Time
by Helen
4:00

"Water," Justin shouted, and Chris tossed him a bottle, already half out of his shirt, and toeing off his shoes.

"Fuck, I really screwed up the end of the dance," Lance said, hopping on one foot, pulling on his pants.

"No one noticed," Justin said, dumping the rest of the water from the bottle over his head and yanking his shirt off the hanger.

"I noticed," Chris said. "You almost punched me in the head."

"Sorry."

3:00

"No problem."

"Remind me again why we said it was a great idea to have a four minute costume change here?" Joey said, but he was grinning, already the most dressed.

"We didn't say it was a great idea," JC panted. He was having trouble with the buttons on his shirt. "We said we'd rather not do six fast songs in a row."

"I've got some of that eyeliner shit in my eye," Justin said peering in the mirror.

2:00

"Two minutes, guys," Annie said.

"Fuck," JC said, and ripped the rest of the buttons off the shirt, dropping it on the floor.

"Let me see," Lance said, yanking his shirt down over his head.

"What are you going to do about it, anyway," Justin said, but he let Lance grab his head and tilt it back.

"I don't see anything," Lance said.

"Well, it must be nothing, then," Justin said crossly, "I mean, never mind that my eyes are being poisoned with that shit."

1:30

"Your shoes are untied," Lance said.

"Chris—" Justin said, putting one foot up on a ledge "You gonna hit that high note tonight?"

"That's the plan."

"I just like to be prepared, is all, since you always scream it right in my ear."

"Oh, and you never fucking shout all your verses right in my ear," Chris said.

"At least you don't have to listen to JC bellowing Havin' a good time, baby! about a hundred times right on fucking top of you," Joey said, smoothing back his hair.

1:00

"We ready?" Lance said.

"I'm good," Chris said.

"All set," Joey said.

"Yup," Justin said.

"God damnit," JC said, still struggling with his pants.

"Come on, C, we have like, thirty seconds," Justin said.

"The zipper's stuck," JC said. "I'll get it—just go ahead and get in place."

Lance and Justin nodded at each other and ran into the wings, and after a few seconds, Chris followed them.

:30

"You got it?" Joey said, hesitating.

"I. almost," JC said. He had flipped the tight t-shirt up over his chest, and was yanking viciously at the zip of the pants, face flushed.

Over their headsets came a warning mumble.

:20

"Shit," Joey said and took three quick steps across the floor, batting away JC's hands and grabbing his hip in one hand, yanking the zipper roughly down

:15

and then almost all the way back up,

:14

JC's hands suddenly at clutching his wrists

:13

one of Joey's hands curled inside JC's waistband, his knuckles against the hot, slightly damp skin of JC's stomach,

:12

the other on the zip

:11

and he buttoned the waistband of the pants quickly

:10

and pulled his hand out of JC's pants

:09

and only, in passing, saw JC's face,

:08

blue eyes wide in shock

:07

mouth fallen slightly open

:06

and Joey reached out and

:05

pulled the t-shirt down, his hands fleetingly on JC's waist, smoothing the shirt down

:04

and

:03

"Ready?" he said.

:02

mouthed, really, because their mikes were already on, and JC

:01

nodded

:00

and they ran for the stage.