Chapter Nine
(Saturday, October 26th, 10 p.m.)
Since the dinner had gone so well, JC had invited everyone back to his place to watch a movie and hang out. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes off of Laurie, she kept invading his thoughts and it was beginning to wear on his nerves. Every move she made he was conscious of, and he feared that Natalie and Steve would catch on to it. As everyone settled into the living room, JC made his way to the kitchen to calm his nerves. He pulled an ice pack from the freezer and placed it on his throbbing temples, trying to relax. JC nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt someone’s hand on his shoulder.
“Relax, JC. It’s me,” Laurie said soothingly. “I need to talk to you.”
JC pulled away from her warily. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Laurie. What if Steve or Natalie …”
“They’re busy in the living room. It’s just you and me,” she smiled at him seductively, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I’ve missed you so much, JC.”
“Laurie … please don’t …” JC struggled to get away.
“Don’t you want me anymore?” Laurie pouted playfully.
“It’s not that … Jesus, Laurie - if someone saw us …” JC looked around the room cautiously.
“No one will see us, JC. It’s just the two of us,” Laurie insisted, pulling him closer into a kiss.
Shannon could do nothing but stare for a few moments until she regained her composure, and quietly closed the door.
“Oh my god …” Shannon whispered, shaking her head. She leaned against the wall opposite, staring at the door to the kitchen. Joey came around the corner, smiling and looking at her curiously.
“Did you find the bathroom okay? What’s the matter, sweetie?”
Shannon looked at Joey, searching for the right words, unsure of what to say. How could she tell her boyfriend that his best friend was not only cheating on his girlfriend, but also cheating on her with his brother’s fiancee? “Um … Joey, I think … I think I’d better sit down if I’m going to try and explain this to you.”
Joey’s look of amusement quickly turned to one of concern. He opened up a door leading into a small office and ushered Shannon inside, sitting her on the couch. He noticed her face had become pasty white - she had obviously been shocked by something. “Tell me what happened.”
“I was looking for the bathroom … and I couldn’t remember if you had said the first door on the right or left, and so I opened the first door … and," Shannon looked up at Joey, not sure what to say. “I don’t know how to tell you this, Joey.”
"Shannon, you know you can tell me anything. You can trust me, I trust you completely.”
“I know, but … this is awful.” Shannon wrung her hands in frustration. “I guess I’d just better say it - I saw JC and Laurie kiss.” Joey got a look of relief on his face.
"Okay, they kissed. No big deal, honey. They’re really close, they’ve been friends for years.” Joey sighed, chuckling.
“No! Not just kissed, kissing. Like you and I kiss, Joey. This wasn’t a friendly peck on the lips!” Shannon insisted, and Joey’s chuckling ceased abruptly.
“You’re serious?”
“Dead serious. What are we going to do?”
“What the hell are they thinking? What is JC thinking?” Joey fumed, pacing around the room. “How am I gonna tell Steve this? And Natalie … she and JC have been together for almost two years! I’m going to kill him!”
“Joey - you can’t blame this entirely on JC. Laurie seemed to be doing her fair share of the kissing, too. I even heard her say she’d missed him and then he said maybe it wasn’t a good idea.” Shannon said.
“Maybe we should talk to JC or Laurie first before we say anything to Natalie or Steve?”
JC waited a few minutes after Laurie had left the kitchen before he made his way back to the living room. He was really beginning to fully regret what had gone on between them - his stomach was in knots and his head was pounding. Laurie seemed so changed, and JC wasn’t sure if she fully understood that it was over between them. She had surprised him in the kitchen; her demeanor was so different than usual. He leaned back against the counter and sighed. This was getting out of hand faster than he knew how to handle it, and it was scaring him. JC grabbed some popcorn and drinks and exited the kitchen, almost smacking right into Joey who was on the other side of the door.
“Oh, hey Joey. Sorry about that,” JC smiled at his best friend tiredly. “I guess I didn’t see you there. Can I get you anything?”
“JC, we need to talk.” Joey said seriously. JC looked at him, shuddering when he noticed his tone left no room for mistakes - he knew. JC simply nodded and followed Joey into the small office, where Shannon waited, her face saying it all. JC sat down beside her on the couch and hung his head, trying to think of what to say.
“I know what you guys are going to say, and I can explain,” JC said.
**********
It was over. The whole ugly mess was over, yet JC felt no relief. He closed his eyes and all he could see were Natalie’s angry and hurt eyes as he told her what had happened between him and Laurie. He wanted to be angry, but the only person he could be angry with was himself. It wasn’t Shannon’s fault that she had seen he and Laurie kissing, it wasn’t Natalie’s or Steve’s faults that made he and Laurie have sex. Nope, Chasez, this time it's your fault, JC thought to himself as he lie back on the bed he had shared with Natalie for six months. He rolled over, and his eyes landed on the open closet door, where he could see the empty hangers and shelves where until an hour ago Natalie had kept her clothing. For the first time in his life, JC felt completely alone. Laurie refused to talk to him, she lied to Steve, telling him it had been all JC’s idea - that she was drunk and had no idea. Luckily, Steve saw through her lie. Luckily, JC thought ruefully. There was no luck about it; he had screwed up big time. Natalie had slapped him across the face when he told her everything, and she left shortly thereafter with all her belongings for her sister’s house. It was useless for him to call her; JC knew it was completely over between them. Steve was angry with him, but he seemed even angrier with Laurie who had lied straight to his face when given the opportunity to tell the truth. Joey seemed more disappointed with him than anything, and poor Shannon. She had been thrown in the middle of the whole thing, and JC felt badly for her. As for his relationship with Joey and Steve, JC knew the only thing that would heal that was time.
