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 Eight
I looked over at him in shock. He picked up his napkin and dabbed it in his club soda. He lightly patted at my chest, making sure he didn't rub in the stain. I felt a chill go through my body as he grabbed my shoulder with one hand and used his other to rub my chest. I held my breath as I saw his face scrunch up in concentration. "Well," I thought, "maybe I got through to him in the limo. He's not afraid to help me out now."
A few second later he was finished. My shirt was slightly damp but there was not a trace of red on it anywhere. I let out my breath slowly as my heart beat slowed. He glanced up to meet my eyes and smiled.
"Th....thanks," I stuttered.
"No problem. It's the least I could do." I continued to stare at him as the rest of the table watched us. Finally Lance spoke up and brought me out of my trance.
"Well, that's one difference that I'll keep, Matt! I don't need to be spilling stuff on me every time I eat."
I looked up at him, confused for a second. "Oh god! I get it," I said, realizing he was talking about our unbelievable similarities. "Sorry, I'm just feeling a little light-headed all of a sudden."
"JC will do that to you," Justin whispered, loud enough only for Lance and Adam to hear. Lance whipped his head in Justin's direction and put a questioning look on his face. Justin just peered into his eyes and nodded, knowing exactly what Lance was asking. Lance smiled slightly, glad that Justin didn't seem angry.
"Don't worry," he leaned in and whispered. "I'm not going to go after him or anything - I'm not even really jealous. That just slipped out." Lance nodded his head and turned back to the whole group.
We finished eating and Jake came to clear our plates. He and I talked for a quick second about his experiences but I tried to keep it to a minimum. I was going to spend time with the friends I was with, not one hot guy I would never see again.
Lance once again interrupted the conversation by clearing his throat and standing up. We all stood with him and filed out of the room. Instead of hanging in the back like I had thought he would, JC was beside me the entire time. I once again held out my hand, just like I did for Lance, and let him go before me. The look he gave me was halfway between shock and laughter. I could tell he was still having some troubles reading me. I laughed to myself lightly as I realized that this was exactly what I had wanted to do on my vacation - spend time with some decent people and just be myself.
As we approached the limo I saw the driver standing off to the side. He must have noticed me also because he quickly scuttled over and grabbed my hand.
"I'm so sorry, sir. I want to apologize once again for that little accident. This is New York, you know - it's crazy 24/7." I could see in his eyes that he was really stressing out about it so I decided to let him off easy.
"Ahh, that's no problem. I've been in worse situations before," I glanced over at JC, "much worse." With that I stepped into the limo and picked a seat beside Justin. He had seemed fairly quiet all throughout dinner and I couldn't help but wonder why.
"So Justin...." I started. "How's it feel to finally be 18?" He looked up at me and smiled, nodding his head.
"Oh man, it's awesome. I can finally head out with the guys and go clubbin'....well, at least legally," he said with a sinister grin.
"It must be nice. We don't have any clubs back home so I don't have that to look forward too. Plus everyone considers me an adult anyway - they let me do what I want and treat me with respect. I suppose I should be thankful for that anyway."
"Wait," he asked, confused. "You're not 18 yet?" I shook my head as he laughed. "Man, I could have sworn you were at least 20."
"Like I said, I get that a lot. It's cool now but when I'm 60 I think it'll work against me!" We laughed as the limo pulled into the arena. As we piled out Lance looked over at me.
"So when is the big day? It's gotta suck not actually being an adult when everyone treats you like one." I stared at Lance as the rest of the guys continued into the arena. I saw the curiosity in his eyes and figured that I could trust him.
"Well, if you must know it's next Saturday, the 19th." I could see the wheels start to turn in his head so I stopped him before he could say anything. "But I don't want you to tell anyone else. It's no big deal, really. My birthdays are always boring and stupid - it's just another day in my mind." We picked up our pace to catch up with the guys and I saw him surrender.
"Okay, okay. I can keep your secret." His face sunk as he continued, "but we'll be gone by then. We leave next Thursday. We've got our concert tonight and then we have Sunday through Thursday as a vacation." He started to trail off, "man, that's gonna suck."
