Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 16:54:36 +0100 From: Silverjunky Subject: Justin and Redemption. Part 1-2. Right this is my first story, I have written for Nifty so be kind. I wrote this all one-day after reading a few stories in the boy bands sub-category. I hope you like it. Legal stuff: This story is totally fictional, and does not imply anything about the members of NSYNC or anyone else who may appear later on. If you are under the age of 18, offended by anything to do with male/male sexuality then you should not read this. Oh, and this isn't a simple sex story this is something I have been thinking heavily about for a few days and will be heavily involved with STORY not just sex, so sorry to disappoint you. Any feedback would be appreciated send comments, queries, hate mail love mail and anything else, especially suggestion to: silverjunky@hotmail . com Justin and Redemption. Part 1: Beginnings. To start with let me introduce myself, my name is Gavin, I'm 19yrs old, I have lived mainly in America, Orlando, and England, London, this is where I'm situated now. I'm 6ft1" tall, with white blond hair in many curtains that reach to the tips of my ears, think of Ally McBeal, type thin scruffy hair, mine is simply that but white blond and shorter. I have pale white skin, blue eyes, black sharply defining eyebrows a straight nose and full lips, all this balancing on a broad chin, and a thin to average neck. Physically I'm skinny but naturally slightly toned, all this contrives, according to a friend of mine to make me unusual but the same time cute as hell. I live on my own, I have done ever since I was 18, my parents had died when I was about 16, when we still lived in Orlando. I got put into a foster home, and well after that things went downhill, so I, after earning enough money, moved to England at 18 and have been here for 2yrs. My dream in life was to become a guitarist and sing. Whether in a band of solo didn't matter as long as I could do it. I had learnt guitar from 16 and had been singing continually since early childhood. I have quite diverse tastes in music from underground rock like silverchair, to mellower Celtic stuff like Enya, even to a little bit of pop music, mainly NSYNC. * * * How I got where I am today is what I shall start of describing first. It happened at an India Arie concert in London, which a friend had bought a couple of tickets for and invited me to go with them. I got spotted at the concert by a model scout for "Ever Models", who offered some interest in me modelling, I wasn't much into that, which I told them in my blunt way, but we continued talking and I stated my desire top be a singer. The model scout, called Jack, handed me a card with a phone number on it. "Phone that number, u guy called John, a friend of mine owns a record label attached to Madonna's subsidiary label Maverick, with a face like yours you could go far" I thanked the scout and walked off pissed off that my looks were all he saw even if he was quite cute; I did however keep the card. The day after the concert I woke up in my crummy flat (it was a hole so was the hotel, but hey I had no money). I had a shower cursing the cold water; the hotel never had hot water, and got dressed, lit a cigarette and sat down on my bed. Looking around at the dirty clothes (I usually wear t-shirts and skater jeans) my only backpack and leftover paper and trash all over the place. I grunted at my situation and then remembered the card I had received of that dumbass model scout. Finding it in my jeans pocket I rummaged around to find 20p then shuffled out and down the stairs (elevators where out - as always). I got down to the second floor and passed Zack, a guy I fancied but who I felt sorry for. He was about 2yr's older than me but had been in and out of mental institutions for years as he was a little fuct, not dangerous, but slightly retarded, basically he has the personality of a 12yr old boy. "Gavin!!" he cried jumping up and down, "Hey Zack" I said ruffling his hair "how's things?" "Bad, bad...uh what?" he said staring at the wall tracing patterns which only he could see on the wall. "Why what's up?" I asked cringing from personal memories I didn't want. "Oh umm, arapax and lithium" he mumbled. Shit, poor bastard, state hospital must have put him on them, arapax was an anti-depressant, and lithium just loosened your emotions. Don't ask me how I know this; I don't talk about the grey area in my life, after 16. "Shit you takin them?" He laughed for glee and pointed at the floor, there was a snail on the floor made out of pills. I smiled "that's a boy", giving him a hug. "Got to go Zack see you later". "Ok Ga...Gavin, Gavin", he smiled and sat on the floor playing with