Monday, March 20, 2000

Staring unnoticed at the people in front of her, as they lazily walked around the hotel lobby--probably looking for something to do--Melissa couldn't help but make up situations in her head; which soon turned into intriguing reasons for those said people to be there in New York at this particular moment.

That guy.. She thought to herself, as she took in a slightly overweight male who at the moment was wearing a black three piece business suit, probably works for the Mafia and is here looking for some guy Big Tony hired a hit out on.

Watching as the man stopped pacing in front of her, and looked towards the elevator, which a slightly younger male was stepping out of at the moment, Melissa raised both eyebrows in surprise as the two men quickly closed the distance between one another--meeting in the middle of the hallway--in a short yet sweet embrace.

Or maybe not.

Wanting to give the two men their privacy, Melissa adverted her eyes towards a group of women who were now walking into the hotel; whispering amongst themselves as they saw the two men--Melissa had just been staring at--going at it.

Homophobics.

After spending a couple of minutes rolling her eyes at the close minded women in front of her, Melissa felt a set of eyes watching her and turned her head slightly; her gaze landing on two women as she did so.

What the..?

Not bothering to stand up as the two women, who were both decked out in a matching hat and glasses set, made their way across the room--towards the bench where she was seated on--Melissa wondered to herself for a brief second if these were two of the groupies the guys had informed her N'sync had. But immediately that thought was dismissed as the taller woman arched an eyebrow up in curiosity before asking, "Melissa?"

Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, Melissa stood up so that she was eye level to the shorter woman, before replying, "Dani?" Causing the blonde to widen her smile in relief.

"In the flesh! It's nice to finally meet you. Chris has told me so much about you."

After inwardly wondering to herself what some of those things might be, Melissa smiled slightly at the older woman before saying, "He's told me a lot about you as well."

As Dani blushed slightly at the comment, Melissa adverted her eyes towards the other woman, who was standing next to the blonde, wearing a slightly amused grin on her face. "I'm Melissa, and you are..?"

Before the woman could reply, Dani spoke up; making it known to the other women that, as of right now, she was the group's spokesperson. "This is Kelly. Joey's girlfriend."

Having thought Joey to be single after witnessing him, yesterday on the plane, pocketing their slightly attractive flight attendant's number, Melissa had to force her eyes not to widen as she smiled at the woman in front of her. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well."

Checking her watch, Dani commented that it was now ten thirty--seven hours before they'd have to be back at the hotel to meet up with Meredith--so they probably should get a move on now if they wanted to make it back on time.

A statement which caused Melissa to wonder what she had just gotten herself into.

I'm going to have to hurt Chris.

As luck would have it, as soon as the three women began to shop, Dani started to calm down a little; revealing to Melissa that she was just as nervous about the night's events as the guys were.

"This is just such a big deal for them. You know, they worked so hard to make it happen."

Knowing exactly what Dani meant, Melissa nodded slightly in agreement before saying, "I understand. But judging on what I've seen and heard of them so far, I don't really think any of the guys have anything to be worried about. I mean, their regular day personalities alone could at least win them an Oscar...or maybe even a day in the nut house. I wish we all could be so lucky."

After slightly laughing and agreeing wholeheartedly with Melissa, the three made their way towards the food court; figuring that since it was now two-thirty and the party didn't start until around seven, they might as well grab a quick bite to eat.

"You know, I just noticed you haven't spilled much dirt to us." Kelly remarked, a couple minutes after the three had bought their meals and taken a seat at a small table in the middle of the court. "That's so unlike the women in the guy's lives."

While taking a small sip of her coke, Melissa shrugged her shoulders at the statement. She'd only known the guys for about a week now and there really wasn't much to tell. Well, at least not a lot that the other two women probably didn't already know about the guys themselves."What do you want to know?"

Shrugging, Kelly took a bite of the sub she'd bought, before replying, "Mmm, how about what you think of them, individually? I mean, we already know you think their nuts-"

"Who doesn't!"

Not bothering to even acknowledge Dani's interruption, Kelly smirked a little before continuing, "But besides that, what do you think about the clowns we sometimes hate to call our friends?"

After thinking about it for a second, Melissa shrugged once again. She really didn't have a clue as to what she thought of them.

"I don't know....at first, I didn't really know what to expect. I mean, before I met the guys I pretty much thought they were probably all going to be some ego maniacs. But their pretty much all down to earth."

