Chapter 16

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Chapter 16

Lance looked at the small bruise on his shoulder. "I thought you said I couldn't get hurt?" he asked Nikolas, who had suddenly appeared behind him.

"You can't get hurt too bad," Nikolas corrected. "It's been changed."

"Glad someone told me," Lance said.

"We thought they might get suspicious if you never got any bruises," Nikolas continued, ignoring him. "But with some things, say, if you were to cut your finger with a knife, it would just go through it, no harm done. You have human organs and everything, but you don't bleed."

Lance blinked. "That'll be hard to explain."

"You can deal. We can't just give you blood, James. So they'll hear a pulse and everything, you have lungs and all that...a little weird, but no one's been down here as long as we're planning on keeping you here. Speaking of dealing, you need to spend more time paying attention to your bandmates then arguing with Louis."

"I didn't exactly think Lou would resort to physical violence...and what do you mean, 'pay attention to your bandmates?'" he asked, offended. "I pay attention to them."

"You haven't noticed one of them withdrawing lately, have you?"

Lance looked down, a faint blush creeping over his cheeks. "No," he sighed.

Nikolas smiled. "You're doing fine. Just listen to Louis a little more, will you?"

Lance made a face. "Louis. Right." Then he remembered something. "One more thing, Nik," he said.

"My name is Nikolas," Nikolas corrected.

"And my name is Lance. Now that we know each other, tell me something. Who was behind God Must Have Spent? If you tell me it wasn't any of you..."

"Actually, those writers thought of that one almost all by themselves. We just helped. Humans aren't as dumb as they appear."

"Hey!" Lance said, offended. "I was a human once! And I am now...sorta..."

"My point exactly."

******

JC stared out the window. The guys had asked him earlier if he wanted to go to the movies with them, but he declined, citing the need for sleep. They'd bought it, and left him alone. Alone. That's what he was. He sighed, wishing it would rain so that the weather matched his mood. Instead, it was sunny. He sighed again. He couldn't believe the position he was in. Recording for an album. Famous in Europe, so famous that they couldn't go out without security. They came back here, and no one knew them, and that was nice. He had turned twenty-one just a few weeks ago. He was supposed to be out getting drunk, partying, having fun with girls...

Girls. That was the problem. They just didn't interest him anymore. And it scared the hell out of him.

******

"What do you mean, Lou?" Chris asked.

"That was MTV. They say they want the I Want You Back video like...yesterday. So we're re-filming it," Lou replied, hanging up the phone.

"Why?" Joey asked.

"Because, if you hadn't noticed, you all look completely different now than you do in the Europe video. And by the time it's all set, we'll be releasing your album."

"When will that be?" JC asked excitedly.

"March."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. The Backstreet Boys album is selling well, and we want to challenge that..." Lance wished he would stop comparing them to the other group.

"So when are we filming?"

"Next week."

"You know, my mom is getting a little upset at all the short notice trips we're taking," Justin pointed out.

"Well, soon, you'll have a schedule that tells you all of that." Justin sighed, but nodded in response.

"So what's it gonna be about?" Lance asked.

"Well, we think that we're gonna have it be sort of a 'Get to know 'Nsync' type video," Lou said. "Show you guys having fun and stuff."

"But the song doesn't talk about us having fun," Joey said, bewildered. "We're supposed to be wanting someone to come back."

Lou shrugged. "How many videos do you see that follow the song?" Joey blinked. Lou smirked. "That's what I thought."

******

"JC, you coming with us?"

"Naw, thanks Joey," JC said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"What about you, Lance?" Joey asked.

Lance looked at JC worriedly. "I think I'll stay here."

"Sure?"

"Yes, Joey," Lance said. "Have fun."

"Your loss," Joey shrugged. "Bye."

"Bye," Lance said.

"You could've gone," JC said to Lance.

"You don't do anything with us anymore," Lance said. "Why not?"

JC shrugged. "I just haven't felt like it."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

Lance sighed. "All right. But when you do, let me know." He walked to the door, but stopped when he heard JC's voice.

"When did you first know?"

"Know what?" he asked, puzzled.

"That you were gay?"

"When did I know, or when did I accept it?" Lance asked ruefully.

"Know, I guess..."

"Probably when I realized that my beautiful friend Sarah wasn't so beautiful to me," he said. JC smiled. "Why?"

