| The Great Outdoors [six] by Destiny JC spotted the camp off in the distance. Of course the two lazy bums called Chris and Joey had yet to start a fire and it was nearing dinnertime. "What are you two doing?" he called out. Chris hopped to his feet and shushed him. "Joey's asleep and I'm digging though his shit. Wanna see?" He grinned like a Cheshire cat and rubbed his hands together. "No, Chris. That's wrong. You don't do shit like that. It's rude." JC was feeling cranky and spent. His life was a damn twister and Chris was content to rummage through private property. "Where's Lance and Jay?" He stared off down the path the two had left on several hours earlier. "Not back yet," Chris shrugged, kneeling down next to the large black trunk. He held up a box of condoms with a snort. "Oh yeah, he's ready to be married." JC shook his head in disgust. What he wouldn't give for a woman like Kelly, a pure woman who lived for him alone. And Joey was fucking it all up. He sat on the blanket and peered over Chris' shoulders. "You really shouldn't be..." "...doing that, I know JC. You told me." Chris held up a pair of Superman boxers. "You think he's ever going to outgrow this shit?" "I dunno," JC replied picking up a stick and breaking it into tiny pieces. "You ever gonna outgrow being a snoop?" Joey yawned from inside the tent and Chris' face fell. "Dammit, help me," he looked at JC. JC laughed. "Nope, you's on your own!" Chris scrambled to toss all the stuff back in and when Joey popped his head out, his eyes flashed with resentment. "You dumbass," he grumbled. "You no good snoop." He jumped over the blanket JC was on and shoved Chris to the ground. "Why you gotta do that?" "I was bored," Chris said with flat eyes. "That's all. I didn't see anything good." "Where's Lance and Justin?" Joey asked, choosing to ignore Chris' little escapade. "I think we should go look for them." "Why?" Chris wanted to know as he stood up. "Maybe they're bonding or something. Maybe they're dancing naked living out their manly power fantasies." He wiggled his fingers around with a grin. "You're sick," JC chuckled, trying to imagine the scene. "Well, I'm going to look for the little shits," Joey said, snapping the lock on the truck and pocketing the key. He took the bottle of Jack Daniels from the top and sighed. "In case. I don't wanna die in the woods sober." The thought was so morbid Chris actually cringed. "Hey, maybe we should go for help. I mean, they have rangers here and..." "Gimme half an hour," Joey called over his shoulder as he headed down the path. "Thirty minutes then call for a ranger." JC blinked hard. He knew Joey wouldn't be back in thirty minutes. If Justin and Lance weren't back yet...well, he hated to think what was going on. ******************************************************************************************************************* Lance sighed as he tried to keep up with Justin's long legs and angry strides. "I said I was sorry!" he screamed loudly. Justin paused and turned to look over his shoulder. "And I said Fuck You!" He scowled as he noticed the same tree from half an hour ago. "Shit! We're back here again!" Justin grabbed a rock and hurled it into the woods with a frustrated cry. Lance grabbed at Justin's arm with a breathless grin. "You're trying to kill me! Come on, let's just sit here. I can hear the stream so we can't be too far off." Justin's blue eyes clouded and he was torn. Half of him wanted to choke Lance into unconsciousness, the other half wanted to cling onto him for support. He was scared. He, Justin Timberlake was panicked that the guys hated him so much for trying to branch out into a solo career that they would just leave his ass in the woods for bear fodder. Justin sank down to the soft leaves and sighed. No one cared. No one gave a shit about him anymore. He felt empty and alone. "Justin?" Lance asked softly, sinking down next to him. "You all right?" "No," Justin snapped. "I'm not and I don't think it matters one way or the other." Lance thought about that for a moment. "It does to me." "Oh yeah? Why's that?" "Because we're friends. We've been friends for so long I don't know how not to be." Lance's hand reached out for Justin. "This, all of it, it's bullshit. It's not real. Movies and solo careers, clothing lines, all of it. It's shit." "What?" Justin looked at him quizzically. "It's not. It's real. N Sync isn't real, don't you see? All the screaming fans