“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going for a drive! That should give you at least an hour to cool off!”

“Make that three hours, and don’t slam the door on your way out!”

Two seconds later, the front door slammed anyway.

Ten seconds later, the gunning of a car engine and the squealing of tires sounded outside the house; you could almost smell the burning rubber.

After the livid ranting and stomping on the stairs faded out, Joey poked his head into the living room. He made a quick survey of the area before whispering over his shoulder, “Okay, the coast is clear.”

Justin followed Joey into the room and joined him on the big black sofa. With a long, slow exhalation, Justin said softly, “Whoo-whee…I didn’t know Chris could yell like that. I was sure the people in the next state could hear him.”

“And if Lance isn’t careful, he will bust that door right off its hinges,” said Joey as he reached for the TV remote.

Justin lifted one foot onto the opposite knee and toyed with the ragged hem of his denim jeans. “Think one of us should go up there and try to talk to Chris?”

Joey shook his head adamantly. “I wouldn’t recommend it. Not if you want to keep your neck in one piece.”

The opening sequence for Downton Abbey was well underway by the time JC appeared. He was holding his cell phone in one hand and a ballpoint pen in the other, his facial expression a cross between miffed and mystified. “What is going on here, guys?” he demanded. “I could hear shouting all the way from my work area in the basement! And which bonehead banged the door so hard?”

Joey kept his eyes on the screen as he answered, “Chris and Lance had a little row and Lance just stormed out. Chris is upstairs, most likely simmering in his room.”

“A little row?” said Justin, knitting his brows at Joey. “I’m surprised there’s no blood on the carpet!”

“Chris and Lance?” JC said, as if he could hardly believe his ears. “What in heaven’s name were they bickering about?”

“Hey,” Joey countered, lifting his hands, “once they opened fire on each other, I thought it wisest to simply stay out of the war zone.”

Justin admitted, “I tried to keep out of it, too, so I couldn’t say what set them off, either. But whatever the issue, it must have been very serious for them to go at each other like that.”

“I should think so,” said JC, shaking his head. “And I thought Chris was supposed to be the adult around here.”

“Just because he’s the oldest doesn’t mean he’s the most intelligent,” Joey muttered, half to himself.

Looking briefly to the ceiling, JC said, “I think I should have a little talk with Chris.”

“I think you should wait,” Joey said, this time with proper eye contact. “He’ll probably bite your head clean off before you set foot in the door.”

“For once, I have to agree with Joey,” Justin said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard Chris that angry before, and I imagine Lance is halfway across town by now.”

JC sighed, but gave in. “Okay, fine, if you insist.” As he turned away, he added tersely, “But when Lance comes back, I’m definitely telling him that if he treats the door like that again, he’s going to pay double on rent.”