May  ‘96

I can not believe that brother actually did it!  He’d actually accomplished something in his life that didn’t involve lounging around my house eating up all of the food.  He’d actually gotten the group together and had gotten them a manager from Trans Continental, Lou Pearlman.  

So, Chris and the rest of the guys were currently over in Europe to follow the other group that Mr. Pearlman had put together, the Backstreet Boys.  What kind of name was that anyway?  Even though the one with the blond hair and blue eyes was really cute.  Any who, my brother’s group name is *N Sync.  Mrs. Lynn, Justin’s mom, came up with it.  The name has two meanings actually.  The spelling came from the last letters of each of the guys names, JustiN ChriS JoeY LansteN JC.  The second meaning is how in sync they are with their voices and dance moves.

And I know what you are thinking.  Where the hell did that Lansten boy come from?  And where was Charles?  Well, Charles left the group for reasons unknown, and they had replaced him with some guy named Jason.  But he left to get married.  So, they found a boy named James Bass from Mississippi, through Justin’s old vocal coach, Bob Westbrook.  He was perfect for the group.  But the only thing that wasn’t perfect was his name.  They found out his middle name was Lance and as a joke we started calling him Lansten.  And it stuck.

And speaking of Justin, I know that you are probably sick of me rambling on and on about my brother’s group.  And I know that I’ve bored you to tears.  And you’re really waiting on the juicy details of what happened between myself and Justin.  Well, after the night of our first date and the night where he gave me my wonderful, magnificent, magical first kiss, I was really in love.  We continued to hang out and go out on different dates.  And now I can officially say that Justin Randall Timberlake is MY boyfriend.  How freaking exciting was that?  I, Nicole Annabelle Ramirez, have a boyfriend.

Right now he was in Germany with the rest of the guys promoting their group.  And since school just let out for summer for me, my mom and Justin’s mom said that it was ok that I could join them for my summer vacation.

Actually my plane just landed in Frankfurt.  That was the longest flight I have ever been on.  Almost eighteen hours.  

I turned off my walkman, and stuffed it down in my purse.  As soon as the ‘Fasten Seat Belt’ sign went off, I unbuckled my seatbelt.  I then heard the flight attendant announce something in German, but she then repeated that we have arrived in Frankfurt in English, for those of us who didn’t understand.  I stood up from my seat, stretched my achy limbs.  I reached up to the overhead compartment and grabbed my baby blue Jansport backpack.  I followed the insanely long line of passengers to get off of the plane.  I walked through the terminal to get to the inside of the airport.  

As soon as I got there, I saw Mrs. Lynn, dressed in jeans and a windbreaker jacket, holding a sign with my name scribbled across in chicken scratch writing (definitely Justin’s writing or a five year old), as she stood there with a huge burly African American man.

She smiled when she saw me.  “Hey, sweetie.”  She embraced me in a huge hug.  “How was your flight?”

“Long.”  I exasperated, letting out a deep breath of air.

“I bet.”  She placed her arm around my shoulder.  “The boys are doing a radio interview right now.  They are going to be there for a while.  We are going to stop by the hotel, so you can get refreshed, get some rest, and then we will go and get them from the radio station.  K?”  She said giving my shoulder a small squeeze.

“Ok.”  I nodded.

“Alright, let’s go and get your bags.”

--

Almost an hour later, we had arrived at the hotel.  The man that had came with Mrs. Lynn, who I found it his name was Mike, one of the two bodyguards the guys had, had helped us into the hotel that the guys were staying.  I would be sleeping the same room with Mrs. Lynn.  

Mike placed my bags next to my bed.

I plopped down on the huge comfortable bed.

“Nikki, I’m going down to the lobby to get some coffee and to make a quick phone call.  You need anything?”  Mrs. Lynn asked me as she stood next to the door.

I shook my head.  “No, thanks.”

“Ok, baby.  I’ll be back in a few minutes.”  She said as she walked out of the room.

I sighed looking around the room.  The room had a very beautiful Venetian thing going on.  There were lots of browns and beiges going on.  I always thought those colors were kind of bland and boring, but this room was far from it.

I sighed and then stood to my feet.  I picked up one of my suitcases and placed it on the top of my bed.  As soon as I opened it up, I contemplated on what to wear.  When I searched through its contents, I settled on a pair of dark denim jeans and my Janet Jackson concert tee, that I got from her concert two years ago.  

