As Justin opened the door to JC’s room he noticed immediately that it was relatively quiet. The guys briefly look up at his entrance and greeted him whether it was with a nod or a hello. It seemed that he was the last one to arrive. Even the food had beaten him there.
Justin walked over to the food cart that was in the kitchen area of the hotel room. He grabbed a plate and piled his favorite breakfast foods onto it. He then made his way over to the couch where there was a spot between JC and Chris.
Justin was halfway through his breakfast while the others were finishing up theirs before he realized what they had been watching on TV. “You guys have to be kidding me! Blue’s Clues?”
“It’s the only thing on this early in the morning. You think you can find something better? Be my guest,” Joey muttered.
Chris heard Joey’s comment and began to hum “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast. Everyone let out a chuckle except for Joey.
“Chris, will you knock it off?” Joey snapped.
“What’s your problem?” Chris asked he stopped humming and glared at Joey.
“You. You’re my problem.”
Chris narrowed his eyes. “You asshole.”
“Joey, Chris is just being Chris. You know that. You’ve practically lived with him for 10 years. How is it that now you go about snapping at him all the time?” Justin said.
“What are you talking about? This is the first time I’ve snapped at him,” Joey said.
“Yeah, today,” Justin replied. “You snapped at him last night whenever he ran into you in the hall at the venue.”
“Well, he should have watched where he was going. He needs to learn how to grow up. None of us run up and down the halls after a concert.”
“Listen to yourself, Joey. You never used to be bothered by something like that. What’s changed?” Justin asked.
“Nothing, nothing’s changed. I just think it’s time you guys, Chris more than anyone, starts acting their age,” Joey said.
“Justin’s right, Joey. The old Joey used to join in the fun and be so happy. What happened to him?” Lance asked.
“He’s still here. He’s just grown up a bit.”
“That’s not it. You may have grown up, but that shouldn’t change who you are. The person that you are now is different than the Joey we used to know. Why don’t you just admit that you have a problem?” Lance said.
“Because I don’t have a problem!” roared Joey. “If you guys want to talk about someone who has a problem, talk about JC or Lance. They have a problem, not me!”
Joey stalked out of the room and slammed the door behind him. The four other guys looked at each other and shrugged. They would figure out what was wrong with Joey eventually.
Justin sighed knowing that the only thing he had succeeded in so far was pissing off one of his best friends. However, he knew that he had to keep pressing on if he wanted to help them. He might get them all mad at him, but then at least it would be brought to everyone’s attention that they did have a problem and needed help.
It took him a few minutes to be able to gently open the conversation back up. The tension was thick in the room and just seemed to settle there, especially since no one was talking.
“Guys…” Justin tried.
Justin cleared his throat and tried again. “Guys…”
“Guys…”
“What, Justin?” Chris finally asked.
“Well, I was thinking that maybe Joey had a point.”
“About what?” Lance asked as he turned to look at Justin.
“About you and JC having a problem,” Justin answered.
“I don’t have a problem,” JC objected.
“Neither do I,” Lance said.
“Yeah, right. You both know that you have a problem. JC, you’re not sleeping well and have been having nightmares. Lance, you’re becoming more of a workaholic than you used to be,” Justin explained.
“That’s not true!” JC and Lance protested at the same time.
“If it’s not true, then why do you have those black circles under your eyes, JC? Lance, the same thing goes for you. You’re on your laptop so much we should just glue the damn thing to your fingers,” Chris said.
“All right, fine, I’ll admit that I haven’t been sleeping as well as I used to,” JC said.
“Because of your nightmares?” Justin asked.
“I’ve only had one nightmare, Justin.”
“JC, you know that’s not true. You’ve had more than one,” Lance said. JC turned to give Lance and icy glare.
“Do you want to…”
JC cut Justin off, not even aware that he had started to say something. “What about you and your problem, Lance? I find it hard to believe that you have as much to do as you claim.”
Lance sighed. “I’ve just had a bunch of work to catch up on. You know how busy my companies have become.”
“I think JC’s right. There’s more to it than that,” Justin said.
“Justin, you should just back off. Maybe working keeps my mind off of other things,” Lance argued.
“What kind of things?” Justin leaned forward in his seat. He was beginning to think they were finally getting somewhere.
“Well, you know…uh…stuff,” Lance stuttered.
