DISCLAIMER, ETC: Fiction ahead! I don't know the guys in N'Sync, and what follows is just something I do to pass the time. No, really. It is. Don't infer anything about anyone's sexual preference from reading this, okay?
Welcome back once again to another installment of the story! Ye Writer needs to say a few things here before we get to the show. First off, I'd really like to hear what you have to say about The Maze of Moments. Seems that the feedback has sort of dried up here lately, so I need to know if you like it, hate it, have suggestions, whatever! Drop me a line at KandLStories@aol.com and let me know what you think, okay? Okay!
Next, as always, please visit railwayshoes.net, the home of Maze and many other great stories, hosted by the one and only Gabriella! The hostess with the mostess!
Finally, a warning. This particular chapter is going to be a few parts long, but that's not why I'm warning you. Some of the content in the next few parts will be shocking at times, and upsetting at others. Without giving too much away, let me just say to be prepared, as some major things are going to happen in the lives of our heroes.
Thanks for reading, as always, and now on with the show!
--Tony
The Maze of Moments - A Kevin and Lance Story
Chapter 20 - Dies Irae ('Day of Wrath')
"Some say the world will end in fire..."
--Robert Frost
Part One - This Is The Moment
Thursday, May 11, 2000
The high pitched whine of the alarm clock caused Lance to stir. He opened one eye, and through the haze of sleep could make out the red numbers, telling him that it was fifteen minutes before seven. He reached over slowly and turned the alarm off, silencing the noise that had brought him out of slumber. Inhaling deeply, he rolled onto his back and stretched, arching his back up and off the bed slightly as he did so. Then, with a smile on his face, he began to roll over to his right, so that he could wake up Kevin.
However, Kevin was not in bed with him.
"Good morning sex....Kevin?"
Sitting up, he looked around the room, letting his eyes adjust to the faint streams of light that entered in through the blinds. Tilting his head a little, he listened carefully, thinking that perhaps Kevin was in the bathroom already. He heard no sound though, and got out of bed.
"Kevin?" he said again as he walked into the hall.
Still no answer. Walking back into the bedroom, he opened one of the large drawers of his dresser, pulled out a white t-shirt and put it on as he walked back into the hall and towards the head of the stairs.
'Maybe he's making breakfast,' Lance thought to himself.
"Kevin?" he called again as he walked down the stairs and into his living room area. Once again, there was no response, and the absence of the smell of food cooking indicated that his boyfriend was not in the kitchen either.
"Where the hell is he?" Lance asked the empty room. As he walked past the couch and yawned, he could see the sun finishing it's ascent into the sky through the glass doors of his patio. There was Kevin, found at last, sitting in one of the chairs and looking out on the backyard. Lance walked over to the doors, and opening one slowly, stepped out into the morning light and the cool breeze that accompanied it.
"There you are," he said. "I was starting to think you left me."
Kevin, who was dressed in his boxers and a shirt, much like Lance, turned around and saw his boyfriend, smiling warmly.
"Nah, I'm here," Kevin said with a slight smile of his own. "Morning."
"Good morning," Lance said as he leaned down and kissed Kevin on the cheek. "This has got to be a first, you waking up before me."
Kevin laughed a little and looked down at the ground. "Yeah, usually you have to pry me out of bed with a crowbar."
"Are you okay?" Lance asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine. I've just...I've just got some stuff on my mind, that's all."
"Like what? You're not nervous about tonight, are you?"
Kevin leaned back and sighed. "Yeah, a little."
"Kev, don't worry, everything is going to be just fine. You guys sound great, you've worked really hard this week. You'll do a great job out there."
"I guess," Kevin replied. "I don't know, though. You and the others have been doing this for such a long time now, this is nothing for you. What if we screw up, or forget some words? What if the crowd hates us? What if we sound terrible? What if.."
"Kevin," Lance interrupted, "slow down, okay? Look, it'll go fine, I promise. If you make a mistake, just do the best you can to cover it up and move on. The night will be over before you know it, you'll see," he finished with a another smile, hoping to reassure Kevin.
"I guess you're right." But Kevin's tone still didn't inspire much confidence.
"Is something else bothering you?"
"No, I'm fine. That's all."
Lance crossed his arms and smirked. "Uh-huh. Come on, out with it. I can tell when something's on your mind."
Kevin looked up. "How?"
"When something's bugging you, you bite your lower lip."
Sure enough, Kevin was doing so, and this caused him to laugh and feel a little bit better. "You noticed that after just a couple of weeks?"
"You'd be surprised. Now come on, what else is wrong?"
"It's just....hell, I don't know. I just have a weird feeling, you know? Like something's wrong, but I can't put my finger on it."
