“Morning.” She yawned.
“Good morning. We’re at the rest stop.” JC greeted.
“What time is it?” Katlyn asked slowly sliding out of the small bed.
“It’s about five.”
Katlyn yawned again. She quickly slipped on her shoes and pulled on a sweater. Laura and Jackie were getting ready as well. Once they were all ready, they walked off of the bus into the cold morning. They quickly walked into the small store, instantly feeling the warmth. Everyone bought some coffee and something to eat. As Katlyn was paying, she noticed the newspaper. She grabbed it and paid for it. She quickly walked outside and sat down, flipping through it.
It had two pictures. One was taken at the tour starting party of her talking to JC, the other was of her and JC backstage. She immediately started reading it.
Two weeks ago the world was either happy or shocked with the news of the perfect couple splitting. Justin Timberlake, 20, and Katlyn Hart, 19, started dating over a year ago, but about six months ago is when the problems started. Ever wonder where the song ‘Gone’ came from? Timberlake wrote it after Hart had received a call from a young girl claiming to be Timberlake’s secret girlfriend. Hart immediately accused Timberlake of cheating and they were soon broken up. This was probably the time she secretly started dating Timberlake’s band mate and friend, JC Chasez. Timberlake and Hart worked things out and got back together, but where does that leave Chasez? Hart secretly continued to see Chasez as well. Hart accompanied the group to the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. After winning four awards, they had a reason to celebrate. At the after party, Hart danced with Timberlake most of the night, but had been seen dancing with Chasez as well. After the party, she said good night to Timberlake but minutes later was at Chasez’s door. A while later, she crept out and returned to her room.
Now supposedly, Hart had seen Timberlake kissing Hart’s friend, which was only partially true. Timberlake had not been cheating on Hart all along. The friend, who was a fan of Timberlake’s, had gotten a little too excited to see him. The phone calls? Just some crazy fan who got his number. Timberlake has been heart broken to the news of Hart and Chasez, which isn’t surprising consider they both now flaunt around him by cuddling and whispering to each other. Hart is still on the tour and Timberlake continues to stay distant from both Hart and Chasez. So, to the millions of fans out there: Timberlake needs some extra love and cheering up. And as for Hart, you should probably give her a piece of your mind and let her know that what she is doing is wrong. She is hurting him.
Katlyn set the paper down and passed it to Laura. “They’re trying to destroy me.” She put her head in her hands and started crying again.
“Kate? What’s wrong?” Joey asked walking by.
Jackie waved and mouthed, “Get JC.”
Joey nodded and ran to get JC.
“Hey, JC.” Joey said quickly. JC looked up. “Katlyn needs you.”
JC looked at Joey worried. “Is she ok?
“She’s crying...Jackie told me to get you.” Joey explained.
Justin looked up. “Why are you two so close all of a sudden if nothing is going on between you?”
JC rolled his eyes and started walking away. “Because she needs someone to talk too.” JC sat next to Katlyn and looked up at Johnny and Chris who were reading the newspaper. “Kate?” He whispered.
“It’s not true.” Katlyn whimpered. “None of it. They’re making him look like an angel and me like a devil! I hate this!”
Chris sat down next to Katlyn and wrapped an arm around his daughter.
“Do you wanna talk?” JC whispered.
“No.” Katlyn said still crying into her hands.
“Kate-“
“NO! I don’t want to talk about it! There’s NOTHING to talk about!”
“Kate, calm down.”
Katlyn jumped up and started running away from the group. “Leave me alone!”
Justin watched as she ran away and quickly ran over to the table. “What did you say to her?”
“Justin, go away.” JC said starting to follow Katlyn.
Justin stopped JC and pushed him back. “No I will not go away! I will talk to her.” He then took off to after Katlyn.
“Katlyn!” Justin called chasing her.
Katlyn recognized the voice, which made her run faster.
“Katlyn, wait!” Justin ran faster and caught her around the waist.
“Let me go! Don’t touch me!” Katlyn tried to break free.
Justin tightened his arms around her and waited for her to stop struggling.
“Don’t touch me!” She screamed. When he didn’t let her go, she kicked her foot back hitting Justin in a very sensitive area. He let go of her with a groan and bent forward. Katlyn turned around and backed away. “I warned you.”
