Chapter 7: Strange Feeling

The girls stayed up late that night, catching each other up on what’s been going on in their lives. After MMC was cancelled Britney and Christina decided to go back to their normal lives, attending school and being normal teenagers, going to parties and hanging out with friends. The two also spent the night grilling Mack about living in a house with the boys, which Christina and Mack easily turned the conversation around on Britney liking Justin, which caused them all to get into a huge pillow fight, Little J ran around the room barking, wanting to stay in the action.

Eventually they just lay down, fighting off sleep as they talked about how they would see themselves in the future. Eventually they fell asleep and only woke up the next morning ‘cause Mack had to go to school and they, unfortunately, had to leave while she was gone. They promised to call each other as much as possible and Mack didn’t feel as bad as she thought she would when she had to leave.

The next couple of weeks flew by for her. They were filled with every spare moment used for dancing and singing and, in the boys’ case, staying away from Mack when she was in one of her ‘moods’. She didn’t have her ‘moods’ as much as she used to when she first started being their choreographer, but when it came up they knew to stay away from her.

When they weren’t practicing they were spending a lot of time together to create “a better connection in the band” to go along with what Pearlman says. The downside to that was that Mack was with them a lot more than she could tolerate at the time. Now she could tolerate their antics, and sometimes joins in, but otherwise she’d stand back shaking her head asking herself what she got herself into.

A lot Lynn or Dianne would always reply. As it got closer to the Pleasure Island date the boys got calmer and more focused, which surprised Mack greatly. Between three and seven, and sometimes much later, the boys would actually listen to her and follow her lead instead of going off on a tangent and making her want to pull her hair out. Sometimes she even had to force the guys to stop practicing because they wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Seeing that side of the boys made her sure that they would make it big because they had the drive and the focus to do it.

During that time she got to understand what made the boys tick–which she used to her advantage–and how they worked. Lance wasn’t as good as a dancer as the rest of them so she spent one on one time with him. She got to know him better and considered him another best friend, not on the exact same level as Justin but very close. He always listened to what she had to say and was always the first to make sure she wasn’t insulted by what the other boys said or did.

Joey, she found out the hard way, was a huge flirt but it was also a comfort to her. She always woke up expecting him to say something about her now. It always made her day start off on a better foot and she woke up with a better mood, the guys have noticed. Joey claimed that it was because she was secretly attracted to him and she laughed it off politely. They both knew that she wouldn’t go for a guy who was so…friendly, to put it nicely.

Chris may have been older than her but it also meant he knew all of the best tricks to play on people, which Mack loved about him. Whenever she was in the mood for revenge she’d go to him to get a good idea. Usually the butt of her pranks would be Justin, Joey, and sometimes even Lance or JC, who had the right idea to leave her alone most times. With Chris’ help her pranks became more “mature”. She was surprised that they hadn’t found out that Chris was behind it, but it didn’t matter. As long as Chris gave her good prank ideas she’d supply him with the candy that was taken away from him which she took back.

The only one she didn’t get along well with was JC, but that was mainly his fault, or so she says. If they were staying up trying to finish a board game he’d make them finish it early because they had to get to sleep for the next day. He’d also stop them from doing something he classified as dangers while they thought it was fun–such as jumping off the roof and into the pool. He started acting so much like a dad that the boys dubbed him “Big Daddy” while Mack preferred to call him “Party Pooper” or “PP” for short.

That–her constant name calling, being blunt, and sarcasm–was the main reason the two ended up fighting. She was loud, blunt, sarcastic, and very opinionated while JC was quiet, took everything to heart, sincere, and willing to listen to different sides of a situation. She always had a sarcastic comment ready to be shot out if JC commented on something, which easily got JC annoyed which got them into a fight. They fight over the smallest things.

“Hey! Change it back!”

Such as fighting over what to watch on TV.

