“That little slut!” 

“What?” George asked Tony. It was about 10 in the morning and they had stopped off for some coffee. 

“This!” Tony said as he shoved the tabloid in front of George’s face. George looked at the front cover. It was JC and Angela walking together through Disney World. 

“Well, at least we know where she is.”

 “Where?” Daniel asked George as he leaned over his shoulder trying to see the article that went with the picture. 

“Well, it says here that she’s been made the photographer meaning she has to go wherever they go. And their first concert is in New Orleans.”

 “Let me see that.” Tony ripped the article out of George’s hands. After he skimmed the article he looked up. “Let’s go, boys. We have a bit of driving ahead of us.”

 “So we’re going after her?” Daniel asked. 

Tony turned and glared at Daniel. “I thought I already made that clear. She needs to pay. You don’t want to go to jail, do you?” 

Daniel shook his head. 

“That’s what I thought.” Tony got into the driver’s side while George got in the passenger side and Daniel got into the back. It just so happened that Tony knew a friend who worked as a mechanic and owed him one. They sped off down the road towards the highway. 

--------------------------

 Angela woke up to her phone ringing. She growled at the phone even though she had to be up in 10 minutes anyway. She reached over to her night stand and answered the phone. 

“Hello?” 

There was no answer. Angela thought that someone just had the wrong number and hung up, but she could hear heavy breathing on the other line. Finally after a few more seconds the line went dead. She was curious as to what that was all about, but she knew she didn’t have time to think about it right now. She had to get ready.

Angela was ready and on her way out the door within 15 minutes. She had packed the night before, so she was all set. She carried her luggage out to her car and drove back to the compound where the busses were going to depart from. 

Angela had no sooner gotten her luggage out of her car when she was tackled by Justin and Chris. “You’re here! This is going to be a good tour I can just feel it.” 

“Guys, give her some breathing room.” Angela looked up to see it was JC who had spoken. 

“We should leave the two lovebirds alone,” Chris said and Justin agreed. They got off of Angela and ran over to bug Lance instead. JC helped Angela up. 

“Hello.” He smiled at her. 

“Hi. Long time no see,” Angela said and JC laughed. 

“Did you sleep well?” JC asked. 

“Well, I slept as well as anyone who had been out all night and had to get up early.” 

“Yeah, I—uh oh. I wonder what’s up.” 

“What do you mean?” Angela asked. 

“Johnny’s heading this way and he doesn’t look happy.” In a few quick strides, Johnny had reached the two of them. 

“Would anyone care to explain what this is all about?” 

“What’s what all—oh,” JC said once he saw the tabloid with himself and Angela on the front cover. Angela looked over his shoulder and gasped. 

“How on earth did they get that picture? I don’t even remember seeing any photographers around,” Angela said. 

“It was probably a tourist or fan and they sold it to US Weekly.” 

“So it’s true?” Johnny asked. 

“Yes, it’s true,” JC admitted. 

Johnny sighed. “Look, JC, you know I don’t care if you date, but you have to let me know these things. You know I hate being surprised by stuff like this.” 

“I know, I know. I was going to tell you. I swear. I just didn’t think it would get out this quickly.”

 “I’m sorry, Johnny,” Angela said. 

“Don’t be sorry. If you’re going to be with JC this is one of the things you’re going to have to get used to. As of now you pretty much don’t have privacy anymore. And on that note, I don’t know what’s going on nor do I want to. Just promise me that you both will be more careful in the future.” 

“We will,” JC said. Once Johnny had walked away Angela groaned. 

“Great. Just great.” 

“Well, we knew it would happen eventually.” 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” 

“Let’s see what they wrote about us,” JC said as he opened the tabloid. “JC Chasez, age 26, was seen last night with Angela Howe, 24, at Walt Disney World. She was newly hired by Johnny Wright as *NSYNC’s new photographer. We suspect—“ 

JC broke off. “They suspect what?” Angela asked. 

“Nothing,” JC said as he tried to hide the article behind his back. Angela went to grab it off him when he raised it above his head so she couldn’t reach it. However, Angela tried to jump and grab it anyway. 

“JC, give it to me!” Angela jumped for a few more minutes before she succeeded in retrieving the article by jumping and falling on top of JC who let go of the tabloid in surprise. Angela read the rest of the article and JC watched as her face fell. 

“They didn’t mean anything by it.” 

Angela glared at him. “Didn’t mean anything?! JC, they said I wasn’t good enough for you. That I only got the job I did because I knew you. That I’m only with you to mooch of off you and that you could do better. Of course they meant something by it!” 

