Subject:For-Justin's-Love-3
This story is a work of fiction. If you are underage, Kudos to you. If this material offends you, go away you bigot. This story is not meant to do anything more than bring entertainment to readers and relief to its author, so it in no way implies that any of the sexual orientations of its characters are suspect. Also, I suppose this story is copywrited. So, you can send it to as many people as you choose, as long as I get credit for it. The same applies to the other two stories that I have posted in Nifty. Have a pleasant day.
The classes went by much more quickly than I'd originally thought they would. I basically kept hearing the music from my dream over and over again, and it gave me some extra spirit. I know that it was a dream, but at least I found someone I could love-for a little while. Everything was going well for the week after I got out of the hospital until the Saturday afterwards. I went to the chemistry lab in order to perform a lab so that I wouldn't have to do it during the week. First, my sample ran out, so I had to go and get a completely new unknown and perform the experiment over from the beginning. If that weren't bad enough, my data was "flawed," and I lost points, although the TA confirmed that I'd done everything perfectly. I couldn't even redo the lab if I'd wanted to, as I had a limited amount of Sodium Hydroxide left, so I was screwed.
That, of course, ruined the entire day. I did not want to go back and do any more work. When I got angry, there was no way I'd be able to concentrate on any form of work. So instead, I vegetated on the floor for about an hour, staring at a blank TV, not caring that it wasn't even on. I shook myself and looked outside. It was an absolutely beautiful day outside, and I knew that I needed to vent my anger at the unfairness of my situation. -Having a temper sucks sometimes-I thought. I pulled on my bright blue gi pants and my tabis, a St. Louis Blues t-shirt. I reached into my wardrobe and pulled my black belt out of its hiding place back in the shadowy corner. I shoved it and my sai into my duffel bag, grabbed my CDs and boom box, put on my sunglasses and walked over to the gym for some practice.
What I didn't know at the time was that the university was making its new promotional video and walking around with video cameras in order to show the benefits of the school.
I got to the gym, and luckily, the tae kwon do class was just ending. The head instructor of the class was something of a friend, even though he knew that I hate tae kwon do. "What's up, Ryan?" he asked me, coming over after I bowed in the doorway as a sign of respect.
"Not much," I nearly snarled. "Need to vent."
"Ah, I see," he stepped back for a minute and glanced at my outfit. "Interesting," he noticed.
I glanced down. Seemed ordinary to me. Then I remembered that all his students had plain white cotton pants and shirts. I shrugged. "Can I use the room?"
"Sure. I'll be in my office in the back if you need me."
I nodded and placed my bag on one of the benches next to the glass widow. I unzipped it and pulled my belt and sai out. Then I turned around and took off my shirt and tied my belt on. As my back was turned, the camera crew went downstairs to see the weight room, gymnasium and pool.
I stretched for fifteen minutes, and then plugged my boom box in. I slipped my CD with a copy of "Larger than Life" and "Everybody" that I had burned from my MP3 collection. The only other songs on it were "Everybody Dance Now," "I got the Power," "Princes of the Universe," and "Duel of the Fates" from Star Wars. I love practicing to fast music-it keeps the pace fast and furious. I turned up the volume and began to move in the only forms that I could remember from the little official training I'd had. Then I began to bring the sai into the picture. I was twirling them quickly and every time I made a cross block, the sai clanged perfectly in time with whichever music was on at the time.
When the CD had finished, I stopped, panting. "That was pretty good, Ryan," the instructor told me. "But you still need some work with those."
I nodded, still breathing heavily. "I know, but when I'm not actually using them against a sword like I used to, it's not quite as easy to figure out how I'm gonna block things."
He thought about that for a minute and then went back into his office. He came out with a bokun, a wooden katana that is used for training. "Well, let's help out a little. I know that sai users need to kick to attack, so go ahead. I'll be able to take a couple of hits if I can't block 'em."
