Popslash. One for the Yearbook part I.
Title: One for the Yearbook, part I.
Fandom: Popslash.
Characters: Chris Kirkpatrick / Kevin Richardson
Prompt: 064. Fall
Word Count: 4,150
Summary: Justin and Joey don’t want to let their parents down, and enroll in two different after school clubs they really don’t want to be in. And the teachers have lives outside teaching, and somehow, all that will connect at some point.
Author's Notes: This is totally and absolutely milosflaca’s fault. I had been toying with the idea of maybe, sorta, possibly writing an HighSchool AU, trying to respect the difference of ages. Then she proposed High School Musical for the movie night we had on Dec. 21. And the movie is *bad*. So bad that we started talking about all the things we didn’t like, and what we would’ve changed -in case you’re wondering, more music was #1.- and from there, well, I just couldn’t stop thinking. There’s only one thing this fic has in common with High School Musical and if you’ve seen the movie, you will know which it is. Well, two things in common, as it is set in High School. And a big, big, thank you hug to otherdeb for her quick beta.
* * *
“No. Please, tell me that’s not Justin Timberlake, and he’s not joining this club,” Professor Richardson said to the one of the students walking next to him, making Justin cringe. He was used to teachers liking him immediately, since he was the second best basketball player at Orlando High.
“I’m sorry, sir,” he said, trying not to take the teacher’s attitude personally. He didn’t blame him, not after the legendary fuck up that had been the school play when he was in fifth grade. “The Principal told me I could join.”
“It’s just October, Timberlake, everyone joined their clubs in September. Now, why are you here instead of in basketball practice?” Professor Richardson turned to him for the first time, and Justin wished that the man would turn his attention back to the other student. Justin wasn’t afraid to admit that the drama teacher scared him a little. Taller than anyone else in the school, he looked like one of the villains in his friend Nick’s comic books. Black coat, long hair and goatee included.
“I am having some troubles with my extracurricular activities, and the Principal doesn’t want to take me off the team, so he told me to join drama so I can get those extra credits. It was either here or choir, and choir practices are always at the same time as basketball, so I’d rather be here.” The truth was that Justin had finally caved to his mom’s insistence that he had to go back to drama. His mother hated all sports, and had been pressuring him to join drama or choir forever, and Justin had managed to ignore her for one month before giving up. He was pretty sure Professor Richardson would never put him on the stage anyway, and sooner or later, Justin’s mom would give up.
“Did he, now?” the Professor shook his head. “Sometimes I wonder if Richard realizes that the drama club is not just a place to dump every single kid that need an extra credit or two. Very well. Just sit at the desk next to Bass. He’ll bring you up to date.”
Bass was a blond guy with the creepiest green eyes that Justin had seen in his whole life. Justin had seen him in the lunchroom, since he was in the same class as Nick, the basketball team’s captain, but he couldn’t remember his name.
“Hi, I’m Justin,” he greeted. Whatever he thought about the drama geeks, he was polite. He knew that if they were on his side, he could find a way to get out of the group without his mom having a fit and without having to ruin his school record.
“Lance,” the guy answered, offering him his hand. He had a deep voice, which made him sound a lot older than seventeen. “And don’t worry, you aren’t that far behind. We’re reviewing our Shakespeare again, but we haven’t decided on the school play yet.”
“Cool.” Justin wasn’t really interested in Shakespeare, or a school play, but he guessed it could be worse. Choir was his only other option and they had practice every day at the same time as basketball practice. At least drama would only make him lose one period of practice, so he could stay on the team, no matter what his mother said.
As Professor Richardson droned on about stage presence, Justin wondered how the team was faring without him.
* * *
“I’m just going to ask this once, so I expect an honest answer. What are you doing here, Fatone? I thought your class graduated last year.” Professor Kirkpatrick was usually a very amiable teacher, but dressed in the school’s sweat pants, his whistle around the neck, he looked very different to Joey and, not for the first time in that day, Joey wished the earth would swallow him whole.
“I’m sorry, professor, but I was held back because I was missing credits from my other school,” Joey explained. “Principal Martin said I should join one of the school sports teams, and that would help me in the long run.”
Joey knew that his current problem had more to do with his father and his obsession of having one of his sons to carry on with the proud Fatone sports tradition and less with Principal Martin who originally had told Joey to join the debate team, but he was pretty sure Professor Kirkpatrick wouldn’t want to hear about that. He only hoped that whatever team he ended up on didn’t have practice at the same time as the drama club. Professor Richardson had promised him a chance to audition for this year’s play, as long as he kept his grades up.
While Joey knew he had problems with his grades, which mixed with two changes of school when he was younger, made him the oldest student in the whole school at 19 years, he loved theater, and he was determined to do whatever was needed to be an actor. He had the disadvantage of being behind his class year, but with a little effort and, perhaps, a recommendation from Professor Richardson, he could get into a good Art College.
But to do that, he needed to graduate, and keep his father happy until he could leave the house, and that meant he had to get his sports credits.
