Chapter 6

 

"You guys don't go off by yourself and if you see anyone suspicious tell us!!" Mike called after them.

 

"Yes DADDY!" the guys yelled to him as they ran off down the beach.

 

"AND PUT SOME SUNSCREEN ON THOSE WHITE BODIES OF YOURS!" Meredith yelled at them.

 

"Yes MOTHER!" they all called to her.  She just shook her head and plopped her lounge chair and bag on the sand.  Joey, Chris, and JC all had sprinted to the water without looking back.  They had disrobed while running and hadn't even thought about sunscreen.  Meredith laughed at them.  They truly could act like children sometimes.  But She understood.  The guys got little free time and a day like today was extremely rare and too precious to worry about insignificant things like sunscreen.

 

Lance strolled up to Meredith and took a bottle of sunscreen and said, "I'll make them put it on."  He then ran to catch up with them.

 

The security team all looked uncomfortable and awkward there, but soon they were all lounging in the sun, not really paying attention to the guys.  This was as much of a break for them as it was for the members of *Nsync. 

 

Meredith spread out her lounge chair, opened her bag and pulled out some sunscreen.  A shadow came over her.  She looked up to see a barechested Justin smiling down at her.  He had on long Red Abercrombie swim shorts. His curls were wild and sunglasses hid his eyes. 

 

-Damn, he is sexy. SHUT UP, GIRL. -

 

"Can I help you, Mr. Timberlake?" She asked squinting her eyes behind her sunglasses.

 

"Yes, actually, a very bright and beautiful young woman told me to put on sunscreen.  So I decided to take her advice."

 

"Oh OK, here ya go." Meredith handed him a bottle and when he didn't take it she got annoyed. "Well, are you going to take the bottle or not?"

 

He smirked and scratched his head.  "Actually I think I'll need a little help in the back area, ya know?"

 

She rolled her eyes and smiled.  He was doing this on purpose, and she knew it.  She stood up and motioned for him to lie down on the stretched out chair. He did as he was told. But he wasn't expecting what came next. 

 

Meredith sat down on his butt straddling him.  He turned around as much as possible and wiggled his eyebrows at her.  She shook her head and squirted a reasonable amount of sunscreen in her palm.  He wiggled his butt to make her move and started singing "Giddy up".  She glared at him, even though he couldn't see her.  She took a bit of the sunscreen and started working it into his back, shoulders and upper arms.  She was practically giving him a massage while she applied the sunscreen. And she was enjoying it just as much as he was.  Justin would groan when she would massage sore spots and worked them out.  He turned his head so that she could hear him speak.

 

"You're really good at this, ya know?"  Meredith lowered her head to his ear and whispered smugly, "I know."  He smiled and she got off of him.  He sat up and smiled at her as she sat down beside him on the chair but facing the opposite way and scrummaged around in her bag. 

 

"You're not done..." Justin said smartly.  Meredith looked at him confused but when she saw his sexy smile she caught on to what he was saying

 

"Excuse me, I put the junk on your back, Justin. I even did you arms and shoulders.  I'm not about to touch your chest."

 

She pulled out her book that she was going to read and he began playing with the edge of the T-shirt she still wore over her bathing suit.  "Are you afraid you might enjoy it?" He asked sexily breathing closely on her cheek.

 

She turned away shyly because she was embarrassed and she could feel her face turning red. "Go play with the rest of the guys Justin."

 

"Don't YOU need to put sunscreen on?" He playfully flirted.

 

"Yeah, but I can reach all the places myself thank you." She said quietly.

 

He got up off the chair and walked around to the side she was facing.  He then grabbed her arms and stood her up and tugged on her umbros she had on and when they easily slipped off he laughed.

 

"TIMBERLAKE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

 

"You said yourself you wanted to get a tan. Well you cant one with those things on. I'm just helping you.  Lift up your arms."

 

"I can't believe you.  And I can undress my self just fine!"  She said annoyed.  He laughed at her and took the ends of her shirt and quickly pulled it over her head.  Her shirt was still on her arms and Justin cracked up at the sight of her.  She glared at him and took off the rest of the shirt.  "Happy now?" She chided.

