Chapter 7
Lance awoke brightly and knocked on everyone's doors to wake them up. He'd knock and scream wake up and then go on to the next room. As he went to knock Imogene stopped him when she opened his door.
"It's too early God damnit," She said rubbing her eyes.
"It's 7:00 and we have to get practicing in about an hour," Lance said politely. Imogene sighed and closed the door. Lance continued knocking and ran back to his room to take a shower. As he walked past Joey's room he knocked several times until he opened the door.
"Jesus, I opened my door for you?" Joey said about to slamming it closed.
"WAIT! Give me the list so I can have a guard actually wake everyone up," he said.
"You really are bored aren't you," Joey said as he rummaged through his stuff, "Here, now get out and give me five more minutes."
"Is five minutes really gonna do anything?" Lance asked. Joey groaned and slammed the door again. Lance gave the list to Jeff, their main security guard and finally went to go take a shower.
"It's about time you came down here! Wade is gonna kill us if we're five minutes late!" JC whined as Alexis got in the car with Holly.
"Hey we are faster than Timber-flake," Holly said as Justin came running into the black SUV.
"Anyone is faster than J," Lance laughed. Finally as soon as the two cars were packed, they drove over to Jive where there was a dance room waiting for them. Wade and Brittany were already there making up some moves. As the crew bust in Wade paid no attention.
"You're late," he said without changing expression.
"We're always late," Joey sighed as he rubbed his eyes.
"Lombardi time," Wade laughed.
"Yeah yeah...I know...5 minutes early is 10 minutes late," Justin sighed as he affixed a bandana over his unruly curls. They started perfecting some of the moves from "Celebrity" and "Dirty Pop". After about 2 hours Justin whined on the floor.
"NO MORE SLAVE DRIVERS!" he screamed.
"What...little Timberlake can't take it?" Brittany smiled.
"Chris can't either..." he complained.
"CHRIS IS 10 YEARS OLDER THAN YOU!" She shouted.
"Hey...Chris can't help that he is so old," JC laughed. Chris was too exhausted to fight so he put up a fist and slumped back down.
"Fine, then Wade and I will take the tour on our own," Brittany laughed.
"Seriously guys, we're done here. Johnny begged me to have you guys back 2:00. Plus you guys smell so you need showers," Wade sighed.
"Thanks for the moral support," Lance cried sarcastically. Finally they made it back to the hotel where the guys quickly showered and changed and rushed back to Jive to record the last song on the record. The day was so hot that the girls decided to lay out by the pool.
"Are you guys nervous?" Holly asked skeptically.
"Hells yeah girl! Dancing in front of thousands of people with JC is no easy feat!" Alexis chuckled.
"Oh come on Alex, Lance has the hardest time and you know it," Imogene sighed.
"Why don't you guys just admit that we're better dancers than them," Julia laughed.
"Hey Julia, I saw a little more than dancing going on between you and Chris," Imogene giggled as she nudged her shoulder.
"He's a funny guy...he had me in stitches the whole time," She shrugged.
"You know what her first words were to him?" Brittany snorted, "Fuck off pop shit," Julia and her said in unison.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!" Holly gasped.
"Yep..Chris was flirting at the wrong time and she went ballistic," Brittany laughed. Julia let out an exaggerated sigh and laid back in her recliner.
"So what is your marital status girls?" Brittany asked as she slid onto a pool float.
"I've got a long time boyfriend," Imogene said happily.
"I'm seeing someone back home," Holly whispered.
"I'm married," Alexis said calmly.
"You're married?" Julia asked astonished.
"Girl...I'm 27 years old, and my husband and I have been dating since junior high."
"I thought you were 18," Brittany chuckled.
"I wish," She sighed.
"What is YOUR marital status Britt?" Imogene asked seductively.
"Single and ready to mingle...as usual," She laughed.
"Brittany doesn't open up to anyone who is gonna hurt her...Oh wait...that is every man," Julia gasped.
"Shut up...Atleast I'm not a hoar," She sneered.
"Do I have to turn your float over?" Julia sighed.
"Nah, You can get me back later," Brittany laughed.
"So what is your problem with relationships?" Alexis questioned.
"Nothing really. I was in love with one guy, or so I thought. He asked me to marry him on a bet and then I found him cheating on me the next day when I said no. Then I dated some guy back home and he led me on and then revealed he wanted to be friends. I just don't have luck with guys, so I've given up I guess." She sighed.
"That guy will come around," Holly smiled.
"Someday..." she chuckled.
"What are you guys doing tonight?" Imogene asked.
"I'm getting sleep...and I've gotta write something," Brittany sighed.
"You are SO boring!" Alexis laughed as she took Imogene's hand and skipped off.
"Hey, Holly and I are going shopping...wanna come?" Julia asked.
"Nah...I'm gonna stay here and chill," Brittany sighed.
"All right...meet us there if you change your mind," Holly giggled.
