Revenge
SS by Epic Rain

Rated R

It all began when Justin said he was going to make a solo album. He was all too clear that the group came first in his life and that this was just a project. He only wanted to see what he could come up with. Chris agreed whole heartedly, the very first one to speak up after Justin’s announcement.

It was strange how the eldest of the boys was the most naïve in many matters. Lance and Joey agreed next, both already had other things taking their mind off of the group anyway, Joey with his family and Lance with his great space expedition. It was JC who was the last to respond and the most timid to say yes. JC had had those thoughts before, the thoughts of making solo material. JC knew that a solo album was not a project; it was a back up plan. You only wrote solo material when you feared the ship you were sailing was about to sink, and that a solo album could at least save you, even if you had to watch your friends drown. Yes, JC knew this, because JC had written a few solo songs himself

But in the end JC conceded to Justin’s wishes. It would have been selfish for him to tell Justin no, yet still continue to write songs on the side. He had to appease Justin, or else he would loose the respect of his four surrogate brothers. And at that point in his life, Justin, Chris, Lance and Joey meant the world to him.

The group continued on as planned, wrapping up their tour. All the while Justin would seclude himself more, sitting down to jot down what JC assumed to be lyrics in a brown leather notebook. From the very beginning JC knew that Justin would win. He would write catchier songs, he would make better videos, and, ultimately, he would attract bigger crowds. No matter how hard

JC would try, or how enthusiastic the Jive reps seemed, the older boy was put on the back burner when the youngest announced his trials in solo music.

And at first this didn’t bother JC too much. JC always enjoyed producing for others. He imagined producing for Justin, adding a few background notes to some of his songs. It was a world that JC enjoyed. Justin could do the exhausting touring and press junket, and JC could sit back and become the artist he always wanted to be. To JC, this idea seemed to be heaven.

However, he later learned that Justin had other plans.

Britney came to visit the boys on the very last leg of their tour. She stayed with them for a few weeks straight through. This left Justin little free time and his lyric writing became a forgotten habit. There were the few odd times when Justin would sing a song out of his leather notebook to Britney, and get her input, but besides that usually the small book stayed tucked away in Justin’s bunk, unattended.

JC, always the curious and cunning type, decided one day to take a look in the leather bound book. JC was alone on the bus which he shared with Justin and Lance. He went to Justin bunk and slipped his hand around the edge of the mattress, waiting to find where the book was hidden. Once he discovered it JC pulled out the book and sat on Justin’s bunk to skim through it. The first few manila pages were just normal stuff, nothing too exciting, a few with the words “To Brit” scribbled at the top. It was a few pages deep where JC discovered a song with the writing credits at the bottom listed as “J. Timberlake, W. Robson”

At this moment JC heard footsteps walking towards the back of the bus. He knew he should move, throw down the book at least, but shock kept his eyes glued to the pages.

“What are you doing?” Justin asked sharply when he came upon JC with the leather book in his hands. “That’s mine.” Justin snapped, snatching away the book.

“I was just…looking.” JC replied, fumbling for a decent excuse.

“This is private Jayce, keep away from it.” Justin scolded and whined at once, taking the book with him and exiting the bus.

JC’s anger was overflowing. Justin had written with Wade before, many times actually. But that was different. Those were songs written for the group and most of the time JC was in on the process. No, these were songs that Justin wrote for himself. And the person that he went to for input was not JC, it was Wade. Hell, Justin didn’t even want JC looking at the lyrics, let alone help him with them. This infuriated JC. Justin would not be taking JC, his friend of over a decade, along on his ride to fame. No, instead Justin would take a choreographer who he had only known for a few years.

JC’s rage stirred his mind and caused him to come up with only one response. Revenge.

I.

“All right Lance, say something into your microphone.” Tim, Nsync’s tour manager, said to Lance.

“Hello, this is your captain speaking; we’re going to have a slight delay today due to extreme amounts of screaming adolescent girls. We apologize for the wait and please feel free to move about the cabin.” Lance spoke into his microphone using his deep bass voice. The boys cracked a smile. It was another long and boring sound check on their tour. Justin, Lance, Chris, Joey and JC stood on stage idly waiting for the sound check to end so they could move on. Britney, Bobbie and Wade sat in the audience, leaning back in the fold up chairs. The trio laughed loudly together, but more-so it was Wade and Britney giggling to themselves.

