Part 9

Inner Reflection | home

~We all look so perfect as we all fall down~

By the time JC and Lance had finished their shower, Joey, Justin and Chris were gathered in the kitchen. Justin was at the table eating a bowl of cereal. Joey was getting a cup of coffee and Chris was attempting to cook.

"Chris," JC said, as he and Lance entered the kitchen, "get away from my stove before you burn the house down."

"Hey," Chris retorted, "If you two had gotten your asses down here twenty minutes ago I wouldn't have to be doin' this."

"Hey, some things are more important than cooking breakfast for you," JC said, smiling at Lance, who blushed a bit before sitting down next to Justin. JC went to the refrigerator.

"What's that, Lance?" Justin asked.

"What?" Lance replied.

"That," Justin said, gesturing with his spoon.

Lance looked down to the pill bottle that was still in his hand. "Oh that."

"Yeah, what is it?" Justin asked again.

JC and Lance exchanged a look. Wordlessly, JC handed Lance a glass of milk and sat beside him. "That's part of why we asked you guys over today." He looked at Chris and Joey. "Could you guys sit down, please?"

Joey and Chris exchanged a worried glance before joining the other three. "What's goin' on JC?" Chris asked.

JC did not answer. Justin continued to look at Lance. "This is about yesterday, isn't it?" he asked.

Lance nodded again. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, this is just hard to say." JC took his hand, offering wordless encouragement. Lance squeezed the hand in thanks. He took a deep breath before continuing. "We found out yesterday. I...I have a brain tumor." As the other three sat in shocked silence, Lance continued. "I'm having surgery. Tomorrow."

Justin was the first to react. He reached over and pulled Lance into a hug. "Lance, I am so sorry," he said. Joey and Chris snapped out of their shock and came around the table to where Lance was. They took turns hugging him.

"Are you ok, man?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, good question Joe," Justin said.

"No, I mean is he gonna be ok?" Joey shot a look at Justin. "Are you?" he asked, turning his attention back to Lance.

"I don't know," Lance said. "We have to wait until after the surgery. I might need radiation treatments."

"So how long is it gonna be until you're...all right?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," Lance repeated, shaking his head.

"Guys," JC interjected, "this means that we're going to have to cancel the tour."

Lance watched as their faces changed from shock, to disappointment, to acceptance. "I'm so sorry, guys."

"Oh God Lance, don't be sorry," Joey said.

"Yeah, I mean it's not as if we'd want to go on tour without you, anyway," Justin said.

"Thank you guys," Lance said, softly.

"We're gonna have to tell management. And the record company," Chris said.

JC nodded. "We have a meeting with them at noon."

"Oh, that should be fun," Justin muttered.

"Yeah, I'm glad I won't be there for that," Lance said.

"Where will you be?" Joey asked.

"I have some...things to take care of."

"What kind of...oh." Joey cut himself off as realization dawned.

They sat looking at each other silently, for a tense minute. Lance finally spoke up. "Well, I'm hungry," he said. "Josh, are you gonna make breakfast, or do we have to let Chris burn the house down?" The others laughed, the tension broken, at least for the moment.

An hour and a half later, four of the members of NSYNC sat with their manager, Johnny Wright and representatives from their record company. The guys had just disclosed Lance's condition, and their decision to cancel the tour. The tension in the room was palpable.

"I don't think this is a good idea," one of the record company suits said.

"Well," JC answered, "we're sorry that you disapprove."

"I have to say right now that I think you will be making a huge mistake if you don't tour to support this album," the other suit said.

"We will tour," Chris said. "Later, when Lance has recovered."

"It will be too late then!" the first suit said.

What was his name? JC thought to himself. Chad? Craig? Yeah, that was it. The guy was a total prick. The other one, Mark, wasn't quite as bad.

"Why will it be too late?" Justin asked.

"Who knows if you'll even be popular by then? The way the music industry changes, you could be has-beens in a month."

"Oh, please!" JC exclaimed.

"If you don't tour to support this album," Mark said, "the fans could forget about you. Move onto something else."

"So what are you saying?" Chris asked. "Go out on tour without Lance?"

"Yes," Craig answered.

"That is not an option," JC said, through gritted teeth.

"We can't go out with just the four of us," Joey said. "We've tried, it just doesn't work."

"We can hire a temporary replacement," Mark said.

"No," JC said, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Craig said. "He's just the bass singer. It's not as if it's you or Justin."

"Don't you dare..." JC started.

"Hell, we should probably look for someone better. Just in case we need to replace Lance permanently."

JC snapped. He jumped out of his chair, knocking it over in his effort to get to the bastard. It took Joey and Justin to hold him back. This left Craig wide open for the slug that Chris delivered to his jaw, knocking him to the floor.

"You son of a bitch!" JC yelled at Craig, who was holding his jaw.

"All right, that's enough!" Johnny finally spoke up. "JC, go cool off."

JC pulled himself from Justin and Joey's grasp. He started towards the door, but stopped and turned around. His eyes flashed hatred. "If I ever hear another word about replacing Lance--permanently or otherwise--you better find a replacement for me too." With that, he wrenched the door open and stalked out, slamming it behind him.

Justin took a deep breath. He looked like he was making an effort to control himself. "The tour," he said, finally, "is cancelled. Let us know when you've set up a press conference." He left the office, followed closely by Joey and Chris, who threw a murderous look at Craig.

When the guys had left, Mark turned to Johnny and said, "What are we going to do now?"

