Good Morning, San Antonio! (part 2/2)
Title: Good Morning, San Antonio! (part 2/2)
Author: ZanneS
Genre: RPS/retelling of Hairspray
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Jared Padalecki/Jensen Ackles, Chad M. Murray/Misha Collins, Samantha Ferris, Michael Rosenbaum, Chris Kane, Steve Carlson, Danneel Harris, mentions of Sandy McCoy, Aldis Hodge, Tom Welling, Allison Mack, Justin Hartley, Jake Abel, Sophia Bush, Jim Beaver, Lauren Cohen, Gabriel Tigerman, and the fictional Priestly.
Summary: There are two things Jared Padalecki loves in this world, dancing and Jensen Ackles. If he gets lucky, he might just get to do both.
Author's Notes: Thank you to candygramme and ambiguous_opal for beta-ing! This is a sick mix of absolute ridiculousness and after school special. It's based on the movie Hairspray (more the musical than the Jon Waters version), with a little Footloose and Dirty Dancing thrown in. There are two lines almost directly cribbed from Hairspray, just because they were that hilarious and needed to be in here, and one adapted from Dirty Dancing. I know nothing about dancing, and my internet research didn't help all that much, so you're stuck with the little I know. Boerne is a suburb of San Antonio, so that's how the title came about. There are song links to some of the songs I felt applied to this story. The people belong to themselves, Priestly belongs to Ten Inch Hero, and Hairspray belongs to Jon Waters. No offense intended, as you can tell this is not meant to be taken seriously.
Part 2...
It was the laugh that caught Jensen’s attention first. Whoever it was sounded like they were having the best time of their lives, and the deep, throaty timbre sent heat coiling down his spine.
His eyes sought the source of the sound, when his gaze caught a blur of motion on the dance floor. The figure broke out of its spin to pose John Travolta style, before kicking out a leg and shaking his ass to the music.
That redirected the heat to altogether new place, and Jensen tried to disguise his intrigue behind the mike stand as his blood pounded in his veins, forcing the song to spill out faster from his lips as his hips pumped harder to the beat.
Lost in the music, Jensen thought he recognized the tall boy dancing his ass off in the middle of the circle of people that had begun to form around him.
Jacob?
Jason?
No, Jared.
He was the boy who had come out freshman year. Jensen had heard about it, knew that things hadn’t been easy for the kid since that moment, but he’d never bothered to know anything else about him. Sure, he’d seen him around - who could miss a guy that big? - but Jensen hadn’t really allowed himself to notice Jared, something inside telling him that to dwell too long might be a mistake.
Watching Jared dance, Jensen was beginning to regret that decision.
As the last note spilled from his lips, the song echoing from the walls, those on the dance floor held their breath for a moment. Jared stilled, posed in his last step, his skin glistening with sweat, before the crowd around him surged forward, screaming and cheering, slapping him on the back and catcalling for an encore.
Jensen felt Chris bound out on stage beside him, the quick elbow to his side indicating that it was time to pull out his performer’s smile. Jensen automatically slapped one on as Chris whistled into the microphone, the camera focusing on his face.
“Whoo-boy! Was that fantastic or what?! I think we’ve found the newest member of the Kris Kane Council!”
The audience erupted into cheers, Jared grinning and blushing as the other kids slapped him on the back, congratulating him on the job.
“Don’t forget - the Miss Teen Dance Queen competition is coming up, so keep watching so you can help choose Jensen’s next lead partner for the season!”
Jared peered up at Jensen from beneath his sweaty curtain of bangs, a wide smile on his face.
Jensen felt his own smile crack through the plastic performer version he usually wore on-stage, and he shared a pleased grin with the panting boy below him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I want that giant, homosexual boy off my TV show!”
Ms. Ferris nodded in agreement. “Mr. Kripke is right. This isn’t Dance Fever. His presence doesn’t fit in with our demographic.”
“And what demographic is that, Ferris?” Chris demanded, storming into the office. “Kids who like to dance? I thought that’s exactly what we were going for.” He peered at her shrewdly, his gaze narrowing. “Or is it the fact that he’s the only ‘out’ kid in town that doesn’t fit with your demographic? It’s not like it’s a secret since this cowpoke town could fit in my pocket, with enough room left over for a pack of cigs and my wallet.”
Red crept up Mr. Kripke’s face and spilled onto his balding pate, making him look like he was about to explode with fury. Ms. Ferris’ reaction was more sedate, her lips pressing into a thin line as her nostrils flared, hands clenching under her arms and out of sight.
“No, Mr. Kane. That has nothing to do with our decision. We just feel that he brings an element to our program that spoils the wholesome image we’re trying to project.”
“Because he looks like he’s having fun?” Chris snorted in amusement. “He’s different - I like him!”
“You’re right, Chris,” Ms. Ferris agreed, oozing venom. “Maybe it is time for something different - like a brand new host.”
Chris crossed his arms over his chest, his usually bright blue eyes turning a stormy gray. “Yeah, but it sure is hard to fire the guy whose name is on the title card. How many other Kris Kane’s are out there?” With that, he stalked out the door.
Ms. Ferris huffed, shouting out, “Your name isn’t even Kris Kane! We made it up!”
“We revised it,” her assistant pointed out softly. “It is his name, technically.”
“Shut up!” Ms. Ferris hissed.
Her assistant paused before timidly saying, “We’ve been getting a lot of calls about this afternoon’s show….”
A smile spread over Ms. Ferris’ face. “Complaints? Good. Send out a memo that we’re firing the kid before he gets on air again. He’s been banned from the studio.”
“Um…not exactly.” The assistant winced at the look Ms. Ferris shot her way. “People love him. They said it was the best show we’ve had on air in months. Advertisers are already calling for air time….”
Ms. Ferris hissed as Mr. Kripke took interest. “Really?” She could practically see the dollar signs in his eyes, and her frown dug its way in deeper. “Maybe this boy isn’t such a bad idea after all, Samantha. Give him a week. See how he does.”
“Yes…sir.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared hesitated outside the shop door, eyeing the ruffles and glitter decorating the window display with a wary apprehension. It didn’t help that the brick façade was painted a bright, vibrant pink that almost hurt his eyes to look at directly.
“I don’t know about this, Chad. Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Chad forced his eyes from the bedazzled chaps on the prominently displayed mannequin in front and slapped Jared on the back in what Jared’s assumed was supposed to be a reassuring manner.
“C’mon, Jay-man. With your unbelievable level of gayness and bizarre love of pink? It’s des-ti-ny!” Chad grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside the store.
It’s Raining Men, Hallelujah
It’s Raining Men, Amen!
The muzak spilling over the speakers was just a touch too loud for normal conversation, but that wasn’t what stopped Jared in his tracks.
It was the bald man dancing on the sales counter, wearing a feather boa and a sequined Speedo over his jeans as he sang along with the lyrics.
When he caught sight of Jared and Chad hidden amongst the racks of clothes, he jumped from the counter, and with a wide smile and his hand out, he ran across the store to the meet them. He grabbed Jared’s hand and shook it enthusiastically.
“Hello - Jared Padalecki, I hope.” His eyes scanned Jared from head to toe. “If there is a God, you’ll tell me you’re eighteen and into leather.”
“I’m…seventeen?” Jared replied with hesitation, hunching his shoulders at the disappointed huff that escaped the older man.
“Dammit. There go my plans for this weekend.” When he noted Jared’s frightened look, he flashed his teeth at him once more. “Kidding! If you were eighteen, I would have been happy to use you as a spokesperson for my adult store across town. But I guess I’ll have to use you for this little endeavor.” The man waved his hand absently at the store around him.
“Spokesperson?” Jared asked in surprise, just as Chad shouted, “You own the spank shop?! Sweet!”
“Yes!” the man answered both questions at once. At Jared’s continued blank stare, he stuck his hand out again. “Sorry, I get a little excited sometimes. I’m Mr. Pinky, but you can call me Mike; I kept my stage name for the store. You know how it goes, a little fame goes a long way to keeping these little hop on pop businesses running.”
“You’re the Mr. Pinky?!” Chad shouted, twisting his head to the side and squinting. “Holy shit! I totally didn’t recognize you right side up!”
“A fan!” Mike purred, fluttering his eyelashes. “I didn’t think anyone would admit to knowing me in this little burg.”
“You know this guy?” Jared hissed in Chad’s ear.
“Dude! You’ve had a computer in your room for how long? God designed that thing for porn, Jay. I’m embarrassed to know you right now.” Chad shook his head and admitted to Mike, “It’s like he’s a priest or something.”
“Kinky.” Mike took another assessing look at Jared, his eyes trailing up and down along Jared’s tall frame. “As I told you over the phone, Jared, I’ve got a business proposition for you. It’s not often you can find a good-looking gay kid in a town this far off the beaten path. Most of us emigrate to the big cities where they have, y’know, actual culture….”
“How do you know I’m gay?” Jared interrupted.
“I have two eyes and impeccable gaydar,” Mike boasted. At Jared’s disbelieving expression, he admitted, “And I asked around, just to be sure.”
“What do you want?”
“I want to make you a supermodel,” Mike said, drawing his hands out as if reading Jared’s name across a marquee. “Or at least an okay model - I need a face for my store. As you can tell,” he said with a flourish, “this is the only place in town that caters to the more fabulous amongst us.”
Chad picked up a pile of lacy fabric lying on a nearby table, studying it curiously before figuring out it was some sort of blouse. “How in the hell do you stay in business in this town?”
“I get a lot of catalogue orders,” Mike admitted with a shrug. “And my stock is fantastic.” He jutted out his hips to show off the sequined Speedo. “See? I just got these in for the summer rush.”
Chad just arched an eyebrow in quiet disbelief. “Would Jay-man get paid?”
“I could pay in trade,” Mike suggested with a leer.
“Forget it,” Chad said with a laugh. “He’s saving himself for Jensen Ackles.”
“Exquisite choice!” Mike agreed, nodding his head sharply. “If it weren’t already decades and a bank account in the Bahamas too late, I might just save myself for Jensen Ackles.” He eyed Jared speculatively. “Do you think he’d be willing to do a dual ad with you? If I had the two of you together….”
“If Jay ever does anything with Ackles, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t let you watch,” Chad said distractedly, bending over the glass display case to study the beaded thongs.
