Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 00:25:29 +0800 From: Reggie Tangan Subject: Boy Bands and the City 7 Boy Bands and the City By Reggie Tangan Disclaimer: all of the characters portrayed here are used fictitiously, and used for entertainment purposes. These stories do not point out that the members of NSYNC are gay. Though I have my speculations. This story is for adults only; if you don't like homosexual themes, please leave immediately. For reactions, critiques please send me an email at reggietangan@edsamail.com.ph or visit my website at http://www.reggietangan.cjb.net ********************** Chapter Seven Justin continued to look into me, trying to avoid all those looks and possible temptations he might have in store for me. Justin with his totally clean smile wanted him but his surly behavior angered me in a way. Is Justin that desperate for flesh? Joey led me into the elevator, as Justin moved into the restaurant inside the hotel, forgetting that Justin grazed my arm on purpose though I kinda like the soft hairy arms... Stop that will ya? I'm in a relationship with Joey and I still think about Justin. Then I suddenly remembered Justin's proposal with me, spend one night and he'll get out of my hair and finally clear my mind. "What's eating you?" Joey glared, his hand on my face. "Nothing, a bit stressed, I guess." I lied. "I suggest you quit your job and look for another one." He said. Hell no, as I jokingly slapped his face, he got the joke easily, knowing I have lots of things on my mind, and that does not include Justin. My eyes was starting to dooze off, and it's two in the afternoon, maybe it was last night, with that thing with Joey. I guess it was pretty late when we slept, but I didn't feel tired on the way to work. Maybe it was the athmosphere of a hotel, once you enter, there's this eerie feeling of sleepiness and that it makes you want to rent a room or something. "Guess what sweetie?" Joey pushed the buttons of the elevator, trying to conjure up a great plan for out first date. "Tall glasses of milk and lots of ice cream," I thought it was a way he said those words that turned me on, but no... "Bad idea," I told him, "A totally bad idea." "Why?" "It's pretty ironic," "Hey you're my sweetie," he said. "I guess you're sweet too, but I'm lactose-intolerant." I told him, his smile didn't change, probably he didn't know what lactose-intolerant mean. "What's that suppose to mean?" He asked. "I'm not allowed to drink milk," I said, smiling. "Are you on a diet? We can order low-fat," He asked as if he was a dumb jockey. "No, no, no. That's not what I meant to say, I cannot drink milk because I'm allergic to dairy stuff." I told him, now with feeling. "Oh." That last statement did register on Joey's head. "That's too bad, but we can change the menu," he said, he smiled still. "It's okay, you can have your milk, but get me something that doesn't have milk stuff on it." I held on to his arm, in complete confidence. "You sure you know I want ice cream to..." Stop. Now was that a kinky moment? "Lick you off, huh. I knew that, you and your kinky games." I smirked. "Come on, you chickened off when we almost did it." He said, "What was that suppose to mean?" As my brown eyes looked fiery evil. "Nothing, I thought you were that greedy." Excuse me? "What? Now you call me chicken, now a greedy person?" "Hey, I didn't just go here to meet you in the first place." He said. "The hell with you, you think this is just a kinky affair?" As I started to fume at Joey's immature statements. What a nerve! Without hearing Joey's incoming explanation, I prompted myself to exit the hotel, walking, he followed me down the main stairway of the hotel. What is it about sex that changes points of view of a person? And why Joey? All I wanted is to love Joey, but Joey wanted me just to have sex. "Jessie, Jessie, come back here, let me explain..." "Explain what? You've explained everything from the ice cream." I shouted at him. I didn't mind the people and the concierge of the hotel. Yeah, I was making a scene. But it was a nescessary evil to do it. What did I do to be called 'a whore.' And I thought this relationship sounded so serious, but it wasn't. It was all physical, and I hate it. All for this? What a waste of time. Justin did come out of the restaurant and saw me walk my way to the exit. Justin's smile turned into a pitiful pout, and saw Joey as well trying to get me back. A chance for Justin to get me. As the dark clouds formed the spring air, I walked on and try to forget Joey as early as possible. Destroying all traces of Joey's memories formed on my head. "Jessie, I'm sorry..." I continued to walk and covered my ears, trying not to hear another word from Joey's mouth. I try to move myself forward thinking this was all a joke. The Joey that I knew was a self-proclaimed pig. Man, this kills me. "Jessie, let me explain." I stop dead on my tracks, moved around to see Joey, my eyes still looked disappointed, my hands still shaking from what he said earlier. "Jessie," as tears followed suit on Joey's eyes, "I'm sorry..." "Sorry for what?" I growled. Without a trace of forgiveness