When We Were Young
Chapter 2: The Social Network
DISCLAIMER: Hey, if I owned the show House would still be lying on Cuddy's couch with his head in her lap because nothing after 7x14 would've ever happened on my watch. Just sayin. (except maybe the House/Wilson chicken bet from 7x20. I would totally get behind that)
A/N: Thanks for the alerts and reviews on the first chapter. Hopefully this chapter clears a few more things up as you get to know more about the gang!
PS - Don't get too used to having 2 chapters in one week, I just felt I owed you guys a little more explanation into this story as the first chapter didn't reveal much. Although I have a few more chapters completed, I am still writing this as I go and so it can sometimes take a while, depending on the attention span of my muse ;)
'Eric Foreman to the Headmaster's office please. Eric Foreman to the Headmaster's office'
Eric Foreman; a fellow senior student at Princeton rolled his eyes and slammed his fist on his desk as he heard his name being called out over the P.A. system. Several "oooh's" were heard among his fellow classmates as they all alluded to the likely fact that Eric was about to get into some trouble.
"Mr. Foreman" his biology teacher called out a few short moments later. "You're excused to go see Headmaster Cuddy"
"Well? What did we do this time?" Eric grumbled towards House who was seated next to him.
"You mean what minor misdemeanour have you unknowingly aided and abetted?" House quickly retorted to which Eric replied with a slight shrug and nod of his head.
"Oh it could be any number of things" House mused as he looked at the ceiling and shrugged. "But whatever it is, remember the 'homie' code" he mocked smugly as he made a fist and extended it out towards Eric.
"Yeah, yeah. You owe me House" Eric sighed as he stood up from his desk and gave House a light fist bump before exiting the classroom.
"Put it on my tab" House called out as Eric exited the classroom.
"Ah Mr. Foreman, please have a seat" Headmaster Cuddy greeted the young man as he entered his office. "And tell me, why you think you're here in my office already on the first day back to school"
The young man sighed and nervously twiddled his thumbs in his lap before offering a small shrug. Eric of course had no idea what House had done this time to get him in trouble and would only incriminate himself further if he just started guessing at all the things he actually knew about.
"Well" Mr. Cuddy decided to begin anyway. "I just got off the phone with Mrs. Tucker and she was very upset to hear that the drama club's reservations of the sound stage every Thursday for the next month had been removed from the list and replaced in the record log with your name. Now forgive me, maybe more has happened over the summer break than I recall but when did you graduate, become a faculty member at this school and bestow upon yourself the authority to make such decisions? Hmm?" His voice was stern and clearly agitated. Eric shifted slightly in his chair as he struggled to come up with an answer.
"I... uh... Must be some mistake sir" was all his brain could come up with, lame as it sounded.
"Right, it's probably the other Eric Foreman enrolled here" the headmaster grumbled. "I'd like an answer son. If it wasn't you, it had to be somebody"
Eric simply shrugged. "Maybe just a prank sir? What would I need with the sound stage?" he scoffed in hopes that Mr. Cuddy would buy into his explanation.
"So you're not going to admit to this?"
"Honestly sir, I had nothing to do with that. But I will apologize to Mrs. Tucker" he gulped nervously as his eyes shifted back and forth with uncertainty.
"Yes, you will apologize" came his stern reply. "And until you either admit that you did it or give me the name of who is really responsible; which we both know you aren't going to give up; you will be placed on a special assignment from me in lieu of detention"
Eric rolled his eyes but nodded in compliance. "Okay"
"We have a new student that joined us today. Here is a copy of his class schedule, I want you to find him and show him around. His father made a very generous donation to this school and I want him to be taken care of. Do you understand?"
"So, what, I have to babysit some new kid?" Eric scoffed at the idea. To say he was less than thrilled about the idea of being a glorified babysitter would be a huge understatement.
"Yes, that's exactly right. You are to remain at his side at all times during lunch and free periods, make friends with him, make him feel at home here. Besides, I think we can both agree you could use better influences around you"
"What's wrong with the friends I have now?" Eric quickly fired back, only to receive a less than amused glare in return from the headmaster.
"Fine" Eric sighed; reluctantly agreeing to the punishment, as it was better than the alternative which would likely be scrubbing the toilets every day after school for a month like his last disciplinary arrangement.
"Very well" The headmaster nodded before focussing back on the stack of papers on his desk. "Now get out of here, lunch hour is about to begin" he mentioned without looking up from his papers and just offering a wave of his hand signalling for Eric to leave.
Eric sighed once more as he stood up and left the office. Just as the he closed the door behind him the loud ring of the school bell indicated that lunch hour had begun so Eric glanced at the schedule he had been given and hurried up the stairs to find his new detention project.
