Chapter 79

Inner Reflection | home

Chris whirled around when he heard his name being called. "CHRIS!" it was Lou. He stopped to wait for him when heard someone else yell his name. "CHRIS! Come here!" He turned around. "I want to show you something."

He turned around completely to see Lance in the doorway. He smiled broadly and ran over. "What?"

"You have to see this," Lance began, ignoring the shout and practically dragging him down the hallway.

"Nothing," Lance laughed.

"What...oh. How'd you know?"

Lance shrugged. "Some sort of sixth sense, I guess. Or maybe I could smell Lou."

Chris snickered. "Or feel the vibrations when he walked."

"What's so funny?" JC asked appearing out of another doorway behind them and wrapping an arm around Lance's waist.

"Josh! Jeez, scare us to death! Get off me," Lance said, watching Chris calm down as well.

JC looked hurt. "You mad?"

Lance shook his head. "Naw, Blimp Man is patrolling the hallways lookin' for Shorty's ass."

"So you're the knight in shining armor keeping Soprano Man out of harm's way? I'm so proud." JC wiped a fake tear from his eye.

"Okay, hello, I'm standing right here," Chris said, waving his hands.

"What's with the Soprano Man thing? Jesus."

"What do you think?" JC asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well then what about Blimp Man?" Chris asked.

"Look at him!" Lance defended.

"Lance," JC admonished.

Lance made a face. "What? You didn't let me finish. I meant look at him...he used to sell blimps or something, didn't he?"

JC just shook his head and Lance grinned. "Hey, speak of the devil..." JC said.

"What? Where? Oh, never mind," Lance said sheepishly. "You meant him."

JC grinned at him, then took a small step away. "Hey Lou," he said.

Lance spun around with a forced smile on his face. "Hi Mr. Pearlman," he said, stepping in front of Chris a little bit.

"Hi, Lance, JC...Chris..." he turned to Lance. "Have you thought about what we discussed?"

Lance tensed and took another step in front of Chris. "Yes, I have, and my answer is still the same, Mr. Pearlman."

Lou rocked back on his heels and Chris briefly wondered what it would look like if he fell over. Maybe he'd roll down the hallway like that girl in "The Chocolate Factory," the one that expanded and like, became a blueberry. Only Lou wouldn't have to expand, he was the right size already. Just like Roly Poly...Chris stifled a giggle and discreetly put a hand on Lance's back to calm him down.

"That's too bad," Lou was saying. "But you'll think it over, I'm sure."

"Of course, Mr. Pearlman," Lance said taking a tiny step backwards and lightly resting his heel on Chris' foot.

"You haven't mentioned it, have you?" Lou said, looking a little nervously from JC to Chris. "I'd like to keep it a...surprise for them, if you know what I mean."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Of course, Mr. Pearlman. But if you want to keep it a SECRET," here he made little quotation marks with his fingers, "I wonder why you're discussing this with me NOW." He stepped down on Chris' foot.

"Oh, yes," Lou said. Lance arched an eyebrow but was otherwise silent. "You are the smart one, aren't you?"

Lance ground his heel into Chris' toe and looked quickly over at JC in disbelief before returning his attention to Lou. "Well, Mr. Pearlman, it don't take much brains to figure that one out, I don't think," he said politely, enforcing the accent more than usual. "Anyway, I really must be go--"

"Actually," Lou broke in, "I needed to speak with Chris--"

"Oh!" JC broke in. "Lou! I almost forgot. I had this idea I wanted to show you for this song..." he turned and started down the hallway, almost bouncing excitedly.

Lance smiled, knowing that the excitement about the music wasn't faked, but the desire to show it to Lou was.

JC spun around, noticing that Lou was still trying to talk to Chris but Lance wasn't letting him. Right now, Lance looked like he was crushing poor Chris' foot and had a fist clenched behind his back, and the smile he'd worn only seconds before had disappeared. He sighed. "LOU! Aren't you coming! Come on!" He saw Lou say one more thing to Lance before slowly plodding his way over. He saw Lance smile broadly at him before steering Chris down the hallway. He smiled back, then looked at Lou's very slowly approaching figure. "Great, Chasez, now you need tot think of a song idea."

