Seventeen

“I have an idea,” Chris said, leaning in the doorway of the guest room. JC stirred and opened his eyes, realizing that his arms were wrapped around Lance, and that Lance was snuggled close to his chest. “Why don't you two explain to me what the HELL is going on here?”

“Why don't YOU explain to US why you don't have a hangover and can yell like that?” Lance mumbled against JC's chest. He opened his eyes and realized his position. “Oh. OH.” He pulled away and blushed, remembering EXACTLY what he had said before dropping off the night before. He couldn't meet JC's gaze. “Uh, Chris, we have a lot to work on before we talk to the other guys. Why don't you get home and clean up, I'll call a cab and get home, and we can call an impromptu group meeting at my place for lunch?”

“How can you think business at a time like this?” Chris snapped. “I just found you in bed with JC, who, for all I know, took advantage of you while you were drunk, since I know DAMN well…”

“Chris!” Lance yelled, wincing as the noise echoed in his brain. “It's NOT like that and that ISN'T what happened. Go home, okay, and quit play Daddy. I'll talk to you about it at our meeting.”

“Fine.” Chris left the room, grumbling about secrets and evil bandmembers taking advantage of younger bandmembers.

“Fuck.” Lance sat up and swung his legs over the bed. “Headaches are a bitch, and this is the ONE day I need to be in control.”

“What's going on, Lance?” JC asked softly, choosing to ignore everything that had happened just a few short hours before.

“Something me and Chris need to tell you guys all together, okay?” Lance stood. “I'm gonna call a cab.”

“No, Lance, for God's sake, I'll drive you. It's just a short drive, and then I'll come back later.”

“Thank you,” Lance said gratefully. Any other day, he would have offered to just have JC hang out until lunch, but he needed time alone. He needed to think. He slowly stood, then turned to look at JC. “I'm sorry…about kissing you. It was…I just…it was wrong.”

“It's okay, Lance. You needed someone,” JC said, smiling as he got up. He gave his friend a hug. “You were right. I DO understand. I know what it's like to love someone so much, and realize you have to settle for something else.”

“You'd never be settling,” Lance told him, and JC turned slightly pink. “Anyway, thank you.”

“No problem,” JC said. “Just go wash your face or something, and we'll get on the road.” 

Lance stood in his shower for almost an hour, not even noticing the water running cold. So many thoughts were running through his brain, and he really needed to focus on the money situation. But Justin…he couldn't get Justin out of his head. Justin HAD been hanging with Britney a whole lot, but he had just assumed it was because they were old friends. And Justin was never one to turn down the opportunity to hang out with a cute girl. Lance had to admit that she was cute. But…it had obviously turned to more, and Justin hadn't been able to tell him, which hurt in a different way. Under it all, Lance had assumed they were good friends. But then again, Justin had felt the need to announce it after rehearsal the day before, so he hadn't officially told anyone yet. It just hurt that Justin had slept with Lance while forming this relationship with Britney, without even thinking twice. Though, Lance realized, Justin probably just saw it as sex. He wasn't stupid like Lance.

Then there was JC. He couldn't believe he had kissed JC. He vaguely remembered it, and he remembered telling JC he LOVED him. How embarrassing. JC had been so nice about it…just like with everything else. Why couldn't he fall for JC? At least he was GAY.

Lance almost fell out of the shower at the thought. Why COULDN'T he fall for JC? He and JC had a lot in common, and JC WAS attractive…and JC might just love him back someday. They could help each other get over Joey and Justin…it was perfect. 

“Wait a minute.” Joey rubbed his eyes and looked at the paper Lance had given him. Lance had summarized his findings in a way that he knew the others would understand. “You're saying that basically Lou stole money from us?”

“More like he just didn't bother giving it to us,” Lance said. “He can put in all the fine print he wants, but he still owes us more than we've gotten.”

“What do we do?” Justin asked quietly. He hadn't said much during the meeting, and Lance knew it was because part of his adolescent world had crashed around him. Lance understood. It had happened to him more and more as he researched the money situation.

“We have a few options, but Lance and I think that, bottom line, we should stay with Johnny as our manager,” Chris said. “He's been up front with us. Otherwise…I say we sue Lou's fat ass.”

“Sue?” JC said weakly. “Really?”

“Look, Jayce, I know you don't like the business side of this.” Lance got on his knees in front of JC. “But this is us. This is our blood, sweat and tears, here. He used us and we got crap.”

“I know, but…court?” JC said. “What about our music?”

“C'mere. Excuse us, guys,” Lance said. He took JC's hand and dragged him into the kitchen. “You gotta trust us, JC. I mean, how much of what we've done so far is really OUR music, anyway? We can do a new album…a BETTER album, where we can get some of your stuff in the track listing…and some of Justin's.” Lance only faltered for a moment. “We need to fight for what's ours, Jayce. We can do it.”

“You think so?” JC said. “I'm not a fighter.”

“You will be with us,” Lance said. “We're a family, remember?”

“Right.” JC nodded and slowly smiled. “Aggressive Business Lance. Nice to meet you.”

Lance blushed. “JC, I was thinking. Would you…uh…would you wanna hook up sometime? Go out or something?”

JC's mouth fell open. “What?”

“JC, I know we both love…well…others. But we get along so well, and I…well…I've always thought you were cute.” Lance realized he sounded about thirteen years old and blushed again. “You've always been there for me, and a part of me has never forgotten that.”

“I don't want you to settle for…”

“Didn't we already cover that?” Lance said, poking him. “We'll start out slow. C'mon. Let's show those bastards.”

“You're using me to make Justin jealous?” JC asked, frowning.

“Nothing can make Justin jealous because he never realized he had me in the first place,” Lance pointed out. “C'mon, JC.”

“We can try,” JC said, torn between thinking it was a really bad idea and thinking how interesting it could be to try.

“Good.” Lance took JC by the hand and drug him back to the living room. “Guys? I have to tell you something.”

“Yeah?” Chris said, looking at JC.

“I'm, well, gay. I've been gay for, well, ever. But I thought you should know that Danielle is just a cover, because, well, I'm with JC.”

Justin's mouth fell open. “WHAT?”

“Yeah.” Lance stared at him defiantly, not bothering to think about the fact that he was bending the truth slightly. “Anyone have a problem with that?”

“Hell, no. Better JC than some loser,” Chris said quickly. Justin turned red and looked at his shoes.

“I knew all along,” Joey declared, and Lance jumped on him and began to punch. 

Eighteen