"Like I said - don't worry about it. Stuff like that happens all the time to me." We entered the arena and saw the group standing on stage and stretching. We quickly ran to catch up with them and then the guys were dragged away. Adam and I were standing off to the side watching when an older man approached us.
"Adam? I hear we need to talk."
"Yeah Doug. I have some interesting news to tell you." He looked down at me and smiled. "Care to take this into an office where we can sit?" As Doug nodded Adam looked down at me. "You'll be all right?"
"You know I will!" As the two managers walked away I looked back up at the stage, watching my new friends start some dance moves.
I must have fallen asleep while watching them practice because I suddenly heard JC's sweet voice echoing through the arena.
"....and sugar more and more
you're driving me crazy.
Because you're just what I want
and I'm just what you need.
Gonna make you my baby.
Sweet darling all I can see
is you and me."
I leaned back in my chair and smiled. "What a great way to wake up," I thought. "I have JC singing a sweet song just for me." My eyes closed as I slipped into a daydream but as always my mind jerked me back to reality. "That wasn't for you! He's practicing for the concert tonight. Those words are meant for all the young girls out there who are paying good money to meet these heart-throbs. You're just here as a friend."
I argued with myself for awhile before I finally gave up and walked to the stage. Justin noticed me coming up and walked over to meet me.
"How's it going so far? Bored yet," he laughed.
"Nah, it's been pretty fun actually. But....what about the concert tonight?"
"What do you mean? We got you tickets - it's all taken care of."
"Well, it's just that the more I think about it I'm not sure I want to be out there in the audience. I've heard that you can't even hear the music over the sound of screaming girls. And I do believe I would stand out a little bit." I paused for a second to let that sink in. "I don't want to push anything....but you know me, always speaking my mind."
He smiled at me and laughed quietly. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Let me work on that....we'll get you all fixed up."
"Thanks Curly! You're a real pal." He was walking away when I yelled the last bit. Looking over his shoulder he yelled back at me.
"I thought you'd be different....but no, you have to use that stupid nickname just like everyone else, huh?" We were both laughing as I nodded my head.
The rest of the sound check went by quickly. The guys tried out their mics, making sure the static was cleared up. Then the make-up artists dragged them into a room in the back. I stood off to the side and watched. We all had a good laugh as Justin was being fixed up by his lady. The amount of make-up they used was unbelievable. Finally we traveled into the wardrobe room to pick out some clothes.
Each of the guys had their glow-in-the-dark space suit and their oriental garbs, but they each had to pick out a few more outfits for the rest of the concert. I was browsing through the clothing when I felt JC's hand on my shoulder.
"See anything you like?"
I smiled up at him and just enjoyed the feeling of being close to him. "Yeah, this shirt is awesome, and these cords would go so well with it." I was just playing, browsing through the clothes, but he must have taken me seriously. He grabbed the two I had picked out and stuffed them in my hands.
"Well, go try them on. I wanna see how they fit you....um, I mean....You can wear them if you want."
I laughed quietly and stared into his eyes. "Don't be bashful JC. There aren't too many things that you can say to make me angry. Especially when they're compliments."
I turned around and went to a dressing room. I knew I was flirting with him but was there anything wrong with it? He wasn't going to rape me like Mark. And he wasn't acting like a homophobic asshole. "If he's uncomfortable around me he would say something, or at least stay away, right?" I shook my head as I slipped the shirt over my head. "God, why is romance so hard?"
I walked back out to the outer room and heard catcalls and whistles. Chris was on his knees, panting like a dog. Justin's eyes were bugging out and his jaw was almost to the ground. Lance and Joey were both whistling and laughing. JC was standing off to the side with a huge grin on his face.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Duh!" Joey yelled. "Damn, dude....if I liked guys like Justin...." Everyone whipped their heads to his side of the room when he said that but I just laughed.
"Don't worry Justin. I already knew. It's not obvious, the way you try to act all gangsterish, but not much gets by me!"
