“JOEY!” Justin hissed the next morning in the van headed towards their morning shoot.
“Yah J?” he replied absent mindedly running his fingers through Jessica’s hair, glad that at least one of them was getting some sleep after their night of talking. They’d spent almost the hole sitting on the bed in her hotel room talking about things…the baby.
“Dude, I thought Jess was like mad at us or something? She’s been like quiet and she hasn’t wanted to hang out, and now suddenly she coming with us for the full day? Dude, what’s up with that?” he asked looking kind of confused.
“We talked last night, she’s fine” He said vaguely, remembering the conversation. She’d decided immediately that shed have it, no life deserved to end, especially before it started. Around two when Joey had first started to drift off Jess had declared shed keep her baby to, and that she wanted to tell Lance, and after another moment of pause shed agreed to tell Justin, just not yet. That moment had sparked another couple of hours of conversation and the two had gone to sleep around 4 in the morning only to woken up an hour later.
“JOEY!” Justin hissed again with a furrowed brow.
“Sorry, I spaced out”
“Hey Lance” Jess said appearing at his elbow.
“Hey Jess, what’s up” He asked not looking up from laptop where it sat on his lap.
“Joe, and I were going out for lunch and were wondering if you wanted to come” She answered fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
“Sure” flipping shut his laptop and sliding it into his bag Lance turned and smiled down at her. “Lead the way”
The two headed back in the direction Jess had come from. They climbed into the dark van outside the door, Joey coming around the corner to hop into the van right behind them.
“So, what may I ask is the reason for this lunch get together, that only I was invited to?” Lance asked glancing between the two playfully as they waited for their drinks to arrive.
“I’m pregnant” Jess answered truthfully.
Joey spoke up quickly at the look on Lances face.” I’m not the father though Lance.” He said, and almost as a second thought he added. “ Justin is.”
Lance looked between the to with a look of confusion. A sense of dawning appeared.
“Does he k-k-know?” Lance stuttered out looking extremely surprised.
“He doesn’t even know we had sex, he was drunk.” Jess said with a stony expression. She gripped her drink between her hands when it arrived. She took a sip of her sprit before she settled with knowing on the straw. An agonized look on her face.
“When did you find out?” Lance asked with a sigh, taking a sip of his own drink.
“Last night, and before you ask I decided to keep the baby, I will tell Justin when the time is right and I’m not telling the rest of the guys because its none of their business.” She said in one breath. Looking up from the tablecloth to meet Lance’s gaze.
“Ok, you have that covered, but what about Johnny? Your parents? Or even doctor visits?” He asked.
“Geez, now I know why I suggested you talk to Lance, I never think of this stuff.” Joey added, trying to lighten the mood.
“Well, I guess with Johnny I tell him it’s a guy from home, same with mom and doctor visits, I haven’t really thought of those, I guess I could go to clinics what ever city were in at time” Jess said shrugging her shoulders.
As lunch arrived the conversation died and the trio settled into a comfortable silence.
“Yo! Chris, you see where Joey went?” Justin yelled down the hall from the studio A.
Chris head appeared out of the doorway to the lunchroom. His hand appeared as he stuffed a piece of cold cut that was hanging out of his mouth pack in and there was a moment’s pause as he chewed and swallowed.
“Joe, Lance and Jess went out to lunch last I heard.” He answered before ducking back into the lunchroom.
Shaking his head Justin returned to his place next to JC at the mixing board as the worked on fixing up the recorded vocals.
~© Drea @ Kufunk Fiction 2002-2003~