Sunday, March 4, 2001: Wichita, KS

Justin woke up to the sound of an alarm and a shifting of weight beside him. He heard the alarm being shut off and he blinked his eyes open. He was startled to find two eyes meeting his own. He blinked again.

"Hey," Maggie said. She smiled and rested her weight just a smidge bit heavier on the pillow. "Good morning."

"Morning," Justin said. He yawned and rolled over on his back. "What time is it?"

"Early," Maggie said. "We need to get to the venue so that we can get tickets."

"Oh," Justin said. The memory of the previous nights phone call came rushing back to him. "Oh. Yeah."

"I should go make sure that Emily and Stu are getting up," Maggie said. "I’ll cry if we get there too late and don’t get tickets."

"Yeah," Justin said again. He swallowed, feeling his breath catch in his throat. "So will I."

JC dragged his fingers through his hair as he looked in the mirror. The circles beneath his eyes looked like heavy bruises. His skin was pasty. He swallowed and watched his adam’s apple bob.

He tried to smile and found that he couldn’t.

JC turned away from the mirror and walked to the door of his hotel room. He opened it slowly, heard the movements in the main room come to a stop, and walked out.

"Hey," he said.

Joey looked away from him.

"Hey," Chris said. He didn’t smile.

Lance wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

"Are you not talking to me?" JC asked, the words coming out with a sigh.

"Tell me why we should, JC," Joey said. "Give me one good reason."

"I fucked up," JC said.

"Yes," Joey said, "you did."

"He wanted another week, Joey," JC said. He blinked, feeling prickles at the corner of his eyes. "What would it have been after that?"

"Did you give him a chance to explain?" Joey asked. "Did you even give him a chance?"

"I asked him why he had to stay," JC said. "I think. And he said that he had 2003 people depending on him."

"For what?" Chris asked. His eyes had moved upwards from the spot where they’d been focused on the floor.

"He didn’t say," JC said. He corrected himself. "He wouldn’t say."

"What did he say?" Joey asked.

"He said that we hadn’t seen him as Justin for a long time, and that when he’d try to look at me as Joshua Scott rather than JC when he saw me on stage tonight."

"Wait," Chris said. "Saw you on stage?"

JC blinked. "Oh, fuck."

"He’s coming to the concert?" Joey asked. "Why would he do that?"

"It looks like maybe you have a chance to fix this," Lance said from the door of his bedroom.

Justin was fidgeting. His heel was tapping a constant rhythm on the floor of Emily’s car. His fingers were moving against his knees. His breath was coming in short uneven puffs.

"I’d say you were almost more excited than me and Maggie, Randy," Emily said. She was looking in the rearview mirror at him. "You’re antsy as a racehorse."

"I’m nervous about the game tomorrow," Justin said. "You know, meeting Parker again."

Maggie turned around from her spot in the front seat. "Don’t lie, Randy. I know you’ve been waiting months to see the ‘N SYNC concert."

"No," Stu said, nudging Justin softly. "I’ve been waiting months."

"No," Justin said with a fake grin. "I have. I’ve been waiting so much longer than you, Stewart."

"I’ve been waiting my whole life to see this concert," Stu said. He crossed his arms across his chest in a self-satisfied manner. "Beat that."

"So have I," Justin said. "And I’m older, so there."

He looked out the window as the car turned into the parking lot of the coliseum. "Oh, shit," he said. His eyes opened in amazement as he saw the line of people curling around the building.

"See," Maggie said. "I told you we had to get here early."

"How can I fix it with you guys?" JC asked.

"It doesn’t matter what you do with us," Lance said. "Cause if you don’t fix it with Justin there’s not going to be anything left to fix."

"How can I fix it?" JC asked again.

"Apologize tonight," Lance said. "Say you were a prick and you didn’t mean what you said on the phone last night."

"Fine," JC said. He ran his fingers through his hair again and sighed. He saw Lance nod happily before he spoke again. "No, Lance, it’s not fine."

"What?" Lance asked.

"Huh?" Chris said.

"It’s not," JC said. "I may have been out of line on the phone last night, but it doesn’t change anything. We gave him a deadline and I don’t think we can budge on that."

Lance sighed. "You’re bound and determined to end this group, aren’t you."

"No," JC said. "I’m not. I just don’t think the group’s worth continuing without Justin. We. Are. Not. Complete. We are not ‘N SYNC without him."

"We aren’t," Chris said.

"He wanted another week, Lance," JC said. "I called it. He’s not ready to come back."

