DISCLAIMER: Hello everybody! You know all this stuff, right? Well, I'll repeat it just to be sure. I do not know the sexuality of any celebrities in REALITY, however, in this little fiction world of mine, they are what I choose them to be. =0) Once again, what I come to call it, the Duh Factor: If you are not old enough to view this material, go away. If you are offended by homosexual material, why are you here?
Reminder: Lance's thoughts are in greater than, less than arrows <> and Joey's are in regular brackets []. Charlie's thoughts are in parentheses (,). =0)
Special Announcement: Chris and Daniel, world's cutest couple, are engaged! =0) I'm so happy for them! I mean, Chris and Daniel are perfect for each other. I've come to know both of them pretty well and I'm just glad that they finally reached that point in their relationship. Congratulations guys! I'm going to dedicate this chapter to ya'lls (my word!) engagement, so I hope everybody enjoys!
Special Thanks: James, great hearing from you so soon after my last posting. Glad that you liked, I'll try my best to keep the mysteriousness going as well as a few cliffhangers here and there ;0) Kyle, thanks a lot for your encouragement, keep reading and I'll keep writing! To all of YOU! Ya'll are my reason for writing! Thanks so much for taking the time to read. I've blabbed enough for know, so here we go.
In the Previous Chapter:
Realizing that the patient being rolled in was Charlie, Lance and Joey desperately tried to figure out what had happened while Chris got his X-rays done. Enter Chris Cooper (hereafter referred to as 'Coop' or 'Cooper'), Charlie's best-friend. Lance and Joey get to talking to Cooper and tell their story about how they met. There is a little bit of mystery sex, the identity of those involved is still unknown. Justin and Brit are having breakfast...errrrr...lunch when Joey calls them. Nobody seems to have been able to get in touch with Josh. Justin leaves a message on JC's cell and rushes off to the hospital.
Chapter Eight
What had happened? Time seemed to cease to exist. Everything came crashing down in a few minutes. Those few minutes were burned into memory. Every single detail. The incident had been playing repeatedly in his mind, what had he done wrong? Why did it happen? Why was it worse this time? The bright light that had encompassed everything seemed to vanish. It was quickly replace by darkness. The darkness closed in and was so thick it was choking. Not the darkness, he was choking. He did it. His hands...the hands that were so loving and tender...not anymore. They became vengeful weapons of anger. He loved him...or so he said. Why? The question became more immediate now. Out of nowhere, a single ray of light broke through. It was his salvation and all he had to do was reach it. He struggled to get closer to the light and heard a voice. The voice was coming from the light, what was it saying? It didn't matter, it was the voice of an angel. Almost there...a few more feet...the voice was louder now...but still couldn't make out the words. The light became overwhelming, it enveloped him. "Uhhh..."
"Charlie? Are you awake?"
"Mmm, where am I?"
"You're at the hospital, you were beaten up pretty badly."
"Explains why my head hurts...and probably why I can't open my eyes that much."
"Yeah, the doctors said the swelling should go down in a day or two."
"You sounds so familiar...I'm sorry I have to ask this, but I can't see you very well, who are you?"
"Do you remember a few nights ago?"
"A few nights ago? What?"
"Oh yeah, you've been out a few days actually. So for you, it would seem like last night."
"I went to a bar..." then the realization, "...Joey?"
"The one and only," Joey said, grinning widely. Turning serious, Joey continued, "So...what happened?"
Charlie's face grimaced, as if remember everything for the first time. He turned his head away from Joey, "I don't remember," he lied.
Joey realizing that he didn't want to talk about it reached out and took Charlie's hand. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I completely understand, but whoever did this to you needs to be found. Nobody deserves to be treated like that. Cooper has been worried sick about you. Not to mention Lance...me too."
Charlie turned back and saw something in Joey's eyes. He saw that he was being sincere, that he truly was worried about him. He was about to say something when Joey continued.
"If it hadn't been for you that night, God only knows what could have happened to me. I could have ended up behind the wheel and I could have killed myself, or someone else for that matter. I know we haven't known each other that long, but I would more than gladly consider you a friend."
Charlie couldn't help himself anymore and started crying. Joey was being so sincere, so caring, so....loving.
(Would he believe me?) That was the question that kept coming up in his mind. The question immediately vanished when Joey tightened his grip on Charlie's hand. Joey was looking on, waiting to be answered, but he was willing to wait. This was something entirely new to him, somebody was finally waiting on him. It all came out faster than what it was meant to.
