Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 23:58:31 PST
From: Jeff Kaiser <kaiser_goof@hotmail.com>
Subject: twist of fate chap 12

*Happy New Year!  I trust everyone had a wonderful ringing in of the new
year.
*I've got so many people to thank for the success of this story, but I'd
need about 10k to do the list justice!  Thanks as always to Ad. and
CrazyStar for the friendships and the proofs.  You're awesome.
*I want to give props to Lauren for a great story, "Lucky Me".  I've just
started reading it myself (I KNOW, I'm slow at things sometimes), but it's
great so far!

*This is a story about guys liking guys, and the mischief they get into. :)
If you are of the legal age where you live and aren't offended by such
material, I invite you to read on!

Any comments are appreciated at:
Kaiser_goof@hotmail.com
Enjoy the story, folks.
~Jeff

Previously on Twist of Fate...
**********
"I um, ......... I told somebody."  There was a grand pause as I tried to
figure out what he was trying to say.  His statement was so broad, he could
have meant anything!

"What do you mean?  What are you saying?"  Lance turned around, but didn't
reach for me or anything.  He actually took a tiny step back as he looked at
my face.  Was he scared I was going to haul off and deck him or something?
He pressed his lips together in thought, and finally blurted out his
statement...

"I............ told one of the guys...... about US."

*   *   *   *   *   *
Chapter 12

I blinked a few times, trying to absorb what Lance had just told me.  He
told somebody?

"Really? >PAUSE< Interesting..."  Lance had glanced down at the ground after
making his statement, but sheepishly looked back up to me to see my facial
reaction.

"You're not mad?"

"Mad?  Lance, why would I be mad?  I'm surprised, that's all.  I knew you
were planning on telling them all later, but... wow.  I didn't know it was
this soon!"  I really was surprised, and it hit me a little harder than I
was trying to let on.  I sorta lied just a bit, because it made me feel like
I was out of the loop.  You'd think that if I developed this friendship and
relationship with somebody, I'd be the first to know when things happen.
Like when your 'best friend' gets a new car, or a girlfriend, or gets
engaged, or SOMETHING... if they don't tell you, it makes you go back and
question how solid the relationship is.

All these thoughts ran through my head in a split second, but I quickly
wiped them out when I instantly realized that I would have probably kept it
from Lance, were the situation reversed.  I mean, he DID wait until we were
face-to-face!  I kept speaking,

"So... What made you do it?  Where was it?  Um, er, ... who..... was it?"

"Well, it was...... Joey.  Why did I do it?  I dunno.  Joey and I have
always been pretty close, I mean, we're all good friends, and I have a
different relationship with each of the guys, but Joey is one of the few
that I can be totally candid with.  The conversation went a little something
like this...

"He and I got together in Florida after he got home from visiting family,
and we hung out for a while at my place.  I guess he found out that one of
his cousins or something had just gotten engaged, leaving him one of the few
kids still unwed, or at least without a girlfriend.  Well, um, that sorta
sparked a discussion about love, and girlfriends, and getting married, and
stuff.  We talked about what we wanted in a soul mate. It's really
interesting how much he and I are alike!  Anyway, it's amazing what he said
next, because it really blew my socks off.  He said, 'Have you ever found a
special girl to love?...or guy?'.  A special GIRL OR GUY!  I had to pause
for a second, because I couldn't believe he was saying it!  I ran so many
scenarios through my head right then, thinking about all the ways I could
answer the question, and all the ways he could respond.  Man, I just bit my
lip, trusted my gut instinct and responded back with the truth.  'Hey Joey,
I'm about to drop a bomb on you... and I'm trusting you here... Here we
go... I'm attracted to  guys...'"

Lance went on to explain to me that Joey was quiet in disbelief at first.
Not in denial, but rather with a feeling that Lance was just pulling his
leg.  Obviously, he wasn't, and he convinced Joey of that fact.
Surprisingly, Joey seemed enthralled about the whole thing, since no one had
ever told him something like that face-to-face.  You'd think being in the
entertainment business, you'd have more situations like that... but I guess
that's not the case!  This whole thing sparked a round of twenty questions
that Lance was happy to answer for his friend.

"I've always been so scared to tell anybody, Billy.  I mean, you always hear
about people totally freaking out and beating people up, or ending
friendships, or telling friends... or in MY case, the press... or something
like that.  But seeing how Justin reacted when he, well, caught us in the
hotel room, and how Joey reacted when I told him... I guess it's not really
like that!"  That answered most of my questions, but I had one more.

"Um, you said you told him about...... US?"  Lance nodded slowly and
responded,

"Yeah... well, to honestly answer his question, I told him that I HAD found
someone I could love, and I said that his name was Billy.  He was a total
ditz for a second, wondering who 'Billy' was, but he remembered you from
that night that you met at the hotel.  He was totally wowed, because he had
no idea what was going on, and he thinks he's totally observant when it
comes to picking up on things.  I think telling him what I told him helped
break down some stereotypes in his mind.  He was amazed that he had met you
and shaken your hand and talked with you for almost 30 minutes, and didn't
know that you liked guys.  I mean, he thought that all guys who liked guys
had to be feminine, or talk with a lisp, or wave their hands around, or wear
pink, or whatever.  I think Joey and I both grew up a little that night."
Lance ended his one-sided conversation with a relieved smile on his face.  I
reached up and grabbed both his hands, saying,

"Lance, that's so cool!  I'm glad it worked out so well!  I'm totally stoked
for ya!"  I was beaming almost as much as Lance was, and we chatted a bit
more about the Joey subject until the topic was finished.

