*Justin*

Unlike being just wet with water, sweat made you feel dirty, yet accomplished. At least, for me, it did. Usually, if Alisan was around and I was in the state I am in now, she'd be the first person to be covered in it after a body-breaking hug. But she's not around, so the only person I can go after is my personal assistant on tour, who was a whole lot of woman who could probably break me if she tried. I didn't feel like being in a body cast for months on end, so that idea was nixed and I took the towel she had handed me, patting off the sweat from my face as I headed towards my dressing room. "Thanks, Cleo," I called, closing the door behind me as I pulled my clothes off, the fans blowing the much needed cool air on my underwear-clad body.

Rubbing the gooebumps away as my body tried to keep my normal temperature, I heard the alert from the phone on the other side of the room. It was San. Though we still weren't on full speaking terms, it was hard to go a day without even a 'hi' or 'hope you're doing okay'. This was no different.

Sent: August 4, 2007 11:44 PM
From: San
Subject: First show!
__________________________________
Hope you had a good show ... good luck
with the next one! I'd say 'break a leg',
but we all know how miserable you'd be.
Miss you.

San

I chuckled, closing the text and grabbing my change of clothes and deodorant, applying it before pulling on the black beater and jeans. I jumped at the knock on my door, summoning them in and gasping when I saw Katie standing there. "Hey!" I greeted, walking over and placing a kiss on her lips. "What are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd surprise you," she smiled. "Obviously, I've got another two weeks before school starts back up and I have to deal with the rugrats, so I thought I'd come deal with my own big rugrat."

I laughed, kissing her cheek. Though I knew it wasn't exactly the right thing to do, pulling her along when I had no intentions of staying with her if things with Alisan and I worked, she was my comfort zone. She made me happy and kept my mind off of San for the brief times we were together. "I'm glad you came. How long you staying?"

"A week?" She shrugged, giving me an unsure look. "I wasn't sure how long you'd let me tag along."

"As long as you want," I smiled, tossing my deodorant in my bag across the room from our spot near the door. "I've got a couple shows around this area, then we're going to Japan until mid-September for promotional shows and a full-out tour of a few cities and then Australia."

"So I'll be in Japan before I get to go back to work," she pouted. "I've always wanted to see Australia. Maybe another time." She shrugged, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and squeezing them. "I missed you."

"I've missed you, too," I replied. It wasn't a lie, I did miss her. Not as much as Alisan, obviously, but I did miss her. She was good to me (can't say that about Lucas). "We're only staying in Australia a few days. I'm pretty sure it's only in Melbourne and Sydney. More press there."

"I've always wanted to go to their beaches ... gorgeous," she smiled, voice trailing off as she got a dreamy look in her eyes. "My parents went there for their tenth anniversary. I didn't think they'd come back."

I laughed, wrapping an arm around her as I reached for my bag, leading her out of the room and towards the awaiting car that would take us to my hotel. "That's how I was in any area that had beaches. I love to surf, love to swim ... I'd stay there the entire time if I could. Hopefully, they'll let me do a little sightseeing on my own."

"Not with your status," she laughed. "Not gonna happen unless you want mobbed to death."

"Oh, yes, please," I fake pleaded. "That's just what I wanted!"

She laughed, waiting as the driver opened the door and let her in, me crawling in behind her as people screamed for my name. I waved and smiled before letting them shut the door, turning to look at Katie as she stared wide-eyed at the fans around the car. "Welcome to a day in the life of me," I chuckled, she shaking her head in awe. "What?"

"I could never do it," she said, eyes still wide. "All those people screaming my name, expecting so much out of me ... I don't know how you do it."

"Lots of training," I laughed. "And patience. And a hard shell." And a lot of support from friends and family, I mentally added. I seemed too soft when I admitted that. I didn't like showing that side. "And being able to turn to people who go through the same thing. That's why JC and I are so close ... when I'm on tour he usually comes to visit and it feels like old times, when it wasn't just me, but four other men who went through the same thing. I'd do the same thing if he toured again."

"Why isn't he?"

"I think his love is music, but not the way he's doing it," I said, shrugging. "JC always liked to be the one behind the scenes, mixing, writing, producing. He loves to sing, but he did it more for himself and supporting his family more than anything else. He never put himself first. For the first time in a long time, I think he's beginning to see that. The music industry is gonna miss something big if he finally decides to stop performing, though I know his heart will bring him back eventually."

"So he's your best friend?"

"Besides Trace, yeah, I guess. He's more like a brother and mentor than anything else. He puts me first when I've got a lot of stubborn things going on ..." Like now. With Alisan. God, I feel horrible.

I made a mental note to call him and invite him to a few shows when we got to the hotel. I had to make this up to him somehow.