Chapter 19

Inner Reflection | home

Joey continued stroking the kitten and watching Dirk until Lance started to wake up. Some time later, after Jez had fallen asleep, a quiet moan came from the bed. Snapping back to reality, Joey looked at the bed, wating for Lance to let him know he was awake.

Again a moan came from the bed, a name. But it wasn't Joeys' name. It was Justins'. Hearing the name, Joey got up and took both the pets back to their carriers to leave.

Lance listened and looked around the room, but all was quiet. His back still was causing him a ton of pain, and he still couldn't feel his legs or move them.

Drivin off anywhere he could to clear his head, Joey woundered had he heard Lance right. Was it Justin's name he moaned and not his own? How could it be? What had he done wrong? Where had he screwed up? What did Justin have that he didn't? For cryin out loud Justin was straight. He had had Britney. Sure Joey danced and flirted with girls but Lance never cared. He had done it too. It was all to stand up for thier images. Or was it? But Justin..Hell he'd rather have it be a girl if it wasnt gonna be him.

"Meow?" Jez asked from her carrying case behind Joey. "Meow meow?"

"Jez, it's okay. We'll go back soon."

"Okay okay, now." Turning around, Joey headed back slowly.

Her baby blues looking up at Joey, she laid back down and purred quietly, waiting until she'd have another go at it with that damn cricket.

Driving as slowly as possible, Joey finally turned into the driveway through the thicket hiding the house from the road.

Hearing a car drive up the driveway, Lance prayed to God it would be someone to help him. "Please God, get me out of this mess and I'll be a good Baptist from now on. I swear I will."

Pickin up Jez's carrier and unlocking the front door, Joey slowly walked in, putting his keys on the counter and after shutting the door, let Jez have the run of the house seeing as all the windows were boarded up.

"Who's...who's th...there?" a voice called from down the hall. "Please, if there's someone here, help me. Please!"

Slipping down the hall quietly, so as not to alarm him more, Joey opened the bedroom door hesititanly waiting, gathering his courage to face his beloved.

"Who's...who's there? Please, I need help. I need to get to a hospital. Please."

Not making any moves or sounds, Joey disguised his voice and asked, "So what's stopping you?"

"Because, my...my boyfriend, he...he has me...tied down. Please. My back is starting to hurt and I can't feel my legs or move them. Please, you have to help. I'm...I'm a dancer, and it's my world. Please, help me?" Lance asked, eyeing the door, tears choking his words. "Please, my boyfriend has already taken so much from me, don't let him take my dancing from me."

Joey, still disgusing his voice, asked, "What all has he taken from you?"

"Everything pratically," Lance sobbed. "He beats me when I don't listen, my self-esteem is gone because of him. I can't even be around my guy friends without fear of him getting jealous. He even took my...my...he was my first."

Still not showing himself or letting Lance know who he was, Joey said, "Sounds like you don't care for him that much."

"I do care for him. I...I just can't...can't trust him anymore. He's broken his promises to change, God, countless times. I love him with all my heart, I even asked him to marry me. And I had a dream that he did change, and we did get married, but that was all it was. A dream. I love him, honest I do. I'm just so scared of him at the same time."

"So why are you wanting protection from him?"

"Because, I'm scared that if I say something that'll upset him right now, he'll lash out on me again. He's already put me in the hospital once. I don't want to end up 6 feet under the next time I disobey him."

"Talk to him. Discuss your concerns."

"I have talked to him. And he said he'd change, and he hasn't..."

"Maybe he will if you talk to him about these things."

"But I've given him so many chances to change. More then I should. He thinks I won't go to the police about the beatings. I told him I wouldn't, but; I'm scared if I don't, he'll end up killing me in one of his fits. I'm just so scared of Joey. I loved him once, but now, I'm just so scared to leave him."

Joey didn't say anything, he only stepped into the doorway.

When Lance saw that it was Joey he was talking to all along, his eyes widened with fear and he began to whimper again. "Joey, I'm sorry. I had no idea it was you. I didn't mean those things, honest I didn't. Please, forgive me?"

"You didn't mean them? Bull shit Lance. If you talk like that about me to a stranger, then how the hell do you actually feel about me?"

"I...I love you Joey..."

"But you're scared of me..."

"Som...sometimes..." Lance whispered, never breaking eye contact with Joey.

"I've scared that you much?"

He only nodded his head, fright clouding his eyes. "Yes Joey...I am sc...scared of you now..."