I smiled, truly thankful. Here was a real opponent I could take my anger out on without causing much damage. He stepped into a fighting stance, and I immediately recognized that he was uncomfortable with the bokun. My friend back home was better with it. I shrugged. Still. Practice was practice. The two of us attacked and countered over and over again. Neither of us had been touched, but his bokun was sustaining heavy damage from my sai. In our efforts, neither of us realized that the camera crew had seen us and settled in to watch. After five more minutes, I was getting tired, especially in my forearms. So I used the last thing my friend Tom had taught me-a disarm. His bokun went flying out of his grasp and I performed a jumping spinning side kick to his stomach. He fell backwards with an "oomph," but got up quickly. "Nice kick," he panted as he stepped cautiously back up to fight. I dropped the sai, as they made the battle too unfair and stepped into a tae kwon do fighting stance. He came at me with a kick combination that I never even knew existed, and although I awkwardly blocked the first attack, the other three got through and hit me. He had pulled back so that they weren't full power, but they had still hurt.
"I told you, I need to work on my blocks," I said, smiling.
"So you do, so you do."
"Or maybe it's because tae kwon do's blocks suck!" I emphasized, trying to get a reaction from him.
"They suck, huh?" He came at me in another combination. But I had stepped into kumana style karate, which is better defensively. I actually blocked most of his attacks, but even more got through. I was getting a little sore.
"Whose blocks suck?" he asked, playfully.
"You haven't blocked ME yet!" I yelled and charged him with a flying side kick. He ducked and came around with a reverse punch, but I performed a crescent kick to block it outwards and swung the crescent into another side kick to his chest. The second I connected, I planted my heel into his belly and became completely parallel to the ground as I spun my left heel in a spinning kick to the side of his head. The kick caught him by surprise, and we both dropped to the ground. As one, we brought our legs back to our heads and kicked out so that we landed standing in a fighting stance. In his position, he saw the camera crew and dropped his guard. Confused, I turned around, and then blushed brightly. The whole thing had been caught on tape! Quite a small crowd had gathered, watching us and they all broke into applause. He smiled, patted me on the back and told me to hit the showers. "I think you've vented enough, Ry," he said, rubbing the side of his sore head. I laughed. "Guess so. Thanks, Mr. Matthews."
"No problem, Ryan. But I really think you should get some training. You've got so much potential, and I hate to see it wasted." I smiled but declined. No more classes. No more tests. Uh uh. Not for me. I grabbed my fallen sai off the mat where I'd thrown them and pulled the CD and boom box out from the wall. Everything went into my bag, and I headed downstairs to take a shower.
I felt much better after that, and I felt kind of cool to be in the campus movie. It was finished by the end of the week and shipped out to high schools all over the country.
I had finally settled into the school routine when I got a phone call from a man in Orlando, Florida.
"Hello, son. My name is Jonathan P. Stein, and I have a son who's interested in attending your university next year. That's how I saw the tape which you are, uh, performing in, shall we say."
"Well, actually, they kind of caught me off guard," I protested modestly. I love hearing nice things about myself. I don't think I do often enough, though.
"I called because I thought I'd seen you somewhere before. Do you do any acting or modeling or traveling?"
"Yeah. All of 'em, when I can get the job. Not much has come by recently, although I did have a small bit in a Sears catalogue."
"That must be where I saw you before!" He sounded excited. "You see, I'm a producer down here, and I was wondering if you'd come down here and we'll see if we can't get you some jobs!"
I jumped. "That'd be so great!" I exclaimed. "What do you need me to do?"
"Just be ready in two weeks. I'll call and arrange things for you."
"Wow. Sir, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this opportunity. Just to get my face out there...you know."
"Yes, I do. Good luck, son." He hung up and I immediately called my parents.
"That's great, Ry," my mom told me. "But you be careful not to miss too much school. You can't afford to miss any more. Not after those retreats."
"I know mom, but think of it! This could be my big chance!"
"We're rooting for you Ry," my dad informed me. "Good luck."
