Lance sat down at the bar, and ordered a beer.

***

Eryn and Justin sat down at the table, and began to eat over candlelight.

***

A brightly lit diner caught JC's eye. He drove into the parking lot. It was pretty deserted, so he decided it was a good place to vent from Sasha.

***

Chris sat on a chair and Joey sat on the floor.

"Chris," Joey said. "I really need to talk to you. I have a girl problem…"

"Okay," Chris answered. "But why would you ask me? You are the girl magnet…"

"Because you're the oldest," Joey said. "And you know the girl well."

"I do?" asked Chris. "Who is it?"

"Okay, you can't tell anyone," Joey said. "Especially JC."

"It's Sasha, isn't it?" Chris said.

"Yeah," Joey sighed.

***

JC sat down at the bar, and ordered a drink. He turned to his left, and saw a blond guy sitting three seats away, with two empty beer bottles infront of him, and he was drinking from a third.

"Lance?" JC asked.

Lance looked over. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" JC asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," he put his beer bottle down on the table. "One more please." He told the bartender.

"No more," JC said. "Stop it. You've already had three. What's wrong with you? You never drink."

"Give me a beer," Lance told the bartender again. He turned to JC. "Butt out. I feel like beer tonight. Anyway, where else am I supposed to go?"

"I guess you're right," JC said. He took a gulp of his beer. "Tonight's been crap."

"I know," Lance said. "Do I ever."

***

"You have a thing for Sasha?" Chris asked, surprised. "I did NOT see that one coming."

"I know," Joey said. "I've always thought she was pretty and stuff… and I've hardly talked to her. But I can't sit here, and not do anything about her. That's not me."

"Joey!" Chris exclaimed. "JC is one of your best friends. You can't do anything with Sasha. They're a couple you know. They have been for awhile."

"Chris, I know that. But I also know everything that goes on around here. I knew about Eryn and Lance's old conversations. I knew everything about Justin and Eryn. I knew about JC cheating on Sasha. I knew it all. And right now, I know that their relationship is rocky. Really rocky. They got in a fight at Canada's Wonderland, and --" Joey stopped.

"How do you know all that?" Chris asked.

"I just do. I figure things out. I'm smart." Joey shrugged.

"Listen, you can't do anything about it. It's an unspoken rule about friendship." Chris said.

"I know," Joey said. "But I wish it wasn't."

***

Justin and Eryn finished their dinner. Justin walked over to the stereo and put on some slow music.

He held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

"Of course," Eryn answered. She took his hand, and he led her to an open area between the living room and kitchen. Midway through the song, there was a knock on the door.

"Damn," Eryn muttered. "It better not be one of the guys…"

"I doubt it," Justin said. He pulled away. "Are you going to answer it?"

"No," Eryn said, leaning back towards Justin.

"Good idea," Justin murmured into her hair.

"ERYN!" there was a shout from outside.

Eryn's stomach dropped. "Oh, God," she said.

"What?" asked Justin. "Who is it?"

"I think its James," Eryn said, her face turning pale. "Justin, James will kick your ass if he sees you."

"No he won't. I'm 6'1''…" he said.

"Yeah, and James is taller than that," Eryn said. "You have to hide."

"No," Justin said. "Just ignore it. He'll leave."

"ERYN OPEN THE DAMN DOOR," the voice shouted again. There was loud knocks on the door.

"I think he's trying to kick it in," said Eryn.

"No, he's not," Justin pulled her close. "Just ignore it."

All of a sudden the shouting and knocking stopped. "See?" said Justin. "It's all over."

"Nope," Eryn said. "James doesn't give up like that." She pushed Justin away. "Justin, through the window, I just saw his head. He walked by. He's coming to the back sliding doors."

"Are you kidding?" Justin asked.

"Would I joke about this?" Eryn cried. "Justin, HIDE."

"No," Justin said simply. "Sorry, Eryn. But I am not letting this JAMES control my life."

The sliding doors opened behind Justin. Eryn pushed Justin out of the way. "James, LEAVE."

"Eryn… you should learn to lock your doors," James sneered. "I told you I was coming."

"I swear, James, I will call the freaking police," Eryn shouted. "Now leave."

"Okay," James said. "I will leave. Under one condition."

"Name it," Justin said, stepping in.

"You get out of this house, and leave my girlfriend alone," James said.

"I am NOT your girlfriend," Eryn said. "James, get a life."

"Oh, I have one baby," James replied.

"I'm not leaving," Justin told him. "Sorry."

"Yeah, you better be sorry," James pulled back his arm and punched Justin in the stomach.

Justin doubled over in pain. He wasn't prepared for that. Eryn screamed. "James, STOP IT!"

"Too late, Eryn," James said, elbowing Justin's back so he fell to the ground. "Leave."

Eryn ran out of the room and up the stairs. "JOEY! CHRIS!" she shouted hysterically.

Joey ran out of her room. "What?" he asked.

Eryn was frantic. "James… he's here… beating Justin… help…"

"Eryn, calm down I can't understand you," Joey said.

"James is here. He's downstairs. He's kicking Justin's ass… He got him off guard. You have to come downstairs and help him." Eryn screamed.

"Okay," Joey said. "Don't worry." He ran back into the room, and grabbed Chris. The three ran downstairs.

Justin had James pinned down and was punching his face. They were both bleeding and it was all over the floor. Justin's shirt was ripped.

Joey ran over to them, and grabbed James, who was punching Justin in the face.

"GET OFF HIM!" Eryn screamed, her voice shrill.

Joey pulled on James' shoulders. Eryn was still yelling. Chris was trying to get Justin out from under James.

Finally they pulled James off of Justin.

James turned around and faced Eryn. "I'll be back, if I ever see you with that asswipe again."

"Get out of the house," Joey said. James glared at Justin and walked out.

Justin was sitting against the wall on the floor.

"Here, Justin," Eryn ran over to the sink and wet a towel. She gently wiped the blood from his face. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"Yeah," Justin admitted. "It does." He winced in pain. "Ow… please… stop it."

"Justin, I have to get this blood off of you," Eryn told him. "Chris, can you get some ice from the freezer. We might have an ice pack."

"Okay," he said. He got one out and handed it her. Justin put it on his face.

"Thanks Chris, Joey," Eryn said. "But you guys can go back upstairs if you want. I can handle this."

"Are you sure?" asked Chris.

"Yeah," Eryn said.

"Call us if you need us," Joey told her. They went upstairs.

"Justin, I am so sorry," Eryn said. "It's all my fault."

"No it's not," Justin said. "Don't worry about it, okay? James is just like that."

"I know," Eryn sighed. "But I am really sorry. You're all beat up… he's much bigger than you, and…"

"Who cares?" Justin forced a smile. "It's over."

End of Chapter Thirty