It was ten minutes before show time, and the five members of 'N Sync, as well as myself, Alex, and Briley were all ‘backstage.’ Briley was talking to JC, Chris, and Joey, while Lance and I were standing slightly away from the group, just standing and holding each other. Justin and Alex were also away from the group, holding hands and talking.
A roadie walked around, giving the guys their microphones. I began to walk away, but Lance pulled me back.
“What?” I asked.
“I need luck,” he answered and I knew what Lance was getting at. I took a step closer to him, stood on my tiptoes, and softly kissed him on the lips.
“Two minutes!” Their road manager yelled as he ran by.
“I’ll see you after the show,” I told Lance as Briley, Alex, and I went off in search of their families. No sooner had we found Lynn, Paul, Jon, and Steven Harless, Diane, Stacy, and Jami Bass, Phyllis, Joe, and Janine Fatone, Beverly, Molly, Emily, Kate, and Taylor Kirkpatrick, and Karen, Roy, and Tyler Chasez that the concert began. Five figures bounded out onto the stage.
During ‘God Must....’ Lance looked down and caught my eye, gave me a smile, and blew me a kiss. I don’t know why, but at that moment, I got the craving for a pickle. I wanted to go and find someplace where I could get one, but I didn’t want to miss ‘Sailing.’
Right after ‘You Got It,’ they sat down. JC took a drink of water and began to talk. “This next song is dedicated to someone very special in the audience. Her name is Kelly, and she’s one of our good friends... and just a bit more to Lance.” He paused. “See Kelly? We didn’t forget, so help make an ocean of people.”
“Everybody, we want to see you wave your hands in the air,” Joey instructed.
“Make an ocean of people,” Chris continued.
They began to sing and I got lots of smiles and winks during the song. Right after, I pushed through the crowd in search of someplace where I could get a pickle. Soon, I found a small food stand open where I could get one. By the time I arrived back with my group, I had finished eating it.
“Where did you go?” Briley asked.
“I wanted a pickle.”
“Where is it?” She asked.
“I ate it,” I answered. Briley laughed.
After the concert, Alex, Briley, and I ran into the five backstage... literally. Let’s just say that Chris and I had a head on collision. “OWWW!!” Chris yelled, which brought Lance, JC, Justin, and Joey running. Lance stood in front of me.
“Are you okay?” He asked, with a small smile.
“I’m fine,” I said, scrunching my face up in pain. He smiled and put an arm around me. Justin and Alex were also standing together only a few feet away. I then noticed Briley and JC. I smiled at his subtle way of flirting with her. He was draped over her shoulder, leaning on her. “Hey, JC, you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah... I’m just tired,” He replied. Chris and Joey were also standing near us.
“So, Kelly, where did you go during the concert? I mean, one second, we’re singing ‘Sailing,’ and your down in front helping to make the ‘ocean of people’ and then, we finish, and your gone,” Justin said, looking for an explanation.
“Well, have you ever gotten a craving for a pickle?” I got funny looks from everyone. “What? What’s so weird about that? I wanted a pickle!”
“Well, I personally haven’t ever gotten a craving for a pickle and all... and Kelly, this sounds kinda odd... but it’s the only thing I can think of...” Justin paused and grinned. “Are you pregnant?” He cast a quick smile at Lance.
“What?! No! What on earth made you think of that?” I exclaimed.
“Well... um... just odd cravings... in the middle of a concert, which is a pretty strange time to want a pickle...” Justin shrugged. “So, is this why Lance was so tired the other night?”
“Hey!” I yelled, punching him on the arm.
“Calm down,” Lance said, grabbing my wrist before I could punch Justin again.
“Well, dangit, what do you expect? I mean, hello, I am so not like that!”
“Yeah Kelly, calm down... all I did was imply that you and Lance...” Justin started.
“Justin, do you know how many people would take you seriously if they heard you?” I asked.
“No.”
“Well....” I thought for a second. “A lot! Let’s see, reporters and fans are the ones who beyond a doubt would!” I paused. “And let’s see here... his parents, my parents....”
“Your parents aren’t here,” Justin replied.
“That’s not the point!” I yelled. “Alex, please don’t get mad at me, but I think I’m going to have to seriously hurt your boyfriend!” But, Justin was kept safe by Lance, who was still holding on to my wrist, so basically, I couldn’t go anywhere.
“Guys, you better get on the bus,” Their road manager commanded, walking past. Some bodyguards had came over to us and were ready to walk them to where the bus was parked on the employees lot.
Once we had fought our way through the park and gotten on the bus and gotten settled, I suddenly said, “I want some peanut butter.”
“Peanut butter and pickles...” JC muttered.
“Kelly, are you sure you aren’t pregnant?” Alex asked, with a laugh.
“Yes!” I exclaimed. I put my head in my hands and sighed. I then looked up at the group, who were staring at Lance and I. “Can I tell you all something?” They continued to stare, while Briley nodded. “Okay... to get pregnant, you have to have sex.”
“Maybe so,” Chris replied, “but what about the other night? You two were in a hotel room... alone...”
