Chapter 5: "I guess this is goodbye then." "...But Justin..." "I don't want to leave you here Skye...but I have to. Plus, there sort of has a positive vibe to it." "WHAT?!" "The money I get will help pay for our kids." Skye sighed. "...Justin...how long will you be gone?" "Months." "How MANY months!?", she asked, her voice tensing and her jaw tightening. "I'm not sure...we have to record and release the album, then we have the promotional tour...then the world tour." "But Justin, that'll be forever!" "No it won't...only a few months." "That's what you think...then you'll be gone for 2 years!" "Now, you know that's impossible. In 7 months, we'll have kids, so I will be home for that, I promise." "Do you really promise?" "I promise. No more than 7 months." "6 months." "Seven." "JUSTIN!!" "Fine, six." "Promise?" "Promise." They drove home in silence. The next morning, Chris came into Justin's room. "Hey, man, how was the dance? Did you tell her?" "Yeah." "And...?" "And she made me promise only to be gone for 6 months." "6 MONTHS!?!" "6 months." "Justin, you know that's nearly impossible! We'll be gone at least a year!" "I know man. But she's having MY baby...sorry, babIES, in 7 months...don't you think I should be there for it?!" "Yeah...I guess..." "End of story then...I'm coming home to see my children, okay? .....whoa, that sounds weird..." "Alright...", Chris sighed. Justin looked at him, then Chris left the room. About 4 hours later, Skye walked into Justin's room, her hand on her stomach, a sullen look on her face. Justin was lying on his bed, staring into space. She quietly cleared her throat and he looked up at her. "Hey...how're ya doin'?", he asked sympathetically. "I'm alright.", she replied and her gaze shifted to the suitcases on the floor. "Um, I've been meaning to ask, when do you have to leave?" Pausing to look into her eyes, which he could tell were in pain, he finally said quietly, "Um...tomorrow night." "Tomorrow night?!" "I'm afraid so." "But that doesn't...we can't...I'll be...oh my Jesus Christ, I'm gonna miss you so much!", she cried and flung her arms around him. "I'll miss you more.", he said quietly as a tear ran down his cheek and he finally felt the pain she had been feeling. The next evening, Justin, JC, Lance, Chris, and Joey, Skye and Meghan, and Justin's parents gathered in the den to say goodbye. Tears fell down Meg's cheek as she clung like velcro to JC. Skye was crying, but she held her composure. "Why do you have to leave me here?", Meghan sobbed. "I wish I could take you Meg. Really. I'm gonna be missing you really bad.", JC answered. "Skye, I'll call you everyday. I promise.", Justin consoled. "I'll be waiting for it." Later they all drove to the airport. "I guess this is goodbye, then.", Justin said quietly when their plane was called. "No...please don't go!" "I have to Skye." He took her hand and gave her one last kiss. "I love you." "I love you more." "No, I love you more!" Skye smiled through her tears. He squeezed her hand and walked to the terminal. The last thing Meg and her saw was all five 'N Sync guys wave. Skye ran to the window and watched the plane take off until it was out of sight. Sobbing, she lost her composure and fell to her knees. Banging the window in frustration and distress, Skye cried weakly, "Come back....please...come back!". Lynn, Paul, and Meghan, who was still upset, tried to comfort her but she pushed them away. "Damnit, Justin, why did you leave me?!!", she mumbled to herself before leaving the airport in tears. Chapter 6: "Looks like Curly is back to reality!" "Justin, man, snap out of it!", JC nudged him. He got no answer. "JUSTIN!!" And still, no answer. JC sighed and turned to Lance. "What the hell is up with him?" Joey answered for Lance. "He's depressed, remember? Duh, you guys are so dense." "I was asking Lance, 'Fat One'." "Don't call me that, asshole." JC shook his head and turned back to Lance, who said, "You guys are pathetic; can't you go at least one day without fighting?" "Shut up Lance.", the two said in unison. "This is gonna be a bad tour if Justin doesn't snap out of it.", remarked Lance, ignoring Joey & JC's comment. Chris had been listening quietly to their bickering and finally said, "I wouldn't worry about guys." "Why not?", Joey, JC, and Lance said at the same time. "Because you know Justin...once he gets out on stage, he gets pumped up and crazy. We'll just have to pray extra hard for him this time...and also for the bitchy brothers over here, who won't shut up.", he said motioning to JC and Joey. Chris returned to his novel, while Lance clasped headphones over his ears. Joey hummed the Superman theme loudly out of boredom. JC's jaw tightened, his lips pressed together, and his eyes widened. Finally, he lost all patience and exploded at Joey. "SHUT UP!!!!!" "Cool down, man. You could ask nicely, ya know." JC slammed up against the seat and muttered, "Damn Superman." Chris looked up (again) in impatience. "Will you two please stop arguing? You're grown men for God's sake!" "Yeah Joey." "I was talking to you JC.", Chris replied. JC sighed angrily and shoved Justin on the shoulder. "Damnit Justin, snap out of it!" Justin turned slowly to face JC with narrowed eyebrows. Without saying anything, he turned back to staring out the window. "Shit." Meanwhile, back in Orlando, Skye and Meghan sat on their leather couch watching "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery". Skye sat there with a blank look on her face, while Meghan was cracking up. "You're groovy baby yeah!", the TV said. Meghan nudged her sister. "Are you OK? There is no way you can find this movie boring, is there?" "Shut up. Don't talk to me." Meghan rolled her eyes and turned back to the TV. Skye got up and left the room. "Where are you going?" "To kill myself." "SKYE!" "I'm going to bed. Goodnight." "Um...goodnight." Meg put her attention back to Mike Myers and 15 minutes later she got a weird foreboding. She thought, "I had better check on her; I can't afford to lose a sister too." She walked upstairs to Skye's room and found the bathroom light on. Curious, she peeked in to find two containers of drugged pills. Skye was filling a glass with water and opened one of the containers. "Noo! Skye don't!" She whirled around, "Jesus Christ Meghan, you're not my mother." "No shit Skye, but I'm your older sister and I'm the one responsible for you now." "Leave me alone." "I can't do that now, it seems." "GET OUT OF MY FACE MEGHAN!" "Listen Skye, if you kill yourself, you're also killing two babies and breaking Justin's heart." "Justin wouldn't care." "Oh that is some bullshit." Skye shrugged and gulped down a pill. Meghan slapped her across the face and dragged her out towards a phone. She dialed Justin's cellphone. "Damnit Justin, pick your phone up!" The shrill ring of a phone made JC jump. He immediately knew it was Justin's. When Justin didn't pick it up, JC said, "Aren't you even gonna see who it is?" No answer. JC shook his head and reached for the cell. On the screen it said: HARDING, ROBERT. "Jesus, Justin, it's Skye!" "Huh?" "It's Skye. Ya know, your girlfriend!" Justin grabbed the phone out of JC's hand and answered, "SKYE!?" "Justin, oh thank God!" "Oh hi Meghan..." "Justin, your girlfriend is trying to kill herself. And she thinks you won't care." "WHAT?!" he yelled. The other four 'N Syncers glanced at him and Lance said, "Looks like Curly is back to reality!" "We shoulda known. All we had to do was say 'Skye' and he woulda woken up.", Joey said. Justin yelled into the phone, "Jesus! Lemme talk to her!!" "Hi Justin." "What the hell are you doing?" "I miss you." "So you're gonna kill yourself?" JC, Lance, Joey, and Chris all looked at Justin and said, "WHAT?!" Just then, the pilot announced they were landing.
LiNKS
Chapters 7 and 8
HoME
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