Chapter 78

Inner Reflection | home

"What is HE doing here?" Ken asked angrily, putting his hands on his hips.

Lance mimicked the motion with a smirk, but before he could say anything, JC clamped a hand over his mouth. "He's watchin' us," Justin said. "He's a guest and I didn't want to leave him in my house with nothing to do..." he shrugged. "He's nice enough if you'd stop being such a jerk."

"Yeah, old Lancey there is harmless," Joey said with a laugh.

JC tightened his grip on Lance's mouth, but they could all see the blond arch an eyebrow. JC chuckled. "Joey, I'd shut up if I were you." He suddenly yanked his hand away from Lance's mouth and wiped it on his pants. "That's disgusting."

Lance wiggled his eyebrows. "You liked it." JC rolled his eyes but smiled.

"What'd he do? Lick it?" Ken snickered.

Lance, free of JC's hand, finally spoke up. "Yeah. Wanna see what it feels like?" he asked, sticking his tongue out and wiggling it around.

"When did Lou say you were leaving?" Ken asked, checking his watch. "You've been here for three weeks already."

Lance checked his own wrist, which DIDN'T have a watch on it. "Oh, I thought maybe never would be cool."

Justin suddenly smiled mischievously. "I'd rather have him here than you. He's much nicer. He even sings better than you. Maybe...nah, never mind, you're too much of Lou's best friend..."

Lance snickered. He suddenly straightened up. "Hello, Mr. Pearlman," he said with a smile, idly wondering if Lou had heard Justin's comment about his singing voice.

Lou smiled back, coming into the room. "Hello, Lance. Did Justin just say something about you singing?"

Lance inwardly groaned. He had. "Yes he did," Lance said. "But I only sing a little bit." He wrinkled his nose when Lou turned away.

Ken just stood there with his mouth open at the transformation Lance had made. "H...hey Lou," he said.

Lou looked at him. "What happened to your eye?" he asked, noticing the redness surrounding it.

"He walked into a door," Chris supplied with a snicker.

Ken glared at Chris before turning to Lou and innocently saying, "Chris did it."

"WHAT?!" Chris, Joey, and Justin yelled. Lance and JC just looked on in shock. "Lou, I did not touch ONE hair on that boy's head," Chris said.

"Sir?" Lance said, hating the way it sounded when it was towards Lou. "Chris was right, I saw Ken walk into a door. Nasty little door, too, it looked like it must have hurt...I hope you're okay," he added.

Chris shook his head in amazement when he saw Lou smile a little. "Thank you Lance. I'll talk to you, and Chris, later..." the two nodded, though Lance couldn't possibly figure out what Lou wanted to talk to him about.

Lance entered Justin's house some time later, slamming the door with a bang behind him. "DAMMIT!" they all heard him toss his keys on the table. JC came skidding in. "What? What happened?"

"Where are the other three?" Lance asked.

"Hold on...be right back," JC said with a worried frown. He ran back up the stairs and got Justin, then down to the basement to get Joey and Chris. "What happened?" he asked again, slightly out of breath.

Lance picked up the discarded keys and put them back where they belonged before speaking. "You guys..." he began again. "It would be in your best interests if you left...If you split Trans-Con and KEN, for that matter, next week. Maybe the VMA's would work. You said Jive was interested, right?"

"I thought we were gonna wait until October at the earliest!" JC protested. "Lance, I don't know if--"

Lance held up a hand to cut him off. He covered his face with his other hand. When he spoke, his voice was muffled, but they could all hear the anger lacing his tone. "Lou wants Chris out of the group."

Chris sat down in his chair in shock. "What?! He can't do that!...Can he?"

Lance shook his head. "I wasn't done. He wants...he wants me to replace him."

"But you're a freaking BASS!" JC said.

"You think I don't know that?" Lance asked. "He thinks you and Joey can cover Chris' old parts, I can be the bass, and Ken can be a step higher."

"What did you say?" Chris asked slowly.

