Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000 04:51:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Darren LeVanelle <levanelle@yahoo.com>
Subject: Everything I Said Chapter 1

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	Hello.  And Welcome to the series 'Everything I Said'.  This was
born out of a combination of thoughts from various different stories I
have read here on Nifty.  I wanted to start out with a bang but my
current series is suffering from my over zealousness and lack of
letting things slip instead of trying to be perfect.  This story is a
work of fiction and in no way implies anything about the real life
sexuality of the boy-band 'N Sync.  Without further fuss, here is
chapter 1 of what I hope will be an enjoyable story.  Like everything
else I do it is a slow, romantic story with just the right touch of
everything...I hope.  The sex will come later so this will have to do
for now.  Send all comments to levanelle@yahoo.com cause I love to hear
from all of my readers, whether good or bad cause I like to get various
opinions on my work.  Whether you loved it or you hated it, drop me a
line ok?  Enjoy!!!
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EVERYTHING I SAID
	- Chapter 1 -
Written by Darren LeVanelle


	"Lance I need you to sing INTO the mic ok?  Joey just a little
more volume.  Justin, stop screwing around we don't have all day."  I
looked back down at the mixing console and readjusted the levelers and
made a cue to the guys onstage.  "On three fellas go right into the
harmony."  The five guys onstage, partly my employers, nodded in my
direction as I counted down with my fingers.  They simultaneously hit
the notes, properly this time, as I made minor adjustments to the cuts
and trims.  "Ok.  I think we've got it guys.  That's a wrap."
	They all made a sigh of relief as the soundcheck ended.  Good
grief.  They sure knew how to make my life miserable.  As soon as the
guys were off-stage I could see them taking off towards the stadium
seating to take a rest and talk to one another.  Fine by me.  My work
is done and the rest can be taken care of during the performance.  I
may work for what many girls on the planet consider the five most
delicious dreamboats.  But to me they were five guys who rarely got
their act together and acted seriously.
	Well.  There was one exception.  And his name was JC.

	Just so everyone knows my name is Jeremy Hollis.  I'm a mixing
and recording engineer who's current job is a live mixing technician in
employment of JIVE records, specifically for the North American tour of
'N Sync, the hit bubble-gum pop boy-band.  And god do I hate this job.
But it pays the bills and gives me plenty of traveling across the
country but working for these brats was beyond me.  Actually, working
for anyone as a technician bothers the hell out of me.
	I graduated from Chico State of California just last year with a
BA in Commercial Recording and Production.  That's right...double
major.  It did take me an extra semester but it was worth the wait.  I
wanted to know how to record as well as to produce, an important
decision considering that I wanted to be like these guys someday.
Well, ok, I didn't want to be some cheesy boy-band member but I
DEFINITELY wanted to be a recording artist.  And the levelheaded guy
that I was made me think the major in performance wouldn't account for
crap.  I was gonna earn my way into a recording contract the right way
so I decided to do the next best thing.
	I was gonna sneak through the back door.
	About 4 weeks after I graduated I applied for a technician
position on Sarah McLachlan's tour.  She was the sweetest and most down
to earth woman I have ever met.  That's how I got started into doing
this.  Mixing in a live environment is the toughest to do, but I never
had a problem with it.  Must be the reason why my Recording Teacher
loved me.  That was a year ago, and here I am now working with a group
that has no substance as far as I'm concerned.  But they've got what I
don't have.  10 million plus in record sales and fans worldwide.
That's what I was gonna need.  But there was one more fly in this
little ointment to get me where I wanted to be.  You see, I'm gay.  So
why the resentment towards the guys?  No particular reason.  I will
admit that I think three of them are really good looking but they all
act like school children and rascals.  How could I be seriously
interested in someone who grinds their hips for pre-pubescent girls for
a living?  I know, I don't have much room to talk.  But they act so
damn immature.  How could I desire someone like that?
	But like I said, then there was JC.

