~9~

January 15th, 2000
NSync House

Annaleigh blinked her eyes open, before instantly shutting them when a bright light practically seared her cornea. Moving her legs just slightly to tuck into a tighter ball seemed to take longer than usual. Her muscles were sore and she felt drained off all energy.

Why am I up? She wondered, trying to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep. Then she felt someone shake her shoulder. With a groan, she squeezed her eyes shut tighter and pulled her blankets up over her head. The shaking continued. “Go away, I’m sleepin’.”

She heard Justin’s familiar chuckle. “How can you talk if you’re sleeping?” he asked from somewhere above her.

“I just can, now shhhh,” Annaleigh replied from the darkness. She heard Justin sigh before shaking her again. “Go away.”

“Can’t do that,” Justin replied. His voice sounded farther away. Annaleigh opened her eyes and listened for him, hearing nothing only to let out a loud groan of pain when she felt his bodily form crash down on top of her. “Ooof.  Justin! I jus’ want some sleep! I’ve been workin’ all week.”

“And we’ve been prancing around meadows picking flowers?” Justin asked with a loud laugh.

“Shoot, ya know what I mean,” Annaleigh replied.

With rehearsals for the VMAs, Annaleigh already felt incredibly busy. Last night the boys had gone out in Hollywood to attend a party for Teen People, partly to get some time out of the rehearsal space and NSYNC house, and to promote the upcoming release of Bye Bye Bye on the 17th while she was stuck at one of the last few late night rehearsals for the AMAs.

Everybody was buzzing about the song, excited to hear what it would sound like and to see what direction the boy band was headed with this new album. They had inkling that the song would do well and that people would enjoy it, but wouldn’t really know until about a week after the song was released just how successful it really was.

It was a scary, but exciting moment at the same time.

While Joey and JC immediately crashed as soon as they got back to the house, Lance had stayed up a little while longer to tell Annaleigh all about the party as she had to stay behind to rehearse, before heading to bed. Justin and Chris, as usual, continued to feed off the buzz and excitement from the party and tried to burn off the excess energy by any means possible.

“Come on, Annaleigh!” Justin said, practically singing her name.  He reached for the extra pillow on her bed and smacked her over the head with it. “Annaleigh, today’s a big day. It’s our day off! Our last day off until the AMAs. We’ve got a full day of rehearsal and wardrobe and stuff tomorrow. “

“And I have nothing planned today,” Annaleigh replied, blindly kicking her leg towards him.

“Great! So you can—“

Annaleigh let out a huff of annoyance before rolling onto her back, swinging her arms down to her sides, bringing her blankets with her to glare at the youngest NSYNC member. “You don’ understand, Justin,” she said to him, “it’s not that I have nothin’ planned, it’s that I plan to do nothin’.” She then pulled her blankets back up over her head.

They had a full day of dress rehearsal the next day, and then the awards the day after. She wanted one day to sit down and do nothing around the house. It was finally happening; the fans were getting to see what the boys have been working on for months, and in essence to see what she could do. The minute her interviews of being the new member in the *NSYNC band went live; everyone would know who she was.

Of course, that meant a boatload of even more interviews and even more photo shoots were going to be rolling in day in and day out each one asking her, and all the boys to provide as much energy as possible. She had watched them do a couple radio interviews and even she got tired of watching them being asked the same questions over and over again, but they seemed happy to answer it each and every time.

The one question they got the most was about Lou Pearlman.

Not that anyone could really blame the reporters for asking. It was a shock for everyone to hear about what was going on behind the scenes.

How did you not realize you weren’t making any money? We trusted Lou; we had no reason to ask about the money we were making.

What went through your mind when you saw your first pay check and how little money you had received? Nothing. It was totally blank. We were in shock. We didn’t get it.

How did you feel when you found out the man you trusted was keeping all that money from you? Angry, hurt, confused.

And on and on, question after question. Annaleigh had to give credit where credit was due. The boys knew how to answer questions respectfully and professionally all the while keeping their anger back. It was evident that they didn’t want to talk about what had happened with their old manager anymore, they wanted to move on and discuss their new music but they handled things very well.

