Chapter Four"What do you mean, you’re leaving?" Chris demanded of Lance. Only a week after Justin left, and Lance wanted to leave, too?
"I’m leaving." Lance looked at Chris, no emotions showing in his green eyes.
"Lance, we can’t lose another friend so soon. We just lost Justin. Give it sometime before you leave us, too." Chris had taken a long walk the day Justin left and calmed himself down. But all of the rage he’d bottled up lingered just beneath the surface, ready and waiting to explode.
"No," Lance said shortly, walking out of the room.
Chris’s soft brown eyes flashed with fury as he watched Lance leave. When the door closed shut behind Lance, Chris took a deep breath, his head dropping to his hands. He would not, he would not. It wasn’t the end of the world. And Lance never said he wouldn’t see them again. He just said he was going away for a little while. And he would keep in touch with them.
Yes, yes Lance would. Lance was true to his word. Lance wouldn’t just totally leave them to never see them again.
Chris took another deep breath and slowly exhaled. He would stay calm and not let himself get too angry.
~~~
"So you’re leaving." JC stared at Lance. "You’re leaving, too. Just like Justin."
Lance sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "JC, I’ll keep in touch. And you guys will see me again. I promise. I’m not walking out on you guys like Justin did."
"Where are you going, Lance?"
"I have things to do, Jace."
"Why now? Why can’t they wait?" JC’s eyes were big and blue and pleading with him not to go.
"I need to do them now." Lance avoided looking into JC’s eyes, because he knew that if he looked in them, he would crack and tell JC what he was going to do.
"At least tell me where you’ll be," JC begged.
"I’m going to be traveling, JC. Don’t worry, I’ll be okay and I’ll keep in touch with you." Ever since Justin’s accident, JC had been slightly paranoid. Actually, more than slightly. He was terrified of one of his friends getting into another accident and ending up like Justin, hospitalized and in pain. Or worse, dead. And JC wasn’t sure how well he could deal with either. "Stop worrying so much, Jace."
"I- I can’t help it," JC admitted. "I love you guys and I don’t want to lose another friend."
"Jace, you’re not going to lose me. You gotta get over this paranoia."
"I just lost my best friend, because he doesn’t trust us enough not to reject him. And now, I’m going to lose another of my best friends because he has stuff to do and won’t tell us. How can I not be paranoid?"
Lance pulled JC to him for a hug. "Jace, you’re not losing me and what I’m doing is trying to get him back."
JC hugged him tightly, then let him go. "Good luck, Lance." His eyes were still big and blue but no longer pleading. Instead, Lance saw a mixture of hope and sympathy and sorrow.
~~~
Lance heard his name being called and turned around to see JC and Joey walking toward him. They both hugged him when they reached him.
"Surprised?" JC asked, noticing Lance’s look of shock.
Lance nodded his head.
"You didn’t really think we’d let you leave without saying bye?" Joey asked.
"You guys said bye to me last night. I didn’t expect to see any of you here today."
"We don’t want to let another person board a plane without being there to say bye," JC explained.
"Chris was too upset," Joey offered. "He didn’t-"
"I’m here," Chris said from behind Joey. "I was mad at you, Lance, but I couldn’t let you go without saying bye." He, too, hugged Lance.
"Flight 106 Orlando to England now boarding," the loud-speakers announced and Lance looked at his friends.
"That’s my plane. Thanks for coming to say bye."
"Call us when you land, you hear?" JC demanded. "Even if it is midnight."
Lance nodded his head, gathering his carry-on and laptop case.
"Good luck," JC added. "I hope everything goes okay."
"Thanks." Lance hugged them all again and then boarded the plane.
The three men watched until the plane had taken off before leaving the airport.
"You’ll see him again," Joey assured Chris and JC as they walked to the parking lot. "And maybe miracles do happen and we’ll see Justin again."
JC nodded his head. Chris just shoved his hands in his pockets and mumbled bye before walking towards his car. He doubted he’d ever see Justin again, and didn’t want to get any of his hopes up.