JC Chasez Has A Successful Solo Career: A Romance

Prologue - Dear Goodbye

Tuesday, September 28th, 2004.

JC sat on a director's chair partially in the shade of his trailer, partially in the late September Californian sun, staring up at the sky through a pair of sunglasses. The sun was so hot it burned through his black v-neck and jeans. This was his last chance. This was the album's last chance. If this single didn't stick, it would be over. Everything would be scrapped, and they would move on. The only reason they decided to make a video for "Dear Goodbye" was because of a synergy product placement/ad campaign with a mid level fashion house. The head designer had become obsessed with the album "Schizophrenic" since its release in February and had made the moves for JC to be the face of its spring/summer 2005 menswear line, on the condition that his favourite song of the album, "Dear Goodbye", would be used as the campaign's theme. In exchange for this, the company would pay for a music video where snippets would be used for the line's TV spot ad campaign. This was his last chance, but it was a hopeful one.

A journalist sat across from JC in a chair like his, wearing a similar outfit, only a white v-neck instead of a black one, her brown hair pulled back into a messy bun. She had been sent by a New York-based mid-level music publication to cover the story of JC being the spokesperson for a fashion house, and when she saw him, lounged back in the director's chair staring at the sky, she knew he was hurting. If she was a bitch, she could probe far enough to know why and get a decent story, but the jetlag was being such a bitch that she couldn't be bothered. Her awkwardness and the jetlag getting the best of her, she had been sitting across from him for a good quarter of an hour before she introduced herself. "Good afternoon, Mr...." She looked down at her notes. "Sha, Shar, Shar-zay? May I call you JC? My name's Ellie. I'm from Clefnotes Magazine, sorry, Elizabeth Argyle, I'm from Clefnotes...," she trailed off as he lifted his head as well as his sunglasses.

"Sha-zay," he said.

"Nice...How does fashion play a role in your music?"

Over the next few hours, they talked in between takes of the video shoot. She learned a little about him as he learned a little about her. He's from Maryland, and she's from Louisiana. He played football as a kid, and though she has no interest in the sport, football players have the "most. amazing. thighs."

"Dancers also have great thighs" JC said in a flirty manner.

"You DANCE?"

"I was in a boy band."

"Pfft, I knew that. I dance, used to dance, as well." She tried to save herself. "I am sooo awkward..."

"It's fine." He smiled at her. Why is he so cute? She thought to herself.

A brunette man tapped JC on the shoulder. "You're up for final call."

After a quick touch up, JC stood on the X marking in the centre of the set.

"Playback...Action," began the director. Ellie sneaked up behind the director and peered over his shoulder as he hit record. A small screen situated in front of them showed JC's face. He stood quietly, waiting for his cue, counting off in his head, making the words with his mouth. Crying desperate, fighting questions, scared to let go-ooh.  His voice ringed over the playback as he continued with the take, tears beginning to well in his eyes. Caught off guard, he tried to wipe them away with his sweater sleeve.

Realising that he was crying, tears welled up in Ellie's eyes as well, her breath taken away. The day had been so hard on her, first the jetlag, then being in such a new stressful environment. And now this. She sobbed violently in front of complete strangers, but she couldn't help it. She was feeling just so much. He seemed so sad, but so happy talking to her. It was breaking her heart, damn this empathy.

"Cut...It's a wrap," the director concluded.

After standing in front of his trailer, she was welcomed in. He was sitting at a table at the back in an oversized, greyish blue hoodie. He had requested that she stay after the shoot as he wanted to talk to her a little more in depth. After an hour or so of talking it over with his management, they had finally given the clear for him to do so. This was big, a much bigger story than what she had been sent to cover. She sat across from him. "*NSYNC's broken up" It hit her like a brick, never in her dreams would she think that she would ever cover a story of such historical weight. Alone in the trailer over the next hour, he recalled the last few years of his professional life, the group's final tour, Justin leaving, the record company's favouritism, every scheme Justin's team had played to get Justin where he was now, and finally the events of the past weekend. *NSYNC had held a charity event, Challenge For The Children,  over three days where they would hold a celebrity basketball game, as well as other events to benefit children in need. The yearly event had been held the weekend before the video shoot. JC explained that Justin, well Johnny, had confirmed that there would not be a fourth *NSYNC album, at least one with Justin. "He's too good for us," JC sneered. He recounted that since Justin wasn't doing it, no longer was he. "I just can't do it anymore. I don't know why, I just can't...I feel like shit." He slid down into his chair, tears again coming to his eyes.

