Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 00:57:21 CDT From: Jason Randall <jas_stories@hotmail.com> Subject: JC & Jas Part 9 Disclaimer: I am not assuming anything about the lives of anyone in this story. Many may wish things to be true, but who knows so don't be offended, just enjoy. If you're UNDER 18, stop reading this, and all that other legal stuff. This is my first attempt, and I know this story lacks sexual adventures, give it time, I want them to get to know eachother first, okay? "Geez, it's bout time ya'll decided to drop by, we need to be at rehearsals in a lil bit." JC joked as Chris and Lance emerged from the elevator. "I know, I know, just draggin Lance out, our Scoop is actually learning to become late!" "Whatever Chris, I'm ALWAYS on time. Speaking of which, let's not dilly-dally here, guys, don't we have some sort of rehearsal to get to?" Lance joked back, trying to smile. `C'mon Lance, not like ya haven't hidden your feelings for the last how many months? You can put on a smile for Mel and have a good concert, the fans are waiting. . .' "C'mon Lance, I'm driving and you get shot-gun!" Justin yelled, grabbing Lance by the arm and dragging him to the car. In Jason's office: "Jean?" "Yes, Mr. Randall?" Jason's secretary replied as soon as she saw Jason emerge from his office. "The conference call is over, just thought you'd like to know. I'm gonna get outta here now, I only get in your way anyways, so if anyone asks where I took off to, just tell them to call the cell, ok?" "You bet, sir. Have a great afternoon!" "Oh I will! Hey, Jean, I don't suppose you could do me a HUGE favor?" "Depends. . ." "Ha ha, can ya call Rose Floral and get, oh, 18 dozen, white, long stemmed roses, without the thorns? And put it on my credit card?" "Um, sure thing Mr. Randall. Do you want them here?" "No, send them to the studio. I'll be home by 11:30, so tell them I'd like them before 2p.m., just tell them who I am, they know me and will get it done." "Not a problem, see you Thursday!" "Is that when the next meeting is? Geez, I need to update my calendar. . ." "I'll e-mail an updated `list of events' to your home computer." "Oh, thanks Jean, you're a dear." Jason said, giving the older woman a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Just my job dear, now run along!" In the Jeep: "Geez, Curly, you're going to get us killed!" Lance said, smiling as Justin squealed the tires on the way into the arena's back parking lot. "Ah, such little faith, my man, I got us here, did I not?" Justin said, running out of the car. The other's followed in quick pursuit, trying to show up for practice on time, they had 10 minutes. As they ran through the corridors they dragged their gym bags with them, not stopping at the dressing room to drop them off. Finally they rushed out onto the stage, with 8 minutes to spare. The trainer looked up from his spot on the stage. "I'm impressed. And with," he checked his watch, "7 minutes to spare!" "8 minutes." Justin corrected, already starting to stretch. "Very well then, let's get to it!" In Jason's car: Jason was barely paying attention to the radio, but it was a song he really didn't like so he eventually couldn't take it any more. "Ugh! Curse Rock 100 for going off the air, radio SUCKS now!" he yelled to no one in particular, flipping through stations. Suddenly something caught his ear. "And so here it is, your favorite boy band. . ." the DJ said, as a song started. `Great! I'll get to hear it before the concert tonight so I can surprise JC!' Jason turned the radio up as `I Want It That Way' came on. `Hmm, I can't hear JC. Didn't he say he was one of the front guys? Wait, is that him? If it is he sounds REALLY different. . .well, you've never heard him sing before. I mean, you don't sound that hot when you sing, so maybe he doesn't either. . .true, true.' As the song ended Jason turned it back to his regular station and kept heading towards the jewelry store. `JC's going to be so happy when I tell him I at least have heard ONE of his songs!' At the arena: "Justin! You can take a break. You too, Lance, you've done great today!" the trainer said, somewhat shocked himself. As Lance and Justin went to the side of the stage to sit, they heard the music start up again. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Justin asked. "When am I not, let's go outside!" "Exactly. I don't think if I have to sing it tonight I can handle listening to it anymore right now, it's almost lunch, we should be free in an hour an fifteen and I bet we get at least fifteen before we have to go back. It's not too bad, before ya know it Jason will be here and we'll be free." Lance grimaced. "Hey Curly, about this Jason kid. . ." "Yeah?" "You think he's, you know, ok? I mean, what if he's just hanging round for popularity? Like maybe he's gonna be able to brag to all the girls that he got to hang with N'Sync. . ." "Nah man, I think he's cool. I mean, he says he hasn't heard of us, and unless he's a damn good liar, I think he hasn't. Besides, he can't be after the money, all the times the six of us have gone out he's paid." "Yeah, but he's been alone with JC a lot, he could be getting his free ride there? And besides, they seem awfully chummy lately, doesn't that bother you that the two of you haven't done anything since we got here?" "Nah, actually man the three of us, well actually four of us went for b- ball the first day, you and I shopped the second, and today's the concert, so I haven't really noticed that we've been apart." "Well, it's just weird is all, usually you guys are together all the time." "Yeah, but we all usually latch onto someone when we have a longer stay for a concert. It's JC's turn this time I guess." Justin said, hoping Lance wasn't getting suspicious about JC's secret. "That's true. Well we better get back inside, huh?" "You bet. `Here we go, one more time. . .'" Justin started singing loud and off-tune. "Oh shut up Curly!" At Jason's apartment building: Jason ran inside to catch the elevator before it went up. As he reached his floor he walked out of the elevator, only to see Sarah walking out of her apartment. He wanted to scream. `Oh geez, why can't you just see Sarah? I love you but I love him and I need him right now!' "Hi. . ." he said meekly, looking at the floor. "Don't bother." She said coolly, walking to the elevator. Jason sighed and opened his door, walking into the apartment. He couldn't believe how long it'd been since he had been home. It was only 3 days, but it seemed like weeks. He was starring blankly at the clean space when the doorbell rang. "Who is it?" "Rose Floral. Delivery." "Oh yeah!" Jason said, opening the door. He couldn't believe his good luck that they were early. Now he'd get to spend the rest of the day with JC, not having to worry about coming back home to set up. He decided to tip well. "Thanks a bunch, here's fifty, and do me a favor, will ya?" "Sure thing!" the delivery guy said, surprised at such a high tip, even after dragging 18 boxes of roses up. "Get a nice bouquet of yellow roses, and a box of chocolates put on my card and send them to this address for me, will you?" He said, scribbling down Jean's address on a piece of paper. "Oh and write a card with this message, too." He finished, writing, `Thanks a billion times again, you're the best!-Jason' on the paper. "No problem sir! And thank you!" Jason set to work, organizing all of the flowers, and a special red rose he'd bought on the way home. He laid the white roses all around the room, setting the red one on the coffee table in front of the couch. He also set up the fifty candles he'd bought on the way home, and placed the bottle of wine in his fridge to cool. `Not another night of movies in that hotel room. We're going to have a nice evening tonight!' Jason searched through his cds, finally finding one to set the mood, and placed it in the player for later. He looked at his watch quickly and realized he'd better get on his way over to the arena. At the arena: Lance looked over at JC as they waited for Jason outside. `He has such a happy look on his face. . .oh JC, I would've made you that happy, if only you'd let me have the chance!' Justin glanced over at Lance, and noticed him starring blankly and looking quite upset. He ran over to his side. "Hey Scoop, aren't ya glad it's lunch? I'm so hungry I could eat more than Joey!" "Hey!" Joey said, hearing the last part of Justin's statement. "Sure I am, Justin, I'm starved, too." He said, without much enthusiasm. "C'mon Scoop, cheer up! We'll even go back to the place with the embarrassing waitress if you'd like." Justin whispered. Lance laughed lightly. "Sorry J, was just