Lance stood up and held out his hand, pulling Kevin to his feet. "Look...don't worry, everything is going to go great tonight. You're just nervous, that's all. And it's okay to be nervous, hell, I was all the time when we got started."
"I guess you're right," Kevin answered. "I'm probably all worried for nothing." Then, with a smile, he leaned in and gave Lance a good morning kiss.
"There," Lance said as he pulled away from the kiss. "Feel better?"
"Hmmm. I don't know. Maybe you'd better try again."
Grinning, Lance kissed Kevin again, a little longer this time.
"How about now?" he asked softly when it was over.
"I don't know....I think maybe you need to do it one more time."
They kissed again, this time more deeply and more passionately than the first two times combined. Kevin wrapped his arms around Lance and moaned softly, running his hands up and down the back of his lover. After a few seconds, he brought one hand up to caress the back of Lance's head, stroking and running his fingers through the soft blond hair.
Lance's tongue dueled with Kevin's as he sighed happily. As the sun came up fully in the background, he couldn't help but think that he was the luckiest man in the world at that very moment. For so long he had dreamed of having someone to love, someone to watch the sun rise and set with. And now it had finally come true.
Kevin pulled his head back slightly and kissed Lance on the nose playfully, noticing the smile.
"I think I feel better now. Thanks, doc," he joked.
"Anytime. Wait until you get my bill."
"Oh? Well, maybe I should start to make payment then...."
"They're gonna be late again, aren't they?" Joey asked.
He sat on the bed in the hotel room he was sharing with Chris Kirkpatrick, flipping through the channels on television and wondering how long his friend was going to take to get ready.
"Fff I wzzz Lansh, I'd be rate too," came from the bathroom.
"Chris, spit out the toothpaste, I can't understand you dude."
Stepping out of the bathroom, Chris wiped off his mouth with a face cloth and tried again. "I said, if I was Lance, I'd be late too. Come on Joe, you gotta admit, it's cute."
"Oh hell, I know that. And I'm happy for the two of them. But really, how many times can two people possibly have sex?"
Seeing that Chris was about to answer, and probably with some rather odd Kirkpatrick logic, Joey Fatone held up his hand to try and head off Chris at the pass, so to speak.
"Never mind, never mind. You ponder that and I'll see if JC is awake yet."
"Cool, take your time. I gotta floss now," Chris said as he disappeared back in the bathroom, singing all the while in an off key voice: "Never hit your mother in the head with a shovel...it'll leave a dull impression on her mind...."
'Why do I keep rooming with him,' Joey thought to himself as he knocked on the door adjoining their room to JC's.
"Come on in, it's open," JC shouted.
Stepping into the room, Joey saw a fully dressed JC, sipping coffee and reading over the morning paper as he sat on the already made bed.
"Morning Joey. Coffee?"
"Thanks, don't mind if I do. Well, someone is ready to go today, aren't they?"
"Better to be ten minutes early...."
"....than five minutes late," Joey finished JC's now famous saying. "I know, I know." He poured some coffee from the small pot, then took a packet of creamer and mixed that in as well.
"So tell me," Joey said as he pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. "what do you think of Kevin? You and I really haven't had a chance to talk about him all that much."
"Nice guy."
Joey waited for a couple of seconds.
"And?"
"And what? He's a nice guy, and he makes Lance happy. So I'm happy." JC took a sip of his coffee and looked back down at the paper.
"Josh, look. We all know you voted against Kevin coming with us this summer, so something must be bugging you about him. What's up dude?"
Turning to his right, JC put his cup down on the nightstand next to the bed, folded up his paper, and looked Joey in the eye.
"Are you ready for the rumors?"
"Rumors?" Joey said, puzzled.
"Yeah, the rumors. You know....why is a strange guy following N'Sync around? What's the connection between the 'mystery man' and N'Sync? Which member of N'Sync is gay? Don't you think this is going to cause just a little problem for the group?"
"You don't think it'll get that bad, do you?" Joey asked.
"I have no idea, but I hope not. I'm just starting to think we should have thought about this a little bit more, that's all."
"Aw, come on now Josh, it won't be that bad. You're just being too protective of Lance. Management seems to think it'll be fine...."
"...and that's the only reason why I gave in, in the end. That, and I want to see Lance happy. Look, Joe...I want Lance to have someone in his life as much as any of us do, but it'll be difficult, if not impossible, to keep our little secret a secret by bringing him along with us, that's all."
"So, you're saying that if Kevin stayed in Mississippi this summer, you wouldn't have a problem with any of this?"
"No, Joe, I'm saying that it's a little odd for someone Lance just met a few weeks ago to suddenly want to come with us all over the country. He hardly knows the guy, we hardly know the guy. That's what I'm saying."