I wanted a closer look over the edge of the cliff overlooking the mountains
and the valley, so I dragged Lance up to a bench overlooking the view, and
plopped him down next to me.  It was a perfect summer night with a perfect
sky with a perfect full moon with the perfect temperature.  There we sat, me
propped up against the arm rest, Lance leaning up against my side, my arms
around him, us staring out at the sky and the scenery, chatting away about
nothing like it was going out of style.  This is something I could
definitely get used to!  A few cars came by on the road, which got us on our
guard, but none stopped, and never were we forced to break our position.
That was good, because I'd have to kick some bootie if they made me separate
from my boyfriend!

Finally, we decided it was time to head back, so we walked to the car, hand
in hand, and got in to start the trek home.

*   *   *   *   *

The house was dark when we got back.  This got a raised eyebrow from me,
since my family NEVER went to bed at 9:30pm!  I got suspicious and poked
around, discovering that dad's car was gone, and the house was completely
abandoned, including Scotty and Adam.  There was no note on the board, so I
figured they had gone out to do something.

"Nobody's home.  We've got the house to... our...selves," I said, realizing
at the end that this had new meaning now for Lance and I.  Lance raised his
eyebrows and responded,

"Hmmmmm... what ever could two boys left alone get into?"  He reached up,
grabbed my face, and gave me a quick peck on the lips, stating, "YOU'RE
IT!".

"Nononono... you can't... no, you can't do that!  You have, um, to be around
people, or you have to be in a public place or SOMETHING."  I was turning
red as I tried to blubber my way out of it, but Lance was just giggling and
shaking his head, knowing he'd come out the victor in the end.  I finally
gave up and accepted the fact that I WAS indeed IT.

"Hey, you feel like the hot tub?"

"Lemmie check," I said as I patted myself down in front of him.  "Nope,
don't feel like the hot tub.  But I WILL go INTO the hot tub if you'd like
some company."  Lance got a mischievous grin on his face and said,

"Boy, would I ever like company!"  I grinned and we both walked back to my
bedroom where our suits were drying from our earlier dip in the pool.  We
grabbed 'em, and we almost both started changing in my room, until I
stopped, looked at Lance, shook my head slightly, and picked up my stuff to
move to the bathroom.  ARRRUGH!!!!   How I really would have liked to see
that.  I instinctively shut the door and shook my head as I pulled up on my
T-shirt to take it off.

"OOOOOWWWWWWW!"  I heard the yell, and I realized it was from me.  What
the..... it hurt SO much taking off my shirt!  I glanced over to the mirror
and looked at my exposed chest, and found it bright lobster red.  NO WONDER
IT HURT!!

"OOOOOWWWWWWW!"  I heard almost the identical yell, but this time it was
coming from my room down the hall.  It didn't take me very long to figure
out that Lance had most assuredly acquired the same problem.  I jogged down
the hall and knocked on my bedroom door.  I was immediately answered with a
painful, "come in..."

I opened the door, and found Lance with his shirt bunched up around his
neck, looking closely in my bedroom mirror at his bright red chest.  The
line that separated his burned front from his unexposed back was much more
pronounced now than it was today at the McGee's pool.  However, his skin
wasn't as red as mine was, probably because I've got lighter skin to begin
with.  We both looked at each other, searching for sympathy from the other
person.  Ha.. not gunna happen!

"Dude, you're burned!"  Lance said.

"You're kinda pink yourself."  He nodded, and continued,

"How did this get so painful?  I didn't feel it at all!  I was fine all day,
all evening up on the mountain."

"I dunno dude, but I didn't feel it until I tried to take off my shirt."
Lance nodded, then thought of something.

"Hey, I just thought of something.  There's no way we could go in the hot
tub!  It would hurt like nothin' else!"  He was right, there was no way.  It
would be far too painful with our sensitive skin.  But that's fine.  As soon
as I felt the pain from my chest, the only thing I cared about was getting
rid of it.

"I think I've got some sunburn cream or spray or something in the bathroom,"
I said as I ran down the hall.  I pulled open the compartment under the sink
in the bathroom, but couldn't find what I wanted.  However, I found
something better.  Aloe Vera gel.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...  I walked back down to
my bedroom and showed Lance the bottle, saying, "This stuff rocks!  I didn't
even know this thing was still around!"

"Oh good stuff," he responded.  "Gimmie a squirt of that."  I popped the top
open and squirted about a nickel-sized squirt on his hands.  He slowly
placed the sample of gel on his shoulders, wincing at the pain/comfort he
felt from it's application.  "Ahhh.. ah ah ah ... Ouch, ahhh... oh, that's
nice."  I snickered at the two sidedness of his reaction, but totally knew
what he was thinking!  I squirted some on my own hand and applied it to the
area of my chest right below my chin, slowly massaging it in.

"Oooooh... oh oh oh ah ah... Youch, ahhhhh.... Phew.  That feels good."
Lance and I both looked at each other, and cracked up at our nearly
identical reactions to the gel.  I sat down on the bed, and handed Lance the
bottle, working more of the gel into my shoulders.  Oh, it felt good.  We
swapped the bottle back and forth a few times, carefully applying the gel to
our sun-scorched skin.  My mind had become focused on one thing only-finding
relief for this recently onset pain.

"Here ya go," I said as I handed Lance the bottle.  "I'm done."  Lance
nodded and looked over, but he paused and took a closer look at me.

