CHAPTER 3

The early morning of Tuesday saw JC sitting crossed-legged on the sandy beach, meditating. Or trying to. Though it was an activity he usually did in the quiet of his room, he was not able to resist the call of the ocean. And judging from the noise around him at 7.30 in the morning, so weren't a lot of other people. Still he enjoyed sitting there and thinking about how his life had changed in the past few days.

He had tried to fix his cellphone but to no avail. He wondered if Marshall had tried to call him. Then again it had only been 2 days since he left Marshall. Marshall always gave him a week before he expected JC to crawl back. But it was not going to happen. He was through with his boyfriend; through with the whole year of verbal abuse. Yes, he was stupid to have put up with it for that long but JC thought himself smart to have left after the first time Marshall punched him. He wasn't going to go down *that* road.

Lance and Chris had been wonderful friends. They had refused to let him go to bed until he told them everything that happened between Marshall and him. And their approval of his decision to leave, made him feel good. He knew what he had to do. He was through with letting people push him around. And he had shown it last night, hadn't he?

When Chris attempted an explanation of who Justin Timberlake was and why he was in such a tizzy, JC refused to hear him through. The guy was a jerk. Who crumbled up their so-called 'months of work' and threw it on the floor? Only egoistic jerks, that's who. Who would talk like that to complete strangers? Only jerks, that's who. Plus the fact that the guy had looked a little like Marshall, with his shorn head, baggy pants and the cross that had been tattooed on his arm, had added to rub JC the wrong way.

JC got the idea from Chris that the guy was some young, hotshot, producing and songwriting genius. Yeah well. Whoever he was, JC wanted nothing to do with him. Asshole!

JC looked at his watch and decided to make his way back. He needed to buy some groceries if he wanted to surprise Lance and Chris with breakfast.

As he made his walk, he made a mental list of the things he needed to get done that day. Of course he had to write. Or rather put some order and form into the words that had filled his notebook over the past 2 years. Despite having published a book of poetry which had made the alternative bestseller's list two years ago, he had not followed up the success with another collection. Partly because of Marshall's controlling tendencies which taxed his free time and mostly because of a lack of inspiration and desire to write. Every now and then, an odd phrase or sentence had caught his attention and earned a place in his notebook but other than that, he had made no real effort. Well that was going to change now that he had an idea.

The grocer was setting up just as he reached the shop and JC recited the list of things he needed. Half an hour later, after he had learned that the grocer's name was Andy and that his daughter, Shelly, was a beautiful, *single* and *available* lawyer, JC was making his way back to Lance's apartment.

Holding a paper-bag of groceries in each arm, JC pushed open the entrance door using his shoulder. Then just as he turned around, he saw a familiar blur of curly blond hair and then a shove that sent one of his bags crashing to the floor. This time however, he was prepared. He grabbed the kid by the collar before he could run through the open door.

"HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL!?" kid yelled as he struggled to get free.

JC let go off the kid but closed the entrance door shut and leaned against it, pointing at the floor.
"That's the deal, kid. And a sorry this time is not going to do. You already cost me a cellphone."

The kid looked at the floor and then at JC, in disbelief.
"When did I do that!? I don't even know you!"

"Yeah, I wouldn't think you would since you don't even have the manners to look a person in the eye to apologise."

"I'm sorry ok!" The kid spat and turned to open the door...which remained steadfastly shut. The kid sighed and stamped his feet. "What more do you want!?"

JC smirked.
"I want you to help me clean this up and I want you take me to your parents. Maybe they can explain their son's inability to give a proper apology."

"What! It's just a lousy bag of..." he peered at the mess. "Eggs and stuff. Besides I don't live here. I just came to see my brother."

"Ok, take me to him. Maybe he can explain it to me."

"But..."

"You can either take me to him or we stay here the whole day and wait for him."

The boy rolled his eyes.
"FINE!"

The boy began to stomp his way up the stairs, then looked back to see JC still at the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" JC asked, again pointing at the mess on the floor.

The boy pouted even more and stomped back down. Kneeling down, he began to pick up what was still intact, then looked at the yellow mess of eggs helplessly.

"Here," JC said, handing the boy a box of tissue from the only surviving grocery bag.

The boy silently grabbed it and began sopping up the mess. When he was done, he stood up and launched the soaked tissues into the bin besides the stairs.

"Happy?" he asked belligerently.

"Yeah. Lead the way," JC replied with a smug grin.

The boy resumed stomping up the stairs.

JC was surprised when the boy stopped on the 4th floor landing. So the boy's brother was Lance's neighbour.

Then as the boy walked forward to one of the doors and raised his fist to knock, JC realised just who the boy's brother was.

"Shit! Not him! Wait!" JC yelled, running forward to stop the boy. However, by now the boy had began to bang on the door.

"Now what!?" The boy asked, annoyance dripping from his voice.

"I think..."

The door swung open.

"Damn it, Jon. The bell is there for a reason!"

JC shut his mouth the moment he saw Justin Timberlake inches from his, framing the doorway with a pissed off expression. JC was becoming very familiar with that expression. 'But the shirtless, muscled torso is new,' a part of JC's mind noted.

"Justin, this guy is giving me a hard time just because I accidentally knocked over his stuff. But it was totally his fault because he was totally blocking the way."

JC froze as the glaring blue eyes turned his way and the recognition flared up in them. He could almost feel the heat of the gaze...and his body as Justin towered a little over him.

"You again?" Justin sighed, as if dealing with a pest. "Don't you have a life, man? Besides making life hell for others?"

JC felt anger shoot to his head.
"Hey! I'm not making anyone's life hell. Your brother needs to be taught some manners and how to look out for people. He ran into me twice and not even one sincere apology. But now that I see who he grew up around, I can't fault him, can I?"

"HEY! Don't insult my brother! He can so kick you ass!" Jon, the kid, yelled.

"Jon!" Justin admonished sharply. "Go in."

"But..."

"No buts. Go in...now."

The boy shut up and turned to go in when he was stopped by Justin's hand.
"But first, apologise."

"WHAT?!"

"You admitted to running into him. So apologise."

"But..."

"You want me to call your Momma?"

Jon made a face and pouted. He looked at JC, without meeting his eyes.
"I'm sorry."

"Ok, go in."

JC's expression of surprise remained even after Jon had gone in and Justin turned to look at JC with his arms crossed in front of his chess. Feeling the piercing eyes on him and finally realising just how close he was standing next to Justin, JC took a step back.

"That was ummm...decent of..."

Justin held up a hand as if to stave off JC's words.

"I made him apologise, yes. But I doubt he was the only one at fault. You seem to have a knack for causing problems to others."

JC opened his mouth to retort, then shut it and ground his teeth.

Justin smirked and leaned against the door jamb with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"And while we are on the topic of apologies, I think you still owe me one for yesterday."

"Excuse me?"

"If my brother apologised for his mistake, so should you. Or are *you* the one who needs to be taught some manners?"

JC didn't have a violent bone in his body but he really *really* wanted to wipe that smirk off other man's face.

"Fine. I'm sorry," JC spat out.

"That wasn't so difficult, was it? Now run along, I am busy."

With that Justin Timberlake went back into his apartment and slammed the door shut, leaving JC fuming along the corridor.

JC began to mumble curses that he had never in his life used before, under his breath as he stomped to Lance's apartment.
 

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