“Have you ever played anything besides Dodgeball?” Professor Kirkpatrick asked. Joey shook his head, truthfully. No matter what his dad wanted, he had never been interested. “Great. Look, I can’t give you credits for doing nothing, so just go with the guys and we’ll see what can you do. Maybe we’ll get lucky and you’ll have some innate talent. Your dad was Captain of the Basketball team when he was here, wasn’t he?”
Joey nodded again. It wasn’t as if he could lie about it, even if he doubted that the ability was hereditary.
“Very well.” Judging by the coach’s tone, he wasn’t convinced about the possibility of Joey being some sort of innate genius. “Go with Carter, and we’ll see how you dribble. I’ll figure out where I can fit you in later.”
Joey turned around to see a tall blonde guy, as tall as himself, glaring at him. Joey had heard of Nick Carter, the basketball prodigy of the 11th grade, loved by everyone. While he was not the stereotypical jock, he wasn’t exactly friendly to drama geeks. Joey had never crossed paths with him because they hung up with different groups.
“I really hope you don’t suck,” Carter said, throwing him the ball, straight at his chest.
“That makes two of us,” Joey answered, letting the ball start bouncing.
The faster everyone realized that he was useless on the court, the faster he could get to the drama workshop and beg Professor Richardson for a chance to participate in the group even if he would have to miss one or two rehearsals each week.
* * *
“Nick, please, save me!” Justin said dramatically as he slumped down on the empty seat next to Nick Carter, his best friend.
“You missed practice,” Nick answered, not sounding very sympathetic. “Coach Kirkpatrick was really mad. Where the hell where you? I thought nothing short of the end of the could would make you miss practice.”
“I was at the drama club,” Justin explained. “Mom was very clear. Either I joined, or she would forbid me to play any sports.”
“That sucks.” Nick shook his head. “So you will be missing one practice every week? The Coach is going to have a stroke then, we got someone new on the team today.”
“Any good?” Justin didn’t want to talk about any new members of the team, he didn’t want to think one of them could be his replacement
“Only if we were looking for a water boy,” Nick chuckled. “I’ve never seen anyone so bad at just dribbling in my whole life.”
“I thought we had done all the freshman try outs already,” Justin frowned. “Who’s this guy?”
“Not a freshman, a senior. He’s in 12th grade, with Mike and Jim.” Nick grabbed his juice and pointed to a table not far away from them, where Lance Bass, the kid who had got stuck with showing Justin the ropes at drama, was talking animatedly with other two guys. One of them had been at the drama class too, and Justin barely remembered his name was Alexander something. The other guy was someone Justin didn’t recognize, and he realized he must be the one who Nick was pointing at. “Joe Fatone. Do you know him?”
“No, but I know the guys he’s talking to.” Justin turned his attention to his lunch. The only good thing that had happened in the whole day was that his mom would stop bothering him now. “They’re in drama with me.”
“’In drama with me’,” Nick mocked. “Man, what are you going to do about your Mom? You just can’t let her rule your life.”
“Dude, she’s my mom!” Justin shook his head. “I live with her. I just can’t let her down.”
“Man, you’re like, the second best player in this school. You can be great at this, and you love it. But if you keep doing whatever she wants, then you will only be what she wants,” Nick said, finishing his soda. “Look at my mom!”
“I’ve never met your mom,” Justin pointed out. That was true. Even when he had gone many times to spend the night at the Carter’s, he had never seen Jane Carter even once.
“Exactly! She’s always dragging my sister Angel to beauty pageants all over the country. Angel has no friends, spends all her time dieting, almost doesn’t know her brothers, and that includes her twin,” Nick said, as if he was reciting a list. “You don’t want that happening to you.”
“I highly doubt my mom would put me in a beauty pageant,” Justin snorted. “Look, it’s only this year. She’ll see I suck, and I’ll be able to stay on the team. Besides, in less than three years I turn eighteen. Then I’ll do whatever I want.”
* * *
“You know? I could see this as being some sort of method acting if Professor Richardson hadn’t been talking about musicals all month,” Lance commented, almost off handedly as he read his notes for his next class. “But really, Joe. Basketball?”
“I had to do it, Lance,” Joey said, morosely. Practice had been a disaster, and the only reason why he was still on ‘probation’ was because Coach Kirkpatrick had figured out pretty quickly that Joey hadn’t played in his whole life, and Principal Martin had asked for a second chance.
Being the son of a legendary school hero had its disadvantages.
“What? You didn’t score enough being the star of every single school production?” AJ snorted, making a grab for Joey’s soda. Joey let him. He wasn’t hungry anyway. “You just had to move on to the girls who like sport studs?”
Joey thought seriously about hitting AJ, before deciding against it. While he had friends all over the school, only Lance and AJ really understood Joey. AJ had been the first friend he had made at the school when he had transferred while Lance had been his friend since eighth grade, when they had met on a sci-fi forum on the internet. The fact that he had moved to Orlando with his parents and ended up in the same school as Lance had been a very happy turn of fate.
“It was your dad, wasn’t it?” Lance asked. He knew the answer, of course. Lance had been witness to a couple of long Fatone Sr. rants about how he had been team captain, leading the school to victory. When Joey had enrolled in his old school, Mr. Fatone had expected him to follow in his footsteps.