"Fine, I'll take you back to the hospital. But then I'm leaving. You'll never see me again. But you call the cops and I swear I'll kill you."

"I...I don't want you to leave Joey. I...I...just don't want to be with you anymore," Lance whispered. "And...I won't call the cops, not if you don't want me to."

"I don't want you to. Got it? And if I can't be with you, I'm leaving."

"What...what about the group?"

"Fuck it. I'm not going to live without you. I'm not going to see you with someone else."

"I don't want to be with anyone else Joey. I want to be with you, but not...not while you're beating me."

"So listen to me. I won't be you anymore."

Sniffling, Lance formed an idea in his head. Nodding, he whispered, "Okay, I'll stay with you. But...can you take me back to the hosptial?"

"Yeah, if that's what you want." Unfastening the cuffs from around his ankles and wrists, Joey instructed, "Wait here. I'll go get Dirk and Jez and put them in the car, then come back for you."

Joey went to did as he said, returning within 5 mintues to carry Lance out to the car, this time letting him ride up front with him. Lance remained quiet the entire trip back. His legs still couldn't move and he feared the worst, that his dancing days with Nsync were over.

Pulling into the hosptial parking lot, Joey turned to Lance and asked, "Want me to get a nurse?"

Getting out of the car, Joey turned off engine and took the keys with him. Walking up to the admissions desk, he asked, "Um, I have a patient outside who needs help."

"Okay sir," a nurse replied. "Orderly, bring a wheelchair around to the front please."

"Great, it's a little 4Runner in the front parking lot," Joey called, walking back out the door.

When Lance saw Joey walked out of the hospital, he quickly said a thanks to whoever he had been on the phone with briefly and hung up, returning the phone to the head board where it rested.

Coming back to open the door, Joey asked, "Can you swing your legs over? The orderlys' going to be right out."

"I don't know. Maybe," Lance answered swinging his legs and then his hips so they hung out of the door. "Oh God, that hurt," he mumbled as a shot of pain went down through his body.

"Well, at least if it hurts you can feel something right?"

"I can feel it in my back, but I still don't feel my legs."

"Well, do you think it would hlep if you couldstand?"

"I don't know. I don't want to chance it right now, what if I cut the spinal cord?" Tears began to well up in his eyes at the thought. "Joey, what if I...I can't...I can't walk anymore?"

Reaching in to comfort and hug him, joey replied, "It's okay. You'll walk again. I'll be by your side through it all."

"You...you won't leave?"

"No I won't," JOey answered. "I'll be right here going through it all with you."

Sniffleing and wrapping his arms around Joeys' neck, Lance kissed his cheek gently. "Thank you Joey. I hope you can forgive me for what I did."

"It's not important anymore. Just, don't leave my side until it's time okay?" Lance asked solemnly. "Promise you won't leave me until they make you."

"What are you talking about?" Complete confusion now crossed Joeys' face.

"Just promise me you won't leave me until they make you Joey."

"Lance, of course I promise you. They didn't make me leave you last time, so why would they make me leave you this time?"

"This time is different."

"Why would this time be different?" Joey asked. "Because you're awake?"

Spotting the orderly coming across the parking lot, Joey answered, "Okay Lance, whatever you say."

"Thank you." With a quick kiss, Lance looked down at the engagement ring still on Joeys' left hand. "We could have made it," he whispered to himself. "We could have had the world."

Faintly hearing what Lance said, Joey asked "What?"

"We could have been together Joey. Just you and me. We could have been together," Lance said louder as the orderly came up beside the two men.

"We can go back if you want to?"

"No, it's too late now." Joey squeezed Lances' hand as the orderly helped him into the wheelchair.

As the three of them walked into the hospital, Lance didn't let go of Joeys' hand as he was checked in and went down to a room.

Once the orderly helped Lance into the bed, Joey sat down next to him. Waiting for the extra man to leave, Joey leaned over and kissed Lances' forehead gently. "You going to be okay?"

"I will be as soon as I get used to not having you around."

"I just told you I'm not going anywhere."

"Keep saying that Joey," Lance replied, fighting back tears. "Maybe if yousay it enough times, it will become true."

Still having no clue about what Lance was talking about, Joey replied, "Um...okay. How about I go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat. What do you want?"

Getting up and leaving the room, Joey said, "Okay, I'll be back in 5 to 10."

"Okay. I...I love you."

"I love you too," Joey replied, backtracking into the room and giving Lance a kiss before leaving.

