Chapter 25

Inner Reflection | home

JC stared at the phone. "How are the folks?" Justin asked, walking by JC and grabbing an apple from a basket.

"They're fine," JC said, wincing at the crunching noises Justin was making.

Lance cringed. "How about Tyler and Heather?"

"Heather's good..." JC glanced over at Justin, who was now sitting in his chair. He was moving it closer to the table, but it was making a loud scratching sound in the process. "But Tyler..." JC continued, looking over at Justin every few seconds, who now had his chair caught on Joey's. He had stood up and was clanging and banging the poor chair up and down, trying to get it free. "She said Tyler was a little sick..." JC cringed at the racket.

Lance looked at Justin and grabbed his arm, slamming him down into the chair so hard he almost hit the floor. "What does he have? Does she know?"

JC grinned at the look on Justin's face. He looked like the kid who got caught with his hands in the cookie jar. "She said it was the flu," JC replied, sitting down. "Nothing too serious."

"That's good," Lance said. He looked up. "Hey Johnny!"

Johnny walked into the room. "Hey guys...we're leaving in five...and Justin, what's wrong now?"

Justin was pouting. "Lance was mean."

"Poor baby," Chris smirked.

"Lance? Mean? Naw, Lance is never mean. He's an angel," Johnny said with a smile. Joey started choking and Lance kicked him under the table.

"Are you okay Joey?" Lance asked, clenching his teeth.

"Fine," Joey managed. "Just don't think you're very angelic is all," he said with an innocent smile.

"And why not?" Lance asked, standing up. Chris burst out laughing and Justin grinned. Lance pouted. "Now who's being mean?"

"HA! I WON! YOU SUCK!"

"Shut up, Chris!" Justin said, putting down his controller. He sighed and stood up. "I'm going to bed. Don't wake me up, or I swear I'll kill you."

"Okay," Chris said, but the gleam in his eyes was hard to miss.

Justin didn't miss it. "I'm serious, Chris."

"I know!" Chris said with a grin.

"All right, All right," Chris said, rolling his eyes and going back to his game. His brow furrowed in concentration.

"Don't concentrate too hard, you might hurt yourself," Justin laughed. Chris flipped him off, but otherwise ignored him. Justin turned at the door. "You swear?"

Chris jerked the controller to avoid getting blown up. "You know me, all the fuc--"

"Okay! I get it!" Justin said, waving his hands in mock surrender. He went into his bunk. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

"We're clear," Joey whispered, ducking his head into Justin's bunk to make sure he was asleep.

Chris turned off the game and stood up. "You get the water and I'll get the string and whipped cream."

"I want you to know that I had NOTHING to do with this," JC said.

"Ditto," Lance echoed.

"Then that makes you a target," Chris said, squirting a little whipped cream at them. "Besides, Lance, it was your idea."

"Lance!" JC scolded.

Lance held his hands up in protest. "No it wasn't! I just suggested the way they could wake him up, that's all..." JC looked at him sternly and Lance pouted. JC finally smiled and ruffled Lance's hair, then went back to his music. Lance crossed his arms over his chest indignantly and turned back to the TV. Chris watched the two for a second, a small smile on his face. Then he forgot about it in the excitement of pranking Justin.

"TRAIN!" Joey yelled ten minutes later. Chris was holding a flashlight against a pillow and making noises.

Justin sat up. "What? Where?!" The minute he moved his hand, the string attached to his finger pulled on a bowl of water above his head, and it dumped water all over him. When he reached to wipe it off his face, he found that his hand was covered in whipped cream. "CHRIS!" he yelled, completely awake. Joey and Chris were leaning against each other for support.

"Yes...Justin...dear?" Chris finally managed through his laughter.

"There was a train...I swear!" Joey said, almost falling over. "It was making noises...and everything..." Justin finally cleared his eyes enough and pulled the string off his finger and stood outside of the buck. JC had his eyes on his music, and was biting his lip "in concentration." Lance had his head buried in a magazine.

"What did you guys have to with this?"

"Have to do with what?" Lance looked up, his face a mask of perfect innocence. Joey noticed he had the look down. He wondered how many times he'd used it.

"Lance did it!" Chris called out.

"I did not!" Lance yelled.

"I'm not that stupid, Chris," Lance said.

"Who's idea was it?" Justin said angrily, glaring at Lance and Chris. "JC?"

"Don't look at me!" JC exclaimed. "It was all Joey and Chris!"

Justin turned and pounced on the nearest of the two, which happened to be Joey. "HEY! Lance was in on it too!" he said.

"The train part was all your idea! None of us would've thought of it because we aren't HICKS from good ol' MISSISSIPPI!" Chris put in.

"You dissin Mississippi?" JC asked. "Uh oh."

"What? Poofu gonna beat me up?" Chris taunted. He jumped around, fists up. "Come on, little southern boy, you know you want it..."

"Oh, now you're dissin the South all together?" JC asked. "You're in trouble." Justin had jumped off of Joey and turned to Chris. "Hey Lance, looks like he's dissin our heri-tage," he drawled.

