Note: This is a complete work of fiction. I am not implying that any character within this story is gay or bisexual. This is just my fantasy, so let me have it!!! I'm planning on making this a continuing plot, with twists and turns and everything else thrown in. So please, don't be afraid to send any comments my way. Since I've never been to New York I may need a little help with some scenery and stuff. Please e-mail me at tumbler99@yahoo.com
'N SYNC Savior
Chapter Fifteen
"Well if you don't seem to care one way or another than I suppose I'll go with you guys - if you think I can get in."
"Don't worry baby. You'll be able to get in." Hearing JC's voice in my ear made me smile so wide I had to tilt my head back for a kiss. Breaking away I looked back at the group.
"All right. It's settled then. We'll stay at the park for awhile and then head back to the hotel to clean up before heading out to the club." I laughed as I continued. "I gotta warn you though, I'm not sure you can keep up with me. I may not be as good as you all are, but I can go forever." I heard some ohh's and ahh's from the group as Joey said "bring it on." The limo slowly pulled to a stop when Justin looked up at me. "But I definitely am getting a dance with you buddy, so don't even think of hiding. I'm going to show you how to have a good time if it kills me." He looked back at me with a shocked expression on his face but I didn't care. His mixed signals were ticking me off and I wasn't going to take it anymore.
We pulled up to Central Park and the guys started arranging their clothing. Caps and sunglasses were pulled on as shirts were untucked. I looked around in awe as the transformation came to an end. If you really looked you could tell who they were - but if you just glanced at them it was impossible. JC just chuckled at my expression.
Joey opened the door as sunlight spilled into the limo. We walked along the path in little groups of two. JC and I stood shoulder to shoulder, trying to get as close as possible without holding hands. Justin and Chris were leading the way, feeding off of each other's hyper vibes. Joey and Lance were talking about something business related but I wasn't that interested. I was looking up to say something to JC when I suddenly I flew forward. My hands went out and around his body. I bent at my stomach and pressed my head into his abs. His expression was priceless as he tried to grab me from under the shoulders.
"Matt," Chris yelled from the front. "You really shouldn't lie to us in the future." He took a breath as Justin broke out laughing. "'Cause I don't care if you do want to sleep with him but you should at least wait till you're behind closed doors!" He looked back in front of him at the rollerblader who had pushed me went flying away. "Man she was going fast."
I slowly pulled myself up and smoothed out my shirt. "Sorry about that. Didn't see her coming." I offered a weak grin up at JC.
"That is NOT something you have to worry about! You can kneel in front of me whenever you like."
"Oh shut up - you know what I mean!!" We continued to walk forward as he put a hand on my shoulder. He acted like he was brushing off dirt but I could tell he just wanted to touch me.
"This is killing me," he whispered. "I want to hold your hand so bad right now."
"We can't," I argued. "I promised Mr. Mason that I wouldn't screw anything up if I stayed."
"I know, I know." He resigned to the inevitable as he slowly removed his hand.
Lance opened up the blanket and spread it on the ground. We each picked a spot and sat down. Chris was still excited and Justin was feeding off of his enthusiasm. Lance started looking around as JC stared into my eyes. I tried to look away but it wasn't possible. His deep blue eyes pulled me in.
"Yo, Matt. Lets get this started," Joey interrupted. "What exactly do we do?"
I finally pulled away and looked around the park. There was a young couple sitting under a tree in front of me. A young boy was throwing a frisbee while his yellow lab ran around without leash. A young man was standing by the lake watching his 3 year old daughter throw bread to the ducks. I smiled as I looked back at my group.
"Okay," I started. "It's really simple, but I'll start just so you can see." I took a breath as I pointed at the boy and his dog. "You see that little boy? He's about 10 years old and he brought his dog, Sparky, to the park to...."
"Sparky? How do you know his name is Sparky?" Justin remarked, shocked.