"And I’m not ready to give up," Lance said. "This group is my fucking life, Josh, and I don’t want to throw it away without giving him every opportunity."

"And I don’t want to fade into oblivion," JC said. "We agreed in January that today was it. The last day of the tour, no more."

"We did," Lance said.

"You said yourself that you were tired," Chris said.

"I am," Lance said. "But what if this extra week you say he’s asking for, what if that’s it? For real?"

"And what if it’s not?" JC asked.

"You know what," Joey said, getting up from the couch. "Fuck this." He walked to the door of his room. "There will be no group for Justin to come back to because we aren’t a group anymore."

"Joey," Lance started.

"No," Joey said. "No more. No more arguments. No more shit about who’s to blame. I’m to blame okay. I’m saying no more. I am done."

Joey opened the door of his room and shut it quietly. The sound of the lock clicking into place, however, was loud in the silent room.

"It’s always like this, isn’t it?" Justin asked. He tugged at the hem of his sweatshirt as he leaned against the wall of the coliseum.

"Worse," Emily said. "Normally you wait in line and they only get through the first 30 people."

"Really?" Justin asked. He frowned. "That’s not cool."

"No," Maggie said. "It’s not. That’s why we thank the lord every day for the Internet."

"So we can get our ‘N SYNC tickets," Stu said, grinning brightly. It was obvious that he was trying too hard. "Cause you know, that’s what I use my Internet for."

Emily slapped him on the arm as Maggie giggled. Justin stared off into space.

"Hey," Maggie said, a few moments later as she rested a hand on his arm. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Justin said. "Sure."

"Are you thinking about the call?" Maggie asked. "I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have made you--"

"The call?" Stu interrupted. He gave Justin an alarmed look, all elements of his previous joking fading from his face. "What call?"

"I called home," Justin said slowly. "To try to get the extra day."

"It didn’t go well," Maggie said.

"Yeah," Justin said. "Not at all." He swallowed. "So I’m staying."

"You are," Stu said, furrowing his eyebrows. "You made your choice."

Justin rested his arm across Maggie’s shoulders. "Really there was no choice to make."

"I want our tickets now," Emily said. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Now would be a good time. Cause then we could go get food."

"We’re so getting nosebleed seats," Maggie said. She eyed the line of people in front of them.

"At least we won’t have to look at them up close," Stu said brightly.

Justin stayed silent.

"I never knew it could be this bad," Justin said. He moved forward a step as the line compressed.

"And some of these people won’t even get tickets," Emily said. She laughed. "Sucks to be them."

"Especially since this’ll be ‘N SYNC’s last concert," Maggie said.

Justin and Stu looked at her sharply.

"What?" Maggie asked. She shrugged. "It’s not like they’d actually try to make a go of it without Justin, right?"

"You’re right," Emily said. She patted Stu and Justin on their arms. "These boys just won’t know what to do with themselves if there’s no ‘N SYNC in this world."

"Guys?" Johnny looked around the empty hotel room. "We need to get to sound check."

Joey’s door opened first. He walked out of the hotel room, moving past Johnny with barely a nod.

Chris and JC came out of Chris’s room next. They weren’t talking, however. There were no smiles or laughs.

Lance was last, his feet dragging just slightly on the carpet. "Johnny." His deep voice was quiet. "I think we need to talk."

JC stared out the window of the bus at the line of people surrounding the coliseum. "Do you think he’s out there?"

"It doesn’t really matter, does it?" Lance asked.

"Oh my god," Emily said. She gripped at Maggie’s arm. "There they are."

Justin looked up, his blood suddenly running cold. He saw the bus. He saw the tinted windows of the bus. He could almost see the guys looking out from behind the colored glass.

"I’m going to the bathroom," he said. His stomach lurched. "I’ll be back." He was already walking quickly away from the line when he heard Stu call for him to wait up. He didn’t slow his pace. His fists clenched and unclenched. He took in deep breaths, but his throat had begun contracting.

He made it to the garbage can outside the bathroom and braced himself, gulping in deep breaths.

Stu caught up with him at that moment. He stopped for a brief instant, but then made his way over to Justin. "You okay, D?"

Justin shook his head. When he looked at Stu there were tears in his eyes. "I don’t think I can do this, man." He paused as his voice cracked before he clarified. "I just can’t do this."

"Check," JC said into the mic. "Testing."

The sound reverberated around the coliseum.

"Testing," Chris said. "One. Two. Three. Check."

