Disclaimer: I don't know anybody from N Sync, though I'd sure like to, and thus this story is fiction and is not intended to imply anything about the true sexuality of the celebrities mentioned or any personal knowledge about their private lives. This story should not be read by anybody who is not legally allowed to read it.. So if you're underage, leave right now!!
Author's Notes: Not much to say this time. This will be the last chapter in the first season. The next season will then begin, with a new title. I always give credit where credit is due. I got the idea from the way Jamie's Romance is set up. every so often, the title changed, signifying the focus of the season. Never Guess is fine for the beginning, but doesn't have much to do with the second part of the story. The next season will be named "The Road Not Taken," the same name as a poem by Robert Frost that sums up very well the crux of the situation in season 2. If you're interested in said poem but don't want to take the time to look for it, I have a copy of it that I can send to you if you want. E-mail all feedback and comments to THRAWN5678@aol.com And mention the story in your subject line, as I've been getting odd e-mails and I don't like viruses, so I delete any suspicious e-mails. Also, I am starting a new series, which will be located in the regular Celebrity section. It is called The Chosen One's Choice.
The Squall Thrawn Book Club (much better than Oprah's) The Chosen One's Choice: The new series by Squall Thrawn!!! Jamie's Romance (a great Justin story) Millenium Love (a Brian Littrell story) My Surprise Romance (a Lance story) My New Life (a Lance story) Lance in Shining Armour (umm, a Lance story?) Lance's Story (a Lance/JC story and a spinoff of Jamie's Romance) Twist of Fate (a Lance story) Blind Date (a Lance story) Nick and Ashley (a Nick Carter/Ashley from O-Town story by ND) Music Shatters Ice (primarily a Lance story) Encounter in the Sand (a Justin story, written by my good friend Jeremy) and many more!! But I can't remember the names of them...I'll put them down as I remember them...
You'll Never Guess Who Ran Into Me Today by Squall Thrawn
Previously on Never Guess...
"I need to talk to you, Ry," said Lance, suddenly.
"What about, Jaim?"
"About what's going to happen tomorrow when we leave for the next venue," said Lance.
"I see," said Ryan, trying to remain strong.
"I've tried a few things, but I'm afraid I have some bad news about it." Lance shook his head.
"Well, what's the bad news?"
"You're going to have to..."
Chapter 19
"..come with us on tour!!" finished Lance.
"Are you serious?!" yelled Ryan, elated. "You call that bad news?!"
"Well, you'll have to put up with the five of us," said Lance. "And yes, I'm completely serious."
"How did you arrange it," asked Ryan.
"I talked to Johnny this morning. He was a bit leery of the idea, but I brought him over to my side eventually."
"Way cool!" exclaimed Ryan, still happy. "I can't believe that I'm going on tour with NSync!! Wait, strike that. I can't believe I'm travelling together with my boyfriend and my four new brothers." Ryan grinned.
"After the tour's over, you can live with me in my place in Orlando," said Lance. Ryan looked a bit tense then.
"Are.. are you sure we're not rushing things too much?" asked Ryan. "I mean, it's one thing to be on a tour bus with four other people besides the two of us, and quite another thing to be living together."
"Well," said Lance a tad hurt, "We can take this as slow as you like, Ryan. I have several guest rooms. You can stay in one of those, if you're not comfortable with me. Or you can stay with Justin or one of the other guys that you trust not to make a move on you."
"Wait, wait, James," said Ryan quickly. "It's not that I don't feel comfortable with you. It's just that, I'm not sure I'm ready to go further at this time. If we go too fast, then that may hurt us in the long run. Let me get used to the idea while we're on tour."
"Alright," said Lance, smiling slightly. "I don't want to feel like I'm rushing you. I realize that this is a big step. I'm sorry if I seemed a tad abrupt there."
"Hey, that's alright, Jaim," said Ryan.
"There is one thing we need to discuss," said Lance. "And that is whether you want to continue your job at Wal-mart?"
"What do you mean, Jaim? I thought I was touring with you."
"Well, I'm sure that they could give you a leave of absence if you wanted it. If you have a good record there, it could be a valuable reference for any future jobs," said Lance. "And if you didn't want to work for the company again, you need to tell them that you quit. If you just leave it like this, it wouldn't be worth it to use as a reference."
