When Justing and Lily returned, they found the rest of the Nsync were looking at the falsies.
"what exactly is a falsie?" Chris asked Lance. He shrugged.
"i dunno. I'm guessing it's slang for false something." Lance offered.
"false what?" Chris pressed.
"i dont know," Lance shrugged.
"i mean, it's not fake. WHat, is it like a fish pretending to be a whale?" Chris asked.
"i dont know man," Lance said again.
"'cmon you're supposed to be smart!" Chris said.
"i am smart. But just cause i'm smart dont mean i know everything." Lance argued.
"fine. Jace, Lance said a falsie is a false something. But a false what?" Chris asked.
" i dunno. Do i look like Jack Hanna?" JC retorted. Chris rolled his eyes.
"well, Lance was right about it being slang for false," Lily spoke up. The four guys turned to see Justin was back with Lily. "but it's still a whale, Chris. It's a false killer whale." Lily explained.
"oohh," Lance said, nodding. JC shrugged.
"so, it's like a wanna be killer whale?" Joey asked.
"no, not quite." Lily laughed. "it's in the same genus as killer whales. It's size and coloration are different as well as its teeth. They just named it a false killer whale because its in the same genus, but it's not the same, so it's false. There's also a pygmy killer whale." Lily informed the group. "now, Do i look like Jack Hanna?" Lily asked JC.
"well, that's not what i meant. I was just saying-" JC floundered. Lily laughed.
"i'm playing. I knew what you meant. So, what is it you want from me?" she asked him,
"i can think of a few things," Joey whispered to Chris, who giggled. Lily looked over and they both looked at the falsies, stonefaced, as if deep in thought over the whales. Lily rolled her eyes and returned her attention to JC.
"well, we've already been through sound check, walked through the concert, but it that all the program is? Us singing for an hour?"
"well, no." Dan walked up. "Sorry for intruding but Lily wouldnt know this. I was just informed by Jim myself. You'll have two breaks during your sets. At that time, we'll regroup the animals, well, me and mickey will. Storm will be playing show and tell with one animal at at time. You all will stay on stage and interact with the animals." Dan said.
"What?" Lily asked. "I'm doing show-and-tell? What do i do, just make up crap?" she asked.
"no, Storm. You know the facts about the animals. It'll be easy. Just run your mouth and let them feed and touch the animals. It's simple."
"then you do it." Lily said. Dan sighed.
"Jim wants you to do it. This is a publicity thing. Dont ask me. You're the best and he wants you out there. He's showing you off to the world. You'll have to deal with sharing the showcase with the animals." Dan said.
"I am not a sideshow Danny!" Lily huffed.
"i know that Lil." Dan said gently. "but Jim sees this as a way to show off his well trained animals and to show off his welleducated, very young, most talented trainer, plus show off the connections he has," Dan said, motioning to Nsync. You're all being showcased, Stormy." Dan patted her shoulder. He returned his attention to the group as a whole. After your sets we'll bring in all the performance whales and do a skit with the lions. Then they'll be taken off stage and once again Lily will show-and-tell. You guys wont be on stage, but be escorted to the underwater viewing area so you can see the whales up close." Dan explained.
"this sux so bad!" Lily pouted.
"relax. It's nothing different than normal. Just more whales. You're used to show-and-tell, so dont get in a hype over it, okay?" Dan spoke softly to Lily. She sighed and nodded flippantly. Dan laughed and walked off.
"Storm?" JC asked after Dan walked away. Lily shrugged.
"he gave me the nickname a few years ago. My friends and I decided to dye our hair." Lily began. "I died mine a platinum blonde. Well, I got called in last minute the next day to work. One of the sharks died and I had to pull it out. Well, getting into the treated salt water kinda bleached my hair even lighter, making it white. So, when Dan and I met, he nicknamed me Storm after the Xmen character b/c i was so dark and my hair was white, i resembled her I guess. That and I have the ability to rain on anyone's parade if i feel like it. I'm the ice-queen." Lily said, then laughed a little.
"That's kool. I guess you could look like her if you had white hair and bangs." Joey cocked his head.
"i did. it was horrible. But when I was first assigned as an entertainer here i had bright pink hair." Lily shrugged.
"yeah," Michelle said walking up. "you shoudl see pictures. She was like one of those mood rings. She had a different hair color every day!"
"not every day. I changed my hair color every month, until finally i decided to go back to my original color." Lily protested.
"what colors did you have your hair?" Justin asked.
"baby blue, bright green, Joey-red, and um....pink. I think that's about it."
"nope, you had it black and then burgundy once too," Michelle added. Lily shrugged. "but i like your hair better your color." she flipped Lily's ponytail.
"you said you were an entertainer?" Joey asked. The other guys snickered. "what? SHe did!" Joey said.
"yes, I'm an entertainer. Before, when i was 16 i worked behind the scenes taking care of the animals. Nothing major, every now and then, doing public feedings with the sharks. But now, I'm an entertainer and a trainer. I train animals and perform with them. I prefer the term trainer, but Jim likes to use entertainer,as well as everyone else." Lily shrugged.
"but you are an entertainer sometimes," Michelle pointed out. "like when you-"
"Mickey!" Lily stopped her. But she had already perked the guys' attention. "you are so dead later." Lily whispered to Michelle. "fine, I'm an entertainer."
"what kind of entertainment. Just these shows?" Lance asked.
"no, i do other shows. We have these polynesian luahs and me AND MICKEY dress up in the grass skirts and bikinis and dance with a group of hawaiian belly dancers." Lily said. Joey coughed.
"are you serious?" he asked, stunned. Michelle giggled.
"yep. but Lily's only telling you the part-truth. ow!" Michelle cried when Lily elbowed her. "see, Lily is the head belly dancer. Cuz she's the best. We are merely her back up dancers. I mean she is good. SHe puts Shakira to shame!" Michelle boasted.
"i'm not that great, Mickey you're blowing this out of proportion." Lily blushed. "i dance so i can make some extra money. Doing one show a day doesnt really pay alot, especially living in Orlando."
"AND having a private beach condo on a private beach AND having to pay payments on a 2002 BMW convertible AND-" Michelle pointed out.
"okay Mickey enough." Lily snapped. The guys were staring at her. "what?"
"Do you really make that much money working here?" Chris asked.
"no way," Michelle snorted. "i dont have anything like that. I just deal with living in orlando and thats hard enough! The beach house was given to Lily by her father, and she's driving her mom's BMW, which was given to her too, Lily sold her mustang to pay off some of the car. And do you see how perfect this girl's hair and nails are? She goes to the salon every other week." Michelle boasted.
"MICKEY!" Lily cried out.
"i'm sorry. I like to brag about the fact that my friend is loaded." Michelle shrugged.
"it's not a big deal. You're standing in front of a guy who bought his girlfriend a house, can fly around the world any time, and owns several BMWs. These guys bought new cars with their first paycheck! So I'm well-off. I didnt work for that money. It wasnt my choice to be given that money, mIckey. You know that, and you know why i dont like it brought up. If you want to brag, brag about knowing Justin or JC or Joey. They get their hair dyed a different color whenever they feel the whim, they can buy a new car if they get tired of the one they have now. They coudl save up for 6 months and bu a private jet if they wanted! SO, please Mick, dont brag on me." lily said quietly and walked off.