Twist of Fate

*Happy New Year! I trust everyone had a wonderful ringing in of the new year. *I've got so many people to thank for the success of this story, but I'd need about 10k to do the list justice! Thanks as always to Ad. and CrazyStar for the friendships and the proofs. You're awesome. *I want to give props to Lauren for a great story, "Lucky Me". I've just started reading it myself (I KNOW, I'm slow at things sometimes), but it's great so far!

*This is a story about guys liking guys, and the mischief they get into. :) If you are of the legal age where you live and aren't offended by such material, I invite you to read on!

Any comments are appreciated at: Kaiser_goof@hotmail.com Enjoy the story, folks. ~Jeff

Previously on Twist of Fate... ********** "I um, ......... I told somebody." There was a grand pause as I tried to figure out what he was trying to say. His statement was so broad, he could have meant anything!

"What do you mean? What are you saying?" Lance turned around, but didn't reach for me or anything. He actually took a tiny step back as he looked at my face. Was he scared I was going to haul off and deck him or something? He pressed his lips together in thought, and finally blurted out his statement...

"I............ told one of the guys...... about US."

• • • • • • Chapter 12

I blinked a few times, trying to absorb what Lance had just told me. He told somebody?

"Really? >PAUSE< Interesting..." Lance had glanced down at the ground after making his statement, but sheepishly looked back up to me to see my facial reaction.

"You're not mad?"

"Mad? Lance, why would I be mad? I'm surprised, that's all. I knew you were planning on telling them all later, but... wow. I didn't know it was this soon!" I really was surprised, and it hit me a little harder than I was trying to let on. I sorta lied just a bit, because it made me feel like I was out of the loop. You'd think that if I developed this friendship and relationship with somebody, I'd be the first to know when things happen. Like when your 'best friend' gets a new car, or a girlfriend, or gets engaged, or SOMETHING... if they don't tell you, it makes you go back and question how solid the relationship is.

All these thoughts ran through my head in a split second, but I quickly wiped them out when I instantly realized that I would have probably kept it from Lance, were the situation reversed. I mean, he DID wait until we were face-to-face! I kept speaking,

"So... What made you do it? Where was it? Um, er, ... who..... was it?"

"Well, it was...... Joey. Why did I do it? I dunno. Joey and I have always been pretty close, I mean, we're all good friends, and I have a different relationship with each of the guys, but Joey is one of the few that I can be totally candid with. The conversation went a little something like this...

"He and I got together in Florida after he got home from visiting family, and we hung out for a while at my place. I guess he found out that one of his cousins or something had just gotten engaged, leaving him one of the few kids still unwed, or at least without a girlfriend. Well, um, that sorta sparked a discussion about love, and girlfriends, and getting married, and stuff. We talked about what we wanted in a soul mate. It's really interesting how much he and I are alike! Anyway, it's amazing what he said next, because it really blew my socks off. He said, 'Have you ever found a special girl to love?...or guy?'. A special GIRL OR GUY! I had to pause for a second, because I couldn't believe he was saying it! I ran so many scenarios through my head right then, thinking about all the ways I could answer the question, and all the ways he could respond. Man, I just bit my lip, trusted my gut instinct and responded back with the truth. 'Hey Joey, I'm about to drop a bomb on you... and I'm trusting you here... Here we go... I'm attracted to guys...'"

Lance went on to explain to me that Joey was quiet in disbelief at first. Not in denial, but rather with a feeling that Lance was just pulling his leg. Obviously, he wasn't, and he convinced Joey of that fact. Surprisingly, Joey seemed enthralled about the whole thing, since no one had ever told him something like that face-to-face. You'd think being in the entertainment business, you'd have more situations like that... but I guess that's not the case! This whole thing sparked a round of twenty questions that Lance was happy to answer for his friend.

"I've always been so scared to tell anybody, Billy. I mean, you always hear about people totally freaking out and beating people up, or ending friendships, or telling friends... or in MY case, the press... or something like that. But seeing how Justin reacted when he, well, caught us in the hotel room, and how Joey reacted when I told him... I guess it's not really like that!" That answered most of my questions, but I had one more.

"Um, you said you told him about...... US?" Lance nodded slowly and responded,

"Yeah... well, to honestly answer his question, I told him that I HAD found someone I could love, and I said that his name was Billy. He was a total ditz for a second, wondering who 'Billy' was, but he remembered you from that night that you met at the hotel. He was totally wowed, because he had no idea what was going on, and he thinks he's totally observant when it comes to picking up on things. I think telling him what I told him helped break down some stereotypes in his mind. He was amazed that he had met you and shaken your hand and talked with you for almost 30 minutes, and didn't know that you liked guys. I mean, he thought that all guys who liked guys had to be feminine, or talk with a lisp, or wave their hands around, or wear pink, or whatever. I think Joey and I both grew up a little that night." Lance ended his one-sided conversation with a relieved smile on his face. I reached up and grabbed both his hands, saying,

"Lance, that's so cool! I'm glad it worked out so well! I'm totally stoked for ya!" I was beaming almost as much as Lance was, and we chatted a bit more about the Joey subject until the topic was finished.