 

"Oh, you will never know how happy I am right now." Justin looked her up and down and whistled.  She had on a tankini.  The bottom was regular navy bikini bottom. The top was low cut and showed off a little cleavage. Big white, red, and navy rectangles covered the front of the top and the back was completely navy.  The top cut off right above her belly button. Justin thought she looked incredibly sexy.  Her hair was in a ponytail but the wind had caused lots of strands to escape.  Her sunglasses covered her chocolate eyes.

 

-Damn she has a body. She needs to show it off more often! -

 

Meredith sat back in her chair and started putting suntan lotion on her legs and arms.  Justin just stood there checking her out.  Without looking up, Meredith said, "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to go have fun with your friends in the water?"  With that he smiled brightly and ran off towards the water.

 

All the while Lonnie, Randy and Mike sat in their chairs listening to music, reading magazines and watching the two.

 

"They've got it BAD!" Lonnie said.

 

"I think it's adorable." Randy laughed.

 

"They are clueless teenagers falling in love. How sweet...." Mike sarcastically said.

 

They all laughed and returned to their previous activities.

 

--------

About an hour later, Meredith started getting very hot under the sun, so she decided she would go to the edge of the ocean and cool off.  She was trying to steer clear of the guys.  She knew they would end up getting rough with her in the waves. And she just wanted to enjoy the ocean and not get clobbered by it.

 

She walked to the edge of the water and dug her feet in the soft sand. She walked along the edge in about ankle deep water.  Every now and then she would pick up a shell study it and toss it back in the sea.  The ocean reminded her so much of her childhood.  She loved it.  Her and Dan use to spend hours and hours building sandcastles and chasing seagulls.  She missed him.  She missed her previous life.  But she was finally beginning to enjoy this life, thanks to the 5 men playing like children in the ocean a few yards away.  She hadn't realized but she was now waist deep in the water and rather close to the guys.

 

"Well hello, fine lady.  What brings you to Poseidon's world today?" Joey asked approaching her.

 

"Wow Joe, I didn't know you knew Greek Mythology.  I'm impressed!" 

 

"YES! It worked! She is impressed. I'm going to go use it on the fine honeys down here." 

 

"Joey, I don't think there are any fine honeys here.  Remember this is a private beach.  I think it's owned by a nursing home.  All your fine honeys are going to be 80 years old."  Meredith giggled; she didn't notice a figure quietly coming towards her from behind.

 

"I guess you will just have to be the fine honey then!"

 

"Joey, I don't think you want a honey like myself.  I'm not in the mood to splash around in the water with you."  She said.

 

"Well, what if you don't have a choice in the matter?"  Joey said secretively.

 

"What are you talking about Joe?"

 

"THIS!!" Justin yelled as he picked her up from behind.  She screamed a very girlie squeal and was thrown into the water.

 

All the guys laughed.  She finally resurfaced with her back turned to them coughing.  Her hair clung to her shoulders and head.

 

"What's the matter g?  Got a little water up your nose?"  Chris teased.  She just continued coughing.

 

"Man, Meredith you must have swallowed a lot of water." JC said half laughing.  She coughed still.

 

"You OK girl?"  Lance asked concerned. The coughing slowed but was still there and she turned around.  Tears were burning in her eyes because it had hurt so much coughing. 

 

"Gosh! Sorry Mere, we didn't know you would be that upset about it." Joey said.  Justin stood in the water a few feet away biting his fingernails because he knew she would be mad at him and only him, for throwing her.

 

Meredith glared at Justin.

 

"Uh oh, J, you better start swimming!"  Chris said as Meredith dove in the water towards him.  She swam right up to him and emerged from the water. 

 

"Mere, I'm really, really sorry. If I had known you would have gotten hurt I would have NEVER thrown you." Justin said sincerely putting his hands in front of himself, backing up.

 

Meredith evilly grinned and said, "Too late now, eh?"  Just then she took a handful of wet sand she had grabbed swimming up to him and plastered it on his wet curls and face.  She smiled innocently as the rest of the guys laughed.

 

"Opps!"  With that she swam off to the shore with Justin hot on her trail.

