Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 00:16:44 PDT From: Jeff Kaiser Subject: twist of fate chapter 3 **Thanks go out to all the new friends I've made as a result of the story, especially AFD for the proof. I appreciate it! All the usual disclaimers apply that are found in the intro to ch 1. This story is fiction... blah blah blah. Communication IS my fuel! Drop me a line and tell me what you think. ~Jeff kaiser_goof@hotmail.com A Twist of Fate, Chapter 3 * * * * * I honestly couldn't believe that I was holding two tickets to an N'Sync concert in my hands. I mean, I'd held over $30,000 in cash and checks in my hands at Mervyns where I work in the cash office. But these were FAR more valuable to me. "Yahoo!" I yelled as I got off the bed and ran around the house. Now I'm REALLY glad no one was home. I'd have been put away in an institution for sure. Not only did James still want to be friends, and not only did he give me these very valuable tickets (where did he get them, anyway?), but I was going to get to see some great bands, including my favorite teen celebrity to date, Lance Bass. I ran quickly to the backpack I was carrying on the flight and grabbed the case for the N'Sync album, removing the liner notes and reading Lance's bio. I just smiled as I read his information, and all the people he had to thank, etc. This was for SURE going to be a great evening! Realizing that I couldn't attend a boy band concert by myself (and I would NEVER waste a ticket), I thought about who I could invite. It would have to be a girl, and she would have to be close. I had some pretty good girl friends, and I quickly narrowed the list down to the perfect person-Sara. We had gone to high school together, and we went to the same church. We'd known each other for years, and she was like my sister. She was kinda hip to the world, so I was sure she'd dig an N'Sync concert. "Hello?" Sara answered. "Hey Sara, it's Billy! Have I got some news for you!" I said, trying to cap my excitement. "Billy, you better have some news... and an explanation for why you missed snacks at youth group! We wanted brownies, you goober! Nah, I'm just playin'. We had fun. So where were you?" "Well, mom and dad sent me to Virginia to check out a school, and on the way back, I lost my bag at the turnstiles and..." I proceeded to tell her the whole sorted tale of mayhem and chaos that I had experienced in the past 36 hours, not putting too much stress on the conversation between James and I. "...finished reading the note, I looked at the tickets, and found out that the concert was... are you ready? N'Sync, tonight!" PAUSE. "Are you serious? That's almost unbelievable! That's so freaky, it's like a twist of fate or something! But seriously, how cool is that?!?" "Yeah, I think I'll go to the concert to check it out, since you know I LOVE music." "Well, you're going to have a great time with whoever goes with you. You have got to call me after the show and tell me all about it." "You know what my dear, you'll just have to call yourself, because I want you to go with me!" The scream was so loud, I had to pull the phone a few feet from my ear. Shaking my head a bit, I put the phone back and said, "Will you grow up and act your age? It's JUST a concert!" "Ohmygosh, I have to call everybody, and get my hair done, and... MY NAILS! I have to do my nails, and I have nothing to wear, I'll have to call Stephanie to see if I can borrow that blue outfit..." "SARA! Everything will be fine. I'm sure you'll look so gorgeous, the guys will jump off stage just to meet you!" "Thank you, Billy, thank you. I'll remember this night for a LONG time." "Okay, the concert starts at 7pm, so I'll pick you up at 5pm. It's just before 2pm right now, so that gives you a few hours. Sorry for the short notice, but, well, deal with it!" I said jokingly. "I'll see ya then... BYE!" I hung up the phone and made the commitment that, even though I was totally giddy and excited, I would handle the next few hours like the mature young man that I was. I even turned on the radio instead of my N'Sync CD. Why choose Memorex when I can have it live? I made a mental list of all the things I needed to accomplish, and started to take care of them. First, wash the car. My poor silver 1991 Honda Accord hadn't been washed for a month, and there was enough dirt on the surface to plant flowers. I even debated whether to use soap or weed killer. Thankfully, I stuck with my first choice. That accomplished, I picked out my outfit. I laid out a FEW things on the bed, and decided on a pair of faded jeans, a green short sleeve, button down silk shirt, and a blue jacket. My pair of brown Doc's would compliment quite nicely. These tasks falling into place perfectly, I decided it was time to get ready. I showered for the second time that day, taking care to scrub out all the tiny crevices in my body like between my toes and behind my