(A/N: My Bad on taking so long!!!!! Sorry, I promise to get better at updating! By the way this story has no real date, it’s universal in that sense. Their ages I’m going to try to keep it as close as possible but I’ll be pretty much making them up. Why? Because it’s my story and I can. I’m just super cool like that. So please no comments about what their real age is because I really don’t care. Their ages will be as close as possible to their real ages.) 

“So I’m guessing this is how unhappy, hangover Laura looks.” Lance sat in the empty seat next to her. He set down a plate with pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, and hash browns; all to be followed by a large glass of orange juice.

Laura could hardly smell the food, let alone look at it; she simply laid her head on the table, attempting to hide her face. “Have a mentioned I hate you today?”

“Yup, this morning when I banged on your door, then when I had you listen to a song that was accidentally on full volume.”

She slowly opened one eye in time to see him smile at her. ”Are you trying to teach me a lesson?”

“Maybe I am.”

“And what would that lesson be master Yoda?”

“Watch alcohol intake one should.” He took a forkful of food and shoved it in his mouth when he saw she was completely watching him.

“I’m okay when I drink, it takes A LOT to get me dunk, but simply getting a buzz leaves me with a horrible hang over.” She rubbed her eyes and looked back to him. “So when do we get our official little moment to get to know each other?”

“Well, tonight we’ll be on the road and doing interviews. Tomorrow we have rehearsals, so how about then? We can go out for coffee; away from the chaos I call the other guys.” Lance continued to eat as he waited for her response.

“Okay, that sounds good.” She nodded her head and stood up. “I’m off to get some water and aspirin.”

“Wait, what happened between you and Justin last night?” His eyes where focused on the food in front of him, which was in Laura’s favor, if he saw her he would have saw her ‘deer in head lights’ look.

“What do you mean?”

“You guys left the club at the same time, I’m just assuming you guys shared a cab. I’m sorry, am I wrong?” He stopped eating and took a quick glance at her.

“Oh, yeah, we shared a cab but we didn’t talk or anything. I’m…uhh…I’m gonna try to find something to help out this headache, I’ll see you on the bus.” Laura left the hotels restaurant and wandered her way into the gift shop in search for Tylenol. In the midst of choosing between the super size bottle or a simple package, she encountered an unexpected guest.

“So do me a favor and don’t avoid my question the way you did to Lance.” JC stood next to her looking through the rack of postcards. “What happened between you and Justin last night?”

Laura looked up at him then back to her choices. “Nothing, we shared a cab and then went our separate ways.”

“I saw you two go into his room. So I’ll ask you again, hopefully this time the response won’t be a lie. What happened between you and Justin last night?” JC stopped fiddling with the cards and turned to face her.

“Honestly, nothing happened. We hung out in his room, talked, and then I left about an hour later.”

“Are you sure that’s all that happened? Maybe you sort of blurred some parts out.”

“JC, I had a lot to drink, but I didn’t have enough to not remember if I slept with someone.” She settled for the big bottle, figuring she will be encountering many more mornings with headaches. “You guys are really over protective of each other. Do you all interrogate every girl that Justin takes to his room?”

“No.”

“Then why do I get to be the chosen one?” She took her bottle to the cashier and paid for it.

“Forget this ever happened.” JC turned from her and walked out of the store but was closely followed by Laura.

“You’re worried I’ll do the same thing the girl from Europe did.” Laura practically ran into him when he stopped dead in his tracks.

JC turned to face her. “I’m going to assume that Justin told you about it so I’ll just leave it at that. But yeah I am worried you may do the same thing. You are the first reporter to actually spend some real time with us since the incident with her.”

Laura rubbed her eyes and turned around, walking towards the exit for their busses. “Am I gonna go through the mistrust phase with each of yall?”

JC followed her on to the bus. “Yeah, you probably will, only the extremity will vary by member. And guess what, your more than likely have this problem with every celebrity you interview. You’re an just officially starting out, so I suggest you get to used to.”

“So all of you don’t trust me? Great, this is gonna be a fun three months.” She took a seat on one of the couches in the front of the bus. JC sat next to her.

“Like I said, it will vary by the members. There are guys like Lance and Chris that are simply apprehensive yet fully willing to participate. Then you have Justin that basically refuses to say a single word to you, well that was until last night, which I am still assuming that you guys made up.” JC turned his body to face her.

“Ish, we sort of called a truce, yet in the process we may have ended up making things awkward between us.” She closed her eyes for a second then turned to face him again.

“How so?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Nothing really happened, nothing physical. We just got close; our actions were those that couples do. I’m pretty sure it was all just a big mixture of Alcohol, me missing Mike, him missing Cameron, and the fact that before we became cool with each other we were fighting. I guess we’re both used to having make up sex after a fight.”

“And there was none of that?” He dropped his arms and simply set them on his knee.

“Unfortunately no.” She gave him a small smile and decided now was a good time to change the subject. “Any sex for you last night?”

JC dropped his head in shame and shook it. “Unfortunately no. You’d think that since now most of our fans are 18 I’d be getting more action, but no. No one is very interested in sleeping with an ageing pop star.”

“You’re not old. What are you? 28?”

“Yeah I am, but according to a girl I approached yesterday, I look WAY cuter on T.V. and in magazines. But in person I SO TOTALLY look older and icky.” He looked at her with sad eyes but he still smiled a bit in effort to diffuse the pain of the girls’ words.

“Eh, who wants a girl that talks like she’s still twelve any way? (A/N: No offense to ANY 12 year olds!) You should be trying to hook up with some hot, legal to drink, girl. Next time we go out I’ll find her for you.” She patted his knee.

He laughed and shook his head at her. “You’re one of those crazy, ‘in the moment’, girls aren’t you?”