I took a ten minute shower.  When I got out, Mrs. Lynn still hadn’t returned.  I finished my hygiene thing.  Deodorant, lotion, etc, and I got dressed.  I opted on straightening my curly hair, but since I was too lazy to do anything, I just decided to leave it curly and let it air dry.

When I finished getting dressed, I grabbed the remote and sat at the head of the bed, and waited.  I pressed the power button for the television and turned it on.  I started flipping through the channels.  I kept flipping and flipping.  Nothing was on.  Until, I got to a channel that was playing my favorite TV show, Saved by the Bell, but it was in German.  Since nothing else was on, I just left it on that.  And besides it’s an episode that I have already seen.

A light yawn escaped from my lips.  I hadn’t realized I was that tired until, in the middle of trying to read Zack’s lips, my eyes drifted shut.

--

I felt a sudden shift in the bed.

“Wake up, Beautiful.”  I heard a voice sing in my ear, before I felt something or someone nuzzle my neck.

My eyes soon fluttered open and they were instantly connected a pair of dark blue ones.  “Justin?”

“Hey.”  He said as he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my lips.

“Hey.”  I said groggily trying to sit up.  “What time is it?”

He looked down at his watch and looked back up at me.  “It’s a little after one.”

Another yawn escaped my lips.  “Wow.  I’ve been asleep for awhile.”

He nodded.  “Yeah.  My mom didn’t want to wake you.  Since you had a long flight.  She figured that you needed that nap.”

“Oh.”  I yawned again.  “Where’s everybody?”

“In the other room.  You hungry?”

“A little.”  My stomach grumbled a little.  I did have a meal on the plane, but that was garbage.

“Well we’re leaving in ten minutes to go and get something to eat.”  He smiled at me, while he softly caressed my cheek.  Man, I never get sick of seeing that smile.  And I hadn't seen it in weeks.

I smiled back him.  “Ok, let me just get my shoes.”

“Ok.”  He said getting up from the bed, and then he helped me up.  But before I could reach for my tennis shoes, he pulled me into his warm embrace.  “I missed you.”

I placed my head on his chest, his smell lingering in my nose.  God, he smelled so good.  “I missed you too.”  I then looked up at him.  He gave me a half grin, leaned down, and placed another kiss on my lips.  His large hands cupped face, as our kiss deepened.

It had been too long since I kissed him.

After we had reluctantly let go, I put on my shoes, grabbed my purse and jacket, and grabbed Justin’s hand.  We walked out of the room, where we saw Lance, my dorky, butt muncher brother, Mrs. Lynn, and few others standing in the hallway.

“Look who finally decided to wake up.  Nice to see you, Booger.”  Of course my brother, Chris, just being himself, walked up to me, and gave me a huge hug, breaking my grip from Justin away.  “How was the flight?  How’s mom?”

“Fine and fine.”  I answered.

“And Molly?”  He asked.

“Fine.”  Again, I answered.

“And Emily?”  He asked.

I knew exactly where this was going.  “Fine…Kate and Taylor are fine too.  Anything else?”  He shook his head, and then placed sloppy open mouthed kiss on my cheek.  “Ugh!  Chris!”  I wiped the wet spot on my cheek.  “That was so gross.”  I then wiped my hand on his t-shirt.  “You’re nasty.”

“And I love you too, Booger.”  He said, ruffling my hair, and I just slapped his hand away.

“Ah, look who it is?”  I turned to my right and there was Joey, along with JC, walking up to me, with his video camera firmly attached to his hands.  I swear he carried that damn thing everywhere he went.  “How you doing, Nikki?”  He leaned down and hugged me.

“Good.”  I said returning the gesture.

“That’s great.  Now would you say a few words to the camera please?”  He held up the video device to my face.  “And…ACTION!”  He yelled to me causing the others to burst into a fit of laughter.

I raised my hand up to shield my eyes from the bright light at the top of the camera.  “Joey.”  I whined.  “You know how much I hate cameras?”  I said standing on one hip, still shielding my eyes from the light.

He took the camera down and pouted.  “You’re no fun.”  He walked away from me a little sadden.

“Hey, Nikki.”  JC said reaching down to hug me also.

“Alright, hands off my girl.”  Justin intervened, as he playfully pushed JC off of me, before wrapping his arm around my shoulders.  “Let’s eat.”

I snickered and shook my head at Justin’s possessiveness, and followed everyone out of the hotel.  We all piled into the huge bus that awaited us outside.

