Chapter Twenty-Three

Audrey still lay motionless before me. I stood there in emotional shock. 

"Audrey!" I managed to choke out I ran over to her side checking her pulse. 
There was and I sighed with relief releasing a long breath that I didn't even 
know I was holding. A small mumble came from Audrey's direction. I peered 
down at her looking for a sign of life. 

"Wha-what happened?" Audrey asked confused seeing me holding her chin height. 

"Audrey! You're ok!" I gasped as I squeezed her in a long embrace. 

"Mandy...Are-are you ok?" Audrey asked. 

"What?! You fell over in here!" I said mad and scared. "You scared me to 
death!" I said almost crying.

"I'm sorry Mandy, I'm so sorry." "I must've made myself emotionally sick." 
Audrey replied suddenly realizing.

 "Don't ever do that again!" I said softer this time embracing her yet again. 
"I'm ok now silly." Audrey said slightly loosening my grip on her waist. 

"Oh. Sorry" I replied realizing how hard I was holding her. 

"It's ok." Audrey slightly smiled. Audrey gazed at the phone realizing it was 
off the hook as the quick pulse of the dial tone filled the room. "Look at 
that" Audrey said stunned "I didn't even call him yet." Audrey said motioning 
towards the phone. Audrey slowly got up putting her hands on the floor to 
push her suddenly dizzy body up off the ground then falling over again. 

"Woah-Woah." I said" You go and rest I'll call Lance for you." 

"Thanks, I think" Audrey replied. She slowly walked towards the bed and 
plopped on it instantly falling asleep. 

"She's down for the count," I said softly out loud. Audrey seemed to reply 
with a slightly heavy snore. I laughed suddenly and smiled at her across from 
me peacefully asleep. "Goodnight bud, sleep well and I love you." I whispered 
softly closing the door. I walked into the kitchen and slowly searched for 
the phone. This wasn't my cabin so I wasn't sure exactly where everything 
was. I finally spotted the phone hanging on the wall to the right of the 
refrigerator. I walked over to it and stopped suddenly staring at the 
refrigerator. I sighed a long sigh. There was a picture of Audrey, Shawna, 
Heather and me with the guys smiling and laughing our heads off. I shook 
suddenly as the phone rang breaking the silence in the small room. 

Not thinking, I picked up the receiver and carefully placed it on my ear. 
"Hello?" I asked unaware of the voice that would answer back. 
*~*
"Mandy?" the voice on the other end asked surprised. "What are you doing over 
there?" It asked.

 "Lance!" I almost screamed. 

"Ya, the one and only." he joked "Are you feeling ok, Mandy?" " I've never 
seen you, well heard you so anxious to talk to Me." he laughed his cute laugh.

 "Oh. I'm sorry it's just I was about to call you, literally." I replied 

"Oh, really? What a coincidence." he said 

"Is that Mandy?" a voice suddenly spoke in the background. 

"Yes, It is, lover boy." Lance humorously remarked to the other voice behind 
him. I instantly recognized the wholesome voice and spoke up, "Justin!" I 
yelled almost as loud as I could.

"Wow, Girl you've got some lungs on you there." Lance joked "You want to talk 
to him?" Lance asked

"Yes!! I mean yes..." I tried to sound not too anxious and more casual. 

"Hello Babe" Justin came on the line after a few seconds.

 "Hi Justin." I said excitement building up in me trying so hard not to 
scream. "I miss you so much." I said softly in a sad expression. 

"I miss you more than you know." he replied "What have you been up to?" he 
asked. Not wanting him to know that I had practically been mourning the whole 
time, I lied.

 "Oh, we are having lots of fun." I can't believe I just said that 'stupid 
stupid' I told myself.  

"Oh, really?" he asked kind of surprised "I'm not having much fun, without 
you my nights are so lonely." he said romantically

 "Awe. You truly make me smile when I think of you." I said warmly. My 
stomach suddenly filled with butterflies as I imagined the soft yet warm kiss 
he always gave me. I also thought about the way he would brush my hair as I 
gazed into his endless crystal blue eyes in which I drowned. The touch of his 
hand caressing my face with a gentle rub. 

