***EDIT***
OMG OMG OMG! Remember a looooooong time ago, when I posted a rant, and I said that there was an icon of an angry smilie face banging his head against a brick wall??? I FOUND IT!!!
***EDIT END***
If you don't know the whole back story on this, go HERE.
If you do, here is your "brief taste." Enjoy, and tell me what you think!
Bored. That one word seemed to be on repeat through Joey’s mind. He leaned forward and folded his arms on the table as his eyes darted around the room. More than once they came to rest on the ceiling fan, a pang of jealousy shooting through him as he watched the blades spin around. They weren’t moving fast, but they were at least doing something, instead of sitting in the room, doing nothing, being absolutely, utterly
“Bored,” he mumbled. He felt a yawn in the back of his throat and buried his face in his folded arms to hide it. As he lifted his head, he saw a few of the other guys talking and laughing on the other side of the room. He thought about going over and joining the conversation, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t be any less bored than he was now. He put his face back into his arms and sighed.
“QUIET!” Someone shouted behind him, and Joey laughed without lifting his head.
“I didn’t say anything,” was his muffled reply.
“I know,” Donnie said, falling into a chair next to him. “I said you were quiet.”
“No, you said quiet.”
“Same thing.” Joey smiled and lifted his head.
“Not really,” he said.
“What’s wrong?” Donnie asked, blowing off Joey’s retort. Joey shrugged, his eyes once again going to the ceiling fan.
“I’m bored,” he said absently, his eyes slowly following one of the blades.
“Do something,” Donnie said, shrugging.
“Oh…. Oh that’s a good idea. Wonder why I didn’t think of that.”
“Because you aren’t me,” he shot back, his voice soaked with just as much sarcasm.
“Thank God,” Joey said, grinning wickedly as he did so.
“For what?” Jordan asked, joining the two at the table. Without hesitating, they both smiled at him.
“For not being you,” they said at the same time. Jordan mocked laughter, then smiled despite himself.
“Is anyone else bored out of their mind?” he asked the room.
“God, yeeeeeeeeeeees!” Joey shouted before he could catch himself. All eyes in the room darted to him, and his eyes quickly went back to the ceiling fan. “Any….anyone else?” Donnie laughed and clapped him on the back, then nodded.
“I am.”
“Do something,” Joey shot back.
“I vote we beat up Joey,” Donnie said without hesitation.
“I vote we stay bored,” Joey said quickly. Donnie laughed and shook his head.
“You think we’d be able to find something to do on a Friday night,” Jordan said, frowning.
“The problem isn’t finding something to do,” Jon said, looking at a few CDs near the back wall. “It’s finding something to do where we can be sure we won’t die.” They laughed, but Joey knew it wasn’t real laughter. What Jon had said was true – they were still adjusting to the being chased aspect of being a New Kid – the being wanted part. That was a big reason why they were constantly bored. Joey looked around the room, taking in each face, each expression. The mood had changed – Jon’s statement had killed any chance they had of actually doing something. Joey once again looked at the ceiling fan, it’s blades cutting slowly through the air, still tracing the same path. He decided the fan wasn’t having any more fun than he was, and he wasn’t jealous of it anymore.
“I’d get dizzy,” he muttered. Donnie looked at him, but Joey’s eyes never left the fan. They had rallied to do something, than backed down. He finally returned to look at everyone again, decide if he was making the right choice. He looked at Donnie last, jumping a bit to see he was still staring at him with a puzzled look on his face. As if reading his mind, Donnie nodded, and Joey made his decision. He’d be damned if a few screaming girls were going to keep him locked in a room for the rest of his life.
“What’s on your mind, McIntyre?” Donnie said, turning everyone’s attention to the youngest member of the group.
“I was just thinking,” he said, glancing once more at the fan. “I was just thinking – if we died today, at least it’d be by something more interesting than boredom.” He watched as Jordan, Donnie, and Danny made eye contact, smiling and nodding.
“Good point,” Jordan said, turning his gaze back to Joey. “I’m in.”
“Me too,” Danny said.
“You don’t even have to ask,” Donnie said, clapping Joey on the back again. They all looked at Jon, who had since put down the CDs but had remained against the back wall. He looked at all their faces – eager, hopeful, excited. No matter the age, they were all very much still children, and the expressions on their faces made them look like preteens again. Jon took a breath, not wanting to go anywhere outside the safety of the room. His eyes went from face to face, taking in each look – Jordan’s pleading expression, Danny’s carefree attitude, Donnie’s recklessness – and his eyes came to rest on Joey. Joey’s face held nothing but worry – he knew he could easily be overturned by the oldest member of the group, but he could also read what Joey was trying to tell him. They had been together for years, spent nearly every minute together… if they were going to die, why not do THAT together, as well? Jon let out sigh, and shook his head.
“Alright,” he said, and the room erupted with cheers and high fives. Joey turned back to everyone, excitement welling up inside him, and his lips twisted into a child-like grin that spread from ear to ear.
“Let’s get this!” He said, and everyone nodded, returning his smile.