It was a few days before their Pleasure Island showcase and, instead of having one more run through, the guys decided to take that day off so they wouldn’t overwork themselves. Mack was busy watching TV with Justin and Lance when JC came in and joined them. A few minutes into the cartoon JC grabbed the remote and changed the channel, causing Mack to yell at him.

JC just ignored her as he continued flipping the channels before leaving it on the History Channel. He didn’t want to waste his energy fighting with her, he didn’t get any sleep that night and he wasn’t in the mood for a headache.

“I was here first,” she continued, oblivious to the waves of frustration that was coming off him like a radiator.

“I’m older,” he replied simply. It was a lame excuse, they all knew it, but it actually worked sometimes. Unfortunately, today wasn’t one of those days.

“Not by much,” she said as she reached across Justin to grab the remote from JC’s hand. JC quickly switched it to his other hand and held it out so she couldn’t get to it. He smiled to himself. ‘I knew being tall would come in handy one day.’ “JC!” She huffed. “Give it back!”

“What’s the magic word?” He asked.

“Now!” She snarled.

“Guess again!”

Lance sighed. He could see what was going to happen next before it even happened. Mack would jump across Justin to get the remote, hitting Justin in the process. JC would hold his arm out as far as he could, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to reach it. Then she would get up, chase him around the house as they yell at each other, find their way into the back yard, she’d tackle him, grab the remote, and they’d act like nothing happened.

He didn’t understand their friendship at all, if you could call it that. One minute they were on good terms, even getting along with each other and the next they’d be at each other’s throats because he would say something about her height and she’d have a sarcastic remark on the tip of her tongue. They’d be fighting like brothers and sisters would fight and the boys found it amusing so they hardly ever did anything to stop the two. Their fights would diffuse on their own.

“’Kenzie, let’s go for a walk,” Lance spoke up, getting to his feet. He didn’t wait for her response as he went to his room to grab his shoes. He slipped them onto his feet and went back into the living room where Mack was waiting by the door. She was glaring at the back of JC’s head as he and Justin watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He lightly placed his hand on the small of her back to lead her out the front door.

“Where are you two going?” Lynn asked, coming into the living room.

“We’re just going for a walk, Mommy Lynn,” Mack replied, tilting her head towards the door.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she said as she glanced at the clock. “Dinner will be ready in a moment and I would like some help with setting the table.”

“That’s what your wonderful, caring son is for,” Mack said with a big smile as Justin’s head whipped around, eyes squinted in annoyance. “We’ll just go around the block; we’ll be back before you know it. I promise.” She quickly pulled open the door and shoved Lance outside before stepping out herself. She flinched when the thick feeling of humidity wrapped around her. She loved the constant warm weather, but the humidity she could do without.

The two walked in a comfortable silence down the street, the only sound filling the air was children’s’ screams in the distance and their shoes connecting with the sidewalk. Mack was walking with a bounce in her step, as if music were playing in her head while Lance took a leisurely pace. She glanced over her shoulder and slowed down, noticing the thoughtful expression that was on his face. It was laced with a little bit of uncomforted, which she was surprised to see. Sure, he had only met the group a few months ago and he was still fairly new to their mannerisms, but they did the best they could to help him fit in.

“Penny for them,” she said as she poked him in the ribs suddenly, causing him to jump. She laughed as he blushed in embarrassment and looked down at his feet. “C’mon, out with it Bass. What’s on your mind? You know you can tell me.”

“I know…it’s just…” he let out a breath and continued to look at his feet as she peered at him in curiosity. “I don’t feel like I fit in here.” He finally looked up at her, his forest green eyes locking with crystal blue ones. “It’s been a few months but…I can’t shake this feeling.” He shrugged and sighed again. “I mean, I can’t do any of the choreography right. I’m surprised you still want me around. I understand that you need my voice but…”

“James Lance Bass, stop right there,” Mack said as she flung out her arm to stop him from walking. “If you think the only reason the boys chose you is ‘cause of your voice then you’re wrong.” He raised an eyebrow, as if silently challenging her. “Your voice is perfect for the group, sure, but they also chose you ‘cause you all clicked. I was there when they auditioned those other bass singers; none of the boys liked them. They would want to be with someone they would want to hang out with and to call a friend. That’s why you’re here, because they want to share this experience with you.” She casually wrapped her arm around his waist and starting walking again, making him walk with her too. He hesitated but wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “As for the choreography thing, a little more one-on-one sessions and you’ll catch up with the guys. They’ve had more time to work with choreography than you, it’s no big deal. They weren’t born perfect, trust me, I would know.”

