Izzy pulled back the curtains of JC’s bunk and squirted him in the face several times with her little water gun,
“Get up JC! We’re at the hotel!!” She shouted and he woke up sputtering and wiped the water off his face.
“Why the hell you go and get me wet?!!” He yelled in his groggy state and Izzy giggled,
“I didn’t know I had that kind of effect on you, Chasez.”
“What, no, you know what I mean, god a simple ‘JC get up’ would do fine.”
“I did that twenty minutes ago, you don’t get up, you get the gun, there’s your warning.” She said and walked away,
“Bitch!” He yelled after her,
“Oh no, Chasez don’t call me a bitch!” Izzy taunted, then she turned and squirted him a few more time.
“Will you stop that?”
“Get out of bed and I will.” She said and JC grumpily pulled back the covers and got out of his bunk, Izzy squirted him two more times,
“What the hell was that for?!”
“For calling me a bitch.” She said and bounced off the bus,
“God damn woman.” JC grumbled as he got his stuff together wondering why the hell all of the guys fell all over her.
“How do you talk to an angel? How do you hold her close to where you are?” Lance sang to himself as he passed Izzy’s bunk.
“Hi, Lance.” Izzy greeted the blonde bass singer and his head popped into her bunk.
“Hey Iz. You’re not sleeping in are you?”
“No, just catching a few winks before lunch. You’re back early where’s the rest of the crew?” Her question was answered when she heard the rest of the quintet gallop onto the bus.
“Uh oh, I think Lance is macking on your secretary.” Chris taunted and Lance turned pink. He quickly ducked out of Izzy’s bunk.
“Chris, you’re just jealous that he was doing it first.” Izzy teased and Chris dived into her bunk.
“That’s right! Now you’re all mine!”
“Ahh, Chris!!!” Izzy screamed as he began leaving sloppy kissed all over her face,
“This is worse than being slimed!” She yelled to the laughter of the others. Joey’s arms came into the bunk and grabbed Chris taking him out of her bunk, rather he dragged him out of the bunk and they began to wrestle.
“I’ll teach you to mess with my Izzy!” Joey yelled at Chris playfully. Izzy stuck her head out of her bunk,
“You two never stop do you?” She said shaking her head, “You wonder why I like hanging out with Lance more.” She said dropping out of her bunk and the two stopped wrestling,
“I know why you like hanging out with Lance more.” Chris said and Izzy eyed him,
“And why is that, Mr. Kirkpatrick?”
“Because he has a big, uh, big feet.” He grinned making everyone laugh.
“Really I never noticed, his feet I mean.” She glanced down at Lance’s feet, “They are pretty big.” She winked at Lance then turned to Chris, “And yours are sooo tiny.” She grinned evilly,
“That was just plain mean!” Chris said,
“You opened yourself up for it.” She retorted and leaned against the counter in between Justin and Lance. Justin slung his arm around her shoulders,
“Chris you totally did.” Justin said still laughing a bit,
“Yeah good friends you are taking her side.”
“Well you have to take your girlfriend’s side.” Justin said and they all stared at the two,
“Well you know when Britney’s not around.” She added with a smirk, “Someone’s gotta keep him in line.” She poked him in the side,
“Yeah that’s it, it’s not all the hot sex we have when no one’s around.” He joked,
“I totally forgot about that. To think that when I’m forty I can say that I was Justin Timberlake’s other woman. I can go on all those talk shows and say that I had your love child and you’re a dead beat dad.” She teased and they all laughed,
“I can see it now, Timberlake’s love child on the next ET!” Chris laughed. The bus lurched to a stop in front of the arena and they all got off the bus. The boys were whisked off to do some other interview so she decided to find Wade and hang out with him for a little bit. She found him in a back room on his phone. She waved to him and he waved her into the room. It didn’t look like he was having a good day,
“Shit!” Wade yelled and hung up his phone.
“Problems, Hon?” Izzy said as she sat down across from him.
“Melissa, one of our dancers is out sick with the flu. She can’t do the show tomorrow. This isn’t a good start to our tour. Five shows in and we’re already short a dancer.”
“Don’t you have any back ups?”
“No, they’re all filling in for other people. Everyone has the flu. Where am I gonna find someone and teach them the routines by tomorrow?” He said and sighed heavily. Wade looked at her and a smile grew across his face.
“What Wade?” She asked.
“You. You already know the routines, it’d be easy for you to fit in.”
“I don’t think so Wade.”
“Oh, come on, for the group. You’re perfect. Please, I would owe you big time.” He pulled the puppy dog eyes on her and she sighed.
“Okay, as long as it’s okay with Joey, I’ll do it.” Wade sprung up and hugged her.
“Izzy, you’re my angel! I love you!”
“Doesn’t everyone?” She joked and he laughed,
“Okay, I’m gonna call everyone up and do rehearsal. Can you be ready in fifteen?”
“Sure.”
