Chapter 3

Inner Reflection | home

back to Sent From Above

Chapter 3

"Mom! Mom guess what!" Justin was saying. Lance grinned at the childish exuberance.

"What, honey?" she asked, humoring him.

"This guy I knew from auditions called...his name is Chris Kirkpatrick, and he's starting a group! And the best part is, he wants me to be in it! He's really nice sounding...please?"

"Wait...you mean a music group?"

"Yeah! Mom, it's like my dream! I've always wanted to sing!"

"I know you have, but..."

"Please?"

"I'll have to talk it over with Paul..."

"Paul's not my father," Justin said. "But you're my mother."

Both Lance and Lynn cringed at that. "Well, sweetie, this could change your life..."

"I know, Mom, but I want it to! Chris has the guy to back it and everything!"

"How old is this Chris?"

Justin winced. "Um...23?"

"23?! Honey, I don't know if..."

"Please?" Justin begged.

"I'll think about it," she said, looking at her son's pleading eyes. "I'll think about it."

Lance groaned. She was stubborn, all right.

"You love Florida," Justin continued. "That's where Chris is...we could move there..." Lance grinned now. The kid was good. Uh oh. He was breaking out the eyes.

"Justin, don't look at me like that. This is a big thing for me..." Lance could see her resolve crumbling. Justin WAS good. He only needed a little help... Lance crossed over to Lynn and put a hand on her shoulder. She sighed, and thought. "Do you really want to do this, Justin?"

"Yes!"

"Are you willing to put in all the effort?"

"Course!"

"All right. Call that Chris guy and let him know."

"Thanks Mom! I love you!" Justin ran over to the phone. Lance smiled at him, but then looked back at Lynn and sighed. He knew that the only reason she was letting him do it was because she didn't really think it would amount to much. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and went over to where Justin was talking to Chris.

"Chris?" Justin was saying. "I'm gonna do it!" he said excitedly.

"Really? That's great man!"

Justin bit his lip, thinking. "Hey, I've got this friend, his name is JC, I worked with him on MMC, he's got a really good voice and is really creative...I think he'd be a help to the group..." he began.

"You think so? Give him a call and we'll see how it works out."

Justin brightened. "Great! So I'll call you back?"

"Yeah. Bye Justin."

"Bye Chris!"

Back at Chris' apartment, he sighed happily. His dream was finally beginning to come true.

******

JC Chasez sighed as he threw another letter of rejection into the garbage can. "Just because I didn't exactly have a normal childhood doesn't mean I can't go to college," he said. "Right?" he asked himself. "Even though I'm broke cause of those slimeballs in LA..." He sighed again. "Two years ago, JC. That was two years ago." He shook his head. "I've almost got enough money to go to Memphis, maybe I can go back to Nashville with Justin again..." He stopped. "Yeah right. Just get money and go to college, man, there probably ain't nothing you can do about singing."

"You would say that," Lance said. "Ironic." He shook his head. "Who the heck was taking care of you when you went to LA two years ago? Sheesh."

JC got up and started tinkering with his keyboard. It hit a sour note and he frowned. "Nothing works!" He got up and got ready to go to work, being a waiter at a strip mall.

"No! Don't...go..." Lance said, but of course his words fell on deaf ears. JC paused for a second, but shook his head and went out the door anyway. No more than five seconds later, the phone rang. "Oh man," Lance groaned. He faded away and reappeared at Joey's house. He sat perched on the counter top as Joey cooked his dinner. It looked like pasta. Again. Lance rolled his eyes but wished he could eat again. It had been a long time.

******

Four hours later, JC walked into his apartment. "Oh, lucky me, I got messages," he said, rolling his eyes. He walked over to the machine and pressed a button.

"Hello, Josh, it's your mother." It was a message from the day before, but JC let it play out anyway. "I"m just calling to check up on you...are you eating enough? Call me sweetie!" JC rolled his eyes but smiled. His smile grew when he heard the familiar voice ring out.

