Chapter 34

Inner Reflection | home

Lance was interrupted by a loud bang.

"JC! Lance!" Justin was banging on the door.

Lance pulled away from JC, cheeks still a bright red. "What?"

"Come here, and open the door, retard!"

Lance opened the door. "What?"

Justin surprised him by jumping on him and practically dragging him out the door. "Come on JC!" he yelled over his shoulder, half dragging poor Lance behind him.

"Justin, I can walk by myself," Lance said, pulling away.

"Sure," Lance said, rolling his eyes. JC locked the door and walked behind them.

"HEY! I'm BACK!" Justin yelled. "JOEY! CHRIS!"

JC tensed. "I don't want to see Joey...there's no guarantee that I won't try to kick his ass again."

"Do that and I'll kick yours," Lance said sweetly.

JC looked at him, surprise in his eyes. But before he said anything, Joey and Chris came tumbling in. "What?" Justin produced an envelope from his jacket pocket.

"Wow, an envelope," Joey said in a monotone, eyeing JC warily. Lance had a hand on JC's back and was holding onto his shirt.

"It's what's inside the envelope," Justin said, rolling his eyes. He opened it with a flourish and whipped out two torn pieces of paper.

Lance saw a flash of red on one side and ran over, forgetting about JC for the moment. "You're kidding!" he said happily, grabbing them from Justin. He looked at them and saw two red "VOID" stamps on each torn piece. He grinned and gave Justin a huge hug. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much," he said, tears springing to his eyes, but he couldn't stop the grin.

Justin hugged him back. "You're welcome," he said. The other three weren't exactly sure of what was going on, because they had only seen ripped paper.

JC's brow furrowed and suddenly, he understood, at the same time Joey did. "Oh my God!" they exclaimed, then JC glared at Joey.

Lance pulled away from Justin, still grinning, and Chris' brow furrowed. He walked up and grabbed the paper from Lance and looked it over. He pointed at Lance and Joey. "Justin just saved both your asses," he said, tossing it to Joey.

Joey looked down at it and saw the ripped pieces of the contract he'd sighed, the contract that had betrayed Lance. He looked at Justin, eyes filling with tears. "Thank you so much," he began. "I don't know how to--"

"Do you even care?" JC snapped, interrupting Joey.

"JC!" Lance scolded. JC looked at him. "Stop," Lance said. JC sighed, but nodded. "Thanks." He looked at Joey and saw him struggle to form words. But he didn't need them, he could read it in Joey's eyes, how he felt. His eyes had always been so expressive. He smiled and held out his arms. "Come here." Joey cautiously stepped forward and hugged him, but relaxed when Lance hugged him back.

"I don't even know what to say...I don't know what possessed me to..."

Lance suddenly pulled back. "What?" he asked, his eyes suddenly getting colder.

"I said I don't know what posses--"

Lance cut him off. "I heard you." He searched Joey's eyes until he found what he was looking for. "SHIT!" They all stepped back, startled. Lance had yelled seemingly out of the blue.

"Come with me," Lance said, pulling on Joey.

"What? Lance? You okay?"

"Fine, just fine," Lance said, still tugging.

"All right, all right, I'm coming, calm down!" Joey said.

Lance let go and walked to JC. "I'll be back soon, I personally think you should tell them, but...Anyway, if we're not back in a few hours, come, but not before that, Joey and I need to talk," he whispered into his ear.

"Lance, you're really starting to scare me," Joey said. "Are you sure you're not mad at me for the whole contract thing? I'd hate me."

"I don't hate my friends."

"You couldn't help it, Joey."

"What are you talking about?" Joey asked.

"You didn't have control over yourself. Didn't you feel like someone else was saying stuff? Doing stuff?"

Joey blinked, surprised, and wondering just how Lance knew. "What...how..."

"I'm not stupid, Joey," Lance sighed. "And when you said you didn't know what possessed you to make you do that..."

"Wait a minute, so you're saying that...that...I'm possessed?"

"JC, what's going on?" Justin asked after watching Lance and Joey leave.

"I wish I knew, J," JC sighed. "I don't get it."

"You don't think he's mad at Joey, do you? Like he's gonna go beat him up or something?" Chris asked.

"What, you think his secret is that he's a gang leader somewhere and they're all mad and want to kill Joey?" JC asked. "Give me a break."

"I still say he should tell us," Chris said, folding his arms over his chest.

"Well, Chris," Justin said, "Some things aren't meant to be shared, although we all are curious, but..."

"Um, while we're on the subject of secrets..." JC began.

"What, you have one too?" Chris snapped.

"Well...um...remember when we first started the group, Lance told us all about him?"

"Well...I'm um...I'm gay too," he finally said.

Lance didn't answer Joey. "Lance, answer me! Am I freaking possessed or something? What made me turn on you?"