Chris knocked on the door and stepped into the room. "What's what you're saying?"
JC and Joey looked up. "I'm saying that it's time for breakfast," JC said. "Let's go see if Justin and Eric are awake yet."
As they walked to the door, Joey pulled JC back a little, leaned forward, and whispered in his ear. "We're gonna continue this later..."
Kevin led Lance back upstairs and into the bedroom. He was about to lie down on the bed, but Lance stopped him a few feet short.
"No...stand right there," he said in barely a whisper.
Taking Kevin's shirt, he pulled it up and over his head, tossing it to the side. Then, he leaned in and began to lick and suck at Kevin's right nipple, teasing it with his tongue and nipping at it gently with his teeth. Kissing his way over, he repeated the same process on the left nipple, while bringing up his hand to rub and massage the area of Kevin's chest that he had left slightly wet.
Kevin, meanwhile, closed his eyes and smiled, letting out a deep sigh as he did so. Bending his head forward, he opened them again and kissed the top of Lance's head, just as he began to kiss and lick lower down his torso.
Using his tongue, Lance traced the underside of Kevin's pectoral muscles, and the ridges of the six pack on his abdomen. While it may not have been truly "cut," Kevin's stomach was hard, and the muscle was certainly there. Then he darted his tongue in and out of his bellybutton, circling around it slowly. Pausing a moment to lick his lips and kneel down fully, Lance kissed the slightly softer area just underneath the navel, and reached up to massage the growing member behind the fly of Kevin's boxers.
Lance looked up at Kevin. Lust was evident in each other's eyes, as well as love. Licking his lips again, he grinned wickedly.
"Tell me what you want me to do," he said, his voice a little deeper than usual.
"Rise and shine, Justin, come on dude!"
Justin grunted from underneath the covers. "When you rise, you shine. Gimmie five more minutes."
Eric laughed to himself and shook his temporary roommate again. "Come on man, up and at 'em!"
"Aw, shaddup!" was the muffled reply.
Eric would have tried again had there not been a knocking at the door. "This will teach you to stay up so late watching 'Bikini Babes XVII' last night on pay per view," he said as he turned to go answer the door.
'And they weren't even naked...what a rip off,' Justin thought to himself.
Opening the door, Eric was greeted by the sight of the other members of N'Sync.
"Let me guess, he's not out of bed yet?" Joey asked.
"Nope. I give up, you guys try," Eric replied, stepping aside to let the others in.
With an almost maniacal grin, Chris ran in the room, jumped on top of Eric's bed, and leaped across onto Justin, causing a loud grunt and groan to emit from the bundle underneath the sheets.
"Wakey wakey Justy!!! Come on now, time to get up!!" Chris yelled as he bounced up and down on his friend.
"Get off me! Stop! Okay, Okay, I give! I'll get up, I'll get up! Just get off me and stop bouncing!" Justin managed to get out as he laughed.
"Up late last night?" JC asked Eric.
"Oh yeah. Well, he was at any rate. Bad T&A flicks on cable."
"Damn!" Joey shouted. "I knew there was something I wanted to watch last night!"
Lowering Kevin's boxers to the floor, Lance found himself face to face with his oversized cock. He looked only for a second, though, before closing his eyes and lowering his mouth onto it.
"Oh, yeah," Kevin moaned, as he closed his eyes and threw his head back. Lance's tongue wrapped itself around the top half of Kevin's erection, tickling at the sensitive underside of the bulbous head. The sensation was soft and warm, and Kevin marveled at how well Lance had gotten at this in such a short period of time.
Lance loved the feel of Kevin's cock in his mouth. It pulsated between his tongue and the roof of his mouth; the head was smooth and silky, while the stalk was ribbed with heavy veins. His hands grabbed onto the backs of Kevin's thighs as he concentrated on making his boyfriend feel as good as possible.
After a few more licks, Lance had to briefly come up for air. "You taste so good," he said as he used his right hand to stroke the wet cock, well slicked with his affection. "You like it?"
"I love it," Kevin answered as he reached down to stroke the side of Lance's face. "I want you to do it some more...go on, suck my dick some more..."
Smiling, Lance tilted his head so that he could kiss the palm of Kevin's hand, and flick his tongue over it and the fingers that were caressing him. With his other hand, he grabbed onto the base of Kevin's dick, preparing to return his attention to it. Turning his head back, he slowly worked his sweltering mouth down its length. For a brief instant, he went lower on it than he normally could, but he gagged a little and had to pull back up to a more comfortable level.
Kevin moaned as he watched Lance. Bringing a finger up to his lips, he stuck it in his mouth to wet it, then began to rub and lightly pinch his nipple. "That feels so good," he said huskily. "Go on, keep sucking it....yeah...you look so hot with my big cock in your mouth..."