"You're right, James," said Ryan. He slightly smiled. This was James the businessman talking. "I did like working there, before everybody turned against me... Maybe if I took a leave of absence, then transfered to a Wal-mart down in Orlando, it would work out... cause I don't think I could work at my own Wal-mart again, and also I don't have a place to stay around here," said Ryan, grimacing.
Lance put his arm around Ryan. "Trust me, Ry, it will all work out. Your mother just needs time." The two sat there for a moment, reflecting. Finally, Ryan spoke up.
"I guess we should get ready for bed. What time do we need to be awake tomorrow?"
"Well, the tour bus leaves at 8:00 am. However, you and I have to head over to your Wal-mart. Justin asked about coming along as well. So we basically need to get there by 7:00, when the personnel office opens. That'll give us plenty of time to get the paperwork done and get back here. They said they'd wait for us if we're a bit late."
"That's so nice of them to wait for us," said Ryan sarcastically. The two of them laughed, and stood up. They got ready for bed, wearing only boxers and t-shirts. They lay down, with Lance spooned around Ryan. They lay there for a while.
"You still awake, Ry?" said Lance.
"No," said Ryan. He started giggling.
"Smartass," said Lance. "Are you having problems sleeping?"
"I'm a tad hot," said Ryan.
"Well, if you want me to, I'll sleep on my side of the bed," said Lance reluctantly.
"No, I feel safe with you here with me. If you don't mind, I'm going to take off this shirt," said Ryan a bit shyly.
"I don't mind," said Lance. Ryan sat up for a minute, slipped off his shirt, and threw it towards the dresser. He lay back down.
"Ummm, Ryan," said Lance hesitantly. "Would you feel uncomfortable if I did the same thing?"
"Not really," said Ryan. "I mean, we were making out with our shirts off the other day. You remember, when Justin came in?"
Lance giggled at the memory. Then he sat up as well and got rid of his shirt as well. The two snuggled, Lance spooned against Ryan. Ryan got thrills from feeling Lance's soft skin against his own. Without a word he moved Lance's hand from his side to his chest. Lance moved his hand up and down, feeling Ryan's firm abs, then tracing around his nipples one at a time. Ryan shivered at the feeling of Lance's hand and fingers on his bare chest. Then Lance's hand migrated down Ryan's chest, and towards his boxers. Suddenly tense, Ryan gently stopped Lance's hand.
"Jaim... I don't think I'm quite ready for that," said Ryan. Lance smiled and withdrew his hand and placed it back on Ryan's side.
"No worries, Ry," said Lance. Contented, the two fell asleep cuddling.
"Well, let's head on over to your Wal-mart, Ry," said Lance, bright and chipper in the wee hours of the morning. Ryan and Justin merely grunted. "Do you need something to wake you up, either of you? Cause we need you to be awake, Ryan, to present your situation. And you wanted to come along, Justin."
"We'll be fine," croaked out Ryan. "Just give me some time. Justin probably feels the same way."
"Ok," said Lance. He opened up the back door of a black car procured by Johnny from somewhere. "Here ya go, you two."
The two got in, followed by Lance. Ryan was sitting in between Lance and Justin. Ryan suddenly realized what he was doing. "Umm, Lance, who's driving if you're sitting back here?"
"Randy," said Lance. "And Lonnie's sitting in the front as well. Gotta have the bodyguards around, ya know." Ryan nodded. He told Randy which Wal-mart he worked at, and Randy replied that he already knew the directions to the place, as Lance had been doing his homework the previous day and had found out which Wal-mart it was, and how to get there.
The ride to Wal-mart was rather quiet, as Lance was the only one truly awake of the passengers in the back seat. Lonnie and Randy exchanged a few words amongst themselves. Ryan spent the whole ride thinking his last night working there. Justin had fallen back asleep, and had his head resting on Ryan's shoulder.
Eventually, the car arrived at the Wal-mart, and the five got out of the car. Lonnie and Randy immediately scanned the area for anything suspicious. Lance looked at Ryan, who had turned white at the sight of the place. Justin looked concerned for Ryan as well.