“And my mom, and my brother. They all ganged up on me about how I was breaking Dad’s heart,” Joey sighed again. “I just can’t talk with Dad. He really thinks I just need to practice a little, and that if I would let myself get into it, I’d love basketball as much as he does.”
“So it was a family intervention this time?” AJ asked. AJ’s family life was pretty much a mystery to Joey. He knew that Mrs. McLean worked in a record company, and was rarely at home. He had never heard any mention about Mr. McLean. “That sucks. What are you going to do when you graduate?”
“Hopefully by then Dad will see that I did my best, but it just didn’t work out.” Joey looked down at his hands. He knew his father would be disappointed, but he was planning on doing his best. “Let’s change the subject. What did you do with Professor Richardson today?”
“We started on the subject of gender-plays.” Lance didn’t look up from his notes, as he started eating his potato chips.
“Already? He usually waits until the middle of the year,” Joey laughed. Every student who had taken drama with Professor Kevin Richardson knew of his two very particular obsessions. Musical theater, and genderplays on stage. The first year Joey had taken drama, they had spent three months studying both the Takarazuka and Kabuki Theaters which had been quite informative. After that, every single year, there had been a variation on the same.
“You guys are not going to believe what happened.” Joey looked up to see Jessica Ann, one of Lance’s classmates, sit down next to AJ. Jessica was also in the drama workshop and usually ended up being Joey’s co-star. “I know why Professor Richardson was so mad today.”
“We had ‘the’ Justin Timberlake in our class, Jess,” AJ said, rolling his eyes. “Of course he was mad.”
“Nu-uh. Professor Willits announced she was getting engaged yesterday,” Jessica continued. Lance and AJ interchanged amused glances with Joey. They all knew what was coming. “Not to him of course.”
Joey had to laugh at the way she added that last part. While he didn’t care much about school gossip, every girl at school thought that Professor Richardson was gay. It didn’t matter if he had dated Professor Willits, the hottest teacher in the whole school, for almost three years, everyone said it was just a front. The reasons they cited were silly, in Joey’s opinion. So what if Professor Richardson always was dressed elegantly, and kept his hair in perfect shape, and, well, yes, had that musical theater obsession. That didn’t mean he was really gay.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Lance was the only one in the class that usually told the girls what almost every guy in the class thought. “I don’t know why you even listen to Christy and Brit.”
“It wasn’t them who told me.” Jessica continued, a little annoyed that none of them believed her. “Nicky says that Alecia told him that she saw Professor Richardson yelling at his phone yesterday. And after Professor Willits told us, she got a call from a guy named Mike. She called him his ‘sweetie’.”
Joey laughed, as AJ told Jessica that he didn’t think her boyfriend Nick’s friend was a reliable source for gossip. While Joey frankly didn’t care about Jessica’s crazy ideas, it was something to talk about that didn’t include sports, and at that point, he welcomed any subject that didn’t lead to his dad.
* * *
Howard Dorough was finishing reviewing the homework of his first group in the teacher’s lounge when the door opened and closed with a bang. Five seconds later, he heard the chair next to him get dragged across the floor and the sounds of someone trying to get comfortable in it.
After a month, he had come recognize that sound very well.
“Practice didn’t go well? Or was it math with 11th grade what has you in such a bad mood?” he asked, not looking up. He wanted to have everything done before going home.
“The Math Competition for eleventh grade is on December 9th this year,” Chris Kirkpatrick, math teacher and basketball coach had been the first friend Howie had made among the faculty, but that didn’t mean that Howie really understood what he was talking about half of the time. “The same day that the School participates in the Annual Drama Contest.”
Howie wisely stayed silent. The one thing he had learned on the first month at school was that one never interrupted Chris when he started ranting about the drama club.
“Lance Bass is the problem,” Chris continued. “You should see that kid. He’s a genius at math. Can do complex equations in seconds. With him on our team we could win first place against any competition.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Howie asked, looking at his friend. “He doesn’t want to be on the team?”
That happened sometimes, although Howie didn’t think that was the case. He knew who Lance Bass was. He had seen him in Spanish class, and Lance was his best student. He was a perfect example of an overachiever in Howie’s opinion, so the chance of Lance not wanting to be on the school team and earn more extracurricular credits was highly improbable.
“He’s also in the drama club,” Chris sighed. “That’s the problem. And since the school has more awards for the plays than from math, Richard won’t force Richardson to reschedule.”
“And Kevin won’t reschedule because he hates you,” Howie finished, trying not to laugh. Kevin Richardson was a little uptight sometimes, but when he was not ranting about how everyone in school seemed to give more importance to all the sports activities than to the arts, he was a nice man, and fun to hang with. He had asked Howie about Spanish classes for his neighbor’s kids, and Howie had spent a couple of afternoons at Kevin’s house after that, getting to know the other man.
He still had no idea why Chris and Kevin seemed to hate each other so much, and all his instincts told him not to try and figure it out. They had been teaching at the same school for two years, and Howie was only in his first year as a full time teacher, having worked as a substitute the year before a couple of times, so he didn’t know the whole story.
What he knew, is that each of them looked for every possible excuse to complain about the other. Howie didn’t know how to tell them that it was getting old really fast.
