***
"Dude, did you see Johnny's face when you kissed Jordan on the cheek?" Chris asked, his mouth full of popcorn. Sitting in the main room of N Sync's suite, he glanced over at Justin, who was getting soda out of the fridge.
As he wandered back to the couch, Justin nodded thoughtfully. "I don't know what his deal is...but maybe he's worried bout the rumors again. Who the hell knows." he said, plopping his tall frame onto the couch.
"So what's up with you and her? Did you guys talk some things through? You seemed awfully...oh, I don't know...cozy at the shoot." Chris grinned widely at his curly haired friend.
Justin smiled, "Yeah, we actually did...in the hallway, that's why we were late getting down to the limo."
Nodding thoughtfully, Chris popped some more food into his mouth. "So she told you about her dad then huh?"
"Sorta...she knows that I figured it out...cuz I..uh...found a letter he wrote her, and I read it. That's partly why she was so pissed at me, cuz I think she knew..ya know?"
"Yep.." Chris trailed off as JC wandered into the main room.
"Have you seen Joey?" JC asked, rubbing a towel on his still sopping wet, fresh out of the shower hair.
Lance looked up from the papers he was shuffling through. "Um...I think he went to see if the girls had any ice in their room. Lonnie and practically all the rest of security are sleeping already...he didn't feel like pissing them off by waking them."
"Ohh. Aight." he said before turning to Justin. "So, has Johnny called you in for a talk yet?"
"Huh?" Justin looked up at JC in confusion.
"Well, after he got pissed and cut the photo shoot short, I would think he would want to have a little discussion with you. Ya know, similar to the one Lou had with you and Jordan I suppose." JC shrugged, not noticing the dirty look Justin was giving him as he walked back into his room to get ready for bed.
"Who the hell asked him anyways?" Justin muttered under his breath.
"Hey Lance!!!" Chris jumped up, attempting to lighten Justin's mood.
"What..?" Lance looked up, confused.
"So...tell me...what's up with you and Leigh?"
"Yeah, tell us man. We see how you look at her!!" Justin joined in, prodding Lance for information.
Lance's cheeks flushed in embarassment. "What are you talking bout? I do not have a thing for Leigh."
Chris rolled his eyes at Justin, "Yeah, and Joey doesn't have a thing for furry coats and Twinkies either. Whatever...spill it."
"I don't!" Lance cried indignantly, trying to hide a smile from creeping across his face at the mention of her name.
"Yeah yeah..ok fine. So you don't have a thing for Leigh...SHE has a thing for YOU. But still, it's a thing...so let's hear it." Justin prodded.
Lance opened his mouth to answer when the phone rang shrilly. "Hello?" the spiky blonde said deeply into the phone. "Hey man, what's up?...Yeah, JC's still up...hold up one sec." He put down the phone and opened the door of the bedroom JC was sharing with Justin. "JC?"
"Yeah..?"
"Tyler's on the phone for ya...I can have him call back tomorrow afternoon if you want." he said in a faint Southern drawl.
"Nah, it's ok, I'll get it now." JC said, following Lance back out into the main room of the suite. Justin and Chris had forgotten about their conversation with Lance and were playing a game on Chris' Playstation. "Hello?" he said into the phone. "Oh hey man, wasup?..How's mom and dad?..."
***
"So how's your brother?" Lance asked as JC hung up the phone.
"He's good. Actually, he's gonna come on tour with us for awhile. He's bored at home, and has a month before school starts, so he's gonna fly out and meet us in San Diego Friday night. We just have to pick him up at the airport I guess." JC said, lowering himself into one of the plush chairs.
"Tyler's comin on tour with us?" Chris looked up from his game, grinning. "That's awesome...HEY!!! You're a cheater!" he pushed Justin off the couch, swiping the controller from his hand.
"Ouch!! Easy now!" Justin laughed.
"Hey guys, Johnny said he's gonna regulate on your sorry asses if you don't get in bed right now...we have a show tomorrow and he wants us rested." Joey said tiredly as he entered the suite.
"Where'd ya see him at?" Lance inquired curiously.
