| The Great Outdoors [eight] by Destiny Justin was tired. He was cranky and fed up. "What the hell are you looking at?" He snapped as Joey stared into him. "You. Mother nature. All of it. It's beautiful." Joey waved his arms around at the trees. "Don't you think it's peaceful?" Justin grunted as he climbed over a rock. "Yeah, beautiful." He cupped his hands around his mouth and inhaled deeply. "Lance! Lance yell if you hear me." Nothing. Justin scratched his head. He didn't travel that far off the path that Lance wouldn't hear him. Maybe he got up and started back to camp. Maybe the little shit moved. That could be. He'd been fine after his ankle wrenched on SNL. Well, fine after a bucket load of pain meds that was. "It's getting dark," Joey commented as he stared through the trees. The light filtering through was very definitely growing darker. "Where'd you leave him?" "Fuck if I know," Justin sighed as he plowed ahead. "I just don't know." He chewed on his thumb. "He's been using today you know." Joey snorted as he trudged behind Justin. "Figures. He does that a lot. Why do you figure? He used to be the happiest of us all. Remember? Always smiling and just glad to be around." "Got too big," Justin commented. "He just up and changed one day. He mouths off about other groups, and leaks all sort of shit to the press. He's new at the whole 'being adored' shit. I suppose he has to learn the hard way." Joey paused to digest the statement. He frowned for a moment. "I don't think that's exactly fair, Justin. I mean, sure, he's a pain in the ass, and sure, he's using, but we're blood, man. Remember? Blood on blood." Joey leaned against a tree and studied the twenty-year-old in front of him. "Justin?" "Huh?" Justin's eyes scanned the woods for something familiar, anything to let him know he was on the right path. "I said, blood on blood, right?" Joey repeated. Justin's nostrils flared. "That's Bon Jovi you idiot. They're blood on blood. We're dumb and dumber." He plowed ahead with a sour grin. "Well, some of us anyway." "You're a fuck!" Joey screamed suddenly. "You're a little piss ant." The Jack Daniels burned hotly through his system as the trees swayed above him. Justin spun around to glare at him. "What did you say to me?" His eyes shone dangerously as he hopped over some branches. "You drunk motherfucker! What did you say?" Joey pulled himself up. "You heard me. You want out of N Sync? Fucking go. We can be Sync without you're damn pretty boy attitude and stuck up nature. Go little boy, go!" For a moment, Joey thought a fist would fly at him. For a moment he gritted his teeth and prepared to fight back. The laughter hit so abruptly it stunned him. "What the hell?" Lance hobbled down the path, tears streaming down his face, a deep laugh bubbling over. "You two crack me up!" he cackled sickly. Joey stared at his ankle, bruised and swollen. He shoved Justin to the side and hurried over. "Sit down man. Just sit here." Justin rolled his eyes and forged ahead. He was tired of the wooded area, and of the antics of his group mates. "I'm outta here. Fuck you both." Joey ignored him and placed his arm around Lance. "You all right?" More tears flowed down Lance's cheeks and his green eyes were eerily red and swollen. "It hurts," he said lowly, staring after Justin. "You shouldn't let him go. He'll never find his way." Joey slung Lance's arm around his shoulder and shrugged. "Serves him right if he does get lost. It's not gonna work," he said sadly. "I mean with him. He's not into it. He's selfish and petty." "He threw my stash out," Lance commented with a snort. "Up and tossed it out. All of it." He let Joey guide him back to the stream and sank his swollen foot in the cool rushing water. "He had balls enough to do that. I think he still cares." Joey looked around. The area was so foreign he was unsure what to do. "Don't defend him, Lance. God, I mean, we've had our problems, but shit. He's just a prick." "If you love her Joe, why do you disrespect her so much?" The question was so small yet so loaded that Joey stumbled backwards a bit. "Why are you changing the subject?" Lance sniffled and wiped his nose on the corner of his shirt. "Because I like Kelly. I think having a baby is a miracle from God and you're throwing it away. Because I think cheating is a coward's shield and she deserves more. She deserves a family." The words were so clear and concise, so truthful it stung Joey's heart, made it ache and long for her forgiveness. "Let's get back to camp," he said sullenly. "Let's get back there and pack it in and get on with our lives." Lance chewed on his lip as sobriety caught up with him. "Fine," he said, realizing the subject was closed. He struggled to his feet and took Joey's help. "But just think about it all right?" Joey nodded solemnly as they headed down the path Justin took moments