I wanted a closer look over the edge of the cliff overlooking the mountains and the valley, so I dragged Lance up to a bench overlooking the view, and plopped him down next to me. It was a perfect summer night with a perfect sky with a perfect full moon with the perfect temperature. There we sat, me propped up against the arm rest, Lance leaning up against my side, my arms around him, us staring out at the sky and the scenery, chatting away about nothing like it was going out of style. This is something I could definitely get used to! A few cars came by on the road, which got us on our guard, but none stopped, and never were we forced to break our position. That was good, because I'd have to kick some bootie if they made me separate from my boyfriend!

Finally, we decided it was time to head back, so we walked to the car, hand in hand, and got in to start the trek home.

The house was dark when we got back. This got a raised eyebrow from me, since my family NEVER went to bed at 9:30pm! I got suspicious and poked around, discovering that dad's car was gone, and the house was completely abandoned, including Scotty and Adam. There was no note on the board, so I figured they had gone out to do something.

"Nobody's home. We've got the house to... our...selves," I said, realizing at the end that this had new meaning now for Lance and I. Lance raised his eyebrows and responded,

"Hmmmmm... what ever could two boys left alone get into?" He reached up, grabbed my face, and gave me a quick peck on the lips, stating, "YOU'RE IT!".

"Nononono... you can't... no, you can't do that! You have, um, to be around people, or you have to be in a public place or SOMETHING." I was turning red as I tried to blubber my way out of it, but Lance was just giggling and shaking his head, knowing he'd come out the victor in the end. I finally gave up and accepted the fact that I WAS indeed IT.

"Hey, you feel like the hot tub?"

"Lemmie check," I said as I patted myself down in front of him. "Nope, don't feel like the hot tub. But I WILL go INTO the hot tub if you'd like some company." Lance got a mischievous grin on his face and said,

"Boy, would I ever like company!" I grinned and we both walked back to my bedroom where our suits were drying from our earlier dip in the pool. We grabbed 'em, and we almost both started changing in my room, until I stopped, looked at Lance, shook my head slightly, and picked up my stuff to move to the bathroom. ARRRUGH!!!! How I really would have liked to see that. I instinctively shut the door and shook my head as I pulled up on my T-shirt to take it off.

"OOOOOWWWWWWW!" I heard the yell, and I realized it was from me. What the..... it hurt SO much taking off my shirt! I glanced over to the mirror and looked at my exposed chest, and found it bright lobster red. NO WONDER IT HURT!!

"OOOOOWWWWWWW!" I heard almost the identical yell, but this time it was coming from my room down the hall. It didn't take me very long to figure out that Lance had most assuredly acquired the same problem. I jogged down the hall and knocked on my bedroom door. I was immediately answered with a painful, "come in..."

I opened the door, and found Lance with his shirt bunched up around his neck, looking closely in my bedroom mirror at his bright red chest. The line that separated his burned front from his unexposed back was much more pronounced now than it was today at the McGee's pool. However, his skin wasn't as red as mine was, probably because I've got lighter skin to begin with. We both looked at each other, searching for sympathy from the other person. Ha.. not gunna happen!

"Dude, you're burned!" Lance said.

"You're kinda pink yourself." He nodded, and continued,

"How did this get so painful? I didn't feel it at all! I was fine all day, all evening up on the mountain."

"I dunno dude, but I didn't feel it until I tried to take off my shirt." Lance nodded, then thought of something.

"Hey, I just thought of something. There's no way we could go in the hot tub! It would hurt like nothin' else!" He was right, there was no way. It would be far too painful with our sensitive skin. But that's fine. As soon as I felt the pain from my chest, the only thing I cared about was getting rid of it.

"I think I've got some sunburn cream or spray or something in the bathroom," I said as I ran down the hall. I pulled open the compartment under the sink in the bathroom, but couldn't find what I wanted. However, I found something better. Aloe Vera gel. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh... I walked back down to my bedroom and showed Lance the bottle, saying, "This stuff rocks! I didn't even know this thing was still around!"

"Oh good stuff," he responded. "Gimmie a squirt of that." I popped the top open and squirted about a nickel-sized squirt on his hands. He slowly placed the sample of gel on his shoulders, wincing at the pain/comfort he felt from it's application. "Ahhh.. ah ah ah ... Ouch, ahhh... oh, that's nice." I snickered at the two sidedness of his reaction, but totally knew what he was thinking! I squirted some on my own hand and applied it to the area of my chest right below my chin, slowly massaging it in.

"Oooooh... oh oh oh ah ah... Youch, ahhhhh.... Phew. That feels good." Lance and I both looked at each other, and cracked up at our nearly identical reactions to the gel. I sat down on the bed, and handed Lance the bottle, working more of the gel into my shoulders. Oh, it felt good. We swapped the bottle back and forth a few times, carefully applying the gel to our sun-scorched skin. My mind had become focused on one thing only-finding relief for this recently onset pain.

"Here ya go," I said as I handed Lance the bottle. "I'm done." Lance nodded and looked over, but he paused and took a closer look at me.

"You missed a spot."

"I did?" I looked down at my chest and arms, and thought I had done a pretty thorough job in covering all the spots.

