Chapter 30

"What? Didn't mean to threaten to spill your guts about what I am? Listen, I can't help what I am, and why I'm here. I died over a hundred years ago because of my best friend betraying me, and while I can't die this time, it still hurts just as much. In fact, if you hadn't seen what really happened that night, you would still have been clueless. But let me tell you this much, Joey. You spill, I have to leave. *NSYNC will be completely different, if it exists at all." He sighed, frustrated. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's been a long day."

"Just...um..." Joey paused, looking up, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. He amended it instead. "Um...well, take it easy on management, please?"

It was the last night before their break, and they were all in Chris and Joey's room, where the Playstation was set up. They were the two who were rooming together for the night, because the hotel had overbooked. Things were still tense between Lance and Joey, but no one knew why. Joey hadn't threatened Lance anymore, and Lance wondered what had brought it on in the first place.

"YOU'RE A LIAR! YOU DIDN'T GET THAT!" Lance shook his head at Chris and Joey, who were engrossed in a game of Chutes and Ladders. Lance himself was looking over schedules for things that were coming up. JC and Justin were playing Playstation. At least JC's mind seemed to be off the fact that he still hadn't come out to anyone about his sexuality yet.

"Stop talking, JC, and pay attention to the game. Maybe the reason I'm kicking your ass is because you won't shut up," Justin said, ignoring, or possibly not hearing, Chris and Joey.

"That's it, Bounce. Your ass is mine. Prepare to die." JC's brow furrowed in concentration, and both he and Justin were so into the game that they didn't notice the sudden silence on the other side of the room.

"IGNORE THIS!" Chris yelled as he suddenly threw himself at Justin, knocking him over. The controller was knocked from Justin's hands, and laughing, Chris kicked it out of Justin's reach.

"Get the hell off me!" Justin screeched, mad that he was distracted from the game. "JC is going to win if you don't get off!" he shouted, trying to shove Chris off of him.

JC laughed, fully intending to take advantage of the situation and beat Justin. He was about to win when he was tackled from behind by Joey, who had been waiting until JC had again been completely absorbed in playing and wasn't paying attention to what was going on. The floor of the hotel room was suddenly transformed into a wrestling mat as the guys all started to mock fight on the floor. Lance watched with amusement at his friends, enjoying their antics. They were definitely immature, but that made them all the more fun to hang out with, he reasoned.

"See where all that pent up sexual frustration leads to? Y'all need to take a cold shower," he laughingly pointed out. He couldn't resist, what with Chris lying on top of Justin and Joey on JC in much the same way. Justin shot up.

"Oh, Scoop did NOT just go there," JC said, his voice muffled due to the fact that he was pinned under both Joey and Justin now.

"Yeah, Poofu, should've kept your mouth shut, cause now you're gonna pay," Chris added seriously, his mouth twisted in an evil grin. He fell forward, being attacked by Justin.

Justin, who had rolled off of Chris' back attempting to escape, only to be caught again. Justin grunted and with a final shove, threw Joey off him. "No, it's not even worth it to run. We're all gonna catch him and then beat him up more for running in the first place. Better to stay put and take your ass whippin' like a man."

He wasn't disappointed. "You did not just bring my mamma into this, you Mississippi albino," Justin shot back, surprised and pleased Lance was being so confrontational. These past two weeks, whenever the group had engaged in wrestling matches and pretend fights, which was often, he'd just hang back.

"I may be a Mississippi albino, but at least I'm not a bleached blonde mamma's boy from Tennessee who was on what was known as MMC to all those who were down with the Mouse, with little pop princesses Miss Britney and Miss Christina, boy," Lance drawled out in a heavy southern accent.

JC, Chris, and Joey all howled in laughter as Justin glowered at his friend from across the room. "Somebody's all feisty today, which calls for one thing..."

"A BEAT DOWN!" All four men shouted in unison as they torpedoed themselves across the room at Lance. Dragging Lance from the couch, they pulled him to the floor and put him on the bottom of a group pileup. Justin was on top of Lance, on top of him was Joey, then JC, and finally Chris sat on top of everyone, looking very pleased with himself.

Joey began to laugh from the bottom of the pile. "Oh, hell, the fun things we could come up with this. One big *NSYNC org--"

"Dude, go take that shower I mentioned earlier, and get the hell off me before your mind even goes there," Lance said, horrified at the mere thought of the thoughts he could see running through Joey's mind.

JC finally pushed Chris off him, and Chris toppled to the floor. Lance managed to get up, rubbing his back. "Damn!"