his toes. I shuffled in my bare feet down to the lounge and out onto the street, I found the nearest payphone put in my 20p and called the number, after a couple of rings a female voice answered. "Hello John Shaws office, Carla here how can I help?" all said in clipped precise tones. "Hi, my name is Gavin, I was given a card by a model scout called Jack from Ever Models, and he said I should phone John about music entertainment" "One moment please" a pause "putting you through now" she came back. A click then "Hello...Gavin.so Jack told you to contact me?" a bit taken aback with such unfamiliarity after the perfect secretary. "Umm yeah I'm on a payphone so I can't talk long," I said. "Right okay well 110 Turns Street, say 2.00? Second floor?" John asked. "Um yeah okay then sure, see you then" "Ok see you bye" john said and hung up. * * * Part 2: Whispered Deals Back in my flat I lay on the bed having a fag, thinking about the phone call to John Shaw. I was also at the same time trying to repress the grey memories threatening to overwhelm, which had come along after my earlier chat to Zack in the hallway, it didn't work. I signed and leant over turning on the radio next to my bed the only one I could afford at $3, shit but it wasn't too fuzzy. "Hey folks we are here and about to listen to NSYNC's new song, comin up in 5.4.3.2.1" The song came on and I really got into it, tapping my feet away and singing along, until someone started banging the wall next door. "SHUT UP!!" I sighed and decided to head out for a walk before I went to meet John. I Pocketed my fags and put my backpack on, I very rarely went anywhere without it. It contained all my only real possessions, my parent's photo's and my birth certificate and a few other things. I didn't have any shoes as I had no money so I was always barefoot. I preferred it that way though. I went down and onto the street, smoking and shuffling down streets, I came onto Hyde Park, walking through it and enjoying the sunlight. People gave me odd looks, but I was used to it, I did look weird, this skinny pale white cute barefooted guy, wearing a blue thin, but baggy on him t-shirt with holes in it and baggy ripped skater jeans, and smoking like a chimney. (Okay so yeah I was a wreck but I had never taken shit from anybody and was blunt to most people since I was about old enough to stand up for myself, which was around 18). Asking the nearest person for the time, I realised I was gonna be late, I had about 10 minutes to get to my meeting with John. I could do it but only in a run. I managed it thought running up turns street seemingly ordinary looking old Victorian houses, which London was famous for. Up the stairs and to a desk. "Hello...Gavin...2.00...Johns Shaw" I panted. "One minute please". I remembered that voice. "Carla" I said smiling to myself. She glanced at me then looked away, I don't know why but I remember being oddly pleased I knew her name. "Mr Shaw, Gavin is here to see you know" pause "okay letting him in now". She put the phone down and pointed to the door furthest from her desk at the end of the hall. I shuffled down, "you have a charming smile" I heard from behind me, glancing round I saw her looking at me, I smiled back at her and she blushed looking away. I knocked on the door, "come in" a voice said from inside. I opened the door, and strode through. A desk was in front the window, with a late 50's looking man sitting behind it. He had an air of childish exuberance about him. He smiled looking me over (I had to give it to him not even a flicker in the eyes at the mess I looked). "Gavin, close the door and take a seat" I did as he said and sat staring at him. "So Jack from Ever Models told you to contact me, hmmm, I wouldn't normally do this but Jacks an old friend so.tight tell me about yourself Gavin". I looked at my hands clinging to the arms rests; I always hated questions like this. "Well I'm 19, I um live in a cheap hotel downtown, I've been there for a year, I have been in London for "yrs, before that I lived in Orlando, America" his eyebrows lifted at this. "Why did you leave?" he asked. "Well my parents died when I was 16 and I got put into a foster home and well when I was old enough I got out and came to live in England, bad memories". I looked down at the floor shunting the grey memories aside. "Interesting, okay so why are you here today? What do you want from this?" he asked eyeing me intently. "Well I have always wanted to sing and play guitar so I, well, I basically want that" I finished lamely. "Okay fair enough" he considered for a moment "right well let's see what you are made of" standing up he strode over to a cupboard and pulled out a guitar. Coming back over he handed it to me sat himself