The alarm clock went off at four thirty with the song of " Here We Go". I raised in my bed with bright eyes since the volume was put on high. I turned my head to see that Emily still laid there sleeping like a baby. The sun wasn't even up so the room was completely pitch black except for the glowing stars that I put around the room to make it feel like home. I smacked the alarm clock off as I fell back down on the soft feathered pillows.
" Emily, are you up?" I yawned as I turned over to face her bed.
Not a move happened on her bed except for the wheezing coming from her nose. I took one of my pillows and threw it over there as my head came crashing down to meet the bottom pillow. It smacked her straight in the face though again, she didn't wake up. I tossed the baby blue blanket off of my body to the wall and just laid there for a second. Then I turned my legs around without getting up and just slid to the ground. I crawled on my hands and knees over to her bed as my hair drooped over and hung in my face.
" Get up butt," I yelled as I slapped her on the arm. Nothing. An idea came into my mind and I grinned while saying " Oh hey Justin, nice abs you sexy fool you, oh baby oh baby." putting the accent on oh baby. (Think the interview with Chris. The Lance has a sexy voice one. Hehe.)
All of a sudden I felt a tight grip on my arm as nails dug deep within my skin. Her eyes jolted open as her blue eyes stared directly at me. " Justin! EEEeeeeeeeeeeee!" Emily screamed as her arms then began to dance around. I fell back from her energy that blew up. She woke straight up and looked around the room, and to her disappointment saw that Justin wasn't anywhere in sight.
" You dork!" Emily said in her corny wake up voice. She smacked the pillow at me that I threw over at her.
" Girl we gotta get ready. Just throw some stuff on because the guys are going to be here to pick us up in a half an hour." I yelled at her.
She sighed and threw her legs over the side of the bed. We both got up and found the clothes that we had set out for the morning. By the time we were ready, someone was knocking on the door. Emily opened it and found a fully clothed Justin. She came back to me and quickly whispered "Damn" in my ear. I started laughing as Justin stared at us. He wasn't his usual self, so I figured he hadn't eaten yet. Emily and I grabbed our bags and made our way to the elevator with Justin following behind.
We reached the parking lot and there were two limousines waiting outside for everyone. The body guards and Justin's mom, Lynn went into one and everyone else went into the other. JC nicely escorted me in as Justin hopped in before Emily.
" Everyone, I would like you to meet Alex Rudd, the friend of mine who I have been hanging out with." Joey introduced while we all got seated and comfortable in the leather seats. All of us nodded, too tired to give any kind of emotion.
When we were at the airport Justin still hadn't spoken a word to any of us. Emily kept trying to get Justin to talk, but he was ignoring everyone. I felt bad as Emily trailed behind with me. Soon after, we checked out our bags and went to the terminal. The guys had slipped sunglasses and hats on to hide themselves from the fans. Hopefully no one would recognize them. We sat in the seats and waited for our flight. It was 6:30 and we had a 7 o clock flight. Everyone was going to be loading soon.
"Can someone please get this boy some cereal before Emily dies of not having anyone to talk to?" I asked out loud. Justin grabbed Emily's hand and pulled her to a near by food stand. About 10 minutes later the couple came back, with Justin talking. Thank the lord for cereal.
Arriving in Seattle -- Deanna POV
Everyone woke up from their nice five hour naps from the long nonstop plane trip. I came out with my head on JC's shoulder, just being able to reach. He wrapped his arm around me so gently I could feel his warm body against me as I shivered from the rainy weather. He laid his sleepy head on top of my head as our feet wabble from side to side up the ramps to the terminal. Justin came behind us holding Emily in his arms with her eyes closed and her mouth open, making a nice pile of drool on his shoulder. Joey rushed out of the plane quickly, needing to use the bathroom as he pushed Justin and Emily to the wall, sending her feet into the captain who was walking off. Lance and Hallie were in the bathroom so much together that they didn't give anyone a chance in there through the five hours, missing the two movies.