Closing his eyes, Lance wanted to savor this feeling. He knew it would probably be the last time he would be feeling Joeys' lips on his. It was only a matter of minutes before 'they' came for Joey, and when they came, Lance didn't want to be anywhere near Joey, the pain would be just too much for him to deal with at that time.

Going down to the cafeteria, Joey walked in, surverying the selection of food, he decided on an Italian meal. Picking it up and walking over to the cashier, he began flirting with her while paying for the meal.

Reaching for the nurses button, Lance waited for her to pick up. "Um, yeah, I'm expecting some people to come by in a few minutes." Fighting all he could to not cry, he continued. "The person they want is in the cafeteria, or on his way back. Can you please see that they go to him and not in here please?"

"Of course Mr. Bass," the nurse replied. "I'll send them down to the cafeteria then."

"Thank you so much," he whispered, finally breaking down into tears after releasing the button. "Joey I'm so sorry."

A few minutes after Lance asked the nurse to redirect his guests, 2 policepersons walked in. "We were sent here to talk to someone named Mr. Bass?"

Looking up at them, the nurse relayed, "Mr. Bass just called. He said that the person you're looking for is in the cafeteria." A look of pure shoc crossed her face.

"Thank you ma'am," the cops replied, walking down the hall to the cafeteria.

Calling after them, the nurse said, "You're welcome."

Walking down into the cafeteria, the two policepersons scanned the people in the room, looking for one that could fit the description they had been given.

Still in the process of flirting, Joey finally forked over the money, batting his eyes wildly. She rang up the meal and handed Joey back his money, before her eyes saw the cops walking over in their direction.

Excepting the change, Joey asked, "So, how long you work here?"

"Um...I just started," she replied, her eyes never leaving the police.

"So uh, plan on working here long?"

"Well I'll probably see you around then. I got to get back to my friend now. Later." Turning and slipping past the cops, Joey walked back up to Lances' room.

One of the cops turned around, nudging her partner in the side. "That's him. Come on."

The male cop, seeing that Joey had a thing for the ladies, suggested, "I'll back you up, you talk to him. Try and get the charm on him."

Nodding her head, the two cops walked out of cafeteria and proceeded to follow their suspect. "Excuse me, Joey?" she called a moment later. "May we have a word with you?"

Stopping and turning around, Joey looked between the two officers. "Is there a problem?"

"We're afraid so. Do you know a James Lance Bass?" the female cop asked.

Eating while talking, Joey asked, "Yeah, he's in the same group as I. Why?"

"And are you two romantically involved?"

"Well, I thought he didn't want people to know, but yeah."

"We have reason to believe that you have been beating your partner sir. We'd like you to come down with us and answer a few questions."

Finishing the last bite, he threw the plate in a nearby garbage can. "Why would you have reason to believe that?"

"We got a call from someone tipping us off that you have been physically abusing him. We just want to here your side of the story sir."

"I can never hurt him. I love him."

"I understand you love him, but we need to ask you a few questions that have been brought to our attention."

"It would be much better for everyone involved if we asked them down at the station house."

"Well, I'm not going. I'm staying here."

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice sir."

"Well, I'm afriad that your wrong. I promised Lance that I would be with him through all of this."

"And did you not promise him that you would stay with him through this all until they made you leave sir? Well, we're here to make you leave. Now, you can either come with us quietly, or we can cuff you, read you your Miranda rights. It's your choice sir, the hard way or the easy way."

"I said I'm not going," Joey said, turning and walking away. "Now if you'll excuse me."

Before Joey knew what was happened, the cops had him pinned to the wall, cold handcuffs snapping around his wrists. "Joseph Anthony Fatone Jr. You are being arrested for assult and battery, and kidnapping, of your boyfriend. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, a court appointed one will be assigned to you. Do you understand these rights?"

Choking on his own voice, Joey replied, "Yes, but I didn't do it."

"Then why did Lance call and tell me he did Joey?" Justin asked, walking down the hall, JC and Chris following closly. "Why did he call me and ask me to call the police, to have you arrested? Why Joey, why did you do it?"

"I didn't do it," Joey replied, looking at the faces of his three friends, begging them to believe him.

Before the other three could say anything, the policepersons had Joey marching down the hall. When they passed Lances' open door, Joey looked in. Lance had his arm over his eyes, his shoulders' heaving from the tears he was trying not to shed. He had heard the entire thing out in the hall.