earlier. ***************************************************************************************************************** "So, you're sure they're lost and not just exploring?" JC sighed as the ranger pulled his hat off and scratched his head in annoyance. "Yes, I'm sure. We're not idiots but we're sure as hell not camping experts. They haven't returned and I'm worried that something is wrong." Jessica stood by him as he filled out paperwork detailing what each person was wearing and which way they headed. The ranger placed his hat back on his head. "Look, you said one of your friends took a bottle of liquor with him. Maybe they're by the stream partying. Kids do that you know." Jessica threw her hands up. "I don't mean to be rude. No, wait, yes I do." She placed her hands on her hips and stepped forward. "This man is not a kid; he's an international celebrity. For all we know these three could be kidnapped, or hurt. So unless you want a scandal on your hands, sir, I suggest you get off your dead ass and start a search. Like now." The ranger eyed the young woman venomously. "Fine. But if they're found partying and this has been a waste of manpower, you'll get the bill, I assure you." "We'll pay it then," JC replied with a deep sigh of relief. "Just find them okay?" His heart hammered inside his rib cage. They were so lost, he just knew it. As the ranger took off, he turned to face Jessica. "Thanks," he muttered, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "You're a real tomcat." "I guess that's a compliment," she giggled, touching his arm. "Look, they'll be found. Unless they strayed completly out, they can't be that far." JC stared at the petite girl before him. He wanted to hug her, collapse in a fit of nerves and emotion and cry on her shoulder. He wanted to let his guard down and feel comforting arms around him, true arms and true comfort. She was a fan, however, and fans were dangerous. He stepped back away from her soft touch and inhaled deeply. "Thanks again," he mumbled. "I should get back to Chris now." Jessica nodded. "I understand. I'll walk back with you. I'm sure my friends kept him company." She forced a smile unsure at the jerky gestures JC displayed. "Come on." JC followed her back into the darkened woods. He stared up at the sky through the mass of trees and sighed. Idily he wondered where Bobbie was, if she was at all sorry for what she'd done. JC felt like a corked volcano wanting to erupt in a mass of emotions but unable to. He shivered as the coolness of the forest enveloped him. Chris' laughter sang out from their campsite and he couldn't help but grin. No matter what, Chris always laughed. The clearing was a sight for sore eyes, even with Lance, Justin, and Joey's absence. JC smiled as Jessica's friends busied themselves cooking over the fire and setting up dinner. "You really didn't have to do all this," he blushed. Chris swatted his hand out in JC's general direction. "Shut up, man. This is the most fun I've had in weeks." JC couldn't help but roll his eyes. He climbed over the blanket and sat on a flat rock near the fire. Jessica stood by warily, not wanting to invade his space. "Sit," he said, sliding over. "You must be freezing." She rubbed her goose-fleshed arms and shrugged. "Here." JC leaned behind him and swiped a sweatshirt from Lance's bag. "It's Lance's. He's like a damn boy scout, always prepared." "Yeah, well he didn't prepare too well when he hiked off with Justin did he?" Chris boomed. "Hush up," JC hissed. "They're lost. It's not like they planned this." Chris let his smile dissipate. He knelt down by the flames entranced by their beauty. "We all fucked up here, Jace. All of us. Not one of us is better than the other." JC looked over at the girls who were oblivious to Chris' insightful words. "Just be quiet. When they're back we'll all talk." Jessica stood up. "We'll leave y'all alone now," she smiled. "I'm sure you have, ah, issues or whatever." JC surprised himself by grabbing her wrist. "Don't go," he said suddenly. "Please." This gentle girl with the trusting eyes had nabbed him in some way, fulfilled a need he so achingly craved. She eyed him carefully and he nodded. "At least eat something before you go." His walls were so tight, so strong he feared them toppling for another, even a friend. Bobbie had taken so much and destroyed it he didn't trust himself to give anything more than dinner and perhaps a walk back to camp for protection. He tilted his head at her as she sat back down. "Well, if you insist." Her award winning smile lent him some solice and he watched her face basked in the orange glow of the fire. "I do," he said solidly. He took a deep breath and glanced down the path once more, hoping that any second voices would float from that direction and three familiar faces would bob around the corner. Jessica's hand was on his knee and for the first time, he left it there. |