Emily casually leaned back in her chair as she watched her boyfriend attempt a backflip for the millionth time. But just as he had before, Justin failed.

"I don’t think I’ll ever get this," Justin complained, "I think someone else is going to have to do it."

"That’s just it Justin, everyone has to do it and you’re the only one who can’t."

"Well I don’t know if I can Darren," Justin said to their choreographer.

"Well you’re going to have to learn. C’mere, I’ll spot you again."

Justin sighed as he got into position.

"Okay, lean back, hands down. There you go. Now try it on your own."

"Ooof," Justin said as once again, he came crashing down onto his back.

"Okay Justin, call it a day, it’s obvious you aren’t going to get this today."

"Yeah I guess you’re right," he gave in, rubbing his lower back. It was sore from landing on I t so many times.

"C’mon, let’s go," Justin said to Emily as he came up behind her and pulled her ponytail playfully.

"Alright," Emily got up and placed her arm around Justin’s shoulders. Together, they left the studio.

It was May 12. In exactly 36 days, ‘NSYNC would be starting a new tour with a new album to promote at the same time. That’s why they were working on choreography. New songs meant new moves.

"Oh," Justin moaned as he sat down in his red Mercedes.

"Long day sweetie?" Emily asked, taking her place on the passenger side of the car.

"You know it Em," the name she was affectionately called by Justin.

"Aww, poor Justin," she leaned over and gently kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks hon," he said as he put on his sunglasses and started the car.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

"Hello?"

"Hey Justin, its Joey. You busy?"

"Um yeah kinda," he said looking at Emily sitting beside him, "Why?"

"Well we have a slot open in the studio if we want it and Darren said he’d come down and work with us. Mike figures we could use the extra practice time. Why, what are you doing?"

"I'm with Emily."

"Well bring her with you then."

Justin sighed. "Alright, I’ll be right there." He hung up the phone and turned to look at his girlfriend. "I have to go to a choreography session."

"Again?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm really sorry. Do you wanna come?"

"No, it’s ok."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

"Kay guys, I'm here. Let’s get this over with," Justin said, coming into the studio.

"Whoa, sounds like someone’s not very happy to be here," J.C. teased/

"I'm not," Justin said coldly.

"What’s wrong Justin?" Lance asked.

"I gather Emily didn’t want to sit through another session?" Joey inquired.

"No she didn’t. Why do we have to have to do a session today? I mean, everytime we get some time off, it seems to be interrupted by something."

"That’s part of the business Justin," Chris sympathized.

"Yeah, but where does a life fit into this?" Justin demanded.

"This is your life. Like it or leave it."

"Couldn’t there be a happy medium? Couldn’t we have a normal life somewhere amongst this chaos?"

"Ha, in our life, normal shouldn’t even be part of our vocabulary. You know that Justin."

"Yeah, I know."

"So, what’s up?"

"I know what’s wrong," Joey cut in, "Justin’s in love and he doesn’t like neglecting Emily."

"Is that it Justin?" Chris asked.

"Yes."

"She knew what she was getting herself into when she agreed to go out with you Justin. That-"

"I know Chris!" Justin exploded, "I just hate doing this to her. She puts up with so much and gets so little in return."

"I'm sure she understands Justin," J.C. said placing a supportive hand on his friend’s back, "she knows you’re busy and can’t help it."

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Emily sighed as she fumbled with her keys to get her apartment door open. She was alone, but had just come home from being friends.

When she got inside, Emily’s phone was ringing.

"Hello?"

"Hey beautiful."

"Justin!"

"You seem surprised to hear from me, how was your day?"

"It was fine. I thought I wasn’t going to hear from you until the morning?" she asked.

"Well, we finally got some unexpected time off," he said, "what are you up to?"

"Nothing. I just got home. I was out shopping with the girls."

"You busy now?"

"No."

"Good. What do you wanna do then?"

"I don’t know, something mello. I'm kinda tired."

"Yeah, me too. How ‘bout I get a movie and then come over there?" Justin suggested.

"Sure, I’ll make popcorn, see ya in a bit."

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

"One, two three…" Darren was counting aloud as the guys did the choreography.

"Okay guys, here it comes; one, two three, go!" Darren was indicating the backflip to end the song. Chris landed it, J.C. landed it, Joey landed it, Lance landed it. Justin didn’t.