"I'm sorry Joey," he whispered after Joey passed and he was alone.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to When Love Hurts Chapter 19 Joey continued stroking the kitten and watching Dirk until Lance started to wake up. Some time later, after Jez had fallen asleep, a quiet moan came from the bed. Snapping back to reality, Joey looked at the bed, wating for Lance to let him know he was awake. Again a moan came from the bed, a name. But it wasn't Joeys' name. It was Justins'. Hearing the name, Joey got up and took both the pets back to their carriers to leave. Lance listened and looked around the room, but all was quiet. His back still was causing him a ton of pain, and he still couldn't feel his legs or move them. ----- Drivin off anywhere he could to clear his head, Joey woundered had he heard Lance right. Was it Justin's name he moaned and not his own? How could it be? What had he done wrong? Where had he screwed up? What did Justin have that he didn't? For cryin out loud Justin was straight. He had had Britney. Sure Joey danced and flirted with girls but Lance never cared. He had done it too. It was all to stand up for thier images. Or was it? But Justin..Hell he'd rather have it be a girl if it wasnt gonna be him. "Meow?" Jez asked from her carrying case behind Joey. "Meow meow?" "Jez, it's okay. We'll go back soon." "Meow?" "Okay okay, now." Turning around, Joey headed back slowly. Her baby blues looking up at Joey, she laid back down and purred quietly, waiting until she'd have another go at it with that damn cricket. Driving as slowly as possible, Joey finally turned into the driveway through the thicket hiding the house from the road. Hearing a car drive up the driveway, Lance prayed to God it would be someone to help him. "Please God, get me out of this mess and I'll be a good Baptist from now on. I swear I will." Pickin up Jez's carrier and unlocking the front door, Joey slowly walked in, putting his keys on the counter and after shutting the door, let Jez have the run of the house seeing as all the windows were boarded up. "Who's...who's th...there?" a voice called from down the hall. "Please, if there's someone here, help me. Please!" Slipping down the hall quietly, so as not to alarm him more, Joey opened the bedroom door hesititanly waiting, gathering his courage to face his beloved. "Who's...who's there? Please, I need help. I need to get to a hospital. Please." Not making any moves or sounds, Joey disguised his voice and asked, "So what's stopping you?" "Because, my...my boyfriend, he...he has me...tied down. Please. My back is starting to hurt and I can't feel my legs or move them. Please, you have to help. I'm...I'm a dancer, and it's my world. Please, help me?" Lance asked, eyeing the door, tears choking his words. "Please, my boyfriend has already taken so much from me, don't let him take my dancing from me." Joey, still disgusing his voice, asked, "What all has he taken from you?" "Everything pratically," Lance sobbed. "He beats me when I don't listen, my self-esteem is gone because of him. I can't even be around my guy friends without fear of him getting jealous. He even took my...my...he was my first." Still not showing himself or letting Lance know who he was, Joey said, "Sounds like you don't care for him that much." "I do care for him. I...I just can't...can't trust him anymore. He's broken his promises to change, God, countless times. I love him with all my heart, I even asked him to marry me. And I had a dream that he did change, and we did get married, but that was all it was. A dream. I love him, honest I do. I'm just so scared of him at the same time." "So why are you wanting protection from him?" "Because, I'm scared that if I say something that'll upset him right now, he'll lash out on me again. He's already put me in the hospital once. I don't want to end up 6 feet under the next time I disobey him." "Talk to him. Discuss your concerns." "I have talked to him. And he said he'd change, and he hasn't..." "Maybe he will if you talk to him about these things." "But I've given him so many chances to change. More then I should. He thinks I won't go to the police about the beatings. I told him I wouldn't, but; I'm scared if I don't, he'll end up killing me in one of his fits. I'm just so scared of Joey. I loved him once, but now, I'm just so scared to leave him." Joey didn't say anything, he only stepped into the doorway. When Lance saw that it was Joey he was talking to all along, his eyes widened with fear and he began to whimper again. "Joey, I'm sorry. I had no idea it was you. I didn't mean those things, honest I didn't. Please, forgive me?" "You didn't mean them? Bull shit Lance. If you talk like that about me to a stranger, then how the hell do you actually feel about me?" "I...I love you Joey..." "But you're scared of me..." "Som...sometimes..." Lance whispered, never breaking eye contact with Joey. "I've scared that you much?" He only nodded his head, fright clouding his eyes. "Yes Joey...I am sc...scared of you now..." "Fine, I'll take you back to the hospital. But then I'm leaving. You'll