CHAPTER THREE
Shit, shit, shit.
It was the only thing that was going through JC’s mind. There had to be some kind of mistake. It was a joke. Maxwell talked to Lance and Gwen and told them what happened and somehow managed to trick JC. He was going to kill Gwen when this was all over.
He watched Lance move around the room, not even self-conscious about being naked except for the towel around his waist. Lance grinned at him as he opened a drawer.
“Are you going to get up some time this morning? We have an interview in,” he glanced at the clock, “an hour and a half. Limo leaves in an hour.” Lance smirked at him, “As much as I’d love to see you go naked, I’m not too sure People would feel the same.”
JC took in a shaky breath as he watched Lance pull a pair of boxer briefs out of the drawer. Okay, so they moved Lance and Gwen and switched their clothes. Just how long was he asleep anyway?
JC started to laugh as Lance dropped his towel. Lance cocked an eyebrow at him. “You see something funny, JC?”
JC shook his head, “You got me,” he said, still laughing. Lance pulled on his underwear, watching JC warily. JC swung his feet to the floor. “Joke’s over.”
Lance leaned against the dresser, “What joke, JC?”
“Maxwell is very sneaky,” JC said, almost to himself. “He really had me going for a minute.”
“Maxwell?” Lance asked.
JC glanced at him. Lance seemed genuinely confused and his confidence began to waver. “Yeah, Lance. Maxwell.”
A perfectly waxed eyebrow lifted. “You have something you want to tell me, JC?” Lance began opening drawers, suddenly angry. “I thought you were over that, you know? It’s been two and a half years since the last guy, you said you wouldn’t cheat anymore.”
JC was shocked. “Woah,” he said, holding up his hands. “Woah, Lance, you’ve got it all wrong.” He pulled back the sheet and rose from the bed, starting to move to Lance.
Until he realized he was naked.
JC stopped. Lance was staring at him with what looked like tears in his eyes. JC glanced down at his naked form. “Um...”
Lance didn’t even bat an eye. “What, JC? Tell me. Did you meet him in the bar?” He laughed bitterly, “God, I was up here working and you were picking some guy up in a bar.” He watched JC glance around the room, obviously looking for something. “What the hell are you doing?” he asked.
“Where are my clothes?” JC grabbed the sheet from the bed and pulled it around his waist. He held it closed and spotted his pants on a chair in the corner of the room.
Lance watched him in shock as he held the sheets on while slipping on his jeans underneath it. “What are you doing?” Lance crossed his arms over his chest, “JC, what is going on?”
No longer naked, JC faced Lance. “Look, Lance, something really weird is happening here.”
Lance nodded, “No shit. What is your problem?”
Running a hand through his hair, JC shook his head, “No, you don’t understand, Lance. It’s not me.” He sighed, “Well, it is me, but it’s not.” He looked to see Lance standing in front of him, his arms crossed, his eyebrow cocked. “Maxwell is some old guy who was at our interview yesterday. He came to me telling me all this shit about how he thinks I feel for you since the night Strings was released.” As JC spoke, he paced the room, not looking at Lance except for a glance here and there to make sure he was still listening. “He was saying shit about the road less traveled, and how I was afraid of taking the hard road.”
Lance was looking at him like he was crazy, “Just how much did you have to drink last night, JC?” He shook his head and angrily began to pull on a sweater, “Look, we’ll talk about this later, okay? Right now, you have to get in the shower because we have to leave.”
“Lance, wait,” JC called as Lance moved to the door.
“What?” he asked, his patience wearing thin.
‘This isn’t my life,” JC said desperately.
There was a pained expression on Lance’s face, “Well that’s funny, JC. Because it’s mine.”
JC closed his eyes as the door fell shut.
*****
In the shower, JC thought about the events of the morning.
Lance seemed genuine. He wasn’t that good of an actor, JC decided. He would have broken if this were some kind of joke. He was really angry when JC mentioned Maxwell, and JC wondered what he did two and a half years ago to bring out that anger in Lance.
Nothing, you didn’t do anything because this isn’t your life. This is some sick joke that Maxwell, Lance and Gwen decided to play on you. It’s to teach you a lesson.
JC’s head fell against the cool tile and he closed his eyes. It had to be a joke. People didn’t just wake up in a parallel universe or something. It wasn’t possible for him to just have another life, a life he didn’t know about.
“JC,” he heard Lance’s voice outside the shower a second before he poked his head behind the curtain.
JC jumped, pulling the shower curtain in front of him, “Lance,” he hissed, “I’m in the shower.”
Lance rolled his eyes, “Since when did you become such a prude?” he asked. “Look, I just wanted to let you know we have ten minutes before we leave, so you better get moving.”
JC dropped the curtain as Lance turned. This was going to be an interesting day.
*****
The other guys were at the elevator when Lance and JC emerged from their room. Chris glanced at his watch, “Running late again, boys. And just what were you doing?” He winked at Lance.
JC glanced at Lance, who was turning an interesting shade of red. That couldn’t be faked, could it?
Justin grinned at Joey, “Well, they’re not the last ones. Where’s Gwen?”
JC’s eyes widened as Joey answered, “She’s still in the shower. She said she doesn’t have to be at the first interview. She’s going to meet us for lunch, though.”
“She’s in your shower?” JC asked tightly.
Joey shared a look with Chris, “Yeah,” he answered, looking at JC like he was an idiot. “We do share a room.”
The elevator dinged and the guys’ security stepped into it, allowing the guys to take the next lift. JC stared at Joey, feeling his anger build up. “You and Gwen?”
Joey laughed, “Come on, JC, what is with you? Yeah, me and Gwen. You know, for like the past year.” He shot Lance a strange look, which Lance then turned on JC.