The guys started laughing as they made their final preparations. I went over to a mirror to look at my new outfit. "Well, I guess it looks all right. The guys seemed to like it!" I started messing with my hair when I saw Adam walk up behind me.
"We've got people who'd help you with that if you want. They've finished everyone else and they're just sitting there." He grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room. "Come on, lets see what they can do."
Twenty minutes later I was ready. Ready for what, I wasn't sure. But I was ready. The stylist had cut my hair a little shorter and styled it to go with the outfit. She even put some more highlights in the front to make more of a contrast. I was standing off to the side of the stage when I saw the guys come out from an office of some sort. Justin and Lance ventured my way while Joey, Chris, and JC started with the hackey-sack.
"Hey Matt," Lance yelled. "Can we talk?"
I was starting to get a little nervous because I could see Adam and Doug, the guy he had talked to earlier, standing behind the guys.
"Matt? Is that your name?" Doug asked.
"Yes it is. And you are?" I asked confidently. I don't mind getting nervous on the inside but I never let it show on the outside.
"Doug Mason, manager of the group here. I've heard a lot about you in the past hour." He paused as I took a slow breath.
"I hope it was all good," I said with a sly smile.
"Well, lets just say I've heard everything, and as you know, it's not all good." I could see the stern look on his face and knew he wasn't going to be a great friend anytime soon.
"But, I'm not holding anything against you until I know you better." He paused as Adam and Lance smiled. "But I do have a proposition for you. Adam here has decided to pursue other opportunities as I'm sure you well know. And Lance and Justin here have made it very well- known that they want you to stay in the hotel with them. Normally I would never allow something like this...." he paused, trying to sound all dramatic. "But since Adam cares so much about you, and the boys ARE on vacation for the next week....I suppose I have nothing against it." I heard Justin and Lance whisper a quiet yes as the other three members cheered from the background.
"Thank you, Mr. Mason. I know you don't know me that well, but I promise that I won't do anything to make you regret your decision." I stuck out my hand, offering a shake.
He reached out with his own and gave me a firm grip. "Well, I just don't want to see any stories in the paper or anything of the sort. If you EVEN leak out information about the group then I WILL have your hide for dinner. And don't you forget that." He let go of my hand roughly and walked back into the office.
I must have had a shocked expression on my face because Lance came up and gave me a big hug. "Matt, don't worry about Doug....that's just how he is. You have his approval, believe it or not, and that's all you need."
Justin came up and patted me in the shoulder. "Dude, we are gonna have so much fun. It's gonna be crunk." That did it for me - I pulled away from Lance and burst out laughing.
"You mean to tell me you actually use that word in real conversations? I could have sworn that was just something you guys made up for the stage." Justin just looked at me and smiled.
"You don't like it?" He asked, hurt. "Well, you're partly right. We did make it up when we first got together. But it just gets under your skin; I don't even think about it anymore...."
I cut in to apologize. "Listen, I didn't mean it that way. I just think it's funny the way you threw it in there. But like I said earlier, this is who I am. I don't hold my tongue very often....sometimes things just slip out and it sounds worse that what I really mean."
He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a hug. "Nah, don't worry about it. You're treating me like Justin the person, not Justin the celebrity. That's all that matters."
"Well if Justin the person wouldn't mind becoming Justin the celebrity we could really use him in the circle so we can get this party going!" JC yelled from the back. I had noticed a slight change in him since we'd arrived at the arena. He was loosening up, talking more and moving more. It was obvious that the performing aspect of this business was something he enjoyed very much. He wasn't hiding in the back or staying quiet - he was actually becoming hyper. I just smiled to myself as I watched them try to kick the little sack that was flying through the air.
"God Lance, can't you just kick it one time? Please?" Joey was starting to whine as the game dragged on and on.
"Don't you worry Lance. I couldn't hackey if it would save my life. You just keep trying." That broke his concentration as he turned to look at me. I gasped as I saw the sack fly through the air, right in Lance's direction. "Lance, watch out!"
He was turning his head to look for the hackey when it hit him. It connected with his eye as he let out a shout of surprise. He was still standing but he reached up with one hand to cover his eye. Everyone rushed to his side as he tried to push them away. JC was the one who finally got through to him.