Joey laughed, "He just yelled at the girls for being too loud...and told them to get in bed. I figured I would save us the bitching and tell you myself."
"Good thinking Joe...for once in your life." Chris said, smiling as he jumped over the back of the couch and wandered into his room before getting into bed for the night.
***
"Lance needs love, Leigh needs love...we all really neeeeeed LOOOVE!" Chris crooned in a high pitched voice as he did the cabbage patch in the back room of the bus. N Sync and Eternity were on their respective buses to San Diego after finishing their show in Phoenix. Although Rachel's ankle was obviously still bothering her, she had made it through the performance without a hitch.
Justin sat on the floor laughing uncontrollably as Joey danced along with Chris. "You guys crack me up. Lance is gonna kill you two!"
"Seriously, it's so completely obvious that he has the hots for her. They're always together, they think so much alike it's scary, and the other night they fell asleep on the couch together." Joey said, remembering how cute the two looked sleeping when he had woken up after Rachel stepped on his arm.
"Well like you should talk about obvious Joey!" Lance said walking in on their conversation. Chris halted his obnoxious singing, and even more obnoxious dance moves when Lance shot him a dirty look.
"What?" Joey said, confused.
"Rachel? Does that name ring any bells?" Lance grinned at his friend, who was slowly turning red. "I mean, you drool over her like she's a fresh box of Ding Dongs."
"Whatever..." Joey mumbled as he sat down on the couch, flipping on the tv. "So what time does Tyler's flight come in?" he asked, turning to JC who was just waking up from his nap.
"Um..." JC mumbled, slightly groggy. "Huh?"
"Tyler! Airport! When do we have to go get him?" Justin yelled in JC's ear, playfully avoiding the gangly arm that reached out to smack him.
"He flys in early tomorrow morning...I think he said 9:00." JC replied, yawning.
"Sounds like a plan..." Justin said before turning away from JC and concentrating on the movie that Joey had put in.
***
"Tyler!" JC shouted, waving at his brother, who had just entered the airport from the terminal. Tyler's face lit up with a smile as he turned to where the voice had come from.
"Hey man!" Tyler said excitedly as he made his way over to his brother and Lonnie. "Where's everyone else?" he asked, looking around for other familiar faces.
"They're in the limo...we didn't want to cause a scene." JC explained as the three men made their way to the baggage claim, avoiding stares from curious fans. "Although people still seem to recognize me...maybe Lonnie here gives me away." he laughed.
"OHMYGOD!" a tiny blonde ran up to JC, thrusting a small pad of paper his way. "You're JC from NSYNC!"
Stopping for a moment, he smiled. "Yeah, I am..nice to meet you sweetie. What's your name?" he asked as he began signing his autograph.
"Katie" she said shyly.
Handing her back the paper, he smiled brightly at her before waving goodbye and continuing on to retrieve Tyler's luggage.
***
"What is TAKING them so long?" Tressa sighed as she sat impatiently in the limo.
"Stop bitching! That's all you ever do..they're coming.." Ashlee said as she craned her neck to peer out the window. "Joey, would you move your big fat head? I can't see a thing!"
"Here they come..." Joey said, turning away from the window. JC and Tyler walked toward the limo behind Lonnie, smiling and talking animatedly.
Eternity sat there silent, not knowing what Tyler would be like, as this would be the first time any of the girls had met him. 'I hope he's not as bitchy as JC is.' Jordan thought to herself as the limo door opened and JC climbed in.
Tyler stepped into the limo, a smile illuminating his face as he looked around at the groups. "Hey man, wasup?" he said, giving Justin a high five.
Tressa and Ashlee sat side by side in silence as JC introduced his brother to the girls. 'Oooh, very nice. I think I'd like to get to know him a little better..' Ashlee thought to herself, smiling brightly as she shook Tyler's hand.
Her eyes lighting up for the first time that day, Tressa smiled shyly as her eyes met Tyler's. 'Damn he's gorgeous. Looks like I'll be spending more time with JC and Tyler than I had planned...' she thought as Tyler smiled at her, shaking her hand.