What was most surprising was that everything that happened to them with Lou happened to others, like the Backstreet Boys. Who knew what other bands from Orlando managed by Lou had gone through? Who knew just how much money had he been collecting while they were working their asses off?

At the same time, no one could ever really talk about it. Signing the Non-Disclosure Agreement, they couldn’t even talk to their closest friends and family in specific details about what had happened. Whatever was in the press was in the press, but what really went on in the courtroom, no one could repeat.

It truly wasn’t fair and Annaleigh didn’t want to be part of “the business” if that’s what she had to look forward to. But, she couldn’t abandon NSYNC now, not this close to the AMAs. If they had faith in Johnny Wright, then so would she.

“Well ok, if you don’t want to go to Disney Land!” Justin said, practically shouting the last words. Annaleigh could hear a little echo from the corners of her room. “Come on, let’s get going.” Her bed started to shake as he jumped up and down before launching himself off the bed, landing on the floor with a thump. “Come on!”

Annaleigh couldn’t help but smile as Justin punched the air with his fists. It was so hard to believe that he was in such a famous band at times, but she had to remember that he was the youngest and still just a kid, something that she thought instantly bonded them. He was almost 18 years old and had accomplished way more than others his age did. She saw the side of him that was still young and fun loving (like now) and then she saw how serious and articulate he was when it was time for business.

Lance, she noticed, was quieter here than he was back in Mississippi. Not that he couldn’t have a good laugh or goof off like anybody else, but it was noticeable. Maybe it was due to how much they had to do in one single week, she wasn’t sure. But, he was still the friend she had grown up with and she needed that being in a new place. It was nice to have a person to talk to about her worries and frustrations.

Chris was…eccentric she would say. He always had a smile on his face and was cracking a joke or doing something to try and get people to laugh. He was always keeping the mood light and making sure she wasn’t stressed out by anything. He was laid back for the most part and helped her keep a good balance of fun with her busy days. He was definitely the guy she’d go to if she needed something fun to do and to just go crazy.

Joey was just a goofball that loved to get a smile out of everyone. And he loved girls. That much was obvious from the very first time I had met him. He was so easy to talk to and he told a lot of lame jokes, but I laughed at them anyway due to his delivery of the jokes alone. He was definitely a partier and if she was old enough, she’d go along with him (at least once, she didn’t know what the Hollywood party scene was like) knowing he’d take care of her. They had bonded over food (due to his love of not only eating it, but making it) and would often ask him to help her make meals as she had basically maneuvered her way into cooking for the boys.

JC really was the most serious one out of the five boys but he knew how to have fun. The difference between him and the others, Annaleigh could see, was that he knew when to separate being serious and having fun. Not that the others didn’t either, but he had a bit of a better grasp on it. But, he was selfless. Annaleigh had barely known him and he was already offering to help her vocally and with her ear training. She knew he was another person she could go to if she needed someone to talk to; especially if there was something about the industry she didn’t understand.

All together, *NSYNC were all like her big brothers. They made sure she was accommodated with whatever she needed (although she knew she’d never go to any of them for feminine products) and to explain in simpler terms the things she didn’t understand from meetings they went to. She didn’t know how she’d fair without them all looking out for him.

“Alright, I’m comin’, I’m comin’,” Annaleigh replied, lifting her hands to rub at his eyes. “Hold your horses, would ya? Get out so I can change.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Justin replied with a bright smile before making his way out of the room.

Annaleigh climbed out of bed and made her way to her closet and pursed her lips as she looked over her selection. She hadn’t had the opportunity to go out and buy new clothes, but she needed to sooner or later. She had clothes to wear for the winter back in Mississippi, and while it was a bit chilly in California, it still was at least 65 degrees. After quickly deciding on a pair of jeans and a burgundy Ole Miss jersey t-shirt, Annaleigh met the boys in the kitchen for breakfast.

