Chapter 8

“Did Lance tell you guys?” JC asked after an hour of silence.

“No. Chris noticed, though, and he told me.”

“Why didn’t you two say anything?”

“It was between you and Lance, and your... relationship didn’t change anything in the group, so it was
better just to keep quite about it.”

“Do you think Lance will get Justin to open up?”

Joey glanced at JC. “You would know better than anyone the answer to that question.”

“He’s loved him forever,” JC whispered, softly enough so Joey could hardly hear him.

“What?” Joey asked.

JC shook his head. “Nothing.”

~~~

“Go away, Lance,” Justin told Lance as Lance calmly walked up the stairs towards him. “You have no
place here. I don’t want you here.”

“You might not want me here, Justin, but you need me.” Lance reached the top of the stairs and stopped,
looking towards the shadows where Justin was hiding.

“No I don’t. I don’t need anyone, let alone you.” Justin winced at the sound of his voice when he said that.
He sounded like a little kid, trying to deny that he wanted the candy someone was offering him.

“Why ‘let alone me’?” Lance asked. “Is there something wrong with me?”

“No,” Justin choked out. “And that’s why I don’t want you here. You’re too perfect, Lance. You’re far
better than me, ugly, scarred, washed-up popstar Justin Timberlake.”

“Justin, you know that’s not true.” Lance’s voice was calm and soothing, his eyes open and honest, trying
to convince Justin that he wasn’t the person he thought himself to be. “Despite your scars, you’re still beautiful.
And you’re not washed-up.”

“Yes, yes I am,” Justin whispered. “I’m nothing, Lance. Nothing. Without my face and my voice, I can’t
do anything.” He slid down the wall to collapse on the floor

Lance walked towards him slowly, hoping Justin didn’t run away from him. “Justin, you can do anything
you want.”

“No I can’t Lance.” He buried his face in his hands. “I’m not smart like you and I can’t manage a
business and I can’t do anything.”

“Yes, you can, Justin.” He put his hand on Justin’s shoulder.

Justin pulled away from him. “Go away, Lance. I don’t need you here.” He stood up, careful to stay in the
shadows and walked down the hall towards his room. “Please leave,” he whispered in a desperate plea. “Please
Lance.”

“No.” Lance stood up and faced him. “I won’t leave until you hear what happened between me and JC.
And that won’t happen until you stop doing this Justin.”

“I- I can get you removed. You’re trespassing,” Justin said in a shaky voice.

Lance smiled at him. “But that would require you to get people up here. And we both know you don’t
want that.”

Justin ran into his room, looking like a frightened rabbit.

Lance walked down the hall to the room next to Justin’s. He shivered at the chill in the air, and hurriedly
pulled his damp clothes off, crawling under the blankets that were piled on the bed. He fell asleep quickly.

~~~

Justin stared at the ceiling, wide awake. Lance was in his house. Lance had been searching for him. Lance
wanted to stay. Lance told him he wasn’t nothing. He could always count on Lance, he knew. Lance would tell it tohim like it was. Lance didn’t lie to him.

But he was nothing. He knew he wasn’t smart, he couldn’t run a business like Lance or Chris. He had
talent, talent singing and dancing. He could write songs, but not very well. He didn’t have the talent JC had, nor
did he have the musical ability JC did. And Joey could act and Joey was well-read and was wonderful with kids.

Now that Justin had lost his voice and his face, he didn’t have anything. He couldn’t do anything. Let’s
face it, Justin was useless.

Chapter Nine