“Those three are such a mess.” Justin laughed, watching Britney gawk awkwardly with a loud, open-mouth laugh at something amusing that must have been said between the three of them.

“I know.” JC smiled lightly while his mind was racing through plans. He stared at Britney and Wade, watched how comfortable they sat together. This would be the perfect moment for just the right comment. “They’re really close.”

“I know. Wade, Brit and Bobbie seem inseparable sometimes. You feel a little left out too?” Justin joked.

“Well, I didn’t mean all three of them.” JC said quietly.

“Hm?” Justin said, turning to look at his older friend. “What do you mean?”

“Well just look at them.” JC nodded out towards the arena. This was all JC needed to say and the rest was left up to Justin’s jealous nature. JC watched as Justin focused on the pair in the audience. Wade propped his legs up on the back of the chair in front of him and Britney sat casually with her legs propped up on his. It was a position the two assumed often, and usually Justin would find nothing compromising about it. But something today just seemed offset. The way the pair leaned in towards each other, their upper bodies were not touching but they were not far from one another.

Justin watched Wade’s lips move and then form a smile; to which Britney threw back her head in laughter so hard that she threw her center of gravity back with her, and flipped backwards in the fold-up chair. In an attempt to catch Britney, Wade reached out, grabbing her arm with one hand and her back with another. A pang of intense jealousy flew through Justin’s body. But then Britney stood, still laughing horribly. She noticed how Justin had been watching her and had seen her fall. She waved and gave him a dorky thumbs-up, to show him she was ok.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Justin said to JC before looking towards Tim for the next instruction.

II.

JC laid on his bed in his hotel with Bobbie curled up in his arms. He twisted his fingers though her soft brown hair and whispered stories in her ear. JC needed to get Bobbie into just the right mood so that she would comply with his plan. He teased her about her newest magazine assignment, an article on the break-up of the Backstreet Boys, and how someday that would be Nsync. She giggled at his jokes and squealed when his fingers caught a hold of her skin to tickle him.

After Bobbie calmed down and the two lay quietly together, wrapped up in each other’s arms, JC came out with his request. “Hey baby,” He started in a smooth and sultry voice, “Can you do me a favor?”

“Anything,” Bobbie smiled, entranced in JC’s deep brown eyes.

“Well, actually, it’s a favor for Justin.” JC continued, “Do you think you could get a hold of Britney’s pinky ring?”

Bobbie’s mood changed quickly from playful to questioning. “Why?” She asked roughly.

“It’s for a surprise.” JC said, knowing well that Bobbie loved to be in on secrets, “I don’t know if I should tell you.”

“Oh please tell me! If you want me to do it you’ve got to let me know.” Bobbie begged.

“Ok, ok, if you insist. You see, Justin’s planning on proposing on the last night of the tour. But he needs to get a ring. So if you borrowed her pinky ring then the jeweler could estimate the size of her ring finger.”

Bobbie looked at JC skeptically. “You know she never takes that ring off.” Bobbie replied.

“Not even to shower or something?” JC asked slyly. “You know Bobbie, it’d be a really big help if you could do this for me…and for Justin. I’m sure that Justin would really love it if you helped him out.”

Bobbie took a deep breath then exhaled slowly. “Well, ok, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you, baby doll.” JC replied, kissing Bobbie’s forehead. “Now you run off and go see what Miss Spears is up to.”

Bobbie kissed JC goodbye and got up to leave. Once she was gone JC relaxed

back into his seat just as his phone chirped to announce missed calls. He had two missed calls from Wade, both with voicemails.

“Hey Jace,” The first one started, “Annalisa and I are going out tonight.

I’m going to take your advice and try and get close to little miss dancer at the club tonight. Maybe get a little action if I’m lucky. I just wanted to know if you could keep Justin busy tonight. She’s always so uptight and making googly eyes when he’s around. With him out of sight maybe I have a chance. I don’t know, it’s worth a try. I’ll talk to you later tonight and let you know how things worked out.”

“Hey Jace,” The second one started the same as the first and all of Wade’s voicemails. “How stupid am I? Annalisa’s family is in town for the weekend, there’s no way she’ll want to go out with me. Well me and Brit are heading out at least. You know she’s a good clubber, even though she’s always covered up in ugly disguises. Just wanted to know if you’d like to come with us, I think Joe might. Hit the cell if you want to head out.”

