Chapter Two

"Damnit," Justin groaned watching Joey walk into the room the next morning. The sunglasses he wore were a good indication of his state of mind. He held his phone up to his ear and talked to the dead space. "This is Justin; please cancel my appointments for the rest of the day. Jesus..."

"Go to hell, Justin," Joey words were unfeeling as he flipped him the bird. He dropped his bag to the ground and leaned over, grabbing the bottle of water he had shoved in there out the door, all while gulping another held in his hand. His muscles protested walking after so much exertion yesterday. His head - his head protested everything; every movement, every breath. It would take much to get him to lie down on the floor and fall asleep. But falling asleep meant dreaming. And dreaming was worse than being awake. At least he was able to veer his conscious thoughts away from things he didn't want to think about. Dreaming he was along for the ride or train wreck depending upon where his subconscious chose to take him.

The guys exchanged worried looks but before they could question their friend further and get to the bottom of whatever Joey was going through, Wade, their choreographer, walked through the doors, ending any chance.

"For fuck's sake, Joey," Chris snapped two hours later after nonstop dancing. The same moves over and over and over again. "Will you fucking at least attempt to fucking learn the correct fucking moves at the correct fucking time!"

"You have a fucking problem?" Joey snapped.

"Yes I have a fucking problem! We have been doing this the past two fucking days and you haven't put forth a fucking effort to learn this. We have been busting our fucking asses and we are fucking exhausted and worn out."

"Like I'm the fuck not? Like my idea of fun is fucking dancing for two fucking days straight?" Joey stepped closer to the older man.

"You sure have a fucking funny way of showing it! The moves aren't even that fucking hard!" Chris quickly did a couple of the hand moves. Snapping the moves out in his anger. "See! Easy!"

"Well congratu-fucking-lations!" Joey said sarcastically. "We got ourselves a regular dance wonder here."

"Calm down, Joey," JC said as he stepped up, gripping Joey's arm with his hand. He had seen the argument coming from a mile away. Chris's temper was always short when he was tired and worn out.

"Fuck off, JC," Joey wrenched his arm free, sending a glare in JC's direction. "I don't need this fucking shit. I'm out." He grabbed his bag. He threw open the door, letting it crash against the wall.

"Was that really necessary?" Lance looked at Chris. The hall reigned silent following Joey's disappearance.

"Screw you, Lance." Chris grabbed his things and followed Joey's footsteps out the door leaving the three remaining members bewildered.

"What," Justin asked looking between Lance and JC. "Just happened here?"

"I have no idea," JC said staring at the door, long since closed from Chris's departure.

"We'll we'd better figure it out and fast," Justin said. "Because if Joey doesn't snap out of... whatever the hell he's in, we'll never be ready in time for the tour."

"Well Joey's not talking to us," Lance stated. "So when we want to know what's going on with him outside of the four of us, who do we go to?"

"Melissa."

*~*~*~*~*

Melissa tossed the pile of clothes she was going through on her bed when the incessant knocking continued on her door. She had hoped after knocking twice, whoever was on the other side would take the hit; that even if she was home, she wasn't in the mood for company.

She had a feeling who it was; she saw the numerous missed calls and text messages on her phone before she switched it off. It had crossed her mind to reply to one of the messages; give a vague excuse, feign business. And she was; if finally going through her closet - one of her New Year's Resolutions - in August classified as busy.

She walked through her apartment; her walls now blank having ‘redecorated' in a fit of anger two nights before. Broken glass and busted picture frames had long since been thrown away. Pictures that weren't damaged or ruined had been boxed up. The box now sat on the top shelf in her closet.

Her suspicious were confirmed when she peeked through the peephole. She closed her eyes and sighed, ‘God give me the strength...' Donning a smile she didn't feel, she opened the door.

"Hey guys, I wasn't expecting you today. I thought you'd be busy learning your new routines." Judging by the exchanged glanced they saw right through her bravado.

"We need your help," Justin said, shaking off the weird vibe he was getting.