"Lance, bud, let me look at it. I don't see any blood so just move your hand." As he slowly lifted it off of the eye I could see the lump starting to swell. I couldn't see any blood either, and it wasn't turning black and blue, so I knew he would be all right. I let out a little laugh as he looked over at me.
"Don't you start laughing....you made me loose my concentration!" he said, letting out a chuckle.
"Hey, I can't help it if you're fascinated with me. Besides, you're the one who turned to look at me!" I rubbed his shoulder as I led him over to a mirror. "It's not bad, Lance. A little swelling is all. At least your eye is still open."
The make-up girl came over and put an ice pack over his eye to stop the swelling. After she looked at him for a second she gave her opinion too. "Yeah, you've got nothing to worry about doll. Just a little powder to tone down the red and no one will ever know. Now be a sweetie and hold this for a second."
I started laughing again as I saw Lance start to pout. "Ahh, don't worry doll," I said, mimicking the girl, "you can never use to much make-up. Believe me, I've seen pictures of you in your early days!" He started laughing as he swung his free hand at me. I dodged it easily and sat back down.
"Yeah, yeah. You just watch it. Don't be surprised if you wake up tomorrow with whipped cream or something else really messy all over you." The girl had come back so I moved back to the group. The were still playing with the hackey since they had nothing else to do.
"So, how much longer?" I asked JC.
He looked up from the game and quickly glanced back into the circle after he remembered what happened to Lance. I let out a little chuckle as he tried to talk and concentrate at the same time.
"Uhhh....maybe 30 more minutes. We have to wait on Lance now....but luckily the sound check," he kicked at the hackey, "didn't take as long as planned. We're ahead of schedule." I stood off from the circle and stared at his body as he gracefully moved back and forth, never missing the sack when it was his turn. I stood like that until I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Do you like what you see this time?" Lance asked.
"Who wouldn't," I whispered, still in my own world. I snapped my head over as Lance started laughing.
"Don't worry! I could tell from the way you act around him," he stated. "And Adam mentioned something to me earlier."
I looked over at him in awe. "You're really cool Scoop. I just want you to know that."
"Well of course! We're pretty much exactly alike....and believe it or not you're just awesome. I hope I would at least qualify as cool!"
I laughed and put my arm around his shoulder. "You know what I mean. I wish I would have met you a long time ago. Everyone back home is so fake and two-sided. I could have used a friend like you from the beginning."
JC looked back at us as he heard Lance's deep voice. He saw my arm around Lance's shoulder and felt a pang of jealousy race through his mind. "Stop it," he told himself. "This is Lance you're looking at. He doesn't have anything going with Matt and you know it. And you heard what Matt said at dinner tonight - he doesn't do the blond haired bit." A smile formed on his face as he remembered dinner and the walk to the limo. "And he has been flirting with you a little, if you'd just open your heart and realize it." He turned back to the group and watched them play for a second. "Now just forget about it for a few hours and focus on the concert. You know music is more important than a little crush." He swung his foot out and connected with the hackey, forgetting about me for the time being.
"Matt! I almost forgot." I looked away from the group and focused on Lance. "Justin told us about what you said earlier." I nodded my head for him to go on. "You really have three options. One, you can go back to the hotel early." He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "but don't you even take that one!"
"Well....I suppose," I said, playing with him.
"Two, stay backstage here where you can actually hear us. The only problem is you can't see that well, only our asses."
"Well that wouldn't be THAT bad...." We laughed as he continued.
"Oh shut up and listen to your third option. OR....you could sit in the V.I.P. section. It's a little area off to the side of the floor where important people are put. You won't be standing shoulder to shoulder with a screaming girl....unless we have another contest winner tonight....and you'll have a great view. It's not right up front but you can still see everything. The sound isn't as good as backstage but it's better than right in the audience." He took a breath and looked at me. "So, what's it gonna be?"
I played dumb for a second, weighing the options in my mind. "Well, that hotel is really nice," I spoke quietly. "But your butts are a lot more interesting." I looked back at the circle and stared at JC for a second. "But I think there's something even more interesting that I want to watch. I suppose I'll go for Door Number Three!"