"Hey, you Chase?" A voice called Robert from behind and he turned to see a strange boy leaning against a locker outside his second period classroom. The dark skinned boy had short black hair, brown eyes and was of average height and build. The only thing unique about him so far that Robert could notice was the less than amused expression he wore on his face as he eyed Robert.
"Yeah..." the boy looked around, somewhat confused. "Who are you?"
"Your new babysitter" Eric groaned as he shoved a piece of paper back into his pocket. "Headmaster Cuddy says I have to eat lunch with you"
"Well gee that's a flattering invitation but I'll be fine on my own thanks" Robert grimaced as he shook his head and turned away to head towards the cafeteria.
This school was beginning to get to him, by the end of his first class he found himself completely miserable by all the hostility he had endured so far. He always heard that American youth were for the most part rude and pretentious; especially the upper middle class youth; and so far that stereotype seemed to have rang true since he had yet to meet anyone who seemed like a half decent human being other than his all to brief encounter with the brunette that had occupied his thoughts all morning.
"Hey wait up man" the boy was at his side in an instant and grabbed onto his shoulder. "Look, you don't know anybody, and I don't wanna go back to scrubbing toilets after school so let's just get through lunch then you can tell the headmaster that we made nice but in the future you'd like to be left to your own devices. Then I'll be off the hook and we can leave each other alone"
"I'm not a charity case, I can make my own friends" Robert barked back.
"Cool man" Eric raised his hands in defeat. "Let's just do lunch, I'll give you the lay of the land and you can go be friends with whoever you want"
"Why'd you get stuck doing this?" Robert wondered, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Apparently my friends are bad influences and Mr. Cuddy thinks it would 'do me good' to hang around pretentious rich boys like you" Eric huffed.
"Charming guy like you? Can't see why you'd have a hard time finding decent friends" Robert returned sarcastically before turning away from Eric once more.
"Alright, alright!" Eric conceited as he hurried to catch up to Robert's side once more. "Sorry, I didn't mean that last part. Can we please just go to lunch this one time? Better than being seen by yourself on the first day of school right?"
"Fine" Robert groaned. The boy was right, he didn't know who anyone was and high school being what it is he wouldn't want to get involved in the wrong social circles and become even more miserable than he is now; if that was even at all possible.
Heaving a heavy sigh Robert let his shoulders fall with defeat and gave Eric a firm nod before the two headed for the staircase together.
"Okay, let me break it down for you" Eric began as he and Robert set their cafeteria trays down on a empty large round table a few minutes later.
"See over here," he pointed to his left and paused briefly to take a large bite out of his turkey sandwich. "you've got your basic run of the mill geek squad" he continued, his mouth still half full. "You got your mathletes, chess club, science club. Basically that's what we call the social suicide zone" he explained with a shrug of his shoulders. "You're gonna wanna stay away from there"
"Right" Robert nodded slowly; not fully understanding but pretending he did for the sake of argument.
"Over here you've got your burnouts. If you like standing around all day playing hacky sack and making compelling arguments about things nobody cares about and forgetting about them five minutes later; these are your guys"
Robert shook his head negatively.
"Good call" Eric nodded. "You've got your band geeks" he continued and Robert shook his head again. "Your socialites" he nodded his head to the table behind them; 6 young girls who were too busy gossiping and filing their nails to actually eat lunch. "Just do yourself a favour and stay away from them all together" Eric lightly warned and Robert nodded.
"Jocks and cheerleaders" Eric nodded towards the cafeteria doors to a large herd of letterman jacket clad boys and mini skirt wearing girls who began making their way to the cafeteria line.
"I suck at sports" Robert groaned. "I am however partial to girls in skirts..." he continued with a small smirk forming on his lips while his eyes closely followed one of the cheerleaders in particular who was walking ahead of the group as she made her way past their table.
"Keep dreaming man" Eric scoffed at the naive young man.
"Well this is America right?" Robert smiled smugly. "The land of opportunity... Besides, I know that girl, I met her this morning. I'm going for it"
"Waste of time man" Eric shook his head just as Robert went to stand up.
"Why?"
"Let's just say she... Has other interests" Eric nodded his head towards the front of the cafeteria line where Greg House and another young man stood.
"Put it on his tab" House nodded his head towards the boy to his left as they stood at the cafeteria cashier desk.
"Where's your wallet?" The boy groaned as he reached for his own, pulling out a ten dollar bill and handing it to the middle aged woman at the cash register.
"In my pocket, where else would it be?" He shrugged.
"Then why did you... You know what, nevermind" his clearly frustrated friend groaned as he rubbed his forehead with his hand.