"Yup, you probably can't see it. I'll get it." Lance put some gel on his fingers, and reached over to rub it into my shoulders. The touch from his fingers, along with the gel on my already-sensitive skin sent a shudder through my whole body. I inadvertently muttered, 'whoa..', and Lance quickly released his grip. His eyes were concerned.

"Are you okay?! I'm sorry!" He thought he had hurt me. Ohmigosh. Little did he know that he had done quite the opposite. What an incredible feeling.

"Um, uh, no no... It's just, um, the gel felt cold. That's all." I was PRAYING that there might be some more spots that I had missed. "Did I miss anything else?" I said, not even feeling comfortable looking him in the eye. I didn't want to let on that it felt so good!

"Well, let me see... yeah, there's another spot right here..." Immediately, his gel-covered fingers were on my skin, this time on my left arm, right around my bicep. He was holding up my arm with one hand, and massaging the gel in with the other. Oh wow, did the contact with Lance feel good. I closed my eyes and allowed Lance to do his work. He did a thorough job of making sure my arms were evenly coated, then he moved on to work my shoulders a bit. I opened my eyes now and then to see what Lance's face was doing, and he finally caught me making eye contact with him. Seeing that look in his eye, I knew the game was up, and he knew I was loving this and was at his mercy.

"Lie back," he said, "and I can make sure I...... haven't missed any other spots." I obediently did as I was told, and within a few seconds I found myself lying back on my bed with Lance sitting next to me, at chest level, placing a nice dollop of gel on his fingers. His fingers hit my chest symmetrically on either sides of my pecs, out towards the outsides, almost near my armpits. He worked the gel in a circular pattern, moving up towards the center of my upper torso. This send chills through my body, and I instantly knew I was beginning to develop a problem a bit farther down my body. But I didn't care.

Lance gently, yet effectively worked his fingers around my pecs, completely covering all spots of skin from my neck down to the ridges where the muscle tapers down into the abs. Not long after he finished up there did he reapply the gel and move down to my stomach, skillfully massaging every pink spot of skin. As he moved farther down, I'm pretty sure he got a glance of my erection in my shorts (thankfully it wasn't sticking straight up!), but looked right back to his work on my abs and chose to ignore it. It was almost like he was more interested in my care and comfort that running sexual scenarios through his head. Lance and I were so alike in our mindsets, I could almost feel those vibes coming from him. My heart skipped a beat as I considered this selfless quality of my boyfriend.

"There ya go. All done," Lance said. His words shook me back into reality, and I was barely able to whisper out a raspy,

"Thank you." My eyes got big, and I immediately cleared my throat and repeated myself. "Thanks, Goof. You're awesome." The look we shared spoke volumes.

"So... what's next?" he asked. Was he CRAZY?!?

"Oh, I dunno... it seems like you're not so perfect yourself. Looks like you missed a few spots yourself!"

"Did not!"

"Did, too! Looks like I'm gunna have to take care of those for ya. I'm just going to need you to lie back and relax." I quickly assumed Lance's sitting position, and reached to gently press his shoulders down to the bed, despite his mild protests. I noticed he still hadn't removed his shirt from around his neck, so I reached to slip it up and over his head. I remember the last time I tried this... it was when I was taking off his shirt after the basketball injury, when he broke his...

"HEY, you're nose is fixed!" Lance had talked about his nose on the phone for the first few days after he had left town, but the subject didn't come up again. Here I was, staring at his perfect face for the whole day, and I neither noticed nor mentioned his nose!

"Yeah, I went to see the doctors back home, and they were totally amazed when they took the bandages off. They said there should have been some malformation, but I guess there was nothing. Cool, huh?"

"It looks great! I almost didn't notice! If it's all better, then this shouldn't hurt," I said as I slipped the shirt from around his head. He didn't react at all, indicating that he wasn't in any pain... not from his broken nose, at least. Ah, now I can get to work.

I placed some gel on my fingers and began to carefully apply it to Lance's face, starting with his forehead. His nose was pretty well burned, so I applied a big glob there and let it soak in. Lance moaned ever so slightly when I worked his eyelids and cheek area, and I just smiled. With his face done, his neck, shoulders and arms were next on the list. I nailed those expertly, and I could tell from Lance's facial expressions and body language that he was enjoying the activity. I tried to work his chest as well as Lance had done, and only hoped I had come close to mimicking his divine touch.

THEN it came time for...... THEM. I stared at THEM while working his upper chest, quickly realizing I was approaching a decision. There they were, perfect in their own little goofy way, both of them staring up at me, circular, a bit darker than average, the size of quarters... maybe bigger. Lance had somehow kinda perfectly avoided mine, but I wasn't sure if I could 'avoid' his. They provided such a temptation! I desperately wanted to massage them slowly with my fingers, bringing pleasure to my boyfriend. I closed my eyes and thought about what I should do. I drew a blank! Then I thought of something: 'What would Lance do?'. Lance always had the answers to everything. Lance probably avoided mine because he was afraid that our relationship wasn't ready to walk through the door that such an action could open. That's a big can of worms! I was totally content with the progress in our relationship, and decided to follow his example by moving right along. My goal? To make my boyfriend comfortable, and that's what I made sure I did. I closed my eyes, exhaled, and immediately moved down to his abs. When I reopened my eyes, I found Lance stealing my stare. Yet another silent look was exchanged, and another unbelievable, indescribable feeling of love was exchanged between us.