Lance laughed as he reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a backstage pass for me to hang around my neck and a couple other things for me to carry.
"Listen, you better get out there soon then. Our opening act is about ready to begin."
I reached out my hand and gave him a shake. He in turn pulled me in for a hug. "You know I'm not gay but I don't care. I can't help but hug you." I laughed as he pulled away and ran to finish the game they're started a long time ago. I took one last look at the group and made my way onto the floor.
Within a few minutes the guys had completed a full rotation and they stopped the game. The grabbed hands and bowed their heads as they all uttered a small prayer. The asked for a flawless performance, an awesome crowd, and a good night overall. When everyone was done talking JC cut in.
"And watch out for Matt. I think everything will be all right but please watch over him anyway." All the boys said a soft "Amen" as they broke the circle.
"Now lets get this party started, baby!" Joey yelled as he started running.
"Hey JC! Wait up....Can we talk?" JC looked over his shoulder as Lance ran up to him.
"Sure Scoop, you know I'm always here for you." They continued walking to their spots as he started talking.
"I'm sure you know that Matt and I have spent a lot of time talking but I just had to make sure you know something. He's a good guy - awesome actually. And I've seen the way you've been looking at him this evening. I can't go into detail about anything but I just want to reiterate what I said earlier. Don't be afraid of it, JC. If you really like him then go for it. Trust your heart and everything will work out. I'm not saying you won't get hurt - that's just part of life - but everything will work out." He paused as he noticed the bright gleam in the corner of JC's eye. "I think all the guys like him....I REALLY like him....so just trust yourself and let whatever happens, happen. Don't be afraid of it." He slowly moved away as JC stood motionless once again. But a smile slowly crept onto his face as he realized how right Lance was. He couldn't fight it or run from it. If it was meant to happen then it would. He turned to his position and stood, focusing on the first song in their set.
Thirty minutes later I was in heaven. I had never experienced anything as wild as the concert I was watching. Everyone had nailed their dance steps and their voices sounded great. Unfortunately I was stuck next to a young contest winner, but she wasn't quite as annoying as I figured she would be. The guys were in between songs and moving slowly around on stage so I looked around the arena. There were thousands of screaming girls. It seemed as if each of them had a sign made especially for the guy of their choice. My mind drifted back to JC as I thought of the evening. I really enjoyed being around all the guys but I still felt something different with JC. It was almost as if we were connected by a silver cord, shimmering with the love we passed back and forth. "Only there's no love coming from him, remember?" my nasty conscience jumped it. "No," I answered back, "but I can still feel it. There's something special about him and that's all that matters." I shut the voice out as I heard the wind chimes and guitar start. The audience had quieted down and I wondered why. As I looked on stage I saw all of the guys sitting on a stool with a blue light shining from behind them. Justin and Joey were trying to get the audience to wave their hands in the air to make a shimmering ocean and it didn't take much convincing - the audience did every single thing they wished. I closed my eyes and drifted with the beat as the music started.
"Well it's not far down to paradise
At least it's not for me.
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find tranquility.
Oh the canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Baby believe me.
"It's not far to Never - Never - Land
No reason to pretend.
And if the wind is right you can find the joy
Of innocence again.
Oh the canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Baby believe me." JC had his eyes closed as he concentrated on the pitch and the lyrics. When he was finished with the first two verses he softly opened them to see the wonderful sight in front of him. Every time he did this he was awed. The thousands of girls in the audience were all moving as one as the deep blue light washed over them. He tried to concentrate on the music but he felt himself being drawn over to the side. He caught sight of my body and smiled. He looked at my face and felt his heart speed up.
I could feel his gaze on my body as I swayed to the music. I knew it was him - don't ask me how, I just knew. I slowly opened my eyes. They immediately locked onto his and we both swayed with the music as he continued to sing.
"Sailing takes me away
To where I've always heard it could be.
Just a dream and a wind to carry me
Soon I will be free.