Oh, this is too perfect, JC thought as he quickly deleted the second voicemail from Wade.

III.

“What’s wrong ‘C?” Justin asked, bursting through JC’s hotel room door.

“You called and it sounded like someone had died.”

“No, no, its not that serious.” JC said, his voice full of fake anxiety.

“Did Brit invite you out to the club tonight?”

“Yeah, but I told her I’d rather stay in. She went out with Wade and Joe instead.”

“Oh,” JC sighed, “Well, I don’t know, maybe it’s nothing.”

“’C You’ve got to tell me, what’s up?” Justin asked, his voice panicky.

“Well, maybe you should have gone out with her tonight.” JC said quietly.

“Why, ‘C, what’s wrong? Is she ok?”

“Yeah, I mean, it’s nothing like that. I just got this voicemail from Wade. 

Here, I guess you should just hear it for yourself.” JC picked up his cell and dialed his voicemail, he listened to the message and conveniently gave the phone to Justin after Wade mentioned Annalisa. Justin’s face paled as he listened to the message.

“No, he’s got to be talking about someone else ‘C.” Justin said weakly.

“He’s not Justin, you know he went out with Brit tonight.” JC stretched out an arm to console his younger friend.

“No, Wade wouldn’t do that. Wade’s my boy ‘C.” Justin replied. “And Britney, she’d never…” Justin trailed off, his imagination doing more damage than JC could ever inflict. “Hey wait.” Justin’s voice turned sharp. “Wade said that you advised him to do this?”

JC had not been ready for this, his mind stumbled for a second, but he was soon back on his feet. “I didn’t. Not really. All I can think of was the other day when I was talking to him and said how lucky you were to have Britney and how wonderful she was. I told him he should get a girl as great as her. I guess he misconstrued what I meant.”

“Oh God, ‘C what am I going to do, how could they do this to me?” Justin said, laying his hands on his forehead.

“Hey, don’t jump to conclusions,” JC lied, wanting Justin actually to jump to all of the conclusions he could think of. “Look, you heard what Wade said. He was going to swing around any time tonight. Why don’t you stick around here and then you can hide when he shows up and here if anything actually happened?”

“Oh that’s brilliant ‘C!” Justin said and reached out to hug JC in the heat of the moment, before quickly stopping himself. “I’m so glad I’ve got a good friend like you. You’re always looking out for me.”

JC couldn’t help but smirk.

IV.

JC and Justin sat across from each other on the couch. JC cracked his knuckles and mentally prepared himself for what he was sure to be his most difficult performance ever. He slipped his hands into his pockets one final time just to be sure the ring Bobbie had so devotedly delivered was still there. One call only a few moments before had secured the fact that Wade was on his way back from the club and was heading up to JC’s room.

“So you know the plan, right?” JC asked Justin one more time.

“Yeah, as soon as Wade knocks on the door I go and hide behind the island in the kitchen. You’ll bring him into the living room. If I can’t hear anything, I’ll put a piece of fruit up on the counter top. And when I’ve heard enough I’ll call your cell so you can get him to leave. I’ve got it ‘C.” Justin replied. “Why are you so nervous?”

“I just want to get this right. No misunderstandings.” JC exhaled, stretching his arms above his head. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before someone knocked on the door. Justin quickly ran into the kitchen and JC went to answer the door. After one last check to make sure Justin was out of sight, JC opened the door to find a tipsy Wade leaning on the doorframe.

“Hey man!” JC greeted Wade loudly, patting him on the shoulder and turning to let him in the room. “How was your night?”

“Awesome,” Wade slurred lightly. “Brit’s one hell of a partier. Justin sure has his hands full with that one.” Wade laughed and JC began to lead him into the living room. To JC’s delight, Wade continued talking about Britney all on his own. “Joe was off flirting with the women most of the night. And I was a little bummed, you know? But Britney, that girl could make an empty club a party. She’s just great.”

JC sat on the couch where he could see the kitchen, and thankfully, Wade sat across from him. JC lowered his voice, hoping that Wade, even though he was a little wasted, would follow his lead. The two sat quietly for a few moments before JC continued the conversation. “Its too bad Annalisa couldn’t go, eh?”

“Yeah, too bad.” JC looked up and saw a hand place a banana on the countertop. He smiled and raised his voice.