Lance stayed silent but he nodded and smiled a little. She may be rough around the edges but she spoke the truth when it needed to be heard, even if someone didn’t want to hear it. “Can I ask you a question?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Go ahead,” she replied.

“Why do you hate JC?” Lance asked, his voice laced with curiosity. “I mean, far as I can see he hasn’t done anything to you. I couldn’t help but notice that you are quick to fight with him so…”

“I don’t hate JC,” she stated after a couple of minutes in thought. “Hate’s too strong of a word. We’re just…different.”

Lance couldn’t argue with that. They were different when it came to their behavior and their personalities, but when it came to work they were exactly the same. They strived to make something as perfect as possible and wouldn’t give up until it happened. They were the reason that some practices ran over and Lynn eventually had to come and drag them all back to the house.

“But why don’t you two get along?” Lance pressed. “You get along with everyone else just fine…why not him?” Mack looked towards the sky in thought. “I mean, Justin considers JC one of his best friends, right? As Justin’s other best friend I’d think that you two would try and get along for his sake.”

“I’d do anything for Justin,” Mack replied after a few minutes of thinking. “But I can’t lie to myself just to make him happy.” Lance gave her a look. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “But I’ll put forth an effort if that’s what you want.”

“For Justin, not for me,” Lance corrected, steering her up the driveway and to the house. She nodded in agreement before taking a look at the driveway. An extra car was sitting there, one that hadn’t been there when they left on their walk. “What’s Lou doing here?” Lance mumbled, asking the question that was on Mack’s mind.

“Probably checking in again,” she replied. The two walked back into the house to be greeted with the smell of spaghetti sauce and garlic bread. “Great, dinner’s ready. I’m starved.” She rushed to take off her shoes so she could get into the kitchen to start eating.

Justin practically ambushed them at the door. It was a *NSYNC family rule not to eat until everyone was sitting at the table. Since they left and after he finished setting the table he had been waiting by the door like a lion stalking its prey. He tried to play a little bit of basketball to forget about his hunger but no one would play against him and he hated being by himself.

It gave him time to think about JC and he was a little worried. JC was quiet, which was normal for him, but he was quieter than usual. He worked himself too hard during practices and voice lessons that he usually went to bed sore and hoarse. Everytime Justin talked to him about it; JC dismissed it with a shrug and said that he was fine. Justin went along with the answer but he knew it wasn’t true.

They all finally sat down for dinner and had Lou joining them this time. He had swung by often as it got closer to the showcase date, but this was the first time that he was with them for dinner and it made JC nervous. He was the one fueling their careers and he could easily take it away from them if Chris decides to curse his mouth off or Justin decides to act his age for once.

“I know it’s your day off,” Lou’s voice broke the silence that settled over the table. “But I would really like to see how far you boys have come.” The boys all looked at him before glancing over at Mack who was staring hard at Lou. She was like another Lynn, she was the one who told them whether or not they would be practicing and she gave them strict orders to not practice that day. JC held his breath, praying that she wouldn’t shoot a sharp comment at Lou. She had to understand that he was the one giving them the chance, right? She couldn’t say no to him, none of them could. “What’s wrong? Do you think you need more practice or something?” he asked, looking at them.

“It’s not that,” Mack finally spoke up, stabbing a tomato from her salad before looking up at him. “I told them not to practice today. They need to rest.”

“This close to the show?” Lou questioned as he raised an eyebrow. “It would be better for them to dance every chance they get so they can make sure they have enough stamina to make it through a show.”

