"Check the glove compartment," he said.
Krystal nodded and flipped it open, pulling out a book of CDs and four or five cases. She looked at the cases first. "Brandy, Monica, Mya, Smashmouth, *N Sync?!!" she exclaimed. "Who's is this?"
"Probably Aly's. She drove the car yesterday, remember?"
"Oh yeah. Aly the pop music freak." Aly was Krystal's twenty-one year old siter. She began flipping through the book of CDs. "Marcy Playground, Offspring, Blaque, Green Day, Ma$e, Puff Daddy, and Tyrese. What happened to it?!"
"I don't know Krys. Why don't you listen to something else?" her dad suggested. "Maybe listen to *N Sync, that way you can make fun of them the next time to talk to Aly."
"Ooh, I like that idea," Krystal said, grabbing the CD. She flipped it open, not paying attention to the cover, and put the CD in her Discman. She pressed play and laughed softly at the beginning lyrics to the first song. "It's tearing up my heart, when I'm with you, and when we are apart, I feel it too, and no matter what I do, I feel the pain, with or without you." Who writes this stuff? she wondered as she hit the skip button. Hmm, nice beat. "I just wanna be with you" Ooh, that one's not much better. She switched to random mode and pressed skip again. "Ohh, ohh, ohh, lying in your arms, so close together, didn't know just what I had." Krystal was about to hit the skip button when the next few lines caught her attention. "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." Her hand paused in mid-air and lowered to her side. "I lie awake, 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." Krystal leaned back into her seat and remembered.
**Flashback**
"Krystal, I have to break up with you," her sixteen year old boyfriend Lance Bass told her.
Krystal's knees went weak. "W...wh..why?" she stuttered, feeling like she was going to cry. "Is it because I'm only fourteen?"
"God, no! I love you Kryst!" Lance exclaimed, pulling her closer to him. Kryst was Lance's special nickname for her, nobody else called her that.
"Then why?" Krystal asked, her blue eyes filled with tears.
"I've been asked to try out for a band in Orlando. If I make it we're flying over to Europe the next day. Mr. Petinski recommended me to them!" Lance said enthusiastically. Mr. Petinski was Lance's voice teacher.
"Oh," Krystal said sadly. She loved him so much and he was leaving her to go to Europe. Lance was a really good singer, so she knew he'd make it into the group. Life sucks! she decided. Krystal slowly walked over to a nearby picnic table. She looked Lance in the eye and saw that even though he was upset at having to break up with her, he was excited at having this chance. "Okay. Good luck Lance," she finally forced out past the lump in her throat.
"Really? Thanks Kryst!" Lance said, his face glowing with excitement.
Krystal stood up up and moved next to her boyfriend. "I'll always love you Lance," she said simply, and started to walk away.
Lance caught her hand and pulled her back to him. He kissed her passionately, letting all the love he felt for her shine through the kiss. As they pulled apart, he placed something in her hand. "And I'll always love you Kryst." Were the last words she ever heard him say as he sprinted towards the taxi waiting in front of the park to take him to the airport.
**End Flashback**
Krystal looked down at the ring on her right ring finger. Lance had given her his Class of 1997 ring the day he'd left, and she'd never taken it off. Sure, she'd dated other guys, but she'd never taken the ring off because she knew that they'd never measure up to him. Her parents didn't even know for sure where she'd gotten the ring, they had suspicions that it was from Lance, but she'd never confirmed it for them.
"Krystal?" her dad's voice broke through the reverie inspired by the music.
Krystal hit pause. "Yeah?" she asked.
"I just realized that I forgot something. I'm going to drop you off at home and then Alex and I will go pick it up, okay?"
"Sure," Krystal said, wondering what was going on. Why didn't he just take me with him? Oh well. Krystal looked down at the *N Sync CD cover in her hand and stiffened. A familiar face was smiling up at her from the cover. Lance? Is that really you? *N Sync's the band you auditioned to join? I knew you'd make it, but I never knew you'd become a pop heartthrob... God Lance, I miss you so much. She thought as she stared down at his face on the CD cover. He'd become even more handsome over the last four years.
"We're here Krys," her dad said, stopping the car.
Krystal hopped out of the car and raised an eyebrow at the red 4-runner in the driveway. "Who's car is that?" she asked, swinging her backpack over her left shoulder.
"I don't know," her dad said.
"Okay," Krystal shrugged, swinging her door shut. "I'll see you later dad."
"Bye Krys," her dad said, pulling out of the driveway.
Krystal approached the front door, looking at the 4-runner curiously. The driver's side door swung open and a handsome blonde man stepped out. He smiled shyly at her.
Krystal dropped her bag at her feet. "Lance?" she asked, dumbstruck.
He nodded. "Hi Kryst," he said.
"Eek!" Krystal squealed, running over to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly.
Lance slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, breathing in the smell of her hair. God, I missed her so much. I'm so glad that my mom still talked to her mom and I could find her again. I still love her after all these years, even though everyone always thought it was puppy love.
Oh my God! It's so good to see him again. I still love him so much after all this time, even though everyone swore to me that I'd get over it. I missed him so much. How did he find me anyway? Krystal thought. She attempted to pull away, but his arms were locked tightly around her waist. "Lance?" she asked.
"Hmm?" he answered, looking down at her smiling face.
"How'd you find me?" she asked.
"Oh, well, my mom still kept in touch with your mom, and I asked her where you lived so my mom told me. I'm so glad that your parents agreed to it," Lance said with a big smile on his face.
"Speaking of my parents, where are they?" Krystal asked.
"We're meeting them, my parents, the rest of the guys and their parents at the Hard Rock Cafe tonight for dinner," Lance explained. "Right now they're at the hotel with my parents visiting. They decided that we'd need some alone time."
"They're right," Krystal said.
Lance looked down at her and took a deep breath. Might as well tell her now and get it over with he thought. "I still love you Kryst," he admitted shyly, looking down at her.
Krystal gasped. "You do?" she asked. He nodded shyly. "Guess what?" she said, teasingly.
"What?" he took the bait.
"I love you too!" she said happily, standing up on her tiptoes and kissing him.
The End
Back to Lance Stories
Back to *N Sync Stories
Back to Story Index
Home