Author's note: thank you to all of you who have sent me feedback. I really appreciate it. Don't hesitate to give me comments good or bad. I'm always trying to improve my writing.
A special thanks goes to T for proof reading my chapters and for nagging for more chapters...
Disclaimer can be found in the previous chapters.
Part 10
Joey anxiously awaited the little bell telling him the lift had arrived on their floor. The moment those doors opened he would jump the first person coming out of the lift. Better said he would try to do so. Lonnie's fingers curled round his belt prevented him from even setting a step forward. Chris and Lance are behind him. He heard them talk about why they had to be there. Suddenly the sound he had been waiting for echoed through the hall. The doors opened and Ryan appeared. Lonnie tightened his grip and pulled Joey back.
'What a nice welcome.' Said Ryan.
'Hi Ryan.' Answered Chris and Lance in unison.
Joey cringed. They sounded like some stupid cartoon heroes.
'Joey, Lonnie.' Ryan nodded.
Joey swore that he heard Lonnie growl.
'So where is the unlucky patient?'
'He's somewhere where you can't find or touch him.'
'Joey, Joey. What has Josh been telling you?'
'He didn't need to tell me anything. His face said enough. Do you know that he needs constructive surgery on his jaw?'
Lonnie slowly released his grip on Joey and the angry Italian moved closer and closer to Ryan. But he didn't seem to impress the other man. Ryan didn't even blink. Joey stood still and handed Ryan a folded piece of paper. Ryan raised one eyebrow and opened it.
'The group Nsync, the individuals Joseph Fatone, Justin Timberlake and Lonnie Rogers are hereby suing Ryan O'Clare for the alleged abuse of Joshua Chasez...'
Ryan started laughing. 'You are all joking me here right?'
Joey slowly shook his head.
'We are also working on a restraining order. We don't want you anywhere near JC again.'
'Don't you think that JC has a say in this?'
Lance's voice was soft.
Joey turned to Lance.
'No...'
'You can't sue Ryan. I mean... JC said that it's been his fault.'
Chris stared at Joey.
'Guys...come on...' Joey looked at Lonnie. He never thought that Lance and Chris would choose the wrong side.
A door opened and Joey heard a tired voice behind him.
'Joey? Could you just keep an eye on JC?'
Joey slowly turned around and there by gave Justin full view of the hall. The tired look in his blue eyes disappeared and a furious fire appeared.
'What's that bastard doing here?'
Joey tried to grab Justin but the younger boy was too fast. Justin grabbed Ryan and slammed him in the wall.
'How dare you show your face around here? Haven't you done enough?'
Ryan wrapped his hands around Justin's fists and applied pressure. He bent forward and whispered in Justin's ear:
'Listen you little piece of shit. There is nothing that you can do. If I were you I'd lay low. You wouldn't want anything to happen to sweet little Jonathan or precious Steven now would you?'
Ryan pressed his fingernails into Justin's skin. The blonde was too shocked to even speak. Ryan pulled his hands of him and pushed Justin away.
'I'm going to check in now. I'll see you all later.'
Ryan walked back to the lift. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Justin, Joey and Lonnie enter a room. It had to be the one where JC was. Lance and Chris still stood in the hall. Ryan smiled. Lance and Chris were in doubt. They had no idea whom to believe. All he had to do was feed the doubts in their minds. It wouldn't be long before they were his puppets.
'Lance, Chris? Could I talk to you for a minute?'
Part 11
'Lance?'
Silence.
'Lance?'
Silence.
'Lance?'
'What?' The answer sounded irritated.
'How do you really feel about this whole JC situation?'
Chris heard Lance sit up and a moment later the room was lit by the light on Lance's nightstand.
'I don't know. How you feel about it?'
Chris looked at Lance.
'I for one don't believe Ryan's excuse.'
Lance snorted.
'So he and JC were fooling around and chasing each other and suddenly JC fell down the stairs. That doesn't explain how JC ended up on the bus.'
'But that will be the only story leaking to the press right?'
Lance shrugged.
'That's what management wants.'
Chris slammed his fist in his pillow and sighed.
