Chapter 14
After calling the airport and buying tickets for an early flight the next morning, Christi retreated to her room and didn't come out unless she had to use the restroom, eat, or let Kaci crawl around somewhere else besides the guestroom.
As for everyone else, they tried talking to her but she just ignored them, they blamed Chris because he didn't prevent Christi from finding out. Christi would only speaking to Chris or Jessi. Christi even allowed him to tag along to the airport when Jessi dropped her off.
Justin felt as if he was being replaced by Chris. He took note of all the inside jokes that Chris and Christi seemed to share as well as the nicknames, which Christi and Justin never had. Chris even knew about Jessi's mom, whom JC still didn't know about. Nevertheless, it really bothered him to see "K Dot" as "Ti's" best friend. A position that was once filled by Justin. Keyword being WAS.
So, here he was on the phone two days later, sinking to what he considered his all time low. But, he needed to at least try to use Chris to get through to Christi
"Justin, leave me alone. I’m not doing it."
"Why not? You're the reason she's not talking to me."
"No, I'm not. You managed to do that all on your own."
"No, Chris. I wasn't the one who told her what was going on. You were."
"It was the tabloids that gave it away, Justin. I..."
"You were suppose to hide the magazines, distract her, or do something, but you chose not to."
"Whatever, Justin. We've been through this already, but it doesn't matter anymore because what's done is done. There's nothing I can do about it."
"Wrong. I know what you can do. You can call her and get her to talk to me again."
"Will it get you and the other guys off my back?"
"Yes."
"Well, let me grab somethng to eat before I put myself on the line fo! r your ass. Call me back in a hour or so."
"Thanks, man."
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The past two days had been the slowest days of her life. With Jessi still in Florida that weekend for a photo shoot, no Justin to talk to, and no job; Christi just didn't seem to know what to do with herself.
When Christi returned to Houston, her brother and his wife picked her up from the airport. And since then, she made herself a third wheel around them. After all, she was always close with her brother because of the whole twin thing they had going on and Adriana was her best friend long before her brother decided to steal her away. Plus, she knew they didn't mind her being around.
Three months pregnant, Adriana had told Christi that she wanted her perspective of pregnancy and being a parent because Adriana was still getting used to idea of it all. So, they did just about everything together. The two girls either went shopping, to the movies, or just hung out with Kaci.
But now, Adriana was practicing her mothering skills on Kaci and determined on making the baby understand that she had a baby in her stomach. Christi thought it was cute how Adriana interacted with Kaci but seemed more interested in the many magazines she had sprawled out on Jessi's coffee table. That was what they spent most of their time doing. Analyzing tabloids.
"I'm so pathetic."
Adriana looked up at Christi, who was studying a magazine so close that Adriana thought Christi would go cross-eye, and let out a laugh.
"It's not funny. I never knew these existed and now all I do now is read them."
"Honey, what you're doing is not just reading. You are examining every bit of those tabloids like a fanatic."
"I just don't see any of it. I mean look at this one."
Christi held up the magazine she was looking at for Adriana to see and continued, "It claims that this Lana chick and I are the same person. Then, why is it that in the earlier picture, Lana clearly has an ugly! ass birthmark on her neck while I clearly don't? And then, the magazine has the nerve to make it seem as if I'm playing both JC and Justin. JC and I have never even gone out. Jessi would kill the both of us if we did. And to top it off, they claim that I'm with Justin. HA, fucking, HA. They have got to be kidding me. I just don't see it. Just because we are close does not mean that we are together."
"First of all, watch the virgin ears."
"Thanks for choosing now to catch on, mom."
Adriana ignored Christi's remark as she resituated Kaci in her lap before taking the tabloid from Christi and responding to her rant. "Actually, I never noticed the birthmark and I've been looking at these tabloids just as long as you have. So, I can see how they still mistake you. And as for Justin, ya'll look like a couple. In the picture you are resting your head on his shoulder while he is absentmindedly running his fingers through your hair as he tries to focus on the charity basketball game going on. The magazine just wants to play it out since the two of ya'll are so close."
The sigh that Adriana heard from Christi let her know that Christi didn't want the reasonable explanation. But, Adriana could careless because she felt that Christi needed to hear it. Although, Christi's saddened face did make Adriana feel bad. So, she decided to lessen the tension in the air by playfully mocking Christi. Adriana dramatically placed the magazine to her face while rotating it to look at it from different angle. The facial expression Adriana had made Christi laugh. Adriana was sporting the cross-eyed look that Adriana had caught her in ten minutes ago.
Finally, sobering up, Christi spoke, "You're just as pathetic."
Adriana was somewhat relived to see the Christi she knew back again. The Christi that could laugh and make fun of those she loved.
"Am I now?"
"Yes, you are."