ears. After my shower, I tossed on some deodorant, got dressed, put on some cologne, and then performed the most unpredictable task of my routine-my hair. My hair can reallyhave a mind of its own! Some days, it just goes crazy on me, and there's NOTHING I can do to fix it short of showering all the gel out and starting fresh. But today, the gel went in perfectly and each strand fell flawlessly into place. Standing back, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, "I am one fine-looking piece, ain't I?". I laughed at my ego and proceeded to grab my wallet, keys, some breath mints (can't forget those!), and OF COURSE the tickets. Locking the front door behind me, I hopped on the railing that surrounded the porch, leaned forward, and yelled, "I'm the king of the world!" With that, I walked to my car grinning, and took off to pick up Sara. We arrived at the outdoor arena a good hour and a half before the concert, and I was quietly kicking myself for not showing up earlier. There were so many people, a GOOD percentage of them pre-adolescent girls. Many of them were carrying posters and signs with pictures of the band members pasted across them. "I love you Justin FOREVER!", "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on JC", "Marry Me, 98 Degrees. I DO!!", were just some of the sayings plastered across the signs. Sara and I laughed as we walked towards the arena after parking my car. I was trying to stay focused on Sara and the overall experience, but my mind was existing about one hour in the future when I could enjoy the bands on stage. "You know, for a boy band concert, there sure are a lot of guys at this thing," Sara commented. Shaking the cobwebs from my head, I said, "Huh? Oh yeah... Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" "Well, it's just that most guys wouldn't want it advertised that they went to see a concert with good looking guys dancing and singing on stage." "Yeah, it's too bad that a taboo like that exists. However, I'll bet a lot of the guys are here because they just want to see Brittany Spears do the splits on stage." "Oh yeah, then why are you here?" I smiled, put on my professor voice, and answered, "For your information, I am a cultured individual that appreciates many different styles of music." Sara just stopped, put her hands on her side, and cocked her eyebrow in a 'yeah right' expression. I added, "and splits on stage would be cool, too." She just giggled, grabbed my arm at the elbow, and we walked together towards the entrance. Oh, how I wanted to tell her the truth about who I REALLY wanted to see dance on stage. Sara was a good friend, but I don't think she was ready to discover that I dug N'Sync's chili. For now, the unfortunate fa‡ade would continue. "I'll take two," I said to the guy selling the programs in the foyer of the arena. I paid for the programs, and handed one to Sara. I folded the other, and placed it into my pocket. I'd be SURE to read this one later! Sara just looked at me funny, took the program and smiled. The evening was beautiful. I glanced up and checked out the crystal clear sky from this outdoor amphitheater. I could only find three stars so far, but I knew they'd be flashing in my eyes a bit later, especially when the REAL stars came on stage. Glancing at my ripped ticket stubs, I took a wild, leaping guess at where our seats were and dragged Sara behind me. "Row 10, seats 3,4. I guess this is it," I read the tickets aloud and determined that I had found our seats. Sara nodded in agreement, and we sat down. James had said in his note that these WERE good seats, but that was an understatement. We could see the whole stage, the sound and lighting set up, and the whole lower VIP seating area directly in front of the stage. We hadn't been seated for more than five minutes when a group of teenagers walked up the aisle, glanced at their tickets, and said, "I think those are our seats." "Let me check my tickets, but I think I have the right seats." Checking, I found that I WAS seated in row 10, seats 3 & 4. "Let me see yours." I glanced at theirs and was amazed that they had the same seating arrangements. An usher had noticed our conversation and walked down the aisle to try to clear things up. He said, "What seems to be the problem?" "Well, it seems that both sets of tickets are for the same seats," I explained. The usher took both sets and looked. "Well sir, these are not your seats. They actually belong to these ladies." I couldn't believe it. Had I seated us incorrectly, or did I have bum tickets? The usher continued, "Do you see the 'F' printed after the row number? 