"I don't feel safe here," said Ryan, shaking. "I don't think I can do this. They'll come after me when they see me here."
"It'll be ok, Ry," said Lance soothingly. "That's another reason why we have two bodyguards here. Do you think anybody would even think about messing with you when you've got Lonnie and Randy on your side?"
"You're right, Jaim," said Ryan. "Thanks for doing that."
Without much hassle, Ryan and co. made their way to the back, where the personnel office was. One or two people tried to approach him, but made a beeline in the other direction when they saw Lonnie frowning at them and being protective of Ryan. Lonnie, and Randy as well, were ready and willing to do anything to protect "their boys," which they had redefined to include Ryan as well. Once they got there, Ryan opened the door and the five people entered. The personnel manager was there, typing away at her computer. She turned when she heard them come in.
"Welcome back, Ryan," she said. "We've missed your enthuiasm and cheerful attitude."
"At least you did," said Ryan bluntly. "Others were more than glad to see me walk out that door."
The personnel manager didn't have any answer for that one, so she changed the subject quickly. "Which one of you is Lance?"
Lance took off his dark sunglasses and hat. "I'm Lance. I talked to you yesterday about our options. We've decided to go with the leave of absence, then eventually transferring to a store in Florida."
"Well, I have no problems with it on my end of things," said the personnel manager. "However, our store manager informed me that before anything could be done, he needed to talk to Ryan. I'll call him right now."
"That's fine," said Ryan.
She picked up the phone and paged out, "Tom, the Store Manager, would you call 190 or come to the Personnel Office please?"
Soon, a short man with a mustache came into the room. He saw Ryan and nodded.
"So, you're requesting a leave of absence?" asked Tom. Ryan nodded. "Well, that would be fine... if you can give me one good reason not to fire you for walking off the job, and being a no call no show for the past two days."
"Alright," said Ryan, suddenly emboldened by Tom's harsh attitude. He had had enough bossing and bullying around. It was time to stand up for himself. "Here's the facts, plain and simple. Through a tragic set of circumstances, everybody working on Wed night found out that I'm gay. I was repeatedly assaulted verbally, and I heard a few threats of some physical assault. A year ago, I had been gay-bashed by a couple of bullies at college, and had sustained some fairly numerous injuries. I felt it best to put myself out of harm's way, and away from the contempt they showed for me. Since then, I've been staying with Lance here and four other guys, including Justin." He pointed at Justin, who was looking at Ryan with respect in his eyes. "I haven't had a chance to call in, or show up, and indeed I wasn't in the best shape to think of these things, since my mother has also disowned me and kicked me out of the house."
"Ryan, under normal circumstances, this behavior would have constituted us terminating you. However, I will tell you that since your actions were not done with the sole purpose of avoiding work, but instead were most likely the safest available, it'll be fine. We'll miss you here, but it's your call. The Wal-mart corporation doesn't currently have a policy against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but I will be taking care of the matter personally. Who knows who else this bigotry in our store could be affecting in one form or another? I approve of this leave of absence, so you're good to go."
"Thank you, Tom," said Ryan, grateful. He shook hands with his former Store Manager. The Personnel manager got out the paperwork necessary for a leave of absence. She handed it to Ryan, but it was intercepted by Lance.
"Could I read it first?" asked Lance, completely businesslike. She nodded, and he started reading through the documents. John turned back to Ryan.
"Could I ask you a question that you might know the answer to?" asked Tom.
"Sure."
"I was wondering if you knew what was going on with your friend Greg," said Tom, the Store Manager.
Suddenly Justin was right in on the scene. "Greg is definitely not a friend anymore. That bastard was the one who started this whole fiasco. Narrowminded bigot..." Justin shook his head. Ryan smiled slightly at Justin's declaration.
"I.. see," said Tom. "This makes a bit more sense now. I had originally thought that you two were doing something together these past few days, which is why I came down on you so harshly. He called in yesterday, and he's already called in for this morning. And one of my support managers told me that he wasn't very happy on Wed night when he left."
Just then, Lance spoke up. "Well, I've read it over, Ryan, and you can sign this now." Ryan signed at all the lines he was supposed to, and Tom the Store Manager signed it as well.
