Two Way Conversation by DCG
########## DISCLAIMER ##########
I do in no way want insinuate anything about anyone, full. Do not read if offended by Homosexual material, i.e. Man on Man nasty stuff!! lol...Although if you are underage, then you are excused from my wrath and you may leave unscathed...Everyone else...Enjoy!!
Authors Notes: Hey there... chapter 4 is here of the 5 chapter saga...Please feed my craving for feedback and I hope you all have a great day...And if anyone has been to Belize in their life, please let me know what to expect as I am going there to get stung by bugs and eaten by spiders bigger than my face!! lol
Enjoy and get back to me...even if it had nothing whatsoever to do with the story...I luv to chat and meet new people...
(email...grimstone@btinternet.com or ujemeflip@hotmail.com)
And here we go...
Last Time in Two Way Conversation...
"Yes, I've been in love with Justin for as long as I can remember." Stated JC in as strong a voice as Joey had heard in some days. JC felt liberated as he said those words, out aloud, to someone he considered a brother. But as soon as the sentence disappeared from hearing, suddenly, a shuffling was heard out side JC's door, and both JC and Joey looked at the door, then at each other. There was only one person that could have been.
"Justin!" Exclaimed Joey, to himself as he leapt off the bed and to the door. He scampered to the top of the stairs to see the front door ricochet off the door frame as Justin's form ran down the drive to his car. He turned around, defeated to see JC slumped against the door frame. He looked beyond communication. His head lurched forward as he sighed heavily. Joey could see the tears approaching, fast.
"That's it then...I got my answer." Stated JC in a voice filled with sadness. Joey didn't know which way to turn. But right now he needed to comfort JC, then he needed to find Justin...
And now the continuation...
Two Way Conversation by DCG
Chapter 4 - The Nuances of Nowhere
Not a look over the shoulder, nor a check to see if he was being followed. Pretending to sleep in, Justin had packed all he needed for a week or so away, or for as long as it took for him to get back to his old self, not that he knew what that meant anymore. He had loved JC for as long as he could remember, but that didn't mean anything to anyone else but him. He ignored his first red light as he continued to speed onwards to the airport, and a journey away, away to the grandeur of New York City. A place where the lonely could seek solace, where the heartbroken could be fixed, for a nominal fee. He had toyed with the idea of calling Lance before setting off, but decided against it at the last minute. He knew Lance, and knowing him would mean he would try his hardest to convince Justin that what he was doing was the wrong thing. Your running away.' would be Joeys comment, right, but would mean nothing. Whatever!' would be Chris' lackadaisical comment. Just tell him.' would be Lances' straight forward suggestion, but doing that simple three letter activity would either make or break Justin, and he couldn't face up to that life altering action. I love you' would be JC's comment. No it wouldn't you stupid fuck!' screamed Justin as he slammed his hand against the steering wheel and wrenched back in pain as he did. That comment from JC would never come, he was sure of that. He must never know...And this time away will help!' thought Justin as his car pulled up in the airport parking lot, and he turned his engine off. He rested back in the comfort of the seat for a second, digesting the situation.
"This is the best, for the both of us!" He reasoned as he pulled the keys from the ignition and clambered out of the car, shutting the door, possibly not just to the car, but to a relationship not even on the starting blocks, but Justin was never going to let it get that far. Not that he didn't want it to, he wanted it to more than life itself.
Across town, in calm surroundings, as the sun began it's descent into the night, Chris sat in a cafe, drinking his third cup of coffee. Their plan was simple. Joey talk to JC, and Chris talk to Bobbie. They needed her on their side. They needed her in a position to help them get JC and Justin together, by hook or by crook. Chris was never the most sensitive person in the group, hence this assignment. `Typical, I get the bitch' he thought as Bobbie rounded the corner and spotted Chris. She had a debonair air about her. She oozed confidence. Her association with JC in the past had gotten her gains where she needed them the most. She had feelings for JC, plain and simple. But she was the kind of person who counted number one as the most important number available.
She rounded the counter, voicing an order for a cup of latte, skimmed, and sat down across from Chris. Chris was halfway through taking a drink from his cup of coffee...
"I told you we'd be seeing each other soon." Said Bobbie, slight, but evident venom echoing through her comment. Chris took it and slowly let the cup fall from his lips. This was going to be harder that he thought. But they needed Bobbie as that back-up plan if JC bailed at the last minute. They may need her to tell Justin the truth. As he thought what to say he adjusted his expression, masking his hatred for her, and beamed a smile in her direction.
