Chapter 1:Here We Go. "That guy is unbelievable." Libby practically screamed in frustration as she slammed Clare's office door behind herself and leaned up against it.
Clare looked up from behind her desk, where she was working on her lap top, at her best friend, she'd seen this performance a thousand times before so she knew who that guy was, "What has Dan done now?" she asked Libby as she looked back at the computer's screen.
Clare and Libby had been friends for eight years, since Libby had been 10 and Clare had been 14, but they'd only started working together eighteen months ago. Clare had recommended her friend for the position of Vice Principal within the fan club, where she'd been given the job of Principal six months previous to that.
They had both lived in the UK until then but when Clare was offered the job she knew she had to take it even if it did mean moving to Orlando, Florida, leaving her mom and two elder brothers behind.
Libby had moved with her because since her mom remarried, the year before, she'd felt invisible and with her elder twin brothers moving out of the country, one to Germany and the other to Canada, Clare was the only thing she'd got left close to family. So not only were the two girls best friends and colleagues but they were flatmates too.
Libby sighed as she moved over to the couch in the corner of the room, and sat down, "Isn't breathing enough?" she snapped.
"Tell me what he's done," Clare said as she pushed her chair from beneath herself and made her way over to where Libby sat, "It could help to talk about it," she said crouching down in front of the distraught young woman.
Libby huffed as she cut her green eyes in Clare's direction and ran her hand through her short blonde hair before resting her head in her hands. Clare knew that meant she'd had enough, this was their fifth fight in as many days.
Libby had started dating Dan six months ago when they'd met at a club, which was a regular hang-out for them and the people they worked with, despite everybody's better judgement. Everyone she knew had told her about Dan's bad reputation with women. Libby had thought she could change that, so her friends decided to let her find out for herself only to be there for her, if and when she needed them. Even with their constant arguing Libby had stuck with Dan. The past month the fight's had been more frequent and much more serious each time so Libby was finding Dan more intolerable than usual.
"I can't talk about it at the moment, I'm too angry to even say his name without wanting to rush over to see him just so I can rip his head off and then stuff it so far up his ass that he's digesting it for week's." Libby responded angrily.
Clare couldn't help but smirk as she saw her office door open. She straightened up and made her way back to her desk as the five members of 'N Sync piled into her office.
Clare had many jobs and looking after the men that made up the group being one of the most important, that's how they'd all become such good friends.
"Don't you know how to knock anymore?" Libby snapped at the youngest member as he sat down next to her.
Justin Timberlake was 6 ft tall with clear blue eyes and dirty blonde hair, which was highlighted. He was popular with the fans, being 18, and always knew how to wind-up the females that he worked with.
"Woo-ho! 'Sup with you Sniper?" Justin asked nudging Libby.
He called her Sniper because of her likeness to the gun, if her trigger was pulled and she was to hit you, she could have your head off. She had the shortest fuse of both girls and if she was in a bad mood or just having a bad day, everyone knew about it.
"I'm not in the mood for you right now Timberlake!" Libby said before getting up from her seat, walking through the other four members of the group and then out of the office, slamming the door behind her.
"What’s eatin' at her?" Chris asked Clare as he sat on the couch.
Christopher Kirkpatrick was 27, the eldest of them all and the most outrageous, always willing to try new things and the braids in his dark brown hair were his latest craze. No one was ever surprised at the thing's he tried, he was spontaneous and that was what made him who he was.
"Can you not guess?" Clare asked in reply as she tapped away at the keys on her laptop.
"Dan?" Lance asked already knowing in his own mind that he was right.
Lance Bass was the shyest member of the group. His green eyes and dirty blonde hair made him irresistible to the ladies but he was never fully confident around them.
"Ya huh... another fight!"
"So how many does that make this week?" Joey asked sarcastically.
