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Morally Ambiguous
by stungunbilly
iii. snake oil
Joey has some strange ideas that he prefers not to share with anyone. He doesn’t mind them thinking that he might be crazy, but he hates it when they get upset at themselves for thinking it. JC never does either, so Joey picks up his phone when he finally has to tell somebody or maybe screw up and freak out Justin.
“Chasez’ phone, Carlos speaking.”
Or, not.
“Um, hey, this is Joey. Is he-,”
“Oh, Joey, just a sec, he’s right here.” A low murmur, a click, a thump like a phone hitting carpet, and JC’s breathless voice, always so squeaky in conversation. “Hey Joe. Where you going with that gun in your hand?”
Joey laughs a little, scratches at the embroidery on his hotel pillow. His throat hurts from singing four shows this week already.
“Hey yourself, ‘C. I was just thinking about you. You doing good?” This is the code they use when there is something weird going on, so JC catches on right away, snaps out of his dreamy normal headspace.
“Sure, man, I’m fine. What’s on your mind, Joe?” and he can always count on JC, in spite of all appearances to the contrary. JC never forgets his friends, though he sometimes forgets his own name.
Joey doesn’t know, now, if he should say what he’s thinking, but it’s bothering him. So he does.
“Um, just, I was wondering; you know that interview that Justin did, after his single got leaked on the same day as Nick’s single got officially released?”
JC’s voice is a little higher-pitched than usual, flatter in tone. It’s a bad sign.
“Yeah… why?”
“Well, I- it keeps bothering me, y’know, did he actually know about it before it happened, or was he really surprised?”
“He told us it was a surprise to him, Fatone.”
“I know he did.” And also I know him. “He just sounded kinda like he did that time he came out of the bathroom with that one guy, and he said nothing happened.”
“And you said ‘define nothing’ and then a week later the guy tried to blackmail him.”
“Yeah.”
JC is silent, until the quiet line noises sound like a roar in Joey’s ears.
“So you think he is lying… to us. About the business.”
“I’m not sure, I’m just wondering. And he tells Chris everything, who tells you everything.”
“If he lied about that, he didn’t tell Chris.”
They are both quiet now.
“I- I don’t know, Joey. I don’t think he’d lie to us about business. I don’t want to think that.” JC voice is rasping now, like something sharp is caught in his throat. Joey immediately regrets calling, wants only to hear JC laugh again. He forces a grin, knowing it will cross the continent in his voice.
“I’m probably just tripping, ‘C. If there was anything weird going on, Chris would find out. Justin sounds funny because he’s been doing all those interviews, he’s all over-exposed.”
“You really think so, Joey?”
“Yeah. Hey, I’ll let you go and go get some sleep or something. It always mellows you out, right? Maybe it’ll work for me.”
“Right. Okay, love you man.”
“Love you too. Say hi to Carlos.” And don’t tell Chris or Justin I called. But JC knows that. It is part of the code.
“I will. Bye,” click. And if Chris knows anything, JC will find it out and call pretty soon. Lance is more thorough in finding out secrets, but JC can also let them go if they are too big to reveal. Lance never quits when he has his quarry in his teeth.
Joey rolls over on the couch and reaches for the remote. He isn’t at all surprised to see Justin talking to Carson Daly when he turns on the television.
~
I thought there would be some sex in this, by this point. Where's the love?
by stungunbilly
iii. snake oil
Joey has some strange ideas that he prefers not to share with anyone. He doesn’t mind them thinking that he might be crazy, but he hates it when they get upset at themselves for thinking it. JC never does either, so Joey picks up his phone when he finally has to tell somebody or maybe screw up and freak out Justin.
“Chasez’ phone, Carlos speaking.”
Or, not.
“Um, hey, this is Joey. Is he-,”
“Oh, Joey, just a sec, he’s right here.” A low murmur, a click, a thump like a phone hitting carpet, and JC’s breathless voice, always so squeaky in conversation. “Hey Joe. Where you going with that gun in your hand?”
Joey laughs a little, scratches at the embroidery on his hotel pillow. His throat hurts from singing four shows this week already.
“Hey yourself, ‘C. I was just thinking about you. You doing good?” This is the code they use when there is something weird going on, so JC catches on right away, snaps out of his dreamy normal headspace.
“Sure, man, I’m fine. What’s on your mind, Joe?” and he can always count on JC, in spite of all appearances to the contrary. JC never forgets his friends, though he sometimes forgets his own name.
Joey doesn’t know, now, if he should say what he’s thinking, but it’s bothering him. So he does.
“Um, just, I was wondering; you know that interview that Justin did, after his single got leaked on the same day as Nick’s single got officially released?”
JC’s voice is a little higher-pitched than usual, flatter in tone. It’s a bad sign.
“Yeah… why?”
“Well, I- it keeps bothering me, y’know, did he actually know about it before it happened, or was he really surprised?”
“He told us it was a surprise to him, Fatone.”
“I know he did.” And also I know him. “He just sounded kinda like he did that time he came out of the bathroom with that one guy, and he said nothing happened.”
“And you said ‘define nothing’ and then a week later the guy tried to blackmail him.”
“Yeah.”
JC is silent, until the quiet line noises sound like a roar in Joey’s ears.
“So you think he is lying… to us. About the business.”
“I’m not sure, I’m just wondering. And he tells Chris everything, who tells you everything.”
“If he lied about that, he didn’t tell Chris.”
They are both quiet now.
“I- I don’t know, Joey. I don’t think he’d lie to us about business. I don’t want to think that.” JC voice is rasping now, like something sharp is caught in his throat. Joey immediately regrets calling, wants only to hear JC laugh again. He forces a grin, knowing it will cross the continent in his voice.
“I’m probably just tripping, ‘C. If there was anything weird going on, Chris would find out. Justin sounds funny because he’s been doing all those interviews, he’s all over-exposed.”
“You really think so, Joey?”
“Yeah. Hey, I’ll let you go and go get some sleep or something. It always mellows you out, right? Maybe it’ll work for me.”
“Right. Okay, love you man.”
“Love you too. Say hi to Carlos.” And don’t tell Chris or Justin I called. But JC knows that. It is part of the code.
“I will. Bye,” click. And if Chris knows anything, JC will find it out and call pretty soon. Lance is more thorough in finding out secrets, but JC can also let them go if they are too big to reveal. Lance never quits when he has his quarry in his teeth.
Joey rolls over on the couch and reaches for the remote. He isn’t at all surprised to see Justin talking to Carson Daly when he turns on the television.
~
I thought there would be some sex in this, by this point. Where's the love?