"Drink?" Asked Chris. He needed to be sociable, nice, polite, but not transparent.
"I don't drink anything with caffeine in at the time in the day, you know that." Bit Bobbie. Chris just sighed. It seemed to look a harder and harder task by the second.
"Just spit it out Chris, I haven't got all day. I was thinking of popping in to see Josh later on, you know, see if he wants to go out for a drink." She smirked. It was bait for Chris, and she knew he would bite.
"Don't you da..." Started Chris, but he stopped as soon as he saw the look of victory on Bobbie's face. She found it so easy to get him irate, and angry. Sometimes far too easily. He took a deep breath. "Believe it or not, I came here to talk to you about JC."
"You did? Good, so what do you want to talk about?" Probed Bobbie, she was intrigued.
"I know he's gay!" Stated Chris. Now it was his turn to his the nail on the head, and cause a little upset.
"Is not!" Said Bobbie, crossing her arms in the process.
"Is so, Bob! Everyone knows, everyone!" Said Chris, ramming the point home.
"Then what the hell do you want..." Started Bobbie, but she was interrupted by a continuing Chris.
"Except Justin." Finished Chris. Now the ball was in her court, because now she would know that all the taking would be done by Chris, and she would have to be willing to give. or would she?
"Ah..." She laughed. "I should have known it would get around to him eventually, it always does."
"Meaning?" Asked a slightly pissed Chris
"Meaning, that was all Josh would talk about when we were together. Justin this, and Justin that. It made me sick." Said Bobbie, a look of complete disgust on her face. Justin was the last thing she wanted to think about, as he was the one thing that finally led JC to end their relationship, because in his eyes it was a `mockery to everything I am' or so he said. That hurt Bobbie. To think her relationship with JC had been a staged event, even if for a short time.
"They love each other." Said Chris, defiantly
"Don't you think I don't already know that. I've known it for years. So what the hell do you want me to do about it?" Asked Bobbie, venom seeping through her every vein. Today was not turning out to be a good day for her.
"Tell Justin how JC feels!"
"Ha! You must be kidding me. I'd rather tell him that little shit hates his guts and never wants to see him ever again." Responded Bobbie. She held all the cards now.
Back at the house, Joey and JC hadn't left the confines of the lounge as Joey comforted JC. Justin's apparent fleeing the scene had, to JC, put the final nail in the coffin. He had stood against the door frame as Justin fled away, and had kept his resolve for a few brief seconds as he looked, blankly forward. But as soon as Joey had returned to his side, and broken his stare, he let it all go. He let his emotions take over, and he collapsed to the floor, in a heap. Joey led him to the lounge and sat him down, and that's where they remained until now. For most of the time, Joey just listened, as JC mumbled incoherently to himself. It was all he could think to do. But eventually, he gained the resolve he needed to make the one statement he needed to...but the one JC didn't want hear.
"We need to find him JC." Stated Joey, bracing himself for JC's reaction. JC froze on the spot. He looked up at Joey, a look of complete horror on his face. He couldn't fathom why Joey would want him find him. His emotions were in such overwhelming control he didn't hear the car pull up outside the house. Instead he just stared at Joey before pulling the words from his gut to ask why.
"Why?" Asked JC. "Why do we have to go Joey?" He again asked. "I don't want to see him...He hates me, thinks I'm disgusting, pathetic!" Shouted JC as he started to struggle under Joeys comforting embrace. The tears started again, running relentlessly down his cheek as the front door opened and Lance walked through, totally oblivious to what had happened. He quickly saw a struggling JC within the grasp of an equally awkward Joey and he rushed over.
"What's happened, JC are you ok? Joey what happened? Where's Chris and Justin?" Asked Lance frantically, and as soon as he uttered the final name, Joey frantically shook his head, but it didn't matter, as JC was fast asleep. Joey looked down and sighed as he saw JC cuddled close to his chest, deep in sleep. Joey then looked up and beckoned Lance to help him take JC to bed. It took them a while, but they managed to get JC up the stairs, and into his own bed. Lance then followed Joey downstairs.
"What the hell happened Joey?" Asked Lance as soon as they reached the foot of the stairs, but Joey kept on walking and walked out onto the patio, without answering. Lance followed.