“Hey Izzy-bell. I can’t believe you’re dancing in the show. Before I couldn’t get you to a show and now you’re in them, how ironic.”
“Just goes to show you how much I love y’all.”
“Wade must have been desperate to recruit you.” JC retorted as he stretched near by.
“Dude, Izzy can dance circles around me.” Chris said coming to her defense.
“She might be able to dance but can she handle the routines? We’ve all been doing them for a month and we’re all professionals. How’s an amateur like her going to keep up?”
“Hey, Chasez, if you’re such a professional, why don’t you start acting like one and get up off your ass so we can start rehearsal. I don’t have all day to sit and listen to your gums flap.” Izzy retorted.
“Hey kids, lets behave and get through this rehearsal, okay? Now for the first song, Iz, your partner is C.” Wade closed his eyes knowing what was coming next.
“Wade I’m not working with her.” JC protested.
“What’s the matter, Chasez, afraid that I’ll be better than you?”
“Yeah, right like you could be.”
“Oh, I am, trust me.” She shot back,
“Hey! Hey! Just get into place and we’ll figure it out from there.”
“Fine.” JC grumped and stalked over to his place. Izzy walked over to him humming a little.
“Chasez sucks big sick.” She sang loud enough for only him to hear.
“Shut up Izzy.”
“Okay.” She said but kept humming the same tune.
“Mariani, Shut up!” He yelled making everyone stare at them. She just giggled and Wade groaned.
“Okay, places!” He yelled.
“Okay, Mariani, let’s see how bad you really are.” JC said to her and she rolled her eyes.
“You wish.” She retorted and took her place a few steps behind him. The music began to play and Izzy moved up to JC and began dancing with him. He was surprised how well she knew the routine. She was as good as the rest of the dancers, if not better. How the hell did she pick up the routines so fast?
JC was lost in his thoughts and mistepped, tripping Izzy who fell to the floor. Angrily she kicked out, making JC fall as well.
“What the hell?” He yelled at her and she pinned him to the floor.
“Fucking trip me again and I’ll deck you.” She hissed at him, pushing him as she got up.
“It was an accident.”
“I don’t care, fucking get it right, Mr. Professional.” She growled and walked away from him.
“Okay, guys lets do it again from the top!” Wade yelled with a sigh. This time they ran through the routine and they got it right. Wade made them run through it two more times to make sure they got it right and then gave them a five minute break. Izzy walked as far as she could from JC and stretched her legs a little. She absolutely hated JC; he was such a fucking prick. Justin came over to her,
“Hey Izzy, you’re doing a great job! How did you pick it up so fast?” He sat down next to her and her foul mood lifted a little.
“I’ve known the routines for a while and Wade just ran through everything with me a little while ago.”
“Oh that’s cool.”
“Thanks, at least you think so.” She retorted.
“Look you’re my partner for the next routine. So don’t worry about JC. He’ll be on the other side of the stage.”
“Okay, I can work with you.” Justin got up and offered her his hand. She took it and got up off the floor.
“How about we show these girlies how it’s done, fly boy.” She smiled.
“I’m up for it.” He said and they made their way over to their positions. That routine went smoothly and she actually had fun. The next couple routines went just as well because she didn’t have to dance anywhere near JC. She was enjoying herself tremendously.
“Hey Izzy,” Wade said as they finished another song, “I might just hire you full time as a dancer.” She smiled at him,
“I’m having so much fun that I might actually take you up on it.”
“If you do, I’ve got dibs!” Justin yelled.
“Oh no you don’t!” Lance yelled, “I want her as my partner! She’ll make me look good!”
“Shut up all of you because she’s my assistant and she’s staying that way!” Joey yelled and Izzy looked at JC,
“Tired Chasez? No witty comment from you?” JC rolled his eyes at her,
“I don’t talk with bitches.” He grumbled,
“Aw, did someone forget to pull the stick out of his ass this morning?” She teased,
“Whatever.” He grumbled and walked away. Izzy just giggled,
“Iz, cool it with C.” Joey warned her quietly and she looked at him,
“He totally asks for it, Joe.”
“I just said to cool it a little.”
“Fine, whatever.” She sighed and Wade called them back to rehearsal again.
“Iz, you’re back with JC again. Try to get along.”
“I will, if he will.” She replied and walked over to him. He simply glared at her,
“Fabulous.” He grumbled and walked to his spot.
“Ready for me to make you look bad?” She shot at him,
“Don’t trip.” He smirked.
“Keep your fucking feet to yourself and I won’t.” She hissed back.
The music started and this routine required Izzy to grind closely with him. She felt his erection against her leg and he stared into her eyes with a lustful grin. She just glared at him.
“You’re liking this aren’t you?” He whispered in her ear,
“By the feel of things, I’d say that you are too. Which is surprising because you’d rather have a guy humping your leg.” JC grabbed her ass holding her tightly against him,
“I’ll show you what I like.” He growled against her ear, flicked his tongue out at her ear, and groped her breast, kneading it roughly. Izzy pushed away a little and jammed her knee forcefully upward. JC crippled to the floor in pain grabbing his crotch.
