CHAPTER 6

A few weeks later.........

"J.C., Have you seen Justin recently?"

"Nope, maybe you should ask Lance, Chris."

"Lance isn't here either."

"Well, then call over to Zoe and Ayla's, that's probably where they are anyway."

"You're right. I should have thought of that first."

"When does the tour start?" Joey asked to anyone who was listening.

"In three days, Joe," J.C. called from the piano.

"Do you know if Lance and Justin told Zoe and Ayla yet?" Chris yelled across the kitchen.

"I don't think they have," Joey replied. "But they better do it soon because those girls aren't going to be able to go with us and the goodbyes are going to be hard."

"I think you're right on the money with that one," J.C. agreed sadly.

....................................................

"Zoe, we've got to talk."

"What is it, Justin?" Zoe asked, looking up from the bread she was attempting to make. Justin laughed at the sight of her, her hands and cheeks covered in flour with her hair pulled back into a bun.

Regaining control of his smile and remembering what he was there to tell her, Justin sombered. "Um, I know I probably should have told you this sooner, but we're going on tour again."

"When?" Zoe asked cautiously, not wanting to know the answer.

"In three days."

Zoe stood stunned for a moment. Justin hoped that was all the reaction he was going to get, but from the look on her face, he was in for much more.

"THREE DAYS!!!!" Zoe cried. "You waited to tell me you were leaving, THREE DAYS BEFORE YOU GO!!?? Justin, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I don't know. I guess I didn't want you to be unhappy thinking about it, that's all. I wanted to spend time with you and not have to worry if you were worried about me leaving!"

"Well, I appreciate you taking my feelings into consideration, but I'm a big girl, Justin!! I can deal with things. I don't appreciate you treating me like one of your twelve year old groupies!!"

"Look, I didn't want to tell you because I knew something like this would happen. You'd get all upset and pissed off and then....."

"I wouldn't have been this upset if I had been warned beforehand!! But now you give me three days to try and say a goodbye that would take a lifetime?? That's not fair, Justin and you know it."

"I'm sorry, o.k. I apologize for not letting you know sooner," he moved over to where Zoe was standing with her hands on her hips. He put his arms around her waist. "Please, try and see it from my perspective. I wanted to be with you, person to person, without my career getting all mixed up in it. I wanted to know you, and you to know me. Not as Justin Timberlake, the pop star who's leaving on another world tour, but as Justin, the guy you met at that club three months ago."

"I thought they were the same person," Zoe replied, not hiding the hurt in her eyes. "I accept your apology and I understand where the need was coming from but I still don't think that excuses it." She sighed, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "Does Ayla know yet?"

"I'm going to assume Lance is going through the same thing at this very moment."

"I suppose we can't tour with you, can we?" Zoe asked quietly her eyes downcast.

"No," Justin whispered, pulling her closer. "No, you can't." He held her tighter as he felt the front of his shirt become damp with her tears.

....................................................

"THREE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ayla exploded at the news Lance had just delivered. They were sitting on the dock outside Johnny Wright's house.

"Ayla, please, don't freak out. I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want you to get upset....."

"Didn't want me to get upset?? Didn't want me to get UPSET?? Maybe you should have thought of that earlier, bucko. How could I not get upset, knowing I've got three days to say goodbye to someone that I don't want to lose??!!"

"You're not losing me!! I'll be back, you know that!"

"When, Lance? When will you be back?? In three months? In six months? Cause I sure as hell know that Zoe and I can't go on this tour with you. Oh, God, does Zoe know??"

"I'm pretty sure Justin told her. Ayla, look. I love you. That's all that matters. You're just going to have to trust me. We'll be able to meet up in different cities. I'll send you the plane tickets and everything," he stood and put his arms around her shoulders. "I'm not going to lose the one thing that I care about more than life itself. Do you think I would just give you up?"

Ayla looked into his eyes. She saw tears forming and realized she had some of her own. "No, I know you wouldn't Lance. It's one of the things that I love most about you. But please, next time, let me know a little earlier. Wait, make that a lot earlier."

