Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 11:11:40 -0400 From: Alex Washington <nasty_boyz86@hotmail.com> Subject: Thank God I Found You ch. 3 Hey Y'all! Thank you for the feedback I got for the last chapter. I'm hoping I can hold your interest for awhile longer, and I just read over my last chapter, and it wasn't very deep(BTW, thanks for the review). Last chapter I wrote at 2:00 in the morning so...I wasn't feeling very creative. okay, I don't know ANYONE in this story(although, obviously, i'd love to), so don't think I do. and here we go again... TGIFY Ch. 3 Justin sat there completely dumfounded by AJs comments. Justin thought about all the things he had to go through when he first came out to the rest of *N SYNC, he knew that if his group had had the same response to his coming out that Nick did with BSB, Justin would have done the same thing. As Justin thought about the situation more, the more anger built up. It didn't help that AJ sat there on the other end taunting him with "fairy" jokes. "Fairy boy and his boyfriend are meeting at their little love nest" AJ continued to taunt Justin mercilessly. Justin was in excruciating emotional pain before the call, and AJs call sent him over the edge. He was a teary fit of rage. "Look, asshole. YOU have NO idea how hard it was for Nick to tell you guys he was gay. I spoke to him so many times before he ever told you guys, and he was scared SHITLESS to tell you or anyone else because he was afraid you'd treat him this way afterwards. Remember all the times he helped you? I remember SO well how you didn't think you'd be able to stay in the group much longer. You told Nick how depressed you'd become, and he HELPED you, AJ, he HELPED you. He didn't TAKE ADVANTAGE of you, if that's what you're so worried about, he wanted to be there for you cause you were a wonderful person and a friend he didn't want to lose, GOT IT?!" AJ said nothing for what seemed like close to a minute, Justin could feel the million thoughts going through AJs head the whole time. Finally AJ inhaled and said quietly, "Justin, I...I really gotta go, I've got a lot to think about." Before hanging up the phone. Justin remained in his raging bull state for awhile after hanging up the phone. He was tempted to break everything in his sight, but knowing that Nick was soon to arrive and knowing that a lot of the breakables in his home were worth TONS, not only in dollar value, but sentimental value, being handed down to him by his mom. As soon as Justin got up from the couch, the doorbell rang. There stood Nick, luggage in hand, smiling ear to ear. Justin greeted Nick with a big hug, and then helped his guest into his home. Once everything was settled, Justin sat Nick down in the living room, and the two began talking. "I thought you guys were touring for a while longer" Nick wondered. "Well, JC's been having some problems lately, and we decided that we should cancel the tour. We only decided on it today, i'm not even sure if they've told the opening act yet" Justin explained. "They haven't" "How do you know?", Justin was baffled. "Cause I know one of the guys in the group who was opening for you" Nick told Justin, "He was the one who...helped me come out to the rest of the group" "You DID come out to the rest of the group" Justin was sure now, "Okay, cause I got a really nasty call from AJ, I assumed you had come out to them, and everything had gone screwy." "HELL YEAH!" "Even though you weren't exactly explaining anything over the phone, I figured it out really quickly" Justin told Nick. Nick started to explain the whole situation to Justin, from beginning to end. As Justin listened, he tried to comfort Nick, who periodically broke into tears thinking about what had happened. Justin now realized how depressed Nick was, though he still wasn't really showing it, Justin could feel Nick's pain, hurt, intense emotions. As Nick started to calm down, he wiped the tears from his eyes and asked Justin, "So what's about JC having some 'problems'?" Justin was reluctant to tell Nick about JC, but he felt that, being the only friend outside the group he felt he could trust, Justin told Nick the story, from Mark's sleeping around, to Justin and JC's one-night affair, to JC's positive HIV test. Justin was nearly trembling by the end, unable to stop his tears. "I mean, I really am afraid, I might die, Nick", Justin said still trembling in Nick's embrace. "I don't hate JC for this, I never will, he means the world to me but...why did it all have to turn out like this." Nick was starting to cry himself. His own problems seem acute in comparison to Justin's. Justin had fallen asleep with tears in his eyes, laying his head on Nick's lap. Nick, while still deep in thought and worry, felt more at peace than he had in a long time. Nick was getting restless and decided that he should cook something, as he hadn't eaten since he left Toronto. Nick stuck in a CD Justin had on his shelf. He turned the Boyz II Men CD to Track 7. He always felt better listening to it, and he hadn't heard it since leaving Florida last month on the tour. It was one of the few CDs he had left behind. He hummed the tune as he cooked himself supper. She was like nothing I'd ever known Her eyes shine like diamonds in a field of snow The way destiny led her to me Made me feel like life was now complete And now days have passed The nights gone by You can see the glow slowly fading from her eyes Though she denies her pain and her dismay Know I said this to her anyway Don't have to stay with someone That makes you cry You'll end up killing all the love you have inside Can't hope to see the sun If you don't open your eyes Girl don't let real love pass you by Ooh oh no Ooh don't let real love pass you by I know you know this But take it from me Cause you deserve so much more than you receive Listen to