“Chris! I hurt myself!”
“Yeah, sure you did,” he said. “I think it was just a cover up to get alone with Lance.”
“Oh man!” I whined. “Why don’t you all believe me?”
“Well, it’s always the innocent ones that surprise you,” JC explained.
“Are you calling me a prude?” I exclaimed. “Okay, I’m a prude because I have high morals, respect myself and Lance. What do you want? Do you want me to go out and get laid? Is that what you all want?”
“You shouldn’t have said that...” Lance mumbled to JC. “That’s a sensitive subject with her.”
“Oops...” JC muttered.
“I’m sorry Kelly. I started all this. Heck, I’m surprised you and Lance even kiss,” Justin apologized.
“Thanks a lot Justin,” I sarcastically replied.
Justin smiled and shrugged. “Anytime.”
“Okay, can we change the subject now?” I asked, blushing.
“So...” JC started to say. “What’s up for tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. What do you want to do, Alex?” Briley answered.
“I don’t care. Kelly?”
“Whatever you all want to do,” I replied sleepily lying my head on Lance.
“Well, I’m supposed to take you on a date Briley, so why doesn’t tomorrow be the beach day?” JC suggested.
I waved my hand as if to say ‘whatever you all want.’ “Yay! The beach!” Chris yelled.
“Welcome to Miami,” Joey began to sing.
“A viento a Miami,” Alex and I finished together. I took a deep breath, then, wrinkled my face up.
I looked at Lance and said, “You smell weird.” Alex and Justin laughed. “Usually, you smell really good, but now, you smell weird.” Lance began to laugh now too.
“Well, I did take a shower this morning,” he said.
“No, that’s not it,” I answered.
“Well Kelly, you could just be covering up the fact that you smell weird. Maybe it isn’t Lance,” Chris pointed out.
I leaned over with my face pressed against Lance and inhaled. “Nope, it’s him.” Everyone laughed. “Don’t worry, I still love you... no matter how weird you smell.”
“That’s good to know,” Lance said, not quite sure if I was serious or not.
I returned to my previous position of leaning against Lance. Maybe the two of us should have noticed the troublemaker sitting at our feet, but we didn’t. I guess neither of us thought Chris would honestly do something to us... but he did, and it made for an odd predicament when we discovered Chris’ ‘invention.’
The bus arrived at the hotel and we all got ready to get off the bus. Chris moved as Lance and I stood. I took a step forward and fell. For some reason, this also made Lance fall. You can probably guess where he landed... that’s right. Right on top of me. We ended up looking into each other’s eyes.
“Oh my God! Can’t you two at least wait until your alone? Man, the nerve of some people!” Chris screeched, running off the bus.
Lance pulled himself up and I sat up. This is when we noticed our shoes. His Sketchers were securely knotted to my Nike’s. “CHRIS!!” The two of us yelled. Lance and I began to untie the laces, but neither of us had much luck. Alex leaned down and began to help us. She was able to get two of the laces untied, while two were still stuck. So, we compromised. We both took that shoe off and walked to the room with only one shoe on. I felt incredibly stupid walking around this hotel with only one shoe on.
We got to our room and I plopped down on the bed and began to try to untie the shoelaces. Unfortunately, my fingers weren’t small enough to get them undone. So, I passed the shoes on to Lance. After ten minutes, he passed the still knotted together shoes on to Joey. He in turn passed them to Chris (who I think made it worse), who gave them to Alex. She didn’t even try, immediately throwing them to Justin. Eventually, they ended up with JC.
“You need to give up. You aren’t ever going to get those shoes untied,” Alex said, the ever ‘optimist’ that she is. JC just shrugged and continued his duty.
I glanced around the room to see what everyone was doing, just out of curiosity. Briley was stretched out across her bed, asleep. JC was sitting cross legged next to her, diligently working on the shoes. Chris and Joey were at the table, playing a game of speed with a deck of cards. Justin was sitting on the floor in front of Alex, who was in a chair, while she massaged his shoulders. Lance was sitting against the headboard of my bed, while I leaned against him, his arms around me. The two of us were almost asleep.
“I GOT IT!!” JC yelled ten minutes later, triumphantly holding up the two shoes. When he yelled, I jumped, which caused me to fall of the bed, ending up flat on my face next to Justin on the floor.
All eyes on me, I sat up with a pained expression on my face before cracking up. “Now I know how Alicia Silverstone felt in ‘Clueless’ when she fell off the bed!” I pulled myself up and sat down next to Lance, who was in the process of putting his shoe back on.
“All right, I’m going,” JC said, walking out the door. “Bye!” He leaned back in enough to say. Joey and Chris followed him. Alex and I decided to walk Justin and Lance back to the bus.
Upon arriving, Lance said, “I would kiss you, but since you told me that I smell weird earlier....”
“I was just kidding,” I said sadly.
“Are you sure?” I nodded pathetically before he leaned down and gently kissed me.
He and Justin got on the bus then as Alex and I slowly turned and walked back to the room, where we found Briley contentedly asleep.