Joseph Fatone was the funny one in the group; he always liked to make people laugh and succeeded at it most of the time. He was also the ladies man out of them all, he liked women enough to feel the need to flirt with every female he came into contact with. It was a natural reaction upon meeting them. He had been doing it for so long that it was a habit he was finding impossible to break. Even Clare and Libby had been subjected to it when they first met him, two years ago.
"That guy has done nothin' but treat her bad since the day they hooked up," Justin said as he stood up and started to pace the room, "She needs to kick that loser to the curb and get a guy who will treat her right."
Chris smiled at the youngster, the member's of the group all knew how Justin felt about Libby but he was too shy to let her know and he wasn't one to hit on another guy's girl even if he did think the guy was a jerk.
"What is it about this time?" JC asked as he sat by Chris on the couch.
Joshua Chasez had blue eyes and brown hair. He was the serious one in the group and felt like it was his responsibility to look out for everyone. His father had always drummed into him that you treat people the way you want to be treated and they were word's he lived by. His parent's had brought him up to take care of the people around him and he was grateful to them for making that a part of who he was.
"How am I supposed to know that Shazam? You guy's came in before she could tell me." Clare replied with a smile.
There was a short silence as Justin stood leaning against the back wall thinking about Libby and Dan; silently hoping their relationship was going to come to an end. As Clare tapped at the keyboard, Chris got up to look over her shoulder to see what she was working on and Joey and Lance joined JC on the couch.
"So what are we up to today?" Clare asked as she pulled the top down on her computer so Chris couldn't read the screen.
"I didn't know you kept a diary!" he stated changing the subject. "There are a lot of thing's you don't know about me Kirkpatrick!"
"Oh yeah, like what?"
"Oh and I'm supposed to think of something that would be of interest to you, just like that." she responded as she clicked her finger's.
"Can you cook?" Joey asked in the hope of getting a dinner invitation.
"Trust you Super brain!" Lance exclaimed as Clare stood up and walked around to the front of her desk.
"Scoop, you know that if Joey isn't eating, he's either thinkin' about food or he's talkin' about it!" Chris said with a smile.
"Yes Joey I can cook" Clare said with a smirk as she folded her arms across her chest and perched on her desk.
"So how come, all the times we 'bin to your pad in two years, you never once cooked for us?" Joey asked pushing for an invite.
"Because, dear Joseph, I wouldn't cook enough. I know I'm used to catering for a large family but with you on the guest list, there would be no food for everyone else."
Joey ignored her sarcasm and walked over to her desk, "So what kinda thing's d'ya put in your diary?" he asked.
The guys had nicknamed her Giddy because she was always busy working, moving from place to place.
"There is a reason that it's called a diary... to signify privacy. Therefore whatever is put into it is kept away from people that you don't want to know your thought's... there lying the term private, as in 'not for your eyes'."
"I saw my name on the screen just now." Chris said from where he still stood behind her desk.
"And what do you think that means? Nothin', not did-a-lee-squat... there are thousand's of Chris' all over the world and I know at least three of them."
"I don't care what you say, I know you write about me in there."
"Maybe I do, but don't get too excited... I only write about how hard it is to stop myself throwing up my breakfast every mornin' once I've seen your ugly mug." Clare responded playfully as she continued to look to the back of the room where Justin was now sat on the floor, still leaning against the wall.
Joey smiled, "So am I in here?" he asked lifting the top on the computer. Realising there was nothing on the screen a puzzled look appeared on his unshaven face.
Clare stood up and looked at the confused man with a smile, "Automatic shut off Joe... you need a six letter password. Do you know what it is? I don't think so!"
"So am I in there?"
"I bet we're all in there." JC said from the couch.
"And who asked you?"
"I think JC is right or why else would she be this defensive?" Lance said throwing in his two cents.
"I think she writes about her secret fantasy's in there," Chris began, "and I bet we're all a part of it!"
"And you would be so wrong!" Clare said defending herself, "You know I never really thought you guys were bigheaded, I guess a girl can make mistakes, huh?"
