Welcome
To Dodge
By:
Gretchen
Lance
woke up once and looked out the window. All he saw was an expanse of highway,
the double yellow lines stretching out into infinity, the landscape on the side
of the road boring fields and corn.
"Where
are we?" he murmured sleepily to JC, who was driving.
JC
glanced over at him, "Um…Alabama."
Lance
squinted, "You sure? You don't sound too sure."
JC
looked back at the road, and reached over to pat Lance's knee.
"Alabama," he said with feeling. "I'm sure." Pulling his
hand back, he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Now go back to
sleep."
Lance
nodded and closed his eyes.
*****
The
car stopped, and Lance assumed that's what woke him up. Outside, the sky was
turning dark, dusk was settling upon them. He rubbed his eyes and yawned,
pulling the lever and moving his seat back into the upright position. Glancing
over at JC, he paused.
"What?"
Lance asked, with some trepidation. JC was facing him, biting his lip and
wringing his hands. Not a good combination.
"Well,
you see, it's like this," JC started.
Lance
sat up fully and looked around. "Where are we?"
JC
shrugged, "Alabama?"
Lance
narrowed his eyes at him, "you're asking me, aren't you?" JC
sheepishly looked at the console between them and Lance threw up his hands.
"Jesus Christ, JC! You got lost? How in the hell did you get lost? You
have driven home with me a million times!" He turned and muttered to the
window. "I knew I should have asked Joey to come instead."
JC
began to talk, his words tumbling out. "Look, I remember you taking a
short cut one time, and I thought I made the right turn, I really did, but
since I didn't want to turn on the radio, because I didn't want to wake you up,
I was forced to sing to myself, and then I got this really awesome melody in my
head, and I knew I could write a wicked tune, and so I was trying to think of
words, and well, I guess I wasn't paying attention."
Lance
leaned against the door, his arms over his chest, glaring at JC. "You
guess?"
JC
rolled his eyes, "Okay, I wasn't paying attention." He sighed,
"I'm sorry."
Lance
shook his head and opened his door, "Whatever. Look, I'll get us out of
wherever the hell we are, get out." He crossed in front of the Jeep and
stood expectantly outside JC's door. "Well?" he said to JC. "Get
out."
JC
took off his seatbelt and opened the door. Lance pushed past him and got in.
"There's just one more thing," JC said.
"What's
that?" Lance asked as he turned the key.
"We
kind of broke down," JC answered when the car didn't turn over.
Lance
closed his eyes and rested his head on the steering wheel.
*****
"But
look," JC was saying, "there's a town up ahead."
Lance
held up his hand and continued to walk angrily down the road. "Don't talk
to me," he said.
"Lance,"
JC said, trying to catch up. "Come on, I said I was sorry."
Lance
stopped and faced JC. "JC. We are lost. We have no idea where we are. And
unless someone in this town happens to have parts to fix your damn Jeep, we are
stuck here."
Lance
turned on his heel and continued down the road. "Well, at least we have a
month," JC said to him.
Lance
turned and glared.
*****
"Jesus,"
Lance breathed. "I go to sleep for three hours and I wake up with the
Beverly Hillbillies."
The
town was small.
About
five roads small.
There
was a main street and then two roads leading towards old houses off to the
left. And two roads leading towards old houses off to the right.
Out
on a porch of a general store sat an old man, a jug of something at his feet, a
piece of grass between his lips. He tilted his head towards a window behind him
and his mouth moved. A few seconds later, a man appeared.
"Howdy,"
he called to Lance and JC, his accent thick.
"Hey,"
JC replied. He moved to the general store. "How are you doing?"
The
man shrugged a shoulder, "Not bad." He squinted at them, "What
brings you to Dodge?"
Lance
raised his eyebrows, "The name of the town is Dodge?" He glanced
sideways at JC. "Where the hell did you take us?"
JC
ignored him and stepped onto the porch. "Our car broke down a bit
back," he said, waving down the road. "Is there a garage here?"
The
old man motioned with his chin. "Yep. Closed, though."
Lance
pushed past JC. "Closed for the night or closed for good?"
"Night,"
the old man replied.
Lance
cursed, glared at JC and turned to step off the porch. "Christ," he
said.
JC
ignored him and turned back to the men on the porch. "Is there any way we
can talk to the owner of the garage?"
The
younger man shrugged, "Sure, hang on." He turned and disappeared into
the store.
JC
sighed and turned to Lance. He was leaning against the side of the building,
kicking at the dirt with his shoe. "He's going to get the owner of the
garage."
Lance
snorted and nodded.
JC
took a deep breath. "Look, Lance, I don't know what else to do, here,
okay? I said I was sorry."
Lance
looked up at him, "Fine, you're sorry. Now fix it."
JC
shook his head and turned away. He apologized, that's all he could do. He
turned back to the porch when the man came back outside, another man behind
him.
"Howdy,"
the new guy said as he wiped his hands on a rag. "I'm Jed Barker."
His southern twang was ever bit as strong as the first man's.
"Jed?"
Lance asked from where he now stood behind JC. "Your name is Jed?"
Jed
glanced at him. "No, that's not my real name. But that's what they call
me."
"Why?"
Lance asked.
Jed
shrugged, "Because I don't like my real name."
"And
that is?"
"James,"
he answered.
JC
laughed and Lance glared at him.
Jed
turned to JC. "How can I help you?"
"Our
Jeep broke down, and we need some help."
Jed
scratched his head, "Well, I guess I can go out and get it, but I won't be
able to look at it until the morning."
"Why
not?" Lance asked him.
Jed
turned his eyes on Lance. "Because it's nighttime." He shrugged,
"I don't work at nighttime."
"Can't
you make an exception?" Lance asked.
Jed
shook his head. "Nope. Sorry." He turned back to JC. "Let me
just get my keys and we'll head over to the garage."
"Do
you know who we are?" Lance asked him, and JC groaned.
Jed
stopped at the door and turned to him. He studied him closely, his eyes taking
in Lance's leather jacket, his designer shirt and pressed khakis. "No, I
don't."
"I'm
Lance Bass."
Jed
nodded, "Nice to meet you, Lance."
Lance's
mouth dropped open. "You ever hear of NSYNC?"
Jed
cocked his head, "Can't say that I have." He looked at the other men,
"Have you?"
The
old man shook his head and took a long pull from the jug at his feet. The other
man shrugged, "Nope. Are you a traveling sales group? Because we don't
have a lot of money to throw around here in dodge."
Lance
threw up his hands. "NSYNC! We're the biggest group in the world!"
Jed
grinned at him. "Oh yeah? How many are in your group?"
"Five,"
Lance said.
"That
doesn't sound too big to me." He shrugged and headed into the store.
JC
stifled his laughter. "We sing," he explained.
Jed
came back out. "You do? Wow, good for you. BJ is about the only one in
this town who sings. She sings at church every Sunday. You should maybe sing
with her. She's picky about that though," Jed said as he led them down the
street. "You have to be really good for BJ to allow you to get on stage
with her." He looked at them, "You any good?"
Lance
rolled his eyes and JC laughed.
*****
"You
can stay in the apartment above my garage," Jed offered as he lowered the
garage door. They had made it back to the jeep and Jed hooked it up to his
pickup truck. With chains, Lance had noted. They didn't even have a real tow
truck.
"We
don't want to cause any trouble," JC said. "We'll just go to the
hotel."
Jed
laughed at him, "Ain't no hotel in this town."
JC
raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
Jed
wiped his dirty hands on his pants, "Nah. We don't get a lot of
visitors."
"I
wonder why," Lance muttered.
"Well,
come on," Jed said. "I'll take you to the house and get the apartment
keys."
"Are
you married, Jed?" JC asked him.
"Twenty
five years," Jed said proudly.
"That's
great," JC told him. "Any kids?"
Jed
nodded. "BJ is my daughter. And I have a son, his name is Zeke."
Lance
snorted and JC silenced him with an elbow to the ribs. "How old are
they?"