He took his notebook.
'I have a confession to make.'
He handed Lance two pictures.
Lance looked at them.
'Two pictures of JC.'
'Two pictures of JC with clear bruises on them. I accidentally found them. They are fingerprints if you look closely.'
Lance's eyes grew big.
'You knew?'
Chris shrugged.
'You didn't take Justin serious and I have to admit that the kid is more serious than me.'
'How long?'
'A few months. I've tried to gather some evidence you know. Things that I saw and heard. Those pictures are the only real proof that I have. And I know that Lonnie knows but something is stopped him from pressing charges before.'
Lance sat down next to Chris.
'So you and I both had the same idea all along.'
'That bastard won't go to jail unless JC confesses. Nothing will happen without his confession.'
'Maybe it's not JC that has to confess.'
Lance looked at Chris.
'Ryan seems to think that we are on his side right? We can get a confession out of him.'
'How?'
Lance jumped off the bed. He opened his suitcase and looked through it.
'With this!'
He held up a little tape recorder.
'All we have to do is play dumb. It's not that Ryan thinks we are very smart.'
Chris started laughing sarcastically.
'Nor are the others.'
Lance got a determined look on his face
'We made that choice. We both pushed Justin away and it's too late to turn back at the moment.'
'It's only acting Lance.'
'To us it may be but we might be destroying more than you think.'
Lance sat back on his bed.
'Joey and Justin can't know about this. It could ruin the plans.'
Lance knew that Chris was right.
'We need to keep it up Lance. Even though it hurts the others and us. We can explain once we have a confession.'
'I know but the look in their eyes. Joey and Justin will never look at us in the same way again. They will hate us.'
'Ryan will kill JC if we all fight him. Now that he thinks that we are at his side we might be able to protect JC even more.'
'Aren't we a little late with that?'
Part 12
The Nsync tour continued like nothing had happened. Everyone fell back into their old on tour routine. JC was back on stage in a wheel chair. The press had believed the story of JC falling down the stairs while fooling around with the lads. It didn't take JC long to find out that Chris and Lance were on Ryan's side. He totally ignored Justin and Joey even though the three of them shared a room.
Lance called Ryan every night after a show. He hated it but he knew that if they weren't friendly to Ryan they'd never get a confession.
'The show was good this time.'
Lance paced the room holding his cell phone to his ear.
'How did JC hold up?'
'He's ok. I think that plaster is starting to itch a little.'
Ryan chuckled and the sound sent shivers down Lance's spine.
The door opened and JC wheeled in.
'Is that Ryan?' He whispered.
Lance nodded.
'Can I please talk to him?'
JC pulled his saddest face knowing that Lance would give in.
Lance bit his lip. He couldn't resist JC's pleading eyes.
'Just for a minute. You need your rest.'
JC started beaming as a young child. Lance handed him the phone and moved to the couch.
'Hello?'
'JC.'
Ryan's voice was cold.
'I tried to call you but Joey and Justin won't leave me alone.'
'You didn't try hard enough.'
JC swallowed.
'I'm sorry. I never wanted this to happen.'
'I don't like being alone JC. Even for someone as stupid as you that can't be so hard to understand.'
'I'm sorry.'
JC's voice was a mere whisper.
'You can't even stand up for yourself. Do I need to do everything for you?'
Ryan's words were slicing through JC's heart.
'I tried to...'
'You are too stupid to try. I bet that Justin only had to bat those pretty eyes before you did what ever he wanted you to do. I bet that you didn't think of what you are putting me through for one single section.'
JC closed his eyes.
'I need you here Ryan. I told them to stop.'
'You are useless you know that? Plain and utterly stupid and so useless.'
Hot tears streamed down JC's cheeks.
'I'm...'
'What the fuck?'
The phone was ripped from his hands and JC heard it slam into the wall. Someone grabbed his arms and nearly lifted him out of the wheelchair. His ribs started to protest to the sudden attack on his body.
'I can't believe that you are crying over the guy? He almost killed you and you are crying.'
JC managed to focus on the face in front of him. He tried to ignore the fingers pressing hard in his arms. The face was twisted with anger. JC was sure that he could see hate in the blue eyes locked with his.