"Thanks dad." I hung up and actually did my homework with energy and excitement. That made it go by so much faster, and I found that I had time to go and do some exercising. I roller bladed down to the gym and I immediately began a toning regimen so that I could tone up a little bit. Now, I was (and am) forty pounds underweight, but I also couldn't (and can't) gain muscle mass very easily. But I could get Bruce-Lee-cut if I really tried. So I tried. I didn't quite accomplish as much in those two weeks as I wanted, but I did look a little better.
Sure enough, after two weeks, Mr. Stein called me and told me that he had arranged for a photographer and there were a few clients who expressed interest. Nickelodeon especially seemed interested, and as they were at Universal Studios, I was to see some producers at Nick first.
I was so excited. But I informed him that I had school for two more weeks before I was done for the semester. "That'll work out perfectly," he assured me. "It'll let me get your face out more. By the way, since you model, do you have a portfolio?"
"Uh, yeah. I'll send you a couple. How many you want?"
"About 200 or so."
"No problem. I had 600 copies made, so I'm all set. I'll overnight them to you."
"Great, kid. Thanks. Good luck with finals."
"Thanks a lot. I'm gonna need it."
He laughed and hung up. I called my agent in Atlanta, and they were more than willing to cover the cost of shipping the pictures to Orlando. Then I settled down into my studying routine. I worked hard on Chemistry and Spanish, worked out to tone a little bit more, and practiced with Mr. Matthews almost every day. But I still managed to get in some video game playing in the campus arcade, so I was happy with the situation.
The two weeks passed as only finals can, and I was somewhat pleased at my performances on my exams. I informed my parents that I would be a while coming home from school, as I would be spending some time in Orlando with some job interviews.
"But Ryan, where're you going to stay?" my Dad asked.
"I'm not sure. I'm positive that Mr. Stein has something set up for me. I'll call if there's a problem."
"All right, Ry. Have fun."
I got a letter the next day which had plane tickets attached to it. "Ryan," it read, "I'm so confident that you're getting a job down here that I even sprung for the plane tickets! Enjoy the flight, and someone will be waiting for you at the airport. J.P. Stein"
I checked the tickets. They were first-class tickets on Delta! I drove to the airport and parked in long-term parking. I went to the flight desk and somewhat sheepishly asked if I could get the miles put onto my frequent flyer account. "Sure," she smiled as she checked the computer. "No problem Mr. Bono, everything worked out fine. Enjoy your flight."
"Thanks." 35 minutes later, I was on a two hour flight (give or take) to Orlando. I got to the gate and meandered my way down to the baggage claim. The only time I'd ever been to Orlando before was when I was five. Disney World was mainly a shopping center with only a couple of rides. Epcott Center didn't exist, and neither did Universal Studios. Bush Gardens was only an animal park and I drove there from Ft. Meyers. So, I was suitably impressed at the enormous change that I saw. I looked down at my outfit, trying to see if it got too messed up. I had white pants and a black t-shirt with a yin-yang on it. A snow-tiger was ripping through the yin-yang, and the only color on the shirt was the yellow if its eyes and the red of its mouth. Over the t-shirt, I was wearing a black-and-white, nearly transparent striped shirt and hurt your eyes if you watched it when I moved. It was ok. A couple of wrinkles lined the pants from sitting for so long, but it wasn't damaging. I got my bags (all clothes) and looked to see if my ride had arrived. A man approached me with two signs. He was wearing a suit that was almost a tuxedo and sunglasses. "Mr. Bono?" he asked.
"Yes?"
"Will you please come with me?"
"Sure," I hefted my bags and started to follow him. But he stopped me and grabbed my suitcases himself. I let him and followed him to a large black limousine! Cool! I held his signs for him as he put my suitcases into an enormous trunk. Holding them, I couldn't help but see who else he was waiting for. The first one said "MR. RYAN BONO," in large, bold letters. The second sign was more crowded with "Mr. Nick Carter, Mr. Brian Littrel, Mr. AJ McLean, Mr. Howie Dorough and Mr. Kevin Richardson." I nearly dropped the sign; I was so shocked!
"Uh, sir, would you like to wait in the car?" the driver asked me, opening the door.