Lance could only groan and sigh around the fullness in his mouth.
"I want you to suck on my balls for awhile...."
Kevin let out a short gasp as Lance abandoned his cock. Lifting it up slightly, Lance then began to suck on and lick the low hanging sack underneath. He swallowed each of the globes one at a time, tickling them with his tongue and lightly scraping them over with his teeth. After a couple of minutes of this, Kevin's cock began to drip with precum, oozing out of the head and dribbling down the thick shaft.
"Oh yeah, so fucking hot," Kevin said.
While Justin finished getting ready for the day, the others went downstairs to the lobby of the hotel to wait and have some of the free continental breakfast that was offered. As Chris and Eric pondered which danish looked best, Joey pulled JC off to the side to continue the conversation from earlier.
"Look, why didn't you say something about this before?" he said in a low voice. "If you don't like Kevin or have something against him, then you should tell Lance now before it's too late."
"I never said I didn't like Kevin, and I didn't say I have something against him. All I'm saying is that this is going faster than I'm comfortable with, that's all. If it was, say, six months from now and he wanted to come with us, fine, I can see that. But after three weeks? Come on Joe, even you have to admit that's....strange!"
"It is not strange, it's perfectly natural! Look, when Justin and Britney started to go out, she showed up with us almost from the very start! Same thing with Chris and Danni or you and Bobbie. What's the difference?"
"The difference..." JC paused to look around, making sure no one was listening. "The difference is that Lance is gay, that's what! And if I'm being overprotective of him or us, then so be it! I want Lance happy as much as any of us, but this is dangerous. For him and us!" he finished in a sharp whisper.
Exasperated, Joey sighed and shook his head. "Look, we'll all be careful, okay? We can each do our part to protect Lance and the group, it won't be a big deal. But if you really do have something against this guy, I suggest you get it out of your system and put it aside. Fast. We're leaving in a few days for the tour, and like it or not, Josh, Kevin is coming with us. We voted, we agreed."
Joey turned to join Chris and Eric, leaving a stunned JC behind.
"You want me to fuck your mouth? Yeah? Yeah, you like that, don't you?"
Kevin held onto Lance's head gently as he thrust his hips back and forth, sawing his hard cock in and out of Lance's mouth. Every so often it would slip out of the warmth and wetness, but Lance would tilt his head and stick out his tongue to scoop it back in.
Lance reached down to stroke himself, as his own hard cock had been bobbing up and down, twitching in anticipation for some time. With his free hand, he held onto Kevin's leg for support, or moved it behind to squeeze the cheek of Kevin's ass.
A few more minutes was all that was needed, as Kevin felt the pressure churning in his balls, and slowly rising up the thick shaft. "Oh fuck, I'm gonna shoot," he moaned as his searing juice began to erupt in Lance's mouth. Lance tried valiantly to hold the hot, syrupy load until Kevin was done. Cheeks pushed out, he succeeded in losing only a few drops down the back of his throat and out of the corners of his mouth.
When Kevin was done, Lance released his cock, still holding the milky fluid that rolled back and forth across his tongue, and got to his feet. With his own hard dick now pressed up against the lower portion of Kevin's torso, he embraced his lover and pressed his lips to Kevin's. As they passionately kissed, Kevin's eyebrows raised in surprise as Lance released the salty gift and let it run freely between their mouths. Their tongues fought together as Kevin let the flavor of his own cum sink into his taste buds. After every last drop had been accounted for, Lance began to move his body, humping his cock against Kevin's body. Then, whimpering into Kevin's mouth, he finally achieved release, shooting his own hot and thick load over Kevin's stomach.
Finally breaking the kiss, Lance moaned and took a step back. "God, that was so hot!"
"Yeah, no shit....damn, I didn't know you were gonna share my stuff with me," Kevin grinned.
"Well, I didn't know you were gonna turn me on so much by talking dirty to me!" Lance laughed in reply. "But...um...that was like, okay, wasn't it? I mean, my kissing you with your....you know...in my mouth?"
"Babe, that was more than okay, that was fucking awesome," Kevin answered as he hugged Lance.
Sighing, Lance pulled away. "Come on, let's shower and get going. We've been late every day this week so far, I'd like to prove the guys wrong just once!"
As they drove to the Auditorium, Kevin took a sip of water from a bottle he had brought with him and looked out on the road as Lance made his way through traffic.
"You know we leave Saturday, right?" Lance asked.
"Yeah, I know. I'll have to jet back to Oxford to take care of the Jeep and pack some stuff, then I can come back up here. We driving somewhere to get going, or what?"
"No, we're flying to Orlando to go over some last minute details with management, and then load up on the buses and head out. First show is Saturday night, so we're pretty much gonna be on the go all weekend."
