Chapter 24: Hell Freezes Over Part 2

JC could feel her eyes boring holes into the back of his head as they walked down the busy street of Munich, Germany. Probably wondering where he was taking her. Truthfully he didn’t know; he just knew he had to get her away from Lynn and Justin, she wasn’t needed there.

“JC Chasez! Vous me dire où tu me prend maintenant! (You tell me where you are taking me right now!)” She finally barked.

JC stopped in his tracks to look back at her. “If I didn’t understand French three years ago what makes you think I understand it now?” She just crossed her arms over her chest and ‘humph’ed. “You gotta stop doing that.”

“Why?”

“’Cause it’s not attractive.”

She squinted. “You’ve been talking to my dad.”

“What does your dad have to do with anything?”

“He wants me to get a boyfriend while I’m on the road.”

JC laughed. “Doesn’t he realize that we’re not going to stay in the same place every day? And besides long distance relationships don’t work.”

“Wait a second.” JC raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying that I can’t get a boyfriend?”

“No, I’m saying that it would be hard to keep one,” JC replied. “Geeze, why do you always turn everything I say into something offensive?”

“’Cause you like to get on my nerves.”

“I don’t like to, I just do it but it’s your own fault you’re quick to jump the gun.”

“FYI I’ve had a boyfriend before.”

“That’s news to me.” JC turned and continued walking down the street. She had to run a bit to catch up with his long stride.

“And you don’t care?” She asked.

“Not really, it’s your life you can do whatever you want with it.”

“What the heck is wrong with you? Usually you guys attack me whenever I mention hanging out with a guy other than you.”

“That’s just Justin, Chris, and Joey, I could really care less. As I said it’s your own life you can do what you want with it as long as you don’t hurt. Then I’ll kick the guy’s ass.” He paused. “Why’d you break up?”

She smirked. “So you do care?”

“Just a little,” JC admitted before lightly grabbing her elbow and pulling her into a café. They ordered hot chocolate and apple cider and sat down at an unoccupied table.

“What is it you really want to know?” Mack asked.

“Are you really that cynical?”

“I’ve learned to keep my guard up even when it comes to you guys so you might as well spill you beans. I can tell when you guys are hiding something from me, believe it or not.”

“I could say the same about you,” JC replied, leaning back in his chair. “What’s going on?” Mack merely raised her eyebrows. “You’re easily irritated, I know that, but lately you’ve been irate. You blow up at the smallest things like Chris not screwing the top of a milk container on all the way.” She stayed silent. “Justin says something’s going on with your family.”

“Justin has a big mouth,” Mack finally snapped.

“He’s just worried, we all are.”

“How many times do I have to tell you–”

“That you can take care of yourself?” JC interrupted. “Look, honeybee, you’ve been telling me that since you were twelve. I didn’t believe you before and I don’t believe you now.”

“Honeybee?” She questioned.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“I’m honestly curious. Why honeybee?”

“’Cause you claim that you hate when I call you honey, which is a reflex since I’ve been calling my sister that for years and it stuck. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop saying it just like that, especially since I don’t realize I do it most of the time, so I figured honeybee is appropriate seeing as you can be sweet one minute and have a sharp tongue the next.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“In some cases it’s not but when people are trying to get to know you it is. You have this wall protected around you that you won’t let anyone in. Why is that?”

She shrugged. “Momma always told me that I had to be strong and not let people walk all over me. If they see an opening they’ll keep doing it and push me around and control my life and I don’t want that.”

“Yet you let Justin use you like a doormat,” JC pointed out. She let out a short breath, one of her annoyed ones and JC knew to back off of the subject. “We’ve been noticing some stuff…”

“Liiiike?” She asked before taking a sip of her cider.

“Well, you’re acting funny.”

“So does Chris but you don’t call him out on it.”

“Well, no you’re right, but you’re not acting funny in a way that you’re trying to get people to laugh. You’re acting funny in a way that’s not like you at all.”

“What are you, my psychiatrist?”

“You have a psychiatrist? I knew you were weird but crazy…”

“Funny, Chasez.”

“Seriously, though”–he paused to pinch at a marshmallow and dropped it into his mouth–“Lance says you become tense whenever Lou is around. He’s not the only one to notice it, I’ve noticed too. And you seem to hate talking to him and avoid him like the plague. What has he done to you?”

