Chapter 2

~ January 1999 ~

"…It's not easy to fall in love…" J.C. sang to a sold-out rocking concert in Berkley, California. It was a small theater and their sound echoed loudly off the walls, combined with the screams of 3,000 high-pitched fans. 'N SYNC fever had broken out over the country, something the boys were relishing after the show as they headed backstage to meet and greet for a while.

J.C. hung back from the large crowd. He noticed Lance and Chris in conversation with a few reporters and fans. He saw Joey, hitting on three girls at once. His glaze settled on Justin, who was talking in the corner to a very pretty brunette. Justin caught his eye and he and the woman made their way towards him.

"Hey, J.C. Want to introduce you to someone. This," Justin said, pointing to the girl, "is Liz."

"Remember me?" she asked.

Liz. Of course, no wonder she looked so familiar. It was the girl he had met on the plane ride so long ago.

"Oh, wow, Liz, how have you been?"

"Great. Actually, I'm going to school in Berkley now, so of course I had to come and hear you guys sing. You guys were great out there."

"Thanks."

"Actually, I was surprised when my little sister mentioned you guys. She ranted and raved about how she wanted to go see 'N Sync and she passed out after I told her I met you guys. Especially cause she's in love with you, Justin."

"Yeah, everyone loves Justin." He, himself, said with a cocky little smile.

"No offense, but when I met you guys, I didn't think you'd amount to much."

"Hah," J.C. laughed, "none taken."

"Okay Liz, here's the million dollar question. A gazillion screaming fans out there, you in here. How'd it happen?" Justin inquired.

"Actually, you'd be surprised at how lenient security can be when they see someone over the age of 20."

"Hey, don't see many of those around here," Justin joked, "you gotta take 'em while you can get 'em."

"Ahahaha. That's not funny." J.C. mocked him.

"Anyway, my sister sent me back here to get autographs and pictures."

"Actually, we can do one better." J.C. said. "We have an after party to get to. You and your sister like to join us?"

"I think she would after she's regained consciousness. Seriously though, I'd love to, but my car's here, and I still gotta drive back home to San Fran to drop off my sister, then back here."

"Awww. Come on, you're no fun," Justin whined. "Please! For your sister?"

Liz looked into his pleading blue eyes. Young pleading blue eyes. Beautiful pleading blue eyes.

"Yeah, fine, fine. I'd be ridiculed nationally by the 'N Sync fan club, which by the way, is a rip off, AND that my sister has joined and become very active in, if I actually turned down an offer to party with the boys of 'N Sync." She said in her apparently cynical manner.

"Where is you sister?" Justin asked.

"I left her with the security guards outside the door. I gotta go claim her. But I need some kinda evidence for entry."

"Yeah, I'll vouch." J.C. said as they made their way through the crowded, sweaty room. Along the way, countless of teens who had some way or another gotten their hands on backstage passes, threw themselves onto J.C. Tears were shed, marriage proposals were made, offers to carry his baby were abundant. Over all of these, J.C. could hear Liz's laughter, lighthearted, almost like a song, wafting through the room.

"You find this funny?"

Her response was evident in her smile as she maneuvered her way out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The party was fabulous. That night, J.C. found somewhat of a soul mate in Liz. She was beautiful, funny, smart. He found that often that night, she would say things that he was thinking, she helped him open up, to laugh once in a while. He talked more that night than he ever had and he laughed along with the rest of them, at Chris's crazy antics or Justin's barley comedic one-liners. And to everyone's surprise, J.C. stayed up, way past his bedtime.

"You have a bedtime?" Liz asked incredulously. "Do you need me to tie your shoes for you too, honey?"

"Well…" J.C. started.

"You know that if J.C. could be a spice girl, it would be Sleepy Spice." Liz's 13 year old sister, Tracy, told them all. They all broke out into bales of laughter, embarrassing the crap out of him.

"What would Justin be?" Chris tested her.

"Sporty Spice." Tracy answered not missing a beat.

"And what's his favorite color?"

"That's too easy!" Liz exclaimed. "I know that and that's just by looking at him. How bout a harder question?"

J.C studied Liz as she entertained the guys. Her eyes were bright, shining. But what J.C. also saw was the way that Justin was looking at her too. He wasn't quite sure if his suspicions were justified, but he saw it in Justin's eyes. And in the fact that he was flirting his ass off with her. But as was his way, he kept quiet and kept it to himself.

"He should be around year old by now." The sister was saying.

"One year, one month." Justin was saying.

"What color are your eyes?" Liz directed her question at J.C.

"What?" he said, surprised by the change in subject.

"Blue." Sister answered for him.

"Actually," he started, "they're hazel. It all depends on what I'm wearing."

"Oh. Yeah, I could have sworn that they were blue, but for a moment there, I swear they were almost golden.'

"Okay, changing the subject," Justin boomed as he tried to get the attention back on himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bus did a lot of miles that night, the boys promised a bonus or something. It dropped Liz's sister off in San Francisco at around 2:00 am and got back to Berkeley at around 2:30, to drop Liz off at her apartment. On the bus ride there, Liz sat with Justin, tired, sleeping, almost on his shoulder. All the guys were pretty conked out, snoring peacefully on whatever soft surface they could find. J.C. was still up though, watching Liz intently. He still hadn't gotten a phone number, an address, nothing. He'd have to find some way to talk to her alone.

When the bus pulled up on the narrow street, J.C. woke Liz up. "Hey there. We gotta get you back to your room now."

"Hmmm?" she was barley awake. She moved to get up and elbowed Justin waking him up.

"What the-?" he yelped, his hair all a-fro. "Oh. Are we there?"

"Yeah." Liz said, stepping outside the bus.

"J.C. You're still up? Here Liz, I'll take you to your room."

"Justin, I was planning on walking her."

"But…"

"Lay off man." J.C. growled.

"Okay, okay, whatever." He hopped of the bus and gave Liz a hug. "It's been fun, tell Tracy I said bye."

"Sure. And write okay? When you're not too busy trying on your wife beaters."

"Hey, our wardrobe people dress us!"

"Ha. Whatever."

Liz was fully awake now, and waited for J.C to step out of the bus. He did and she led him up to her apartment.

"Is this it?" he asked as they stopped in front of her door. "Liz, am I ever going to see you again?" J.C. wished he had said that. But he didn't. He just stood there and waited for her to say something.

"Thanks a lot for tonight. It was fun."

"Yeah, no problem."

"Yeah, I gotta get in, my roommate has probably called the police."

"Yeah, um… could we maybe, you know, write or call each other or something?"

"That'll be great, sure. Justin has my phone number here. And my e-mail address."

"Okay." J.C felt like an idiot.

"Well, I'll see you." She said, turning the key in the lock. "Oh yeah, and J.C. I just wanted to tell you, you have the most beautiful eyes. Nothing compares."

J.C. walked back to the bus, a brazen smile on his face.