 

"You did not just do that!"  Justin yelled chasing her in knee-deep water.

 

"I believe I did...ouch!"  Justin had thrown a glob of sand at her and hit her on the thigh.

 

"Opps!" He mocked her in a squeaky voice with his hands on his hips.  Right then he got slammed square in the chest with a glob of sand. She mocked him mocking her and sang, "Opps I did it again...I played with your heart..."

 

They both laughed while an all out sand war began at the shoreline of the ocean.  Soon the rest of the guys had joined in.  Of course they all decided to gang up on Meredith and in a matter of minutes she was just sitting Indian style on the sand with her head bowed as the guys dumped wet sand all over her.

 

Justin squatted beside her and said, "How does it feel now, squirt?"

 

"Actually it's kinda refreshing.  Like a mudbath...Timberfake!" She yelled his hated nickname.

 

"OHHH, feisty!"  He made a cat noise.

 

"Meredith, let me tell you.  You look SEX-E covered in wet sand."  Joey said.

 

"You would think so Joey."  She laughed, rolling her eyes.

 

JC and Lance went to go layout.  Chris and Joey had retired to bodysurfing and this left Justin staring down at a sand covered Meredith.

 

Justin laughed. "You...look...cute."

 

"Shut up." she mumbled trying to stand up.  Underneath the weight of the sand it was difficult and she almost fell down.  But two strong arms caught her.

 

"Whoa, take it easy g..." Justin quietly said steadying her.

 

"Thanks..." she whispered avoiding his intense stare.  "Umm, I'm going to go wash off.  You wanna go for a walk afterwards?"

 

"I'd love too, let me go tell Mike."  Justin ran off to tell security and Meredith went into the cool waters to wash herself off.  She had been swimming off the sand that was stuck to her body for about five minutes.  She was letting the waves crash into her when she saw Justin strolling towards her in ankle deep water.

 

"Ready?" he asked.

 

"I'm ready for anything!" She smiled brightly.  He laughed and reached out his hand.

 

"Come on, you."  He smiled as she accepted his hand and he pulled her away from the crashing waves. They walked together hand in hand towards the shoreline.  Justin's fingers finally intertwined with hers and started a walk down the beach that would change both of their lives, forever.

 

-------

Meredith and Justin strolled down the shore not really saying much.  They just held hands and enjoyed the scenery and each other's company.  Meredith stopped suddenly and let go of Justin's hand.  She bent down in the ankle deep water and searched for something.

 

"What ya looking for?"  Justin inquired.

 

"Man, I just saw this really cool shell, but now it's gone."  Justin kneeled down trying to help her look for it.  "Hey there it is" Meredith said pointing down in the water. 

 

"Where? I don't see it!"

 

"RIGHT HERE!"  Meredith took her hand and splashed him with water.  She giggled at his shocked and annoyed expression.  Meredith got up and ran off.

 

"Meredith  you better get your butt back here RIGHT NOW!"  Justin yelled in a fatherly tone.

 

"Nuh uh!  You will splash me back!"  Meredith said winking at him.

 

"Ya, damn right I will!"

 

When Meredith ran off further from him, he decided he really didn't want to fight her.  So, he'd figure he would make her come to him.

 

"Fine, I really don't want to fight with you.  I guess I'll just walk on back..." Justin turned and began to walk back towards the rest of the group.

 

"No, wait!" Meredith called after him.  She grabbed his arm to stop him and as soon as she did he swept her up and carried her like a baby.

 

"See, don't mess with the master!"  Justin commented as she squealed and squirmed.

 

"JUSTIN RANDALL TIMBERFAKE PUT ME DOWN NOW!" 

 

"OK" And with that, he dropped her into the water.

 

"I didn't mean in the water..." Meredith mumbled.   He laughed at her and reached out his hand to help her.  She looked up at him innocently and pulled him down into the water with her.  This caused both of them to laugh uncontrollably.  Soon they were both splashing each other again.

 

A few minutes later they were back to walking down the beach, but this time Meredith kicked and splashed around in the water and Justin walked a careful distance away on the sand.  Just then something in the water caught Meredith's eye.