"Well, Lance wants to get back on the line." he suddenly spoke up.

 "Huh-Oh ok." I said slamming back into reality "I have to go but we will be 
back soon and I love you so much." he said again. 

"I love you too honey." I said with a hint of disappointment in my voice. A 
tear suddenly found its way down my face as I tried to cover the sound of my 
shaky voice sneaking up on me.

 "Hello?" Lance instantly came on the telephone line.

 "Hey guy." I said with a slight smile.

"Hey, I don't mean to be rude, but is Audrey around?" he asked 

"Oh, that's the reason I was going to call you, she's not feeling to well and 
she's asleep." I replied 

"Oh no, what's wrong?" Lance asked with worry in his tone. Not wanting to lie 
again, I spoke up and got the courage to tell Lance the real story. 

"Lance, you have no idea how much Audrey misses you." I said not giving Lance 
a chance to respond I went on. "Truth is, she made herself emotionally sick 
and even fainted before trying to call you."  "She has been zoning off alot 
as I've noticed, she misses you terribly and I hate to see her like this." I 
said tentatively silence was heard on the other line for a second before 
lance finally spoke.

 "Oh." Lance finally replied unsure of what to think none the less say.

*~*
 "That's so terrible." Lance said. 

"Huh? What's wrong?" Justin asked Lance motioned his arm for Justin to be 
quiet.

 "Uh-huh." Lance said talking away on the phone. "Send her my love Mandy and 
tell her not to worry we will try our hardest to get there as soon as 
possible I'll have Justin call you later." "Bye, Bye." and with that he hung 
up the phone. 

"What is going on, Lance?!" Justin suddenly asked scared and unsure. 

"Audrey, She-she made herself emotionally sick." Lance said lowering his head 
away from Justin's staring and eager eyes. 

"Oh, man I'm sorry." he said putting a reassuring hand on his band-mate's 
shoulder.

 "I can't take this anymore." Lance said as he raised his head looking at his 
friend. Justin thought he saw tears form in Lance's eyes, but he shook it off 
and figured it was his imagination. "Justin, How about we go home early, ya 
know, surprise the girls?" he asked hoping for an agreeing comment from his 
younger friend.

"Lance, I don't know." Justin said. "We practically just got here.," he said. 

"Justin, listen to yourself, don't you miss, Mandy? Can you just see her 
surprised face when you walk through the door?" he said raising an eyebrow.

 Justin carefully thought of Mandy's tender face and her dazzled expressions 
suddenly appear as they all walked through the cabin door. He smiled and felt 
a wave of warmth overwhelm his body.

"Justin? Justin? Hello." Lance asked suddenly breaking Justin's deep thought. 

"Oh, ya man you are absolutely right." he answered "We need them so badly 
more than we even realized." he said smiling imagining Mandy once more. 

"Good, besides I don't want Audrey to stay sick thinking of me." Lance said. 
He imagined Audrey pale and motionless on the cabin bed sleeping and mourning 
inside. He shivered at the thought.

 "Let's do it!" Justin said slapping his band mate on the shoulder. 

"Do what?" a voice suddenly came from the doorway. Both Lance and Justin 
turned their heads slightly surprised to see Jc standing there with Chris and 
Joey at his side.
*~*

Jc looked from Lance to Justin with question in his eyes. "Well, do what?" he 
asked them repeating his question.

Chris and Joey entered the room close behind. "Ya." Joey repeated. "Do what?"

"Oh-uh hey guys." Lance slightly smiled. "Well, we were thinking that we 
could all go back early and surprise the girls'." Lance smiled nervously this 
time.

"What?" Jc questioned "We didn't come here for a change of mind. We need to 
spend time with our family." "I thought that we needed a break and coming 
here for Christmas was the key." "We are booked up as well must I remind 
you." Jc eyed them suspiciously folding his arms.