"Alone at last," Brittany smiled to herself. She took her acoustic guitar and her notebook up by the pool. She had slipped a pair of jean shorts over her checkered bikini. The top was revealing but it was perfect for tanning like she had that afternoon. She slipped her feet into the cool water and let out a sigh of relief when she realized no one was there. She tuned her guitar quickly and started to play a few chords to a song she had been working on. She started to sing the words quietly that she already had planned.
I saw you standing there
but I was only dreaming
You looked at me I looked at you
But only in my dreams
I find my self waking up grinning
but I was only dreaming
the way we held eachother
But only in my dreams
She stopped singing when she heard footsteps. She stood up and walked up to a lounge chair and continued playing over there. She pretended not to notice the two men walking towards her as she continued to play.
"Sounds good," Joey said revealing his face in the dim lighting.
"Thanks," Brittany said softly. Joey and Lance had come up to have a night swim. They played happily as Brittany strummed more chords and wrote more lyrics down. As she watched them so many more lyrics came to her mind.
"I think I found my inspiration," She thought to herself. Joey and Lance's horseplay had stopped and they came out and rubbed themselves off with towels. Lance walked towards the stairs and Joey walked towards Brittany.
"Play me something maestro," Joey laughed.
"You know the Beatles...Blackbird?" She asked.
"I love that song!" Joey said leaning back in his chair. She started to play it as her fingers flew over the strings. She hadn't played this song in so long, she had been concentrating on her own music. She started to hum blackbird as she played along. Suddenly Joey started to sing to her playing.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these second eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arrive
Brittany smiled softly as he sang. It was remarkable how much he sounded like Paul McCartney when he sang the song. As she finished up he pulled his chair closer up to hers.
"Can we talk?" Joey asked.
"Sure," she said nervously as she set down her guitar.
"Well, I've been wanting to talk to you about that whole psychological evaluation you gave me the other day," he gulped.
"Don't use big words, my brain might explode," She laughed. Joey chuckled and went on.
"See, when Kelly and I were in high school, we were best friends. We were always hanging out and people assumed we were going out even though I was always flirting with other people. So then a few days later Kelly was just being a bitch and I finally confronted her about it and she was mad at me for sleeping with someone else. She went ballistic and told me that I had broken her heart and that broke my heart. I loved Kelly with all my heart, but I wasn't in love with her. Since she felt so attached to me and fell in love, I promised myself that I wouldn't fall in love and get hurt like I hurt Kelly. So when we met up again a few years later, we ended up hanging out again and we went out drinking one night and we ended up sleeping together. Once I knew she was having that baby I regretted it again. I knew that I had broken her heart once again and the next night I went partying and Kelly walked in on me. So even though we had Brianna, there is still such a barrier between us. Now, I wish that I could find someone so I could raise Brianna with her, and raise her like I was raised. Brianna made me realize that all this time, I needed to fall in love instead of playing the field. That why I didn't go out tonight...and I really haven't gone out too much. I don't want to hurt any one else. You were right about just fucking them and then leaving them. You made me realize what a jerk I am."
"Don't say you're a jerk. That's the last thing you are. All this time you've been trying not to hurt anyone else and you've been hurting yourself. Why haven't you told anyone else this?" Brittany said taking his hand.
"The guys just knew me as a flirt. I couldn't turn around and just say..Hey I'm ready for commitment!" He laughed.
"Why did you tell me?" she said returning to her serious state.
"When we first went out that day for lunch, You read my mind and you hadn't even knew me. So I trusted you because I felt like you knew what you were doing," Joey sighed.
"Well, I'm not professional...But I just read your eyes," She said smiling.
"Well, what can I do Doc?" He asked.
"Joey...you can't change over night...and you can't force yourself to either. I suggest just not sleeping around. You can still go out and have a good time and play the field. Just take it slow. Then you're gonna find that perfect person for Brianna," She said laying back in her chair. She looked up at the sky and smiled. "When all else fails, just look into the stars and try finding someone there."
"I'll try that sometime," he chuckled. He grabbed her notebook off the floor and started to flip through it.
"Sing me one of your songs?" He asked handing her the guitar and her book. She sighed and turned to her most recent page.
"I wrote most of this tonight," She said before she started. She started with the verse from before and then continued on.
I thought that all these dreams
would never end it only seems
that when I'm with you, I'm lost forever
But just as it starts to get good
I wake up and then I understood
I was just dreaming...
I think I see your smiling face
But I'm not dreaming
You say you know me from somewhere
this isn't just a dream
Joey smiled contentedly as she sang that night. Her voice was so smooth and calm. It was so natural and raw, not anything you would hear on the radio. His muscles started to calm and he felt a rush of passion. She could make it someday he thought to himself. Something about her intrigued him. He couldn't figure out what it was but he started to listen to her lyrics as she continued her beautiful song.