in my face. "Jessie, please just one more chance..." I wanted to bash in his teeth, but it was a waste of energy. "Fuck you Joey, all you care about is yourself, your sexual satisfaction..." "No, not that.." "Rather, sexual gratification," I continued, I didn't notice the rain started falling down on us. I didn't care, I want this over with. "I'm sorry if I acted that way, I just wanted to be with someone..." I interrupted in death-defying logic, "To give you a fuck..." "Jess, I know I maybe a jerk sometimes, but I don't deserve this." "Deserve what? You haven't even popped the question." "Deserving enough to be your boyfriend..." He cried. "The hell with you Mr. Fatone, you blew it. I was giving you all the chances because you just came out and to come to thing of it, you think coming out as a gay guy gives you the license to have a promiscuous life?" As I felt my drenched hair dropped on my face, I wiped it off my face to get a clear view of Joey, he was drenched by the rain as well. "It's not about the sex, Jessie." He said. "Fuck off," I concluded, "I don't want to see you again." "Jessie, please." He begged. He kneeled out of desperation, trying to look for compassion in my eyes. He grabbed my hands hoping to find some hope within me. No way, no hope for Joey. No, this is not going to work on me. "No, I'm sorry Joey, you used me and it's totally bad." As I said my final decision, I gave myself one final look on Joey's crying face. That's it. I don't want to see him ever. I walked on forward. Home, I told myself. Home. *** "He blew it or you blew it?" Sally asked. I was back in my pad, talking to Sally on the phone. I cleaned myself from the rain, on the sly on my bed, I cleared my head off Joey. "He blew it, sister." I told her, eventhough she thought from the start that it would last, it didn't. I couldn't blame Sally or Davis for thinking to hard about this relationship. This relationship was doomed from the start. "Do you need company?" She asked. "And devour all my food," "To talk, the food can come later." She said, dropping the phone. Surely, I needed some company to talk all of my frustrations on Joey. God, let me stop saying his name, it kills me. The next minute the phone rang. Me, being the courteous type answered the phone. I hope it's not... "Justin here, baby, I saw it coming..." Justin, not Joey, close call. "Justin, I don't want to talk about this," I told him. "Why? Can't you see the things you've done for him." "What do you mean?" "He's freaking out because of you..." A typical reaction when you break up guys, but incident came in first, this was my first time to break up with a guy. "You must see Joe..." "Don't you even say his name..." I pleaded. "What? I thought you are so over him," Justin said, "You still love him, right?" "No." "Liar," he said, "I bet you still love him." I wanted to drop the phone and stop this conversation as early as possible, but I kept on, thinking what is the reaction of the rest of the group when they heard Joey and I had a huge fight, making me break up with him. "Where's Joey?" I sighed. "In his room, crying." Justin answered. I knew from his tone of voice, Justin was grinning, knowing he got what he wanted. To break us up and he has a bigger chance of getting me. "I don't know if he's sane enough to do the concert tonight." Even though Justin didn't do anything to destroy the relationship I feel a sense of accomplishment on Justin's part. Bad timing for a break up but it was necessary. "I'm not going to the concert," I told Justin. "Of course not, silly, you know better than that." He gave out a throaty laugh. I wanted to laugh, but this kind of issue, I kept my friggin' mouth shut. "So what now?" He asked me. "I dunno, I think I'll just go back to being me, I think." I answered meakly. "Well, the thing we have," He sounded very sly, "Still on?" Without a second I said... "Yes," After the concert, he said, willing to get it on with a pop star. I know Justin is after the sex thing, at least he's honest rather than that guy whom I thought we were going to have a relationship. Joey started it anyway. But Justin was right, I still have feelings for Joey, even though he turned out to be a jerk. The emotional attachment was still there, I guess. I really love the guy, but knowing all his secrets and stuff like that, it made me realize men are not always at their emotional best. "Jessie, still there?" Justin blurted on the phone receiver. "Yeah, I'm still here." "Don't go gaga over me know, save it for later." He said, I bet he was grinning like a cat, a stinky cat. Then he dropped the phone. As soon as Justin hanged the phone I immediately speed dialed Sally's number. I was going to tell her my plans for tonight. "Sally?" "I was just getting ready to leave." "Forget it," I told her. "What now?" "I have plans, I mean I wanted to drive for a while." I said. "Well, be careful then, try to clear your head." "I will." *** After a few minutes I was driving around town, wasting gas and a pack of carrot sticks beside me. I was still thinking of Joey. Good thing the rain stopped. I was looking forward to walk towards the Greshaw Park, San