The weight of someone jumping on his back startled Justin as he entered the VIP section of the club. It took a moment for his heart to stop racing enough for him to realize this was a familiar weight. The cackle accompanying the weight was also familiar. Justin grabbed onto the legs encircling his waist and happily walked further into the room. Behind him, Justin heard Dre talking to Mike and figured the bodyguards were as happy to see each other as he was to see Chris.
�I�ve missed you Baby Boy.� Chris said after he was seated at the table. Justin smiled at Chris� nickname for him as he signaled the waitress to order something to drink. Once the waitress had filled Chris� order for beer and Justin�s for bottled water, Justin sat back to catch up on everything they had both been up to in the month since they saw each other.
�So how is the drive across America coming CK?� Justin asked scanning his older friend�s face and seeing a sense of peace he hadn�t glimpsed in several years.
�It�s incredible. All the time we�ve spent driving around the country in tour buses didn�t prepare me for what I�ve seen, ya know? We would drive past all these people and places and I never thought we were missing something until now. I never realized how insulated we have all become from the public. You realize most people don�t know who the fuck I am? And even those who have recognized me have been very courteous for the most part. This has renewed my faith in people.�
�Have you found what you were looking for?� Justin asked knowing Chris had started the whole trip for deeply personal reasons. From the look in Chris� eyes, Justin thought he had but he needed to verify it so he could drop the worry about one of his friends.
�Yeah, I did. When I left I was totally screwed up. With my Grandmother and Busta dying and Fu Man Skeeto ending and the break we were taking as a group, I just wondered if there was any of me left. I think I needed to get away from the whole world we have created around us and find the normal person I left behind when NSYNC took off. It took a couple of weeks, but I found without the cameras and lights and glitz, the real me was waiting.�
�I�m happy for you Man. I know things haven�t been right for you for awhile now and I was worried.� After a quick hug which both would agree was manly if asked, Chris continued.
�Thanks Baby Boy, but I�m not sure if everyone else is going to share your happiness. I�m pretty sure the PR department is going to want to kill me the first time I refuse to wear what they want or say the proper thing. We keep trying to tell people we aren�t a boy band, but we sure follow the rules for boy bands. Maybe it�s time we start showing the world who we really are. I think it�s time I start admitting I�m in my thirties and really not able to jump around the stage constantly anymore. Maybe it�s time JC didn�t have to take out super-models to hide he likes guys and let Joey admit he wants to get married. Lance should be able to curse and show he isn�t the perfect Southern Gentleman and you should be able to show you are extremely intelligent and not just another dumb blond singer. I�m sick of hiding who I am, I can really see why so many musicians turn to drugs and alcohol cause it�s really hard to pretend to be someone I�m not. You know what else? I don�t think the fans would be surprised if we did stop pretending. I spent a lot of nights lately looking at fan sites on the web and reading fan fiction. Not from the list management always gives us, I just searched under NSYNC and our names and came up with site after site speculating on us having sex with each other or Joey being secretly married. And yeah, we have a lot of fans who are teenagers, but we have just as many or more who are in their 20�s or 30�s or even older. A lot of those fans really want to find out who we really are and not just hear what PR thinks the teenies can handle.� Chris shook himself as he realized he had went off on a rant although if anyone could understand it would be one of his band mates.
Justin looked thoughtfully at Chris for a moment before grinning. �You know we already started, right? I mean, we aren�t jumping out with our whole life stories, but people are starting to see we aren�t young, innocent boys anymore. Yeah, we have a teenie fans still who are pretty much in the dark, but we have a lot more adult fans who are dissecting the lyrics to our songs and laughing their asses off at the innuendo.�
�When did you get so smart and grown up Baby Boy?� Chris asked amazed as he realized the young boy he had first met was truly a man now. It wasn�t a completely welcome realization, but there was pride for maybe deserving some credit for how well Justin grew up.
�About the same time I stopped getting pissed off every time you called me Baby Boy?� Justin smirked. �Actually, you aren�t the only one who has taken the time during the break to do some soul-searching. The whole time I was writing and recording for �Justified� I was trying to figure out who I was without the four of you behind me. I needed to find out if Justin even existed without the fame and public-image. I actually had more then enough recorded to release several albums, I just didn�t leave until I had my answers. Unfortunately, I also realized as soon as I answered one set of questions another arose.�
�So what are the questions now?� Chris asked knowing both of them needed this conversation to vent thoughts and emotions too long quelled.
�I think the major question right now, is how to be a normal adult when you grew up in the spot-light. I�ve been working on figuring that one out for awhile.�
�Okay, now I understand.� Chris said, realization dawning on his face. At Justin�s questioning look Chris continued. �I was trying to figure out why you�ve been linked with Janet and Alyssa Milano and why you are back to talking to Britney all the time. Christina also said she had talked to you a lot lately when I ran into her last week. You have no interest in dating women and yet you are constantly seen with these women and I couldn�t figure out why. They all grew up in the public eye like you did though. You are hoping they have some advice since they are still semi-normal.� Seeing Justin with a perplexed look on his face, Chris laughed softly. �You didn�t even realize you were doing it, did you?�
Chris watched Justin contemplate this new information for about ten minutes before he laid his hand on the younger man�s shoulder. �You want to get out of here Baby Boy? I could show you my motor home. . . .� Chris trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows at Justin suggestively.
�How far away is this motor home of yours CK?� Justin asked trying to hide his eagerness. It had been a month since he had seen any of his band mates except for Joey, which meant it had been a month since he had spent the night with someone else.
�It�s parked about a ten minute walk away. What do you say Justin, want to see if my ass is as fine as they say?�
�I already know how fine your ass is CK, but I could use a refresher course.� Justin said as he pulled out enough cash to cover their tab as well as their bodyguards before standing up and watching Chris, Dre and Mike do the same.