Mike sighed as if heartbroken. “There goes my Christmas wish.” He straightened to his full height, tossing the draped end of the boa over his shoulder as he asked in a more business-like tone, “So? What do you think? You’ll get a small monetary compensation, but I was thinking what you need is a stylist. I pick out some clothes for you to wear on the show, and you get to keep them. You get some style, and I get some name recognition. How does that sound?”
Jared opened and closed his mouth in surprise, his brain taking its time to process this turn of events. It finally settled on what he felt was the most pressing point.
“I wouldn’t have to wear the sequined Speedo, would I?”
Mike grinned, his eyes glittering. “Not on that stage, sweetie. Save the sparkle for the bedroom.”
“Can we get a discount on porn?” Chad asked.
“We’ll talk,” Mike assured him as he directed the boys towards his office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sophia was pretty okay for a girl. If Jared had to be partnered with a girl at all, he was glad it was her. She had a wicked sense of humor and seemed to think Danneel was a bit of a priss, so Jared felt they might yet manage to get along, even with Danneel sneering at them across the dance floor.
Despite spending nearly two hours an afternoon with Jensen for the past few days, Jared had yet to lose his virginity in a storage closet or on some mythical casting couch, as he had imagined. In fact, he still hadn’t managed to say more than a fumbling hello, flushing pink and stumbling over his words whenever Jensen neared. But that was alright, since Jensen seemed surprised to see him every time they bumped into each other back stage - albeit literally - as if he were unaware Jared was around to stay, though he was always polite and greeted Jared with a cautious grace.
Totally understandable, since Jared had almost crushed him that one time, but he couldn’t help that Jensen equated to something like an inner ear imbalance where Jared was concerned, that led to him tripping over his own feet and falling over a lot.
Maybe it was a good idea they didn’t dance together, after all.
“Jared,” Lauren hissed, poking him in the arm and breaking him out of his latest fantasy involving Jensen, the boom mike, and a jar of marshmallow fluff.
“Hhhmm…yeah? Wha-?” Jared managed smoothly, turning to face the woman.
“It’s time to get ready for your commercial spot. We’ve got to hurry!”
“Oh! Right!” Jared rushed after her to the dressing room, hesitating for a second to ask, “Is it something I can wear in front of my momma?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The commercial spot, shot live to insert into the program, wasn’t nearly as bad as Jared had feared. He’d been changed into a pair of distressed jeans, a tight gray T-shirt with a subtle, glossy black graphic decorating his chest and a form-fitting blue-striped button down highlighted with silver thread left hanging open over it. All of his accessories were also supplied by Mr. Pinky, so he had a leather cuff bracelet he rather liked, as well as a few strings of wooden beads looped around his other wrist. His boots were artfully scuffed, and he looked like he belonged on the cover of some teen fashion magazine.
All he had to say was a few words about how cool Pinky’s was for the hippest clothes in town, and the announcer added that all of Jared’s clothes as seen on the Kris Kane Show were supplied by Pinky’s, located in downtown Boerne on 9th Street and Fig.
And that was that - Jared’s first gig as a supermodel. He wasn’t sure he would be able to ever live it down if Chad weren’t being supplied with half price porn to keep his mouth shut.
As he rushed backstage to change, the taped commercials now running, he ran straight into Jensen, who looked him up and down, gaze lingering on his chest as he stared at him with a dazed expression.
“Uh…hi, Jensen,” Jared managed to squeak out, coughing to clear his throat as he tried not to stare.
“Um…hi,” Jensen replied, blinking. “You look…good.” Jensen’s cheeks flushed when he realized what he’d said, and he added quickly, “Um…I mean…Pinky’s has really nice stuff.”
Jared’s face broke out into a grin as he nodded in agreement. “But stick to the front. I think some of the things in back might be a little…uncomfortable for everyday wear.”
Jensen laughed in surprise, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he smiled. “I’ll make note of that.”
The stagehands started shouting for the dancers to get back into position, and Jensen began to move towards the dance floor as Jared headed to change. Before reaching the curtain that separated the back hall from the stage floor, where Danneel stood waiting, her foot tapping impatiently, Jensen turned around and shouted down the hall, “Hey, Jared!”
“Yeah, Jensen?”
“I think you should definitely keep the jeans.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared heard the whispers gathering behind him, not that anyone was trying to keep him from hearing.
He kind of thought the point was for him to know what they all really thought of him, anyhow.
Danneel leaned over towards Kristen, her whispering voice pointedly louder than the others.
“Jared is so smart that he tutors the entire football team! I don’t think it’s at all strange that he goes home with grass stains all over his back!” She giggled brightly as she sat back in her seat, her teeth gleaming in Jared’s direction when he glanced over his shoulder at this latest bit of made up gossip.
“Danni,” Jensen interjected under his breath. “That’s not…nice.”
Danneel glared at him playfully, her lower lip jutting out at his slight admonishment. “I can’t help it if it’s true.”
“Ladies and gentlemen….” Mr. Beaver’s voice came thundering from the front of the room. “Do we have something to share?”
Danneel’s gasp came sharp and clear, her voice projecting dismay as she said loudly, “Jared! That is not true! Mr. Beaver doesn’t have sex with his cat!” She crumpled a piece of paper in her hand, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
The entire class giggled at her outburst, and Mr. Beaver stalked over, taking the paper from Danneel’s loose grasp. He unfolded it quickly, and whatever he saw made his face blanch before two spots of red dotted his cheeks.
“Mr. Beaver, I didn’t-…”
Mr. Beaver didn’t bother to listen to Jared’s explanation. He just tore off a detention slip and pointed Jared towards the door.
Jensen jumped up from his seat, fists clenched at his sides, silently watching Jared walk to the door. Mr. Beaver arched an eyebrow and asked, “Yes, Mr. Ackles? Do you have something to add?”
Jensen looked over at Jared paused in the doorway, and his fists slowly loosened. “Yeah, Mr. Beaver…um…screw you! And…and your cat!” Jensen’s eyes widened at his own temerity as he held his breath, awaiting Mr. Beaver’s response.
Mr. Beaver shook his head and tore off another slip as Danneel gasped aloud. “Jensen!”
Jensen ignored her as he walked towards Jared, and they both exited together.
Not a second later, Chad popped out of his seat, giving Mr. Beaver an offhand wave. “See ya later, Beaver. I’ve got an appointment.”
Mr. Beaver just passed him a detention slip as he strolled by.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Thanks for the support, Jensen,” Jared said shyly as they walked towards the detention room at the far end of the school. Chad hacked loudly behind them, and Jared added, “You too, Chad!”
“Danneel was just being…herself,” Jensen explained, not quite looking Jared in the eye.
“Yeah, an uber-bitch,” Chad offered as he forced his way between them. “I’d still do her.”
“She’s not really that…bad,” Jensen tried again, but winced at the disbelieving look the two other boys shot him.
As they approached the non-descript door at the end of the hall, they could hear a dull pounding making the walls vibrate. Chad threw open the door to detention with a gleeful, “Hello, bitches!” and threw himself into the group of kids gyrating in the center of the room.
“Hi, Misha!” Jared said with a dorky wave as the other boy came up to them with a big smile. “This is Jensen.”
Misha nodded a hello, and Jensen shifted awkwardly on his feet. “So, what are you in for?”
Misha idly mash potatoed as he replied, “Protesting the use of Styrofoam plates in the cafeteria. Apparently, it’s against health codes to have a naked guy sitting on the salad bar.”
“That was your ass print?” Chad called out as he danced his way over. “Nice!”
Misha’s smile grew more genuine as he turned to meet Chad. “I’ve been told it’s my best side.”
“And this is my friend Chad….”
Misha waved a dismissive hand in Jared’s direction, turning his full attention to Chad. “He didn’t say nearly enough about you.”
“You know Jay. If it’s not Jensen’s ass, then it doesn’t exist.” Jared flushed at Chad’s lack of discretion with Jensen standing right there, but Jensen didn’t seem to be paying attention, his eyes fixed on the poster of the kitten hanging from a tree branch in the front of the room. Misha and Chad drifted off as they danced, slowly drawing closer as they continued to talk, and leaving Jensen and Jared relatively alone.
“Huh” Jared muttered to himself as he watched Chad and Misha together. “I did not expect that.”
“The Spanish Inquisition?” Jensen asked with a grin.
Jared laughed aloud, throwing his head back as he chortled at Jensen’s joke. “That I’d ever meet someone weirder than Chad,” Jared admitted.
“C’mon, twinkletoes! Dance!” Chad ordered Jared from across the room, where he was grinding against Misha. It looked like an even more perverted form of dirty dancing, and Jared was wondering how Chad had managed to mesh lapdance and Patrick Swayze together.
“You wanna try?” Jensen asked Jared, arching his eyebrow suggestively.
Jared nodded wordlessly, mouth going dry at the thought.
Jensen stepped closer, moving his hips against Jared’s as the music surrounded them, sucking them into the beat. At the first press of Jensen’s groin against his, Jared responded, pushing back until they were writhing against each other as they danced.
Jared hoped this turned out as well for him as it had for Jennifer Gray.
He felt Jensen’s breath hot against his cheek as he turned his head to bury his nose in Jared’s hair, following along the curve of his throat until Jared was sure that Jensen’s lips were hovering over where his pulse throbbed beneath his skin.
The beat of the music deepened, matching the throbbing in Jared’s groin, and he hoped Jensen remained unaware of Jared’s response to his proximity, even though that had to be impossible since Jensen was molded against him.
Jared refocused to find Jensen staring into his eyes, his breath panting roughly in time with Jared’s. The friction between them was making heat pool dangerously in Jared’s belly, and he hoped he didn’t embarrass himself, because he never wanted this to end.
Jensen’s face drew closer, until Jared could make out nothing but a vague, Jensen-shaped blur before him. He felt the lightest touch of Jensen’s lips brush over his, when they were interrupted by the ringing of the final bell. Jared found himself staring at Jensen from several feet away, where Jensen had leapt when the bell broke the spell.
Jared had serious issues with bells these days.
Misha jogged over with Chad, and pointedly ignored the weirdness emanating between the two panting boys. “There’s a meeting at my house after school. Wanna come? Chad’s driving over with me.” Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Chad’s hand and rushed out the door, leaving Jared staring after them open-mouthed.
“I think your friend’s just been kidnapped by the naked salad guy,” Jensen pointed out with a slightly worried frown, avoiding Jared’s eyes.
“I’d be more worried for Misha,” Jared said, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. “You want to go?”
Jensen shrugged, cheeks flushed as he gazed at Jared from the corner of his eye. “Sure. They don’t need us at the studio; the studio heads and sponsors are having another meeting today, so they’re showing a rerun.”
