Rough draft of something...
Jun. 1st, 2003 08:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pukkuSo, this is a rough draft of something which came to mind while I was watching the Princess Bride, listening to the audio commentary by William Goldman. It's based on a line he said that he wrote, but I have no idea where.
Rough draft.
Untitled.
Not slash, just something involving pretty boys.
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"Stars have no friends. They have business associates and serfs. But they get the good table at Spago."*
Justin doesn't remember where he knows that from -- it was probably some book of pithy sayings, which he and Chris had been looking through during one of the far-too-many interminable bus rides from nowhere to nowhere, and they had probably had a good laugh over that, 'cause, yeah, there was no way they'd ever be stars.
However, times changed, and now he was a star, and he was sitting at the good table at Spago. He wasn't sure it applied though -- everybody here was a friend. Well, except Tim, over there -- he was an amazing producer though, and he could make Justin sound like gold, so it was good to pretend that they were friends. And, well, Jenny was his PR rep, who went everywhere with him, so they were sort of friendly, but when he thought about it, she probably would have nothing to do with him if he didn't pay her. And rounding out the small group was Derek, the bodyguard, and Justin didn't really know anything about him other than his name, so really he wasn't a friend either.
OK, so he didn't have any real friends with him here, but he had them. There was Chris, although really Justin couldn't remember the last time they really talked, and really Justin didn't even know where Chris was right now. JC was a friend -- well, JC was friends with everybody and --
"Justin? You all right?" asked Jenny. She followed his eyes across the room, towards the table at the back, near the kitchen. "Oh, don't worry 'bout him -- you're not going to end up like that, a has-been at 22 -- that's why you've got me!" Her cheery tones were just a little too cheery, grating on Justin's ears, but he forced himself to smile, and nod in agreement.
Of course, Jenny's comment had drawn the attention of Tim over across the room, and Justin saw a quick grimace of scorn cross his face. "Oh, yeah, him. Ignore him. He's worthless."
As though their glances had been felt, the guy over at the back looked around, saw Justin, and did a kind of mix between a high-five and a wave, a smile crossing his face. Without thinking, Justin gave a small nod back. When he looked back at his table, both Jenny and Tim were looking at him a bit off. "What?", Justin asked. "I can't really pretend I don't know who he is, and it'd be rude not to acknowledge the greeting -- right Jen?"
Of course, there wasn't much that she could say to that, as it was very important to maintain his image as being a good kid at heart.
As dinner progressed, the quote from whoever it was kept on coming back to him. Probably because, of all the groups out that night, it was Nick's table that was the loudest. Every so often, there would be gales of laughter, audible around the entire restaurant, and then the maitre d' would go over, there would be a few quiet words, and they'd quiet down for a while.
When the maitre d' went over for the fourth time, he spent a bit longer, and as he came away, the other two people at the table, who were invisible to Justin, except for their hands, started making leaving motions, and Nick followed them. Once Nick had settled the bill, the three of them -- a couple, from the way they held hands, started towards the door. They were just reaching the door, when Nick's eyes passed over Justin's table, now working on the dessert course, and said something to his companions briefly. He then changed directions, and Justin knew, he just knew, that Nick would stop by.
"Hey-a Justin! How ya' been?" Nick said, as he drew within speaking distance. Jenny looked pained for a moment, Tim looked away, and Justin looked up at Nick.
He was expecting to see some kind of challenge it Nick's face. After all, they were, supposedly, enemies. And Justin had been successful with his solo album, and Nick, well, hadn't. Probably due to the timing of Justin's album. But Nick's smile was open, his eyes friendly, and he looked genuinely happy to see Justin.
"Not bad. Yourself?" Justin replied, determined to keep it neutral.
"Excellent! Just hanging with some friends -- they're leaving town tomorrow morning, so I figured I'd show them what the best of the best is. Hey -- I gotta run, but I just wanted to say congrats on the album man -- I'd say it rocks, but that wouldn't be quite appropriate!" For a moment Nick chuckled at his own joke, giving Justin a change to gather his thoughts. This was hardly what he expected. Yeah, on TV Nick had been all encouraging, but he'd thought that was all PR stuff.
"Uh.. Thanks..." It didn't seem to be quite enough, but apparently Nick thought it was, for he turned to leave, only then noticing the rest of the people at the table. He smiled at Tim and Jenny, who smiled back, obviously faking it, and then he noticed Derek, who had the uncanny ability to just fade out. Another smile crossed his face, and he said, "Hey Deke! Long time no see! What's up?"
And Derek looked back at him, smiled (which Justin had never seen before) and replied.
"Not much. Same old, same old."
"Cool", replied Nick. "Hey, give my love to Carla, aight? If you get a day off or something, gimme a call, we'll hang."
"Sure thing", replied Derek.
And then, Nick gave them all a wave, and moved off towards his friends, who were waiting for him with real smiles on their faces.
