| The Great Outdoors [four] by Destiny "JC! Not like that. Don't force it in or you'll break it." Joey stared at JC with huge eyes and pointed eyebrows. "You can't force the rods in. Don't you know anything about tents?" Chris sat cross legged nearby and chuckled at the outburst. JC found none of it particularly funny. "Why don't you get up of your dead ass and help or something?" he growled at Chris. "Find some firewood or help with this tent!" He grunted as he tried to slide the pole in again...without forcing it. "Fuck!" he finally screamed, sending a chipmunk scurrying for cover. "It won't budge. It won't move at all. How the hell...arggh!" JC threw the tent down and rested on his haunches. "What time is it anyway?" Chris stood up and shooed JC out of the way as he gave the tent a go. "Five minutes after the last time you asked. Now stop asking." Chris slipped the rod in easily and grinned in victory. "Me hero...you suck!" "Whatever," JC sighed. The air was growing chilly despite the early afternoon hour. JC shivered and rummaged through his luggage for another sweatshirt. "You think they'll find their way back?" Joey staked the tent into the soft ground and nodded. "Of course. They're on a trail. Even Justin can't fuck that up." "Well, unless he and Lance kill each other," Chris interjected. "It could happen." JC snarled as he picked through the box of provisions sent with them. "Great!" he hissed. "No juice!" He tossed out the boxed milk and bags of food. Spying a soda, he popped it open and took a long gulp. "I hate this," he complained, staring at Joey and Chris. "I do." "Look, when the two fairy princes get back from their journey we'll all talk and hash everything out," Chris said, spreading out a blanket to sit on. "Then we'll all feel better and maybe scout out those fine women." Joey thought of Kelly. He thought of his baby girl growing inside of her. "I'm staying here," he whispered, determined to make a change. "Good for you," JC smiled. "You know, Joe. This is what I don't get. Kelly's a great girl. You've loved her for like ever and have this kid on the way. It's like you have this little family that's all yours, ya know?" JC paused to slam the rest of his soda. "I would kill for that. I would just love it so much and...." he stopped. No more words would come out when he thought of how empty his relationship was. No trust or respect. No emotional ties. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry you're going through this," Joey offered, sitting down on the blanket next to Chris. He reached across and grabbed a bag of chips. "I mean, it's not like Bobbie did this while you were dating or anything." JC wiped his hands on his jeans. "I don't need you to defend her, Joe. It's the last fucking thing I need right now." Chris scratched his head as he reached his hand into the potato chip bag and grabbed a handful. "I'm not gonna defend the slut. Things you do in life have a way of coming back to haunt you. That was a slutty thing to do, hands down. You can pose for Playboy or whoever the hell she posed for and do a tasteful layout." "How do you know?" Joey laughed. Chris shrugged as he chomped on the chips. "Chyna did it." JC looked down the path Justin and Lance had gone down. "Well, for once I agree with Chris. She doesn't get the fact those goddamn pictures are going to be there forever. Christ, I can't have kids with her. I don't want to have to explain it to them." JC's heart wrenched inside at what he'd said. There was a time, a sweet moment in his life when Bobbie fufilled him in everyway. He couldn't imagine not marrying her somewhere down the line, having kids, buying the house in the burbs with a white picket fence and some dogs. But now, now those images taunted him every waking hour and no amount of crying and regrets could wipe them away. "I'm gonna go for a walk," he said lowly. "Hey!" Joey called standing up. "You all right?" JC bit back a wail, a desperate cry that needed to escape so he could heal and go on. He just didn't trust Joey and Chris that much yet. A nod was all he could manage as he headed off down the opposite trail Justin had taken. ****************************************************************************************************************** Lance watched Justin's head bob around the turns the path took. He paused only for a second to pull out his little vial of comfort. One second to take a small snort to calm his nerves and settle the blood that jumped about in his veins. One damn second and Justin had disappeared. "Jay?" he called out, jogging down the path. Nothing. Not a sound of branches cracking or sniffling or anything. "Justin? Man, you up there?" Lance looked around. The sun was still pretty high in the sky and he figured they'd only been gone 45 minutes, maybe. His watch was back at the camp in his bag and he was regretting not having it on. "Justin? If you can hear me stay put. I'm behind you." Lance continued to jog, glad the coke was kicking in. His body reacted nicely, settling him into a comfort zone he'd been craving since arriving at WEG's at six. A burst of energy cascaded through him and he picked up the pace, racing through the forest with wide eyes. "Justin Timberlake? Where you at?" Justin heard the deep voice that was Lance. After so many years together it was pretty fucking hard not to know that unique tone. He debated on whether to stop or keep going. Lance hit him. He still couln't get over it. For years Lance said nothing instead chosing to do his job and let others take the reigns. Now his face was plastered everywhere and he was the one doing movies and hitting him. What the fuck? Something went terribly wrong somewhere. There was a stream just left of him and he stumbled off the path aching for the sunlight that seemed so much more prevelant there. Let Lance keep coming. Let him try to find him. It wouldn't be that hard. Justin kicked his sneakers and