Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2000 23:06:03 +0000
From: Angel1313@att.net
Subject: Open Your Eyes ch.3

Open Your Eyes
Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I don't know/own/have anything to do with *NSYNC. If you don't
like homosexual relationships, what are you doing in Nifty anyway? Feel
free to send me feedback, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you, and enjoy!
-Angel1313 ^_^

Note: This is from Lance's point of view, so it will be in first person.
I'm not really Lance, so if I get something about him totally wrong, you
can tell me, but, uh, I *do* have a literary license, you know!  =P

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Ugh, what time is it? I bet it's waaay too early, `cause I was out
waaay too late last night. I had fun, though. Something that I don't think
I do enough of. JC shouldn't be the focus of my life. But guess what? He
is. *Sigh* I'll have to work on that.
	It's already nine o'clock? Great, I should probably get up. And
shower. I did too much dancing last night not to. Maybe it'll wake me up.

	Oh, I feel much better. And much cleaner! We don't have to be
anywhere until five, so today should be fun. Oh, except for that meeting
that we're going to have at noon. It should be quick, though. Besides, I
think we're going to go out to lunch to do it, so it should be fine.
	Hmm? Is there someone in the hallway? It sounds like JC. I think
I'll go check. If I'm lucky, he'll be half-dressed or something.
	"Morning, JC." Damn, no such luck. He's completely dressed. And
what does he have in his hands?
	"Morning, Scoop. Say, can you help me out with something?"
	"Sure, anything." I mean it, too.
	"I've sort of got my hands full, and I was wondering if you'd grab
my key for me."
	Try not to panic! Breath, breath, breath! "Sure, where is it?"
Please, please, please, be in your pocket. Preferably one of the front
ones.
	"It's in my coat pocket. This one."
	Oh, I like it when you thrust your hip at me like that. I'd just
rather that... whoa! Lance, get a hold of yourself! He *is* waiting for you
to get his key, after all.
	"Do you want me to open the door for you?" Duh! Of course he
does. Way to make a fool out of yourself!
	"Would you?" Ah, nice and polite as always. That's why I love you
so much, JC. Well, actually, that's not the *only* reason why, but it's one
of the many.
	"What's with the coffee, anyway?" I had to ask.
	"Justin and I were up pretty late last night, and I wanted to
surprise him, so I got up early and found the nearest Starbucks."
	Wow. JC got up early. Damn Justin! I wish he'd do that for me. I
know he never would, though. Those kind of special favors are reserved for
best friends.
	"You came home with us, right? It wasn't all that late. Around two
or something, right?" JC likes to sleep, and he doesn't usually come out
with us, but still. It wasn't *that* late. Although, Justin *is* cranky in
the morning. But then, so is JC.
	"Yeah, but we ended up staying up talking until around four-thirty,
so admittedly I'm pretty beat. He will be, too. He'll be in an even worse
mood if the coffee's cold by the time I deliver it." I get the point. I'll
open the door for you.
	"Thanks, Scoop." Why is he whispering all of a sudden? Isn't he
going to wake Justin anyway?
	Hmm, he didn't close the door. Does he know I'm still here? I
wonder how he's going to wake Justin; this could be pretty funny. At least
he set the coffee down, so I know he won't get burned.
	There he goes, making all quiet like as he walks over to Justin's
bed. Wait... Isn't that JC's bed? And the other one is still made. They
didn't... wouldn't sleep in the same bed. Or would they...? After all, we
*did* watch a scary movie the other night, *and* they were up late
talking. Damn! Justin doesn't realize how lucky he is, getting to sleep
with JC and all. Of course, I'm sure they're not sleeping together the way
I want to sleep with JC, but still. Cuddling is good, too.
	Is he kissing him? His face is so close to Justin's that I can't
tell. Plus, I'm sort of at a bad angle. Why is Justin laughing?
Wait... Justin is laughing?! After being woken up? What the hell is going
on?
	Argh! I hate this! There he goes, placing his arms around JC's
neck. What is JC doing? Ooh, he's pulling him out of bed.
	"Nooo! Joshy, I want to sleep!" Such a whiny kid! And I hate the
way he calls him "Joshy," too. If only because I'm not close enough to him
to do the same.
	Oh my God, JC is carrying him. And with Justin's legs wrapped
around his waist like that... I bet they're rubbing up against each
other. Damn! I don't want to think about that! JC and Justin are straight!
Why do I have to keep putting these thoughts into my head?
	"You got me coffee, Josh? Aw, how sweet. You're too good to me, you
know that?" Yes, I know that!! And would you quit acting like you're his
boyfriend? That's going to be my job someday, so back off!
	"Anything for the person I love." WHAT?! He didn't mean that the
way I think he did. He couldn't have! JC's dating someone right now! A
girl, for that matter. I'm just over reacting. It's probably some best
friend thing.
	"I'm so glad we talked last night, Josh."
	"Me, too."
	What the hell was their talk about? They spent the entire night at
the club sitting alone, talking, then they came back here and talked some
more. They must've had something pretty big to take care of! Maybe they had
a fight and finally made up or something.
	"Hey, Scoop, you just gonna stand there, or you gonna go in?"
	"Joey!" Holy shit, I must've jumped three feet. Damn! I didn't even
notice him come up behind me. He must think I was eavesdropping on JC and
Justin. Oh, wait. I was.
	"I was, um, actually just leaving. I helped JC get in `cause his
hands were full."
	"No problem. You wanna go grab a bite to eat?"
	"Sure. I'd like that. Should we invite them? Or at least tell them
we're going?" Maybe JC'll come. Hopefully without Justin.
	"Naw, it's okay. I told Chris that we're going, so if they get
curious they can ask him." Chris isn't coming? Wow, that's really
cool. Maybe I pretend that Joey is my best friend while we're out. It'll be
just us, after all. Maybe I can tell him about my unrequited love. Without
naming any names, of course. Or maybe he'd understand...