Content that I had made the right decision, I moved down and massaged some gel into his legs. It occurred to me that even though we had been together a bunch of times where we were both wearing shorts, this was the closest I had ever been to his legs. Not being terribly tall, Lance's legs weren't very long... but were they cute! The top half of his legs above his knees had a very fine dusting of blond hair. His muscles were pretty average sized, and not terribly defined-this complimented the rest of his cute boyish image. From the knees down, the hair changed from blonde to a light brown, and actually got kinda fuzzy around his shins and ankles. Some of the gel got caught in his hair, so I spent an extra amount of time massaging those regions. I didn't mind at ALL! Finally, I was able to move to the best part of the whole deal-kinda like saving the middle of a McDonald's cheese danish until the very end. I moved on to Lance's.... feet. Ohmigosh, were they the cutest things I had ever seen! His toenails were well trimmed, his toes were a bit shorter than mine, and he probably wore a size 10 shoe. Ahhhh! I just gobbled up the chance (not literally) to touch and massage his feet, and I KNOW Lance could tell I was enjoying this as much, if not more, than he was!

"Ah yes, that's very nice, peon. I'd like my bath drawn now," Lance said in a very poor posh stuck-up accent. I looked up at him, raised my eyebrow, gave him the 'look of death' (it wasn't real, of course), and decided that immediate payback was in order.

"Yes mastuh, what ever you say, mastuh," I said, bowing and nodding his direction. Unfortunately for Lance, he didn't see the aloe gel bottle in my hand, being maneuvered into shotgun position. In seconds, I did an effective job of signing my name on Lance's chest with aloe gel. The cold gel on Lance's sensitive, burned skin was more than enough to make him suck in his breath and drop his mouth open. I've seen people with snowballs down their bare back squirm and buck less than Lance did! "I'll be off to draw your bath now, mastuh," I said as I picked up to escape the wrath of Lance.

"You son of a..."

"WE'RE HOME!" Lance and I looked at each other, realizing we had some cleanup to do since we weren't home alone anymore. I tossed Lance my towel from earlier in the day, and he quickly wiped his chest of the excess gel. Our shirts were back on in a flash, and within 15 seconds we were back out my bedroom door to greet my family.

I'm glad my family is kinda dense-Lance and I could have gotten ourselves into so much trouble if I had a family that was a bit more observant about what was going on! Thankfully, they were all none the wiser. Adam and Scotty bee-lined right for Lance, and I was able to chat with mom and dad about what they had done. Nothing abnormal, really. They had taken a trip for ice cream, and wound up playing some arcades and stuff at the mall. Scotty wanted Adam to spend the night again, but mom said that one night was enough.

Adam went home, and we all pulled out some board games and played them around the kitchen table until around 10:00pm. I truly believe mom and dad are diseased-with morning person disease. I mean, who can ENJOY going to bed at 10:30pm and getting up at 5:30am on a NORMAL basis?! Both mom and dad bowed out, leaving Lance, Scotty, and I. Trying to be the big boy he thought he was, Scotty was acting all awake and hyper, when in fact he was actually pretty drained. Lance and I humored him for a while until he started to droop, then I suggested that he headed to bed-this was readily accepted by him.

With Scotty out of the way, I smiled at Lance and dragged him outside. We have a big gazebo and swing out in the backyard which is well hidden from the house. After looking around in paranoia, I decided the coast was clear and I plopped us both down in the seat and pulled him close. He didn't mind at all.

"I wish you didn't have to go tomorrow," I said.

"Hehe.. that makes two of us."

"Can I come with you?"

"Hmmmm... Well, I only have one ticket, so unless we could convince the airline that you would be okay in a dog carrier in the cargo bay, I don't think it'll work." I paused for a second, then responded,

"BARK BARK!! Ruff ruff!" Lance just cracked up, and we almost fell off the swing in our laughter. However, we caught ourselves and resumed our cuddle.

After a few minutes of silence, Lance piped up,

"Mmmmmm.... This is really nice. I could get used to this." I figured now was as good a time as any. I took a deep breath and responded,

"Well Lance...... um, you better get used to it...... because I've decided...... to take the job." I've never seen someone's head spin around so quickly!

"WHAT?! You will? I mean, you will! That's so cool... I'm sooo happy! YAY!" Lance was beside himself with happiness, and his giddiness was contagious to me, too. He wrapped his arms around me as best he could, and just sat and bounced a little bit. He finally calmed down and asked,

"I thought... I mean, I was thinking that you were going to think about it or ask your parents or chew on it or something... why such a quick decision?"