* * *
“I’m back,” Kevin said, as he opened the door to his apartment. The smell of Chinese rice was permeating the foyer.
“How was school?” His roommate came out of the kitchen carrying a pan. JC was wearing only his jeans and an apron, walking shoeless into their living room.
“As always. What happened with the audition?” Kevin took off his jacket and went into the kitchen to help him serve dinner.
“I got the role,” JC answered. “Eve and I are going out to celebrate tonight.”
“Hey, congratulations!” Kevin smiled. He needed the good news. “Is that the main suspect for the cop show?”
“Yeah, I finally graduated from dead body to possible murderer.”
While they ate, JC gave him all the details about the role, and who he had seen during the audition. Kevin had met JC when they both worked at Universal Studios and while he had decided to go on teaching, JC still pursued his dream of the silver screen.
“You don’t look too happy, Kev. What happened?” JC finally asked when they were finishing.
“Kristen got engaged over the weekend,” Kevin said, looking down to his empty plate. “She told me today.”
“Oh, man. I’m sorry,” JC winced in sympathy.
“I’m fine.” Kevin was lying, of course. He had been dating Kristen Willits for almost two years. They had broken up during the summer, over a silly fight that now Kevin wished could take back. She had met someone else, and now, she was lost to him. “It was a surprise that’s all.”
“Here.” JC handed him the two fortune cookies that had come with their meal. “You probably need both. And hey, whenever you want to talk, I live here too.”
Kevin nodded, opening the two fortune cookies. He didn’t believe in luck, but it would cheer him up.
“The path to happiness can be surprising,” he read from the first, and snorted. The next one promised him love around the corner, where he didn’t expect it.
Kevin just rolled both papers and left them on the table. After Kristen, he just didn’t want to think about love.
* * *
Chris was napping on his couch when the door bell started ringing, waking him up.
“I’m coming,” he yelled at the door, looking at his watch. It was almost 9:00, which meant it was time for him to finish reviewing his classes for the next day.
He frowned before opening the door. He didn’t remember anyone calling to say they were going to visit him.
“Who is it?”
“C’mon, CK, open the door. My bags are heavy!”
Recognizing the voice, Chris opened the door, smiling.
“I thought you weren’t coming until next week, Brian,” he said to his friend at the same time he was pulled into a hug.
“Yeah, well. I got a call from the F/X people, and they wanted me a couple of days earlier. And you didn’t sound so good last time we talked so I figured you could use the company.” Chris had met Brian at a basketball workshop in L.A. two years ago. Chris was still learning the ropes of coaching a high school team, and Brian was volunteering because he liked to help. Despite the fact that they didn’t have more in common than their love of sports - while both loved basketball, baseball, football and hockey, they couldn’t agree on one single team for any of them- they had become good friends, staying in touch both by email and phone. When Brian had told him that he had got a job in one of the smaller studios in Florida, Chris had offered him his apartment, since he had an extra room.
“I’m glad to see you but you didn’t have to come cross country on my behalf, Brian,” Chris said, helping him to get his bags on the guest room. “I wasn’t about to cut my wrists just because an idiot jerk cheated on me.”
“How long were you and Jeff together?” Brian asked, crossing his arms.
“Three months, you know that,” Chris answered, rolling his eyes. He and Brian had had that particular discussion more than once through emails.
“And before him you were with Ted, who also cheated on you,” Brian numbered. “And when I met you, you were dating Jordan. Why did you break up with him again?”
“He accused me of cheating on him with you, in front of your girlfriend,” Chris answered. Now he could laugh about it, but at the time he had been livid. Especially since Brian hadn’t known that Chris was gay until that moment.
“And what do you do every time?” Brian asked again, smugly. Two years, and Brian knew him better than some of his older friends.
“Ok, yes. I usually mope around.” Chris went to the kitchen, bringing out two cans of beer. “But I’m perfectly fine this time, I swear.”
Brian accepted the offered beer and looked pointedly at Chris. It was obvious he wasn’t swallowing that line.
“I’m fine. I am doing great at work, I have friends, I go out. You don’t have to go all older brother on me. Especially since you’re neither my brother, nor older.”
Brian just sipped on his beer, still silent. Around the corners of the can, Chris could see him smiling.
“I’m making a fool of myself, aren’t I?” Chris asked, and Brian nodded.
“I don’t think you were going to jump off the balcony, Chris,” Brian said, still smiling. “I just figured you could use some company, and I really do have a job offer here.”
Chris nodded. The truth was that some company around the house was welcome, because no matter how much of a strong front he put up, he really missed Jeff. Determined to change the subject, he watched as Brian unpacked.
“How’s Lieghanne?” Chris asked, watching Brian pull out his shirts in fistfuls. The other man was terrible packing anything that was not latex, make-up or electronics designed to make something blow up.
“She’s fine,” Brian answered, yawning. “Hey, I think travelling has finally caught up with me. Would you mind if we continued this tomorrow morning? I’m beat.”
“Sure, you know where everything is. I’ve sent you enough pictures,” Chris waved and returned to the living room. He had to get ready for tomorrow’s class, anyway.