“Do they have a lot of these meetings?”
Jensen shrugged, looking confused. “Not usually, but they’ve sure had a lot of them lately.”
“Since I got on the Council?” Jared asked with resignation.
Jensen looked surprised at his assumption. “I’m sure it has nothing to do with you. You’re a good dancer. It’s probably ad time or something.”
“Yeah, sure. C’mon. We’ve got to catch up to Chad and Misha.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite following Misha and Chad as quickly as they could, Jared and Jensen lost them somewhere in the parking lot. Fortunately, Jared had Misha’s address from a hastily scrawled note stuffed under his windshield wiper, so he and Jensen drove over together. When they finally got there, it took several minutes for Misha to answer the door, his shirt untucked and something that looked suspiciously like a hickey decorating his throat.
“Oh…nice to see you. C’mon in,” Misha urged, panting softly as he tried to straighten his clothes. When Jared entered the living room, he saw Chad sprawled on the couch, looking just as rumpled as Misha. He just arched an eyebrow in Chad’s direction and Chad shrugged in response, shifting to make space for Misha beside him.
Jared slumped into the remaining armchair, and Jensen shifted awkwardly beside him, eyeing the limited space beside the two boys lounging so closely on the couch. Jared hid a smile, tugging Jensen down to sit on the arm of his chair, deliberately ignoring the curve of Jensen’s hip against his bicep.
If he thought about it, he’d never be able to concentrate on anything else.
“Um….” Jared coughed, the proximity of Jensen’s ass short-circuiting the speech centers in his brain for a few seconds. “So…uh, you said something about a meeting?”
“Yeah!” Misha agreed, sounding a little distracted himself. His hand reappeared from wherever it had been behind Chad - and that was another thing Jared swore not to think about - and he folded his hands loosely before him as he leaned forward. “Your studio is canceling Open House Friday because of the ‘loose morals of today’s youth’. Take a look at this….”
He reached for the VCR remote, when Jensen asked, “How do you know this? Even I don’t know this!”
“I’ve got my sources,” Misha said with a grin. He clicked a button, and a grainy tape of the Kris Kane Show started to play.
Jared recognized it as the day he’d danced, when Jensen had been singing and his whole world had changed in the span of a song.
“What are we supposed to be seeing?” Jensen asked, leaning forward as he stared at the TV, his T-shirt rucking up in back and revealing a tantalizing strip of skin above his jeans. Jared’s eyes didn’t know where to look, far preferring the view he had in his seat to whatever was on the television.
The scene was just like Jared remembered, though it was odd to have this omniscient view of events, knowing how things turned out, when at the time all he’d felt was a sickening mixture of fear and exhilaration. He remembered going still as the song ended, the crowd around him surging forward to offer their congratulations, the sense that things had finally gone right for a change.
What he saw was something else altogether.
What he saw was Jensen on stage, his eyes never leaving Jared’s dancing form, even when the music stopped and Jared was nearly buried behind the rush of people.
What he saw was Jensen’s face, glowing with a genuine smile as Jared looked up from the dance floor and their eyes met.
What he saw was….
“See that?” Misha asked.
“Huh?”
Jared blinked in confusion and glanced over at Jensen, who was leaning forward with his brow furrowed, squinting at the TV. Jensen slid to his knees to get closer, absently resting a hand on Jared’s thigh to keep his balance as he said, “Play it again.”
This time, Jared looked past the obvious - past himself center screen and Jensen on-stage - and he watched as Jensen’s finger brushed over the screen, directing his gaze to the almost unnoticeable flank of dancers who had targeted one corner of the screen and swept something quickly out of sight before Jared could notice what had happened.
“Again,” Jensen whispered.
It wasn’t obvious, but now that he knew what to look for, Jared saw it. A few of the featured dancers seemed to focus somewhere to the right off camera, and shortly thereafter danced their way through the crowd towards two girls who were dancing together. One leaned forward, as if closing in for a kiss, but a swell of dancers swept forward, edging them out of the line of the camera lens. It was a well-choreographed maneuver, looking utterly natural despite its intent, and the girls were swept off-screen without anyone around them noticing.
Jared glanced over at Misha, who stared steadily back at Jared before his eyes flicked down to Jensen’s figure on the floor in front of them.
“This isn’t the only example. It’s just the most recent.”
Jensen’s back was hunched, his hands lying loosely in his lap as he stared downwards at them. Jared reached out hesitantly, drawing his hand back at Jensen’s sudden intake of breath before finally resting it on his shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze. “You okay?” he asked gently.
Jensen gave a rough sigh, slumping back against Jared’s shins until the seated boy was supporting his full weight. “Not really. I knew the sponsors were strict; we had to keep our grades up and stay out of trouble or we’d be off the show, but this….?” Jensen took another breath. “They weren’t doing anything wrong. They were just dancing.”
“I’ve got a plan.” All eyes turned towards Misha as he sat forward in his seat with a devilish smile. “So…are you in?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared stared in wonder at the crowd mingling around him, the group as bizarre a mix of outsiders as he’d ever seen gathered together in one place - outside of high school that is.
There was a large group of Goth kids clustered around a black umbrella; the fact that it was already dark didn’t seem to phase them one bit. There were several boys and girls wearing a rainbow of colors, some outrageously outfitted and others more sedate, but all with a similar purpose - boys with boyfriends on their arms, girls hugging girlfriends, but most of them alone and determined. There was a large consortium of teens, some bespectacled, some a bit overweight, others in need of an immediate fashion makeover, but all with the silent signal that they weren’t part of the in-crowd. There were several kids leaning against motorcycles lining the sidewalk, absently smoking cigs as they talked about engines and detailing. But all had one thing in common.
They were different. Not in a bad way, but outside what had been deemed normal in this little town. And nearly every one of them held a sign protesting the end of Open House Friday, or claiming Everyone Has a Right to Dance.
What surprised Jared the most was the largest group of kids, the group that didn’t look all that different, the ones that could blend in with the popular kids at school well enough that they didn’t get picked on or teased on a daily basis. They filled in the spaces between all of the others, until it was almost impossible to tell who belonged where, because they all made something beautiful.
“Where do you find all of these people?” Jensen asked in amazement.
“They come from all over - every town around here has more than one ambassador. I’ve even got several kids from San Antonio who drove out here to help,” Misha answered with a pleased smile. “The bigger the better, right Chad?”
“You ain’t got nothin’ to worry about in that department, babe,” Chad replied carelessly, staring off in the direction of the studio down the street from the park where they had gathered.
“Your show,” Misha began, his smile disappearing as he focused on business, “doesn’t just discriminate against gays, but everyone that isn’t like you. If you go back through the tapes, you’ll see that wasn’t the first time they pulled that little maneuver. It’s the policy of the showrunners to cull out those that don’t fit the stereotype they’re pushing - the perfect, white bread America that’s stuck in the 50’s.”
Jensen opened his mouth to speak, but quieted when Chad tugged on Misha’s hand and hissed, “Looks like we’ve got company.”
They turned towards the studio, where the sound of police sirens started to grow louder as they neared the park where the protest had gathered. Misha turned and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting, “Let’s move! They can’t arrest us for peaceful protest! We want to be in front of the studio by the time the news crews show up!”
The mass of people slowly surged forward, signs waving as they walked. Jared turned to follow, but was held back by Jensen’s hand clutching his sleeve.
“C’mon, Jen,” Jared insisted, tugging at Jensen’s hand. “Let’s go. We want to be up front by Misha.”
Jensen’s eyes looked wide in the streetlights, his head slowly shaking back and forth. “Jay….Jay,” Jensen said, his breath coming faster. “I can’t do this.”
Jared’s heart stopped, and he just stared blankly at Jensen.
“That’s my chance, Jared,” Jensen insisted breathlessly. “My chance for the big time. The Miss Teen Dance Queen contest is tomorrow, and Ms. Ferris said there would be agents there. They’ll hear me sing, and they’ll take me to LA, and I’ll get out of this town and be able to do whatever I want! Whatever we want,” Jensen hinted, grabbing at Jared’s hand and squeezing it. “We can do it together, once we’re out of here.”
Jared just stared down at Jensen’s fingers entwined with his, everything he ever wanted literally in the palm of his hand. Before he could think about the temptation, he shook Jensen’s grip loose, and took a step back.
“But what about everyone else?” Jared asked, his voice flat. “What about all these kids that need someone to stand up for them right here, right now?”
Jensen stared back at him, his lips pressed tightly together, and Jared’s face fell when Jensen said nothing. A second later he straightened his shoulders and said, “Fine. Then we’ll do it without you.”
He turned away and started jogging to catch up to the head of the crowd, leaving Jensen standing alone in the dark.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chad slouched through the front door and threw himself on the couch, feet landing heavily on Jared’s lap.
“You going to get out of your pjs any time today, or are you attempting to destroy the ozone layer with your funk?” Chad wrinkled his nose as he took a deep whiff, fake gagging when he was done. “It’s like your BO and my gym socks had a baby, and it died in here.”
Jared refused to lift his head from the back of the couch, resolutely staring at the ceiling before covering his face with his wrinkled pillow. His voice was muffled by the fabric as he grumbled, “Go ‘way, Chad.”
“Don’t be such a girl,” Chad insisted, leaning forward to slap Jared’s stomach. “So, Jensen turned out to be a dick - no reason to hole up.” Chad snorted at his own choice of words. “Hole up….”
Jared lifted the edge of the pillow from his face and glared at Chad from the shadows. “I thought I said to go away.”
“Did you say something? I wasn’t listening.” Chad scooted forward, setting his feet on the floor. “Look, the contest is tonight, and you’re one of the front runners!”
“It’s Miss Teen Dance Queen, Chad. I think I’m out of the game.”
“That’s what you think. You don’t show, and Danneel automatically wins. You can’t let the Wicked Bitch of the West take it from you; that tiara has your name on it, Jay-man.”
Jared decided to ignore the ridiculousness of Chad’s statement, and instead focused on what he could control. “I’m not going.”
“Not through the front door, you’re not,” Chad agreed. “You’ve been banned from the studio. They’ve got guards at every entrance.”
Jared sat up, the pillow falling to the floor behind the couch as he stared in surprise at Chad. “What?”
“You’ve got ‘em scared, Jay.”
“What?” he said again, as it seemed to be the only word that applied.