"Well... I don't know. Have you ever been given a really cool opportunity that forced you to totally go out on a limb, but the rewards would be totally awesome?" Lance nodded. "Well, that's what this is! I've been searching for sooo long to find something to get me out of the hum-drum life I've been leading here. I love music, I love performance, I love helping people, I love being with people, I LOVED my medical training when I was in it, I love new things, I love adventure... This job would have all these things that I love! But ya know what? Above all those things,... >PAUSE< I love you, Lance." I was still cuddling Lance, and I gave him and extra special squeeze. "Sometimes things just click in your mind, in your life. Something comes along that's totally right, and God just tells ya to go for it. Well, I'm going for it, Lance. I'm going for it!"

"That's so awesome, dude. I'm totally stoked. I agree, it seems like it all worked out perfectly, like a twist of fate or something. I'm so happy. God works things in mysterious ways, doesn't He?" I couldn't agree more. "Well, Peter and Roger are going to be glad to hear about that. I'll tell them as soon as I get back tomorrow!" My smile fell off my face as reality set in.

"Tomorrow. You leave again, don't you?"

"Yup. 8:03am."

"Why is it everytime I can be close to you, you are ripped away from me?"

"Love is cruel, isn't it? But soon it'll all be solved... because we'll be together on tour!" At that point, a question I had never pondered before came to mind.

"Hey Lance... How IS it going to work on tour?" Lance paused for a moment.

"I've been thinking about that.... and I don't have an answer. It'll be weird, difficult, wonderful, stressful, fun; it'll be a learning experience for us both. But we'll just have to take everything one day at a time." I was content with that, and we sat outside for a while longer, just enjoying each other's company, along with a wonderful view of the stars.

"I guess you can stay in my sister's room again." I turned on the light and beckoned him in, showing him to the familiar bed in the corner. We had already changed, and were ready for bed.

"How am I getting to the airport tomorrow?"

"Oh... you're walking... NOT! Haha. No, I'm totally taking you down. What kind of stupid question is that?" Lance shrugged and smiled. "What time do you need to be up?"

"Um, probably 5:30 - 6am... I have arrangements to be escorted by airport security to the plane, and I have to get there early."

"Security? Ooooh, don't we think we're Mr. All-That, needing security to get you to the plane!" Lance's smile dropped, and I knew instantly I had said the wrong thing as a joke.

"Billy, you don't know what it's like. When normal celebrities walk by, people stop, look, maybe ask for a handshake or autograph. But when someone from a group like mine walks by, there are people that either want to do damage or are so crazed by the image, they want a piece of clothing, or hair, or flesh as a souvenir. It is dangerous out there... so, NO- I don't think I'm Mr. All-That. I wish I could be Mr. Nothing for once and walk out in public without having to hide." I could tell I had really been insensitive to Lance, and I had to immediately make it up to Lance. But I didn't even get the chance. "Billy, I'm sorry-I shouldn't have lashed at you like that. You don't know. I couldn't expect you to know! When you get on tour, and see what it can be like, you'll understand."

"Lance, I'M sorry... I wasn't thinking when I said that. Forgive me?" I held out my hand to him as a peace offering. He looked at my hand, then looked at me for a second, finally smiled, and grabbed my hand. I pulled him into a hug and we rocked slowly there in my sister's room. I really needed to be more careful in choosing the things I said... Lance was right, though. As soon as I got on tour, I'm sure my eyes would be opened to the rigors and stresses of being on the road and being presented to so many live people in PERSON.

"I could handle quick little arguments like that," Lance said as we released. "Can we be sure they all go like that?"

"I will have no problem with that. But I've got something that we can NOT argue about-we have to get to bed." Before my sentence was over, Lance was already diving into bed. I laughed as he disappeared under the covers. I sat down on the edge of the bed, setting my hand on his chest through the blanket. He somehow produced a hand and wrapped it around mine.

"I'm so glad you're taking the job. I'm so happy it all worked out!" Lance said.

"Me, too. Thanks for all you did to make it possible."

"Awwww, it wasn't me. Thank the guys and Pete. I just planted the seed."

"Well, whoever gets the credit, I give it to them. Well done."

"Promise me something, Billy... promise me that we'll stay in touch when we're apart!"

"Oh, no problems there!" I said, thinking it was silly that he'd have to say that-I mean, I was sure I'd be totally addicted to him!

"Things get kinda rough out on the road. It's not going to be like it was when I was in Florida... Tour is a lot different than vacation. I can't always get to a cell phone, or to a computer to send an email, but just promise me you won't get flustered with me... I will do my best to stay in contact with you!"

"Oh Lance, I'd never give up on you. I'll miss our chats and stuff, but you know I'd never give up on ya!" We squeezed each other's hands, and then Lance said,

"Sleep well, k Billy?"

"You, too. I love ya, Lance."

"Mmmmm... I love you more." I leaned down and enjoyed a quick kiss goodnight. It was such a nice feeling to know I had someone so close, so special, so wonderful. I couldn't wait to be with him more. I clicked off the light on my way out the door, and floated down the hallway. It made me sad to think that our relationship would be limited to emails and a few phone calls over the next few months, but I knew we'd be together again in no time. Rolling into bed, I had an indescribable feeling of comfort, knowing somehow that I had totally made the right decision by taking the job and joining the tour.

