Here it is, people, chapter 3! Thanks go to David and Nifty, and to all my readers and supporters including Aph, Casey, John (Sylvester), Jayne, Dennis, Aimee and Sophie. DISCLAIMER: I don't know or own 'Nsync or BSB...this is just fiction.
Plugs:
"A Tale of Two Boybands" - Everyone write to Aphrodite and tell her what we all know - that Justin and J.C. belong together! This story is amazing, check it out!!
"Nsync: Lance n JC" - Ever read something and think "Damn, I wish I'd written that" 'cause it's so good? If not, give this a try; it's sweet, dramatic and funny.
"Playing For Keeps" - One of the most tense, powerful things I've ever read.
This story can not be updated fast enough for me.
"A Love Like This" - Possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever read...this is pure poetry.
"Any Path" - The prequel to this story; if you haven't read it yet you should. This story will make more sense if you do.
~NO PAINLESS WAY~ Chapter Three
"Does great goodness draw evil upon itself?"
- "Exorcist II: The Heretic"
(the next morning)
Lynn Harless greeted her son with a warm hug as he entered the kitchen.
"Enjoying vacation so far, hon?"
Justin grinned widely as he fixed his cereal. "It's weird. Like, it's only nine, and this is late for me. And I'm not used to not having Lonnie around 24/7."
The woman laughed. "You miss him?"
"No way!" Justin lied. "Missing your bodyguard is so...geeky. Besides, between Lonnie, J.C. and you, I'm amazed I have enough space to breathe."
Lynn waved a finger at him. "Listne here, young man," she said lightly, "mothers are supposed to be protective. Lonnie's job is to guard you, and besides, he adores you. And Joshua...well..."
She looked out the window, to where Lance and J.C. were shooting hoops.
"Josh simply wouldn't know what to do without you. I'm so glad you two found eachother."
Justin stirred his Capn' Crunch uneasily. //Does she know?//
"Is Josh out there, Mom?"
"Yes, he's playing basketball with Lance. He was very adamant that we not wake you. Did you sleep okay last night?"
//I fell in love last night.//
"Yeah, it's nice to be back in my own bed...Josh is playin' against Lance? Oh, that's not a kill game or nothin'." Justin grinned. "Where're Chris and Joey?"
Lynn looked guilty. "Um, Joey said something about showing Chris the Mickey Mouse Club tapes he hasn't seen."
"MOM!"
"Oh, Justin, don't be silly. You were wonderful then too."
Justin rolled his eyes. "You think everything I do is great."
Her smile was soft and sweet as she wiped the counter. "That, my dear, is the short definition of 'mother'."
From the living room, they could hear Chris's delighted laughter. "Yeah, Curly! Work them mouse ears!"
Justin groaned before returning his attention to his cereal. "We didn't wear mouse ears, what is so hard to understand about that?"
Lynn chuckled. "Which reminds me...Britney's been asking about you."
The boy scowled. "Why can't she get it through her head that I'm not interested?"
He and Britney Spears had been friends during the Mouseketeer days, until she had made it clear to him that friendship wasn't enough for her. Now Justin tried to avoid seeing her; Britney's insistence that they should be together bordered on obsession. He had hinted, and then flat-out told her that he didn't have feelings for her, but she wouldn't stop pushing.
//Good thing I'm gay. Now at least I have an excuse.//
Gay. Justin was gay. The thought came and was accepted so easily, so calmly. He started to giggle.
//I'm gay. I wanna be with Josh and he wants to be with me. All that time I was praying for something I already had.//
Lynn looked at her son sharply. "Are you all right, dear?"
Justin swallowed the last of his cereal and flashed her an honest smile. "You know what, Mom? I think I am."
He kissed her, and skipped out to the basketball court, intending to join Lance's team and help even the odds. Lynn watched him go, a mother's proud smile on her face. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (later that morning)
J.C. poked his head into the living room, where Chris and Joey were still watching MMC episodes. He winced slightly at the sight of his younger self, threatening to twist a younger Justin's body into a coat hanger.