"Cool. This is going to be exciting, you know? I'll get to go around the country this summer and spend time with you...can't get any better than that."
"Yeah," Lance said as he stopped at a red light. "it's going to be great. I was kind of hesitant at first about the whole thing...you know, when you first told me about it....but the more I think about it, the more I can't wait. You know you'll share a room with me, right?"
"Well, I was sort of hoping to room with Justin, but I guess you'll do," Kevin laughed. "So...the guys are cool with this then, huh?"
"Yeah....I heard JC had some reservations about it at first, but he came around."
A funny feeling started in the pit of Kevin's stomach, based on what he felt earlier in the week after meeting JC for the first time. "He...did. Okay. Um....is there a problem with JC, or what?"
"He's just being overprotective as usual, nothing new. Don't worry about it, it's fine."
"I suppose. I just don't think he cares for me, that's all."
"Sure he does. He just needs to get to know you a little better, that's all."
'I hope you're right about that,' Kevin thought to himself as they pulled into the parking lot.
"Well, here we are....a few last details, the crowd will start to arrive, and then it's showtime." Lance turned to Kevin and smiled. "This is it...this is the moment!"
Last minute preparations. Sound checks. Answering some questions from reporters who were covering the event locally and nationally. A quick break for lunch.
The majority of the day was a whirlwind of activity, with all of those things going on and more. So much so, that Kevin lost track of time, until about an hour or so before the doors were going to be opened. That's when Eric found him, pacing back and forth in one of the long hallways behind the stage area, singing softly to himself.
"Getting in some last minute practice?" he asked.
Kevin stopped and turned. "Huh? Oh. Yeah....yeah, I guess so."
Eric frowned as he saw how pale and sweaty his roommate was. "You okay, Kev?"
"Yeah....yeah, fine. Never better. Why?"
"Well, other than the fact that you're white as a sheet and sweating like a pig, no reason I guess."
Kevin wiped off his brow with his arm. "I'm...I guess I'm just a little nervous, that's all."
"Didn't Lance give you a pep talk or anything like that?"
"Oh yeah.....about five times already."
Eric chuckled as he walked with his friend down the hall. "Didn't help, huh?"
"Not really, no. Jesus, how can you be so calm?"
"Dunno," Eric shrugged. "I just am. What's one night, right? It's for a good cause, we'll have some fun....it's like our fifteen minutes of fame, dude. I figure...what the hell."
"God, I think I'm gonna throw up," Kevin said as he stopped and leaned up against the wall.
"Kev, come on. It's not gonna be that bad. Believe in yourself, okay?" Eric reached out and squeezed his friend's shoulder. "The night will probably go by so fast, you won't have time to be worried. Now...take a deep breath and calm down."
Kevin inhaled deeply, held it a moment, and then let it out.
"There. Feel better?"
"A little, yeah."
"Good."
They resumed walking, making their way deeper into the bowels of the building.
"You sure you don't have a problem with me and this summer?" Kevin asked.
"No, not at all. I mean, I'll miss you and all, but it's only, what, three months? You'll be back in time for the fall semester, right?"
"Yeah, I should. I don't know, I guess I feel a little guilty, that's all."
"Why, because you're going to go and spend time with your boyfriend?"
"Well, not just that....but that I didn't tell you, and that I'm going to be leaving you alone. I wish you could come with us."
"Kev, look. We can't be together forever, you know? One of these days, some girl is going to take pity on me, marry me, and decide to have my kids. Now, as much as I love you, I'd rather not have their 'Uncle Kevin' living with us."
Kevin grinned as they walked on. "I know that. But still....I mean, this has been such a weird year. Me and Kris, what happened afterwards, now me and Lance....and through it all, you stuck by me, bro. Not many roommates would have."
"Probably not, no. Especially during your more major dickhead moments."
"Very funny! You know what I mean, though. I just wish there was some way I could....that is, what I'm trying to say....I've never really told you that...."
"Hey, there you guys are!"
Kevin and Eric turned around to see Chris jogging towards them.
"Come on you two, doors are gonna open soon, and we gotta get our collective shit together! It's almost time to rock and or roll!"
Eric looked at Kevin. "Well, guess this is our cue, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so. Eric, listen, what I was trying to say just now...."
"Don't worry about it, tell me after the show, okay? Come on, let's get going."
A sellout crowd filed in, and excitement was in the air. For the second time in a only a few short weeks, N'Sync was playing in Mississippi, and those lucky enough to have gotten a ticket were looking forward to this performance. True, they were also there to raise some money for a good cause, but in the charged atmosphere inside the auditorium, that was temporarily forgotten.