10F? That means you are seated in row 10 on the FLOOR." As he pointed towards the exclusive seats in front of the stage, Sara and I met eyes and simultaneously said, "NO WAY!" But it was true. The tickets were in the preferred seating. How did James get them? I had no idea. I'd have to ask him later. But for now, Sara and I just wanted to high tail it down there before the concert started. We had to get through four security checkpoints with our tickets before we made it to our seats, but it was worth it. The view from the seats was SPECTACULAR! I wasn't sure how much more excited I could get, and it took every ounce of self-control to stifle it and be Mr. Cool. Sara and I chatted for a while, trying to hear each other as the crowd got steadily louder as the start of the concert approached. Suddenly, the lights in the house died as these obnoxious audience abuse lights kicked in from the stage. The crowd went wild AND blind at the same time. "Ladies and gentlemen, from San Diego, it's 'THE SPRINKLERHEADS'". The audience lights died, and the stage lit up as the local opening act made their way on stage. Yet another deafening scream came up from the crowd. While the crowd was very loud, Sara and I enjoyed every moment of the act. After this opening act, they brought out a comedian to work the crowd while they changed sets for 98 Degrees. The guy was a crackup! I almost didn't want him to end, but I wanted to see the rest of the bands perform. 98 Degrees came up next, and delivered a flawless set. While I wasn't as familiar with their music, I still appreciated a great performance. I enjoyed all the songs, especially the few songs that I recognized, like 'I Do' and 'The Hardest Thing'. Sara was jumping up and down the whole time, and I did my best to hold her down. "I love you, Jeff!" she would yell periodically. I just shook my head and laughed. After one encore, their set ended, beginning an intermission. Sara didn't have to use the facilities, so we decided to stay put, since there was no way we'd make it through the halls. We just cuddled close and chattered, staring at the stars. Sara got a bit cold, so I immediately and instinctively gave her my coat. She smiled, and we cuddled closer. As quickly as the intermission started, it ended with a slow dimming of the house lights. Brittany Spears came up next, and security had a hard time keeping the crowd in their respective areas. The crowd in the farther seating area were trying to get on the floor, and the folks on the floor were clamoring to get to the front of the stage. People just aren't happy with what they have! Sara and I stayed put, enjoying the show standing at our seats. As Brittany's set began to wind down, Sara leaned over to me and said, "I have to use the bathroom!" "What? Why didn't you go at the intermission?!" "Well, I didn't have to go then!" "Just like a woman... do you want me to walk with you?" "Um... no, you stay and enjoy. This is your show. I'll be fine." I watched as Sara inched past me into the aisle, fighting her way against traffic out of the arena. I simply shrugged, turning back to enjoy the rest of Brittany's show. I just hoped she wouldn't miss the beginning of N'Sync! My wish didn't come true, as Brittany finished and Sara was still absent. I wasn't sure if I should be more focused on Sara or the final act! Brittany's band and dancers took a final bow to roaring applause and exited stage right, even. I began wondering how they would change the set and prepare for N'Sync when a voice came blaring out of the speakers. "GOOD EVENING SAN DIEGO!" The crowd went wild, as five individuals suddenly became illuminated in the center of the stage. How'd they get there? My head snapped that direction, and I caught my first glimpse of the band LIVE, in living color. Chris, followed by Joey, Justin, JC, and Lance stood with their legs apart, arms at their sides, heads down. They were wearing a montage of outfits from grunge to sporting and jogging apparel. I immediately focused on Lance, who was wearing white tennis shoes and a red/navy blue jogging suit with tank top half-exposed through the jacket. The music started and all the guys pulled their heads up to face the crowd. I kept my eyes on Lance. His hair was a luscious golden vanilla, short and spiked backwards. His skin was as clear as day, and his smile sparkling through moistened, parted lips. It wasn't just his mouth; his eyes also beamed with a smile and attitude all their own. 