'A Second Chance' Chapter 19
Disclaimer: This is not real. I made it up. That's called fiction. If you're underage or homophobic, please leave.
Hi all How are ya'll doing? This is the second to last chapter. Scary, huh? Enjoy! J --------------------- December 2001
Nick was sitting in the living room of his house, staring at the TV. It was turned on, but he wasn't watching. He was lost in thought.
The tour had ended in early September, and after that both groups had gone to Hawaii on a two-week vacation. Then there was some studio work to be done, and with some small promotional tours the time had flown by and now it was almost December.
The year had gone by so fast! Nick could hardly believe it. Now it was almost a year since he had gotten together with Justin. After their reunion they had gotten even closer and had finally set a date for the wedding.
Josh and AJ on the other hand were not that lucky. The passion in their red-hot romance had soon died down, and now they were in a strange on-again-off-again relationship. They had however remained great friends and still got along great, even when they weren't currently dating.
Nick was pulled out of his reverie by Justin's voice.
"Nick, I'm back." Justin yelled from the doorway. Just seconds later he jumped on the couch next to his boyfriend.
"You look down. What's wrong, sweetie?" Nick sighed.
"I guess I'm just scared. I mean, in less than 24 hours I'm gonna reveal my sexuality to the world."
"Not to the whole world. You now that there's people in third world countries that don't have TVs." Justin attempted to joke. A weak smiled flashed over Nick's face.
"Thanks babe. I needed that."
"Ok, now how about a change of topic. We still haven't settled on which last name to keep, mine or yours." Justin quickly changed the subject. As much as he was looking forward to finally have his secret out in the open, he was still scared. There were so many 'what ifs' that he didn't even know where to begin.
"I still think that we should stick with Carter." Justin began. It was the first line in an argument they had had at least a hundred times in the past four months. Each wanted to keep the others last name.
"But sweetie, everyone has that name. There even was a president named Carter once. Timberlake sounds so much better, and it's way unusual." Nick stated.
"Why don't you just both keep your names?" Nick turned around to identify the voice, but Justin recognized it instantly.
"Hi Brit. Whatcha doing here?"
"Hi guys. Just came by to wish you guys good luck for tomorrow. I was gonna come with you, but now I have an interview scheduled for tomorrow. "
"Poor baby."
"I know. That was supposed to be my first day off in, like, ages. But...I gotta run. I'm late for a photo shoot. See ya." Britney said over her shoulder, already on her way out.
After the door fell shut, Nick turned back to face Justin.
"I really think that we should be Mr. and, uhm, Mr. Nick Timberlake."
"No, Carter is definitely better..."
*** The next day***
"I'm gonna be sick, I swear, I'm gonna be sick." Nick whined.
"No you won't. You haven't even eaten anything all day." Kevin tried to calm him down.
They were back in the MTV studio, in the same hallway where everything had started a year ago. Each of the boyband members was dealing with their anxiety in their own way. Justin was shivering in JC's arms while Nick was pacing back and forth, complaining that he wasn't feeling well. The others were just talking in hushed voices, trying to hide the fear that everyone was feeling. It was looming over them like cloud and it made the hallway seem dim despite the neon lights.
The door to the studio opened and a young cameraman entered the hallway just long enough to tell the guys that they'd be on in five minutes. Carson Daly was already talking and his voice carried out into the hallway.
"Hi, this is Carson live from the MTV studio in New York for a special news report. Here with me today are NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. They are here to reveal an aspect of their personal lives that has remained hidden so far. Come on in, guys!"
Slowly, with Kevin leading the way, the singers entered and sat down on several couches that had been arranged in the studio. Lance was the first to talk.
"Hello everyone. First off I want to thank all of you people, because without fans we wouldn't be where we are today. You look up to us and respect us, and to show you how much we appreciate that, we will let you in on something that is a big part of our lives, but we have so far concealed from the public. We feel that our fans deserve to know this."
Justin listened to Lance talk, growing more nervous with every word. By the time Lance was done speaking, Justin was shaking violently and all colour had drained from his face. He grabbed Nick's hand and squeezed it.
Nick wasn't feeling any better. He had only just come out to his parents, and he was terrified by the prospect of having to reveal his sexuality on national television. He knew that he had to come out, but it wasn't a pleasant experience nevertheless. He could feel Justin's anxiety and let out a deep sigh.
Joey was talking now, but neither Nick nor Justin was listening. They would have to speak after Joey was done.
"...so we won't keep you in suspense any longer. Nick, Justin, they're all yours." Joey finished, nudging Justin so he would speak. Justin looked at Nick and took a deep breath.
"Well, I won't beat around the bush. I am gay and I'm going out with Nick." They looked at each other and waited for reactions. Carson, who had not been told what exactly the big announcement was, was as much in shock as the cameramen and the journalists. The room was so silent that you could've heard a pin drop. It was Howie who broke the silence.
"Are there any questions we can answer for you? Yes." He pointed at a young woman in the first row.
"Do you think that this announcement will affect your popularity?" She asked.
"Well, I am certain that many girls who particularly like Justin or Nick will be disappointed. However, we might grow slightly more popular with our homosexual fans." Brian smiled at that last part of his answer, and he could hear a few of the reporters chuckle. He pointed at another journalist who had his hand raised.
"Do you anticipate any negative responses to this revelation?" This time JC answered.
"We are expecting criticism, for example from churches or parents of fans who will think we are bad role models for endorsing homosexuality. All we can say to this is that we don't think listening to our music will in any way be a bad influence on anyone. We all have values and morals, and we still consider ourselves positive role models."
Justin nodded eagerly.
"It's not like listening to our music will 'turn' anyone gay. It's not something you chose to be based on outside influences, it's something you are."
"That's about all the time we have guys. I have to say that I am very impressed by what you did today. That took a lot of guts, and if anything, I respect you even more for being open like that. I hope that you won't get too many negative responses." Carson dismissed the reporters and the guys left the studio.
Reporters chased them all the way to the hotel. On their way in, Justin and Nick held hands. Just before the doors closed behind them, Justin leaned in and kissed his boyfriend. The noise level around them increased immediately and they were bathed in the light of a million flashes as all the reporters scurried to take a picture.
When the two finally broke apart, Justin whispered
"I've been wanting to do this for a year. I feel so...free now." Nick nodded and smiled. Hand in hand they vanished into the hotel.
------------------------------ I know this took ages to come out, but it's finally done. It was very hard to write, but I hope it turned out okay. Take care j