"Fantasy -
It gets the best of me
When I'm sailing.
All caught up in a reverie
Every word is a symphony
Won't you believe me?
"....Takes me away
....Where I want to be," he echoed the rest of the group.
"Soon I will be free.
As he played with the music, making it twist and turn and follow his every command, I felt my knees tremble. He was putting so much emotion into his voice and he was staring right into my heart. My lungs felt like they were about to burst as I slowly exhaled the breath I had been holding. He smiled down at me as he sang the last verse.
"Well it's not far back to sanity
At least it's not for me.
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find serenity.
Oh the canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Baby believe me.
"Sailing....
....I heard it could be," he echoed again.
"Just a dream and a wind to carry me
Soon I will be free.
"....I heard it could be.
Just a dream and a wind to carry me
Soon I will be free." I figured he would close his eyes on the last word so he could concentrate on making it waver. But he didn't. He continued to stare into my eyes as I felt his love pour out through his words.
The beads of sweat were running down his face but I couldn't see them. The girls were screaming louder as the song came to an end but I couldn't hear them. My little friend was grabbing my arm and screaming at me, believing that JC was looking at her, but I couldn't feel her. My heart started to beat again as I finally drew a much-needed breath. JC, also out of breath, stared into my eyes as the rest of the guys stood up. Justin was sitting next to JC and noticed what was happening. He reached over and put a hand on JC's shoulder to pull him back from the ledge. I saw a smile brighten JC's face as he winked at me. A laugh erupted from my throat as I finally got enough air in my lungs. He stood up and walked to the front of the stage to take a bow as the rest of the band cleared off the stools. As he was turning to walk back he looked into my eyes once again and smiled. I just beamed back at him as my laughter died down to a chuckle.
He moved off-stage to get a drink of water and I finally dropped my eyes. "Oh my God," I shouted to myself. "That was the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen. His voice....his eyes....he couldn't, could he?...." A thousand thoughts ran through my mind as the next song started up again. I was tempted to just forget about the rest of the concert so I could think about what had just happened but they were playing "Together Again," which was one of my favorite songs. I just shook my head slightly and focused my attention on the stage again. I wanted to give all the guys a fair share of attention but as much as I tried I couldn't keep my eyes from JC.
Before I knew it the guys were done. They had completed a whole set of songs, without any mistakes, and came back for an encore. Normally they would have ran out to their bus to hit their next location but everyone must have known they were free tonight - the girls screamed louder than ever before.
As their last song was nearing a finish I figured I should head backstage before things got out of hand. I showed the first security guards my pass as I started making my way to their dressing rooms. I had been shown were everything was and knew exactly how to get there. All I had to do was go down this hall which bordered the stage, take a right here and then a left here, and then...."Oh God," I thought. "What's this?"
In front of me was a big group of girls who had gotten past the security guards somehow. The were standing off to the side hoping for a chance to see the guys. I slowly walked up to them and tried to get around them. The obviously had no respect for anyone but themselves because they shoved me back whenever I tried to get by. Finally I was getting ticked off and I made my voice get a little loud. I was pushing and shoving my way through the group and had made it halfway through when the girls suddenly stopped. Their screaming, their clawing, their jumping up and around - everything just stopped for a split second. Before I had time to react I heard one of them shout, "Oh my God!! It's them. There they are!!" Like vultures they surged forward to get closer to the group. I felt a girl push a hand in my face and as she pulled away she clawed me with her fingernails. Another was grabbing my hair to try to get ahead of me. A third just used her elbow (she's the one who could have been a football player). As much as I hated acknowledging the fact, I was being beaten up by a bunch of girls. They only had one thing on their mind and they didn't care what they had to do to get to their heartthrobs.
I was ready to yell some obscenities and calls for help when I felt a strong grasp on my shoulder. My hand came up; I was ready to swing at the next person I saw. I never had the chance as I was roughly pulled from the mob. I stumbled over my feet as I tried to catch my breath. Before I could succeed I was being pulled again, forced to run down a darkened hallway. Flashes of the previous evening were flooding through my mind and I felt like I was going crazy.
To be continued....