Justin stood back up and took a deep breath. “Ow.”
“Leave me alone.” Katlyn said starting to walk away again.
Justin quickly walked over and grabbed her arm. “Wait.”
Katlyn swung around and slapped him. “I said DON’T touch me!”
Justin put his hand over his cheek. “Kate, please?”
“You’re fans...your fucking fans! They think you’re perfect!”
“Kate, you’re mad at me because of the fans?” Justin asked confused.
“Well that’s not the only reason. ‘Justin was innocent, Katlyn cheated on him’...’Justin was hurt, Katlyn hurt him’...’Justin is perfect, Katlyn is evil’! Do I LIKE your fans?! I use to, but they are about to KILL me!”
“I am hurt, Katlyn.” Justin said softly.
“But YOU cheated on ME!” Katlyn had rivers of tears flowing down her cheeks now.
“I didn’t cheat on you!” Justin said throwing his hands up in frustration.
“Right. I didn’t see you kiss her and I didn’t get those calls.” Katlyn turned to walk away but Justin grabbed her arm again. Katlyn turned around to slap him again, but he grabbed her wrist.
“Let go of her.” A voice said from behind them.
Justin turned around to see Chris standing there. His hand slowly let go of her.
“Katlyn, go back on the bus.” He said never turning his gaze off of Justin.
“Dad, I’m fine.”
“Katlyn, go get back on the bus.”
Katlyn slowly walked back to the bus. As soon as she was out of earshot Chris spoke up. “Justin, I had always helped you out. I didn’t tell her mother when you two started to go out, I supported it. Why? Because my daughter was happy. All I ever asked was that you didn’t hurt her.”
Justin looked down. “I’m sorry...it wasn’t my fault though.”
“Maybe so, but she’s hurt...crying almost always. She’s falling apart.” Chris took a deep breath. “I know I’m your manager, but she’s my daughter, and you hurt her.”
“I’m sorry. I’m trying to make it better.”
“Do me a favor and stay away from her for awhile. JC is her FRIEND, he’s trying to help.”
Justin nodded. “Ok.”
“We need to get going...get on your bus.” Chris said dismissing him.
Justin sulked away on to his bus.
Katlyn reached over and grabbed her ringing phone. “Hello?”
“Hey Katlyn! How’d you like the article?” The voice spoke.
Katlyn sat up more. “Who is this?”
The voice laughed. “Now why would I tell you that?”
“So how did you get the New York Times to believe that article?”
“I had two pictures of the two of you.”
“How did you get the pictures?”
“Hmmm...let’s see...doesn’t your friend take pictures?”
Katlyn looked to the front of the bus where Laura sat laughing with Jackie.
“She’s been a real help...with the story too.”
“But none of it is true!”
“That’s not what the fans think.” The voice sang.
Katlyn opened her mouth to say something, but a cry came out instead. She ended the call and through the phone against the wall breaking it. Jackie and Laura stopped their laughing from the front of the bus and looked at Katlyn in the back of the bus.
“You ok, Kate?” Laura asked.
Katlyn started crying into her hands. Jackie and Laura ran to the back.
Jackie looked at the broken cell phone lying on the ground. “Everything ok?”
Laura sat down next to her. Katlyn quickly ran to the front of the bus.
“Stop this bus and make the others stop!” Katlyn yelled at the bus driver.
“We can’t.” Dave, the bus driver said.
“Stop it!” Katlyn cried.
Dave got on the walkie-talkie and told the other buses to pull over. Once all the buses were stopped, Katlyn ran out and jumped on the bus that JC was staying on. Jackie and Laura chased her. JC was walking to the front to see why the buses had stopped when Katlyn ran into him, rapping her arms around his neck and crying on his shoulder. He looked at Jackie and Laura and they both shrugged.
JC rubbed her back. “Kate, what’s wrong?”
Katlyn leaned up and whispered in his ear. “Get them off this bus.”
JC looked up at Jackie and Laura again. “Who? Your friends?” He whispered.
Katlyn nodded. JC sat Katlyn down and walked over to Jackie and Laura. He quietly talked to them and they exited the bus. Within minutes the buses were moving again.
