Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 12:27:42 +0000
From: Suma L <sumacumlaude@hotmail.com>
Subject: Suburbia 3

	It's taking me forever to get this story out, I know. I'm working
on it.  Chapter 4, I believe, is completed, and I will post that quite
soon. Chapter 5 is coming along slowly but surely. But it might take awhile
longer. Want to know whyyyyyyyyyyy?  Because I have the most ANNOYING song
STUCK IN MY HEAD! You want to know what lines keep replaying over and over
and over again? "The lively crowd of today agrees those who think young
say, 'pepsi, please.' Pepsi. For those who think young." Not only has that
been in my head, but I've been singing it. If you would like the sound byte
of me singing this (And NO, I'm not joking) email me and title it
Suburbia/Soundbyte, and I'll be happy to send it to you. It's a relatively
tiny sound file.  I'm not that bad of a singer, I don't think. C'mon! You
KNOW you wanna hear it! I also have one of me singing Copacabana... But
uh... we won't discuss that...
	Um..I would really appreciate some feedback on my story so far,
because I haven't got very much.. un poco.. on this and it's stressing me
out. Are you guys reading it, or should I just have it taken off Nifty? If
you like it, I'd be glad to keep going, but don't let me just keep writing
this for my own pleasure. That's just... Well..  it makes me feel lame. So
uh.. pip pip cheerio, let's go, folks.

As always --- For Raa -- Coolest girl I know! (Pssst! I know a guy that has a
thing for Ian
Brown!)

--SumSum
---Sumacumlaude@hotmail.com
----http://www.geocities.com/SumSumLovesYou

Disclaimer - This story is filled with sin and fornication. Oh, my! If
you're religion does not allow you to read such literature, don't read
this. You probably wouldn't like it anyway. If homosexual themes offend
you, don't read this, but you may want to just get out of this part of
Nifty. I don't know N Sync, (although I wish I did) and I don't know if
they're gay or not.  Fiction, people. F-I-C-T-I-O-N. I made it up.  This is
an AU - Alternative Universe fic

WARNING: It's an angsty piece and will have, if not in this chapter, then
in others, physical and mental abuse.I know that is a hard subject to read
about for some of you, (ie. I can't read stories about hospital/cancer
angst because it touches too close to home) so, if you are bothered by
that, please don't read this.

~Chapter 3~


	Lance could hear the music from the party almost a mile
away. Saliva's "Click Click Boom" blasted from the speakers when they
arrived. He led Christina and himself into the house without
knocking. People littered the front room, some in various states of
undress, and some just finishing.

	"Next room!" He yelled to Christina, and he pulled her into the
kitchen.  Chris stood at the island in the kitchen fixing drinks. Two girls
stood behind him, one pink haired and one blonde.

	"LANCE! YOU CAME!" He shrieked, then ran and jumped on
Lance. "Didn't think you'd make it!

	"Yeah.. Chris, this is Christina. Christina, meet Chris."

	"Ooh. Hot lady, Lance! Nice to meet you, babe." Chris kissed her
hand, and Christina giggled flirtatiously.

	"Where's Joey?"

	"Upstairs playing Playstation against Kevin. Stupid fuck thinks he
might win.  Ha!"

	"Oh." He couldn't hide the look of disappointment on his
face. Checking his watch, he realized he'd been out a lot later than he'd
expected and he needed to get home VERY soon.

	"Go up and see him."

	"Nah. I gotta go home soon." Lance immediately tensed up, and Chris
saw it.  "What does your clock say?"

	"9:50 according to the microwave."

	"Chris, I have to be home by ten!" He started to panic.

	"Okay, well, just mingle for like five minutes while I go borrow
A.J's pickup and then I'll take you home. It only takes me, like, 5 minutes
to get there if I'm running, so it'll be fine."

	"Why so early, Lance?" Christina asked sweetly.

	"My parents are really strict. I just.. I gotta get home by then."

	"Oh, okay. I could take you home."

	"No, that's okay, I shouldn't. They usually check to see who took
me home.  If they don't recognize them, they get mad."

	"Oh.. Okay. Sometimes my mom does that and then I usually get
grounded. I just hate that!"

	"Yeah. Uh, me too."

	"Drink this while I go bug A.J, okay?" Chris handed him a beer. He
chugged it in less than a minute because he was so incredibly
nervous. Christina watched him in awe.

	"Wow. Thirsty?"

	"More like panicked." She giggled a little, and then rubbed his
shoulder comfortingly.