//That was a weird-ass line.// He smiled. //Whatever dirty thought I may have been thinking at the time, I sure as heck never thought he'd want me like I want him.//
"Guys?"
"Ha ha ha!" Chris pointed, ignoring him. "Check out Britney! Guess she didn't always look like a Barbie doll."
"Guys! Where's Justin?"
Joey turned around. "He went for a walk - said he wanted to see his old hood, ya know?"
"He's out alone?!"
Chris finally detatched his eyes from the TV. "Chill, Josh. He said he'd only be a few minutes, and he just left like two minutes ago. Besides, there aren't a lot of people around here, and to the ones who are, he's just Justin. I don't think we have to worry about a mob."
"He still shouldn't be out alone. I wish I hadn't fallen asleep..."
Joey giggled, thinking of the 'I sleep, therefore I am' sweathsirt he'd given J.C. for his birthday.
"Ya can't help it, Big Daddy. I think ya got narcolepsy or somethin'."
Chris rolled his eyes. "Josh, if he's not back in five minutes we'll break out the torches, 'kay? Just be sure you take the blame when he throws a hissy-fit about being treated like a baby."
J.C. nodded uneasily, and reached into his pocket for his ringing cell phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, Josh. It's Brian."
J.C. answered as he went outside and stood next to the pool. "Hey Bri.
How's it going?"
"You okay, man? You sound a little distracted. Get lucky last night or something?"
J.C.'s jaw dropped at his normally-reserved friend's comment. "No! What the...you've been hanging around A.J. too much!"
"Yeah, he has that effect on people. So, what's eatin' you?"
J.C. shook his head. "I'm not sure." -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Justin smiled fondly as he walked, letting memory rush over him. It was so wonderfully strange to be walking undisguised and alone, with only his thoughts for company. Probing his mind for direction, he turned onto another street. Looking ahead, Justin's eyes fell on what he was looking for.
Mrs. Umney had lived in the neat green house looming before him until her death four years earlier. She had been a sweet old lady, like a grandmother to Justin, and his fondest childhood memories included drinking lemonade on her porch. Mrs. Umney had been one of the first people to encourage Justin to pursue his dream of being a singer, and he had never forgotten that, or her.
But it was the large oak tree in her front yard that drew Justin's attention. His and J.C.'s tree. Slowly, almost hesitantly, the boy reached out and touched the rough bark. As his fingers travelled over it, he sighed softly as they felt the faint words, etched years ago: Justin and Josh, Best Friends Forever. Justin closed his eyes as he recalled the afternoon Josh had carved this, the days they had spent climbing this tree and talking under it, listening to the wind in the branches.
//What was it Stephen King said in that vampire book he wrote...that time is like a river? I feel as though I've fallen in...//
"Been away long?"
Justin's eyes flew open, and looked in surprise at the man standing a few feet away. The stranger smiled apologetically. In a T-shirt and jeans, with his brown eyes clearly visible, Justin didn't recognize him.
"Um...pardon me?"
"I asked if you've been away long. Forgive me if I'm being intrusive - it just seemed to me that this tree holds a lot of memories for you."
The boy's smile was so open and friendly that the stranger trembled unnoticeably. "I've been away for months, but I haven't come here for almost two years. Me and my best friend, this was kinda our tree."
"Ah. You two still close?"
"Yeah, very."
The stranger nodded approvingly. "That's good. People lose eachother far too often. Oh, how rude of me...my name is Timothy Korman."
The boy shook his hand. "Justin Timberlake. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
//Dammit, he's polite too?//
The man's face grew thoughtful. "Tim, please. Justin Timberlake, did you say? That's odd. I'd swear my daughter has mentioned your name."
Justin blushed a little. "Is she a fan of the group 'Nsync?"