"Sing a few notes," their sound manager said. "Let’s try the harmonies."

"It’s tearin’ up my heart," Joey sang, with the other three men joining in quickly. "But when we are apart I feel it, too." The stood still on the stage, their arms hanging limply by their sides’, their voices nearly emotionless. "And no matter what I do I feel the pain with or without you."

"Good," their sound manager said. "You’re good to go, guys."

"Good," Joey said into his microphone.

"Three hundred level," Maggie said as she stared at the four scraps of paper in her hands. "Not bad, I guess."

"Nope," Emily shook her head. "It’s not bad when we’re going to be in the same room as them."

"Breathing the same air," Maggie said.

"Shit," Stu said to the two girls as he looked at Justin. "Calm down. It’s just a concert."

"We’re just having fun," Emily said.

"Can’t you save it for the concert, though?" Stu asked. "Is this entire day going to be about ‘N SYNC?"

Maggie and Emily looked at one another. "Yes," they said in unison.

Justin tugged his bottom lip into his mouth and stared at the gate where the tour bus had disappeared.

"Can you guys try to look happy to be here?" Johnny asked.

"Why should we be happy, Johnny?" Chris asked. "It’s our last concert.  How do you feel."

"I said 'look,'" Johnny said. "You guys are performers, and with the sad looks you all have right now, you’re going to suck it up. Remember that these fans paid just as much money to see this show as everyone else, and they deserve a good show."

Joey smiled. "See. Happy." He laughed. "I can laugh, too."

"Fuck you," Lance said. He turned away from Joey and curled up into the couch.

"This is really far up here," Justin said. He was sitting down and he gripped the railing edging the third level of the coliseum. "You can barely see the stage."

"Yeah," Stu said. He lowered his voice. "Does it look different from this end?"

"This is a whole different world," Justin said.

Stu looked down and saw that Justin’s knuckles were white, but then the venue was plunged into darkness and he couldn’t see the tension in Justin anymore.

"And now," an electronic sounding voice said. "Britney Spears."

Justin sat back in his seat as Maggie and Emily leaned forward.

"Good evening," Britney said into her mouthpiece. She giggled and tossed her hair. "Hey, Wichita. It’s good to be back here."

The coliseum was filled with cheers.

"Now, I’m sure you all know why we’re here tonight," she said. "It’s to tell a friend that we love him very much and we miss him more than words can say."

Justin cringed. He shifted his grip to the armrests flanking his seat.

"This is for you, Justin," Britney said. "Cause I made a mistake, and ran and hid when I shouldn’t have. And if you’d give me another chance, I know you wouldn’t regret it."

Justin recognized the opening strains of ‘Sometimes.’

"Oh," Maggie said as she clutched at Justin’s arm. "That is so sweet."

As the song progressed, Stu stared at Justin and noticed that he didn’t take his eyes off of the stage. He blinked, and sighed, and settled for watching Britney move around the stage.

"I’m sorry," Lance said. He stared at JC, Chris, and Joey. "We had an agreement to go as long as this show and I know that." He heard Britney’s voice echoing around the venue. "I don’t know when to let go. We all know that’s one of my faults." He laughed tightly.

"Maybe we should go on," JC said.

"No," Lance said. "You’re right. He said he’d be back. He’s not. We gave him a date--gave him the time he said he needed--and he’s not back. We can’t go on forever. We can’t push the inevitable off."

"It’s a week," JC said.

"But who knows if he’ll ask for more," Lance said. "You were right, JC, and I was wrong. And Joey was right when he asked if this was a group that we wanted Justin to come back to."

"We’ll always be a group," Chris said. "We’ve survived blow-ups before, and our friendships will survive this."

"Yeah," Joey said. "It will."

"It’ll be better this way," Lance said. "We won’t have to wonder anymore."

The door to the greenroom opened. "Ten minutes, guys," a stage hand said.

Joey pulled the hackey sac out of his pocket. "One more time?" he asked.

"One more time," JC said.

"And now," the same electronic voice said. "’N SYNC."

The stage was dark.

Four men stood encased in the darkness, dressed in khakis and white t-shirts. They were in a familiar line, ready to start a familiar show. For the last time.

A picture flashed on the screen behind them, illuminating their figures and making the audience dissolve into shrieks and yells. It was a close up photo of Justin— all grays, whites, and seriousness.

"It’s about the stresses in life." JC’s recorded voice echoed around the coliseum. "It’s about the fact that sometimes you don’t know something’s wrong until it’s too late."