"I don't know why he did it. We had been apart for a little over a week and he had taken it really well. At least, that is the way he acted. I was tired of him being so damn jealous of me, he wouldn't approve of me going to hang out with my friends and he definitely didn't approve of Cooper coming to visit. Cooper has been my best friend since the beginning. I wasn't going to sacrifice a great friendship over some guy...some guy that I thought I loved. I thought I did, but I was completely blind, I was oblivious to the way he was treating me. I let him abuse me...I let him verbally abuse me. He had never hit me before, he would just yell at me whenever I did something to upset him. I tried my best not to, but it finally dawned upon me. He didn't love me, so I asked him to leave and to get out of my life. He did, he said he was sorry, just like he had a million times before..."
Charlie paused...tears streaming down his face, for the first time he realized that he had just admitted to being in a relationship with a guy. Joey hadn't moved. Joey didn't even flinch; in fact Joey stared on at tentatively, awaiting the next words to come out of his mouth. Joey's eyes were so dark...so deep...Charlie could have easily gotten lost in them. Charlie brought himself back to reality and continued on with his story.
"He packed up all of his stuff and left. I hadn't heard anything from him, Cooper came in the next day. Of course Cooper had comforted me as much as he could, but I just wanted to be alone. So I told him that I was going to stay home while he went clubbing with some old friends. I decided to go get a drink and...well...you know what happened after that. When I left you guys, I caught a cab home. I almost had the door closed when it was knocked open again. At first I didn't know who it was and then I could tell that it was Billy. I was about to ask him what he wanted when he started yelling and calling me a 'slut' and a 'bitch' and he threw me on the couch. He started throwing things everywhere and when he had finally broken everything in sight...he came after me. He just kept hitting me and hitting me, blood was everywhere...he was constantly saying something about me sleeping with Cooper and being a 'slut.' He just kept hitting me...I ended up passing out...when I woke up he was gone and I called 911."
Charlie had looked away when he finished, he didn't want to know what Joey was thinking. He felt Joey stand up, but their hands still remained in contact with one another. He thought he was about to feel Joey wrenching his hand free, but instead he felt a hand on his chin. He almost wanted to flinch, but it was s gentle touch. Joey was making him look at him. Charlie looked up at Joey and even though he couldn't see much, he could see tears standing out in his eyes.
"I am so sorry that you had to go through that Charlie, I really am. I'm going to be here for you as a friend, okay? I'm not going anywhere, well, actually I am."
Terror had spread across Charlie's bruised face and he had taken a deep breath.
"I'm going to get Cooper, he wanted to talk to you when you woke up. I'm also going to go check on Chris and Lance."
There was a large release as the air came out of Charlie's lungs. He smiled, well, half-smiled actually. Then worry spread across his face as well, "Chris and Lance? What are they doing here?"
"Funny you should ask, the morning that you got brought in here, Chris had hit his head at Lance's place. Lance wanted to get him checked out and sure enough, Chris had a minor concussion, they are holding him for the week, just to keep an eye on him. In a weird sort of way, the only reason we knew you were here was because Chris had hit his head." Joey giggled.
"Well, not to put a damper on things, but I'm glad that Chris bumped his head," Charlie joined in the laughter, but was quickly quieted by his fractured ribs.
"I am too," Joey stated, "Let me go get Cooper." Joey got up and left the room.
(What did he mean when he said that? Was he flirting with me? Was I actually flirting back?! Oh man, what am I getting myself into.) Charlie didn't have much more time to consider what was happening between him and Joey since Cooper had appeared in the doorway. Charlie looked up and smiled, "Hey cutie..."
"Hey yourself," Cooper said as he sat down and grasped one of Charlie's hands. "So was it who I thought it was?"
Charlie just grimaced, remembering that Cooper had an almost psychic ability to figure things out. "Yes, it was Billy. He just...I don't know...lost it. He thought that I had dumped him for you and...he just went psychotic."
"You know you look like shit, right?"
Charlie grinned and laughed, just like Cooper to want to lighten the mood. "Yeah, I figured, considering I feel like shit."
"Well, the doctors said that you have a few fractured ribs. Of course your nose is broken, hence the big bandage on it. Other than that, its mostly just bruises. Nothing else was broken, thank goodness..."
"Thanks Cooper...I'm sorry you had to see me like this."
"Charlie...don't even speak like that. I'm your best friend, remember?"
Charlie laughed this time and Cooper gave him this bewildered look. "What are you laughing at now?!"
"I'm just thinking about how much fun it is going to be having you taking care of me until I get better," Charlie's grin spread further across his face.