"You missed a spot."

"I did?"  I looked down at my chest and arms, and thought I had done a
pretty thorough job in covering all the spots.

"Yup, you probably can't see it.  I'll get it."  Lance put some gel on his
fingers, and reached over to rub it into my shoulders.  The touch from his
fingers, along with the gel on my already-sensitive skin sent a shudder
through my whole body.  I inadvertently muttered, 'whoa..', and Lance
quickly released his grip.  His eyes were concerned.

"Are you okay?!  I'm sorry!"  He thought he had hurt me.  Ohmigosh.  Little
did he know that he had done quite the opposite.  What an incredible
feeling.

"Um, uh, no no... It's just, um, the gel felt cold.  That's all."  I was
PRAYING that there might be some more spots that I had missed.  "Did I miss
anything else?"  I said, not even feeling comfortable looking him in the
eye.  I didn't want to let on that it felt so good!

"Well, let me see... yeah, there's another spot right here..." Immediately,
his gel-covered fingers were on my skin, this time on my left arm, right
around my bicep.  He was holding up my arm with one hand, and massaging the
gel in with the other.  Oh wow, did the contact with Lance feel good.  I
closed my eyes and allowed Lance to do his work.  He did a thorough job of
making sure my arms were evenly coated, then he moved on to work my
shoulders a bit.  I opened my eyes now and then to see what Lance's face was
doing, and he finally caught me making eye contact with him.  Seeing that
look in his eye, I knew the game was up, and he knew I was loving this and
was at his mercy.

"Lie back," he said, "and I can make sure I...... haven't missed any other
spots."  I obediently did as I was told, and within a few seconds I found
myself lying back on my bed with Lance sitting next to me, at chest level,
placing a nice dollop of gel on his fingers.  His fingers hit my chest
symmetrically on either sides of my pecs, out towards the outsides, almost
near my armpits.  He worked the gel in a circular pattern, moving up towards
the center of my upper torso.  This send chills through my body, and I
instantly knew I was beginning to develop a problem a bit farther down my
body.  But I didn't care.

Lance gently, yet effectively worked his fingers around my pecs, completely
covering all spots of skin from my neck down to the ridges where the muscle
tapers down into the abs.  Not long after he finished up there did he
reapply the gel and move down to my stomach, skillfully massaging every pink
spot of skin.  As he moved farther down, I'm pretty sure he got a glance of
my erection in my shorts (thankfully it wasn't sticking straight up!), but
looked right back to his work on my abs and chose to ignore it.  It was
almost like he was more interested in my care and comfort that running
sexual scenarios through his head.  Lance and I were so alike in our
mindsets, I could almost feel those vibes coming from him.  My heart skipped
a beat as I considered this selfless quality of my boyfriend.

"There ya go.  All done," Lance said.  His words shook me back into reality,
and I was barely able to whisper out a raspy,

"Thank you."  My eyes got big, and I immediately cleared my throat and
repeated myself.  "Thanks, Goof.  You're awesome."  The look we shared spoke
volumes.

"So... what's next?" he asked.  Was he CRAZY?!?

"Oh, I dunno... it seems like you're not so perfect yourself.  Looks like
you missed a few spots yourself!"

"Did not!"

"Did, too!  Looks like I'm gunna have to take care of those for ya.  I'm
just going to need you to lie back and relax."  I quickly assumed Lance's
sitting position, and reached to gently press his shoulders down to the bed,
despite his mild protests. I noticed he still hadn't removed his shirt from
around his neck, so I reached to slip it up and over his head.  I remember
the last time I tried this... it was when I was taking off his shirt after
the basketball injury, when he broke his...

"HEY, you're nose is fixed!"  Lance had talked about his nose on the phone
for the first few days after he had left town, but the subject didn't come
up again.  Here I was, staring at his perfect face for the whole day, and I
neither noticed nor mentioned his nose!

"Yeah, I went to see the doctors back home, and they were totally amazed
when they took the bandages off.  They said there should have been some
malformation, but I guess there was nothing.  Cool, huh?"

"It looks great!  I almost didn't notice!  If it's all better, then this
shouldn't hurt," I said as I slipped the shirt from around his head.  He
didn't react at all, indicating that he wasn't in any pain... not from his
broken nose, at least.  Ah, now I can get to work.

I placed some gel on my fingers and began to carefully apply it to Lance's
face, starting with his forehead.  His nose was pretty well burned, so I
applied a big glob there and let it soak in.  Lance moaned ever so slightly
when I worked his eyelids and cheek area, and I just smiled.  With his face
done, his neck, shoulders and arms were next on the list.  I nailed those
expertly, and I could tell from Lance's facial expressions and body language
that he was enjoying the activity.  I tried to work his chest as well as
Lance had done, and only hoped I had come close to mimicking his divine
touch.

THEN it came time for...... THEM.  I stared at THEM while working his upper
chest, quickly realizing I was approaching a decision.  There they were,
perfect in their own little goofy way, both of them staring up at me,
circular, a bit darker than average, the size of quarters... maybe bigger.
Lance had somehow kinda perfectly avoided mine, but I wasn't sure if I could
'avoid' his.  They provided such a temptation!  I desperately wanted to
massage them slowly with my fingers, bringing pleasure to my boyfriend.  I
closed my eyes and thought about what I should do.  I drew a blank!  Then I
thought of something: 'What would Lance do?'.  Lance always had the answers
to everything.  Lance probably avoided mine because he was afraid that our
relationship wasn't ready to walk through the door that such an action could
open.  That's a big can of worms!  I was totally content with the progress
in our relationship, and decided to follow his example by moving right
along.  My goal?  To make my boyfriend comfortable, and that's what I made
sure I did.  I closed my eyes, exhaled, and immediately moved down to his
abs.  When I reopened my eyes, I found Lance stealing my stare.  Yet another
silent look was exchanged, and another unbelievable, indescribable feeling
of love was exchanged between us.