"Like yesterday," Lance said. Something strange was going on. Melissa was hovering at the door, it was only open enough for her body to fit in, but it built a wall. He felt they weren't allowed to breach it.

"Can we come in?" JC asked, looking at Melissa hopefully. "We hoped you weren't busy. We tried to call..." He let his words trail off.

Melissa winced. Coming from JC it sounded like an acquisition like he knew she was purposely avoiding their calls. She pushed the door open wide and stood to the side, allowing them to enter. Closing the door she turned to face them. "What's the emergency that warranted blowing up my phone?"

"Ah, so you did know we tried calling," Lance said. It was hard not to notice the lack of photographs. Melissa's walls and any flat surface were always adorned with picture frames. He knew for a fact that he was in no less than ten. But now they were gone. The only remaining picture in the room stood on top of the entertainment center in an eight-by-ten black frame. Encased was a photograph of Melissa and her best friend in their collegiate cap and gown after graduation.

"So I didn't pick up the phone," Melissa crossed her arms. She felt vulnerable and it irritated her to feel that way in her own place. "It's not a crime."

"Calm down Chica," Justin raised his hands in surrender. "If you are busy; we can leave."

It was odd for Melissa to be acting like this. She had never treated them with anything but kindness and friendship. She had melded into their group rather quickly becoming their sister. She was smart and funny, able to crack one-liners with the best of them and be right in the middle of a practical joke.

Melissa sighed. She allowed her arms to drop to her sides. "Sorry. What's up guys?" She sat down in one of the chairs in the living room. She held her hand out giving the guys permission to sit. They dropped down onto her couch.

"It's Joey. We want..." Lance's words trailed off when he noticed Melissa freeze at the mention of Joey. He sent Justin a worried message.

"Melissa?" JC asked softly moving to sit on the edge of the cushion. "Are you okay?"

Melissa breathed slowly. Her emotions battled with each other. She wasn't sure if she wanted to start crying or start throwing something. She kept her eyes averted during her struggle. When she felt she had gained control, she looked back at her friends. "What about him?" She hoped she came across indifferent.

"What happened, Chica?" Justin asked. Pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. Joey's appearance, his anger.

"Do we have to go give him a beat down?" Lance asked.

A sharp laugh escaped Melissa as a tear rolled down her check. She swiped it away with a finger. "I don't care what you do with him."

The statement brought more worried glances amongst the guys. They solved the original mystery that brought them to her doorstep, but it aroused a new one. Just what happened between their friends?

"Joey and I are no longer friends." Melissa stated the words able to pierce her heart.

"You were more than friends," JC said confessed.

Melissa laughed haughtily. "No," she shook her head. "No. Joey and I were never more than friends."

"That's not true," Lance broke in. "We know you guys..."

Melissa shook her head again. "No we were never more than friends. Joey and I were friends-with-benefits. There was never a relationship." She looked at their wide-eyed, shocked faces.

"What? No way," Justin said shaking his head unable to comprehend what Melissa was saying. "No way you guys weren't together."

"I don't believe that," JC shook his head.

"I don't care what you guys believe or don't believe," Melissa snapped. "Joey and I were never in a ‘relationship'. There was no declaring of love or vows of exclusiveness. We were friends that slept together. And now," she shrugged her shoulders. "Now we aren't friends."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," Melissa said matter-of-factly. "That's what it has to be. I can't..." her voice faltered for the first time since Justin, Lance and JC appeared outside her door. "It has to be like that. I can't take it any other way."

Melissa closed the door behind the three men later and leaned back against it. She felt the tears fill her eyes and she pressed her palms into her eyes in hopes of stopping them. She moaned. She didn't want to cry. She spent enough time crying over someone who didn't care about her. If Joey didn't care about her then he didn't deserve her tears, her heartbreak.

With a renewed attitude, she wiped the rest of her tears away and pushed away from the door. There was still work to be done in her bedroom. And when she finished that, maybe it was time to go out. She hadn't had a night out on the town in awhile. Nodding to herself she vowed to finish her bedroom and get a hold of her best friend. She wasn't going to sit in her empty apartment all night feeling sorry for herself.