"I was thinking." Leslie said to Lance two months later.
" 'Bout what?"
"Well you know how in a week we'll be going to Virginia…"
"Yeah."
"Well, I was wondering if I could bring one of my other friends on tour for a week or two?"
"I think everyone would be cool with that, as long as you have room on the bus," he commented., "So, who are you gonna bring?"
"I was thinking of bringing my friend Erica, but that's Nicole's sister…so she wouldn't be fond of that. Then I figured I'd bring my best guy friend, Joel. I'm gonna call him later tonight."
"Cool."
"Well, I have to go to soundcheck."
"K. Do well. Oh, yeah. We might stop by and watch you guys today. We have to stop by and pick something up…I just can't remember what it is."
"Ok. Bye, Lance."
"Bye."
"Ok. Guys, this is Joel." Leslie said said one week later.
"Hi, Joel. I'm JC. This is Justin, Lance, Joey, and Chris." JC introduced himself and the other guys.
"Uh…hi," Joel replied. "Yeah. I know all about you guys. Leslie and Nicole talked about you all the time."
Nicole and Leslie both smacked Joel and he didn't say anything more.
"Come on. Let's go back to the hotel, now." Nicole commanded, walking towards the cars.
"Ok. The bitch wants to go. And you know we always have to follow the bitch's orders. So, let's go." Lance said.
Nicole shot him a death glare, and he smirked back at her. Leslie sighed heavily and crossed her arms. She looked at Lance; he shrugged.
"C'mon Joel. It's this way." Joel followed closely behind Leslie.
That night everyone went out to eat and they got to know Joel a little better. JC was getting jealous, because it seemed like Joel and Leslie were flirting non-stop all through dinner and clubbing later on. He didn't like that. He didn't like any guys getting that close to Leslie. Lance didn't seem too fond of Joel either. He told the rest of the guys that he just got some bad vibes from him.
Over the next week, Leslie could tell that JC and Lance didn't like Joel. She couldn't figure out why though. So she decided to confront them about it.
One day she pulled them into her room in the hotel mini-suite she shared with Nicole.
"Ok. So I've noticed you guys aren't that fond of Joel. Care to tell me why?" Leslie asked. "Lance?"
"I'm sorry. I just didn't get very good vibes from him." Lance told her his reason.
"That's stupid, but whatever. I don't know what it is with you. You just don't seem to like any of my friends, especially Nicole."
An unreadable expression flashed on Lance's face for an instant, and was gone as quick as it came. "I'm sorry. I don't do it on purpose." Lance apologized.
"What about you, JC?"
He didn't want to tell her the real reason, so he just adopted Lance's. "I didn't get good vibes either."
"Look, he's only gonna be here a few more days. So do you guys think you could be civil?" She asked with questioning eyes.
Lance and JC exchanged glances.
"Please." Leslie smiled sweetly.
"Sure, okay. I'll try." Lance said.
"Will you please try extra hard, Lance?" Leslie asked. "I know how you are with Nicole. You said you would try, and you two continue to argue. So promise me, you'll put aside your bad vibes for the next three days. That goes for both of you."
"I'll try my hardest." Lance said.
"What about you, JC?" Leslie looked at JC and smiled.
"Okay, I'll try."
"Thank you both, so much." Leslie stood up and gave both Lance and JC a friendly hug and peck on the cheek.
Three days later everyone gathered at the Sacramento Airport to see Joel off.
"I'll call you later, when I get home." Joel said.
"They're about to board your plane." Nicole said to Joel. She gave him a quick hug.
"I'm glad you made it down, Joel. I had a lot of fun." Leslie said.
"Me too." Joel gave a small grin. "When are you coming home?"
"In about two or so months." Leslie answered.
"Oh." Leslie and Joel hugged, and Joel gave her a kiss on the cheek. Leslie and Joel continued to embrace.
"I think it's time you got on your plane now, Joel." JC said quickly.
"He's right." Leslie pulled out of Joel's grasp. "You don't want to miss your plane."
"Nice meeting you all." Joel said to NSYNC. "Bye. I'll miss you, Leslie."
"I'll miss you, too."
"Can I have one last hug?" Joel asked. Leslie nodded. They began to close the gap between them.
"You know, I really think it's time he boarded his plane." JC repeated.
"Yeah well, bye Joel."
"Bye everyone." Joel began to walk down the runway, to find his seat on the plane.
"Let's go." Justin said.
"Wait! We have to wait 'till his plane departures the gate." Leslie said.
"K." JC mumbled. 'God, I'm glad he's finally gone.' He thought.
Seven days passed and now everyone was sitting around NSYNC's suite, just chillin' and watchin' TV. Nicole had been there for an hour and a half when her cell phone rang.
"Could someone get that for me, please?" Nicole asked since she wasn't anywhere near it. Lance, was actually the one who answered it for her.
"Hello?" He said into the phone.
"Hi, I thought this was Nicole's cell phone number. I'm sorry, I must have pushed a wrong button." The person on the other end said.
"Oh no, you're right. This is Nicole's phone. Here she is." Lance said, passing the phone to her.
"Hello?" Nicole asked.
"Hi, hunny." Nicole's Mom replied.
"Hi, Mom."
"Who answered your phone?"
"Oh, that was Lance."
"Isn't that the boy you liked a while a go?"
"Liked. Past tense. Long, long time a go."
"Why?"
"He is a total jerk now."
"Oh."
"So why'd you call?"
"I have some bad news."
"What is it?"
"Jasmine was chewing on some plant and swallowed something poisonous. She got really sick, and she passed away this morning."
"Oh my God…No…It can't be…But…But…I have to go, mom." Nicole hung up without even sayin' good bye, but knew her mother
would understand.
"Who was it?" Lance asked, looking at her. He noticed tears, waiting to fall, in her eyes.
"That was my mom. She said my cat, Jasmine, died this morning." She let some tears slide down her cheeks.
"Aww…Is the poor baby gonna cry 'cuz her precious kitty cat went to kitty heaven?" Lance asked sarcastically in a teasing tone. Nicole got up and walked towards him. He stood also. "I thought you hated your cat anyway!"
Nicole slapped him hard across the face. It was so hard that everyone else, who was in the kitchen, heard it.
"How can you be such a cold, insensitive, heartless dickhead?!! Why are you so mean to me anyway?!" Nicole screamed. She then fell to the floor when she saw Cali, Leslie's cat, jump onto the couch. Lance looked down at Nicole, who was now sobbing uncontrollably into the carpet. He felt so sorry for her. He kneeled down next to her on the floor. Lance pulled her into a hug to try to comfort her. He let Nicole cry on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Nicole. I didn't mean what I said. I didn't know it would upset you this much. It was just a joke," he apologized, rubbing his hand up and down her back in a comforting motion. For some reason, Lance's touch sent shivers down Nicole's spine. She dismissed the feeling and continued to cry into his broad shoulder.
"Why are you so mean to me, Lance?" NIcole whispered into his chest.
"Because you have this thing about you that just gets to me and makes me so frustrated sometimes." Lance replied. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up. Looking into her soft blue eyes he asked her, "Are you ok now?" in a gentle, caring voice.
Nicole nodded her head slightly. "I will be."
"Ok," he said.
Chris and Joey were watching them from the kitchen.
"Is it just me, or is there something going on between them?" Chris asked his friend in a whisper.
"Yeah. They would actually make a pretty cute couple if...." Joey replied in a hushed tone.
"If they didn't hate each other so much." Chris finished for him.
"Exactly." Joey agreed.