"So, Mr. Casual, what's up?" Kevin said into the pay phone. J.C. was on the other end.

"The sky," J.C. sarcastically and unenthusiastically remarked.

"Hardy harr harr. No, really, are you doing anything right now?" Kevin asked.

"Depends. Why do you wanna know?" J.C. cautiously answered.

"Get a life and grow up! I'm stranded at the mall."

"Well, how am I involved, mall rat?"

"Because."

"Intense answer there!"

"You are going to be so kind as to come and pick me up! After all, you are always saying that the ten of us should do more things together. Here's the first step."

"Fine," J.C. said heavily. "But I am not going to because of that, I'm picking you up because I don't want to hear you whining about hitch hiking or walking or anything like that."

"Okay. Thanks, man," Kevin said as he felt like a weight had been lifted.

"Yeah, okay."

"See ya then!"

"Yeah. Bye!"

What Kevin had not told J.C. was that the mall had been closed for the safety of the shoppers and employees because the snow that was quickly accumulating outside.

The Backstreet Boys and *N Sync had been vacationing in Greenwich, Connecticut, for the summer, not the winter. They had gotten bikes the first week they were there and rode them everywhere. They only drove if they had to go to Stamford, a nearby city that had a larger mall, more restaurants, and clubs. Lou had arranged the whole trip for them and told them only to take two cars, one for each group, that held five people each. They had decided on the two jeeps, Brian's and J.C.'s so that one group wouldn't feel like the others had a better car.

Greenwich was like a whole other universe. They could walk freely around the town without being bombarded with fans. They wanted to leave in a way and, yet, stay forever. They loved meeting their fans, but were not allowed to, according to Lou, while on their little break in Greenwich. They also wanted to stay, because they could step away from their busy and public lives to be normal people again.

HONK!!! He pulled his coat tighter around his body and jogged towards J.C.'s inviting Jeep.

"Man it's cold!" J.C. said.

"No kidding!"

They drove the rest of the way in silence. Then they reached the house that the two popular music groups were sharing.

Then they reached the house that the two groups were sharing. J.C. and Kevin got out of the Jeep and trekked across the snow-covered driveway. They walked into the kitchen to find the rare occasion of the ten friends all standing in the same room at the same time. J.C. and Kevin were extraordinarily worried what was going on. First they thought that it was odd for everyone to be gathered together without a strange occurence having occured. Secondly, they read the grim expressions of the eight others and thought a tragedy was in the process or had already happened. Lastly, after being with each other, and only each other, for such a long time, they were all getting a little jumpy and edgy.

"So what happened?" Keven asked. "

Yeah, what's going on?" J.C. added.