"BJ
just turned eighteen and Zeke is twenty one." Jed reached out and opened a
screen door, kicking the dust off his boots before he stepped inside. Lance and
JC did the same. "Zeke is training to take over the business. He'll be the
one looking at your car in the morning." He let the door slam shut behind
him. Raising his voice, he yelled, "Anyone home?"
"Out
here," a pleasant voice carried to them.
Jed
led them through the house to the back porch. It was enclosed, old wicker
furniture set up to look out over the back yard. A woman sat in a chair, yarn
on her lap, knitting needles working. What looked like the beginnings of a
sweater was draped across her legs. A young man sat in front of a table by the
windows, a candle flickering over the sheets of paper, a pencil tucked between
his lips. JC thought he looked just like Lance when Lance was going over
contracts. A young girl sat by the window, humming softly to herself as she
looked out over her backyard.
"Hey
honey," Jed said, kissing his wife. "We have visitors."
At
that, everyone looked up. The girls eyes widened slightly and her mouth dropped
open. The boy cocked his head and studied them.
"This
is…" Jed's voice trailed off as he looked at JC. "I never got your
name, I'm sorry."
"JC,"
JC said, smiling at Jed. "And this is Lance."
"I'm
BJ," the girl said, standing. "It's nice to meet you," she said
in her southern twang. She smiled at JC and stuck out her hand.
Lance
rolled his eyes at her obvious affection to JC. JC just grinned at her and
shook her hand. "I hear you sing," he said to her.
BJ
blushed. "I do."
"I'd
love to hear you sometime," JC said.
"Okay,"
she said softly.
Lance
cleared his throat and BJ looked at him. "Hello, Lance," she said
politely. "It's nice to meet you."
Lance
shook her hand, "Hey."
"I'm
Zeke," the boy said from his spot at the table. "How y'all
doing?"
JC
nodded, "Not bad, yourself?"
Zeke
shrugged, "Okay."
Jed's
wife stood up, carefully putting her knitting away. "I'm Marie," she
said, her voice soft. "What brings you boys to Dodge?"
"Our
car broke down," JC told her.
"JC
got us lost," Lance said.
"Lost?"
Marie looked between them. "Where were you headed?"
"Home,"
Lance told her. "Mississippi."
Jed
put his arm around his wife's shoulders. "These boys sing," he told
her.
"Really?"
Marie turned her gaze on them. "What do you sing? Country?"
Lance
laughed, "No."
JC
shook his head, "We sing pop music."
Marie's
forehead wrinkled. "We don't really get a lot of stations on our
radio," she told them
"That's
okay, ma'am," JC told her.
Jed
clapped his hands, "Well, let me get you those keys."
He
left the room, and a silence fell over the group. Zeke went back to his papers,
and Marie smiled at them. BJ stayed standing, glancing through her eyelashes at
JC. Lance rolled his eyes and looked around the room.
There
were no lights, which he found odd. He didn't understand why if Zeke did
paperwork out here they wouldn't have at least a lamp. He also didn't
understand why Zeke was doing the books by hand, he should have a computer. The
furniture was old, the white paint chipping off the wicker in places. The
windowpanes were dirty, cracked in some places. But yet, the room was somewhat
homey, Lance thought.
There
was a quilt hanging on one wall, it's old-fashioned design bringing warmth to
the room. Pillows were strewn on the chairs and floor, pictures hung
precariously on the walls. Gingham curtains were around the windows, the red
and white checks probably very cheery when the sunlight fell on them.
"Here
we go," Jed said, coming back into the room. "All set."
JC
smiled at the family as he left, "It was nice meeting all of you."
Marie
smiled at him, "Don't be a stranger, you hear? If you boys need anything,
let us know."
JC
nodded, "Will do."
Lance
just smiled at them and followed JC and Jed out of the house.
"It
shouldn't be too dirty," Jed was saying as he once again led them down the
street. "Marie comes here and cleans it."
"I'm
sure it's fine," JC said graciously. "We really appreciate
this." They stopped at the garage to pick up their suitcases before
heading towards the steps.
Jed
waved his hand. "It's no problem."
He
climbed the steps behind the garage and unlocked the door to the apartment.
"Um, there's only one bed," he said apologetically.
"That's
fine," Lance said quickly. "JC will sleep on the couch." JC made
a face and Lance shrugged, "Hey, you're the one who got us lost."
Jed
grinned at them. "There are blankets in the closet, and I think she has
towels in the bathroom." He put the keys on a counter in the small
kitchen. "Have a nice night, boys."
"Thanks,"
JC said to him. "We'll see you in the morning."
"Night,"
Jed told him and shut the door behind him.
JC
locked the door and turned back to Lance. "Well, I'm tired."
But
Lance wasn't there. All JC saw was the door to the bedroom slamming shut.
*****
JC
awoke to Lance talking on the phone. He wasn't even trying to be quiet about
it, he was pacing in front of the couch JC slept on, the phone at his ear, his
free hand rubbing the bridge of his nose. JC glared at him, but Lance ignored
him, and JC sighed and fell back onto the couch.
"No,
mom," Lance was saying, "I don't know. I don't even know where we
are…Well, yeah, we're in Alabama, but JC really got lost, Ma…Um, the name of
the town in Dodge." He laughed at something his mother said and JC smiled.
"I know. And you should see this place, there's like, five roads, one of
which is paved. No one knows who were are, and yet, JC still somehow managed to
attract a teeny."
JC
kicked at Lance and laughed as Lance sidestepped his leg.
"I'm
calling Johnny next, Mom. I hope we'll be out of here by the end of the day."
He glared at JC. "JC's getting up now and going down to the garage to
check things out."
JC
rolled his eyes and pushed back the sheet that was over top of him. Apparently,
that was his cue to get up. He tuned out Lance as he padded to the small bathroom
and looked in the mirror.
He
was tired. He didn't understand how Lance got up so early. They were on
vacation, for God's sake. It was at time to sleep, not to be up before noon.
Lance probably got up just to piss him off. He probably made sure he was up at
the crack of dawn, ready to make his stupid phone calls and wake JC up.
He
hadn't meant to get lost. He thought he had taken the right turn off the
highway. If JC really wanted to split hairs, he could blame Lance. Lance should
have been the one driving, and if he didn't want to drive, he shouldn't have
fallen asleep. And even if he did fall asleep, he shouldn't be such a light
sleeper that JC couldn't turn on the radio. See, that's what the problem was,
JC had nothing to do, so he could only write songs in his head. And everyone
knew how distracted JC could get when he wrote songs. It was no coincidence
that he just sat on the bus, notebook in front of him, and didn't have to think
about anything else when he wrote.
Quickly
washing his face and brushing his teeth, JC left the bathroom, hoping Lance was
off the phone. He wasn't.
"Ok…yeah,
I'll keep you updated."
JC
pushed past him and began to get dressed. Lance droned on, and JC presumed he
was now on the phone with Johnny. JC pulled his jeans on and slipped a shirt
over his head as Lance spoke. Putting his shoes on, he headed for the door, and
Lance stopped him.
"Hang
on, JC." He turned back to the phone, "Just a sec, ok? JC's
leaving." Lance listened for a reply and looked back up at JC. "Find
out exactly what's wrong and when it's gonna be fixed."
"I
know, Lance," JC replied tiredly.
"Jace,"
Lance said as he opened the door. JC sighed and turned back to Lance. "Go
to the store and get us some food. There's nothing here, and I'm starving,
man."
JC
nodded and pulled the door shut behind him.
*****
JC
didn't want to go back to the small apartment. Lance was going to murder him,
he just knew it.
He
slowly trudged down the street, coming from the general store, where the only
thing JC found for Lance were powdered donuts. And he knew Lance wouldn't want
them, now that he started working out.
"JC!
Wait up!"
JC
turned at the voice and saw BJ running across the dirt road towards him. He
waited for her to reach him and he grinned. "Morning."
She
smiled back at him. "Morning." They fell in step beside each other as
they walked towards the garage. "Did you check about your car?"
JC
groaned, "I don't even want to talk about it." He shook his head,
"Lance is going to kill me."
"Why?"
she asked him. "What's wrong?"
JC
shrugged, "I don't know. Something about an alternator or something. All I
know is that it's going to be at least a week."
