Author's Note: Just a little "missing scene" I've had in my head for about a year now. This takes place during the first movie, after the scene in Mazur's office but before the crowd chant that leads into "Stand Out (Reprise)", and is my take on why PJ acts so "out of character" in the latter scene. Enjoy!

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This Kind of Thing
by Carrehz

"Oh man... my dad is gonna smash me like a bug."

PJ trudged out of the principal's office slowly, zombie-like, staring straight ahead, nothing really registering with him. He was vaguely aware of Bobby calling after him, but he had no idea what he was saying; the other boy could've been speaking in a different language altogether for all he knew, his mind was buzzing so much. He couldn't focus on anything but that singular thought, repeating in his head over and over again. Dad's gonna be so mad when I get home.

He wandered down the hallways in a daze, oblivious to everyone and everything around him. He couldn't believe it. He'd told Max over and over how bad an idea this whole thing was, but had he listened? No, of course not, he never did - no one ever listened to him. Max always managed to talk him into whatever crazy scheme or stunt he had in mind. And the thing was that he didn't even need to talk PJ into it, really, because of course he'd go along with it, no matter how many misgivings he had, because he'd been part of every other crazy scheme and plan Max had come up with, ever since he'd moved in next door when they were kids. He was pretty sure it was always going to be that way. Heck, if he was really honest with himself, in a way he hoped it would be, because otherwise he'd be all alone again, and he didn't even want to think about that.

I mean, it's not that I don't wanna help him, but why's it always gotta end up with me getting the blame? He gets someone else involved for once and I'm still the one that gets called into Mazur's office first! It's not like I was the one up on a wire, or- or whatever Bobby was doin' with that blowtorch...

PJ knew it didn't really matter. Even if Mazur had left him until last, the outcome would still have been the same. The last few minutes kept replaying in his mind over and over, like a broken record. He'd stood there, insides knotted up as the principal started dialling, feeling like he was waiting to be executed - for all intents and purposes, he might as well be. Mazur had talked for a few minutes, paused, then held the phone out to PJ with a huff. He'd taken it with shaking hands, wishing he was somewhere, anywhere else. His dad hadn't said much, just "we'll talk about this later", but that was enough to set PJ's mind spinning. As soon as he got home, he was so dead.

Okay, sure, so the other two had gotten in trouble too - that didn't really mean anything. It wasn't the same. He'd seen Mr. Goof get mad before - sort of - well, as mad as he ever seemed to get, anyway. He'd just lecture Max for a bit and then calm down and give him a hug, or something. He had no idea what Bobby's parents were like, but if they were anything like their son, they'd probably just laugh it off. Or blame me 'n Max for pulling him into it. He tried not to think about that possibility. It hadn't been his idea to get Bobby involved - he didn't even know him, not really. He wasn't sure how Max had gotten Bobby on board, but he remembered trying to use that as an excuse to get out of it himself. "Why'd you need both of us to pull it off? I can't do any of this stuff," he'd pointed out, as Bobby had rambled about some special effect or another. Max had just grinned and pointed out that PJ was the only one out of them that had access to the video camera they needed, and PJ had sighed, knowing that meant there was no way he was getting out of this now.

He looked up; without realizing it, his feet had taken him in the direction of his locker. He sighed and made his way over to it, still lost in thought. I guess at least Mazur didn't take- PJ stopped short, realization washing over him. The camera - he'd put it down somewhere backstage and forgotten all about it - he'd have to go all the way back and retrieve it - assuming no one else had already taken it, of course... He let out a howl of frustration and slammed his head into the lockers, regretting it instantly as pain started spreading through his skull. He turned around and leaned back against the lockers, sliding slowly downwards until he was slumped on the floor, knees drawn up to his chest, hands clutching his now-throbbing head. How could he have forgotten it? He'd spent all day - all week - agonizing over this whole thing, worrying about being caught with the camera before he left for school, about something happening to it during Max's little stunt, and then he'd gone and lost it five minutes into the plan. How could he be so stupid?

PJ let out a sigh, frustrated - not just with himself, but the entire situation. All that planning and it hadn't even worked. Last time he'd seen Max, the other boy had been freaking out as he was dragged off to Mazur's office alongside him, with Roxanne nowhere to be found. What if Max wants to try again after summer vacation's over, or- oh geez, what if he spends all vacation try'na ask her out... His mind went into overdrive, picturing it - it wasn't really a question that he'd be involved if that did happen. Wouldn't even matter if I get grounded forever 'n' Dad locks me in my room or somethin'. Max'd just see that as a challenge. He sighed again, lifting his head up and resting his chin on his knees, arms hugging his legs, staring at nothing in particular. He was tired of thinking about things. All this worrying was exhausting. PJ wished he could just - just stop, turn it off, freeze time right here, so he'd never have to go home, never have to face any of the fears threatening to consume him, or...

"...so like what are you going to wear next Saturday? I think I have some stuff you could borrow - oooh or we could like totally go shopping together this weekend!"
"I-I dunno, I don't wanna make a big deal or anything. What if I'm the only one that gets dressed up and everyone's staring at me?"

PJ's ears pricked, the approaching voices slowly filtering through the fog in his mind. Those voices... he knew them... He blinked, things clicking into place as he looked up, to find that the owners of said voices were headed right for him. Instinctively he scooted back a little - or tried to, given he already had his back to the lockers and there wasn't really anywhere else for him to go - and pulling his legs as close to himself as possible, trying not to get in their way.

"Well like, who cares? As long as Max is staring at you - and I'm telling you Rox, that boy is going to be all over you next weekend!"
"Staceyyyyyy!"
PJ watched, dazed, as the girls pushed each other playfully, giggling as they walked past him, apparently not noticing him at all. He stared after them as they continued down the hall, his eyes not leaving the increasingly distant figures until they rounded the next corner and disappeared from sight completely. He was frozen to the spot, his head suddenly completely empty of everything except what he'd just overheard.
"It.... worked?" he whispered, without realizing it. It felt as if everything was going in slow motion - as if he really had managed to freeze time. "It actually... he..."
Suddenly he felt lighter than air - as if there was absolutely nothing else in the world except the fact that it had worked, all the time spent planning and scheming hadn't been for nothing - he'd succeeded, Max had succeeded, he'd actually asked her out-
PJ let out a short laugh, more out of disbelief than anything at first, before laughing again, louder this time - or maybe he was hyperventilating, he wasn't sure - he didn't care, he didn't care about anything right now because he was so-
"Oh m- I gotta-" The words came in short bursts, more subconscious than anything. Gotta find him- oh my God he actually did it, I can't believe it-
His head was filling with thoughts again, but this time they were rushing through his head excitedly, leaving nothing behind but a breathless kind of ecstasy that was spreading through him rapidly. He scrambled to his feet, solely focused on finding his best friend and congratulating him. He knew exactly what this meant to him, how badly Max had wanted today to go right, and it had, and maybe it hadn't gone exactly how they'd planned but that wasn't important because it had still worked...!

PJ knew nothing had changed, not really - he still had to get the camera back, he still had to face his dad when he got home - but right now, it didn't matter; nothing in the world mattered to him apart from this.



For right now, I think I'm running
A race I know I'm gonna win
And I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
- Pet Shop Boys