“I understand that, but I would rather them not practice so they won’t end up hurting themselves before the showcase,” Mack said slowly. Her voice was tight as if she were holding in the urge to yell at him. JC sighed and continued eating, happy that she decided to hold her tongue.

“Just one song, what could it hurt?” He asked, staring hard at her. She wanted to tell him no, she really did, but something about the way he was looking at her made her afraid to answer. “It’s settled then. After dinner we can meet in the backyard and then I’ll take you guys for ice cream.”

“Ice cream?” Justin repeated, his blue eyes lighting up as a grin spread across his face. Everyone chuckled at his enthusiasm. He reacted as if he hadn’t had ice cream in his life. “We can go, right Mom?” He asked, turning to her.

“I don’t want you to stay out too late,” Lynn replied, looking pointedly at Justin and Mack. Justin sighed, knowing that she only wanted them back home in time for curfew. Lance, JC, Joey, and Chris didn’t have curfews; he couldn’t understand why those two still had them.

“I promise not to keep them out too long, Lynn,” Lou said with a smile. “If that’s settled, once you’re finished meet me outback so I can see where you guys are in terms of being ready.”

The boys nodded in agreement as Lou pushed himself away from the table. As soon as he was gone it was as if the tension lifted the boys started acting like themselves. Chris and Justin started arguing about if Chris cheated when they played basketball before, Lance was asking Joey about his previous job working at Universal, and JC was sitting there listening to both conversations, speaking up to comment from time to time.

Mack sat silently, glaring at the wall at the pushed her spaghetti across her plate. She hated Lou. She didn’t really like him in the first place, he was too…smiley and helpful. It was borderline creepy. Now he was talking to her like she didn’t know what she was doing. She’s been dancing since she could walk, she’s been training the boys and knew their limits, he didn’t. Who’s he to come and talk to her like she’s a little kid?

Justin looked at her out of the corner of her eye. Her jaw was clenched and she hadn’t touched her food. He knew that Lou was out of line talking to her that way, but he couldn’t do anything about it. It was Lou Pearlman, the only reason they have gotten this far. Even if he wanted to tell Lou to back off, he knew he couldn’t, but he hated seeing his best friend that upset, even if she tried to hide it.

“Hey Mack. Remember that time when we were seven and it was Halloween and we tried to have that monster movie marathon?” He asked as he lightly poked her in the side and smiled.

“Yeah,” was her only mumbled response. He knew that she wouldn’t forget that night, the two and Trace were too afraid to go to sleep and they freaked out at every sound they heard a small sound. He just wanted her to smile, laugh, something instead of sitting there. Usually when she heard that they’d start talking about all of the stupid things they did when they were little, it was like a tradition. She pushed back her chair and it made a loud sound against the floor, causing everyone to turn to her. “You guys better finish eating. You wouldn’t want Lou to wait.”

“She’s right,” JC spoke up, and blinked. Chris, Joey, Lance, and Justin all turned to JC, shocked looks on their faces. He had just openly agreed with something Mack had said. He even surprised himself but he quickly brushed it away. “Come on.”

The boys followed him out to the backyard. Lou was sitting on the patio, waiting patiently as the guys took their positions. Mack was standing by the back door, a boom box by her feet. She waited, giving them time to get ready and get the nerves out.

Lance stood in his position, taking slow deep breaths to calm his heart. It was pounding so hard against his chest he could hear it in his ears. ‘Relax, Lance, relax. You’ve done this plenty of times before. Just pretend that Lou isn’t there and you can get through this. Just relax.’  He nodded to Mack, who was waiting for his signal before pressing Play on the boom box that was by her feet and the beginning of We Can Work it Out poured out of it.

If Lou was impressed or not he didn’t show any emotion at all, he just kept his eyes glued on the moving boys as they slid, spun, kicked, and moved to the music. It was obvious that Justin and JC were the best dancers and they put more energy into the routine so they stood out the most, but as a group the boys were very good and deserved the attention they got.