A better question is what hasn’t he done to me Mack though bitterly but didn’t say a word. She tossed a few excuses around in her mind before settling on, “Something about him is weird to me. Like, he’s too eager to help you guys out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like…he takes you guys out to dinner for no reason on some occasion. He takes you places in his best cars. He’s even offered to let you use his private jets on some occasions. It’s just…weird. It’s like he strives to please you guys so much more than a normal person should. It freaks me out.”

“He’s just being nice,” JC replied, but he hesitated when he said that. Of course he noticed Lou’s generosity and thought it was weird as well but he didn’t want to say anything about it. Lou could easily take away everything they’ve had and JC didn’t want that, not when they worked so hard to get where they were. True, they weren’t big in the US yet but over in Europe it was obvious that they were doing well. Their single was on its way to the top and that was saying something for a new group.

“Whatever you say,” Mack sighed, sipping the rest of her drink and crushing the Styrofoam cup in her hand. She stood abruptly and turned to go to the nearest trashcan when she bumped into something. Not something, someone, but all the registered in her mind was that she hit a brick wall made of muscle.

What the heck? She took a step back and looked up to apologize whoever it was that she had ran into when her words got stuck in her throat. Her eyes met with a pair of breathtaking blues that was set on a slight baby-face which had produced a bright white smile.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “Are you ok?” His eyes and voice were laced with concern. She could only nod. “Good,” he sighed with relief before tilting his head a bit. “Wait, I know you.”

“Huh?” Was all Mack could get out.

“You’re that Mackenzie girl, right? ‘N Sync’s choreographer?” The blond haired Adonis asked. She nodded dumbly. “I knew it! The guys are going to flip.” She continued to stare at him in confusion. “Oh, sorry, where are my manners? I’m Nick. Nick Carter.” He held out his hand.

That’s when it hit her. Of course! The hair, the eyes, the smile, the damn face. How did I not notice? She shook her head a bit and shook his hand. “I’m Mack, that’s JC,” she said while pointing.

“One of ‘N Sync’s lead singers,” Nick said, nodding and holding out his hand to JC. JC shook it.

“You heard our stuff?” He asked.

Nick nodded again. “Johnny plays your stuff all of the time to show us our ‘competition’.” He laughed and made finger quotes. JC tensed. “Don’t worry, he don’t call you guys our competition. We like what you’ve been doing so far, it’s really impressive. I see you’ve taken the entertainment route.”

“What do you mean?”

“Johnny and Lou wanted us to focus more on our voices than our dancing ability, not that it’s a bad thing for you guys to be doing the later. I think your dance moves are amazing.” He then smiled at Mack. “Which is thanks to you, I hear. How long have you been dancing?”

“Since I could walk,” she replied automatically. She didn’t even have to think about the answer anymore. It always came out that way when she talked.

“Johnny’s been telling us about you too. How we should think about hiring you to come up with some moves for our next video and stuff,” he replied, continued his eyes twinkling. “Would you be interested?”

“Uhh…”

“She’s going to have to talk with Johnny about it before she gives you a flat-out answer,” JC jumped in. “Speaking of which we better head back of Johnny will have our heads. Sorry.”

Nick laughed a little. “It’s cool. I’ll just catch you guys later.”

JC nodded, gripped Mack’s shoulders, wheeled her around, and pushed her out the door of the café. “Hey Mack.”

“What?”

“You might want to close your mouth before you catch flies.”

“Shut up,” she mumbled.

JC laughed. “You were star struck, admit it.”

“I was not,” she denied. “I was…disoriented.”

“By his blinding white teeth?” JC guessed.

“Shut up!”

“So when’s the wedding date?”

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

“Yes I do.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“You’re such a nuisance.”

“But I’m your nuisance.”

“Ugh.”

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“Can we go back to the hotel now?” Mack asked, yawning a bit. They’ve been out for a while, just walking and talking but now Mack’s feet were starting to hurt and she wanted to eat something but JC kept dragging her to different stores to look at stuff.

“Not yet, I want to do one more thing,” he replied, glancing at his watch.