We used the moving sidewalk because our legs felt like one hundred pounds each. Everyone was tired from all the excitement last night and having to get up so early this morning. As we zoomed past everyone walking, I kept a strong grip on JC's shoulder to keep me from falling down. After getting our bags and finding our limousines, we made our way to the hotel we were staying in.
I went up to the room that Emily and I were sharing, which connected with JC and Justin's room. Emily was still sleeping in Justin's arms. He slowly set her down on the bed in there and gave her a slight kiss on her forehead. Then he went back to his room. It was already 12:30 and we had to be at the studio at 3 for the taping. I decided to join Emily sleeping. As soon as I hit the pillow on my bed, I was out.
Hotel -- Emily POV
I woke up in a strange room having no clue where I was. All I remember was getting on the plane and then I ended up here. I glanced at my baby blue watch and realized it was almost 2. Deanna was still sleeping in the bed next to me. I saw a door to the next room and decided to see whose room it was.
The door creaked as I opened it to see JC and Justin sleeping like babies. I silently crept over to Justin's bed and slipped in next to him. I slowly lowered my head to his, pressing my lips against his. He stirred and extended his arm so he pulled me close to him. I maneuvered myself so that my back was to him and went back to sleep.
It felt like I was sleeping for 5 minutes when Justin was waking me up. Once I woke up, I ran back to my room to get ready for the taping. When I saw that Deanna was still sleeping, I decided to get her back for this morning.
" Oh hey JC, nice abs you sexy fool you, oh baby oh baby." I declared remembering her exact words.
Deanna shot up from the bed so fast it made my head spin. By that time, I was already rolling on the floor laughing. Deanna got up and started chasing me around the room. JC and Justin ran in to see what all the racket was about, both of them just in their pants. Deanna looked from JC to me and back to JC as I did the same with Justin. At the same time we burst out laughing. They looked at us weird and went back to getting ready.
"Hey De...Maybe dreams do come true." I giggled. At the taping -- Backstage
Justin was back stage getting his mic adjusted and all the last minute touch ups before they were to sing I Drive Myself Crazy, when an idea hit him. He needed a way to tell Emily his feelings and she seemed to listen well to songs.
(Note: Remember this is taking place like last summer!)
"Hey JC...do you remember about a month ago we recorded that song for our upcoming c.d.?" Justin quizzed him. JC looked at him funny and then answered.
"You know Justin...maybe it would help if you told me the name of the song." JC chuckled. By this time all the guys were listening to their conversation wondering what was going on.
"That's When I'll Stop Loving You. That's the song." Justin replied.
"Yea..what about it?"
"Can we sing it here? Please? I think it would mean a lot to Emily." he whined.
"But Justin...we barely know it. We just recorded it like a month ago. I doubt the band knows it." JC tried to persuade him out of the idea.
"But what if I talked to them? You don't understand how much I need to sing that song." Justin persisted.
"I don't have a problem singing it." Chris joined in.
The rest of the group nodded and JC went to talk to the people doing the music. After everything was worked out, the guys practiced the words and harmonies a couple times. It was almost time to go on when the host finally came back stage.
"Hi guys. I'm Vanessa. You must be 'N Sync." she introduced. Each guy shook her hand and told her their names.
When she shook Joey's hand their eyes locked, but she quickly pulled away blushing. After a few minutes of slight conversation a man on headphones came back stage.
"1 minute till show time. Vanessa you gotta get out there." he ordered. She quickly said good-bye and left. The guys took their place on the stage just before the show started. Justin looked out into the audience to see a bunch of screaming girls. He kept scanning until his eyes fell upon Emily who was in the front row with everyone else.
Vanessa's View -- Emily POV
" And now announcing my new best friends... Nsync!" Vanessa explained as she clapped and the camera's moved over to the bright orange colored curtains with the guys sitting on stools. Before the music started there was a silence and Justin spoke up.