"This isn't helping Joe. I know something's going on." Said Lance. He didn't want to have to blow Justin's cover, as he wanted Justin to be able to tell everyone himself, but he needed to know if this breakdown by JC had anything to with it. But he knew he had to make the first move, because when Joey got defiant, there was no stopping him. "Is it to do with Justin?" Asked Lance, keeping his fingers crossed that it wasn't... Joey just tightened his stance, almost as if the word `Justin' had caused a physical reaction in him.
"It is isn't it!" Stated Lance. This was not a good thing. He wondered if Justin had told JC that he was gay, and that this was JC's reaction. Lance suddenly felt confused. He seriously doubted JC would react like this if he didn't like what Justin had to say. It would have been the other way around. Justin would be the one needing a shoulder.
"We need to find Justin." Said Joey. "That little shit has got some explaining to do!" He Fumed. Lance was shocked out of his thoughts by the venom in Joeys comments...What had Justin done to put JC like this? He didn't know for sure, but again, he needed to find out, and he needed to find Justin before Joey laid into him.
"Where did Justin go?" Asked Lance
That was it. He had kept a lid on his anger and frustration ever since Justin has scampered off. He didn't know why he did, but he sure knew the pain JC had started to undergo because of it. And now Lance's concern seemed to go towards Justin, not JC. Why was he concerned about `him'? But right now, that had been enough, and he needed to vent it all, even if it was to an unsuspecting person as Lance...He needed someone else to know...
"For gods sake Lance...It's JC's who's gay, and who's been crying his eyes out ever since Justin ran away from him..." Shouted Joey, his body shaking with nervous energy.
That was it. The information he needed, but what did Justin do to JC. Justin is or at least was in love with JC. It confused Lance no end. Lance let a small smile cross his face for a second before Joey looked up and caught his line of sight. "What did he do?" Asked Lance.
"JC told me he loved Justin. He told me and Justin must have heard him cause the next thing we knew, he was running down the stairs and out the front door." Recited Joey. He felt tired after all the emotional exertions of the past few hours, and he walked past lance, through the empty kitchen and into the lounge where he almost fell into the couch as he sat down, resting his head back against the wall. Lance just turned back around and started to follow...
"Then even more reason we need to find Justin...We need..." Started Lance, but his glance was caught by something out of place on the kitchen counter. A missing letter...
"Joe, do you know where that letter for Justin went?" Asked Lance, speculatively... Joey just looked up, not knowing they existed in the first place. "I didn't know he even had any!" and he returned to looking to the ceiling, in defeat.
"He must have taken them with him." Said Lance, more to himself than anyone else.
"What was that?" Asked Joey, who got up from the sofa to see what had pre-occupied Lance.
"He must have taken the tickets that came for him this morning. He's gone somewhere!" Stated Lance.
"What tickets? Where?" Asked Joey, confused
"Some air tickets came for him this morning. I put them here, and now there gone. He must have taken them with him when he went. That means he was planning on going somewhere anyway Joey. He didn't just go off the cuff, he was planning it. That might mean he didn't just go because of what he heard." Said Lance, quickly, not letting Joey interrupt. This was the news he was hoping for, that Justin hadn't heard a word of what JC had said, and that he had been planning on some 'alone' time for some time.
"We need to find out where he went then. We need to go and get him. I'll go and try and convince JC that we need to go and find him. You find out where he went." Commanded Joey and he turned his back and clambered the stairs to see JC. It would be a difficult task for him, but he was sure that he could convince JC that they needed to go. If not to find out if he heard what JC had said, then to bring him back to the surprise Birthday party they had planned for him. Lance on the other hand, remembering the airline the tickets came from, pulled out his mobile phone and dialled the first number that came to mind.
Across the city. Through the smog ridden city limits, to the busy metropolis that is LAX. Justin had made his way through the melee that was the airport entrance and now he sat alone looking out of the window at the departing aircraft. He looked down at his watch. Just a short while remained until the tell tale sound of the tannoy would signal the time of his flight. Justin had, for some time thought of time alone as the perfect medicine for his gradual heartbreak. He didn't want to see in his 21st birthday as a miserable, lonely soul. He also didn't want to see in his birthday around JC, because, even though he loved him more than life itself, he had promised himself that on that day, he would tell him the truth. And his worst fear was that the confession would signal the end of their friendship, and Justin knew he wouldn't be able to stand that, so he bottled the showdown so to speak. Seconds passed ever so slowly as he waited for his flight to be called. He knew deep down he should have told someone where he was going. They had no doubt planned something to commemorate his `coming of drinking age', and it wouldn't quite pass with the same pizzazz if the guest of honour wasn't there. But that was something they would just have to deal with. Instead of telling someone, that someone being Lance, he instead left him a note. A simple explanation, that he hoped wouldn't be argued against.