Their mission now accomplished, Ryan, Lance, Justin, and their bodyguards headed back to the car. Suddenly, as they started to pull out of the parking place, Ryan spoke.
"I need to go somewhere," said Ryan.
"Where, Ryan? We don't have much time," said Lance.
"I need to talk to Greg."
"You serious, Ryan?" asked Justin, surprised. "I don't think you need to waste any time on that bastard."
"Justin.." said Ryan wearily. "I need to tell him exactly what's on my mind. If not, it's going to bother me until I do something about it. And this is the last time I'll be in St. Louis for a while. And for a while I did have feelings for him. I just need to get it all out in the open."
"Well, I don't like the idea," said Justin, "but it's your call."
"I'm with you no matter what," said Lance. "Personally, I have a thing or two to say to Greg as well."
With their destination decided, they drove instead to Greg's place. Randy called the bus, to inform them of their unscheduled stop. He didn't specify the nature of the stop, only that it was necessary. As they were riding along, Lance noticed the expression on Ryan's face. He was thinking deeply. Lance decided not to disturb Ryan, as he surely had a lot on his mind. Five minutes later, Lance heard Ryan utter one phrase. "That's it."
"What are you talking about, Ry?" asked Lance inquisitively.
Ryan merely shook his head. "You'll find out soon enough. I don't want to be wrong and make a fool of myself."
"You'll never be a fool in my eyes, Ryan," said Lance. Ryan merely smiled and hugged Lance. Justin quickly turned his head to look out the window.
After driving for approximately 20 minutes, the car arrived at the house that Greg lived in with his parents. As they pulled into the driveway, Ryan noticed that Greg's parents' car wasn't in the driveway, but Greg's was.
"It looks like he's home alone," said Ryan. "Of course, his parents probably had no idea that he called in. They're always out of town, and don't spend much time with him. That's why he was almost always available when I invited him over."
Ryan got out of the car, followed by Lance and Justin. Lonnie and Randy started getting out of the car too, but Ryan shook his head. "I need to talk to Greg about this. And with you two looming over me, I don't think we'll get much accomplished. If you could please wait here by the car?"
Lonnie frowned, but Justin quickly stepped in. "Lonnie, just please go along with Ryan. I'll keep my cell phone on auto-dial, so that on the slim chance we need help, you'll be the first to know." Lonnie nodded.
The three teens proceeded up the front steps. Ryan drew in a breath, and rang the doorbell. They could hear it going off from where they stood outside. Then, they heard slow footsteps coming towards the door. The door opened, and Greg looked out to see the last person on earth he would have expected, Ryan, accompanied by two guys he didn't recognize.
"Greg, I.."
"What are you doing here, Ryan!!" exclaimed Greg. "I thought I told you I never wanted to talk to you again, and..." Greg trailed off. He hung his head.
"I think we need to talk," said Ryan slowly and firmly. After his conversation with his Store Manager, Lance had noticed Ryan was gaining more and more self-confidence and calmness back. Lance was so proud of Ryan bouncing back that he could burst. But then he remembered the situation, and turned back to Greg.
"I... Yeah, come in," said Greg, turning around and leaving the front door wide open. Ryan walked into the house, followed closely by Justin, who seemed to be wondering if Greg was going to try to be callous and cruel again. Lance walked in as well, following Justin. He shut the front door behind him.
Greg led them to the living room, where he gestured to a nearby couch. Ryan sat down, flanked on either side by Justin and Lance. Greg went into another room, and came back with a few cans of Dr. Pepper. He gave one to each of them, or at least tried to. Ryan and Lance accepted theirs with a nod. Justin just scowled at Greg, who took the hint and instead sat down in a chair facing them. They sat there in silence for a while, until Greg finally broke the ice.
"I know there's a lot that needs to be said between the two of us. Can we at least discuss this privately?"
Ryan shook his head negatively. "This involves them as well. If you had been this rational a few nights ago, we wouldn't be facing this situation."
"I know..." Greg hung his head. "I.. I totally overreacted on Wednesday night. When you came out to me, you were looking for support from me, who was supposed to be your friend. I wasn't thinking about that at the time. There's... There's something you need to know. A big reason why I reacted the way I did, though there's no real excuse. You see, the thing is..." Greg floundered for a while. "This would be difficult to say anyway, but it's so much harder now.. The fact is, I'm... I'm gay too." Greg put his hands over his face.