Knowing exactly what the younger woman meant, Dani and Kelly both nodded their heads before Kelly spoke up once again, asking a question which made Melissa, who had unfortunately been taking a sip of her drink, to literally almost choke on the liquid. "Any one of them, besides our boyfriends, you'd ever think about fucking?"

"Excuse me?"

As the two women in front of her began to laugh comically, Melissa grabbed a spare napkin off the table; coughing the sticky substance out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry, she shouldn't have said that." Dani began, while unsuccessfully trying to stifle her giggles, "It's just that after hanging out with the guys for so long, Kelly and I have somewhat of a sick sense of humor. One which will probably soon rub off on you as well."

That's if Sam's sense of humor doesn't before then. Melissa thought to herself; all the while slightly smiling at the inner mention of her friend.

Well, that is, Melissa was smiling at the inner mention of her friend. That is, until she noticed Kelly and Dani were still looking at her with wondering eyebrows.

"Even though it was a joke, you two still want to know, don't you?"

At the simultaneous nod, Melissa sighed slightly; having thought so. "Well, to be honest, I haven't really thought about any of the guys, relationship wise. I mean, I'm not looking for a boyfriend at the moment. But I guess if I had to measure each one of them up romantically speaking, your boyfriends not included for obvious reasons, I think I'd have to say no on each account."

Not believing for one-second that the girl in front of her, could be around five good looking men, two of them who were relatively single at the moment, and not even have a small crush on one of them, caused Dani to raise an eyebrow in disbelief. "Care to explain?"

Figuring what the heck, Melissa nodded, okay, before saying: "Well, first of all, you have Justin. He's a great guy, personality and looks wise. But when you really think about it..could you date someone who was prettier than you?"

Cracking up at the comment, Kelly and Dani agreed that Melissa was right about that one. Then after a second, Kelly asked about Lance.

After biting her lip slightly, Melissa thought about it for a second before replying, "I don't think I can really answer that one. I mean, besides the business side of Lance, I don't really know that much about him."

Shooting a knowing look at the woman seated next to her, Dani replied, "And JC?" Causing Melissa to noticeably stiffen up.

"Now that one..I don't even want to think about. JC and I don't even get along friendship wise, so theirs no telling what would happen if we got together relationship wise."

Raising an eyebrow at this information, Dani replied, "That's surprising. JC usually is the one most girls find attractive."

Before she even knew what she was doing, Melissa rolled her eyes and mumbled, I don't see why. Causing Kelly to reply with, "Most people don't. But the thing is, for as long as any of us have known him, JC has always had this whole older brother protection thing with the guys; which only grew more intense during the huge Pearlman situation."

Agreeing with the statement, Dani nodded slightly before opening her mouth; summing up the words her friend had just spoken. "In other words, when JC meets new people, who he knows little to nothing about, and suspects that they could be a threat to the shield he's provided for the guys, he puts up a wall; kind of blocking out anyone and everything beyond it until he realizes that the person he's blocking out really isn't trying to hurt any of the guys in anyway."

Now, agreeing with Dani, Kelly opened her mouth; wrapping up the whole topic. "It's sort of his job in the group. He did it to me and he probably would've done it to Dani, had she not been there from the beginning. So, my advice to you is to try and not take it too personally, okay?"

Feeling more at ease than before, Melissa nodded her head in agreement, before commenting that she thought she had just learned more about the five guys in the last four hours than in the entire week she'd spent with them. Causing the two women in front of her to laugh.

"Well, I don't know about ya'll two. But I'm stuffed." Dani commented, a second later; causing Melissa and Kelly both to nod their heads in agreement. "You ready to go?"

Waiting until after Kelly gave her answer, Melissa nodded hers as well. Afterwards replying, "I just want to stop by the record store first. I mean, I feel kind of odd going to an album release party for a group that I've never even heard sing before."

Stopping the small clean up job she was doing, Dani raised an eyebrow in disbelief before asking if the younger woman was kidding or not. Which Melissa replied "No, I'm not." to. "That is, unless you count the two demos Justin played for me the night we met."

After sharing identical looks of disbelief with one another, Kelly and Dani both stood up quickly. Afterwards, throwing their trays away, then shaking their heads absentmindedly at Melissa as they grabbed the younger woman by her arms; telling her that she defiantly needed to stop by the record store..or at least turn on the damn radio once in a while.

A statement which surprisingly enough caused Melissa to laugh.

Two and a half hours after the girls had arrived back at the hotel, listened to every single song on N'sync's debut album--Everything I own twice, because Melissa just couldn't believe that was really her manager singing the bass solo part of the song--the women were finally made up and ready to go to the party.

