He never knew Mickey D’s would be so crowded during school hours, then again he wasn’t sure if it was still school time or not. He got in line, waiting for the time where he could order what he had been wanting for months, weeks, and days. He wanted a Happy Meal, something he got when he was a child, something he got when he was on tour, and something he got when he wasn’t on tour. Something he hadn’t had in years.

The man was the ninth person in line, little kids ran around playing with toys. Teenagers were sitting down at tables talking with their friends, eating the food, drinking their drinks. They didn’t know how lucky they were.

The line moved slowly and soon he started to be fearful, people were pointing at him, giggling to their friends smiling, and waving at him. He tried to ignore them; to him if he ignored them, they wouldn’t bother him they would let him get his food in peace and leave him be. He knew that was only wishful thinking, and his soon wishful thinking turned into more fear, as a few girls got up from their seats and started to walk over towards him.

He kept his eyes forward, not looking at them, or trying to not look at them. He wasn’t even in NSYNC any more, the group was gone, was over… all because of his mistakes. A girl, the girl that had been pointing at him grabbed his arm and twisted him around; he was now second in line to order his food.

“Can I help you?” His voice was raw, worn, hard.

“It’s you? It’s really you.” Can the girls voice more bitter then anything in that world?

“I don’t know what you are talking about.’ He said turning around and taking another step forward, it was his turn to order.

The girl grabbed his arm and twisted him around, this time it wasn’t just her and a few friends; it was all of them. The little kids, the older adults, the teenagers all looking at him, hating him.

“Sir, what would you like?” The lady behind the counter asked to his back.

He tried to turn around but couldn’t the girl, had her hands on his arm, holding him in place. Her eyes were dangerous, not in a good way, but in a bad way. He could see how much she hated him, how much she wanted him dead.

“How could you?” Her voice broke into his thoughts, his happiness, and his life.

“I just want a happy meal, please leave me be.” He managed to say trying to turn away from her, from them.

“You almost killed your best friend.” Hearing her say those things, made memories of that night, memories of him and Justin getting in a fight.

Memories of him beating the shit out of Justin, he could have and would have killed him if the cops hadn’t showed up and taken him to jail. The place he was at for the past two and a half years, getting out on parole.

“It was an accident.” He snapped pulling his arm away from her and turning to order his happy meal, just as he was about to pay the girl turned him around.

He was afraid more then ever when she turned him around, more anger filled her eyes, her voice, the body language. Just as her hand was about to meet his face his voice found more power in his body then he had ever dreamed to have again.

“I just want a HAPPY MEAL!” JC snapped pushing the girl away from him and turning around to find that his happy meal was waiting for him. He paid his money and rushed out of the fast food restaurant, happy and content with his happy meal, sad in every other possible way about his life and the mistake he made two in a half years ago… over a happy meal toy.

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