 

"Would you look at that!" Meredith exclaimed.

 

"OH no! Not again.  I'm not falling for that."

 

"I'm not joking! Dolphins, see." She pointed to several fins that were every now and then appearing near the shore.

 

"You sure they aren't sharks?"  Justin asked a frightened little kids voice.

 

"Yeah, I'm positive!  See sharks don't flow like dolphins.  Sharks keep their fins above water.  Dolphins flow in and out of the water."

 

"Oh, thank you Professor."  Justin joked.

 

"Wanna get a better look?" 

 

"Uhh, OK?"

 

"Come on, come with me!"  Meredith said excitedly.  She waded in the water until she had gotten out far enough to where the waves weren't crashing around them, but behind them.  The waters were calmer and the dolphins were only a few yards away.  Justin waded up to Meredith and spoke.

 

"WOW, that is..." Justin exclaimed.

 

"Shhh, don't scare them" She shushed him.

 

"That is so cool" Justin finished in a whisper.

 

Justin just stood there in awe of the dolphins he had never been that close to wild ones before. Sure he had seen them at SeaWorld.  But this was different.  This was utterly amazing.

 

Meredith stared at his profile.  HE was so amazed by these creatures. It made her smile. Meredith remembered the first time she had seen dolphins in the wild this close up.  She was at the beach with Dan and he had convinced her to come out and see them.  She remembered being so scared but Dan had held her hand the whole way. 

 

Just then Justin noticed Meredith staring at him, so he turned to look at her.  She smiled and turned her attention back to the passing dolphins so he couldn't see her blush.  Justin noticed she was treading water. 

 

"Can you touch the bottom?" He asked.

 

"Nope, I'm treading."

 

"Well come here, get on my back.  That way you wont wear yourself out."

 

Meredith swam over to Justin and wrapped her arms around his neck.  He placed his hands under her knees as to keep her in place.  Meredith leaned on Justin and rested her chin on his shoulder.  The two just leaned on each other and watched as the dolphins passed by them.

 

About five minutes later after the dolphins had passed and the two had said nothing, Justin spoke.

 

"I'm glad Johnny offered you this job."

 

"Me too."

 

"Just think, I might have never met you if he didn't.  That would have sucked."

 

"I know! Hehe, I'm so happy I took this job.  When I first found out about it I really didn't want it AT ALL!"

 

"I can't even imagine my life without you, now.  You've changed a whole lot for me.  You've made me look at things differently.  I'm really glad you came on tour with us.  And I'm also really glad you and me worked things out like we did.  It was pretty rough there for a while."

 

"Yeah, you were pretty rude..." Meredith laughed just joking but Justin turned serious.

 

"I was.  I was a complete ass.  I can't believe you even want anything to do with me now!  But I'm glad you do.  Thanks for giving me a chance."  Justin turned his head and smiled at her.  She was extremely close to him and couldn't help but look down at her lips then back at her eyes. He knew the moment had potential to get very heated so he decided it would be best to turn away.

 

"Wanna go back to the shore, I'm all wrinkly!"  Justin laughed.

 

"Lets go, daddio."  Meredith hopped off Justin back and they both swam to the shore.  Once there Meredith sat down on the sand and stretched her legs out in front of her.  She stretched out her arms behind her and propped her self up on them. Justin sat down beside her and lay back on the sand. 

 

"I've had the best day!  I'm glad we were able to come to the beach.  Thanks for coming with us."

 

"OH, no prob!  Thanks for inviting me!"  Meredith lay down on her back and looked up at the clouds above her.  After a few moments of silence Justin propped himself up on his elbows, looked around and said, "I wonder what time it is."

 

"Who cares?  This is sooo beautiful." Meredith remarked looking up at the sky.  The clouds were darkening against the setting sun and the sky was now a pinkish color. 

 

Justin stared at Meredith's content expression looking up at the sky.  Sure the sky was beautiful.  But it didn't compare to what he saw in front of him.  "It sure is, beautiful." Justin whispered staring at her.