'You're all I ever wanted, you're all I ever needed, So tell me what to do now 'cause I-I-I-I-I I want you back...' The lights exploded, the crowd roared, and the show was on. The set had completely changed, revealing ample stage area for the guys to sing and dance. The band pulled forward and sang to the crowd, pulling off perfect dance maneuvers. I forced my eyes off Lance to check out the rest of the performance. Justin was singing solo, the band was backing him up, and there were half a dozen dancers in the back, totally gettin' jiggy with it. I was grinning ear to ear, clapping and singing along. I glanced again over to Lance when I thought I had noticed something... Was he was looking at me? Naaaahhhh, he was probably just working the crowd, because he immediately looked to somewhere on the other side of the audience. However, I kept watching him, enjoying his moves, when he looked directly at me again. I didn't look away. I didn't fidget. I just stared right back. This time, he kept staring. He even did a few turns in his choreography, but returned his eyes to me each time. What felt like an eternity ended after just a few seconds when he popped his chin up to me in a 'what's up?' style acknowledgement, and ripped his eyes away from my grip. I had forgotten about everything else in the world over the last few moments, and reality slapped me across the face when I realized I needed to breathe. I exhaled and inhaled hard, blinking a few times to moisten my eyes. I was distracted again with a tugging on my sleeve, and I glanced over to see Sara trying to get my attention. "I'm back! Let me in! I'm sorry I took so long, but there was a crazy line at the bathroom! Did you know that there are a lot of girls here today?" Sara joked. "Yeah, I can imagine," I said as she sneaked past me. Sara looked up at the stage and frowned. "Oh, I'm bummed! I didn't make it for the start of N'Sync. Did I miss anything?" I paused thinking about the whole eye contact thing. My answer? "No, nothing at all. Just their first song." The concert was fantastic. Musically, they were amazing. They aren't the type of band that sounds good in the studio and crappy on stage. Each member had solo opportunities, although those opportunities fell mainly on Justin, JC, and Chris. I was bummed that I didn't get to hear more of Joey's and Lance's voices. They sang all their hits, and did a few covers like my personal favorite, 'Sailing'. The band came back for three encores, which were all deserved. Although the performance was great, I never had another eye contact moment with Lance. I simply brushed off the experience to my wild imagination, and went on with my life. The crowd was still going crazy as the band exited the stage for the last time, and I leaned over to Sara and suggested we try to brave the natives. She agreed and we began the slow trek to our car. Amazingly, I was completely coherent and down-to-earth as I drove Sara and myself home. Sara and I chattered about whatever as we headed home after the concert. We got to Sara's house and I walked her to the door. "Tonight was so special. Thank you!" she said as she pulled me into a hug. "Anything for my baby sis! So when's the wedding with that 98 Degrees guy?" Sara just laughed and broke the hug as she turned to her front door. After she was all settled, I drove back to my house and went straight to my room. My outfit was nifty and all, but I needed something more comfortable. I slowly changed into a T shirt and old shorts, then sat in my chair and thumbed through the program I had purchased. I smiled as I thought about all the different things I had gone through the last few days. The plane trip, the bag, $80 for cab fare, James calling, Sara, the concert, everything. It all just fell together perfectly and worked out. Cool. I was nodding my approval to how things worked out, when I was startled by the phone ringing. "Who could be calling now? It's 11pm?" I thought out loud as I reached for the phone. "'llo?" "What's up, concert boy?" That voice. That voice. Where do I know th.. "James! Ohmygosh, I totally forgot that you were going to call tonight!" I recalled back to his note, and remembered that he said he was going to call. "Alright, that's it. I'm tired of you always forgetting about me calling!" CLICK. He hung up on me! This is getting ridiculous. Every time he calls, he hangs up on me. RIIIING! I hesitated, then answered, "Hello?" "Haha. Gotcha." "You jerk! Why do you keep hanging up on me? Not the greatest manners there, Jimmy boy." "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, it's just that I'm a goof and like torturing people's minds. But I make it up to everybody. Soooooo... did you do anything interesting tonight, or... just sit home and watch reruns?" He knew exactly what the answer was. "WOW. First of all, I don't know WHERE you got the tickets. Secondly, I don't know how to thank you for the tickets. It was such an amazing night! All the groups were great, 98 Degrees, Brittany Spears, and especially N'Sync. It's a bummer you had a concert tonight. You missed out on some great seats at a great show!" "Hehe. Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the show. I wanted to be there in the audience, but MY show just wouldn't have been the same." "Oh yeah. How did your show go tonight? Where did you perform?" "My show? That's not too important. It went well, we had a good crowd, it was at some theater somewhere. I'm just glad to be done and on vacation." "Vacation?" "Yeah, we're in town for the week, but only have tonight's show." "That's great! Well, I hope you have a good week,' I said, feeling like the conversation might be winding down. "I was hoping you could help with that. You see, I've never been to San Diego before, and... well... PAUSE. nevermind..." his voice trailed off. "No, what is it?" I asked, hopeful. "Well, maybe you could point out some sights to see while we're here." I didn't hesitate. "I'd LOVE to! That'd be cool. Not a problem. Do you want to meet tomorrow and chat about it?" "Tomorrow? How about... well, how about we meet tonight?" I did a double take, glancing at the clock. "Tonight? It's... kinda late, but if you want to..." Cutting me off, he said, "Billy, I've got some surprises for you, if that's okay. This is going to sound weird but, can you go to the front door?" Thoroughly confused, I agreed, and proceeded to the front door. "Um, I suppose so, but are you going to tell me what it's all about?" "Just go to the door." I opened the front door and looked into the driveway, only to find a white sedan parked with a figure in the driver's seat. I could vaguely make out that he or she was holding a wireless phone. "No way." "Way!" The figure got out, opened the back door, and pulled out what looked like a pizza box and a 2 liter. I was shaking my head in disbelief that James was actually here, let alone bringing munchies. "Hehehahaha. You ARE a goof. Think you're all Mr. Slick driving up in a car with your little pizza box. You think this is going to make up for the luggage? Keep working on it. HA!" I joked, still on the phone, to this dark figure approaching. As he walked into the light, I was able to make out some of James' features. He was average height, with short blonde hair and pretty tanned skin. I was getting so hungry thinking about getting some of that pizza into my belly, that I didn't notice he had walked right up to me. It was at this point that I really got my first good look at him. He was still talking in the phone, but looking directly at me. "Well well, I finally made it. Sorry it took so long. To dispense with introductions, I'm..." "Lance Bass." I said, as yet another deafening silence ensued on my front porch. I just stared at him, my eyes big, my jaw slightly gaping, my mind trying to rewind and figure out how this was possible. After a few seconds, Lance said with a smile, "You okay? I know this is a shock, but I had to come clean, and I figured this was the goofiest way to do it." He paused for about five seconds, and looked back at me, wondering what I was thinking. "Penny for your thoughts?" Once again, I was floored. My whole grasp on this whole situation was being flipped upside down. "But..." I swallowed hard. "You're James, not Lance. Well, you ARE Lance, but James, too. But you couldn't get to the concert, so I got the tickets. WAIT. That's because you had a show. WAIT. But you DID have a show... It was the show that I saw. WAIT. But how..." I yabbered on for about two more minutes, verbally making all the connections in my mind. Lance just smiled the whole time. "Hope I didn't freak you out too badly. To make it up, if you don't have anything to do tonight, you wanna help me eat this pizza?" he asked, holding up the pizza with a 'can Billy come out and play?' look on his face. I nodded quickly and invited him into my home. One flick of the light switches by the door illuminated the entryway and hall to the kitchen. I lead the way to the kitchen counter where I helped him unload the pizza and soda. It was in the light of the kitchen that I was truly convinced that Lance Bass was standing in front of me. After some tense moments of me not knowing what I should do, Lance made the first move. Extending his right hand, he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Lance, as we've already determined." I shook his hand, noting a firm grip. "And I'm Billy. I can't believe you're really here!" "Wait, let me check." He patted himself down with his hands, and determined that he, in fact, really was there. "Yep, I'm here." "Lance, I'm going to apologize now if I don't act myself for about 30 minutes, but I had no idea I'd be meeting you this evening." Well duh, I thought to myself. "What I mean is, well, you're still Lance, whether you're part of N'Sync or just some schmoe that stole my bag. It's just going to take my mind a while to process that." "No problem. I was totally nervous about this plan, and totally expected it to crash miserably. I was ready to munch on cold pizza in the 7-11 parking lot down the street. I'm glad you're cool with this, because I was sweating bullets all the way here from the hotel. I won't stay too late, I just wanted to meet you in person and have some unhealthy chow." "You ain't munchin' pizza by yourself if I can help it! By the way, I have the house to myself and no where to go tomorrow, so you can stay as long as you'd like," I said as I grabbed some paper plates and tumblers from the cabinet. He divvied up a few pieces on each plate, and I poured some soda. "Hey Lance, I'll be right back. Nature calls, you know..." He nodded and smiled as I headed to the bathroom. I got into the bathroom, turned on the fan, cranked on the cold water. My heart was racing a hundred beats a minute. BREATHE BREATHE. I took off my glasses and splashed cold water on my hot face. 