"It’s about love," Chris’s voice said. "You think they’ll know, that they see how much you care. Sometimes you just need to say it out loud."

"It’s about fun," Joey’s voice said. "Sometimes what’s fun for you, just isn’t for them. Sometimes you’re too wrapped up in your own life, and you don’t see that they’re not having fun, too."

"It’s about being there," Lance’s voice said. "Through the good times, and the bad, and supporting them even when you may not agree with their decisions."

"It’s about missing them." JC’s voice faded into Chris’s. "And loving them." Chris’s voice faded into Joey’s. "And being there." Joey’s voice faded into Lance’s. "And understanding that sometimes you need to say goodbye to get them back."

The four voices spoke together, fading in and out of each other, as the soft, eerie notes of an electronic organ started. "We love you, Justin."

The spotlight light flashed onto the stage, illuminating Joey fully, and casting a light glow over the other three men.

"Hey-ay-ay," Joey sang. The stage was bathed in light. "Bye, bye, bye."

The coliseum audience fell into cheers, screams, and tears. Justin sat still in his seat. He watched JC move forward out of the line.

"I’m doing this tonight," JC sang, his movements punctuating each word. "You’re probably going to start a fight. I know this can’t be right, hey, baby, come on. I loved you endlessly and you weren’t there for me So now it’s time to leave and make it alone."

I know that I can’t take no more it ain’t no lie," Joey sang, stepping forward. Justin moved his lips to the words he’d never forget. "I want to see you out that door, baby, bye, bye, bye."

He turned toward Stu when he felt the other teen’s eyes on him.

"You okay?" Stu asked.

Justin nodded. "Peachy keen," he said.

Joey tried to act like nothing was wrong as he moved in the formations he’d learned so long ago.

"Baby, don’t misunderstand," he sang. His voice was slightly ragged in his ears. "What I’m trying to tell you. In the corner of my mind, baby, it feels like we’re running out of time. Let it go. If you want me, girl, let me know. I am down on my knees. I can’t take it anymore."

He was breathing heavily when the three other voices joined his. "It’s tearin’ up my heart when I’m with you, but when we are apart, I feel it, too, and no matter what I do, I feel the pain with our without you."

He kicked his leg and turned on the ball of his foot.

Justin was slouched down in his seat by the time the third song started. His eyes were trained on Chris as the older man walked to the front of the stage.

"We’re going to slow it down a little," Chris said. He wiped a towel across his forehead and threw it out into the crowd. "You all know how this goes."

Justin had always liked the acoustic version of this song the best. He’d never gotten tired of singing it, of doing his little waltzing step. He watched as Chris moved backwards and sat on the simple metal stool.

"Ohohohhhhhh," Chris sang into his headpiece. "Ohohohohhhhhhhh. Lying in your arms, so close together, didn’t know just what I had. Now I toss and turn, ‘cause I’m without you. How I’m missing you so bad. Where was my head, where was my heart? Now I cry alone in the dark…"

"I lie awake," the rest of the guys sang. "I drive myself crazy. Drive myself crazy. Thinking of you. Made a mistake when I let you go, baby. I drive myself crazy, wanting you the way that I do."

Justin ran his fingers through his hair as his old solo started. He watched as Joey sang the words.

"I was such a fool. I couldn’t see it. Just how good you were to me."

He saw Joey stand up from the stool and move to the front of the stage, rather like he had done, when he’d been doing the part. His stomach twisted and he leaned over to whisper in Maggie’s ear.

"I’m going to the bathroom," he said. He stood up from his seat, climbed over Stu’s legs, and the legs of the two people sitting on the other side of his friend, and made it to the aisle. He could still hear the words of the song echoing in his head as they filled the venue.

"You confessed your love, undying devotion," Joey sang.

Justin pushed his way into the hallway surrounding the upper balcony. His head pounded. His blood pumped. His fists were clenched and his back was tense.

Out there, all alone, Justin sang the next line. "I confessed my need to be free and now I’m left with all this pain. I’ve only got myself to blame."

He leaned against one of the walls of the hallway and took a deep breath in an attempt to clear his head.

Lance almost missed the moving stage portion of the No Strings Attached tour. He had liked sitting along the edge of the platform, dangling his feet towards the crowd. He’d liked seeing the faces of the fans as they’d reached upwards, faces slack in awe that they, the members of ‘N SYNC were right there.

Right there.

Now he was on the stage, singing the song that had become the wedding song of the year.