He was released as sudden as he was grabbed. JC couldn't repress a moan when he fell back in his chair. A dull pain spread from his ribs to his back.
He raised his head and disbelief was clearly visible in his eyes. Justin stood at the door. His hand covered his mouth.
'I'm sorry...'
Justin looked at Lance.
'I didn't... I didn't want...'
Justin opened the door and ran away. JC looked at Lance.
'He hurt me.'
Justin ran to his room. He felt sick. He was nothing better than Ryan was. He had been so angry when he saw JC sitting there with a look of defeat on his face. His anger rose when he found out that it was Ryan on the phone. He just acted on instinct. Justin caught his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
'You are a bad man.'
He slammed his fist in the mirror. It didn't crack.
'Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad.'
Finally they cracked. The mirror showed a huge crack and Justin made it to the toilet to throw up. He was a bad man.
Part 13
They had a group meeting the next morning. Justin's head hurt. He had cried himself to sleep. He was the last one to enter the room. He quickly grabbed some breakfast and sighed. The only seat that was free was in between JC and Chris. Justin placed the bowl of cereal in front of him and sat down. He fully concentrated on his food. He ignored the snarling comments of Chris. He was so used to them now. He didn't even hear what he was saying.
Lance started the meeting the moment Justin placed his spoon in the empty bowl. They had a massive agenda. A new video had to be shot. Several photo sessions were lined up. A possible world tour. Justin was very enthusiastic about the new video and tour. He had many ideas about the set, the clothes and on and on.
But his enthusiasm faded quickly. Each time he opened his mouth to say something or moved his arm JC flinched. Justin stopped commenting on everything. He just slowly nodded when a decision had to be made. He forced himself not to look at JC. He had seen the bruise visible under the rim of his short sleeved shirt. Justin knew that he was the cause of the bruise. He was just like Ryan. He has spent so much time trying to get JC to trust him and he destroyed the little trust JC had in him. He was scum just like Ryan. He should be punished. As soon as the meeting was over he would try to talk to JC once more. Apologise if the brunette let him. Than he would punish himself for what he did. Justin's eyes wandered over the table. They rested on JC's cup. JC still couldn't eat normal food. He was on a liquid diet. A little light went of in Justin's head. He had to suffer just like JC. From now on only liquid food for him. No more chocolate or hamburgers. He didn't deserve them.
'JC, wait up.'
Justin almost missed JC leaving the room. The meeting had ended when he was still in deep thought. JC didn't stop but left the door to his room open. Justin saw this as an invitation to come in.
'Can I talk to you?'
JC didn't answer.
'Please?'
'Just say what you have to say.'
JC's voice was cold.
'I just wanted to say that I'm sorry.'
JC spun around with his wheel chair.
'You are sorry? I was on the phone with Ryan. The first time I managed to talk to him in weeks because you and Joey just won't leave me alone. Sorry doesn't cover it.'
'You were crying.'
Justin bit his lip. JC seemed really angry.
'Of course I was crying. I missed him so much. I was finally hearing his voice.'
'I thought that...'
'You thought what Justin?'
Justin fiddled with the hem of his shirt.
'I thought that he was hurting you. You have changed so much over the last few weeks. It's because you haven't been near Ryan.'
JC snorted.
'I'm an artist Justin. I live in the spotlight. It's easy to let people see what they like to see.'
Justin stamped his foot.
'NO! Ryan is no good for you. He doesn't deserve you.'
'And you do?
JC's comment hit Justin hard.
'I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry.'
'You even sound like him.'
'I love you. Why can't you see that?'
Justin was losing control over his emotions.
'You don't love me Justin. You just think that you are doing a noble thing. Now please leave.'
Justin wanted to say so much more but he was lost for words. He turned around and left. His thoughts were racing through his mind. There had to be a way to show JC that he really loved him. A way to keep Ryan away from JC. An idea popped up but it meant that Justin had to use extreme measures to show JC what he was really feeling.
TBC.???
Remember that I really love feedback...hint
Till next time....
Alec