“Only good thing we have is cereal, we need to go shopping,” Joey announced as Annaleigh twisted her hair up into a ponytail before starting to look through the kitchen cabinets.

“I can see why Miss Diane was worried about y’all on tour,” Annaleigh said, with a shake of her head as she stopped what she was doing, dropping her arms down to her sides. “I’m sure y’all have something. You boys have no idea how to make somethin’ out of nothin’.” She clapped her hands together, before pointing her finger at the boys who silently stared back at her, eating their cereal. “I can make you some breakfast with whatever’s lyin’ ‘round here.”

“If you can pull this off, you’re a God send,” Joey said, milk dribbling down his chin as he talked. He reached for a napkin and wiped at the stubble of hair he called a beard. “Literally.”

“I thank ya, kindly, Joey, but don’ worry about it,” Annaleigh said with a short laugh, waving her hand in the air. If there was one thing she knew she could do well, it was cook. Any mistake here could turn out to create a delicious meal in comparison to what she could create musically. One mistake there, a not too sharp, too flat, or just completely wrong, and it would ruin a whole lot.

All those years she spent learning recipe after recipe from Lance’s mom paid off. Growing up in the South taught her that it was important for her to be able to run the house...even if all she did was want to run out of the house and go off road riding or head down to the creek for fun.

“Annaleigh Carr you get back in this house” could have turned into her new name with how often she heard those words while attempting out the back door. She enjoyed cooking, but who would want to spend all day in a hot kitchen when you could get equally as sweaty doing more fun things. How lucky she was to have that kind of training after her mom left.

 “I’ll have something whipped up for y’all in no time,” she announced.

“God bless you,” Chris said with a sigh of happiness, rubbing his stomach as he dropped his spoon onto the table with a loud clatter.

“Ace, you don’t have to do that,” Lance said from where he was sitting at the kitchen table. He lifted his bowl of milk and quickly drank it. “You’re a guest here.”

Guest. Like I’m only temporary? Annaleigh thought to herself. In a way she knew she was. She was only taking over for the last bass player in the band until he felt like he was ready to return. Everybody was replaceable. She put a smile on her face, anyway. “Aw, hush. No offense, Lance, but you’re not known for your cuisine,” she replied. “It’s fine; I don’t mind it at all.”

“Hey, I make great toast,” Lance protested, giving a mock look of offense.

“Not everyone likes it charred,” JC spoke up around his mouthful of food. He put his hand in front of his mouth to block the sight of mashed up cereal in his mouth.

“Lightly burnt,” Lance insisted, earning a snort from Justin. “That wasn’t even my fault. We just got a new toaster and I hadn’t figured out the settings yet.” Annaleigh watched for a moment as the boys continued to throw insults back and forth at each other. She managed to create a breakfast potato casserole topped with Special K cereal for breakfast before they all disbanded to prepare for their day at the amusement park.

“You better hurry if you want to hit as many of the rides at Disney as possible,” JC said as he put his empty dishes in the sink. Annaleigh loudly speared her remaining potatoes, sliding them into her mouth. “You still have that assessment to do for your tutor, young lady.” Annaleigh stuck her tongue out at him.

“Don’t remind me,” Annaleigh said with a roll of her eyes.

“Thanks for breakfast,” JC said to her as he moved to stand behind his chair, tapping the sides of his thumbs over the top. “It was really good.”

“Of course,” Annaleigh replied, giving him a smile.

“You’ll be ok, you know,” he said after a moment of silence. Annaleigh felt her eyebrows knit together just slightly as she peered up at him. “The AMAs...all of this. Once you stop worrying about messing up. Everyone has their off days, even while we’re on tour. We were all new at this at one point.”

Annaleigh made a humming noise in the back of her throat as she allowed his words to sink in. But, she couldn’t help it; so much was riding on what she could do. She could get her mind off it for a few hours, but when it came down to it, she was the one with the responsibility to bring in money for her family. Nevertheless, his words helped bring a sense of calm to her.

