Before you start reading. Sorry that this is really late. I have no good excuse, so I'll just leave it out. Enjoy your reading.
With kindest regards, Chris
Disclaimer: This story is a product of my imagination. I am in no way implying that Nick Carter is gay.
Lars and the rest of the characters in this story is truely a product of my imagination. All resemblance to any real life persons is purely a coincidence.
This story contains, or will perhaps some day, contain sexual relations by adult males. If you are not into that or it is illegal in your state/country, please leave now. Or else, sit back and enjoy.
I am not a native English speaker. Thus there might be some spelling and grammar mistakes. I hereby apologise for those. Also I am not into much American slang, so the language might seem a bit formal. Sorry for that. This is also my first attempt to write such a story.
Thanks to those who has e-mailed me with comments and suggestions! They have been really helpful in the process of writing this part.
Adam, thanks for proofing, and thanks for your comments. You're great. Tom, thanks for the interesting suggestions and comments. Scott, thanks!
Anthony - I love you!
Now on with the story
"Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall" by Chris
Part 7
"The course of true love never did run smooth"
William Shakespeare
The sun was setting, only a pink shade could be seen of the once so big source of life. Lars had always loved watching the sunset, since the days his mother used to take him to the beach just to watch the beautiful sight. As a little child Lars had been very weak, he was picked on at school by the other children, and even the teachers had tried to put him down, despite the fact he was a very consciencious and hard-working student. His grades were well above average. The constant picking and being told that he would never come to any good, had marked him. Even now, at the age of 19, he still had a lack of self-confidence. Therein lies the answer to everything he had been questioning the last year.
Chris sat down silently beside his boyfriend. He didn't say anything. He just awaited Lars explanation.They sat together in silence. Only the sounds from the ocean and the wind could be heard. The wind was whispering in their ears. It was as if it was trying to tell them something.
"Chris, we need to talk..." Lars begun.
Chris still did not say anything. Somehow he knew what was coming. He had known all the time that they had been together - They did not share the same kind of love.
"I can't marry you, Chris. I am sorry. I love you, but..." Lars continued.
"Stop it Lars - you don't love me, not the way one should love a boyfriend. You love him, you have all along," Chris said, his voice almost cracking.
Lars went silent. He had tears in his eyes - he had hurt his best friend, the only friend he had. The one who made him come through alive the difficult period after he had left the US and Nick.
"I..I..I'm sorry," he managed to say.
The sun had almost vanished in the horizon, and the air was getting cooler. It was getting darker, yet Lars could see the tears streaming down Chris' cheeks. It made him hurt inside. And for a moment, just for a brief moment, he regretted his decision.
Chris turned to face Lars. He had indeed been crying, there were marks from the tears down his cheeks. But across his face a smile formed. The soft and cool air sent a chill down both their spines. Yet Chris had a smile across his face.
"He is cute, I'll give you that" Chris whispered - a smile across his face.
"What?" Lars looked confused at Chris. "What do you mean?"
"Nick - he's cute. I can see why you have problems forgetting him," Chris responded.
"He is," Lars started carefully. "I am sorry, Chris. I didn't mean to hurt you. You have been so great to me, and now I have hurt you." Lars had started crying.
"Calm down, Lars. I am hurting some right now. But I'll be alright. I somehow knew this day was coming. I knew you didn't feel the same way about me."
Chris was very calm now, he was almost whispering.
"You really love him, don't you?" Chris asked.
"I love him so much that it hurts. But we can't be together. We just can't."
Lars had tears forming in his eyes now.
"His mother hates him because of me. And it's my fault that he tried to kill himself," Lars continued.
"Stop it, Lars!" Chris said, almost shouting. "You love him, he loves you - that is obvious - and he was the one who chose to try to kill himself, not you. Just as Nick is not to blame for your suicide attempt. I happen to believe that true love will conquer everything."
Lars didn't respond. He was far away in thought, thinking of Nick and the fact that they could never be together. Lars couldn't risk being with Nick. Nick had so much to lose if they were together. His family, his career - Lars just couldn't do that to him.