"Schedule a press conference," Johnny said, with a sigh.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to But Faith Part 9 ~We all look so perfect as we all fall down~ By the time JC and Lance had finished their shower, Joey, Justin and Chris were gathered in the kitchen. Justin was at the table eating a bowl of cereal. Joey was getting a cup of coffee and Chris was attempting to cook. "Chris," JC said, as he and Lance entered the kitchen, "get away from my stove before you burn the house down." "Hey," Chris retorted, "If you two had gotten your asses down here twenty minutes ago I wouldn't have to be doin' this." "Hey, some things are more important than cooking breakfast for you," JC said, smiling at Lance, who blushed a bit before sitting down next to Justin. JC went to the refrigerator. "What's that, Lance?" Justin asked. "What?" Lance replied. "That," Justin said, gesturing with his spoon. Lance looked down to the pill bottle that was still in his hand. "Oh that." "Yeah, what is it?" Justin asked again. JC and Lance exchanged a look. Wordlessly, JC handed Lance a glass of milk and sat beside him. "That's part of why we asked you guys over today." He looked at Chris and Joey. "Could you guys sit down, please?" Joey and Chris exchanged a worried glance before joining the other three. "What's goin' on JC?" Chris asked. JC did not answer. Justin continued to look at Lance. "This is about yesterday, isn't it?" he asked. Lance nodded. "You're sick?" Lance nodded again. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, this is just hard to say." JC took his hand, offering wordless encouragement. Lance squeezed the hand in thanks. He took a deep breath before continuing. "We found out yesterday. I...I have a brain tumor." As the other three sat in shocked silence, Lance continued. "I'm having surgery. Tomorrow." Justin was the first to react. He reached over and pulled Lance into a hug. "Lance, I am so sorry," he said. Joey and Chris snapped out of their shock and came around the table to where Lance was. They took turns hugging him. "Are you ok, man?" Joey asked. "Yeah, good question Joe," Justin said. "No, I mean is he gonna be ok?" Joey shot a look at Justin. "Are you?" he asked, turning his attention back to Lance. "I don't know," Lance said. "We have to wait until after the surgery. I might need radiation treatments." "So how long is it gonna be until you're...all right?" Chris asked. "I don't know," Lance repeated, shaking his head. "Guys," JC interjected, "this means that we're going to have to cancel the tour." Lance watched as their faces changed from shock, to disappointment, to acceptance. "I'm so sorry, guys." "Oh God Lance, don't be sorry," Joey said. "Yeah, I mean it's not as if we'd want to go on tour without you, anyway," Justin said. "Thank you guys," Lance said, softly. "We're gonna have to tell management. And the record company," Chris said. JC nodded. "We have a meeting with them at noon." "Oh, that should be fun," Justin muttered. "Yeah, I'm glad I won't be there for that," Lance said. "Where will you be?" Joey asked. "I have some...things to take care of." "What kind of...oh." Joey cut himself off as realization dawned. They sat looking at each other silently, for a tense minute. Lance finally spoke up. "Well, I'm hungry," he said. "Josh, are you gonna make breakfast, or do we have to let Chris burn the house down?" The others laughed, the tension broken, at least for the moment. *** An hour and a half later, four of the members of NSYNC sat with their manager, Johnny Wright and representatives from their record company. The guys had just disclosed Lance's condition, and their decision to cancel the tour. The tension in the room was palpable. "I don't think this is a good idea," one of the record company suits said. "Well," JC answered, "we're sorry that you disapprove." "I have to say right now that I think you will be making a huge mistake if you don't tour to support this album," the other suit said. "We will tour," Chris said. "Later, when Lance has recovered." "It will be too late then!" the first suit said. What was his name? JC thought to himself. Chad? Craig? Yeah, that was it. The guy was a total prick. The other one, Mark, wasn't quite as bad. "Why will it be too late?" Justin asked. "Who knows if you'll even be popular by then? The way the music industry changes, you could be has-beens in a month." "Oh, please!" JC exclaimed. "If you don't tour to support this album," Mark said, "the fans could forget about you. Move onto something else." "So what are you saying?" Chris asked. "Go out on tour without Lance?" "Yes," Craig answered. "That is not an option," JC said, through gritted teeth. "We can't go out with just the four of us," Joey said. "We've tried, it just doesn't work." "We can hire a temporary replacement," Mark said. "No," JC said, shaking his head. "Why not?" Craig said. "He's just the bass singer. It's not as if it's you or Justin." "Don't you dare..." JC started. "Hell, we should probably look for someone better. Just in case we need to replace Lance permanently." JC snapped. He jumped out of his chair, knocking it over in his effort to get to the bastard. It took Joey and Justin to hold him back. This left Craig wide open for the slug that Chris delivered to his jaw, knocking him to the floor. "You son of a bitch!" JC yelled at Craig, who was holding his jaw. "All right, that's enough!" Johnny finally spoke up. "JC, go cool off." JC pulled himself from Justin and Joey's grasp. He started towards the door, but stopped and turned around. His eyes flashed hatred. "If I ever hear another word about replacing Lance--permanently or otherwise--you better find a replacement for me too." With that, he wrenched the door open and stalked out, slamming it behind him. Justin took a deep breath. He looked like he was making an effort to control himself. "The tour," he said, finally, "is cancelled. Let us know when you've set up a press conference." He left the office, followed closely by Joey and Chris, who threw a murderous look at Craig. When the guys had left, Mark turned to Johnny and said, "What are we going to do now?" "Schedule a press conference," Johnny said, with a sigh.