	"Joey, can I ask you something?" We've already been eating for some
time now. If I'm going to bring this up, I'd best do it now.
	"Sure, anything. Shoot."
	"Well... Have you ever found anyone in the group attractive?" I'd
better start small. There's no way I could just blurt it out! Maybe if we
were closer...
	"Yeah, of course. I mean, we're a good-looking group of guys!"
	There's that smile. It always puts me at ease. Maybe I *can* do
this.
	"Well, have you ever wanted to... change your relationship with one
of them? You know, take the next step." Okay, could I be any more vague?
	"Oh, of course. I mean, think about: how convenient would it be to
have your boyfriend on the road with you and everything? It'd be great to
date one of the guys, I just haven't gone in that direction with any of
them yet. Plus, I just *wouldn't* date some of them. I mean, it'd be waaay
too weird for me to date Chris, you know?"
	I nod. Good. That's probably how JC feels about Justin. After all,
they're best friends, too. Wait. Wasn't I going to pretend that I'm Joey's
best friend?
	"Why do you ask?" Huh? Oh, yeah, I have to answer him. After all,
he *did* just let me in on a pretty big secret. Well, it's a secret for
me. Joey seemed pretty at ease with telling me. I bet he's had plenty of
practice talking to Chris about it. Damn! I wish I could let this "best
friend" obsession go!
	"Well, I've just been having, um, similar... feelings. For one of
the guys, that is." There. Took me long enough to spit it out, but at least
I did it!
	"I always thought you were gay." What?! How does he know I'm not
bi?
	"Oh, don't look so shocked, Scoop. I might be bi, but that doesn't
mean that I don't have a gay-dar! Plus, when was the last time you dated a
girl?"
	I can't help but laugh a little. But that's Joey for ya! He just
uncovered one of my darkest secrets, and yet, here I am, actually happy
that he knows. It'll help to have someone to talk to.
	"Say, Joey. If I need someone to talk too..." I can't finish the
question. I can't impose on him like this!
	"Hey, I'm available any time you need someone to talk to. Day or
night, give me a call. I know it sucks when no one can relate to you. Plus,
I'm pretty sure I understand what you're going through. Maybe we can help
each other." Me? Help Joey? I wish! He's much more put together then I'll
ever be.
	"Thanks Joey. You have no idea what this means to me." Trust me on
this one.
	"It's my pleasure. Really." Huh, funny, but I get the impression
that he means that. Naw, I'm probably just imagining things. Oh well, what
does it matter? I finally found someone that I can be close to. Even if I'm
not his best friend... yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello? Does anyone read this? I mean, I know it sucks, but still! Oh well,
at least *I* enjoy it! It helped get my mind off "Devotion." Well if you
*do* read this, and even if you think it sucks, feel free to write and tell
me! The address is at the top, as always. Thanks! -Angel1313 ^_^