Content that I had made the right decision, I moved down and massaged some
gel into his legs.  It occurred to me that even though we had been together
a bunch of times where we were both wearing shorts, this was the closest I
had ever been to his legs.  Not being terribly tall, Lance's legs weren't
very long... but were they cute!  The top half of his legs above his knees
had a very fine dusting of blond hair.  His muscles were pretty average
sized, and not terribly defined-this complimented the rest of his cute
boyish image.  From the knees down, the hair changed from blonde to a light
brown, and actually got kinda fuzzy around his shins and ankles.  Some of
the gel got caught in his hair, so I spent an extra amount of time massaging
those regions.  I didn't mind at ALL!  Finally, I was able to move to the
best part of the whole deal-kinda like saving the middle of a McDonald's
cheese danish until the very end.  I moved on to Lance's.... feet.
Ohmigosh, were they the cutest things I had ever seen!  His toenails were
well trimmed, his toes were a bit shorter than mine, and he probably wore a
size 10 shoe.  Ahhhh!  I just gobbled up the chance (not literally) to touch
and massage his feet, and I KNOW Lance could tell I was enjoying this as
much, if not more, than he was!

"Ah yes, that's very nice, peon.  I'd like my bath drawn now," Lance said in
a very poor posh stuck-up accent.  I looked up at him, raised my eyebrow,
gave him the 'look of death' (it wasn't real, of course), and decided that
immediate payback was in order.

"Yes mastuh, what ever you say, mastuh," I said, bowing and nodding his
direction.  Unfortunately for Lance, he didn't see the aloe gel bottle in my
hand, being maneuvered into shotgun position.  In seconds, I did an
effective job of signing my name on Lance's chest with aloe gel.  The cold
gel on Lance's sensitive, burned skin was more than enough to make him suck
in his breath and drop his mouth open.  I've seen people with snowballs down
their bare back squirm and buck less than Lance did!  "I'll be off to draw
your bath now, mastuh," I said as I picked up to escape the wrath of Lance.

"You son of a..."

"WE'RE HOME!"  Lance and I looked at each other, realizing we had some
cleanup to do since we weren't home alone anymore.  I tossed Lance my towel
from earlier in the day, and he quickly wiped his chest of the excess gel.
Our shirts were back on in a flash, and within 15 seconds we were back out
my bedroom door to greet my family.

I'm glad my family is kinda dense-Lance and I could have gotten ourselves
into so much trouble if I had a family that was a bit more observant about
what was going on!  Thankfully, they were all none the wiser.  Adam and
Scotty bee-lined right for Lance, and I was able to chat with mom and dad
about what they had done.  Nothing abnormal, really.  They had taken a trip
for ice cream, and wound up playing some arcades and stuff at the mall.
Scotty wanted Adam to spend the night again, but mom said that one night was
enough.

Adam went home, and we all pulled out some board games and played them
around the kitchen table until around 10:00pm.  I truly believe mom and dad
are diseased-with morning person disease.  I mean, who can ENJOY going to
bed at 10:30pm and getting up at 5:30am on a NORMAL basis?!  Both mom and
dad bowed out, leaving Lance, Scotty, and I.  Trying to be the big boy he
thought he was, Scotty was acting all awake and hyper, when in fact he was
actually pretty drained.  Lance and I humored him for a while until he
started to droop, then I suggested that he headed to bed-this was readily
accepted by him.

With Scotty out of the way, I smiled at Lance and dragged him outside.  We
have a big gazebo and swing out in the backyard which is well hidden from
the house.  After looking around in paranoia, I decided the coast was clear
and I plopped us both down in the seat and pulled him close.  He didn't mind
at all.

"I wish you didn't have to go tomorrow," I said.

"Hehe.. that makes two of us."

"Can I come with you?"

"Hmmmm... Well, I only have one ticket, so unless we could convince the
airline that you would be okay in a dog carrier in the cargo bay, I don't
think it'll work."  I paused for a second, then responded,

"BARK BARK!!  Ruff ruff!"  Lance just cracked up, and we almost fell off the
swing in our laughter.  However, we caught ourselves and resumed our cuddle.
  After a few minutes of silence, Lance piped up,

"Mmmmmm.... This is really nice.  I could get used to this."  I figured now
was as good a time as any.  I took a deep breath and responded,

"Well Lance...... um, you better get used to it...... because I've
decided...... to take the job."  I've never seen someone's head spin around
so quickly!

"WHAT?!  You will?  I mean, you will!  That's so cool... I'm sooo happy!
YAY!"  Lance was beside himself with happiness, and his giddiness was
contagious to me, too.  He wrapped his arms around me as best he could, and
just sat and bounced a little bit.  He finally calmed down and asked,

"I thought... I mean, I was thinking that you were going to think about it
or ask your parents or chew on it or something... why such a quick
decision?"