Lance rubbed his aching temples. "I was all set to tell him I'd think about it, you know, to keep him from being suspicious...but I couldn't do it. So I told him so. I told him that I wasn't going to do that to my friend...I told him no..."

"What did he say?" Justin asked, finally finding his voice.

Lance sighed. "He didn't like it. He said he could be very persuasive...and then I left..." he turned to Chris. "Don't talk to him when he calls," he said, suddenly sounding tired. "Give your phone to Joey or Justin or something, just don't talk to him when he calls. Or don't talk to him alone cause he's going to try to get you out."

"But I STARTED it! He can't DO that!" Chris said.

"He can try. That's why you guys should really announce the split next week."

"Did he say why?" Chris asked, his voice quiet.

Lance shook his head. "He wasn't making sense. Basically he said he didn't like the way you were questioning his authority and Ken was complaining. It all goes back to Ken."

Chris was still. That was what bothered Joey the most. The minute Lance had left the room, Chris had wordlessly taken his phone out of his pocket and handed it to him. Joey looked at the phone in his hand. Chris was still sitting, unmoving. Joey clapped a hand on his older friend's shoulder before turning to leave the room.

"Joey?" Chris called quietly, studying the table in front of him

Joey turned around. "Yeah?"

"You don't think he'll do it, do you?"

"Who will do what?" Joey asked, furrowing his brow. "You mean Lou?"

"Well, yeah, but...Lance..."

"You think LANCE will honestly let Lou kick you out of the group? Scratch that, you think Lance'll actually take your place? He'd never do that, not in a million years." Joey shook his head. Chris was taking this harder than any of them thought, if he was considering thinking about Lance taking over.

"I was so mean to him, though," Chris said. "When he first got here, and then when he came out, and then before he came back, I was the last one to remember..."

Joey sat down across from him. "Chris, Lance doesn't hold grudges like that. It's not in his nature. I'm sure the only grudges he's got are on Ken, Lou, and that Benny dude. Well, according to him, that Benny dude is like, destroyed or lost or something, so that shows you what happens when Lancey's got a grudge on you, ya think?"

Chris cracked a smile. "Yeah, remind me never to make him really mad."

"Exactly," Joey said.

"You always know what to say to cheer a guy up, Joe," Chris said, shaking his head. "I'll never understand it."

"Don't try to, you'll only hurt yourself." Chris slapped him and they stood up. "And don't worry about whatever the hell Lou's trying to do now. Lance'll...Well, he won't let Lou win here. I mean...you can see how much this contract shit is upsetting him, ya know? And he looked ready to kill someone when we first saw him, I'm glad JC saw him first...calm him down a bit...and besides, you think I can honestly get up as high as our little Soprano Man?"

Chris smacked him. "Shut up. You're jealous. And that's MR. Soprano Man to you."

Joey clutched his chest with his hand. "Terribly jealous. Lance ain't replacing you, he's gonna replace Ken. That's the goal so the world remembers who he is. Gramps, you started this whole little group thing, so now you're stuck with us to the end. You didn't think you'd be able to get rid of us THAT easily did you?"

JC kneaded Lance's shoulders. "Does he really want you to replace Chris?" he asked quietly.

Lance leaned into JC's touch before replying. "He does," he said softly.

"Doesn't mean I'm going to. I can't do that to Chris," he said, shaking his head. "This was his Dream with a capital D, I would know, I shoved all you guys together. But the band was his first, you know? And for me to just come back from the dead and take over his spot in the bad because The Blimp Man wants me to is ridiculous."