BJ
gave him a sympathetic look. "He's going to kill you."
JC
laughed, "Thanks for the support."
"Well,
a week ain't so bad," she said. "There's a lot of stuff going on this
week."
They
stopped at the side of the garage, and BJ sat on the bottom step, stretching
her legs out in front of her. "Well, let's see, the Millers are raising a
barn this week, there's the pig roast, and the dance on Friday night."
JC
raised his eyebrows as he sat next to her. "Raising a barn?"
BJ
nodded, "Yep. It's the perfect time of year, because all the younger kids
are out of school, and there's more people to help."
"There's
a school in this town?"
"Well,
kind of." JC looked at her and she continued, "We go to this lady's
house, Mrs. Trudy. She used to be a teacher before she moved here."
JC's
eyes narrowed, "Does anyone ever go to college?"
BJ
shrugged, "Sure. I want to go. Most kids don't care about it. They're
happy living here and working in the fields."
JC
was silent for a minute, looking across the road at two children playing on
their porch. He sighed and stood up. "Well, I guess I better go give Lance
the bad news."
BJ
smiled at him, "You want me to come with you?"
JC
shrugged, "If you want, but he's going to yell."
"That's
okay," she said, heading up the steps. "I've been yelled at
before."
"Not
by Lance," JC muttered.
*****
"A
week?" Lance asked, surprisingly calm. "We're stuck here for a
week?"
JC
nodded, nervous. "Yeah, they have to wait for the part to come in."
Lance's
eyes bored holes into JC, and he didn't want to look up to meet that gaze.
Instead, he kept his gaze on the couch, a point just beyond Lance.
"Well,
that's just great," Lance muttered. "What the hell are we supposed to
do for a week?"
"There's
a barn raising," BJ offered.
Lance
looked at her and she took a step back. "A barn raising?" he asked
her. "Well, then, that sounds like fun!"
BJ
narrowed her eyes at his sarcastic tone. "You know what?" she said to
him. "I'm sick of you!" Lance raised his eyebrows and JC looked at
her in shock.
"Me?"
Lance asked, crossing his arms. "You're sick of me?"
BJ
nodded, "That's right. I'm sick of you acting like you're so much better
than anyone else. I'm sick of you acting like you've never done anything wrong!
JC got lost, it happens all the time, and instead of accepting that you're here
until the Jeep gets fixed, you have to be an asshole about it!"
Lance's
mouth dropped open, and JC hid a smile.
"Let
me tell you something," Lance said to her, lowering his voice. "I
don't want to be here. I have things I have to take care of, things I can't do
if I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere!"
"And
what do you have to do that is so damn important? What do you have to do that
you can't do here?"
"I
need to use my computer, for one," he told her. "I need to make phone
calls, have meetings…"
BJ
interrupted him. "You think we're so backwards that we don't have
phones?" Lance didn't reply and BJ laughed shortly. "You do, don't
you?"
Lance
shrugged, "I haven't seen one."
BJ
shook her head and turned to JC. "I don't know how you deal with him all
the time."
JC
grinned at her and replied, "I have a lot of patience."
Lance
scowled at him. "Look, no offense or anything, but I have a lot of things
going on," he told BJ.
BJ
rolled her eyes, "I don't care. Look, you're on vacation, Lance. You don't
have to be back for a month, why don't you just enjoy it? Let your parents take
care of things for a week."
Lance
glanced at JC and met his eyes. Turning back to BJ, Lance said, "How did
you know that?"
BJ
glanced at JC, "Know what?" she asked nervously.
"About
my parents," Lance told her. "How did you know they would take care
of things?"
JC
nodded, "Yeah, and that we were on vacation for a month."
BJ
shrugged, turning and moving towards the refrigerator, "You told me."
"No,
I didn't," JC told her.
BJ
sighed, "Fine. I know who you are," she said, facing them.
Lance
stared at her, "You do?"
BJ
rolled her eyes, "Duh. You guys are huge."
"But
last night," JC said, "no one knew us."
BJ
shook her head and moved to sit on the couch. "No one will," she
replied. "Probably just me. I actually watch TV." She looked at
Lance, "Yes, we do have television." She sighed, "I'm sorry I
didn't say anything," she told them. "I just didn't think you'd want
anyone to know."
JC
wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "Know what?"
"About
you two," BJ said.
Lance
turned back to her. "What about us?"
She
laughed shortly, "You know."
Lance
and JC glanced at each other, confused. "Know what?" JC asked, moving
to sit next to her.
Her
eyes widened, "Oh you're. . . oh, you're not?"
Lance
threw up his hands, "Jesus Christ, spit it out!"
BJ
glared at him and looked at JC. "You're not, you know. . .together?"
Lance
and JC stared at her in stunned silence. She looked between them, at Lance's
wide-eyed expression, and JC's face, which was growing redder by the second.
She stood up.
"Oh,
God, you're not, are you?" She paced the room. "Shit, I'm sorry. I
just thought. . ."
"Why
would you say that?" Lance asked, angry.
BJ
shrugged, "Well, come on! You're going on vacation together!"
Lance
stared at her, "So what?"
"And
the others aren't here!"
"Did
you ever think that they were going to meet up with us later?" Lance said
to her.
BJ
blushed, completely mortified. "I'm so sorry," she said. She hurried
to the door, "I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone now." She opened the
door and turned back to look at them. "I'm sorry."
JC
watched her leave, his mouth open in slack jawed silence. He could feel the
heat on his face and he looked up at Lance, who was still staring at the door.
JC forced a laugh, "Can you believe that?"
Lance
shook his head, turning away from JC and muttering. "Great. And the people
in this town are going to be so dammed open to gays, I'm sure."
JC
shrugged, "Well, it's not everyone, Lance. Only BJ knows who we are, and
I'm sure she didn't go around telling people she thought we were gay."
Lance
turned his scathing glare on JC. "Either way, they can't find out. She
can't find out about me."
"Who's
she going to tell?" JC asked him practically.
"It
doesn't matter, JC." Lance sank onto the couch. "I've kept it hidden
from the fans for too long to have some girl in a backwards town find
out."
JC
sighed and leaned back against the couch. "Well, look at it this way,
Lance. At least you are gay. I mean, she thinks I am and I'm not! What does
that say about me?"
Lance
looked sideways at him. "Well, you kind of ask for it, JC. I mean with the
rhinestones on you pants and all."
JC
looked down at his jeans. "Hey! You wear things like this, too!"
Lance
patted JC's knee and stood up. "Only on stage, Jace. That's the key."
He headed into the bedroom, presumably to find some work to do.
JC
crossed his arms and pouted. "I like my pants."
*****
JC
sighed and rolled over on the couch, looking at Lance who was sitting at the
small table, typing on his laptop. "I'm bored."
Lance
didn't take his eyes from the screen, "Mm hmm."
"Lance,"
JC whined. "Come on! Let's go do something!"
Lance
glanced at him, "What exactly do you want to do, JC? There's nothing to
do."
JC
sat up and put his feet on the floor. "I don't know! Let's just go
outside! It's nice out. BJ said there's a barn raising, we can do that."
"I
don't want to raise a damn barn, JC. I want to work." Lance looked back at
his screen.
"Well,
I don't have anything to do!" JC complained.
"Not
my fault," Lance pointed out. "You're the one who didn't bring
anything. You're the one who got us stuck here."
JC
stood up. "Look, Lance, I apologized for that. I know I fucked up, I don't
know what else you want me to do!" He crossed to where Lance was working
and glared down at him. "Like it or not, we have to spend a week in this
town and a week in this apartment and I am not going to have you being a snarky
bitch every time you talk to me!"
Lance
stared up at him in shock. JC never lost his temper like that, not unless he
was provoked. Lance realized JC must be really upset.
Lance
sighed, "Fine." He pushed his chair back. "I have to spend a
week in this place, and I'm not happy about it, JC."
"No
kidding," JC said sarcastically.
Lance
narrowed his eyes, "But since you seem to love it so damn much, I'll
pretend to be happy for you."