"Well... I don't know.  Have you ever been given a really cool opportunity
that forced you to totally go out on a limb, but the rewards would be
totally awesome?"  Lance nodded.  "Well, that's what this is!  I've been
searching for sooo long to find something to get me out of the hum-drum life
I've been leading here.  I love music, I love performance, I love helping
people, I love being with people, I LOVED my medical training when I was in
it, I love new things, I love adventure... This job would have all these
things that I love!  But ya know what?  Above all those things,... >PAUSE<
I love you, Lance."  I was still cuddling Lance, and I gave him and extra
special squeeze.  "Sometimes things just click in your mind, in your life.
Something comes along that's totally right, and God just tells ya to go for
it.  Well, I'm going for it, Lance. I'm going for it!"

"That's so awesome, dude.  I'm totally stoked.  I agree, it seems like it
all worked out perfectly, like a twist of fate or something.  I'm so happy.
God works things in mysterious ways, doesn't He?"  I couldn't agree more.
"Well, Peter and Roger are going to be glad to hear about that.  I'll tell
them as soon as I get back tomorrow!"  My smile fell off my face as reality
set in.

"Tomorrow.  You leave again, don't you?"

"Yup.  8:03am."

"Why is it everytime I can be close to you, you are ripped away from me?"

"Love is cruel, isn't it?  But soon it'll all be solved... because we'll be
together on tour!"  At that point, a question I had never pondered before
came to mind.

"Hey Lance... How IS it going to work on tour?"  Lance paused for a moment.

"I've been thinking about that.... and I don't have an answer.  It'll be
weird, difficult, wonderful, stressful, fun; it'll be a learning experience
for us both.  But we'll just have to take everything one day at a time."  I
was content with that, and we sat outside for a while longer, just enjoying
each other's company, along with a wonderful view of the stars.

*   *   *   *   *

"I guess you can stay in my sister's room again."  I turned on the light and
beckoned him in, showing him to the familiar bed in the corner.  We had
already changed, and were ready for bed.

"How am I getting to the airport tomorrow?"

"Oh... you're walking... NOT!  Haha.  No, I'm totally taking you down.  What
kind of stupid question is that?"  Lance shrugged and smiled.  "What time do
you need to be up?"

"Um, probably 5:30 - 6am... I have arrangements to be escorted by airport
security to the plane, and I have to get there early."

"Security?  Ooooh, don't we think we're Mr. All-That, needing security to
get you to the plane!"  Lance's smile dropped, and I knew instantly I had
said the wrong thing as a joke.

"Billy, you don't know what it's like.  When normal celebrities walk by,
people stop, look, maybe ask for a handshake or autograph.  But when someone
from a group like mine walks by, there are people that either want to do
damage or are so crazed by the image, they want a piece of clothing, or
hair, or flesh as a souvenir.  It is dangerous out there... so, NO- I don't
think I'm Mr. All-That.  I wish I could be Mr. Nothing for once and walk out
in public without having to hide."  I could tell I had really been
insensitive to Lance, and I had to immediately make it up to Lance.  But I
didn't even get the chance.  "Billy, I'm sorry-I shouldn't have lashed at
you like that.  You don't know.  I couldn't expect you to know!  When you
get on tour, and see what it can be like, you'll understand."

"Lance, I'M sorry... I wasn't thinking when I said that.  Forgive me?"  I
held out my hand to him as a peace offering.  He looked at my hand, then
looked at me for a second, finally smiled, and grabbed my hand.  I pulled
him into a hug and we rocked slowly there in my sister's room.  I really
needed to be more careful in choosing the things I said... Lance was right,
though.  As soon as I got on tour, I'm sure my eyes would be opened to the
rigors and stresses of being on the road and being presented to so many live
people in PERSON.

"I could handle quick little arguments like that," Lance said as we
released.  "Can we be sure they all go like that?"

"I will have no problem with that.  But I've got something that we can NOT
argue about-we have to get to bed."  Before my sentence was over, Lance was
already diving into bed.  I laughed as he disappeared under the covers.  I
sat down on the edge of the bed, setting my hand on his chest through the
blanket.  He somehow produced a hand and wrapped it around mine.

"I'm so glad you're taking the job.  I'm so happy it all worked out!" Lance
said.

"Me, too.  Thanks for all you did to make it possible."

"Awwww, it wasn't me.  Thank the guys and Pete.  I just planted the seed."

"Well, whoever gets the credit, I give it to them.  Well done."

"Promise me something, Billy... promise me that we'll stay in touch when
we're apart!"

"Oh, no problems there!" I said, thinking it was silly that he'd have to say
that-I mean, I was sure I'd be totally addicted to him!

"Things get kinda rough out on the road.  It's not going to be like it was
when I was in Florida... Tour is a lot different than vacation.  I can't
always get to a cell phone, or to a computer to send an email, but just
promise me you won't get flustered with me... I will do my best to stay in
contact with you!"

"Oh Lance, I'd never give up on you.  I'll miss our chats and stuff, but you
know I'd never give up on ya!"  We squeezed each other's hands, and then
Lance said,

"Sleep well, k Billy?"

"You, too.  I love ya, Lance."

"Mmmmm... I love you more."  I leaned down and enjoyed a quick kiss
goodnight.  It was such a nice feeling to know I had someone so close, so
special, so wonderful.  I couldn't wait to be with him more.  I clicked off
the light on my way out the door, and floated down the hallway.  It made me
sad to think that our relationship would be limited to emails and a few
phone calls over the next few months, but I knew we'd be together again in
no time.  Rolling into bed, I had an indescribable feeling of comfort,
knowing somehow that I had totally made the right decision by taking the job
and joining the tour.