Lance had his hands in his pockets and was idly humming as they came up to the room where the rest of the group was taking a break before recording again. Justin, Joey, and Ken were there, along with Shari...of course. Lance rolled his eyes but kept humming.

Chris looked at him oddly, but then recognized the song and his eyes lit up. He started singing along, his voice being high enough to match the parts easily. "We are living in a material world, and I am a material girl..."

"Is that what I'm singing?" Lance asked with a sideways glance.

"Duh," Chris began, but then he saw the mischievous look in Lance's eyes and smiled. "OH!" he kept singing it. They walked in the room, and Chris stared straight at Shari before finally turning away. "We are living in a material world, and I am I material girl..."

"What the fuck are you doing?" came Ken's VERY irritated voice.

"What do you think?" Chris shot back. "I'm singing, doofus."

"You're singing that song and I don't like it."

"Oh, grow up, Ken," Chris said. "Shari's a big girl, she can defend herself if she needs to. And she doesn't need to because I WASN'T SINGING IT WITH HER IN MIND!"

"Then WHY were you singing a MADONNA song from the 80's?" Ken retorted. Lance lightly touched Chris' back to let him know he was still there.

"Hey, where's JC?" Justin asked suddenly, trying to end the tension. But Chris and Ken were still staring at each other.

"He's talking to Lou," Lance said calmly, looking at Justin. "Hey, you two--" Chris shot Lance a secret grin to let him know that this was all in fun.

"And don't blame it on ME, it's all Lance's fault."

"ME?!" Lance asked, feigning shock. "What about me?"

Joey covered his face with his hands, knowing where this was going. Lance had something up his sleeve, that was for sure. Chris turned to Lance. "You were humming the damn thing!"

"I didn't even know what I was humming!"