“You really love her don’t you?”

“God, I’m head over heels man.” Wade replied.

“She is a great girl.”

“Yeah man, she’s such a good girl. So kind hearted and sweet to everyone.

And even though what happened tonight sucked, it means something to me when a girl really loves her family.” That was a close one, JC thought, hoping that Justin’s jealousy would overpower his logic on that comment.

“She is pretty nice. But you’ve got to admit, that girl does have a great body to her.” JC laughed.

“Oh I know!” Wade sat up, curving the outline of a woman in the air with his hands. “Perfect in all the right places. I’d band her eight days a week if she’d only let me.” At this point JC's cell, which was lying on the table, went off. He flipped it open and saw Justin’s name across the screen.

“Hey man, it’s my mom, I’ve been waiting for her to call. Do you mind if we finish this conversation tomorrow?” JC asked.

“No problem, I better start sleeping this off now anyway.”

“Thanks man.” JC said, flipping open his phone, “Hey mom, can you hold on one sec? I’ll see you later Wade.” JC said as he hugged Wade with one arm goodbye. Just as JC dropped his arm down Wade’s back he slipped Britney’s pinky ring into Wade’s back pocket, a pause that JC hoped Wade’s mental state would help cover.

“Bye Jace.” Wade said, turning to leave as the door shut behind him. Once JC returned to the living room, Justin was already standing in the middle of the room. His face was a mix of deep pain and extreme hatred. His eyes and cheeks were flooded with tears, but his face was reddened by rage.

“I can’t believe them.” He hissed. “My best friend and my girlfriend. The love of my life. How could they do this to me?”

“I’m sorry man.” JC said, stung by the words that Wade was Justin’s best friend. “They just weren’t thinking of you.”

“I’ve got to go see her.” Justin said as he began to storm towards the door. But JC caught his arm.

“No man. Wait out the night. Stay here and then talk to her in the morning. I don’t want you to do anything stupid.”

“Thanks man.” Justin said, wiping his eyes. “You’re a true friend. I’ve really been blessed to have you during all this.”

“No problem,” JC smiled, “No problem.”

V.

JC, Bobbie, Justin and Britney sat around a breakfast table eat various cereals in the VIP lounge room of the hotel. The table would have been silent, had it not been for Bobbie’s incessant chattering. Usually JC would have tried to shut her up, but today he was thankful for her noise. The tension around Justin was so think you could cut it with a knife.

As the four dined on their cereal Wade approached the table from where he had been sitting with the dancers. JC could feel the tension around Justin thicken along with his own pulse’s speed increase.

“Hey, I found this on my floor.” Wade said, outstretching a flat palm which held Britney’s pinky ring. Eyes flew everywhere, Wade’s to Britney,

Britney’s to Wade, Justin’s to Britney and Bobbie to JC. “Not sure how it got there.” Wade quickly added, noticing Justin’s fierce eyes.

“Oh thank you! I noticed that was missing.” Britney stood and threw her arms around Wade, not aware of anything being wrong. “I thought I’d lost it forever, thank you so much for finding it.”

She slipped the ring onto her little finger and sat back down. Justin’s eyes had turned from fierce to outrage. His mouth hung open and he was about to explode.

“You whore!” He screamed. “How can you be like this, so nonchalant about it all!? I know what you’ve done and I am not going to put up with this.”

Justin stood, threw down his napkin and then stormed out of the lounge while swearing up a storm.

“I’ll go after him.” JC said, rising from his seat.

“No,” Britney grabbed him, “I will.” She quickly dashed off after Justin entirely bewildered at what had just happened.

Britney found Justin in their room. He was pacing around their bedroom, throwing random clothes into his suitcase and muttering to himself. Britney was scared and it took all of her nerve to speak to Justin.

“Justin, what’s wrong?” Britney asked meekly.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong!” Justin screamed at her. “You’re fucking my best friend and you have the audacity to ask me what’s wrong?”

“What, Justin? What are you talking about, I’m not…”

“Oh I know all about it. JC let me in on your huge secret. I heard Wade

talking about you. I know he’s got you in his bed. But for you two to be so open about it. Him giving back your jewelry, right in front of me, after a hard night of fucking, what the hell is that? And your pinky ring at that.