	He was a little different than the other four.  He acted more
responsible (Which doesn't say a whole lot), a lot more mature, and he
got into it if the other guys were slacking off too much.  Sometimes he
did my job for me and I LIKE that!  And yeah, he was cute as hell.  The
blue eyes alone would have caught and reeled me in.  But seeing that he
was a member of a boy-band and completely in the public eye constantly,
that and he never said much to me.  We've spoken on probably five
different occasions and that was only because he had something wrong
with his mic and needed me to fix it.  Well at least he came up to me
and said something about it, unlike the other guys who would just wait
for me to catch it.  He was courteous, kind, very VERY attractive, and
no matter what happened he always took the time to look my way and
smile before going off to do his thing.  And that happened even when he
was in a bad mood.  Yeah there's an attraction there but he's probably
straight as a board and I doubt I'd have the courage to actually talk
to him.  Oh yeah.  And he's a member of a Boy-Band.
	But I've only been working here for about a month so maybe things
could change.  Hmm...nah!  I'm fooling myself on that one.  Besides I
really don't like 'N Sync.
	"Hey guys!" I practically yelled into the microphone.  I saw a
few of them jump out of their seats as my voice boomed through the
empty stadium.  This job does have some perks.  "We have about 45
minutes to do a run through of the set list and see if everything is
ok."  They all grumbled as I got them up and ready to work,  "C'mon.
Move it.  I'm not getting any younger!"  They reluctantly moved from
the front rows and back towards the stage.  Ok.  They were moving
REALLY slowly which was somewhere along the lines of normal.  As usual,
JC was the first one on stage followed by Joey.  Lance, Chris, and
Justin all sort of followed shortly thereafter, but it still seemed
like minutes even when I knew by my watch it had only been about one.
I shook my head before leaning down to my microphone.
	"No need to dance yet guys.  This is just a vocal check of the
equipment.  You know the drill."  I was returned with five bewildered
gazes and the body language of five VERY exhausted guys.  They were
always a little sluggish, and I wouldn't blame them.  Today it was a
little more apparent and I wondered, was it an exaggeration or where
they in a desperate need for a break.
	I cued up the backing track and signaled the band.  The stadium
filled with a lush sound of strings and then Justin took his position
as he ad-libbed the opening part of 'Bye, bye, bye' very sluggishly.
JC started up the first verse in his usual style.
	'I'm doing this tonight'
	'You're probably gonna start a fight'
	'I know this can't be right'
	'Hey baby c'mon'
	'I loved you endlessly'
	'When you weren't there for me'
	'So now it's time to leave and make it alone'

	'I know that I can't take no more'
	'It ain't no lie'
	'I wanna see you out that door'
	'Baby bye, bye, bye'

	The guys joined in for the chorus while I squirmed in my seat.
God they were sounding awful.  JC was the only one who was sounding
even half-way decent and that's giving a lot of room for argument.
Nevertheless, they survived through the entire length of the song, even
if it did sound crappy.
	Next they started the harmony for 'Sailing' which, I will admit,
is one of my favorite songs to hear them sing.  JC just carries that
song with his heart and all the guys voices just blend so smoothly
together.  Always a joy to hear.  They hit their opening just fine.  I
issued a sigh of relief.  But as JC started to sing his voice would
crack.  He kept recovering nicely but after hearing him repeat the same
mistake five times in the first verse and chorus I decided to call it a
day.
	"Cut.  Ok guys you can stop now."
	"What?" they all asked in a unified voice.
	"Do you really want me to explain?"  They nodded their heads
collectively.  "Fine then.  I may have only been your technician for a
month and I don't know all your songs by heart I can tell when you guys
sound like crap."  All of their heads sort of snapped in my direction,
like an employee had the audacity to criticize their work.  "I know it
sounds bad, but really guys."  I pointed out the mistakes from each
one.
	"Lance and Chris.  During 'Bye, bye, bye' you two continually
messed up on the same note.  Chris," I addressed him personally, "You
kept raising the note a half-step up from what it should be and Lance,"
I turned my attention towards him, "You kept signing a whole step down.
Now call me insane but with three of you guys singing in B, Chris
singing in C and Lance singing in A, all five of you are hitting a
collective A diminished 3rd with an accent on the 8th which sounds
horrible."  They all just sort of stared at me.  "And that's just the
beginning.  Justin," he just glared at me while I commented, "you need
to breathe.  The sound is seeping through your nose and makes you sound
too breathy.  This isn't 'Promise'.  Joey you're doing ok but you need
to hit the note a little stronger than usual and JC."  As I mentioned
his name he turned around so he didn't even have to look at me.  "I
don't know what the problem is but your voice is squeaking and you keep
hitting the notes sharp.  Try some hot tea with lemon before you go to
bed tonight and before the concert tomorrow."
	JC turned back around and joined his band-mates as they all gazed
in my direction with questioning eyes.  "What?  Is there something in
my hair?" I asked jokingly.
	"How do you know all that?" JC asked in his casual voice, the
remaining members of 'N Sync just nodding along as he finished the
question.
	It just then occurred to me that I never really talked to these
guys so there was no way in spades that they would know that I'm a
musician too.  "I've played music since I was five.  Believe me I
know."  They all gasped out 'Oh' before heading back over to the mics.
Obviously they didn't understand why I stopped them.  "Um guys.  The
reason why I stopped the session was because you guys really need to
get some rest or take a break."  I got up from the console and turned
everything off.  They were all looking at me, confusion still in their
expressions.  "C'mon guys, seriously.  If anyone asks I didn't feel
good and we can meet up here tomorrow at 8 in the morning ok?"  They
agreed and everyone headed out to the hotel.

