Chapter One
"Rich, she's eighteen, she's an adult. She knows what she wants, and if she wants to, she can do it." Emily Taylor, Emma's aunt and Richard's sister said as they talked over coffee while their teenage daughters packed excitedly for the NSYNC tour.
"But do you think it's wise, sending her all over the country with them? What if she needs medical attention, and..."
"Rich, there's gonna be a registered nurse with her. The foundation has every angle covered. Besides, laughter and enjoyment can be the best medicine sometimes. She adores this group. You know that. This'll be good for her." Emily replied. "This is a tough time for her. Her friends are starting college, and she knows she'll never get to go. Now she has something to look forward to like them."
Richard sighed. "I suppose you're right, but...she hasn't been away from me for more than a week since she was a baby, other than hospital stays."
"You have to let her grow up sometime." Emily replied.
***
"So tell me about this group again?" Aimee asked as she helped Emma shove clothes into her duffel bag.
"They're a pop group. A boyband, if you will.” Emma responded. “And all so hot. There’s Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and god. I mean, JC Chasez.
"Obsessed much?” Aimee asked.
"Hey, you should be thankful, you get to miss three months of school."
"I still gotta do the classes on the net. Why aren't you going to take online classes from the community college again?" Aimee replied.
"What's the point? I may not even make it to finals." Emma said dejectedly, sighing.
"Emma..."
"Can we just not talk about it?" Emma stopped her cousin before she could say anything else. "I'd rather listen to JC." Walking over to her cd player, she pushed play, and NSYNC’s new album started up.
Aimee sighed. She had no idea was it was like to be able to measure your life, to know how much time you had left, but she knew it couldn't be easy. Still, Emma had to let it out sometime. She'd been keeping it in ever since she was first diagnosed. She hoped this trip would maybe be able to pry her older cousin open, but she knew not to expect anything.
She couldn't help it though.
***
Two days later...
"I'm so nervous." Emma whispered as she walked down the hallway with Aimee and Mike.
"Don't be nervous, they're all really cool guys." Johnny said as he led them to a door labeled "NSYNC Dressing Room".
"Dressing room? Sweet! Naked boys!" Aimee said.
"Aimee!!!" Emma scolded. Aimee just stuck her tongue out at her.
"Okay, ready?" Johnny asked. Without waiting for an answer, he opened the door. Emma thought her heart was going to beat out of her chest.
"Guys, this is Emma Green and her cousin Aimee Taylor." Mike said as he walked in, the two teenagers in tow.
Lance, Justin, and JC were the only three in the dressing room. Joey and Chris were probably doing an interview or getting food.
"Hey Emma, I'm JC." JC said after hopping out of his seat and shaking her hand.
"Hi." Emma said shyly. He was so hot!
"That's Lance, and that's Justin, but I'm sure you already knew that." JC said as he pointed them out.
Emma nodded.
"Hi Emma, nice to meet you." Lance said, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "And the mute over there is Justin."
"Ah, don't mind me, I'm just working on a new song." Justin replied, setting down his guitar. He shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Emma."
"Nice to meet you too." she said softly.
"Ahem." Aimee said.
"What?" Emma replied, still in a daze from meeting, much less touching, JC
"Oh fine, I'll introduce myself." Aimee replied. She looked at Justin and smiled. "I'm Aimee. Aimee Taylor. And you're hot."
"Uh, well, thanks!" Justin replied as JC and Lance laughed.
"You're what, six foot two?"
"Yeah." Justin replied.
"Good. I love tall men." Aimee said.
“God, I can’t believe you just said that.” Emma said under her breath.
JC smiled at Emma and began tuning his guitar. After he got his strings like he liked them, he started playing. While he was playing, he couldn't help but take the opportunity to check out Emma. He was, after all, a male in his prime.
Emma was a tiny thing, about five foot three, he surmised. She was extremely thin, he couldn't tell if she was naturally that thin or the cancer had made her that way. She had long, fiery red hair that hung straight, halfway down her back. Her skin was porcelain and flawless except for the few freckles sprinkled across her cheeks. She had huge inquisitive blue eyes, as if she was trying to take in everything about the world. She was definitely a cutie, he decided. Shy and soft-spoken, she was probably a real sweetheart.
He looked over at her cousin Aimee and grinned. Her cousin was a different breed entirely. She was taller than Emma, and more shapely. Her hair was a rich chocolate brown, except for the bright blue streak on the right side of her head. She wore a lot of makeup, and dressed to show off her body. He could tell she loved attention. She probably wasn't into NSYNC's type of music, but she obviously had a thing for Justin, as she was currently flirting her ass off with him. Justin, being a natural born flirt, was giving right into it.
"So, where ya from?" JC asked, breaking the silence.
"Florida." Emma replied.
"Oh yeah? What part?"
"Orlando."
"Hmm, small world." he smiled.
"Yeah well, usually I'm up in Tallahassee for treatments."
"Oh." JC said, frowning. "That's gotta suck."
Emma shrugged, her flame-colored hair falling over one eye. "I'm used to it."
"How long have you had it?" JC asked.
"Three years." she replied. "It doesn't really bother me anymore, I mean, yeah, it hurts, but...you get used to the pain after awhile."
"Physical? Or emotional?" JC questioned.
"Both." Emma replied.
"I'm sorry." he said honestly.
Emma just smiled lightly at him.
Just then, the door flew open. "We got food!" a voice yelled.
"Where'd you guys go? You've been gone for like an hour." Lance asked the two men who had just walked in.
"Mickey D's." Joey replied, assaulting Justin with a Big Mac thrown in his direction.
"Hey, while you guys were out we decided to replace you." JC said, catching the burger tossed at him by Chris.
"And this must be my replacement." Joey said, looking at the redhead sitting next to JC. "I'm Joey."
"Emma." she smiled, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Joey replied. "So, had fun hanging out with these dorks so far?"
Emma giggled. "Yeah."
"Emma, you keep forgetting to introduce me." Aimee said as she walked over and sat on her cousin's lap.
"Oof! God, Aimee get off!" Emma shoved her younger cousin off her lap. "You're gonna crush me!"
"Not my fault you're a stick." Aimee replied, dusting herself off. She smiled at Joey. "Hi, I'm Aimee."
"Joey." he replied, shaking the hand she offered.
"You’re pretty cute…lots of hot guys in this group! You like to get wild?”
"Aimee!" Emma said. Joey laughed.
"You'll have to excuse my cousin, she has no manners."
"Manners are no fun." Aimee replied. "Okay, who's this guy?"
Chris made a face. "This guy is Chris." he replied.
"Nice to meet you." she shook his hand. "Emma, I'm gonna go cause trouble, I'll see you later."
"Your cousin is um, interesting." Lance said.
"No, insane. You can say insane, it's okay. We all know." Emma replied.
Lance grinned.
"Guys, soundcheck!" Johnny poked his head in the door.
"We just got our food!" Chris replied, mouth full of Big Mac.
"Tough. Move your asses, guys." Johnny went on his way to finish up the rest of his work.
"C'mon Emma. You can chill onstage with us." Justin said.
"But...shouldn't I wait for...."
"A girl that flamboyant won't have any problems getting where she needs to go." JC interrupted. "C'mon, girl!" he grabbed her hand.
Emma smiled. All the guys were really nice to her and JC was holding her hand! Maybe life didn't suck so bad after all...
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