| The Great Outdoors [five] by Destiny JC followed the trail to the end. A huge lake sat before him and he huddled down on a log beside a large tree to watch to campers splashing and laughing. He wanted to feel that carefree, that safe in life. He knew one woman should not be able to ruin his world so badly, but she had with her careless choices in life. It didn't matter that he hadn't known her, the fact remained that she had chosen to do such vulgar things at all. "Hey," a soft voice called out. JC spun around in surprise. It was one of the girls from before complete in daisy dukes and a tank top. He chuckled to himself certain that Chris would be furious that he'd met one of them first. "You all right?" JC nodded a bit. "Fine thanks. Just catching up on some alone time is all." The girl took a large bite from one of the peaches she was holding and JC studied her as the sweet juice dripped down her chin. "Want one?" she offered, moving closer. He took it gratefully, glad that there was someone in this world who wanted to give him something other than grief. "Have a seat," he said, sliding over on the log a bit. She smiled and sat near him taking another chomp of the peach. "My friends and I saw you guys come in earlier." she said casually. "Vacation?" JC laughed bitterly as he rubbed the fuzzy fruit on his shirt. "Wishful thinking. We're here on kind of a therapy mission." Immediately he regretted telling her. After so much time in the spotlight and trying to avoid letting any strangers into his world, here he sat spilling things to one of them. "Ah, it's nothing," he said, biting into the fruit. "You sure?" she asked with a smile. "I mean, I know you're probably sick of fans and cruel people but I'm not like that." "You know then?" he questioned. "You know." "Of course I know who you are," she replied with a nudge. "I don't live in a cave. You're JC from N Sync. Big whoop." His frown made her clap an embarrassed hand over her mouth. "I don't mean big whoop like who cares, I meant, its no big deal to me." The way he furrowed his brows made her sigh. "Christ, I'm sticking my foot in my mouth and chomping like a three year old. I'm sorry." "No, its fine," he said slightly guarded. "I don't expect there are too many folks in the world who don't know who we are." He stood up and brushed his jeans off. "Thanks for the peach." He'd said too much to this girl already and entwining his problems with a fan was asking for trouble. He'd been burned enough in life to understand that. "Jessica!" she yelled out. "Huh?" JC turned around and tilted his head. She hurried over to him and stuck her hand out. "My name. It's Jessica." "Oh," he said shaking it. "Nice to meet you, Jessica." JC was positive she was going to melt down right there, jump on him or ask for an autograph. But she didn't. She simply stood there with sympathetic eyes and a kind smile. "Nice to meet you too Joshua. Have a good time while you're here." She took another bite of her peach and bounded off into the woods, back down the same trail he'd come in on. And that was that. No hysterics or hounding, no 'i love you's' or 'where's justin'. Just a girl with a peach who was sane. JC scratched his head thoughtfully before heading back to camp. ******************************************************************************************************************* "So, what should we do?" Joey asked as he lay down on the blanket and scratched at his stomach. "Cards?" Chris suggested. "Nah, don't feel like it. It's no fun with just two of us anyway." He rolled onto his stomach and rested his head in his hands. "What else?" Chris sighed as he grabbed for a soda. "We could talk," he suggested, "I mean, if you want." He stared at Joey carefully. There had been a time that no secrets were held between the two, a time when they knew absolutely everything about one another. No more. Shit, he had been the last to find out about Joey's pregnant girlfriend and the last to know they snuck off to get hitched. "Talk about what? Justin's bad attitude or Lance's health problems? Or his nasty little drug habit?" "His what?" Chris choked on his soda as he sprang up coughing. Joey chuckled as he looked up at Chris. "Last to know again I suppose?" "Shit," Chris hissed, wiping the dribbled soda from his shirt. "When did this happen?" "On the set, I think." Joey sat up and rolled his eyes. "He's the star, ya know. He acts like a spoiled brat, way worse than Jay half the time. He gets a bigger trailer than anyone else and parties every night. Fuck, you'd never know him. He's not the Lance that goes on tour with us, that's for shit sure." Chris shook his head wondering when Lance had changed. Hell, he wondered when they all changed so much. "I miss Dani," he said finally. It felt odd to him to say it out loud after making jokes about it on television and dismissing the hurt in casual conversations. "I do for real." Joey chewed on his lip. "Then why did you leave her?" "I don't know," Chris admitted. "I was scared and, fuck! I have no clue. I was afraid N Sync wasn't getting my full attention and then the clothing line and...." his voice trailed off as he revealed so much of himself. "I blackmailed Johnny." "You what?" Joey cried. "How? Why?" "I got screwed on a contract is all. I needed money to recover my costs since most of my own money is tied up in bonds and investments and I fucked up bad. I told him I was out if he didn't give me an advance." Chris stared at Joey with wide eyes. "Pretty shitty huh?" Joey whistled lowly. "Yeah, man. That's like illegal." "No need to remind me," Chris snapped as he got on his feet. "Where the fuck are Lance and Justin? They're lost, I'm telling you!" "Maybe," Joey replied with a sour laugh. "Maybe." ******************************************************************************************************************* Lance lagged behind an enraged Justin who was tearing up the woods with his foul mouth and pissed off rants. "Goddamnit anyway!" he finally screamed collapsing onto a rock. "Geez," Lance huffed, sitting next to him. "You'd think after seeing Blair Witch you'd know better than to dart around like this." "Oh, you got a better idea million dollar man because I'd like to hear it." Angry blue eyes sparkled at Lance as the sun began it's slow descent in the sky. "Damn you're a pain in the ass," Lance laughed. "Just calm the hell down and someone will find us." Justin eyed him with exasperation. "I don't think so," he said slowly. "Who's gonna come? Joey? JC? Chris? They hate us. They're probably glad we're gone." "They don't hate us," Lance stressed with a crooked smile. "They hate you." Justin's scowl deepened as he tried to ignore the comment. "So," Justin hissed picking up a large stick. "I hear you got some problems. Some ahem, health problems." Lance froze. Did Justin know about the coke? Joey! That motherfucker told him. Laughing nervously he shrugged. "Ah, nothing to worry about. Simple things really." Justin's eyebrow rose in curiosity. "Not what I hear." "Fuck!" Lance growled, kicking at a stone. He watched it tumble off down the path as he gritted his teeth. "So, true huh?" Justin snickered. "You do drugs. Little good boy Lance does what? Smack? What're you on?" "Joey!" "Yeah, Joey!" Justin seethed. "Joey had enough of your shithead antics and told me. Fuck, Lance, you know that stuff will kill you. Dead!" Justin paused to stare at his one time friend. He shook his head wondering when it all went so wrong. He gave thought to first beginning with N Sync when he and Lance were the underage babies still schooling on the road, sharing a room in Germany because no one else wanted the responsibility of having to watch them. They'd grown so close, like brothers, and grew up together. "Dude, it's no good. You know that." "I don't need a lecture from a guy who hits his woman!" Lance chewed on his lip regretting the words instantly. He was pissed and the coke was wearing off but still. "Fuck you then," Justin spat tearing off down the trail again. "Fuck you anyway!" Lance sighed. "Wait! Jay! Come on, I'm sorry. Wait up." He pulled out his tiny vial and dumped a fair amount on his wrist, sniffing the powder quickly before taking off after Justin again. |