To be Continued…
Fandom: Popslash.
Characters: Chris Kirkpatrick / Kevin Richardson
Prompt: 064. Fall
Word Count: 4,150
Summary: Justin and Joey don’t want to let their parents down, and enroll in two different after school clubs they really don’t want to be in. And the teachers have lives outside teaching, and somehow, all that will connect at some point.
Author's Notes: This is totally and absolutely milosflaca’s fault. I had been toying with the idea of maybe, sorta, possibly writing an HighSchool AU, trying to respect the difference of ages. Then she proposed High School Musical for the movie night we had on Dec. 21. And the movie is *bad*. So bad that we started talking about all the things we didn’t like, and what we would’ve changed -in case you’re wondering, more music was #1.- and from there, well, I just couldn’t stop thinking. There’s only one thing this fic has in common with High School Musical and if you’ve seen the movie, you will know which it is. Well, two things in common, as it is set in High School. And a big, big, thank you hug to otherdeb for her quick beta.
* * *
“No. Please, tell me that’s not Justin Timberlake, and he’s not joining this club,” Professor Richardson said to the one of the students walking next to him, making Justin cringe. He was used to teachers liking him immediately, since he was the second best basketball player at Orlando High.
“I’m sorry, sir,” he said, trying not to take the teacher’s attitude personally. He didn’t blame him, not after the legendary fuck up that had been the school play when he was in fifth grade. “The Principal told me I could join.”
“It’s just October, Timberlake, everyone joined their clubs in September. Now, why are you here instead of in basketball practice?” Professor Richardson turned to him for the first time, and Justin wished that the man would turn his attention back to the other student. Justin wasn’t afraid to admit that the drama teacher scared him a little. Taller than anyone else in the school, he looked like one of the villains in his friend Nick’s comic books. Black coat, long hair and goatee included.
“I am having some troubles with my extracurricular activities, and the Principal doesn’t want to take me off the team, so he told me to join drama so I can get those extra credits. It was either here or choir, and choir practices are always at the same time as basketball, so I’d rather be here.” The truth was that Justin had finally caved to his mom’s insistence that he had to go back to drama. His mother hated all sports, and had been pressuring him to join drama or choir forever, and Justin had managed to ignore her for one month before giving up. He was pretty sure Professor Richardson would never put him on the stage anyway, and sooner or later, Justin’s mom would give up.
“Did he, now?” the Professor shook his head. “Sometimes I wonder if Richard realizes that the drama club is not just a place to dump every single kid that need an extra credit or two. Very well. Just sit at the desk next to Bass. He’ll bring you up to date.”
Bass was a blond guy with the creepiest green eyes that Justin had seen in his whole life. Justin had seen him in the lunchroom, since he was in the same class as Nick, the basketball team’s captain, but he couldn’t remember his name.
“Hi, I’m Justin,” he greeted. Whatever he thought about the drama geeks, he was polite. He knew that if they were on his side, he could find a way to get out of the group without his mom having a fit and without having to ruin his school record.
“Lance,” the guy answered, offering him his hand. He had a deep voice, which made him sound a lot older than seventeen. “And don’t worry, you aren’t that far behind. We’re reviewing our Shakespeare again, but we haven’t decided on the school play yet.”
“Cool.” Justin wasn’t really interested in Shakespeare, or a school play, but he guessed it could be worse. Choir was his only other option and they had practice every day at the same time as basketball practice. At least drama would only make him lose one period of practice, so he could stay on the team, no matter what his mother said.
As Professor Richardson droned on about stage presence, Justin wondered how the team was faring without him.
* * *
“I’m just going to ask this once, so I expect an honest answer. What are you doing here, Fatone? I thought your class graduated last year.” Professor Kirkpatrick was usually a very amiable teacher, but dressed in the school’s sweat pants, his whistle around the neck, he looked very different to Joey and, not for the first time in that day, Joey wished the earth would swallow him whole.
“I’m sorry, professor, but I was held back because I was missing credits from my other school,” Joey explained. “Principal Martin said I should join one of the school sports teams, and that would help me in the long run.”
Joey knew that his current problem had more to do with his father and his obsession of having one of his sons to carry on with the proud Fatone sports tradition and less with Principal Martin who originally had told Joey to join the debate team, but he was pretty sure Professor Kirkpatrick wouldn’t want to hear about that. He only hoped that whatever team he ended up on didn’t have practice at the same time as the drama club. Professor Richardson had promised him a chance to audition for this year’s play, as long as he kept his grades up.
While Joey knew he had problems with his grades, which mixed with two changes of school when he was younger, made him the oldest student in the whole school at 19 years, he loved theater, and he was determined to do whatever was needed to be an actor. He had the disadvantage of being behind his class year, but with a little effort and, perhaps, a recommendation from Professor Richardson, he could get into a good Art College.
But to do that, he needed to graduate, and keep his father happy until he could leave the house, and that meant he had to get his sports credits.