“What is going on with you?” Lance hissed to him, taking him by the arm and leading him a few steps away from the guys.
JC wretched his arm free from Lance’s grip. “I told you, this isn’t my life. I’m engaged to Gwen.”
Lance stared at him for a long minute. JC met his gaze, holding it. Finally, Lance broke the silence. “I don’t know what has gotten into you, JC, and right now, I don’t care. All I know is that if you don’t straighten yourself out, there’s going to be a lot of pissed off people.” His voice lowered, “And right now, I’m one of them. So you better stop whatever it is you are doing.” He held JC’s gaze for another second before turning and walking back to the guys.
JC sighed, wiping a hand over his face. His hands came to rest on his hips, and he tore his gaze from the ground to glance up at the guys. Justin was looking at him with a strange expression, Joey and Lance had their heads together, and Chris was subtly staring.
Hearing the elevator ding, JC slowly walked to the car, taking a place beside Justin. He watched the numbers as the car dropped, noticing the somewhat eerie silence in the small space. As the last few numbers lit up, JC felt someone moving close to him.
He glanced behind him to see Lance at his shoulder.
“Look, JC,” Lance said softly, “I don’t know what’s going on, okay? But I still love you, and we still have to keep appearances.”
JC gave him a startled look. Keep appearances? What the hell did that mean?
The doors began to slide open and Lance slipped his hand into JC’s.
“What are you doing?” JC asked him, jerking his hand away as if it was on fire.
“JC,” Lance said through gritted teeth, “keep appearances.” He reached for his hand again.
JC backed up into Chris. “What are you talking about?”
Chris grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around. JC could see flashes from the fans' cameras in the mirrors of the elevator cart, explaining the grin on Chris’s face that didn’t match the words coming out of his mouth.
“Listen up, JC, cause I’m only going to say this once. I don’t know what your problem is, but you take your boyfriend’s hand and you smile for the fans because if you don’t, I’m personally going to kick your scrawny ass.”
“My boyfriend?” JC croaked. “Take his hand?”
Chris’s grip tightened on JC’s shoulders. “Take his fucking hand JC. Right. Now.”
Lance reached out and ran his hand over JC’s arm, his fingers coming to rest on top of JC’s. As JC’s fingers curled around Lance’s, Chris gradually lessened his hold on him. Chris flung an arm around JC’s shoulders, turning him towards the crowd and gently pushed him and Lance out of the elevator.
“Smile,” Chris reminded him.
JC gave the fans a fake smile, all the while wondering what the hell was going on. Why was there no management telling him and Lance to break it up? Why was Lance gently stroking the back of his hand with his thumb?
And why, when they stepped outside the hotel, were there protestors across the street, holding signs about homosexuality being a sin? And other people, holding signs supporting JC and Lance closer to the hotel?
This joke was definitely going too far.
*****
“Are you and Lance still going strong?”
JC played with the stirrer in his coffee cup as the question was asked. He stared into the brown liquid, making a whirlpool inside the cup. This day was hell. None of the guys were speaking to him, not after he blew up in the limo about them all being in on the joke. Lance was the only one still somewhat talking to him, but it was mostly to ask him if he hit his head somewhere the night before.
JC felt someone kick him, and he looked up. “What?”
The reporter gave him a strained smile. “You and Lance,” she said. “Still going strong?”
JC glanced at the others before looking back at the reporter. “Is this on the record?” he asked.
She shot a look to her assistant before hesitantly smiling at JC. “Of course.”
“We’re great,” Lance interrupted. “You’ll have to excuse JC,” he said smoothly, “he has his mind on the new songs.”
Her eyes lit up, “And how is that coming along?” she asked, turning to Justin.
As Justin began to answer the question, JC closed his eyes. Could this day get any worse?
*****
It could.
After a lunch where JC had to sit and watch Joey and Gwen flirt over chocolate cake, he and Lance were whisked away in a separate limo. The silence was strained, JC kept his gaze on the passing city. Lance spoke once, and JC had to force himself from screaming.
“Josh,” he said softly. “I wish I knew what was going on with you. I know things haven’t been great for us the past few weeks, but I thought we were getting better. I wish you would just talk to me. If you want to break up, that’s fine…well, no it’s not, but it will be better. I mean, anything would be better than the way you’re acting today.” He sighed and JC could feel his gaze on his turned away face. “I’m sorry for whatever I did. I just wish you would tell me what it was so I could fix it.”
JC didn’t answer, and after a few minutes, he felt Lance move away from him towards the other side of the limo. They rode in silence the rest of the way to the photo shoot.
*****
“The Advocate?” JC said in horror. “We’re doing a photo shoot at The Advocate?”
Lance shrugged, “Yeah, so what?”
JC pulled Lance away from the nosy eyes and ears of the workers. “Lance, this is a gay magazine,” he hissed. “What the hell are we doing?”
Lance’s jaw clenched. “You are un-fucking-believeable.” He pried JC’s fingers off his arm. “We are doing this photo shoot because they asked us to, and you know, last month you thought it was a good idea.” He crossed his arms and appraised JC. “People know about us, JC, and they have for a while now, so what is the big deal?”
JC stared at Lance, stricken. People knew about them? Their fans knew? His eyes fell shut and he forced himself to take a deep breath. “How long?” he croaked.
“How long what?” Lance asked, the anger in his voice.
“How long have people known?”
“A year.” Lance shook his head. “I’m not playing this game with you any more, JC. It’s getting old.” He glanced over his shoulder as a photographer called to them, “Let’s go.” He took JC’s arm and pulled him to the set.
This day was going from bad to worse.
