| Chapter 8 |
| A couple hours later, Justin and Lance pulled over at McDonalds for a late lunch. It was already after 2:30, and they were both starving. They saw Josh and Brandi pull in behind them, and Lance hoped they wouldn�t press for too much information as to why they�d pulled over earlier. �Hey,� Josh said, coming over to where Justin and Lance stood, waiting by the car. �Hey,� Justin and Lance replied before following Josh and Brandi into the restaurant. �Where are we, anyway?� Brandi asked once they were seated. �Just outside of Atlanta,� Lance replied, looking over the menu that the waitress had placed in front of him. �How much longer is the drive?� Justin asked curiously. He�d never gone on a long trip in the car like this before. He was getting sick of riding. �Just about nine more hours until we reach the camp,� Lance replied, and laughed at Justin�s expression. �We�re going to get there late then,� Justin stated. �Yeah, we may have to switch drivers,� Josh spoke up, �if that�s ok with you,� he said to Brandi. �Yeah, sure, I can drive some of the way,� she responded. �Me too,� Justin said. �Uh oh, Lance, I don�t know if you want to be in the car with Justin driving,� Josh teased, and Justin glared at him. �Shut up, I�m not a bad driver!� �It�s ok, Josh, I can handle it, but I�m sure Justin�s not that bad,� Lance replied, smiling at Justin. Justin smiled back. �Thanks Lance.� �Ok, let�s stop bickering and get some food, I�m starving,� Brandi commented, and they all went into the restaurant. **** After consuming too much deep fat fried food, they all headed back to the cars. They both switched drivers, and Josh gave Lance a warning look. Lance just laughed and climbed into the passenger seat. �Are we leading again?� Justin asked. �No, I think they are in case I fall asleep. Brandi knows where we�re going,� Lance replied. �All right.� Justin waited until Brandi had pulled out before he backed up and followed her back onto the interstate. �You�re not such a bad driver,� Lance commented once they were on the road for a while. �Thanks. Josh just likes to tease me,� Justin responded. �I don�t think he likes me very much,� Lance said after a short silence. �Why�s that?� �Well, I don�t really know.� �What made you say that, Lance?� Justin questioned. �He just gives me these warning looks all the time. He never smiles at me, and he doesn�t talk directly to me very often,� Lance answered softly. �Well that�s weird. He hasn�t said anything about having a problem with you,� Justin assured him. �He likes to tease me about-� Justin cut himself off. �About what?� �Um, nothing.� �No, tell me,� Lance insisted. �Well, he teases me about this crush he seems to think I have on you,� Justin blushed and concentrated on the road, not daring to look over at Lance. �Really? Well, is he right?� Lance asked quietly. �About the crush?� �Yeah.� �Well, I don�t really know. I mean, I like you a lot, and I don�t know if these feelings are just because you�re such a great friend or if I really like you like *that,*� Justin admitted. �What feelings?� Lance asked curiously, his heart beating a little faster than normal. �I get happy whenever I think about you, Lance,� Justin told him softly, finally looking over at Lance. Lance smiled softly. �Me too.� �Really?� �Yeah.� �So what does this mean?� Justin asked, trying to keep his excitement to himself. �I don�t know. What do you want it to mean?� Lance replied with a question of his own. �I don�t really know either,� Justin admitted. �Well, we don�t have to figure it all out right now, do we?� Lance asked. �No, I guess we don�t,� Justin replied, smiling over at his friend. �All right.� �So I like you, and you like me,� Justin stated. �Yes.� �That�s good enough for now,� he replied. �I think so too.� For the rest of the drive, they were mostly silent, both trying to figure out what their new discoveries meant. Neither wanted to rush into anything without being sure about their feelings. **** Brandi pulled over a few hours later for a bathroom and snack food break. When she took one look at Justin and Lance, she knew something had happened. But she didn�t get a chance to get Lance alone, so she knew she�d have to wait until they got to the camp. They switched drivers again since Josh and Lance had both been able to nap during the drive. �How much longer?� Justin asked sleepily. �Just under five hours,� Lance replied. �You can nap if you�d like.� �Shouldn�t we talk?� Justin questioned. �We can talk when we get there or tomorrow morning, okay?� Lance responded. �Sure,� Justin said, already falling asleep. Lance smiled, glancing over at Justin from time to time as he drove, following Brandi and Josh again. **** Brandi was almost asleep in the passenger seat when Josh spoke up. �What do you think went on between them?� he asked. �You noticed too?� she replied, opening her eyes to look over at him. �Yeah.� �I�m not sure, but it must have been something, they both looked so happy,� Brandi stated. �Yeah, they did. I didn�t have a chance to ask Justin because they were attached at the hip when we pulled over,� Josh commented. �Are you ok, Josh?� Brandi asked. �Yeah, I�m fine.� �Look, Josh, I like you, but you�re too focused on their relationship. You need to stop thinking about them and just let what happens happen,� Brandi told him. �Yeah, you�re right,� he replied, but he wasn�t sure he could stop thinking about how he was going to lose Justin. **** They arrived at the camp a little after midnight, and everyone was exhausted. Josh decided to carry Brandi inside because he didn�t want to wake her. She looked so peaceful and beautiful when she slept. Lance thought about trying to carry Justin inside, but he figured it would be better to wake him up than to drop him on the way in. He placed his arm on Justin�s shoulders and shook lightly. �Justin, sweetie, we�re here now. Wake up so we can go inside and go to bed,� Lance said softly. He watched as Justin�s eyelashes fluttered open, and Justin�s big blue eyes focused on him. �Mmmmm,� was all Justin said, before closing his eyes again. �Come on, Justin, let�s go,� Lance insisted, and finally Justin complied, letting himself be led into the house and up the stairs. The camp was huge, it was more like a house, with three bedrooms that each had two twin beds. Lance and Brandi had decided that they would share a room, and then until more people showed up, Justin and Josh could have their own room. Lance helped Justin out of most of his clothes and helped him into bed. Justin blinked up at him and said, �thanks,� before falling back asleep. Lance smiled down at Justin�s sleeping form before placing a soft kiss on his forehead. �Goodnight Justin.� |