Dear Lance,
This is gonna sound a bit cheesy, but when you read this I'm going to be somewhere else. I had planned on telling someone tomorrow, but it's all getting too much. I think the best thing for me to do is to go away for a few days, maybe even a week or so, somewhere where I can blend in and not be noticed. Don't try and call me cause my cell-phone is in my room and I knew that would be the first thing you would try. Please apologise to everyone for me for not being there, cause I have a sneaking suspicion that you had something planned for me, but I'm sorry I can't be there. Have a good couple of days Lance, I'll try to.
Justin.
The note probably gave away far too much, and Justin knew that, but right now, he didn't care. Lance was ok with the news Justin had, so he was ok letting a little more info slip. Right now, all he wanted to do was to be alone for a few days, and try somehow to forget the one reason he was doing this.
"Justin baby?" Shouted Britney as she approached from behind, hand luggage in the most appropriate place, in her hand!
Justin jumped a second as he recognised her voice and ripped himself from his self induced world of thought.
"Oh, hey there Brit, what you doing here?" Asked Justin, blankly. He probably knew why she was here, but it failed to surface as she softly cussed his across the back of his head.
"For your birthday stupid!" Laughed Britney as she hurdled the seat and sat down next to him.
"That's me, stupid!" Said Justin, to himself.
"Anyways, what are you doing here? Are you here to meet someone?" Asked Britney. She, like most people in this, was confused.
"Promise you won't spill!" Stated Justin, he looked deep into her eyes, and she knew he meant business.
"Ok baby, you know you can tell me!"
Justin looked forward. His `relationship' with Britney, or whatever the media made it out to be, was never that far developed. They were friends, and Justin had a sneaking suspicion that Britney knew why it didn't go further. "Do you know why we never got together?" Asked Justin. She deserved an explanation, and was probably the only other person who would go off the handle after being told. He had nothing else left to loose.
"I always figured you had someone else in mind." Said Britney. Yes, she did know deep down why they never got together. As the song went, `It was written in the wind' because that other person was that obvious to the trained eye. And Britney had one of those. Justin just nodded. "But I never thought it would be JC!" Said Britney as if she was thinking aloud, and this caught Justin completely off guard as he spinned around in his seat to look her straight. "Oh don't look at me like that. Don't you think it wasn't obvious! It was!" Stated Britney. She chuckled slightly as the perplexed look on Justin's face intensified. She'd got him good. "Anyway, where are you off to? I thought you had an important birthday to celebrate?" Smiled Britney.
Justin took a few deep breaths, he needed to get it off his chest and board the plane. "I'm leaving for a few days, a week maybe. I'm going to New York. I need to get away."
"JC?"
"Yeah, because of JC, or because I'm too gutless to tell him how I feel." Started Justin, putting his head in his hands as he finished the sentence. As soon as Britney saw this, and having her suspicions about JC too, she knew she had to raise the alarm. She had to tell the others, get them to NYC, get them, and especially JC, to Justin.
"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Asked Britney. "There'll be a lot of people here tomorrow for your birthday you know!"
"Yeah, I'm sure." Reassured Justin, and no sooner had he said that, that the tannoy sounded overhead, and Justin recognised his flight number and destination. "That's me." He gestured. "I've gotta go, please say your ok with this!" He Asked, pleaded more like. He needed an ounce of reassurance before setting off.
"I'm ok with it. But it's not me you need to convince." She replied as she kissed him goodbye, and walked away down the bustling corridor, and away from an ever unsure Justin. He didn't know what to read into her comment, but it wasn't going to stop him doing what he needed to do. He took a deep breath, grabbed his hand luggage and walked towards the boarding point. This was it, so he looked back for a second. It wasn't as if he was going forever, it wasn't that kind of goodbye. It was just goodbye to a familiar situation. It was goodbye to a familiar town, and it was goodbye, for now, to a familiar set of feelings, he hoped.
