Fourteen
Lance
toyed with the small piece of cream-colored paper. The embossed printing was
iridescent, with the letters changing colors as you moved the paper slightly.
It was classy and beautiful. “James Lance, are you listening to me?” His mother
said in his ear. He jumped.
“Yes,
Mama. I'm sorry. I was just looking at this wedding invitation I received.”
“A
wedding,” his mother sighed, and Lance rolled his eyes. “I don't suppose you'll
be in one of those anytime soon?”
“I
MIGHT be in one like this. It's a gay wedding, Mama. Tomorrow, actually,” Lance
said with a grin.
“Please
don't start that, James,” his mother snapped, and he grinned again. She still
loved him, but she'd never accept the fact that he was homosexual.
“I'm
sorry,” he said, and changed the subject.
When
he got off the phone, he went out onto his balcony. It was a beautiful
California Saturday, but the weather did not mirror his mood. He missed JC
terribly, and he knew there was nothing he could do about his situation. He
wasn't about to chase JC down, to get on his knees and beg his forgiveness. He
had burned JC once before, and he didn't blame him for being upset this time.
He knew exactly how it had looked, and AJ had played the situation perfectly.
As
if reading his mind, the phone rang and Lance heard AJ's voice after his own on
the answering machine. “Baby, it's me. Are you still pouting? You're so cute
when you pout. That scrawny little white boy is yesterday's news. We belong
together. Even the media thinks so. I…”
“What
do you want, you mousy little fuck?” Lance snapped, picking up the phone.
“Baby!”
AJ said pleasantly. “You ARE there.”
“Don't
call me that. Only ONE man on this planet has the right to call me baby.”
“And
he wants nothing to do with you,” AJ reminded him cheerfully. “Bab…I mean,
Lance, c'mon. You know you want us to get back together again…if only for the
sex.”
“I
prefer sex without the chance of disease, thank you,” Lance said. “And I'd
appreciate it if you didn't call me again.”
“You'll
regret it,” AJ said. “He's nothing like me.”
“No, he's a decent human being.” Lance hung
up and went back onto the balcony, grabbing the invitation to Joey and Justin's
wedding on his way. He sat on a deck chair and stared at the invitation. It had
been sent before his breakup with JC, and Justin had written a message inside.
“I'm sure you clean up nice. We'd love it if you could make it,” Lance read out
loud. He sighed. He could crash the wedding, because he knew for sure that JC
would be there, but he decided against it. He didn't want to bring his drama to
Joey and Justin's special day.
“Well?”
Justin turned away from the mirror and looked at JC. “Am I presentable?”
“Oh,
J,” JC said weakly. Justin looked gorgeous in his black tuxedo. He and Joey
were both wearing tuxes. Justin's dress shirt was a light blue, while Joey's
was dark red. “You look amazing.”
“You're
not too bad yourself,” Justin commented. JC was Justin's best man, and Joey's
brother, Steve, was standing up with him. The two best men wore more simple
versions of the tuxedos the grooms were wearing. “You'll outshine the bride,
that's for sure.”
“I'm
confused. Which one of you is which again?” JC teased and Justin frowned.
“Curls
do NOT make a bride,” he said, pushing down on his golden locks. JC came up
behind him, put his arms around Justin's waist, and put his chin on his
shoulder.
“You
two deserve this. A perfect day, surrounded by friends, showing everyone your
love and devotion.”
“You
could have this, too,” Justin said simply. Now it was JC's turn to frown.
“J…”
“I'm
not gonna push, Jayce, but I think you should hear him out. AJ is a
drug-addicted loser. There's no way Lance is THAT dumb.” JC raised an eyebrow
but said nothing. “We invited Lance and he sent back the RSVP card saying no,”
he told JC. “Sent a nice gift, but said he had other engagements. He probably
didn't want to freak you out.”
“If
he woulda come back here, I would have punched him in the face,” JC said
bravely, and Justin smiled.
“That
was almost believable.”
Nick
poked his head in the door. “Dude…it's time.”
Justin took a deep breath. “Okay. Let's do
this.”
JC
smiled as he watched Joey whirl Justin around the dance floor. No matter what
Justin said, he definitely looked like a blushing bride, giggling as Joey
twirled him in circles. “Happy people make me sick,” Chris commented, sipping
at his beer.
“YOU'RE
not a happy person?” Nick asked incredulously.
“I'm
an extremely happy person. But I didn't want JC to feel left out.”
“I'm
fine, Chris,” JC said, patting Chris' shoulder. “I'm not gonna ask you guys to not
be happy just because of me.”
“Let's
dance, then,” Chris said, pulling JC to his feet.
“Nah.
You two go,” JC said, sitting back down. Chris sighed, then dragged Nick to the
dance floor. JC watched the two couples dance, wondering if he could concentrate
enough on their happiness to ignore his own emptiness.