"I realize that Jc, but I have a strong reason to back up my decision and 
thought." Lance replied
"Well, I just got off the phone with Mandy and it seems that Audrey has made 
herself emotionally sick." Lance went on, "Mandy was sad as well, although 
she was trying to hide it, I could tell the sorrow in her voice." "These 
girls' are slowly fading without us around and we can't just stand here and 
choose to just ignore it." Lance said with a slight choking in his speech. "I 
can't bare to let the love of my life waste away and to imagine her mind and 
how she would feel if we didn't come and just ignored her plea." Lance 
replied this time exploding with tears as he listened to the soft hum of the 
radio which played 'A Man Ain't Made Of Stone.'
~¤~
Sometimes all it takes is facing the night alone...

And that's when you know...A Man Ain't Made Of Stone
~¤~
 Not wanting his best friends to seem him falter, he quickly buried his face 
in his hands as he sobbed uncontrollably.

"Oh, Lance I had no idea." Jc replied with shameful eyes from the way he had 
spoken to Lance before. Jc slowly walked over to Lance not wanting to 
embarrass him anymore than he had already made himself.  "I had no idea that 
your love was so strong." Jc said amazed at his friend's commitment. "I 
understand how you feel, Lance and if it would mean that much to see them, 
well, Audrey then I am with you." Jc said hoping Lance would reveal his face 
again. 

"Really?" Lance said with his face still in his hands.

"I agree as well." Chris suddenly spoke up. "Those girls' are relying on our 
comfort and support and we shouldn't let it be put to rest. The truth of the 
matter is, they need us and we need to be there for them." he said.

Justin thought of the way Mandy had looked at him as a soft daydream invaded 
his head. He had a flashback of Mandy at the airport. He imagined the sorrow 
in her voice and the way her body stayed there struggling to have the 
strength to stand. He remembered the way her heart collapsed as she was 
pulled away from his grasp as the departure announcement came over the 
echoing speaker. He couldn't bare to remember the loneliness she must have 
felt. "We have to go!" Justin said suddenly not realizing he had said that 
loud. They all looked at Justin. Justin crinkled his nose and slightly smiled 
at his sudden outburst sentence.

"Sounds like Justin is thinking hard about something." Jc laughed and raised 
and eyebrow.

 "Nasty little boy." Chris said in a boyish tone.

Laughter filled the room and tension was lost as Justin blushed. They all 
nodded in agreement that they would go and surprise the girls' the next 
evening. Before leaving the room, Lance stopped in front of the doorway 
behind the other guys who had already exited the room. 

"I'm coming, Audrey just hold on we have to convince Johnny it's going to be 
hard, but you're worth it." he whispered into the empty room as he flipped 
off the light switch and slowly closed the door.

*Knock* *Knock* Lance and Justin nervously stood outside Johnny's door 
swaying back and forth as thoughts whirled in their heads. "Here goes." 
Justin said looking over at Lance with an uneasy smile on his face. The door 
suddenly opened taking Justin and Lance's focus on each other away.

"Well hello boys come in, come in." he smiled and motioned for them to enter. 
They both walked in slowly as their manager slowly shut the door leaving the 
other band members in the hall praying for a good turn out. 

"I don't care!" a sudden shout came from the room. Jc, Joey, and Chris sat up 
instantly eagerly staring at the door. "They need us for now! We can do 
another one of your stupid shows some other time!" another voice bellowed 
"We're leaving and that's that!" the other voice yelled in unison and fury. 

"Fine, boys go to your girls' you have only two weeks." the managers 
recognizable voice towered over theirs. There was silence again. The door 
opened a few minutes later as two figures emerged from the door with smiles 
on their faces. Justin and Lance walked over to the other members.

 "Well?" Joey asked eagerly Lance looked at Justin then they both looked at 
the other three. 

"We did it." Lance said. Justin stood at his side with a huge grin. 

"Way to go!" Chris said. 

"How'd ya do it?" Jc asked looking at Justin mainly. 

"Well, Justin here was the main convincer." Lance said. 

"Ya, we all heard you pretty well." Jc said smiling. 

Justin blushed and smiled, "Yep. You should've felt my rush of power!" he 
remarked "I'm too good." he said jokingly. 

"Well, shall we go?" Lance asked eager to get out of there. He looked at the 
exit doors and smiled at it knowing what lie beyond them,' the girls'. They 
all grabbed their bags and slowly walked towards the exit door in silence 
thinking of what was about to be 'the best two weeks of their lives 
and 
relationship'.

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