“But none of it’s true! You know that and I know that. They’re just trying to sell a paper.” 

“That may be so, but by now probably everyone has this article. What are your parents going to think of me?” 

“They’re not going to know what to think because they never believe anything they read until they talk to me. And when they do talk to me I’m going to tell them the truth,” JC said. 

“That you have no idea what you were thinking when you asked me to be your girlfriend?” 

“No.” JC stepped closer to Angela and lifted her chin so he was looking into her eyes. “That I have finally found someone who I really connected with and that understands me. In their eyes nothing else will matter.” 

They stayed like that for a few seconds before Angela broke the contact. “I would still feel better if I met them so I could disprove what they read.” 

“You’ll get the chance. You can meet them whenever we make it to my hometown for the concert. I was going to have you meet them then anyway.” JC paused for a minute. “Are you okay now?” 

“I will be. I guess I overreacted. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay. I wish I could say that it won’t happen again, but I know that would be a lie. It happens and the most we can do is let it roll off our backs,” JC said. 

“You’re right.” Angela was about to say something else when Chris came running their way. 

“C’mon, guys, it’s time to leave. We need to get rolling unless you two want to walk to New Orleans,” Chris joked. 

“Okay, let’s go.” Angela picked up her luggage only to have Chris take it off her and run off towards the busses. 

“I’m not an invalid!” Angela yelled as she ran after him. She caught up to him to see him helping the driver of the crew bus, Rick, put the luggage in the storage compartment of the bus. She went to turn around to find JC only to find he was standing behind her. 

“Well, I guess this is where we part ways.” 

“Why don’t you join us on our bus?” JC suggested. 

“I’d love to, but I think I should meet some of the crew. I can’t hang out with you every second of every day,” Angela said. 

“You can’t?” JC pouted. 

Angela smiled. “Cute, but it doesn’t work on me.” 

“Rats.” JC snapped his fingers. “Well, I guess I’ll see you whenever we stop.” 

“Yeah,” Angela said and leaned in to meet JC halfway in a quick kiss. 

“Okay, you two, break it up. Break it up!” Chris yelled. 

“Bye,” JC said. Chris rolled his eyes playfully and started to push JC towards their own bus. 

“Bye!” Angela called after him and she boarded the bus she would be riding on. 

The first part of the trip went well for the most part. On the crew bus Angela was getting along with everyone and hearing about all of the stories from those who had been on previous tours with *NSYNC. 

It was about a half hour before they stopped for dinner and everyone on the bus was off doing their own thing. Angela was sitting at the kitchenette area staring out the window thinking back to the article that had appeared earlier that day. She sighed in frustration and banged her head off the glass when she realized she was letting this get to her too much. 

Angela was about to get up to grab a glass of water when her cell phone went off. She figured it was JC so she didn’t even bother to look at the caller id. 

“Hey, I was wondering when you were going to call.” 

“Were you?” Upon hearing the voice Angela realized that the person on the other line wasn’t JC like she suspected, but her ex, Tony. 

“Not you, Tony. I thought you were someone else.” 

“The fag boy?” 

“He is not a fag. He’s twice the man you are,” Angela growled. 

“Is that so? Well, I got news for you, baby. No guy is more manly than I am.” 

“Aren’t you supposed to be in jail?” 

“Yes, you would think so. However, you will find that you can’t get rid of me. I thought you would’ve learned that by now. I mean I’ve chased you, kept up with you step by step.” 

“What do you want, Tony?”  

There was silence for a few seconds and then an answer. “You.” 

“Forget it, Tony. You can’t have me. We’re over and we’ve been that way since you hit me. Besides I’m with JC now.” 

“Not for long,” Tony said. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Well, let’s just put it this way. You will be mine…one way or another.” 

Angela was going to reply when the line went dead. A bad feeling started to form in the pit of her stomach. Maybe it’s just something I ate, she thought. Although she knew that couldn’t be the case because she hadn’t had anything since lunch. 

Angela sighed and leaned back against the chair. The tour wasn’t getting off to a very good start so far. First it was the picture and article in the tabloid and then Tony decides to call. Right when my life was getting back to normal. 

She knew she couldn’t tell JC. He would freak and demand that she put under security. She had heard the stories about him doing that to the other guys before when they got hate mail and threats. The only she could do, for now anyway, was play it by ear and see what happened because she knows anything can happen when it comes to Tony.