“After last night, you’re big news. Haven’t you watched the tube at all today?”
Jared shook his head, a greasy lock of hair falling across his equally greasy forehead.
“I know Misha told you to scram when the cops got involved because he didn’t want to disqualify his dark horse from the show, but when the cops showed up to scare us off or drag us off to jail, a few of the kids got on the news. The studio released a statement that since you’re setting a bad example for the children of this town and its surrounding counties with your ‘immoral behavior’, that you’re no longer welcome on the program. You’re like the idol for teen homos everywhere. ”
“Immoral behavior?” Jared squeaked.
“Kissin’ dudes and suckin’ dick,” Chad said with a shrug. “Though they didn’t say it that way.”
“But I’ve never even kissed anyone before!” Jared complained. “Or…you know…anything else.”
Chad cackled in amusement. “Doesn’t matter what you’ve done, Jay, just what you are. They’re uptight bastards.”
“Wait,” Jared said with a slow blink, finally processing the rest of Chad’s statement. “Did you just say you were in jail?”
“Yep,” Chad admitted proudly. “Mom was pissed. She’d bet dad it would be another couple years before they had to bail me out.” Chad leaned back, arms stretched out across the back of the couch. “The big house ain’t so bad; I made Misha my prison bitch, so it was pretty awesome.”
Jared’s brow furrowed. “Yeah…about that…. Since when are you gay?”
“I’m not gay,” Chad insisted. “My dick just doesn’t discriminate. It, like, deserves a Nobel Peace Prize or something.”
“I’ll call the committee,” Jared said with a sigh, his head flopping back on the couch.
Chad poked him hard in the side. “Get up, princess. You got to make yourself all pretty for the cameras.”
“But how will we get in?” Jared didn’t wait a beat before realization struck and he rolled his eyes. “Let me guess, Misha’s got a plan.”
“Misha’s always got a plan,” Chad said with a grin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“This is a really stupid plan,” Jared pointed out with a slight frown.
“As long as it works, I don’t see the problem,” Misha said, from his position atop Chad. He tried to adjust the trenchcoat he had draped over them both, but Chad grumbled about blindness, and Misha awkwardly popped a button on the coat, through which Jared could make out one of Chad’s blue eyes staring back at him.
Jared looked upwards to Misha balanced nearly three feet over his head, wavering unsteadily in his seated position on Chad’s shoulders.
“I’m not that tall. There’s no way they’ll buy this.”
“Security is looking for Godzilla to attack the gates, Jay. They aren’t going to look for anything but hugeness,” Chad said impatiently from under the fabric. Misha nodded in agreement, placing a hat on his head to disguise his hair, his blue eyes shadowed beneath the brim of the cap.
“We’ll be the tallest thing out here, and once the guards leave the door to investigate, you can sneak right on in,” Misha stated with assurance
Jared studied the figure they made with obvious doubt, Chad struggling to keep Misha balanced on his shoulders.
“Just don’t Dutch oven me,” Chad complained loudly. “It’s hard enough to breath under here.”
Misha’s eyes widened, and he waved Jared back into the shadows of the alley. “Just start running, babe. The fuzz is coming.”
Chad took off immediately, the oddly balanced boys tilting precariously in different directions as Chad ran blindly down the street, nearly taking out a mailbox before Misha shouted a high-pitched “Left! Left!” Chad skidded around a corner, Misha’s instructions sounding fainter as they hit the street, the dull pounding of the security guards’ feet slapping the pavement behind them.
Jared peeked out and saw that the door was clear. He quickly sidled his way over and slipped inside, the first phase of their plan complete.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris glared at the board before he realized he was still on camera, and he pasted a fake smile across his face and turned to face the audience.
“Well, folks! Looks like Danneel’s still in the lead for Miss Teen Dance Queen. Keep those calls coming in!”
Danneel tossed him a triumphant smile, and Chris kept his expression frozen, staring forward into the crowd. “Now it’s time for a special treat - Jensen will sing us a song….”
After the introduction, Chris slumped against the wall when the camera turned to focus on the small stage in front of the band, and emitted a harsh huff of breath. A glass of something that didn’t smell like fruit punch was shoved under his nose, and he glanced at Steve with a thankful grin, and slugged back the whiskey before Ferris caught him.
“Thanks, man. I needed that.”
“She gonna win again?” Steve asked, leaning beside him as he jerked a thumb in Danneel’s direction.
“Looks like it. Home viewers just see the pretty face. We’re the ones who have to deal with her Madonna complex.”
“The singer, not the virgin, right?” Steve asked. Chris glanced at him to see his crooked grin. “Hey, I hear things.”
Chris snorted. “Yeah…sure.”
Steve leaned forward slightly and pointed towards one of the girls manning the telephone lines. “My break’s almost over. Talk to Lauren; she’s got something you might want to hear.”
Steve disappeared back towards the stage as Chris made his way over to the girl on the phone. As he approached he heard, “No, ma’am, I’m sorry, but Jared isn’t a contestant…because he’s a boy, and it’s Miss Teen Dance Queen, not Mister. Yes, ma’am, I’ll tell management.” She hung up the phone with an exasperated sigh, blowing a stray piece of hair out of her eyes.
“What’s that all about?”
“The new kid is getting calls across the board. I don’t know who started it, but we’ve got more calls for him than for anyone else so far, and he’s not even eligible!”
Chris leaned forward to stare at her computer screen. “How do you know that?”
“Any of the girls on the council are eligible, but there’s always been the ‘Other’ vote option in case we got a new member and didn’t have time to officially add her name. Most of the people calling in are using that to vote for Jared instead of the rest of the council.” She tapped a few keys and shook her head in confusion. “This hasn’t happened since that time that one boy kept calling to vote for Jensen, and we finally blocked his number.”
Chris stared out into the crowd, watching Jensen start to dance with Danneel after his song. Danneel acted like she owned the room, and Jensen had that fake smile cemented in place, which was a sure sign the boy wasn’t happy about something.
Ms. Ferris stalked by, heels clicking almost angrily on the floor. “Chris, stop talking to the help and get back to work. It’s what we pay you for.” She disappeared into the audio booth where a couple of the sponsors sat, watching the show with a proprietary eye.
Chris watched them preening in the booth, practically fluffing each other until he was surprised that their egos all fit in that tiny space.
“Hey, darlin’,” Chris whispered against Lauren’s ear. “How ‘bout we shake things up a little?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris bounded out on the main stage, arms flung wide open as the crowd cheered his arrival.
“Hey, cool cats! I’m back to give you an update on the Miss Teen Dance Queen contest. Seems we’ve got a dark horse that’s overtaken the field. C’mon, Lauren…show us the new leader board!”
Lauren did her best Vanna impersonation and bared all of her teeth in the semblance of a smile, eyes wide with apprehension as she pulled the curtain to reveal the tallies so far.
“What?!” Danneel’s shriek was echoed by Ms. Ferris’, though the older woman was thankfully off-screen, and was quickly muffled by one of the other studio heads.
On the board was the cause of her outrage, Jared’s name running neck and neck with Danneel’s, the other girls scattered behind them in varying degrees.
“That’s stupid!” Danneel called out, stamping her foot. “He’s a boy!”
Chris ignored her, eyeing Ms. Ferris with a wide smile. “According to our rules…” here Chris pulled out a three ring binder and read, “…‘any new council member whose name is not listed as an option for Miss Teen Dance Queen is still eligible, and can be voted for by pressing 9 and stating the contestant’s name.’” Chris slammed the book closed and announced, “Which means Jared is eligible! Keep on voting, kids. It looks like a close one!”
“But…he’s a boy!” Danneel said again, her hands on her hips as she glared up at Chris.
“Doesn’t say anything about being a boy or a girl, darlin’,” Chris replied easily. “Hit it, Steve!”
The band broke into a loud song to drown out Danneel’s complaints, and as Chris handed the binder back to Lauren he whispered, “Let’s hope the kid shows up. It doesn’t mean squat if he’s not here to collect.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared slunk through the door into the studio, keeping a wary eye out for Ms. Ferris or anyone that might be wearing a badge. Scanning the crowd, he thought he recognized several faces from the protest last night, but they spun by so quickly that he wasn’t sure he wasn’t just imagining things.
But what caught his gaze was Jensen.
Jensen was smiling as big as Jared had ever seen him, but it didn’t look like he was happy. He spun Danneel in the center of the crowd in a quick turn, before pulling her back and jitterbugging on.
Jared had made a science out of studying Jensen’s dancing over the past couple of years, and though Jensen was going through the motions with all of the grace he usually possessed, Jared could sense that he wasn’t having any fun.
That didn’t mean he didn’t give the impression he was having the time of his life. He could see several dark-suited people grouped by the wall, their sunglassed eyes tracking Jensen’s every move.
Maybe this was a mistake. He didn’t want to screw up Jensen’s big chance.
But when he raised his head to look at Jensen one more time, he saw Jensen standing stock still in the center of the dance floor, his mouth slightly open as his chest heaved under his fitted suit. His eyes locked with Jared’s, and the expression that swept over his face left no doubt that everything previously had been an act.
Jensen smiled, wide and bright, and walked towards Jared, even as Ms. Ferris and her cronies started pushing their way through the crowd. The last notes of the song that had been playing dissipated in the silence as the entire crowd stopped to watch, Chris bounding out onto the stage to join Steve in his prime position over the heads of the crowd.
Jensen stopped in front of Jared, their eyes locked as they stared at each other, ignoring the angry grumbling coming from the studio heads drawing closer. Jared waited, afraid to breathe, and Jensen just held out his hand, palm up, and asked simply, “Dance with me?”
A loud series of catcalls and wolf whistles erupted from the edge of the crowd, and Jared glanced over to see Misha in his rumpled trench coat standing beside Chad, both boys with their arms lifted over their heads in a victory cheer, their wrists highlighted by the shiny silver handcuffs that connected them together.
“Nobody puts JT in a corner!” Chad shouted, giving Jared a victorious fist pump.
A smile broke over Jared’s face as he laughed, and he placed his hand in Jensen’s. “You sure?”
Chris glanced at Steve and grabbed the mike, growling, “Let’s do this right, boys! Time to rock ‘n roll!” as the band slid into a fast-paced rockabilly riff, the first notes of Chris’ song nearly drowning out Jensen’s response as the two boys’ hips slotted together and they began to dance, the crowd surging into action around them.
Jensen’s smile was blinding, and Jared heard what was said - and what was unsaid - clear as a bell.