JC
threw up his hands in exasperation. "I don't want you to pretend, Lance! I
just want you to try!" He looked at Lance. "You're on vacation. At
least try to have fun. This place is only going to be what we make it."
Lance
paused and looked at JC. He was looking at him with such a hopeful expression
on his face, Lance felt terrible for yelling at him. "You're right."
He shut his laptop. "So, what do you want to do?"
JC
was surprised, "Really?"
Lance
nodded, "Yes, really. Come on," he spread his arms, "I'm all
yours."
JC
ducked his head before looking up at Lance sheepishly. "I kind of want to
raise a barn."
Lance
looked at him, amused. "You actually want to raise a barn?"
"Sure,"
JC shrugged, "why not?"
"Now
this I got to see."
JC
grinned and put on his shoes.
"Um,
Jace. You might want to change," Lance said as he took off his shirt to
change. "I don't think you want to ruin your five hundred dollar bedazzled
jeans."
"Fine,"
JC said, "I'll change." He headed into the bedroom and Lance quickly
changed his own jeans.
"Ok,"
JC said, coming back into the room, pulling an old tee shirt over his head.
"I'm ready." He grinned at Lance. "Let's go raise a barn!"
Lance
chuckled as they headed out the door. "You do realize that you're going to
have to lift things. And cut wood."
"Can't
I just direct?" JC asked. "I'm pretty good at visual things."
Lance
refrained from reminding JC about the room in his house decorated in pinks and
oranges. Instead, Lance patted his shoulder, "Sure, Jace. I'm sure they'll
appreciate some stranger telling them how crooked their roof is."
JC
grinned sheepishly, "I see your point."
Lance
walked next to JC as they headed down the street. "Do you have any idea
where this place is?"
JC
shook his head, "Nope."
"Your
girlfriend didn't tell you?" Lance teased.
JC
rolled his eyes, "She's not my girlfriend."
"Only
because she thinks you're gay," Lance pointed out.
JC
waved his hand, "Whatever." He shielded his eyes from the sun and
pointed, "Looks like it's over there." He looked around the street,
"Pretty deserted, don't you think?"
Lance
nodded. "Well, I think something like this the whole town gets behind, you
know?" He glanced at JC who was looking at him, a questioning look on his
face. "See," he explained, "raising a barn isn't easy work. And
with a tiny town like this, the entire town will help out. The men and boys
will build and the women help out by having food and drinks ready for
them." He shrugged, "It's like a bonding thing or something."
JC
nodded in understanding. "So, if I want to build a pool house," he
said, "the four of you will help out and Britney and Kelly will serve
us?"
Lance
laughed at him. "Put it just like that, JC, and I'm sure you'll have no
problem convincing anyone."
JC
laughed and they turned off the main road to follow a dirt road to a big
farmhouse. In the yard, the frame of a barn was halfway built, men and boys
scattered around it, yelling across the work area to each other. There were two
men sawing wood that was set up on blocks of concrete, and two boys, too young
to help hold the frame, were lifting it and carrying it to the men who held it
up and nailed it together.
Under
a large tree, a table was set up, the red checkered tablecloth covered with
various bowls covered with tin foil. Around the table were a few men, hats
tucked into their back pockets, handkerchiefs being wiped across sweaty
foreheads. One man leaned under the table and pulled out a cooler, opening it
and handing each man a beer before closing it again.
The
door of the farmhouse opened and BJ's mother appeared, a tray in her hands.
Following her was BJ, laughing at something and carrying a case of soda. The
two women headed towards the table and BJ began dumping the soda into the
cooler, sticking her hands inside to rearrange the ice.
Lance
nudged JC. "There's your girlfriend."
JC
shook his head, "Knock it off." He began walking towards her.
Lance
caught up to him. "Do you think we should arrive separately? So people
don't suspect anything?"
JC
laughed in spite of himself. "Will you stop? No one suspects
anything." He looked sideways at Lance. "And who cares if they do? I
mean, no one knows us."
Lance
shrugged, "It's just the point. I don't want people thinking we're
together."
"Hey!"
JC said, offended. "What's wrong with me? I'm nice looking."
Lance
grinned, "You're alright."
JC
snorted. "You should be so lucky to have me," he muttered.
Lance
threw his arm around JC's shoulders and laughed. "You'd never have me,
Jace. I'm not bony enough for your tastes."
JC
nodded and grinned, "Yeah, that's true." He laughed as Lance pulled
him into a headlock.
"Hey
guys!" BJ said, coming up to them. "What are you doing here?"
JC
squirmed out of Lance's hold and smiled at her. "Bored."
She
wiped her wet hands on the back of her pants. "How'd you find us?"
Lance
laughed and BJ looked at him in confusion. "Oh," he said, his
laughter dying off, "you were serious?"
BJ
sighed and turned to look at JC. "Look, I really want to apologize to
y'all. I'm sorry about what I said earlier."
JC
waved off her apology. "No big deal, BJ." He wiped his forehead,
"I need a drink." He grinned at BJ and headed off to the table,
smiling at Marie and reaching for a soda.
She
looked at Lance. "I'm sorry."
Lance
shrugged, "Like JC said, no big deal."
She
nodded, "Yes it is. I mean, here you guys are, on vacation and I go and
say something stupid. I don't want you to feel awkward."
Lance
put his hand on her shoulder, "Look, BJ, it's not like I'm happy you
thought that, but what can we do? Here's the thing," he glanced across the
yard at JC, "what you thought…it can't get out." Her eyes widened and
Lance immediately shook his head, "No. We're not together." She
nodded and he continued, "But if people think we are…well, it wouldn't be
good."
"I
totally understand," she said. "But you got to realize no one here
has ever heard of you." She looked Lance in the eyes, "You can
totally be yourselves here. Nothing you do will ever leave Dodge."
Lance
held her gaze, "I can't take that chance."
BJ
was silent for a long minute before reaching out and squeezing Lance's arm.
"Sometimes you have to," she said softly.
*****
Lance
wasn't surprised when JC stopped working.
BJ
had led the two to her brother and Zeke introduced them to some of the other
townsmen. The owner of the house, Bob Miller, shook their hands and immediately
gave them something to do. Lance was helping to push up and hold the boards
that were the frame of the barn, and JC was hammering, praying fervently the
whole time that he wouldn't hit his thumb.
Lance
had glanced at JC a few times, and grinned when the sweat started to soak
through his tee shirt. JC had wanted to help out, not realizing how hot the sun
would be come late afternoon. As Lance watched, he reached up his arm, wiping
his forearm across his forehead, squinting up at the sky. He glanced down when
the boy next to him said something and nodded. He stood up, heading for the
table with the food.
Lance
wasn't moving, having to stay still and hold his board straight as the men
nailed a piece of plywood to it, so he watched JC take a plate, pile it with
food and head to the porch, sitting on a rocking chair next to Marie.
"He's
done," Lance muttered to himself. "Lightweight."
*****
JC
flopped onto the bed, "I'm wiped out."
Lance
sat next to him, "You didn't even work!"
JC
rolled over and looked up at Lance. "I did so! I nailed all day. Do you
realize how hard that is?" Lance looked at him skeptically and JC sat up.
"It is! Lance, my arm is killing me!" He rubbed the top of his right
arm for emphasis. "And my hand is cramped from holding the hammer!"
Lance
grinned slyly, "Well, I would think that arm and hand would be used to all
the work."
JC
narrowed his eyes and Lance laughed. Lying back down, JC said, "You're
lucky I'm tired, or I'd kick your ass. In fact," he grinned as he reached
out and pinched Lance's thigh, twisting the skin.
"Ow!"
Lance cried, jumping off the bed. "That hurt!"
"Good,"
JC said.
Lance
moved around the bed, opening his suitcase. "I'm getting a shower."
"Mmm
hmm," JC replied, his eyes shut.
"Jace,
this is my bed," Lance told him. "Don't fall asleep here."
"Mm'kay,"
JC replied.
Lance
shook his head and left the room, heading for the shower. He stood under the
spray, feeling the dirt wash off of him. His muscles hurt, raising a barn used
different muscles than dancing, and he swore he would never bitch about Wade
again.
