Chapter 9

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Chapter 9

So Lance," Chris asked. "When were you born?"

"May 4th, 1979," he answered smoothly.

"In Mississippi?" Joey asked.

"All my life," he answered, purposely making his accent more pronounced than before.

Justin grinned. "Sing much?"

"Choirs, church, nothing big," he answered with a shrug.

Chris opened his mouth to say something more, but I stopped him. "I think that's enough," I said.

"One more," Chris said. I gestured for him to ask it. "Your parents are okay with this?"

We saw his face darken and his eyes cloud. "They don't care much one way or the other."

"Why not?"

"Well..."

"They know you're here, right?" Chris persisted.

Lance's eyes widened the tiniest bit. I don't know if anyone else noticed. "Honestly? I don't think so. But I don't know. Like I said, they don't care."

"Won't they be worried?" Chris prodded.

Lance snorted. "No," he said simply.

"Don't you care?"

"Sure I do, they're my family, but like I said, they don't care much about me, and I don't care much about them."

Chris met that response with a glare. "Why not?"

"Can we not talk about this now?" he asked uneasily. "I mean..."

"Why don't we here you sing?" I interrupted. "That's what this is about anyway." He shot me a thankful glance and I smiled back at him. "Hey Chris, why don't you go get 'I Thought She Knew,' I suggested. Chris glared at me, but I shot him a pleading glance and he stood up reluctantly. He came back with the sheet music to the song and handed it to Lance.

"Thanks," he said, already starting to look at it. I smiled.

"All right. How about we start it, and then you can come in whenever you feel comfortable?" I suggested.

"That's fine," he replied, still looking over the music. I watched his green eyes dart from side to side as he read it. Then I started to snap out a beat. "One, Two, Three," I said, then we did the "Ooo's", and Justin began. To tell the truth, I was a little uneasy about singing this because it didn't sound right without a bass, but I figured that this was his chance.

"She was my once in a lifetime

Happy ending come true

Ohhhh I, guess I should have told her

I thought she knew."

I looked quickly at Lance, who was nodding his head to the beat, then we continued.

"She said I took her for granted

That's the last thing I would do

Oh I'll never understand it

I thought she knew..."

Lance was now mouthing his part along with us, still nodding his head. I did my leads.

"I thought she knew my world revolved around her

My love light burned for her alone

But she couldn't see the flame

Only myself to blame

I should have known

I should have known"

We continued, then Joey sang his verse. Lance came in halfway through.

"A heart full of words left unspoken

Now that we're through

I'd sell my soul to have the silences broken

Oh I thought she knew, I thought she knew..."

It was amazing. He hit the notes perfectly and we blended so well. My eyes widened in amazement and I looked around the table.

"I thought she knew my world revolved around her

My love light burned for her alone

But she couldn't see the flame

Only myself to blame

I should have known

I should have known"

Joey's voice had cracked a little from the surprise, but he regained it quickly. He was staring at Lance in amazement, still singing. Lance had a wonderful voice, we saw it immediately. Chris' hard shell from before had started to wear down the second Lance opened his mouth. He looked at me and nodded his head. I nodded mine too, eyes still wide. Then he looked at Joey who shook his head up and down vigorously. Then he looked at Justin, who was about to go back into his verse. Justin flashed the thumbs up sign at Chris before looking back at Lance, who'd been seemingly oblivious to the exchange, and was looking down at the music. Justin began the last part.

"She was my once in a lifetime

Happy ending come true

Woahhh I guess I should have told her"

I was impressed so far. So were the rest of them, judging from the looks on their faces. Lance still looked oblivious to us. We continued, watching to see how he would finish.

"But I thought she knew (I thought she knew)

I thought she knew (I thought she knew)

Ohhhhh I thought that she knew."

Oh wow he passed with flying colors, I thought to myself. The sound we made together was amazing.

Lance looked up to find us all staring at him. He blushed. "Um..."

"That was REALLY good," Justin finally said.

"You didn't tell us your voice was that good!" Joey exclaimed.

"Together...that's just..." I began.

"Amazing," Chris finished. "You've got a great voice, man," he said. Lance blushed an even brighter shade of red. He was shy, I had seen that immediately. "So..." Chris looked at all of us and received a nod in return.

"We don't even need to discuss this," he said. "Welcome to the group." He extended a hand.

Lance's eyes widened and he smiled broadly. "Thanks," he said. "I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, and you seem a lot nicer than Jason," Justin added.

"Jason?" Lance looked confused.

"Jason was in the group before," I said wryly.

Lance's brow furrowed. "Blonde hair, brown eyes?"

"Yeah! How'd you know?"

Lance's eyebrows shot up. "I got seated next to him on the plane," he said. "He was on my connection from Alabama to here, for whatever reason. Guess what he was complaining about?"

"Ohh..." Justin said. "Poor you."

Lance did a perfect imitation. "I can't believe they kicked me out of the group! They'll never amount to anything! Especially if they don't have me!"