“For the first time.”
[You Can't Stop the Beat]
Author: ZanneS
Genre: RPS/retelling of Hairspray
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Jared Padalecki/Jensen Ackles, Chad M. Murray/Misha Collins, Samantha Ferris, Michael Rosenbaum, Chris Kane, Steve Carlson, Danneel Harris, mentions of Sandy McCoy, Aldis Hodge, Tom Welling, Allison Mack, Justin Hartley, Jake Abel, Sophia Bush, Jim Beaver, Lauren Cohen, Gabriel Tigerman, and the fictional Priestly.
Summary: There are two things Jared Padalecki loves in this world, dancing and Jensen Ackles. If he gets lucky, he might just get to do both.
Author's Notes: Thank you to candygramme and ambiguous_opal for beta-ing! This is a sick mix of absolute ridiculousness and after school special. It's based on the movie Hairspray (more the musical than the Jon Waters version), with a little Footloose and Dirty Dancing thrown in. There are two lines almost directly cribbed from Hairspray, just because they were that hilarious and needed to be in here, and one adapted from Dirty Dancing. I know nothing about dancing, and my internet research didn't help all that much, so you're stuck with the little I know. Boerne is a suburb of San Antonio, so that's how the title came about. There are song links to some of the songs I felt applied to this story. The people belong to themselves, Priestly belongs to Ten Inch Hero, and Hairspray belongs to Jon Waters. No offense intended, as you can tell this is not meant to be taken seriously.
Part 2...
It was the laugh that caught Jensen’s attention first. Whoever it was sounded like they were having the best time of their lives, and the deep, throaty timbre sent heat coiling down his spine.
His eyes sought the source of the sound, when his gaze caught a blur of motion on the dance floor. The figure broke out of its spin to pose John Travolta style, before kicking out a leg and shaking his ass to the music.
That redirected the heat to altogether new place, and Jensen tried to disguise his intrigue behind the mike stand as his blood pounded in his veins, forcing the song to spill out faster from his lips as his hips pumped harder to the beat.
Lost in the music, Jensen thought he recognized the tall boy dancing his ass off in the middle of the circle of people that had begun to form around him.
Jacob?
Jason?
No, Jared.
He was the boy who had come out freshman year. Jensen had heard about it, knew that things hadn’t been easy for the kid since that moment, but he’d never bothered to know anything else about him. Sure, he’d seen him around - who could miss a guy that big? - but Jensen hadn’t really allowed himself to notice Jared, something inside telling him that to dwell too long might be a mistake.
Watching Jared dance, Jensen was beginning to regret that decision.
As the last note spilled from his lips, the song echoing from the walls, those on the dance floor held their breath for a moment. Jared stilled, posed in his last step, his skin glistening with sweat, before the crowd around him surged forward, screaming and cheering, slapping him on the back and catcalling for an encore.
Jensen felt Chris bound out on stage beside him, the quick elbow to his side indicating that it was time to pull out his performer’s smile. Jensen automatically slapped one on as Chris whistled into the microphone, the camera focusing on his face.
“Whoo-boy! Was that fantastic or what?! I think we’ve found the newest member of the Kris Kane Council!”
The audience erupted into cheers, Jared grinning and blushing as the other kids slapped him on the back, congratulating him on the job.
“Don’t forget - the Miss Teen Dance Queen competition is coming up, so keep watching so you can help choose Jensen’s next lead partner for the season!”
Jared peered up at Jensen from beneath his sweaty curtain of bangs, a wide smile on his face.
Jensen felt his own smile crack through the plastic performer version he usually wore on-stage, and he shared a pleased grin with the panting boy below him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I want that giant, homosexual boy off my TV show!”
Ms. Ferris nodded in agreement. “Mr. Kripke is right. This isn’t Dance Fever. His presence doesn’t fit in with our demographic.”
“And what demographic is that, Ferris?” Chris demanded, storming into the office. “Kids who like to dance? I thought that’s exactly what we were going for.” He peered at her shrewdly, his gaze narrowing. “Or is it the fact that he’s the only ‘out’ kid in town that doesn’t fit with your demographic? It’s not like it’s a secret since this cowpoke town could fit in my pocket, with enough room left over for a pack of cigs and my wallet.”
Red crept up Mr. Kripke’s face and spilled onto his balding pate, making him look like he was about to explode with fury. Ms. Ferris’ reaction was more sedate, her lips pressing into a thin line as her nostrils flared, hands clenching under her arms and out of sight.
“No, Mr. Kane. That has nothing to do with our decision. We just feel that he brings an element to our program that spoils the wholesome image we’re trying to project.”
“Because he looks like he’s having fun?” Chris snorted in amusement. “He’s different - I like him!”
“You’re right, Chris,” Ms. Ferris agreed, oozing venom. “Maybe it is time for something different - like a brand new host.”
Chris crossed his arms over his chest, his usually bright blue eyes turning a stormy gray. “Yeah, but it sure is hard to fire the guy whose name is on the title card. How many other Kris Kane’s are out there?” With that, he stalked out the door.
Ms. Ferris huffed, shouting out, “Your name isn’t even Kris Kane! We made it up!”
“We revised it,” her assistant pointed out softly. “It is his name, technically.”
“Shut up!” Ms. Ferris hissed.
Her assistant paused before timidly saying, “We’ve been getting a lot of calls about this afternoon’s show….”
A smile spread over Ms. Ferris’ face. “Complaints? Good. Send out a memo that we’re firing the kid before he gets on air again. He’s been banned from the studio.”
“Um…not exactly.” The assistant winced at the look Ms. Ferris shot her way. “People love him. They said it was the best show we’ve had on air in months. Advertisers are already calling for air time….”
Ms. Ferris hissed as Mr. Kripke took interest. “Really?” She could practically see the dollar signs in his eyes, and her frown dug its way in deeper. “Maybe this boy isn’t such a bad idea after all, Samantha. Give him a week. See how he does.”
“Yes…sir.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared hesitated outside the shop door, eyeing the ruffles and glitter decorating the window display with a wary apprehension. It didn’t help that the brick façade was painted a bright, vibrant pink that almost hurt his eyes to look at directly.
“I don’t know about this, Chad. Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Chad forced his eyes from the bedazzled chaps on the prominently displayed mannequin in front and slapped Jared on the back in what Jared’s assumed was supposed to be a reassuring manner.
“C’mon, Jay-man. With your unbelievable level of gayness and bizarre love of pink? It’s des-ti-ny!” Chad grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside the store.
It’s Raining Men, Hallelujah
It’s Raining Men, Amen!
The muzak spilling over the speakers was just a touch too loud for normal conversation, but that wasn’t what stopped Jared in his tracks.
It was the bald man dancing on the sales counter, wearing a feather boa and a sequined Speedo over his jeans as he sang along with the lyrics.
When he caught sight of Jared and Chad hidden amongst the racks of clothes, he jumped from the counter, and with a wide smile and his hand out, he ran across the store to the meet them. He grabbed Jared’s hand and shook it enthusiastically.
“Hello - Jared Padalecki, I hope.” His eyes scanned Jared from head to toe. “If there is a God, you’ll tell me you’re eighteen and into leather.”
“I’m…seventeen?” Jared replied with hesitation, hunching his shoulders at the disappointed huff that escaped the older man.
“Dammit. There go my plans for this weekend.” When he noted Jared’s frightened look, he flashed his teeth at him once more. “Kidding! If you were eighteen, I would have been happy to use you as a spokesperson for my adult store across town. But I guess I’ll have to use you for this little endeavor.” The man waved his hand absently at the store around him.
“Spokesperson?” Jared asked in surprise, just as Chad shouted, “You own the spank shop?! Sweet!”
“Yes!” the man answered both questions at once. At Jared’s continued blank stare, he stuck his hand out again. “Sorry, I get a little excited sometimes. I’m Mr. Pinky, but you can call me Mike; I kept my stage name for the store. You know how it goes, a little fame goes a long way to keeping these little hop on pop businesses running.”
“You’re the Mr. Pinky?!” Chad shouted, twisting his head to the side and squinting. “Holy shit! I totally didn’t recognize you right side up!”
“A fan!” Mike purred, fluttering his eyelashes. “I didn’t think anyone would admit to knowing me in this little burg.”
“You know this guy?” Jared hissed in Chad’s ear.
“Dude! You’ve had a computer in your room for how long? God designed that thing for porn, Jay. I’m embarrassed to know you right now.” Chad shook his head and admitted to Mike, “It’s like he’s a priest or something.”
“Kinky.” Mike took another assessing look at Jared, his eyes trailing up and down along Jared’s tall frame. “As I told you over the phone, Jared, I’ve got a business proposition for you. It’s not often you can find a good-looking gay kid in a town this far off the beaten path. Most of us emigrate to the big cities where they have, y’know, actual culture….”
“How do you know I’m gay?” Jared interrupted.
“I have two eyes and impeccable gaydar,” Mike boasted. At Jared’s disbelieving expression, he admitted, “And I asked around, just to be sure.”
“What do you want?”
“I want to make you a supermodel,” Mike said, drawing his hands out as if reading Jared’s name across a marquee. “Or at least an okay model - I need a face for my store. As you can tell,” he said with a flourish, “this is the only place in town that caters to the more fabulous amongst us.”
Chad picked up a pile of lacy fabric lying on a nearby table, studying it curiously before figuring out it was some sort of blouse. “How in the hell do you stay in business in this town?”
“I get a lot of catalogue orders,” Mike admitted with a shrug. “And my stock is fantastic.” He jutted out his hips to show off the sequined Speedo. “See? I just got these in for the summer rush.”
Chad just arched an eyebrow in quiet disbelief. “Would Jay-man get paid?”
“I could pay in trade,” Mike suggested with a leer.
“Forget it,” Chad said with a laugh. “He’s saving himself for Jensen Ackles.”
“Exquisite choice!” Mike agreed, nodding his head sharply. “If it weren’t already decades and a bank account in the Bahamas too late, I might just save myself for Jensen Ackles.” He eyed Jared speculatively. “Do you think he’d be willing to do a dual ad with you? If I had the two of you together….”
“If Jay ever does anything with Ackles, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t let you watch,” Chad said distractedly, bending over the glass display case to study the beaded thongs.
Mike sighed as if heartbroken. “There goes my Christmas wish.” He straightened to his full height, tossing the draped end of the boa over his shoulder as he asked in a more business-like tone, “So? What do you think? You’ll get a small monetary compensation, but I was thinking what you need is a stylist. I pick out some clothes for you to wear on the show, and you get to keep them. You get some style, and I get some name recognition. How does that sound?”
