| Chapter Nine |
| The next night "So you got stuck in the elevator together and he totally did a one eighty?" Jessica exclaimed over the phone, not believing what her friend was telling her. "Yea Jess, it was so weird. He broke down crying and stuff. It was definently a big step for the both of us. I couldn't be happier. At least we're talking now you know?" Crystal said, leaving out the fact that they had almost kissed. She didnt want to share that with anybody right now. It was too awkward for her to discuss. Everything was moving so fast, she was just trying to keep up. "Alright well I'll let you go now hun, I'm supposed to be going out to dinner with my folks. But I'll call you later ok? I love you." Jessica concluded. "Love you too, Bye." Crystal hung up the phone and put the finishing touches on her makeup. There was no concert that night so Crystal, Trace, Justin,and Chris were all going to the movies. Even though it was in German it was alright, Chris always made any event more colorful anyway. They had made the plans that morning after they had all met up in the lobby. Justin had actually suggested it, which made everyone stare at him in disbelief. The second he walked off of that elevator the day before everyone had noticed a dramatic change in Justin Timberlake. They couldn?t have been happier. She slipped on her jacket and walked out of the room. She was supposed to be meeting everybody downstairs in ten minutes. She walked down the hall to the elevator and pressed the down button. When the elevator doors opened she walked in and smiled at the young blond man that was in the elevator as well. He looked strangely familiar for some reason. Why did he look so familiar? She was sure she had never seen him before in her life. It was something about his eyes. Something about those piercing blue eyes he had was so familiar to her, but she couldnt place it. She found he was staring at her to, but with more of a shocked look on his face. Once he realized she was staring at him though, he quickly looked away. The elevator reached the main floor and the two walked off in separate directions. She tried to shrug the awkward feeling off as she met up with her friends, but the tiny voice in the back of her mind wasnt going to let her. There was something important about that guy. Something she couldn't ignore. They were staying at the same hotel apparently so she would most likely run into him again, but what was she supposed to say? Hey I rode down with you on the elevator the other day and you looked really familiar? She tried to focus on the movie instead of her thoughts. With Chris cracking jokes every five seconds it wasn't so hard and she was thankful. She was tired though, she didnt have a very easy time sleeping lately. The nightmares were starting to come back again. They had laid off for a little while before she had left for the tour, but now they were back. Some nights they were so bad that she was afraid to go back to sleep. She would stay up all night drinking cup after cup of coffee and watching late night infomercials. It was hard, and she wished her shrink was around to help her. Nobody new about that though, they didnt need to worry about her problems. She had a job to do and she didnt want to let them down. She couldnt let them down. ********** Nick Carter splashed his face with cold water. It was her. He was sure of it. She was in the same hotel as he was. How was that possible? How? He could have kicked himself for not saying anything to her in the elevator. He had just stared at her like a dumbass. "Whats the matter Frack?" Brian said popping his head inside the bathroom "N-nothing I'm fine." Nick lied. "Nick you're not fine, you look like you just saw a ghost or something." Brian chuckled. "I-i'm fine. I just need some air." he said breathlessly running out the door. Brian looked on as the door closed behind Nick. What had gotten into his friend? ************ The following week "Hey," Justin said tapping lightly on Crystals open office door. She was made a room available at every show so she could get organzied for the meet and greets. "Hi J," Crystal yawned tiredly and looked up at him. "Are you ready for tonight?" "Oh yea...can't wait for the screaming to start you know?" he chuckled softly, plopping himself in the chair in front of her desk. He leaned foward, and began to toy with the various things on her desk. He always touched everything. Especially when he was nervous...and right now he was really, really, nervous. Crystal finally stopped him, when he managed to knock her cup of pens over, sending them scattering all over the desk. "Justin...what?s the matter?" She laughed, as she began to gather them up. "Crys'...uh...are we ok?" Justin asked, licking his lips. Crystal dropped the pens back into the cup and looked into his eyes. "Of course we are J, you know that." She smiled. "No I mean about the other day, when we kinda, you know..." "Almost kissed?" Crystal said hesitantly. "Yea...did you...I mean...you didn?t feel anything did you?" Justin asked, blushing a little. He paused for a moment, and let a small chuckle escape his lips before he spoke again. "Because you know...I didn?t...I mean...yeah...I...I didn?t." "You sure?" She laughed. Justin looked down at the floor, trying to hide his now beet red complexion. "Yeah, I?m sure." "It?s hard for me to tell if I felt anything Justin. Right now, I?m just trying to put my life back together." She confessed. "But...maybe...we can talk about this later." She said softly. "I don?t think that now is the best time." "Later?" He asked her, forcing himself to look at her. "Yeah, later Justin." She chuckled. "Alright." He said softly, rising out of his chair. "See you at the meet and greet." He pecked her on the cheek quickly, and walked out of her office. "Bye J." she called after him. That had been weird, she had never expected him to take their strange predicament in the elevator so seriously. He was confused. That was all it was. There was nothing more between them besides friendship. Was there? ************* Thirty minutes later she was almost finished with her guest list. She sighed as she looked at it. This was one of the biggest meet and greets she had ever done. As she was concentrating on trying to fit two more people in for that night there came another knock on her door. Half expecting it to be Johnny asking about the list, she didn?t look up as she spoke. "Give me ten more minutes Johnny that?s all I need I swear." "Actually I'm here for the opening act's guest list." A unrecognizable male voice said. "Oh sorry, I thought..." She began to say. Her speech froze when she saw the guy that was standing there looking just as shocked as she was. It was that guy from the elevator. |