“Have you ever played anything besides Dodgeball?” Professor Kirkpatrick asked. Joey shook his head, truthfully. No matter what his dad wanted, he had never been interested. “Great. Look, I can’t give you credits for doing nothing, so just go with the guys and we’ll see what can you do. Maybe we’ll get lucky and you’ll have some innate talent. Your dad was Captain of the Basketball team when he was here, wasn’t he?”
Joey nodded again. It wasn’t as if he could lie about it, even if he doubted that the ability was hereditary.
“Very well.” Judging by the coach’s tone, he wasn’t convinced about the possibility of Joey being some sort of innate genius. “Go with Carter, and we’ll see how you dribble. I’ll figure out where I can fit you in later.”
Joey turned around to see a tall blonde guy, as tall as himself, glaring at him. Joey had heard of Nick Carter, the basketball prodigy of the 11th grade, loved by everyone. While he was not the stereotypical jock, he wasn’t exactly friendly to drama geeks. Joey had never crossed paths with him because they hung up with different groups.
“I really hope you don’t suck,” Carter said, throwing him the ball, straight at his chest.
“That makes two of us,” Joey answered, letting the ball start bouncing.
The faster everyone realized that he was useless on the court, the faster he could get to the drama workshop and beg Professor Richardson for a chance to participate in the group even if he would have to miss one or two rehearsals each week.
* * *
“Nick, please, save me!” Justin said dramatically as he slumped down on the empty seat next to Nick Carter, his best friend.
“You missed practice,” Nick answered, not sounding very sympathetic. “Coach Kirkpatrick was really mad. Where the hell where you? I thought nothing short of the end of the could would make you miss practice.”
“I was at the drama club,” Justin explained. “Mom was very clear. Either I joined, or she would forbid me to play any sports.”
“That sucks.” Nick shook his head. “So you will be missing one practice every week? The Coach is going to have a stroke then, we got someone new on the team today.”
“Any good?” Justin didn’t want to talk about any new members of the team, he didn’t want to think one of them could be his replacement
“Only if we were looking for a water boy,” Nick chuckled. “I’ve never seen anyone so bad at just dribbling in my whole life.”
“I thought we had done all the freshman try outs already,” Justin frowned. “Who’s this guy?”
“Not a freshman, a senior. He’s in 12th grade, with Mike and Jim.” Nick grabbed his juice and pointed to a table not far away from them, where Lance Bass, the kid who had got stuck with showing Justin the ropes at drama, was talking animatedly with other two guys. One of them had been at the drama class too, and Justin barely remembered his name was Alexander something. The other guy was someone Justin didn’t recognize, and he realized he must be the one who Nick was pointing at. “Joe Fatone. Do you know him?”
“No, but I know the guys he’s talking to.” Justin turned his attention to his lunch. The only good thing that had happened in the whole day was that his mom would stop bothering him now. “They’re in drama with me.”
“’In drama with me’,” Nick mocked. “Man, what are you going to do about your Mom? You just can’t let her rule your life.”
“Dude, she’s my mom!” Justin shook his head. “I live with her. I just can’t let her down.”
“Man, you’re like, the second best player in this school. You can be great at this, and you love it. But if you keep doing whatever she wants, then you will only be what she wants,” Nick said, finishing his soda. “Look at my mom!”
“I’ve never met your mom,” Justin pointed out. That was true. Even when he had gone many times to spend the night at the Carter’s, he had never seen Jane Carter even once.
“Exactly! She’s always dragging my sister Angel to beauty pageants all over the country. Angel has no friends, spends all her time dieting, almost doesn’t know her brothers, and that includes her twin,” Nick said, as if he was reciting a list. “You don’t want that happening to you.”
“I highly doubt my mom would put me in a beauty pageant,” Justin snorted. “Look, it’s only this year. She’ll see I suck, and I’ll be able to stay on the team. Besides, in less than three years I turn eighteen. Then I’ll do whatever I want.”
* * *
“You know? I could see this as being some sort of method acting if Professor Richardson hadn’t been talking about musicals all month,” Lance commented, almost off handedly as he read his notes for his next class. “But really, Joe. Basketball?”
“I had to do it, Lance,” Joey said, morosely. Practice had been a disaster, and the only reason why he was still on ‘probation’ was because Coach Kirkpatrick had figured out pretty quickly that Joey hadn’t played in his whole life, and Principal Martin had asked for a second chance.
Being the son of a legendary school hero had its disadvantages.
“What? You didn’t score enough being the star of every single school production?” AJ snorted, making a grab for Joey’s soda. Joey let him. He wasn’t hungry anyway. “You just had to move on to the girls who like sport studs?”
Joey thought seriously about hitting AJ, before deciding against it. While he had friends all over the school, only Lance and AJ really understood Joey. AJ had been the first friend he had made at the school when he had transferred while Lance had been his friend since eighth grade, when they had met on a sci-fi forum on the internet. The fact that he had moved to Orlando with his parents and ended up in the same school as Lance had been a very happy turn of fate.
“It was your dad, wasn’t it?” Lance asked. He knew the answer, of course. Lance had been witness to a couple of long Fatone Sr. rants about how he had been team captain, leading the school to victory. When Joey had enrolled in his old school, Mr. Fatone had expected him to follow in his footsteps.