Jared opened and closed his mouth in surprise, his brain taking its time to process this turn of events. It finally settled on what he felt was the most pressing point.
“I wouldn’t have to wear the sequined Speedo, would I?”
Mike grinned, his eyes glittering. “Not on that stage, sweetie. Save the sparkle for the bedroom.”
“Can we get a discount on porn?” Chad asked.
“We’ll talk,” Mike assured him as he directed the boys towards his office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sophia was pretty okay for a girl. If Jared had to be partnered with a girl at all, he was glad it was her. She had a wicked sense of humor and seemed to think Danneel was a bit of a priss, so Jared felt they might yet manage to get along, even with Danneel sneering at them across the dance floor.
Despite spending nearly two hours an afternoon with Jensen for the past few days, Jared had yet to lose his virginity in a storage closet or on some mythical casting couch, as he had imagined. In fact, he still hadn’t managed to say more than a fumbling hello, flushing pink and stumbling over his words whenever Jensen neared. But that was alright, since Jensen seemed surprised to see him every time they bumped into each other back stage - albeit literally - as if he were unaware Jared was around to stay, though he was always polite and greeted Jared with a cautious grace.
Totally understandable, since Jared had almost crushed him that one time, but he couldn’t help that Jensen equated to something like an inner ear imbalance where Jared was concerned, that led to him tripping over his own feet and falling over a lot.
Maybe it was a good idea they didn’t dance together, after all.
“Jared,” Lauren hissed, poking him in the arm and breaking him out of his latest fantasy involving Jensen, the boom mike, and a jar of marshmallow fluff.
“Hhhmm…yeah? Wha-?” Jared managed smoothly, turning to face the woman.
“It’s time to get ready for your commercial spot. We’ve got to hurry!”
“Oh! Right!” Jared rushed after her to the dressing room, hesitating for a second to ask, “Is it something I can wear in front of my momma?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The commercial spot, shot live to insert into the program, wasn’t nearly as bad as Jared had feared. He’d been changed into a pair of distressed jeans, a tight gray T-shirt with a subtle, glossy black graphic decorating his chest and a form-fitting blue-striped button down highlighted with silver thread left hanging open over it. All of his accessories were also supplied by Mr. Pinky, so he had a leather cuff bracelet he rather liked, as well as a few strings of wooden beads looped around his other wrist. His boots were artfully scuffed, and he looked like he belonged on the cover of some teen fashion magazine.
All he had to say was a few words about how cool Pinky’s was for the hippest clothes in town, and the announcer added that all of Jared’s clothes as seen on the Kris Kane Show were supplied by Pinky’s, located in downtown Boerne on 9th Street and Fig.
And that was that - Jared’s first gig as a supermodel. He wasn’t sure he would be able to ever live it down if Chad weren’t being supplied with half price porn to keep his mouth shut.
As he rushed backstage to change, the taped commercials now running, he ran straight into Jensen, who looked him up and down, gaze lingering on his chest as he stared at him with a dazed expression.
“Uh…hi, Jensen,” Jared managed to squeak out, coughing to clear his throat as he tried not to stare.
“Um…hi,” Jensen replied, blinking. “You look…good.” Jensen’s cheeks flushed when he realized what he’d said, and he added quickly, “Um…I mean…Pinky’s has really nice stuff.”
Jared’s face broke out into a grin as he nodded in agreement. “But stick to the front. I think some of the things in back might be a little…uncomfortable for everyday wear.”
Jensen laughed in surprise, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he smiled. “I’ll make note of that.”
The stagehands started shouting for the dancers to get back into position, and Jensen began to move towards the dance floor as Jared headed to change. Before reaching the curtain that separated the back hall from the stage floor, where Danneel stood waiting, her foot tapping impatiently, Jensen turned around and shouted down the hall, “Hey, Jared!”
“Yeah, Jensen?”
“I think you should definitely keep the jeans.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared heard the whispers gathering behind him, not that anyone was trying to keep him from hearing.
He kind of thought the point was for him to know what they all really thought of him, anyhow.
Danneel leaned over towards Kristen, her whispering voice pointedly louder than the others.
“Jared is so smart that he tutors the entire football team! I don’t think it’s at all strange that he goes home with grass stains all over his back!” She giggled brightly as she sat back in her seat, her teeth gleaming in Jared’s direction when he glanced over his shoulder at this latest bit of made up gossip.
“Danni,” Jensen interjected under his breath. “That’s not…nice.”
Danneel glared at him playfully, her lower lip jutting out at his slight admonishment. “I can’t help it if it’s true.”
“Ladies and gentlemen….” Mr. Beaver’s voice came thundering from the front of the room. “Do we have something to share?”
Danneel’s gasp came sharp and clear, her voice projecting dismay as she said loudly, “Jared! That is not true! Mr. Beaver doesn’t have sex with his cat!” She crumpled a piece of paper in her hand, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
The entire class giggled at her outburst, and Mr. Beaver stalked over, taking the paper from Danneel’s loose grasp. He unfolded it quickly, and whatever he saw made his face blanch before two spots of red dotted his cheeks.
“Mr. Beaver, I didn’t-…”
Mr. Beaver didn’t bother to listen to Jared’s explanation. He just tore off a detention slip and pointed Jared towards the door.
Jensen jumped up from his seat, fists clenched at his sides, silently watching Jared walk to the door. Mr. Beaver arched an eyebrow and asked, “Yes, Mr. Ackles? Do you have something to add?”
Jensen looked over at Jared paused in the doorway, and his fists slowly loosened. “Yeah, Mr. Beaver…um…screw you! And…and your cat!” Jensen’s eyes widened at his own temerity as he held his breath, awaiting Mr. Beaver’s response.
Mr. Beaver shook his head and tore off another slip as Danneel gasped aloud. “Jensen!”
Jensen ignored her as he walked towards Jared, and they both exited together.
Not a second later, Chad popped out of his seat, giving Mr. Beaver an offhand wave. “See ya later, Beaver. I’ve got an appointment.”
Mr. Beaver just passed him a detention slip as he strolled by.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Thanks for the support, Jensen,” Jared said shyly as they walked towards the detention room at the far end of the school. Chad hacked loudly behind them, and Jared added, “You too, Chad!”
“Danneel was just being…herself,” Jensen explained, not quite looking Jared in the eye.
“Yeah, an uber-bitch,” Chad offered as he forced his way between them. “I’d still do her.”
“She’s not really that…bad,” Jensen tried again, but winced at the disbelieving look the two other boys shot him.
As they approached the non-descript door at the end of the hall, they could hear a dull pounding making the walls vibrate. Chad threw open the door to detention with a gleeful, “Hello, bitches!” and threw himself into the group of kids gyrating in the center of the room.
“Hi, Misha!” Jared said with a dorky wave as the other boy came up to them with a big smile. “This is Jensen.”
Misha nodded a hello, and Jensen shifted awkwardly on his feet. “So, what are you in for?”
Misha idly mash potatoed as he replied, “Protesting the use of Styrofoam plates in the cafeteria. Apparently, it’s against health codes to have a naked guy sitting on the salad bar.”
“That was your ass print?” Chad called out as he danced his way over. “Nice!”
Misha’s smile grew more genuine as he turned to meet Chad. “I’ve been told it’s my best side.”
“And this is my friend Chad….”
Misha waved a dismissive hand in Jared’s direction, turning his full attention to Chad. “He didn’t say nearly enough about you.”
“You know Jay. If it’s not Jensen’s ass, then it doesn’t exist.” Jared flushed at Chad’s lack of discretion with Jensen standing right there, but Jensen didn’t seem to be paying attention, his eyes fixed on the poster of the kitten hanging from a tree branch in the front of the room. Misha and Chad drifted off as they danced, slowly drawing closer as they continued to talk, and leaving Jensen and Jared relatively alone.
“Huh” Jared muttered to himself as he watched Chad and Misha together. “I did not expect that.”
“The Spanish Inquisition?” Jensen asked with a grin.
Jared laughed aloud, throwing his head back as he chortled at Jensen’s joke. “That I’d ever meet someone weirder than Chad,” Jared admitted.
“C’mon, twinkletoes! Dance!” Chad ordered Jared from across the room, where he was grinding against Misha. It looked like an even more perverted form of dirty dancing, and Jared was wondering how Chad had managed to mesh lapdance and Patrick Swayze together.
“You wanna try?” Jensen asked Jared, arching his eyebrow suggestively.
Jared nodded wordlessly, mouth going dry at the thought.
Jensen stepped closer, moving his hips against Jared’s as the music surrounded them, sucking them into the beat. At the first press of Jensen’s groin against his, Jared responded, pushing back until they were writhing against each other as they danced.
Jared hoped this turned out as well for him as it had for Jennifer Gray.
He felt Jensen’s breath hot against his cheek as he turned his head to bury his nose in Jared’s hair, following along the curve of his throat until Jared was sure that Jensen’s lips were hovering over where his pulse throbbed beneath his skin.
The beat of the music deepened, matching the throbbing in Jared’s groin, and he hoped Jensen remained unaware of Jared’s response to his proximity, even though that had to be impossible since Jensen was molded against him.
Jared refocused to find Jensen staring into his eyes, his breath panting roughly in time with Jared’s. The friction between them was making heat pool dangerously in Jared’s belly, and he hoped he didn’t embarrass himself, because he never wanted this to end.
Jensen’s face drew closer, until Jared could make out nothing but a vague, Jensen-shaped blur before him. He felt the lightest touch of Jensen’s lips brush over his, when they were interrupted by the ringing of the final bell. Jared found himself staring at Jensen from several feet away, where Jensen had leapt when the bell broke the spell.
Jared had serious issues with bells these days.
Misha jogged over with Chad, and pointedly ignored the weirdness emanating between the two panting boys. “There’s a meeting at my house after school. Wanna come? Chad’s driving over with me.” Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Chad’s hand and rushed out the door, leaving Jared staring after them open-mouthed.
“I think your friend’s just been kidnapped by the naked salad guy,” Jensen pointed out with a slightly worried frown, avoiding Jared’s eyes.
“I’d be more worried for Misha,” Jared said, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. “You want to go?”
Jensen shrugged, cheeks flushed as he gazed at Jared from the corner of his eye. “Sure. They don’t need us at the studio; the studio heads and sponsors are having another meeting today, so they’re showing a rerun.”
