The First Fight
They were both eleven years old when it happened.
Nick had kept himself busy over the last couple of years with innumerable auditions and classes to perfect his singing and dancing.
He also started taking some acting lessons. Just to have the "triple threat" factor.
It turned out he loved acting too and had gotten parts in several plays and low budget movies.
He really didn't know if he wanted to be a singer or an actor in the future, but for now he was content doing both.
It did take up a lot of his free time though.
Fortunately Joey was super supportive and didn't mind spending her time rehearsing dialogs with him.
She even helped him with his dancing on some occasions.
He was such a clumsy dancer!
At least they did get to see each other at school everyday. Nick couldn't imagine his schooldays without her there.
Where Joey was a fairly popular girl, Nick only had few other friends at school.
A lot of the kids didn't understand his ambition to perform and gave him a hard time about it. Especially when he got time off to do an audition or show.
He tried not to attract to much attention to himself at school and just get trough the day as fast as he could. But that didn't always work...
“So, I'll pick you up at two...just be ready to go OK?”. Jane yelled at Nick just before he and Joey turned the corner.
He waved at her and walked out of view.
“You nervous?”.
“Nah, maybe just for the dance part...”.
Nick had gotten a call back for the Mickey Mouse Club and the audition was this afternoon.
Joey helped him with the choreography all week.
After a few bumps and bruises from the first few tries, he was finally ready!
That didn't mean she couldn't still feel them...The boy was as graceful as a rhino!
They reached the school just in time for first bell.
“ Uggh...I hate math...” Joey sighed as Nick accompanied her to her locker.
They walked to class and sat at their shared desk.
"Goodmorning my young students! Please take you seats and open your textbooks to page 176..."
As Mr. Dean blabbed on, Joey pushed her notebook in between them and drew up the lines for a fresh game of Tic Tac Toe.
Who needed fractions? They were both going to be famous anyway!
The day went on and soon it was lunchtime. Nick dropped of his own books at his locker and waited for Joey in the cafeteria.
“ Ahhh....lunch...my favorite part of the day!...”. Nick said as he dug into his Sloppy joe.
Joey looked up from her PB&J's and almost choked before she burst out laughing.
“....What?...do i have something on my face??...”. he asked, his face now covered with sauce.
Joey cracked up even more when Nick's sandwich gave out and all the meat plopped down on his plate.
Leaving him with a piece of mushy bread and a pout.
“ You're such a dork, Carter!...Come on, we better get going...don't wanna be late for gym class...now do we?”. she said, handing him a napkin.
Nick whined loudly. He didn't like gym class at all.
He loved sports, especially basketball and football!
But it just wasn't as fun with all the jocks thinking they owned the court.
“ Ok...rock, paper, scissors for trash duty?”.
Joey nodded and drew.
“ Damn!!...I lost again!...You cheater!...you've won like 5 times in a row!”.
Nick smirked contently and watched her gather all the trash on one tray.
She walked across the room to the only fairly empty trashcan she could find and stuffed the garbage inside with force.
“ Hey Joey...”. She turned around to see a few girls behind her.
“ Hey Diana!...Hi Daphny...Kayleigh...how are you guys?”.
She had known the girls for years from one of her dance classes and they were always very friendly to her.
When she first started junior high she found out they went to the same school.
Apparently they were cheerleaders now, but Joey wasn't really into the whole school spirit stuff.
Not to mention those dorky cheer outfits!
They always tried to persuade her to join the team though and she felt this time would be no exception...
“ So, tell me...who's that guy always hanging around you?”. Diana asked her.
The whole group turned to look at Nick who was completely focused on his script for the audition.
“ O, that's Nick!....I've told you guys about him...”.
“ Ahh...yes...your best friend, right?...”. Diana said, with a strange tone in her voice. She moved in front of her and put her perfectly manicured hand on Joey's shoulder. The other two girls closed the gaps on the side.
This didn't feel right...
“ You know Joey..You should really reconsider joining the team...We could always use a strong dancer like yourself....”.
Joey smiled statically.
" Thanks guys, but like I said...It's really not my thing....and I don't have time for another...".
" Well..That's too bad really...you have way too much potential to hang out with people like...what was his name again?". Diana Interrupted her.
She couldn't believe what she just heard...
Ok, Nick was kind of an outsider, but he was such a great friend!
This hadn't been the first time either, but it had always been behind their backs. Never this straight forward before!
" His name is Nick...." Joey's voice was cold as ice, her teeth clenched.
" Yeah...whatever...he's kind of a loser, so if you change your mind...dump the theater geek, ok?...".
Diana flashed a fake smile at Joey and moved her entourage towards the cafeteria exit.
"The nerve of that..that....Ugghh!! How dare she say that to me and smile!?!...And she seriously thought I was gonna think about joining after that!!"
Joey's thoughts rambled on in her head.
Still a little upset, she walked back over to Nick.
When he spotted her coming back he packed up his stuff and got up.
“ Hey....what was that all about?...” he asked her, breaking her train of thought.
Looking up at his cheerful face, she couldn't bear to tell him the truth.
“...uhh...that?...oh nothing...cheer leading stuff...”. Joey answered, hoping he would drop the subject.
