| The Great Outdoors [three] by Destiny Lance was the first to arrive at WEG's the next morning. He'd packed carefully according to the itinerary, making damn sure he had a waterproof place for his tiny stash of blow. No use in wasting his time sober with the four idiots he once called friend. Justin arrived next screeching to a halt inches from Lance in his candy apple red Benz and $500 sunglasses. He hopped out over the top of the door and grabbed his bag from the backseat. "Hey," he said, looking past Lance out over the busy street. "Suppose the coffeehouse is open yet?" "I dunno," Lance answered with a shrug. "It's only six. Probably." "I'll be back," Justin said, dropping his bag at Lance's feet. Lance shook his head as Justin walked away, annoyed that the little fuck had assumed he'd watch his bag and even more annoyed that he hadn't offered to get him a coffee too. JC pulled up and parked responsibly next to Lance's 4-runner. He slid out with a worried look hidden behind his shades. He locked his car and lugged his suitcase over. "Hi," he said with a sigh. "Hey," Lance sniffled back, pulling out a tissue and wiping his nose. "Still sick huh?" JC asked, dropping his luggage to the pavement. "Fuck yeah. It's taking forever for me to get rid of it." He was touched JC had asked. "What about you? How you holding up with the whole Bobbie thing?" JC blushed and kicked a pebble out of the way. "Shit, I don't know. I'm just looking for an escape I suppose. Maybe this will be it, you know?" Chris' horn scared them both, as he was the next to arrive. "Dudes!" he yelled out the sunroof. "Dudes?" JC repeated. "What the hell is he on?" "Bet he got no sleep last night. Bet he's overtired or took some speed or some shit." JC nodded as he watched Chris bounce from the car bopping to some song on his Walkman. He shook his butt a bit and smiled as he pulled the headset off. "Where's Joe and Jay? Not here?" "Justin's getting himself coffee, the little fucker," Lance spat. "And Joe isn't here yet." As if on cue a taxi pulled in depositing the last member of N Sync at the meeting place. Joey stepped out and paid the cabbie hauling a trunk over to the rest of them. "Where's Jay?" "What the hell is that?" JC gasped pointing at the oversized black box. "My shit!" Joey exclaimed with a grin. "Supplies man." He popped the lock and held up a huge bottle of Jack Daniels. "Oh Christ," JC groaned. "We're not supposed to drink while we're there you know." "Fuck that," Joey said putting the bottle back inside the trunk and locking it tight. "If I gotta spend a week with Justin, I'm drinking." "Be nice," Chris warned as he spied Justin heading back with a solitary cup of coffee. "We don't want to get off on bad terms here." Lance grumbled angrily and looked around. He needed privacy already and it had only been twenty minutes. "I'm not gonna make it," he whispered to JC. "Yes, you will," JC promised him. "We're all gonna make it." A large black van pulled up and stopped in front of them. The driver got out and opened the back door before sliding back behind the wheel. "Well!" Justin hissed, unused to lugging his own things around. Lance pushed Justin out of the way and tossed his duffle bag in. He climbed wordlessly into the van and sighed as he listened to Justin rant and Joey tell him to shut the fuck up. It was going to be a hell of a long week. ***************************************************************************************************************** "When are we going to be there?" Justin whined. "When we get there stupid!" Joey replied. "Hot damn, someone got matches?" Chris asked. "No why?" JC sighed. "Fire, dumbass. Fire." Chris snorted. "Wait! They don't have fire already there?" Lance queried. "I doubt it but I have matches anyway," Joey smiled easily. "When are we going to be there?" Justin whined again. "Shut up!" four replies came. **************************************************************************************************************** The four hour ride dragged on until the driver finally broke his silence and pointed to a sign. "That's you guys," he said. "Happily Ever After?" Lance cried. "You are joking me. That's the name of this place?" Joey chuckled. "It sounds peaceful." "Fuck peace," Justin said with a sly grin. "Look at that bootie!" They all pressed their faces against the window of the van in time to see a group of girls walking down a path in daisy duke shorts and halter tops. "Woo hoo!" Joey yelped rubbing his hands together. JC frowned. "Aren't you married, Joe? Like as in 'off the market'?" Joey's face fell slightly. He was married...with a kid on the way. And he loved Kelly, truly. Shame filled his chocolate eyes and he settled back, eager for a shot of tha JD. "You're right," he said with a small sigh. "More for us!" Chris giggled hysterically. Lance let out a sneeze and waited patiently for his 'God Bless You'. It never came. The driver pulled up the gravel road to a clearing about half way down. He pulled off the road a bit and sat silent waiting for his charges to get out. "Ain't nothing here," Justin commented, pausing long enough to tuck his sunglasses away. "Like nothing. Just that ring of stones." "That ring of stones is where the fire goes," Lance snapped, climbing over JC to get out. "I know you're not supposed to actually do anything," he said to the driver. "But do you mind opening the back so I can get my shit?' The driver shrugged and pushed his door open to accomodate the request. Lance stepped out under the shady thicket and stared up. Slivers of sunlight danced through the forest to its soft floor and a wicked chill crept up on him eliciting another sneeze. "God Bless Me," he grumbled loudly. JC clapped him on the shoulder. "Bless you," "Finally!" Lance sighed. Chris stared at the wooded area. "I gotta pee," he announced. Joey climbed out after him and yawned. "That tree there looks like a good urinal." "I am not, and may I repeat this to you, not going to the bathroom in the woods." Chris stomped his foot in a show of seriousness then crossed