“Ok, you guys have three hours to yourselves. Sound check is at five.” Johnny announced as they pulled up in front of the venue.
“I’m going to sleep…Can I stay on the bus?” Justin asked.
“No, you can sleep on one of the couches backstage.” Johnny said getting off the bus.
The guys got off the bus and walked in the venue. Joey and Chris went to find food while JC, Lance, Justin, and Katlyn went to the N SYNC ‘toy room’.
Katlyn sat down on one of the couches, seconds later, Justin plopped down beside her and used her lap as a pillow.
“Comfortable?” Katlyn laughed. Justin just nodded his head and closed his eyes. Katlyn rubbed his head as he drifted off to a peaceful sleep. Two and a half hours later he woke to laughter. By the looks of it, the laughter was because of something Chris did.
Katlyn looked down from her laughter and smiled at Justin’s sleepy/confused face.
“Hey cutie.” Katlyn whispered to him.
“Mornin’, Angel.” Justin groaned sitting up.
“Morning? Babe, it’s four thirty in the afternoon.” Katlyn softly laughed.
“You know what I mean.”
“Guys, sound check in a half an hour.” Johnny said walking in the room. All the guys groaned. “Don’t give me that.”
The guys got up and started getting ready for sound check. At five the guys go on the stage while Katlyn went to sit in her spot in the audience.
“What do you mean?” She heard her dad’s voice grow as he talked. “What?…I’m sorry…what did it say?….what do you mean ‘which one’?…All of those?…Shit!…No, I’ll talk to her.” Katlyn turned and saw her dad walking towards her. “Katlyn, we have a problem.” He sat down next to her. “That was your mom. You’re mom saw the paper.” Katlyn nodded her head sadly. “You and Justin are in every newspaper in Florida. Each one has a different picture of you two holding hands....You’re mother is extremely pissed at both you and me. She wants to talk to you.”
Katlyn felt tears coming. The news was spreading fast, and now her mom knew.
“I’m sorry dad.” She said softly.
“It’s not your fault, Kate.” Her dad comforted her.
“Katlyn, are you ok?” She heard Justin say in the mic. Katlyn nodded her head. “Are you sure?” She nodded her head again.
“Let’s go back to the hotel so you can call your mom.” Her dad said getting up. Katlyn got up and left with her dad.
The drive to the hotel was quiet, it was even quieter as they stepped in the hotel room. Katlyn picked up the phone and called home.
“Hello?” Someone answered.
“Hey, Michelle. Is mom there?” Katlyn said a little scared.
“Katlyn? What is going on?! Everyone is talking about you.” Michelle said.
“I know. Can I talk to mom?” Katlyn asked again.
She heard the phone being handed over. “Katlyn, you want to tell me something?” Katlyn went to answer, but her mom kept talking. “I told you NOT to talk to them for THIS reason. Why didn’t you listen to me?”
“I’m sorry mom.” Was all Katlyn could say.
“Sorry? You shouldn’t be apologizing to me…it’s your life!”
“But mom-“
“No buts Katlyn! I’m tired of hearing it. I told you something and you went AGAINST me!”
“I’m sorry.” Katlyn said in a whisper.
“I know you will be…You’re coming home!”
Katlyn was shocked. “What?”
“You…are…coming…home…now. Did you get that?”
“But why?” Katlyn stumbled out.
“You know why. You’ll be on a plane tomorrow morning.”
“Mom! You can’t do that!”
“I can and I did.”
Katlyn broke down in tears and dropped the phone. She ran to her bed and cried into her pillow. She heard her dad pick up the phone and talk. Then after he hung up he walked over to her.
“Katlyn? I’m sorry hunny. I’ll try to work something out.” He dad tried comforting her. “Go stay with Justin tonight.”
Katlyn was surprised he would say that, but grateful.
Katlyn cried in Justin’s room for a couple hours. She looked at the picture she had given him that was sitting by his bed. Finally Justin walked in.
“Hey Katlyn! What…are you doing in here?” He said worried when he noticed her crying.
“Justin.” She said in a whisper, then she sprang off the bed in tears and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was speechless, all he could do was hold her and rock her back and fourth. Minutes later she stopped.
“Baby, what’s a matter?” Justin whispered in her ear.
Katlyn took a deep breath and then broke down into tears again.
“Katlyn, you’re scaring me....This isn’t because of the newspaper the other day is it?”
“NO. That’s NOT it, Justin!” Katlyn suddenly exploded.
“Then, what?” Justin asked nervously.
“My mom saw the pictures. They’re everywhere in Florida…She wants me to go back home.”
“Well, you’re not, right? I mean, you’re dad’s here.”
“No.” Is all she said sadly.
“Wh…When do you leave?” Justin said holding in tears.
Katlyn hesitated. “Tomorrow morning.”
All Justin could do was hold her tighter.
“Justin, don’t act like I’m leaving, let’s just spend the night together, happy.”
They curled up on the bed together and talked. While Katlyn slept in his arms, Justin quietly cried thinking about life without her.
