Without her here, things have been so different and that includes Caylei. She has been in Orlando prepping for tour until early the other morning when she left for Ghent and I miss her like crazy. "I wish you were here to help us celebrate the Florida dates the right way," I tell her, chuckling as I recall the first US tour.
"I know, but I'm halfway across the world," she sighs.
"Do you even want to be there?"
"Well, they do need me for this tour and I am locked into the contract because I backed out of the last one with the Boys," she reminds me, laughing at whoever just caused a loud thud to be heard on my end. "Serves you right, dumb ass!"
"What?"
"Nick, AJ and Brian were goofing off and the youngest fell on his ass. He may have lost a few brain cells," she informs me.
"I did not!" I hear him protest.
"I think so. Before you fell, you knew not to argue with me because it'd get you fuckin nowhere!" she sternly reminds him.
I guffaw, completely shocked by it myself. "How's the tour treating you so far?"
"It's good, busy and crazy."
"Normal."
"How's that 'normal'?" she quips.
"Heh, I know it may not be the same norm we were raised with."
"Check out the way she ties up her laces, putting a smiles on the faces.." Aaron sings quietly, entering the room.
"New album jam?" she asks.
"Yeah! It's called 'Baby It's You'!" he announces excitedly.
"Cool, kid. Got a demo for it?"
"I will tomorrow, but I'd really like it if you and Nick were there," he shyly requests from her.
"Anything for you, Acey." I miss being able to see her smile, willing to get to hear it in her voice is second best.
"You really care about his brother."
"Of course, he's a good kid and hasn't done anything to hurt me."
"What are you doing?!" I hear a female scold all of them.
"Gotta go!" she tells me, hanging up.
"You talk to her?" JC asks me, like he does every time I hang up.
"Yes. She's doing just fine and is herself."
"How do you know?" he demands, his cell beeping right after. He checks it, types something out fast on it and puts it away before thanking me, walking to his bunk.
"Strange," I mutter, shaking my head.
"Hey, Scoop," Justin greets, Joey glancing at me with a smile on his face.
"Hey. This tour is going to stink!" I reply.
Justin rolls his eyes and nods. "This is going to blow chunks."
"It's going to suck hardcore," Joey adds.
"I wish JazzBean could be on ours and not theirs," Chris sneers, flopping onto the couch at the front of the bus and flips on the tv.
She got the nickname because of her habit of separating all her candies by color, especially jelly beans and she's done it since before I've known her. It's amusing sometimes, but it's part of who she is and it always brings a smile to my face. I finally stop pacing the length of the tour bus and sit at the table, missing her. "I'm not the only one that misses her and finds it odd that JC is always anxious to hear from her, walking away after getting a text?" I ask the four of them.
"He does that because it's her updating him on everything and of course I miss her, Lance," Justin informs me.
"I miss her like tomorrow may never come," Joey says, rubbing his stomach.
"You miss her cooking," Chris observes. "I miss her sense of humor."
"I miss her smile, laugh and pretty much everything that makes her, well, her."
"I miss her because I worry about my baby sister when I can't be right there and I love her," JC confesses, sitting across from me. "Right now, I'm worried sick about her. Lance, do we have a couple days coming up between dates?"
"Yes, between the one three days from tonight until the 14th we have off. Why?"
"I want to stop in and see my baby sister," he tells us, sharply emphasizing 'my baby sister'. He's gotten extremely protective lately and it not only annoys her, but pisses her off to no end. It's the same way he was when it came to Heather, but it's twenty fold easy.
"She's going to be in NYC for the Backstreet Boys' Disney special in two days," I offer.
"How long is a flight from NYC to Pittsburgh?" he questions.
"About an hour," I tell him and he darts for the back of the bus with his cell phone attached to his ear. "See what I mean?" I ask, thumbing in JC's direction.
The three of them shrug, Chris justifies JC's behavior, "It's a big brother thing, I did it to all of my sisters and pissed them off beyond belief."
"I do it to my brothers sometimes," Justin adds.
"I'm the youngest," Joey admits, his hands in front of him as if in surrender.
"I wonder how much of a pain in the ass it is to be the older sibling," I think aloud.