***************
***************
Subject: Howdy!
Date: 23 July 22:03:07 PST
From: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>
To: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>

Hi Lance!  Is it possible for two people to get addicted to each other?  I
swear, I hardly EVER checked my email before you went away... but now, I'm
hitting the GET MAIL button 3-4 times a day.  I'm getting funny looks from
my mom every time I run off to my room, but... what's new?  :)  Anyway, I
really miss you-I liked it much better before you went back on tour!  Now I
can't call you, I don't always hear from you everyday... I guess we were
just spoiled, though!  I wish I could see you... Do you realize it's been 4
WEEKS since you came out to offer me the job?  YIKES!

Class today was rough... we're learning about spinal injuries and how to
treat them... There's a lot of memorizing to do!  I got my medpak today,
with all my instruments and tools... they don't trust me with one of those
heart defibrillators yet, though.  Gee... haha.  I wonder if they'll teach a
section on how to prevent nose injuries from basketballs.  HAHAHA.

I really do miss you- I'm thinking about and praying for ya every day.  Hold
up out there on the road, eh?  If you ever need a hug, you just call me..
I'll give you one on the phone!  I love you, Goof.

Billy


******************
Subject: Re: Howdy!
Date: 24 July 9:03:07 -0500 GMT
From: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>
To: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>

oh hardy har har.  i'll get you back for that basketball comment!  we had a
great concert last night in boston, we really packed the stadium out!  but
what was really cool is that we donated all the profits from the concert to
the boston children's hospital. that just made the night all that more
special.
haha.. justin's here, and he says hi. hes giggling like a school girl right
now, and i don't know why-hang on. oh, whatever... they're telling some
weird jokes or something.  joey's looking at me funny, too.  weird. anyway,

okay, they're gone now. they all ran off to breakfast, and i'm pretending to
be in the bathroom, so i have to run quick.. i wanted to say how excited I
am to have you with me, in reach, pretty soon on tour.  i was sorta scared
that having all this time apart from you would make my feelings diminish,
but it's the opposite.  i am so wanting and needing you in my life right
now, billy.  i think about you every night and wish i could have a hug or a
backrub or just some encouraging words.  *sigh* okay, enough mush. :)  i'll
try to write again soon, i gotta go now!  bye billy, always know that i love
you.

LANCE


**************
Subject: YAWN
Date: 12 August 07:12:48 PST
From: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>
To: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>

THIS IS PROOF that I get up earlier than noon!  Doing this EMT class is no
walk in the park, just so you know!  I have my second module exam today, and
I have to be there at 8am.  I've been up since about 6am getting ready and
pumped.  Mom made me breakfast, but it's nothing like Eggs a la Lance or
whatever the heck you called it.  However, I DID have this strange craving
to put peanut butter in it!  lol

I'm so excited.  I get to start my ambulance ride-alongs next week!  This is
where we really get to test what we're made of.  Personally, I'm made of
snips and snails and puppy dog tails, or so I've been told.  I also hear
that this is where most of the dropouts happen.  I guess if you're not
motivated, the rigors of real life medical service can really rip you apart.
  But I've got a GREAT motivation... his name is Lance.  :)  and he's my
boyfriend.  and I love him a lot!

I hope you have a great day, and I hope to hear from ya soon!  And if you
don't have a great day, I want to hear about it!

Billy


**************
Subject: Re: YAWN
Date: 15 August 05:53:56  -0600 GMT
From: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>
To: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>

get me off this tour!   i'm just kidding, kinda. i guess management thinks
we are super people or something, because they're having us finish a gig at
night, hop on the bus, and drive to the next venue, sometimes up to 8 hours
away.   it's almost 6am now, but the thing is, you're gunna love this, i
haven't been to bed yet. ha!   well, we all dozed on the bus, but there's
only so much sleep you can get on the bus.   we just rolled in to the hotel,
and we'll get a chance to sleep now.  we're in ohio somewhere, and i'm just
now thinking about rolling into bed.  this is the first time i've been able
to get email the last few days, because there weren't internet hookups at
the other hotels.  bummer.  i wanted to be sure i got an email to you before
too long.  sorry it took so long!

we have a week off coming up at the end of the month, and i hope i can come
out and spend some time with you, or have you fly out and hang with me!
i'll get more info later, but i wanted to get you thinking about it!  i'm
smiling! that's hard to do with big old bags under your eyes, hahaha.

i'm so tired billy, so i better go.  i love you and totally miss you.
remember that!

your love,
LANCE

******************
Subject: i'm so sorry
Date: 20 August 12:31:10  -0800 GMT
From: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>
To: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>

you're going to kill me, i know it.  my week off has now turned into a
'working vacation' or something like that.  the label is sending us all to
mexico to work on our new album.  we've done some work on it, but they want
some more progress, so we're all flying down somewhere to relax, but mostly
work in a studio.  i won't even get to see my family back in mississippi.
billy, i'll totally make it up to you.  i feel like i've built up your hopes
and smashed you down in just a few days.  i feel bad.

i'm totally burned out, i'm so tired, i need some sleep before the show.
we're in seattle tonight, then portland tomorrow.  it's frustrating that
we're on the same coast, sooo close, and I can't even run down to see you.
errrrrrrr.  i really miss you, and could use a hug right now.

LANCE


**************
Subject: Re: i'm so sorry
Date: 21 August 18:12:22 PST
From: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>
To: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>

>i really miss you, and could use a hug right now.