never see me again. But you call the cops and I swear I'll kill you." "I...I don't want you to leave Joey. I...I...just don't want to be with you anymore," Lance whispered. "And...I won't call the cops, not if you don't want me to." "I don't want you to. Got it? And if I can't be with you, I'm leaving." "What...what about the group?" "Fuck it. I'm not going to live without you. I'm not going to see you with someone else." "I don't want to be with anyone else Joey. I want to be with you, but not...not while you're beating me." "So listen to me. I won't be you anymore." "Promise?" "Yes, I promise." Sniffling, Lance formed an idea in his head. Nodding, he whispered, "Okay, I'll stay with you. But...can you take me back to the hosptial?" "Yeah, if that's what you want." Unfastening the cuffs from around his ankles and wrists, Joey instructed, "Wait here. I'll go get Dirk and Jez and put them in the car, then come back for you." "O...okay Joey..." Joey went to did as he said, returning within 5 mintues to carry Lance out to the car, this time letting him ride up front with him. Lance remained quiet the entire trip back. His legs still couldn't move and he feared the worst, that his dancing days with Nsync were over. ----- Pulling into the hosptial parking lot, Joey turned to Lance and asked, "Want me to get a nurse?" "Could you please?" Getting out of the car, Joey turned off engine and took the keys with him. Walking up to the admissions desk, he asked, "Um, I have a patient outside who needs help." "Okay sir," a nurse replied. "Orderly, bring a wheelchair around to the front please." "Great, it's a little 4Runner in the front parking lot," Joey called, walking back out the door. When Lance saw Joey walked out of the hospital, he quickly said a thanks to whoever he had been on the phone with briefly and hung up, returning the phone to the head board where it rested. Coming back to open the door, Joey asked, "Can you swing your legs over? The orderlys' going to be right out." "I don't know. Maybe," Lance answered swinging his legs and then his hips so they hung out of the door. "Oh God, that hurt," he mumbled as a shot of pain went down through his body. "Well, at least if it hurts you can feel something right?" "I can feel it in my back, but I still don't feel my legs." "Well, do you think it would hlep if you couldstand?" "I don't know. I don't want to chance it right now, what if I cut the spinal cord?" Tears began to well up in his eyes at the thought. "Joey, what if I...I can't...I can't walk anymore?" Reaching in to comfort and hug him, joey replied, "It's okay. You'll walk again. I'll be by your side through it all." "You...you won't leave?" "No I won't," JOey answered. "I'll be right here going through it all with you." Sniffleing and wrapping his arms around Joeys' neck, Lance kissed his cheek gently. "Thank you Joey. I hope you can forgive me for what I did." "What did you do?" "It's not important anymore. Just, don't leave my side until it's time okay?" Lance asked solemnly. "Promise you won't leave me until they make you." "What are you talking about?" Complete confusion now crossed Joeys' face. "Just promise me you won't leave me until they make you Joey." "Lance, of course I promise you. They didn't make me leave you last time, so why would they make me leave you this time?" "This time is different." "Why would this time be different?" Joey asked. "Because you're awake?" "Kind of." Spotting the orderly coming across the parking lot, Joey answered, "Okay Lance, whatever you say." "Thank you." With a quick kiss, Lance looked down at the engagement ring still on Joeys' left hand. "We could have made it," he whispered to himself. "We could have had the world." Faintly hearing what Lance said, Joey asked "What?" "We could have been together Joey. Just you and me. We could have been together," Lance said louder as the orderly came up beside the two men. "We can go back if you want to?" "No, it's too late now." Joey squeezed Lances' hand as the orderly helped him into the wheelchair. As the three of them walked into the hospital, Lance didn't let go of Joeys' hand as he was checked in and went down to a room. Once the orderly helped Lance into the bed, Joey sat down next to him. Waiting for the extra man to leave, Joey leaned over and kissed Lances' forehead gently. "You going to be okay?" "I will be as soon as I get used to not having you around." "I just told you I'm not going anywhere." "Keep saying that Joey," Lance replied, fighting back tears. "Maybe if yousay it enough times, it will become true." Still having no clue about what Lance was talking about, Joey replied, "Um...okay. How about I go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat. What do you want?" "I'm fine." Getting up and leaving the room, Joey said, "Okay, I'll be back in 5 to 10." "Okay. I...I love you." "I love you too," Joey replied, backtracking into the room and giving Lance a kiss before leaving. Closing his eyes, Lance wanted to savor this feeling. He knew it would probably be the last time he would be feeling Joeys' lips on his. It was only a