Chapter 27

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Chapter 27

"Chris, when did we see Lance?" Justin asked worriedly.

"Um..." Chris scratched his head. "A few hours ago."

"HOURS?"

"Yeah," Chris said. "Don't worry, he'll be--" he stopped when they heard a door slam. "He's back!" Justin, Joey, and Chris walked over to Lance's room and opened the door. Lance was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Lance, what happened?" Joey asked gently.

"What do you think?" Lance replied. "How much did he tell you?" he sighed.

"Sheesh...all we know is what JC says, and he says that he said something stupid and it set you off. He mentioned Matthew Shepard and his dad, but that's all we got out of him. He wasn't really forming coherent sentences," Chris said.

"Why not?"

Justin shrugged. "He seemed upset at something. Himself, not you," he added quickly. Lance nodded and went back to staring at the ceiling.

"Aren't you going to talk to him?"

"Later."

"Can we send him in?" Joey asked.

"If he wants to come in, sure." They nodded and left the room.

A few minutes later, JC stood in the doorway. "Lance?" he asked tentatively.

"What?" Lance sighed, still staring at the ceiling.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked quietly.

"I'm not mad at you, just myself."

"Why?"

"Should've held my temper. Sorry. I didn't help much."

"No...don't be. I deserve it...I'd be mad at me, I know I was insensitive and there's really no reason for it..."

"Well, I'm not mad...just..."

"Just what?"

"A little disappointed," Lance said, refusing to make eye contact.

"Oh," JC said. He looked at his feet and left the room. Oddly, he felt like he would've felt better knowing Lance was mad at him. Knowing he was disappointed made him feel worse.

"JACE!" he heard.

He turned around. It had come from Lance's room. "What?"

"Come 'ere." JC walked to Lance's room. "I didn't mean that I was disappointed in you," Lance said, looking at him now. "I meant that I was disappointed...that...I wouldn't..." He blinked and JC waited. "That I wouldn't have anyone to check out all the guys with," he said, a grin sliding across his face. "Since you're 'straight' and all."

JC knew Lance was baiting him, but he ignored it. He didn't want anything else popping up between them. "Riiiight," he nodded, but he smiled.

"Yah. It's late and I'm not thinking straight." He grinned at the unintended pun. "So are--" They were interrupted by a slam on the door and someone whispering "SHH!" JC looked over at the door, eyes wide.

Lance continued, standing up. "So are we all right now?" JC looked at him like he was crazy, and gestured to the door. Lance nodded with a grin, and mouthed the words "Play along." JC nodded. "Course, anyways," he said. "It would suck if the only two members with THEIR HEADS SCREWED ON STRAIGHT were fighting," he said. Lance nodded. Then he mouthed, "Don't take this personally." JC nodded.

"WELL I DON'T CARE!" Lance yelled suddenly. "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW!"

"NO, YOU DON'T!" JC yelled back, trying to sound angry. "I HATE YOU!"

Lance punched his fist. "OW! JC! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU HIT ME FOR?" There was a sudden scramble for the doorknob on the other side. Lance couldn't help himself and fell to the floor in laughter. He was on his side and had his back to the door. JC looked at the giggling man on the floor and shook his head, trying to make himself look angry.

"Want help with the door?" he asked, opening it. Justin, Joey, and Chris fell on the floor.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?" Joey asked, seeing Lance on the floor. Then he heard laughter and looked at JC, who was grinning like an idiot. Then he realized the laughing was from Lance. "You guys!"

"You...should've...seen your...faces..." Lance gasped. JC was now doubled over in laughter.

Justin, Joey, and Chris looked at the two laughing. "That's not funny," Justin finally said.

"Not funny my ass! Don't listen when it's not your business," JC choked out. Joey "humphed" and crossed his arms. Suddenly the phone in Lance's room rang. He stumbled over and answered it.

"Hello?"

"You okay?"

"Fine," he replied, starting to calm down.

"You sound breathless..."

"It's cause I have a girl in here, Lou, you interrupted me, dammit," Lance said, his voice a monotone.

"But you're g--"

"I was JOKING, Lou. Joking."

"Oh." The other guys had stopped laughing but slapped their hands over their mouths at Lance's next comment.