"Uh oh," Lance said. "We cain't have no one dissin our roots, cain we now?" he drawled, even more so than Justin.

"Nice. I give it a ten," JC commented, abandoning his music.

"Lemme try," Chris said, looking back and forth from Lance to Justin. "The South can kiss my northern ASS!"

"I'd rather not," Lance said, still putting on the accent. "Them's be fightin words."

"We can beat your northern ass, though, right Lance?" Justin asked.

Joey stepped up and added more "New Yawk" to his voice. "Two on two then."

"Who's side are you on, C?" Justin asked.

"Hey, I'm DC. I'm neutral," JC said.

"No, you're boring," Chris corrected. The four squared off and looked at each other, an amused JC still sitting on the couch.

"WAIT!" Chris yelled. "Strategy," he explained.

"Oh," Justin nodded, and turned to Lance. "I say we jump 'em now," he whispered. Lance looked over and nodded his agreement. The two had their backs turned. JC realized what they were about to do and stifled a grin.

"One...two...three!" he whispered. They both ran. Justin jumped on Chris and Lance on Joey.

"We're good little southern gentlemen," Justin's muffled voice replied. "We don't cheat."

"I called time out!" Chris whined, shoving Justin off of him.

"No, you said wait," Lance corrected, shifting and getting Joey's hand off his ankle.

JC sat back and watched the action. "Same thing," Chris complained. He let go of Justin and jumped on Lance.

"JUST! A little help?" Lance said, voice muffled. Justin laughed and jumped back into the fray. The bus had since stopped, and Johnny stepped on and saw the tangle of arms and legs.

"Lance joined in this time?" he asked.

"Yeah," JC said. "North against south."

"I'm neutral," JC nodded. "DC."

"Was it like that in the Civil war?"

"NO!" Lance yelled out.

"Uhh..." Lance got out of it by biting Chris' arm. "I paid attention in school," he said, mouth full of Chris.

"HEY! You little butthead!"

"What'd he do?" Johnny asked.

"Little Mississippi bit me, dammit! How old are we? 3rd grade?"

"You may be, but I got out of school a long time ago," Lance said.