Before the men had a chance to respond, the phone on Clare's desk rang.
"Hi," Clare said putting the receiver to her ear, "WHAT!" her mood changed instantly, "No, there's a restraining order on them, didn't you see the picture's? well it's no good after you let them through, is it? Get them off the premises now, before your both out of jobs," she sighed and shook her head as she slammed the phone down.
"What was all that about?" Chris asked curiously, he was used to hearing her yelling down the phone but he'd never heard her threaten their jobs before so he knew this had to be serious.
"Remember those fans that almost tore Lance and Joey limb from limb last year?" she asked them all.~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~ It was after a concert they did in New York.
When JC, Justin and Chris had gone into the dressing room to change, they'd heard giggling and were quick to conclude they weren't alone. Knowing if they undressed any further, they'd be prosecuted for indecent exposure, they escorted the fans out of the private room. But as the girls had caught sight of Joey and Lance they wriggled free and jumped on the unsuspecting two before trying to shed them of their clothes and jewellery. Joey had clutched his diamond encrusted Superman chain for dear life, it was his prized possession and he'd gotten a broken wrist along with some cuts and bruises. Lance had just tried his best to stay fully clothed and had gotten a nosebleed and a broken arm.~~~~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~~~~ "They're here," she continued, "There are pictures of them all over the cabin… they're both either blind or stupid."
"Or both." Libby said as she walked into the room unaware of who she was insulting and why.
Justin looked up at her with a brief smile as the thought's he'd been having about her and Dan were immediately locked away in the back of his mind.
"Sup?" she continued to find out what was going on.
"The two security guys at the gate have just let the two fans from New York onto the premises." Clare replied as she moved over to the window in her office that overlooked the front of the building.
"But isn't there a…."
"Restraining order? Yeah. Come on let's get down there before they make to the front doors."
"I'm in exactly the right mood for this." Libby said with a mischievous smile as she rubbed her hands together. Clare smiled, "If I'd 'ave known before I took this job that I'd have to put my ass on the line to protect yours," she said looking in Justin's direction as she walked across the room to the door. "I wouldn't 'ave taken it because in reality, you're all really not worth it."
As she finished her and Libby walked out of the office. Justin rested his head back and sighed, "Why does everyone got a problem with me today?"
"Because you are the problem, little one." Chris replied with a smile.
JC smiled at Justin's despair and got up from his seat to look out of the window, "I gotta see this."
"It could get ugly." Lance said getting up and following JC to the window as Justin got up to his feet and joined them.
"Password… password… I need a password," Joey said as he sat in front of Clare's laptop, "Err… 'N Sync…"
"That's only five letters… dumbass." Chris said as he looked over his colleague's shoulder.~~~~~ A While Later ~~~~~ JC, Lance and Justin moved away from the window to signal that the show was over.
"Watch out Super Joey… Giddy is on her way back up," Chris warned him, tapping him on both shoulders from behind, "she sees you tryin' to get into her diary we'll be looking for a replacement by the end of the week."
As Chris walked over and sat on the arm of the couch next to JC, who had sat down with Lance and Justin, Clare and Libby walked back into the office laughing.
"But we know Justin," Clare said mimicking one of the fans before continuing to mimic Libby, "Well, then visit him at home."
"They didn't seriously think we'd swallow that crap, did they?" Libby asked in disbelief as she looked around to see the five guys of 'N Sync looking back at her. "Jeez, are you still here?" she asked as she made her way over to the chair in front of Clare's desk and sat down. "Don't you have anything better to do than hang around here?"
Clare made her way over to where Joey sat behind her desk, he'd replaced the top on the computer so she wouldn't suspect what he'd been doing, "Okay Fat One, outta my seat, I've got work to do!" she said as she flicked the top of his ear.
"Oww! That hurt!" Joey responded cupping his ear with his hand.
"It was meant to, now up!" Libby smiled as Joey slowly got out of Clare's chair and made his way over to the rest of the group, with his bottom lip pouted.
