| DON'T THINK I'M NOT EIGHT |
| Justin sat thoughtfully in his room, listening to his discman, staring off into space. He'd declined the invite to hang out with Joey, Chris and JC, pondering his options with Lance. He knew right from wrong, and it would definetely be wrong to get involved in such a twisted situation. Maybe he could just say no, he wasn't interested, and that would be enough to get Lance off his back. Yeah, that was it. He could just say no. Settling back against the pillows, he closed his eyes and drifted off, letting the long day fade into sleep. Lance hung out in JC's room as he prepared to go out. "Sure you don't want to come with?" he asked for the tenth time. Lance shook his head, watching a re-run of Friends on television. "No, I'm beat. Plus I have like a million things to do for Free Lance tonight." Okay, so it was a lie, but JC wouldn't know the difference. "But you have a good time." JC grinned. "I plan to. I've had enough of this staying inside bullshit. The next album can wait while I get me some action." He ran a handful of gel through his dark hair, tugging it to a standing position, and grabbed his wallet. "Lock up when you go, man?" "I'm going now," Lance replied, flipping the television off. "Hey, do you and J have connecting rooms?" he asked, innocently. JC shrugged, heading for Joey's voice in the hall. "I think so, check it out. Hey, catch ya later!" With that, he was out the door. Lance listened as they stopped at Chris' room to pick him up, interested that Justin hadn't agreed to go with them. That could only mean one thing. He was in. Smiling triumphantly, Lance tugged open the connecting doors, glad that Justin's wasn't locked, and peeked in. The nightstand light was on, and Justin was slumped down half asleep, headphones still covering his ears. "Hmm," Lance sighed, tilting head to the side. "Why's he asleep?" He crept in the room and stared down at his friend. A light snore escaped his lips, and he mumbled something incoherently. Lance tiptoed back into JC's room and dialed Joey's room. "Hello?" she asked. "Hey! Justin's asleep in his room. Wanna come over?" "If he's asleep, why would I want to come over?" "You could wake him up," Lance suggested. "Come on, we discussed this. It's the only way. Unless you want to loose Joey, because if Justin blabs, you will." "Shit, Lance. I just don't think we should do this to him. He doesn't deserve this. It will seriously fuck with his mind. You do realize that? He's not like us. He's still a honest soul." Lance rolled his eyes. "You're turning soft on me woman! Now hurry your ass down here and let's get this over with." He replaced the reciever on it's cradle and sat on JC's bed. Justin was innocent, although no one ever pegged him as such. He was a hopeless romantic, with fantasies of that perfect love, and making love. Lance sighed as he thought about it. How the guy had escaped all the evilness of the business was beyond him. He waited for several minutes before the knock came at the door. Jumping up, he flung it open and let her in. She wore a hesitant look in her eyes, one that made Lance very uneasy. "I don't think I can," she said simply, entering the room. "Joey is out right this instant, picking up women, ducking into the bathroom stall or the limo with them. Do you know how many girls he can fuck a night? Or just fool around with?" His green eyes were cold, challenging the validity of her relationship. Her eyes stung with pain, and she turned to face him. "You son of a bitch," she hissed. Lance snickered and went to the mini bar, taking out a small bottle of Southern Comfort. He didn't bother to ask her if she wanted anything, just proceeded to pour out a small shot and down it. "Why am I a son of a bitch? Because I speak the truth? You know what he does. He just doesn't know what you do." Her face fell, and suddenly the reality of her situation smacked her like a ton of bricks. Sitting on the egde of the bed, she gazed up at Lance as he did another shot. Everything about him seemed cold to her, unfeeling, and the thought of him daring to involve someone like Justin in their game was unforgivable. "I'm not doing it," she explained, rising to her feet. "You'll have to think of another way to keep him quiet. Let him watch us, that's fine, but I am not going to mess that poor kid up like that. I won't." Her voice was firm, even spoken and she placed a hand on each hip, glaring at Lance. He just smiled and continued to drink, his eyes shades deeper and his stance steady, suddenly turned on by her outright defiance. If it was part of this game, he kind of liked it. "Gimme a break," he grinned easily. "You're no holier than thou girl. We're two of a kind, and that means we're in this together." He moved closer to her, placing his empty glass on the nightstand. "Now, in exactly ten minutes, you will go into Justin's room, and you will entice him into your arms, and we will suceed in keeping him quiet. Is that clear?" He held her arms tightly to her side as his eyes burned hotly into hers. Nodding numbly, she felt her pulse race, and cursed herself for not having more will power when it came to him. She was addicted to him, plain and simple. Her love for Joey never waivered, but Lance was simply intoxicating. The plan was being set, and she prayed that Justin would forgive her, she prayed he wouldn't be destroyed by this. He didn't deserve that. Sleeping peacefully next door, Justin smiled in his dreams, still in one piece, still the gentle soul. He had no idea what was coming for him, and just how powerful it would be. |