You take off that promise from me so you can fuck him, don’t you?” Justin asked cynically. He stepped towards Britney.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Britney took a step backwards towards the bed.

“Oh you don’t? Sure you do. You were out with my best friend at a club last night.” He stepped forward again.

“You knew about that, I invited you to come!” She took another step back.

“But I didn’t know you were planning on fucking him later that night.” And again.

“I don’t know what JC told you, but believe me, it’s not true.” And another, her calves hitting the edge of the bed.

“Believe you? You’ve been lying to me all along. Don’t you think I see how you two look at each other. I’m so stupid not to have noticed this before.

But now I know and I am not going to stand for it. No Britney, if I can’t have you there’s no chance it hell I’m letting you leave me to fuck my best friend.” Justin reached forward and wrapped his fingers around Britney’s small neck, and in turn the two toppled onto the bed. “How does he fuck you Britney? Is he better than me? Does he know how your body moves from all the times you’ve danced with him? Do you think of him when you’re in bed with me?”

“God no, please, help! Save me!” Britney gasped, her cries silenced by Justin’s tightening hands.

“Yes, pray for your salvation. We don’t want everyone’s little angel on Earth going to hell, do we? Ask God for your forgiveness because there is no way you are getting it from me.”

VI.

Bobbie and Wade followed JC into Justin and Britney’s hotel room. The sight they found was a much unexpected one, even for JC. Britney lay lifeless on the bed, her eyes open yet glazed over. Harsh red imprints encircled her neck, the edges already turning into deep bruises. Justin was moving about, packing his suitcase. Bobbie hurried to Britney side and checked her pulse.

With no response she began to cry and collapsed on top of her friend. Wade was the first to speak.

“What the hell did you do?” After he spoke Justin instantly punched him in the jaw.

“Oh you’re lucky I don’t do the same to you.” Justin scowled as JC grabbed him and pulled him back.

“Justin, what did you do to Britney?” JC asked. He had never planned this.

A large fight, Justin would stop being friends with Wade and maybe break-up with Britney. He would turn to JC for comfort and their lives’ dreams would come true. JC never dreamed, ever, that Justin would do something so drastic.

“She deserved it. I wasn’t just going to let her make a fool of me like that.”

“Make a fool out of you? How?” Wade screamed.

“By cheating on me with you, you mother fucker!” And JC had to tighten his hold on Justin at this one.

“Me and Britney? Never man, she was my best friend like you. Why would I be so stupid.”

“I don’t know, but you did. JC told me all about it you fucker.” Justin screamed.

“Whatever he said isn’t true, Britney and I did nothing.”

“Oh really well how do you explain her pinky ring getting into your room?”

“I don’t know man, I just found it there.” Wade sighed.

“She never takes that ring off. Never. Why would it have been there?”

“Oh my God.” Bobbie finally sat up, jaw wide open and staring at JC. “I took it.”

“What?” Justin turned his head sharply towards her.

“Josh, he said that you wanted it. That you needed it to size her ring finger for an engagement ring. I gave it to Josh to give to you. Oh my God.”

At that moment all the eyes in the room, except one unmovable set, turned to JC.

“What’s she talking about ‘C?” Justin asked, his voice broken and so different from his threats towards Wade. “Tell me its not true. Tell me you told me the truth.”

“I did, I told you the truth.” JC lied. “I told you what I thought I knew.”

Justin gasped and turned to Wade. “You…you two weren’t having an affair?”

“I never laid a hand on her.” Wade whispered.

Justin’s eyes traveled from each pair, Bobbie to Wade, Britney to JC. He then turned around the room, as if looking for a seam to show this was a dream, or an escape from reality. His eyes rested on the open door to the outdoor patio. Finally Justin bent to the bed and scooped Britney’s body into his arms. “I’m sorry baby. I should have believed you. I shouldn’t have been so rash. Oh baby.” With each word he took a step backwards toward the open world, towards his escape from reality.

“Justin what are you doing.” Wade stepped forward cautiously.

“I’m sorry guys.” Justin said. “But I did this. And apparently for nothing,” his eyes shot daggers at JC, “I can’t live with myself knowing I did this.” Justin took a deep breath and let his eyes settle on JC. “I hope you feel the same way.”

With that Justin turned, ran out to the patio, with Britney still in his arms, and dove over the side of the wall, his body plummeting twenty-six floors into the cement below.