Fate Stepped In - Chapter Ten and Eleven
A quick Thanks to all that have e-mailed me with feedback. I enjoy hearing your opinions, views, suggestions and every thing else you have to say.
Also, I was suffering from writer's block and wrote a short story entitled "Not Meant to Be". Check it out if you have a chance.
So as always:
This is my first attempt at writing, so be kind. Please over look any grammer or punctuation errs.
Remember...This is FICTION. (You all know the standard disclaimer, insert it here.)
E-Mail any comment or suggestions to K_Magic@Prodigy.Net
------------ Chapter Ten ------------
Lance knocked on JC's door but got no answer. He opened the door using his key, but as soon as he entered he heard the shower going. Everything looked fine this time. His clothes were laid out, his bed was made, everything looked all right. Lance went to the desk and wrote a note to JC, placed it on the clothes JC had laid out and then left.
After spending 25 minutes in the shower, just standing under the water flow, JC turned the water off and exited the shower. Drying himself and putting on his robe, he went the the mirror. Wiping the fog off the mirror with his towel, he stood there looking at his reflection. The face looking back at him was the same one he has looked at all his life, but somehow he felt it looked different. He rubbed his hands over his face.
"Get a grip, Josh. Nothing's changed, you're the same as you've always been. Don't let those fucks get to you. It was only physical, don't let them fuck over your mind too. Your life is finally looking up. Lance loves you, he knows what happened and he still loves you. Push it aside and get back to your life, your new life."
JC was talking to himself all while he brushed his teeth and shaved. He exited the bathroom and went to the bed to get dress. There was a note on his clothes which read:
Josh,
Stopped by but you were in the shower. I didn't want to disturb you so I went back to my room to shower and change. The doors open, come over when your ready so we can talk about what we're going to say to the guys.
See you then.
Lance
PS...I LOVE YOU JOSH
JC smiled, clutching the letter to his heart.
"I love you too." JC whispered as he put the letter down and got dressed. He got the letter, placed in his day planner and went to do his hair. When his hair was set, he ran out the door over to Lance's room.
JC entered Lance's room and heard the shower going. He went over to the bed and sat down. Leaning back his hand came in contact with Lance's pillow. He picked the pillow up and placed it up against his face. He deeply inhaled Lance's scent off the pillow. He felt a warmness in his heart as he lowered the pillow back to the bed. His hand was stroking the pillow when something caught his eye. Where the pillow was laying were some papers. JC picked up the papers and started to read them. When he was done, he placed the papers back and put the pillow back over them.
Now he was totally confused. According to the letter, it wasn't Lance that found him last night. It was a stranger. His mind went bact to the night before, trying to remember every detail that was so foggy in his mind. A stranger had found him...A stranger had listen to him confess his secrets. A stranger knew he loved Lance. A stranger had soothed his pain...A stranger had...kissed him. He remember the slight gentle kiss that awoke him out of his stupor...A stranger....Who was it...Who knew his secrets...Why didn't Lance tell him the truth. Why did he do what the stranger told him to do and lie to him...JC's head started to pound and he felt like he was going to throw up. His mind was going in fifty different directions, he couldn't think straight.
His toughts were interrupted by the sound of the shower water being turned off and the shower door opening. JC was about to run out the door, but he stopped. Knowing that he had to talk to Lance about his cover story for the guys, he sat back down. "For now, just pretend you never saw the letter." JC thought to himself.
Lance exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, to find JC sitting on his bed, with the a confused look on his face. Lance walked up to him with the biggest smile on his face and pulled him up into a hug. JC returned the hug, when his hands came in contact with Lance's bare skin and his cheek came in contact with Lance's he couldn't let go. Everything in his mind was cleared out and all he could think of was Lance. Just that moment with Lance.
"I love you Josh," Lance whispered in his ear.
"I love you too...I could stay like this forever, I never want to let you go."
They broke their embrace, still facing each other, Lance grasped both of JC's hand and stared into his eyes.
"You are so gorgeous Josh, I..."
Before Lance could finish what he wanted to say, JC leaned in and kissed him. Their lips moved against each other until JC let go of Lance's hand. His hands moved up and held onto Lance's face and started to kiss him deeper. His tongue entered Lance's mouth and was met with Lance's tongue. Their tongues explored each other until Lance broke the kiss.
"Josh we need to stop now...We have to leave soon and I need to get ready. With the condition I am in right now, it is going to take a while to get into my pants."