"A most devoted one. I think I even have their cd in my car - she listens to it constantly. Why?"
"I'm in the group," Justin said.
Tim seemed embarassed. "Oh my...that explains why you look so familiar." He chuckled. "My daughter will never believe I actually met you!"
"Well, if you do have the cd with you I could autograph it for her."
"Oh, would you? I hate to ask..."
Justin grinned brightly; he was feeling very comfortable with Tim. "It's cool. I like doing stuff for fans."
He followed Tim to where the man's car was parked, a short walk down the street, and watched as he looked around the front seat.
"Hmm...there it is. Ouch!"
Justin frowned with concern. "Are you okay?"
"My hand is stuck between the seats...I can't get it loose..."
Justin ran up to the car. "Maybe I can he-"
Quick as lightning, Korman grabbed Justin with his unrestrained arms and whirled him around. Bfofre the boy could scream, a thick cloth was pressed tightly against his mouth and nose, and an odd, chemical smell began to fill his nostrils. Justin's struggles, futile within the muscular arms, began to grow weaker. With his last bit of strength he tore the 'WWJD?' bracelet from his wrist and let it fall.
Korman, being preoccupied, did not notice this. After a few critical moments, the boy fell unconscious into his arms. Wasting no time, Korman placed Justin in the backseat of his car. From a bag underneath the seat he took rope, with which he bound the boy's hands and ankles, and a damp washcloth. He stuffed it carefully into the boy's mouth...just in case. The substance used, a compound similar to chloroform, he had been told, should keep the kid asleep for a few hours.
His captive secure, and hidden under a blanket, Korman began to drive. At the first stop sign, he glanced back uneasily.
//I'm sorry, child. For this, and for the fate I take you to.// ------------------------------------------------------------------------
J.C. shook his head. "I'm not sure."
"Hmm. Well, I'd better tell you the reason I called. Nick begged me. He, um, he wants to know if Justin's okay."
J.C. felt his stomach slowly becoming a giant knot. "He's out taking a walk...why?"
Brian sounded confused himself. "This may sound silly, but Nick had a terrible nightmare last night, the first in almost two weeks. The only thing he can remember is that something bad happened to Justin...something about hands. Nick wouldn't leave me alone until I called you - he's really freaked out.
"J.C.? Josh?!"
Somehow J.C. found his voice. "Can I call you back, Bri? I want to go find Justin."
"Sure. I hope everything's-"
J.C. switched off the phone, and broke into a run. As he dashed through the living room, his startled bandmates blinked in surprise and followed him. Once outside, J.C. turned and spoke to them, his voice harsh and panicked.
"Did Just say where he was going?"
"Um-"
"THINK!"
Chris was too surprised by his friend's behavior to be offended. "He said something about a tree you and he-"
J.C. was gone before Chris could finish the sentence, sprinting as though it was a monster chasing him rather than his bewildered friends. He stopped before the old oak tree, which he'd remembered immediately, and scanned the area sharply, not seeming to hear the inquiries of his bandmates.
His heart dropped swiftly into his Nikes as his eyes, observing the ground, fell on an object he would have recognized anywhere. He half ran, half stumbled over and picked it up - a torn, baby blue 'WWJD?' bracelet. J.C. turned and held it up, wordlessly, to his nearly-frantic friends.
Lance's normally-pale skin went ghost white. Joey murmured "Oh, shit..." Chris let out a low moan. They all knew what it was. Justin wore that bracelet every moment he could. He wasn't always allowed to during concerts - management made noises about 'offending the non-Christian fans' - but otherwise, it was never off his wrist.
And it had not been abandoned, or accidentally slipped off. The thing was ripped almost in half.
"What do we do?" Joey's voice was barely above a whisper.
J.C.'s eyes were clouded, and he looked as though he were about to be sick.
"We call the police."
~to be continued~ Comments to DaraLynn_writings@hotmail.com