The next morning Katlyn woke up still in Justin’s sleeping arms. She quickly and quietly struggled escaping Justin’s grip. She tiptoed to her room, where she grabbed some of her clothes and then went back to Justin’s room. She took a quick shower and changed. As she walked around Justin’s bed, she noticed the pained look on his face. She leaned down and kissed his cheek.
“Its going to be ok, Justin.” She whispered. The look somewhat disappeared.
She quietly left the room again and walked to her dad’s room.
“Dad, when does the plane leave?” Katlyn asked into the room.
“We’re leaving in an hour.” Her dad answered.
Justin woke up expecting to see Katlyn, but didn’t. “Katlyn?”
He got up and looked around the large hotel room. “Katlyn?” He said louder.
“Oh no, she left!” He said worried.
He ran out into the hall. “Katlyn? Chris? Johnny?!” He yelled.
Katlyn and Chris came running out of their room along with Johnny.
“Justin, what’s wrong?” Katlyn asked worried.
Justin ran up to her and hugged her tightly. “I thought you left.”
Katlyn wrapped her arms around his waist. “Not for another hour.”
The other guys had gathered in the hall when they heard Justin scream.
“What’s going on?” JC asked.
Katlyn turned to face the other four faces, which she had grown to love.
“I’m going back to Florida.”
“But…why?” Chris asked disappointed.
“My mom found out about us…” She pointed to herself and Justin. “She’s extremely mad at me and wants me to come home immediately.”
Everyone stood speechless. They noticed the pain look on both Justin and Katlyn’s face.
“So, when are you leaving?” JC finally spoke up.
“In an hour.”
“Well, why don’t we get our good bye’s over with so you can spend time with Justin?” JC suggested.
Katlyn nodded and walked over to them.
She hugged JC first. “Make sure to call all the time. This won’t be good bye forever.” He whispered in her ear.
“I will and I know. Have a great rest of the tour. I’ll miss you.” JC kissed her cheek and she moved on to Joey.
“I’ll miss having such beauty on our bus.” Joey whispered.
“And I’ll miss you’re little annoying flirty self.” She hugged him and moved to Chris.
“I can’t believe you have to go. That’s one less person I have to annoy.”
She smiled. “I’ll miss you too.” She hugged him and moved to Lance.
“Thanks for bringing some joy to this tour. We better hear from you.”
“I’ll call you everyday, ok?” Lance smiled and hugged her. She gave them one last look and turned to Justin.
Justin wrapped his arm around her and walked with her back into his room. They sat starring at each other for a few minutes.
“This tour won’t be the same with out you, Kate.” Justin finally said.
That was all it took for Katlyn to brake down and cry. Justin wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his chest.
“I hate this, Justin.” She cried.
“So do I.” Was all he managed to get out.
“If it wasn’t for the stupid press, my mom would’ve never found out!”
Justin kissed the top of her head. “The tour is half way through.”
“Not that it would help…my mom won’t let me see you again.”
They sat in each other’s arms talking for the rest of the time. An hour later, her dad knocked on the door.
“Time to go.” He said when the door was open.
Katlyn nodded her head and turned around. “Justin, we’re leaving.”
Justin walked over and her dad looked at them sadly.
“Um…Justin can’t go with us.”
Katlyn looked up shocked. “What?! He has to come!”
“I know this is hard for both of you, but the press is already attacking…it will be better for both of you.” Her dad tried to explain. “I’ll give you guys five minutes to say your good byes now.” Her dad walked out of the room.
Katlyn looked at Justin, who was on the verge of tears.
“I’ll call you as much as possible.” Katlyn finally said.
“Which phone should I call when I want to talk to you?” Justin asked.
“Either my cell or my personal phone. You have both numbers, right?”
Justin nodded his head. “I’m going to miss you.”
Katlyn wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. “I’ll miss you too.” Justin tightened his arms around her waist.
Katlyn put her cheek on his chest, and tightened her arms around his neck.
“Katlyn?” Justin whispered.
“Yeah?” She said looking up.
Justin lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. They kissed for a brief second and then pulled away.
“I’ll call you as soon as I get home.” Katlyn said softly.
Justin nodded his head and kissed her softly. Katlyn hugged him again and left, leaving him behind. She stepped into the hall and saw her dad talking to Johnny. She slowly walked up to them.
“Hey, Kate. We’ll miss you here.” Johnny said.
“I’m sorry about this whole mess.” Katlyn said sadly.
“It’s not your fault, the guys are allowed to have lives.”
“So are you ready?” Her dad asked.
Katlyn nodded and picked up some of her bags and started walking down the hall.
“Katlyn! Wait!” Justin yelled running down the hall.
Katlyn turned around. “What’s a matter?”
“Take this.” Justin said holding out his hand to reveal a ring.
“What is it?”
“It’s one of my rings.” He said placing it on the finger next to her other ring.
“But, why?” Katlyn asked shocked looking at it.
“Just so you can think of me.”
“I don’t need a ring to do that.”
“Just take it.”
“Thanks.” She said hugging him again.
Katlyn picked up her bags and followed her dad-one of the hardest things she had to do.
