******
JC Chasez sighed as he threw another letter of rejection into the garbage can. "Just because I didn't exactly have a normal childhood doesn't mean I can't go to college," he said. "Right?" he asked himself. "Even though I'm broke cause of those slimeballs in LA..." He sighed again. "Two years ago, JC. That was two years ago." He shook his head. "I've almost got enough money to go to Memphis, maybe I can go back to Nashville with Justin again..." He stopped. "Yeah right. Just get money and go to college, man, there probably ain't nothing you can do about singing."
"You would say that," Lance said. "Ironic." He shook his head. "Who the heck was taking care of you when you went to LA two years ago? Sheesh."
JC got up and started tinkering with his keyboard. It hit a sour note and he frowned. "Nothing works!" He got up, pulled the plug, and got ready to go to his waiter job at a strip mall.
"No! Don't...go..." Lance said, but of course his words fell on deaf ears. JC paused for a second, but shook his head and went out the door anyway. No more than five seconds later, the phone rang. "Oh man," Lance groaned. He faded away and reappeared at Joey's house. He sat perched on the counter top as Joey cooked his dinner. It looked like pasta. Again. Lance rolled his eyes but wished he could eat again. It had been a long time.
******
Four hours later, JC walked into his apartment. "Oh, lucky me, I got messages," he said, rolling his eyes. He walked over to the machine and pressed a button.
"Hello, Josh, it's your mother." It was a message from the day before, but JC let it play out anyway. "I'm just calling to check up on you...are you eating enough? Call me sweetie!"
JC rolled his eyes but smiled. His smile grew when the next message played and he heard a familiar voice ring out and fill the room. "JC! Hey, it's Justin!" JC grinned at the excitement in his younger friend's voice. "You're never gonna believe this...I wish you were home! But anyway, I'm sitting home, trying to think of something to do, and then this guy calls, his name is Chris Kirkpatrick, I've seen him before in a couple of auditions..." JC waited impatiently, hoping Justin would get to the point. "Anyway, he told me that he met this guy, his name is Lou something or other, and he told Chris that he'd back him if he could put a group of guys together..." JC's eyes widened in disbelief. "Like money for nothing. But anyway, somehow Chris got my name, so he asked me to join the group! Isn't that awesome? And Mom said I could!" JC smiled in happiness for his friend. "But that's not the best part..."
Suddenly, the voice stopped. "No! NO NO NO!" JC yelled. But the machine went to the next message anyway, and JC sighed in relief when the young voice came back on again.
"Sorry about that man, I guess I talked too much...."
"You can say that again."
"Anyway, I was getting to the best part..." JC raised an eyebrow. "I told him about you...you didn't think I'd forget about you, did you?" JC shook his head, disbelieving. "And he said to call you and see if you wanted to do it with us! Isn't that great? So call me if you want to! I think this can be big, man, it's like a dream come true for me, and I know you love singing...so call me! Like, as soon as you get this!"
A big grin was plastered on JC's face "Just when I was ready to give up singing," he said. He dialed Justin's number. "Hey, Justin!" he said when his friend picked up the phone. Lance was sitting on top of the chair behind him with a smile on his face.
"Hey, JC, you get my message?"
"Yes!"
"So? You gonna do it?"
"You kidding? 'Course I'm gonna do it! This is awesome, man, thanks so much!"
"Yeah, yeah...hey, we're all gonna meet in Orlando, that okay with you?"
"Yeah, when?"
"Me, Mom, and Paul are gonna head down in like, three days..."
"Already?"
"Hey, there's nothing else for me to do here, and I'm getting in too much trouble to wanna stay for much longer," Justin said, somewhat sheepishly.
"Man, you're still a delinquent?"
"That's me!" Justin exclaimed. JC laughed. "I'll fly down in like a week or so, so I'll call you with the details, all right?"
"Sounds good...hey, glad you're doin' this man, it'll be nice to do something again, you know?"
"Yeah. Thanks for thinkin' of me man," he said. "Bye Justin."
"Hey, no problem. Bye!" The two hung up and JC grinned, then dialed up his mother.
Lance smiled, then faded away. "Almost done," he told himself.