(The next day)
"Ryan! Over here!"
Ryan searched through the mob of people to try and see who was calling her. She pulled the falling luggage strap over her shoulder for the hundredth time that morning. To her surprise, she only had three things of luggage for the two-week period.
"Ryan!"
This time, who ever was calling her, was a lot closer due to the volume of the voice. Ryan looked around, not seeing any one that was familiar to her.
"Ryan!"
Ryan turned around, face to face with Lance.
"Come on! We don't want to lose you in this crowd!"
Lance grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. Ryan was incomplete and utter shock. Not considering speechless. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Lance stopped in front of three very large buses. "Justin!" Lance called waving his free hand up in the air.
Justin jogged over to Lance and smiled welcomely at him. "Here, take her. Tell her EVERYTHING that she needs to know." Lance handed her hand to Justin and ran of yelling "Stacy" in the process.
Ryan blinked a few times, coming back to reality. "What…WHAT just happened there?" She was completely baffled. Justin looked at Ryan curiously; not knowing what she was talking about.
"Huh?"
Ryan looked at Justin and realized he didn't have a clue as of what she was talking about.
"Oh…" she giggled, "Never mind…I took my stupid pills this morning."
Justin just grinned happily and explained everything Ryan needed to know.
"Sometimes you'll be on our bus. Like when you have to do a feature on us or something. But for the time being, you'll be on bus three. Along with a bunch of other crew members."
Justin paused for a minute and bit his lip before continuing. "When we get a hotel, it looks as though you'll be rooming by yourself because there's an odd number of girls so…lucky you!"
Justin pulled out a piece of paper from his jean pocket and handed it to Ryan. Ryan read over the sheet of paper and realized it was the schedule and rooming list.
She looked up at Justin and her face softened. "Thanks."
The bus engines roared over the people's voices, causing many of them to stop their conversations.
"Oh my gosh! The buses are starting! Oh my gosh…OH MY GOSH!" Chris yelled jumping up and down with much excitement.
Justin smacked his forehead and walked over to Chris. He placed both of his hands on his shoulders firmly, calming him down.
Justin and Chris stared at each other for a matter of moments before they both started to jump and down yelling, "We're going on tour!"
Ryan laughed and placed her left hand on her right elbow and watched the two jump around.
"Hey guys, save your energy for when we're on stage!" Joey crept up from behind Ryan, startling her.
Joey, without hesitating, hugged Ryan deeply. Ryan was shocked and tensed up at first, but relaxed into it. Joey pulled away with a wide grin spread along his full face.
"Ready Joe?"
Joey turned around seeing Johnny Wright. "Hey! Yea, ready as I'll ever be!"
"Good." Johnny patted his shoulder comfortably and walked to the two boys that were still jumping up and down. "Guys guys guys…I know your happy and itching to get on the road, but just hold back the urge to go bonkers."
The guys smiled widely. Without warning Chris and Justin dashed off, laughing. Ryan shook her head and folder her arms. Johnny turned to her and placed his hand on her upper arm.
"Thank you so much for doing this for me. We need you more than you can ever imagine."
"Anytime…thank you very much for letting me experience this."
Johnny patted her arm lightly and excused himself.
Ryan, left alone stood there with her arms wrapped around her stomach. She glanced around at every little scene that surrounded her. There were people that she didn't know all huddled in their own little cliques. To her left she saw what she assumed to be the families of the five *N SYNCers. They seemed to so loving…so care free. Ryan hated it. It made her miss her family.
Her family didn't even know that she was going to go for a little cross-country trip for two weeks. She hated to admit to her self that she depended on her family. But her family didn't depend on her. That was the part that she hated the most.
All of the guys were separated in different sections of the layout of the building. Surrounded by the people they loved. How she wished that she could feel that, for just one day…for one second. That's all she ever wanted. But she we that she couldn't have.
One of the buses honked it horn loudly, making Ryan and many other bystanders jump out of their skin. Ryan saw all the guys give last minute hugs and kisses. She envied them. Everyone started to head towards the buses and entering them. Ryan picked up her luggage and headed for the last bus. She threw her bags under the bus where the luggage was stored and walked up the large steps that led up to the bus interior. Little did she know that this trip was going to change her life.
That night she started to think of everything that has happened so far in this "new" for hers. She wasn't really enjoying it. She's been blessed with a wonderful job, but she's been cursed with a horrid life. Two people were ruining her life, and she couldn't put a stop to it. No matter how much she wished she could have the courage and strength to say something, she couldn't do it.
Ryan wasn't a strong mental person. The littlest things were and could get to her. She's always been the one that people think that she was a sad person and was never happy. It was only because she had low self-esteem.
There was nothing that she could really remember how or why she had gotten low esteem for herself. She had reason to believe that it was her childhood. Something that she was never bring herself to talk about. Which only made things worse.
From getting away from her family and her environment was a way for her to perhaps get the confidence she needed, back.
So far, it wasn't working. Anne was taking it from her. She knew that it wasn't something that she should just jump to conclusions with, but something in her was telling her that Anne has to do with it. Even if it meant that she was just a part of it. She just had this feeling.
She tossed and turned the whole night. Every little bump the wheels went over made her eyes jolt open. In other words she was a light sleeper. Having a moving bed didn't help the process either. She didn't know how everyone could put up with this.
Ryan had enough, and got up from the little bed that was beside the aisle way, alone with about eight other small bunk beds. The bus was cold and dark. She stuck her arms out to make sure that she wouldn't bump into anything. A light led her to the main part of the bus.
"Hi…" Ryan jumped, not expecting to see anyone.
"Hello…"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you…Please, sit down."
Ryan smiled nervously and took the offer. She placed her hands in her lap and knocked back and fourth slowly.
"So, are you enjoying the trip so far?" Ryan laughed slightly to her self. "Kinda…this isn't what I expected it to be…"
"Its ok, things will get better, I promise you." Ryan smiled shyly and patted her lap with her hands. "We'll be hitting a hotel in a few hours."
"Huh?" Ryan had no idea what she was talking about.
She knew that she wasn't awake, nor was she capable of thinking at the early morning hour.
The women laughed softly and patted Ryan's knee. "Hotel…we'll be arriving at one in about three hours."
Ryan mouthed "Oh." And turned her head to look out the window.
She had never been in Mississippi, and despite the stuff her heard about the state, it was beautiful. The sun was just beginning to rise, accenting the sky with a light blue and purple in the sky.
Her thoughts returned to the hotel. She was looking forward to a bed that was stable and didn't run over bumps.
"Three hours huh?"
The women nodded her head and smiled.
"Yep, three hours…do you think that you handle that much torment?"
Ryan nodded her head and laughed softly to her self. She leaned back into the comfortable sofa and watched the news they were receiving in the large TV that was hanging above a counter top. Ryan's eye began to grow heavy. Just as she was beginning to fall asleep they hit a bump, making the bus jolt up and down. Ryan opened her eyes and groaned.
"Just three hours?"