JC looked down and saw the front of Lance's towel tented out.
"Damn, I never knew you were that big."
JC's comment made Lance's face turn bright red. He turned around, dropped his towel and started to get dressed. With the thought of Lance's size and the sight of his rear, JC was now in the same condition as Lance was.
"So what do we tell the guys?"
"I think I will just play sick all the way to the arena, kinda doze off in the limo."
"Sounds like a plan, let me fix my hair then we're outta here."
Lance ran into the bathroom and JC sat back down on the bed. All the thoughts that exited his mind when he was with Lance came crashing back into his head.
"Hey Lance, you got any apsrin?"
"Yeah, hold on a sec."
Lance, with his hair all spikey, exited the bathroom and went to his suitcase. He dug around, pulled out an asprin bottle and tossed it to JC. After downing three, he stuck the bottle in his pocket and they left the room.
Justin was just leaving his room and Chris was banging on Joey's door, as they exited Lance's room. When they got to Joey's door, Joey stepped out and Justin caught up with them.
"How ya feeling?" All three of them asked JC at once.
"Not too good, but I'll survive. Let's hit it."
They went down in the elevator and the back to their limo. True to his word, JC laid down in the limo and pretended to sleep. The ride to the arena was quiet. They didn't want to disturb JC. At the arena, JC sat down in a chair and looked spaced out. He didn't talk to anyone. All that was on his mind was the stranger from the night before...who was he. It was tearing Lance apart not being able to go be with him, but he knew with the circumstances being what they were, he couldn't.
Right before the show, when no one was looking, JC felt someone grab his hand. He looked next to him and saw Lance smiling back at him. Lance lean over and gave him a quick kiss.
"Have a good show, Mr Chasez." Lance said squeezing his hand and smiling.
"Thanks, Mr Bass...You too."
Once on stage though, JC came alive. His mind cleared. He was where he loved to be and he was in love with the man of his dreams. He was so full of energy, he was jumping and running all around. He was dancing a step faster than the others. During one of their costume changes, Lance came up to him and told him to tune it down a little. But it didn't work. At the end of the show, he ran passed the others and beat them all to the limo. Once they were all in, all eyes turned to him.
Chris was the first to speak. "Shit JC, what medication are you taking cause pass it over. This old boy needs some help to keep up with you."
"Josh, you were all over the place, damn you almost ran me over a few times." Joey added.
JC just sat there smiling looking at Lance, with Lance returning the gaze. No one noticed, except Justin.
"Hey Josh." Justin yelled across the limo.
"Huh, yeah Curly." JC said breaking his gaze to look at Justin.
"Did Scoop tell you about the X-rated show he gave to the fans today."
"Nope, spill it."
Justin was about to start the story and Lance was covering his red face. When Chris spoke up.
"Oh no you don't, Mr Timberlake, or is it Woody-lake, start at the beginning. Here let me...AS Justin was AROUSED out of sleep by...."
Justin jumped across the limo and landed on Chris. Joey and Lance started laughing as Justin and Chris wrestled around. Chris finally got the upper hand and tossed Justin to the limo floor.
"Thanks Chris, I owe you one."
"No problem, Scoop." Chris said as he started to tell the story.
By the time the story was finished, the limo had reached the hotel and every one had tears in their eyes from laughing. All anomosity among the five forgotten.
"So what's up for tonight, Scoop?" Joey asked.
"Well, the hotel has a spread in one of the banquet rooms for us. Since we didn't eat dinner, I called them earlier and ordered it."
"Cool, I am sooo hungry." Justin said.
"You are the Man, Scoop." Chris replied.
The limo pulled up to the back enterance and as Lance led them to the banquet room, he pulled Justin aside.
"Justin, I'm going to go call my Mom and break the news. I'll be back in a while."
"Are you sure you want to do this right now."
"Yeah, if I don't do it now, I probably won't be able to do it at all."
"Ok, see you in a bit."
With that, Lance headed for the elevator as the others started to pile their plates with food.
"Hey Just, where'd Scoop go?" Chris said as Justin sat down next to him.
"He had to go call his Mom, he needed to tell her something important, he'll be back in a while. Where did Joey disappear to?"
"He went up to the front desk to check if he had any messages." JC said.
"Bullshit, he went to check out the girl working behind the desk, damn she's fine." Chris said winking at Justin.
"She's a hottie" was Justin's reply.
Joey entered the room, grabbed a plate, filled it and sat down next to Justin.