"I actually had a guy in here. Yup, the new sound guy...Hey Lou, you still there? Lou?"

"You'd better tell me you're joking."

"Duh. And before you ask, I was laughing with the other guys." He bit his tongue to keep out another comment. The other four exchanged glances. Lance had never been crude to Lou before, but they didn't really care. Suddenly all traces of joking left Lance's face.

"What do you mean?" He waited. "Wait. So what your saying is...What the hell? We were supposed to have tomorrow OFF!" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Yeah, I understand that, but...No..." he sighed, now rubbing his temples. "But we talked to that magazine LAST month...I can understand if it's MTV or something...but...No, Lou," he said. "No. I didn't say that. This is the magazine that asks us the same questions every time, Lou! Would you like me to list them off for you? 'What's your favorite color?' 'How did you meet?'...Lou, stop talking to me like I'm five years old, for goodness sakes..." The other four again exchanged glances, worried ones this time. Lance sighed deeply. "All right, we'll be there. Yeah. Got it...yes. I get it. YES, LOU I UNDERSTAND SIR! Happy? Oh darn. I guess I'll have to work on that. Uh huh, my sole purpose in life should be to make YOU happy, shouldn't it? Bye bye, Lou." He hung up the phone, but not before almost throwing it at the wall. He groaned in frustration.

"What'd he want?" JC asked quietly.

"Turns out we don't have a day off tomorrow," Lance sighed.

"But..."

"No buts. Lou doesn't LIKE it when we argue," he said testily.

Joey blinked. "Um, right...well...it's late...so I'm going to sleep and rest up...what time are we going tomorrow?"

"Noon."

"Oh good. Nine hours from now. Perfect."

"Night you guys."

"Night," came three choruses.

"You goin to bed, JC?" Lance asked.

JC surprised them both by stepping forward and embracing him in a hug. "I'm glad we're okay," he whispered.

"Me too," Lance said shakily. They both stepped back a little awkwardly. "Um...I'm gonna go to bed now, and..."

"Yeah...night, JC."