Ready?  here we go.  Wrap your arms around you and squeeze nicely.  Imagine
I'm there, or you're here, and I'm there giving you a nice, loving hug.
Don't let go until you feel better.  THERE YOU GO.  All better!  Of course,
e-hugs have to be paid back in person, you know? :)

I'm so bummed to hear you're having a bad time!  I wish there was something
I could do...  Is there any way you could call me, or I could call you
sometime soon?  I'd love to sit and chat about it-- i miss your voice!
Sometimes just sitting and talking about it can make you feel better.  You
KNOW I'm all ears for ya.

Mom's calling dinner, so I gotta run.  My heart's breaking, I miss you so
much.  Call me soon.!!

Billy


***************
Subject: is this what I wanT?
Date: 01 September 23:45:39 PST
From: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>
To: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>

I saw someone die today.  Did you see what I just typed?  I saw someone DIE
TODAY.  Not only did he die, he was in my care.  We rolled up on a motor
vehicle accident, and it was bad.  The car was in flames, and the fire
department was fighting to get the driver out.  They finally got him out and
we got him into the rig, but the burns were too bad.  I couldn't even find a
vein for an IV.  My supervisor, Travis, had to take over, but it was too
late.  It was just too bad.  He didn't even make it to the hospital.

Lance, it's the worst feeling I've ever had.  I've never seen anyone die in
front of me before.  This guy could have been someone's father, or husband,
or child.  Now he's gone.  It's not FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR!  What good is all
this training, all this time, all this investment, if I can't make a
difference?  I mean, I KNOW it's not my fault- the doctor's said over and
over he had, like, no chance.  But still... is there something more I could
have done?  Could I have gotten there sooner?

I'll be better after some sleep.  I'm sorry to rant like this.  I just know
I can share this with you.  Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.  I hope I
can sleep tonight.

Billy


*   *   *   *   *   *
RING RING.  I reached over and smacked my alarm clock.  It felt like I had
just dozed off, and I couldn't believe I had already slept the whole night
away.  Why can't I get some rest?  I rolled back over in bed, knowing full
well I wasn't about to get up yet.  RING RING.

"Leave me alone!"  I reached over and smacked the clock again, knocking it
off the nightstand.  "Now shut up!"

RING RING.  My eyes opened up, and I realized it wasn't the alarm clock
making the noise.  CRAP.  I reached around the table in the dark, searching
for the phone, wondering who it could be, but having a pretty good idea.  I
didn't even glance at the clock when I smacked it, so I had no idea what
time it was.

"Hello?" I mumbled, finally finding the phone.

"Hey.. Dude, I'm sooo sorry for waking you up, but I JUST checked email, and
your last note just cut through me, and I wanted to talk with you and make
sure you were okay.  You sounded like you needed a friend, and I just
couldn't wait to call tomorrow."

"You checked email?  What time is it there?"  I was starting to get my
senses back together.

"It's just about 3am Mexico City time.  I guess it's about 1am there.  I
couldn't sleep... I was, well...... I was thinking about you, so I decided
to hop on one last time to see if there was any email.  I'm so glad I did!"

"Oh Lance, you don't know how nice it is to hear your voice, especially
after the day I had.  Oh, thank you for calling.  Thank you..."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for!  So, what's up?  What's buggin' ya?  I'm all
ears."  Although I had filled my parents in about some vague details about
my shift, I hadn't told anyone what was really on my mind.  Boy, did I take
this opportunity to spill my guts to Lance!  I must have talked his ear off
for at least 30 minutes about everything that happened from the moment we
rolled up on the accident, and Lance was so awesome just to sit and listen.
If Lance hadn't said another word and had simply hung up after I was
finished talking, I would still have felt better just being able to share
this with him.

"Billy, one of the coolest things about you is that you help people, and you
do it selflessly.  You're an encourager, and that makes you perfect for what
you're doing.  Yeah, it can be frustrating that God sometimes might take
somebody home while they're in your arms.  But that's not your doing.  I've
seen you in action, and I know that you give the best effort at taking care
of people... your family, your friends, your patients... sometimes your
friends become your patients, especially on the basketball court."  We both
laughed.  It was the first time I had smiled or laughed since I had started
my shift that day.  Thanks Lance.  "What I'm trying to say is you DID do
everything you could.  Be stoked about the fact that you CAN do what you're
doing already.  You're going to be great as an EMT, and you're going to be
great on this tour!"  Although it was dark in the room already, I closed my
eyes and absorbed everything Lance had just said.  What an awesome, AWESOME
friend he was.

"Lance, you rock.  What you just said meant so much to me.  You totally made
my day, dude.  Thank you so much."

"Well, I seem to recall you encouraging me a few times, so I'm just getting
my payback."  We talked for a little while longer, until I heard Lance rip a
huge yawn.

"What time you do you have to be up tomorrow?" I asked.

"Um, 7:30am I think."

"What?! OHMIGOSH!  You need to go!  You can't give up sleep!"

"Come on, Billy... there are a lot of things I'd give up for you..." What a
mushball.  "But you're probably right, I should go to bed."

"I love you so much, Lance."

"And I love you.  Sleep well."

"I will, especially since you called."

"Good night, Billy."

"G'nite, Goof."

CLICK.

******************
Subject: thank you
Date: 08 September 21:28:03 PST
From: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>
To: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>

Thank you sooo much for all your calls this week!  Are you taking out a
mortgage or something to pay for all the long distance?  How much is a call
from Mexico City, anyhow?  It's been great to hear your voice.. and it's
been a great encouragement, especially after I lost my patient last week.
You're awesome- I'm glad I've got you for me!

