. Pass.
Golden boy? Yeah, that’s it. Notice my sarcasm.
Scribble. Pass.
Like you don’t know that you’re the fucking prince of the school. You’re so full of shit, Timberlake.
Justin frowned as his eyes scanned the paper. Only two people were that blatantly disdainful of him. One was Nick Carter the other was Chris. He made an educated guess and passed the note behind him.
Fuck off, Kirkpatrick! I’m done talking to you.
Chris raised a brow. Justin had gotten it without even looking back. He didn’t bother writing back. Justin had pointedly started working on his schoolwork and Chris’s amusement at the note passing was diminishing rather quickly.
What had compelled him to strike up conversation with Timberlake? Curiosity sure, but there was more to it. He liked getting Timberlake’s back up. He liked to ruffle that cool exterior. Why, he didn’t know. And he wasn’t going to look farther into it than that.
He forced his eyes away from the curly headed boy in front of him and went back to writing songs in his head.