Chapter 8

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Chapter 8

"Should I call him?" Justin asked.

"Why not? We can try to convince his mother..." JC said.

"All right," Justin shrugged. He looked at the paper and dialed the number.

"Hello?" a deep voice answered.

"Hi, my name is Justin...who is this?" Justin asked.

"This is Lance," the voice said, sounding a little uncertain.

"Oh, okay, we wanted to call you," Justin said.

"We?"

"Yeah, me and the guys..."

"Justin, shut up! You're probably scaring the guy!" Chris yelled.

"Right..um...well, we wanted to ask you something," Justin said.

"Okay..."

"Well, I'll just say it. Do you want to be in a music group?"

Silence.

"Um...Lance?" he asked, giving the other three worried eyes.

"You're kidding, right?" he asked.

"No, I'm serious!!"

"Um...I need a little more information, then," Lance said.

"Oh, of course..." and Justin explained, with the help of Chris, all about Lou and the contract. "And since we need a bass..." he trailed off.

"How'd you get my name?" Lance asked.

"Well...Andrew was my vocal coach, and he gave us your name," Justin said cautiously.

"Andrew?" Justin heard a deep chuckle. "How's he doing, anyway?"

"He's good," Justin said. "So? Wanna audition?"

"Yeah, I wanna do it," he said. "I've always liked singing, I just never thought it would take me very far."

Justin's eyes widened and he gave the other guys two thumbs up. They cheered in response. "Great! Wait...you're how old?"

"T...Sixteen."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Lance laughed.

"You need your mother or whatever to give you the okay though?" Justin asked.

"My mother won't be a problem," Lance said somewhat bitterly. "Trust me on that one."

"Um...all right," Justin said, shrugging. "So when can you come down?"

"Um...couple days, I think? I'll have to call you back."

"All right," Justin replied. He gave him the number. "Bye, Lance."

"Bye Justin, thanks." They hung up.

"So?" Chris asked.

"He's gonna come down for an audition," Justin said, smiling broadly.

"What did his voice sound like?" JC asked curiously.

"Low," Justin said with a grin.

Lance hung up the phone and watched it disappear, pleased with himself.

"Oh, aren't we all happy now," a voice sneered.

Lance spun around. "Benny," he said, nodding his head. He turned and went back to reading up on the folder of information about himself, just so he could make sure he knew everything.

But Benny wouldn't give up. "So now you're going to live as a human again. How do you think they're going to feel about you being sick?"

"I'm not sick, Benny," Lance said. "I'm gay, there's a difference."

"You're sick and you know it."

"I'm not sick," Lance said. "Because I probably would've died, seeing as it has NO CURE," he began. "And I seem to remember dying for some other reason...oh, it's slipped my mind, maybe you could tell me?" he asked sarcastically. "And don't even try to tell me it's a sin because I wouldn't be here. We've had this conversation before, Benny, and quite frankly, I'm getting sick of it."

"Benjamin, I think you should leave James alone. He has to get ready for his assignment."

Lance flashed Nikolas a thankful smile and Benny angrily flew away.

******

*~*This part is in Joey's POV just cause I felt like it :)*~*

Well, today was the day we'd meet what we hoped would be the missing link in our group. I'd tried to sing bass, but it just was not working -- at all.

And Jason...wow, Jason had been an absolute disaster.

We were at the airport, waiting for his plane to come in. What seemed out of place to me was the fact that he said his mother wouldn't be a problem. I wonder why? I mean, Andrew had said that his mother wouldn't let him...maybe he was a mama's boy or something. I hope not. Finally, the plane came in. We watched people come through the gate, none of them matching the description Lance had told us of himself. Blonde hair, green eyes. 5'9, 5'10 or so. One of the last passengers off the plane looked like it could be him. He looked a little disoriented. He was looking around, like he was looking for something. Someone? Then he saw us and his eyebrows shot up.

"Think that's him?" JC asked me.

"Well, he doesn't seem to know what he's doing," Chris said, sounding irritated. I looked at him in surprise. Chris didn't usually act like that... My thoughts were interrupted by him walking towards us.