"Lars?" Chris shook his shoulder. "Earth to Lars!"
"Sorry Chris, I was just thinking," Lars finally responded.
"About Nick, right?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, I did. I just acknowledged the fact that it can never be 'us'. I can't risk it Chris. I just can't risk Nick being hurt. I love him too much for that."
"That's bullshit, Lars. From what I heard of what you told me about your conversation with Brian the other night, he is hurting more now, when he is away from you," Chris stated.
"I can't risk him losing his family, friends and career for me. He will have to chose between them and me. I can't do that to him. I know how much he loves his family, and how much the Backstreet Boys mean to him. I won't put him in that position, Chris, I won't," Lars replied.
"Damn it, Lars. The course of true love is never meant to run smooth..." Chris started.
"Stop, Chris," Lars interrupted. "I have made up my mind. I am leaving for a while. I won't tell you where, I just need to get away for a while."
"But..." Chris tried to argue.
"There is no 'but'," Lars stated. "I need to get everything in a distance. I am leaving tomorrow morning, don't try to find me. I will contact you when I have had some time to think things through. You are my very best friend, Chris, and it hurts to do this to you. I love you, friendly like, and I always will. You mean a lot to me. I will be back when I am ready, when the hurt is gone."
As Lars finished he rose to his feet. Chris rose simultaneously, they looked at each other, both had tears forming in their eyes.
"I will be sleeping at my parents house tonight..." Lars said.
"So, I guess this is good bye then?" Chris choked out the words.
"I guess so," Lars replied. "I'll miss you. I'll miss you a whole lot."
"Ditto," Chris said as he grabbed Lars into a hug.
They hugged for what seemed like hours. Then Chris turned around and started to walk towards the beach house.
"Bye," Lars whispered as his best friend walked away.
"Guten Abend, Herr...?" the receptionist said,
"Johansen," Lars responded. "Lars Johansen."
"Und was kann ich für Sie tun, mein Herrn?" the receptionist asked.
"Sprechen Sie Englisch?" Lars asked. His German was very limited.
"Yes, I do. What can I do for you, Mr. Johansen?" he asked with a very thick German accent.
"I am here to see a Mr. Wright, Johnny Wright. I believe he is expecting me."
"Just a moment, Sir. I'll contact Mr. Wright and see if he is available for you. Just sit down and wait, and I will get back to you Mr. Peterson."
Lars was tired from the trip over to Berlin. His parents had dropped him off at the airport very early since his plane left at 6 am. He had met up with Johnny Wright at the music conservatory in Trondheim about a month ago. Wright had overheard Lars playing the piano when he visited Trondheim Music Conservatory, and was really impressed by Lars' ability to play. A band he was representing was in desperate need for a piano player, and when Wright heard Lars playing he instantly knew that he had found what he was looking for.
Lars had declined the offer, but Wright did not give up that easily. He gave Lars a month to think things through, and then get back to him.
"Mr. Wright will be right down to fetch you, Sir," the receptionist said, startling Lars who was far off in thought.
"Thank you," Lars replied.
A few minutes later Johnny Wright came down in the lounge.
"Ah, Lars. I am glad that you decided to join the team," he said as he shook Lars' hand.
"Yeah, I hope I will too, Mr. Wright," Lars replied.
"Oh, call me Johnny. They all do," Johnny smiled.
"So, which group am I going to team up with?" Lars asked.
"Well, initially I was thinking of hooking you up with the Backstreet Boys, since they needed someone to play keyboard and piano for their upcoming European tour," Johnny started.
Lars froze and almost started to shiver. He couldn't work with Nick, no way that would work out.
"But one of Kev's friends was asked by the group if he would join them on tour, and he accepted," he continued.
Lars relaxed a bit.
"We are here to plan the group you will team up with's upcoming European tour. Come with me upstairs and I'll introduce you to them."
Lars was eager to meet the group he was going to work with the next months ahead.
"So, which group is it?" Lars enquired again.
"It's a rather famous pop group actually," Johnny said as they walked out of the elevator.