socks off and dipped his foot in. The water was cool, not freezing, but no where near tepid. He swirled his feet around as he sat down on the bank, thinking about his outburst back at the camp. While the words were real, and very true, he hadn't meant to say them, ever, to anyone. He didn't want to be called 'baby' again or stupid or fucking immature. A small pebble rested under his palm and he picked it up, hurling it as far as he could. It almost flew the full way across the stream, plopping instead about three inches shy. He could hear Lance coming closer and sighed. He didnt' mean to hate Lance so much...but in a twisted way, he felt betrayed. Lance had taken his spotlight over the past year...a fact Britney mentioned almost daily. Teasing or not, it hurt. "Justin! God, nothing like not answering me!" Lance smiled brightly and took a seat in the warm sun next to him. "Why didn't you say anything?" Justin shrugged. "I don't like you." "What?" Lance asked with a tiny chuckle. "You don't like me so you didn't answer me?" His jaw still smarted where Justin's fist connected with it and he wasn't so sure it wouldn't happen again. "I'm sorry, but I really don't." Justin picked up a bigger rock and for a fleeting moment contimplated smashing it in Lance's pretty face. Thinking better of yet another lawsuit, he skipped it into the water. "Why don't you like me?" Lance asked, trying to supress the next giggle that threatened to emerge. Justin felt the sting in his eyes, the hot burn of impending tears that would humiliate him if spilled. He rubbed at them and inhaled deeply. "I don't know. Fuck, I really don't like any of you." Lance pulled his sneakers off as well and dipped his feet in. "Any of you meaning N Sync. Hate to tell ya Justin, but you're part of the 'you' that you don't like." "Anyone ever tell you your feet are the ugliest things ever?" Justin snorted staring down at them. "They are?" Lance laughed, pulling them onto the bank. "They're not as bad as Chris' are they?" He wiggled his toes around and glanced at Justin. "Come on, man. Tell me they're not as fucked up at Christopher's." Justin pursed his lips, hating to smile but unable to avoid it thinking of Chris and his tiny, tiny feet. "No, they're not as bad," he admitted running his hand over his scalp. "Phew!" Lance grinned as he stuck his feet back in. They sat side my side in silence for a while before Lance felt the urge to speak again. "Want to talk about it?" "'Bout what?" Justin muttered. "'Bout leaving N Sync? 'Bout wanting a solo career. 'Bout anything." "I smacked Brit," Justin said quietly. "I hit her a few times out of pettiness and faded rage and my negative feelings weren't even directed at her, ya know?" Lance was stunned. "Wow." was all he could manage. "Yeah, well she's suing me." Justin stared down at the rippling water rushing over the rocks and dared himself to jump in, let the stream carry him along to destination anywhere. The rocks were not all smooth, however, and Justin hated pain. "I bought her a pair of diamond earrings as an apology, but I don't really mean it." He hated trying to explain his behavoir. There was a time not that long ago that he considered Lance his best friend. The time had passed and now the brown haired boy next to him was a virtual stranger. "I don't feel bad about it. I guess that makes me a monster or some shit, huh?" Lance wished he was more sober. The news hit hard and he wanted something deep and clever to say to Justin, something mature and meaningful to help ease his pain. The cocaine clouded his throught process however, and all he could say was, "wow" again. "That it?" Justin snarled as he got up. "That's the motherfucking best you can do?" He bent down to pick up his socks and sneakers with a hateful glare. "Nice, Lance. Real fucking sweet. Glad you're here for me!" Lance's mouth dropped open immediately in a combination of sorrow and regret. "No!" he stammered, hopping up as well. "Christ, no. That's not all. I mean....damn." "Fuck you!" Justin hissed. "Save it. Don't say things just to say them. If you don't give a shit, have balls enough to admit it like I do. I don't care but at least I told you." He pounced off back the way he came searching for the trail. "Justin! Justin please wait." Lance hurried to catch up with him, laying a hand on his shoulder to halt him. "I didn't mean just wow." He spun Justin around and looked at him with large pupils. "I meant I'm sorry." "Whatever." Justin eyed him carefully. "Hey, you on something?" Lance's eyes were dilated quite a bit and his mood seemed quirky at best. "Oh, fuck, yeah that." Lance ran a shaky hand through his flattened spikes. "Doctor gave me new meds for my...conditions." He lied well lately. "What conditions, Lance?" Justin's face flickered with worry, a natural instinct when it came to matters of illness. "Not your heart again is it?" Lance let out a short laugh. "Yeah, and high blood pressure, and an ulcer and a list of other not so charming things." He didn't miss the concern flasing in those sapphire eyes looking down at him. "Jay, not to worry. I've got it under control. A little stress free time and I'll bounce back." Justin's eyes resumed their iciness. "Whatever. I'm starved. Let's head back." Lance noddd silently and followed Justin for a ways before noticing they should have been at camp already. His heart stuttered as he looked around, unable to hear the stream any longer. "Jay?" "What?" Justin replied as he wiped some accumulated sweat from his brow. "Shouldn't we have been to camp already?" Justin paused to look around. They were still on a path, but Lance made a valid point. It didn't look familiar. "Shit! I don't know. Weren't you paying attention?" "I was," Lance defended himself. "It just looks funny is all. And I don't recall walking this far." "FUCK!" Justin screamed, throwing his arms up. The realization set in quickly. They were indeed lost. |