*************** *************** Subject: Howdy! Date: 23 July 22:03:07 PST From: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com> To: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>

Hi Lance! Is it possible for two people to get addicted to each other? I swear, I hardly EVER checked my email before you went away... but now, I'm hitting the GET MAIL button 3-4 times a day. I'm getting funny looks from my mom every time I run off to my room, but... what's new? :) Anyway, I really miss you-I liked it much better before you went back on tour! Now I can't call you, I don't always hear from you everyday... I guess we were just spoiled, though! I wish I could see you... Do you realize it's been 4 WEEKS since you came out to offer me the job? YIKES!

Class today was rough... we're learning about spinal injuries and how to treat them... There's a lot of memorizing to do! I got my medpak today, with all my instruments and tools... they don't trust me with one of those heart defibrillators yet, though. Gee... haha. I wonder if they'll teach a section on how to prevent nose injuries from basketballs. HAHAHA.

I really do miss you- I'm thinking about and praying for ya every day. Hold up out there on the road, eh? If you ever need a hug, you just call me.. I'll give you one on the phone! I love you, Goof.

Billy

****************** Subject: Re: Howdy! Date: 24 July 9:03:07 -0500 GMT From: "James Bass" <goofball@.com> To: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>

oh hardy har har. i'll get you back for that basketball comment! we had a great concert last night in boston, we really packed the stadium out! but what was really cool is that we donated all the profits from the concert to the boston children's hospital. that just made the night all that more special. haha.. justin's here, and he says hi. hes giggling like a school girl right now, and i don't know why-hang on. oh, whatever... they're telling some weird jokes or something. joey's looking at me funny, too. weird. anyway,

okay, they're gone now. they all ran off to breakfast, and i'm pretending to be in the bathroom, so i have to run quick.. i wanted to say how excited I am to have you with me, in reach, pretty soon on tour. i was sorta scared that having all this time apart from you would make my feelings diminish, but it's the opposite. i am so wanting and needing you in my life right now, billy. i think about you every night and wish i could have a hug or a backrub or just some encouraging words. sigh okay, enough mush. :) i'll try to write again soon, i gotta go now! bye billy, always know that i love you.

LANCE

************** Subject: YAWN Date: 12 August 07:12:48 PST From: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com> To: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>

THIS IS PROOF that I get up earlier than noon! Doing this EMT class is no walk in the park, just so you know! I have my second module exam today, and I have to be there at 8am. I've been up since about 6am getting ready and pumped. Mom made me breakfast, but it's nothing like Eggs a la Lance or whatever the heck you called it. However, I DID have this strange craving to put peanut butter in it! lol

I'm so excited. I get to start my ambulance ride-alongs next week! This is where we really get to test what we're made of. Personally, I'm made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails, or so I've been told. I also hear that this is where most of the dropouts happen. I guess if you're not motivated, the rigors of real life medical service can really rip you apart.

But I've got a GREAT motivation... his name is Lance. :) and he's my boyfriend. and I love him a lot!

I hope you have a great day, and I hope to hear from ya soon! And if you don't have a great day, I want to hear about it!

Billy

************** Subject: Re: YAWN Date: 15 August 05:53:56 -0600 GMT From: "James Bass" <goofball@.com> To: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>

get me off this tour! i'm just kidding, kinda. i guess management thinks we are super people or something, because they're having us finish a gig at night, hop on the bus, and drive to the next venue, sometimes up to 8 hours away. it's almost 6am now, but the thing is, you're gunna love this, i haven't been to bed yet. ha! well, we all dozed on the bus, but there's only so much sleep you can get on the bus. we just rolled in to the hotel, and we'll get a chance to sleep now. we're in ohio somewhere, and i'm just now thinking about rolling into bed. this is the first time i've been able to get email the last few days, because there weren't internet hookups at the other hotels. bummer. i wanted to be sure i got an email to you before too long. sorry it took so long!

we have a week off coming up at the end of the month, and i hope i can come out and spend some time with you, or have you fly out and hang with me! i'll get more info later, but i wanted to get you thinking about it! i'm smiling! that's hard to do with big old bags under your eyes, hahaha.

i'm so tired billy, so i better go. i love you and totally miss you. remember that!

your love, LANCE

****************** Subject: i'm so sorry Date: 20 August 12:31:10 -0800 GMT From: "James Bass" <goofball@.com> To: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>

you're going to kill me, i know it. my week off has now turned into a 'working vacation' or something like that. the label is sending us all to mexico to work on our new album. we've done some work on it, but they want some more progress, so we're all flying down somewhere to relax, but mostly work in a studio. i won't even get to see my family back in mississippi. billy, i'll totally make it up to you. i feel like i've built up your hopes and smashed you down in just a few days. i feel bad.

i'm totally burned out, i'm so tired, i need some sleep before the show. we're in seattle tonight, then portland tomorrow. it's frustrating that we're on the same coast, sooo close, and I can't even run down to see you. errrrrrrr. i really miss you, and could use a hug right now.

LANCE

************** Subject: Re: i'm so sorry Date: 21 August 18:12:22 PST From: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com> To: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>

i really miss you, and could use a hug right now.