it over his other one in agony. "Well, maybe just this once." Joey shook his head and retreated to the back of the van for his trunk of goodies. He nudged JC as they waited for Lance to grab his bag. "Justin's not coming out," he said pointedly. "I noticed. He probably thinks he's too good for this. Shit, I already know he thinks he's too good for us." Lance rubbed his stomach as a hot trail of left over dinner from the night before burned its trail down. Justin was already starting to piss him off and create bodily protests. "Jay? You getting out or what?" Joey called. Justin poked his head out with a frown. "I don't think so. There's no cabin or sink. Jesus it's like Little House on the Prairie only worse." He rubbed the stubble on his chin in thought. "I think I'm bailing here guys. This shit ain't for me." The driver eyed Justin carefully. "I could care less whatcha do but I can't be bringing you back. My directions were to leave five guys here so you're stuck my man." "What?" Justin cried in outrage. He stumbled out of the van as Chris jogged back over. "I'm stuck here!" Chris smirked. "Aren't we all?" "No, you don't understand you pin head. I-AM-STUCK-HERE!" Chris flicked him dead in the center of his forehead. "I-HEARD-YOU! I'm not deaf." Justin swatted at Chris' hand with animosity. "Unbelievable!" he screamed throwing his hands up in frustration. "My cell! I'll call my manager and...." "Your what?" Lance asked with wide eyes. "You mean Johnny? He's not going to help and it said very clearly in the instructions with the itinerary no cell phones." Justin scowled as he pulled the tiny phone from his belt loop. "Not Johnny, you half-wit. My manager. And I, unlike you, don't always do what people tell me to." Lance looked at JC. "Did he call me a half wit?" JC looked at Lance. "He did." "Wait, wait, wait!" Chris said grabbing Justin's elbow. "Go back to the 'my manager' part. You have a manger or you're talking about our manager?" Joey's mouth dropped open as he realized what was about to go down. Justin dialed the number as he rolled his eyes. "My! Don't you understand English here? If I'm going to have a solo career you don't honestly think I could keep Johnny do you?" He scrunched his nose up as his cell phone beeped 'out of range'. "Damn thing," he growled, walking a few feet away to try again. Lance came out of nowhere, spearing Justin's mid-section. Both singers tumbled to the brown leaves and moss below and the cell phone flew under a log. "You dumb little shit!" Lance shrieked, landing a solid punch in Justin's kidneys before the younger man knew what was happening. "Get off me!" Justin hissed, rolling Lance over easily and pinning him to the ground. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Justin's tongue lapped up a tiny trickle of blood that entered his mouth making his blue eyes turn black. "You fuck. You made me bleed?" Lance stared up at him with contempt and hatred. He blinked as Justin balled up his hand into a fist and struck him in the jaw sending shivers of pain through his entire skull. When he composed himself enough to open his eyes he saw Joey ripping Justin off him with a string of expletives. Lance scrambled to his feet, amazed that he was able to move after such a powerful punch. He rubbed his tender jaw but continued his stony glare. "I can't believe you'd fuck us over like that!" he yelled as JC grabbed the flannel of his shirtsleeve. "Lemme go, JC. Lemme kick his ass!" Justin laughed sourly as he touched his hand to his mouth staring at the crimson residue. "Like you could kick my ass!" he scoffed yanking out of Joey's grip. "I had to watch out for myself. I had to since you were all too busy with your fucking clothing lines and movie careers and producing and goddamn management companies. What the hell did y'all expect from me huh?" Justin's face clouded over suddenly with raw emotion and truthfulness. His lower lip trembled a bit as Joey let him go and he wrapped his arms around himself with a shiver. Tears stung hot in his eyes and he looked down, ashamed he'd been so weak. "Fuck," he muttered, storming into the woods. JC released Lance and they stared after him. "Shit, I had no idea he was upset about us," Lance said softly. "How the fuck are we supposed to know what he thinks when he won't talk to us?" Chris asked. "He never says how he fucking feels just expects we'll all get him. Well, I don't get him. I never get him! He changes his mind like a damn girl and...." "Chris!" JC yelled. "Shut up. This isn't about you. It's about him and us and how we're going to resolve this little crisis." Lance rubbed his jaw and tried to open it wider to make the pain stop. He pointed as the van drove off. "Guess we're stuck here for real." His eyes darted around nervously and he headed for his bag, eager for a little comfort in the form of white powder. He needed something to get the monkey off his back for a bit but as he scanned the area, he wondered where he'd find peace enough to do it. Grabbing the vial from the pocket, he headed off into the woods after Justin. "I'll get him," he explained quickly and jogged after the figure fading into the shadows. "Lance wait. You guys don't know where you're going!" Lance turned and looked at JC. "He can't go far," he sighed. "We'll be right back. There's a trail for heaven's sake." JC shook his head with apprehension. "Five minutes!" Lance promised and continued to run after Justin who was a good deal of distance ahead of him. "They're gonna get lost," Joey sang as he rummaged for the tent the driver left for them. "No they won't," Chris countered, lugging the rest of the bags over. "They're grown. They have some sense." JC frowned. Neither Lance or Justin had sense of any kind, especially not any sense of direction. All the years they lived in Orlando and the two of them still got lost going to each other's house. A feeling of dread washed over JC as Justin disappeared into the woods and then Lance was gone too. "I hope you're right, Chris," he whispered, kneeling down to help Joey with the tent. |