 

Meredith turned her head and looked up at Justin.  Meredith looked into his azure eyes and got that weak feeling again.  She smiled at him and he just stared at her face.  He studied it and took notice of every feature.  HE sighed and looked down at his chest.  Then he propped himself up on his side on one elbow

 

"Meredith, I think we need to talk about some things..." He said lessening the gap between her body and his.

 

"What type of things?"  Meredith said cluelessly.

 

"Well..." Justin began but as soon as he got his first word out a huge wave rushed over them and caused Justin to collapse on top of Meredith.  Each of his hands here on the sand beside the sides of her face.  This caused them both to start laughing.

 

"Looks like the tide is coming in." Meredith said in a mock scholarly tone.

 

Justin immediately stopped laughing and looked down at her.  His wet body was pressed against hers. She tried to not look at his eyes.  She looked everywhere BUT his eyes. But when his face started inching towards hers she had no choice but to look at them.  When she did she almost fainted.  His eyes were so intense. They were a shade of blue she had never seen before.  They intoxicated her.

 

"Justin, what's happening between us?"  She whispered as his face got extremely close to hers.

 

His face lowered and his lips were almost touching hers, "This..."

 

Finally, his lips captured hers.  Justin closed his eyes and kissed her, barely.  It was so gentle and light.  He applied a little more pressure when her hands rested on his back.  He nibbled on her top lip and sucked on her bottom one.  One of his hands made its way between her back and the sand.  The other gently caressed the soft tresses that framed her face.  Meredith's hands began to make their way up his muscular back.  Finally one of her hands made it to the base of his neck.  She slowly ran her fingers through his damp curls.  This caused him to groan against her lips.  And then she took the lead.  Her hand applied pressure on the back of his head pushing their lips harder together.  Justin was surprised by this but by no means stopped.  He titled his head an opened his mouth slightly against hers to deepen the kiss.  His tongue grazed her bottom lip and finally his tongue pushed its way past her two lips.  She moaned something inaudible and he continued to explore her mouth with his tongue while she ran her fingers through his wet curls and clawed his back with her fingernails. Every now and then a wave would run across their tangled bodies.

 

A million thoughts were running through Justin's head.  And he couldn't grasp one of them.  Things he had never thought about any other girl were coming to him.  Thoughts about the future.  Thoughts about commitment. Thoughts about marriage.  Thoughts about kids.  He was frightened, scared.  This girl had total control of him.  He would do ANYTHING for her.  HE was falling for her.  It had happened.  She now had his heart.  And it scared the hell out of him.

 

Justin's tongue wildly thrust in and out of her mouth as these thoughts controlled him.  He was losing control of himself, fast. He was kissing her with so much need and passion.  She was a drug and he was an addict. He slowed down his pace and finally removed his tongue from her mouth.  Both were in dire need of air.  He slowly pulled away, bringing her bottom lip with him and finally releasing it.  He closed the gap for one more feathery kiss.  Then he did the one thing that finalized his emotions.

 

He opened his eyes.

 

He looked down at her.  She still had her eyes closed and was desperately searching for air.  Her lips were slightly parted and extremely red and swollen.  She was a goddess.  And he was officially in love with her. 

 

And he was scared shitless.

 

He couldn't take it anymore.  He was so terrified that he pushed himself off her and started jogging down the beach away from her and toward the rest of the group, without looking back.  He didn't know what he was doing and he cursed himself for not knowing what to do.

 

Meredith finally opened her eyes when he got off of her.  She slowly sat up and looked around. She saw him jogging down the beach...running away from her.  Meredith didn't know what to do what to feel.  She had just fallen in love with this guy.  She shouldn't have.  And she knew they couldn't be together.  But still, he now had her heart and he was running away with it.

 

She stood up and slowly started walking back to where everyone else was.  She stepped in one of Justin's footprints and looked down at her foot.  She smiled at the size difference.  Then she frowned.

 

-Why did he run? -

 

She turned around and looked back at the sand where they had just been.  There were waves and bumps in the sand where they had apply different amounts of weight to the sand as they had kissed.  As the water rushed over the sand and carried it away a single tear fell from Meredith's eye.  She turned back around and walked back to everyone else oblivious to her tears falling freely from her face.  She was numb. She could only feel her lips...