The clock was ticking. Last minute adjustments had been made to various pieces of equipment and musical instruments. Near the stage entrance, Terry Reid peeked out and saw an anxious crowd, many holding up hand made signs, declaring their love for one N'Sync member or another. Checking his watch, he saw that it was time for Dubious Distinction to make their arrival, and get the show on the road. He turned around, and walked over to where everyone else was making last minute preparations of their own.
N'Sync huddled for a quick prayer and were in their traditional game of hacky-sack. Eric, Brandon, Jason and Derrick were also huddled, giving each other a last minute pep talk. And Kevin?
Kevin was once again pacing, once again pale, and once again sweating.
"Okay, it's about time. If Mr. Douglas and his group are set to take the stage, it's theirs," Terry said.
Hearing this, All eyes in the room turned to Kevin, who had now stopped and was taking several deep breaths. Rapidly.
Lance walked over to him, rather quickly.
"Hey, you okay?"
Kevin nodded, but then turned more pale, if that was possible, and put a hand to his stomach.
"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed as he turned and ran for the bathroom.
Now everyone's eyes turned to Lance, who just stood there with his mouth open.
"Um....we might run just a little behind schedule here guys," he said with a helpless shrug.
"You never told us Kevin got stage fright," Justin said as he walked over to Eric.
"Hell, I didn't know he got stage fright. Lemme go get him and...."
"I'll go," JC said. "Be right back."
As he walked off, Joey frowned and turned to Chris. "Either he's gonna convince him to come back out, or that's the last we've seen of Kevin."
"Huh?"
"Never mind, I'll tell you later."
Turning a corner, JC walked over to the bathroom, and pushed open the door.
"Kevin?"
His response was the flushing of a toilet from the furthest stall. A second or two later, the door opened and Kevin walked out.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Peachy," he answered shakily. "Just peachy."
"Hey, come on now. It'll be okay. Trust me."
Kevin walked over to a sink, and splashed some cold water on his face.
"Would it help if I told you to picture everyone out there naked?"
Kevin laughed weakly as he straightened up from the sink. "I guess, unless you take into account that a good portion of the audience is made up of little girls."
"Yeah, good point. Okay, how about this. Will it help if I told you the first time we did this as a group, I got so scared I almost wet myself?"
Kevin tore off a piece of paper towel. "You?" he asked as he wiped his face. "I find that hard to believe, JC. Fearless leader, that's what they called you, right?" Kevin leaned forward and braced himself against the sink. "I can't see you being afraid of anything.....or anyone. God...I can't do this...."
"Bullshit!" JC said loudly. "You were the one who came up with this idea, remember? You were the one who convinced Lance to get us all here..."
"....and you hold it against me, don't think I haven't picked up on that," Kevin finished as he straightened up. "Look....I know you don't trust me, in spite of everything you said the other day..."
"Kevin, this isn't the time to go into this..."
"Oh, isn't it? Somehow, JC, I think you're eating this up...me in here puking my guts out because I'm scared to go on stage...it makes up for my coming along with you all this summer, right?"
"That has nothing to do with it! Listen," JC said as he walked over to Kevin, "like it or not, we're committed to this tonight. You, me, Lance, and everyone else. I suggest you pull yourself together and get out there! Otherwise, YOU get to explain to a couple thousand upset people why the show won't go on....to say nothing of the fact that you'll also disappoint Lance."
Kevin continued to stare at himself in the bathroom mirror as JC went on.
"This has nothing to do with you and me right now. It has to do with the fact that we've got a packed house, waiting to hear two bands tonight, and it has to do with raising some money for a church. You and me.....well, we'll settle that later. Now.....get your act together, and let's get out there. Okay?"
Nodding, Kevin turned to face JC. "You're right....the show must go on, right?"
"Exactly."
Kevin nodded again. "I can do this..."
"Of course you can."
Kevin took another deep breath and walked with JC to the door. "I think you and I still need to get a few things worked out."
"We do....later," JC agreed. "There'll be time after the show...and during the tour."
They walked back to the others, most of whom had concerned looks on their faces.
"Are you okay?" Lance asked as he came up to his boyfriend.
"I feel better, yeah."
"You need a breath mint?" Chris asked.
Kevin looked at Chris and smirked. "Nah...I think I'm okay. Thanks anyway, Peanut."
"I am not that short!!"
Shaking his head, Joey walked over to Kevin. "Normally, I'd tell someone in your shoes to break a leg....but somehow I think you're nervous enough as it is....so, how about just...good luck?"
"That works....thanks, Joey."
"Remember," Justin told Eric, "if something goes wrong, just cover it up as quick and as best you can and move on. And no matter what, you're the guys with the talent out there...the people came to see you. Okay?"
"Gotcha...thanks, Fernando."
