"I still don't know why JC went with Lance," Joey said as the remaining three band members lounged around the bus. The outside scenery passed them by as they headed toward the next venue. After the show last night, Lance and JC left immediately for the airport, leaving Joey, Justin and Chris behind. The two N'SYNC buses convoyed down the interstate, but the front bus was empty. It had already been hashed out and settled who was on what bus with who. Lance and JC had Justin, while Chris and Joey, along with Kristen, took the second bus. When they piled on the buses last night, pulling from the arena, Justin had crashed on his bus, but in the morning decided to ride on the second bus. He didn't want to be by himself.
Chris sighed as his fingers rapidly hit the buttons on the controller in his hands his eyes never leaving the screen. Joey had been in a mood from the moment the phone call came about the girls' accident. And Chris could understand what Joey was feeling. He had been close to telling the buses to pull over and crash with Justin last night when Joey and Kristen started going at it. He just turned up the music on his headphones and tried to drown them out. He heard from Justin they had fought before the show over Joey going to California. Judging by the glares and clipped words, all was not well for the newlyweds still this morning.
"Because Dawg," Justin tapped a combination of buttons on his own controller. He tilted the controller with his character even though it didn't help. "JC has the hots for Rachel." He punched a couple more buttons and let out a whoop. "Ha! In your face!" He pumped his fist in the air, laughing as he bested Chris. He stood up and did in a little dance. "What?" He asked when he saw Joey and Chris staring him. "Oh come on, you didn't know?"
"JC likes Rachel? Lance's Rachel?" Joey asked, still trying to comprehend the new information. It still stopped him stupid. "Since when?" He told himself he was a pretty observant guy and he hadn't noticed anything. But then again, the last few months had been a colossal mess.
"She's the only Rachel around."
"Jesus, it's like a fucking soap opera around here!" Chris snapped the game off losing interest. He pushed himself up off the floor.
"We should be recording this shit," Justin said as he returned his controller to the entertainment center. He then plopped down on the couch with his feet up. "We have a gold mine here. First Melissa is dating the jerk Travis, but she's in love with Joey, her best friend, but he's dating the Socialite Kristen. Then Lance reveals that he's not only gay, but is going to be dating his sister's best friend as a cover. Of course we know what happens next; Mel and Joey get their head out of their asses and finally get together. By Thanksgiving, JC realizes he's starting to have feelings for his friend's fake girlfriend. Fast forward to New Years and we have Mel and Joey's wedding plans thwarted when Kristen comes back on scene stating that she's pregnant with Joey's baby. So the Fatone/Bass wedding plans are axed so Joey can marry his baby's Momma. This has got to be better than anything that's going on on daytime television."
"JC has feelings for Rachel?" Chris asked, picking that tidbit of information out of Justin's speech.
"You don't see it?" Justin rolled his eyes as he stared up at the older man. "God, he's so obvious. Feelings go both ways though."
"What!" Both Joey and Chris shrieked.
"I need to sit down," Chris fell down into the booth to the kitchen table. "You're telling me that not only does JC like Rachel, but she likes him in return?"
"You guys need to open your eyes. Haven't you noticed the looks, the lingering gazes, the little smiles like they are sharing a secret."
"This sounds like a damn love song." Joey grunted making a face. Love songs made him sick. He still could not make it through 'I Thought She Knew' without feeling the urge to lock himself in the bathroom and puke his guts out.
"I wouldn't be surprised if JC hasn't already written something of the sort," Justin said matter of fact. "You know he's always thinking of lyrics and music. But if all that wasn't obvious, you morons should have been clued in with the phone call. You didn't see how close he was to freaking out? Of course not," he rolled his eyes. "You definitely should have gotten it when he took off to California. There really was no reason for JC to go with Lance."
"God," Chris groaned folding his arms across the table before resting his head on them. "This is a fucking soap opera. JC is in love with Lance's cover girlfriend."
"Lance is gay?"
Three male heads snapped up at the feminine voice. Three sets of eyes landed on Kristen, who stood in the hallway leading back to bunk area, her arms crossed as she looked at the men. There was an unrecognizable look on her face. But they men knew it wouldn't bode well for any of them, including their counterparts in California.
*~*~*
"Are you fucking kidding me, Joey!" Lance yelled into his phone as he paced the living room. He barely had time to check on Rachel after getting Melissa settled into the recliner with her foot propped up before his phone had rang. He'd wanted to look over Melissa's hospital papers and what they'd been given about the accident from an officer that had come by. Now he was listening to Joey tell him what had happened while he was gone. "Why are you calling and not them?"
"I'm sorry Lance," Joey said, glaring at his two friends sitting on the couch. "I'm calling because I drew the short straw. It helped that we are best friends."
"Jesus Joey, what the hell were they thinking?" The anger coursed off him. "Did you talk to her? Tell her they were joking?"
"I talked to her yes," Joey slowly said. "But we couldn't brush it off. There was no way we could fix it. I'm sorry."
"Goddamnit," Lance cursed and snapped his phone shut. Ignoring the others in the room, he stalked through the kitchen and out onto the patio slamming the door behind him. He griped the railing, locking his elbows. He bowed his head, his eyes clenched in anger. The only people who knew he was gay were the people he trusted. The ones that he could trust not to say anything until he was ready for the world to know. And now there was a unknown thrown in the middle. Kristen now held the power over him.
"Was that slam a 'the-friend-needs-to-talk-to-him'," Rachel turned her head from being buried into the cushion after Lance stormed from the room. "Or the 'sister-needs-to-talk-to-him' slam or the 'girlfriend' slam?"