"You're not really possessed," Lance finally said. "Because if you were, you wouldn't be feeling any remorse."

"But...something made you do those things," Lance sighed. Both were quiet for the rest of the ride.

"You too?!" Chris exploded.

Justin jumped in between the two. "Chris!"

"What, JC, you're gay too? So now maybe you two can get together and be all happy and shit, won't THAT be nice!" He finally stopped at the pain written across JC's face. He sighed and ran his hand over his face. "I'm sorry, it's just...all of this on top of everything and...I'm sorry."

JC smiled. "I forgive you. Probably a shock, right? I mean, the hottest member of *NSYNC is gay!"

"Who says you're the hottest?" Justin asked.

Chris tackled Justin. "I'm the hottest! And that means," he said, turning to JC, "Don't be staring at my butt."

"Why the hell would I want to look at your wrinkly ass?"

"Lance, how did you know I was...ya know..." Joey asked.

"I thought of it, and then...there is this little red fleck in your left eye shaped like a triangle," Lance sighed.

Joey blinked. "How am I going to get it to go away?" But before Lance could answer, Joey fell to the floor, clutching his head in pain.

Lance's eyes narrowed as he saw Benny step out of Joey's body. "You think you're funny, don't you?"

"And you seem to think you're smart," Benny sneered. "Took you long enough to figure out that I had inhabited your little friend there."

Joey moaned and Lance looked over at him. "Why don't you leave, Benny, and we can handle this another time?"

Lance saw Joey open his eyes and start to stand up, still holding his head. Benny looked and made a knife materialize. "That's not fair, Benny, he's human."

"So what? Who said life was fair? Yours certainly wasn't."

"Damn right it wasn't, Benny. Let him go and leave us alone."

"I don't think I can do that, Lance." Benny raised his arm and swung backwards, connecting with Joey's head.

"I think we should go," JC said, glancing at the clock again.

"He said he wanted to talk to Joey alone," Justin said, swirling a straw around in his soda.

"I still want to, it's been a few hours."

"Fine, well go," Chris sighed. "Just to get you to shut up." They rode in silence in JC's car to Lance's apartment. They let themselves in, JC going first. He gasped when he saw the inside. He stopped dead in his tracks, making the other two crash into him.

"What, JC, what the hell?" Chris asked, then he saw the room and his eyes widened.

"Oh God," Justin said. Chairs were knocked to the ground all over the place and there was glass all over the floor. Joey was on the ground, blood coming out of a gash on his forehead.