"Five times worse than being the younger one and you worry about everything you're missing on the road," Chris explains.
~~~~~
"Get your asses moving!" Caylei yells at us from the front of the bus as we feel the bus coming to a complete stop near our hotel.
"We already got to Camden?" Justin asks her.
"Yes, Just," she replies, her hands on her hips.
"Ugh!" JC groans, dragging ass. "By the way, Cay, I won't be with you and the guys the day of the 10th or between the end of the show from the 11th until just before we leave the hotel the 14th," he tells her in passing.
Her hand flies at lightening speed and grabs a handful of his shirt, pulling him back to her. "What do you mean?" she spits at him.
"I have to pop in on my sister, check on her. Like Chris does when he can."
"I guess we need to talk to Johnny then," she growls at him.
"Fine, he'll understand," he barks, irritated before getting off the bus to head for his hotel room.
We get inside the hotel and JC is discussing his plans to see Sam on the dates he told Caylei, being told stipulations for said visits to happen. All stipulations will be met and he won't have limitations, it's kind of the the same idea as when Johnny allowed her to tour with us. "Make sure you're back by 6:30 pm the 10th and the 14th, no matter what," Johnny demands, standing firm.
"Sure, no problem. Thanks for understanding," he says, giving him a handshake and a hug. "I can't even begin to show or explain how much I appreciate this!" he shouts over his shoulder, darting for the open and empty elevator.
"Just be back by the time I told you!" he yells in response.
"You're letting him go?" I ask.
"It's his sister and I know what she is to you."
"If I had asked, would you let me go?"
"Most likely, she's like family to you," he tells me, smiling gently.
I get up to my room and check the time before texting her. She responds quickly. 'Hey, you. Just getting to eat. What's up on your end?'
'Just got to Camden. It's dinner time there?'
'Yes. Almost lunch on the East Coast. Miss you. How are the others holding up?'
'Good. JC's worried as usual, we miss you and wish you could be here.'
'I wish I could, but I'm locked into this contract cuz I bailed on the last one over a year ago. So if I miss a date I'm fired and it goes on my work history.'
'I know how you don't want that.' I sigh, wishing she could talk. 'Can I call?'
'Not really. I went to the bathroom just before you texted me and we're at a NICE restaurant here in Italy.'
'I want to talk to you, hear your voice. I seriously miss my best friend from home.' I'm being mopey and whiny because Justin has his best friend with him who acts as our assistant choreographer, PA and co-manager as well. Mine? She's halfway across the world and miss her dearly, causing me to feel jealousy about Caylei being with us for the tour instead of Sam. "I really do miss you," I whisper to my empty and silent hotel room, wishing it could be filled with our laughter instead.
'Miss you like crazy, James!' is the last text I receive from her before I get woken up by Justin and Chris flicking water in my face.
"Get up, Lance!" Justin hollers at me.
"What?" I snap at him, half awake.
"We have to do a dress rehearsal," he tells me, motioning above my head and I look into Caylei's hazel eyes.
"I'm getting up now," I announce.
"We leave in ten," she tersely informs me, upset about something.
~~~~~
I'm ready to start performing twenty minutes from now, getting excited about our performance. Caylei and Darren had been total slave drivers through rehearsals and sound check. We had already done our Ritual already. Maybe she's mad about JC getting Johnny to clear him to pop in on his sister and my best friend from home. "Three minutes, get by the stage entrance," Caylei tells us, stepping into the game room.
"One question," I state, having waited for the other four to get ahead of us.
"Shoot."
"Why are you mad at JC for going to see Jazz?"
"What? I'm not!" she snarls at me, proving other wise by her reaction alone.
"They're family and she's been through hell and high waters in the past year and a half or so."
"Did she ever date a Nick Carter?"
"Yes, but it only lasted just over 4 months and that happened in 97 into 98. Why?"
"Is she on tour with them?"
She isn't looking me in the eye, something is going on. "Yes, back up dancer and also is in his brother's set."
"Fuck," she mutters, confusing me. "Would he cheat?"
I have no idea what to tell her, I can't stand to be the middle man in anyone else's relationship and I just shrug before running on stage once I hear Justin and JC calling for me.
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