Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 19:58:46 EST
From: ARTNYC4@aol.com
Subject: Joey and Lucas-5

Warning: This story contains homosexual themes, and will in the future
contain scenes of homosexual sex.  If this bothers you then don't read
this.  If you are not old enough in the community that you live in to read
erotic material, than go away, and shame on you for being here.

Disclaimer: I have no associations with either the Backstreet Boys or
NSYNC.  I do not know the sexual orientations of any of the band
members. This is FICTION, meaning that it is not real and should not be
considered real.

Personal Note: Well, how do I saw this, I got NO responses to my last
posting.  None, zero, zip, zilch.  Ouch.  It felt like someone stamped a
big "YOU SUCK" sign on my forehead.  If that happens again I won't continue
to write the story, or I will and I'll just send it to the TWO people who
seem to be following it.  If you would like to respond to my story my
address is ARTNYC4@aol.com, I swear I'll respond to you if you write to me.
I think there are like 2 or 3 that I haven't, and I didn't respond to one
of them cause the guy IM'ed me before I read it.  So enjoy the story, that
is if anyone is actually reading this.



Joey and Lucas (Chapter 5)  By: Aran


PRESENT (Lance's Point of View)
"WAKE UP YOU QUEER, I NEED TO GET MY STUFF."

	I woke up confused.  It took me a while to remember what happened
last night.  Me and JC had stayed up as long as we could to wait for Joey
to get back.  I guess we eventually fell asleep, I was in Joey's bed and JC
was in what was supposed to be Chris' bed.

"LET ME IN YOU FAGGOT"

	I felt suddenly scared until I realized that it was Chris yelling
at the door, and that he thought he was yelling at Joey.  JC's only
reaction to the yelling was to groan and put his head under the pillow.  I
went and opened the door.

"Joey isn't here."

"Good"

	Chris went into the room and started to get his stuff from all the
drawers.  Then he went into the bathroom, I guess he had stuff in there
too.  I couldn't believe that Chris was glad that Joey was gone, maybe he
didn't like gays but he should at least be concerned about his band mate.

"So where is he?"

	Chris was standing in the doorway to the bathroom with his
toothbrush hanging in front of his mouth.

"We don't know, he was gone last night."

"Wait, you mean he's gone?"

	Chris was starting to show a little bit of concern at least.  I
guess he had figured that Joey was just not here now.

"Yeah, me and Josh came to check on him last night, and he was gone.  His
stuff is still here so hopefully he didn't go far."

"Wait.  You mean that he just up and left, doesn't he realize that we have
to be in the recording studio in two hours.  That is so fucking
inconsiderate, I'm gonna call that faggot son of a bitch and give him a
piece of my mind!"

	Chris went to the phone, as he started dialing Joey's cell phone I
hung it up.

"What's your problem?"

"We all have to talk before we call Joey."

"What is there to talk about?"

"Just... just wait ok, we'll call him soon."

"Whatever, but if we're late for our recording session it's on you."

"Fine, just go wake up Justin and bring him to the living room."

	Chris just turned around and left the room.  I turned towards JC to
see if he had woken up, he hadn't.  Ten minutes and a cup of cold water
later I managed to get him out of bed.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

"We have to have a talk in the living room about Joey."

"Fine."

	We all gathered around and sat in silence.  Either no one knew what
to say or no one wanted to be the one to break the silence.  As time passed
I started to think about Joey.  I was scared, it was nearly 8 and he come
back or called.  My mind started to flood with images of him laying dead
somewhere...

Justin: "YO scoop, you alright man?"

	All the guys were staring at me, it was then I realized I was so
worked up that I was crying.  I wiped my face clean...

Lance: "Yeah, I was just getting scared."

JC: "Of what?"

Lance: "I'm just hoping that he's ok out there.'

Chris: "He better be, we have recording to do today."

Justin "Wait, what do you mean out there?  Where's Joey?"

JC: "Chris didn't tell you?"

Justin: "Tell me what?  And where the hell is Joey?"

Lance: "He's gone."

Justin: "What the FUCK do you mean he's gone."

	Justin got up from the couch and started pacing around the room,
biting nervously at his fingernails.  He only did that when he was
extremely nervous so I could tell that his outburst was more concern than
anger.

Lance: "I went to his room last night to... to make sure he was alright,
but he wasn't there."

Justin: " Well where IS he?"