Justin and I decided to take a seat in the back.  He sat near the window and I sat next to him.  Getting comfortable, I rested my head on his shoulder.  I was still feeling a little jet lagged.

“Aren’t they disgusting?”  I looked up to see Joey turned around facing Justin and myself, holding up that damned video camera, again.  “Aren’t they disgusting Jace?”  He turned the camera in JC’s direction, who’s was sitting right next to him.

“I don’t know, Joe.”  JC said looking into the camera.  “I think these two are way past disgusting.  I think vile is more like it.”

Joey nodded his head in agreement.  “Yes, that’s it. You young kids...so in loveeee.”  He sang into the camera.

I turned to look at Justin who was snickering.  I shook my head and turned back to Joey.  “Oh, shut-up, Joey.”  I threatened and he turned his camera back around to me.  “I don’t talk about you and Kelly.  Do I?”

“What about me and Kelly?”  Confusion was written all over his mocha colored eyes.

“Hmm…let’s see…”  I pretended to think.  “I think it was last Christmas.  It involved you, Kelly, and a hall clos…”

His eyes lit up.  “Hey!”  He shielded the lens of his camera and whispered, “not in front of the camera.”  He then turned to his attention back to JC.  And I turned my attention back to resting my head against Justin’s shoulder, satisfied by what I just accomplished.

I lightly yawned, looking down at Justin’s right hand saw something that I’ve never seen before.  It was a ring.  “Is that new?”  I asked.

“Is what new?”  He asked looking down at me, his azure eyes read of confusion.

“This.”  I lightly ran my finger across the ring.

“Oh, that…” he quickly snatched his hand away from me.  O…k.  “Yeah…my granny…uh….got it for me.  It was a birthday gift.”

“Oh.”  I said confused.  I had never seen that ring before, and I was definitely not impressed.  Granny needed better taste.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  He shifted, a little agitated.  “You don’t like it?”

I shook my head.  “No,” I answered honestly.  “It’s kind of ugly.”  As soon as the words came out of my mouth, his hit the floor.  What?  The ring was ugly.  It was a gold nugget shape with grooves in it.  Trust me if you saw it, you would have said that thing was ugly too.  “I guess since it’s from your Granny, it’s special.”  I tried to sympathize.  But the damage had already been done.

“Yeah, whatever.”  He turned his attention out to the window.

Oh great, he’s mad at me now.

Me and my big mouth.

“JC, it’s a lover’s quarrel.”  

I looked up and JC, Joey, and that stupid camera were back in my face.

I leaned forward, looking straight into the oversized lens.  “I swear to God, if you don’t get that thing out of my face, I will -and I quote- beat you to death with it.”

JC held in laughter, while Joey feigned shock.

“Well, someone’s being a big meanie pants.”  Joey whined, before sticking his tongue out at me.  It seemed like he wanted to lose that too.  But he had already turned back around, coddling the camera to him.  “It’s ok, baby.  I won’t let the mean little girl hurt you.”

Weirdo…

I turned back over to Justin, and he was still pouting in the corner.  Geez, it was just a ring…

--

We all decided to dine at everyone’s favorite, McDonald’s, for lunch.  Even in Germany they have a McDonald’s.

When we all departed from the bus, Justin, still very much pissed at me, began to walk a head of me.  I didn’t know why he was being such a big baby.  It wasn’t like I called his Granny ugly.

I sped walk to try to catch up with him.  “Hey,” I pulled on the bottom part of his windbreaker, once I caught up with him.  He stopped and turned around to face me.  I sighed before beginning.  “I’m sorry, ok?  It was wrong of me to say bad things about something that obviously means a lot to you.  Since it was your Granny who gave it to you, then the ring is beautiful.”  Pardon me, while I go cringe.  “You forgive me?”  I grabbed his hand and laced our fingers together.

I could see the tension in his crystal eyes melt away.  God, did I mention how much I love those eyes?

It was his turn to sigh.  “I’m sorry too.  I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.  You have your opinions and I have my opinions on your stuff.”

Wait a minute…  “What stuff?”  I was offended.  What of mines that Justin had his opinions on?

He shook his head.  “Never mind.”  He then leaned down to place another kiss on my lips.  I guess he wanted to get my mind off of our conversation.  And it worked.

“Hey, Curly!”  Justin and I were rudely interrupted when the loud, squeaky sound of my brother’s voice that was coming from behind us.  We both turned into the direction of the entrance of McDonald’s.  “Hands off the little sister, Perv.”