JC sighed in response and looked out the window. "Just wondering."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 16 Lance looked at the small bruise on his shoulder. "I thought you said I couldn't get hurt?" he asked Nikolas, who had suddenly appeared behind him. "You can't get hurt too bad," Nikolas corrected. "It's been changed." "Glad someone told me," Lance said. "We thought they might get suspicious if you never got any bruises," Nikolas continued, ignoring him. "But with some things, say, if you were to cut your finger with a knife, it would just go through it, no harm done. You have human organs and everything, but you don't bleed." Lance blinked. "That'll be hard to explain." "You can deal. We can't just give you blood, James. So they'll hear a pulse and everything, you have lungs and all that...a little weird, but no one's been down here as long as we're planning on keeping you here. Speaking of dealing, you need to spend more time paying attention to your bandmates then arguing with Louis." "I didn't exactly think Lou would resort to physical violence...and what do you mean, 'pay attention to your bandmates?'" he asked, offended. "I pay attention to them." "You haven't noticed one of them withdrawing lately, have you?" Lance looked down, a faint blush creeping over his cheeks. "No," he sighed. Nikolas smiled. "You're doing fine. Just listen to Louis a little more, will you?" Lance made a face. "Louis. Right." Then he remembered something. "One more thing, Nik," he said. "My name is Nikolas," Nikolas corrected. "And my name is Lance. Now that we know each other, tell me something. Who was behind God Must Have Spent? If you tell me it wasn't any of you..." "Actually, those writers thought of that one almost all by themselves. We just helped. Humans aren't as dumb as they appear." "Hey!" Lance said, offended. "I was a human once! And I am now...sorta..." "My point exactly." **** JC stared out the window. The guys had asked him earlier if he wanted to go to the movies with them, but he declined, citing the need for sleep. They'd bought it, and left him alone. Alone. That's what he was. He sighed, wishing it would rain so that the weather matched his mood. Instead, it was sunny. He sighed again. He couldn't believe the position he was in. Recording for an album. Famous in Europe, so famous that they couldn't go out without security. They came back here, and no one knew them, and that was nice. He had turned twenty-one just a few weeks ago. He was supposed to be out getting drunk, partying, having fun with girls... Girls. That was the problem. They just didn't interest him anymore. And it scared the hell out of him. ** "What do you mean, Lou?" Chris asked. "That was MTV. They say they want the I Want You Back video like...yesterday. So we're re-filming it," Lou replied, hanging up the phone. "Why?" Joey asked. "Because, if you hadn't noticed, you all look completely different now than you do in the Europe video. And by the time it's all set, we'll be releasing your album." "When will that be?" JC asked excitedly. "March." "Seriously?" "Yes. The Backstreet Boys album is selling well, and we want to challenge that..." Lance wished he would stop comparing them to the other group. "So when are we filming?" "Next week." "You know, my mom is getting a little upset at all the short notice trips we're taking," Justin pointed out. "Well, soon, you'll have a schedule that tells you all of that." Justin sighed, but nodded in response. "So what's it gonna be about?" Lance asked. "Well, we think that we're gonna have it be sort of a 'Get to know 'Nsync' type video," Lou said. "Show you guys having fun and stuff." "But the song doesn't talk about us having fun," Joey said, bewildered. "We're supposed to be wanting someone to come back." Lou shrugged. "How many videos do you see that follow the song?" Joey blinked. Lou smirked. "That's what I thought." **** "JC, you coming with us?" "Naw, thanks Joey," JC said. "You sure?" "Yeah." "What about you, Lance?" Joey asked. Lance looked at JC worriedly. "I think I'll stay here." "Sure?" "Yes, Joey," Lance said. "Have fun." "Your loss," Joey shrugged. "Bye." "Bye," Lance said. "You could've gone," JC said to Lance. "You don't do anything with us anymore," Lance said. "Why not?" JC shrugged. "I just haven't felt like it." "Wanna talk about it?" "Not really." Lance sighed. "All right. But when you do, let me know." He walked to the door, but stopped when he heard JC's voice. "When did you first know?" "Know what?" he asked, puzzled. "That you were gay?" "When did I know, or when did I accept it?" Lance asked ruefully. "Know, I guess..." "Probably when I realized that my beautiful friend Sarah wasn't so beautiful to me," he said. JC smiled. "Why?" JC sighed in response and looked out the window. "Just wondering."