"I promise," Lance vowed, kissing the top of her nose. "I promise."

....................................................

"They're leaving tomorrow," Zoe whispered quietly, buttoning the pants she had just slipped on.

"I know," Ayla answered sadly, a slight sniffle escaping her throat. Zoe looked over at her friend and frowned. Neither one of them deserved to be feeling this much pain. She walked over and sat next to Ayla on the bed.

"We're gonna get through this you know," Zoe said, hoping the confidence in her voice didn't sound too fake.

Ayla looked up at her. "Yeah, right," she sighed, another sob breaking free. The two friends put their arms around each other and cried.

After a while, Ayla pulled away. "We'd better get ready to go to Johnny's."

"Yeah," Zoe sighed. "The going away party. Fun."

....................................................

"Are you o.k.?" Justin whispered in Zoe's ear as he hugged her hello. He could tell she had been crying and he knew that Ayla had too.

"Fine," she whispered back unconvincingly. She smiled anyway. I am going to make it through this.

The party carried on as everyone talked about the new tour and how well the album was doing and tours that had taken place in the past. Humorous stories were told of crazy fans, late nights, and stupid tour bus jokes. For a little while, both Zoe and Ayla forgot to be sad and laughed with everyone else. All the guys' family and close friends were in one house to say goodbye for the next six months. The tone of the party got somber as Johnny made a toast.

"To the best group in the entire world, I want to say thank you for making these last six years some of the best in my life. To their family and friends, I'm telling you that I will get them home to you. Maybe not as soon as you'd like, but definetly back where these fine young men belong."

There came a rousing chorus of "here, here's" as everyone participated in the toast. From there, the party dwindled and soon only the five singers were left with their parents, Ayla and Zoe, and the Wrights.

"Well, I'd say that the evening went just fine," Donna Wright observed.

"Yes, I think it did," Justin said to her. "And I think it's time for us to make our exit," he said, turning to Zoe.

"Justin, no. You should stay with your family. They're going to miss you too."

"Yeah, but they're going to be at the airport tomorrow and you are not. Come on. I've got a suprise."

Justin took her hand and lead her outside to the basketball court.

"You want to play basketball?" Zoe asked, really not sure what she was doing out there.

"No," Justin said, picking up a guitar that Zoe hadn't noticed. "I've been practicing something for you for about the last month and a half. You inspired it, so I hope you like it."

Justin sat himself on a bench to the left of the court, next to the swimming pool. Zoe sat down beside him. He strummed the guitar for a moment, then, smiling at her, began to sing.

Zoe sobbed as Justin pulled her to him. Looking up, she kissed the tears that were running down his beautiful face. He turned and buried his face in her neck. She realized that him having to leave her was just as much torture for the both of them.

....................................................

Ayla stood with tears in her eyes as she watched Justin and Zoe from the bay window. The others had gone out to the front of the house while she and Lance had remained inside.

"Ayla?" Lance whispered, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She leaned back heavily against him and sighed.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "But don't say goodbye. Saying goodbye means you're never coming back. Just say, 'see ya later' or something o.k.?"

"O.k.," Lance replied, wiping the tears from her eyes. He pulled her close to him as she cradled her face in his shoulder. "I don't want to leave if it means leaving you," he choked, trying hard to remain in control of his emotions.

"But you have to, I know. It's your job and you love it. I'm not going to take that from you," she said, pulling away slightly. She raised her hands to the back of her neck. "Here, take this. Whenever you get lonely or miss me, put it on or hold it and know that I'm thinking about you always. When I'm doing a photo shoot for a magazine or on the runway modeling something completely ridiculous that no one would ever dream of wearing, remember that I'm thinking of you," she stopped as the lump in her throat choked her. She handed him the small silver necklace that she always wore. On it, there lay a small, green "R." Lance took it and put it around his neck.

"I miss you already," he sighed, the tears finally overcoming his rock hard exterior.

"Well, then, kiss me quick and say "see ya later," Ayla joked.

"I'll kiss you but it's definetly not going to be quick," Lance returned, pulling Ayla in a loving embrace.

Chapter 7
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