Antonio's answer to Central Park. Trying to clear my head off. It's working. I parked the car near sideway opposite the park, the smell of fresh grass filled the park, the rain must have cleaned the grass giving that smell. I walked along the path in the park, thinking of good thoughts. Thinking of a fantasy that would never become true. Well, almost, but it short, dumb-found, mediocre kind of way. Joey Fatone, gay. I thought, not a great title for a guy who thinks being queer is actually a privilege but not as a rite of passage. "Finally, a bench," I told myself, seeing that bench I wanted to sit down and finish off my last pieces of carrot sticks, munching them sort of released my endorphins or something. I actually feel relaxed, not thinking about him. I was enjoying my carrot sticks when a brooding figure shadowed my existence. I thought it was some beggar wanting food. As I turn around to glance the person, my eyes grew big in astonishment, my hands released the pack, and definitely dropped them on the concreate pathway. The last person I'd want to see appeared before me. "Jessie Herrera?" The voice sounded familiar. JC... "Why are you here?" I asked the long-haired guy. "I knew I'd recognize you, Jessie," he said, "I bet you know what happened." "I guess so, Joey and I broke up." I told him, "Does that make you happy, you homophobic ninja scum." JC froze. I knew then that JC was homophobic but as well as a homosexual. Maybe he wasn't the type to get it all out and let it hang. I bet JC was scared, once the people knew that JC was gay, he'll be branded as a social outcast. "No, Even though how hypocritical I am, I still care for Joey." He said, knowing NSYNC wouldn't be NSYNC without Joey. And he was right, but I'm not coming back. He told me he saw Joey storm inside his room and started crying, Joey was sobbing and was crying out my name fron the room. He's not the type who is very hopeful in any way whatsoever. "I know for a fact that Joey really likes you," JC said. "My foot," I exclaimed, but JC didn't find it amusing. "Serious, the guy really likes you." He said. "How can you say that? You hypocritical prig." Come on, JC went here just to make me go back to Joey? "I can't, JC. You don't know how much damage he's done for me." I said. "And you're doing fine perhaps," he said as I was picking up the pack of carrot sticks I dropped, "And you seem to be enjoying it." "I'm just here to forget him," "And he's having an emotional breakdown in the hotel!" He shouted. Knowing what JC had done, he straightened out his jacket and try not to look that suspicious. I just sat there pondering on the things I've done in the past two days, all this Joey thing is happening to fast, I suppose. The kiss to the bedroom part, I could say it was my fault. "Don't blame yourself, it's a lose-lose situation, I think." JC said. "And please don't act like you're my shrink." I said, seeing the pack and it's soiled contents I opted to throw it on the nearby trash can. "I'm not, I'm here as a friend," He said, and smiled. "Friend? Huh? You tormented us just because Joey came out." As I cocked my eyes into evil mode. "My situation is different, I have issues." "Yeah, like you're the only one." I snickered. "You're being unfair," "And you're being hypocritical," as I raised my hand, to threathen him. Without knowing, JC grabbed my arm in defense to make me stop whatever I was doing, he held a firm hold of it wanting me to keep hold of my temper. "Don't touch me!" I screamed. "Stop or I'll smack you down!" He hollered. Damn, as a struggled appeared between us as my hands try to let go of JC's painful grip, he continued to held on to the arms, he also managed to grip on both of my arms as I try to resist him. "Stop hurting me!" JC screamed. Still holding on. "Damn, let me go!" "Jess! Watch it!" As we struggled further, our bodies felt imbalanced on the bench thus making us fall on the ground. My back fell hard flat on the pavement, while JC fell too, the worst part, he fell on top of me. Our bodies pressed in embarassment. "Oww, that hurts." I said, lying down flat, I felt JC's heavy body pushing me down further the pavement, very painful. I didn't realize that we were face to face at each other. "You okay?" JC asked, he let go of my arms, right now his hands are resting on the pavement. "Shut up, JC!" I said, I wanted to come up but JC still didn't make the iniative to stand up. "What the hell are you looking at?" I said. "So that's why he fell in love with you..." He said, and in one long moment he looked into my dark brown eyes, undoubtedly I wanted to resist, but his soft eyes made me melt down the pavement. JC face came in closer, and closer, I couldn't help but look. In one quick stroke his lips met mine and started kissing me. He parted his lips from mine, "I knew I was attracted to you from the start," looked again into my face. I didn't move an inch. "Evidently, you are JC." And that is all I can say. To be continued... ***************************************************** send me reactions, critiques, suggestions to reggietangan@edsamail.com.ph I will glady answer any questions you might have in mind.