Small Sacrifices V
The hallway backstage was so dark. It literally breathed sinister, beckoning JC
to move forward. Daring him to take the next step towards a path he couldn't see
the light at the end. His hands continued to tremble as he held onto the cold
gun walking down the lonely pathway at an excruciatingly slow pace.
He could hear the faint memories echoing past the hallway. Not too long ago,
they had performed here. Not too long ago, Justin had playfully sprayed him with
his water gun. Not too long ago, he had chased Justin down that same lonely
path. Not too long ago, he had tackled down his then 16-year-old best friend,
and accidentally placed his hands on places where they shouldn't be. Not too
long ago, Justin had pushed him away and wept in the dressing room. Not too long
ago, JC had begged Justin to tell him why he was crying so much. Not too long
ago, Justin had revealed to JC that Lou Pearlman had touched him. The bastard,
who had posed as their father figure, had pinned him against the wall and groped
him mercilessly as he screamed in pain. Not too long ago, JC had asked Justin
why? Why didn't he tell anyone? Why didn't he report Lou? And not too long ago,
Justin had explained to him that if he did, "mom would go bolistic and take me
away, away from you".
He could turn around any time now. He didn't have to go through this. JC kept
telling himself. There was still time. The first act had two more songs to
perform to. Whether or not he was consciously aware of it or not, his feet led
him directly to his dressing room. There was still time. He sighed deeply,
stepping inside. A smile graced his face as he read Justin's lovely scrawl on
the mirror. "I'm so proud of you. I love you, Josh, always and forever. Peace
and hair grease, from you know who." Three scented cards- cards scented with
Justin's Abercrombie and Fitch Woods cologne- each with a sloppy drawing of the
two love birds, holding hands, kissing, and in bed. JC had to laugh a little at
Justin's childish ways of showing him how much he loved him. God. He'd go nuts
if he couldn't lick the ice cream off the bridge of Justin's nose. The smile
faded from his face as he returned the cards back on the table. He couldn't
sacrifice Justin for his career. There would be another opportunity, but Justin
would not be given another opportunity if he didn't show up in front of the
warehouse on Waterloo Lane $1,000,000.
The decision had been made. He exited his own dressing room and took the path
further into darkness. He stopped in front of the door. He pressed his ear next
to the wooden door. He could hear them talking inside. They were counting the
money collected from tonight's gala. Nine hundred thousands and fifty dollars
and still counting. There must be at least a million if not more inside that
room. Without knocking, JC entered the room, drawing up his gun.
"Give me the money?" He demanded of the two frightful women on the floor.
"Aren't you JC Chasez?" A woman recognized his famous face from a magazine she
had kept in her drawers to remind her of the glory 'Nsync days.
"Give me the money?" He repeated.
"No!" The other woman spoke, valiantly, grabbing onto the bag of money. "This is
for Breast Cancer research and I'm not letting you take the money."
"Give me the money, bitch!"
JC reached for the woman's hair when suddenly the door swung opened. Just great.
It was Lance. He would never be able to get out with the money and get to
Waterloo Lane in twenty-five minutes.
"What's going on, JC?" Lance questioned his friend, staring intensely into JC's
baby blues. "What are you doing here?"
JC ignored Lance's onslaught of questions. He simply turned back his attention
toward the woman with the bag of money. He grabbed the bag, but the woman
continued to be persistent. She clung onto the bag tighter. JC looked into her
tear-filled eyes. His heart broke. She must have lost someone she loved to
breast cancer. Or perhaps, she, was fighting the disease herself.
"Give me the bag. I don't want to hurt you." JC lowered his voice.
"I can't. This is much needed money."
"Give it to me!" JC yelled.
He fired his gun up at the ceiling to threaten the woman. She coiled underneath
the table, releasing her grip on the bag. JC quickly grabbed the bag and ran for
the door when Lance gallantly blocked his path.
"Get out of the way, Lance!" JC raised his gun.
"No. I won't let you do whatever you planned to do." Lance was adamant with
this. He continued to stand his ground, planting his feet firmly on the ground.
"This is wrong."
"The fuck with morals. I'm taking this money whether you like it or not. And if
you don't step aside, I'll fuckin' blow your brains out, Lance." JC warned.
