Title: Hide In Plain Sight
Author: Red [redfirewitch@yahoo.com]
Disclaimer: This is just fiction and there isn't an ounce of truth about the sexuality of the Nsync boys in here. At least not as far as I know. If you're below 18 or if you don't want to read fiction about homosexuality, do not go further than this line.
Part 5: The Phone-Call "Thank ya and have a slammin' night!" Justin yelled into the mike, inciting even more screams from the crowd. The guys all ran backstage while the band played on. They had to make a quick getaway before the fans swamped them. They were immediately steered to the cars waiting to take them to their hotel. As this was the final leg of their tour, they were going to get to spend the night at the hotel and leave for Orlando in the morning. "WHOOHOOO! WE'RE DONE!" Chris shouted as he settled in the leather seat and the door closed. All the guys began to whoop. "Are we going clubbing?" Lance asked, running his hands through his sweat-soaked hair. "Of course man!" Justin answered, still bouncing from the energy of performing. "YEAH!" Joey agreed. "Can't disappoint the ladies." The rest of the guys booed. "How about you, JC? You're in too?" Justin asked nudging his friend beside him. "I pass. I need some sleep. I didn't get much last night." JC replied, seeing the knowing nod from Justin. "Aw man! The one night you can't give us grief about resting up for the next night's show and you're not even coming with us? Come on , JC! You should at least give me the chance to say 'screw you' for a good reason!" Joey protested. JC smiled. "How about if tomorrow morning I say you look like shit and serves you right? Then you can throw it to my face that the tour is over." Joey grinned and showed two thumbs up. "We're here." Randy, their bodyguard informed them. "You know the deal. Joey, JC, Chris first. Then Justin and Lance." The boys filed out of the car accordingly and were escorted by two bodyguards per group, past the group of screaming fans. Once they were inside the hotel it was relatively quieter but not by much. Finally they reached their rooms. While on the corridor, Justin yelled to the others to get ready and meet up in his room. All except JC agreed and each went to the respective rooms. JC tiredly opened his hotel room door and switched on the lights. He was so tired that he didn't even want to bath but then his innate sense of personal hygiene wouldn't let him. He was about to head for the bathroom when he noticed an envelope on the floor. Frowning he picked it up. On the front was written: To Joshua Scott Chasez. JC shrugged, thinking it was probably a letter from some fan and left it on his dresser to be read after his shower. He was too tired now and if he didn't shower soon, he was likely to be falling asleep, smelling like a skunk. By the time he was ready for bed, his eyes were barely open. He heard the sound of the other guys getting ready to go clubbing and shook his head. They weren't really party animals but they never could turn down the chance to act normal and be around normal people of their age. As much as they appreciated their young fans, they also wanted to be around people their own age. That made them feel normal. JC switched off the lights and lay down on his bed. His last thoughts before sleep overtook him was that things were finally returning to normal again. The envelope just lay unopened on the dresser. ** The next morning. The phone rang at about 7 am. The loud noise slowly penetrated JC's sleep-fogged mind as he unburied his head from the pillow. His thought process in the morning was limited to words not sentences. /Phone...sound...bad...kill!/ Getting up early when you have some place to be was bad enough but having to get up early when it was your first day off was pure torture. Groaning, JC felt the side-table for the receiver and dragged it to his ears. "Hello? I didn't ask for a wake-up call! What is this about?" he snarled, though it came out sounding almost polite. Silence. "You've got to be kidding me! HELLO!" JC yelled. Silence. JC was about to bang the phone down when he heard the voice. "Hello, Joshy boy." It wasn't really the voice. The voice had long become an hazy memory. Even in his nightmares, he never heard the voice or at least he never registered the voice. But the name. That name. Joshy boy. JC felt his whole body go lax, his stomach clench and his mind become blank. He knew who it was immediately. 