" We are going to perform a song on our up coming c.d. coming out later this fall. It is called 'That's When I'll Stop Loving You', that has a special meaning to all our hearts." The music began and the five of them started their harmonies.
Justin then sang:
The four of us girls applauded heavily as the guys looked in our direction. Alex doing the same as the five of us stood up at our seats, whistling and clapping as the guys continued to bow.
" Thank you! After this commercial break we will talk to the guys about music, family and relationships." Vanessa said as they cut to the commercials.
She bounced over to the stage to give Joey a surprising hug as soon as the cameras were off. In her tall heels, Capri's, and bright green tube top she greeted the guys with a shiny smile and glittered face.
" You guys did wonderful! Now if you just want to settle yourselves in the chairs next to my desk and we will begin in a minute with questions. They will be simple so no stress." Vanessa explained as she gave a wink to Joey.
He shyly rolled his eyes from the attention that Vanessa was giving him. He knew that she was interested but he didn't know how to explain to her that he wasn't. Lately, he has been happy as a single guy. Though he was known as the 'flirt' in the group, the true Joey didn't feel that way anymore. He didn't want to throw himself at girls just because the media says that he does, he wanted to be himself. Friends were now more important to him because he has been feeling distant from the group. Meeting Alex has made Joey feel excepted once again, not minding the fact that he was in this pop boy band that had girls screaming after him each day.
There were three chairs and two stools set up behind them as each one grabbed their spots. JC and Justin sat on the stools as the other three took the colorful striped chairs. Vanessa placed her microphone on her tube top and made adjustments to her note cards, scratching out and adding in.
"In 5...4...3...2...1..." the camera guy shouted as the applause sign behind the guys started blinking, cueing the audience to clap.
"And we're back with pop sensation 'N Sync!!!!!!" Vanessa announced clearly into her microphone. The guys nodded acknowledging the introduction. Screams filled the air when Justin waved to the audience.
"So how's Seattle treating you?"
" We just arrived this morning so we haven't been able to see the city yet. We are hoping that we can gather some people together to show us around." Joey announced as all the girls in the audience screaming with delight, knowing that they have chance with them.
" You know that I'm free after the show," Vanessa laughed as she twirled her hair with her finger, blushing as she looked at Joey.
Joey just nodded, then looked into the audience to where us four girls and Alex were sitting, then he waved. We watched the girls in response to them and I could just picture myself in their spots, a place I would be if I never met Justin. I would be screaming my head off and wishing to have him look at me or recognize me with the large sign that I most likely would have made. Then Deanna telling me to sit down as she booed at the boy band.
" The c.d. has been doing very well, breaking records, and I heard that you guys are now 9 times platinum. What an accomplishment!"
" Thanks," Everyone replied as Lance continued," Just a couple years ago no one heard of us and we were dancing in an abandoned house seven hours straight, practicing a cappella. It's a great honor to finally be in this position and we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the fans."
The talk show went into detail with the five of them as Vanessa asked about their lives at home and how they could barely visit their families with the busy schedules that they've had. Then it went into relationships where Vanessa's eyes wouldn't leave Joey. It was as if she was staring right through him as she waited for his answer. " No, I'm single right now." Breathing in a gulp of air, she sighed as everyone in the audience cheered.
After the show, Vanessa allowed the girls and boys from the audience to have a few questions and signings with the guys. We didn't mind sitting there at all, we knew that this came with the territory of being in their lives. In our nice outfits we waited over a half an hour before the guys were ready to leave. We all got up from our seats, joining them on the stage.
" I've never been to the taping of a program before! Except for once when we were in Florida and my dad dragged me to this show called the Mickey Mouse club," Deanna said as she stuck her finger in her mouth. JC and Justin glared at her with anger. JC approached her pretending to put his hands around her neck. " Was it something I said?".
We all went out to the limousines waiting in the back of the studio, Vanessa joining us. Since we were dressed so nicely in our skirts and wonderful done up make up. We went to the Space Needle, a large tower where it had a great view of the land. Afterwards we went to a French restaurant where we were sat down immediately. Everyone was wrapped up in conversations with each other.