and tour busses and people kissing our asses. That's not real. Real people don't get bodyguards posted with them 24/7. Real 20 year olds don't own Mercedes and million dollar homes and get invited to the White House." He shrugged Lance's hand away. "We're not real. We're good as long as others can make money then what? Huh?" His voice raised in anger. "I don't know," Lance admitted. "Then we go one and try to be real." "Fuck that. By then I won't know how. I don't know how now!" Justin couldn't hold back the flood of tears any longer. "I'm so screwed up I hit someone I profess to love. I smacked her because I could." He jumped to his feet with a loud sniffle. "I could because I know there are fancy lawyers waiting in the wings to hush it up and money buys anything!" Lance stared at Justin with wide eyes unused to such a barrage of truths. He was right. He was absolutely right. Lance suddenly wanted to embrace Justin, hold him tightly and whisper that things would be fine. As long as they had each other....each other. Well, fuck that, Lance thought to himself. They didn't have each other anymore. The five of them were virtual strangers by choice. ******************************************************************************************************************** Chris and JC sat awkwardly, trying their best to avoid the other's gaze. "So," JC said with a sigh. "So," Chris replied. "How you doing? How's everything?" It pained JC's heart to have forced conversation as such. He'd never been a terribly open person yet talking had never been this strained. "Okay," Chris said with a shrug. "I'm kind of, you know, the same I guess." JC ran his fingers through his wild hair and nodded. "Same as in?" "Dunno. Fucked up I suppose." Chris snapped a twig in half and tossed it into the fire pit. "Lost, alone, just...fucked up." "How're the clothes though? I got the last outfit you sent me. It was great. I was planning to wear it at the Stallone premiere but my stylist changed her mind at the last minute and I...." his voice trailed off sheepishly. "Not a prob," Chris said. "Shit happens. I'm glad you liked it." Silence fell upon them once more. JC scooted over toward the fire pit and began to stack the branches and twigs in a tee pee formation. "Got those matches?" Chris dug in the bag and pulled them out, tossing them over. "So, you need an ear?" he asked, feeling obligated. Of course JC was the most sensitive of them all, always had been, and being humiliated in public like that had to be a harsh blow. JC snorted as he lit the kindling. "What's to talk about? I can't deal with it. I thought I could, hell, I figured I'm mature! I'm not a kid. Why can't I deal with someone I love having a shaded past?" He turned to look at Chris. "We all do things we're not proud of right? So why can't I get past it?" "Because you're hurting over it. Because she didn't tell you exactly the type of pics she posed for. Because, oh hell JC, there are a million becauses. It sucks being lied to like that. You're hurt, JC. It's expected." Chris wandered over to the pit and sat down next to JC. "I'd of been too." "Yeah, well would your dick still work?" he whispered, regretting the words instantly. That was his secret, his private hell and he sure as shit didn't need babbling-snoopy-prankster Chris knowing that. Of all the guys he could have told, Chris was an unfortunate choice. "Excuse me?" Chris gasped, unsure he'd heard correctly. Skeletons were flying out of the closet and they hadn't even all been together long enough to lay it all on the table. "What are you saying?" JC's eyes filled with hot angry tears. "Nothing," he spat rubbing at them. "Not a damn thing." Chris wanted to leave it alone. Christ, he was no doctor but somehow the lost look in JC's face tugged at his heart. "Come on, Josh. You have to trust someone." Chris laid his hand on JC's arm. "I'm not gonna fuck this up. Talk to me." The honesty in Chris' face pushed JC over and he let the tears fall, spilling his newfound sexual problem in Chris' lap. Chris nodded sympathetically and listened quietly as JC stammered his way though his lack of performance. "So? Big pussy I am huh?" JC sniffled when he was done. Chris leaned in hesitantly and hugged him. "Not at all. You're emotions are all fucked up, man. They're playing with you. Give it time. Don't break out the Viagra yet!" JC laughed a little, letting himself be comforted for the first time in forever. |