“Tony! You’re here!” JC called to his long time friend as he jogged over to greet him.
“Jace, hey! How’s it going?” He called out to him and shook his hand before hugging him.
“Not to bad. This is great man that you’re touring with us! It’ll be like old times.”
“Yeah, all we need is Dale and the set would be complete.”
“Anthony Lucca, I swear if you don’t stop leaving your crap around for me to pick up I’m gonna hold it for ransom!” A young female voice called from behind Tony. He looked up at JC and they both laughed,
“Is that who I think it is?” JC asked,
“Do you know anyone else with a bigger mouth?” He joked and the girl with the voice came out with her arms full of books, clothes and other miscellaneous items.
“If you think I’m gonna pick up after you for the next three months, boy do you have another thing coming.” She retorted ignoring the Nsyncer and dropping the items in front of Tony.
“Aw, come on Dani. You know I love you.” She just glared at her brother, raising her eyebrow.
“Sweet talking gets you no where with me.” She shot back and realized that JC was standing there, “Hey JC! Long time no see!” She reached over and gave him a quick hug,
“Hey Dani. I didn’t know you were coming on tour with Tony.” She crossed her arms,
“Lucky me, I graduate from school a semester early and my present is to be my brother’s maid.”
“What else were you going to do? Sit at home and argue with dad over which TV show to watch?” Tony said playfully.
“The thought crossed my mind. I’m only here to keep you out of trouble.”
“Keep ME out of trouble? Yeah that’s it.”
“Loser.” She retorted and he ruffled her hair lightly,
“Love you too.” She pushed his hand away and turned to JC,
“You just had to invite him to open for you, didn’t you?”
“Hey I’m staying out of this.” Dani reached up and ruffled JC’s hair,
“You got involved when you became friends with this dweeb.” She teased and then cocked her head to the side, “I like the hair, not bad, Chip.” JC reached over and brushed her red hair off of her shoulder,
“Thanks, yours isn’t bad either.” JC smiled at her old nick name for him. It had been years since he had been called that. She coined the term back in the day when he hung out with Tony and Dale all the time. Everyone else called them the three musketeers but not Dani, she decided that they weren’t cool enough for that title and gave them the Chip n’ Dale one. He was Chip, Tony was n’ and Dale was obviously Dale.
“Man, Dani you just wanted people to think your temper comes from your hair. But we all know that you’re just a bitch.” Tony teased,
“You’re just jealous that I’m cuter and everyone loves me more. It’s a basic inferiority complex.” She countered,
“Aw man here comes the psycho babble. She takes one psych course at school and she thinks she’s Sigmund Freud.” Dani poked her brother in the stomach,
“I have a psych minor, thank you very much. I’ve taken more than just one course.” JC just laughed at the siblings’ banter.
“So you’ve finally completed college Dani?” JC interrupted and she turned to him,
“Yeah, I’m contemplating on going back.”
“For your masters?”
“Are you behind the times, I just got my masters in fine arts. I wanna go for my doctorate in art therapy.”
“The ever eternal student.” Tony chided.
“Once again, there are those jealous tendencies rearing their ugly heads. I think we can add my intelligence to your jealousy list.” She smiled up at him,
“Uh, what’s this?” He said flipping her off and she pulled the same maneuver on him,
“Whoa, I’ve got one too! Oh!” She flipped him off with the other hand, “Look there’s its partner.” She joked, “Dweeb.” She placed her hands on her hips and turned to JC,
“You know Chip, you might want to rethink this whole friendship thing with him.”
“Dani, don’t you have some rats to analyze and paint somewhere?” Tony retorted and she turned to him,
“Actually, I was going to repaint your blow up doll for you, but now forget it. She can run around naked for all I care.”
“Well good that’s the way I like her.” He replied and Dani rolled her eyes at him,
“I’m gonna find something to drink. See y’all later.” She waved over her shoulder and disappeared out the door to the boy’s laughter.
“She hasn’t changed a bit.” JC said,
“Tell me about it.”
“Oh my god is that THE Justin Timberlake!” She cried like a teenybopper. Justin sighed and turned around expecting to be accosted, but was greeted by a smiling redhead. Dani sauntered towards him; “I can’t believe you cut those curls, shorty.” Justin stared for a minute and then it clicked who she was,
“Dani? Holy shit!” He said giving her a huge hug and then pulled back. She rubbed a hand over his head,
“It’s a much needed improvement. I’ve been dying to do it since I met you.” She giggled.
“Well I’ll grow it in again, just so that you can cut it.”
“Okay, deal.”
“How the hell are you?” He said taking her hand and walking her to the edge of the stage where they sat down.”
“Pretty good. What about you? I mean besides being named the prince of pop and having millions of girls and women wanting that fine ass of yours.” She teased and he laughed,
“I have to say, life is pretty good. I can’t complain. It’s been like years since I’ve seen you. What have you been up to?”
“School mostly, I went to college and majored in art. In fact I just graduated with my masters in fine art and now I’m stuck in between getting a job or going back for my doctorate.” She shrugged pulling her knees up to her chest,
“You must really love school.”
“Well, not all of us can make millions singing and dancing.” She teased him,
“So true, so true. What DO you want to do?”
“For real? Paint, if I could I would just paint, but that doesn’t really pay the bills. So, I’ll probably work in a gallery, a museum, graphic design company, teach art to kids, or if I go back to school for art therapy, then I would do something with that.”
“Cool. Why don’t you paint and sell your paintings?” He suggested and she shrugged,
“The art world is really finicky. Plus a lot of my work is pretty personal. It would be hard for me to part with it.”
“Point taken. So in reality what you need is a sugar daddy to support you so you can paint.”
“Hmm, interesting, you applying?” She flirted,
“I would, but I’m taken, if you haven’t heard.”
“Damn, well there goes that idea.” She snapped her fingers,
“Hey now, there are four other members of Nsync, three of which are available.”
“Well aren’t you little mister matchmaker.”
“Hey everyone’s got their hobbies.” He shrugged,
“Are you any good at matchmaking?”
“Guess we’ll have to see.” He winked and then looked around the stage,
“So what are you doing here, here? I mean the tour doesn’t start for another month or so.”
“I’m hanging with Tony to keep him company on this tour since I wasn’t doing much at home.” She smiled and shrugged,
“You’re going to be around for the next three months or so? Phat!” Dani raised an eyebrow at him,
“Timberlake, your white ass did not just say phat.”
“What? You don’t like the word phat?”
“Justin, hon, you’re WHITE. White boys don’t say phat. They say cool, neat, awesome, etc. etc. etc.” She waved her hand in the air and Justin laughed,
“Yeah, I guess so, homez.” He teased and she shook her head,
“I think you’re a lost cause shorty.”