They were interrupted by the ringing of a phone somewhere. "I'll get it!" Chris yelled, shooting up and nearly knocking Justin's head off. "It's RINGING!" The rest of them got up while Chris searched for the ringing phone.

"It's that college degree coming in handy," JC said, watching in amusement as Chris picked up every cellphone in the room and held it up to his ear to see if it was the culprit.

"I knew the phone was ringing and I never went to college," Joey said seriously. JC, Lance, and Justin all looked at Joey with their jaws to the floor, not wanting to believe he was serious.

Lance opened his mouth to comment, but was interrupted by a squeal from a triumphant Chris. "It's MINE! Hello? Dani!" he said, his eyes lighting up. "Hi!" Lance shut his mouth and instead tossed his room key to Chris, offering him some privacy. Chris mouthed a thank you and walked out of the room.

Lance looked sharply at him, not sure of what he wanted to say. "Um...sure." Justin and JC, sensing that they needed a moment, left and went to JC's room.

"I just wanted to say...I'm sorry," Joey said, looking down. "But I don't even know what came over me, it must have been the fact that I'd been drinking, or I was grumpy...or something...but...I'm really sorry, and I want you to know that...that I'd never betray you like that, Lance. I'm not like that," he said quietly.

Lance looked up and saw the truth in his friend's eyes. He smiled. "I believe you, and I know you wouldn't. It's just that the whole thing back in Mississippi started off like that, and then..."

