Chapter
10: Fan Mania.
"Right we've picked out six winners
for this competition!" Clare informed the guys as they all gathered in
the boardroom for their meeting.
The boardroom was located
on the 1st floor, it was where the staff of the fan club gathered at least
once a week so they could discuss any news, releases, schedules, tours
or promotional suggestions.
"Finally!" Libby exclaimed
as she yawned and clapped a hand over mouth to disguise it.
"So who are they and how old
are they?" Chris asked eagerly.
"Steady tiger! Remember the
competition was only for girls between 13 and 18, you're 27, which makes
you too old to date any of them!"
Clare smiled, "Okay, the winners
are Sharice, who's 14 from New York, Kate, 15 from Hawaii, Elise, 14 from
Missouri, Amanda, 15 from California, Chrystal, 14 from Utah and Rachel,
16 from right here in Orlando."
"You'll meet them at the restaurant
where we've booked a private room, spend a few hours talking shop… whatever.
You'll give them a few signed pictures, CDs and a T-shirt and then you'll
say goodbye. We put them up in a hotel for the night then they go home."
"It sure doesn't seem like
a lot considering all the hard work we've put into it but it should be
enough to keep them happy!" Clare said as she collected her papers together.
"So are you comin' with us?"
JC asked the girls.
"Eh… nah! It's not something
I think I want to be subjected to, thank you very much! All that fan hysteria
would make me bring up my lunch!" Clare responded.
"Oh Christopher, how I love
you sooo," Libby began running over to where Chris sat on the big oval
table, "That beard makes you look so much like a man. I think I want your
children!"
"Yeah, alright then!" Chris
said jumping down from the table. He grabbed Libby by the wrist and dragged
her out the room, "Carry on you guys, this could take some time!"
"Nah! I doubt it Chris, or
don't you know why your last girlfriend dumped you!" Justin shouted after
him. Everyone fell about laughing at Justin's comment as an embarrassed
Libby ran back into the room.
"Oh come on Lib, I didn't
get started yet!" Chris said following her at a slower pace.
"No please, torture is not
in my life plan!" she said back playfully as she hid behind Justin for
protection.
"If I hold her down you can
torture her!" Justin said to Chris before he turned to face the young woman.
"Timberlake, don't you…" Libby
started stepping away from him.
"Dare?" he questioned.
Libby shook her head, she
knew if she dared him that it was as good as done. In their past games
of truth or dare Justin nearly always took the dare. He avoided the truth
aspect of the game like the plaque in case he was asked to reveal his feeling
for Libby.
"Don't or I'll… I'll…"
"You'll what?"
"I'll… oh I dunno, but you
will regret it!"
"Curly save yourself, that
threat could mean she'll… look at you!" Chris joked.
"Well that's a scary concept
all by itself!" Clare said with a smile.
"Help me Clare!" Libby yelled
as Justin dawned on her.
"Sorry JC is the killjoy!"
Justin walked up and put Libby
over his shoulder.
"Traitor!" she screamed at
Clare as Justin headed toward the door, "I'll get you for this."
"Oh yeah, and when will that
be?"
"You gotta sleep sometime!"
And with that Justin was gone.
Joey, Chris and Lance were
curious as to what Justin was up to so they followed him. Once they were
all inside the enclosed space of the elevator the young man, who still
had Libby perched on his shoulder, press the lobby button.
"Justin put me down or I swear
I'll burn your collection of sneakers!" Libby shouted as she wriggled and
hit him in the back.
"Oooh. Tough words for one
so helpless!" Lance said with a smirk.
"I'll show you helpless when
I get down from here!"
The elevator doors opened
and Libby began to fear what Justin had planned for her.
"Okay Curly, time to put me
down now!" she exclaimed.
"Not just yet." He replied.
Libby realised that she was
now outside at the back of the building. Justin stopped in front of the
pool and signalled to the others what his plan was.
"So how 'bout you put me down
now?" Libby suggested.
"You wanna get down?" Justin
asked her.
"Nah! I like having all the
blood rush to my head, it gives me such a buzz," she spat back sarcastically.
"She wants to get down. You
better do as she says!" Chris said taking a seat at the poolside.
"Are you sure you wanna get
down?" Justin asked her with a mischievous smile.
"Put me down already!" Libby
screamed.
"Okay but just remember, you
asked for this!"
Justin set Libby down onto
her feet directly in front of him. She reached out to hit him unaware that
she was just inches away from the pool, suddenly she lost her balance and
fell backward. She hit the water with a loud splash!
~~~~~*~~~~~
"So you speak to your ex yet?"
Clare asked JC as they walked through the corridors to get to her office.
"Yeah, I went 'round to see
her yesterday." He replied with a weak smile.
"And what she say?"
"She didn't go to the papers."
"Oh so that's why it was plastered
on the front page of every one all across the State!"
JC looked at her disapprovingly
as she opened her office door and walked inside.
"Oh and don't tell me, you
actually believe her!" Clare spat out sarcastically.
"It isn't like her to do something
like that!"
"Now are you judging by the
girl you knew or do you actually think there isn't a possibility she could've
changed?"
"She hasn't changed, not as
far as I can tell."
"So genius, how did it get
into the papers or didn't she actually give you an explanation?"
"She was telling her sister
and her sisters friend was there. The friend told the press not Alyson!"
"So Alyson told her sister
all the gory details, did she?"
"Alyson told her sister she'd
met up with me yeah."
"So how did the friend get
hold of the detailed account?"
JC shrugged.
"You know I haven't got a
sister but even if I did, that kind of thing is personal and you don't
share it with the family. What kind of person shares details of intimacy
with a sister?"
"You shouldn't judge her,
she's a really nice person."
"So why d'ya break up then?"
"She got a job out in New
Jersey. We kept it going but we just drifted apart, there was too much
distance between us. We stayed friends and called each other every day
but it soon turned into weeks and months before we stopped calling all
together."
Clare looked at JC; she could
see the pain in his eyes and knew it still hurt him when he talked about
it. Realisation hit her hard; he still had strong feelings for her.
Chapter
11: Date Night.
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