"No, no. This is the whole point of people watching! I have no idea who that little boy is but I'm going to make up a story. Just sit back and watch, okay?" I saw Justin ease back down as a frown formed on his face. "Don't worry Curly - you'll catch on." I looked back at Lance before I continued. "Okay, as I was saying....he brought Sparky out to the park do get some exercise. He really wanted to go swimming today but his mom was called into work so he couldn't go." I smiled as I realized the similarities between my life and the little boy's. "Instead of sitting at home in front of the TV he decided to get out. You all saw how beautiful the weather was this morning. That little boy looked out the window and saw the clear blue sky and felt the sun heat up the window, and he couldn't stay inside. Of course he has to get back soon because his mom will be home and he can't be caught disobeying her." I took a breath as I saw all 5 of the guys stare at me. "What? Was I that bad?"
Chris just stared at me with his jaw open. "How'd you do that? Just come up with stuff off the top of your head?"
"Kinda. I have a pretty wild imagination and I like to use it. So I do stuff like this to keep me sharp! And that was actually pretty normal for me. I can come up with some really freaky scenario's sometimes."
"Like what?" Lance asked, getting interested very quickly.
I looked around the group and stared into each of their eyes. "Are you sure you want to hear it? Cause I think this one will be bad." I saw nods come from Justin and Joey and I felt JC's hand rest on my knee. "Well, all right. Take a look at the little girl by the lake."
"Her name is Jasmine - she was named after her grandmother." I paused as the story flooded my mind. "Her father - the young man standing by the table - brought her here today because of....because of the anniversary. His name is Sam and he thinks his heart is broken beyond repair. You see, he met Annie his freshman year in High School. They fell in love and it was a picture perfect relationship. His parents loved her and her parents loved him. They dated throughout school and finally married the summer after they graduated. Within a month she was pregnant. They were so happy because they had a great apartment and he had just been promoted. Everything was beautiful and perfect." I took a breath as a smile crept over my face. I could see the guys staring at the young man but they had joyful expressions on their face also. "Everything was perfect and little Jasmine was born a little over three years ago. Annie stayed at home with her and Sam rushed home from work every night. Their weekends were spent with their family and friends - they were always doing something. But then the bad news came," I whispered as a tear slipped down my cheek.
Adam departed the plane and walked through the terminal. He was feeling incredible right now and he didn't want it to stop. He was sad that he had to leave the group and me, but his life was finally getting ready to head in the direction he'd always wanted it to go. He pulled out his cell and phoned for a taxi as he stood in the warm afternoon sun. He had called his mom last night and she had set up the guest bedroom. For a week or so he would stay there while he figured out exactly where he wanted to live. He supposed he could live in the dorms but he would feel like an old geezer if he did. There was always the apartment option. He could find a nice place since it was still summer and find a roomie or two. Yeah, that would work. Now he just had to pick a school....
"She was at the doctors when they found the lump. She had felt it about a week before but she never thought it would be anything." I heard the gasp escape from Lance's lips but I continued. "It wasn't big - they almost missed it themselves - but the tests showed it had been there for awhile. It was spreading rapidly and they only gave her another year or so." I stopped as I started to cry harder. "Sam didn't believe it at first. I mean, cancer? How could that happen to their perfect family? It just didn't seem possible. He lied to himself for awhile, trying to convince himself she was all right. But he finally couldn't do it any longer. That's when they started living everyday for as if it would be their last. On weekends they would bring Jasmine out here and they would feed the ducks. Jasmine never knew anything was wrong. She was just a little girl who loved the noise those furry animals made." A smile crept to my face as the scene filled my mind. "She would....she would creep her way over to the ducks and toss a piece of bread at them. And you should have seen her! Before that bread was even out of her hand she was running back to her daddy. She would press her face into his legs and try to hide. The ducks never hurt her but she was still scared. The noises they made were funny, though, so she didn't hide for long." I started to quiet down as the story came to an end. "She grew more confident with each outing and soon she would run up to the ducks and watch them scurry away. Oh how she laughed at the way their feet moved!" I dropped my head and closed my eyes as I finished. "But then the time came....a year ago today Annie passed away. Sam was devastated even though he knew it was coming. But that morning, the morning she finally let go, Jasmine walked into his room and gave him a kiss. She didn't know - she couldn't have - but she gave him a kiss and told him she loved him. He never took her back here, though, no matter how often she asked. He couldn't come back to this place - there were too many memories. But today," I whispered, "today was different. He woke up and saw the glorious morning sun. He felt Annie watching over him and he knew it was time. But he didn't tell Jasmine. She didn't know until she opened the car door and realized where she was. Then she ran to the lake and watched the ducks. And that's where they've been all morning. Sam's been thinking over his wonderful years with Annie and Jasmine has connected again with the ducks. Everything worked out in the end."
