“Test, test…OK Gina, you’re up and ready to go,” the sound coordinator said, handing Gina a mic. She walked out onto the stage as the background tape played one of her slower songs. She began going through the motions of sound check while her mind visited other things.
The ride to North Carolina was pretty uneventful; everyone slept most of the way. Gina heard Sharlene up and about the bus. It always took the poor girl awhile to get used to the way the bus rocked, but Gina was immune to it. They made it to North Carolina and checked into the hotel. That brought them to today, where they had sound check all day and made sure the stage was set for the opening night.
Gina had been anticipating opening night for awhile, but being a few hours away from taking the stage made her antsy. She was hitting her marks, but Sharlene, whom was sitting out in the audience listening, knew that something was up. She needed to get Gina away from the insanity for just a bit. However, she couldn’t just take her outside to get some fresh air, because the fans had been lined up for hours and to go out there would mean taking Eric and a slew of other muscle men. For as much as Sharlene loved Eric for taking care of Gina, he stuck out like the Jolly Green Giant amongst a field full of midgets.
Sharlene sat and thought hard about what to do to distract Gina while she finished up her song and moved into the next one. Sharlene popped out of her seat and dashed backstage, forming a plan.
“G-Thang, we’ve done this a million times, what’s with the edgy-ness hun?” Chad asked as he and the rest of the dancers walked onto the stage.
Gina smiled fakely and raised her eyebrows in question. “Whaddya mean? I’m not edgy. Just gearing up for another tour, that’s all.”
“Sure Cuz. Whatever you say. It’s gonna be off the hook, I promise. Especially with those boys of NSYNC starting this thang off, whew,” Rachel added, fanning herself for effect.
“I know, I know. Let’s just work this out and I’ll dance off my nerves. That’s all it is. For real.”
Gina took her mark in the front of the group as Wade began pacing the stage, watching them dance through one of Gina’s singles. They all seemed to be hitting the beats fairly well, and the rest of the sound check went off without a hitch. Before Gina knew it, they had run through her song set and it was all over. She glanced out into the audience and noticed Sharlene was gone.
“Where’s Shar?” she asked no one in particular.
“She’s been gone awhile…I saw her run through the venue before we started dancing,” Tony answered.
Gina sat down on the edge of the stage, her legs dangling off the end while taking a long drink from her water bottle. “Oh well, she’ll find me if she needs me. She’s been on tour long enough to know where she’s going. Ten to one she’s hunting down JC.”
“GINA! Don’t say stuff like that when they can hear you! Damn!” Sharlene called out from the side of the stage.
Gina rolled her eyes and laughed. “Aren’t they backstage somewhere? They wouldn’t be out here, don’t worry your secret is safe with…”
“With half the crew, blabby Wade and your dance party gossip team. Lord, I’m surprised JC doesn’t know already.”
“I don’t know what?” JC asked, waltzing out onto the stage and looking at everyone, very intrigued. Sharlene immediately reddened and Gina almost choked on her water.
“Um…that you don’t know how many people are outside already…” Gina managed to get out semi-normally. JC glanced at her with a raised eyebrow and shook his head.
“OK. SO not what you were talking about but I’ll let it slide because it’s the beginning of a new tour and you’re a new friend. I was coming out here to tell ya that we heard you rehearsing and you sounded great. Actually, some of us were watching from the back and your dancing was phenomenal too; we just wanted you to know. Oh, and dinner is going to be up and ready in about a half an hour. We hope you…well, all of you will eat with us, like the first dinner. We’re cheesy about that sort of thing,” he explained, blushing a bit.
“Sure thing JC. That sounds like fun, and I’m starved. I have to grab a shower, so we’ll meet you down there OK?”
“Sounds like a plan, I’ll let the guys know. See ya in a bit!” he said, jogging off the stage.
Gina watched him and did not even have to look over at Sharlene to know that she was too, and that a puddle of drool was forming in her general area. She was about to make a comment but Sharlene beat her to the punch line.
“Not even a WORD Gina, not one.”
“So Holly, does Gina always get all the credit for everything or what? I mean, y’all have been doing those dances with her but JC was only talking to her and giving her compliments,” Rachel asked, throwing on some comfy clothes to wear to dinner. Her and Holly were sharing a dressing room and were both in the process of taking showers and freshening up from sound check.
“Nah. She IS the star though. I mean she credits us and so does everyone else, but face it, she’s singing AND dancing, it’s a bit more difficult. Besides, I'm doing what I love; I don’t need people telling me, ‘gee you’re good at that’. I know I am, and when Wade or Darrin or Travis tells me I’ve done a good job, that’s the ultimate sense of accomplishment. They’re the ones that create the moves that I'm trying to emulate.”
Rachel nodded in understanding but sighed. “I remember when Gina was looking for dancers. I knew she was going to be huge, I really did. She even asked me to dance for her before she held rehearsals, did you know that?”
Holly shook her head ‘no’, and then cocked her head, waiting for Rachel to finish.