Toweling
off, he pulled on boxers and headed back to the bedroom. As expected, JC was
passed out, fully clothed, on top of the covers. Lance sighed. "JC,"
he said, shaking him. "Come on, wake up."
JC
rolled over and sighed in his sleep, pulling his knees to his chest, tucking
his hands between them.
Lance
pulled his hand off JC's shoulder and looked down at him. His hair was messy,
still slightly damp from the sweat. His mouth was open, his breath even. His
eyelids fluttered and as Lance watched, he reached up and wiped at his nose,
scratching an itch. Lance smiled when JC sighed and murmured wordlessly.
Lance
didn't want to disturb JC, but he knew JC would be uncomfortable sleeping in
his jeans. Lance rubbed the back of his neck as he contemplated the situation.
He could just leave him alone. Eventually, JC would wake up and realize he was
in his jeans and take them off. Lance cocked his head, looking down at JC's
jeans. On the other hand, he was getting the bed really dirty.
Lance
sighed and reached out, rolling JC on his back. Lance pulled JC's shirt up to
his shoulders and lifted him slightly to remove it. Trying not to notice the
line of dirt on his stomach, Lance unbuttoned JC's jeans and quickly pulled
them off, his eyes on JC's knees that were not attractive. Nope. Not at all.
Lance
tossed the jeans and shirt in the corner of the room, leaving the room and
shutting the door. Lance leaned against it and closed his eyes. Banging his
head against the door, he tried to get the image of JC in just his boxers out
of his head.
What
the hell was going on with him? He hadn't thought about JC like this in years.
When they first started, Lance had a crush on everyone in the group. Who
wouldn't, he thought. Stick a kid who was just realizing he was gay in a group
with four other attractive guys. He'd be abnormal if he didn't. Lance was quick
to realize, though, that a crush on anyone in the group would not be a good idea.
So
he stopped. He managed to not see Justin grow up. He managed to not see Joey
with Brianna, being the best father he could be. He managed to not see Chris
grow out of his weird hair stage and into his hot stage. And he managed to not
see JC turn into this man who had no idea just how beautiful he really was.
Lance
turned off all his sexual emotions when he looked at those four guys because
they were off limits. Besides, they weren't what he was looking for. They were
all too much for him. He wanted someone simple. He wanted someone who had a
normal job, who lived in a normal town, who wanted normal things.
Lance
groaned and headed towards the couch, picking up the sheets JC had put on the
chair and opening them up. Lifting them in the air, he watched them settle on
the sofa. Tossing the pillow at one end of the couch, Lance lay down. He put
his arms under his head and stared at the ceiling.
He
fell asleep with JC's image on his mind.
*****
Two
days later, Lance and JC were back at Bob's house, helping with the barn. They
had taken the day before off, JC complaining of muscle cramps. They spent the
day in the apartment, Lance working while JC wrote songs. JC complained so much
about everything that Lance was waiting on him hand and foot, bringing him soda
and food. Eventually, Lance caught onto JC's plan and realized he was just
using him so he wouldn't have to get up. He didn't say anything about it, just
threw the orange JC wanted at him, hitting him square in the forehead.
JC's
muscles didn't hurt as much as he claimed, if the speed at which he attacked
Lance was any indication.
By
the next day, JC was ready to head back, this time wearing a pair of cut off
shorts to keep him cooler. He pulled a visor on as they walked out of the
apartment, tucking stray hairs behind his ears.
When
they walked up Bob's driveway, a few of the townspeople waved to them, calling
out their names.
Lance
lifted his hand to wave at a few of the kids who were playing in the yard and
turned to JC. "Friendly town."
JC's
mouth lifted into a smile, but he didn't reply. A few days in this town and
Lance was actually becoming a nicer person. Not that he wasn't nice to begin
with, but now Lance was actually starting to relax. He wasn't worrying about
contracts and scripts and who was with whom. He had actually turned off the
laptop the previous day when JC found a deck of cards, playing Go Fish with
him.
"JC!
Lance!" BJ ran across the lawn, tossing the football she had to a boy.
"Hey guys," she pushed hair out of her eyes and grinned at him.
"We thought you two bailed on us."
Lance
laughed, "No. JC was just being lazy."
JC
grinned and punched him in the arm. "Don't listen to him. We spent the day
relaxing yesterday. It's been a while since we didn't have to go
anywhere."
BJ
nodded and linked her arms through theirs, leading them to the porch.
"Well, anyway, I'm glad you came back." She nodded towards the barn,
"They're doing the roof today."
Lance
tilted his head back and looked up. "Cool."
JC
was skeptical. "I don't know how to do that."
"You
can help me and mom," BJ told him.
"What
are you two doing?" JC asked her, looking down at her.
"Cleaning
corn," she grinned.
Lance
burst out laughing. "Can you handle that, JC?"
"Bite
me, Bass," JC said to him. He turned to BJ and took her hand, "Come
on."
The
two headed towards the porch as Lance walked to the barn. JC watched him shake
hands with a few of the men, putting his hands on his hips as the men explained
what they were doing. He sat down next to BJ on the steps of the porch.
Her
mother came out and JC moved over, allowing room for Marie to sit down. He
exchanged pleasantries with her as another woman brought them a crate of corn.
"So,
JC," BJ said to him as she handed him an ear of corn, "how is Lance?
Getting any better?"
JC
nodded, "Yeah, he's starting to relax." BJ looked up at him with
question and he shrugged. "You have to understand Lance, BJ. He doesn't
forget about work until a week into vacation." He pulled the skin off the
corn and tossed it into the garbage bag at his feet. "We're less than a
week into it and he's starting to forget about things." He smiled softly,
"It's nice."
Marie
looked up at him. "You two spend a lot of time together?"
JC
nodded, "Yeah. We spend most of the year together. The five of us, me,
Lance and the other guys, only spend about a month apart a year."
"You
two must be close," Marie commented.
JC
nodded at her, "We are. He's my best friend."
"Is
that all he is?" Marie asked him, smiling softly.
"Mom,"
BJ warned. "Stop," she stood up, walking to the table to get them a
few drinks.
"What
do you mean?" JC asked Marie.
Marie
shrugged. "You just seem closer than normal, that's all."
JC
nodded, "We spend a lot of time in close quarters. We're like family."
One
of Marie's neighbors interrupted them and JC fell silent. He pulled the silky
hair out of the corn and added it to the pile in the bag. He looked up at the
men working on the roof, his eyes seeking out Lance.
He
was climbing a ladder, a rope over his shoulder. JC mildly wondered what they
were going to use a rope for, but by then Lance was stepping onto the roof and
handing the rope to someone. Zeke, BJ's brother, spoke to Lance, gesturing to
the sky. Lance nodded at him and reached down, pulling his shirt over his head.
Even
from across the yard, JC could see the muscles rippling in Lance's back as he
took off his shirt. The sun glinted off his shoulders and JC could tell there
was a slight layer of sweat on his back. Lance tucked the shirt into the
waistband on his jeans and he and Zeke picked up a few shingles, walking across
the roof to give them to the guys hammering them in place.
He
pulled his eyes away from Lance when Marie spoke softly to him. "He looks
good, doesn't he?"
"Yeah,"
JC said absently. He realized what he said and he shook his head, "I mean,
yeah, we work for it."
Marie
smiled knowingly, "Sure he does, honey." She patted his knee and went
back to her corn.
"We
do," JC muttered under his breath. He didn't look back up the rest of the
afternoon.
*****
JC
picked up his phone and absently turned it in his hands. H needed to call
someone. But he had no idea who to call. Joey would have been his first choice,
but JC knew he was spending a lot of time with Brianna, trying to make up for
lost time while he was on the road. JC didn't want to disturb him.
He
couldn't decide between Chris and Justin. He really didn't want to talk to
either one of them. Sighing, he listened to make sure Lance was in the shower
and called Chris's house. He figured Chris would have better advice than
Justin.
"Hello?"
Justin answered the phone.
JC
rolled his eyes, "Justin?"
"Hey!"
Justin said, excited. "What's up, JC? Where are you?"
"What
are you doing at Chris's house?" JC asked him, ignoring his questions.