As Christi moved on to a different magazine to analyze, Adriana concentrated on pron! ouncing "baby" phonically to Kaci. All Adriana got in response was different variations on "bababa."
Christi sarcastically stated, "Hey, look at this one. I think I've found our long lost triplet."
Without looking at Christi, Adriana answered, "You need help. Do you know that?"
"So, I've been told. That's why I've made a counseling appointment for next week."
Adriana looked up at Christi this time and noticed that she was serious.
"Do you think you're ready for it?"
"Yeah, I think it's about time. I've wasted enough time. Plus, I have nothing going on in my life right now to stop me."
"So, when do you go? Maybe, I can go with as moral support."
"Next week. Wednesday."
"It's a date."
Silence fell over the room again as they both went back to doing what they had been doing. However, it didn't last long due to an interruption by the sound of the phone ringing throughout the room.
"Hello. Christi?"
"K Dot! Hey, what's up?"
"Not much. I was just checking up on how you're doing."
"Bullshit. Come on say it with me. Bullshit. We just got done talking to each other last night. So, spill it. What's really up?"
A little sketchy that Christi might have picked up on something being wrong, Chris decided to play it off, "I am shocked and appalled. Can't I just call to talk to my friend?"
And fall for it, Christi did. "I guess. I'm just being pathetic."
Christi looked up at Adriana still trying to get Kaci to talk and corrected herself, "Well, actually WE'RE being pathetic."
"Who's the WE? And, what do you mean by being pathetic?"
"I invited Adriana over for days of movies since my brother went out of town for a couple of days. But, we are sitting here analyzing a bunch of tabloids, covered with my face. Actually, I'm doing that, and my lovely sister-in-law is making fun of me while she tries to introduce my daughter to her soon-to-be cousin. It really is a sight
to see."
Justin was struggling not to comment on her rant, since Christi seemed to not pick up on the fact that Chris had him on three-way with them. Chris, on the other hand, laughed his ass off.
Sobering up, Chris asked, "I'm not even going to ask what Adriana is up to. But, I have to know. What have you concluded in your analysis?"
"I've concluded that Lana has an ugly birthmark on her neck, and that the media may have found my long lost triplet that I’ve been looking for all these years. Adriana claims I need help. What do you think?"
"I agree."
"Good because I start counseling next week."
It was that remark that sparked Justin to ask, "Are you serious? I mean are you ready for it?"
"As a heart attack. Wait a minute! Justin?!"
Cringing at the way she used his name, Justin nervously replied, "Yes?"
"Chris! What the hell is going on?!"
Before he could answer her, Chris and Justin heard her let out some kind of squeal before dropping to phone.
Meanwhile, Adriana encouraged Kaci, "Say it again. Say 'baby'."
With her hand on Adriana's stomach, Kaci said it again, again, and again.
Realizing that Chris and Justin were still on the phone and must have thought something was wrong, Christi picked up the phone and answered their unasked question, "She spoke. Kaci said her first word. I can't believe it. This so deserves a day at Chuck-e-Cheese."
"What did she say?"
"Baby. But, I'm still not talking to you, Justin. And Chris, what you just did was low. I can't deal with this right now. I gotta go."
CLICK! .
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That Friday.
"Hello?"
"Hey. JC?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. Well, can I speak to Jessi?"
"You'll have to call my phone to get her."
"I don't get it. Why would she answer your phone but not her's? And, why do you have her's?"
"She left her cell phone off the charger last night, and when she was leaving for the photo shoot this morning, the phone was dead. So, I told her to take mine for the day."
"Oh. Well, I'm gonna let you go so I can call her."
"Wait!"
"What?"
"How are you holding up?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Actually, WE ALL want to know because we care about you, but you aren't talking to any of us. So, are you? Are you really okay?"
"I'm not great, but I'm okay. So, you can tell your friends not to worry about me."
"Well, before you hang up, can you do something for me?"
"Depends on what it is."
"Watch Entertainment Tonight at six o'clock, your time."
"Why?"
"Just do it, please."
"Okay. But, are you done because I really have to call Jessi now?"
"Yeah."
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They were on a mission. And nothing was going to stop them because things needed to return back to normal.
JC felt he owed it to Christi for everything she's done for him since she entered his life. If Christi never went into labor that night, JC never would have met Jessi. If Christi never slipped him Jessi's number, JC never would have talked to Jessi after that chaotic night at the hospital. JC also felt that by setting the record straight in an Entertainment Tonight interview, he would represent all of NSYNC. He knew that even though Joey, Chris, and Lance had not known Christi as long as Justin and himself, the guys still cared for her as if they had. He saw how Christi became Chris' partner in crime in teasing and pranking everyone else. He also saw how Lance and Christi privately discussed the difference in managing a performance act versus a restaurant while Christi swapped parenting advise and stories with Joey and Kelly.