"So, in your honest opinions, what do you guys think?" Melissa asked no one in particular as she took a hesitant step out of the bathroom and shyly began showing off her satin green dress, which was, interestingly enough, almost identical to her unique eye color.

Turning her head away from the general direction of the mirror, Dani's eye's practically widened as she took in the younger woman from head to toe. "Damn girl! Justin's jaw is going to literally hit the floor when he sees you."

While blushing, Melissa made her way towards the mirror, that the other girls were standing in front of, and looked at her reflection in wonder; not wanting to admit to herself just yet that she looked good enough to be seen with the likes of Justin Timberlake. "You think so?"

"You know it." Meredith, Lance's date for the night, said; before hitting the older woman with a genuine smile. "Lanston is going to have to drag the poor boy away from you."

Feeling slightly evil at the moment, Kelly smiled to herself before saying, "That is if Mr. Bass can drag his own self away."

As the two other women in the room began to laugh, Melissa blushed slightly; not knowing what to say to that comment. Fortunately enough, for her, before anyone else had time to make another hidden comment about the guy's reactions, a knock was heard at the door.

"Ten minutes after the scheduled pick up time. The guys never change."

Becoming slightly nervous at the comment, Melissa, not wanting to be seen just yet, stood behind the other two women; watching as Dani opened the door for Justin, Chris, Joey, and Lance.

"Whoa Momma!" Chris remarked, quite loudly; afterwards turning his girlfriend around so he could marvel the satin blue dress she was wearing at the moment, "Are you sure you want to go out tonight?"

Not even bothering to falter at her boyfriend's comment, Dani replied, "Yes! And you should be, too. Because if all I'm going to be doing tonight is sitting around this hotel, watching you sleep, then you're defiantly going to have to pay me back the three hundred and some dollars that I withdrawled for this stupid dress."

"Hey, as long as I get to see you naked by the end of the night, anything works for me."

While everyone else groaned and chuckled at the comment, Melissa quickly slipped on the earrings that Meredith had let her borrow; getting the attention of Justin while doing so. "Damn Alano, you clean up nicely."

Blushing at the compliment, Melissa turned around; quickly taking in Justin's dark blue attire, before telling him that he looked nice as well. Causing Joey to call out, "You two just going to compliment each other's outfits all day or are we going to get going soon?"

Jealous.

After rolling their eyes simultaneously at the comment, Justin waited until everyone else had started out the door before holding out his arm for Melissa; immediately afterwards saying: "After you, Madame."

"Why, thank you, Monsieur." Melissa replied; afterwards slightly smirking at her fake accent, before swiftly making her way out of the room and into an elevator with the three other couples.

Watching as the doors closed in front of them, Melissa finally realized why the group of guys looked sort of strange. "Where's JC?"

At the mention of their group mates name, each one of the guys stiffened up noticeably; proving to Melissa that JC's attitude had struck once again.

"His date is staying at another hotel, so he left a half-n-hour ago to go get her. He should be back with the Limo now."

Nodding her head, Melissa couldn't help but wonder to herself what had JC done this time to cause such an ill response from the four men in the elevator. But as she remembered everything he had been snidely saying to her within the last few days, she suddenly found herself not really caring.

It serves him right.

After snapping out of her thoughts as the elevator came to a complete stop, Melissa waited for Justin before exiting the closed-in mobile; the other three couples already ahead of her.

"How much do you wanna bet we get the car with JC?"

Knowing that the situation was most likely to happen and that it'd be better if Justin and her didn't have any angry like expressions on their faces when it did, Melissa joked that she wasn't a betting woman but figured if she was going to use Justin's money then she'd have to bet a million dollars. Causing Justin to slightly laugh before saying, "Knowing with our luck, we'd probably win."

After nodding in agreement, Melissa smiled Thank you at Mike as he held the door open for the couples and then watched in bemusement as Joey and Chris quickly took their dates by the hand and lead them to the second Limo; leaving everyone else to take the first one--which unsurprisingly enough held JC and his date for the night. A woman that Melissa couldn't help but study closely; wondering to herself where'd she seen the blonde before.

"Joshua!" Adverting her eyes from the woman in front of her, Melissa watched as Meredith wrapped her arms halfway around JC; getting a slight hug in return from him--only after Lance and Justin narrowed their eyes coldly at the older man. "It's so good to see you."