	"Are you gonna be okay here without me?" Lance asked, realizing
that he would be leaving the new girl alone at a party full of strange
people.

	"Oh, sure! I'll be fine! I'm a big girl. Go ahead."

	"Okay." He walked off to go find Chris or Joey.

~~~~~~~~

	"AJ! PLEASE let me borrow your truck! I'm good! I'm sober still! I
won't wreck it, I swear! If I do, I'll work my ass off to buy you a new
one! Please!  Please! Please!  Please! Please!" Chris was on his knees
begging. A little convincing, a little love, a little annoying
persistence. It would be like taking candy from a baby.

	"Okay, just take the fucking thing." He chucked his keys at Lance
and went back to messing with the chick in his lap.

	"Thanks!" Chris yelled as he ran back downstairs and to the
kitchen. When he got in there, Christina and Mandy were chatting, but no
Lance.

	"Where'd he go?"

	"Um, to look for you or Joey." Mandy replied, and then went back to
her conversation.

	"Dammit." Chris grumbled, and then started to search every
room. The bathroom door was shut when he came to it. He banged his fists on
it.

	"Just a second!" Joey's voice yelled through the door. He heard two
zippers close up, and some grunting. Then the handle started to rattle.

	"Thank god. Lance, c'mon, we need to g-" The door opened to reveal
Joey and Kevin, both a bit disheveled.

"Hey, Chris... How's it going?"

"I don't want to know right now. Where's Lance?" And it was that exact
moment Lance chose to make his appearance next to Chris.

"Chris, let's g-" He paused, just staring at Joey, and immediately knew
what had happened. "Chris, please take me home right now." Turning on his
heel, he started heading for the front door.

"LANCE! COME BACK!" Joey called, but it was no use. Lance was already two
rooms away, and with the loud music, his voice wouldn't carry well.

"Fuck, Joey. Why?"

"We aren't dating or anything, Chris, so fuck off!"

"I know but... Goddamnit. He wouldn't say nothin, but he was attached,
man."  Joey just stood there looking nervous, and unhappy. "I've got to get
him home before his parents kill him for being late. I'll deal with you
later."

	Chris all but ran out to the truck. Lance getting home late was
probably just about the last thing the boy needed. He climbed in and didn't
say anything to Lance. It was almost a straight ride to Lance's
trailer. Neither of them said anything to each other the entire way.

	When they got to his place, Chris gave Lance an understanding nod
just as the scared blonde took off from the truck.

	Lance checked his watch as soon as he was in the door. 2 minutes
late.  "Momma?" He called when he got inside.

	"You're late, boy!" His father yelled from his den.

	His heart dove to the pit of his stomach. "I know, Dad. I'm so
sorry! Chris was taking me home, but the truck didn't start at first."

	"Don't lie to me, you stupid faggot. Get in here!"

	He slowly walked into the room to find his father standing in the
middle of it. His mother was sitting on the sofa, looking very
nervous. "I'm sorry, Da-"

	The hand hit him before he could even blink. He was on the ground
in a heartbeat, trying to protect himself from the blows to his body.

	"Move your hands, you piece of shit! Take it like a MAN!" Lance
felt something in his body snap, and sobbed loudly in pain.

	"Stop that, Jim! He's had enough!" Diane yelled, finally defending
him for that particular evening.

	"Don't TELL me what to do, BITCH!" He backhanded her, and she went
reeling back, falling onto the couch.

	Finally, after all he'd withstood, one kick to the head, and Lance
lost consciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Even though Lance never knew it, Chris would always stay outside
the house after dropping him off. He just wanted to make sure that things
always went smoothly, so he'd peek in the front room window that was, 9
times out of 10, open. A couple tears fell down his cheeks while he
witnessed Lance being beat. Immediately, he blamed himself.  But then he
realized it wasn't all his fault. It was Joey's too.

	Speeding like a bat out of hell, he made it back to AJ's in record
time. He ran into the house and slammed the door when he reentered AJ's
house. Chris wanted to make it known that he was back. "Where's Joey?" He
growled to the nearest person.

	"Kitchen, I think." They replied nervously, and Chris stalked
angrily towards there. He found Joey mid-conversation. It didn't
matter. The minute Chris punched him, the conversation was over.

	"What the-? You fucking bastard!" He yelled, and started to punch
back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(NIN Feat David Bowie -- Afraid Of Americans, The Smiths -- How Soon Is
Now, Deluxx Folk Implosion -- Daddy Never Understood, Saliva -- Click Click
Boom, Kittie - Charlotte)