Chapter 6- April 2001
“ You can call me selfish, but all I want is your love,” Juli sat on the couch, waving Justin’s cell phone.
Justin pouted, but
quickly turned his attention back to the music.
“ What do you think?” another body
dropped beside her.
“ Hey Wade,” Juli gave him a hug,
“ It’s good. I prefer, “the Game is
over’.”
“ JC song love,” Wade retorted
with a grin.
Wade was a few years younger, but Juli loved him like a little brother. His ability to be so goofy, and yet so serious, reminded her of Justin. Justin watched them, a slight frown on his face. Sure, Wade was nice and all, but it irked him to see Juli sitting with someone that close.
“ Juli,” Justin banged on the
glass, “ I’d like my cell phone, please.”
Juli got up, entering the sound
booth. Justin huffed as she took her
time.
“ Hugs?” Juli smiled.
Justin sighed and
gave her a hug.
“ How’s my boy today?” Juli asked.
“ Justin, get over to the mikes
now,” a crabby JC snapped.
“ Gone, I’m gone,” Justin sang.
“ You’ll be gone alright,” JC
muttered.
“ JC, it’s called Midol. Try it,” Juli said, entering the mixing
booth.
“ Why don’t you?” JC grinned,
giving her a hug, “ Lance, Lacy’s here.”
The ever-cheerful Lacy bounded in.
“ I have wonderful news,” she
sang.
“ What?” Lance walked out to greet
her.
“ You guys get a break. Johnny wants to se Justin, alone,” Lacy
lifted an eyebrow in a questioning manner.
Justin looked
confused, then his expression turned serious.
“ Whoa, golden boy is actually
frowning. What did you do?” Lacy asked.
“ I don’t know and that’s what
scares me,” Justin answered.
“ Smile, Justin. Didn’t your momma teach you not to frown
that way or your face might stay that way?” Juli tried to cheer him up.
“ Ok, come on guys, rehersal
time,” Wade stood up.
“ I’ll go with them, Justin to
learn the moves,” Juli said.
Juli subbing in for Justin was a normal
thing. When the press needed to do
interviews with Justin, he missed many rehersals.
“ Johnny won’t be too hard,
Justin. Don’t worry,” Juli gave him one
of her many hugs.
“ I’m just surprised he wants to
talk to me, alone,” Justin bit his lip.
“ Justin, its Johnny. Now go with Lacy,” Juli pushed him on before
running after the other four.
~*~
Justin hesitantly entered Johnny’s office. Johnny, Barry and Clive all sat along the conference table.
“ Ok, ok, ok, I did switch the
salt and sugar on tour,” Justin admitted.
“ Nice to know, Sit, Justin,”
Johnny ordered.
Justin was sitting before Johnny
finished talking.
“ Don’t look so scared,
Justin. We’re just here to discuss a
simple matter,” Johnny said, “ Your personal life.”
“ Please not my love life, because
at this moement-” Justin began.
“ Exactly,” Johnny interrupted, “
Now that you and Britney are no longer together, we need a new girl for you.”
“ Wait, I don’t like where this is
going,” Justin spoke up.
“ Justin, we need to hype this
up. Get *N Sync back in the tabloids
with ‘Celebrity’ due out in a few months.
A girl would do nicely to help,” Barry spoke up.
Justin glanced around the table.
“ What are you proposing?” Justin
asked with a sigh.
“ A simple contract. You will find yourself a girl who will sign
this contract, then you will have a month to become comfortable as a couple,”
Clive answered.
“ Like who?” Justin leaned back,
putting his feet on the table.
“ Juli might be a good choice
since you two are very comfortable together,” Barry said.
It was dead silent as Justin sat
back up.
“ Don’t even bring Juli into
this,” Justin snapped, feeling protective over his best friend.
“ She would portray the part well,
Justin and Juli is very beautiful,” Johnny added.
“ My Mom put you up to this, huh?”
Justin crossed his arms angrily.
“ Actually, I came up with the
idea,” Clive replied, “ ‘Celebrity’ has to do good or Jive might consider
dropping your contract.”
Justin simply got
up and walked out.
He angrily stalked to the dance
studio. Justin watched Juli who was
easily filling in for him. He
smiled. She was even wearing his
bandana so the guys felt more comfortable with her.
“ Justina, you’re off,” Wade said.
Justin chuckled, getting Wade’s
attention.
“ Justin, you’re back. You’re twin here is getting on my nerves,”
Wade replied.
“ Feeling brave, aren’t we, Wade?”
Juli rolled her eyes. “ Here’s your
bandana, Justin. I just got booted
off,” Juli handed him his bandana.
“ What did Johnny want?” JC asked.
“ None of your business,” Justin
snapped.
JC visably backed off. Wade called a five minute break. Juli simply pulled Justin over to the side.
“ Spill it, bud,” she ordered.
Justin crossed his
arms stubbornly.
“ I can’t help you unless you tell
me what’s wrong,” Juli replied.
“ Just leave me alone, Juli,”
Justin stalked off.
The other guys saw Juli’s bottom
lip tremble. She was in shock. Justin never blew her off. She leaned against the wall and slid down it
in tears. None of the guys had ever
seen her like this.
“ Juli,” Joey bent beside her.
“ Leave me alone,” Juli whispered,
cradling her head in her arms.
JC walked over, bending down
beside her.
“ Juli, babe, what’s wrong?” he
asked.
“ I don’t know. He just yelled at me. We never argue.” Juli cried into JC’s
shoulder.
JC looked up angrily. Justin was sitting on a couch nearby,
staring sullenly at the ground. Even
though JC and Juli weren’t a couple, they still were in love. JC stalked over to Justin.
“ Why the hell are you blowing off
Juli? Where is your common sense, boy?”
JC hissed.
The empty look in
Justin’s eyes scared JC.
“ Stay out of it, JC. You don’t know what you’re talking about,”
Justin replied.
He got up and
left.
“ Practice is over for today,”
Wade announced.
Juli got up and
trailed Justin to Johnny’s office.
“ Ok, Johnny, I’ll do it,” she
heard Justin sigh.
“ When you find a girl, tell us,
or we could recruit Juli,” Clive said.
“ I told you to leave her out of
this,” Justin snapped.
Justin came out to see Juli in the
hallway.
“ Juli, bad things happen to those
who are naughty,” Justin said.
“ I know. Last year I got a lump of coal from Santa,”
Juli replied seriously.
Justin smiled.
“ Did you hear?” Justin asked
softly.
“ Yeah, come on, Mister. You have a lot of explaining to do,” Juli
grabbed the strings on his sweatshirt and pulled him behind her.
Justin pulled them
away and took her hand.
“ I’m sorry baby for the things
I’ve done,” Justin sang.
“ You’re forgiven as soon as you
tell me everything,” Juli replied.
“ Okey dokey, Bob,” Justin swung
her hand up and down like they had when they were kids.
Juli shook her head, almost laughing at the mental picture of Justin and her at 75 walking down the street, hobbling on canes, but still swinging their hands. Juli stopped. When they were 75, Justin would probably be doing that with his wife, not her. A sense of loniless washed over her, but she pushed it away, knowing to savor everyday.
Chapter 7-coming soon!!