Chapter 8

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"Stop worrying." I said to Justin who seemed to be fidgeting in our cab ride to the hotel. "They'll love you and if they don't, I'll kick their asses." I smiled at Justin. Justin gave me a weak smile but it's a poor attempt.

"I can't believe I'm gonna be in the Backstreet tour. I can see it now in the tabloids, Justin of NSYNC now a Backstreet!" I laughed at that remark. I just can't get the point why he's so worried about being in the Backstreet tour.

"You called your friends right?" I asked Justin. He just nodded. "Did you say that you're gonna go to the Backstreet Boys' tour?" Justin just shook his head no.

"Marty, I don't want to give them a heart attack." Justin said with a laugh. I think this is really good for Justin. No crying spree coz of Joshua, but there is a little sadness there. It wasn't really the same. "I said that I'll going with a friend for a change of scenery." Justin said.

"Sooner or later, we have to talk about it." I said to Justin who just nodded sadly. I know this is gonna be painful for Justin but let's be realistic, this is real life already, not a movie. Pain is inevitable.

"I just can't get it why he broke it off." Justin said in the verge of tears. "Everything was going perfect. We've been together since like forever and this happens out of nowhere." Justin said with a faint sob escaping his mouth. I sat closer to him and tried to comfort him.

"Why don't you ask him?" I suggested. "I know this is gonna be more painful but I think you deserve an explanation why he just broke it off out of nowhere." I was being objective at this point. I guess that's just a thing that I incurred during my solitude.

"I'm just looking for the right time I guess." Justin said weakly. Yeah right, and I'm the richest man in the world. I rolled my eyes with his remark.

"Justin, the best time is always now. You'll just postpone it everyday and wallow in your sorrows. I don't think so. Justin, you're extremely attractive and you're in that age that you should be enjoying your self not wallowing in your sorrows. Look at me, I am way passed being your age due to my stupidity with the hiding thing. Live it right." I said to him learning from my past mistake of hiding from the world. If I could just turn back time, I don't want it this way.

"Thanks for the advice. But you will tell me everything later because you lost me when you said the hiding thing." Justin said. Oops... I forgot that I haven't told my story completely yet. I nodded with a smile.

Justin who was wearing his disguise, and I reached the hotel after a couple more minutes but instead of going up immediately in our room. I decided to just stay in the lobby for a while. I don't want to bring Justin up without telling them not to be shocked and everything. I instructed Justin to get a room for himself which he agreed upon. "Are you in the hotel?" I asked at my phone. I was talking to Brian.

"Yeah we are. Where are you now?" Brian inquired. Good. I can talk to him in a better way and it seemed that he's happy. Thank God. 

"I'm actually in the lobby coz I have someone with me." I said to Brian who just answered with silence. Something was wrong with what I said. "Oh my God! Brian, it's not what you think. I brought a friend, you know the guy I went to visit." That has been totally misinterpreted. Justin was laughing at me. 

"I wasn't thinking that." Brian said with a weak laugh. "Well, okay I thought that you found someone." Brian said with a real laugh now. "What's with your friend? Why don't you bring him up so we can meet him." Brian chimed. If I know Brian correctly, he just wants to see Justin so he could see the 'competition'. He's so insecure with things. 

"Well, his boyfriend just broke up with him and he actually needs people around him these days. But..." I paused looking at Justin quizzically. "I think that he's someone that you won't expect." I said with a mischievous smile.

"Come on! It's not that bad. Maybe if it's one of those NSYNC guys then I'll be surprised." Brian joked which I laughed at weakly. You really don't know how right you are. We ended our call and went to the elevator to meet the guys. Justin met me with the key card in his hand.

"Do you really think they won't kill me?" Justin asked... again. I was getting irritated with that line of questioning.

"Like I said a million times already, they won't kill you. They won't prolly like you that much but they won't do anything coz if they do, they'll wish they never were born." I said out of exasperation already. The elevator's chime sounded. Now, to meet them.

I walked to Brian's room and knocked at his door. I could hear a few sounds from the inside and after a while Brian peered in and lunged at me. "Don't you ever leave me like that again!" Brian said in between kisses. I guess he forgot about that someone was with me. Then, he stopped and looked at the pair of feet in front of him. I guess it finally hits him. "You... you're from..." Brian stuttered.

"NSYNC, Brian. It's NSYNC. He's Justin, my friend. And the one on top of me is my boyfriend." I said nonchalantly that got another shocked expression from Brian.

"Nice to meet you Brian." Justin said meekly and extended a hand. Brian took it nervously and shook their hands. "Don't worry. I won't say anything. We queers should help each other." Justin said with a cheesy grin.

"You... you're..." Brian stuttered again.

"It's gay Brian. The word is gay." I said sarcastically as I stood up from the floor. I guess my mind was elsewhere as well because I didn't notice the four doors opened with heads peering. "Surprise everyone." I said nervously. Their faces just spell out shock. I guess they never thought that a guy from NSYNC would ever come.

"He's from NSYNC! What's he doing here?" Nick asked with hostility. I don't like that tone. I glared at him and he glared at me. This is gonna be good.