We all burst out laughing, even Chris.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 9 So Lance," Chris asked. "When were you born?" "May 4th, 1979," he answered smoothly. "In Mississippi?" Joey asked. "All my life," he answered, purposely making his accent more pronounced than before. Justin grinned. "Sing much?" "Choirs, church, nothing big," he answered with a shrug. Chris opened his mouth to say something more, but I stopped him. "I think that's enough," I said. "One more," Chris said. I gestured for him to ask it. "Your parents are okay with this?" We saw his face darken and his eyes cloud. "They don't care much one way or the other." "Why not?" "Well..." "They know you're here, right?" Chris persisted. Lance's eyes widened the tiniest bit. I don't know if anyone else noticed. "Honestly? I don't think so. But I don't know. Like I said, they don't care." "Won't they be worried?" Chris prodded. Lance snorted. "No," he said simply. "Don't you care?" "Sure I do, they're my family, but like I said, they don't care much about me, and I don't care much about them." Chris met that response with a glare. "Why not?" "Can we not talk about this now?" he asked uneasily. "I mean..." "Why don't we here you sing?" I interrupted. "That's what this is about anyway." He shot me a thankful glance and I smiled back at him. "Hey Chris, why don't you go get 'I Thought She Knew,' I suggested. Chris glared at me, but I shot him a pleading glance and he stood up reluctantly. He came back with the sheet music to the song and handed it to Lance. "Thanks," he said, already starting to look at it. I smiled. "All right. How about we start it, and then you can come in whenever you feel comfortable?" I suggested. "That's fine," he replied, still looking over the music. I watched his green eyes dart from side to side as he read it. Then I started to snap out a beat. "One, Two, Three," I said, then we did the "Ooo's", and Justin began. To tell the truth, I was a little uneasy about singing this because it didn't sound right without a bass, but I figured that this was his chance. "She was my once in a lifetime Happy ending come true Ohhhh I, guess I should have told her I thought she knew." I looked quickly at Lance, who was nodding his head to the beat, then we continued. "She said I took her for granted That's the last thing I would do Oh I'll never understand it I thought she knew..." Lance was now mouthing his part along with us, still nodding his head. I did my leads. "I thought she knew my world revolved around her My love light burned for her alone But she couldn't see the flame Only myself to blame I should have known I should have known" We continued, then Joey sang his verse. Lance came in halfway through. "A heart full of words left unspoken Now that we're through I'd sell my soul to have the silences broken Oh I thought she knew, I thought she knew..." It was amazing. He hit the notes perfectly and we blended so well. My eyes widened in amazement and I looked around the table. "I thought she knew my world revolved around her My love light burned for her alone But she couldn't see the flame Only myself to blame I should have known I should have known" Joey's voice had cracked a little from the surprise, but he regained it quickly. He was staring at Lance in amazement, still singing. Lance had a wonderful voice, we saw it immediately. Chris' hard shell from before had started to wear down the second Lance opened his mouth. He looked at me and nodded his head. I nodded mine too, eyes still wide. Then he looked at Joey who shook his head up and down vigorously. Then he looked at Justin, who was about to go back into his verse. Justin flashed the thumbs up sign at Chris before looking back at Lance, who'd been seemingly oblivious to the exchange, and was looking down at the music. Justin began the last part. "She was my once in a lifetime Happy ending come true Woahhh I guess I should have told her" I was impressed so far. So were the rest of them, judging from the looks on their faces. Lance still looked oblivious to us. We continued, watching to see how he would finish. "But I thought she knew (I thought she knew) I thought she knew (I thought she knew) I thought she knew (I thought she knew) Ohhhhh I thought that she knew." Oh wow he passed with flying colors, I thought to myself. The sound we made together was amazing. Lance looked up to find us all staring at him. He blushed. "Um..." "That was REALLY good," Justin finally said. "You didn't tell us your voice was that good!" Joey exclaimed. "Together...that's just..." I began. "Amazing," Chris finished. "You've got a great voice, man," he said. Lance blushed an even brighter shade of red. He was shy, I had seen that immediately. "So..." Chris looked at all of us and received a nod in return. "We don't even need to discuss this," he said. "Welcome to the group." He extended a hand. Lance's eyes widened and he smiled broadly. "Thanks," he said. "I really appreciate it." "Yeah, and you seem a lot nicer than Jason," Justin added. "Jason?" Lance looked confused. "Jason was in the group before," I said wryly. Lance's brow furrowed. "Blonde hair, brown eyes?" "Yeah! How'd you know?" Lance's eyebrows shot up. "I got seated next to him on the plane," he said. "He was on my connection from Alabama to here, for whatever reason. Guess what he was complaining about?" "Ohh..." Justin said. "Poor you." Lance did a perfect imitation. "I can't believe they kicked me out of the group! They'll never amount to anything! Especially if they don't have me!" We all burst out laughing, even Chris.