And now that I'm in your arms
I understand you'll never cause me harm
We'll be together forever now
The dreams are over and now I see
This is actual reality
I love you, and you love me
I saw you standing there
but I was only dreaming
You looked at me I looked at you
But only in my dreams
I find my self waking up grinning
but I was only dreaming
the way we held eachother
But only in my dreams
"That was amazing," he sighed as he gave her a hug. She shifted uncomfortably and put her guitar down.
"Thanks," she whispered.
"I could get you professional ya know," He smiled.
"No way...You're lucky I sang for you. Infact, I don't know why I sang...I've never really sung my songs to anyone," She laughed.
"Maybe that means something," he said as a grin creeped over his lips. He brushed her hair behind her ear and made her shiver.
"Are you cold?" he asked.
"A little," She lied. How could I tell him that his presence was making me quiver. He handed her his sweatshirt and she slipped it over her goosebump covered skin, "Besides, the only way I would get public is if I had an *Nsync member's baby or something."
"That can be arranged," he laughed. Brittany smiled and stood up.
"Wanna watch a movie?" She asked.
"Sounds great. Wanna watch it on the bus though? We've got DVD on ours," he said walking down the stairs.
"OK, let me just put my guitar away in my room." She said as she flipped out her key and entered it into the lock. She set down her guitar on the bed and wrote a note to Julia quickly. She put on a pair of pajama pants and walked over to Joey's room. He came out wearing some boxer shorts and a tee-shirt. Brittany's eyes shifted everywhere they shouldn't be as they walked to the bus.
"Do you normally wear that to bed?" She asked. "JESUS! Why did I say THAT!"
"I usually go naked," he laughed.
"I can only wish," Brittany chuckled as he pried the bus door open. He flipped on a light switch on the bus dashboard panel.
"Alrighty, which movie are we watching?" he asked.
"You pick, you're the expert," She sighed.
"I'm not really the expert....but how about...hmmm...A Hard Day's Night," he smiled seductively.
"I should have known you would have Beatles DVD's on here," she laughed. He popped the DVD in and sat next to her. She felt uncomfortable just sitting there not touching him at all. He finally put his arm around her with a fake yawn. She laughed and snuggled into his chest. The sweet smell of his cologne intoxicated her. There was a hint of a chlorine smell but it just added to the ecstasy. She shivered as his hand pushed the stray pieces of hair out of her eyes and draped his hand over her stomach and pulled her closer. She could hardly concentrate on the movie. She was too busy thinking about Joey.
"What did you do with Brianna?" She asked softly.
"She's with my Mom and dad at home. I couldn't bring her on tour as much as I wanted to," he sighed.
"That's understandable," she said shifting her weight and leaning her head on the arm rest of the couch. Joey laid down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled to herself as she cuddled closer to him. The song "If I Fell," was playing on the screen.
"This is the first song I learned to play on guitar," she said as she reminded herself of the first time she got her guitar. After no response she realized Joey was sleeping soundly beside her. She grabbed the remote and turned the movie off.
"Goodnight Joey," she whispered softly as she kissed his forehead.
"Night baby," he mumbled pulling her closer. Her eyes shut slowly as she let the darkness and Joey take her into a sweet dream.
"WHERE THE HELL IS HE!" Chris yelled as he rummaged through Joey's room. Everyone was practically in hell because when someone is missing, everyone knows about it. Chris knocked frantically on Julia's door.
"What do you want twerp?" She said groggily.
"Where is Brittany?" He asked angrily.
"She went to see a movie last night," Julia said as she rubbed her eyes.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Chris said excitedly as he ran to the bus. He pried the door open with his fingers and saw Julia sleeping in his arms. As much as he knew Joey was going to kill him for this, they had to wake up. He pressed the horn on the bus and they woke up frantically.
"Good morning...You've made my life a living hell," Chris sighed.
"Sorry Chris...We fell asleep," Joey yawned.
"Yeah....I know... You wore her out from your hard rocking," Chris chuckled. Joey shot up and started to run after Chris. Brittany smiled and laughed to herself. She started to stretch and realized she still had Joey's sweatshirt on. She inhaled his scent and sighed. She could live in this sweatshirt if it had this scent all the time. She remembered Justin's words....Don't fall for him...
"Ha.. I'm not falling for him," She said to herself quietly. She stepped off the bus into the sun and blinded her eyes from it. She stepped inside the hotel and dragged herself up to her room. She jumped in the shower quickly after reading a note from Julia to meet her downstairs. She slipped on some black dance capris and a sports bra. She hugged Joey's sweatshirt over her again and pulled her wet hair into a sloppy bun. She saw Julia as the elevator doors opened and she grabbed her hand. She shoved a banana in Brittany's mouth and dragged her to the car.
"We're gonna be late...could you be any slower?" She shouted,"Oh and don't tell me you fucked him because I'll kill you."
"HEY! Stop using my advice...And why would I... I'm not like you," Brittany sneered. Julia huffed Brittany into the car and started to drive towards the studio.
Chapter 8
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