Josh sat in the same position he had been when Lance had left. He couldn't believe that JAMES had talked to him. He couldn't believe that THAT was James. What had happened over the summer?
"Shit Josh, I think the boy finally grew up." Joey breathed next to him, trying to contain his laughter at the look on his friend's face.
"No shit. And damn did he get fine." Josh said, his eyes widening when he'd realized that he'd said that out loud. He blushed deeply when he saw Sam and Justin looking at him, their eyebrows raised, trying to stifle their laughter as well.
"Well, I guess I don't have to ask what you think of his new look." Justin said, not able to hide the snicker that escaped his lips.
"What the hell happened over the summer, while I was in Maryland?" Josh asked, to no one specifically.
"Like Joey said, the boy grew up, and he got tired of your shit." Justin told him boldly, ignoring the icy glare Josh shot him. Justin wasn't about to sugar coat anything for this boy who had made his friend's life miserable.
"Well, too bad he bats for the other team. He's sexy as hell. Justin, you tell him he better call me tonight. We have got to go guy hunting this weekend." Sam said with a laugh.
Justin laughed with her. "I think I'll stay home that night."
"Why should you guys go guy hunting when you have the best of the male specimen right here?" Joey asked, feigning hurt.
"Because, you and Josh are too much like my brothers for me, and you don't swing Lance's way. Josh does half the time, but I don't think Lance is going to give him the time of day." Sam told him, earning a snicker from Justin and Joey.
Justin stood from his seat and picked up his bag. "Well, as much as I would love to sit here and talk, I have to find Lance and see if he's doing alright. He is still James deep down, but I don't think Lance wants to be bottled up anymore." Justin laughed, and headed towards the door.
"Hey, Justin?" Josh called out, stopping him halfway.
"Yeah?"
"Tell, Jam�I mean, Lance, that I'm sorry about what I said?" Josh asked, feeling guilty about the things he'd said to Lance before he knew he was James.
"I'll tell him, but I doubt he would believe you." Justin said, waving as he walked out the door.
~*~
Lance sighed as he leaned his head against his open locker door. His heart was racing, and his breathing was a little heavier than he would have liked. He was also shaking a little. Before, it had been from rage, now it was from the left over adrenaline. He couldn't believe that he had done it. He had finally told Joshua Scott what had been thinking for the past couple of years.
He didn't know where it came from, or what had made this time different from the others. Maybe it was because Justin was there. Or maybe because of Samantha, and she seemed to like him for who he was. She'd never picked on him, and she didn't seem to into talking about 'James' at the cafeteria table. Maybe she hadn't talked to him in the years before, because he was so quick to isolate himself.
No matter what it was that had prompted it, he's said a great deal of what was on his mind, and it felt good. Damned good. He smiled to himself as he opened his locker door. This year was turning out better already.
"Hey, Lance!" he heard Justin shout down the hall. Turning, Lance saw Justin round the corner, coming from the cafeteria.
"Hey, Jus. Anything interesting happen yet?" Lance asked with a smile.
"Oh man, you should have been there. There was this new kid. He totally laid into Chasez. Then he just up and left. Everyone was staring at him. It was awesome. Josh sat there for five minutes trying to pick his jaw up off the floor." Justin said, laughing at the story. They did things like this all the time.
"Really? Sounds like it must have been something to see." Lance said, grinning at his friend's excitement.
"But that's not the best part. You should have heard what he said after the new kid left." Justin said, a lazy grin gracing his face.
"Oh. And just what was that?" Lance asked, closing his locker and leaning his back against it. He was extremely curious to see what Mr. Joshua Scott had to say about his little outburst.
"Well, Josh and Joey actually knew the guy, but they didn't know that they knew him. Anyway, Joey said that the guy finally grew up. And Josh said, and I quote, ' No shit. And damn did he get fine.' " Justin said, laughing at the expression on Lance's face.
"You're lying. He didn't say that." Lance said, rolling his eyes and turning to walk down the hall towards his next class.
Justin fell into step beside him. "No I'm serious man. He thinks you're fine as hell. Sam said she thinks you're sexy, too. Oh, and she said you better call her. She wants you to go guy hunting with her this weekend or something." Justin told him as Lance just shook his head.
"Well, this year is already different. I never thought it would be this different, but I'm not going to complain. You gonna come with us this weekend?" Lance asked, smirking at his best friend.
"Uh, I think I'll skip that. I'm actually thinking of calling up Sam's sister, Marie, and seeing if she wants to go out this weekend. Figure I might as well go for it, right?" Justin said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Yeah, Justin. Go for it. It's not like you're going to have to work to get Marie to go out with you or anything." Lance said, laughing at the fact that his friend was clueless.
"Well, it's not like you'd have to work to get Chasez to go out with you either." Justin said, nudging Lance with his shoulder, then dodging Lance's hands as he tried to put him in a headlock.
"I don't want him. Get that idea out of your head right now. Let's just get to class and see what else this day has in store for us." Lance said, slinging a friendly arm around Justin's shoulder as they made their way to class.