"What?
You don't want to talk to me?" Justin asked. "I'm waiting for him to
get his slow ass out of the shower. We just got back from riding. And we're
going to a club."
JC
leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Oh," he replied,
rubbing the bridge of his nose. He guessed he didn't have a choice now. He
would just talk to Justin. "So Lance and I got lost," JC told him.
Justin
laughed, "I heard. Johnny told us. How come you didn't call?"
JC
shrugged, "I don't know. Didn't think about it, I guess. Lance was calling
everyone and their brother complaining, I'm surprised he didn't call."
"Nope,"
Justin told him. "None of us have heard from him. So where are you?"
JC
sighed, "Dodge. Alabama. You should see this place, J, it's like a ghost
town." He chuckled, "There's like a hundred people who live here.
Justin, we're raising a barn!"
"You
are raising a barn?" Justin asked, unconvinced. "I don't believe
it."
"Well,
Lance is doing more than me, I'm mostly just watching." JC grinned as
Justin laughed in his ear. When he stopped, JC sighed, "J, can I talk to
you about something?"
Justin
sobered, "Sure, Jace. What's up?"
"There's
this girl, BJ," JC said, trying to figure out what he wanted to say to
Justin. "And she said this thing."
Justin
interrupted him, "Look, JC what are you trying to tell me? Cause no
offense, I don't have a lot of time here. Once Chris gets out of the shower, we
have to go."
"Fine,"
JC said sharply. "I think I like Lance."
Justin
laughed, "Well, of course you like Lance. We all like Lance."
"No,"
JC said. "You like Lance in the way where you can sit and talk to him. I
think I like Lance in the way where I want to lick his neck all the way to his
ear."
"Oh,"
Justin said. "Oh."
"Yeah,"
JC replied. "Oh." He sighed, "So what should I do?"
Justin
blew out a breath, "I don't know, JC. I mean, since when are you
gay?"
JC
laughed, "Gee, Justin. Get right to the point, why don't you?"
JC
could just picture Justin grinning when he spoke. "Hey, you're the one
talking about licking Lance's neck."
"Good
point," JC told him. "I don't know," he said, answering his
question. "I mean, I never really thought about any guys like that."
"So
what?" Justin asked. "You get lost with Lance and all of a sudden
you're gay." He laughed, "Remind me never to get lost with him."
"He's
just," JC sighed, "nice." Laughing, he said, "I know that
sounds ridiculous, but we're spending all this time together, just the two of
us, and it's nice."
"Jace,
you always spend time together."
"I
know, but it's different now. It's just us. No one else. There's no one to
interrupt us and we're talking a lot more now, and I watch him when we're at
the Millers and…" JC's voice trailed off.
"And?"
Justin asked.
"And
I think he looks hot," JC muttered.
Justin
laughed.
JC
sighed, "I knew I should've called Joey."
"Well,
JC, come on! You think he looks hot?" Justin tried to stop laughing, but
he couldn't. He took a deep breath, Sorry."
"Thanks
for your help, Justin," JC said. "I'm going to go now."
"No!
Jace, come on," Justin said. "I'm sorry. Talk to me."
"That's
is," JC said. "I don't know what else to say."
"How
does Lance feel?" Justin asked him. "I mean, it would be pointless to
want to lick Lance if he doesn't want to lick back."
JC
shrugged, hearing the water in the shower shut off. "You know Lance,
Justin. He never looked at any of us twice."
"Maybe
because he knows it would be a bad idea." Justin said. "What if he
actually fell for one of us and then it didn't work out."
"Plus
we're straight," JC pointed out.
"Well,
yeah, that too," Justin said. "Except we're all not straight now, are
we?"
"No,"
JC said. "Well, yeah, I mean, I don't know."
"JC,"
Justin said seriously, "If you're thinking about licking Lance's neck,
you're not all straight."
JC
looked up when Lance walked out of the bedroom. Lance grinned at him and rubbed
a towel over his hair. JC swallowed thickly at Lance's bare chest.
"Yeah," He said to Justin. "You're right."
"I
know," Justin said. "So you need to find out how he feels. Because if
he's not going to go for you, you don't want to get yourself in deeper. Maybe
it's just that town. You have no one else."
JC
sighed, "I don't know."
"Who
is that?" Lance asked him quietly.
"Justin,"
JC answered him. "I'm almost done."
"Is
that Lance?" Justin asked. "Do you want to lick him now?"
JC
glanced at Lance, who was walking back into the bedroom and sighed.
"Yes."
Justin
laughed, "I can't wait to tell Chris!"
"I
have to go, Justin," JC told him. "Lance is out of the shower, and I
want to get in before I go to bed."
"Have
fun, JC," Justin told him. "Talk to Lance. He might understand what
you're feeling."
"Maybe,"
JC said. "Thanks, J."
"No
problem."
JC
hung up the phone with Justin and sighed, resting his head on the back of the
couch. He heard Lance come back into the room and felt him rest his elbows on
the couch next to his head.
"How's
Justin?" Lance asked quietly.
JC
didn't open his eyes when he answered. "Fine. He and Chris are going out
tonight."
Lance
sighed, "I can't even think about going out. I'm beat."
JC
turned his head to look at Lance. He had his head resting on his arms and his
eyes were closed. "Too much barn raising?" he teased.
Lance
opened his eyes, "Yeah. And I thought we were supposed to be on
vacation."
JC
grinned, "How about we take tomorrow off? BJ had told me about a lake,
maybe we can go swimming?"
Lance
smiled at him, "Sounds good, Jace." They smiled at each other and
Lance reached out and ran his hand over JC's head. "We can take a picnic
and everything. It'll be fun."
JC
nodded, "Yeah it will."
Lance
nodded towards the shower, "Go get a shower. I know cleaning corn was hard
work."
JC
laughed and stood up. "Go to bed, Lance. I'm sure sleeping on the back of
the couch won't be very comfortable."
Lance
sighed and stood up. "Yeah." He motioned to the bedroom, "You
want the bed again? I didn't mind the couch."
JC
shook his head, "No, you take it. You worked a lot today." He grinned,
"Besides, if I'm on the couch, you'll wake me up in the morning when you
get up."
Lance
laughed, "Ok, I'll take the bed." He yawned and went into the
bedroom. "Night Jace," he said, stopping at the door. "See you
in the morning."
JC
nodded, "Yeah. Night Lance."
*****
"Our
car is done," JC told Lance as he entered the apartment.
Lance
looked up from his computer. "It is? It hasn't been a week yet."
JC
nodded, "I know. Zeke said the part came in early, so they finished it
when we were at the lake." He sat next to Lance at the table. "So we
can go."
Lance
nodded, "Oh. Okay." He looked at JC. "When do you want to
leave?"
JC
shrugged, "I don't care." He looked at Lance, "What if I said
never?"
Lance
smiled, "We have to leave sometime, Jace." He pushed his laptop away
from him, "But I know what you mean. It's nice here."
JC
stared at him, "You like it here?"
Lance
shrugged, "Yeah. I mean, sure I wouldn't have picked this place to get
lost, but it's nice. We don't have to be someone we're not. And people like us
because they think we're nice, not because we're who we are, you know?"
JC
nodded, but didn't reply. He was accepted here. He heard people talking, he
knew the people of the town thought he and Lance were together, but yet none of
them cared. And JC knew that outside of this town's borders people weren't as
nice, weren't as open and friendly to complete strangers. Especially complete
strangers who they thought were gay.
"Yeah,"
he finally said. "It's nice." Taking a deep breath, he said,
"So. Tomorrow?"
Lance
looked at him, "Sure. Tomorrow. That will give us time to say
goodbye."
*****
"You're
not staying for the dance?" BJ asked when they told her. They had gone to
the Miller's house where the barn was just about finished.
JC
shook his head, "No. We should be going."
BJ
looked crushed. "But it's tomorrow night! Can't you just stay for that and
leave on Saturday?"
"No,"
JC replied. "We really have things to do."
Lance
interrupted him. "We can stay." JC looked at him in shock and he
shrugged, "I mean, why not? We've been here this long, what's one more
day?"