"Sure." Lance smiled and JC grinned. "I ain't gonna do it though. That's not what the terms of the deal were. I'm supposed to replace Ken in order to get remembered. And I surely wouldn't replace Chris just so I could be in the band; or even just to see you. I could just follow you around all the time or whatever. But..." he sighed. "I wouldn't be able to stand Ken. He reminds me too much of Benny." Lance shuddered. "This didn't happen, it's impossible, but...it's like...It's almost like whatever was left of Benny's soul manifested itself into Ken's body. They're that much alike. And I REALLY don't like that at all."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 78 "What is HE doing here?" Ken asked angrily, putting his hands on his hips. Lance mimicked the motion with a smirk, but before he could say anything, JC clamped a hand over his mouth. "He's watchin' us," Justin said. "He's a guest and I didn't want to leave him in my house with nothing to do..." he shrugged. "He's nice enough if you'd stop being such a jerk." "Yeah, old Lancey there is harmless," Joey said with a laugh. JC tightened his grip on Lance's mouth, but they could all see the blond arch an eyebrow. JC chuckled. "Joey, I'd shut up if I were you." He suddenly yanked his hand away from Lance's mouth and wiped it on his pants. "That's disgusting." Lance wiggled his eyebrows. "You liked it." JC rolled his eyes but smiled. "What'd he do? Lick it?" Ken snickered. Lance, free of JC's hand, finally spoke up. "Yeah. Wanna see what it feels like?" he asked, sticking his tongue out and wiggling it around. "When did Lou say you were leaving?" Ken asked, checking his watch. "You've been here for three weeks already." Lance checked his own wrist, which DIDN'T have a watch on it. "Oh, I thought maybe never would be cool." Justin suddenly smiled mischievously. "I'd rather have him here than you. He's much nicer. He even sings better than you. Maybe...nah, never mind, you're too much of Lou's best friend..." Lance snickered. He suddenly straightened up. "Hello, Mr. Pearlman," he said with a smile, idly wondering if Lou had heard Justin's comment about his singing voice. Lou smiled back, coming into the room. "Hello, Lance. Did Justin just say something about you singing?" Lance inwardly groaned. He had. "Yes he did," Lance said. "But I only sing a little bit." He wrinkled his nose when Lou turned away. Ken just stood there with his mouth open at the transformation Lance had made. "H...hey Lou," he said. Lou looked at him. "What happened to your eye?" he asked, noticing the redness surrounding it. "He walked into a door," Chris supplied with a snicker. Ken glared at Chris before turning to Lou and innocently saying, "Chris did it." "WHAT?!" Chris, Joey, and Justin yelled. Lance and JC just looked on in shock. "Lou, I did not touch ONE hair on that boy's head," Chris said. "Sir?" Lance said, hating the way it sounded when it was towards Lou. "Chris was right, I saw Ken walk into a door. Nasty little door, too, it looked like it must have hurt...I hope you're okay," he added. Chris shook his head in amazement when he saw Lou smile a little. "Thank you Lance. I'll talk to you, and Chris, later..." the two nodded, though Lance couldn't possibly figure out what Lou wanted to talk to him about. *** Lance entered Justin's house some time later, slamming the door with a bang behind him. "DAMMIT!" they all heard him toss his keys on the table. JC came skidding in. "What? What happened?" "Where are the other three?" Lance asked. "Hold on...be right back," JC said with a worried frown. He ran back up the stairs and got Justin, then down to the basement to get Joey and Chris. "What happened?" he asked again, slightly out of breath. Lance picked up the discarded keys and put them back where they belonged before speaking. "You guys..." he began again. "It would be in your best interests if you left...If you split Trans-Con and KEN, for that matter, next week. Maybe the VMA's would work. You said Jive was interested, right?" "I thought we were gonna wait until October at the earliest!" JC protested. "Lance, I don't know if--" Lance held up a hand to cut him off. He covered his face with his other hand. When he spoke, his voice was muffled, but they could all hear the anger lacing his tone. "Lou wants Chris out of the group." Chris sat down in his chair in shock. "What?! He can't do that!...Can he?" Lance shook his head. "I wasn't done. He wants...he wants me to replace him." "But you're a freaking BASS!" JC said. "You think I don't know that?" Lance asked. "He thinks you and Joey can cover Chris' old