It seems like all is getting back in order for both of us-- you get to relax
and sleep in down there, and I'm getting close to the completion of my third
and final EMT module!  I only have a few weeks left!  I haven't thought
about it yet, but I'm starting to wonder when exactly I'll be joining the
tour.  I haven't heard anything from anybody, I guess I'll just wait.

Maybe you could call tonight or tomorrow?  That would be totally cool.  I'll
just be here, keeping myself busy by picking my nose and restringing my
tennis shoes.. you know, the normal stuff!  I miss you and love you a lot.

Billy


************
Subject: 'NSYNC tour arrangements
Date: 11 September 02:10:55  -0700 GMT
From: "Peter Doyle" <psdoyle@.com>
To: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>

Good Morning Billy.  This is Peter with 'NSYNC.  I've been meeting with
Roger, our Road Manager, and we've determined your touring schedule with us.
  You're not going.  NO, I'm just kidding.  Sorry.
Seriously: My information tells me that your EMT training course will be
completed on September 27.  First of all, I'd like to offer you an early
congratulations.  Lance tells me that you are excelling in the course.
Great!  Although you will be a certified EMT at that point, it will be
necessary to bring you on board a few weeks early to show you the ropes,
explain everything behind-the-scenes, and get you generally acclimated to
touring life.  Then we'll discontinue the services of our temporary med
technician and you'll take over!

You will join the tour on September 30, at a concert in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.  Flight arrangements are being made, and obviously a lot more
information will be coming your way from myself, Roger, and the touring
office.  We'll definitely talk more about it soon.  As always, feel free to
call me anytime for anything.

On a personal note, all this official crap aside, I'm looking forward to
having you on tour with us, and having an opportunity to get to know you
better.  You seem like a great guy, and I know the whole band really wants
to see you on a regular basis.  Take care!

-P.D.


*   *   *   *   *

RING RING.  "Honey, you're phone's ringing," my mom yelled outside to me.  I
was taking in a nice leisurely swing in the gazebo, enjoying my last night
here at home before I went on tour.  CRAP.  'Wouldn't you know it?' I
thought as I sprinted like an olympic runner for the house.  'When you are
at the farthest possible point from your phone, it rings.  Why is that?'

'...can't get to the phone right now, or maybe I'm just screening my
calls... anyway, leave a message after the tone  BYE!...  BEEP'

"Hey Billy, it's ME, your long-lost brother!"  I walked into my room just in
time to hear Lance say that.

"Brother?!" I said as I picked up the phone.  "You mean I've been doing all
those things with my brother?!!?  Gross!  I'm not into incest!"  Whatever
point Lance was trying to make by calling was destroyed by the laughter that
overtook him.  Of course, his laughter was incredibly contagious, so there
we were, chucking and snorting over... nothing.  Lovely.

"Hahaha... you so funny, you make me laffs!" Lance said, in a very poor
Asian accent.

"So... what, you don't have anything better to do than call a busy guy the
night before he leaves on the greatest adventure of his life?"  There was a
pause, and then,

"Ummm... nope.  I am, in general, a pest."

"You can say that again!"

"Okay.  I am, in general, a pest."

"You Goof!"

"You Goof!" Lance repeated.

"Stop it!"

"Stop it!"

"Arrruh!"

"Arrruh!"

"Okay, STOP!!!!" I said, getting a bit flustered, but laughing.  "Why did
you call?  What's up?"

"Hehe.  I just wanted to see how everything was going on your 'night
before', and I wanted to wish you a good night's sleep, and good luck on
everything."

"Well, that's just the sweetest thing!  Everything is great, I've packed
just about as much as I could, and I invited the two fat ladies down the
street to sit on my bag and help me zip it up."

"That's okay, you'll feel right at home.  We all pack like girls when we're
on tour, anyway.  We HAVE to.  If not, we'd just go crazy wearing the same
three outfits.  Not cool."  Lance and I talked for about 30 minutes more
about everything and anything, and finally landed back on the subject of the
tour.

"So are you nervous?" Lance asked me.

"DUH.  I'm ready to pee my pants here!  I mean, I did great in my EMT
course, and I totally feel ready for THAT, but... I mean, touring with you
all, and being in a pretty responsible position, and... well, being able to
be with you..."

"You're nervous about THAT?"  YIKES!  I better clarify...

"Nonono, I'm totally excited about that!!!... it's just...... well, my whole
life is going to change tomorrow, and I can't see the future, and that's
what I'm a bit nervous about.  BUT, I DO know that I'm going to enjoy making
a future with you."

"Dude, my life is going to change tomorrow, too... I get to have my best
friend and BOYfriend joining me on tour!"

"Which one am I?" I joked, and Lance laughed.

"Billy, I am so much going to be looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.  I
miss you so much, and love you so much, it's going to be so awesome to see
you and hug you... The day is ours.  It will be OUR day."

"Oh Lance, that sounds great.  I can't wait to see you!"

"Sleep well, and I'll be praying for you tomorrow.  Nite nite, sleep tight,
don't let the boyfriends bite..."

"Awww... please?"  We both laughed.  "G'nite, Goof.  I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Goodnight Billy."

CLICK.


*   *   *   *   *
*I PROMISE, Billy will be on tour next chapter.  What happens from that
point?  Only more chapters will tell!  Hey, if you've got an idea for the
story, let me know.  :)  Until next time, stay cool and stay safe!

Kaiser_goof@hotmail.com
~Jeff