"Nick, he's my friend. And I can't leave him alone coz he just came out of a relationship." I said to him. Nick was gonna say something again but I shut him up with a death stare. I looked at Justin who was fidgeting again. "Quit it." I said to Justin who did stop. "Go inside your room. I want to talk with them in private." I added. Justin just nodded and went away to go to his room. I walked to Nick's room and everyone followed.

"What just happened there?" AJ asked who was really oblivious of everything.

"Tell me your problem with NSYNC." I said to all of them. "I need to know everything so I could think up of something. If it's really big, I'll ship out Justin but if it's superficial, you'll really hear from me." I told them. No one dared to speak up at first. But I was patient enough to wait for the bravest to say his part in this whole thing. Minutes have passed and no one seemed to be bold enough to speak up.

"They are the competition." Brian whispered but I was able to hear it coz he's beside me cuddling... as usual.

"Do all of you think that?" I asked the others who just nodded. Okay, that totally ticked me off. "That's the most superficial and stupid reason I have ever heard! You belong to the same business and you don't like them because they're competition?" I was really angry at that moment but after that little outburst I started to mellow already. "Why is it then? Why don't you hate other singers then?" I asked.

Kevin decided to speak up. "Well, they came out after we became successful. They did everything that we did. From the tour we had, the producers and songwriters... as in everything. Then, after a while, they joined our record label." Kevin reasoned out. I was getting it a bit but not enough to convince me.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe they didn't choose to do everything you did?" I asked which was answered by silence. "In this business, artists don't go to the top because they sing and dance. They have to be marketed to the public; that's why we have such things as managers. You stars become successful because of the marketing strategies that your management team does. So don't blame them coz they did everything the same... it's a marketing move. You became successful that way, so it must be a good move. Others would definitely follow." I explained to them, which prolly enlightened their minds.

"That I never thought." AJ voiced out. "I always thought that they waited for something that we would do, then they'll copycat it in a better way." I wanted to shout that it was so shallow and everything but I have to really maintain my cool for everyone's sake. They have no idea how I can be angry.

"Apologize. All of you." I said to them. They started to protest but I guess my look tells all. They know that they don't have any right to not apologize. The six of us stood up and went to Brian's room where Justin was. When I opened the door, it seemed that he was talking to someone on his cellphone and he was crying. "We'll do this later." I said to them and told them to go to their rooms for now. "Bri, I need to talk to him in private." I said to him with a smile hoping that he would understand.

"Take your time. He needs your right now." Brian said and kissed me at the lips and strutted off to somewhere. Probably to Nick's room to play a video game or something. I opened the door once more and he was still talking on the phone. It appeared that he was in hysterics this time. This is not good.

"Josh, I love you. Why?" Justin voiced out. It pained my seeing him this way but he needs to do this to get the answers. I walked near Justin and started to pat him on the shoulder, the only comfort that I can give him. "Is there someone else?" Justin croaked up. After a few minutes, he began to sob again and dropped the phone on the floor. I picked up the phone.

"Hello Joshua?" I said on the phone. Josh was bawling as well. I don't know the complete story between Justin and Joshua but this must be difficult for Joshua as well because he's crying like there's tomorrow.

"Please take care of him. I still love him." Joshua said between sobs and ended the call. That definitely left me in confusion. He still loves him but he breaks up with him as well? I placed the phone on the counter and returned to Justin.

"Justin, everything's gonna be okay. Why don't you sleep it off?" I said to Justin who kept on sobbing. I let him lay down on the bed and I lay down beside him. I spooned him trying to give him the protection from the pain that he was feeling but I know that it was a pathetic attempt. This was too painful for him. I just whispered words of comfort until Justin calmed and drifted to sleep.

I untangled myself from him but he was holding on me like I was his lifeline. I reached for my phone and dialed Brian's number. There was a ringing in the room. Oops... his phone was in here. I dialed at Nick's phone next. Knowing Brian, he's with Nick. After a few rings, Nick answered the phone.

"Can I talk to Brian?" I asked on the phone. Nick shouted at Brian and after a few horsing around Brian answered.

"Sorry about the asshole." Brian said laughing. "What's happening? How is he?" Brian asked me. I missed this side of Brian. You know the concern side of him always worrying about everything even if it's from NSYNC.

"Can you go here. I wanna see you badly and Justin wrapped around me isn't really helping." I said on the phone that made Brian chuckle. I was trying to make the situation light because it was really tight. Brian seeing me with Justin snuggled to me isn't really something that I want him to see but I have to see him. We hung up the phone and after a few minutes, Brian opened the door quietly. He crept to the bed trying not to make any sound. Once he reached my side, I reached for his face and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"I love you." I said to him with full emotions once are lips parted. I motioned him to lie beside me. It would be my friend on one side and my boyfriend on the other. 

"What's his story?" Brian asked as he snuggled closer to me. 

"Well, Justin and I met in the net in one of those chat rooms but I didn't know that this Justin is Justin Justin. Got it?" I asked which Brian nodded. "We've been chatting for months already and became really good friends. Then, his boyfriend, Joshua decided that they should think of their relationship and he was really not in good shape that's why I went there. Last night, Joshua broke up with him and now we are here. I don't know the story behind the talk but I'm gonna find out." I finished. I was toying with Brian's hair. I heard a faint snore. He fell asleep.

I smiled at Brian and drifted to sleep as well. 

EMAIL ME!!! pseud0nym@edsamail.com.ph