on the edge of the table and motioned for me to start. I nodded and took my backpack off, then cleared my throat, tuned the guitar a little thought of one of my songs to do and went straight into it. My songs and music tend towards Radiohead, Silverchair, melody and abstract lyrics, but with an energy similar to say Alanis Morissette along with the emotion. I sang through a chorus and 2 more versus before John harrumphed loudly. I knew immediately he hated it. He was looking intensely at the floor thinking hard, looked up and beamed at me. "Gavin that was amazing, hmm, I'm, I'm...well speechless, you have definitely got something there I like it, you're unique as well but with slight hints of radiohead and others, interesting" he went back to his seat. "And you have a jaw dropping voice. I have never known a male singer to able to go so high and pull it off" he smiled broadly. My relief was huge I had been sweating like crazy. "Right what I want to do is set up some meeting with Madonna's people from Maverick." I interrupted him "I thought you were a record label yourself?" "I am but I think you are going to need major backing if my old sixth sense is still working correctly, and Maverick will be perfect for you. They specialize in unique talent after all." I only nodded in a faint way, shocked that he was so serious about this, I didn't think I was that good at all. "Right umm I will phone some people and get this ball rolling, can you wait outside for say ten minutes?" he asked. "Uh yeah I can have a cigarette," I said getting up. He nodded and picked up the phone, I put my bag back on and stepped out into the hall again. Walking past Carla, she said, "Was that you singing?" looking incredulous I nodded; her eyes grew wide and her smile broader. I smiled sheepishly and went for a fag. 10 minutes later Carla came out to the door and said "Gavin? John says to come back up again" I nodded put my fag out and followed her back up, and then into Johns office. "Okay will do Michael thanks see you later, yep ok, bye" he hung up the phone. Smiling broadly at me he said, "Right young man I have just arranged a meeting in about an hour with 2 senior heads of Maverick's Uk office in a nearby hotel" I was speechless "that fast?" I asked. He nodded grinning "Yep come on lets get going". I nodded dumbly. He stood up pulled his jacket on picked up the guitar handed it to me and we headed down and out into his car and off to the hotel. * * * Half an hour later we pulled up in front of a very large and expensive looking hotel, we got out and John handed his keys to the hovering valet service. We entered through swivel doors and found ourselves in a large wealthy lounge, following john into a smaller sitting room, he ordered a martini from the bar and looked enquiringly at me, "oh um a shot off Jack Daniels please". He looked at me for a second noticing my nerves and my shock at the wealth of the place, he nodded ordered it for me and then a glass of coke for after the shot. Taking seats on a luxurious sofa I lit a cigarette, John leaned back, and after a moments pause said, "Right first of all calm down, and secondly I'm not going to warn you about anything Maverick's people are good honest ones, they recognise talent and don't like to hinder it, if they decide to take you on they will assign you a private manager and any other staff you need. The will take care of your interests fairly, I can tell you have some steel in you, I'm telling you know be open straight forward and honest, okay?" he said in an almost fatherly way. Ten minutes later two men in grey suits stepped into the hotel sitting room. They both looked about 30 or so, nodding at John and staring at me they both ordered drinks then came and sat down on the sofa opposite. "Good afternoon John, Gavin, my name is Tony my partner here is Michael, lets get started shall we", they explained how things would be handled if they agreed to take me on, all about managers, staff, albums deals and so on. Then Michael said, "Right now the important part if you would be so kind Gavin" and he motioned at the guitar by my leg. I nodded picked it up cleared my throat and went straight into another song of mine, finishing that one I glanced at them and Michael nodded I did five more of my songs and then finished the last one with an on the cuff instrumental. Opening my eyes John was smiling broadly at me, both Tony and Michael were staring eyes wide at me then they went straight into a whispered conversation, after half an hours hushed talk, Tony turned to me and smiling offered his hand to me. "Gavin welcome to Maverick". * * * Well that was part one and two the next chapter contains how Gavin signs a deal, gains a manager and goes home.