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An Empty Heart
By: Teri
© 1999 Teri
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~Character Introduction~

The *N Sync Guys

Joey--has an on and off relationship with Katie J., but is in love with his best friend Michelle. Will his true feeling come out?

Jc--is in love with the very smart Kate...but at times feels as if she doesn't love him..Will his love keep her with him?

Lance--loves his girlfiend so much...Blondie as everyone calls her, but when he meets Stefanie does his feelings change?

Chris--loves his girlfriend Heather, but when there is a terrible accident involving Heather and Justin's best friend Katie will things change?

Justin--Was about to tell his best friend that he loved her..then all of the sudden there was this terrible accident...Katie might not make it...Just when he thinks he could never love another Stefanie Bowers walks into his lfe....will the twos current tragedy bring them together?

Other guys

Zach Morris--loves Stefanie, and died of cancer. was his death just enough to push Stefanie to the edge. 6'1, curly blonde hair that he lost with gorgeous blue eyes (Justin look-a-like. Was his love strong enough to help Stefanie survive?)

Matt Bowers--Stefanie's older brother..who is hurt by all the pain she is going through. when he meets Michelle he falls instantly in love with her, but does his feelings change when he becomes closer to Katie J.....6', brown hair, with stunning blue eyes. Will he take that chance of losing Michelle?

Girls

Michelle--21, 5'10, she has brown hair and eyes....fave flower is iris, fave color is blue, her best friend is Joey...she began recently falling in love with him...she tries to get over him by going out with Matt, will it work?

Katie J--19, has red hair and brown eyes is 5'8; fave flower daisy, fave colors yellow and green. She loves Joey. She's been with him for 5 years on and off. SHe thinks he's the only she'll ever love. Then she meets Matt, Michelle's boyfriend and Stefanies's brother. How will her feelings change?

Kate--17, 5'4 green eyes brown hair loves white roses and the color baby blue. Kate is very smart at 17; she's a junior in college. Kate love's her boyfriend Jc very much, but when the pressures of college finally catch up with her. Jc and her start spending less and less time together. Is their love strong enough to survive?

Blondie--blonde hair, brown eyes, 20, 5'5, loves tulips and the color green. She likes Stefanie and feels sorry for her, but she can tell Lance isn't going to be just a friend if he has anything to do with it. Is her love for him strong enough to keep him by her side?

Heather (aka Sunshine)--24, 5'5, red hair with hazel eyes; loves roses and the color red. She loves her boyfriend Chris. She was in the car with Kaite Justin's best friend and was injured bad, but after losing her unborn baby Chris had no idea about and if she has any say in it will never know. Is his love for her enough to survive her tragedy?

Katie--18, brown hair, blue eyes, 5'5. Loves roses and daisies and the color baby blue. Justin and her have been best friends their whole life. She's been in love with him forever, but never knew how to tell him. When she is in a car accident with Heather her life is on the line. Will Justin ever find out how she felt before its too late?

Stefanie Bowers--5'7, long blonde hair and blue eyes, model type, loves roses and baby blue. She recently lost the only boyfriend she has ever had. Stefanie and Zach were together since 1st grade. Now they just graduated from high school a month before he died. She meets Michelle in the hospital chapel and they become instant friends. She sees Justin is going through the same pain she did watching the one you love die. Zach's death takes a toll on her, she believes she'll never love again. Lance is there for her, but he can't feel the pain she does. Just when she thinks no one cares about her. Justin and her get to know each other. Can Justin help Stefanie mend her heart?

~Prologue: Goodbye~

Stefanie stood in the hospital waiting for the news on how her boyfriend Zach was doing. He was diagnosed with cancer about three months the doctors didn't think he would live a month, but he did.

Stefanie and Zach lived their lives to the fullest as much as they could before Zach's operation. The operation was tricky. They had recently found a tumor in his brain. If they weren't careful he'd become a living vegetable. Unable to do things that he wanted to do. Zach told his parents no matter what he didn't want to live like that. If the operation was successful there was a good chance his cancer would be in remission.

Stefanie's mind went through phases. The bad, good, and great times she had with Zach in her life. They had been a couple since the sixth grade. Never once had they broke up. Stefanie was feeling guilty the day Zach found out of his cancer she was going to break up with him. It all changed that day.

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~~Flashback: 3 months ago right after Zach found out.........
Stefanie sat on Zach's bed waiting for him to come home. Zach walked up the stairs. Stefanie was in there. "How was I suppose to tell her that I was dying?" Zach asked himself.

Zach went in. "Stef, baby we need to talk," he said. He began talking to her. "I have cancer," Zach said crying. Stefanie did the same thing. She couldn't believe what was happening.

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"Mr. and Mrs. Morris, Zach is out of surgery," the doctor said. "I'm sorry the tumor was too big and removing part of it became our worst fear. I'm sorry." Zach's mom just broke down in her husbands arms.

Stefanie was so in shock just walked into the chapel. She sat down and began to cry.

~Chapter 1: Nowhere to Hide~

Stefanie sat in the hospital chapel crying, She was trying to figure it out. She'd known Zach her whole life and since the 1st grade they were a couple. Zach was her world. How was she suppose to go on without him?

Other side of the hospital two girls were being rushed in. They were in a bad car accident. Sunshine and Katie were on their way to the *N Sync concert in Orlando. See Chris from *N Sync is Sunshine's boyfriend. Katie was Justin's best friend. On their way there a car ran a read light hitting on the passenger side were Katie was sitting. Someone called the parmedics. The thing was they were running late and if they would have went with the others they wouldn't be there. Sunshine had just found out she was pregnant.

One of the nurses called Kate, Katie J, Michelle, and Blondie they were already at the arena. They started getting worried because it was already half way over.

"Hey girls has Katie and Sunshine got here?" Justin asked during their first break as they were changing.

"Guys, Katie and Sunshine have been in a terrible car accident. They said Sunshine is conscious and everything, but Katie is barely hanging on," Kate said. Her eyes began to swell up with tears and so did Justin's. His best friend, the girl he loved might die. He couldn't understand it.

After their concert the guys rushed to the hospital. "Miss I'm looking for someone," Justin said. He told the nurse and he went straight to her room. He walked in and saw her all cut and bruised he began crying.

Michelle walked around back and forth. Katie was her best friend; they had known each other forever. Lately she felt as if they were beginning to drift apart. Michelle walked into the chapel where there was another girl sitting up front crying. Michelle walked to the front, but stopped when the girl started to speak.

"Zach, I love you. Why did you have to leave me? You promised me forever. I believed you too. Gosh dammit I can't live without you. We have spent our whole lives together. Now you are gone. I miss you," Stefanie stopped when she felt as if someone was there.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to listen to you," Michelle said.

"No, I should have realized other people would be coming in here. I was trying to hide from some people. So why are you here?" Stefanie aked.

"Two of my best friends were in a terrible car accident. One of them is okay, but the other one might die," Michelle said crying. Stefanie hugged her.

"I'm so sorry," Stefanie then told her about Zach.

Just then Joey came running into the chapel. "Michelle, Katie wants to see you,"