	I found myself at a loss for words.  Justin looked like he was on
the verge of tears and I was close behind him.  I didn't want to say
anything that would scare him, just like I was scared.

JC: "We don't know."

Justin: "oh fuck, this is my fault, I shoulda talked to him last night, now
who knows where he is or what's happened to him"

	Justin fell to his knees where he stood and broke into tears.  His
whole body shook as the tears fell down his cheeks.  JC and I both went and
brought him back to the couch, he was little more than dead weight in our
arms as we brought him back.  We sat in silence for awhile, I joined Justin
in crying and Josh just looked like someone had told him his best friend
had died.

Chris: "I don't see what the big problem is?"

	Justin's head snapped up as soon as the words left Chris' mouth.
Justin glared at Chris for a second before leaping of the couch.  JC, I
guess less stunned than I was, managed to get a hold on Justin before he
got to Chris.  That didn't stop Justin from getting the words out however.

Justin: "YOU UNCARING HEARTLESS SON OF A BITCH, DON'T YOU CARE AT ALL? WHAT
IF SOMETHING BAD HAS HAPPENED TO HIM? WHAT IF HE'S DEAD OUT THERE? DON'T
YOU GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR FRIEND?"

Chris: "HE ISN'T MY FUCKING FRIEND, HE'S JUST A FUCKING FAG"

	Justin stopped struggling with JC, and JC let him go.  Justin went
back to sit on the couch.

Justin: "How can you say that?  A few hours ago he was your best friend,
how can you dismiss him.  He's the same guy that he was before he told us."

Chris: "How do we know that?  He was lying about being gay, what else don't
we know?  And besides, what about all those girls we saw him with, he's the
biggest flirt in the group and now he's gay all of a sudden."

JC: "Can you give him a chance to explain though.  I'm sure it was hard for
him to tell us that, it probably took a lot of courage.  But we didn't
listen to him, we just exploded right back at him.  He probably thinks we
hate him.  Do you hate him Chris?"

Chris: "I... It's just... I don't know.  It's not natural, for two guys to
be together like that.  I don't know if I can deal with that."

JC: "But will you try?  For the sake of the group will you give Joey a
chance.  Or at least treat him with some sort of decency."

Chris: "I..."


MEAHWHILE (Lucas' Point of View)
	At that moment all I could feel where the hairs of his goatee
tickling my knuckles and his soft velvety lips on my fingers.  I could fell
the heat in my head and knew I was blushing.  We seemed to stay like that
for an eternity as the cab crawled threw the traffic on 23rd Street.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you, I thought you were making a joke."

"It's ok, I don't know why I reacted so badly, I usually don't get like
that."

"I think I know why you reacted that way."

	Not giving me a chance to respond he took the hand that he still
held and put my middle finger in his mouth.  He slowly and seductively ran
his tongue up and down the entire finger before he started to softly suck
on it.  I closed my eyes, amazed by the sensation, I had no idea that
having someone else suck on your finger could feel so good.

	I opened my eyes as the cab came to a sudden stop.  I looked out
the window and saw that we had gotten to the hospital.  I paid the cabbie
and we got out of the cab.

"You know, if the scone wasn't enough for you there's a diner in the lobby
of the hospital, you didn't have to resort to trying to eat my finger."

	People started staring at us as we walked through the halls, I
guess a lot of people don't walk through hospitals laughing their asses off
like we were.  I think the laughter was more to get rid of any remaining
tension between us than anything else.  We got to the information desk and
found out what room Ben was in, and rode up in the elevator.  I was amazed,
and glad that Joey wasn't recognized (I have yet ever to be recognized in
public), but I guess it's because most of the people in the elevator with
us were older doctors going on their rounds.  When we got the right floor
we got off and managed to find the right room in the right wing of the
hospital.

	I was shocked by what I saw when I entered the room.  Ben looked
like shit, his eyes were swollen, there was a bandage around his forehead
and it looked like his torso was wrapped in bandages too.  (He looked like
Greg Kinnier's character did after he was beat up in As Good As It Gets).
I couldn't believe anyone was capable of doing this to another person.

"Jesus, who could do something like this?"

"I don't know Lucas, it's weird world I guess."

	Just then a man entered the room wearing a lab coat and wearing a
stethoscope around his neck.

"Which one of you is Lucas Raymond?"

"I am."

"I'm Dr. Rodriguez, I spoke to you on the phone.  We called
Mr. Chesterfield's parents in Florida, they should be here in a few hours."