matter of minutes before 'they' came for Joey, and when they came, Lance didn't want to be anywhere near Joey, the pain would be just too much for him to deal with at that time. Going down to the cafeteria, Joey walked in, surverying the selection of food, he decided on an Italian meal. Picking it up and walking over to the cashier, he began flirting with her while paying for the meal. Reaching for the nurses button, Lance waited for her to pick up. "Um, yeah, I'm expecting some people to come by in a few minutes." Fighting all he could to not cry, he continued. "The person they want is in the cafeteria, or on his way back. Can you please see that they go to him and not in here please?" "Of course Mr. Bass," the nurse replied. "I'll send them down to the cafeteria then." "Thank you so much," he whispered, finally breaking down into tears after releasing the button. "Joey I'm so sorry." ----- A few minutes after Lance asked the nurse to redirect his guests, 2 policepersons walked in. "We were sent here to talk to someone named Mr. Bass?" Looking up at them, the nurse relayed, "Mr. Bass just called. He said that the person you're looking for is in the cafeteria." A look of pure shoc crossed her face. "Thank you ma'am," the cops replied, walking down the hall to the cafeteria. Calling after them, the nurse said, "You're welcome." ----- Walking down into the cafeteria, the two policepersons scanned the people in the room, looking for one that could fit the description they had been given. Still in the process of flirting, Joey finally forked over the money, batting his eyes wildly. She rang up the meal and handed Joey back his money, before her eyes saw the cops walking over in their direction. Excepting the change, Joey asked, "So, how long you work here?" "Um...I just started," she replied, her eyes never leaving the police. "So uh, plan on working here long?" "I...I don't know." "Well I'll probably see you around then. I got to get back to my friend now. Later." Turning and slipping past the cops, Joey walked back up to Lances' room. One of the cops turned around, nudging her partner in the side. "That's him. Come on." The male cop, seeing that Joey had a thing for the ladies, suggested, "I'll back you up, you talk to him. Try and get the charm on him." Nodding her head, the two cops walked out of cafeteria and proceeded to follow their suspect. "Excuse me, Joey?" she called a moment later. "May we have a word with you?" Stopping and turning around, Joey looked between the two officers. "Is there a problem?" "We're afraid so. Do you know a James Lance Bass?" the female cop asked. Eating while talking, Joey asked, "Yeah, he's in the same group as I. Why?" "And are you two romantically involved?" "Well, I thought he didn't want people to know, but yeah." "We have reason to believe that you have been beating your partner sir. We'd like you to come down with us and answer a few questions." Finishing the last bite, he threw the plate in a nearby garbage can. "Why would you have reason to believe that?" "We got a call from someone tipping us off that you have been physically abusing him. We just want to here your side of the story sir." "I can never hurt him. I love him." "I understand you love him, but we need to ask you a few questions that have been brought to our attention." "So ask me here." "It would be much better for everyone involved if we asked them down at the station house." "Well, I'm not going. I'm staying here." "I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice sir." "Well, I'm afriad that your wrong. I promised Lance that I would be with him through all of this." "And did you not promise him that you would stay with him through this all until they made you leave sir? Well, we're here to make you leave. Now, you can either come with us quietly, or we can cuff you, read you your Miranda rights. It's your choice sir, the hard way or the easy way." "I said I'm not going," Joey said, turning and walking away. "Now if you'll excuse me." Before Joey knew what was happened, the cops had him pinned to the wall, cold handcuffs snapping around his wrists. "Joseph Anthony Fatone Jr. You are being arrested for assult and battery, and kidnapping, of your boyfriend. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, a court appointed one will be assigned to you. Do you understand these rights?" Choking on his own voice, Joey replied, "Yes, but I didn't do it." "Then why did Lance call and tell me he did Joey?" Justin asked, walking down the hall, JC and Chris following closly. "Why did he call me and ask me to call the police, to have you arrested? Why Joey, why did you do it?" "I didn't do it," Joey replied, looking at the faces of his three friends, begging them to believe him. Before the other three could say anything, the policepersons had Joey marching down the hall. When they passed Lances' open door, Joey looked in. Lance had his arm over his eyes, his shoulders' heaving from the tears he was trying not to shed. He had heard the entire thing out in the hall. "I'm sorry Joey," he whispered after Joey passed and he was alone.