But out of all of the guys, Justin was the one JC was doing the interview for. JC never expected Justin to connect with someone decent after losing Marci. Christi and Justin are not just friends. They are closer. And, JC never understood how Justin's closest friends and family could not do for him what a stranger, like Christi was at the time, managed to do for Justin. Christ had simply given him a normal friendship without all the sympathy and bias views. And for that, JC felt indebted to her even more.
As they waited on the set of Entertainment Tonight, Justin began to pace. The interview was his last resort and a lot was depending on it. Christi. After listening to her talk on the phone with Chris, Justin could tell the toll the media's attention had taken on Christi. She did not sound like the normal Christi he had become accustomed to.
The Christi that was carefree.
*FLASHBACK*
Jessi had been concentrating so hard on running after Christi, to prevent her from squealing on her, that she ran into her, causing a collision that sent them both tumbling to the bottom of the staircase. Serena, JC, and Justin with Kaci in his arms came ! running to see what the commotion was. What they found was two grown girls piled on the floor laughing hysterically. This sight alone was hysterical.
"Are you two okay?"
Christi lifted her head to see that they had an audience. She smiled and goofed, "We're great, mama." She looked back down at Jessi, who was trying to calm down herself, and peered over her shoulder to see Jessi's face, "Aren't we, Jessi? In this LOOP of ours."
The second that Christi emphasized the word "loop", Jessi automatically stopped laughing and decided to change. "Yeah. Perfect. So, Christi, do you want to go?"
It took Christi a minute to figure out what Jessi meant, so Jessi helped her out by turning her attention to the stairs while humming.
Christi exclaimed, "Like I would ever say no!"
Watching the girls' display gave the others a sigh of relief. They no longer had to take sides.
"Where are ya'll going?"
The girls looked up to see the questioning stares coming their way then looked back at each other with smirks grazing their features. Serena knew the looks they were giving each other meant they were up to something.
"Well, we're just going to find a silver leaf. Can you watch Kaci for the weekend?"
Christi winked at her mother as she started to get up but then fell limply on Jessi all over again.
"Sure, I'll do it."
"Ya know, Christi, that butt your's isn't all that light for me to keep supporting."
"Ya know, Jessi, Justin just so happens to like my butt just the way it is." Christi winked at a blushing Justin just to let him know that she was joking and then turned to a laughing JC and commented, "So does your man. Thank you very much."
Justin helped Christi up as Jessi stayed on the floor sending JC questioning looks.
JC defended, "I did not say that."
*END FLASHBACK*
The Christi that grounded him.
*FLASHBACK*
"How come we're not riding togethe! r? We can all fit in your truck, or we can just use the rental Jace got."
The guys were still in the dark about where they were going and why they had to pack over-night bags and food.
"Do you not want to be alone with little ol' me," Christi pretended to pout before reasoning, "Because, where we're going we'll need two cars. The SUV is too flashy and would attract more attention then we want. Plus, you wouldn't want to be stuck with us all weekend, would ya?"
Justin rolled his eyes while Jessi and JC tried to stifle their desire to laugh at the two's banter. They almost succeed up until Christi concluded her statement by batting her eyelashes at Justin.
"I knew it! Ya'll plan on kidnapping us and dropping us off in the middle of nowhere."
Christi started to laugh herself but quickly sobered up, "Just shut up and get in the car. You'll have fun. I promise."
Jessi and JC hopped into Jessi's Acura as Justin and Christi climbed into Christi's new truck. Justin noticed how Christi had already adjusted the truck's interior to her liking. Her seat had already been pulled closer for her to reach the pedal as well as leaned back so far that she couldn't rest her back on it. The rearview mirror had already been adjusted, and, like clockwork, she checked what was on all the already programmed radio stations before popping in the first of her two new R. Kelly CD's to listen to. When she was situated, she looked at Justin, flashed him a smile, and finally pulled out the driveway. While pulling out, she noticed Jessi's car was no longer in the spot next to her,s.
RING. RING.
Before she could say anything, Jessi blurted into the phone, "Last one there makes dinner."
"You're on."
With that, they both hung up and the next thing Justin found out was that he should put on his seatbelt with the speed Christi was going. He wasn't one known to be chicken shit when it came to cars, but when it came to the way she was driving, it was e! nough to make anyone feel that way.
"Are you trying to kill me?"
"No. It's just that Jessi and I have a deal that the last one there cooks dinner. I refuse to cook anything. Just because I own and run my own restaurant doesn't mean I like playing chef. Plus, I might as well test out my new truck that I've always wanted."
*END FLASHBACK*
The Christi that lived by her own philosophies.
*FLASHBACK*
Making her way into the kitchen, she found Justin quietly chomping on a bowl of Apple Jacks at the table. Christi pulled the carton of Cookie Dough ice cream out off the freezer and sat down with a spoon across from Justin. She was still digging into and eating the ice cream straight out the carton as Justin finished up his cereal. Justin finally noticed what she was eating and thought it was odd considering it was still breakfast time.