“I can’t guarantee you that I won’t throw up at the AMAs,” she said to him after she swallowed her mouthful of food.

“You were there before our showcase, you saw how green Chris was,” JC reminded her, his lips curling upwards into a half smile. “He wasn’t the only one who puked beforehand.” He gave a quick bow. “Welcome to the club. Besides, I’d still be right, because you’d be ok afterwards.”

“Just like you’ll be ok after throwing up after riding Splash Mountain twenty thousand times in a row,” Chris loudly declared with a wide grin as he made his way back into the kitchen with a backpack on his back. He then called over his shoulder towards the back of the house, “Hurry up and get in the car

“I wonder who’s more excited; him or Justin,” Annaleigh said with a small laugh.

“Both,” JC replied, deadpan. “Take your time getting everything you need, hon, we’ll meet you out in the car. I still need to brush my teeth and shower, anyway. If I’m lucky, Chris will give me at least half a minute before dragging me out.”

Annaleigh laughed through her nose before finishing her breakfast. After putting her dirty dishes in the sink and brushing her teeth, she grabbed her wallet before making her way to the van sitting in the driveway, joining the five boys before sliding the door shut behind her, leaving her worries behind for one day.

Disneyland Park

“Ok, we’ve been on Dumbo, Matterhorn, Splash Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Pirate’s of the Caribbean,” Justin said as he twisted and turned the Disneyland map in his hands. He held it upside down for a moment before straightening it. He looked up and spun in a circle before jabbing his finger down at a spot on the paper. ”If we want to go to the Adventure Park next, we have to go…that way.”

“Are you sure about that?” Gabriel asked as he adjusted the backwards cap on his head before sliding a hand into his jeans pocket. “We ended up going on Space Mountain three times because you ‘knew where you were going’.” He used his free hand to make air quotes. “And Small World twice.”

“You love that ride and you know it,” Justin said with an easy going grin.

“I’m not the one who knows every word to the song,” Gabriel replied, lifting an eyebrow. He then angled his head to the side. “And according to that sign, Adventure Park is that way.” Justin frowned as he looked at the map a second time before turning to his right to look at the sign Gabriel indicated.

“Right, just like I said,” he finally explained after a moment of silence. “We need to go that way.”

“Can we get something to eat first?” Joey asked, rubbing his hands up and down his stomach.

“And have you puke on the back of my head after we hit the coasters? Again? I don’t think so,” JC replied, using his finger to push his sunglasses up his nose. He clapped his hands together. “Come on, let’s hit Adventureland; Tarzan’s Tree House awaits. We have to get at least one picture over there.”

“I’m up for anything that keeps my feet on the ground,” Chris said, putting his hand in the air.

Annaleigh was surprised that someone as crazy and energetic as Chris was afraid of heights. The boys had warned her, but it was quickly put into perspective when he practically caused a scene every time Justin (who had squeezed himself into the same elephant with herself and Chris) purposefully made Dumbo float higher and higher into the air.

“Well, I’m missin’ fried food and I just saw a place that has funnel cake,” Annaleigh said as she brushed her hair back from her face. “So, I’m voting for food.”

“I knew there was a reason I liked you,” Joey said with a smile as he put his arm around her.

“Come on, we’ve got plenty of time to eat,” Justin said, practically whining. He stuck out his bottom lip. “Just one more ride. We haven’t even hit Tomorrowland yet and we’re so close.”

“Look, the tea party ride is just right here, let’s get in line do that and then we can get something to eat,” Gabriel suggested. He paused for a moment. “Just a suggestion.”

“Is that ok with you?” JC asked Justin, giving him a pointed look.

“Fine,” Justin agreed as if it was a tough thing for him to say.

“Let’s do it, then,” Lance said, clapping his hands together. “Whoever wants a fast spin, you’re welcome to share my teacup.”

“I’m in,” Annaleigh said, her hand instantly shooting in the air. “The faster the better.” She gave a shrug of her shoulders. “An empty stomach does have some purpose, no?”