"What is with you people?" JC laughed. "Peanut, Fernando, Lancelot....do you guys come up with a nickname for everyone?"
"Guess so....Fearless Leader," Kevin said with a wink. JC just rolled his eyes.
Kevin walked over to Eric and the other members of his band, and began to walk to the stage entrance. Stopping one last time, he turned around and saw N'Sync clapping and smiling for them. They all were, even JC. Only one of them, however, had an extra special message.
"I love you," Lance mouthed.
The noise of the crowd began to grow as the house lights dimmed, and then an announcer's voice could be heard:
"Ladies and gentlemen, Dubious Distinction!"
They walked out onto the stage, to the cheers of the crowd. True, it wasn't the wild reaction that N'Sync was sure to get later in the show, but it was still a nice response.
Strapping a guitar over his shoulder, and looking behind him to make sure everyone was in place and ready, Kevin took a deep breath. 'Well...this is it,' he thought to himself. 'Now or never.' Nodding his head as a signal to the others, he began to play, taking lead vocals on the first song:
Even if it's all over, don't ever say it was all in vain And don't tell me everything we believed in has been washed away Because something still remains I know it still remains, because I'm still the same And there ain't nothing gonna change my mind Because I've spent my whole life just trying to find Something I know I need but can't define Everything I ever wanted is here baby It's still alive inside of me It never died inside of me
Everybody tells me, open up your eyes, it can never be like it used to be I say to them, open up your heart, you see just what you want to see Is it too much for you to see the truth Every time you look in my face Ain't it a little late in the game to throw your hand in And ain't it a little late in the game to forget everything we've been Trapped by locked doors you never could get it It's still alive inside of me It never died inside of me
There was a moment in time, we could almost taste the adventure every day Now I know that we're a little bit older But that don't mean there's nothing new left to say Now we spend the days walking away instead of trying to do something about it You oughta be right by my side Instead of trying to find a place to hide Fighting to keep everything that we had baby It's still alive inside of me It never died inside of me (1)
When the first song was finished, Kevin looked out on the crowd. "Well.....welcome, everyone!"
The crowd cheered.
"Thanks for coming out tonight....it's great to do a neighborhood concert," he continued, borrowing a line from Paul Simon. This caused the crowd to cheer a little more.
"We're raising money for a great cause tonight, and we hope you enjoy the show!"
'Okay....they seem to like us,' he thought. 'Maybe we're not gonna suck after all....yeah....okay, I can do this....'
Off to the side, near the stage entrance, N'Sync watched with approval.
"Well, he's starting to work the crowd....that's good," Joey said.
"Yeah....they sounded pretty good on that first one, too. Guess you know how to pick them after all, Lance," Chris added, poking Lance in the ribs.
"Told ya," Lance said, beaming with pride.
Kevin and his band played on through a variety of songs. They covered Jackson Browne, the Eagles, the Who, James Taylor, and others. Eric took a turn singing lead, playing the piano for an Elton John song, "Come Down In Time." After an hour and twenty minutes or so, it was time for Dubious Distinction to start wrapping things up. Kevin went to the microphone again.
"I know you're all anxious to see the real stars tonight....and don't worry, the Backstreet Boys will be here any minute now..."
The crowd began to boo heartily, causing Kevin to laugh, as well as the members of N'Sync who were off to the side.
"Oh, wait, wait....that's right, you guys came here tonight to see....N'SYNC!!"
The crowd went wild.
"Well, they're gonna take the stage here in a little bit, but before they do, we have two special guests that we need to introduce to you, and they're gonna help us with a song or two...oh, special guests, would you come on out, please?"
"That's our cue," Justin said. "Ready?"
"Ready," Lance replied.
As Lance and Justin walked out on stage, the audience began to scream and cheer more wildly than they had so far that night. After acknowledging the fans, Lance and Justin joined the others with their version of "And We Danced." It went over well, much like Kevin had anticipated. With that in mind, he and Eric joined Lance and Justin for one more song together. Kevin started off first:
I was a highwayman Along the coach roads I did ride With sword and pistol by my side Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade Many a soldier shed his life blood on my blade The bastards hung me in the spring of '25 But I am still alive
Then, Justin took the second verse:
I was a sailor I was born upon the tide With the sea I did abide I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico I went aloft, unfurled the mainsail in a blow And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed But I am living still
Eric took the next verse:
I was a dam builder Across the river deep and wide Where steel and water did collide A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound But I am still around I'll always be around, and around, and around
And finally, Lance, appropriately, took the final verse:
I fly a starship Across the universe divide And when I reach the other side I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can Perhaps I may become a highwayman again Or I may simply be a single drop of rain But I will remain And I'll be back again, and again, and again, and again.(2)
The crowd loved it, especially the last lines of the song, as many knew of Lance's former desire to become an astronaut. He and Justin took their bows and waved, giving quick hugs to Kevin and Eric as they jogged off the stage.