Ellie got out of her seat to take him into her arms. He buried his head into her stomach as she clutched his curls with her fingers. After a few moments, he peered up at her, their blue eyes staring into each other. She wiped the tears and his hair from his face and bent down to kiss him. Shock waves went through her body as he stood up towering over her, his hot breath tickling her nose.

"Sorry," she whispered as he pressed her against the table, wrapping his arms around her torso.

He looked down at her as he pressed his fly into hers, signifying that he was gaining an erection.

"I can't do this," she said as his mouth hovered over hers, his nose brushing the tip of hers and his hot breath flowing over her lips and face. She felt herself becoming wet. "I nee-need to go." She pushed herself out from between him and the table, slammed open the trailer door, and ran to the front gates of the studio lot, "I've got my story. It's been great, thanks, bye."

As she ran into the darkness, he called for her, "Elizabeth." She stopped. No, I can't. I will never work again, she thought to herself as she took a deep breath and continued walking into the darkness.

"I've lost my cell phone," said Ellie.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't let you make calls using the studio's line," said a security guard.

"Can you call me a taxi so I can get back to my hotel?"
"Not without a security pass."

"I had a press pass, but I lost it on the studio lot. You wouldn't have let me in earlier if I didn't."

"I wasn't on shift then ma'am." Tears welled up in Ellie's eyes again. She was stranded in front of a studio lot without her handbag. She didn't have her phone so she couldn't call a taxi, nor did she have any id. She would have to cancel everything. She didn't even have the press pass she needed to go back into the lot to get everything. She leaned back against the fence and slid down it, crying. A silver Mercedes coupe pulled up on her right, the window winding down. "You left your things in my trailer," JC said to her.

She sprung up looking at him, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Shit, my mascara's running."

"It's been like that for awhile," interrupted the security guard.

She shouted back at the security guard, "Shut the fuck up." Turning to JC, "You have my things, don't you, please?"

"Girl, you better hope he has them with that attitude"

"I said, fuck off!" She peered into the car to see the ratty brown leather handbag sitting on top of a khaki green canvas satchel on the passenger's seat.

"Do you have a way of getting home?" JC asked.

"No, but my hotel's a few blocks away. I can walk."

"I'll drive you."
"You don't have to."
"It'll be fine." JC leaned over to the passenger side door and opened it. He leaned back into the driver's seat and turned to Ellie. "I'm a gentlemen, I promise," he said smiling at her.

Over the next few weeks, things had been wild for Ellie. Her editor made what was supposed to be a mere fashion column into her first cover story. The cheesy headline, "Out of Sync", was rushed to the printers. The week after she flew back into New York, a tabloid published pictures of her getting out of JC's car with smeared mascara at her hotel. Heartbreaker, the photos now pinned in her cubicle read in red and yellow print. The story mentioned something about how there was some love triangle between the two of them and some actress named Eva. There were reports over the following weeks of the two of them breaking up with cheating rumours on both sides, but the tabloid media hadn't seemed to track Ellie down.

The last few weeks had also been busy for JC. The launch of the campaign was marked with his tell all of what had occurred with the group. Justin was no longer talking to him. The only thing he had heard from him was threat of legal action for the openness of the interview, but he had the support of Joey, Chris and Lance nonetheless. He had explained to them that it was just something he needed out there. Though there were some disagreements, they had come to a point of understanding. With the news of the break up and the promo of the campaign and the single, "Dear Goodbye" had debuted in the top 10, becoming a slow burning fall hit.  JC was on every talk show, daytime and primetime, singing his heart out finally being heard as so many doors had been slammed in his face earlier that year due to the fallout made by one of Justin's fuckups. But it was ok now. The song was on the radio non-stop, and as it just made the cut-off, it was nominated for numerous Grammys, Best Male Pop Vocal and Song Of The Year, amongst others. Schizophrenic had even gone multi-platinum. The next year came with new plans, a small international tour as well as time in the studio recording his second album, but none of this would happen until after the Grammys.