"Just close your eyes," he sang, adding his deep voice to the harmony. "Each loving day and know this feeling won’t go away."

He turned towards JC and saw the emotion etched across his friend’s face--like he was singing the song for the last time. He’d always sung like it was the last time they’d get on stage, but this time, really, it might be.

"Every word I say is true," JC sang, moving closer to the stage with convulsive enthusiasm, "this I promise you."

The lights faded to black as an image flashed onto the white screen at the back of the stage.

Justin saw his face plastered on the back wall of the stage. He recognized the picture from the video the guys had made for--about--him. He looked down at the stage lighting illuminating a fog-like substance and the guys.

He heard the opening notes of the song, and ducked back out into the hallway.

"We’re going to take a little break now," Joey said. He swiped his fingers through his hair. "But before we introduce Lynne, we’ve got a small announcement to make." He looked at JC.

"Justin," JC said. "If you’re out there tonight, I’m sorry. Okay? I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it."

Joey stared at the faceless black sea lapping at the edges of the stage.

"We need you, Justin," Lance said. "We need you."

"We all made an agreement, though," Chris said. "Back in January. We’re sticking by that."

"We know you’re here, J," JC said. "You told me that you would be, and I believe you are."

"Come back, Justin," Lance said. "Tonight. Please?"

Justin stepped back over the feet of the people in his aisle and collapsed in his seat.

"Took you long enough," Maggie said.

"I was standing back there," Justin said. He motioned over his shoulder in the direction of the doorway he’d been hiding in. "I didn’t want to step over people in the middle of the show."

"They say Justin’s here tonight," Maggie said.

Justin met her gaze. "Huh," he said. "That’d be a weird twist in the saga that has become ‘N SYNC."

"Yeah," Maggie said. She returned her gaze to the stage where Lance was nearly in tears. "I never thought I’d say this, but this is almost pathetic."

Justin nodded. He watched as the guys left the stage. He rested his arms on the armrests, and clenched at them tightly. He knew who the next person on stage would be.

"Mommy," he mouthed, a lump suddenly forming in his throat.

"I am here tonight," Lynne said, "to tell you my story." She took a deep breath. "I’ve always looked at the mothers of runaways with a strange amount of pity. I never thought that I would be one of them. I never thought it could happen to me. I never thought that my baby boy, the light of my life, would be the one to run away." Her voice caught with unshed tears.

"If he were here now," Lynne said. Her face was crumpling in an effort to keep her composure. "I would tell him how much I love him, how much I miss him, and how much--" Her voice cracked and she began to cry softly.

She swallowed convulsively and continued a few moments later. "--how much I need him in my life, because, Justin, baby, I love you."

Justin blinked as he stared at the woman on the stage. He blinked again, no other muscles on his face moving. He blinked a third time.

"You made your choice," Stu said quietly in his ear, "but it’s not too late to change it."

Justin turned to face Stu, but his face was stony. "I’m not changing my mind."

"It’s not too late," Stu said again.

The stage was dark and the nameless fans screamed to fill the nearly uncomfortable silence. Lights flashed on suddenly as Lance said the obligatory "It’s gonna be me."

"Oh my god," Maggie said, standing up. "I love this song." She pulled Emily up with her and grabbed Justin’s arm. "Stand up."

Justin stood and immediately shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Every little thing I do," the guys sang, "never seems enough for you. You don’t want to lose it, lose it, lose it again."

He focused his eyes on the handrail in front of him.

Chris batted his eyes, knowing that the camera was focused on him.

"I’m losing my hair," he sang. "And my vision is shady. Last night I dreamt of an overweight lady."

Joey stepped up behind him. "But I need a young thing, to keep up with my pace, hold me in her arms, and take me straight to second base."

The crowd dissolved in laughter.

"I know my calculus," JC and Lance sang together.

"It says you plus me equals us," they harmonized.

"Oh," JC said, turning to Joey. "Sing it, Joe, for me,"

"I know my calculus," Joey sang, his arms moving in exaggerated movements. "It says you plus me equals us."

"Calculus," they all sang.

They all bounced immediately into formation as the heavy beat was amplified around the venue.

"Oh my god," Maggie said in Justin’s ear, her voice approaching a squeal. "This is too funny."

"Yeah," Justin said. "Funny."

Then came the instrumental notes of a song he knew but he’d never sung. His heart clenched as he saw the guys move to the front of the stage, pick up handheld mics, and begin mingling with each other.

