Chapter 10
Slam
Chantel jumped and tore her eyes from the book she was reading. Destiny stomped down the hallway and passed right by her best friend, heading straight for the stairs. Chantel watched as she pounded her feet into every step, finally making it to her room.
Slam
Something must have gone wrong. Why else would she be acting this way? Reluctantly, Chantel shut her book and made her way up the stairs. The carpet was still holding imprints of Destiny's size 8 sneakers. She must have been really upset.
"Destiny?' Chantel asked, lightly knocking at the door top her friend's room. no answer came, so she knocked again. Silence. So Chantel opened the door.
Destiny lay on her bed, looking as if she had been posessed. Her arms hung loosley over the sides of her bed, hands falling limply downward. Her feet lay sprawled and relaxed. She didn't blink at all, not once acknowling Chantel's presence.
"Des?" Chantel asked, walking to the side of her friend's bed. Destiny's only movement was the rising and falling of her chest, signaling she was indeed alive.
"Desssstiny.." Chantel taunted in a singsong voice. Again no answer. Chantel lightly tapped her friends cheek left cheek with her fingers. "Des, what happened?"
"I can't believe how that went."
Chantel was grateful Destiny was talking, even if it gave her no clue as to what was happening. Then Chantel thought back to where Destiny was before this whole event. She had called around 6:45 and said her audition had been moved to 7:00. "Did the audition go wrong?"
"No," Destiny groaned, moving her hands to massage her aching forhead. "Everything went absolutley perfect."
"Then whats the problem?" Chantel asked, standing form her seat on the bed.
"I already told you." Destiny sighed and moved into a sitting position onthe bed. "Everything went absolutley perfect. I sung and he immediatley told me I made the show."
"D, that is awesome!" Chantel squealed, immediatley enveloping her in a congratulating hug. Destiny didn't move, so Chantel pulled away. "Des, why aren't you happy? This is a great oppurtunity!"
"Did you ever think that maybe I didn't want to be in this whole thing?" she asked, folding her hands in her lap. "I don't care if I'm a good singer or not. I don't want to win a record deal, and I don't want to become famous."
"Why wouldn't you?" Chantel asked, sitting across from Destiny.
"Because I know how they feel and what they go through." Destiny said softly, referring to her experiances with JC. "They don't have any privacy at all. Everyone is always telling them what to do.." She sniffled and hung her head low. "..and who to date.."
Immediatley, Chantel knew where Destiny was coming from. JC didn't have the life some thought came with being famous. No superstar did. With all that was going on around, the guys of NSync hardly got any time for fun. Plus, there was the dating factor. Everyone tried to keep Destiny and JC apart, each for their own reasons. Destiny was the kind of girl who enjoyed her freedom. Freedom that wasn't allowed in the entertainment busnieuss.
"But," Chantel began. One thing stuck out in her mind. "Haven't you said before that you wanted to pursue a career in music?"
Destiyn looked up from her hands at her friend. She didn't remember ever saying anything to any of her friends about writing music. "Chan, I never told you about writing.."
"True." Chantel said plainly. "You didn't tell me directly, but you did say it some other way.."
Flashback
"Dear JC.." Chantel heard through the vent. She tried not to listen as she folded her now clean laundry. Destiny had been attempting to write a letter to JC for hours. Chantel could tell she was having trouble. Breaking up was hard to do..
But Chantel was determined to find out why she was breaking up with JC. She always talked about how much she loved him and stuff, yet she was ending it. If there was a reason, it was definitley a good one.
"Okay Destiny, theres the first part. Now you just have to do the rest of it..."
Chantel giggled quietly. Destiny had been trying for about an hour to write that letter. Chantel had finished her laundry long ago, but was determined to listen. Though it was wrong, Chantel couldn't help it. It was too tempting.
"Damnit Destiny! Just say, 'JC, I write music and I want to be a songwriter..'"
Chantel's mouth dropped. Destiny never said anything about writing music. They told everything to eachother, so she must have been keeping it for a reason.
End Flashback
"How come you never told me you wrote music?" Chantel asked after finishing her mini-story. Destiny just sighed.
"Because I don't just put words together like some people do. I put my feelings into it. Sometimes, most of the time, those are really private feelings. I... I just didn't want anyone to know."
Chantel understood. To tell the truth she wasn't angry at all. Even best friends could have secrets. But since that secret wasn't a secret anymore, Chantel couldn't help her curious mind. "Can you show me one of the songs?"
Without a word, Destiny smiled and reached over to the notebook on her nightstand. Chantel looked over 'My First Night With You' and her mouth dropped. Destiny was a lyrical genius. This was a beautiful song, and it brought tears to Chantel's eyes knowing it was her best friend who wrote it. She dropped the notebook and immediatley hugged her friend. Destiny was surprised, but returned the hug and let the tears she had been holding for so long go.
"I miss him so much." Destiny cried, tears staining Chantel's baby blue sweater.