“...You OK..?...you seem a little distracted...”.
Joey nodded. He didn't need this right now with a big audition coming up
“ Yeah....yeah, I'm fine...I think I'm just nerves for you...Man! Just a few more hours!..”. she giggled awkwardly and turned towards the exit.
Nick walked along beside her and tried studying her face.
She had been fine just a minute ago and then that bimbo Diana talked to her.
He knew what it was about...
They didn't think he heard them talking behind his back. Even just now...did they really think he hadn't felt them looking at him?
He shrugged it off and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He had an audition to worry about...
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An hour into their two hour gym class, Joey was in the middle of a mean game of volleyball.
The class was split into two groups, boys and girls.
After an hour they would switch fields and it would be her turn to play soccer.
Which was what Nick was doing on his side.
At about a quarter to two, Nick reminded the teacher of his engagement.
On his way out of the gym he searched Joey's eyes and smiled at her. Letting her know that he was leaving.
She smiled back and crossed her fingers visibly on both hands. He did the same.
It had become kind of a tradition to do so whenever he had an audition.
She watched him walk into the boy's locker room and continued her game.
Just before the sports switch there was a 5 minute water break.
Joey just got out of the locker room when she overheard a few boys talking by one of the soccer goals.
“ That Carter kid is such a dipstick!....He's not even at school half the time..”.
“...I heard he sings and dances in musicals and stuff....”.
“ No way, dude!....probably wears tights and everything....little fag!..hahah...”.
Joey felt her blood start to boil. The cheerleader lunch conversation still fresh in her memory.
Her hands balled up into fists.
“ Yeah.....he even gets time off from school to prance around...”.
“ Seriously?!?...That's just wrong...probably thinks he's better than the rest of us...asshole”.
Joey couldn't take it anymore. She wasn't going to stand there and listen to these idiots insult Nick like that.
She marched up to them and tapped, the boy who called Nick a fag, on the shoulder.
“ yeah..?”.
As soon as he turned around, she sucker punched him in the nose.
The boy fell to the floor holding his face, screaming. Blood covering his hands.
Blinded by rage, Joey jumped on top off him and started punching his body.
Soon a group of screaming kids gathered around them, which attracted the teacher's attention.
A few seconds later she felt herself being lifted.
“ What the hell!....what was that for?”. One of the boy's friends yelled at her.
“ That's for insulting my best friend....you dick head!!”. She screamed, while being carried to the locker room to cool down.
“...Now you sit here and keep it down, you hear!?!..”. The teacher's aid said as he locked the door and left to see if he was needed.
“ I think she broke his nose....why don't you take him to the nurses office...I'll go have a talk with Miss Jennings..”.
The aid nodded and escorted the boy out off the gym.
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“....But mom!...Nick had his audition today!...I promised!”.
“...Josephine Jasmin Jennings!...You should've thought of that before punching that boy!”.
Joey stopped talking. It was never a good sign when her mom used her full name.
They were in the car, on their way home from school.
When Lucy received a call from the principal this afternoon saying that Joey had been fighting, she was sure they made a mistake.
Imagine her embarrassment when she got there and found out that indeed it was her daughter and that she had been suspended for two days!
They pulled into the driveway and Joey was send to her room immediately.
“And don't even think about picking up the phone, young lady!”. Lucy yelled up the stairs.
Joey opened her bedroom door and threw her backpack in the corner.
She let herself fall on the bed and thought about how unfairly she was being punished for defending her friend.
OK,she never meant to break the guy's nose...but he had it coming!
Soon she drifted off to sleep and didn't wake up until she heard her mom's voice.
“ Josephine,...dinner!”.
The next few days Joey spend her time in her room, doing homework mostly.
She hadn't heard from Nick, but she figured her mom called Jane to inform her about Joey's punishment.
So he probably wasn't allowed to talk to her until her suspension was over.
She wasn't even allowed to go into the yard, in case she tried to sneak into Nick's through the trap door.
The day before she had to go back to school, her mom left to go to work as usual.
" Joey,..I left dinner in the fridge...just reheat it and i'll be back by eight".
She kissed her daughter goodbye and hurried off.
" Well...at least she's back to Joey again!". She thought to herself as she sat at the dinning room table, catching up on her homework.
Her mom had called her by her full name from the moment they'd left the school. The last two days she toned it down to Josephine and now we were finally back at Joey. And thank god for that!
Later that afternoon, there was a knock at the door. Joey ran to open it, happy with the sudden company.
“ Nic....Oh my god! What happened!?!...”. Joey gasped. Her hands clamped in front of her mouth.
She stepped closer to Nick and tried to touch his face.
He had a cut running over his eye, which was beginning to bruise and his upper lip was swollen.
He flinched at her touch and slapped her hand away.
“....IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!....Why did you have to go and open your big mouth!?!..”.
“...Wh...Ni...”. Joey stammered.
“....JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!...”. Nick yelled and stormed off.
Joey just stood there. Not really understanding what had happened.
She watched him walk back home, his frame hunched more than usual.
“ Nick!...Wait!!!..”. She called after him, but he didn't respond.
Joey heard the Carter's front door slam, leaving her alone on her porch.
