Deviating from the Norm (A "Freaks and Geeks" Fanfic)

Chapter 2 - "And then there were six..."

Shock and awe. That's the best way I could describe the general reaction everyone had when I started to hang out with and befriend the group. The questions and concerns were endless, and they flowed in from all sides. My former teammates, my other friends, my other friends' parents. Hell, even some teachers voiced their concerns... and they all sounded the same. 'Why are you doing this?' they would ask, followed by other irreverent questions and concerns like, 'You know who those people are, right?' 'You're not one of them,' and, my personal favorite to hate, 'They'll change you.'

What pierced me the most though was just how sullen my parents were over the new bonds I had created. Sadly, I had expected as much from my father (as much as I wanted to believe otherwise, I knew in my heart that he would disapprove), but my mother had a veiled appearance of acceptance that stung more than if she would have outright denounced them like my father had. 'Well, if you like them Donny, that's all that matters... I guess,' she finally conceded in a wavering tone. It all felt completely faked, almost as if she was lying to me, playing some sort of game... and I didn't like that. Although, maybe I was looking at it wrong. Maybe my mother's pained look really was actually one of defeat, like she had quickly given up on the battle and was instead hurt by my stubbornness. Sometimes I hated being able to see both sides of every argument.

Accepted or not, I appreciated my new friends and there was no way in hell I was going to let any outside forces sway my opinion of them. They may have been a rough bunch, but they were my rough bunch. We all knew how to click and have a fun time, together or in smaller groups.

While it wasn't always easy for me to hang out with the guys (on account of Kim continuing to consider me as some sort of wolf in sheep's clothing), when we did hang out, it would be almost anywhere- the patio, the park, random parking lots, Nick's house... we would hang out in the basement a lot there, actually. We'd also hang out behind, or even in, the outdoor bleachers at school. Unfortunately, they were right next to the football field and I really hated being there, but that was where the action was sometimes. My hate wasn't exactly irrational; the bleachers legitimately brought on unpleasant feelings when I was around the structure. I would think of myself as being a fan on that night, and watching from the bleachers as one bully tackled a bonafied up-and-comer into a comatose state. Add to that the fact that I could barely fit my large, tall frame in-between the mass mess of woven, zig-zagging metal bars that held the whole contraption together, and it was easy to see why it was my least favorite watering hole. I had no idea how Nick managed to seamlessly navigate the area considering we were basically the same height and I conked my head at least once every time we went near the damn place.

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To the surprise of everyone in the group, myself included, I had even managed to befriend Kim after nearly a two-week stint with my new companions. Ironically, it was all due to a group of my old teammates trying to get me back into the game.

We were all sitting at "our" cafeteria table (a rarity that usually only occurred when it was raining outside) when Brett Sterling (one of my close friends on the football team), Jesse Greenburg and Chester Zellner all approached, looking somewhat malicious in their intentions.

"Donovan, buddy, how ya been?" Brett asked, hands in the pockets of his letterman jacket.

"Good, man. I've been... good," I replied cautiously, unsure of what this was all about. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ken and Nick looking at the newcomers suspiciously.

Chester snorted at my response. "Then what the hell are you doing sitting with these losers?"

I heard Ken snap back immediately with, 'Excuse me?' and Daniel followed right on his heels with, 'What the hell did you just say, douchebag?'