Once the song finished the boys, who were panting slightly, looked up at Lou, waiting for his reaction. Lou slowly stood and held the boys’ gaze, as if enjoying their nervousness. A smile slowly broke onto his face as he applauded. The boys let out a collective sigh and let smiles appear on their face. “Wonderful. Simply wonderful. You boys have made great progress since you’ve started. The vocals are great the steps are a little weak, though.” He said the last part as he looked at Lance, who blushed and looked down at his feet.

“This is one of our harder dances,” Joey said as he nudged Lance and smiled at him. “We’ll get the steps down.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” Lou replied, offering a smile to Lance as if apologizing without saying anything. The boys then turned to congratulate each other so Lou walked over to where Mack was kneeling by the boom box to take the CD out of it. She looked up when he stood over her, smiling that smile that irked her. “You’re doing a great job, even for someone so young. I knew it was a good idea to hire you.”

“Thank…you…” she mumbled slowly as she shot to her feet. “They’re the ones you should be praising though. They’re doing all the hard work; I just show them what to do.”

“Yes, but it takes a lot of patience and diligence to be able to work with them and live with them without having your job and your personal life cross,” he replied.

“What’re you talking about?” She questioned in confusion before bending down to pick up Little J who was licking her ankle.

“I wouldn’t want…anything personal to interfere with your obligation to the boys. Especially if one of them is the reason for the interference…”

A disgusted look crossed her features as she glanced out at the boys who had started a game of tag in the grassy area by the pool. It wasn’t that she was oblivious to their looks–they were all pretty good looking in their own way–it’s just that she didn’t see any of them as someone she’d date. Not even Justin, whom people said they would end up in a great relationship since they knew everything about each other. “Trust me, that’ll never happen.”

“Good.” The way he said ‘good’ didn’t sit right with her. Her stomach churned slightly as she kept her eyes on the boys, watching them have fun playing a childish game that they’ve stayed away from for years.  Her breath got caught in her throat when she felt his heavy hand on her left shoulder. “Tell the boys I’m ready to go, ok?” He gave her shoulder a little squeeze before letting it gently trail down her back before removing it, causing a shiver to roll down her spine. She swallowed the lump in her throat and clutched Little J tight, burying her face in his fur.

“Hey, are you ok?” She looked up when she saw Joey standing in front of her, looking at her curiously.

She nodded and swallowed again, making sure her voice came out strong when all she really wanted to do was run to her room and hide. “Lou says to get ready to go.”

“Oh, alright. Hey guys, come on! Lou’s ready to go!” Joey called; cupping his hands over his mouth to make sure the running boys heard him. “Are you sure you’re ok? You seem kinda…off?”

“I’m fine,” she lied. “Just a little tired,” she explained, running the necklace along the chain that was around her neck. She hadn’t taken it off since the guys gave it to her for her birthday. It was a metallic blue tied eighth note which held a double meaning–they got it because she loved dancing to music and she loved listening to music so it seemed fitting.

“Oh. If you want to stay here I’ll stay with you,” he offered. “We could watch a movie; I’ll even let you decide.”

“No. I’m fine. I want to go.”

“Ok, if you’re sure.”

~*~*~

“I’ll order for you if you want to sit down,” Justin offered as he and Mack walked into the Dairy Queen. She was moving a bit slower than usual. She’d normally be the first person to their destination because she naturally walks fast but this time she was the last one. Justin heard her saying something about being tired so he figured that was it. “Strawberry, right?”

“Thanks J,” she said as she forced a smile. He smiled in return before rushing to the counter with Chris, arguing over who got there first. She chuckled at the two, it was as if arguing became a sport for them but she knew it was Justin’s way of bonding with Chris so they could ignore the age gap.

She looked around the place before finding a booth that would fit them all and went towards it. At that time of night Dairy Queen was practically empty so she knew she wouldn’t have to wait long for her Blizzard. She briefly glance up when JC slid into the booth across from her but then continued staring at her hands that were lying on the table top, as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. Only the sound of JC clearing his throat for the fourth time grabbed her attention.