"Do you plan on eating a real breakfast?"
"Don't worry, J. You do that too much. And, yes, I'm gonna have a real breakfast. I just needed my ice cream first."
"Why?"
She shrugged, "Some people need their coffee. You need your cereal, and I just need my ice cream."
Justin has seen and heard a lot of bizarre things in his life, but Christi always managed to stump him somehow.
"Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack."
*END FLASHBACK*
He knew and admired her for being all of the above, but for the past week, she had shut him out of her life and gotten rid of all those qualities.
Before he could further analyze the situation, a crew member motioned for them to join Mary Hart.
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She didn't understand why JC had insisted that she watch Entertainment Tonight, nor did she know why she was actually doing it. Deciding she needed a break from celebrity news, she grabbed the remote control to change the channel. Just as she was about to change the channel, she heard Mary Hart announce Justin and JC. She became curious, and her curiosity got the best of her.
"Here to clear the air about recent rumors, I have none other than NSYNC's JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake giving me an exclusive interview. So, let's get started. Rumors, rumors, and more rumors. Where would you like to start?"
JC lifted up the two tabloids that Christi had shown them to the camera, "These. Justin and I are here to tell the truth, and these are not anywhere near it. They actually contradict one another. One claims that we're in a love triangle with Lana while the other focuses on Lana having a twin that is a close friend of ours."
Mary interrupted, "For those of you that do not know who Lana is, Lana and JC dated for years but are no longer together."
Mary nodded for JC to continue and he did, "And, despite what the media fabricates, Lana is no longer associated with me or NSYNC in any way. She is not dating Justin, nor does she have a twin that we know of."
"Can you tell me why you think this mess came about?"
Justin, who had been distant throughout the interview until now, responded, "Yes. About six months ago, I befriended someone who unknowingly had the same physical features as Lana. A couple months later, she went through a rough time and decided she needed a change in her life. Aft! er a morning of pampering herself at a salon, the once
straight-haired blonde came out as a brunette and looking like Lana to the eyes of everyone that had known Lana."
"Did she know about Lana beforehand."
"No."
"So, what was her reaction when you told her?"
"Actually, she wasn't told. JC and I honesty thought that if we just made a statement all of the rumors would go away and all would be well. However, she found out when she saw these two magazines while shopping. And for the people who don't know her, Christi thinks that keeping secrets from those that are closest to you is betrayal and unforgivable, which is the real reason we are sitting here now."
"Why is that?"
JC responded, "The media hurt her when her face was compared to Lana, and we hurt her by not telling her what was going on. And, we feel indebted to her for everything she has done and been to us over the past six months. When I say us, i mean all of the guys of NSYNC. She's Chris’ partner-in-crime when it comes to teasing and pulling pranks. She's Joey's parenting friend when it comes to swapping stories and advise about thier kids. She's Lance's business coleague when it comes to talking about the management business. She's the reason I met and am now dating Jessi. And last but not least, she's Justin’s..."
Justin filled in JC's sentence before JC even tried to describe their relationship, "best friend. She has been there for me though one of the roughest times in my life. She was there to pull me out of my depression after I lost Marci, more times than I can remember, by giving me her friendship and treating me like a normal person. Just a simple friendship that was destroyed by the tabloids' desire to makeup stories about things that they don't know about."
With a speech like that, Justin shocked Mary. "Wow."
"I know. But, we had to tell our side of the story. The truth. It is the only way we knew would get the point across to everyone! and Christi. We jut hope she's watching and forgives us."
"I hope so to and wish you luck on getting your friend back. With that, I would like to bring this interview to a close by thanking you for sitting here with me this evening."
"Your welcome."
Off. Christi had to turn the TV off. Watching their confession had her in tears by the end of the interview. They really did have her best interest in mind when they kept everything from her. They really did care about her. How could she not forgive them?
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Jessi had not been able to leave the photo shoot until twelve that night. She was cranky from working all day and thinking about the long day she had ahead of her tomorrow. To say the least, she was anxious to get back to JC's place. Jessi hopped into her rental car and went on her way.
Halfway to JC's house, JC's phone began to ring from within her purse. Jessi thought she was going to miss the call because she had to struggle to concentrate on the road and getting to the phone, but she managed to get to it before the person could hang up.
Out of breath, Jessi answered, "Hello?"
"Who are you?"
Jessi was thoroughly confused by the woman's voice on the other line. "No. You're the one calling me. I should be the one asking 'Who are you?'"
"Whatever. Where is JC?"
"Who are you? And, why are you calling JC this late?"
"Lana. Are you happy now? Let me talk to JC now."
The second Jessi heard her name, she almost lost total control of the steering wheel because of the shock.
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