“Shut-it, Chris!”  I yelled to him once Justin and I stood at the entrance along with my creep brother.

“Don’t yell at me!  Don’t forget that I’m the eldest.”  He pointed to himself.

“And don’t forget you hit like a girl.”  I mocked him shoving my fist in his face.  He really did hit like a girl.

And just like that he quickly backed off.  I knew my brother knows better than to mess with me like that.  

“You ain’t got to get all physical with me.”  He defended himself and turned to Justin, who was standing behind me.  “Feel free to feel my sister up anytime.”  He said patting Justin’s shoulder.

Justin snickered as I grabbed his hand and we walked into the restaurant.

“Wimp.”  I heard Lance cough to my brother.

“You’re damn right.  My sister might be small, but she packs a powerful punch.”  Chris admitted, and I smiled widely.  Yep, that’s right.  Got ‘im trained.

--

Lunch was actually pretty normal.  If you considered normal as Joey and JC throwing French fries at Lance, who’s trying to catch them in his mouth.  Chris was making weird and obscene noises with parts of his body I dare not discuss.  My brother’s disgusting.  Justin was sitting right next to me, singing to the top of his lungs.  I wish he would just shut the hell up.  

And then there was me.  I was sitting here eating my French fries peacefully, just watching these fools make asses of themselves.  And I had to wonder, if this was a pretty normal lunch, I’m scared to see what a not so normal lunch would be.  Actually, I don’t even want to think about it.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Joey’s hand slowly inched its way towards my fries.  “If you don’t want to pull back a hand with no fingers, then I suggest that you remove your hands from my fries.”  I warned him.  He quickly snatched his hand back.  “That’s what I thought.”  I said taking a fry and chomping down on it.

“Chris was right.  You are evil.”  Joey said and I smiled.  Was I supposed to be offended by that?  Joey then turned to Justin.  “Be careful, JT.”

I turned to look at Justin, smiling.  “Hey, at least I know when I’m in trouble, I have back up.  Ain’t that right, baby?”  He turned to me and winked.

I rolled my eyes at him.  “Aren’t you supposed to be the one defending my honor?”

He smiled before he answered.  “Yeah, if any guy touches you, I would kick some serious as…butt.” I then heard a snicker beside me, and turned my head to see Joey covering up his mouth.  Justin playfully rolled his eyes at him before he continued.  “Anyways, I wouldn’t let another guy touch you, but another girl, I’ll help…I’ll help throw in the whipped cream and hot fudge.”  He wiggled his eye brows, before receiving a high-five from Joey.

Geez boys are disgusting.  I turned to see Mrs. Lynn, who had the same disgusted face I had on her face.  “Do you hear him?”

“I heard him.”  She said looking at him sternly, before reaching over to slap him in the back of his head.

Now it was my turn to laugh.

Justin grabbed his head in pain.  “Ouch, ma.  That hurt.”

“Uh-hmm.”  Mrs. Lynn said taking a bite of her fish sandwich.

Served him right for being a pig.

--

The next couple of weeks went by in a complete blur.  And I was there for every part of it.  I went with them to their shows.  Which were awesome by the way.  I had never seen so many screaming girls in my life.  We almost got trampled several times, by these crazy girls, who were chasing the guys all around Germany.  Some even followed our buses for miles…on foot.  

During one of the shows, there was an accident and Justin slipped on some water on stage and broke his thumb.  It was pretty bad, but the best part was that I got to help nurse him back to help.  But then Justin got a bit annoying, and I wanted to shove his face into an exhaust pipe.  So, I decided to let Mrs. Lynn take the reigns on playing nurse.

Justin and I barely got any alone time.  He was either too busy or we were being babysat by my brother, Lance, or JC.  Even Mike took turns watching us.  To make matters worse, I woke up at the crack of dawn everyday to go with them to interviews.  Which were tidiest and boring.  And all they did was ask the same question over and over again.  Like there were a thousand meanings to the name *Nsync.  But I did get to do a little shopping with Mrs. Lynn, while the guys were doing some of their interviews.

My birthday was pretty awesome.  Turning fifteen in a foreign country was pretty kick-ass.

And then that was it.  Before I knew it, summer was over and I had to go home.  I really wanted to stay, but I couldn’t.  Because I had to go back to school.  I dreaded the fact that I would have to spend weeks away from Justin.  Man how much does my life suck?