'Phillip' "You still there, Joshy boy?" The small part of his mind that was still aware was yelling at him to say something or do something. Something to the extent of hanging up. But JC couldn't get his hand to comply with that order. "That's ok. You don't have to say anything. I know you won't hang up on me," came the smug voice. That last sentence ironically bugged JC more than the fact that the man who was on the phone was supposed to be dead. He had said, 'I know you won't hang up on me.' I * know *. That signified one thing. Control. That was Phillip Rondall had always been about. He had uncannily controlled everything. From Liam's to JC's own life. Even from beyond the grave. 'Beyond the grave!' "Y-you are dead." JC said in a whisper. "Am I?" "You are dead! I saw you...I, I," "You, you. You what, Joshy boy? You shot me? You killed me? Can't say the words, can you?" For a brief second JC wondered if he was dreaming or crazy or dreaming that he was crazy. "This can't be happening!" he cried out. There was a deep laughter from the other end. "Hard to believe, isn't it? You know what's even more incredible? The fact that a gay boy like you are in a boy band with millions of girls lusting after you." JC inhaled sharply. "You really were there!" "You saw me? I thought you did but with all that crazy girls screaming their head off, it was hard to say. Although I had a hard time keeping myself from laughing when I saw you on stage the other night. You were a god to them, beautiful and the perfect man. Ha! Guess I know something that they don't huh?" Suddenly JC felt a surge of anger. This man was supposed to be dead. JC had tortured himself with guilt and fear of discovery of his crime all these years because Phillip Rondall was supposed to have died at his hands. But now he was back. Alive and still torturing him. He would be damned if he allowed that. "What the fuck do you want, Phillip?" JC asked, slightly pleased that his voice sounded firm and strong this time. Anger was a good ally. "Funny you should put it that way, Joshy boy. If my memory serves me right, you owe me a fuck, don't you. Too bad, Liam had to interfere the last time. Of course it really was * his * last time." JC's heart clenched at the thought of Liam. His Liam. "I may not have killed you that time, Phillip but I swear if I ever see you again, I'm going to finish what I had started!" "Wow! I'm impressed. Never thought I would hear that from you. Gotten some balls , have you Joshy boy?" JC suddenly had the urge to hit something and scream but he reined it in and put all the venom in his voice. "Stay away from me, Phillip. I'm not the same stupid kid I was six years ago. This time, I have control, money and backing. Stay away from me!" There was silence for a while, followed by a harsh laughter. "Listen here, Joshy boy. Drop the tough guy act. It won't work with me. You don't have control. I do. I always will! Liam learned that the hard way. Don't make the same mistake too. You will do as I say, when I say and how I say. Six years. I waited for six years because those bastards...never mind. You're mine. You always were. Just like how Liam was. You don't get away unless you are dead. Or I am. But we both know how that one goes, don't we?" "Are you trying to blackmail me?" JC asked, knowing the answer only too well. "Hell no! What made you think that? I'm only trying to teach you responsibility, Joshy boy. Paying your dues, respecting your superiors and taking care of your old friends. Of course you and I are going to be more than just friends," he drawled. "You're crazy!!" JC cried out. His heart was beating so fast he was afraid to breathe. "And you're mine. I'll give you time to think about your responsibilities. We'll talk again. Maybe this time face-to-face. Would you like that?" "Fuck you!" JC spat. "In good time! Goodbye, Joshy boy." "I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU CONTROL ME! NOT AGAIN!" JC yelled. The line was cut off. JC grabbed the phone and threw it across the room. Suddenly he felt dizzy and hot. He scrambled out of the bed and began to walk up and down. He just paced the floor aimlessly and without a logical thought on his mind. It was just a whirlwind of thoughts. His gaze was wild as it flitted across the room. It landed on the letter on the dresser. Madly he rushed to grab the envelope and tore it open with a shaking hand. JC pulled out a plain piece of paper from it. As he read it, his hand tightened into a fist. He then crumbled up the paper and threw it against the wall with all his might. The balled up paper bounced against the wall and fell to the floor. JC then fell to the floor and rested his head against his raised knees. His body began to shake as he sobbed loudly.