"I just don't understand why we have to be here all day," Justin growled obviously frustrated. He was having a bit of trouble with the new routine and was tired of being cooped up in the studio all day. " The album's finished. Shouldn't we be with our families or something?"
"Hey J, you know we still gotta go through the choreography. We've worked on it but not nearly enough. You know that we can't go on tour without knowing this perfectly." JC explained.
"I know, it's justI miss my family. I never see them and when I do it's like I have to leave as soon as I get there. I just don't see why we can't take a break. Enough is enough. We've spent hours on the album. Shouldn't we get SOME time off?" Justin argued.
"Yea, JC the kid DOES have a point, as much as I hate to admit itand besidesam I the only who thinks Mitch is a terrible choreographer?" Lance added in Justin's defense.
"No, I actually don't care for Mitch much either. He's been changing every routine just when we start to actually get the steps and the counts right," JC agreed.
"Yeah, and does this man know we have a NEW album? What's with the old stuff? We won't be using much of it," Justin grumbled.
"Okay guys, breaks over, let's take it from the top," Mitch interrupted.
The other guys got back into place and Justin trudged behind them. " Ok, come on guys, move it. We only have half an hour left," Mitch stated, directing his comment mainly on Justin's indolent behavior.
Justin rolled his eyes while he muttered under his breath inaudibly and tried to concentrate.
"I Want You Back" flowed from the huge speakers, interrupting his thoughts
The next afternoon Dancing Studio; Orlando
Meg glanced one last time at the letter sitting on her desk from Mr. Grier, wondering what it was he needed to see her about. Maybe he found a tour to place me on! Her shoulders slumped and she hung her head. No, probably not. Keep dreaming, girl. Things like that don't happen to people like you. They never have and they never will. She noticed the time on the clock that hung from the wall and quickly gathered her long dark hair into a ponytail and flicked off the harsh fluorescent lighting.
Grabbing her bag near the door, she quickened her pace as she continued down the empty corridor. When she came to studio room at the end of the hall, she pulled her keys from her bag and unlocked the door. She peered inside the dark room and noticed the familiar wooden dance floor, which looked larger than it actually was because of the far wall that was completely made-up of mirrors. When she first took this job, the mirrors unnerved her a little because she was insecure of her dancing ability and the mirrors seemed to scrutinize her every movement. She stood in the center of the room for several more minutes, just thinking about why she had taken a job here in the first place. She was never guaranteed to be placed on a tour, part of her just wished she had, and that had always been her dream.
Meg turned back to the door and flipped the light switch, the lights began to elucidate the room slowly. She dropped her things on the floor and sat down on a wooden chair nearby.
Minutes later, the group of about ten or so dancers had finally filtered in and taken their places on the glossy studio floor.
Soon after everyone had arrived and had begun to take their places on the floor. "Okay," Meg said," We'll need to get into the formation that we set up yesterday." "Has everyone been practicing their routine?" She asked as she turned to turn the CD player on. She heard some people reply "yes" and she smiled slightly. The familiar music filled the room and she began to lead the 10 dancers through the warm-up routine. When everyone was loosened up and warm, they were ready to begin.
She took her place among the rest of the dancers and they began their choreography almost immediately. By the time the song ended, Meg had begun to sweat a little. It was a fast routine and everyone seemed to run through it smoothly despite a few slips here or there. "Okay that was good. Now, why don't you run through the first routine because that's what we will be performing on Monday But we do need to make sure it is flawless because this routine could decide who makes it to the auditions for the back-up group." She replied.
Mike and Christie took their place in the center and the music began. Meg watched making sure that everyone knew where they needed to be and that they executed their moves correctly. She leaned her back against the mirror as she chewed on her finger, eyeing them carefully. She felt a little out of place to be critiquing their performance. She was only 20 and almost everyone in the room was at least two or three years older than she was. She chuckled at the thought and shook her head. I can't believe that I've come this far. Then, she began clapping and started saying the counts aloud. "And one, two... three, four... five, six, seven, AND EIGHT! Come on guys! Energy! I want to see energy pouring out of your fingers and toes!"
The song ended and Meg focused her attention back on the group in front of her. "How was that?" Christie asked sounding a bit winded. "I think you've all got the steps and counts down perfectly. Except, Christie, you seem to be a little behind in the beginning and it needs to be on the counts and on the music so that you can move at a fast pace from beginning to end," she informed, " And those of you in the back, be aware of your spacing so that you all have room to move." She added. " It looks really good but I need to see more energy and attitude. You guys look like you aren't having any fun. Dance is supposed to be fun. Dance is supposed to be fun! Enjoy it." She looked at them for a second. "Why don't you all take a five minute break I have something to check on in my office and then we can get started on the new choreography."
She walked back toward her office and flipped the light switch on. She opened her top drawer and grabbed the sheet of paper from the top. It had the new routine on it and she needed to make copies for the other dancers. She slid the drawer shut and walked down the hall until she came to the copy room. She slid the sheet of paper into the Xerox machine, gathered the 10 extra copies from the tray, and headed back to the studio.