"No, I'll go with you and see if I can help you locate the others you're waiting for," I offered magnanimously. He shrugged and we walked back into the airport. He didn't need my help, since the huge crowd of people gathered rather indicated where the Backstreet Boys were. I smiled. This would be cool. The chauffer and I shoved our way through the crowd, trying to reach the overwhelmed young men. I got through the screaming throng, grabbed a hand and pulled. Howie D followed me as I gave the girls a death stare that made most of them back off. We ran out to the limo and Howie got in. I put his suitcase in the trunk and ran in to the airport to "rescue" another person. This time, the crowd didn't want to let me through, after seeing what I did last time. So, I resorted to physical violence. I shoved people as hard as I could out of my way. One belligerent person tried to punch me, but I sidestepped it and came across with a knife-hand strike to the center of his chest. He fell, and the crowd got out of my way again. Without seeing who it was, I grabbed another hand and yanked him through. Kevin handed his suitcase to the chauffer, who was standing helplessly outside the crowd, and ran out to the limo. I went back for another person. This was getting tiresome. "That does it," I muttered. I turned around and went back for my duffel bag, which I had left inside the limo. Howie and Kevin jumped back in surprise when the door opened suddenly and I stuck my head through. "Sorry," I told them. "Just need to get something real quick." I reached over Kevin's lap and unzipped my bag. I pulled out a case that held my sunglasses and my sai. I clanged the sai together experimentally. The black metal rang out. "These'll work." I put on the sunglasses and smiled. "I'll be back," I told them in a terrible Arnold Schwarzenegger accent. I closed the door and went back into the airport.
"THAT DOES IT PEOPLE! MOVE!" I thundered. Almost as one, the crowd turned to see what the hell this weirdo was doing. I clanged my sai together to show people that they were metal and began swinging them in arcs in front of me. I didn't slow my motion and began to walk forward at a steady pace. People saw the resolve in my face, aided by my sunglasses and literally melted out of my way. I stepped into the center. "If you'll please follow me," I told them. They nodded, huddled a little closer and stepped behind me. I began swinging the sai in arcs again, and we managed to make it though the crowd and get to the doors. At the doors, security had finally arrived, and they stopped them from following us. I twirled my sai so that they rested against my forearms and opened the limousine door for them. I also grabbed a couple of bags and the chauffer grabbed the others and we loaded them into the car quickly. When he was done, he opened the door for me. I thanked him and got in. Then we drove off.
"Sorry 'bout that," I quietly told Kevin. "Would you, uh, mind handing me that small bag?" I shyly muttered.
"Sure, man," he replied, handing me my duffel bag. I began to put my sai away. "We owe you. Security screwed up the flight time, so they weren't ready for us. Thanks."
"Yeah, thanks," Nick and Brian chorused.
"What's your name?" AJ asked.
"And what are those things?" Howie asked at the same time.
I blushed, embarrassed at all the attention. "Well, uh, I'm Ryan and they're called sai," I answered as directly as I could.
"Huh?" asked Howie. "Sai?"
"You know, man," Nick supplied. "Sai. Like the ninja turtles."
"Oh, ok."
"Thanks again, Ryan," Nick turned at me and smiled. I could see how he was considered such a heartthrob. I lowered my eyes, and felt really uncomfortable.
"Don't mention it," I mumbled.
"Guys, I think Ryan might be a little shy," Brian reasoned. "Stop embarrassing him."
"Shy?" AJ asked incredulously. "Are you kidding? Remember what he did in the airport? That was not shy!"
I looked up quickly and looked down again. "It needed to be done," I said almost inaudibly. "You guys were in trouble. I was just trying to help. Nobody helps people any more."