"Do it. JC, kill me."
JC glared into Lance's jaded eyes. He loved Lance, but don't ever think he
wouldn't kill Lance to save Justin. He would do it. He would. He raised his gun
and pointed toward Lance's forehead. He pulled back the trigger, ready to fire,
when Joey stepped into the picture. Shit!
"NO!!!" He cried out, pushing Lance to the side.
The shot barely missed him. Thank goodness. There was no denying his love for
Justin, but he couldn't kill his friend. He just couldn't.
"You could've gotten yourself killed." JC cried out.
"Then so be it. So long as Lance isn't hurt." Joey said, gazing into Lance's
jaded eyes.
That look. He knew that look so well. That was the same look he wore in his eyes
when he looked at Justin. When he looked into Justin's dark blue orbs. And he
wanted that look, again. To experience that look of love. To see heaven in the
eyes of your lover.
"Shit. You two are together."
"Yes." Lance answered for the both of them.
"We've been together for a two months now." Joey added.
"Then, Joey, do you love Lance?" JC posed the question.
"Yes." Joey answered, sincerely. "I have never been more sure of anything in my
life. I love Lance."
"And I love Justin." JC responded. "Let me out of here and I just might return
to congratulate you guys on your wedding day."
"What's going on, JC?" Joey asked his friend, concern evident on his face.
"I can't tell you. Just let me go. Please." JC dropped to his knees, begging for
Joey's mercy. "I have to go. I'm running out of time. Justin's running out of
time."
"Justin." Lance gulped.
"Where's Justin?"
JC shook his head. He couldn't tell them. If he did, they would only insist on
coming with him and he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let them come with
him. Justin would definitely be dead if they came along.
"JC! Where's Justin?" Joey was so resolute. He posed the question a second time.
"JC!"
"Justin's..." JC began to say when at the corner of his eyes, Dani's pregnant
figure stepped into view. Without wasting a second longer, JC pushed both Joey
and Lance to grab hold of the frightened Dani.
"Don't come near me! Or I'll shoot Dani." JC warned.
"JC, don't do anything stupid!" Joey said, pushing Lance behind him as they both
stepped backward.
"I'm sorry, Dani." JC whispered as he pulled her away into the hallway, using
her body as a shield against the world around him.
"JC, what's going on?" Dani managed to say while holding onto her stomach. "Why
are you doing this?"
JC refused to hear Dani's pleading voice. He would not allow her to make him
weak. He would not allow her to make him change his decisions. Only Justin had
that innate power to make a man weak. No one else mattered. Whatever she was
saying, JC was oblivious to. However, not all his senses were impaired. He was
still able to discriminate Chris' sprinting figure speeding towards him. As
Chris approached him, JC placed his hand on the back of Dani's back and gently
pushed her into Chris' fury path. Their brief collision was enough to allow JC a
successful escape as he leaped out of back door.
"Dani, are you okay, hon?" Chris enveloped his arms around his pregnant wife as
she wept against his chest. "Bastard." Chris muttered under his breath.
Lance and Joey joined the couple in the hallway, each scratching their heads as
they try to piece together the insanity of what they called their friend. After
much comforting, Dani eventually calmed down and was led back to the theatre by
Chris. Chris helped Dani into her seat before returning to his friends
backstage.
"What the hell happened?" Chris demanded to know. "He was a madman. What's going
on?"
"Chris, I think Justin's in trouble." Joey relayed what little he knew.
"Oh my God." Suddenly, the anger dissipated, only to be replaced with fear.
"Who else could make JC this desperate that he must steal from a charity event."
Joey said.
"He robbed the..." Chris was at a lost for words. "Justin. Poor thing. Why
didn't you guys go with him?!" Chris lunged at Joey, pulling his shirt collar.
"It's not Joey's fault!" Lance cried out, prying Chris off of Joey. "JC didn't
want us to come along. I think we should go back to JC's hotel room and try to
figure where's he taking the money to."
Chris reluctantly agreed. He ran his hands over his face, wiping the sweat off
his forehead.
"Let's go." He said, leading the pack through the back door.
(c) 2001 Aphrodite
Justin Timberlake will be on upcoming covers of Rolling Stones and Details and
don't forget to buy a copy of 'Justified'.
