“Well I almost destroyed my friendship with Lance and Operation Basez is in jeopardy,” mumbled Justin. “Lance says he loves Nick but I really think that he would dump him if he knew that Josh was so close by.”
“So what do we do?” asked Joey. “Leave Lance and Nick alone or do we continue with our plot. We could like set them up to meet each other and let them handle it from there.”
“Well-“ began Chris but he cut off when something caught his eye. “Hey C!” he called. “Over here!”
“Hey guys,’ said JC walking over to their table. “What is this some kind of secret meeting or something?” he joked before sitting down.
“Of course not,” replied Chris exchanging glances with Justin and Joey. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have to be in the studio today?”
“Cancelled,” replied JC. “I tried calling, seeing if you wanted to mess around for a while but no reply.”
“Lets go after we eat,” suggested Joey as their waiter approached their table to take their order.
“Go where?” asked Justin after they ordered and were free to talk again.
“When the studio that JC normally uses is free, the three of us usually go in and record some songs JC doesn’t think are good enough for releasing,” explained Joey.
“Can you sing Justin?” asked JC. “Because you can come along if you want.”
“Sure!” replied Justin happily. “I love to sing!”
“Okay,” chuckled JC at Justin’s excitement. “Let’s hurry up here so we can head on over to the studio.”
*~*~*
An hour late the four of them found themselves in a music studio.
‘When the visions around you’
‘Bring tears to your eyes’
‘And all that surrounds you’
‘Are secrets and lies’
‘I’ll be your strength’
‘I’ll give you hope’
‘Keeping your faith when it’s gone’
‘The one you should call’
‘Was standing her all along’
“Wow Justin,” complemented JC when the young man was finished singing. “That was really good. Are you sure you don’t want to sing for a living?”
“Thanks,” laughed Justin. “And no I’m not interested. By the way that’s a great song, did you really write it?”
“I’m not that talented,” laughed JC. “‘This I Promise You’ is by Richard Marx.”
“You know Richard Marx?!” exclaimed Justin, eyes bugging out of his head.
“Yeah, we’ve worked together before,” shrugged JC as if working with Richard Marx on a daily bases was normal.
“Yet he’s never introduced us to Richard Marx before,” interrupted Chris leaning over JC’s shoulder. “What aren’t we good enough to meet famous people.”
“I’ve met him,” announced Joey drawing a dirty look from JC and a shocked one from Chris.
“When?” asked Chris glaring at his two best friends.
“Last week, while you were at work,” informed Joey with a grin, referring to Chris’ job, which was a vocal teacher. “It pays being unemployed and mooching off your friends.”
“I would of called in sick!” yelled Chris. “Tell me next time!”
“I’ve also met Britney Spears,” added Joey quickly, ducking behind Justin for protection from Chris who was lunging at him. “She’s much hotter in person too. Right C?”
“I guess,” shrugged JC turning away from his fighting friends, “for a girl. She has other good qualities besides her looks though. Like her southern charm . . . ”
“Let’s move onto another song!” announced Joey knowing that JC was once again starting to think of Lance and that always led to bad news. “How bout ‘Space Cowboys’ or that new one, ‘The Two of Us’?”
“Great going Joe,” whispered Chris sarcastically watching as the tears started to form in JC’s eyes. Both he and Joey knew that JC had written those songs with Lance in mind.
“How bout this one?” asked Justin picking up some lyrics. “‘Up Against the Wall’? It sounds cool.”
“It’s not finished,” replied JC softly wiping at his tears.
“How about, ‘No Strings Attached’?” suggested Joey. “That’s a cool song. Or ‘Digital Get Down’?”
“Okay,” sniffed JC. “It’s just that I miss him.”
“We know C,” whispered Joey walking over to hug his friend. “Let’s get back to work though, and you’ll feel better.”
“Okay,” whispered JC.
*~*~*
That night when Justin returned home, he groaned when he saw Nick lying on the couch watching TV.
“Nice to see you too Justin,” replied Nick sarcastically, not looking up form the TV screen.
“Where’s Lance?” asked Justin, ignoring Nick’s comment.
“Class,” yawned Nick, sounding bored.
“And you’re here because . . .”
“Because Lance said I could hang here while I waited for him.”
“Well Lance was mistaken because I don’t like it when people who don’t live here are here all alone.”
“Too bad!” shot back Nick, sitting up on the couch. “I’m Lance’s boyfriend not some stranger. If he trusts me, so should you!”
“Well that’s not going to happen any time soon!” yelled Justin, clutching his fists and taking a step closer to Nick.
“That’s because you’re jealous and want Lance to yourself!” yelled Nick while shooting to his feet and standing nose to nose with Justin.
“Fuck you!” growled Justin punching Nick in the face and watching as he fell to the ground.