	After I got to my hotel room I ran for the shower.  A good
relaxing hot shower, oh yeah, and occasionally a clove afterwards
always made me relaxed and in a good mood.  (Warning:  Smoking is
dangerous for your health, and can cause several serious diseases and
increases the chance of lung cancer.  Not to mention it can be very BAD
for singers and similar musicians.  I do not recommend starting but if
you do smoke I DO recommend quitting.  This is just something to add
depth to the character.  -Darren)  After I got changed into something
comfortable, which was usually a pair of boxers and a white t-shirt, I
flopped down on my bed and opened up my laptop.  Yep.  You guessed it.
Internet junkie and proud of it.  I love surfing the web.  Not to
mention it's a lot cheaper to keep in touch with friends via e-mail
than it is to actually talk on the phone.  Not that I didn't have a
cell phone on me.  On the contrary, it was with me at all times.  But
the bill got quite expensive during the 'Surfacing' tour and I decided
on an alternative route.
	It took a few minutes for the thing to boot up.  And that is why
I swear I will NEVER buy a Compaq laptop ever again.  Next time, I'll
get something better like an IBM or maybe even a Mac.  My desktop at
home is a Mac, (They have AWESOME music sequencing software) and come
to think of it, a Mac would probably be better on the road if I think
of some music out of the middle of nowhere on tour.
	I checked my e-mail, which was a daily ritual, and found most of
the same.  Junk.  Junk.  Junk.  Which meant I was gonna be dumping a
lot of K into the trash bin.  But there was some good stuff in there.
	My mom sent me a letter.  How sweet.  She was the one calling me
all the time when I was on tour with Sarah.  I scanned through he
letter quickly, like I always did, laughing as I read some of it.  You
just have to know my mom to understand her humor.  It went something
like this.

Hey Jeremy,
	Hi.  This is mom although I KNOW you know already because of my
subject line and address.  I just wanted to say hello and see how
things are going for you.  Was wondering if you talked to Dan any time
recently.  I really miss him.  If you hear from him tell him to call.
And send me his number since he doesn't want to call me anymore.  I
really wish you two would get back together.  Well I'm not going to
bash you about him anymore I PROMISE.  Tell your father I said hi.
We're not on good terms since I got custody of your little brother.
Oh, I forgot to tell you about that.  Well Cody is staying with me now
so you'll have to give me a call when you're in San Francisco next.
And Theresa wants you to stop back by when the tour passes through
Sacramento.  Her and Robert are getting MARRIED!  I know you know about
that.  She also wants to know if you can, as she put it, score her some
backstage passes cause she wants to meet the guys.  I know YOU must be
excited to work with them.  Give me a call sometime.  I love you.

Mom

	Geez, thanks a lot.  Have to rub it in.  As you've already
guessed, yes, my mom LOVES my ex-boyfriend Dan.  We were in love, but
we fought all the time.  Since we officially broke up my mom has been
wagering a war for us to get back together.  No matter how much I tell
her it'll never happen, she still insists that we were meant to be.
Sorry mom.  Relationships are about compromise, not absolutes.  Well.
Enough of that.
	The other e-mails were from friends and another was from my
younger sister Theresa.  We were close.  She asked about passes, I
replied I'd let her know although I couldn't guarantee squat.  One of
my friends wanted to chat and told me to go online.  I decided what the
hell and was quickly connecting through my AOL Instant Messenger.

<JHollis78> What's up Mizz?
<BarbieBoy23> Well excuse me for wanting to try and talk to you.
<JHollis78> You're such a queen.  How has it been.
<BarbieBoy23> Let's see.  I'm stuck in this crummy apartment
while you tour the entire northern continent with those hotties!

	My old roommate loved 'N Sync.  As soon as I started this tour he
was asking me about everything.  What they did, where they went.  It
get's annoying sometimes.

<JHollis78> It's not all it's cracked up to be Mizz.
	<BarbieBoy23> Stop calling me Mizz!!!
<JHollis78> Ok...Hoover!
	<BarbieBoy23> Bitch!
<JHollis78> Cunt!
	<BarbieBoy23> Eric!
<JHollis78> Dirty Hoe!
	<BarbieBoy23> I resent that.  I'm not Brooke.
<JHollis78> Well I hope things are going ok there.
	<BarbieBoy23> The rents always paid, thanks to you.
<JHollis78> The least I could do.  I do have the extra cash and you do
need to finish school.  How's that going?
	<BarbieBoy23> Just fine.  There's this FINE ass guy in my Fashion
Design class and he is just SO all that.  I'd like to worship him...
<JHollis78> As in 'Down on my knees'
	<BarbieBoy23> X-Actly!!!
<JHollis78> Great!
	<BarbieBoy23> Listen.  I have to go but I'll see you when you
swing back on by this way.  How long will it be anyways?
<JHollis78> I won't be back in Sacto for another two months.
	<BarbieBoy23> Yuck.  Well I'll talk to you later.  Bye Bitch!

	And then he ended his connection with me.  Well.  Jayln was a
bitch, he just couldn't help it sometimes.  I was sitting there,
staring at the screen and I was just getting ready to disconnect and
shut down so I could get some sleep, when I suddenly got a IM from
someone I hadn't talked to before.  I looked at the screen and thought
to myself 'Who the hell is this?'

<JayBJay> Hey there!

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TO BE CONTINUED???

That was the beginning.  Let me know the good, the bad, and the
slightly overdressed ok?  All feedback welcome.  Thanks Nifty!  You've
been swell!!!
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