* quote from William Goldman, on "The Princess Bride" audio commentary.
Rough draft.
Untitled.
Not slash, just something involving pretty boys.
-------------------------------------------
"Stars have no friends. They have business associates and serfs. But they get the good table at Spago."*
Justin doesn't remember where he knows that from -- it was probably some book of pithy sayings, which he and Chris had been looking through during one of the far-too-many interminable bus rides from nowhere to nowhere, and they had probably had a good laugh over that, 'cause, yeah, there was no way they'd ever be stars.
However, times changed, and now he was a star, and he was sitting at the good table at Spago. He wasn't sure it applied though -- everybody here was a friend. Well, except Tim, over there -- he was an amazing producer though, and he could make Justin sound like gold, so it was good to pretend that they were friends. And, well, Jenny was his PR rep, who went everywhere with him, so they were sort of friendly, but when he thought about it, she probably would have nothing to do with him if he didn't pay her. And rounding out the small group was Derek, the bodyguard, and Justin didn't really know anything about him other than his name, so really he wasn't a friend either.
OK, so he didn't have any real friends with him here, but he had them. There was Chris, although really Justin couldn't remember the last time they really talked, and really Justin didn't even know where Chris was right now. JC was a friend -- well, JC was friends with everybody and --
"Justin? You all right?" asked Jenny. She followed his eyes across the room, towards the table at the back, near the kitchen. "Oh, don't worry 'bout him -- you're not going to end up like that, a has-been at 22 -- that's why you've got me!" Her cheery tones were just a little too cheery, grating on Justin's ears, but he forced himself to smile, and nod in agreement.
Of course, Jenny's comment had drawn the attention of Tim over across the room, and Justin saw a quick grimace of scorn cross his face. "Oh, yeah, him. Ignore him. He's worthless."
As though their glances had been felt, the guy over at the back looked around, saw Justin, and did a kind of mix between a high-five and a wave, a smile crossing his face. Without thinking, Justin gave a small nod back. When he looked back at his table, both Jenny and Tim were looking at him a bit off. "What?", Justin asked. "I can't really pretend I don't know who he is, and it'd be rude not to acknowledge the greeting -- right Jen?"
Of course, there wasn't much that she could say to that, as it was very important to maintain his image as being a good kid at heart.
As dinner progressed, the quote from whoever it was kept on coming back to him. Probably because, of all the groups out that night, it was Nick's table that was the loudest. Every so often, there would be gales of laughter, audible around the entire restaurant, and then the maitre d' would go over, there would be a few quiet words, and they'd quiet down for a while.
When the maitre d' went over for the fourth time, he spent a bit longer, and as he came away, the other two people at the table, who were invisible to Justin, except for their hands, started making leaving motions, and Nick followed them. Once Nick had settled the bill, the three of them -- a couple, from the way they held hands, started towards the door. They were just reaching the door, when Nick's eyes passed over Justin's table, now working on the dessert course, and said something to his companions briefly. He then changed directions, and Justin knew, he just knew, that Nick would stop by.
"Hey-a Justin! How ya' been?" Nick said, as he drew within speaking distance. Jenny looked pained for a moment, Tim looked away, and Justin looked up at Nick.
He was expecting to see some kind of challenge it Nick's face. After all, they were, supposedly, enemies. And Justin had been successful with his solo album, and Nick, well, hadn't. Probably due to the timing of Justin's album. But Nick's smile was open, his eyes friendly, and he looked genuinely happy to see Justin.
"Not bad. Yourself?" Justin replied, determined to keep it neutral.
"Excellent! Just hanging with some friends -- they're leaving town tomorrow morning, so I figured I'd show them what the best of the best is. Hey -- I gotta run, but I just wanted to say congrats on the album man -- I'd say it rocks, but that wouldn't be quite appropriate!" For a moment Nick chuckled at his own joke, giving Justin a change to gather his thoughts. This was hardly what he expected. Yeah, on TV Nick had been all encouraging, but he'd thought that was all PR stuff.
"Uh.. Thanks..." It didn't seem to be quite enough, but apparently Nick thought it was, for he turned to leave, only then noticing the rest of the people at the table. He smiled at Tim and Jenny, who smiled back, obviously faking it, and then he noticed Derek, who had the uncanny ability to just fade out. Another smile crossed his face, and he said, "Hey Deke! Long time no see! What's up?"
And Derek looked back at him, smiled (which Justin had never seen before) and replied.
"Not much. Same old, same old."
"Cool", replied Nick. "Hey, give my love to Carla, aight? If you get a day off or something, gimme a call, we'll hang."
"Sure thing", replied Derek.
And then, Nick gave them all a wave, and moved off towards his friends, who were waiting for him with real smiles on their faces.
* quote from William Goldman, on "The Princess Bride" audio commentary.
