Chapter 80

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Chapter 80

JC sprinted down the hallway, glad to finally have gotten away from Lou. He sighed, not even knowing what he'd said, but predictably, the idea had been shot down. "Of course, LOU knew what he was talking about, who cares what JC thinks?" he muttered, coming closer to the door. He stopped short when he heard the familiar voices yelling and opened the door quietly.

"Well Madonna isn't the always the music of CHOICE in Mississippi--"

"That's RIGHT! Y'all listen to country, doncha, Lancey?" Chris said, faking a southern accent. "All you hicks are the same."

His eyes widened at what he saw. Chris and Lance were nose to nose in the middle of the room, yelling at each other. He was about to say something when he came into the room, but then he looked at the others. Joey had a hand over his face, but JC could see he was trying not to laugh. Justin's shoulders were shaking with laughter. He looked at Ken...who, curiously, had a satisfied smirk on his face. Shari was just sitting there, though she had on a smile like Ken's. He turned to listen to the shouting match in front of him, no one having noticed his entrance.

"Well at least I don't sing like a GIRL!" Lance was saying. "You can probably sing higher than SHARI!"

Chris opened his mouth to retort, but Ken finally broke in, much to the relief of the two fighting. They didn't have many cheap shot barbs left to throw at each other. "Leave US out of this!" Ken said.

Lance took it. "Since when is Shari US? She's her own person, ain't she? Though she never SAYS anything...and we weren't even TALKING about you, I was busy talking to Chris, when--" he stopped, "suddenly" having a revelation. "This is all YOUR fault!"

"What?" Ken asked.

JC softly padded over to Justin. "What's going on?" he asked quietly.

"I don't even know!" Justin said with a laugh. "I think Chris and Lance are trying to piss off Ken...and at the same time make him think they're fighting."

JC was confused. "Why...?"

Justin shrugged. "I don't know, you know Lance's mind better than I do," he said.

JC was about to say something, but was interrupted by Lance. "You brought it up! You took offense to Chris singing that stupid song--"

"Madonna ain't stupid," Chris interjected.

"Shut up, Chris," Lance said. "You THOUGHT he was talking about HER when he REALLY was just singing a song I had stuck in my head."

"So us fighting is your fault. GOOD JOB!" Chris said.

Ken looked back and forth from Chris to Lance. He couldn't believe it had turned around on him...the fight between the two of them had been so intense...they were just throwing insults back and forth at each other, and now...they were both looking at HIM angrily. "Excuse me? MY FAULT? I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Bullshit," Chris snorted. "We were fine until you opened up your mouth."

"You know what?" Ken said, jumping up off the couch. "We were FINE until your

Mississippi boy over there showed up."

JC jumped up now. "Excuse me?" Justin started tugging on his friend's shirt, but JC remained standing.

"You heard me," Ken scoffed. "The five of us were doing fine, then LANCE shows up and suddenly he's your new best friend."

"He's a better friend than you are," JC muttered, looking at Lance. He tried to step forward but Justin pulled him back again.

"Let 'em handle it, C," Justin said quietly.

"You got a problem with me?" Lance said, his voice dangerously low as he stepped closer to Ken. "Cause if you do, I'd like to know what it is. You didn't like me the second you saw me, and quite frankly...I don't like you very much either. Or that Barbie doll that seems to follow along with everything you say. You think you got me and Chris to fight? Well, look at this, we're both mad at you!"

Ken's eyes narrowed and he drew a fist back. "You're gonna regret that." He released his arm, but cried out when Lance stopped his arm mid-punch.

"I'm going to?" Lance asked, his eyes narrowing. "Why don't we just agree to disagree," he said, his hand still on Ken's fist, "Or I'll kick your ass right here and now."

"Then I'll peg you with assault charges so fast you won't even know what hit you," Ken sneered. "You think they'd take your word over mine? A nobody over ME?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "I ain't a nobody. And the assault charges..." he snorted derisively. "So what? Had 'em before. In a way." Lance continued, oblivious to the gasps behind him. "They don't bother me a bit. But you ain't gonna charge me because you don't want your image tarnished over a simple fight, do you? With a friend of your bandmates?" Lance shook his head. "You know they won't believe you over four bandmates, don't you? Besides, I know about you, Ken," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper as he leaned closer, still holding Ken's fist. "I know how much money you take, I know how much Lou takes. I know it's not fair. And to think I almost liked you for a few days," he shook his head.

Ken's eyes widened. "How do you know?" he asked, eyes narrowing. "You're just making that shit up."

Lance leaned even closer. "We both know I'm not," he said, his voice a low whisper. "So I'd watch it, if I were you, Ken."