Ready? here we go. Wrap your arms around you and squeeze nicely. Imagine I'm there, or you're here, and I'm there giving you a nice, loving hug. Don't let go until you feel better. THERE YOU GO. All better! Of course, e-hugs have to be paid back in person, you know? :)

I'm so bummed to hear you're having a bad time! I wish there was something I could do... Is there any way you could call me, or I could call you sometime soon? I'd love to sit and chat about it-- i miss your voice! Sometimes just sitting and talking about it can make you feel better. You KNOW I'm all ears for ya.

Mom's calling dinner, so I gotta run. My heart's breaking, I miss you so much. Call me soon.!!

Billy

*************** Subject: is this what I wanT? Date: 01 September 23:45:39 PST From: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com> To: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>

I saw someone die today. Did you see what I just typed? I saw someone DIE TODAY. Not only did he die, he was in my care. We rolled up on a motor vehicle accident, and it was bad. The car was in flames, and the fire department was fighting to get the driver out. They finally got him out and we got him into the rig, but the burns were too bad. I couldn't even find a vein for an IV. My supervisor, Travis, had to take over, but it was too late. It was just too bad. He didn't even make it to the hospital.

Lance, it's the worst feeling I've ever had. I've never seen anyone die in front of me before. This guy could have been someone's father, or husband, or child. Now he's gone. It's not FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR! What good is all this training, all this time, all this investment, if I can't make a difference? I mean, I KNOW it's not my fault- the doctor's said over and over he had, like, no chance. But still... is there something more I could have done? Could I have gotten there sooner?

I'll be better after some sleep. I'm sorry to rant like this. I just know I can share this with you. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I hope I can sleep tonight.

Billy

• • • • • • RING RING. I reached over and smacked my alarm clock. It felt like I had just dozed off, and I couldn't believe I had already slept the whole night away. Why can't I get some rest? I rolled back over in bed, knowing full well I wasn't about to get up yet. RING RING.

"Leave me alone!" I reached over and smacked the clock again, knocking it off the nightstand. "Now shut up!"

RING RING. My eyes opened up, and I realized it wasn't the alarm clock making the noise. CRAP. I reached around the table in the dark, searching for the phone, wondering who it could be, but having a pretty good idea. I didn't even glance at the clock when I smacked it, so I had no idea what time it was.

"Hello?" I mumbled, finally finding the phone.

"Hey.. Dude, I'm sooo sorry for waking you up, but I JUST checked email, and your last note just cut through me, and I wanted to talk with you and make sure you were okay. You sounded like you needed a friend, and I just couldn't wait to call tomorrow."

"You checked email? What time is it there?" I was starting to get my senses back together.

"It's just about 3am Mexico City time. I guess it's about 1am there. I couldn't sleep... I was, well...... I was thinking about you, so I decided to hop on one last time to see if there was any email. I'm so glad I did!"

"Oh Lance, you don't know how nice it is to hear your voice, especially after the day I had. Oh, thank you for calling. Thank you..."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for! So, what's up? What's buggin' ya? I'm all ears." Although I had filled my parents in about some vague details about my shift, I hadn't told anyone what was really on my mind. Boy, did I take this opportunity to spill my guts to Lance! I must have talked his ear off for at least 30 minutes about everything that happened from the moment we rolled up on the accident, and Lance was so awesome just to sit and listen. If Lance hadn't said another word and had simply hung up after I was finished talking, I would still have felt better just being able to share this with him.

"Billy, one of the coolest things about you is that you help people, and you do it selflessly. You're an encourager, and that makes you perfect for what you're doing. Yeah, it can be frustrating that God sometimes might take somebody home while they're in your arms. But that's not your doing. I've seen you in action, and I know that you give the best effort at taking care of people... your family, your friends, your patients... sometimes your friends become your patients, especially on the basketball court." We both laughed. It was the first time I had smiled or laughed since I had started my shift that day. Thanks Lance. "What I'm trying to say is you DID do everything you could. Be stoked about the fact that you CAN do what you're doing already. You're going to be great as an EMT, and you're going to be great on this tour!" Although it was dark in the room already, I closed my eyes and absorbed everything Lance had just said. What an awesome, AWESOME friend he was.

"Lance, you rock. What you just said meant so much to me. You totally made my day, dude. Thank you so much."

"Well, I seem to recall you encouraging me a few times, so I'm just getting my payback." We talked for a little while longer, until I heard Lance rip a huge yawn.

"What time you do you have to be up tomorrow?" I asked.

"Um, 7:30am I think."

"What?! OHMIGOSH! You need to go! You can't give up sleep!"

"Come on, Billy... there are a lot of things I'd give up for you..." What a mushball. "But you're probably right, I should go to bed."

"I love you so much, Lance."

"And I love you. Sleep well."

"I will, especially since you called."

"Good night, Billy."

"G'nite, Goof."

CLICK.

****************** Subject: thank you Date: 08 September 21:28:03 PST From: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com> To: "James Bass" <goofball@.com>

Thank you sooo much for all your calls this week! Are you taking out a mortgage or something to pay for all the long distance? How much is a call from Mexico City, anyhow? It's been great to hear your voice.. and it's been a great encouragement, especially after I lost my patient last week. You're awesome- I'm glad I've got you for me!