“Do they have a lot of these meetings?”
Jensen shrugged, looking confused. “Not usually, but they’ve sure had a lot of them lately.”
“Since I got on the Council?” Jared asked with resignation.
Jensen looked surprised at his assumption. “I’m sure it has nothing to do with you. You’re a good dancer. It’s probably ad time or something.”
“Yeah, sure. C’mon. We’ve got to catch up to Chad and Misha.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite following Misha and Chad as quickly as they could, Jared and Jensen lost them somewhere in the parking lot. Fortunately, Jared had Misha’s address from a hastily scrawled note stuffed under his windshield wiper, so he and Jensen drove over together. When they finally got there, it took several minutes for Misha to answer the door, his shirt untucked and something that looked suspiciously like a hickey decorating his throat.
“Oh…nice to see you. C’mon in,” Misha urged, panting softly as he tried to straighten his clothes. When Jared entered the living room, he saw Chad sprawled on the couch, looking just as rumpled as Misha. He just arched an eyebrow in Chad’s direction and Chad shrugged in response, shifting to make space for Misha beside him.
Jared slumped into the remaining armchair, and Jensen shifted awkwardly beside him, eyeing the limited space beside the two boys lounging so closely on the couch. Jared hid a smile, tugging Jensen down to sit on the arm of his chair, deliberately ignoring the curve of Jensen’s hip against his bicep.
If he thought about it, he’d never be able to concentrate on anything else.
“Um….” Jared coughed, the proximity of Jensen’s ass short-circuiting the speech centers in his brain for a few seconds. “So…uh, you said something about a meeting?”
“Yeah!” Misha agreed, sounding a little distracted himself. His hand reappeared from wherever it had been behind Chad - and that was another thing Jared swore not to think about - and he folded his hands loosely before him as he leaned forward. “Your studio is canceling Open House Friday because of the ‘loose morals of today’s youth’. Take a look at this….”
He reached for the VCR remote, when Jensen asked, “How do you know this? Even I don’t know this!”
“I’ve got my sources,” Misha said with a grin. He clicked a button, and a grainy tape of the Kris Kane Show started to play.
Jared recognized it as the day he’d danced, when Jensen had been singing and his whole world had changed in the span of a song.
“What are we supposed to be seeing?” Jensen asked, leaning forward as he stared at the TV, his T-shirt rucking up in back and revealing a tantalizing strip of skin above his jeans. Jared’s eyes didn’t know where to look, far preferring the view he had in his seat to whatever was on the television.
The scene was just like Jared remembered, though it was odd to have this omniscient view of events, knowing how things turned out, when at the time all he’d felt was a sickening mixture of fear and exhilaration. He remembered going still as the song ended, the crowd around him surging forward to offer their congratulations, the sense that things had finally gone right for a change.
What he saw was something else altogether.
What he saw was Jensen on stage, his eyes never leaving Jared’s dancing form, even when the music stopped and Jared was nearly buried behind the rush of people.
What he saw was Jensen’s face, glowing with a genuine smile as Jared looked up from the dance floor and their eyes met.
What he saw was….
“See that?” Misha asked.
“Huh?”
Jared blinked in confusion and glanced over at Jensen, who was leaning forward with his brow furrowed, squinting at the TV. Jensen slid to his knees to get closer, absently resting a hand on Jared’s thigh to keep his balance as he said, “Play it again.”
This time, Jared looked past the obvious - past himself center screen and Jensen on-stage - and he watched as Jensen’s finger brushed over the screen, directing his gaze to the almost unnoticeable flank of dancers who had targeted one corner of the screen and swept something quickly out of sight before Jared could notice what had happened.
“Again,” Jensen whispered.
It wasn’t obvious, but now that he knew what to look for, Jared saw it. A few of the featured dancers seemed to focus somewhere to the right off camera, and shortly thereafter danced their way through the crowd towards two girls who were dancing together. One leaned forward, as if closing in for a kiss, but a swell of dancers swept forward, edging them out of the line of the camera lens. It was a well-choreographed maneuver, looking utterly natural despite its intent, and the girls were swept off-screen without anyone around them noticing.
Jared glanced over at Misha, who stared steadily back at Jared before his eyes flicked down to Jensen’s figure on the floor in front of them.
“This isn’t the only example. It’s just the most recent.”
Jensen’s back was hunched, his hands lying loosely in his lap as he stared downwards at them. Jared reached out hesitantly, drawing his hand back at Jensen’s sudden intake of breath before finally resting it on his shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze. “You okay?” he asked gently.
Jensen gave a rough sigh, slumping back against Jared’s shins until the seated boy was supporting his full weight. “Not really. I knew the sponsors were strict; we had to keep our grades up and stay out of trouble or we’d be off the show, but this….?” Jensen took another breath. “They weren’t doing anything wrong. They were just dancing.”
“I’ve got a plan.” All eyes turned towards Misha as he sat forward in his seat with a devilish smile. “So…are you in?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared stared in wonder at the crowd mingling around him, the group as bizarre a mix of outsiders as he’d ever seen gathered together in one place - outside of high school that is.
There was a large group of Goth kids clustered around a black umbrella; the fact that it was already dark didn’t seem to phase them one bit. There were several boys and girls wearing a rainbow of colors, some outrageously outfitted and others more sedate, but all with a similar purpose - boys with boyfriends on their arms, girls hugging girlfriends, but most of them alone and determined. There was a large consortium of teens, some bespectacled, some a bit overweight, others in need of an immediate fashion makeover, but all with the silent signal that they weren’t part of the in-crowd. There were several kids leaning against motorcycles lining the sidewalk, absently smoking cigs as they talked about engines and detailing. But all had one thing in common.
They were different. Not in a bad way, but outside what had been deemed normal in this little town. And nearly every one of them held a sign protesting the end of Open House Friday, or claiming Everyone Has a Right to Dance.
What surprised Jared the most was the largest group of kids, the group that didn’t look all that different, the ones that could blend in with the popular kids at school well enough that they didn’t get picked on or teased on a daily basis. They filled in the spaces between all of the others, until it was almost impossible to tell who belonged where, because they all made something beautiful.
“Where do you find all of these people?” Jensen asked in amazement.
“They come from all over - every town around here has more than one ambassador. I’ve even got several kids from San Antonio who drove out here to help,” Misha answered with a pleased smile. “The bigger the better, right Chad?”
“You ain’t got nothin’ to worry about in that department, babe,” Chad replied carelessly, staring off in the direction of the studio down the street from the park where they had gathered.
“Your show,” Misha began, his smile disappearing as he focused on business, “doesn’t just discriminate against gays, but everyone that isn’t like you. If you go back through the tapes, you’ll see that wasn’t the first time they pulled that little maneuver. It’s the policy of the showrunners to cull out those that don’t fit the stereotype they’re pushing - the perfect, white bread America that’s stuck in the 50’s.”
Jensen opened his mouth to speak, but quieted when Chad tugged on Misha’s hand and hissed, “Looks like we’ve got company.”
They turned towards the studio, where the sound of police sirens started to grow louder as they neared the park where the protest had gathered. Misha turned and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting, “Let’s move! They can’t arrest us for peaceful protest! We want to be in front of the studio by the time the news crews show up!”
The mass of people slowly surged forward, signs waving as they walked. Jared turned to follow, but was held back by Jensen’s hand clutching his sleeve.
“C’mon, Jen,” Jared insisted, tugging at Jensen’s hand. “Let’s go. We want to be up front by Misha.”
Jensen’s eyes looked wide in the streetlights, his head slowly shaking back and forth. “Jay….Jay,” Jensen said, his breath coming faster. “I can’t do this.”
Jared’s heart stopped, and he just stared blankly at Jensen.
“That’s my chance, Jared,” Jensen insisted breathlessly. “My chance for the big time. The Miss Teen Dance Queen contest is tomorrow, and Ms. Ferris said there would be agents there. They’ll hear me sing, and they’ll take me to LA, and I’ll get out of this town and be able to do whatever I want! Whatever we want,” Jensen hinted, grabbing at Jared’s hand and squeezing it. “We can do it together, once we’re out of here.”
Jared just stared down at Jensen’s fingers entwined with his, everything he ever wanted literally in the palm of his hand. Before he could think about the temptation, he shook Jensen’s grip loose, and took a step back.
“But what about everyone else?” Jared asked, his voice flat. “What about all these kids that need someone to stand up for them right here, right now?”
Jensen stared back at him, his lips pressed tightly together, and Jared’s face fell when Jensen said nothing. A second later he straightened his shoulders and said, “Fine. Then we’ll do it without you.”
He turned away and started jogging to catch up to the head of the crowd, leaving Jensen standing alone in the dark.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chad slouched through the front door and threw himself on the couch, feet landing heavily on Jared’s lap.
“You going to get out of your pjs any time today, or are you attempting to destroy the ozone layer with your funk?” Chad wrinkled his nose as he took a deep whiff, fake gagging when he was done. “It’s like your BO and my gym socks had a baby, and it died in here.”
Jared refused to lift his head from the back of the couch, resolutely staring at the ceiling before covering his face with his wrinkled pillow. His voice was muffled by the fabric as he grumbled, “Go ‘way, Chad.”
“Don’t be such a girl,” Chad insisted, leaning forward to slap Jared’s stomach. “So, Jensen turned out to be a dick - no reason to hole up.” Chad snorted at his own choice of words. “Hole up….”
Jared lifted the edge of the pillow from his face and glared at Chad from the shadows. “I thought I said to go away.”
“Did you say something? I wasn’t listening.” Chad scooted forward, setting his feet on the floor. “Look, the contest is tonight, and you’re one of the front runners!”
“It’s Miss Teen Dance Queen, Chad. I think I’m out of the game.”
“That’s what you think. You don’t show, and Danneel automatically wins. You can’t let the Wicked Bitch of the West take it from you; that tiara has your name on it, Jay-man.”
Jared decided to ignore the ridiculousness of Chad’s statement, and instead focused on what he could control. “I’m not going.”
“Not through the front door, you’re not,” Chad agreed. “You’ve been banned from the studio. They’ve got guards at every entrance.”
Jared sat up, the pillow falling to the floor behind the couch as he stared in surprise at Chad. “What?”
“You’ve got ‘em scared, Jay.”
“What?” he said again, as it seemed to be the only word that applied.
“After last night, you’re big news. Haven’t you watched the tube at all today?”