'Oh my gosh!' I looked into my eyes in the mirror and spoke to myself, "Billy, if there's ever been a time in your life that you've needed to be cool, it's now. Lance is the same cool guy friend you made on the phone last night, and you are going to treat him that way. He's just a friend. He's just a friend." Right at that point, it felt like an angel from heaven descended and sat on my shoulder. I felt every ounce of tension drain from me, and I was ready to enjoy pizza with my new friend. I dried my face, grabbed my glasses, took a deep breath, and headed back into the house. The smell of pizza in the air calmed me even more, driving my most basic instinct-FOOD. I heard the radio running in the living room, and I saw Lance sitting down on the couch with both plates of pizza and the drinks already on coasters. I ran up quietly and hopped over the couch, landing on the love seat opposite Lance and yelling "BOO!". Lance was startled and said, "HEY WHOA! You scared me!" "Dude, you've got a lot more of that coming for everything you've put me through these last few days." "Yeah, I guess I was pretty bad, wasn't I? I don't apologize, though. That's what friends are for!" he said through bites of his pizza. However, his comment struck me to the bone. Lance said we were friends. I needed more information. "Lance, I'm curious. Why do you consider me a friend? We've chatted on the phone for four hours, and that's about it. I'm sure you have handfuls of friends in the band, and the crew, and back at home. I mean, you're a celebrity. Why hang out with me?" Lance saw that a serious question required a serious answer. He gave it some thought, then replied, "You're right, I do have a lot of friends. I also have a lot of people that say they're my friends. It's amazing to watch people change in front of you the instant you run into success. They don't think they change, but they do. I've had to say goodbye to a lot of people I thought were my friends but were only trying to mooch off my fame as a member of N'Sync. The guys in the band? They're more than friends. They're like my brothers. But sometimes you have to get away from your family or they'll drive you crazy. Which brings me to you." "Oh, so I'm bottom of the totem pole?" I said, half-joking. "Wait, let me continue. When we talked on the phone, I felt like we had known each other for years. We have so much in common, and we could easily find many things to talk about. Dare I say, we were in sync." This garnered a groaning laugh from both of us. "Anyway, you treated me like a person and a friend after only just meeting me, and I appreciated that. Granted, you thought I was just some 'James' dude, but I still sensed a quality in you I could trust." "Lance, I'm flattered. But let me ask you a second question... why did you have to lie about your identity? Did you think I'd go crazy if I found out you were in N'Sync?" Lance thought again, and replied, "Actually, I didn't lie about anything. If you think about everything I said, it's all the truth. Some things may be bent slightly to protect the guilty-me-but everything IS true. My first name REALLY is James. I REALLY am in a band. I REALLY did have tickets for the show, or was able to get them. I REALLY did have a concert tonight. The last thing on my mind was to lie to you, and I apologize if I made it seem like I don't trust you." "Oh, you don't make me think that. It's just a good question, that's all." "You want to know what really concreted my decision to stop by tonight? Watching you in the crowd with your guest. You didn't know I was watching, but I was peeking and I saw you two during the intermission. You stayed close, and even gave up your jacket because I guess she was cold. Seeing that quality in your relationship with your girlfriend, I sensed for sure you were a quality guy. Besides, you knew all the lyrics to our songs, so what's not to like?" "WAIT A SECOND. How did you know where we were sitting?" "Um, my dear Sherlock, I GOT YOU THE TICKETS, remember? I kinda chose them on purpose so I could find out who you were." "Ah. DUH. But there's one thing--Sara's not my girlfriend. She's just a good friend of mine that I've grown up with, and I called on last minute to go to the concert. I'm currently single." Something twinged inside me as I spoke that last sentence. Good twinge or bad twinge? I couldn't tell. "Oh really? In that case, can I get her number? She's kinda cute," he joked. Okay, it was a bad twinge. There was an awkward pause, and I finally broke the silence. "Well, I don't know what to say. I feel like the focus