Emily and Justin -- Emily's POV
The scene from the talk show kept replaying in my head. I couldn't get the song out of my head. How come I had never heard it before? I knew every single song there was. Those words were just so perfect. Justin snapped a finger in front of my face and I turned towards him.
"Hmm?" I looked up at him.
"Well...did you like the song?" Justin questioned. I couldn't put into words how much it meant to me.
"Justin...I loved it. There's no other word to describe it." I murmured. He smiled with a pleased look on his face..
JC and Deanna -- Deanna's POV
"Was the show really that bad?" JC asked with concern in his voice.
"What are you talking about? It was wonderful." I exclaimed.
"Not that show...MMC." JC laughed. I burst out into a fit of giggles gaining everyone's attention towards me.
"Of course not. It was soo cute...Wipeout..." I soothed in a baby voice pinching JC's cheeks. He blushed pulling my hands away from his face as he gave me a light kiss on the cheek.
Joey, Vanessa, and Alex
The three of them sat near the end of the table, Joey being at the head. Everyone was laughing and the three of them sat there silent.
" Well this is my friend Alex," Joey said as he smiled and introduced him to Vanessa.
She smiled with a slight nod. Not being excited she ignored the hand that he lent out for her to shake. She took a sip of her soup and then faced Joey at the end, sliding her hand through his arm, feeling his strong muscles. Joey feeling the ounce of being uncomfortable squirming around in his seat. Vanessa didn't get the hint, staying on his arm, ignoring the people around them like it was just the two.
Alex just looked at them oddly though felt like he was left out, all alone. He barely knew anyone and why he decided to come on this trip he didn't know. He sat mutely in his chair while he ate his dinner salad. Joey began to realize Alex's reaction to the isolation of the group. Joey didn't even enjoy Vanessa's company that much, she came on too strong and he just wanted a friendship if anything.
Joey took his arm away from Vanessa, putting his hand back on his lap. She looked at him hurt, though without saying a word continued eating her soup. Joey turned away from her as he turned to Alex and started talking to him in a light whisper.
" Joey, can I talk to you," Vanessa asked without looking into his eyes.
" Yeah, sure." He took his napkin off of his lap, settling it on the table and excused himself from the conversation that he was having with Alex.
They walked out of the restaurant into the waiting hallways where groups of families sat around, waiting for their reserved tables to be emptied. They scurried out to where there was an opening though the loudness of people talking and the music playing overhead blocked everyone from listening in on their conversation.
" Joey, this is... well.. um," she mumbled as she put her head on her forehead, staring at the ground. Her feet didn't stop moving because of the uneasiness of the situation. " Joey." She spit out as her eyes finally met up with his. " I'm attracted to you. Okay..., and, and I was hoping that you would feel the same way."
Joey stood there amazed that she came right out and said it. He felt so excepted for once, something he hadn't felt in a long time. He didn't know what to say from the strong words.
" Okay..., well first off thanks for feeling this way. You have no idea how much this is meaning to me. It's just, I'm not ready for a relationship right now. Things just aren't -."
Before Joey was able to finish his sentence Vanessa put his face between her hands and just pressed her lips up against his. If she couldn't win him over with her words or her looks, maybe her actions or the feel of her against him would change his mind. Joey quickly pushed against her shoulders, pulling away from her. They just stared stared into each other's eyes, him not believing what she did. Though Vanessa stood there, hoping for a chance that things could go right, that he would say that he wanted her instead of rejecting her. She definatly didn't want that on the front cover of the news tomorrow if anyone knew.
" Vanessa...," he choked out. " I can't get involved now. I'm sorry."
Joey tilted his head down as he walked away slowly, leaving Vanessa behind. She stood there alone as the groups of families blocked her view of Joey, disappearing in the crowds as he walked back to the table.