“Yup, she did. I supported her through a lot, but I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t be second to her, you know? I have been all my life and that’s not where I wanted to stay. I know that sounds so shitty, but we both sang when we were younger, and she was better. We both danced when we were younger, but she was still just a little bit better. I’ve been in her shadow, so I had to get away from it. She somehow understood when I declined, and we managed to stay fairly close.”
“Wow, I really didn’t know any of that. So if you didn’t want to be a backup dancer, why are you here?” Holly asked, brushing her hair.
“I’m established as a pretty decent choreographer in Miami, and I’ve accomplished what I wanted to somewhat. Gina needed help, and she turned to me. I'm her cousin. I can do this, and it puts me on stage and people can see what I can do. As much as this helps her, it might just help me too,” she answered with a straight face. Holly nodded and smiled slightly, digesting all the information she had just heard.
A knock on the door broke the two from their thoughts. Holly jogged to open it while Rachel shook her head and cleared her mind a bit. There stood Gina and Sharlene, with Eric just a few feet behind.
“I’m hungry, are ya ready? The guys already went down there, and I'm sure the men of NSYNC are already waiting for us to eat,” Gina said, scrunching her wet hair between her fingers.
Rachel appeared in the doorway and smiled wide. “We’re so ready, lets go eat!”
The group made their way down to the cafeteria and realized that Gina was right; they were all sitting there waiting for the girls.
“Figures it’s the women that make us wait to eat…Chris you owe me five bucks,” Joey said with a smile.
“I don’t even want to KNOW what the bet was about. Now, I need my plate so I can get my food.” Gina and the rest of the girls grabbed their plates and quickly made their way to the buffet while the guys watched and laughed.
“How that girl stays skinny and in shape while eating like a cow is beyond me,” Eric said disbelievingly. Chris almost choked on his food while JC actually did, he was laughing so hard.
Gina turned slowly with her full plate as her eyes narrowed. “You’re lucky I don’t charge you with verbal assault, Eric. Infliction of emotional stress, even. And you, Mr. Skinnyass, have no ROOM to laugh. Lord I could knock you over with a feather and as soon as you’d hit the ground you’d shatter into a million pieces,” she huffed as she slammed her tray down and took a seat next to JC, knocking him with her elbow.
“Owwww,” he muttered, rubbing his arm.
“Serves you right,” Chris whispered, smiling over at Gina.
Dinner was on it’s way to being one of the most civilized the group as a whole had had. It could have been due to the nerves of the opening show, or possibly because Gina and her dancers were still in a bit of shock over Diana’s injury. Whatever it was that was causing the niceties, it was a welcome change.
The guys made Sharlene and Rachel welcome by including them in conversations, and Justin was actually talking to Sharlene and smiling. That’s what Gina found the most odd; how come he could get off to a great start with Shar, but he treated Gina like she was some awful person for breathing the same air? It was confusing, but at least she knew where she stood with him. He hadn’t said anything mean or sarcastic to her since Diana got hurt, so now she felt as if she were walking on eggshells around him. Why? She had no idea, but she did.
“…tonight after the show? Gina? Hello?” JC asked, poking her in the side. Gina jumped and screeched, looking around confused.
“What?”
“I didn’t know you were ticklish…” JC said with a sinister look in his eyes. Gina’s eyes widened and she scooted away from him a bit, squishing Sharlene into Chris.
“Um, I'm not. What were you asking me?”
“Well we were wondering if you were coming to the after-party tonight after the show. It’s gonna be huge!”
Justin had had about enough. The two were obviously flirting and he couldn’t believe that he was the only one that was seeing it. He was sick of biting his tongue and couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Well, do you even party? Can your squeaky clean image take it?”
The chatter around the table quickly ended as everyone stared at Justin in awe. Gina sighed deeply and raised her eyes to the man sitting directly across from her.
“OK, this doesn’t even deserve an answer. I’ve never denied going out and having a good time. Hell, I'm 21, it’s LEGAL for me to drink and be at a club when I'm out, which is more than I can say for you, youngin’. Damn, I could party CIRCLES around you, oh-big-haired-one.”
“Is that a challenge?” he questioned in a dangerously low voice. Where was this anger coming from? He quickly determined that she just brought it out of him naturally.
“It’s a promise. Just because I haven't been out in awhile doesn’t mean I’ve lost the touch. Now excuse me, I’m getting sick sitting here…the stench of ignorance has FINALLY gotten to me.” With that, Gina picked up her tray and brought it to the trash, then exited the room.
As the door closed, everyone turned their angry eyes on Justin.
“What?”
Sharlene had followed Gina out of the room and back through the venue, right behind Eric. Gina had made her way past her dressing room and into the small wardrobe room. She walked in and slammed the door, placing her hands on her hips and pacing in front of a wall of mirrors. A few minutes later the door opened and she rolled her eyes.
“Eric I can’t get hurt; I'm in here by myself. Stand outside and just leave me alone please.”
“Eric’s outside, and I think he’s more or less protecting Justin from getting a smack down from you,” Sharlene answered, sitting in a chair nearby.
Gina looked back and sighed, running her fingers through her curls. “Why does he provoke me like that? There was no need for that comment and you know it.”