“You might want to get that checked out,” she commented as she lifted an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t want to mess up your perfect voice, now would you?”

“If we’re talking about getting help then you should enroll in a school to help you get a better attitude,” he replied calmly. It wasn’t one of his best jabs but he could tell that it struck a nerve.

“Ordinarily I’m all for beating your ass at one up’s but you’re up to something and I don’t want to beat around the bush,” she stated, staring hard at him, trying to read his mind. “What do you want from me?”

“Someone has a big head,” he commented.

“And for some reason it’s the girl in this conversation,” she replied with a smirk as his cheeks tinted a light shade of red. “Out with it, Chasez. What do you want to know?”

“What’s wrong?” His question was so blunt that it startled her, which wasn’t something she was used to. She was used to being one step ahead of others with a reply ready for obvious questions. His sudden curiosity laced with what seemed to her as genuine caring wiped out every sarcastic remark that forced its way into her head. “You’ve been quiet all day, which is unlike you. Usually we can’t get you to shut up, to put it nicely.” She just shrugged and stayed silent. “Is something going on at school?” he tried. She shrugged again. “Friends?” She shook her head. “What’s been bothering you the past couple of days? Don’t try to deny it, we can tell when something’s going on in your head.”

“Haven’t gotten much sleep, that’s all,” she replied. It wasn’t a total lie; she had been waking up a lot more frequently each night and would stay awake for hours listening to everyone else sleep peacefully. “My schedule’s a little tougher than I thought,” she admitted.

“We can cut it down if you’re running around too much,” he offered. “You do enough for us all ready.”

“Nah, I can handle it,” she replied with a wave of her hand.

“One strawberry milkshake, medium thickness,” Justin announced as he slid into the booth next to her. Eventually everyone else sat down with them which caused her to move and have to sit in between Justin and JC at the bend of the booth at the head of the table.

Silence fell over the table as they all dug into their deserts. Chris intentionally sucked at his milkshake with the straw halfway in so it made an annoying sucking sound. He watched everyone’s expressions carefully, waiting to see which one would crack first. He was guessing that it would either be Justin or Joey.

“Arrgh! Stop it! Stop it! You’re driving me nuts!” JC finally shouted. Chris simply lifted his mouth from the straw and wiped it with the back of his hand, grinning.

“You didn’t last long,” Chris commented calmly.

“Funny, that’s the same thing your last girlfriend said about you,” Justin shot back. Chris glared while the others burst out laughing. Lance, JC, and Mack had all turned red in the face by his comment, which amused the other three into teasing them and calling them ‘prudes’ and ‘goody two-shoes’. JC glanced at Lou out of the corner of his eye, holding his breath. He couldn’t believe Chris and Justin were acting like that in front of the man that was potentially fueling their careers. Lou didn’t seem to mind because a faint smile was on his lips, as if he expected something like that to happen. They were boys after all so it was only a matter of time before they cracked their ‘innocent little boy’ act.

“Are you not thirsty?” Lou asked, looking at Mack who was stirring her milkshake with her straw, her eyes glued on the windows across from them.

“Lost my appetite,” she replied, pushing the cup away from herself. She stared down at her hands again, keeping quiet as Chris and Joey fought over who got to take her milkshake.

“We should head back,” Lance suddenly spoke up, breaking up Chris’ and Joey’s argument. “We have to get those two back.” He nodded at Justin and Mack. Justin groaned and rolled his eyes but slid out of the booth once he got the chance.

“You ok?” He asked as he held his hand out to Mack. She took it and allowed him to help her out of her seat.

“Yup. Just tired,” she replied as she forced a smile. He seemed to buy her lie ‘cause he dropped the conversation. She felt a shiver roll down her spine and turned her head slightly so she could look out of the corner of her eye. She bit her lip and stepped closer to Justin when she noticed Lou staring at her as she and Justin walked towards JC’s jeep. She hated the way he looked at her.