"I'd better get back to it too," she said with a sigh as she stood up and turned to her friend, "We've had 100 application's this mornin' for membership to this fan club. You'd think they'd have more sense and join the Backstreet Boys fan club instead!"
"What? You mean this isn't the Backstreet Boys fan club, these guys aren't BSB?" Clare teased as she started up her computer, "Oh my God! I'm working for the wrong group!"
"Ooh, that hurt." Joey said as he grabbed his stomach and fell to the floor in a heap.
"Kevin would you please get up off the floor." Clare continued as she watched Joey roll around.
She knew if she wanted to wind them up, to compare them to BSB. It bugged them that they'd get branded 'the new Backstreet Boys' everywhere they went, not because they hated the group or it's members but because they were 'N Sync and their own individual personalities made them much different to their friends in the business.
“Kevin huh?” Joey said getting to his feet.
“She’s dis’in ya’ man.” Chris said.
“That’s coming from the AJ wannabe.” Clare said to Libby who stood by the office door with a smile on her face.
“What d’ ya say we teach this girl a lesson.” Joey said turning to Chris as they walked around the desk where Clare sat, giving her no way out. She stood up and tried to escape over her desk only to be stopped by Lance who grabbed her by the shoulders and swept her feet from under her with his leg. She collapsed onto the floor. Lance followed her down and sat across her lap.
“Ger-off me, er… hey! Who are you anyways?” Clare asked playfully as he looked down at her, his hands resting on his thighs, “I don’t remember there being two blondes in BSB.”
“You asked for it!” Lance said as he began to tickle her.
“Come on… you know… how I… hate… being… tickled! “
“You brought this on yourself. Now… take it back!”
“No way, Nancy Boy.” She said wriggling helplessly trying to get free.
“I’m not gonna stop 'til ya’ take it back!”
“Lib… help me!” Clare tried to scream through her hysterical laughter.
Libby smiled as she stood in the doorway, she knew she should help her friend but she was having way too much fun watching the scene before her.
“ELI… ZA… BETH! “ Clare tried to scream angrily, but failing and bursting into another giggle.
Libby shrugged and made her way over to assist Clare. She took a couple of steps forward before Chris grabbed her from behind wrapped his arms around her chest and lifting her from her feet.
“Chris! “ Libby screamed, “Put me down… now! “
“No can do,“ Chris responded, “She must pay for her sins!”
“Okay… okay… I’m sorry… I take it back.” Clare said breathless from all the laughing she was doing.
“What do you take back?” Lance asked still tickling her.
“The sneakers, I got last week?”
“Say it. Say we’re not the Backstreet Boys.”
“You’re not… the …Backstreet… Boys.”
“You’re more like the Spice Girls,” Libby said only loud enough for Chris to hear. He squeezed her tighter around the chest, “Stop it! My boobs have only just grown to a decent size… do you mind not pushing them into my back!”
Justin and JC laughed at Libby’s remark before they turned their attention to Lance, “Who are we?”
“'N Sync! 'N Sync!” Clare said not being able to take the torture anymore, “Quit already… I said it… you’re 'N Sync!”
“There, see that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Lance asked as he stood up.
“Okay Christopher… time to let me down.” Libby said.
“Say, Chris is King!” Chris said with a smile.
“In your dreams! “
“Say it or you don’t get down”
“Yeah, whatever! You’re arms are gonna start to ache soon, so I can guarantee you’ll put me down before I say anything like that. My mother always told me never to lie.”
“Well, thanks for nothin’ Lib!” Clare said as she got her breath back and slowly got to her feet.
“Sorry, but I kinda got caught up in something else!” Libby said smiling sarcastically at her friend.
“Okay, you’re gettin’ heavy now” Chris said setting Libby back onto her feet.
“Thank you!” She exclaimed as she threw her hands in the air.
“So, who’s for some ballin’?” Justin asked picking up the basketball that they kept in Clare’s office for when they fancied a game.