“Bitch!” He gasped,
“Don’t you ever touch me again, fuck head!” She snarled and walked off the set past Wade.
“Sorry, but I can’t work with that.” She retorted and slammed the door as she left. Once outside she began to pace, who the fuck did he think he was? He deserved everything he got, the fucking prick. She was so close to leaving the tour because of him.
Lance ran out the door looking for Izzy.
“Izzy!” He shouted running up to her, “What happened? Why’d you knee JC in the groin?”
“Because he friggin copped a feel and molested me!” She shouted back, “I fucking hate him, Lance! He’s the biggest fucking prick I’ve ever met!” Tears of frustration squeaked out of her eyes.
“He did what?”
“He grabbed my ass, pushed himself on me and started groping my boobs!” She shook her head trying to shake the memory away. “I can’t deal with him and I am so close to leaving this tour and going to Edwards!” She yelled.
“No, Izzy, don’t! I’m sorry about that.” He said bringing her into his arms. She hugged him tightly.
“You didn’t do it, Lance, he did. I just couldn’t believe that he would try something like that.”
“Don’t worry, he won’t ever do it again, I promise.”
“Lance you don’t have to-” He stopped her with a finger to her lips,
“I’ve got to protect my princess, now don’t I?” He said lifting her chin slightly.
“Thank you.” She smiled and he wiped away the last remains of tears under her eyes.
“Anytime, Princess.” He said softly and leaned in a little.
Joey burst through the door, scaring the couple and they broke apart.
“Izzy are you okay? What the hell happened out there?”
“Jace got a little too friendly with her and she taught him a lesson.” Lance intervened.
“What? Why?”
“Because he’s a fucking prick, why else?” She retorted crossing her arms.
“Izzy.” Joey said.
“Just keep him away from me.” She said and began to walk away.
“Izzy!” Joey called after her, “We’re still in rehearsal!” He ran after her,
“Not if I have to dance with him, I’m not. I refuse to deal with him.” She said and Joey caught up to her and turned her around.
“Will you stop and talk to me?”
“What?” She said impatiently,
“Drop the high and mighty bitch attitude and listen to me.”
“Fine, talk.”
“Look, if you don’t have to dance with JC will you still dance?”
“As long as he’s far away from me at all times.”
“Okay, okay, stay out here and let me talk to Wade.”
“Fine.” She said and Joey walked back into rehearsal. Lance came up behind Izzy and gently put a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and half smiled at him, she wiped away the tears left on her face,
“God, I must look like a mess.”
“Naw, you don’t. Just a little blotchy.”
“Bad enough.” She took a few deep breaths, calming herself down. “God I hate when he gets to me. I can’t go back in there and let him know that he got to me.”
“Do you want to go freshen up?”
“No, I’ll be fine. I just need to calm down a bit.”
“Okay.” He said and began to rub her shoulders. She leaned against him,
“You’re a god send, you know that Lance? Thank god I have you and the rest of the guys. Y’all make Satan’s child bearable.” Lance stifled a laugh,
“I wouldn’t call him Satan’s child, he’s not that bad.”
“How about Satan’s cousin or distant relative of the Dark Lord.” She joked and he laughed,
“Okay.”
Joey and Wade came through the side door and Izzy quickly turned,
“Wade, I’m sorry about how I lost my cool out there. I could have handled it better.”
“It’s okay, killer.” He smiled, “I heard what happened, you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Good, well I talked to Joey and I worked it out that you don’t have to dance with JC at all. I’m going to switch Carrie with you on those songs and you’ll be dancing with Joey, okay?”
“Sounds like heaven, thanks a lot Wade.”
“Well you’re helping me out tremendously by doing this. It’s the least I can do.”
“Okay, then. I guess we have rehearsal to get back to, huh?”
“Yeah we should.” Wade agreed and the quartet walked back into rehearsal, JC was nowhere to be seen. Wade had them run through rehearsal switching Izzy’s parts with Carrie. It ran really smoothly and they all got out early from rehearsal. Eagerly they all went back to the hotel for some down time.
The next night after the concert JC went to find Izzy. He really wanted to apologize for his actions the other day. He didn’t know what came over him; he had never done anything like that to a girl. He thought Izzy had done a fabulous job during the concert and he always gave credit when credit was due. He found her drinking some water on the bus waiting to go back to the hotel. He came up next to Izzy.
“Izzy, I-” He started and Izzy turned away pretending that he wasn’t there. He went around to her, “Izzy I just want to apologize.”
“I’m busy right now, can I ignore you some other time?” JC bit back a retort and knew he had to keep trying,
“I’m serious, I’m sorry for what I did and I-”
“You know what? Save your breath, you’ll need it to blow up your date later. All I have to say is pay back’s a bitch.” She turned a heel and stalked away from him into the back, slamming the door as she went. JC ran a hand through his hair and knew he was in for it with her.