Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 19:19:15 EST From: MrClean290@aol.com Subject: Love Me 2 Disclaimer: Ok, i dont em, want to but dont. read dont read, do what you think is best! Well, Thanks to everyone who sent me feedback on the first chap, feedback is what keeps me going,. so keep it coming. thanks! MrClean290@aol.com Chapter 2 " Alright, 5, 6, 7, 8! Move it boys! Step 2, 3, 4. Justin, what's up homey? Where's your head? You don't know? Find it! Joey! Stop staring at my ass and dance! Christopher! Don't make me call you that! James Lance Bass! Stop staring at Justin's ass! And Joshua, don't get me started! Okay, that's enough, I cant take anymore. Stop! What the fuck is up with you guys today?" Fatima paced the stage as she waited for an answer, not receiving one she spit out a few more obscenities and walked off the stage. She walked backstage and ran into Ruby. " Could you please tell me what the fuck is up with them? Its embarrassing to even be seen with them." " Tima, you alright?" " No, yes, I'm fine. Maybe it's me, maybe I'm getting to old for this." " To old? You're 28 and the most amazing dancer. Don't fuck it up." " I'll try not to. Thanks. They weren't that bad huh?" " No, they weren't." " I need to get out of here, excuse me." Ruby walked back out to the boys. They were laying on the stage. " Okay boys, get up. Practice for another 30 minutes than you're free to go." " Is Tima really mad?" " I don't know, but for now don't ask any questions." Ruby moved off the stage and hit the music. The boys started to dance. She moved to the fifth row to watch and do work. She couldn't concentrate though on the work at hand. She looked around and found Eric at the side of the stage trying not to enjoy him-self. She went back to work, stopping only when she heard the opening bars to If only through Heavens eyes. She sat and listened as the boys sang this ballad. She was so intensely concentrated on their voices she didn't notice that Eric had sat down beside her and was looking at her. She also didn't realize that she had started to cry. Eric moved his hand over hers and her sobs became louder. The boys stopped their singing and looked out at their new found friend. " Ruby? Sweetie? Please stop crying." Eric whispered to her. She nodded and the tears ceased to fall. " I'm fine." She whispered back. " Thinking of Jason?" " Maybe." " He loved you. You know?" " I know. It's just this song, it was so special to me when he was, when he was." " I know. He's watching over you too." Ruby nodded and looked over at he friend. " How did you get to be so good?" " Practice baby, practice." Ruby laughed a little. " Thank you. I should go and wash my face. Please tell the boys to finish, they still have 15 minutes of rehearsal." Eric watched as his best friend ran out of sight. He looked back at the five guys who were standing on the stage. " Ruby says you have 15 more minutes of practice so get to it." " Is she alright?" " Yes, she's fine, but she wants you guys to finish." " We can end early." " But she said-." " I don't give a fuck what she said, unless she says it." " I was only repeating what she told me." " Well save it, we're done." Justin spat out and walked backstage. " I'm sorry." Eric said quietly to himself. Justin paced back and forth in his dressing room. It infuriated him so much that this guy he had never met, first treats him like shit, than starts to boss him around. He was so into his pacing he didn't notice that JC and Lance had walked in and were staring at him. " What the hell is wrong with you?" " What? Oh, hi. Nothing." " Bullshit! Justin, what's bugging you so much?" " What the fuck is his problem? He thinks he's the shit. Telling us what to do and shit." " Justin, he was following orders. Ruby was upset, she told him to tell us to practice. Why are you being like this?" " Like what?" " Bitchy." " I'm not being bitchy. But I would just like a little respect." " And you don't think you get that?" " I don't know." " Well you think about it. We're gonna finish up, join us if you feel up to it." " Is he alright? I'm sorry if I said anything-." " No, its just him being a selfish child." " I see. Alright. Well I am going back to the hotel, tell Rubes I left." " Where's Eric?" " He went back to the hotel." " Okay. Did you guys finish?" " We did, whether or not Justin did we don't know." " Excuse me?" " Eric gave us your message and Justin went off on him." " Hmm, alright. I'll deal with it later. Just get him and go back to the hotel." Ruby walked down the hallway behind the stage and stopped at Justin's door. He was on the couch sleeping. She walked in and turned off the TV. He stirred and opened his eyes. He looked into Ruby's eyes and smiled. " Hey." " Hello." " Where are the guys?" " Back at the hotel." " Oh." " Get up Justin." Justin rose so that he was facing Ruby. " Explain." " What?" " Why you are treating Eric the way you are." " I don't know why, I just am. He annoys me." " Okay. But if you let it get in the way of your performing, I'll have to send him home, and if he leaves, I turn into bitch from hell. Understand?" " Yes Ma'am." " No go get dressed and run out to catch the guys." Ruby made sure everything was set up for the concert the next day and then left in a limo of her own. Instead of assistant to she was becoming the manager of NSYNC. It didn't bother her, but she would have liked to have some warning. She walked slowly up to her room. When she got there she crawled into bed and locked her door. She opened up her journal and began writing. May 2nd 2000 I heard our song today. I broke down. He was my best friend. My savior. Why did he have to leave? He was always the one who told me that love would find me. Now who will do that? Eric walked into Ruby's room. He was surprised she didn't lock it but she didn't so he went it. He saw that he journal was still open. He went to put it away when he caught his name on the page. He made sure Ruby was sleeping before taking the book and sitting on the couch. May 2nd 2000 Well, I can already see that Eric and a certain NSYNCer will hook up. I know Jase would approve. Eric slammed the book shut and threw it at Ruby. The corner hit her cheek. She jumped upon contact as the pain rushed through her body. Eric saw that he had caused blood to flow. He was sorry but his eyes flashed with anger. " How could you! What are you planning my wedding now too? I came here to help you out, not so you could take pity on me and set me up for hurt again." Ruby couldn't answer. She was in the bathroom crying and trying to stop the bleeding. She turned and looked at Eric. Her eyes cold but at the same time fired up. " Get the fuck out of my room! You read my thoughts and you're mad at me? I don't think so. What's in there in private." " I'm your best friend. Me! Not Jason! And who the fuck are you to go and write things about me? You are a bitch!" " Get out. I can't look at you right now." Eric walked out of the room and to his. He was wrong and he knew it. But he didn't know how to fix the damage he had done. He slammed his door and fell to his knees. " Jase, I fucked up with Rubes. Please forgive me. I just feel like the world is closing up around me. When you left me my heart and soul died. Or at least I thought they did. But Ruby was right. I do care about a certain member of this band, but I cant do that, to you or myself. I refuse to hurt again. But more and more all I want is for someone to love me." Justin stood at Eric's door and listened as Eric cried. The door was ajar and Justin saw that Eric was on his knees crying. In his heart, Justin wanted to help him. But his stubbornness wouldn't let him. Justin continued to stand and watch as the man he swore to hate cried his heart out. After about ten minutes. Justin didn't hear anything anymore. Eric had fallen asleep on the floor. Justin walked into the room, picked him up, and tucked him into bed. " I want someone to love me too." Hmmm, i like this chapter a lot. i dont know when the next batch will come, i wrote some but the more i think about it the more i hate it. LOL. well, dats ok, I'll think of somehting. Remember, ALL feedback, good, bad, comments, ?'s, suggestions ( this is a good thing to give me!) Please send them To: MrClean290@aol.com. Thanks!