*******
Another week later...
Wise ones sometimes say that time flies when you�re having fun. Margot and the guys in *NSYNC found that to be very true during these next few days. They spent almost every waking moment with each other and Margot grew much closer to the other four *NSYNCers. Inside jokes were multiplied by the second, wrestling matches occurred every few minutes, and Margot even taught a few (miserably failed) cooking lessons. Things ran pretty smoothly and there were only two brains that seemed to be working a little overtime. Margot was still trying to decide which of her friends had seen her dance that night, and JC, well; JC was a completely different story. Let�s just say JC was trying to decide exactly what his feelings were for a certain �friend� of his.
That Thursday morning, Justin woke feeling the warm California sun caressing his face. A content smile spread across his lips when the sound of birds chirping found his ears. The distant ocean sent it salty scent all the way up the second floor of the *NSYNC house and When he took a deep breath, the intoxicating aroma caused his smile to widen. He sat up lazily while he looked around his cozy setting and stretched when he finally stood up. After a quick shower, he slipped on a plain white t-shirt and khaki shorts and merrily skipped his way downstairs. Shortly, he arrived in the kitchen and beamed at JC who was sitting at the table with a sheet of paper in his left hand, a chewed-on pen in his right, a notebook to his side, and a scowl on his face.
�Why does it feel like such a Goddamn Disney movie this morning?�
JC raised an eyebrow at the younger singer and sighed tiredly.
�It doesn�t. Now go away.�
Justin sighed dreamily and looked out of the bay window behind his friend.
�Yes, it does. I�m just so happy! I woke up and the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and I just couldn�t keep the smile off my face!�
JC narrowed his eyes and turned his attention back to the piece of paper he was writing on. Justin was still in his dream world so he kept talking.
�I just feel so great! I know you all thought I was on the brink of insanity, but now I�m back and better than ever! It was just when we were fighting, I felt like crap. But Margot and I made up yesterday and I have not a care in the world!�
JC�s head shot up at the mention of the name and he stared at his band mate. Visions of her dance that night flashed through his mind and he shook his head violently. His breathing sped up and he almost choked on one of his breaths, sending him into a coughing fit. Justin looked at his friend with concerned, and thoroughly confused eyes and ran to where JC was seated. He looked around the room frantically, searching for some water. He saw an Aquafina bottle near the stove and moved to get it when JC caught his arm and shook his head. As his coughing subsided, Justin slowly calmed down and when the house was silent again, he sat down and stared at his friend.
�What the hell was that? You had to go and have a seizure in the middle of my Disney movie?�
JC let his head fall onto the table.
�I dunno man, I�m having a few problems.�
�I�ll say. You had to bust a �Linda Blair� during my personal reenactment of �Beauty and the Beast�.
�J, I�m serious.�
Justin stopped talking and got his first good look at JC. He had huge bags under his eyes, it seemed as if he hadn�t shaven in days, and he looked altogether�bad.
JC rubbed a hand over his face and through his russet hair. He closed his tired eyes and struggled to get the words out. It was a revelation that had been reached that very morning. It was also a revelation that he hadn�t wanted to reach for a long while, which made it infinitely hard to go the final distance and say it out loud. He took a long breath and plunged into the deep end.
�I think, no, I�m probably�well, basically, I know I�m in-�
�Hey men, what�s shakin�?�
JC froze mid-sentence. He felt like he had been caught stealing a bag of fruit from the corner store. Justin turned from his band mate and smiled at Margot.
�Hey girl. Not much is happening. Me and C were just conversing. You know how it is.�
Margot�s brow furrowed and she smirked at the young man sitting in front of her. �I love how you use improper grammar and then a word like �conversing� in the same sentence. It really turns me on.�
He grinned and playfully wiggled his eyebrows at her. "You know you want a piece of this fine hunk a man."
�Yeah, I'd like a fine hunk a man. Unfortunately all I see is a little boy.� The grin instantly left his face and she pinched his cheek on her way to a cabinet. She grabbed the bag of Doritos form the bottom shelf and pulled it open while letting her eyes wander around the room and finally to JC. He had been silent during her and Justin�s mini-banter so she hardly noticed him. Now that he held her attention, she took note of the same aspects of his appearance Justin had earlier. She saw his worried expression and wondered what could be troubling him.
�Josh, what�s up?� she asked timidly. He stiffened at the sound of her voice. God, how he loved that voice, but he couldn�t bring himself to direct his eyes toward the source of that wonderful sound. His eyes shut and his forehead creased in what seemed like pain. He swallowed and attempted speech.
�N-nothing.� He replied shortly. He wasn�t trying to be short with her, but his body wouldn�t allow his mouth to say anymore. Margot waited for a cushion from the brash words, well, word she�d just received, but when none came, her own forehead creased and she swallowed as well.
Justin watched the scene before him with wide eyes. Never had he seen JC act so�un-JC before. He�d never really seen anyone act this way unless one of two thing was clouding the person�s ability to act and speak like a normal human being. The first would be hate. When someone hates another person, they have so much anger in them, making every word and action strained. The second would be�
Justin�s eyes widened. No, it couldn�t be that. He looked at JC. His breathing was becoming shallow again, His eyes were downcast, focused on a invisible speck of dirt on the table top, which he repeatedly ran his thumb over, and his overall aura screamed of uncertainty and nervousness.
�Well, I�ll be damned...�
Both Margot and JC turned to look at Justin. He was smiling and shaking his head in JC�s direction. He then turned to look at Margot and grinned while nodding. He licked his lips and glanced back and forth between the two of them before JC burst.
�What the hell are you doing!? Stop looking at us like you�re some kind of drunken Cheshire cat!�
Justin chuckled as he rose from the table. He patted JC on the back and winked.
�Your secret�s safe with me, old man.�
He smiled when his band mate�s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets and turned to tip his imaginary hat to Margot.
�Madam, I believe that is my cue. Have a glorious day, you too. And don�t get into any trouble!� He evilly yelled on his way upstairs. Margot watched Justin�s retreating back and laughed, �Kids these days, eh?�
JC coughed when his heart skipped another beat. Just being in the same room with her was enough to drive him crazy, but talking? No. There was no way he�d be able to carry on a halfway decent conversation when he was in this state of mind. So he did the one thing he could, he ran.
�Uh, I have to go and�yeah. Bye.� He stuttered as he fumbled to get out of the kitchen. He grabbed his pen, papers, and an orange from the counter and dashed out of the door. Margot watched perplexedly as he rushed up the stairs. She jumped when she heard the door slam and slowly walked to the middle of the living room, where she discovered something on the carpet. She decided that it must have fallen to the floor in JC�s hasty escape to the second floor.
*******
JC slid to the floor of his room. What was happening to him? He was always so in control, but now�now, he couldn�t even see straight because he was so out of control. He sighed as he got up to place his stuff on an end table next to his bed. He plopped down on the large piece of furniture and reached to grab the pen and paper he�d been jotting on. He found the pen but his eyes widened when his hand never found the sheet of paper. He picked up the notebook and shook it for all it was worth, praying the sheet would fall out. Unfortunately, it never did. He rose to see if he had dropped it outside his door but when he peeked downstairs, his eyes instead found Margot with the paper in her hands.
*******
Margot knew she probably shouldn�t read what was on that sheet of paper. She knew she probably should take it straight to JC�s room and be done with it. But when she saw her name, she was a goner. Her eyes studied the sheet for a few minutes before putting a trembling hand to her gaping mouth. She dropped the piece of paper and walked out the front door, shutting it loudly behind her.
*******
JC nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard and saw the door slam. His eyes closed and his mouth drooped when he realized what he�d just done.
�No��
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