A
grin split JC's face and BJ clapped her hands together. "Good! It'll be
fun. I can't wait to see you guys square dance!"
Lance
and JC shared a look. "Square dancing?" JC asked.
BJ
nodded, "Yeah. I mean, it's not all we do, but there's line dancing and
square dancing."
Lance
shook his head, "Maybe I spoke too soon." He looked at JC.
"We'll leave tomorrow."
BJ
laughed and hit his arm, "No you won't!" She linked her arms through
theirs and led them to the porch. "It's fun, I promise."
*****
Lance
didn't even know that the town of Dodge had a town hall. But there it was, set
off the road, lights decorating the outside. Inside, it was brightly lit,
tables set up in rows on the floor, plastic red and white checkered tablecloths
covering them. There was a table set up at the front of the room, one of the
young men Lance and JC met at the Miller's behind it, setting up speakers.
JC
and Lance entered the town hall, smiling at a few people as they headed to
where BJ was sitting.
"Hey!"
she said, grinning at them. She motioned to the hall, "You're right on
time, it's just about to start."
Lance
sat down next to her, taking the soda that Jed offered him. "Thanks."
He glanced around the hall, watching as the people of Dodge moved to the dance
floor as the music started. He glanced at JC, "See, all those years of me
listening to country music might pay off now."
JC
laughed, "You think I listened to that? Nope. I block it out."
Jed
laughed at them as he stood up, extending a hand to Marie. "Well, JC, get
used to it. You'll be blocking it out all night."
JC
shook his head, "No. I'm going to attempt to do that line dancing."
He motioned to the floor. "How hard can it be, right?"
Lance
pushed his chair back, grinning at BJ while he spoke to JC. "He thinks
it's easy. Come on, JC, let's try it." Lance took BJ's arm and led her to
the floor, JC following behind.
Lance
quickly explained the steps to JC, telling him to watch one rotation before
trying it. JC watched their feet, his arms crossed, trying to count in his
head. Nodding, he stepped next to Lance and started dancing.
And
abruptly turned the wrong way, crashing into BJ. BJ caught him, laughing, and
JC grinned sheepishly, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "Oops."
Lance
clapped him on the back, "Not so easy, is it, JC?"
JC
shook his head, "Okay, I take it back." He grinned, "I'll just
be over there watching."
BJ
grabbed his arm, "You're going to come back for the square dancing,
right?"
JC
nodded, "Sure, why not?" He grinned at Lance, "they tell us what
to do for that, right?" Lance laughed and nodded and JC turned back to BJ.
"I'll be back." He walked away, taking a seat at the table and
talking to Zeke and his friends.
BJ
turned to Lance as a slow song came on, standing next to him and holding his
left hand in her right. The music started and the two of them moved in the
circle, following the couple in front of them.
"I'm
glad you guys stayed," BJ said to him as they danced.
Lance
nodded, "Me too. I know JC really wanted to stay, and he would never admit
it."
BJ
looked up at him, "Why not?"
"Because
if he thought I wanted to go, he would never say he wanted to stay."
"So
you stayed for him?" BJ asked.
Lance
shrugged as he spun her under his arm, "I guess, yeah."
BJ
was silent for a minute. As they moved past the table JC was sitting at, BJ
looked up to see JC watching them. "You know that the people in town think
you two are together."
"They
do?" Lance asked surprised. "No one said anything to us."
BJ
laughed, "Did you expect them to come up to you and ask?" She looked
up at Lance.
"No,"
he said, "I just didn't think they thought that. I mean, they didn't treat
us like we were a couple."
"You
haven't learned anything about this time in Dodge, have you?" BJ shook her
head. "This town is small, Lance, and really, it's all we have. You may
see it as backwards, being that we don't have a lot. We like it simple, Lance. And
people here, they're friendly. They don't care who you sleep with as long as
it's not their wife." Lance laughed at her and she grinned. "Not a
lot of people come through here." She looked up at him, "And we're
not rude to strangers."
The
music ended and Lance stepped back, looking down at her. "I know. I was a
complete asshole when we got here."
Her
eyes twinkled, "You were? I hadn't noticed."
He
grinned, "Anyway, you're right. You don't have much, but you are a
friendly bunch."
BJ
rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, we are." She looked at JC briefly
before looking back at Lance. "You two would be cute together."
Lance
shrugged, "It doesn't matter. I wouldn't get involved with someone in the
group." He glanced over his head at JC, who was laughing at Zeke.
"And he's straight. So, case closed."
"Well,
can't argue with that, I guess," BJ said. "But I'm not so sure that
you should give up on him."
One
of the boys BJ knew came up then and she turned to him. Lance took the
opportunity to head back to the table, thinking about what she said. As he
neared, JC looked up and caught his eye. Lance felt his breath catch in his
throat when JC smiled at him.
"He's
straight," Lance told himself. "End of story."
*****
JC
was a better square dancer than line dancer. In the beginning, he had bit his
lip as the caller told the dancers what to do, but eventually loosened up
enough to begin to enjoy himself. He turned BJ, his partner, like a pro,
grinning at Lance across the circle.
JC
laughed with BJ, spinning her in time to the music. He hooked his arm around
her waist as they walked in the circle. He watched Lance out of the corner of
his eye, noticing how relaxed Lance was with the people of the town. What a
difference a few days made.
The
dance they were doing forced them to change partners, so he was now dancing
with Marie, who smiled up at him. "Having fun?" she asked.
JC
nodded, "I am. This is great."
She
smiled at him and said, "Lance is having a good time, too, I think."
"He
is," JC answered. "I can tell."
Marie
nodded at him, "I know you can." She patted his arm before changing
partners again. "You make him happy, sweetie."
JC
didn't have a chance to answer her, as she was already in the next person's
arms.
JC
met Lance's eyes across the circle and Lance grinned widely at him. The music
died down and JC clapped absently as he grinned at Lance. Lance didn't look
away and his smile changed from a wide grin to a soft smile.
Lance
made JC happy, too.
*****
"We
should get out of here," JC said to Lance. "It's late, and we should
get an early start tomorrow."
Lance
glanced at his watch, "Yeah, you're right." He stood up and looked at
the family at the table. "We're going to get going."
Marie
looked up at them. "We'll see you tomorrow morning, right?"
JC
nodded, "Yes. We won't leave without saying goodbye."
BJ
stood up and quickly hugged them. "Night, guys."
JC
and Lance headed out of the town hall and onto the deserted street. The moon
was full in the sky and they didn't need streetlights to lead them. They walked
in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their thoughts.
"That
was fun," JC commented, breaking the silence.
"It
was," Lance said. "You sucked."
JC
laughed, "I know. You were good, though."
Lance
shrugged and smiled at him, "We did that back home. Line dancing, I mean.
It was pretty big in Clinton."
JC
nodded but didn't reply. He walked next to Lance and wondered what Lance would
do if he reached out and took his hand. He didn't, though, not knowing how
Lance would react.
"It's
nice out," Lance said suddenly.
JC
took a deep breath of the air, "Yeah, it is." He glanced at Lance,
"You want to take a walk?"
"I
thought you wanted to go back," Lance said.
JC
shrugged, "Well, if you want to, we can. I just thought it was nice
out."
"No,"
Lance said, "let's go. I'm not really tired anyway."
JC
nodded and they headed in the direction of the lake, making idle conversation
about nothing along the way.
"Let's
sit over there," Lance said, pointing to a porch swing someone hung on a
thick branch of a tree. He led JC to the swing and sat down.
JC
sat next to him, pushing the swing with his foot. He looked down at his hands,
realizing he was twisting his fingers. He felt Lance's gaze on him and he
looked up. "What?"
Lance
shook his head. "Nothing really. Are you okay? You seem a little
distracted or something."
JC
nodded, looking back down at his hands. "I'm fine. Just thinking."
Lance
chuckled, "Oh no." He turned back to look out at the lake. "What
are you thinking about?"
"Can
I tell you something?" JC asked him.
"Of
course," Lance told him. "You can tell me anything, you know
that."
"I'm
glad we got lost," JC said.