your heart and let it show Don't hold on to your pain Just let it go, let it go Don't have to stay with someone That makes you cry You'll end up killing all the love you have inside Can't hope to see the sun If you don't open your eyes Girl don't let real love pass you by Don't have to stay with someone That makes you cry You'll end up killing all the love you have inside Can't hope to see the sun If you don't open your eyes Girl don't let real love pass you by Oh yeah Girl don't let real love pass you by You can find a love you need If you set your heart free Girl... Don't have to stay with someone That makes you cry Don't be discouraged baby Don't let real love pass you by Don't have to stay with someone That makes you cry You'll end up killing all the love you have inside Can't hope to see the sun If you don't open your eyes Girl don't let real love pass you by Don't have to stay with someone That makes you cry You'll end up killing all the love you have inside Can't hope to see the sun If you don't open your eyes Girl don't let real love pass you by Don't you let nothing Don't let no one take you away from love Don't let real love pass you by You'll see I know, I know, I know You'll be alright Don't let real love pass you by You just can believe in love, in love, in love, in love Don't let real love pass you by Oh yeah Don't let real love pass you by Ooh, yeah Don't let real love pass you by Don't let, don't let, don't let, don't let Don't let, don't let, don't let, don't let Don't let real love pass you by Oh yeah, oh Don't let real love pass you by... After the song ended, Nick woke up from his trance, he was once again thinking about his life at the moment. What he would do next week, how his life would change, but the mot important message the song held for him wasn't realized by Nick at the moment. Justin came up from behind and grabbed Nick's shoulder, Nick turned around and looked Justin in his deep blue eyes, filled with concern. Nick's eyes once again welled up with tears and Justin held Nick close to him. After about a minute had passed, Justin looked at Nick, wiped away his tears, and told him to get his supper before it's burnt. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The rest of the evening was quiet and uneventful, until Nick got another call from Ohad. "Nick, umm...I just found out the tour was cancelled, so you can't come by the stadium tomorrow, uh...I'm thinking that if you came by my hotel, it's a quieter place and we could discuss this a little bit more", Ohad was again nervous in his speech. "Ummm...okay, that's fine, I really think we need to talk" Nick said pleasantly, he felt bad for how he was acting on the phone the last time he spoke to Ohad. "Great, can you come about lunchtime tomorrow, we're gonna be working most of the day, but lunch were free", Ohad acted somewhat relieved at Nick's cheerful demeanor. "Okay, where's the hotel?" Ohad gave him directions to the hotel, they said their goodbye's, and hung up. Justin asked Nick "Who was that?" "Remember the guy in the club I was talking about?" Nick asked. "Yeah" "Well...that's him" Justin looked at Nick, smiled a weak smile and nodded. "that's cool". Nick and Justin eventually went to bed at 2:00 in the morning, after they had stayed up watching bad movies while wrapped up in their quilts, sipping on hot chocolate. For awhile they forgot all their problems, and just enjoyed each other's company. At one point during the film, Nick looked over at Justin and said "Thank you" Justin took his eyes off the movie and looked at Nick inquisitively, "why?" "Just for being there, being the same person i've known for so long. You care, you're always there for me, and you're damn cute" Nick laughed. Justin blushed at the last comment, but was glad that Nick was laughing again, he needed to. Nick's life had been so hard recently, that he needed a release, an escape from his problems. Justin hoped he could give Nick that much as long he was staying with him. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AJ laid in his hotel room in a drunken heap. He hadn't been this drunk in a long time, but at least this way he wouldn't have to deal with his problems for awhile. He still felt guilty about what he said to Nick. He felt guilty about it from the first time he said it, but he felt he had not choice, AJ felt that by degrading Nick, it would keep Nick in the closet, and the group's name wouldn't be tarnished. He was still worried if Nick was going to be calling a press conference to announce his departure from the group. He hoped not, and if Nick was calling a press conference, AJ knew something would go wrong. He couldn't process anything now as was lying unconscious in the middle of his hotel room, it was late, and nobody had seen him in hours. Brian walked in and saw AJ in the middle of the floor. His first instinct was to call Nick, but he stopped himself, knowing Nick was hours away, probably fuming from what AJ had said. Brian didn't know whether Nick harboured the same feelings towards him and the rest of the group, or JUST AJ. Brian carried AJ over to his bed and laid him down. Still deep in thought, Brian said to himself, "God, this has just gotten SO out of hand." Brian left the room, and went to his own bed. He, like everyone except AJ, found no rest the whole night. They knew it would be a long, hard fight, but they had to get Nick back in the group before he did anything he might regret. _____________________________________ well, this is hopefully better than the last one. Yes, i know, Justin's house may as well be flooded by now, but oh well. Yeah, the story's gonna be moving very slowly for awhile, and I promise JC and everyone else in *N SYNC will get involved sometime in the next 2 chapters. UNTIL THEN, e-mail, the positive, the negative, the mediocre, ideas? Go ahead.