of some FBI investigation, but now that you explain it all, it is all beginning to fall into place. Lance, I've been a fan for a few months now, and I'm honored to meet you. But on a personal level, it's cool to say that you're a friend of mine." "Thanks buddy, you're cool. I give you props!" Lance said as he put up a closed fist for me to smack back. I mirrored his hand and we snapped knuckles. "Now if we don't close our mouths and eat this pizza, it'll get cold!" I said as I got up to grab the pizza box and some paper napkins. Lance snickered back, "What? You close your mouth long enough to eat? I listened to you yabber on the phone last night for hours. You'd die of starvation if you had to choose, you big motor mouth!" "Shut up, diarrhea lips! I wound up playing Solitaire on my computer because you were so boring on the phone last night." Suddenly, a piece of pizza crust hit me square in the forehead, causing me to flinch. "Oh no, you did not just throw pizza crust at me." "Uuuuuhhhh... I plead the 5th?" "You big GOOF. You better watch yourself, Lance. I'm keeping tally here, and I believe you've got MANY more coming than I do. SO BEWARE!" We traded a few more playful insults before deciding to watch a movie. "What do you want to watch, Lance?" "What have you got?" "Mom and Dad have a BUNCH of DVD's. Name your favorites." "How about Hunt for Red October?" Then I said, "Or Top Gun?" Then we both said simultaneously, "Or AUSTIN POWERS?" We started laughing uncontrollably as we broke into very bad impersonations of Austin and Dr. Evil. Our movie was decided. "I can stay and watch the movie, then I'll get out of your hair and get back to the hotel." "Forget that! We might be wide awake now, but it's 12am and the movie won't be over until 2. You are NOT driving home with all the wierdos out. You're staying here, if that's alright." "Well, thanks Billy, I guess I could stay here. I was thinking about asking, but I try never to invite myself places." "Lance, I'd be honored to have you stay. My house is your house. That's what friends are for, eh?" "Yeah...... that's what friends are for." I glanced over at him on the couch, and he was smiling and nodding at me. I nodded back and stuck my fist out to give him some 'props'. My favorite movie of all time started, and we both made wise cracks and bad impressions of the characters as the tape progressed. We slowly quieted down and focused on the movie about 30 minutes in. I began feeling the effects of being up all day, and my eyes were starting to grow a bit tired. I leaned over to Lance and asked if he was getting tired, but there was no response. "Lance?" NOTHING. I rolled onto my hands and knees and crawled over to Lance, only to discover he was out cold. 'He must be exhausted!', I thought, recalling the physical performance he gave on stage tonight. He looked so peaceful in this state, lying there in his jeans and red button down shirt. He had taken off his shoes and socks, and his bare feet hung gently over the armrest of the couch. I stood up and took in the new sight of Lance asleep on my couch. I wanted so badly to touch his feet, or to run the back of my hand smoothly down his face, but I resisted with all I had in me. I was not about to dissolve my new friendship by making a stupid, immature mistake. I ran to the hall closet and withdrew a blanket, which I promptly placed over my slumbering friend. I gently tucked it in around his shoulders and made sure his bare feet were covered and tucked in. I gasped quietly as he stirred, only to find that he was simply grabbing some of the blanket for something to hold to his chest. When all was well, I turned off the movie and TV, flipped off the light, and leaned down to him, saying, "Goodnight, goof. Sleep well." I could almost make out him groaning, "'night." I was in a haze as I walked to my room. I quickly changed into some clean boxers and crawled into bed, under the covers. As I stared at the wall, which was dimly illuminated by my alarm clock, the emotions of the day, and especially of tonight, finally came to a realization in my mind. I had found a friend in Lance. Not Lance Bass the N'Sync member, but Lance the kind, compassionate, loving, funny individual that he was. I've searched for those qualities in a friend for a long time. Now I've found that friend. I just hope this friendship will last. "Thank you. Thank you." It was all I could whisper as a small tear rolled down my cheek and I drifted into a peaceful sleep. * * * * * * * * ***Okay, no cliffhanger this time. Well, they finally met! What did you think? As always, your feedback is appreciated! If you're a silent reader, please don't be shy. I would love to hear from you. I respond religiously to my emails, and I'm so happy that I'm making some new penpals and friends! You guys are all great. Chapter 4 will be out shortly, so hang tight! Kaiser_goof@hotmail.com -Jeff Kaiser