"Yeah. Who's this?"
"Loser, it's me!"
"Who? Oh, oh that crazy girl named Lauren. I remember you," he said with a laugh.
"Oh shut up. Besides, I've got something important to ask you."
"Please don't tell me that you want to hook me up with one of your friends you met at some party."
"Umm actually no. I was wondering, would you guys be interested in doing a shoot? Like a photo shoot?"
"For what? Who's taking them?"
"Well, her name is Mel. She's not really well known but she just did a session with us today and she's a really great person. And talented too." She added, trying to put the icing on the cake.
"Hmm, sounds like you want her to do a little more than photograph us Laur. Am I right?"
Lauren was caught. She thought JC and Mel would make the cutest couple. "Umm, actually JC, no," she lied. "Besides, I don't think she's really interested in that anyway. She's too caught up in her job, or lack thereof."
"What's that mean?"
"Well, like I said, she isn't relaly well known. And therefore, she isn't really getting a lot of business. What she needs is someone to help get her started, but she won't let anyone help her. She said she didn't want anyone 'doing all the work for her'. She wanted to be successful on her own. The girls and me decided to persuade her to let us get her some business since she was so considerate and stuff. Which is why I'm on here with you!" she finished, breathless.
JC was intrigued. He'd never known anyone other than himself who was more wrapped up in their job that a personal life for themselves. "Well, you know I'd have to talk it over with the guys. But if she isn't well known, how does she get the pictures to magazines and stuff?"
"Aha, that's where y'all come in. See all she does is actually take the pictures and develop them in her dark room here. She gives them to the person she's photographing and lets them go from there with it. She trusts whomever it is to give her the credit, which is probably another problem. She's too nice J!"
Ah, another plus. Too nice. Shut up man! God, you've never met the girl. He sighed. "Ok Laur, lemme talk to the guys and Johnny and I'll call you back. Are you on your cell phone?"
"No, the battery's dead. I'm here at Mel's. Hold on and I'll get the number." JC could hear Lauren yelling something in the background and she came back to give him the number.
"Alright, thanks. I'll call you back in a few. Bye."
"Bye."
Finally I'd managed to slip away from Miranda and Chenelle to my dark room. That was probably one of my favorite places. A place to see my work before anyone else, judge it, and see the finished product. The prints of the three girls were coming out great. There wasn't one I didn't like. I just hope my shots of *N Sync turn out as good. Ugh! What am I thinking? They probably won't even agree to the shoot.
"Mel!" Chenelle's voice rang through the studio.
I sighed and opened the door. "Yeah?"
"JC just called back and they want you to do it!"
"What? Oh my God you're joking! You're joking right?" I screeched, grabbing Chenelle by the shoulders. My dream. My dream was finally coming true. If I photographed *N Sync, think who would be next. And what that would do for my career.
Lauren helped me arrange a session with the guys for Friday, the day after tomorrow. Thursday they had two television interviews and a radio interview also. Friday they were free all day, so the girls of Snap Judgement, whom I'd become quick friends with, offered to come over and help me get acquainted with the boys of *N Sync.
[The next day]
"Hey guys! Sure, c'mon in. Nice to meet y'all," I said courteously as I opened the door wider for the five guys to come in.
JC was the last to walk through the door, but the first thing on my mind. 'Wow, I never knew a person could look so good in real life,' I thought to myself, but immediately pushed the thought from my head. 'No, I don't have time for that. My career is now, not my personal life.'
'Wow. She is so gorgeous. How come Laur didn't tell me that? Ah, my career that's why. I don't have time to feel for someone else.' JC thought to himself. He was snapped from his trance by the feeling of someone's hand firmly grasping his.
"Hey JC. Nice to meet ya. Lauren over here has ben gushing on and on about you since she convinced me to do this!" I told him as I shook his hand.
"Huh? Oh..oh yeah," he chuckled slightly. "Sorry, I was somewhere else, what did you say?"
"Oh nothing. Just said that you've got something on your shirt," I mumbled nonchalantly while pointing at an imaginary spot on his shirt.
"What? I just washed this shirt! Where?" He looked down at his shirt, seeing nothing.
"Yeah, I know. Gotcha!" I exclaimed, running my finger up his shirt and grazing his chin.
"Oh, I see this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship. A phographer and her 'specimen'," JC said sarcastically through his laughter.
Throughout the afternoon I would take some shots of the guys, take a break and chat with them and the girls, then take a few more pictures. I could tell the five of them had a close-knit friendship and they would definitely be around for a long time. I also realized I had a lot in common with all of them, especially JC.
"You know, you're not gonna believe this, but I swear I remember seeing both of y'all on MMC."
"Fuw weil?" Justin said while stuffing a handful of chips in his mouth.