I started paying attention to the radio. "Everything I Do," by Bryan Adams just finished, and another oldie came on. Brian leaned over to change the station, but Nick stopped him. "I've got an idea," he said with a wicked grin. He turned it up and looked at me. He sang with the music, drowning out Bette Midler: "Ooh. Ooh. It must have been cold there in my shadow... to never have sunlight on your face... you were content to let me shine (that's your way)... you always walked a step behind. So I was the one with all the glory... while you were the one with all the strength. A beautiful face without a name (for so long)... a beautiful smile to hide the pain. Did you ever know that you're my hero? And everything I would like to be. I can fly higher than an eagle... for you are the wind beneath my wings..." I blushed and squirmed uncomfortably. Why was he making fun of me? I felt so embarrassed and glanced around before hiding my face. The others were all smiling and laughing. They thought it was funny.
"It might have appeared to go unnoticed... but I've got it all here in my heart... I want you to know, I know the truth ('course I know it)... I would be nothing without you! Did you ever know that you're my hero? You're everything I wish I could be! I could fly higher than an eagle... for you are the wind beneath my wings. Did I ever tell you you're my hero? You're everything, everything I wish I could be... Oh and I, I can fly higher than an eagle... for you are the wind beneath my wings. 'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings...oh the wind beneath my wings, you, you, you. You are the wind beneath my wings. Fly, fly, fly away... you let me fly so high. Oh you, you, you the wind beneath my wings... Oh, you, you, you the wind beneath my wings... fly, fly, so high against the sky, so high I almost touch the sky... Thank you, thank you, thank God for you... the wind beneath my wings." He laughed gently as he finished the song, and they all applauded. I just stared out the window, trying not to cry. I knew he meant it well, but it seemed like he was making fun of me for being uncomfortable with them. It just didn't seem fair. He looked at me blankly, surprised that I didn't have a reaction. The entire car seemed to sense how uncomfortable I felt, and everything faded into silence.
Luckily, the awkward silence didn't last long. We arrived at Universal Studios only a few minutes later. A stout man in a brown suit came out to meet the limo. "Hey hey, JP!" AJ called out when he stepped out of the limo.
"How are you doing, boys?" JP Stein asked them.
"We're fine," Kevin responded.
"How was the flight?"
"It was normal, but the airport was nuts!" Brian jokingly reported.
"That's an understatement," Nick glumly added.
"What's wrong Nick?" JP asked.
"Nothing," Nick replied. "Just thinking."
The guys jumped back. "Oh God!" called Brian, "Here he goes again!" "Duck and cover!" Howie screamed.
I was smiling as I came out of the limo.
"Ryan?" he asked.
"That's me. Nice to meet you Mr. Stein." I held out my hand, and he shook it in a nice, firm grip.
"Any problems?"
"None whatsoever," I answered with a straight face.
The Backstreet Boys snorted and muffled laughter when I said that. "OK, what happened?" JP wanted to know.
"Nothing, we just got mobbed at the airport," Kevin said, trying to calm JP down. "Ryan helped us out of the mess, that's all."
"Really? Hmm..." he stopped for a second. "I'm gonna call the airport security about this one. Anyway, welcome to Florida, Ryan. Now listen you six: the photographer is waiting for the Backstreet Boys and my clients are waiting for you, Ryan. You all go change and get ready. You have fifteen minutes."
"Sure thing," Brian said, throwing a salute. They each grabbed their bags and meandered into the studio.
I followed, somewhat hesitantly. "Uh, Kevin?" I called while I looked around.
He stopped and turned. "What's up? You l-" a look of understanding came over his face. "We're heading to the dressing room. You can just use ours for now, if that's all right with you. Follow us." I smiled, grateful for the help. I hate not knowing where I'm going.
I followed them to the dressing room and we entered it. Their clothes were waiting for them: outfits very similar to the black clothes they wear in the "Larger than Life" video. They put their bags down and began undressing. I moved back into the corner and set my suitcase down and opened it. "Uh, you guys know what I should wear?" I asked uncertainly. I didn't want to bug them.
"Where're you going first?" Brian asked, still undressing.
"I think I've got an interview with Nickelodeon," I replied, taking off my shirt.
"Wear something kinda casual," Nick suggested. "Nice, but not formal or anything. Preferably something kids can probably relate with."