"Okay everyone, the new routine is right here and we'll need to get started right away. Take a second to look over the steps and the counts so that you have a general idea of the dance, " she explained. The other dancers set down their water bottles and began to take their papers from Meg. They studied them for a few minutes and waited for Meg to lead them into the routine. She turned the volume back up and began to move to the music.
They all tried to mock her fluent movements but she began moving too fast for them to keep up so they slowed down to watch her. When the song ended, she looked up and saw them standing there. " Oh I'm sorry guys, I forgot this is new for you," Meg said feeling her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment," Let's start from the top and I'll take it slow this time."
Practice lasted for about another hour and by the end Meg had become slightly exhausted.
"Okay, that's it for tonight everyone," Meg said glad that she could go home and relax. "We'll need to be back here by noon tomorrow to get ready for auditions though."
Everyone said their good-byes and the group disbanded rather quickly. As soon as everyone was gone Meg picked her bag up from the floor. She hesitated and set it back down.
She walked over to the CD player and turned it on. NSYNC's "I Want You Back" filled the silent room and Meg began dancing. Without realizing it, she was dancing to the same routine that they had practiced only minutes earlier. It fit the song well and soon she was completely lost in the music. She was so into the rhythmic movements that the music was creating in her body that she was still dancing a short while after the tape had cut off.
A clapping coming from near the door startled her. She jumped a little and placed her hands over her heart. She turned to see a very handsome, dark haired man standing in the doorway, smiling at her. She was sure she had never met him before but for some reason he seemed familiar to her.
She walked over to where he was standing. "I'm sorry I didn't know you were standing there," she said out of breath.
"Oh I'm glad I was. You're very talented." He extended his hand and she reached out to shake his hand. "Thanks," she replied and a slight blush crept over her face. She noticed that his blue eyes seemed to sparkle. "I'm JC, nice to meet you," Meg snapped back into reality and introduced herself as well. "So how did you like the song?" JC asked smiling. "The song?" Meg repeated. When she heard herself repeat the question she finally realized why he looked so familiar. Oh my god. He's really JC from NSYNC. She noticed that her hand began to tremble as it always did when she was nervous. Get a grip Meg she managed to remind herself. "So you're, uh, JC? JC from NSYNC?" she asked knowing that she was rambling on. JC smiled warmly at her. " Yep, that's me," he said," And you are" his sentence trailed off as he waited for Meg to finish it. "Oh me, I'm Meg," she said quickly," I'm employed here at the studio, I'm a choreographer." " Oh so that's why you're such an excellent dancer," JC said smiling. Meg blushed at his compliment. "So ... um, what brings you here Mr. Chasez?" she questioned. "Oh nothing just thought I'd perfect some of our choreography. It's pretty difficult and our old choreographer really doesn't help at all. In fact, I believe one of our agents is trying to get us a new one," he explained. "Oh, I understand," she looked at her watch," Well, I guess I better be going. I don't want to interrupt your practicing time," she said politely.
"Oh no, you wouldn't be bothering me. In fact, from the way you were just dancing, I'd say you're way better than I am. You wouldn't mind giving me a few pointers, would you?" he asked sounding hopeful. Meg's cheeks reddened once more. Did he just ask me to stay and help him with his choreography? Oh my god I think I'm going to have a heart attack. "So whaddya say, Meg?" JC asked with added glimmer in his cobalt blue eyes. I think I need to breathe before I pass out. She let out a sigh. " Umm, well, if you're sure you want me to stay I, uh, could stay for a while," Meg said slowly. "Great," JC said smiling brightly at her. "I'm just going to go down and tell the guys that I'll catch up with them later. I should be back in just a few minutes," JC explained. "Oh okay, see you then," she managed to answer her voice barely above a whisper. Meg stood with her mouth hanging open in the center of the studio for a few minutes before she realized what he had said. If he's going to go tell the guys, well that must mean that the rest of NSYNC is here tooHer thoughts began to wander until she snapped out of her trance and noticed someone was knocking on the door. "Uh, Meg? I only knocked about 15 times," Lindsey said with a smile. Lindsey worked with Meg at the studio but Lindsey was in charge of make-up, not choreography. They'd been working together for quite a while now and had become pretty close friends ever since they met each other about a year and a half ago. "So what's up girl? You look like you just met Brad Pitt or something," Lindsey said jokingly. "Oh not Brad Pitt, but JC Chasez, you know from NSYNC?" Meg said still staring into space. Lindsey chuckled. " Good one Meg. What are you still doing here anyway? I thought you were done for the night," Lindsey asked. " Yeah, I am done but uh, JC asked me to stay and help him with his choreography," she said slowly. "Really Meg, you've never been much of a joker and now I see why you aren't the best at it," Lindsey said smiling. Lindsey noticed Meg's expression change rather quickly. "Oh Meg, I'm sorry I was really only kidding," Lindsey added apologetically. "But," Lindsey continued," On the other hand, it was rather far fetched that JC would be here you know" "Oh yea its way too far fetched that super pop-star JC, I do assume you mean Chasez, would be here," called a cheery voice from behind the two girls, "But what about Joey Fatone? I'm sure you can believe he'd be here," a handsome dark haired man replied. "I do now," Lindsey smiled and turned back to Meg," You were serious, weren't you?" Meg couldn't find her voice at the moment so all she could manage was a nod. "So you must be Meg, right?" Joey questioned while extending his hand to Meg. "Uh, oh yeah, I'm Meg," she stuttered. "Nice to meet you, I'm Joey Fatone." "No wayreally?" Lindsey answered sarcastically. " Oh aren't you funny," Joey said smiling.
