Chapter 8

"Where is he?" JC demanded, pacing the room frantically. Justin sighed.

"But he didn't seem fine when he left with that woman!"

"JC, SHUT UP ALREADY!" Justin finally yelled. "You have been talking nonstop about Lance and that woman since we left the club. Is there something you want to share with the rest of us or are you just being Big Daddy?" JC gaped.

"Why are you talking about Lance so much?" Joey asked. "I mean, most guys don't talk about other guys practically 24/7. What's the deal?"

"He's a FRIEND, Joey. Am I not allowed to be worried about my friends?"

"Would you do this for Justin?" Chris countered. "Or me? Or Joey?"

"I don't think you would, Josh," Justin told his best friend. "I have *never* seen you like this before. What's going on?"

"Why does Tarzan wear a loin cloth?" Joey asked suddenly, earning himself an odd look from the other three.

"Because he's a jungle dude?" Justin suggested. Joey stuck out his tongue.

"If you knew, then why'd you ask?" JC said. Joey stuck out his tongue. "Don't stick that think out unless you plan on using it.

"I love this song!" Chris suddenly called as MTV played the video for Eminem's newest video, "Stan". Justin wrinkled his nose.

"You're one to talk!" the others shot at him and Justin laughed.

"That's a matter of opinion," JC drawled, prompting Justin to clobber him. Chris laughed, glad the earlier tension had been forgotten for a while.

"CHILDREN!" Joey called after a while. "Josh, you can fight the teenyboppers for Justin later."

"I am a one-one man man... I mean a one-WOMAN man," JC said, blushing. Joey smirked.

"Never mind." Chris sighed heavily. The others were so out of it sometimes it wasn't even funny.

"Anyone ever read fan fiction about us?" Justin suddenly asked. The others exchanged looks.

"Sometimes," Joey admitted. "Some stories are better than others at fictionalizing us."

"I read some at..." JC's voice trailed off and he blushed.

"If you're blushing, it means sex... OH MY GOD!" It suddenly dawned on Justin what JC liked to read.

"You read that stuff, Josh?" Joey asked. Somehow he knew that the 'sex' in question wasn't exactly heterosexual.

"Some of the writers are really good! And it gets so tiring reading about girls who fall in love with us but can't be with us because of some tragic secret... it gets monotonous after a while. The stories I read vary that theme a little, but that makes them so much the better."

"But to read... JC, I think you need your head examined!" Chris said. JC glared, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Joey opened it.

"Is this yours?" a woman asked, holding a beige and white cat in her arms. Joey shook his head.

"Will you take him anyway?" The woman held out the animal to Joey, who silently took it. "I found the poor thing in the alley and was hoping some good soul would take him."

"Thanks," Joey told her, handing the cat to JC, who had just come up beside him. The cat settled into JC's arms and started purring, earning a smile from the woman. "Can we give you something for him?"

"No, just knowing that he's in good hands is good enough for me," the Voodoo Queen said, giving Lance-the-cat a significant look.

"Mrow!" he shot at her. "I hate you for doing this to me."

"Hush," JC told the cat in his arms, hearing only "mrow" rather than words.

"Hush yourself," Lance muttered, but purred when JC stroked his head. The Voodoo Queen just laughed and was gone.

"That was weird," Chris said, coming over to look at their new aquisition. "I just hope Busta or Korea don't try and eat this new guy."

"I'll protect you," JC assured the cat. "I don't know why, but I'll protect you."

"Good enough for me," Lance purred, settling in again. Even though he was a cat, he still had his man. Life was good--for now.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to The Eyes of the Cat Chapter 8 "Where is he?" JC demanded, pacing the room frantically. Justin sighed. "JC, calm down! I'm sure Lance is fine!" "But he didn't seem fine when he left with that woman!" "JC, SHUT UP ALREADY!" Justin finally yelled. "You have been talking nonstop about Lance and that woman since we left the club. Is there something you want to share with the rest of us or are you just being Big Daddy?" JC gaped. "What?" "Why are you talking about Lance so much?" Joey asked. "I mean, most guys don't talk about other guys practically 24/7. What's the deal?" "He's a FRIEND, Joey. Am I not allowed to be worried about my friends?" "Would you do this for Justin?" Chris countered. "Or me? Or Joey?" "Of course!" JC said, sounding not-quite-sure. "I don't think you would, Josh," Justin told his best friend. "I have never seen you like this before. What's going on?" "NOTHING," JC insisted. "Why does Tarzan wear a loin cloth?" Joey asked suddenly, earning himself an odd look from the other three. "Because he's a jungle dude?" Justin suggested. Joey stuck out his tongue. "Duh," he said, rolling his eyes. "If you knew, then why'd you ask?" JC said. Joey stuck out his tongue. "Don't stick that think out unless you plan on using it. "I love this song!" Chris suddenly called as MTV played the video for Eminem's newest video, "Stan". Justin wrinkled his nose. "Ew, fake blond." "You're one to talk!" the others shot at him and Justin laughed. "Yeah, but ah look good!" "That's a matter of opinion," JC drawled, prompting Justin to clobber him. Chris laughed, glad the earlier tension had been forgotten for a while. "CHILDREN!" Joey called after a while. "Josh, you can fight the teenyboppers for Justin later." "HEY!" both Justin and JC yelled. "I am a one-one man man... I mean a one-WOMAN man," JC said, blushing. Joey smirked. "I think you were right the first time." "Freudian slip?" Chris said. JC wrinkled his brow. "Fred what?" "Never mind." Chris sighed heavily. The others were so out of it sometimes it wasn't even funny. "Anyone ever read fan fiction about us?" Justin suddenly asked. The others exchanged looks. "Sometimes," Joey admitted. "Some stories are better than others at fictionalizing us." "I read some at..." JC's voice trailed off and he blushed. "Where, Josh?" "Some archive." "If you're blushing, it means sex... OH MY GOD!" It suddenly dawned on Justin what JC liked to read. "You read that stuff, Josh?" Joey asked. Somehow he knew that the 'sex' in question wasn't exactly heterosexual. "Some of the writers are really good! And it gets so tiring reading about girls who fall in love with us but can't be with us because of some tragic secret... it gets monotonous after a while. The stories I read vary that theme a little, but that makes them so much the better." "But to read... JC, I think you need your head examined!" Chris said. JC glared, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Joey opened it. "Hello?" "Is this yours?" a woman asked, holding a beige and white cat in her arms. Joey shook his head. "I don't think so," he said. "Will you take him anyway?" The woman held out the animal to Joey, who silently took it. "I found the poor thing in the alley and was hoping some good soul would take him." "Thanks," Joey told her, handing the cat to JC, who had just come up beside him. The cat settled into JC's arms and started purring, earning a smile from the woman. "Can we give you something for him?" "No, just knowing that he's in good hands is good enough for me," the Voodoo Queen said, giving Lance-the-cat a significant look. "Mrow!" he shot at her. "I hate you for doing this to me." "Hush," JC told the cat in his arms, hearing only "mrow" rather than words. "Hush yourself," Lance muttered, but purred when JC stroked his head. The Voodoo Queen just laughed and was gone. "That was weird," Chris said, coming over to look at their new aquisition. "I just hope Busta or Korea don't try and eat this new guy." "SHIT!" Lance cursed. "Forgot about the dogs!" "I'll protect you," JC assured the cat. "I don't know why, but I'll protect you." "Good enough for me," Lance purred, settling in again. Even though he was a cat, he still had his man. Life was good--for now.