"Is he going to be alright?"

"We believe so, we should know more when he wakes up, that shouldn't be too
long.  If he's unconscious for more than a few days there could be a major
problem.  If you'll excuse me I have to finish my rounds."

"Ok, thank you doctor."

	As Dr. Rodriguez left I felt Joey's arms wrap around my waist.  He
pulled me around towards him, and did his best to comfort me as the tears
started to form in my eyes.

"He's my closest friend Joe... ::sniff:: I don't know how I could live
without him."

"Don't worry, I'm here for you.  You won't ever be alone if I can help it."

	I tensed when he said those words...


FLASHBACK (Lucas' Point of View)
	I'm sitting all alone in a cafeteria full of other students.  I'm
16 years old, and it feels like I have no one who cares about me.  My
father died two years ago, which meant that I had to move in with my
mother.  On the outside everything looked great, like we were the perfect
family.  A penthouse apartment on 5th Avenue, private school, designer
clothes, what should I have to complain about.  Well for one thing my
mother can't stand me.  She hated that I had to move in with her, I was a
constant reminder of her embarrassing affair with my father.  It had taken
years for her affair with a black man to blow over in the social circles
she traveled in, and now that she had a new life, and a new husband, I was
back to remind her of her past.  But I didn't mind being a ghost in my own
home, because normally I could just go to Ben's place if the exclusion got
to me.  That wasn't an option anymore.  A few days ago I told him that I
was gay, and he told me he never wanted to see me again.

	That's why I'm sitting here by myself.  I don't know where to go or
what to do.  I feel so lost, in desperate need of someone who cares.

"Is anyone else sitting here?"

	I looked up and saw an Asian guy standing next to the chair across
from me.

"No, go ahead."

"Thanks.  By the way, I'm William."

"Lucas"

"I know"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I saw you in Grease last year, you were really good."

"Thanks"

"What's the matter?"

"I don't really want to talk about it."

	I returned to staring at my uneaten lunch, I haven't been in the
mood to eat since the incident with Ben.  An awkward silence hung over us.
I stared at my food, but I could feel William staring at me.  He took a
very deep breath, then broke the silence.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure"

"Promise not to tell anyone or use it against me?

"Sure"

"I'm gay"

	My head snapped up from my food.  Is he serious?  No, I bet Ben
sent him over to torment me or something.

"You want to know another secret?"

"Sure"

"I've had a crush on you ever since I saw you in your underwear in Grease."

	I looked into his eyes.  What I saw in them showed me that he was
telling the truth.  I decided to take a chance.

"Well, I happen to have the same secret."

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"In a way... I told my best friend and he told me that he never wanted to
see me again.  I feel so alone now, like I've been abandoned."

"Don't worry, I'm here for you.  You won't ever be alone if I can help it."

	And so it began.


PRESENT (Lucas' Point of View)
	I broke myself free from Joy's embrace.

"Look Joe... um... I think I need some time alone."

"Um... ok, I'll go down to that diner and pick up some real breakfast."

"I think I'm going to need more time than that."

	Joey only looked at me.  I think he was getting what I was trying
to tell him, but his brain didn't want to process it.  I decided that I
needed to be a bit more blunt.

"Um... it was really nice meeting you Joey... Joe... Mr. Fatone, but I
really need some privacy.  Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

	I turned around and went to the window.  I couldn't stand to look
at him, I didn't want to see myself hurt him.  Maybe he won't be as hurt by
this as I am, I can only hope.

"But... I thought..."

"I don't know what you thought, but I think you should leave."

	I winced at the harshness of my on words.  I heard him start to say
something, then I heard him leave.  Once I heard the door close the tears
that I had been struggling to hold back broke free.  I managed to get
myself to the chair next to Ben's bed.

"Why Ben?  Why am I such a coward?"

	Then I cried, I cried till I fell asleep.


TO BE CONTINUED

E-mail: ARTNYC4@aol.com

BTW: check out "Lance's Song", "Rob and Lance", "NSYNC and the Vamps" and
anything by Bill Burrew.  And thanks for your encouragement (meant for the
author's of those stories, cause they actually have been encouraging me).

BTW: Anyone who sent Kevin Michael a nasty E-mail is now on my list.  (I
don't really have a list, don't call 911 or anything).  That was one of my
fav stories, and now it's gone, and I'm sad.  :(