parts, I can be the bass, and Ken can be a step higher." "What did you say?" Chris asked slowly. Lance rubbed his aching temples. "I was all set to tell him I'd think about it, you know, to keep him from being suspicious...but I couldn't do it. So I told him so. I told him that I wasn't going to do that to my friend...I told him no..." "What did he say?" Justin asked, finally finding his voice. Lance sighed. "He didn't like it. He said he could be very persuasive...and then I left..." he turned to Chris. "Don't talk to him when he calls," he said, suddenly sounding tired. "Give your phone to Joey or Justin or something, just don't talk to him when he calls. Or don't talk to him alone cause he's going to try to get you out." "But I STARTED it! He can't DO that!" Chris said. "He can try. That's why you guys should really announce the split next week." "Did he say why?" Chris asked, his voice quiet. Lance shook his head. "He wasn't making sense. Basically he said he didn't like the way you were questioning his authority and Ken was complaining. It all goes back to Ken." * Chris was still. That was what bothered Joey the most. The minute Lance had left the room, Chris had wordlessly taken his phone out of his pocket and handed it to him. Joey looked at the phone in his hand. Chris was still sitting, unmoving. Joey clapped a hand on his older friend's shoulder before turning to leave the room. "Joey?" Chris called quietly, studying the table in front of him Joey turned around. "Yeah?" "You don't think he'll do it, do you?" "Who will do what?" Joey asked, furrowing his brow. "You mean Lou?" "Well, yeah, but...Lance..." "You think LANCE will honestly let Lou kick you out of the group? Scratch that, you think Lance'll actually take your place? He'd never do that, not in a million years." Joey shook his head. Chris was taking this harder than any of them thought, if he was considering thinking about Lance taking over. "I was so mean to him, though," Chris said. "When he first got here, and then when he came out, and then before he came back, I was the last one to remember..." Joey sat down across from him. "Chris, Lance doesn't hold grudges like that. It's not in his nature. I'm sure the only grudges he's got are on Ken, Lou, and that Benny dude. Well, according to him, that Benny dude is like, destroyed or lost or something, so that shows you what happens when Lancey's got a grudge on you, ya think?" Chris cracked a smile. "Yeah, remind me never to make him really mad." "Exactly," Joey said. "You always know what to say to cheer a guy up, Joe," Chris said, shaking his head. "I'll never understand it." "Don't try to, you'll only hurt yourself." Chris slapped him and they stood up. "And don't worry about whatever the hell Lou's trying to do now. Lance'll...Well, he won't let Lou win here. I mean...you can see how much this contract shit is upsetting him, ya know? And he looked ready to kill someone when we first saw him, I'm glad JC saw him first...calm him down a bit...and besides, you think I can honestly get up as high as our little Soprano Man?" Chris smacked him. "Shut up. You're jealous. And that's MR. Soprano Man to you." Joey clutched his chest with his hand. "Terribly jealous. Lance ain't replacing you, he's gonna replace Ken. That's the goal so the world remembers who he is. Gramps, you started this whole little group thing, so now you're stuck with us to the end. You didn't think you'd be able to get rid of us THAT easily did you?" *** JC kneaded Lance's shoulders. "Does he really want you to replace Chris?" he asked quietly. Lance leaned into JC's touch before replying. "He does," he said softly. "Doesn't mean I'm going to. I can't do that to Chris," he said, shaking his head. "This was his Dream with a capital D, I would know, I shoved all you guys together. But the band was his first, you know? And for me to just come back from the dead and take over his spot in the bad because The Blimp Man wants me to is ridiculous." "The Blimp Man?" "Sure." Lance smiled and JC grinned. "I ain't gonna do it though. That's not what the terms of the deal were. I'm supposed to replace Ken in order to get remembered. And I surely wouldn't replace Chris just so I could be in the band; or even just to see you. I could just follow you around all the time or whatever. But..." he sighed. "I wouldn't be able to stand Ken. He reminds me too much of Benny." Lance shuddered. "This didn't happen, it's impossible, but...it's like...It's almost like whatever was left of Benny's soul manifested itself into Ken's body. They're that much alike. And I REALLY don't like that at all."