Smiling slightly, JC replied with an even, "You as well, Mere." Then afterwards signaled the end of the conversation by turning his head to look out the window beside his date.

Asshole

After a few minutes on the road, JC's date, Christina, asked a question, which Melissa didn't realize was pointed towards her until Justin slightly elbowed her in the waist; causing her to look up from the window in surprise.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. What did you say?"

After smiling, as if to say it was okay, the woman in front of her repeated her previous question. "I was just wondering if you and I had met before. You look strangely familiar."

Smiling slightly, Melissa nodded, afterwards replying, "I'm not sure, but you look familiar as well. It's as if I've seen your face somewhere before."

Before the other woman could reply to the statement, JC remarked, "That could be because her face is all over the billboards, Genius." Causing Justin and Lance to yell his name out in anger while Christina and Meredith just looked at their friend in disbelief; never having seen him act so rude before.

"You know your acting like a real prick, man."

Turning his eyes away from Melissa, JC rolled his eyes at Justin before saying, "Well, it takes one to know one."

A statement which would've started up a whole different argument had the Limo not come to a complete stop; signaling to the group that they had now arrived at their destination.

"Finally!"

As if pretending the man in front of them hadn't spoken, Lance and Justin began to put on their public smiles; ones which seemed contagious to Melissa until Justin's bodyguard, Lonnie, opened the car door--causing everyone to get their first look at the hundreds of people surrounding the red carpet.

Oh God.

Feeling a slight push from behind, Melissa snapped out of her thoughts. Then afterwards, absentmindedly stepped out of the car; hearing the sounds of flashing bulbs going off as she did so. There's so many people here.

While waiting for the others to get out of their Limo, Melissa scanned the large crowd of paparazzi; noting for the first time that she'd never seen anything like this before. And hopefully never would again.

"You might want to try and smile. It's supposed to help take the pressure of cameras away from you."

Raising an eyebrow at the advice, Melissa slightly smiled before asking Justin if it helped him. A second later getting the reply, "Not in the slightest."

After a few minutes of standing there, trying not to let the bright light's of everyone's camera blind them, Melissa and Justin finally got the okay to start walking.

Unfortunately though, a second later, they were stopped. "Justin! We're with Access Hollywood. Can we get a few words with you?"

Seeing the look of hope on the older man's face, Melissa knew that Justin would say yes.

"Sure, I have nowhere else to be for a while."

Watching as the man laughed, slightly in relief, Melissa figured he'd probably want a one-on-one interview and made a move to head over to where Dani and Kelly were standing; waiting for their boyfriends to finish their interviews. Unfortunately though, before Melissa could get very far, a large hand on her wrist caused her to stop and look up; locking eyes with her date.

"It's that time, sweetheart."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Melissa opened her mouth to protest. But before the words could get out, Justin moved his hand lower on her arm; interlocking their hands together. A reassuring move which made Melissa's slight nervousness go away..if only for a second.

"This is Billy Bush reporting from the No Strings Attached: Album release party. And here standing with me, is one of the most talented guys on the face of this planet." The interviewer commented, into the camera, before turning around; hitting both Justin and Melissa with a slightly off centered smile; "Justin, it's been almost three months since we, at Access Hollywood, last talked to you. How have you been?"

"I've been good. Can't really complain and yourself?"

Smirking as the older man slightly frowned at Justin's brief statement, Melissa wondered to herself if this was how all of the guy's interviews were going to go. Knowing them, she figured probably.

"Anyway, enough about tonight's events..." Billy said, snapping Melissa out of her thoughts as his eyes landed on her, "I'm sure the world wants to know whose this beautiful woman on your arm?"

Feeling Justin slightly squeeze her hand, the butterflies in Melissa's stomach settled down a little.

"This is Melissa Alano. She's an upcoming singer, who just signed with Lance's company a few days ago."

"Oh, really." Billy said, while raising both eyebrows in interest; realizing that he just got exclusive information before anyone else did. "So when should we expect to see you on the country charts?"

Before Melissa could respond, Justin cut in, stating that they wouldn't. "She's actually a pop singer."

Covering his surprise with a slightly goofy-looking grin, Billy turned towards Justin, sarcastically saying, "I'm sure Britney loves that." A comment, which Melissa could tell by Justin's face, he wasn't really surprised about.

"I guess so. You'll have to ask her next time you see her."

Knowing by the slight look of mischief on his face, the man in front of her was about to respond to Justin's comment with a smart ass remark, Melissa squeezed the hand in hers before commenting, "I think their about to open the doors. Lonnie's signaling for us to hurry up."

