"N SYNC!" Phoebe screamed at the top of her lungs. "N SYNC!"
Liz laughed. Phoebe was acting like such a little kid. And making a complete idiot of herself!
"We're going to an *N SYNC concert!" Phoebe took Liz's arm and started skipping around.
"Calm down. Ya know I'm only going with you to see 5ive." Liz rolled her eyes. *N SYNC was for 12 year old teenyboppers... and Phoebe.
"Well 5ive only gets to sing 3 songs! They'll be onstage for about 15 minutes! Then you'll hafta listen to the best group in the whole world! *N SYNC!" Phoebe smiled smugly.
"Oh please. You're 18, for God's sakes. Act your age." Liz sped up.
"I'm just excited thats all. This will be my.." She bit her lip, thinking. "Sixth concert and I always act this way."
"I feel sorry for whoever went with you." Liz mumbled.
"No one did." Phoebe hung her head sadly.
"You mean no one ever went to an *N SYNC concert with you?" Liz turned around sharply.
"They'd drive me there but no one actually went in with me." She replied softly.
Liz felt sympathetic towards the other girl. She, herself had been to tons of concerts, all with friends. She softened her voice a little. "They must be pretty good if you've already been to five concerts."
"Yeah! They're terrific!" Excitement bubbled through Phoebe but when she saw the irritated look on Liz's face she calmed down. "I guess you could say they're ok."
Liz smirked. Seeing this Phoebe's smile broadened.
How the two had ever been paired up as roomates, Liz might never know. Maybe it was destiny, maybe it was fate, or maybe it was alphabetical order. She shook her head. They were nearly complete opposites. But she liked this energetic, short, brunette. Phoebe entertained her.
"Liz?" Phoebe said as she pulled open the car door.
"Hmm?" Liz sat down in the driver's seat and put the eyes in ignition.
"Thanks for going with me." Phoebe told her genuinely.
"Hey no problem." The poor girl, five concerts all by herself. "Hey Phoebe? Why didn't your friends go with you to the concert?"
"Michelle didn't like *N SYNC." Phoebe replied staring out the window. She sounded so forlorn.
"Well what about your other friends?" Liz pressed.
Phoebe sighed. "I didn't have any other friends."
"I'm sorry." Oops, maybe she'd pried a little too far.
"But that's ok. 'Cuz I've got you." Phoebe said cheerfully.
Liz felt a twinge of guilt. "What time does the concert start?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Seven o'clock exactly." Phoebe glanced at the clock. She frowned. "It's 6:30."
"Yeah we're early." Liz pulled into the parking lot designated for the concert-goers.
"No we're not." Phoebe replied staring out towards the venue.
"Yeah we are. A whole half hour early." Liz opened her door and her mouth dropped open in shock as she saw the line of people stretching clear out onto the sidewalks outside the building. "OMG!"
"You have obviously never been to an *N SYNC concert before." Phoebe pointed to the lines. "Early is a couple of hours."
"When do they let us in?" Liz asked. The whole crowd of people was giving her the chills.
"They'll let us in around 6:45. But we've got to go the ticket window and get our backstage passes."
"Backstage passes? How the heck did you get those?" Liz asked, surprised.
"The official fanclub. Well they're not really backstage passes, more like meet & greets." Phoebe stepped onto the first concrete step. She stared at the building. "In there tonight, is my destiny." She whispered.
"What?"
"Nothing. Follow me, we've got to get our passes before 6:45." Phoebe stepped into the crowd, excusing herself. Once about mid-way through she stopped to talk to a little girl wearing an over-sized *N SYNC t-shirt.
Phoebe bent down to speak to her. "So you like *N SYNC, huh?"
"Yeah! They have the best songs!" The little girl exclaimed.
"You like their songs? Well which one is your favorite?"
The little girl smiled. "Forever Young."
"Really? That's one of my favorites too!" Phoebe grinned and the little girl beamed. Her mother was smiling too. She looked up and met Phoebe's eyes.
"Thanks." Was all she said.
"See you later!" Phoebe replied as she started to leave.
"Wait!" The little girl ran back up to her. "What's your name?"
"Phoebe. Phoebe Marsden. What's yours?"
"Maggie Coleman."
"Wanna be friends?" Phoebe stuck out her hand.
Maggie's chubby fingers gripped hers and shook lightly. "Yeah."
"Maggie! Come back over here. They're letting people in!" Her mother called.
Phoebe reached out and hugged the little girl. "Have fun."
"You too!" She called as she raced back to her mother's side.
"Did you know her?" Liz asked coming from behind.
"No." Phoebe smiled.
Liz was amazed. Phoebe wasn't acting like a stupid teeny-bopper anymore. She had made a complete change. And she wasn't shy anymore.