As my story drew to an end I saw the reflections of the tree tops in the lake. There were no clouds - just deep blue sky and dark green trees. It was so beautiful. I looked around the group and saw the sun glistening off the tears on JC's cheeks. I reached out my hand, slowly, and wiped them off. He started, but then stared into my eyes. I tried to smile but it wouldn't happen. "I'm sorry - I didn't think it would be that sad."
"No, don't say that," he protested. "I....I just never knew....it was so emotional." He stared into my eyes as he stroked my hand. "Where did you ever come up with that?" I looked around the group again and I saw Lance wiping tears - he was staring intently at me. Justin and Joey were looking off in the distance, trying to act tough. Chris was hanging his head down.
"I don't know, honestly. Like I said, the stories just come to me. I try not to make them all sad, but that was the vibe I got off of him. I mean look," I gasped as I pointed at the man. "He seems happy but can't you feel the sadness coming off of him? It just seemed like his story." The others were slowly turning back my way as I shook my head and wiped the tears away for good. "But I've done enough crying in the past week. Why don't one of you try it with the couple sitting under the tree?"
"But I still don't...."
"Just look at them," I instructed. "Just look at them, observe their behaviors and actions, and then come up with a story of some sort." I was watching Justin, who still looked confused, when Lance spoke up.
"They're on a date." Joey turned his head quickly at the sound of Lance's voice. "He, um, asked her out last night. But he didn't want to do the dinner and a movie - the boring old date. So he brought her to the park, um, and....um, they're reading a book....it's, um, a book of poetry. Yeah! They're reading a book of poetry while they enjoy the beautiful weather."
I beamed at Lance as he looked my way for approval. "That was great Lance." I looked back at Justin. "Do you kind of get it now? All you have to do...."
"And in a little while he's going to take her putt-putt golfing. He's been doing it since he was a little kid with his friends and family. And he wants to show her he can still be a kid and have fun. Because, um, he's in medical school and everyone thinks he's a tight ass. Yeah, that's it. He is reading poetry and playing putt-putt to show her his sensitive side." Chris's smile had widened as he continued with the story."
"That's the way." I looked around the group. "Joey? You wanna keep going with it?"
"Yeah, let me try. Okay, they're reading poetry and then putt-putt is next. Um...." He paused while the story came to him. "I don't know, I can't do it." He looked over at me in disappointment but I just smiled.
"It takes some time. You have to get used to it and that'll come to you. But, well, tell me what they're thinking. What's going through his head right now?"
He looked back at the couple and smiled. "Well, do you see how he keeps glancing up at her? He's reading the poetry, probably by some old, crazy guy, but it's talking about a beautiful woman. And he keeps thinking of how it could be her. Oh, what are their names?" He paused while he tried to find their names but JC interrupted.
"Robyn....that's her name. She works on campus at the Student Center and Mike has been infatuated with her for quite awhile. He hadn't been able to get up the nerve until earlier this week. But," we heard a chuckle come from his lips, "she has been interested from the very beginning too; she was just waiting for him to make the first move."
"Perfe...."
"I got it!" Everyone whipped their heads to look at Justin. His blue eyes were sparkling in the sun and the grin on his face spoke volumes. "It was something Joey said - about how he thought the poem could be written about her. He brought her here to show his sensitivity but he also came for a different reason." We were waiting on bated breath to hear what he had come up with. After a long pause he looked at me and laughed. "Who's interested now, huh??"
"Oh shut up....just keep going."
"Well like I was saying. He brought her here because he is kind of afraid to be seen by any of his friends. I mean, she is pretty, but she doesn't have the best reputation. A lot of people think she's a ditz. But you can see by the look in his eyes that he's amazed by her. She's turning out to be someone so special that he can't believe his luck." Justin slowly turned his head and faced me. "Kind of like you," he whispered.