“What kind of stuff?” Justin pressed.
Lance sighed. “Justin, will you please just drop it?”
“But we just want to help you,” Justin said.
“I know you do, but if I did have a problem I’m not sure I’d be ready to talk just yet.”
“You’ll let me know when you are though, right Lance?”
“Yes, Justin.”
“OK, well, I guess I’m going to go take a shower before we have to meet up for sound check,” Chris said as he stood up. He left the room knowing that Justin would eventually give up and follow. Chris knew from experience that no one could push either one of them, especially JC, to talk if they didn’t want to.
“Lance, are you sure there isn’t anything you want to tell me?” Justin asked once the door shut behind Chris.
“Yes, Justin, I’m sure,” Lance answered. He was becoming annoyed with all the questions Justin had been asking.
Justin nodded and Lance knew that he decided to drop the subject for now. “JC,” Justin started.
“No, Justin,” JC growled. “I don’t want to talk about my nightmares or my sleeping problems. Just leave me alone!”
Justin sat in silence for a few seconds. JC was pretty scary when he was mad and Justin had only seen him like that a few times. “All right. I’m going to go take a shower. I’ll see you guys later.”
Justin got up from where he had been sitting and left the room closing the door gently behind him. Once the door was shut Lance looked over at JC to see that he had the remote in his hand and was trying to find something good on TV to watch. Lance sat there staring at JC wondering what his nightmares were when he realized he didn’t have to wonder. He could take a look inside JC’s brain himself.
Lance knew that what he was about to do was wrong, but he couldn’t stop himself. He was upset that JC would hide something like this from him. Lance watched as the hotel room seemed to fade away and in its place were the woods that JC and Justin had found them in last year.
Lance watched as the two demons came back to the very spot where Lance’s life had nearly been sucked out of him and proceeded to do just that. Instead of Justin and JC coming to the rescue like they had, they were there being forced to watch by some invisible force. Lance watched as the life was sucked out of him, Joey, and Chris before the demons rounded on Justin. He could see Justin grow weaker and JC struggling on his spot to help his friend. Finally the demons finished the job and JC was the only one left. They didn’t touch him and instead left him to himself. Lance saw JC collapse to the ground weeping for his lost friends.
“What are you staring at?”
Lance jumped when he heard JC’s voice. JC’s voice instantly brought him back to reality and Lance broke off the connection with him. “I’m sorry I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About your nightmares,” Lance finally admitted after sitting in silence for a few minutes trying to build enough courage to bring it up in front of JC, especially after his explosion at Justin.
“Like I told Justin, I don’t want to talk about them.”
“But, JC, you need to get it what’s bugging you off your chest. You’re going to keep having the same nightmare over and over until you talk about it.”
“What does it matter anyway? I know that they can’t come true. It’s just that sometimes they feel so real. I mean if they came back befo…never mind,” JC said.
“Oh, please, like the demons are going to find us and kill everyone except you.” As soon as the words left Lance’s mouth he knew he was in for it. He hadn’t meant to say it and now he knew he just opened up a new can of worms.
JC turned to look at him. “What? How could you possible know that?”
“Lucky guess?” Lance suggested and JC crossed his arms as he narrowed his eyes. “OK, OK, I sort of went through your mind to find out the information.”
“You what!” JC yelled.
“I’m sorry, JC, but I was concerned. The others do have a point and you can’t forget about that time I caught you after you just had a nightmare. JC, I haven’t seen you get a full night’s sleep in a long time. You’re going to make yourself sick,” Lance said.
“I am not and you think you understand because of what you went through when I almost died, but you don’t! There’s no way you could ever understand, Lance!”
“Why don’t you tell me? I want to help you through this.”
“Why would I tell you when you can just read my mind anyway?” JC yelled.
“I wouldn’t want to violate your privacy like that, JC.”
“Well, too late. You already have, Lance! Might as well finish what you were looking for!”
“No, I don’t want to do that to you. I’m sorry that I did it once without your permission. I’m just worried about you, about everyone. I only wanted to help.”
“You want to help? Then stay out of my head!” JC shouted at Lance before he left the hotel room slamming the door behind him. JC didn’t care that he was leaving his own hotel room. He just needed to get away to a place where he could be left alone to think. He needed to clear his head as much as possible before the concert.