"Girlfriend," JC and Melissa said at the same time, laughing.
"Damnit."
"He's pissed. I haven't seen him this mad in a long time," Melissa said wondering what Joey had told him over the phone.
"The 'them' must have been Justin and Chris, hard to tell what they did," JC shook his head. "I can't believe they'd get into trouble and we haven't been gone a day yet.
Rachel groaned as she pushed herself up from the couch. "I actually think that was a 'friend' slam considering who it was that pissed him off. You so owe me."
JC grinned as he watched her walk from the room and out onto the patio. She closed the door much quieter than Lance did. He took a seat on the couch and leaned his head back closing his eyes. He felt he could relax for the first time since the phone call yesterday. Aside from the two stitches on her temple and her slow movements and elbow in a cast, you couldn't tell Rachel had been in a serious car accident. Walking into her room, he had been able to put his mind at ease, seeing her smiling at them. The whole flight to California his mind wouldn't turn off thinking Rachel didn't tell them the whole truth so they wouldn't worry. Or some problem would arise while they were in the air.
"She loves him," Melissa broke the silence in the room. She watched as JC's eyes shot to hers. She couldn't finger the emotion that crossed his eyes before it was gone. "But she's not in love with him. I know it doesn't look like it from where you're sitting, but it's true. If you haven't noticed by now, the Bass family has been cursed with the touchy-feely gene. Sometimes it's really great, other times, it's a pain in the ass. Unfortunately somewhere in the Weatherly family tree, and after meeting some of them I'm inclined to think it was generations and generations ago, they had the same touchy-feely gene and Rachel was cursed with it as well.
"Don't get me wrong, I like the hand holdings, hugs and snuggles. But seeing someone else do it, it can be sickening." She grinned when she saw JC smile and knew he was thinking of her and Joey, but wisely didn't say anything. She felt a pain in her chest as she thought of all the touchy-feely she and Joey participated in that wasn't in a sexual manner. Snuggling together, albeit on a couch or bed or the floor was her favorite. "They've gotten close over the months they've been dating. For a moment there I thought I was being pushed aside in the best friend category. But there is something you need to realize. Rachel and Lance both want different people. They make you think things are there but they aren't."
“A mirage," JC said giving her a look before his eyes wondered toward the patio door where Rachel and Lance stood on the other side. Talking. Holding hands. He felt a swift pang of jealousy rush through him as he watched their fingers entwine. Their bodies leaning toward each other. He wondered if they knew it happened or if it was a reflex; a side effect of being that comfortable together that they just sought each other out. Melissa had just told him they weren't in love with each other, that this was all pretend, to keep the cover Lance sought. But this was a private setting, there were no cameras around. There was no need to put on this show.
"That's why I love you, Josh," She let a small smile grace her features, feeling happy when JC returned it with on of his own. "You're forever the perfectionist with words. But I'm not the only one who loves you."
JC stood from the couch, unable to sit still any longer. He walked across the living room, staring out the front window. He rubbed a hand across his face then through his hair. "Are you saying she loves me?"
Melissa tutted and shook her head. "That is not for me to divulge. I've said enough already. She's liable to give me a matching goose egg on the other side of my head if she finds out I told you that." She bit her tongue hearing the words through her mind. And she realized that without trying to, she told him what she hadn't meant to. "Don't listen to me, I'm under the influence of medications."
JC let the smile on his face grow, his heart feeling lighter. "How do you know she wants something real?"
Melissa pushed herself up from the couch with one crutch, grimacing as weight went to her good leg and her ankle protested and she gave up. “Come sit by me JC.” Melissa waited until he was sitting down next to her. "Don't you remember the song? 'For the girl who has everything...' she sang, swaying into him, giving him a nudge. "She wants the real deal. Even if you have to keep it on the D-L."
"Right then, you sounded just like Chris," JC laughed wrapping his arm around her, pulling her into a sideways hug. "Thanks."
Melissa leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his lean frame. "I expect royalties on your next song if you write about all this." It made her ankle hurt less and it felt good to have someone hugging her.
JC chuckled but nodded, "Deal." They stood in silence at the window offering each other comfort. "Just so you know, I think Joey's an idiot."
Melissa stiffened at the mention of Joey's name. He hadn't been for from her mind since the accident and she still berated herself for looking for Joey behind Lance and JC when they came into her hospital room. She knew it was silly; knew he wouldn't be there. Why would he be there? He had a wife now; a baby on the way.
"I know he did what he thought he had to do, but..." JC's voice trailed off. "I'm sorry to bring him up Mel. I shouldn't be talking about this."
She gave him a watery smile and wiped at her tears. "It's okay JC. We can't just not mention his name anymore. He's apart of the group and he's still Lance's best friend. He's your friend."
"He is my friend and I still think he's an idiot. He didn't have to let you go." He reached up to wipe a tear away that rolled down her cheek. "He was gonna come." He heard her breath catch and he wondered if he was making the right decision. "He was freaking out when Rachel called. When Lance made plans to leave after the show he tried to go with but Kristen..."
"Yeah," Melissa sighed, blowing out a quivering breath. "I understand." JC didn't have to say it. She knew Joey didn't come because Kristen wouldn't let him and he wouldn't want to make her angry, especially while she was pregnant. "It's probably a good thing he didn't come."
"Yeah," JC echoed. His eyes once more went to Lance and Rachel as he sat there, wondering what they were talking about and he wanted the same thing with Rachel. The friend he could go to with anything.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here is part 2 to this chapter. :) Enjoy
Story Tags: joey