Turning his head, Justin looked towards where his bodyguard was standing; at the moment with his eyes on the crowd beside them. Then moving his gaze back towards Melissa, he stared at her confused; then after a minute, giving her a Thank you smile as he realized what she was doing. "Well, I guess that wraps up this interview."

Realizing he couldn't stop the two from entering the building--knowing if he tried he'd either look like an asshole or be ejected from the carpet--the interviewer nodded his head slightly; afterwards telling both Justin and Melissa that he'd hope to talk to them more in the future.

"Not if I can help it." Justin said, under his breath, after Melissa and him turned away from the man and began to make their way towards the next interviewer in line. Oh boy.

Knowing that the previous conversation could possibly ruin the rest of her date's evening, Melissa shrugged slightly before looking up at Justin's stiff posture and replying, "Well, just think about it this way. You have, what looks like, four more interviews to go. So with the way I see it, by the time we get into the party, I'm sure you'll have enough anger within you to write your guys entire next album."

Furrowing his eyebrows at the comment, Justin took in what Melissa had just said; after a second chuckling to himself before replying, "I think I can honestly say, you're going to fit right in with the rest of us."

A comment which made Melissa smile while thinking, You never know, but I sort of hope so.

Exactly one hour after arriving at the party, Justin had Melissa laughing and dancing more than she ever had before; which, at the moment, was probably the reason why she was now seated at the almost empty bar table, yawning her lungs out. "I am utterly exhausted. I don't know how the guys can still be out there dancing."

Not even a second after she had made the comment, a familiar voice from behind caused Melissa to look up, smiling.

"I've been trying to figure that one out myself. Sometimes, I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd think they ran on pure sugar alone."

Clearing her purse, which she'd also borrowed from Meredith, from the stool beside her, Melissa silently asked the woman in front of her to take a seat; smiling slightly, once again, as Christina did so.

"Out of curiosity, how long have you known the guys?" Melissa asked after a second of silence; figuring that even though the woman, beside her, had come to the party with JC, that didn't necessarily mean she had to have the same personality traits as him. Did it?

As Christina furrowed her eyebrows in concentration, Melissa could tell the woman was counting back. "Mm, I've known Chris, Joey, and Lance for about three years now. But I met JC and Justin when I was around fourteen; we were all on the Mickey Mouse Club together."

Like a light switch had gone off in her head, Melissa widened her eyes at this comment. That's why she looks so familiar!

"Okay, you might think I'm a little bit strange for asking you this, but did you happen to live in Pittsburgh before you joined the Mickey Mouse club?"

While staring at Melissa as if she'd suddenly grown two heads, Christina replied, "For a couple of years. Why? Are you also from there?"

After frowning at the words, Melissa mentally reminded herself that they were kids then so it shouldn't be a shock that the woman didn't remember her. "Yeah, for a couple of years I did. Even though, you probably don't remember me, I was your neighbor."

Slightly opening her mouth in disbelief, Christina narrowed her eyes pointedly; trying to see if the woman in front of her was telling the truth or not. "Your name is.....Alano?"

She remembers

Smiling slightly, Melissa nodded, before saying: "Melissa Alano."

"Shit." Christina said, after a couple of seconds; a wide grin all of a sudden widening her face, "Talk about a small world. I used to spend Thanksgiving day at your house."

Laughing slightly at the words, Melissa couldn't help but nod before thinking: Those were the days...before back-stabbing friends and cheating boyfriends.

"I can't believe it." Christina said, snapping Melissa out of her thoughts, "I haven't talked to you in years and you still remember me?"

After nodding, Melissa shrugged, "Well, you were kind of hard to forget. I mean, one day you and I were playing concert in your backyard and the next you were gone off to Orlando to play with the big boys."

While continuing to get over the surprise that she was actually sitting there talking to someone very close to her from the past, Christina could only nod at Melissa's words.

After a second, stopping as a slightly annoyed Lance approached them.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt you two. But do you guys happen to have any idea as to where JC has run off to?"

While shaking their heads no, Christina and Melissa both gave one another somebody's in trouble looks, before turning their attention back towards Lance; who at the moment looked like a person in need of a drink. A stiff one.

"Shit!" Lance exclaimed; afterwards apologizing to the two ladies in front of him.

While telling her manager that it was okay, Melissa couldn't help but inwardly curse JC out; something that seemed to be happening all the time now. "What happened?"