Down the corridor, Britney watched from afar as Justin walked slowly down the tunnel and onto the plane. She smiled. She couldn't let him know what she was planning to do, or what she hoped the outcome would be, she just couldn't as she pulled out her cell-phone and dialled Lance.
Back in the house, Lance still hadn't had any success. He'd tried everyone he could think of, from Johnny, to people he couldn't even remember the first name of, but nothing. He threw his phone onto the table as he slumped on the couch in defeat.
Joey and JC hadn't appeared either. It had been a while, and there hadn't been a sound up there for the entire time. Lance was just about to set of in search of them when his cell began to ring. He shot up and answered it.
"Lance, it's Britney." Said Britney, in a quick and urgent tone.
"Oh hey Brit, what's up?" Asked Lance. He didn't know what she knew, and thus he wasn't really bothered about the call.
"I know where he is." Said Britney, catching Lance's attention immediately. "He's just boarded a plane to New York. He's gonna be there for a few days, a week maybe."
"New York?" Asked Lance, half amazed, half trying to figure out what to do next.
"Yeah. Lance, how much do you know?" Questioned Britney. She needed to know how much he knew before she blew his cover. It was his secret to release.
"Enough to know we need to get to New York or get him back to LA." Answered Lance. "Did he tell you why he's going?"
"To try and forget. I think he feels he needs some time `alone' and away from certain reminders." Insisted Britney, punctuating the relevant words. This was the killer clue for Lance. Now he could try and explain to JC that Justin hadn't heard a word of his revelation, and that he was sitting there, in New York waiting for him. But suddenly, as soon as that thought ran through his mind, JC came bounding down the stairs, suitcase in hand. Lance put his hand over the mouthpiece, confused as to what he was doing.
"JC, where are you going?" Asked Lance, bemused.
"Anywhere. I just want to get out of here for a while. I don't want any reminders..." Stated JC defiantly. He had slipped into his `defiant' mode. Whenever he got too upset to deal with emotions and people, he put up the barriers, and denied access to anyone. Moments later Joey came running down the stairs, half out of breath.
"You can't go JC, it's not going to do any good going anywhere..." Pleaded Joey as he stepped in front of JC approach to the door. Suddenly, Lance had an idea...
"No, it's ok Joey. I think we all need a break from recording. How does New York sound to you JC? I need to go there to do some Freelance stuff and Joey has an audition next week." Asked Lance, secretly keeping every digit crossed in the hope he would say yes. JC just nodded and put his suitcase down and went upstairs, no doubt to collect other things he would need for the trip. Down in the lounge, Joey gave Lance a weird look as he returned to his call with Britney.
"Did you catch that?" Asked Lance.
"Every word. I'll go there too, and book some rooms. You just make sure you get him there in one piece, and he doesn't find out who else is there." Stated Britney before ending the call after mutual goodbye's. lance then turned to Joey.
"Go with the flow Joe. Go with the flow!" Reassured an ever more confused Joey. Lance then proceeded to dial Chris' number, and started to tell him the plan.
"Oh SHIT!" Shouted Chris
"What?" Asked Lance.
"Bobbie, she's bolted, and she knows where we're going." Relayed a worried Chris.
"Doesn't matter, we'll deal with when we get there...Just get yourself to the airport." Stated Lance. Moments later JC walked down the stairs with all he needed in his hands. "We ready to go then?" Asked a confident Lance. JC and Joey both nodded.
On the plane, Justin had placed a set of earphones on and played the music of a local radio station as loud as he could muster. This was the start of a long weekend to remember, but not for the reasons Justin thinks, or a silent JC for that matter, sat in the back seat of Lance's SUV.
There we go again folks...Chapter 4 is done and dusted and `The Final Chapter' is well on it's way...
Again I have left you all with innumerable questions to answer, but as this is only a 5 chapter story I doubt it will take long for it to all pan out into the 'happy' ending (I haven't decided that part yet!)
Please feel free to get back to me to remind me that JC and Justin sickly in their mushy love stuff or that Chris and Joey are far too sensitive...or that Lance is just too involved!! for your taste... I know all these things, but ha ho, this is fiction baby!!
Please feel free to get back to me while I wait for Christopher to write another chapter to 'Something Like Justin' and 'Building Dreams'... (grimstone@btinternet.com or ujemeflip@hotmail.com)
See yaz all laterz
DCG