“Kate? Are you going to tell me what happened?” JC asked softly.
Katlyn looked up at Lance and Joey and then to JC. “Laura is helping.”
“Helping what?” Lance asked.
“The pictures in the newspaper...they’re hers.”
“How do you know?” JC asked.
“I got a call...from the person doing this...she said my friend was taking the pictures...it makes sense, Laura has been at all the places the pictures are from.”
JC sighed.
“I broke my phone.” Katlyn said quietly.
“Why?”
“I didn’t mean too. After hearing that, I was so mad I threw it, and it broke.”
“We’ll get you a new one.”
JC’s phone started ringing. “Hello?”
“Is she ok?” Justin asked worried.
JC got up and walked in the back. “She’s fine.” He said softly.
“Why did she run on to your bus?”
“She was having some problems on her bus.”
“What kind?”
“We’ll talk about it later.”
“No! JC tell me!”
“Not right now. You can hear when I’m telling Chris and Johnny.”
“What is going on?”
“Good Bye.” JC said hanging up and walking back in the front.
Katlyn had her legs pulled up and was crying, Lance and Joey were on both sides of her trying to comfort her.
JC leaned down in front of her. “Do you want to watch a movie? Get some sleep?”
“My best friend...my best friend betrayed me. Where do I find these people?”
Lance rubbed her back and kissed her temple. “Don’t blame yourself.”
JC rubbed her knee, stood up and then sat on the couch behind him with a sigh.
An hour later they pulled up to the venue. The guys got out of their buses and waved to the fans that already were gathered. Katlyn got off the bus and went to her bus to get her stuff. She swung her bag over her shoulder and slowly walked to the backstage area. Katlyn avoided her friends and walked into the N SYNC toy room.
Justin looked up at her as she walked in.
Katlyn walked through the room and sat next to JC who was busy reading something over.
JC looked up. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Katlyn set her bag down.
“Do you wanna talk to Johnny and your dad about getting Laura off the tour?”
Chris turned around from the game he was playing. “Woah, did I miss something?”
JC nodded his head. “Yeah, a lot.”
Katlyn shook her head. “I guess...I just feel bad doing it.”
“But look what she did to you.”
Katlyn nodded and stood up. “Do you want me to get them?”
“Sure.”
Katlyn walked out of the room in search of her dad and Johnny. She found them talking to a couple people so she waited until they were finished. “Dad? Johnny? Me and the guys need to talk to you.”
They started walking with her. “Is everything ok?”
Katlyn shook her head. “Not really.”
They entered the room and sat down.
“Ok, I got a call earlier today from the person doing the articles. She was taunting me, but then the topic of how she got the pictures came up. It turns out Laura has been taking them.”
Everyone who didn’t know gasped. “Are you sure?” Johnny asked.
Katlyn nodded. “She’s been at all the places we’ve been at, she’s a photographer...”
Chris (K.) suddenly spoke up. “Wait, where were the pictures taken?”
“At the party and backstage after sound check when JC and I went out to talk.”
Chris sat thinking for a second. “It wasn’t her.”
Everyone looked up at him. “What do you mean?” JC asked.
“Laura didn’t have her camera at the party and she didn’t like her date, so she wanted me to stay with her...she didn’t take pictures. And the other day when you two were talking, she was in the toy room with us taking pictures of us. Laura didn’t take the pictures.”
“Well how would this person know that she takes pictures and is on the tour?” Katlyn asked.
“How do we know you’re not helping?” Justin accused Chris.
JC glared at him. “Justin, that’s not going to help.”
“It’s someone who knows about you...about us.” Lance added.
They sat thinking about who it could be.
Katlyn’s head shot up. “Oh my god....I can’t believe it was that obvious.”
Everyone turned to her. “Do you know who it is?” JC asked.
Katlyn jumped off the couch and ran out the door looking for Jackie and Laura. She crashed into them out of breath.
“Kate? Are you ok?” Laura asked.
Katlyn hugged them. “I am soooo sorry I was treating you guys like shit.”
Laura and Jackie looked at each other and then back at Katlyn.
“I know who’s doing it.” Katlyn said simply.
