Chapter 23

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Chapter 23

"Lou, it was a door," Justin said slowly. "And us three are as much to blame for it as he is."

"I'm tired of him acting like he can get whatever he wants," Lou said angrily.

Three heads shot up in surprise. "Lance?" Chris asked.

"What do you mean, acting like he can get what he wants?" Justin asked.

"Lance doesn't even act like he wants to get what he wants, much less that he can," Joey added.

"It was a DOOR, Lou. A door that happened to get broken, and he offered to pay for it! What more do you want? Compensation for the time it'll take to get a new one? His soul?" Justin asked, eyes flashing. Lou didn't say anything, he just walked by them and went to his office, still holding the doorknob.

******

"JC, that's just the way I am. It's the way I've always been and the way I always will be," Lance said quietly, looking out the window.

"Lance, I understand," JC whispered, coming up behind him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "But you have to let someone else carry the burden once in a while or you'll make yourself sick."

Lance turned around and looked into JC's caring blue eyes. He blinked and looked away. "I know," he sighed. "I just try to take care of you guys. But I'll work on it."

"That's all I'm asking," JC smiled. Lance smiled back but then frowned and moved away from JC. "What?"

"Don't turn around."

JC turned around to see Lou stalking angrily towards them. "I said DON'T turn around," Lance said, exasperated. JC shrugged.

Lou entered the room they were in and pushed JC out of the way. "You. My office. Now," he said, jabbing a finger towards Lance. Lance looked back at JC with a worried frown.

JC turned back and his eyebrows raised mischievously. "The claw chooses who will go and who will stay."

"I have been chosen," Lance continued, grinning. "Farewell my friend."

"NOW, Lance."

"Sir, yes sir!" JC choked back laughter but received a glare from Lou anyway.

"Ahem...sorry." He ducked his head. Lance meekly followed behind Lou, and they disappeared around a corner, just as the other three came skidding to a stop.

"Which way did Lou go?"

"He went to his office with Lance...why?" JC asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shit!" Justin cursed.

"What?" JC asked. "Lou looked kind of angry when he came in, but..."

"He's totally pissed over this whole door thing!"

"It was a DOOR..." JC said.

"We know," Joey said, gesturing impatiently. "But he says he's tired of Lance acting like he can do whatever he wants."

"But he DOESN'T act like that..." JC said.

"I never noticed any of this before," Chris said quietly. They all started to walk towards Lou's office. "If you looked at details, you'd notice that the two of them haven't really gotten along from the start. Lance hates the shy country boy label he has. Lou doesn't like the fact that Lance disagrees with him more than we do."

"But Lance doesn't--"

"You're right. But in private, they disagree on lots of things."

"Like what?"

JC shrugged. "Anything, probably."

"LOU! What is your PROBLEM? IT WAS A FREAKING DOOR!"

"Uh oh..."

"It's more than the door, Lance. It's the fact that you act like a prince who thinks he can get away with anything he wants."

"What are you TALKING about?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Actually, you lost me way back when you started looking at me like you wanted my HEAD on a PLATTER with a sliver knife and fork next to it after I handed you the doorknob, which, by the way, is slicing itself into your hand."

"SHIT! It's bleeding!"

"No shit, Sherlock. Here, have a tissue."

"Thank you. Now as I was saying, you need to tone down your 'I can do whatever I want' attitude if you'd like to stay here."

"You've GOT to be kidding me. You're threatening to kick me out of THEIR band because a DOOR was broken down? What crack are you on and where can I get some? Anything that makes you THIS insane must be fun."

"Are you calling me crazy?"

"No, of course not. But might I suggest that we continue this little conversation at a later date, because, knowing all four of them the way I do, they're standing outside the door." Their eyes widened. "And I don't think you want them to overhear you threatening to..." Lance quite deliberately raised his voice here, "Kick me out of the group because the door...one I've already offered to pay for...is broken. Besides, we've been talking, more or less, about a DOOR for far too long. But if you ever get mad at me for breaking a pencil, let me know and I'll gladly cough up the dime it'll take to get it replaced." The four guys heard the doorknob start to open. "Hey guys, now is where you scatter and pretend you weren't listening. Lou, can I quote you on the part where you told me I was full of shit? Cause I'm sure they'd love to...O-kay, nevermind, I won't."

Lance looked out the door and saw an empty hallway. Lou came out and smiled smugly. "Looks like your assumption was wrong."

"No, it wasn't. Listen, I hate fighting, and I most certainly hate fighting with my boss. So let's call a truce?" Lance extended his hand and stood there for a good few minutes before Lou reluctantly shook it. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me..." Lance walked over to the supply closet, and on his way by, opened the door, and the four other members of the group toppled out. Lou started in disbelief and Lance chuckled. "Neva mess with da masta!"

"Oh dear, now he's talking like Justin," Chris sighed dramatically.

"Don't be dissin' me," Justin said, starting after Chris.

"Come and get me, youngin'!" Chris shrieked, running down the hallway. Joey laughed and took off after them. JC turned and apologized to Lou, and then ran after them.

Lance watched them for a second, then started walking away. "Bye Lou."

"Hey, Lance."

"What?"

"Remember what I said, little prince." He held up a copy of the contract and pretended to rip it up.

Lance swallowed. "Got it." He cast a glance back at Lou before chasing after the rest of the band.

"What took you so long?" Chris asked.

"I was walking, unlike the rest of you," Lance said disapprovingly. They didn't need to know the REAL reason, did they?

"Sorry Lance," Joey apologized.

