Nine

“Okay, how are we gonna divide the teams?” Nick asked as Lance set the board up.

“I cannot even believe we’re playing this,” Chris groaned as Justin slowly counted out the little pie pieces.

“We need something to do,” Lance told him. “Justin’s too sick to go out.  And I like Trivia Pursuit.”

“You would,” Justin mumbled.  Lance glared at him.

“How about in couples?” Nick suggested. “Me and Justin, Lance and Chris, AJ and JC.”

“We’re not a couple,” AJ and JC said immediately.  Nick raised an eyebrow.

“How about by age?” Justin suggested.

AJ picked up a pencil and paper. “That would be me and Lance, Nick and Justin, Chris and JC.”

“No fair putting JC and Chris together,” Lance said.  “They’re both full of useless information.”  Chris smacked him.

“Birthdays?” JC said.  AJ figured again.

“Me and Nick, Justin and Lance, JC and Chris.  Guess that won’t work either.  How about…last names.  That’s me and Justin, JC and Chris AGAIN, and Lance and Nick.”

“We can’t do couples, anyway,” Lance said.  “Nick and Justin together is an immediate losing team.”  Justin looked incredibly hurt, as did Nick.  JC stared at Lance, frowning.

“I want Justin on MY team,” JC said, and Justin smiled gratefully.  “AJ, why don’t you go with Nick, and Lance can deal with Chris. Okay, everyone?”

“Yes,” AJ said, smiling at JC. “Nicky, we will SO kick ass.”

“Yeah, another game I’m SO good at,” Nick grumbled.

An hour later, JC and Justin were tied with Nick and AJ, with Lance and Chris lagging far behind.  JC thought it served Lance right, acting so smart and better than everyone else.  “On July 15, 1099, this city fell to the Crusaders,” JC read to Nick and AJ.

“Jerusalem,” Nick said immediately, and Justin smiled proudly at him.  JC teasingly poked Justin.

“You’re not supposed to root for him! He’s an enemy!”

“He can never be an enemy,” Justin said fondly, and AJ pretended to gag. Nick poked HIM.

“Hey, when you finally hook up again, we’ll see how much you gag.  You’re one of the sweetest, most romantic people I know when you’re in love,” Nick said, and AJ actually blushed.

“Roll again, Nick,” JC said quickly.  Nick rolled the dice and moved.  “Okay…nicknamed the “Bay Horse,” it’s the capital of the Bay State.”

“Augusta?” AJ said.  Nick shook his head.

“No.  Boston.”

“Right,” JC said in surprise.

“We’re getting our asses kicked,” Chris moaned, burying his head in his arms.

Nick and AJ finally got a question wrong, and it was their turn to ask Lance and Chris a question.  “An extinct ‘tiger’ got its name from teeth that resembled this fencing sword,” AJ read.

Justin watched JC watching AJ as Lance and Chris argued over the answer.  JC seemed totally at ease with AJ, which surprised Justin a bit.  JC was actually shy with people in the business, always thinking that someone else could sing better or dance better than he could.  JC looked at Justin. “You okay? Need anything?”

“Yeah…” Justin stood up suddenly, and Lance and Chris stopped bickering. “I need a break.”

“Okay,” JC said.  “Break time.”

“And I need to talk to you. Outside.”  Justin tugged at JC’s tshirt.  “C’mon.”

“Outside?” JC asked, standing up.

“Outside,” Justin repeated. “Come ON, Jayce.”

Justin grabbed Nick’s sweatshirt from the living room floor and tugged it on.  JC followed him out the door and onto the beach. “Justin, what’s going on?”

“I need to tell you some things,” Justin said.

“Are you still delirious from the medicine?” JC asked.

“I never WAS delirious,” Justin said. “I was sleeping.”

“Do you always kiss Chris in your sleep?” JC teased, referring to the part of the day when Justin had thrown himself onto Chris’ lap and kissed him. “We need to cut back your meds, kid.”

“JC, shut up and listen!”  Justin yelled, then moaned and held his head.  “Anyway…I need to tell you something.  About AJ.”

“AJ?”

“I kinda told him to leave you alone.”

“What? Why?”

“Because he’s all wrong for you, Jayce!  You’re too sensitive, and if he hurts you, I’d have to kick his ass for you!”

“I’m perfectly capable of kicking anyone’s ass I want to, Justin.  You had no business jumping into my life like that!”

Justin looked at JC guiltily.  “I know. And I really thought about it, and I wanted to apologize. Maybe he’s okay.”

“Maybe you should let ME decide that, Justin,” JC said angrily.  “What’s up with you lately?”

“That’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about,” Justin said. “It’s about me and Nick.”

JC sat down on the sand, and Justin sat down next to him.  JC calmed down as Justin spoke, and soon Justin was laying on the beach, his head in JC’s lap, still talking.

Ten