“And my mom, and my brother. They all ganged up on me about how I was breaking Dad’s heart,” Joey sighed again. “I just can’t talk with Dad. He really thinks I just need to practice a little, and that if I would let myself get into it, I’d love basketball as much as he does.”
“So it was a family intervention this time?” AJ asked. AJ’s family life was pretty much a mystery to Joey. He knew that Mrs. McLean worked in a record company, and was rarely at home. He had never heard any mention about Mr. McLean. “That sucks. What are you going to do when you graduate?”
“Hopefully by then Dad will see that I did my best, but it just didn’t work out.” Joey looked down at his hands. He knew his father would be disappointed, but he was planning on doing his best. “Let’s change the subject. What did you do with Professor Richardson today?”
“We started on the subject of gender-plays.” Lance didn’t look up from his notes, as he started eating his potato chips.
“Already? He usually waits until the middle of the year,” Joey laughed. Every student who had taken drama with Professor Kevin Richardson knew of his two very particular obsessions. Musical theater, and genderplays on stage. The first year Joey had taken drama, they had spent three months studying both the Takarazuka and Kabuki Theaters which had been quite informative. After that, every single year, there had been a variation on the same.
“You guys are not going to believe what happened.” Joey looked up to see Jessica Ann, one of Lance’s classmates, sit down next to AJ. Jessica was also in the drama workshop and usually ended up being Joey’s co-star. “I know why Professor Richardson was so mad today.”
“We had ‘the’ Justin Timberlake in our class, Jess,” AJ said, rolling his eyes. “Of course he was mad.”
“Nu-uh. Professor Willits announced she was getting engaged yesterday,” Jessica continued. Lance and AJ interchanged amused glances with Joey. They all knew what was coming. “Not to him of course.”
Joey had to laugh at the way she added that last part. While he didn’t care much about school gossip, every girl at school thought that Professor Richardson was gay. It didn’t matter if he had dated Professor Willits, the hottest teacher in the whole school, for almost three years, everyone said it was just a front. The reasons they cited were silly, in Joey’s opinion. So what if Professor Richardson always was dressed elegantly, and kept his hair in perfect shape, and, well, yes, had that musical theater obsession. That didn’t mean he was really gay.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Lance was the only one in the class that usually told the girls what almost every guy in the class thought. “I don’t know why you even listen to Christy and Brit.”
“It wasn’t them who told me.” Jessica continued, a little annoyed that none of them believed her. “Nicky says that Alecia told him that she saw Professor Richardson yelling at his phone yesterday. And after Professor Willits told us, she got a call from a guy named Mike. She called him his ‘sweetie’.”
Joey laughed, as AJ told Jessica that he didn’t think her boyfriend Nick’s friend was a reliable source for gossip. While Joey frankly didn’t care about Jessica’s crazy ideas, it was something to talk about that didn’t include sports, and at that point, he welcomed any subject that didn’t lead to his dad.
* * *
Howard Dorough was finishing reviewing the homework of his first group in the teacher’s lounge when the door opened and closed with a bang. Five seconds later, he heard the chair next to him get dragged across the floor and the sounds of someone trying to get comfortable in it.
After a month, he had come recognize that sound very well.
“Practice didn’t go well? Or was it math with 11th grade what has you in such a bad mood?” he asked, not looking up. He wanted to have everything done before going home.
“The Math Competition for eleventh grade is on December 9th this year,” Chris Kirkpatrick, math teacher and basketball coach had been the first friend Howie had made among the faculty, but that didn’t mean that Howie really understood what he was talking about half of the time. “The same day that the School participates in the Annual Drama Contest.”
Howie wisely stayed silent. The one thing he had learned on the first month at school was that one never interrupted Chris when he started ranting about the drama club.
“Lance Bass is the problem,” Chris continued. “You should see that kid. He’s a genius at math. Can do complex equations in seconds. With him on our team we could win first place against any competition.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Howie asked, looking at his friend. “He doesn’t want to be on the team?”
That happened sometimes, although Howie didn’t think that was the case. He knew who Lance Bass was. He had seen him in Spanish class, and Lance was his best student. He was a perfect example of an overachiever in Howie’s opinion, so the chance of Lance not wanting to be on the school team and earn more extracurricular credits was highly improbable.
“He’s also in the drama club,” Chris sighed. “That’s the problem. And since the school has more awards for the plays than from math, Richard won’t force Richardson to reschedule.”
“And Kevin won’t reschedule because he hates you,” Howie finished, trying not to laugh. Kevin Richardson was a little uptight sometimes, but when he was not ranting about how everyone in school seemed to give more importance to all the sports activities than to the arts, he was a nice man, and fun to hang with. He had asked Howie about Spanish classes for his neighbor’s kids, and Howie had spent a couple of afternoons at Kevin’s house after that, getting to know the other man.
He still had no idea why Chris and Kevin seemed to hate each other so much, and all his instincts told him not to try and figure it out. They had been teaching at the same school for two years, and Howie was only in his first year as a full time teacher, having worked as a substitute the year before a couple of times, so he didn’t know the whole story.
What he knew, is that each of them looked for every possible excuse to complain about the other. Howie didn’t know how to tell them that it was getting old really fast.