thinking. Where's our ride, I'm ready to EAT!" "That's the spirit!" Justin said, smiling. `I wonder what's wrong. . .he's probably just thinking about the guys and thinking they won't react well to his news. . .I wish him and JC would realize the guys aren't going to care, just like I don't. . .JC has finally gotten over it a bit, but Lance seemed so upset, crying like he did in my arms. . .' Justin thought back to the night where Lance just clutched him and cried himself to sleep. `I wish I could help Scoop, I hated seeing him so upset, it broke my heart. . ." "So ya up for it Justin?" "Huh? Wha-?" Justin snapped out of his trance. "Sure he is!" Lance said from the side of the car. "C'mon Justin, ya love pizza, ya know, the round stuff with tomato sauce and cheese?" "Su-sure, yeah, I just didn't, hear ya. . ." Justin stumbled, trying to focus. "Guys, I don't think there's going to be enough room in my car?" Jason said, looking around. "I'll take the jeep too, no biggie." Lance said, hoping for some time alone to think a bit. "I'll come, too!" Justin said quickly, wanting a chance to talk to Lance. "Um, well sure, but I'm driving!" Lance said, unable to think of an excuse to go without Justin. Justin and Lance climbed into the jeep and waited for the guys to show the way to the pizza place. "Lance, can I, uh, ask you something?" "Sure thing J. . ." Lance started to get worried. `He couldn't have seen me looking at JC earlier, he just came up to ask about lunch. . .right?' "Are you, ok?" "Of course, why wouldn't I be?" "Well. . .after the other night, and earlier today you just seemed kinda space-y, like you have been lately. But the day we went shopping you were perfectly fine. . ?" "Don't worry about it Curly, I'm ok. You really helped me a lot, that's why I was so much better when we went shopping, and today, I was just tired from practice is all. I promise, there'll be no more late night rescues to stop me from crying to burden you." "Lance? They weren't a burden, you hear me?" Justin said, getting upset. "I'm your friend, no best friend, and if you ever, EVER have a problem, I want you to come to me before you have late night crying episodes, that's what I'm here for!" Justin was almost screaming. "Geez J, it's ok, I understand. . .J?" "Wha-, yeah. . .it's just, Lance, I don't want to see you upset again, ok? Promise me you'll come to me, first?" Justin's voice had gotten really quiet now, and was almost a whisper. `I hated seeing you hurt Lance, you're too good of a friend. . .I thought you were going to hurt yourself. . .no, Lance is too strong for that, he wouldn't do that. . .would he?. . .god, I'd miss him so much. . .' "J, look at me!" Lance was screaming at him. "Yeah?" "First of all, yes I was very upset, but that was only because I didn't know if I'd have any friends after you all found out the truth about me. Now I KNOW I'll have you, and that's all I need, so even if I'm not ready to come out to the other guys yet, trust me, I'm much better. I may even have a few days where I am out of it, but that's just because I need to think of the perfect time to tell the other guys, and when I do, I'll need your support, and I know I'll get it, so don't worry." `Geez, I wonder what's gotten into him? He must be overtired from rehearsals, I've never seen him so emotional just because I had a little crying attack. . .' "Alright, good." Justin said, giving Lance a quick hug. `Geez, why did I freak out just because of all that?. . .I just couldn't have him thinking I'm not there for him. . .he needs me right now, just like JC did is all, and if I don't let him know I'm there, he may breakdown. . .' "Good, well here we are!" Lance said, pulling next to Jason's car and watching JC get out and look over at Jason. Lance sighed. `This is going to be a long hour. . .' To Be Continued. Send all comments to jas_stories@hotmail.com. Love to hear from ya! Anyways, I wanted to get out a quick installment to keep everyone happy for a bit, it's going to be a while I think before I will have time to write the next installment, but perhaps I'll get out a little bit at a time, like 10K installments every week or so til I have time again. September rush is almost upon me, and it won't slow until mid October, I know from experience, so please don't worry, the story will go on, it just may take time.