The year before Clare had arranged to have a swimming pool built, a basketball court lay out and a games room extension added to the fan club grounds. Because when the guys weren’t touring, doing interviews, photo shoots, promotional work or rehearsals for the tour, they spent the little time they had around the building. So, to keep them occupied while she and Libby worked Clare thought it would be the best solution.
“Not me, I got work to do,” Libby said walking out of the room.
“Yeah, me too. Sorry guys.” Clare said trying to gain some dignity as she sat behind her desk.
“I’ll catch up,” Chris replied as he walked over and sat opposite Clare, “I wanna run somethin’ by Gid.”
“You know where to find us,” Joey said as he and the other three members of the group walked out of the room, closing the door behind them, leaving the two alone.
Clare looked up at the elder man, waiting for him to speak. After a few minutes, the silence began to eat at her, “okay Lucky, I don’t got all day so it’d be kinda nice if you’d hurry this along.”
“I’m finding myself attracted to this woman.” He said.
“And you thought you’d ask me for advise on this?”
“You think I should ask her out?” He asked not noticing the office door had opened while he’d been talking.
“What are you asking for her advice for?” Libby asked him as she over heard, “how many boyfriends have you seen her with over the past two years?”
As Chris shot around hearing Libby’s voice, Clare looked up at her and noticed JC had followed her into the room and over heard the comment…of all people to over hear why’d it have to be him? She retaliated with sarcasm immediately, “oh, and he’d be better asking for your advise would he Elizabeth?”
“Me? Hell no. I’m no good at taking advice, let alone giving it. Besides, my relationship is falling apart and I’m in love with a guy that’s too blind to see it…but, at least I've had boyfriends.” Libby said as JC walked over and placed his shirt on the couch.
“Oh yeah, and like I've got time for boyfriends,” Clare exclaimed defensively as she fidgeted in her seat, “I spend my life in this place, and when I’m not here, I’m at home sleeping. The only males I see are these guys” she said pointing to Chris and JC, “and they’re enough to put a girl off for life!”
Clare was defensive when it came to her love life, she hadn’t had many boyfriends because was always too busy. But that had been more of an excuse than a reason. She hadn’t had boyfriends because she was already truly, madly and deeply in love with someone… JC. He made her heart race, her knees tremble, and her head spin. He left her breathless but gave her the air she needed to breathe and he made her feel as free as a bird, but secure at the same time. He was someone she found it easy to confide in but telling him how she felt was frightening to her, she didn’t want to lose his friendship, she’d rather have that than nothing at all.
Libby smiled, being Clare’s best friend meant that they shared everything with each other, so she knew, “so you’re never gonna have a boyfriend then?” she asked playfully.
“Shut up you,” Clare scolded at Libby, “you’ve said enough.”
There was a short pause as Chris and JC tried to stop themselves from laughing aloud.
“I’m so glad my personal life is so amusing to you,” Clare said cutting her eyes at Chris, “so what d’ya want?” she continued snapping at Libby, “you didn’t come in here purely to insult me, I’m sure.”
“Of course I did, I get immense pleasure from winding you up,” she replied sarcastically, “Where’s the file with the competition entries in? I thought I’d go through of them.”
“In there,” Clare said calmly as she pointed to the storage cupboard at the back of her office, “I thought you had the membership applications to go through?”
“I did… but I gave them to someone else.” Libby responded as she disappeared into the cupboard to search for one of the files she needed.~~~~~*~~~~~ Justin was feeling sorry for himself, “why is it that when the women in this place have a problem, I’m the one who gets all the abuse?” he asked Joey and Lance as he bounced the basketball before throwing at the hoop.
They hadn’t got enough players for a game, so they were taking it in turns to shoot at the basket.
“It must be that face.” Lance said with a smile.
“What? That face, nah,” Joey said playfully, “it couldn’t be that face, not the face of one so young.”