"Right," Lance said, pointedly ignoring the looks JC kept throwing at him.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 23 "Lou, it was a door," Justin said slowly. "And us three are as much to blame for it as he is." "I'm tired of him acting like he can get whatever he wants," Lou said angrily. Three heads shot up in surprise. "Lance?" Chris asked. "What do you mean, acting like he can get what he wants?" Justin asked. "Lance doesn't even act like he wants to get what he wants, much less that he can," Joey added. "It was a DOOR, Lou. A door that happened to get broken, and he offered to pay for it! What more do you want? Compensation for the time it'll take to get a new one? His soul?" Justin asked, eyes flashing. Lou didn't say anything, he just walked by them and went to his office, still holding the doorknob. ****** "JC, that's just the way I am. It's the way I've always been and the way I always will be," Lance said quietly, looking out the window. "Lance, I understand," JC whispered, coming up behind him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "But you have to let someone else carry the burden once in a while or you'll make yourself sick." Lance turned around and looked into JC's caring blue eyes. He blinked and looked away. "I know," he sighed. "I just try to take care of you guys. But I'll work on it." "That's all I'm asking," JC smiled. Lance smiled back but then frowned and moved away from JC. "What?" "Don't turn around." JC turned around to see Lou stalking angrily towards them. "I said DON'T turn around," Lance said, exasperated. JC shrugged. Lou entered the room they were in and pushed JC out of the way. "You. My office. Now," he said, jabbing a finger towards Lance. Lance looked back at JC with a worried frown. JC turned back and his eyebrows raised mischievously. "The claw chooses who will go and who will stay." "I have been chosen," Lance continued, grinning. "Farewell my friend." "NOW, Lance." "Sir, yes sir!" JC choked back laughter but received a glare from Lou anyway. "Ahem...sorry." He ducked his head. Lance meekly followed behind Lou, and they disappeared around a corner, just as the other three came skidding to a stop. "Which way did Lou go?" "He went to his office with Lance...why?" JC asked, raising an eyebrow. "Shit!" Justin cursed. "What?" JC asked. "Lou looked kind of angry when he came in, but..." "He's totally pissed over this whole door thing!" "It was a DOOR..." JC said. "We know," Joey said, gesturing impatiently. "But he says he's tired of Lance acting like he can do whatever he wants." "But he DOESN'T act like that..." JC said. "I never noticed any of this before," Chris said quietly. They all started to walk towards Lou's office. "If you looked at details, you'd notice that the two of them haven't really gotten along from the start. Lance hates the shy country boy label he has. Lou doesn't like the fact that Lance disagrees with him more than we do." "But Lance doesn't--" "You're right. But in private, they disagree on lots of things." "Like what?" JC shrugged. "Anything, probably." "LOU! What is your PROBLEM? IT WAS A FREAKING DOOR!" "Uh oh..." "It's more than the door, Lance. It's the fact that you act like a prince who thinks he can get away with anything he wants." "What are you TALKING about?" "You know what I'm talking about." "Actually, you lost me way back when you started looking at me like you wanted my HEAD on a PLATTER with a sliver knife and fork next to it after I handed you the doorknob, which, by the way, is slicing itself into your hand." "SHIT! It's bleeding!" "No shit, Sherlock. Here, have a tissue." "Thank you. Now as I was saying, you need to tone down your 'I can do whatever I want' attitude if you'd like to stay here." "You've GOT to be kidding me. You're threatening to kick me out of THEIR band because a DOOR was broken down? What crack are you on and where can I get some? Anything that makes you THIS insane must be fun." "Are you calling me crazy?" "No, of course not. But might I suggest that we continue this little conversation at a later date, because, knowing all four of them the way I do, they're standing outside the door." Their eyes widened. "And I don't think you want them to overhear you threatening to..." Lance quite deliberately raised his voice here, "Kick me out of the group because the door...one I've already offered to pay for...is broken. Besides, we've been talking, more or less, about a DOOR for far too long. But if you ever get mad at me for breaking a pencil, let me know and I'll gladly cough up the dime it'll take to get it replaced." The four guys heard the doorknob start to open. "Hey guys, now is where you scatter and pretend you weren't listening. Lou, can I quote you on the part where you told me I was full of shit? Cause I'm sure they'd love to...O-kay, nevermind, I won't." Lance looked out the door and saw an empty hallway. Lou came out and smiled smugly. "Looks like your assumption was wrong." "No, it wasn't. Listen, I hate fighting, and I most certainly hate fighting with my boss. So let's call a truce?" Lance extended his hand and stood there for a good few minutes before Lou reluctantly shook it. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me..." Lance walked over to the supply closet, and on his way by, opened the door, and the four other members of the group toppled out. Lou started in disbelief and Lance chuckled. "Neva mess with da masta!" "Oh dear, now he's talking like Justin," Chris sighed dramatically. "Don't be dissin' me," Justin said, starting after Chris. "Come and get me, youngin'!" Chris shrieked, running down the hallway. Joey laughed and took off after them. JC turned and apologized to Lou, and then ran after them. Lance watched them for a second, then started walking away. "Bye Lou." "Hey, Lance." "What?" "Remember what I said, little prince." He held up a copy of the contract and pretended to rip it up. Lance swallowed. "Got it." He cast a glance back at Lou before chasing after the rest of the band. "What took you so long?" Chris asked. "I was walking, unlike the rest of you," Lance said disapprovingly. They didn't need to know the REAL reason, did they? "Sorry Lance," Joey apologized. "Right," Lance said, pointedly ignoring the looks JC kept throwing at him.