 

---------------

Justin jogged towards the area where the security guards and rest of Nsync were lounging around.

 

"Hey, look.  He didn't get eaten by sharks!"  Chris exclaimed.

 

"Hey J?  How was your, uhh, walk?" Lonnie quietly laughed to himself, remembering what Justin had said earlier, in the van.

 

Justin mumbled, "It was fine..."

 

"Hey Curls, where's the girl?..Oh my gosh, that rhymes, cool" Joey said.

 

"Shut up Joe, you couldn't rhymed if you tried!" Lance laughed.  Joey just rolled his eyes.

 

"Umm, Justin, where IS Meredith?"  JC asked carefully.

 

"Oh umm, well, she was right behind me, uhh, last time, I, umm, checked."  Justin stuttered.

 

"Well, she is not there now!"  JC responded in a smart tone.

 

"There is the beauty herself!"  Dre pointed to a figure standing on the shore with her back towards them.

 

"Well, it's almost 6.  We need to get back before Johnny has a heart attack."  Lance decided.

 

"OK, gang.  Pack up, let's get back to the real world."  Mike ordered.

 

The guys picked up there things and started heading towards the van.

 

"Hey, M!!  Come on girl, we gots to GO!" Chris yelled.

 

She turned around and slowly started walking towards the group.  Her tears had stopped and she now was just thinking.  Thinking of how stupid she was to let Justin have her heart.

 

Meanwhile, Justin and Mike were already on the bus.

 

"You OK, man?" Mike asked.

 

"Fine..." Justin barely made out.

 

Just then the rest of the crew were at the bus.  They all climbed in and began the journey back.  Mike was driving still; Joey had occupied the passenger seat.  Justin, Lonnie, and Todd were in the front seat. Chris, Dre, and Randy were in the middle and JC and Lance sat in the back with a depressed looking Meredith.

 

"Hey, M?  Is everything OK?"  JC asked quietly as she stared out the window.

 

"No, JC, everything is totally screwed up." She didn't look at him but did move to rest her head on his shoulder.  He put his arm around her and comforted her as she cried.

 

The bus ride was unusually quiet.  Joey and Mike sat oblivious in the front listening to the radio.  Lonnie kept trying to get Justin to talk, but instead he would just mumble one-word answers.  Randy and Todd were asleep and Chris and Dre were in their own world talking quietly about who knows what.  Lance sat frustrated beside JC comforting Meredith, trying to figure out what was going on.  Something had happened on Meredith and Justin's walk.  But he didn't know what it was.

 

Justin was tortured.  He was scared.  And it didn't help him that every now and then he would hear a light sniffle from the back row and the quiet voice of JC saying "Everything will work out..."

 

HE sure hoped everything would work out.  He couldn't take this much longer.

 

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Back at the hotel, The security guards had all gone off doing whatever security stuff needed to be done.  Everyone knew that tonight was a night for rest.  No leaving the hotel! Meredith had gone straight to her room with barely muttering that she was tired.  Justin wanted to be alone also, but the guys had dragged him into JC's room.

 

"You guys, I don't know what you want me to say..."

 

"THE TRUTH!  What the hell happened out there?  Why are you now in a pissy mood and why was Meredith crying on my shoulder?  What did you do to her?"  JC was fuming.

 

"Calm down, C... Justin, we are only here to help."  Joey said thoughtfully.

 

Justin sighed and quietly stated; "You can't help.  There is NOTHING you can do."

 

"What happened?"  Chris firmly said.

 

"You DONT want to know!"

 

"Oh believe me, I think we do."  JC glared at him.

 

"JC this is between me and Meredith; so you, and EVERYONE ELSE needs to butt out of our BUSSINESS!!" Justin yelled. He was angry with himself and was taking it out on everyone else. JC stepped up into to Justin's face as to pick a fight.

 

"WELL WHAT IF I MAKE IT MY BUSINESS!" JC yelled.

 

"DONT TEST ME JOSH..." Justin fumed.