* * *
“I’m back,” Kevin said, as he opened the door to his apartment. The smell of Chinese rice was permeating the foyer.
“How was school?” His roommate came out of the kitchen carrying a pan. JC was wearing only his jeans and an apron, walking shoeless into their living room.
“As always. What happened with the audition?” Kevin took off his jacket and went into the kitchen to help him serve dinner.
“I got the role,” JC answered. “Eve and I are going out to celebrate tonight.”
“Hey, congratulations!” Kevin smiled. He needed the good news. “Is that the main suspect for the cop show?”
“Yeah, I finally graduated from dead body to possible murderer.”
While they ate, JC gave him all the details about the role, and who he had seen during the audition. Kevin had met JC when they both worked at Universal Studios and while he had decided to go on teaching, JC still pursued his dream of the silver screen.
“You don’t look too happy, Kev. What happened?” JC finally asked when they were finishing.
“Kristen got engaged over the weekend,” Kevin said, looking down to his empty plate. “She told me today.”
“Oh, man. I’m sorry,” JC winced in sympathy.
“I’m fine.” Kevin was lying, of course. He had been dating Kristen Willits for almost two years. They had broken up during the summer, over a silly fight that now Kevin wished could take back. She had met someone else, and now, she was lost to him. “It was a surprise that’s all.”
“Here.” JC handed him the two fortune cookies that had come with their meal. “You probably need both. And hey, whenever you want to talk, I live here too.”
Kevin nodded, opening the two fortune cookies. He didn’t believe in luck, but it would cheer him up.
“The path to happiness can be surprising,” he read from the first, and snorted. The next one promised him love around the corner, where he didn’t expect it.
Kevin just rolled both papers and left them on the table. After Kristen, he just didn’t want to think about love.
* * *
Chris was napping on his couch when the door bell started ringing, waking him up.
“I’m coming,” he yelled at the door, looking at his watch. It was almost 9:00, which meant it was time for him to finish reviewing his classes for the next day.
He frowned before opening the door. He didn’t remember anyone calling to say they were going to visit him.
“Who is it?”
“C’mon, CK, open the door. My bags are heavy!”
Recognizing the voice, Chris opened the door, smiling.
“I thought you weren’t coming until next week, Brian,” he said to his friend at the same time he was pulled into a hug.
“Yeah, well. I got a call from the F/X people, and they wanted me a couple of days earlier. And you didn’t sound so good last time we talked so I figured you could use the company.” Chris had met Brian at a basketball workshop in L.A. two years ago. Chris was still learning the ropes of coaching a high school team, and Brian was volunteering because he liked to help. Despite the fact that they didn’t have more in common than their love of sports - while both loved basketball, baseball, football and hockey, they couldn’t agree on one single team for any of them- they had become good friends, staying in touch both by email and phone. When Brian had told him that he had got a job in one of the smaller studios in Florida, Chris had offered him his apartment, since he had an extra room.
“I’m glad to see you but you didn’t have to come cross country on my behalf, Brian,” Chris said, helping him to get his bags on the guest room. “I wasn’t about to cut my wrists just because an idiot jerk cheated on me.”
“How long were you and Jeff together?” Brian asked, crossing his arms.
“Three months, you know that,” Chris answered, rolling his eyes. He and Brian had had that particular discussion more than once through emails.
“And before him you were with Ted, who also cheated on you,” Brian numbered. “And when I met you, you were dating Jordan. Why did you break up with him again?”
“He accused me of cheating on him with you, in front of your girlfriend,” Chris answered. Now he could laugh about it, but at the time he had been livid. Especially since Brian hadn’t known that Chris was gay until that moment.
“And what do you do every time?” Brian asked again, smugly. Two years, and Brian knew him better than some of his older friends.
“Ok, yes. I usually mope around.” Chris went to the kitchen, bringing out two cans of beer. “But I’m perfectly fine this time, I swear.”
Brian accepted the offered beer and looked pointedly at Chris. It was obvious he wasn’t swallowing that line.
“I’m fine. I am doing great at work, I have friends, I go out. You don’t have to go all older brother on me. Especially since you’re neither my brother, nor older.”
Brian just sipped on his beer, still silent. Around the corners of the can, Chris could see him smiling.
“I’m making a fool of myself, aren’t I?” Chris asked, and Brian nodded.
“I don’t think you were going to jump off the balcony, Chris,” Brian said, still smiling. “I just figured you could use some company, and I really do have a job offer here.”
Chris nodded. The truth was that some company around the house was welcome, because no matter how much of a strong front he put up, he really missed Jeff. Determined to change the subject, he watched as Brian unpacked.
“How’s Lieghanne?” Chris asked, watching Brian pull out his shirts in fistfuls. The other man was terrible packing anything that was not latex, make-up or electronics designed to make something blow up.
“She’s fine,” Brian answered, yawning. “Hey, I think travelling has finally caught up with me. Would you mind if we continued this tomorrow morning? I’m beat.”
“Sure, you know where everything is. I’ve sent you enough pictures,” Chris waved and returned to the living room. He had to get ready for tomorrow’s class, anyway.
To be Continued…