"JC! Hey, it's Justin!" JC grinned at the excitement in his younger friend's voice. "You're never gonna believe this...I wish you were home! But anyway, I'm sitting home, trying to think of something to do, and then this guy calls, his name is Chris Kirkpatrick, I've seen him before in a couple of auditions..." JC waited impatiently, hoping Justin would get to the point. "Anyway, he told me that he met this guy, his name is Lou something or other, and he told Chris that he'd back him if he could put a group of guys together..." JC's eyes widened in disbelief. "Like money for nothing. But anyway, somehow Chris got my name, so he asked me to join the group! Isn't that awesome? And Mom said I could!" JC smiled in happiness for his friend. "But that's not the best part..." Suddenly, the voice stopped.

"No! NO NO NO!" JC yelled. But the machine went to the next message anyway, and JC sighed in relief when the young voice came back on again.

"Sorry about that man, I guess I talked too much...."

"You can say that again."

"Anyway, I was getting to the best part..." JC raised an eyebrow. "I told him about you...you didn't think I'd forget about you, did you?" JC shook his head, disbelieving. "And he said to call you and see if you wanted to do it with us! Isn't that great? So call me if you want to! I think this can be big, man, it's like a dream come true for me, and I KNOW you love singing...so call me! Like, as soon as you get this!"

JC had a big grin on his face. "Just when I was ready to give up singing," he said. He dialed Justin's number. "Hey, Justin!" he said when his friend picked up the phone. Lance was sitting on top of the chair behind him with a smile on his face.

"Hey, JC, you get my message?"

"Yes!"

"So? You gonna do it?"

"You kidding? 'Course I'm gonna do it! This is awesome, man, thanks so much!"

"Yeah, yeah...hey, we're all gonna meet in Orlando, that okay with you?"

"Yeah, when?"

"Me, Mom, and Paul are gonna head down in like, three days..."

"Already?"

"Hey, there's nothing else for me to do here, and Im getting in too much trouble to wanna stay for much longer," Justin said, somewhat sheepishly.

"Man, you're still a delinquent?"

"That's me!" Justin exclaimed.

JC laughed. "I'll fly down in like a week or so, so I'll call you with the details, all right?"

"Sounds good...hey, glad you're doin' this man, it'll be nice to do something again, you know?"

"Yeah. Thanks for thinkin' of me man," he said. "Bye Justin."

"Bye!" The two hung up and JC grinned, then dialed up his mother.