"Get your scrawny little butt in here and give your momma a hug!" Adam smiled when he heard that familiar voice. He dropped his bags in the doorway and walked into the kitchen. The smell of roasting turkey and fresh baked bread filled his head. Man, he'd missed this.
"My God Adam, I'm glad you're here and all....but what is this all about? Why are you quitting that great job?" As much as he loved her he had to realize that she was old - stuck in the past in more ways than people knew. She didn't believe in homosexuality, she didn't believe in part-time jobs, she didn't believe in a lot of things. It had been hell growing up in this tiny house but he was proud he survived. It had made him a stronger person inside because he knew he could handle most anything. But no matter where he was in his life he always had at least one person to answer too - his mom.
"Mom, just calm down. Lets just have lunch and we'll talk about everything." She smiled that smile that he couldn't resist so he pulled out a chair as a laugh escaped him. "Okay, where should I start?"
"Well like I always say, `Let's start at the very beginning....'" she started with a sing-song voice.
"....`that's a very good place to start,'" he finished with a smile. "The Sound of Music" had always been their favorite musical.
She pulled out a couple of glasses of tea and placed them on the table. The lunch was going to have to wait.
"Ummm...." I didn't know what to think. He couldn't have just said what I thought he did, could he? "Uh, what do you mean by that?" I asked with nonchalance in my voice. I stared into his eyes but I could feel JC trying to stare into mine. In the corner of my eye I could see Joey, Chris, and Lance staring at me. Everyone knew something was going to happen.
"I met this boy," Adam started quietly. His head was down, looking at this hands. "I found him in an alley. He had....he had been raped, momma. You wouldn't believe how awful it was. He was bleeding, and he wasn't moving, and oh god, it was just awful. I couldn't just leave him there, so I brought him back to the hotel with me."
"Just wait right there. You found this boy in an alley and brought him to your hotel? Didn't I teach you anything?" She had anger in her voice but when he looked up, with tears in his eyes, she melted in front of him. "Was it that bad?"
Nodding his head he tried to continue. "You don't get it. He was so innocent. And....and almost angelic lying there. But he wasn't peaceful; you could tell. He started dreaming or something and I could hear him talking and he was moving around. And then he woke up suddenly and, oh god mom, if you would have been there you wouldn't have done anything different. There's something about this guy mom - he really opened my eyes."
He looked at her to see if he should continue without more explanation and she nodded her head lovingly.
"What?" Justin asked. "What are you guys all looking at? I just said that he was interesting." He looked around the group in shock. "What? You guys have all said the same thing in the past two days. But when I mention it in passing you guys flip out. Stop treating me like I'm some sort of baby or something." He jumped off of the blanket and sprinted across the park. I could see his jacket flapping in the wind my eyes started to moisten.
"God," I whispered. "What just happened here?"
JC immediately grabbed my hand to comfort me. "He didn't mean anything by it," he declared. "Sometimes he's just like that. He is only 18 remember? Not everyone is as mature as you."
Lance broke in to comfort me too. "Don't feel bad Matt. He acts this way sometimes." Looking around the group he continued, "but one of us should go after him. He was ready to cry just now." He looked over at JC and I saw him nod his head.
"Yeah. I probably...."
"Josh? I think I need to be the one." I saw the concern in his eyes but I continued anyway. "There's something happening between us and I think he needs to talk to me about it." I stroked his hand lightly before I stood up. "Don't worry - I won't let anything happen." I started to walk away when I heard Joey whisper to Chris.
"What exactly is happening between them?"
"So now I'm back here. You know how I've always wanted to work with kids and help them with their problems, right? Well Matt really showed me that I had those qualities. He made me realize that I don't need to be working in the music industry - god, I didn't even like it. I was just doing it because of Dad." He let out a sigh before he continued. "He opened my eyes mom - that's all there is too it. So I'm going to finish my degree and see where it takes me. It's what I'm supposed to do. I can feel it."
She stood up and moved beside him. Grabbing him around the waist she gave him a hug and kissed him on top of the head. "You've always known about yourself deep in your heart. And I've always known too. I believe in you and whatever you're planning." She pulled away lightly to look him in the eye. "But I don't want your wedding to be a secret whenever it happens. As long as you're in love then I want to be there for it."
To be continued....