“But Jayceeeee, I’m freeeeeziiiiing,” Mack whined. She could barely feel her nose it was so cold and she was sure her cheeks resembled tomatoes by now. She blinked when he held out his sweatshirt to her. “Thanks,” she mumbled, pulling the heavy material over her head.

JC tried to fight the smile that was coming to his face but he couldn’t help it. She looked like she was drowning in the sweat shirt ‘cause she was so small. The bottom reached her knees and the sleeves hung well past her hands. She made a face and wrinkled her nose, what he secretly called her Rabbit Face.

“Are you laughing at me?” She demanded.

“No,” he denied.

“Won’t you be cold?”

“I’ll be fine.” They walked down the street in silence but it was comfortable. It was as if their silence was speaking volumes even though they weren’t saying anything. Mack was glad that the sweatshirt was so big; she could scratch around her cut now without being asked about it. It itched like crazy. She still wasn’t sure what made her cut herself and she knew better than to talk to anyone about it. Then they would ask her tons of questions give her those pity looks and maybe even send her to some insane asylum or something. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she crashed right into JC. Today’s not my day. “We’re here,” JC announced. Mack looked at him before looking at the large fountain that was in front of them, spitting out water that silently landed in the pool below. “Here.” JC held out a closed hand. Mack opened hers (well, move like opened her hand I the sleeve) and he dropped pennies into them. “Make a wish,” he said, lightly nudging her with his elbow then closed his eyes tight.

Mack looked back and forth between the pennies and JC wondering if he was being serious. She decided he must have been ‘cause he started flicking pennies into the fountain rapid fire. Sighing, she closed her eyes. What can I wish about? More wishes are lame. Happiness has been done too many times and I don’t need to wish for it. What. To. Wish. For. She sighed again and opened her eyes, letting out a little shriek and stepping back when she realized how close JC’s face was to hers.

“You’re taking too long,” he whined. “Just make a wish all ready.” Then he grinned wickedly. “Or I could just throw you into the fountain with them and wish for you.”

“Don’t even think about it,” she snarled.

“Ok, fine, just give me some of yours as a penalty.” Before she could say anything he grabbed half of the pennies in her hand and closed her eyes. He suddenly open his eyes, threw the pennies and yelled, “I wish that Mack would listen to us and accept the fact that we’re worried about her.”

“You’re a freak,” she muttered when people looked at JC as if he were crazy.

“But I’m honest,” he pointed out. “And I figured if you wouldn’t accept it by hearing me say it you’d accept it by me embarrassing you and by how red your cheeks are it worked.”

“I’m as pale as a ghost, you moron, my cheeks always turn red when it’s cold,” she replied, putting heavy emphasis on the last word. She quickly closed her eyes, flicked her pennies into the water, and opened them. “Now come on. I want to get warm.”

“Yes ma’am.” He jumped off the edge of the fountain and walked with her in the direction of the hotel. “Do you believe me now?”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes I believe you now.”

“Good.” A sudden gust of wind caused Mack to shiver. JC instinctively draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

“Why’d you take me out?”

“Because it was my turn for one thing and I felt like you needed it or else you would’ve slowly gone crazy,” he responded.

“I thought it was Joey’s turn this time.”

He shook his head. Mack frowned. She made it a point to spend time with the guys individually as much as she did with all of them and she set up a certain order to give them the same amount of her attention (why they craved her attention so much was still a mystery to her). Last time it was Chris’, the time before that was Lance…oh, he’s right. ‘Cause Joey is after JC and Justin is after Joey. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Shut up.”

JC faked a hurt tone. “And here I thought we were friends. How could you forget about me like that?”

“I didn’t forget! Usually you guys tell me when you want to do something in advance! You don’t kidnap me.”

“I did not kidnap you.”

“Yes you did. How was I supposed to know you wanted to do something today? You didn’t inform me and that’s kidnapping.”

“Quiet down before people think I’m abducting you.”

“They don’t even speak English!”

JC laughed. “That’s still getting to you? Goll-ee, you’re so uptight.”

“Remember I’m the one that’s making you guys look good, I could easily set you guys up for disaster,” she pointed out.

“But you would never do that.”

“Well, I hate you so I could.”

“You don’t hate me.”

“Yeah, I know.”