Ken pulled back and suddenly pushed Lance away. Lance pushed him back and they stood glaring at each other before Ken scowled and walked towards the door. Sometime during the confrontation, apparently, Shari had left. "Go to hell," Ken growled.

Before he slammed the door, Lance smiled brightly. "Been there, done that!" he said cheerfully, watching it shut in his face. Then he collapsed laughing on the floor.

Chris joined him and they laughingly gave each other high five's. "Man, we are GOOD," Chris said.

"The best," Lance agreed.

JC walked over and pulled a giggling Lance against him. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked.

Lance sighed into JC's chest. "Love me," he said.

*****

Justin swirled a french fry around in his ketchup before asking the question on everyone's mind. "Lance?"

Lance finished chewing his burger before answering. "Hmm?" he asked, putting it down.

Justin didn't look up. "Um...when you were arguing with Ken...he said something about assault...and you said that it had already happened...um...what did you mean...I mean, what..." Justin sighed and jabbed the fry onto a napkin.

Lance chuckled bitterly. "I wasn't supposed to let that out..." he sighed. "Joe, you know the whole story and Josh knows part of it...but to make it short, I got my ass kicked from age fifteen to the day I died--"

"How DID you die?" Chris asked, his brain still processing the information about Lance having been beaten up for six years.

Lance laughed shortly. "You can't figure it out?" he didn't look up and now it was him playing with the fries and the ketchup. "I was beaten to death," he said quietly. He didn't notice the shocked gasps from the others and continued with his story. "They beat me cause I was...different...you know, a freak...and I kind of left part of it out when I was telling Joey...they didn't just hit me cause I was like that, they..." he sighed again, feeling JC slip his hand other the table and gripping his own. "They did that til I was seventeen...they gave me a little break then, I guess, and sometimes I'd go back--" he cut himself off, looking at the other four, the look in his eyes heartbreaking, pleading for them to believe him, though he couldn't figure out why he thought they wouldn't. "Only at night, though, and then one day when I was eighteen there was a mob of them waiting for me with torches and everything...they said I was..." he shook his head. "They got me," he said with a shrug. "They caught me no matter how fast I ran away...they caught me and put me in the jail and told me I was gonna be dead in two days. They were gonna hang me and I didn't even know why."

"Oh my God," JC said, closing his eyes. "Oh my God."

Lance looked down. "The next morning they said they'd found a friend of Sarah's...her name was Emily...she said she had been beaten, and raped, and she said I did it."

Justin drew in a breath. "But why? I don't see-- Why would they think you did it if they all knew you were gay?"

"Diseased," Lance corrected quietly. "They didn't use the term gay. But they didn't care...who were they gonna believe, the innocent, sweet, southern belle, or me? It was an easy decision, and they knew I came back at night. I did go back during the day, once in a while, usually on Sundays when everyone was in church."

"What happened?" Joey asked. "You didn't die until you were twenty-one."

Lance laughed bitterly. "The guy watchin' me fell asleep and I got away. I don't even remember, it's all a blur. So you're talkin' to a fugitive, boys." He snorted at himself. "Of course, that only got my 'buddies' back on my case and they came after me til eventually, they killed me."

No one was hungry anymore. "God, Lance, that's horrible," Joey said. "I can't believe you didn't-- Why didn't you tell me?"

Lance rolled his eyes with a snort. "If YOU had been sentenced to death for raping a woman, would YOU want to go tell all your friends? And sure, it's not death penalty now, but then...and you tie in my being different..." Lance stood up swiftly. "Everyone ready?" he asked. They all stood up wordlessly and followed him out the door.

*****

JC walked into the room and found Lance lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. "Lance?" he asked. Lance looked at him but remained silent. "I'm sorry we brought that up. We didn't have a right--"

"You have every right to know you're dating a jailbird," Lance interjected. "A fugitive. An escapee. A convict. A--"

"Stop," JC scolded. "That was a long time ago. LONG time ago. Anyone that might've wanted you dead then is long gone. And I know you didn't do it...you don't have it in you to be evil, Lance. I know you don't. You couldn't hurt someone like that." He sat down on the edge of the bed.

Lance twisted the sheets a little. "I know," he said with a sigh. "But who was I to argue with them? I mean, there was Emily, and then there was me. The freak. The disease. The sick one; the one that didn't deserve to live. The guy lower than blacks in the society of my town. The abomination of mankind, the disgrace to society. Who would believe me?" he asked bitterly.

JC sat back a little. "You're none of those," he said. "You're Lance, the sweetest, kindest, most caring, most selfless person I know." With each comment he jabbed a finger into Lance's chest.

Lance ducked his head with a blush. "No I'm not," he mumbled.

"Yes you are," JC objected. "And I am so proud to call myself your boyfriend. I'm so proud of you."

"Why me?" he asked. "I didn't do anything."