“No,” Joey instantly disagreed with her, a teasing smile on his face. “Any slow riders are welcome to join me.” He elbowed Chris in the side. “Don’t worry, this ride doesn’t go high in the air.”

“Bite me, Fatone,” Chris said with a roll of his eyes.

“I’d love to, but you’re too skinny for me, Fitzpatrick,” Joey replied with a sweet smile as they all moved to get in line for the ride.

Annaleigh heard the whispers immediately. All day, wherever they went, they had been getting double takes, fingers pointed in their directions, and whispers all around. She knew she wasn’t the only one who noticed, but she had to have been the only one weirded out by it. None of the boys paid any attention to it and if it bothered them, they didn’t show it. They were determined to have the best day that they could.

“I think it’s them.”

“No, it can’t be. Can it?”

“I’m telling you, it is.”

“Nah…just some people that look like them.”

A ripple went through the line and everybody shifted, walking forward as the last riders made their way off of the ride. People scrambled for teacups and the group of musicians broke off into two groups to quickly snag teacups of their own. The ride started with a loud ring of a bell shortly followed by the loud shrieks of the riders as their teacups started rotating around the multicolored flooring. The ride ended and the dizzy group got off of the ride, holding on to each other and each railing for support until they felt good enough to walk normally.

“Anyone that’s up for food,” Joey said as he removed his Superman cap from his head to wipe the seat from his forehead before replacing it, “follow me. French fries and funnel cake are this way.”

“Anyone who’s not hungry, let’s head on over to Tomorrowland,” JC said jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

“How ‘bout this; we get some food and the rest of you go check out some more rides,” Joey offered as he glanced at his watch. “We’ll meet you there in about—“ He was cut off when a loud scream sound like a cross between a whistle and the sound of a tea pot hit the air.

Annaleigh jumped, her hands flying up to cover her ears as a second and third shriek hit the air, mixing together as the sound of footsteps thundered towards them becoming a cacophony of noise that jarred her.  She was knocked from all sides as tall girls, short girls, mothers being pulled by their daughters, and girls in hysterics rushed past her and pushed in on her at all sides.

Shouts of “I love you” and the boys’ names filled the air. It wasn’t long until Annaleigh could barely see a foot in front of her. She was jostled from side to side, jaw dropped in shock as she watched the scene unfold. People were shoving each other, jumping up and down, snapping pictures with their disposable cameras, and waving pads of paper in the air.

Of course they’d be stopped, she thought to herself, elbowing a couple of people back who tried to get past her. She felt herself being pushed from side to side, slowly making her way to the back of the pack. Heat surrounded her, closing in on her, as sweat prickled her armpits. The shrieks turned into a roaring sound, causing her head to pound.   

 Annaleigh grunted, feeling something hit her hard in the back and she turned to see a girl with a bright red face due to excitement, embarrassment, the crushing body heat, or the sun she wasn’t too sure. “Who are you?” a girl asked between waving her hands to dry her wet cheeks with the napkin that Joey had just signed and handed back to her.
 
“Me?” she asked, her eyes popping open as she jabbed her finger into her chest. “Oh, I’m…I’m nobody, darlin’. Don’t worry ‘bout me.”
 
“She’s Lance’s friend from home,” Joey called, pointing in her direction with the pen in his hand.

“Yeah, she’s working with us,” Lance called over the loud noise. “She’s our new touring bassist. That’s Annaleigh Carr.” He then lifted a hand over his head and pointed in Gabriel’s direction. “And this is Gabe, our new keyboardist.”

“Uhh—“

“Oh. My. God!” a shriek blasted Annaleigh’s ear drums. Annaleigh pulled her facial features together so quickly, she was sure she could’ve given herself a permanent face lift. At least, that was before the girl decided to re-arrange her face by shoving her notepad and pen into Annaleigh’s cheek and nose. “Can I have your autograph, too?”

“Uhhh—“

“Me too!”

“Sign one for me, too!”