Lance smiled, thene faded away. "Almost done," he told himself.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 3 "Mom! Mom guess what!" Justin was saying. Lance grinned at the childish exuberance. "What, honey?" she asked, humoring him. "This guy I knew from auditions called...his name is Chris Kirkpatrick, and he's starting a group! And the best part is, he wants me to be in it! He's really nice sounding...please?" "Wait...you mean a music group?" "Yeah! Mom, it's like my dream! I've always wanted to sing!" "I know you have, but..." "Please?" "I'll have to talk it over with Paul..." "Paul's not my father," Justin said. "But you're my mother." Both Lance and Lynn cringed at that. "Well, sweetie, this could change your life..." "I know, Mom, but I want it to! Chris has the guy to back it and everything!" "How old is this Chris?" Justin winced. "Um...23?" "23?! Honey, I don't know if..." "Please?" Justin begged. "I'll think about it," she said, looking at her son's pleading eyes. "I'll think about it." Lance groaned. She was stubborn, all right. "You love Florida," Justin continued. "That's where Chris is...we could move there..." Lance grinned now. The kid was good. Uh oh. He was breaking out the eyes. "Justin, don't look at me like that. This is a big thing for me..." Lance could see her resolve crumbling. Justin WAS good. He only needed a little help... Lance crossed over to Lynn and put a hand on her shoulder. She sighed, and thought. "Do you really want to do this, Justin?" "Yes!" "Are you willing to put in all the effort?" "Course!" "All right. Call that Chris guy and let him know." "Thanks Mom! I love you!" Justin ran over to the phone. Lance smiled at him, but then looked back at Lynn and sighed. He knew that the only reason she was letting him do it was because she didn't really think it would amount to much. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and went over to where Justin was talking to Chris. "Chris?" Justin was saying. "I'm gonna do it!" he said excitedly. "Really? That's great man!" Justin bit his lip, thinking. "Hey, I've got this friend, his name is JC, I worked with him on MMC, he's got a really good voice and is really creative...I think he'd be a help to the group..." he began. "You think so? Give him a call and we'll see how it works out." Justin brightened. "Great! So I'll call you back?" "Yeah. Bye Justin." "Bye Chris!" Back at Chris' apartment, he sighed happily. His dream was finally beginning to come true. **** JC Chasez sighed as he threw another letter of rejection into the garbage can. "Just because I didn't exactly have a normal childhood doesn't mean I can't go to college," he said. "Right?" he asked himself. "Even though I'm broke cause of those slimeballs in LA..." He sighed again. "Two years ago, JC. That was two years ago." He shook his head. "I've almost got enough money to go to Memphis, maybe I can go back to Nashville with Justin again..." He stopped. "Yeah right. Just get money and go to college, man, there probably ain't nothing you can do about singing." "You would say that," Lance said. "Ironic." He shook his head. "Who the heck was taking care of you when you went to LA two years ago? Sheesh." JC got up and started tinkering with his keyboard. It hit a sour note and he frowned. "Nothing works!" He got up and got ready to go to work, being a waiter at a strip mall. "No! Don't...go..." Lance said, but of course his words fell on deaf ears. JC paused for a second, but shook his head and went out the door anyway. No more than five seconds later, the phone rang. "Oh man," Lance groaned. He faded away and reappeared at Joey's house. He sat perched on the counter top as Joey cooked his dinner. It looked like pasta. Again. Lance rolled his eyes but wished he could eat again. It had been a long time. **** Four hours later, JC walked into his apartment. "Oh, lucky me, I got messages," he said, rolling his eyes. He walked over to the machine and pressed a button. "Hello, Josh, it's your mother." It was a message from the day before, but JC let it play out anyway. "I"m just calling to check up on you...are you eating enough? Call me sweetie!" JC rolled his eyes but smiled. His smile grew when he heard the familiar voice ring out. "JC! Hey, it's Justin!" JC grinned at the excitement in his younger friend's voice. "You're never gonna believe this...I wish you were home! But anyway, I'm sitting home, trying to think of something to do, and then this guy calls, his name is Chris Kirkpatrick, I've seen him before in a couple of auditions..." JC waited impatiently, hoping Justin would get to the point. "Anyway, he told me that he met this guy, his name is Lou something or other, and he told Chris that he'd back him if he could put a group of guys together..." JC's eyes widened in disbelief. "Like money for nothing. But anyway, somehow Chris got my name, so he asked me to join the group! Isn't that awesome? And Mom said I could!" JC smiled in happiness for his friend. "But that's not the best part..." Suddenly, the voice stopped. "No! NO NO NO!" JC yelled. But the machine went to the next message anyway, and JC sighed in relief when the young voice came back on again. "Sorry about that man, I guess I talked too much...." "You can say that again." "Anyway, I was getting to the best part..." JC raised an eyebrow. "I told him about you...you didn't think I'd forget about you, did you?" JC shook his head, disbelieving. "And he said to call you and see if you wanted to do it with us! Isn't that great? So call me if you want to! I think this can be big, man, it's like a dream come true for me, and I KNOW you love singing...so call me! Like, as soon as you get this!" JC had a big grin on his face. "Just when I was ready to give up singing," he said. He dialed Justin's number. "Hey, Justin!" he said when his friend picked up the phone. Lance was sitting on top of the chair behind him with a smile on his face. "Hey, JC, you get my message?" "Yes!" "So? You gonna do it?" "You kidding? 'Course I'm gonna do it! This is awesome, man, thanks so much!" "Yeah, yeah...hey, we're all gonna meet in Orlando, that okay with you?" "Yeah, when?" "Me, Mom, and Paul are gonna head down in like, three days..." "Already?" "Hey, there's nothing else for me to do here, and Im getting in too much trouble to wanna stay for much longer," Justin said, somewhat sheepishly. "Man, you're still a delinquent?" "That's me!" Justin exclaimed. JC laughed. "I'll fly down in like a week or so, so I'll call you with the details, all right?" "Sounds good...hey, glad you're doin' this man, it'll be nice to do something again, you know?" "Yeah. Thanks for thinkin' of me man," he said. "Bye Justin." "Bye!" The two hung up and JC grinned, then dialed up his mother. Lance smiled, thene faded away. "Almost done," he told himself.