"Night." Lance went into the bathroom, and JC walked back to his own room, wondering why he suddenly felt so empty.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 27 "Chris, when did we see Lance?" Justin asked worriedly. "Um..." Chris scratched his head. "A few hours ago." "HOURS?" "Yeah," Chris said. "Don't worry, he'll be--" he stopped when they heard a door slam. "He's back!" Justin, Joey, and Chris walked over to Lance's room and opened the door. Lance was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Lance, what happened?" Joey asked gently. "What do you think?" Lance replied. "How much did he tell you?" he sighed. "Sheesh...all we know is what JC says, and he says that he said something stupid and it set you off. He mentioned Matthew Shepard and his dad, but that's all we got out of him. He wasn't really forming coherent sentences," Chris said. "Why not?" Justin shrugged. "He seemed upset at something. Himself, not you," he added quickly. Lance nodded and went back to staring at the ceiling. "Aren't you going to talk to him?" "Later." "Can we send him in?" Joey asked. "If he wants to come in, sure." They nodded and left the room. A few minutes later, JC stood in the doorway. "Lance?" he asked tentatively. "What?" Lance sighed, still staring at the ceiling. "Are you still mad at me?" he asked quietly. "I'm not mad at you, just myself." "Why?" "Should've held my temper. Sorry. I didn't help much." "No...don't be. I deserve it...I'd be mad at me, I know I was insensitive and there's really no reason for it..." "Well, I'm not mad...just..." "Just what?" "A little disappointed," Lance said, refusing to make eye contact. "Oh," JC said. He looked at his feet and left the room. Oddly, he felt like he would've felt better knowing Lance was mad at him. Knowing he was disappointed made him feel worse. "JACE!" he heard. He turned around. It had come from Lance's room. "What?" "Come 'ere." JC walked to Lance's room. "I didn't mean that I was disappointed in you," Lance said, looking at him now. "I meant that I was disappointed...that...I wouldn't..." He blinked and JC waited. "That I wouldn't have anyone to check out all the guys with," he said, a grin sliding across his face. "Since you're 'straight' and all." JC knew Lance was baiting him, but he ignored it. He didn't want anything else popping up between them. "Riiiight," he nodded, but he smiled. "Yah. It's late and I'm not thinking straight." He grinned at the unintended pun. "So are--" They were interrupted by a slam on the door and someone whispering "SHH!" JC looked over at the door, eyes wide. Lance continued, standing up. "So are we all right now?" JC looked at him like he was crazy, and gestured to the door. Lance nodded with a grin, and mouthed the words "Play along." JC nodded. "Course, anyways," he said. "It would suck if the only two members with THEIR HEADS SCREWED ON STRAIGHT were fighting," he said. Lance nodded. Then he mouthed, "Don't take this personally." JC nodded. "WELL I DON'T CARE!" Lance yelled suddenly. "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW!" "NO, YOU DON'T!" JC yelled back, trying to sound angry. "I HATE YOU!" Lance punched his fist. "OW! JC! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU HIT ME FOR?" There was a sudden scramble for the doorknob on the other side. Lance couldn't help himself and fell to the floor in laughter. He was on his side and had his back to the door. JC looked at the giggling man on the floor and shook his head, trying to make himself look angry. "Want help with the door?" he asked, opening it. Justin, Joey, and Chris fell on the floor. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?" Joey asked, seeing Lance on the floor. Then he heard laughter and looked at JC, who was grinning like an idiot. Then he realized the laughing was from Lance. "You guys!" "You...should've...seen your...faces..." Lance gasped. JC was now doubled over in laughter. Justin, Joey, and Chris looked at the two laughing. "That's not funny," Justin finally said. "Not funny my ass! Don't listen when it's not your business," JC choked out. Joey "humphed" and crossed his arms. Suddenly the phone in Lance's room rang. He stumbled over and answered it. "Hello?" "You okay?" "Fine," he replied, starting to calm down. "You sound breathless..." "It's cause I have a girl in here, Lou, you interrupted me, dammit," Lance said, his voice a monotone. "But you're g--" "I was JOKING, Lou. Joking." "Oh." The other guys had stopped laughing but slapped their hands over their mouths at Lance's next comment. "I actually had a guy in here. Yup, the new sound guy...Hey Lou, you still there? Lou?" "You'd better tell me you're joking." "Duh. And before you ask, I was laughing with the other guys." He bit his tongue to keep out another comment. The other four exchanged glances. Lance had never been crude to Lou before, but they didn't really care. Suddenly all traces of joking left Lance's face. "What do you mean?" He waited. "Wait. So what your saying is...What the hell? We were supposed to have tomorrow OFF!" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Yeah, I understand that, but...No..." he sighed, now rubbing his temples. "But we talked to that magazine LAST month...I can understand if it's MTV or something...but...No, Lou," he said. "No. I didn't say that. This is the magazine that asks us the same questions every time, Lou! Would you like me to list them off for you? 'What's your favorite color?' 'How did you meet?'...Lou, stop talking to me like I'm five years old, for goodness sakes..." The other four again exchanged glances, worried ones this time. Lance sighed deeply. "All right, we'll be there. Yeah. Got it...yes. I get it. YES, LOU I UNDERSTAND SIR! Happy? Oh darn. I guess I'll have to work on that. Uh huh, my sole purpose in life should be to make YOU happy, shouldn't it? Bye bye, Lou." He hung up the phone, but not before almost throwing it at the wall. He groaned in frustration. "What'd he want?" JC asked quietly. "Turns out we don't have a day off tomorrow," Lance sighed. "But..." "No buts. Lou doesn't LIKE it when we argue," he said testily. Joey blinked. "Um, right...well...it's late...so I'm going to sleep and rest up...what time are we going tomorrow?" "Noon." "Oh good. Nine hours from now. Perfect." "Night you guys." "Night," came three choruses. "You goin to bed, JC?" Lance asked. JC surprised them both by stepping forward and embracing him in a hug. "I'm glad we're okay," he whispered. "Me too," Lance said shakily. They both stepped back a little awkwardly. "Um...I'm gonna go to bed now, and..." "Yeah...night, JC." "Night." Lance went into the bathroom, and JC walked back to his own room, wondering why he suddenly felt so empty.