Fake It

(10) sit this one out

"Between the two girls, which one are ya gon' pick? I'd pick Hayley 'cause Taylor's been talkin' shit. She thinks she's everything, we're just in between, but Hayley's 'bout to be tha prom queen!" Jack rapped into the PA system as the speakers filled with the sound of a rhyme that was going to be stuck in everyone's head for the rest of the day.

Not paying attention to the announcement, Hayley was staring off into space until Derek began to snap his fingers in front of her.

"Earth to Hayley, what should I not eat?" Derek asked the redhead once more, as the last two times he had, he had gotten no response.

Hayley shrugged, resting her head on her palms. "Eat whatever the heck you want."

"Well, F-Y-I, I'm just about to ruin the diet with a cheeseburger, chocolate milk and pizza" Derek raised an eyebrow. Hayley had been helping him get into shape for when they graduate. "Is something wrong?"

"Derek, do you think that I'm kissable?" Hayley asked unexpectedly, looking up at her friend with a worried expression.

"Okay, uh, back to the cheeseburger-" Derek began, picking the meal up before realising Hayley did actually seem bugged.

Thinking about Hayley and whether she was kissable or not was not something Derek actually wanted to think about. At all.

Putting the food back down onto his plate, Josh tilted his head. "Hayley... You're... You're you. If I hadn't known you since we were seven, maybe my answer would be... Existing."

"Yeah. I guess so" Hayley sighed, burying her head into her hands.

While Hayley was freaking out about Josh, her brother Cam was doing a few things for the seniors - like getting rid of their rubbish and giving them sauce and straws.

In reality, Cameron really shouldn't have to obey the older kids at school. Cam didn't see any other way - if he didn't, they'd just pick on him more.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the little germ Cameron Williams himself" Nate, a tough senior guy nodded as he grabbing Cam by the arm.

"No, I've got work to do, let me go!" Cam replied, shaking his head. "I gotta go now."

"Yeah, well, too bad" Chuck, Nate's mate, shrugged as he pushed Cam down onto a seat. "We wanna show you something first. You're gonna love it."

Cam tried to move, but Nate gave him a loose head lock, which was giving strong enough pressure for Cam to stop trying - but not enough to hurt the kid, of course.

While Nate distracted Cam and made him feel intimidated, Josh had just walked into the cafeteria.

Chuck had just put a hand down his pants, grabbed some hair and put it on top of a piece of pie.

Chuck's actions were completely and utterly revolting, something unheard of. Josh didn't see it happen, however he knew something was up.

Naturally, Josh walked over to Chuck, Nate and Cameron to put an end to whatever was going on.

Josh usually did his bit to keep the school an enjoyable place. Well, he used to. Parker had changed that in recent days.

Chuck and Nate thought they were both the funniest guys, when really they were pathetic.

Chuck was waving a plate of pie decorated in nasty body hair around Cameron's face. The poor kid already felt like spewing.

Hayley looked up, trying to figure out what everyone was looking at. She didn't usually care what things were going on but when she saw her brother in a headlock, she felt worried.

Seeing Josh approach the trio, Hayley hoped he would be able to help rather than join in on the antics.

"You two pathetic, low-life knuckle heads" Josh pointed to Nate and Chuck, before pointing a metre away and continuing. "Get over there."

Nate moved off within an inch of his life, scared of Josh - anyone would be in this position if they'd ever seen Josh on the football field.

The previously tough guy quickly walked over to where Josh had pointed to, with his mate Chuck soon following suit.

Cameron hurried to Josh, feeling safe with his company. Rubbing his now sore neck, he was more than glad to be out of that headlock.

"Now you're both going to apologise to my buddy Cameron here, for starters" Josh raised an eyebrow and folded his arms as he waited for the guys to speak.

"Sorry" Nate and Chuck muttered at the same time, looking down in embarrassment.

Josh happened to get a look at the pie on the table and shook his head, trying to comprehend how someone, let alone two people, could be so repulsive.

Josh had heard about Nate and Chuck getting up to troublesome sort of things but had never seen them in action.

"Pube boy, get the pie" Josh demanded, watching as Chuck slowly picked up the plate.

"Well?" Chucked spoke in a questioning tone, waiting for some kind of instruction as what to do with the pie.

"What?" Josh chuckled, looking to Cameron while wearing a victorious smile. "What do you think, Chuck? You're going to eat it."

Those who were paying attention to the ordeal were groaning, disgusted by the thought of having to eat the pie.

The people were glad to see the guys getting some pay back, though. They did deserve any humiliation they could get.

"NOW!" Josh yelled, watching as Chuck slowly lifted the piece of pie to his mouth and took a bite.

Almost all of those in the cafeteria were now watching after they'd heard Josh yell. Everyone felt shocked that Chuck had actually taken a bite. Most of all, Hayley was impressed with Josh.

"He really dove right into that" Derek chuckled, as Hayley gave him a smile.

Nate was laughing at his friend and Josh gave him a look. Josh realised it was only fair that he got what he deserved as well, after all, he was allowing his friend to carry on the way he was.

"Don't gobble it all up, Chuck - your mate Nate here wants a slice of that action for himself" Josh grinned deviously, liking this feeling of power - he knew Nate had to do what he said.

"Na-uh. No way, man. That was his idea and his hair!" Nate shook his head, trying to back away.

"Well perhaps you should have thought about that, I don't know, before you picked on Cam" Josh got closer to Nate, intimidating him even more.

Nate took the plate from Chuck and slowly ate a bite of the pie, gagging as he did so. He was more than humiliated - how could he ever show his face around school again?

"So you think that was bad? Try messing with Cameron again, and it'll be much, much worse" Josh nodded, before putting an arm around Cameron's shoulders.

"Thanks, Josh. I got it from here, though" Cam smiled, turning to Nate and Chuck.

Josh laughed quietly, glad Cameron was feeling better - he didn't deserve to be picked on. Josh felt guilty that he even used to call the kid Spaz, just because everyone else had.

Josh walked away from the trio, knowing that he had done the right thing and hoping he could be forgiven, seeing as he had just saved Cameron from having to do what Chuck and Nate ended up doing.

"Come on you two, you heard him! Try messing with me again and you're both dead meat" Cameron poked his tongue out at the two guys across from him.

Josh turned to look at Cameron and the guys. He smiled to himself, glad that he helped the kid.

The old Josh would have instead sat and watched Cameron get picked on but not anymore, no way.

Moving his gaze a little to the right, Josh spotted Hayley looking at him and he didn't know what to do - was she happy that he helped Cam out? The guy could only hope so.