JC leaned in to kiss him. "You do everything," he breathed.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 80 JC sprinted down the hallway, glad to finally have gotten away from Lou. He sighed, not even knowing what he'd said, but predictably, the idea had been shot down. "Of course, LOU knew what he was talking about, who cares what JC thinks?" he muttered, coming closer to the door. He stopped short when he heard the familiar voices yelling and opened the door quietly. "Well Madonna isn't the always the music of CHOICE in Mississippi--" "That's RIGHT! Y'all listen to country, doncha, Lancey?" Chris said, faking a southern accent. "All you hicks are the same." His eyes widened at what he saw. Chris and Lance were nose to nose in the middle of the room, yelling at each other. He was about to say something when he came into the room, but then he looked at the others. Joey had a hand over his face, but JC could see he was trying not to laugh. Justin's shoulders were shaking with laughter. He looked at Ken...who, curiously, had a satisfied smirk on his face. Shari was just sitting there, though she had on a smile like Ken's. He turned to listen to the shouting match in front of him, no one having noticed his entrance. "Well at least I don't sing like a GIRL!" Lance was saying. "You can probably sing higher than SHARI!" Chris opened his mouth to retort, but Ken finally broke in, much to the relief of the two fighting. They didn't have many cheap shot barbs left to throw at each other. "Leave US out of this!" Ken said. Lance took it. "Since when is Shari US? She's her own person, ain't she? Though she never SAYS anything...and we weren't even TALKING about you, I was busy talking to Chris, when--" he stopped, "suddenly" having a revelation. "This is all YOUR fault!" "What?" Ken asked. JC softly padded over to Justin. "What's going on?" he asked quietly. "I don't even know!" Justin said with a laugh. "I think Chris and Lance are trying to piss off Ken...and at the same time make him think they're fighting." JC was confused. "Why...?" Justin shrugged. "I don't know, you know Lance's mind better than I do," he said. JC was about to say something, but was interrupted by Lance. "You brought it up! You took offense to Chris singing that stupid song--" "Madonna ain't stupid," Chris interjected. "Shut up, Chris," Lance said. "You THOUGHT he was talking about HER when he REALLY was just singing a song I had stuck in my head." "So us fighting is your fault. GOOD JOB!" Chris said. Ken looked back and forth from Chris to Lance. He couldn't believe it had turned around on him...the fight between the two of them had been so intense...they were just throwing insults back and forth at each other, and now...they were both looking at HIM angrily. "Excuse me? MY FAULT? I didn't do anything wrong!" "Bullshit," Chris snorted. "We were fine until you opened up your mouth." "You know what?" Ken said, jumping up off the couch. "We were FINE until your Mississippi boy over there showed up." JC jumped up now. "Excuse me?" Justin started tugging on his friend's shirt, but JC remained standing. "You heard me," Ken scoffed. "The five of us were doing fine, then LANCE shows up and suddenly he's your new best friend." "He's a better friend than you are," JC muttered, looking at Lance. He tried to step forward but Justin pulled him back again. "Let 'em handle it, C," Justin said quietly. "You got a problem with me?" Lance said, his voice dangerously low as he stepped closer to Ken. "Cause if you do, I'd like to know what it is. You didn't like me the second you saw me, and quite frankly...I don't like you very much either. Or that Barbie doll that seems to follow along with everything you say. You think you got me and Chris to fight? Well, look at this, we're both mad at you!" Ken's eyes narrowed and he drew a fist back. "You're gonna regret that." He released his arm, but cried out when Lance stopped his arm mid-punch. "I'm going to?" Lance asked, his eyes narrowing. "Why don't we just agree to disagree," he said, his hand still on Ken's fist, "Or I'll kick your ass right here and now." "Then I'll peg you with assault charges so fast you won't even know what hit you," Ken sneered. "You think they'd take your word over mine? A nobody over ME?" Lance rolled his eyes. "I ain't a nobody. And the assault charges..." he snorted derisively. "So what? Had 'em before. In a way." Lance continued, oblivious to the gasps behind him. "They don't bother me a bit. But you ain't gonna charge me because you don't want your image tarnished over a simple fight, do you? With a friend of your bandmates?" Lance shook his head. "You know they won't believe you over four bandmates, don't you? Besides, I know about you, Ken," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper as he leaned closer, still holding Ken's fist. "I know how much money you take, I know how much Lou takes. I know it's not fair. And to think I almost liked you for a few days," he shook his head. Ken's eyes widened. "How do you know?" he asked, eyes narrowing. "You're just making that shit up." Lance leaned even closer. "We both know I'm not," he said, his voice a low whisper. "So I'd watch it, if I were you, Ken." Ken pulled back and suddenly pushed Lance away. Lance pushed him back and they stood glaring at each other before Ken scowled and walked towards the door. Sometime during the confrontation, apparently, Shari had left. "Go to hell," Ken growled. Before he slammed the door, Lance smiled brightly. "Been there, done that!" he said cheerfully, watching it shut in his face. Then he collapsed laughing on the floor. Chris joined him and they laughingly gave each other high five's. "Man, we are GOOD," Chris said. "The best," Lance agreed. JC walked over and pulled a giggling Lance against him. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked. Lance sighed into JC's chest. "Love me," he said. *** Justin swirled a french fry around in his ketchup before asking the question on everyone's mind. "Lance?" Lance finished chewing his burger before answering. "Hmm?" he asked, putting it down. Justin didn't look up. "Um...when you were arguing with Ken...he said something about assault...and you said that it had already happened...um...what did you mean...I mean, what..." Justin sighed and jabbed the fry onto a napkin. Lance chuckled bitterly. "I wasn't supposed to let that out..." he sighed. "Joe, you know the whole story and Josh knows part of it...but to make it short, I got my ass kicked from age fifteen to the day I died--" "How DID you die?" Chris asked, his brain still processing the information about Lance having been beaten up for six years. Lance laughed shortly. "You can't figure it out?" he didn't look up and now it was him playing with the fries and the ketchup. "I was beaten to death," he said quietly. He didn't notice the shocked gasps from the others and continued with his story. "They beat me cause I was...different...you know, a freak...and I kind of left part of it out when I was telling Joey...they didn't just hit me cause I was like that, they..." he sighed again, feeling JC slip his hand other the table and gripping his own. "They did that til I was seventeen...they gave me a little break then, I guess, and sometimes I'd go back--" he cut himself off, looking at the other four, the look in his eyes heartbreaking, pleading for them to believe him, though he couldn't figure out why he thought they wouldn't. "Only at night, though, and then one day when I was eighteen there was a mob of them waiting for me with torches and everything...they said I was..." he shook his head. "They got me," he said with a shrug. "They caught me no matter how fast I ran away...they caught me and put me in the jail and told me I was gonna be dead in two days. They were gonna hang me and I didn't even know why." "Oh my God," JC said, closing his eyes. "Oh my God." Lance looked down. "The next morning they said they'd found a friend of Sarah's...her name was Emily...she said she had been beaten, and raped, and she said I did it." Justin drew in a breath. "But why? I don't see-- Why would they think you did it if they all knew you were gay?" "Diseased," Lance corrected quietly. "They didn't use the term gay. But they didn't care...who were they gonna believe, the innocent, sweet, southern belle, or me? It was an easy decision, and they knew I came back at night. I did go back during the day, once in a while, usually on Sundays when everyone was in church." "What happened?" Joey asked. "You didn't die until you were twenty-one." Lance laughed bitterly. "The guy watchin' me fell asleep and I got away. I don't even remember, it's all a blur. So you're talkin' to a fugitive, boys." He snorted at himself. "Of course, that only got my 'buddies' back on my case and they came after me til eventually, they killed me." No one was hungry anymore. "God, Lance, that's horrible," Joey said. "I can't believe you didn't-- Why didn't you tell me?" Lance rolled his eyes with a snort. "If YOU had been sentenced to death for raping a woman, would YOU want to go tell all your friends? And sure, it's not death penalty now, but then...and you tie in my being different..." Lance stood up swiftly. "Everyone ready?" he asked. They all stood up wordlessly and followed him out the door. *** JC walked into the room and found Lance lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. "Lance?" he asked. Lance looked at him but remained silent. "I'm sorry we brought that up. We didn't have a right--" "You have every right to know you're dating a jailbird," Lance interjected. "A fugitive. An escapee. A convict. A--" "Stop," JC scolded. "That was a long time ago. LONG time ago. Anyone that might've wanted you dead then is long gone. And I know you didn't do it...you don't have it in you to be evil, Lance. I know you don't. You couldn't hurt someone like that." He sat down on the edge of the bed. Lance twisted the sheets a little. "I know," he said with a sigh. "But who was I to argue with them? I mean, there was Emily, and then there was me. The freak. The disease. The sick one; the one that didn't deserve to live. The guy lower than blacks in the society of my town. The abomination of mankind, the disgrace to society. Who would believe me?" he asked bitterly. JC sat back a little. "You're none of those," he said. "You're Lance, the sweetest, kindest, most caring, most selfless person I know." With each comment he jabbed a finger into Lance's chest. Lance ducked his head with a blush. "No I'm not," he mumbled. "Yes you are," JC objected. "And I am so proud to call myself your boyfriend. I'm so proud of you." "Why me?" he asked. "I didn't do anything." JC leaned in to kiss him. "You do everything," he breathed.