"You little shit, it's just like you to orchestrate something like this to get me waiting on you hand and foot," Cooper smiled.
Charlie laughed and started nodding off, the medication he was on made him terribly drowsy. Soon, he was asleep. Cooper didn't leave his side.
Meanwhile in Chris' Room
"Ha ha, I kicked your ass again!"
"Pshh, whatever Lance, it is easy to kick my ass in chess, I suck at it."
Joey laughed as he entered, "You never learn, do you Chris?"
"Well, I got bored and tired of card games, it was too easy to beat Lance," Chris said as he playfully punched Lance in the arm.
"Ouch, you dork! If you weren't in the hospital, I would so kick your butt."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, words Lance, just words."
"Alright you two, chill out. Charlie's awake."
"How is he doing?" Lance asked, the mood turning serious.
"He's doing better. Of course he hurts everywhere, but that is expected after he got beaten up."
"Does he know who did it?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, his ex, some guy called Billy."
Chris' eyes widened in temporary shock, then his face turned into an attempted evil grin. Elbowing Lance in the shoulder, "Hehe, hey lance, looks like we managed to find yourself a man." Chris finished it off with the most obvious winks in the history of mankind.
Lance gave him the faked 'Go to Hell' look and completed it with rolling his eyes. "Chris, have you ever considered that you might be mentally impaired?"
"Yeah, your point?"
Joey couldn't help it anymore and started laughing, he eventually calmed down and wiped the tears from his eyes. He looked up and saw the two of them giving him this quizzical look. Joey decided to change the subject, "Where's Justin and JC?"
Lance shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know where JC went to, he disappeared a few hours ago. Justin went to take Brit to the airport. She was already running a little late as it was."
"Ahhh, I see. So how are you feeling Chris?"
"I feel fine, I don't know why I have to stay in this damn room for this long. Not to mention wear this humiliating hospital gown."
"Haha, everybody gets to look at his hairy ass whenever he goes to the restroom," Joey stated and broke down in a fit of laughter, Lance joined in as well. Chris' face turned into a weird shade of red, "I DO NOT HAVE A HAIRY ASS!"
"Sorry Chris, but, as much as I don't want to remember it, you DO have a hairy ass," Lance stated.
"Oooh, nasty, Lance was sneaking peaks at my butt!" Chris toyed with Lance.
Lance turned to Joey, "I wonder if anybody would miss him? I mean, it would be way to easy just to smother him with his pillow."
"Yeah, you are right Lance, nobody would probably miss him, I know I wouldn't."
Chris stared at his best friends with his eyes about to bulge out of his head. Then of course, to add to it, Lance and Joey looked like they were dead serious. That is until they started laughing, Chris just crossed his arms and started pouting. "Some friends ya'll are! Planning my death! Geesh."
"Awwww, poor Chrissy-poo, do you need a hug?" Lance asked.
"Yes, but not from the guy that was sneaking peaks at my but!" Chris added, finally getting his revenge.
"Ouch, he got you there Scoop," Joey said, trying to keep the giggles in. Lance just gave him the finger, which he immediately regretted because of Chris' next statement.
"Haha, you wish Lance, but Joey ain't like that!" Chris started giggling, but stopped when he noticed nobody else was laughing. Lance was looking down at the bed and Joey was staring at the floor. "Ummm...Joey...is there something you need to tell me?"
"I guess that there is no avoiding it now, so I might as well go ahead and get it off my chest. Chris, I'm Bi," Joey stated, still staring at the floor. He knew that Chris had taken Lance's coming out great, but he was afraid that this would be different. After all, the two of them were supposed to be all buddy-buddy and Joey hadn't told him yet.
"That's cool, at least you can still go to strip joints with me," Chris said, smiling. There was a loud rush of air exiting both Joey's and Lance's lungs. Chris, having a knack for hitting the sore spots. "Wait a second, is there something happening between you two?!"
Lance was quick to answer, "No, of course not, that would be way too weird." Lance mentally kicked himself. That was not what Joey had needed to hear. They still hadn't got a chance to finish their conversation from the first day at the hospital. Joey looked up at Lance, tears in his eyes. He turned and walked out. Chris watched as Joey left and turned to look at Lance. Lance had his eyes closed, tears rolling down his cheeks.
So what did ya'll think? Kind of a little mini-cliffhanger =0) Honest opinions please, I want everybody's feedback, okay?! I really love it and I try to reply to everybody's emails. Thanks to everybody wishing me the best in my second semester of college. It is going great! Let me know what ya'll think. I'm starting on my next chapter ASAP. Love ya'll!!!!!
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