 

"JUSTIN! JC!!  CALM DOWN!"  Lance said getting between the two. "JC you just need to sit down and contain your temper.  Justin, you are right.  This IS none of our business. BUT we are your friends and we are Meredith's friends and if you two are having a problem YOU need to go fix it, talk it out, SOMETHING.  I don't know what went down out there, but I can tell by the way she was crying and the way YOU are acting, It was YOUR Fault. I don't want to blame you.  But unless you go talk to her, and do something about this, I'm going to keep on blaming you."  Lance told him.

 

"You're, right. I've screwed everything up.  EVERYTHING..." Justin whispered.  He then shot up and ran out the room.  He ran to the elevator and when it didn't come quick enough he sprinted down the stairs.  The guys followed him not knowing if he was going to run away or what. 

 

Justin got to Meredith's room and stared at the door.  He brought up his hand but couldn't knock.  He wanted to.  He needed to.  But he wasn't strong enough.  HE wanted to tell her so many things. He wanted to tell her he wanted her, needed her, and loved her.  But he was scared.   He placed his back on the wall and leaned against it.  He hit the back of his head a few times on the wall trying to knock some sense in to himself.  When it didn't come, he slid down the wall and covered his face in his hands.

 

Meanwhile...

 

"Where did he GO!"  JC yelled.

 

The 4 remaining members of Nsync jogged down the steps to the lobby thinking Justin had left he hotel.  If fans happened to see them at that moment they would have been in for it, for they had NO security.  But luckily it didn't happen. 

 

"Where is he!" Joey said. 

 

Lance went up to the font desk and asked the female clerk.  "Excuse me, have you seen a tall guy with curly hair run through here?"

 

"Noooo, Mr. Bass. Mr. Timberlake has not been through this way. But I can settle for you."  The flirty clerk said

 

"OK, thanks, hey guys, no show down here." Not really paying attention to the flirt behind the counter and not really caring.

 

"Umm, maybe he went to see Meredith..." Joey wiggled his eyes.  He was joking but he unknowingly was right.

 

"Maybe..thats it!" Chris exclaimed

 

He ran over and pressed the up button for the elevator it opened immediately and they all jumped in.

 

"Hey, guys, maybe I should stay and wait and make sure he doesn't run out of here or something.  I'll occupy myself with that cute clerk over there."  With that Joey jumped off the elevator.

 

"I'll go up the stairs and make sure he is not on any other floor and wait for him by his room..." Lance decided and jumped off towards the stairs.

 

"I hope PooFoo can make it up the stairs..." Chris chuckled.

 

"I hope Justin hasn't done anything stupid..." JC mumbled.

 

JC and Chris stood silently and waited for the elevator to reach Meredith's floor.  When it did both men stepped out and searched for Justin.  They scanned the hall and both stopped abruptly when they saw him.  He was crouched by the wall beside Meredith's door with his face burrowed in his knees. His arms were tightened around his legs and he was rocking himself back and forth, sobbing.

 

"Whoa..." Chris breathed.

 

JC quietly walked up to Justin and stared down at his crouched body.  When Justin noticed the presence of someone else, he looked up.  JC stared down at him, and immediately felt guilty for being so harsh to him before.  Justin's face was white and his eyes were glassy and red.  His cheeks were soaked in salty tears and his nose was running.  He looked miserable. 

 

"I've, I've ruined everything JC, EVERYTHING I care about. Everything I want and need.  I messed up...BIG TIME..." Justin whispered in choking sobs.

 

JC kneeled down and made it so he could sit down beside him.  "What happened J?" 

 

"I cant...I, I cant..." Justin stumbled not knowing what to do or say.

 

"Justin, I can't help you if you don't tell me."

 

"I can't do it here.  Can we go somewhere else?"  Justin turned and looked into his friend's eyes.

 

"Sure."  JC stood up and reached out to help Justin stand.  Justin finally was standing up. 

 

"Hey, Chris..." He choked.

 

"Hey, Buddy...Everything will be OK..." Chris tried to comfort him. He put his arm around his younger, yet much taller friend and led him to the elevator. As Justin passed Meredith's door he stopped and gently touched the door with the tips of his fingers and whispered, "Goodnight Meredith, I love you." JC and Chris looked at each other with wide eyes. This explained a lot, not all, but a lot of what was going on.

 

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