“Oh yeah, I throw a kick ass party. I was the queen of great parties at Northwestern” Laura gave him a mischievous smile. He smiled along with her but at the mention of Northwestern, his face gloomed a bit. “Hey, are you okay? Did I say something?”

He took a deep breath and glanced at her. “Would you be sad, feel a bit empty, if you never went to college?”

“Well considering that I need a degree for my career choice, yeah I would feel a bit empty.”

“What if you didn’t need a degree for it?”

“You mean if I had your life?” She looked him over, studying his features; it did look like he was missing this part of him self. “JC, do you regret not going to college?”

He sighed and stared her in the eyes. “Honestly, yeah…I mean I understand that I do have practically everything that I ever wanted. But, when I think back to when I was a kid, I remember that I imagined my self at this age to be married with a kid on the way and a job at a great architecture firm. I imagined having great livelong friends I made in college.”

“If you could go back and chose between N SYNC or college what would you chose?”

“I don’t think I will ever know the answer to that. Which ever I chose part of me would still feel empty. I guess you can say I want to have my cake and eat it too.” His focus was off of Laura and fixated on something outside the window.

“Who doesn’t want that?” She turned her head and followed his gaze that lead to a couple walking with a baby. “If it’s any consolation, college isn’t all that great any way. The best part is the parties and you’ve experienced your share of them any way.” Her response wasn’t exactly what he had hoped to hear. “When we head into Chicago I’ll most likely hang with my college buddies and go to a party, would you want to join me? Maybe that would suffice you enough to not be Mr. Gloomy.”

He turned his focus back on to her and broke into a smile. “Yeah, that’d be cool. Will any crazy fans or haters maul me?”

“I’d be surprised if any of them know who you are, no offense or any thing.”

“None taken.” JC looked out side the window opposite of him. “So…what do you think of Justin?”

Laura looked in the same direction as he was; Justin stood outside the hotel doors, waiting for someone. “He’s complicated with many layers to him. Like Shrek.” She continued to stare at him. Justin held a nervous body language and looked around almost frantic. “Do you think he’s looking for me?”

“Why would he be looking for you if nothing happened?” JC’s defensive mode came right back up.

“Nothing happened. Except he tried to kiss me and I said no because of Mike, but then I also said that if there was no Mike then last night would have gone differently. Then he tried to kiss me again, but I left before he could.” She took her focus off of Justin and back to JC.

“In other words, you sort of teased him.” He waited for a response, which came in a slight nod, and then he continued. “So you really aren’t into Mike?”

Laura was taken back by his comment. “Of course I like Mike, he is my boyfriend.”

“It’s just that if you truly did have feelings for him then I don’t think you would be telling Justin ‘things would be different if there was no Mike’.”

“Mike and I have an open relationship. We have only been dating for a few days and since we won’t be seeing each other much, we thought it would be best for us to be open to other people.” Reluctantly she tore her gaze from Justin back to JC.

“So are you saying that you want to explore situations with Justin?”

“Honestly?”

“Yeah.” JC held a firm look towards her.

“Well, honestly, I believe that I am the journalist who should be asking the questions and not you. As of right now my attention is focused on getting to know ALL of you guys.”

JC kept his glare for a few more seconds but shortly broke into a smile. “Okay, so I’m not going to sit here and say that you can’t do whatever floats your boat but all I ask of you is to not break his heart.”

“You guys are really over protective of each other, it is almost scary.” She stood up to stretch and sat right back down.

“It comes with the territory of knowing each other for over 8 years.” He leaned back into the couch, making him self more comfortable.

“Yeah, that sounds like a barrel of monkeys.”

JC full out laughed at her and took a few seconds to respond. In between his gasps for air they where joined by a fellow party member.

“Did I interrupting something?”

Laura turned around to see Justin standing behind her.

“No, not at all. JC and I where just discussing tidbits about your group. Do you care to join us?” Laura scooted over to allow him some room between her and JC.

“No that’s okay. Actually, Jayce, do you mind if I steal Laura from you for a bit?” Justin stood besides them, waiting for JC to stand up.

“Go head, I have pick up some things from the gift shop before we go.” JC stood up and walked off the bus. “See you guys in a bit.”

Justin took the seat previously occupied by JC.

“We need to talk.” Justin spoke as he searched to focus on something other than her.

“Well I figured considering you asked JC to leave.” Laura smiled at him and attempted to achieve the eye contact he refused.

“Yeah, any way. We need to discuss last night.”

“Justin, nothing happened so there is nothing to discuss.” She figured this would turn into some form of an argument so she followed his stance of no eye contact and arms crossed over chest.

“I know that. I’m talking about…never mind. Forget this happened. I gotta go.” Justin stood up but was stopped by Laura lightly grabbing his hand.

“What ever you want to say, say it now because we will be spending the next three months together.” She let go of his hand when he took a seat across from her.

“I just wanted to apologize for trying to kiss you last night after you said no.”

“In case you forgot, I made the first attempt to kiss you. So don’t worry about it. I’m sure it was just a mixture of the drinks and missing people.” Leaned forwarded, intensifying their eye contact. “Don’t apologize, you didn’t do any thing wrong. Now if you got into an accident with my car, then I expect you to apologize.”

Justin leaned forward towards Laura, merely inches from her face. “I’ll make sure to remember your views on such topics.”

Laura closed the gap by placing a soft kiss on his check and whispered into his ear. “You do that.” The sound of a ringing phone broke their slight trance. “That’s me.” She reached for her phone, looked at the caller id, and answered it. “Hey honey.”

Those two words quickly sent Justin off of the bus. Laura looked at the direction of his exit oddly but continued her conversation with Mike that consisted of discussing her recent conversations with the guys. Aside from conversing about the guys, the issue of Jamie came about.