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IV - Activities Fair

Banks hissed theatrically as he stepped out into the sunlight, shrinking back and throwing his arms over his eyes. "The sun! Argh!"

"Really, BB," Anthony sighed, rolling his eyes and pulling him down the steps of Fatone Hall.

"Don't call me BB." Banks brought his arm down and straightened his sunglasses, squinting out at the tables surrounding the quad. "So, where's the food?"

Anthony eyed his middle critically. "You'd better stay away from the snacks, honey."

"Excuse me?!" Banks looked down, running a self-conscious hand over his belly. "I'm not... it's not...."

Anthony shook his head.

"Fine," Banks mumbled, sucking in his gut. "But if I starve to death, I'm blaming you."

They strolled slowly past the lines of tables, taking note of all the available extra-curricular activities. They stopped for a little while and chatted with Joshua, who was manning the table for the jazz ensemble, before breaking away and going in search of clubs they actually wanted to join. Banks found Timberwood at the table for the basketball team, and spent a few minutes shooting the breeze with him before signing up for tryouts. Anthony stood a few feet away, pretending not to notice as some of the other boys at the table glared at him and made several derogatory comments involving words like "fruit" and "faggot." Timberwood finally noticed what was going on and snapped at them, which stopped the comments, but the glares didn't go away. Anthony was relieved when they finally left.

Banks noticed his diminished mood immediately, shooting covert glances at him every once in a while, but didn't inquire about why. He obviously hadn't heard the comments and Anthony didn't much feel like repeating them. He cheered up a bit when they found the table for the drama club, and it was Banks' turn to stand uncomfortably off to the side while Anthony made a few fast friends.

"Where did you pick him up?" one of the thespians asked Anthony, staring in rapture at Banks' annoyed scowl.

"Orientation," Anthony answered, "but I didn't pick him up, exactly. He's just a friend."

"Oh. Oh, you poor thing."

Anthony shrugged. "Can't win 'em all."

"Does he ping?" asked another of the boys, studying Banks carefully. "My gaydar is broken, I can't tell."

"You never had gaydar," teased the first boy, "but I'm getting a little something. He could be bi. And in denial."

Anthony felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips and quickly tried to stifle it. "Could be."

Banks noticed the smile as they left the table and seemed to sense it had something to do with him. "What?" he scowled, crossing his arms defensively and looking absolutely delicious.

"Oh, nothing. Sorry." But Anthony's grin only got wider.

~*~

Banks glanced at his watch and poked Anthony in the side to get his attention. "Hey, it's noon."

"Why, yes," Anthony agreed cheerfully. "It certainly is."

Banks rolled his eyes. "Um, I meant that it's lunchtime. And T-Dawg invited us to join him and the guys in the cafeteria at noon. Doofus."

"Oh, well, why didn't you say so? Lead on, Macduff."

Banks eyed him suspiciously, frowning a bit as they turned and headed for the cafeteria. "You're awfully cheerful all of a sudden. What's the deal?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing! I'm just excited to be joining the drama club, that's all. Aren't you excited about basketball?"

Banks didn't look too convinced, but let it go anyway. "Not really. It'll be fun, and all, but I'm not excited."

"Of course not," Anthony agreed with an understanding nod. "Excitement is not in your repertoire."

"Not in my what?!"

"You don't do excitement," Anthony clarified with a grin. "Mild anticipation, maybe, but not excitement. Excitement is for homos and little girls."

"I knew that," Banks said quickly, trying to play it off. "Anyway, it's not even a guarantee that I'll get on the team. It's just tryouts."

"Oh, you'll do fine," Anthony assured him. "I'll bet you're one of the best players here."

"You've never even seen me play," Banks scoffed lightly, "But thanks anyway. How about you? Does being in the drama club guarantee a part in the play?"

"Plays," Anthony corrected, "and no. But I'll get parts, there's no question about that."

"You're that confident, huh?"

"Yes," came the simple answer. Anthony wrinkled his nose as they stepped through the doors of the cafeteria. "Eugh, it smells like ass in here."

"Mmm, sloppy joes," Banks teased him irrepressibly. "Race ya to the line!"

Anthony declined the offer.

~*~

Much to Anthony's disgust, Banks had been right about the choice in cuisine. The only other possibilities on the menu were flat greasy disks vaguely resembling pizza, a salad bar filled with old and wilted vegetables, and hard, grey lumps the cafeteria staff insisted on calling "mushroom croquets." Anthony found all of those choices completely unpalatable and had to make do with a bowl of dry cereal and milk instead.

"Hey, all," he greeted as he took a seat at the table with Banks, Timberwood, Joshua, and James. Tmberwood grunted his hello, James afforded him with a polite nod, and Joshua smiled warmly. Banks ignored him completely, his face buried in a hamburger bun dripping with... stuff. Anthony made a face and looked away—directly into James' plate of... "Hey, now wait just a minute!"

James raised an eyebrow in question, his fork halfway to his lips. Somehow he had scored a plate full of fresh mixed greens garnished with avocado slices, artichoke hearts, Thai rice noodles, and what smelled like a gourmet balsamic vinaigrette. Anthony's mouth watered. "You didn't get that at the salad bar," he observed enviously.

James made a face. "No, of course not. Have you seen the roughage they're calling lettuce?"

"Unfortunately," Anthony nodded.

"And don't even get me started on those 'tomatoes,'" James finished, wrinkling his nose.

"So where'd you get all that?" Anthony's eyes followed James' fork as it finished its journey into his mouth. "It looks... delicious."

"Yeah, if you like rabbit food," Timberwood muttered under his breath to Banks, who snickered into his sloppy joe.

James exchanged an exasperated glance with Joshua and rolled his eyes. "It is delicious. I buy it off campus."

"You can do that?"

"Sure. There's a Fresh Fields nearby, only about an hour's walk away."

"Oh, is that all," Banks chirped, earning a grin from Timberwood.

"But where do you keep it?" Anthony wanted to know. "Do you actually have a refrigerator in your room?"

"Yup, a small one." James took a bite of his salad. "If you want, I'll take you to Target this weekend to get one. The RAs'll probably let you go if I vouch for you."

"Yeah, cuz James has clout," Timberwood said bitterly, at the same time Banks yelled, "Field trip!"

James glared at them. "You're not invited."

Joshua grinned. "Ouch. Denied!"

End

Screencap in the "Deerfield" image taken from *NSYNC: THEN AND NOW and used with permission. Many thanks to them!
"Deerfield" image © 2000-2001 JulieOh

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