It seems like all is getting back in order for both of us-- you get to relax and sleep in down there, and I'm getting close to the completion of my third and final EMT module! I only have a few weeks left! I haven't thought about it yet, but I'm starting to wonder when exactly I'll be joining the tour. I haven't heard anything from anybody, I guess I'll just wait.

Maybe you could call tonight or tomorrow? That would be totally cool. I'll just be here, keeping myself busy by picking my nose and restringing my tennis shoes.. you know, the normal stuff! I miss you and love you a lot.

Billy

************ Subject: 'NSYNC tour arrangements Date: 11 September 02:10:55 -0700 GMT From: "Peter Doyle" <psdoyle@.com> To: "Billy Wilson" <b_wilson@.com>

Good Morning Billy. This is Peter with 'NSYNC. I've been meeting with Roger, our Road Manager, and we've determined your touring schedule with us.

You're not going. NO, I'm just kidding. Sorry. Seriously: My information tells me that your EMT training course will be completed on September 27. First of all, I'd like to offer you an early congratulations. Lance tells me that you are excelling in the course. Great! Although you will be a certified EMT at that point, it will be necessary to bring you on board a few weeks early to show you the ropes, explain everything behind-the-scenes, and get you generally acclimated to touring life. Then we'll discontinue the services of our temporary med technician and you'll take over!

You will join the tour on September 30, at a concert in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Flight arrangements are being made, and obviously a lot more information will be coming your way from myself, Roger, and the touring office. We'll definitely talk more about it soon. As always, feel free to call me anytime for anything.

On a personal note, all this official crap aside, I'm looking forward to having you on tour with us, and having an opportunity to get to know you better. You seem like a great guy, and I know the whole band really wants to see you on a regular basis. Take care!

-P.D.

RING RING. "Honey, you're phone's ringing," my mom yelled outside to me. I was taking in a nice leisurely swing in the gazebo, enjoying my last night here at home before I went on tour. CRAP. 'Wouldn't you know it?' I thought as I sprinted like an olympic runner for the house. 'When you are at the farthest possible point from your phone, it rings. Why is that?'

'...can't get to the phone right now, or maybe I'm just screening my calls... anyway, leave a message after the tone BYE!... BEEP'

"Hey Billy, it's ME, your long-lost brother!" I walked into my room just in time to hear Lance say that.

"Brother?!" I said as I picked up the phone. "You mean I've been doing all those things with my brother?!!? Gross! I'm not into incest!" Whatever point Lance was trying to make by calling was destroyed by the laughter that overtook him. Of course, his laughter was incredibly contagious, so there we were, chucking and snorting over... nothing. Lovely.

"Hahaha... you so funny, you make me laffs!" Lance said, in a very poor Asian accent.

"So... what, you don't have anything better to do than call a busy guy the night before he leaves on the greatest adventure of his life?" There was a pause, and then,

"Ummm... nope. I am, in general, a pest."

"You can say that again!"

"Okay. I am, in general, a pest."

"You Goof!"

"You Goof!" Lance repeated.

"Stop it!"

"Stop it!"

"Arrruh!"

"Arrruh!"

"Okay, STOP!!!!" I said, getting a bit flustered, but laughing. "Why did you call? What's up?"

"Hehe. I just wanted to see how everything was going on your 'night before', and I wanted to wish you a good night's sleep, and good luck on everything."

"Well, that's just the sweetest thing! Everything is great, I've packed just about as much as I could, and I invited the two fat ladies down the street to sit on my bag and help me zip it up."

"That's okay, you'll feel right at home. We all pack like girls when we're on tour, anyway. We HAVE to. If not, we'd just go crazy wearing the same three outfits. Not cool." Lance and I talked for about 30 minutes more about everything and anything, and finally landed back on the subject of the tour.

"So are you nervous?" Lance asked me.

"DUH. I'm ready to pee my pants here! I mean, I did great in my EMT course, and I totally feel ready for THAT, but... I mean, touring with you all, and being in a pretty responsible position, and... well, being able to be with you..."

"You're nervous about THAT?" YIKES! I better clarify...

"Nonono, I'm totally excited about that!!!... it's just...... well, my whole life is going to change tomorrow, and I can't see the future, and that's what I'm a bit nervous about. BUT, I DO know that I'm going to enjoy making a future with you."

"Dude, my life is going to change tomorrow, too... I get to have my best friend and BOYfriend joining me on tour!"

"Which one am I?" I joked, and Lance laughed.

"Billy, I am so much going to be looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. I miss you so much, and love you so much, it's going to be so awesome to see you and hug you... The day is ours. It will be OUR day."

"Oh Lance, that sounds great. I can't wait to see you!"

"Sleep well, and I'll be praying for you tomorrow. Nite nite, sleep tight, don't let the boyfriends bite..."

"Awww... please?" We both laughed. "G'nite, Goof. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Goodnight Billy."

CLICK.

• • • • • *I PROMISE, Billy will be on tour next chapter. What happens from that point? Only more chapters will tell! Hey, if you've got an idea for the story, let me know. :) Until next time, stay cool and stay safe!

Kaiser_goof@hotmail.com ~Jeff