“Little fucker!” yelled Nick tackling Justin and soon they were both on the floor fighting. The pair was so busy fighting that they didn’t’ realize that the unlocked door was pushed open and that they were being pulled apart.
“Calm down Curly,” cried a familiar voice, clutching onto Justin tightly as the young man squirmed around in the arms of the older man.
“Chris?” asked Justin, confused when he realized who was hanging onto him. Looking over at Nick he saw that Joey had him in an equally tight grip. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Well we were in the neighborhood and decided to drop by to see if you wanted to do something,” explained Chris. “When we got here we heard noises so we tried the door and it was unlocked.”
“Oh,” replied Justin but before he could say anymore a new voice interrupted him.
“What the hell is going on here?!” cried the new voice and everyone turned towards the door to see Lance standing there.
Lance, meanwhile didn’t know what to think as he took in the scene. His best friend and his boyfriend were covered in blood and bruises and two strange men were hanging onto them.
“Baby!” cried Nick forcing his way out of Joey’s arms so that he could run over to Lance and hug him. “Justin attacked me when he got home and these guys,” points to Joey and Chris, “were helping him. They said it was because I was a faggot.”
“What!” cried Justin, Joey and Chris not believing their ears.
“That’s bullshit,” continued Joey, indicating to himself and Chris. “Our best friend is gay. He’s like a brother to us.”
“Yeah, “ added Chris. “We stopped by to see Curly and found those two fighting. Me and Joe were just pulling them apart.”
“Who are you two anyways?” asked Lance coldly clutching Nick protectively.
“I’m Chris Kirkpatrick and he’s Joey Fatone,” replied Chris, pointing to first himself and then to Joey.
“I think both of you should leave” growled Lance, his voice low and mean. “You’d leave too if you know what’s good for you Justin.”
“What?!” exclaimed Justin. “You’re actually believing his bullshit story!”
“Why would he lie?”
“Why would I lie?! I’ve been your friend for five years!”
“I’ve never had a boyfriend in those five years Justin. Maybe you’ve been pretending I’m straight the entire time.”
“I don’t believe this,” interrupted Chris. ‘This is the guy JC is so love sick over?’ “Here I always thought you were a nice guy but now you pull this crap.”
“You don’t even know me,” laughed Lance.
“Chris,” hissed Joey, knowing what his friend was thinking. “This isn’t our place.”
“Okay fine!” declared Chris throwing up his hand in defeat. “I’m out of here. Justin ou can stay with us anytime you want.”
“I think now would be a good time,” grumbled Justin, hurt that his best friend out turn on him so easily. “Since I’m obviously not welcomed in my own home anymore.”
“We have a spare room which JC sometimes uses to write songs in when he wants to get away from us,” replied Joey. “If you want we can clear it out this weekend and turn it into a bedroom for you.”
“Are you sure that’s okay with JC?” asked Justin, surprise and grateful. “I don’t want to run him out of his writing room.”
“This is JC we’re talking about,” laughed Joey. “Of course he won’t mind. JC will do anything for his friends. He’ll understand alright. He’ll probably want to come over here and kick Lance’s ass.”
“Or fuck it,” added Chris under his breath but fortunately only Joey and Justin heard him.
“Okay, thanks guys,” cried Justin throwing his arms around them. “Let me pack some things.”
“Good riddance,” grumbled Nick and Chris shot him a look that could kill.
“You know Lance,” said Chris loudly. “Boyfriends come and go but friends last forever. Don’t throw your friendships away for someone who will dump you when you are no longer useful to him.”
“Shut up shorty,” grumbled Lance clutching Nick tightly. He was still mad but he didn’t want to see Justin leave. “You don’t understand.”
“Yes we do,” replied Joey gently. “Our best friend, JC, was dumped years ago by this guy when JC was offered a scholarship to attend an out of state university. JC was going to stay to be with that guy until he also graduated high school a few years later, then they would both go to college together. JC was planning on asking the guy to marry him, had a ring and everything. But before he could inform his boyfriend of his plans, the guy told him that he should go to college. He even didn’t want to communicate with JC anymore. It’s been years and C is still heartbroken over what that guy did. He even still has the ring. Don’t let that happen to you Lance.”
“It won’t,” whispered Lance hugging Nick tightly but thoughts of Joshua ran through his mind. Joey’s story was so similar to what happened to him and Joshua except that Joshua hadn’t been planning on marrying him. Had he?
His thoughts however turned to Justin when his friend re-entered the room carrying a bag over his should. Lance really didn’t want Justin to leave but he wouldn’t admit it just yet.
“Let’s go guys,” declared Justin to Joey and Chris. “Bye Lance,” he grumbled to his best friend.
“Bye Justin,” whispered Lance holding back his tears as the door closed behind the three men.