"What?" I asked, holding my side in pain from laughing so hard.
After polishing off his bite and gulping down a drink, he corrected himself. "Oops, my bad. I meant 'for real'?"
"Jeez Justin, I thought your mommy always told you not to talk with your mouth full!" Chenelle shouted through her giggles. It was obvious she had a little crush on Justin, as he did on her.
"Yeah. I don't really remember you," I remarked, gesturing to Justin "but I remember this one little boy that always danced and sang the cutest songs. I thought him and that Tony guy were so hot!"
"And that 'little boy' was?" Lauren asked, hoping I would say JC.
"Hmm, I'm not sure...I remember he had dark hair, was real skinny too," I pretended to be thinking hard. "Was his name Josh? JC? I dunno, something weird like that," I finished, looking at JC out of the corner of my eye and waiting for his reaction.
His eyes shot wide open. "What! I know you didn't just call my name 'weird'!"
"And if I did? I really don't think you're in a position to do anything about it," I teased. 'No, no. Stop! Stop flirting with him. You do not need this right now.' Even thought my mind knew what was best, my heart was winning over my mind now.
JC lunged over Justin, Chenelle, and Miranda toards me. "Nooooo!" was the last thing out of my mouth before he landed on me, tickling me. Everyone decided it was a spectacle to see and joined in. Ten minutes later, my face was red and flushed. The tickling hadf finally ceased. I was struggling to get my breathing back to normal. "C...c'mon gu...guys," I said, panting heavily. "We've only got a...a few m...ore pictures and we...we're finished."
This made everyone laugh even harder. Everyone except JC. "Oh my gosh, are you alright? Did we hurt you? I'm sorry," he was immediately by my side, helping me make my way towards the camera.
I grinned up at him. "I'm fine silly. Get over there with your friends and lemme snap these last pictures. Then I can go back there," I nodded my head towards the dark room, "and get these babies developed!"
"Ok ok. You sure?"
"Yep, couldn't be better." I smiled reassuringly.
I was extremely pleased with my prints of the guys. You wouldn't believe how much better they were than the other various photos I'd seen in magazines. I scanned over all of the pictures, but my eyes fell upon one in particular. Everyone was smiling except JC. He was looking straight at the camera, his eyes were mesmerizing and his lips were curled up in a small, adorable smirk. 'I'll just keep this one for myself,' I thought slyly as I folded the picture and slipped it into my bag.
I was interrupted by a soft rapping on the door. I didn't realize the picture missed my bag and fell to the floor.
"Come on in," I replied, not taking my eyes from the developing photos.
I heard the door open and close then a soft voice behind me. "Mel?"
I gasped in surprise and turned around. "JC," I breathed, "whatcha want?"
"Just checkin' up on our prints. How they looking?" he asked, looking over my shoulder.
"Umm, pretty good actually. What's everyone doing out there?"
"Well, I think Chenelle and Justin are out there...nevermind. But everyone else is out there talking about going out and doing something tonight since we're all off."
"Oh, that's good. I mean, you guys can actually get out and have a fun time without being mobbed."
"Well, see that's our problem," he cast his eyes toward the floor. "Since you've been around there lately, we were wondering...if you'd...well if you would want to maybe umm..."
"Jeez JC, would you spit it it out! Do y'all want me to come and show you some 'quiet' places around O-Town?"
"Yeah," he sighed in relief. At least he didn't have to ask her now. He noticed a folded piece of paper lying on the floor, almost like a picture.
"Hey Mel, I think you dropped something," he bent over to pick it up and indeed it was a picture. A picture from their shoot earlier today.
I reached out to grab the picture.
"What's this?"
"Oh, it was one I was gonna throw away, guess I missed the trash can huh?"
"Yeah. What's wrong with it?"
"Oh, I just wanted one where all of y'all were smiling. You had this little smirk on your face. You had this 'yeah I'm hot and I know it' look on your face. I wanted a look like 'aww ain't we cute'!" I joked, trying to cover my emarrassment up.
JC chuckled at my interpretation on the look. "So you think I'm hot?"
I didn't know what to say. "No! I mean, I just meant...that's the look you had on your ace. Like a smug look."
"Oh," he replied, somewhat disappointed.
"Anyway," I said, changing the subject and throwing the picture in the trash, "when are we leaving?"
"I don't know. Whenever you're ready. We're all ready to go."
"Oh! Well get on out of here and let me finish this, then I'll run upstais and get ready. Ten minutes tops. I promise," I exclaimed, pushing JC out the door.
"Alright, ten minutes and not a second more."
"Yes sir," I stiffly saluted him and smiled faintly. But before leaving, I snatched the picture from the trash and tucked it safely away in the bottom of my bag.
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