"Thanks for being a great audience...and we're just getting started! We're gonna take a quick break, and then be back out...with N'SYNC!!"
The lights went up as Kevin and the others made their way off stage to towel off and grab some water before the main event of the evening got underway.
"You guys are AWESOME!" Lance said excitedly.
"Yeah, you sounded great out there," Justin said as he put his arm around a sweaty Eric and squeezed. "Looks like we have some competition here!"
"Way to go guys," Joey said, adding his congratulations. "See, Kev? And you were all worried for nothing."
"Yeah! You didn't puke on anyone in the front row or anything!"
Everyone turned to Chris.
"What? Well, he didn't, right?"
"Um....yeah," JC said, ignoring Chris and trying to move on. "Great job you guys...you were terrific out there."
Kevin looked at JC and nodded, accepting the praise and, at least temporary, approval. True, there were some issues to work out with JC on a personal level, but for right now, that was all put aside. He walked over to Lance and gave him a hug.
"Whoa, sweaty!" Lance laughed. "You know I like you wet, but still!"
Kevin laughed as Terry cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"The stage hands are just about finished putting things in place for N'Sync...microphones and stands and all...we're back on in about three minutes!"
"Well," Lance said, "ready for the next round?"
"Bring it on!" Kevin said with a grin, recalling Lance's choice of words from a week before.
The lights dimmed in the auditorium once more, and the crowd again became animated. Then, although they could not see anyone on stage, they could clearly hear their voices:
"Baby, you're not the only one..."
N'Sync had arrived.
A few of the lights went up, as did the stage curtain, and sure enough, there they were, each holding a microphone in their hand. While Dubious Distinction provided the music, N'Sync provided, in the eyes of many of their fans, the magic. They went through a variety of songs, both new and old. Kevin and his group not only played, they also were backup vocals, adding to the harmony of some songs.
Much like he had thought earlier in the week, Kevin's talent came through while playing guitar on certain songs. During "Everything I Own," Lance snuck a glance over to his boyfriend, who winked back, as he said/sang his part towards the end. In spite of JC's reservations, some of their older material went over just as well, including "Sailing," which Chris was enthusiastic to perform, since he didn't have to be hooked up to any wires. Kevin's rendition on guitar was so smooth during that song, one would think that Christopher Cross himself was up there playing it.
The new songs were just as popular, if not more so. The version of "This I Promise You" matched the one on the album, as it was a little longer than what would eventually become the radio release. But by far, "Bye Bye Bye" was the hit of the night, as it was the first single from the new album, the one that the audience had been exposed to the most thus far.
After the songs were sung, and a quick encore performed, N'Sync joined hands on center stage and took their bows, waving and smiling to the fans, thanking them for coming tonight and helping out their effort. Then, Lance spoke over one of the microphones:
"Let's hear it one more time for our band tonight, Dubious Distinction!"
Kevin, beaming with pride, waved to the audience, as did the other members of the band. He then walked over to Eric and gave him a quick hug around the shoulders, squeezing him in tightly, which brought a laugh from his roommate and best friend.
After jogging off stage, high-fives and congratulations were shared among all, as Terry came over excitedly.
"Wow! You guys were fantastic!"
"Thanks, kiddo," Kevin said as he wiped himself off with a towel. "Any word yet on how much we raised tonight?"
"Well, final figures aren't in yet...but it's looking like in the neighborhood of $16,000!"
"Awesome!" Joey said as he bear hugged Lance and gave a little growl. "You did it Lance!"
"Easy, big guy, easy! Thanks....but I didn't do anything. We did it. All of us. N'Sync and Dubious Distinction."
"By the way," Chris said in between gulps of water. "Who came up with that name, anyhow?"
All eyes turned to Kevin, who simply shrugged and grinned. "Hey, I think it's cool...and so did they, apparently."
"That they did, that they did," Justin agreed. "So! Who's up for a late dinner and then maybe some cards?"
While thousands of people had been at the auditorium, across town dozens more were at the West Side Baptist Church for a variety of classes and fellowships. The night was still young, only just past seven o'clock when the night's activities began, so many adults brought their children with them. Besides, school was already out for many of them, so this was not at all unusual.
Someone else was in the area as well. Someone who attended neither concert nor church functions.
But someone who intended to make the night a memorable one, regardless.
To Be Continued.....
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"Inside of Me," written by Steven Van Zandt and performed by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. Blue Midnight Music, 1982.
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"Highwayman," written by J. Webb and performed by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. Columbia Records, 1985.