~*~*~

“It wasn’t that funny,” JC muttered as he shook his head, his dark hair lightly hitting his face every time he turned his head. He had a smile on his face despite not seeing the memory amusing. Justin and Mack didn’t see it that way as they were doubled over laughing hysterically.

After they got back from their ice cream run the boys played video games while Mack watched, giving out instructions to the loser here and there. Chris claimed she was cheating, only ‘cause he was winning at the time, while she innocently explained that she was merely helping even the playing field. After a few board games they all went to their rooms to go to sleep. Justin was too wide awake from his sugar intake so he decided to bother JC and their commotion was what kept Mack awake so they all gathered in JC’s room talking about past MMC experiences.

“You’re right. That wasn’t as funny as Mack’s first day visiting,” Justin agreed.

“In my defense no one told me not to go through that door,” she said as she slapped his arm playfully.

“The cheering on the other side of the door should’ve been a clue that it was the stage,” JC commented dryly.

“Anyone can make that mistake,” Justin jumped in, trying to stop their impending argument before it got worse. He hated when his best friends fought, but it was something they did since Mack first spoke to him, which coincidentally was an insult.

He remembers the day perfectly. It was Mack’s first day visiting. She had a day off of school and Justin convinced her mother to let him go to the set with him so she could take a tour. She was practically bouncing out of her seat on the way there. If it were possible his MMC friends were more excited to meet her because Justin talked about her a lot.

“This is my dressing room. As you can see I share it with Ryan and T.J.,” twelve-year-old Justin said as he pointed at the sign that was outside the door. Justin opened the door and stuck his head in and looked around. “Ok, come on.” He held out his hand to Mack and pulled her into the room. “Guys, I want you to meet my best friend Mack Desrosiers. Mack, this is Ryan Gosling and T.J. Fantini.”

“Hi,” Mack greeted them with a small wave.

“Oh, we get to finally meet you,” T.J. spoke up with a warm smile. “Justin doesn’t stop talking about you,” he added, nudging her now red-faced friend. “But it’s all good stuff,” he added. “He said that you dance, right?” Mack nodded. “From what he said you’re amazing. Why didn’t you try out for the show?”

“My mom didn’t think it was a good idea,” she replied while shuffling her feet.

“Hey Justin, is she your girlfriend?” Ryan suddenly spoke up. Justin’s face turned redder while Mack blushed.

“No, she’s my best friend,” he mumbled.

“So why’re you holding her hand?” Ryan pressed. He quickly dropped her hand. “So…if you’re not dating her, can I?” he asked as he looked back and forth between her and Justin.

“I’m still standing here, idiot,” she said with an eye roll.

“So, will you?” He questioned.

She merely glared at him and he backed up a couple of steps as if he was getting burnt by her stare as Justin and T.J. laughed. “Can we go see Britney and Christina now?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Justin replied.

“I want to come too,” T.J. said as he followed Justin. The two boys stopped by the door and turned to see if Ryan was going to come. His eyes shifted over to Mack, as if he were afraid of her reaction. She sighed and nodded, smiling to herself as he eagerly got up and followed them.

“Christina and Britney share a dressing room with Nikki, another new girl on the show, but she’s older than us,” Justin explained as they walked down the hall. “Everyone decent?” He called from outside the door.

“Yeah, J. Come in!” A female voice called back.

“Guys, this is Mack. Mack, that’s Christina and Britney,” Ryan spoke up before Justin could say anything. “She’s my future girlfriend.”

“How’d you like a future broken foot?” She growled and he backed away as the girls started laughing.

“It’s great to finally meet you. I’m Britney,” the girl with the southern accent said as he held out her hand to shake Mack’s. “That’s Christina,” she added, pointing at the blond haired girl who got off of her chair and walked over to them. “How old are you?”

“Twelve,” Mack replied.

“Me too,” Britney said with a smile. “Christina’s thirteen.”