"So Meg, you're going to teach us boys how to dance I hear?" Joey asked turning his attention back to Meg. He noticed the puzzled look on her face and added," I just ran into JC and he said that you were an amazing dancer and you were going to help him a little with his choreography, and I just thought, well if you didn't mind that is, if I tagged along. I could use a little practice," Joey explained. " Oh, yeah, sure of course," Meg answered.
Lindsey just stood there with her mouth hanging open. "Well, I better get going, your dance partner is here," Lindsey stated gesturing toward the door. JC walked in and made his way toward them. " Oh Meg, I see Joey is busy trying to charm you already," JC said smiling. Meg noticed how handsome he was when he smiled. His cobalt blue eyes shimmered, and his eyes crinkled. " I hope you don't mind that Joey came along, too. We all know he needs a little help with his moves," JC explained. Joey pretended not to hear him as he made his way over to Lindsey. "And who is this charming young woman?" he asked slyly. " I am leaving," Lindsey said smiling. "Ouch shut down again Joey?" JC chimed in. " Well this time I really need to be leaving, but it was nice meeting you all," Lindsey explained. "Call me later, Meg." They all said their goodbyes to Lindsey. "I'll call you later, Meg," Joey said smiling. "Very funny, Joey but we need to start working on our dance movesyou need all the help you can get," JC said.
" Yeah yeah, whatever man." He rolled his eyes at JC. " So, where do we start?" Joey asked. "Umm well, I'm not sure. What is it that you need work on?" Meg questioned.
JC explained that they'd been on vacation for two weeks and they hadn't practiced their choreography in a while. Meg started the tape containing "I Want You Back" again and they began to show her the choreography they needed to learn because their current choreographer felt the need to change it just when they had the old routine down perfectly. " I don't really know why we're still working on this routineMitch is out of his mind. We're starting a new tour. I guess he doesn't realize that that means NEW songs," JC explained.
" Oh I see," Meg nodded. "We're having trouble with the spot here," JC continued. "After we turn back to face the crowd we have trouble pulling the second part of the choreography into action because we immediately have to face our left," JC explained.
"Yea, I see," Meg said pulling her hair back behind her shoulders. "I think it would go much better if you started from your left and then turned to face the crowd," she suggested.
The music started again and they ran through the same routine a second time.
When the got to the part in the routine where they were having trouble with Meg watched closely as they practiced it using her suggestion. It seemed to flow rather smoothly she thought, allowing herself to breathe. After all, she hadn't wanted to ruin their routine, but it ended up turning out okay.
"Wow Meg, that was a lot easier," Joey commented slightly of out of breath," and we ended in the formation too."
"Yeah Meg," JC added, "That really did work out a lot better." Meg blushed and thanked them for the compliments. "Now all we gotta do is get rid of Mitch," Joey said.
"Who is Mitch anyway?" Meg questioned. " Oh, he's our choreographer, but he's really terrible at it, in fact we requested a replacement for him about a week ago," JC explained. "Yeah, besides we'd much rather have you," Joey commented. Meg felt her self blush and instantly fixated her gaze to the floor.
"So, who IS the lucky group that has you for a choreographerwe may have to steal you from them," Joey smiled. "Well, as of right now I'm unassigned, I just work with extra dancers.
And, the only way you can steal me from this job is by putting in a request to Mr.Grier, not that you'd want me to work for you anyway," Meg rambled. Even though Megan had worked with many talented artists, she never imagined working with these guys, their voices were amazing, their performances flawless, and they had exceptionally intricate choreography. JC flashed another perfect smile her way. Now I understand why every teenage girl in America is in love with these guys.
" So Meg, why do you think that we wouldn't want you as a choreographer? You're amazing," JC interrogated. Meg blushed again," Thank you, that means a lot to me Mr.Chasez." "Oh, no problem, but please call me JC," he said.
"So whom do we make our request to again?" Joey asked. "Umm, Mr. Grier, but really you don't have to do that" "Oh, but we want to Meg," JC said interrupting her. "Well, it is almost eight we need to meet up with the other guys in fifteen minutes," Joey reminded them, " it was nice meeting you Meg, I hope to be meeting you again very soon." Joey said wiggling his eyebrows at her. She couldn't help giggling back at him. "It was a pleasure meeting you too Joey."
"Meg, thank you for helping us with our routine. I really do hope we can get you signed at Jive to be our choreographer, it was a pleasure meeting you," JC smiled and kissed the back of her hand in a gentlemanly fashion. " Thank you JC. The pleasure was all mine," Meg said trying to remind herself to breathe. "Good luck with your tour," she said. JC smiled gratefully and turned to follow Joey out the door.