"Close enough." Lance said, cheeks flushed. He got up. "Well, what are you two waiting for?" he asked Johnny and JC. He grabbed JC's hand and started pulling on it. "We've got a concert!" JC looked at the connected hands and finally allowed himself to be pulled off the bus, smiling helplessly at Johnny.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 25 JC stared at the phone. "How are the folks?" Justin asked, walking by JC and grabbing an apple from a basket. "They're fine," JC said, wincing at the crunching noises Justin was making. Lance cringed. "How about Tyler and Heather?" "Heather's good..." JC glanced over at Justin, who was now sitting in his chair. He was moving it closer to the table, but it was making a loud scratching sound in the process. "But Tyler..." JC continued, looking over at Justin every few seconds, who now had his chair caught on Joey's. He had stood up and was clanging and banging the poor chair up and down, trying to get it free. "She said Tyler was a little sick..." JC cringed at the racket. Lance looked at Justin and grabbed his arm, slamming him down into the chair so hard he almost hit the floor. "What does he have? Does she know?" JC grinned at the look on Justin's face. He looked like the kid who got caught with his hands in the cookie jar. "She said it was the flu," JC replied, sitting down. "Nothing too serious." "That's good," Lance said. He looked up. "Hey Johnny!" Johnny walked into the room. "Hey guys...we're leaving in five...and Justin, what's wrong now?" Justin was pouting. "Lance was mean." "Poor baby," Chris smirked. "Lance? Mean? Naw, Lance is never mean. He's an angel," Johnny said with a smile. Joey started choking and Lance kicked him under the table. "Are you okay Joey?" Lance asked, clenching his teeth. "Fine," Joey managed. "Just don't think you're very angelic is all," he said with an innocent smile. "And why not?" Lance asked, standing up. Chris burst out laughing and Justin grinned. Lance pouted. "Now who's being mean?" ******* "HA! I WON! YOU SUCK!" "Shut up, Chris!" Justin said, putting down his controller. He sighed and stood up. "I'm going to bed. Don't wake me up, or I swear I'll kill you." "Okay," Chris said, but the gleam in his eyes was hard to miss. Justin didn't miss it. "I'm serious, Chris." "I know!" Chris said with a grin. "CHRIS!" "All right, All right," Chris said, rolling his eyes and going back to his game. His brow furrowed in concentration. "Don't concentrate too hard, you might hurt yourself," Justin laughed. Chris flipped him off, but otherwise ignored him. Justin turned at the door. "You swear?" Chris jerked the controller to avoid getting blown up. "You know me, all the fuc--" "Okay! I get it!" Justin said, waving his hands in mock surrender. He went into his bunk. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. "We're clear," Joey whispered, ducking his head into Justin's bunk to make sure he was asleep. Chris turned off the game and stood up. "You get the water and I'll get the string and whipped cream." "I want you to know that I had NOTHING to do with this," JC said. "Ditto," Lance echoed. "Then that makes you a target," Chris said, squirting a little whipped cream at them. "Besides, Lance, it was your idea." "Lance!" JC scolded. Lance held his hands up in protest. "No it wasn't! I just suggested the way they could wake him up, that's all..." JC looked at him sternly and Lance pouted. JC finally smiled and ruffled Lance's hair, then went back to his music. Lance crossed his arms over his chest indignantly and turned back to the TV. Chris watched the two for a second, a small smile on his face. Then he forgot about it in the excitement of pranking Justin. "TRAIN!" Joey yelled ten minutes later. Chris was holding a flashlight against a pillow and making noises. Justin sat up. "What? Where?!" The minute he moved his hand, the string attached to his finger pulled on a bowl of water above his head, and it dumped water all over him. When he reached to wipe it off his face, he found that his hand was covered in whipped cream. "CHRIS!" he yelled, completely awake. Joey and Chris were leaning against each other for support. "Yes...Justin...dear?" Chris finally managed through his laughter. "WHAT THE HELL?" "There was a train...I swear!" Joey said, almost falling over. "It was making noises...and everything..." Justin finally cleared his eyes enough and pulled the string off his finger and stood outside of the buck. JC had his eyes on his music, and was biting his lip "in concentration." Lance had his head buried in a magazine. "What did you guys have to with this?" "Have to do with what?" Lance looked up, his face a mask of perfect innocence. Joey noticed he had the look down. He wondered how many times he'd used it. "Lance did it!" Chris called out. "I did not!" Lance yelled. "Did too!" "Did not!" "Did not!" "I'm not that stupid, Chris," Lance said. "Dammit!" "Who's idea was it?" Justin said angrily, glaring at Lance and Chris. "JC?" "Don't look at me!" JC exclaimed. "It was all Joey and Chris!" Justin turned and pounced on the nearest of the two, which happened to be Joey. "HEY! Lance was in on it too!" he said. "Was not!" "Was too!" "The train part was all your idea! None of us would've thought of it because we aren't HICKS from good ol' MISSISSIPPI!" Chris put in. "You dissin Mississippi?" JC asked. "Uh oh." "What? Poofu gonna beat me up?" Chris taunted. He jumped around, fists up. "Come on, little southern boy, you know you want it..." "Oh, now you're dissin the South all together?" JC asked. "You're in trouble." Justin had jumped off of Joey and turned to Chris. "Hey Lance, looks like he's dissin our heri-tage," he drawled. "Uh oh," Lance said. "We cain't have no one dissin our roots, cain we now?" he drawled, even more so than Justin. "Nice. I give it a ten," JC commented, abandoning his music. "Lemme try," Chris said, looking back and forth from Lance to Justin. "The South can kiss my northern ASS!" "I'd rather not," Lance said, still putting on the accent. "Them's be fightin words." "We can beat your northern ass, though, right Lance?" Justin asked. Joey stepped up and added more "New Yawk" to his voice. "Two on two then." "Who's side are you on, C?" Justin asked. "Hey, I'm DC. I'm neutral," JC said. "No, you're boring," Chris corrected. The four squared off and looked at each other, an amused JC still sitting on the couch. "WAIT!" Chris yelled. "Strategy," he explained. "Oh," Justin nodded, and turned to Lance. "I say we jump 'em now," he whispered. Lance looked over and nodded his agreement. The two had their backs turned. JC realized what they were about to do and stifled a grin. "One...two...three!" he whispered. They both ran. Justin jumped on Chris and Lance on Joey. "HEY! CHEATERS!" "We're good little southern gentlemen," Justin's muffled voice replied. "We don't cheat." "I called time out!" Chris whined, shoving Justin off of him. "No, you said wait," Lance corrected, shifting and getting Joey's hand off his ankle. JC sat back and watched the action. "Same thing," Chris complained. He let go of Justin and jumped on Lance. "JUST! A little help?" Lance said, voice muffled. Justin laughed and jumped back into the fray. The bus had since stopped, and Johnny stepped on and saw the tangle of arms and legs. "Lance joined in this time?" he asked. "Yeah," JC said. "North against south." "What about you?" "I'm neutral," JC nodded. "DC." "Was it like that in the Civil war?" "NO!" Lance yelled out. "How do you know?" "Uhh..." Lance got out of it by biting Chris' arm. "I paid attention in school," he said, mouth full of Chris. "HEY! You little butthead!" "What'd he do?" Johnny asked. "Little Mississippi bit me, dammit! How old are we? 3rd grade?" "You may be, but I got out of school a long time ago," Lance said. "Not really." "Close enough." Lance said, cheeks flushed. He got up. "Well, what are you two waiting for?" he asked Johnny and JC. He grabbed JC's hand and started pulling on it. "We've got a concert!" JC looked at the connected hands and finally allowed himself to be pulled off the bus, smiling helplessly at Johnny.