“Have you seen any other part of the studio yet?” Christina asked.

“Not yet,” Mack replied.

“I was just about to show her if you guys want to come to. We can get lunch before we have to start taping,” Justin offered. The girls agreed and followed the boys out of the dressing room. Mack was rushing ahead to look at the pictures and posters that were on random walls. She turned a corner and crashed into something, causing her to fall to the ground.

“Watch where you’re going!” She yelled as she got back to her feet. She ignored the hand that was held out to her as she checked herself for injuries.

“You were the one that ran into me,” the boy replied with a slight frown. He glanced up and looked at the group as they came rushing over. “Is she a new cast member or something? It’s kinda late to add her, don’t you think?” He looked down at her. “Not that I’m complaining, it’s great to have another kid on set,” he added with a smile.

“No, she’s just visiting for the day,” Justin spoke up. “This is Mack.”

“Oh you’re the girl he keeps talking about,” the guy said, the smile never leaving his face.

“Looks like it,” Mack muttered.

“I’m JC,” he introduced himself.

“Does that stand for janitor’s closet? It’d be pretty fitting seeing as your hair resembles a mop,” she stated. Ryan bit his lip to keep from laughing as T.J. elbowed him, signaling that he was trying hard not to laugh either.

Justin’s, Christina’s, and Britney’s eyes widened as JC raised his eyebrows. JC then chuckled and walked off, calling over his shoulder that he’d see them later. No one had ever spoken to JC like that before, mainly because no one had a reason to. He was one of the nicest guys on set and the younger ones looked up to him.

“Let’s get something to eat before you insult a director too,” Justin sighed as he directed her down the hall.

“Take that back or I’ll break your arm!”

Justin groaned and dropped his head on his arms. He waited for JC to shoot back another witty comment but his next sentence surprised them both.

“No you won’t,” JC said calmly although his eyes were showing annoyance. “You always give out threats but you don’t ever follow through with them. If that were the case almost all of my known body parts would be broken in the span of two years. You’re a coward. You say you’re tough and you fire off insults and threats to keep people away from you when really you won’t carry any of those threats out because you don’t want anyone to know that you’re a scared little girl looking for attention.”

Mack sucked in her breath, her eyes showing pure anger as her hands clenched into fists. Justin moved, as if getting ready to hold her back from attacking JC. JC merely held her gaze, waiting for her to do something. She just turned on her heel and stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her as hard as she could. She was going to feel Lynn’s wrath any minute, it was a rule not to slam doors in the house, no matter how angry you were at someone.

“Why is she like that?” JC asked Justin, his eyes squinted as if something bright was standing in front of him. “Why is she always so mean and quick to jump at anyone that insults her?”

Justin sighed. “That’s just her. She’s been like that since I can remember. Sometimes it comes in handy but other times…it’s hard for her to trust people. Please, just keep trying to get through her wall. It took me a bit, but it was worth it. She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Please give her another chance. Please? For me? For your best friend?”

“Ok, fine,” JC said with a sigh, hating the pleading look on Justin’s face. “Although I don’t deserve her verbal abuse, I’ll give her another chance.”

“Thanks, you’re the best.”

“I know.” JC gave him a cocky smile. “Now get out so I can sleep.”

~*~*~

Mack sat up and sighed heavily. She didn’t have to look at her clock to know that it was early. She tried to go to sleep but she felt Lou’s hand on her shoulder every time she closed her eyes and it scared her awake. She wanted to tell someone, anyone, about it but she didn’t want them to worry about nothing. Also she didn’t want anyone to think she was trying to get attention, to quote JC. There were times she felt left out because of the boys’ drive for success, but knowing that she was helping them get there covered the jealousy for a bit.

She shoved back her covers and went to Justin’s room. He was fast asleep but was sleeping on one side of the bed, leaving the other open in case she came in the middle of the night. She slid in next to him and pulled the covers up to her neck. She listened to Justin’s slow breathing, which eventually lulled her to sleep, feeling protected.