"I'm gonna go for it," Justin said. I shrugged and gave him a little push to help.

"Hey!" he said. I grinned. The guy (Lance?) was looking at us with an expression that was a mixture of confusion...and something else. Amusement?

Justin stepped forward. "Are you Lance?" he asked uncertainly.

The guy smiled, looking relieved. "Yeah." Justin was right, his voice was deep. He had an accent too. Figures, since he's from Mississippi.

Justin grinned. "Hi, I'm Justin Timberlake," he said, extending his hand.

Lance shifted his bag to grasp Justin's hand. "James Bass. But I go by Lance."

"Middle name?"

"Yeah." He looked at the rest of us.

"Oh. Lemme introduce you," Justin said. I rolled my eyes. Lance must have caught it because he flashed me a grin before giving his attention back to Justin. "This is Chris Kirkpatrick, he started the group," he said.

"Pleased to meet you," Lance said, politely, but shyly.

"Likewise," Chris said, but his tone suggested otherwise. I raised my eyebrow at him. What was his problem? They shook hands. "Your hand's cold," he said suddenly. Lance took it back and looked at it for a second.

"Cold plane," he said simply, with a shrug. Then he smiled. Chris gave him a little half grin back, but it was guarded. Lance looked puzzled, but he shrugged and turned back to Justin.

"This is JC Chasez," he said.

"Hi," JC said, offering his hand.

"Nice to meet you," Lance said.

"Man, your hand IS cold," JC exclaimed. Lance grinned shyly in response. Then they came to me.

"And this is Joey Fatone," Justin introduced.

"Hey," I said.

"Nice to meet you," Lance said, sticking out his hand. I shook it. But there was something odd. He was pale, but that wasn't it. I looked at his eyes, tilting my head. Where had I seen that green before? I must've stared too long, because he cleared his throat a little nervously and took his hand back. I shook away from my thoughts.

"Sorry," I said.

"That's all right," he said, giving me an easy grin.

"Come on, we gotta get your things!" Justin said, pulling Lance away. I followed, but one more thing bothered me.