"I get it, and you have every right to be mad at me," Joey said. "I just hope you can forgive me. I honestly...I don't know why I said that. At all..."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 30 "Lance, I wanted to tell you that..." "Joey, just leave me alone. You've already done enough," Lance said, the pain in his eyes obvious. Joey looked at the ground. "I didn't..." "What? Didn't mean to threaten to spill your guts about what I am? Listen, I can't help what I am, and why I'm here. I died over a hundred years ago because of my best friend betraying me, and while I can't die this time, it still hurts just as much. In fact, if you hadn't seen what really happened that night, you would still have been clueless. But let me tell you this much, Joey. You spill, I have to leave. NSYNC will be completely different, if it exists at all." He sighed, frustrated. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's been a long day." "Just...um..." Joey paused, looking up, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. He amended it instead. "Um...well, take it easy on management, please?" Lance smiled sadly. "Sure." *~Two weeks later~** It was the last night before their break, and they were all in Chris and Joey's room, where the Playstation was set up. They were the two who were rooming together for the night, because the hotel had overbooked. Things were still tense between Lance and Joey, but no one knew why. Joey hadn't threatened Lance anymore, and Lance wondered what had brought it on in the first place. "MY TURN!" "YOU CHEATED!" "HEY! I DID NOT!" "NO! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT!" "YOU'RE A LIAR! YOU DIDN'T GET THAT!" Lance shook his head at Chris and Joey, who were engrossed in a game of Chutes and Ladders. Lance himself was looking over schedules for things that were coming up. JC and Justin were playing Playstation. At least JC's mind seemed to be off the fact that he still hadn't come out to anyone about his sexuality yet. "You can't do that!" "The hell I can't! Take that!" "Dammit, Bounce! Stop that! You're killing me!" "That's the point of the game, you idiot. Hit him! Yeah baby, take it like a man!" "Justin?" Joey asked. "When the hell did you get so good at this game?" "Justin?" Joey tried again. "JC?" Chris asked, trying to get one of their attentions. "Stop talking, JC, and pay attention to the game. Maybe the reason I'm kicking your ass is because you won't shut up," Justin said, ignoring, or possibly not hearing, Chris and Joey. "JUSTIN!" Chris yelled. "That's it, Bounce. Your ass is mine. Prepare to die." JC's brow furrowed in concentration, and both he and Justin were so into the game that they didn't notice the sudden silence on the other side of the room. "IGNORE THIS!" Chris yelled as he suddenly threw himself at Justin, knocking him over. The controller was knocked from Justin's hands, and laughing, Chris kicked it out of Justin's reach. "Get the hell off me!" Justin screeched, mad that he was distracted from the game. "JC is going to win if you don't get off!" he shouted, trying to shove Chris off of him. JC laughed, fully intending to take advantage of the situation and beat Justin. He was about to win when he was tackled from behind by Joey, who had been waiting until JC had again been completely absorbed in playing and wasn't paying attention to what was going on. The floor of the hotel room was suddenly transformed into a wrestling mat as the guys all started to mock fight on the floor. Lance watched with amusement at his friends, enjoying their antics. They were definitely immature, but that made them all the more fun to hang out with, he reasoned. "See where all that pent up sexual frustration leads to? Y'all need to take a cold shower," he laughingly pointed out. He couldn't resist, what with Chris lying on top of Justin and Joey on JC in much the same way. Justin shot up. "Oh, Scoop did NOT just go there," JC said, his voice muffled due to the fact that he was pinned under both Joey and Justin now. "Yeah, Poofu, should've kept your mouth shut, cause now you're gonna pay," Chris added seriously, his mouth twisted in an evil grin. He fell forward, being attacked by Justin. "Better start running," Joey chimed in from where he was wrestling with Justin, who had rolled off of Chris' back attempting to escape, only to be caught again. Justin grunted and with a final shove, threw Joey off him. "No, it's not even worth it to run. We're all gonna catch him and then beat him up more for running in the first place. Better to stay put and take your ass whippin' like a man." "Heard that one from your mamma, J?" Lance remarked slyly, knowing the reaction it would get from Justin. He wasn't disappointed. "You did not just bring my mamma into this, you Mississippi albino," Justin shot back, surprised and pleased Lance was being so confrontational. These past two weeks, whenever the group had engaged in wrestling matches and pretend fights, which was often, he'd just hang back. "I may be a Mississippi albino, but at least I'm not a bleached blonde mamma's boy from Tennessee who was on what was known as MMC to all those who were down with the Mouse, with little pop princesses Miss Britney and Miss Christina, boy," Lance drawled out in a heavy southern accent. JC, Chris, and Joey all howled in laughter as Justin glowered at his friend from across the room. "Somebody's all feisty today, which calls for one thing..." "A BEAT DOWN!" All four men shouted in unison as they torpedoed themselves across the room at Lance. Dragging Lance from the couch, they pulled him to the floor and put him on the bottom of a group pileup. Justin was on top of Lance, on top of him was Joey, then JC, and finally Chris sat on top of everyone, looking very pleased with himself. "I'm the king of the mountain," he sing-songed happily. "The king of the NSYNC mountain," JC corrected. Joey began to laugh from the bottom of the pile. "Oh, hell, the fun things we could come up with this. One big NSYNC org--" There was a loud smack as JC punched him. "That's sick Joey." "Dude, go take that shower I mentioned earlier, and get the hell off me before your mind even goes there," Lance said, horrified at the mere thought of the thoughts he could see running through Joey's mind. JC finally pushed Chris off him, and Chris toppled to the floor. Lance managed to get up, rubbing his back. "Damn!" They were interrupted by the ringing of a phone somewhere. "I'll get it!" Chris yelled, shooting up and nearly knocking Justin's head off. "It's RINGING!" The rest of them got up while Chris searched for the ringing phone. "Good call, smart one," Justin muttered, brushing wrinkles out of his shirt. "It's that college degree coming in handy," JC said, watching in amusement as Chris picked up every cellphone in the room and held it up to his ear to see if it was the culprit. "I knew the phone was ringing and I never went to college," Joey said seriously. JC, Lance, and Justin all looked at Joey with their jaws to the floor, not wanting to believe he was serious. Lance opened his mouth to comment, but was interrupted by a squeal from a triumphant Chris. "It's MINE! Hello? Dani!" he said, his eyes lighting up. "Hi!" Lance shut his mouth and instead tossed his room key to Chris, offering him some privacy. Chris mouthed a thank you and walked out of the room. "Lance, can I talk to you for a second?" Joey asked quietly after everyone had calmed down somewhat. Lance looked sharply at him, not sure of what he wanted to say. "Um...sure." Justin and JC, sensing that they needed a moment, left and went to JC's room. "I just wanted to say...I'm sorry," Joey said, looking down. "But I don't even know what came over me, it must have been the fact that I'd been drinking, or I was grumpy...or something...but...I'm really sorry, and I want you to know that...that I'd never betray you like that, Lance. I'm not like that," he said quietly. Lance looked up and saw the truth in his friend's eyes. He smiled. "I believe you, and I know you wouldn't. It's just that the whole thing back in Mississippi started off like that, and then..." "I get it, and you have every right to be mad at me," Joey said. "I just hope you can forgive me. I honestly...I don't know why I said that. At all..." "I do forgive you," Lance said. "It's all right, Joey, we're cool now." "You sure?" "Course! Now we can go back to normal," he said with a grin. "Yeah," Joey said. "Normal as can be with us five."