"You may have heard about them..." Johnny said as he opened the door to room 3301.
"Hi Johnny!" a blond guy said as Lars and Johnny entered the room.
"Hi guys!" Johnny replied.
"Hi," the other three said in unison.
"Lars, this is 'N Sync, guys, this is Lars, your new piano and keyboard player."
"Hi Lars! Nice to meet you. I am JC, or Josh if you prefer," a nice looking guy who looked to be in the mid-20s said as he reached out his hand.
"Hi," Lars answered shyly. He had heard of 'N Sync before, but didn't actually know them by appearance, nor very well by music. He had, of course, heard a couple of their songs, but was not really into it. That was obviously about to change.
"Hi Lars, I am Lance," the blond guy who had greeted them when they entered said.
"And I am Chris!"
"I am Joey."
"And I'm Justin," a guy with curly hair said as he extracted his hand. "Haven't we met before?"
"I don't think so," Lars said. "Although I think I have seen you before too, but that's probably in a mag or something."
Justin, however, was certain that he has seen Lars before, but couldn't quite figure out where.
'It's probably my imagination,' Justin thought to himself.
"So you are going with us on tour then, Lars?" JC asked as he popped open a can of coke.
"It looks like I am," Lars replied. "I'm a bit nervous though, I have never played for so many people before."
"Oh, that won't be a problem," Justin said smiling. "You are a part of this group now, and we'll take good care of you."
"Thanks Justin," Lars said as he blushed slightly.
Lars instantly felt that this was a job he would like. And it would for sure take his mind of Nick and the past months events, at least that was what he thought.
"You were great Lars," Justin said after they had finished their rehearsal.
"Indeed," JC said. "Johnny was right, you are a genius on that instrument."
Lars blushed severely.
"Thanks guys," he said shyly.
"That sounded good guys," Johnny said as he entered the stage. "You'll have the rest of the day off. We'll team up here again tomorrow morning at 9. That sound okay?"
"I guess so," Lance said as he picked up a thowel to dry off.
JC, Lance, Joey and Chris walked off the stage. Justin came over to where Lars was sitting. Lars was thinking of Nick again, and Justin could see a tear form in the corner of Lars' eye. 'I know I have seen him before,' Justin though to himself.
"Are you okay," Justin asked concerned. "You seem a bit sad."
"I'm okay," Lars assured. "I was just thinking."
As Justin looked into Lars' face, Justin remembered where he had seen him.
"Hey, I know why I find you so familiar now," he said eagerly. "I found you crying in a park, remember?"
Lars thought back to the time he was in Orlando. He remebered the incident in the park quite clearly.
"It was you!" he shouted out.
"Yeah, I remember the whole incident now, then," Justin said as he sat down beside Lars. "You didn't look very well, back there."
"I had some personal problems that I had difficulties to cope with," Lars said, not wanting to reveal why he had been so out of it.
"But, you're doing okay now then," Justin asked.
"Yeah, I am fine now," Lars replied smiling.
Somehow Justin wasn't reassured by Lars' reply, but decided not to go any further on the issue for the time being.
TO BE CONTINUED
So that was part 6 of my story. I hope you all liked it. Feedback is WANTED and you can e-mail your comments, suggestions and questions to chris_h81no@hotmail.com. I always reply to those who e-mail me.
Some story recommendations as well (all in the boybands section):
"Tests of friendship" by my very good friend, Adam. Too sad he's ending it. It is a really good story by a really talented author. Adam also has "The Project" out, for those of you who love sci-fi.
"Brian and me" by DLS. I love it, D. You know how to write, I can tell you that.
"What is love" by my sweetie - the talented author Angel_Lenoir.
"First impression" by Clive. Interesting story from another good author. For more good stories visit his web page: http://www.geocities.com/author_clive/.
"Studio in the country" by Mike. Another good story.
"Open Arms" by Carter. Well-told and promising story.
"Tearful Dreamer" by Zach. Well-written story. Promising.
I am not sure when the next part of "Flowers..." will be out. I think it will be out somewhat sooner than this though :)