Emily groaned as once again, she watched Justin fall to the ground.

"Augh, I'm never going to get this!"

"Yes you will Justin, you just need to get higher into the air."

Justin jumped a few times. "Like this?" he asked, still jumping.

"Yes, but flip while you’re doing it."

"Ok," he said. He jumped a few more times. On the fifth jump, he went backwards and landed it.

"Yes!"

"There you go Justin, keep practicing."

"Okay," he said again. He jumped, and fell.

"Higher Justin, C’mon you did it before, keep trying!"

"Alright." After one more attempt, he did it again, landing it and from then on, he had it.

"Kay guys, that’s it for today. Good work."

"Guys, let’s do something tonight," Joey suggested.

"Good idea, what did you have in mind?"

"Club? He inquired.

"Sure, sounds good. Em, you coming?"

"Yeah, I’ll be there."

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Emily looked down at her watch. It read 8:30. She was in downtown Orlando waiting to meet the guys at their favorite club.

‘Come on guys, where are you?’ Emily thought to herself as she looked up and down the street. Her watch now read 9:02. They were half an hour late. ‘Okay, I'm waiting ten more minutes and if they aren’t here by then, I'm going home.’

Sure enough, as the time crept to 9:12, the guys still hadn’t met her downtown.

Emily sighed as she flagged down a cab and went home. Justin had some explaining to do.

Emily was trying to get a hold of Justin. After trying him at home and getting no response there, she called his cell.

"Hello?"

"Justin? Where are you? I went down to the club to meet you and when you didn’t show, I went home."

"I'm sorry em, we got called into the studio at the last minute and we couldn’t get out of it."

"Well thanks for telling me," Emily said coldly.

"I'm sorry Em, I really am."

"I know, you’re always sorry. I feel like you’ve rated your life. Music is number one and I'm a far behind number two. I hate feeling second best Justin."

"Oh Em, don’t feel like that. You know I love you, I just can’t get out of my commitments."

"Aren’t I one of your commitments?" she asked hopelessly.

"Yes, but- you know what I mean."

"Justin, we need to talk. Are you busy tonight?"

"Yeah, I’ll be here late."

"Tomorrow then?"

"Me and the guys are all staying at J.C.’s tonight, but you can come over first thing in the morning and we can talk then."

"Okay, I’ll see you in the morning then."

Emily hung up the phone and began to cry. This was by far hardest moment of her life. She had to decide if the man she loved was worth all the pain he was putting her through.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

‘Ding Dong’

"Emily, hi," J.C. greeted after answering the door.

"Where’s Justin?" Emily was determined to get this over with.

"He’s in the living room."

"Thank you," she said, coming into the house."

"Justin, you busy?" she asked, after reaching the living room.

"No, we can talk."

"Good," Emily sat down. "Guys, can we be alone?" she asked.

"Sure," they left the room, but didn’t go far. They knew something big was going to happen.

As they sat, Justin resisted the urge to hold Emily’s hands.

Emily sighed. "Justin, I need to know that you love me."

"I do love you, Em."

"Yeah but I don’t feel it. I feel like I'm playing second fiddle to your music."

"So what do you want me to do about it?" he asked her.

"Choose."

"What?" Justin asked, bewildered.

"Choose. I'm making you pick between me and the group."

Justin stared back at her, his eyes wide with shock.

"Emily don’t make me do this."

"Pick," she said sternly.

Justin lowered his head and sighed. "I'm sorry Emily but if you’re going to make me pick, I pick the group."

Emily swallowed the urge to cry. This wasn’t what she expected. "Why?" she asked at last.

"Because; music is my passion, you’re just my girlfriend." He couldn’t believe what he was saying. He loved her more then anything in the world but his instinct told him he was doing the right thing.

"Fine, if that’s the way you want it." Getting up, she kissed Justin one final time, and then left.

Justin sat in silence as the guys came into the room.

"Justin man, are you okay? We heard what happened."

"Yeah, I'm okay." He was still staring at the doorway Emily had left from.

"Did you make the right decision?" Joey asked, placing a supportive hand on his friend’s back.

"I think so," Justin said softly.

"Okay, we’re here if you need us," Lance said as the guys filed out of the room.

"I hope so," he whispered to himself.