Ryan, instead of berserking out like Lance expected him to, merely nodded. Justin, on the other hand, didnt.
"What.. What did you say?!" yelled Justin.
"Just, calm down," said Ryan, coolly rational.
"You.. you knew already, didn't you?" asked Greg, surprised at Ryan's lack of response.
"I figured it out on the way here," said Ryan. "However, I should have figured it out sooner. Part of the reason why I came out to you on Wednesday was that I had a feeling you were gay too." His gaze hardened. "I thought differently after your cold and homophobic remarks."
"I... panicked," said Greg, sounding ashamed. "I've hidden that so long.. My parents are very homophobic, and they view it as a cardinal sin. And then there were the rumors at Wal-mart. Haven't you heard them?"
"No. Do tell about these Wal-mart rumors," said Ryan.
"I heard a few people discussing whether or not you and I were a couple," said Greg. "I mean, we're so close, always hanging out together. I guess they thought we were going out."
"Well, you are right about that. We were close," said Ryan, emphasizing the word 'were'. Greg winced. "So, you felt that instead of talking to me about your own homosexuality, you would instead bash mine? Me, who actually had the guts to actually admit it? You would rather tell the homophobic employees of Wal-mart about me so that they wouldn't think about you in terms of being gay? You sacrificed me for your own precious well-being." Greg reacted to each of Ryan's biting words as if they were slaps in the face.
"I don't know what to say.. except that I'm supremely sorry."
Just then, Justin jumped up. He had been listening to the conversation with a stormy face that had gotten darker with each word from Ryan. "Listen, you bastard, do you know exactly what you did to Ryan here?! Because of your selfishness, his mother kicked him out of his house after hearing your shouts." With each word, Justin got madder and madder. "Ryan was repeatedly insulted at Wal-mart, and a few physical threats were made!! You endangered him for your own pettyness?!" Justin slapped Greg in the face. Lance jumped up and restrained Justin. Greg didn't even try to fight back. He just took it.
"Justin, stop it!! That's not helping matters!!" said Ryan, trying to calm Justin down.
"You call yourself a friend?!" yelled Justin. He finally allowed Lance to hold him back, and he finally sat down.
"I'm sorry for him hitting you, Greg," said Ryan. "You didn't deserve that."
"No, I did," said Greg regretfully. "Justin's words were completely true. I hurt you in ways far worse than any slap of Justin's."
"Yes," said Ryan. "You did."
An awkward silence filled the room for a while, as Ryan tried to feel his way through things and figure out the right course of action.
"Why don't you introduce your two friends to me," said Greg.
"Alright," said Ryan. He exchanged a look with Lance, who quickly understood what Ryan was thinking. Lance considered it a moment, then shrugged. "Greg, this is Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass."
"I know I've heard of them before," said Greg, suddenly thoughtful.
"That's because they're two of the members of my favorite music group ever," said Ryan. "NSync."
"That stupid band?! What are they doing with you?! And I thought you hated them too," protested Greg. "You always told me that."
"No, I never said that," answered Ryan. "You declared your hatred of them. I just never disagreed with you."
"Why not?" asked Greg. "I respected your differing tastes."
"You still don't get it, do you?" said Ryan harshly. "I wasn't going to argue with you about something like that. I would have tossed out my cds if you had told me to."
"Why?" asked Justin, suddenly curious.
"I'm not sure that really matters anymore," said Ryan. "Let's go. I've said all I've come to say here." Ryan got up from his seat, followed by Lance and Justin.
"Wait!!" said Greg. "There's one more thing I have to tell you... I have to tell you now, or I'll never summon up the courage to tell you."
"What is it, Greg?" asked Ryan.
"I... I... I was in love with you!!" Greg finally yelled. "I've been in love with you for more than a year now!!" Ryan just stood there impassively. "Aren't you going to say anything?!"
"What do you want me to say?! I had feelings for you too, Greg!" said Ryan. "Why did I think you were gay before?! I made passes at you, I flirted with you, I did everything short of waving a rainbow flag around or shoot off a signal flare!! And what did you do? Did you reject these advances at all? No! You flirted right back!! What about my bike accident a year ago? Do you even remember what you said?!"