Ken smiled, thinking the conversation was going in the direction he wanted it to. He didn't like Lance. Lance had come seemingly out of nowhere to become best friends with all the guys...except him. Lance was now fighting with Chris. This was good. Lance had to go.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 79 Chris whirled around when he heard his name being called. "CHRIS!" it was Lou. He stopped to wait for him when heard someone else yell his name. "CHRIS! Come here!" He turned around. "I want to show you something." He turned around completely to see Lance in the doorway. He smiled broadly and ran over. "What?" "CHRIS!" "You have to see this," Lance began, ignoring the shout and practically dragging him down the hallway. "What?" "Nothing," Lance laughed. "What...oh. How'd you know?" Lance shrugged. "Some sort of sixth sense, I guess. Or maybe I could smell Lou." Chris snickered. "Or feel the vibrations when he walked." "What's so funny?" JC asked appearing out of another doorway behind them and wrapping an arm around Lance's waist. "Oh my God!" "Josh! Jeez, scare us to death! Get off me," Lance said, watching Chris calm down as well. JC looked hurt. "You mad?" Lance shook his head. "Naw, Blimp Man is patrolling the hallways lookin' for Shorty's ass." "So you're the knight in shining armor keeping Soprano Man out of harm's way? I'm so proud." JC wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Okay, hello, I'm standing right here," Chris said, waving his hands. "What's with the Soprano Man thing? Jesus." "What do you think?" JC asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well then what about Blimp Man?" Chris asked. "Look at him!" Lance defended. "Lance," JC admonished. Lance made a face. "What? You didn't let me finish. I meant look at him...he used to sell blimps or something, didn't he?" JC just shook his head and Lance grinned. "Hey, speak of the devil..." JC said. "What? Where? Oh, never mind," Lance said sheepishly. "You meant him." JC grinned at him, then took a small step away. "Hey Lou," he said. Lance spun around with a forced smile on his face. "Hi Mr. Pearlman," he said, stepping in front of Chris a little bit. "Hi, Lance, JC...Chris..." he turned to Lance. "Have you thought about what we discussed?" Lance tensed and took another step in front of Chris. "Yes, I have, and my answer is still the same, Mr. Pearlman." Lou rocked back on his heels and Chris briefly wondered what it would look like if he fell over. Maybe he'd roll down the hallway like that girl in "The Chocolate Factory," the one that expanded and like, became a blueberry. Only Lou wouldn't have to expand, he was the right size already. Just like Roly Poly...Chris stifled a giggle and discreetly put a hand on Lance's back to calm him down. "That's too bad," Lou was saying. "But you'll think it over, I'm sure." "Of course, Mr. Pearlman," Lance said taking a tiny step backwards and lightly resting his heel on Chris' foot. "You haven't mentioned it, have you?" Lou said, looking a little nervously from JC to Chris. "I'd like to keep it a...surprise for them, if you know what I mean." Lance rolled his eyes. "Of course, Mr. Pearlman. But if you want to keep it a SECRET," here he made little quotation marks with his fingers, "I wonder why you're discussing this with me NOW." He stepped down on Chris' foot. "Oh, yes," Lou said. Lance arched an eyebrow but was otherwise silent. "You are the smart one, aren't you?" Lance ground his heel into Chris' toe and looked quickly over at JC in disbelief before returning his attention to Lou. "Well, Mr. Pearlman, it don't take much brains to figure that one out, I don't think," he said politely, enforcing the accent more than usual. "Anyway, I really must be go--" "Actually," Lou broke in, "I needed to speak with Chris--" "Oh!" JC broke in. "Lou! I almost forgot. I had this idea I wanted to show you for this song..." he turned and started down the hallway, almost bouncing excitedly. Lance smiled, knowing that the excitement about the music wasn't faked, but the desire to show it to Lou was. JC spun around, noticing that Lou was still trying to talk to Chris but Lance wasn't letting him. Right now, Lance looked like he was crushing poor Chris' foot and had a fist clenched behind his back, and the smile he'd worn only seconds before had disappeared. He sighed. "LOU! Aren't you coming! Come on!" He saw Lou say one more thing to Lance before slowly plodding his way over. He saw Lance smile broadly at him before steering Chris down the hallway. He smiled back, then looked at Lou's very slowly approaching figure. "Great, Chasez, now you need tot think of a song idea." ***** Lance had his hands in his pockets and was idly humming as they came up to the room where the rest of the group was taking a break before recording again. Justin, Joey, and Ken were there, along with Shari...of course. Lance rolled his eyes but kept humming. Chris looked at him oddly, but then recognized the song and his eyes lit up. He started singing along, his voice being high enough to match the parts easily. "We are living in a material world, and I am a material girl..." "Is that what I'm singing?" Lance asked with a sideways glance. "Duh," Chris began, but then he saw the mischievous look in Lance's eyes and smiled. "OH!" he kept singing it. They walked in the room, and Chris stared straight at Shari before finally turning away. "We are living in a material world, and I am I material girl..." "What the fuck are you doing?" came Ken's VERY irritated voice. "What do you think?" Chris shot back. "I'm singing, doofus." "You're singing that song and I don't like it." "Oh, grow up, Ken," Chris said. "Shari's a big girl, she can defend herself if she needs to. And she doesn't need to because I WASN'T SINGING IT WITH HER IN MIND!" "Then WHY were you singing a MADONNA song from the 80's?" Ken retorted. Lance lightly touched Chris' back to let him know he was still there. "Hey, where's JC?" Justin asked suddenly, trying to end the tension. But Chris and Ken were still staring at each other. "He's talking to Lou," Lance said calmly, looking at Justin. "Hey, you two--" Chris shot Lance a secret grin to let him know that this was all in fun. "And don't blame it on ME, it's all Lance's fault." "ME?!" Lance asked, feigning shock. "What about me?" Joey covered his face with his hands, knowing where this was going. Lance had something up his sleeve, that was for sure. Chris turned to Lance. "You were humming the damn thing!" "I didn't even know what I was humming!" Ken smiled, thinking the conversation was going in the direction he wanted it to. He didn't like Lance. Lance had come seemingly out of nowhere to become best friends with all the guys...except him. Lance was now fighting with Chris. This was good. Lance had to go.