"C'mon, lets get our passes." Phoebe made the way to the box office window where she presented two sheets of paper.
Liz leaned over her shoulder. "What are those?"
"They are guaranteed meet and greet passes you receive from the official fan club." The woman behind the glass said. "We exchange them for genuine ones, like these." The woman pushed two laminated *N SYNC pictures out. "Here are the cords to put string through."
"Thank you very much. Do you know where we gan to get to see them?" Phoebe asked as she handed Liz her pass.
"Go up through that door and down the hall. Its the second door on the left. A security guard will check your passes once you're inside. He'll also show you to the stage."
"Thanks again." Phoebe smiled and walked up the remainder of the steps and disappeared through the door.
"Wait up!" Liz called.
"You better hurry, they should be starting soon!" The box-office woman yelled after her.
This is it. I'm finally going to meet my idols, my heroes, *N SYNC. Phoebe thought. She turned and grinned at Liz.
"Right through those doors and up the stairs." The guard pointed.
With a slight spring in her step Phoebe pushed open the door and climbed the short flight of stairs. Liz felt a little shy all of a sudden. She may not like their music but they were famous... They're just average guys. Her mind filled with lots of contradicting thoughts.
Phoebe turned around and motioned for Liz to follow her. With butterflies in her stomach, Liz climbed the stairs.
Phoebe's eyes were wide with excitement. Set up in the middle of the stage was a long table. Each guy sat behind it smiling, talking , and posing for pictures by adoring fans. At the beginning of the table were a stack of pictures, fans could pick up to be autographed.
Phoebe closed her eyes and pinched herself. She wasn't dreaming. This was really happening. Pulling out her CD and camera from her pocket she stood at the end of the line.
Shuffling her feet as she went, Liz got in line behind her. Phoebe was snapping pictures like crazy. Before she'd even gotten to the first guy she'd used up her whole roll of film.
Finally they made it to Justin, the first in line.
"Hey. How's it going?" Justin asked them as he looked up from autographing the picture to get his picture taken.
"I'm fantastic. How are you?" Phoebe replied shaking hands with him.
"I'm pretty good." He smiled his trademark grin.
Next was Chris. Phoebe had no idea what to say to him. He was actually the one that broke the silence.
"What did the baby porcupine say to the cactus?" He asked.
Phoebe bit her lip, thoughtfully. "I don't know." She responded.
Chris grinned with boyish pleasure. "Is that you Mommy? Get it? Get it?" He slapped the table and made Justin look over at him. They both started laughing. Phoebe smirked.
"And if you thought that was funny, I have a ton more!" He offered.
"She's been with you long enough, Chris. She shouldn't have to suffer any longer." Joey grinned slyly at her.
"See ya Chris. Hello Joey."
"Hey girl. You'll have to excuse Chris's corny sense of humor. He's going through a mid-life crisis you know." Joey handed the autographed picture back to her.
Phoebe started giggling hysterically. "Sorry." She replied between fits of laughter.
"Joey!?!" Lance mock scolded. "How many times have I told you not to torment our fans?"
Phoebe stopped laughing immediately. She stood there staring into Lance's eyes. His beautiful green eyes.
"Looks like Lance has got another girl mesmerized with his sexy eyes." Joey said loud enough for everyone to hear.
Phoebe blushed. The whole stage was laughing.
"Do you want the CD signed too?" Lance asked softly, sensing her embarrassment.
A smile appeared on her face. "Would you?"
"Sure. Sorry about Joey. He doesn't always think before he speaks." Lance looked up at her with sympathetic eyes after he cast a side-long glare at Joey.
"Its alright. He's only human." Phoebe reached out to take the CD from him. Her hand accidentally brushed against his.
He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. "What's your name?"
"Phoebe. Like off 'Friends.'"
"Can I see your CD case again?" He asked.
She handed it to him wondering what in the world he was writing.
He scribbled something down, snapped it shut and handed it back to her. "Nice meeting you Phoebe." He smiled sincerely.
"It was really great to meet you too, Lance." She walked towards JC but took one last look at him. He was still looking at her. Phoebe switched her attention to JC. She didn't want JC to feel left out.
"So did you get pretty good seats?" He asked as he signed the picture.
"Really good seats. The best I ever got actually." Phoebe replied.
"Really? What row?" He took Liz's picture and scribbled down his name.
Phoebe looked over at Liz. The grin on her face told her that Liz was enjoying herself and she couldn't deny it. "We'll be in second row."
"Cool. I'll see you then."
"Bye! Bye everyone!" Phoebe turned around and waved at all of them.
They shouted their goodbyes and waved too. "Have fun!" Justin called.
"Oh we will! We will!" Phoebe responded as she was ushered off the stage by their body guards.