And Lance was nowhere to be found.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 34 Lance was interrupted by a loud bang. "JC! Lance!" Justin was banging on the door. Lance pulled away from JC, cheeks still a bright red. "What?" "Come here, and open the door, retard!" Lance opened the door. "What?" Justin surprised him by jumping on him and practically dragging him out the door. "Come on JC!" he yelled over his shoulder, half dragging poor Lance behind him. "Justin, I can walk by myself," Lance said, pulling away. "Oh, sorry." "Sure," Lance said, rolling his eyes. JC locked the door and walked behind them. "HEY! I'm BACK!" Justin yelled. "JOEY! CHRIS!" JC tensed. "I don't want to see Joey...there's no guarantee that I won't try to kick his ass again." "Do that and I'll kick yours," Lance said sweetly. JC looked at him, surprise in his eyes. But before he said anything, Joey and Chris came tumbling in. "What?" Justin produced an envelope from his jacket pocket. "Wow, an envelope," Joey said in a monotone, eyeing JC warily. Lance had a hand on JC's back and was holding onto his shirt. "It's what's inside the envelope," Justin said, rolling his eyes. He opened it with a flourish and whipped out two torn pieces of paper. Lance saw a flash of red on one side and ran over, forgetting about JC for the moment. "You're kidding!" he said happily, grabbing them from Justin. He looked at them and saw two red "VOID" stamps on each torn piece. He grinned and gave Justin a huge hug. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much," he said, tears springing to his eyes, but he couldn't stop the grin. Justin hugged him back. "You're welcome," he said. The other three weren't exactly sure of what was going on, because they had only seen ripped paper. JC's brow furrowed and suddenly, he understood, at the same time Joey did. "Oh my God!" they exclaimed, then JC glared at Joey. Lance pulled away from Justin, still grinning, and Chris' brow furrowed. He walked up and grabbed the paper from Lance and looked it over. He pointed at Lance and Joey. "Justin just saved both your asses," he said, tossing it to Joey. Joey looked down at it and saw the ripped pieces of the contract he'd sighed, the contract that had betrayed Lance. He looked at Justin, eyes filling with tears. "Thank you so much," he began. "I don't know how to--" "Do you even care?" JC snapped, interrupting Joey. "JC!" Lance scolded. JC looked at him. "Stop," Lance said. JC sighed, but nodded. "Thanks." He looked at Joey and saw him struggle to form words. But he didn't need them, he could read it in Joey's eyes, how he felt. His eyes had always been so expressive. He smiled and held out his arms. "Come here." Joey cautiously stepped forward and hugged him, but relaxed when Lance hugged him back. "I don't even know what to say...I don't know what possessed me to..." Lance suddenly pulled back. "What?" he asked, his eyes suddenly getting colder. "I said I don't know what posses--" Lance cut him off. "I heard you." He searched Joey's eyes until he found what he was looking for. "SHIT!" They all stepped back, startled. Lance had yelled seemingly out of the blue. "Lance?" JC asked. "Come with me," Lance said, pulling on Joey. "What? Lance? You okay?" "Fine, just fine," Lance said, still tugging. "All right, all right, I'm coming, calm down!" Joey said. Lance let go and walked to JC. "I'll be back soon, I personally think you should tell them, but...Anyway, if we're not back in a few hours, come, but not before that, Joey and I need to talk," he whispered into his ear. "Lance, you're really starting to scare me," Joey said. "Are you sure you're not mad at me for the whole contract thing? I'd hate me." "I don't hate my friends." "But..." "You couldn't help it, Joey." "What are you talking about?" Joey asked. "You didn't have control over yourself. Didn't you feel like someone else was saying stuff? Doing stuff?" Joey blinked, surprised, and wondering just how Lance knew. "What...how..." "I'm not stupid, Joey," Lance sighed. "And when you said you didn't know what possessed you to make you do that..." "Wait a minute, so you're saying that...that...I'm possessed?" * "JC, what's going on?" Justin asked after watching Lance and Joey leave. "I wish I knew, J," JC sighed. "I don't get it." "You don't think he's mad at Joey, do you? Like he's gonna go beat him up or something?" Chris asked. "What, you think his secret is that he's a gang leader somewhere and they're all mad and want to kill Joey?" JC asked. "Give me a break." "I still say he should tell us," Chris said, folding his arms over his chest. "Well, Chris," Justin said, "Some things aren't meant to be shared, although we all are curious, but..." "Um, while we're on the subject of secrets..." JC began. "What, you have one too?" Chris snapped. "Kind of," JC said. "Care to share?" "Well...um...remember when we first started the group, Lance told us all about him?" "Yeah..." "Well...I'm um...I'm gay too," he finally said. * Lance didn't answer Joey. "Lance, answer me! Am I freaking possessed or something? What made me turn on you?" "You're not really possessed," Lance finally said. "Because if you were, you wouldn't be feeling any remorse." "But..." "But...something made you do those things," Lance sighed. Both were quiet for the rest of the ride. * "You too?!" Chris exploded. Justin jumped in between the two. "Chris!" "What, JC, you're gay too? So now maybe you two can get together and be all happy and shit, won't THAT be nice!" He finally stopped at the pain written across JC's face. He sighed and ran his hand over his face. "I'm sorry, it's just...all of this on top of everything and...I'm sorry." JC smiled. "I forgive you. Probably a shock, right? I mean, the hottest member of NSYNC is gay!" "Who says you're the hottest?" Justin asked. Chris tackled Justin. "I'm the hottest! And that means," he said, turning to JC, "Don't be staring at my butt." "Why the hell would I want to look at your wrinkly ass?" "Lance, how did you know I was...ya know..." Joey asked. "I thought of it, and then...there is this little red fleck in your left eye shaped like a triangle," Lance sighed. Joey blinked. "How am I going to get it to go away?" But before Lance could answer, Joey fell to the floor, clutching his head in pain. Lance's eyes narrowed as he saw Benny step out of Joey's body. "You think you're funny, don't you?" "And you seem to think you're smart," Benny sneered. "Took you long enough to figure out that I had inhabited your little friend there." Joey moaned and Lance looked over at him. "Why don't you leave, Benny, and we can handle this another time?" "I don't think so." Lance saw Joey open his eyes and start to stand up, still holding his head. Benny looked and made a knife materialize. "That's not fair, Benny, he's human." "So what? Who said life was fair? Yours certainly wasn't." "Damn right it wasn't, Benny. Let him go and leave us alone." "I don't think I can do that, Lance." Benny raised his arm and swung backwards, connecting with Joey's head. * "I think we should go," JC said, glancing at the clock again. "He said he wanted to talk to Joey alone," Justin said, swirling a straw around in his soda. "I still want to, it's been a few hours." "Fine, well go," Chris sighed. "Just to get you to shut up." They rode in silence in JC's car to Lance's apartment. They let themselves in, JC going first. He gasped when he saw the inside. He stopped dead in his tracks, making the other two crash into him. "What, JC, what the hell?" Chris asked, then he saw the room and his eyes widened. "Oh God," Justin said. Chairs were knocked to the ground all over the place and there was glass all over the floor. Joey was on the ground, blood coming out of a gash on his forehead. And Lance was nowhere to be found.