"A pool? You're betting on how long it'll be before I run?"
Big Tim grinned. "Yep. I got you down for two days."
"I got you down for five," Vaughan chimed in from the back seat.
I sat there stunned. Everyone on the crew thought I'd wash out. I hadn't considered that I wouldn't last a week.
My litany of fears started to play again, loud and insistent. But I forced them away, refusing to worry about how long I'd last. After all, I was here now, on my way to meet the Fiery Boys. And even if it lasted only fifteen minutes, I could handle it.
The truth was, meeting new, potentially hostile people didn't scare me-I'd endured plenty of that when I was younger. My dad was in the military, and we moved every year or two, from city to city and from country to country. Each time we moved, I'd have to make new friends, break into new cliques, and get accepted. I learned to stay quiet at first and observe people, then dive in when I was ready.
Most of all, I learned the importance of having a good attitude when meeting new people. And since I was about to meet the Fiery Boys, my attitude was at an all-time high. So I told myself that I was once again making new friends, and we'd soon be having the best of times together. Just another first day at a new school.
I gave Big Tim a defiant grin. "Two days, huh? Am I expected to just quit, or will they find me by the side of the road, drooling and babbling?"
Big Tim laughed. "I was thinking drool and babble, but now that I've met you, I'm upgrading you to just quit."
"Thanks, Big Tim. I appreciate that. But you might want to revise your bet. I'm not afraid of any crap the band might throw my way. This is a huge dream of mine, so I doubt they can scare me off."
"Oh, they're plenty scary. But it's not just the boys who are going to drive you away. It's the fans. That's the reason we all think this is a bad idea."
"Yeah, nobody's happy about me winning this contest. Have you seen what they're saying on the Internet?"
Big Tim sputtered. "Hey! Rule number one: don't read about yourself on the Internet. None of the band members do, except maybe Chuck."
"Oh, well, too late. I know women are jealous all over the world. Some of them get really nasty. And men are either calling me an ugly dog or a CWILF."