"Use that, D." Chantel said, pulling away. "Use that in a song. You told me just now that you put your feelings into songs, so do that right now."
Destiny looked at her friend, realizing how right she was. JC was her insperation while they were dating, but nothing said he couldn't still be.
"Chan, you're right." Destiny sighed and wiped her eyes with her lower palms. "I need to get a song for the competition that tells how I feel right now."
"That is what I like to hear, Destiny Evans." Chantel smiled and sat back. She noticed Destiny's odd stare and suddenly felt as if she had done something terribly wrong. "What?"
"Usually, I write in private."
Chantel's eyes widend and she jumped to her feet. "I'm so sorry!" She rushed to the door and placed her hand on the handle. "I'll just be going now."
Destiny laughed as Chantel quickly shut the door. Her mind was filling with emotions, but she couldn't think of any way to put them into song. She opened her notebook in case she came up with a quick idea. Her eyes suddenly glued to the page that she last wrote on. There was only one line written, that was it.
So let them say its wrong, for me to love you
After her mind read that one tiny part, her mind filled with lyrics coming straight from her heart. She couldn't stop them, and she once again found her inspiration.
* * * * *
"Oh gosh, Lance! Thats absolutley perfect!" Chris said, slapping his deep voiced bandmate's hand in the air.
"Whats perfect?"
All four turned to find JC stnading in the doorway to the confrence room. All eyes turned to Chris, praying he would come up with a good excuse for their 'plan'.
"Uhh.." Stuttering wouldn't help, and Chris knew it. "I was Lance how perfect his idea for the tour was."
"Yeah." The remaining three said all at once. JC raised his eyebrows then sat down in and empty chair.
"Really? What did you have in mind?"
"Well.. I.." Lance shot an evil glance at Chris, who just smiled back innocently. "I was sayi9ng that.. it would be cool if we.. we flew!"
"Flew? How could we fly?" JC asked, not seeing the odd looks the others were giving Lance.
"You know, a gag. During 'Sailing', they could tie harnesses to us and we could fly above the audience."
"That is a good idea Lance!"
JC looked at Chris like he was crazy. Didn't he already say the idea was perfect? JC just sjook it off. "I like the sound of that. We'll have to tell Jonny."
"Oh, Jace, that reminds me. How did the meeting with Lou go?" Joey asked, sitting upright in his chair.
"Well, I told Lou the whole story about Frankie." JC stopped, making sure every band member was listening. Once he knew they were, he continued. "I told him how we didn't really need an image consultant or anything. He agreed and we worked out a little compromise." JC cleared his throat. "As long as we don't do anything extremley stupid, we don't need one."
The guys erupted in cheers and JC just smiled. It had been a long talk with Lou, and nobody could have argued it better than JC.
"So.. Jace.." Justin cleared his thraot before continuing. "What are you going to do about Smiley?"
JC's heart broke hearing her nickname. He had forgotten all about the guys as memories of her flooded through his head, drowning out any other thought or sound. He had always thought about her, but never about how much the guys would miss her. All of them had made a friendly connection with Destiny.
"JOSHUA SCOTT CHASEZ!" Justin called. JC jerked out of his trance and loked at his friends, cheeks now a pink shade.
"Sorry guys." He apologized. "What was the question again?"
Lance rolled his eyes and laughed. "Curly over there asked what you were gonna do about Destiny."
"Oh!" JC said, remembering the reason he zoned out in the first place. "I guess I've never really thought about that." He sighed and rested his hands in his lap, twiddling his thumbs. "I think that.. I don't think she is in the picture anymore."
"Why do you think that?" Joey asked, becoming worried. JC still had feelings for Destiny, didn't he?
"I mean, she probably still believes what Frankie told her. Hell, I'd love to get back with her. I'm just saying- she has probably already forgotten about me."
The guys lowered their eyes. All four wished they could tell JC the information they knew. It was sad to see him down like that. But soon enough, they would be back together. Hopefully.
* * * * *
Nichelle sat with Patrick Atwood as they went over the final list of performers for the Ameture Night. Nichelle had recieved the honor ofhosting the event, and was also helping with just about everything else.
Nichelle's eyes scanned the list over one last time as she put her things in her bag. There were a total of twelve acts altogether, and her eyes stopped at the last name. "Destiny Evans?"
"Oh yeah. Beautiful voice, beautiful girl." Patrick said, informing her of his favorite of all acts they had let pass.
Nichelle smiled. "I know her, used to be a good friend of mine." She said softly, standing up. "See ya later Patrick."
"Bye."
Nichelle husteled down the hallway to her car. As soon as she reached her seat, she slammed her head against the steering weel. She had heard about Destiny and JC's break-up, and felt absolutley horrible. Ross told her that Destiny hadn't been acting the same since they broke up.
Nichelle couldn't help but feel miserable as well. It killed her knowing that she may have been the reason. She kicked herself in the back everytime she remembered what she had done to them.
She was going to make it up to Destiny, she promised herself that as she sped off towards her home.