| Natalie pulled away from him when he tried to kiss her again and he gave her a strange look. �What�s wrong, Pinky?� he asked, confused. �Pinky?� He pushed her away a little bit to look at her face, holding her by the shoulders. �Pinky, what happened to your eyes?� Natalie rubbed her eyes. �Why what�s wrong?� �They�re- they�re-� He looked into her eyes closely and she nearly passed out in awe of his unbelievable clear blueness. �Blue.� �They�ve always been blue,� she told him. "My eyes have always been blue." He shook his head and shook her along with him, his hands still firmly on her shoulders. �No, they were brown. Your eyes were brown.� She shook her head and pulled away from him. �I'm pretty sure they weren't brown. And they're not ever going to be brown." �Did you get contacts?� he asked her, as she walked aimlessly down the hallway. �No,� she called back. �I told you, my eyes have always been-� �Watch where you�re goin�, Brit.� Natalie looked up at the man she�d crashed into. He was as tall as Justin, a shock of red covering the top half of his untamed hair. He had a goatee, too, and Natalie figured he, too, was a member of �N Sync. She didn�t know any of their names, except for Justin�s and the other lead singer, AJ or whatever his name was. They, after all, were the only ones anyone ever talked about. �What�d you call me?� she asked him. "Britney," he said with a slight laugh. "Who are you?" It took Natalie a second to realize how lame that question was, since the original Britney had probably known all these guys all her life. The guy gripped her by the arms and moved her aside so he could pass. �What�s wrong with you today, Britney?� he asked, with a laugh. �You wake up late, you look like hell, you don�t know my name? I�m not taking you out drinking anymore. Those vodka shots are gettin� to ya�� �More than you know,� Natalie muttered, under her breath. �I still don�t know your name!� she called out to his back. �It�s Joey, Brit," he said, turning around with a serious undertone in his voice. "What is wrong with you?� Natalie shrugged and walked in the other direction, entering the arena that they were supposed to perform at that night. It was giant and round with steel blue seats everywhere around her. The stage was huge, too. It was long with a drum set and a couple guitars already hooked up to the gigantic speakers that were at least three times taller than her. It was empty. The watch on her wrist told her it was 12:30 and she figured that the guys who moved the sets in were taking a lunch break. She figured everyone was taking a lunch break except for her. She went up in front of the front row and realized the stage was about three inches taller than her. She went over to a smaller speaker, hopped on top of it, and pushed herself up onto the stage. Natalie sat in the very center, her legs dangling off the edge. �I�m Britney Spears,� she said softly. �Oh my God, I�m Britney Spears.� She laughed and stood up, twirling around on the slippery floor. She lost balance and slipped, only to fall on her ass and she laughed even harder. A thought entered her head and knocked her over and she was laying down on the cool stage. �How am I going to sing like her? I don�t even know her songs!� She sat up quickly. �How am I going to dance?! I can�t dance!� �We told you, Nat, you sound like her. If you have her voice, you�re going to sing like her.� Natalie looked up. About fifteen rows back, she saw two figures sitting towards the left side. Adam put his feet up on the chair in front of him, and Shannon sighed, snapping her fingers and the two appeared closer up, somewhere around sixth row. �What- How did you guys get here?� Natalie shouted at them. �Forgetting what we are?� Adam asked, with a smirk. �Yeah, yeah, I wasn�t confusing you for Nathan and Anna or anything,� she said. �They�re not even in this city!� Shannon pointed to Natalie�s breakaway pants. Natalie felt around at her pants and slid her hand in the right pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. It was ripped off from a yellow writing tablet and said in block letters at the top, �You are at:�. Below was a list of cities, the first couple crossed off. The first un-scratched-out one was- �Seattle?� she asked, incredulously, �I�m at home?� Adam and Shannon nodded. Natalie smiled widely, but then frowned. �So what if I can sing like her? I sure as hell won�t be able to dance like her.� She walked up and sat on the edge of the stage again. �You may just be Natalie in Britney�s clothing but some things come with the equipment,� Adam explained. �There are things that the real Britney loved so much that the body got used to it and a little bit of the soul stayed behind to make sure it�s home was being taken care of. For some people it�s a love for a pet. For some people it�s being talkative. For Britney, it was dancing. She�s more of a dancer than a singer, you know.� �I know,� Natalie said with a smirk, �I�ve heard her attempt to sing." Adam ignored her comment and Shannon continued for him. �The only thing that can�t stay behind is the love for a person. She could have loved someone with all her heart and soul and mind, but you might despise them. It�s like, you will never be able to love a person the way she loved someone.� Natalie nodded, wondering what that had anything to do with dancing. �But anyway,� Shannon concluded, �The dancer in Britney is now in you now, so you can just dance your little heart out. Try it.