“C’mon guys, I’m serious!” Justin exclaimed as he picked up the basketball and threw it at Joey, “every time I walk into a room that Libby’s in, she walks out. What’s the deal?”
“She’s in love with you.”
“She’s always down on me, and she wont stay ‘round me for longer than five minutes at a time… yeah, I can see how you came up with that.”
“I’m telling ya, that’s just her way of hiding it.”
“I can see the hate in her eyes whenever she looks at me.”
“She doesn’t hate you.” Joey said bouncing the ball toward the hoop before jumping up to sink it.
“So what would you call it?”
“It’s love, man.” Lance replied with a smile as Joey released the hoop and landed on his feet.
“No way you guys, you’re way off.”~~~~~*~~~~~ Libby walked back out of the cupboard as she read from the entry at the top of the file which she had open in her hands. The competition had been aimed for 11-18 year olds and a photo was requested along with a no less then twenty-word reason for wanting to meet the guys of ‘N Sync.
“What is it?” Clare asked curiously.
“I wanna date with ‘N Sync because JC is my life. I have posters of him all over my bedroom walls and he is always coming into my dreams at night.” Libby said trying hard not to laugh.
“Oh, so that's where you ‘bin goin’ at night.” Chris said to JC.
JC smiled, “I can’t help it… women find me irresistible.”
Libby walked over to him before she reached up and ruffled his hair with her fingertips, “I’m sure I could resist the temptation…your not that cute.“
“I’m sure a few thousand fans would disagree with you on that.”
“The possibility of getting my hand stuck in that gel pool on top of your head every time I touched it would turn me right off, it’s not something that attracts me to a man.”
“Thanks, I’m so touched.” JC said to her as she walked out of the office, leaving Clare alone with him and Chris.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Libby made her way through the hall thinking about Dan. Why am I taking this from him? Do I enjoy being mistreated or am I punishing myself for feeling the way I do about Justin? She had no answers but she was trying desperately to find out.
Since the day she’d met Justin, she’d found him attractive, who wouldn’t?
He had a gorgeous smile, the clearest blue eyes she’d ever seen and an athletic body to match. After a few months she’d realised he was the kind of guy who could smile and make her forget her problems. Who could joke about the worst situations and make her feel good. Who could sing and she’d get lost in his voice. Who could look at her and she’d feel a sense of being. As each day passed they’d get closer; they talked about everything, the group, the tours, their families, even past and present partners, except Dan. Justin never wanted to hear about Dan, but then she was never too thrilled to hear about the girls he was dating. She felt safe around him and realised after a brief Christmas kiss in their first year, she was falling in love but she could never tell him.
As Libby got into her own office and dropped the competition file down onto her desk, she glanced out of the window to see Justin, Joey and Lance on the basketball court. Her office overlooked the back of the building, she had taken it because it was the only office that was as big as the office Clare had and Libby needed the space.
A smile appeared on Libby’s face as she watched Justin slam dunk the ball in the basket and remembered back to when they first met.~~~~~ FLASHBACK ~~~~~ It had been four weeks since she had moved to Orlando before she got time to tag along with Clare to her office so she could meet the people she worked with… ‘N Sync. She’d seen them on TV and in magazines a couple of times but have really paid that much attention to them.
After a tour of the building Clare showed Libby to her office. Where they’d occupy themselves with work, creating colourful flyers for the recognition of the fan club, before the band showed up.
An hour later ‘N Sync walked into the room and Clare proceeded to introduce them all to Libby. As Justin shook her hand she looked into his eyes and noticed how soft and bright they were, he was much better looking in person. She smiled shyly realising immediately how firm but reassuring his handshake was and she knew instantly that he’d be a friend for life.~~~~~ END OF FLASHBACK ~~~~~ She watched him for a couple of minutes before she was startled by Clare walking into her office, “C’mon, we’re going ballin’” she said as she grabbed Libby’s hand and dragged her from the room.
Chapter 2: Let The Games Begin Back