Annaleigh removed the pen—which was practically being shoved into her nostril and cornea—from the girl’s hand and took the notepad and tried to bring excitement to her posture and face as possible. She barely had her name scribbled out—probably illegible due to how much she was shaking. She managed to get a brief glance at it before another notebook was shoved into her face. Do people carry these gosh darn things around wit’ them all day?
 
Question after question was thrown her way all about the boys and working with *NSYNC, and everything about the new album, and, and, and. Her head started to spin, her stomach rocked with sickness. Everyone was crushing in tighter and tighter around her, desperately trying to get closer to the musicians.

Before she knew it, the fans were gone talking and shrieking excitedly, tightly clutching their autographs, glancing repeatedly back at them. Annaleigh watched them go, her bottom lip shaking just slightly. She was sure her eyes were as wide as they could get. She barely heard whatever it was that the boys had decided upon doing next until she realized she was following Joey on autopilot with Gabriel following into step beside her.

Her ears were ringing; muffling the voices and sounds of the rides and attractions around her. Minutes later, a cold wave washed over her as she sat down in the shade, across from Joey who started munching on a funnel cake as if everything that had just happened didn’t happen. Gabriel reached out a hand and grabbed a chunk, popping it into his mouth.

“You ok?” he asked, turning a concerned look over towards her as he chewed.

“Gu vanna bide?” Joey added, his mouthful, pushing the plate towards her.

“Thank ya, kindly,” Annaleigh replied, trying to push a smile to her face. She reached out with shaky fingers, ripping off a piece of the powdered sugar covered treat and popped it into her mouth.

“Are you ok?” Joey repeated Gabriel’s question, his eyes narrowing slightly as he licked the white powder from his lips before reaching up to swing his hat backwards on his head.
 
“That was scary,” Annaleigh replied, feeling her shoulders slump as tears pricked at her eyes. “If that’s what this is gonna to be like, I don’ wanna do it.” She shook her head back and forth, her dark tresses gently hitting her cheeks. “I wanna go home, Joe.”

“Awww,” Joey said quietly. “Don’t say that.” His lips pulled down in the corner into a frown. “It’s ok, Anna. I’ll admit, we haven’t been doing the best job at preparing you for everything.”

“I don’ want to slow you guys down,” Annaleigh said, lifting her arm to wipe at her tears. “Maybe my dad was right. Maybe this isn’ what I should be doing.” She let out a shaky breath of air. “I shoulda jus’ stayed home. I’m not meant to do this, I’m from the South.”

“Noooo,” Gabriel said with a shake of his head. “Just—just hold on for a bit longer. You can’t just leave the boys now.” He put a hand to his chest. “New York is ‘the city that never sleeps’, remember? This is a completely different busy and fast pace than what I’m used to, and it scares me, but it’s also exciting at the same time.”

“Yeah, and we all get homesick, especially when we first started out,” Joey explained, his cheerful attitude slowly changing to one of compassion. “It’s why Lance had called for his mom to fly out to Germany less than a week after we first started.” He let out a small laugh. “We practically attacked each other to get to the phone to call our parent every chance we got.” A thoughtful look crossed his face. “Not that that’s any different than how we are, now.”

Annaleigh let out a small laugh, sniffling. “But, you have now what Justin and Lance had back then to help them out,” Joey pointed out before smacking his lips after licking his thumb free from the powdered sugar. “You have a piece of home with you. You have Lance with you. He’ll make sure you’re ok and you know we will, too.”

“I know,” Annaleigh said with a loud sniff.

“Can I ask you a question?” Gabriel asked.

“Sure,” Annaleigh replied with a nod of her head, letting out a shaky breath of air. She used the heel of her palm to repeatedly wipe the tears from her eyes. Joey reached the napkin under his plate and handed it to her. Annaleigh only managed to get out a “Ksss” in response.

“Why’d you audition to be part of the *NSYNC band?” Gabriel asked, his eyebrows knitting together just slightly to form a look of curiosity. “You knew you’d be travelling and would be away from home for a long time.”