“If it were anyone else Geen, you would have laughed it off or dismissed it. You’re right though, it was totally unnecessary.”
“Don’t you dare defend that bastard.”
“I said it was unnecessary, or did you miss that part?” Sharlene quipped back. Gina was lashing out; it was what she did when she was on the defensive but Sharlene knew how to fight back.
“Whatever. I knew this whole tour was going to be a bust. Hell, I thought things were actually going to be semi-OK between me and the boy since he was somewhat civil when Di got hurt. Must have been a moment of weakness or something.” Gina continued her pacing, trying to control her emotions.
“OK, don’t get mad at me for saying this…”
“Great, when you start a sentence like that I KNOW I will…”
“You always RISE to the occasion. I mean, this was the first time I’ve seen him be blatantly rude to you…but you didn’t see the way your eyes almost lit up. Or the way his did the same. It seems like you two almost…crave the argument. Why? I have no idea. He’s not another Charlie, Gina. I could tell that from the minute I met him. Why you have that hang up, I don’t know. It could be why you argue so much. I am basically talking out my thoughts here, so stop looking at me like you want to breathe fire or something.”
Gina continued to stare at her friend. “My eyes ‘lit up’? You need to lay off that crack they are supplying you at that school of yours.”
“Please. Anyway, I can tell you don’t hate him. He doesn’t hate you either. I think you two really don’t know HOW to talk to each other, so you resort to fighting because you’re pushing each other away. He’s not all that bad you know, he was nice to me.”
“He’s nice to everyone BUT me. Because I called him out and proved that he IS stuck up and egotistical. Gee, excuse me for seeing the truth!” Gina huffed as she plopped down onto the floor and crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes.
Sharlene knew that anymore talk would be useless, so she decided to change the subject. “Hey, enough of this. So not worth it. Whaddya say we have some quality bonding time in the dressing room?”
“Good idea.”
“Dude, you just HAD to say something, didn’t you? What’s UP with that?” Chris asked, shaking his head at Justin.
“Whatever. She wouldn’t come out with us anyway, I’m sick of how she’s played all y’all,” he answered, rolling his eyes and starting to get up.
JC leaned over and yanked his arm down, causing him to sit back down in his seat. “Stay there and listen. It was not cool to start a fight the first day of tour. We wanted to have a nice, group dinner and all was going well…until you opened your big mouth. You were being nice earlier in the week, why the change of heart?”
“It was a slip of the tongue. I felt bad for Diana. That’s it. She was so flirting with you JC.”
“WHAT? Talking about going out meant flirting? Justin, have you been eating some of Joey’s chocolate again?” Lance said, totally baffled.
“I cannot believe you just said that. Lord Justin, you sound like a jealous boyfriend,” JC added, shaking his head and laughing a bit.
“OH hell no. Please. I thought it was disgusting…whatever. I'm getting out of here, I don’t need this crap from y’all.” With that, Justin grabbed his stuff and stormed out of the cafeteria, muttering something about stupid comments.
Joey smiled evilly towards his friends. “Something is definitely up with those two.”
“I don’t know Joe. Gina and Britney are friends…and that makes things complicated for Justin. I think he’s just confused as hell right now and is lashing out,” JC reasoned.
Chris, who was being unusually quiet, spoke his thoughts. “I don’t think it’s just him though. She’s got some ish going on too.”
“ ‘Ish’? Where the hell did you…wait…teenybopper magazines again Chris?” JC asked, cracking up.
“Don’t you know it. J-14 baby, J-14.”
After the opening acts, *NSYNC took the stage. Gina, Sharlene, Rachel, and the rest of the dancers were escorted right in front of the stage, to the left of it. It was the first time Gina had ever seen the guys perform live, and she was impressed to say the least. She couldn’t believe all the energy they exploded with for each song, or the fact that the crowd screamed the entire time. She was grateful Chris had given her a pair of earplugs before he took the stage; she reminded herself to thank him later.
It was then time for Gina to take the stage. The roles were seemingly reversed as *NSYNC was now watching Gina work her magic for the crowd. Chris was beyond excited, but he was the only one that had seen her perform previously. Justin had to be dragged out to watch, but he had to admit to himself that he was intrigued and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. She was hypnotizing on stage; she could sing, she could dance, and she definitely had a presence on stage that just made the audience love her. He could tell that she loved being up there, and that it was her home.
Gina tried to avoid looking at the guys down to the right of her; she didn’t want to attract any attention to them. She was surprised that they actually came out to watch her, but she had to laugh at Chris who was singing along and even dancing some of the choreography. She glanced at Justin and was shocked at how closely he was studying her. She didn’t have time to think about it though and it was pushed to the back of her mind as she went on with her set.
Justin’s eyes couldn’t leave her. He had watched Britney on stage many times, but Gina was totally different when she was performing. He didn’t know why he thought their shows would be the same; Gina was more rooted in R&B and lit up the stage with a capella versions of songs and solo dance performances. After watching her perform, he could tell himself that he respected her a little bit more than he did before. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but he could see how Gina and Britney were just a little bit different.