Lance
looked at him in amusement. "Are you kidding me? You'd rather raise a barn
than relax at my house?"
JC
laughed in spite of himself. "I would. I had a lot of fun." He fell
silent again.
Lance
looked at JC's profile in the moonlight. "I did, too. I didn't expect to
have any fun at all."
JC
shrugged. "I'm glad we got lost," he said again, almost to himself.
Lance
watched him, not saying a word. He knew JC well enough to know that he was
trying to say something. He waited for JC to collect his thoughts.
"It's
just," JC said softly. He took a deep breath. "Sometimes, getting
completely lost," JC finally looked up at Lance, meeting his eyes,
"is the best way to find yourself."
Lance
was trapped in his gaze. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't look away.
"Jace?" he asked softly.
JC
didn't reply as he reached out and ran the back of his fingers against Lance's
cheek. Lance closed his eyes at JC's touch so he didn't see JC leaning forward.
Lance simply felt the slight pressure of JC's lips on his.
JC
moved his fingers up Lance's cheek, and ran his hands through the hair at
Lance's temple as he kissed him for the first time. Lance's lips were dry and
JC swept his tongue over them, wetting them and asking for entry into Lance's
mouth.
Lance
opened his mouth to JC and allowed JC to kiss him. He moved his hand up JC's
arm and massaged the back of JC's neck, pulling him closer. They kissed in the
moonlight, moving closer to each other on the swing.
They
parted, breathless, and JC rested his forehead against Lance's.
"Wow," he breathed.
"Um,
yeah," Lance replied. "Where did that come from?" He opened his
eyes and looked at JC.
"I
don't know," JC answered honestly.
Lance
tried to move away from JC, but JC moved his arm around Lance's shoulders,
holding him in place. Lance sighed and rested his head on JC's shoulders,
"This isn't right."
"Why
not?" JC said into his hair. "I think it's right."
"You're
straight," Lance pointed out.
JC
laughed softly. "Considering I'm plotting ways to kiss you again, I don't
think I'm completely straight." He sighed and said, "Look, Lance. I
know you like to have reasons for things, but I don't have one for this. I know
that sometime within the past few days I fell for you."
Lance
sat up and looked at him, "When we get back to the real world, are you
going to decide that this isn't what you want? Because if you are, you need to
tell me now."
JC
shook his head, "I don't know what's going to happen, Lance, I don't have
all the answers." He touched Lance's face again, "Something like this
you can't predict. Love happens, Lance."
Lance
laughed softly, "Love happens." He smiled at JC and reached out to
brush a piece of hair off his forehead. "Yeah," he said quietly,
"I guess it does."
*****
Lance
and JC didn't stay at the lake very long. JC was yawning in minutes and Lance
knew if he wanted to get JC up any time before noon, he needed to get him to
bed soon.
"Come
on," Lance said, standing up. "We better get back."
"Yeah,"
JC said. "I'm tired."
Lance
grinned at him, "What a surprise."
JC
laughed and took Lance's hand as they walked back to the apartment. He leaned
into Lance's shoulder and Lance let go of his hand to slip an arm around JC's
shoulders. They walked back to the apartment in silence, listening to the
sounds of the crickets and the dance still going on at the town hall.
"This
town really comes alive," Lance said quietly.
JC
nodded against his shoulder, "They know how to relax."
Entering
the apartment, Lance flicked on the light. JC moved away from him and
immediately went to the couch, laying down and closing his eyes. Sighing
deeply, he kicked off his shoes and pulled his legs up.
Smiling,
Lance crouched down next to him. "What are you doing?"
JC
opened his eyes and looked at him, "Going to sleep." He wrinkled his
brow, "Why?"
Lance
shrugged, "I thought maybe you could sleep in the bed."
"No,
Lance, you sleep there. I'm fine here." He closed his eyes again.
Lance
rolled his eyes and stood up. "JC," he said patiently. "I
thought maybe you could sleep in the bed." He paused. "With me."
JC
opened his eyes again. He looked up at Lance. "Oh." He sat up and
nodded, "I knew that."
Lance
nodded and kissed his forehead, "Of course you did."
JC
shuffled behind Lance into the bedroom. "I did. I'm just tired."
"Ok,
babe. Whatever you say," Lance undressed quickly and slipped between the
sheets. JC quickly followed and sighed happily when his head hit the pillow.
Lance laughed softly, "You really enjoy your sleep, don't you?"
"Lance,
how long have you known me?" JC asked him.
"Point
made," Lance said. He kissed JC's lips softly, intending for it to be a
quick good night kiss. JC had other plans, wrapping his arms around Lance's
neck, pulling him close.
"Night,
Lance," JC whispered when he pulled away.
"Night,"
Lance replied. He turned off the light next to the bed and rolled towards JC,
pulling his body flush with his own. His arm wrapped around JC's waist and JC
sighed in contentment, moving slightly closer to Lance.
Lance
fell asleep, his hand splayed across JC's stomach.
*****
Lance
threw his suitcase into the back of the Jeep and shut the door. He turned to
JC, who was talking to BJ. "Ready, Jace?"
JC
nodded, "Yeah." He pulled BJ in a hug, "I'm going to miss
you."
BJ
hugged him tightly, "You'll have to come back sometime."
"We
will," JC promised. "And you'll come to see us, too."
"I'd
like that." She grinned at him and he pulled away to hug Marie.
"Thank
you," he said to her.
Marie
nodded, "Anytime, JC." She smiled at him.
Lance
watched JC hug Marie and moved to shake Jed and Zeke's hands. "Thank
you," he said to them. "I appreciate you getting our Jeep done."
He took out a few bills from his wallet. "I know we paid you for the car,
but here's something for letting us stay in your apartment."
Jed
waved his hand, "Nonsense," he said. "It was our pleasure. Plus
you helped with the Miller's barn."
Lance
shrugged, "We wanted to." He held out the bills, "Are you
sure?"
Jed
nodded, "Positive."
Lance
put the bills back in his wallet. He and JC figured they wouldn't take any
money for the apartment, so they left money on the table upstairs for them.
Lance
hugged Marie and then BJ came up to him. She smiled, "You're
welcome."
Lance
grinned at her, "You didn't do anything."
She
lifted a shoulder and let it drop. "Says you." She grinned, "If
it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have thought twice about him." She looked
back at JC, who was getting in the Jeep. "Be happy," she said to
Lance. "And don't worry, no one outside of Dodge will ever hear about
this."
Lance
pulled her in for a hug, "Thanks, BJ." He pulled away and yelled at
JC, who was in the driver's seat. "No way, JC! I'm driving."
JC
grinned sheepishly and got out of the Jeep. "Fine." He tossed the
keys to Lance and got in the passenger seat.
Turning
the keys, Lance waved at BJ, Marie, Zeke and Jed. He looked at JC.
"Ready?"
JC
nodded, "Yep."
"Ok,
then," Lance said, putting the car in gear. "Let's get the hell out
of Dodge."
JC
laughed at him, "You've been dying to say that haven't you?"
Lance
grinned, "Yeah, I have." He turned down the main street, where the
townspeople were out, waving at them as they left town. He put his hand on JC's
knee. "I'm going to miss this place."
JC
covered Lance's hand with his own, "Me too." He glanced sideways at
Lance, "Maybe next time we can get lost, too. Make it a tradition."
Lance
picked up JC's hand and kissed the back of it. "As long as I have you, I
won't be lost."
JC
rolled his eyes, "Just drive, Lance. Let me be the poetic one."
Lance
squeezed his hand and laughed. "Ok, then. Be poetic."
JC
grinned cheesily. "I'll never be lost as long as I have you." Lance
looked at him and JC shook his head, "Ok, ok, Nevermind." He thought
for a minute before looking at Lance. "Getting lost has never been so much
fun."
"That's
not poetic, JC," Lance pointed out.
JC
shrugged and leaned back in his seat, "Ok, so I'm having an off day."
He turned his head to look at Lance. "Seriously, I'm glad we got lost. And
I'd have done it a long time ago if I knew this was how it would turn
out."
Lance
smiled softly at him, "Me, too, JC. Me too."
The End
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