"Hey, did you guys know that 98 degrees is in town and staying at this hotel, I just ran into Justin in the lobby. I told him if he wanted, to tell the other guys to head down here for some grub."
"That's cool, we haven't seen them since spring break." Chris said.
Just then, they heard a voice say, "Hey, Latch...D...the room's over here," as Justin and Jeff from 98 degrees entered the room followed by Nick and his brother Drew.
As soon as JC heard the voice and the word Latch, his face went white and his hands started to shake. His eyes gazed down at the table as the four guys walked up to the table.
A round of "Heys" and "What's ups" followed and the two groups exchanged greetings. All except JC who remained staring at the table.
"Hey JC, how are you doing." A familiar voice said to JC, which broke his trance.
JC looked up through unfocused eyes and looked at Drew. His mind could not focus on any of Drew's features, just the outline of his head. It looked all to familiar to him. JC nodded at him then spoke.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to go to the restroom."
With that, JC rose and walked off.
Drew had notices the look on JC's face and had a funny feeling in his stomach.
"I think I'll head off to the bathroom too, be back in a sec." Drew said as he turn to follow JC.
"What's up with JC." Justin J. asked.
"He's woke up really sick this morning, we thought he might not make the show." Chris replied.
"So how was the show?" Jeff said, changing the subject.
JC entered the bathroom and walked to the sink. He turned on the cold water and started to dowse his face with it. Before he could even think, he heard the door open. He grabbed some towels and wiped the water off his face. Eyes closed, he felt someone standing next to him.
"It was you last night wasn't it...it was you who came into the room after your brother and Jeff did what they did to me."
"Drew just stood there staring at JC.
"Why...Why did they do it...Why." JC said starting to cry.
Drew grabbed JC into a hug.
"It's over JC, it will never happen again. I promise...Never again." Drew's heart was pounding like it was going to explode. He inhaled JC's scent and his hands were carressing his back, feeling every muscle in JC's body, wishing he could hold JC forever in his arms.
JC felt safe in Drew's arms. A feeling like he was meant to be there. Like Drew's arms were made to hold him and him alone. JC stopped crying and looked Drew in the eyes. Before he knew it his lips were in contact with Drew's lips. At that moment, Lance was out of JC's mind and Jeff was out of Drew's mind. It was just Drew and JC and all seemed perfect in the world.
--------------- Chapter Eleven ---------------
IN LANCE'S ROOM
"Hello?"
"Hi Mama, sorry for calling so late. Did I wake you."
"No, baby, I was just sitting in bed reading. I got caught up in it and wasn't watching the time. Everything Ok?"
"Yeah Mama, everything's fine..."
"James baby what's wrong..."
"Mama...I'm sorry..."
"Sorry for what?"
"For not being the son you wanted."
"James, what are you talking about. You're not making any sense."
"Mama, please forgive me."
"James, please what's going on...are you all right...you're scaring me."
"I'm fine, Mama, I just wanted to tell you something."
"What is it honey."
"Mama...I'm ...I'm....gay, Mama...I'm sorry...I...."
BANG
"Mama...Mama..." Lance started to cry.
"Hello...Who is this?"
"Hi, Papa."
"James is that you? What wrong son? What did you say to your mother. She just jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom crying."
I'm sorry, Papa....I..."
"Just a second son"
Lance listen over the phone as his father left the phone and when to their bathroom to talk to his mother. He could make out anything. A few minutes later the heard the phone being picked up.
"James, your mother just told me what you told her. We can't...I can't ...I just can't........."
Click.
"Papa...Papa..."
Lance started to cry harder as the phone went dead. He sat there a few minutes just holding the phone crying. Finally when the recording came on telling him if he wished to make another call, please hang up and try again, he hung up the phone and went into the bathroom. He turned on the cold water and washed his face a few time. He couldn't look at himself in the mirror. He dried his face and walked out.
"Why did I tell them...Why...No...it had to be done. If I'm going to be with Josh, they had to know. No more secrets."
He still felt weak in the knees as he walked out of his room.
"I have to go find Josh, I need him right now."
Lance took the stairs down hoping it would give him time to gather himself together and also so he would run into anyone. As he walked to the banquet room, he decided to go to the bathroom to make sure he look presentable.
As he opened the door, he looked up and saw two people leaning against the sink kissing.
"Oh, I'm sorr...." The words died on his lips as the two broke apart.
"Lance, I..." was all that JC could get out of his mouth before Lance turned and ran out the door.