"I hate that guy..." Robert muttered as he played with a french fry on his plate; his voice snapping Eric's attention back to him.
"That's just House" Eric chuckled as he shook his head.
"The guy's a tool" Robert quickly backfired; to the slight shock of Eric. "What? You don't agree?"
"Oh no I think everybody here would agree with you I'm just surprised to hear you figure it out so quickly. Looks like you don't need my help after all"
"So how's he get a girl like that to be his girlfriend?" Robert wondered aloud as he focussed his attention back to the cafeteria line where the girl he had been introduced to as Allie had now caught up to the two boys.
"No man she's not his girlfriend" Eric simply shook his head.
"Really?" Robert's voice perked up slightly.
"Much to her dismay" Eric added and Robert frowned.
"So, he's gay" Robert mentioned, more as an assumed fact rather than a question, causing Eric to nearly fall over in his chair from laughing so hard.
"What's so funny?" a slightly angered House asked as he reached their table and dropped his tray on it from a high enough distance to startle the boys with the loud bang that followed.
"Well?" House questioned further; eyeing Eric. "Aren't you going to share with the rest of the class?"
Eric took a moment to collect himself from laughing so hard and sat up properly at the table again; taking a brief moment to look across the table at Robert who was now shaking his head and glaring at him; begging him with his eyes not to reveal their conversation.
"My boy Chase here..." Eric began, still laughing but trying to get the words out and Chase shook his head at Eric once more. "He thinks you're gay"
"Ha. Wilson wishes" House simply retorted, nudging his friend in the arm, who just rolled his eyes in response as they both took a seat on opposite sides of the table; House sitting down next to Eric and Allie taking the seat next to House.
Allie looked amazing Robert thought to himself. True, she was wearing the school standard uniform just like every other girl there but the smile she never seemed to stop sharing with the people around her was something nobody could duplicate, that he was sure of. She wore the traditional blue and grey plaid kilt with navy blue knee-high stockings and a white collared short sleeve blouse with the school's crest embroidered on the left side. Her hair was a golden brown with blonde highlights, sitting a few inches past her shoulders and it had a bit of curl to it at the ends which she was currently twirling around her index finger as she sipped on her diet soda. Long bangs swept across her forehead on an angle, slightly covering her left eye; it was everything in Robert not to reach across the table and push them aside if only to get the chance to look into her eyes for even a brief second. Snap out of it, he quickly thought to himself, focussing his attention elsewhere before he was caught staring.
The boys all wore the same as well, grey or khaki dress pants, white oxford shirts, blue and red striped ties and some also opted for the optional navy blue sweater vests or blazers. Robert noticed the boy sitting with House did in fact opt for both the sweater vest and blazer. He was very clean cut; hair neatly kempt, light brown parted down one side and stopped right above his cheekbone . An upstanding young man as far as Robert could tell. Which is why it was so odd to see him hanging out with the likes of this House kid. Sure, he wore the uniform, but in his own rough-edged way. His top few shirt buttons were undone and he was wearing a white t-shirt underneath with a black Rolling Stones logo on it that was easily seen through the thin white oxford. The tie, which was a strict part of the uniform code as far as Robert had been informed was nowhere to be seen and he of course didn't opt for the sweater vest or blazer. Everything about him from the top of his slightly spiky bed-head inspired hairstyle down to soles of his classic black and white Chuck Taylors screamed rebellion.
"Look you're cute and all but I just told you I'm not gay" the sharp remark from House as he noticed him staring snapped Robert out of his momentary daze and he looked into the boy's icy blue eyes like a deer caught in headlights.
"I..." He thought for a brief moment about defending himself but then realized it wasn't worth the embarassment of admitting he was judging the boy that he now considered his 'competition' so figured it best to just keep his mouth shut and act as if he had no idea to what House was referring. He shifted nervously in his seat as an awkward silence grew and turned his gaze to the plate in front of him and kept it fixed there firmly in an effort to avoid the pair of eyes he could feel staring him down from across the table.
House carefully studied the nervous young man before him for a few more seconds before offering a slight shrug of his shoulders then reached for his sandwich and took a large bite, his interest apparently lost as he started chatting to his friend about the 'sick' game of Call of Duty they had played together the previous night.
Thank God, Robert sighed inwardly. He didn't know much about this House kid but one thing he thought for certain, he could probably make his life a living hell if he wanted to. In fact he seemed the type that might even do it just for fun, not unlike a child who tortures ants with a magnifying glass in the sunlight. This, Robert thought to himself, might just be a guy who's good side you'll want to get on, and stay on.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Remember, reviews are love :) Up next you'll learn a little more about the group of friends as they have lunch together and witness a few more of House's antics ;) Thanks for stopping by!