� Natalie narrowed her eyes curiously at them, but stood anyway and went to the center of the stage. �Sing, too,� Adam instructed. Natalie shrugged and closed her eyes. She twirled around and hummed to herself. �Oops, I did it again� I played with your heart�� She looked down at herself and realized she was dancing. It was like the body had a mind of its own. She spun around and twisted and did all the cutesy little Britney Spears moves, before finally ending. �Oh my God!� Natalie squealed happily. �Oh my God, Adam, I did it. It�s like I�d known how to do it my whole life. God, Adam�� �Who�s Adam?� Natalie tripped over her feet in shock and fell on her ass again. She searched around the area where Adam and Shannon had been sitting. The seats were empty. �Gotta keep ditchin� me, don�t ya?� she grumbled, looking up above her, knowing the two had returned to their cushy places in heaven. �So who�s Adam?� Natalie looked up and saw a blonde head walking down one of the side aisles. He walked and smiled at her, his hands comfortably in his khaki pants, and he went to go sit in the center sixth row seats Adam and Shannon had been moments ago. �What�s your name?� she asked him dumbly. He laughed, scratching the back of his neck and putting his feet on the seat in front of him like Adam had. �Joey and Justin are right,� he laughed. His voice was deep. Reminded Natalie of her first boyfriend, cute in an awkward kind of way with a relaxing deep voice and gorgeous green eyes. �You are acting weird today.� �No really,� she prodded, �What�s your name?� �It�s Lance, Brit,� he told her, a slight concern in his voice, �What�s up?� �Nothin�,� she said, softly, �Kinda lost myself I guess,� she laughed. �Yeah, so who�s this Adam guy you were talking to?� Lance asked, a playful and mischievous glint in his eyes. �I�m curious now.� Natalie smiled, but shook her head. �He�s no one,� she reassured, �I was just talking to myself.� �New imaginary friend?� Lance suggested. �Shut up,� Natalie said with a frown. He laughed and she laughed with him. �Git yo� fine ass ova� here,� he said, mimicking Justin�s occasional wannabe-gangster vocabulary. Natalie rolled her eyes but hopped off the stage. She walked over coolly and sat in the seat next to him. They looked at the huge but empty stage. �I�m kind of in shock,� she told him. �Of what?� �Of everything! Like, how big this place is and the people I�ve seen today and-� �In shock of the guys and Marco and the rest of the picture-prepping-posse?� he laughed. �I don�t know what it is, Britney, but you are even more ditzy that usual!� She punched his arm. �I am not ditzy,� she said, rather childishly. �Ouch,� he said, smiling but rubbed the affected spot on his arm, �Violent today, aren�t we? What has Justin been teaching you�� Natalie frowned. �Is that my role for the day? Barbie doll that everyone gets to try out their newest insults on?" "Barbie doll?" Lance questioned, his eyebrows lifting. "Thought you hated the name that the evil, little anti-Britneys gave you." Natalie glared at him. "You know, sooner or later I�m going to get you back�� Lance smirked. �Yeah, right.� He sighed and looked at her, a thoughtful look in his eyes. She almost melted. �You are way not yourself today.� She arched a curious eyebrow at him. �And how is that?� He laughed. �If I remember correctly, it�s been around a month since the last time you were being pissy and I�m figuring that it should be about the time that you should start pulling the �I don�t want to hear it, James,� shit on me.� �James?� He laughed again and rubbed the top of her already messy ponytailed hair. �You are losing your memory.� �I don�t even get what you�re talking about.� �I meant to say I thought you were PMSing right about now,� Lance laughed. Natalie punched his arm even harder and stood up. �You are so gross,� she grumbled, a smile on her face though. �Who�s so gross?� Natalie looked up, still laughing, to see a rather upset Justin standing in the entryway between the arena and the backstage area. She scooted her way out of the row and walked down the aisle towards him. �Butthead over there,� she laughed. Natalie reached Justin and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. She felt his body loosen up from underneath her grip. She really didn�t know him very well, but she had to admit, he was quite fun to kiss. Justin reluctantly pulled away from her lips and smiled down at Natalie. �I don�t know what it is, but you are so different today.� She touched her nose to the tip of his. �And is that a bad thing?� �Not at all,� he smiled, and kissed her again. �Whoa, there... hey now!� Justin and Natalie turned their heads at Lance, who was still sitting, feet perched up on the seat in front of him. �None of this mushy jibber-jabber I keep hearing from y�all now.� Justin saluted him. �Alrighty then, Mr. T.� Natalie rolled her eyes and laughed, only to hold her stomach in minor pain. �Ooh,� she groaned, �I�m starving. I haven�t eaten anything today.� Justin gave her a funny look and released her from his arms. �Where the hell's the food at?� she questioned. �Down the hall, to the left,� he instructed. Natalie pecked him on the cheek and winked at Lance before retreating. �That girl is something else, isn�t she?� Natalie heard Justin say. �You�re telling me,� Lance replied. His voice was distant, and Natalie assumed he still hadn�t moved. �And she�s all mine,� Justin said, a daydreamy tone in his soft voice. Lance sighed, sadly if Natalie could tell. �Man, I know it.� |