"Oh, OK. Thanks." I looked up and saw Nick standing in his boxers. My thoughts immediately flew to seeing Justin in the same scenario. My dick twitched and I turned away from Nick. All of the guys were in a more or less similar situation. I had to admit that all of them, Nick and Brain especially, were definitely hot. I shook my head slightly, trying to banish such thoughts. I looked down to find the clothes that I was going to wear.
Nick, seeing my reaction, raised a curious eyebrow and looked at Brian, who shrugged.
I was oblivious to this, having made a decision and searching through my overstuffed suitcase. I finally pulled out a pair of pea green cargo shorts, my old, battered black Nike tennis shoes and a black t-shirt. This one had Link from "Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time," and the greenish gold matched the faded green of my shorts perfectly. I grabbed a black leather belt to go with the shorts and a maroon short-sleeved button-button down shirt to wear over it. I wore the shirt open so the image could still be seen, and I walked over to the mirror to start toying with my hair. I parted it slightly on the right side and pulled the long bangs back behind my ears. I leaned in and stared at my green eyes, making sure that I didn't look too tired or that they didn't give off how much I missed Justin. I mean, I barely knew him, but after writing "NSYNC-New- Life," I almost felt that it had happened. I sighed. This was gonna suck: being without him.
I wished them luck in their photo shoot and thanked them for the advice. Then I stepped outside. JP was waiting. "Oh, good. You found a dressing room. Great. Let's go." I followed him to an interview. Apparently, I didn't need to do much. After asking me to do some quick comic sketches, I was invited to become a member of the cast of "All That." I thanked them and they handed me a contract. I was going to peruse it and let them know of my decision. I had three other photo shoots and interviews that day, each one with a different outfit, so I was frequently busy changing. I was always alone, thankfully. I didn't quite want to see the others again. But I remembered Nick standing there in his boxers. I twitched again. Then I couldn't help but put Nick and Justin together and make comparisons. Both of them were so hot! Justin looked slightly larger than Nick, from what I'd seen, though. Didn't matter in any way. After all, it wasn't like they were gay or even bi, so no shot at little ole me knowing for certain.
At the end of the day, I went back to the dressing room to get my things ready to leave. The Backstreet Boys were there already, just finishing their showers. Most of them were dressed, but Nick had a towel around his waist and Brian just had his boxers on. "Hey Ryan," Nick piped up once he saw me. "How was the day?"
"OK, I guess," I replied, tired. "I don't usually have days like this, so I guess I just have to adjust. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention jet lag?"
He laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's not too bad, once you get used to it. I still need to get used to it, and I've been with the band for about six years!"
"Six years?" I asked incredulously. "You were 13? God, that's young!"
He shrugged and dropped his towel. I nearly dropped my jaw to the floor. He was perfect! Fuck me! I also didn't look at him at all after that initial glance. He got dressed and I finished getting my things into my suitcase. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. JP came in and said, "Ryan, I've got some bad news. The hotel just called me. I'm afraid they got overbooked and I'm going to need a couple of hours to find you another hotel. Looks like you're stuck here for a while. Sorry."
I sighed as I sat down on one of the couches. "I knew this was going too well for something not to go wrong," I moaned.
Nick put his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, man cheer up." He looked at JP. "JP, he can stay with me. If that's all right with you, that is, Ry," he added. I looked up in surprise.
"Really?" JP asked, pleased. "That would work out great! You sure Nick?"
"Sure! I've got four brothers and sisters, remember? We've got lots of extra guest rooms around the house."
"That's really nice of you, Nick. I appreciate it," I told him quietly.
He smiled. "It'll be nice to have a roomie who won't bug the hell out of me for a change," he grinned wickedly at the others.
"Go home, Nick," Kevin commanded. "We've got a three-day break now. Enjoy."
"I will." He turned to me. "Ready to go?" I nodded. "Then let's go!"
The limo ride was fun. Nick seemed like an excited little boy for some reason. But my mind was preoccupied. Now I'd be stuck with one of the ultimate temptations I've ever seen. What luck...