Jared shook his head, a greasy lock of hair falling across his equally greasy forehead.
“I know Misha told you to scram when the cops got involved because he didn’t want to disqualify his dark horse from the show, but when the cops showed up to scare us off or drag us off to jail, a few of the kids got on the news. The studio released a statement that since you’re setting a bad example for the children of this town and its surrounding counties with your ‘immoral behavior’, that you’re no longer welcome on the program. You’re like the idol for teen homos everywhere. ”
“Immoral behavior?” Jared squeaked.
“Kissin’ dudes and suckin’ dick,” Chad said with a shrug. “Though they didn’t say it that way.”
“But I’ve never even kissed anyone before!” Jared complained. “Or…you know…anything else.”
Chad cackled in amusement. “Doesn’t matter what you’ve done, Jay, just what you are. They’re uptight bastards.”
“Wait,” Jared said with a slow blink, finally processing the rest of Chad’s statement. “Did you just say you were in jail?”
“Yep,” Chad admitted proudly. “Mom was pissed. She’d bet dad it would be another couple years before they had to bail me out.” Chad leaned back, arms stretched out across the back of the couch. “The big house ain’t so bad; I made Misha my prison bitch, so it was pretty awesome.”
Jared’s brow furrowed. “Yeah…about that…. Since when are you gay?”
“I’m not gay,” Chad insisted. “My dick just doesn’t discriminate. It, like, deserves a Nobel Peace Prize or something.”
“I’ll call the committee,” Jared said with a sigh, his head flopping back on the couch.
Chad poked him hard in the side. “Get up, princess. You got to make yourself all pretty for the cameras.”
“But how will we get in?” Jared didn’t wait a beat before realization struck and he rolled his eyes. “Let me guess, Misha’s got a plan.”
“Misha’s always got a plan,” Chad said with a grin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“This is a really stupid plan,” Jared pointed out with a slight frown.
“As long as it works, I don’t see the problem,” Misha said, from his position atop Chad. He tried to adjust the trenchcoat he had draped over them both, but Chad grumbled about blindness, and Misha awkwardly popped a button on the coat, through which Jared could make out one of Chad’s blue eyes staring back at him.
Jared looked upwards to Misha balanced nearly three feet over his head, wavering unsteadily in his seated position on Chad’s shoulders.
“I’m not that tall. There’s no way they’ll buy this.”
“Security is looking for Godzilla to attack the gates, Jay. They aren’t going to look for anything but hugeness,” Chad said impatiently from under the fabric. Misha nodded in agreement, placing a hat on his head to disguise his hair, his blue eyes shadowed beneath the brim of the cap.
“We’ll be the tallest thing out here, and once the guards leave the door to investigate, you can sneak right on in,” Misha stated with assurance
Jared studied the figure they made with obvious doubt, Chad struggling to keep Misha balanced on his shoulders.
“Just don’t Dutch oven me,” Chad complained loudly. “It’s hard enough to breath under here.”
Misha’s eyes widened, and he waved Jared back into the shadows of the alley. “Just start running, babe. The fuzz is coming.”
Chad took off immediately, the oddly balanced boys tilting precariously in different directions as Chad ran blindly down the street, nearly taking out a mailbox before Misha shouted a high-pitched “Left! Left!” Chad skidded around a corner, Misha’s instructions sounding fainter as they hit the street, the dull pounding of the security guards’ feet slapping the pavement behind them.
Jared peeked out and saw that the door was clear. He quickly sidled his way over and slipped inside, the first phase of their plan complete.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris glared at the board before he realized he was still on camera, and he pasted a fake smile across his face and turned to face the audience.
“Well, folks! Looks like Danneel’s still in the lead for Miss Teen Dance Queen. Keep those calls coming in!”
Danneel tossed him a triumphant smile, and Chris kept his expression frozen, staring forward into the crowd. “Now it’s time for a special treat - Jensen will sing us a song….”
After the introduction, Chris slumped against the wall when the camera turned to focus on the small stage in front of the band, and emitted a harsh huff of breath. A glass of something that didn’t smell like fruit punch was shoved under his nose, and he glanced at Steve with a thankful grin, and slugged back the whiskey before Ferris caught him.
“Thanks, man. I needed that.”
“She gonna win again?” Steve asked, leaning beside him as he jerked a thumb in Danneel’s direction.
“Looks like it. Home viewers just see the pretty face. We’re the ones who have to deal with her Madonna complex.”
“The singer, not the virgin, right?” Steve asked. Chris glanced at him to see his crooked grin. “Hey, I hear things.”
Chris snorted. “Yeah…sure.”
Steve leaned forward slightly and pointed towards one of the girls manning the telephone lines. “My break’s almost over. Talk to Lauren; she’s got something you might want to hear.”
Steve disappeared back towards the stage as Chris made his way over to the girl on the phone. As he approached he heard, “No, ma’am, I’m sorry, but Jared isn’t a contestant…because he’s a boy, and it’s Miss Teen Dance Queen, not Mister. Yes, ma’am, I’ll tell management.” She hung up the phone with an exasperated sigh, blowing a stray piece of hair out of her eyes.
“What’s that all about?”
“The new kid is getting calls across the board. I don’t know who started it, but we’ve got more calls for him than for anyone else so far, and he’s not even eligible!”
Chris leaned forward to stare at her computer screen. “How do you know that?”
“Any of the girls on the council are eligible, but there’s always been the ‘Other’ vote option in case we got a new member and didn’t have time to officially add her name. Most of the people calling in are using that to vote for Jared instead of the rest of the council.” She tapped a few keys and shook her head in confusion. “This hasn’t happened since that time that one boy kept calling to vote for Jensen, and we finally blocked his number.”
Chris stared out into the crowd, watching Jensen start to dance with Danneel after his song. Danneel acted like she owned the room, and Jensen had that fake smile cemented in place, which was a sure sign the boy wasn’t happy about something.
Ms. Ferris stalked by, heels clicking almost angrily on the floor. “Chris, stop talking to the help and get back to work. It’s what we pay you for.” She disappeared into the audio booth where a couple of the sponsors sat, watching the show with a proprietary eye.
Chris watched them preening in the booth, practically fluffing each other until he was surprised that their egos all fit in that tiny space.
“Hey, darlin’,” Chris whispered against Lauren’s ear. “How ‘bout we shake things up a little?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris bounded out on the main stage, arms flung wide open as the crowd cheered his arrival.
“Hey, cool cats! I’m back to give you an update on the Miss Teen Dance Queen contest. Seems we’ve got a dark horse that’s overtaken the field. C’mon, Lauren…show us the new leader board!”
Lauren did her best Vanna impersonation and bared all of her teeth in the semblance of a smile, eyes wide with apprehension as she pulled the curtain to reveal the tallies so far.
“What?!” Danneel’s shriek was echoed by Ms. Ferris’, though the older woman was thankfully off-screen, and was quickly muffled by one of the other studio heads.
On the board was the cause of her outrage, Jared’s name running neck and neck with Danneel’s, the other girls scattered behind them in varying degrees.
“That’s stupid!” Danneel called out, stamping her foot. “He’s a boy!”
Chris ignored her, eyeing Ms. Ferris with a wide smile. “According to our rules…” here Chris pulled out a three ring binder and read, “…‘any new council member whose name is not listed as an option for Miss Teen Dance Queen is still eligible, and can be voted for by pressing 9 and stating the contestant’s name.’” Chris slammed the book closed and announced, “Which means Jared is eligible! Keep on voting, kids. It looks like a close one!”
“But…he’s a boy!” Danneel said again, her hands on her hips as she glared up at Chris.
“Doesn’t say anything about being a boy or a girl, darlin’,” Chris replied easily. “Hit it, Steve!”
The band broke into a loud song to drown out Danneel’s complaints, and as Chris handed the binder back to Lauren he whispered, “Let’s hope the kid shows up. It doesn’t mean squat if he’s not here to collect.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared slunk through the door into the studio, keeping a wary eye out for Ms. Ferris or anyone that might be wearing a badge. Scanning the crowd, he thought he recognized several faces from the protest last night, but they spun by so quickly that he wasn’t sure he wasn’t just imagining things.
But what caught his gaze was Jensen.
Jensen was smiling as big as Jared had ever seen him, but it didn’t look like he was happy. He spun Danneel in the center of the crowd in a quick turn, before pulling her back and jitterbugging on.
Jared had made a science out of studying Jensen’s dancing over the past couple of years, and though Jensen was going through the motions with all of the grace he usually possessed, Jared could sense that he wasn’t having any fun.
That didn’t mean he didn’t give the impression he was having the time of his life. He could see several dark-suited people grouped by the wall, their sunglassed eyes tracking Jensen’s every move.
Maybe this was a mistake. He didn’t want to screw up Jensen’s big chance.
But when he raised his head to look at Jensen one more time, he saw Jensen standing stock still in the center of the dance floor, his mouth slightly open as his chest heaved under his fitted suit. His eyes locked with Jared’s, and the expression that swept over his face left no doubt that everything previously had been an act.
Jensen smiled, wide and bright, and walked towards Jared, even as Ms. Ferris and her cronies started pushing their way through the crowd. The last notes of the song that had been playing dissipated in the silence as the entire crowd stopped to watch, Chris bounding out onto the stage to join Steve in his prime position over the heads of the crowd.
Jensen stopped in front of Jared, their eyes locked as they stared at each other, ignoring the angry grumbling coming from the studio heads drawing closer. Jared waited, afraid to breathe, and Jensen just held out his hand, palm up, and asked simply, “Dance with me?”
A loud series of catcalls and wolf whistles erupted from the edge of the crowd, and Jared glanced over to see Misha in his rumpled trench coat standing beside Chad, both boys with their arms lifted over their heads in a victory cheer, their wrists highlighted by the shiny silver handcuffs that connected them together.
“Nobody puts JT in a corner!” Chad shouted, giving Jared a victorious fist pump.
A smile broke over Jared’s face as he laughed, and he placed his hand in Jensen’s. “You sure?”
Chris glanced at Steve and grabbed the mike, growling, “Let’s do this right, boys! Time to rock ‘n roll!” as the band slid into a fast-paced rockabilly riff, the first notes of Chris’ song nearly drowning out Jensen’s response as the two boys’ hips slotted together and they began to dance, the crowd surging into action around them.
Jensen’s smile was blinding, and Jared heard what was said - and what was unsaid - clear as a bell.
“For the first time.”
[You Can't Stop the Beat]