“For a lot of reasons,” Annaleigh replied, reaching for a napkin, dabbing at her eyes. “I wanted to see what this life was like.” She gave a shrug of her shoulders, starting to twist the napkin in between her fingers. She let out a shaky breath of air before resting her elbow onto the table, pressing her mouth into the heel of her palm. “I always thought this was what I wanted to do; to travel and play music. This  was the perfect opportunity.” She swallowed thickly. “I just didn’ know how hard it was gonna be. I shoulda just listened to my mom and dad; they warned me that this wasn’t what I wanted to do. People aren’t like that back home. “

“It’ll take a little while to get used to, but soon it’ll really fuel you and keep you going,” Joey said, putting his hands up defensively. He reached out a hand and gently grasped her wrist. “We all appreciate everything you do and we’re enjoying having you in the house and sharing this experience with us.”

“You just like my cooking,” Annaleigh mumbled and Joey chuckled.

“I’m not denying that,” Joey replied, his eyebrows shooting up just slightly, a grin coming to his face. He then slapped his stomach with his hands. “You definitely know how to make an Italian a happy man.” Annaleigh smiled. “And you have a great smile, natural talent, and you’re fun to be around. You’ve only been around for a short while but you’ve changed things and you’ve put in so much work, it’d be a shame to let it go to waste.”

“I don’ know—“

“You’ll make me very sad if you don’t stay,” Joey said, sticking out his bottom lip into a pout. “I’m enjoying getting to know you better…and your food.” Annaleigh let out a tinkling laugh. “And we’d miss your energy around the house. Everything will be ok; we’ll make sure of it.”

“Joe—“

“Please?” Joey asked, clasping his hands together. “For me?” His eyes widened slightly. “For Lance! He was really excited at the idea of you working with us and you know he wouldn’t suggest you to be a part of the band if he didn’t believe in you and your talent.” A thoughtful look crossed his face. “So, I guess the question is why don’t you believe in yourself?”

Because the only people who ever believe in me leave me, Annaleigh thought with a sigh. “Nothing I guess,” she said quietly. “I’m just scared.”

“So’m I,” Gabriel said quietly.

“So were we,” Joey replied, putting a hand to his chest. “So are we. After everything with Lou it’s like we’re starting over again and we have to prove that we can do this ourselves.” He reached out a hand and gently tapped the bottom of her chin, angling her head up to look at him. “We can do it together; that’s why we’re called *NSYNC. Not just because of our harmonies and dancing, but because we’re in sync in every aspect of our life. We’re always there to back each other up and now you’re part of our family. No one else is going to understand this, so you always have someone to talk to. OK?”

“Ok.” Annaleigh nodded her head, smiling freely. “Thanks, Joe.” She said, drying her cheeks. “I appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it,” Joey replied before reaching for the plate of partially eaten funnel cake. He ripped off a chunk before handing it to her, ripping off a second piece for Gabriel, and then a third for himself. “Cheers to the *NSYNC family.”

“Cheers,” Annaleigh and Gabriel responded together,  tapping their chunks of funnel cake against Joey’s before popping it into their mouths. Annaleigh chewed happily, before starting to lick the powdered sugar off her fingers before turning towards Gabriel. “So, why did you join the band?”

Gabriel paused, eyes widening slightly as he removed his finger from his mouth before wiping the saliva on his pants leg. He cleared his throat before reaching for another piece of funnel cake, popping it into his mouth. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s unlike anything I could ever imagine, but I wanted to give it a shot. Lots of things in your life are out of your control, so I wanted to take control of one thing. You know?” He gave her a fleeting smile before getting to his feet. “I’m going to get some of that lemonade they were talking up. Anyone want anything?”

He quickly took Joey’s and Annaleigh’s drink orders, and repeated it to himself a couple of times before removing his wallet from his pocket. Sounds just like my life, Annaleigh thought, watching Gabriel walk off before she helped herself to another piece of funnel cake. The sweet sugar pulled a smile to Annaleigh’s face as she chewed. As long as she had someone there to hold her hand during the scary parts, she was sure she’d be ok.