His hand wasn't cold.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 8 "Should I call him?" Justin asked. "Why not? We can try to convince his mother..." JC said. "All right," Justin shrugged. He looked at the paper and dialed the number. "Hello?" a deep voice answered. "Hi, my name is Justin...who is this?" Justin asked. "This is Lance," the voice said, sounding a little uncertain. "Oh, okay, we wanted to call you," Justin said. "We?" "Yeah, me and the guys..." "Justin, shut up! You're probably scaring the guy!" Chris yelled. "Right..um...well, we wanted to ask you something," Justin said. "Okay..." "Well, I'll just say it. Do you want to be in a music group?" Silence. "Um...Lance?" he asked, giving the other three worried eyes. "You're kidding, right?" he asked. "No, I'm serious!!" "Um...I need a little more information, then," Lance said. "Oh, of course..." and Justin explained, with the help of Chris, all about Lou and the contract. "And since we need a bass..." he trailed off. "How'd you get my name?" Lance asked. "Well...Andrew was my vocal coach, and he gave us your name," Justin said cautiously. "Andrew?" Justin heard a deep chuckle. "How's he doing, anyway?" "He's good," Justin said. "So? Wanna audition?" "Yeah, I wanna do it," he said. "I've always liked singing, I just never thought it would take me very far." Justin's eyes widened and he gave the other guys two thumbs up. They cheered in response. "Great! Wait...you're how old?" "T...Sixteen." "You sure?" "Yeah," Lance laughed. "You need your mother or whatever to give you the okay though?" Justin asked. "My mother won't be a problem," Lance said somewhat bitterly. "Trust me on that one." "Um...all right," Justin said, shrugging. "So when can you come down?" "Um...couple days, I think? I'll have to call you back." "All right," Justin replied. He gave him the number. "Bye, Lance." "Bye Justin, thanks." They hung up. "So?" Chris asked. "He's gonna come down for an audition," Justin said, smiling broadly. "What did his voice sound like?" JC asked curiously. "Low," Justin said with a grin. Lance hung up the phone and watched it disappear, pleased with himself. "Oh, aren't we all happy now," a voice sneered. Lance spun around. "Benny," he said, nodding his head. He turned and went back to reading up on the folder of information about himself, just so he could make sure he knew everything. But Benny wouldn't give up. "So now you're going to live as a human again. How do you think they're going to feel about you being sick?" "I'm not sick, Benny," Lance said. "I'm gay, there's a difference." "You're sick and you know it." "I'm not sick," Lance said. "Because I probably would've died, seeing as it has NO CURE," he began. "And I seem to remember dying for some other reason...oh, it's slipped my mind, maybe you could tell me?" he asked sarcastically. "And don't even try to tell me it's a sin because I wouldn't be here. We've had this conversation before, Benny, and quite frankly, I'm getting sick of it." "Benjamin, I think you should leave James alone. He has to get ready for his assignment." Lance flashed Nikolas a thankful smile and Benny angrily flew away. ****** ~This part is in Joey's POV just cause I felt like it :)~ Well, today was the day we'd meet what we hoped would be the missing link in our group. I'd tried to sing bass, but it just was not working -- at all. And Jason...wow, Jason had been an absolute disaster. We were at the airport, waiting for his plane to come in. What seemed out of place to me was the fact that he said his mother wouldn't be a problem. I wonder why? I mean, Andrew had said that his mother wouldn't let him...maybe he was a mama's boy or something. I hope not. Finally, the plane came in. We watched people come through the gate, none of them matching the description Lance had told us of himself. Blonde hair, green eyes. 5'9, 5'10 or so. One of the last passengers off the plane looked like it could be him. He looked a little disoriented. He was looking around, like he was looking for something. Someone? Then he saw us and his eyebrows shot up. "Think that's him?" JC asked me. "Well, he doesn't seem to know what he's doing," Chris said, sounding irritated. I looked at him in surprise. Chris didn't usually act like that... My thoughts were interrupted by him walking towards us. "I'm gonna go for it," Justin said. I shrugged and gave him a little push to help. "Hey!" he said. I grinned. The guy (Lance?) was looking at us with an expression that was a mixture of confusion...and something else. Amusement? Justin stepped forward. "Are you Lance?" he asked uncertainly. The guy smiled, looking relieved. "Yeah." Justin was right, his voice was deep. He had an accent too. Figures, since he's from Mississippi. Justin grinned. "Hi, I'm Justin Timberlake," he said, extending his hand. Lance shifted his bag to grasp Justin's hand. "James Bass. But I go by Lance." "Middle name?" "Yeah." He looked at the rest of us. "Oh. Lemme introduce you," Justin said. I rolled my eyes. Lance must have caught it because he flashed me a grin before giving his attention back to Justin. "This is Chris Kirkpatrick, he started the group," he said. "Pleased to meet you," Lance said, politely, but shyly. "Likewise," Chris said, but his tone suggested otherwise. I raised my eyebrow at him. What was his problem? They shook hands. "Your hand's cold," he said suddenly. Lance took it back and looked at it for a second. "Cold plane," he said simply, with a shrug. Then he smiled. Chris gave him a little half grin back, but it was guarded. Lance looked puzzled, but he shrugged and turned back to Justin. "This is JC Chasez," he said. "Hi," JC said, offering his hand. "Nice to meet you," Lance said. "Man, your hand IS cold," JC exclaimed. Lance grinned shyly in response. Then they came to me. "And this is Joey Fatone," Justin introduced. "Hey," I said. "Nice to meet you," Lance said, sticking out his hand. I shook it. But there was something odd. He was pale, but that wasn't it. I looked at his eyes, tilting my head. Where had I seen that green before? I must've stared too long, because he cleared his throat a little nervously and took his hand back. I shook away from my thoughts. "Sorry," I said. "That's all right," he said, giving me an easy grin. "Come on, we gotta get your things!" Justin said, pulling Lance away. I followed, but one more thing bothered me. His hand wasn't cold.