After running a hand through his spiky hair, Lance sighed. "We were at the table, in the middle of an interview, when his ex-girlfriend, Bobbie, walked in. Her boss in hand."

Wincing at the comment, Melissa didn't even have to guess as to how that felt. She'd been there before, only with one major difference. We weren't broken up.

"Do you want us to go look for him?"

That comment had came from her mouth and as Lance looked at her in surprise, she couldn't blame him. Her words had surprised her damn self. Where'd that come from?

Smiling slightly, Lance nodded, before saying he'd like that.

A statement which Melissa couldn't help but smirk at; knowing if Sam was there, she'd wonder what else he'd like.

"JC?"

Peeking her head inside another doorway's entrance, Melissa couldn't help but sigh in frustration at seeing no signs of the cold-hearted man. Where in God's name are you?

Looking down the hallway, Melissa noted to herself that she had one more room to check in, before her part of the missing person search was over. If you don't want four angry singers after you, I'd suggest that you be in there, Mr. Chasez.

Making her way towards the last room, Melissa got ready to walk back the other way. But fortunately enough she didn't have to. She'd found him.

"JC-" As the older man looked up, from his position at a lone piano bench, with a tear streaked expression on his face, Melissa couldn't help but cut off the rest of her statement.

"Melissa." He replied after a second, his voice confusingly enough void of any of the hatred he'd used when speaking to her before. "You can come in."

After widening her eyes in surprise, Melissa wondered to herself if since JC was acting somewhat nice to her, she should call for help. But after realizing how silly that sounded, the thought was quickly erased from her head and she found herself hesitantly making her way towards where he was seated--sitting down as soon as she got to him.

As a minute passed and they were still seated silently, next to one another, listening to each other breathe, Melissa couldn't help but think, sarcastically to herself: Well, this is nice.

After another couple of seconds, the tense silence got to be too much for Melissa, and before she could stop herself, she heard herself ask, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Without even bothering to look up at the words, JC shook his head. Then after a second, he opened his mouth to speak; much to both his and Melissa's surprise. "Will you..play something for me?"

Absentmindedly widening her eyes in disbelief, Melissa studied the man beside her for a second before saying, "Uhh, sure. Do you have any request?"

As soon as she asked the question, Melissa was surprised to see an amused smirk come across the older man's face. "Anything but Mariah."

If not given the circumstances, Melissa figured she would've laughed at the statement. But instead of doing just that, she instead nodded her head slightly before starting to play the first song that came to her mind. A second too late, realizing just what that said song was. Oh shit.

Unfortunately though, before she could move onto a different song, JC started to sing beside her.

One last cry
Before I leave it all behind
I've gotta put you out of my mind, this time
Stop living a lie
I guess I'm down to my last cry

I was here, you were there
Guess we never could agree
While the sun shines on you, I need some love to rain on me
Still, I sit all alone, wishing all my feelings were gone
Gotta get over you, nothing for me to do
But have one last cry

One last cry
Before I leave it all behind
I've gotta put you out of my mind, this time
Stop living a lie

I know I gotta be strong...
'Cuz around me, life goes on and on and on, and on..

Knowing that in some sort of strange way, JC needed her to, Melissa continued to play even when the older man's emotions stopped him from continuing to sing for a couple of seconds.

One last cry
Before I leave it all behind
I've gotta put you out of my mind, for the very last time
Been living a lie
I guess I'm down...I guess I'm down...I guess I'm down...to my last cry

As the end of the song came, Melissa finished the rest of the piano notes. Then immediately afterwards took her hands off the keys; not knowing what else to do now. Wow

Stealing a look at the man beside her, Melissa wasn't that surprised to find his eyes clenched tightly together; proving to her that the older man didn't want her to see the pain or the tears that laid beneath his closed eyelids.

"J-"

Before she could continue, the door to the room opened once again, and Lance stepped inside; furrowing his eyebrows in confusion as he noticed the two in front of him. "Am I interrupting something?"

Adverting her eyes from Lance's confused stare, Melissa silently watched as JC stood up from the bench; not bothering to say anything to either Lance or her as he made his way past the both of them and out into the hallway.

After a second, Melissa sighed slightly; wondering to herself what had just happened and why she, for some reason, found herself wanting to give JC a comforting hug because of it. She was truly confused.

"You okay?"

Looking up, Melissa noticed that Lance was now standing in front of the piano, shooting her a worried gaze, and the first thought that came to her head at seeing this was:

Yeah, but shouldn't you be asking JC the same thing?

**