"I'm here for you, Ryan. Everything's going to be alright.." Greg softly recollected.
"But what do you do when I actually come out to you!! You said things very similar to the anti-gay epithets shouted at me as a few college students beat me up in an alley!!" Greg gasped as he remembered that time, but Ryan went on. "And yet you say you love me. Hmph. Some way to show it. I'm leaving now."
"Ryan.. Is there... is there any chance of us ever getting together?" asked Greg, hoping against hope.
"No, Greg," said Ryan, his voice back to normal tone. "I've got a boyfriend now."
"Wha?" said Greg, incredulously. "You've gotta be kiddin' me!"
"No," said Ryan. "The same person who helped me out on Wednesday night, who supported me like a true friend when I came out to him. This doesn't go any further than this house, does it?"
Greg shook his head. "No matter what, I am never outting anybody at any time, no matter what."
Ryan could sense the truth in his statement. "I'm going out with one of those people you despise in NSync. Lance Bass." With that, Lance came over to him and held hands. Greg just shook his head. Justin briefly grimaced, but nobody noticed his expression.
"Alright," said Greg, accepting the inevitable. Once again, Ryan, Lance, and Justin started to leave, but Greg stopped them one more time. "Ryan.. this is important to me.. could you please find it in your heart to forgive me?"
Ryan considered it a while. "I'm sorry, Greg. I can't forgive you right now. Your words, and their consequences, hurt me far more than any punch you could have given me. I was seriously considering ending it all on Wednesday night, when my entire life collapsed like a house of cards. But they say time heals all wounds. I'll be back. When I come back, we'll talk some more. After that, we'll see." Greg nodded his head in resignation.
Without further interruptions, Ryan, Lance, and Justin left Greg's house, leaving behind one person who deeply regretted every action he had taken in the last few days. When the front door shut behind them, Greg finally burst out crying.
"I loved you, Ryan," wailed Greg. "And I'll always love you."
Ryan and his two NSync friends made their way to the waiting car, where Lonnie and Randy were waiting. They noted the expression on Ryan's face, and didn't say a word. They all piled into the car, and headed towards the waiting tour bus.
Ryan held the firm facade that he had had for Greg for a bit, but then his face crumpled and he started weeping into Lance's chest. Lance just held him. "It was so hard," said Ryan, still weeping.
Lance held him and said," I know."
Eventually, Ryan felt calm enough to sit back up. Actually, he cried himself out. He wiped his tears off. "I had to approach the situation calmly," said Ryan, trying to explain his actions. "He never gave me that, but I felt obligated to do that for him."
"How did you figure it out, Ryan?" asked Justin. "I mean, those indicators had been around for a while. If not then, why now?"
"My friend Matt is too good at reading people," said Ryan. "He had it all figured out. He slipped once or twice in our conversation yesterday, almost naming Greg as one of the four gay friends in our group, when I was aware of but three. And he seemed more surprised of Greg's behavior than normal. He couldn't believe that Greg, a gay guy himself, would be that callous to one of his best friends who happened to be gay himself."
"I.. I'm sorry for losing it back there," said Justin finally. "It's just.. he can't expect you to just forgive him, after all he's done!!"
"Well, I really appreciate you sticking up for me, Just. You said some things that needed to be said. And I appreciate that." Ryan gave Justin a brief hug. When Ryan had his arms around Justin, Justin felt he had died and gone to heaven. The love of his life was hugging him. But it was over all too soon, and Ryan went back to Lance. Justin withheld a sigh of disappointment.
"Well, are you ready to be on tour with NSync?" asked Lance, trying to change the subject to a more happy one.
"Oh, boy, am I ever!!" said Ryan, his enthuiaism coming back. What with the Greg situation, it hadn't dawned on him that morning that he was going on tour with his favorite music group. And he would be with Lance. With that, Ryan gave Lance a big grin. He would be with the greatest person he had ever met. What could go wrong?
This is the end of Season 1. Stay tuned for the beginning of Season 2, The Road Not Taken. Be sure to read my other series!!
Squall Thrawn THRAWN5678@aol.com