"Justin," Chris said. "This one’s for you, Bro, because, well, we hope you’ve had the time of your life." He moved over to where Lance was standing.

"Another turning point," JC and Joey sang into the same mic. "A fork stuck in the road."

"Time grabs you by the wrist," Chris and Lance sang. "Directs you where to go."

"So make the best of this test," they all sang together. They came together in the center of the stage. "And don’t ask why. It’s not a question, but a lesson learned in time."

They separated, Lance and JC walking to the left side of the stage and Chris and Joey walking to the right.

"It’s something unpredictable," they all continued singing. "But in the end it’s right. I hope you had the time of your life."

Justin blinked, tears pooling behind his eyelids.

"And now," JC said. "We have time for one more song."

"This has been the theme of the tour because, Justin, we want you back," Chris said. His voice cracked. The stage went black.

"You’re all I ever wanted," Joey and JC sang in the darkness. "You’re all I ever needed. So tell me what to do now, ‘cause--"

"I--" Lance sang. He looked up as his face was illuminated by the spotlight.

"I--" Joey sang. His body was suddenly bathed in light.

"I--" JC sang, smiling widely.

"I--" Chris sang.

They all held the note for an extra beat before stepping forward in the start of their dance.

"We want you back."

Justin gnawed on his bottom lip. His fingers were bent into the jeans he wore. He watched as the guys moved around the stage.

"Maybe you should go talk to them," Stu said quietly in his ear. "I’ll distract the girls and no one will ever have to know."

Justin shook his head. "You heard them," he said in hushed tones. "They’re sticking by what they said in January. If I don’t go back tonight it’s over."

"But if you saw them--" Stu started.

"I called them," Justin said. "I told them I needed more time. I said that I had people depending on me, and JC said that this would all be over tonight if I wasn’t back."

"I’ll say it again," Stu said. "Are we really more important?"

Justin nodded. "If it gets that banner on the wall, yes, you guys are."

Stu sighed.

"So tell us what to do now," the guys sang, hitting their final pose. "When we want you back."

The level of screams increased ten-fold.

Lance was the first to bow, before running off the stage.

JC could see the tears dripping down his face.

Joey and Chris bowed together. They walked off of the stage slowly.

"Midnight, Justin," JC said softly into his mic, unsure if the words could be heard over the crowd, or if the speakers were still connected. He turned on his heel and walked away.

"Midnight, Justin," JC’s voice echoed around the venue.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Maggie asked as she stood up. Her lips were still spread in a wide grin. "That was a good show."

Justin nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.

"A little emotionally driven," Stu said.

"As it should have been," Emily said. "They were trying to convince Justin to go back."

"Do you really think he was here tonight?" Maggie asked.

Justin thought he saw Maggie glance at him for just a millisecond longer than she should have.

"No," Justin said. He shook his head. "Why would he be that stupid? It’d be like going into the lion’s den, or something."

"Yeah," Stu said. "That’d be really stupid."

"Obviously he’s not ready to go back," Justin said. "I mean, don’t you think he would have gone back already, if he were."

"Maybe he’s never going to be ready," Stu said. "Maybe he’ll just stay lost forever."

The smile disappeared from Maggie’s face. "That wouldn’t be cool."

"No," Justin said. He sighed. "It wouldn’t."

Britney knocked on the door of the ‘N SYNC suite.

Lance opened the door and motioned for her to step into the room.

"He’s not coming back, is he," Britney said.

Lance shook his head. "We knew that already."

"Oh," Britney said. "So tonight."

"He was there," Lance said. "We were trying to convince him. He belongs with us, and we were trying to make him see that."

"Oh," Britney said again. "So this is over?"

Lance nodded. He looked at his watch. "In 15 minutes, it’ll be over."

Chris was sitting on the couch, his phone pressed to his ear. Joey was half-heartedly playing on the play-station. JC was staring off into space.

"It really will be, won’t it," Britney said.

They all jumped when JC’s phone rang.

Justin looked at the phone in his hand. He pressed the numbers for the second time in 24 hours.

"Hello?" JC’s voice was loud and excited in his ear.

"I’m sorry," Justin said.

He set the phone back on its base, ending the connection.

He buried his face in his pillow and cried himself to sleep.

"Justin?" JC said frantically, hearing the dial tone in his ear. "Justin."

"That was him?" Joey asked as JC pushed the off button.

"He said he was sorry," JC said. He blinked heavily.

The room was silent as the clock in the corner struck midnight.