Butterflies - NSYNC Fanfiction

Chapter 7

"Chris! Stop bugging me!" Alex whined. "When I find a song that I want to sing, you'll be the first to know."

"But Lex! You've rejected every song I've brought to you." Chris wailed.

"I found two so leave me alone!"

"Leave her alone you big oaf!" Justin shouted from the other room.

"Yeah. You big oaf." Alex put her hands on her hips. "Or else my boyfriend will beat you up!'' She struck her tongue out at him. Chris rolled his eyes.

"Yeah right. I'm so scared." He said sarcastically. He put his hands on his hips, mimicking Alex and whined. "memememe"

"Okay! I'll look again. Bring those same songs to me again and I promise I'll consider them. Happy?"

"Very."

(*******************)

It was four days before JC had a chance to talk to Carey again. She was at her parents' house where he didn't have the phone number. He cursed himself everyday that he hadn't given her the number to his cel phone. The reason that he hadn't given her the number in the first place was so that she couldn't phone him and end up having Justin or Joey or any one else answer and give away his secret. Up until now she had been fine with him calling her.

He had spent the past four days agonizing over how to tell Carey the truth. How could he tell her when he was so sure that she would feel betrayed.

The first phone call after Carey got back had been stilted. Josh told himself it was because she was still grieving but he knew better. She was reaching out to him. She needed him for comfort. She needed him to care. Instead JC pretended that he was really busy.

Carey went to work and came home. That's about what her life amounted to for two weeks. Josh called often but he never talked long.

One more time, Josh thought. I'm going to phone her and tell her the truth. And deal with the aftermath, Alex's words came back to him. He dialed her number and held his breath.

"Hello?"

"Hey Carey, how are you?"

"Hi Josh, I'm better this week. I've gotten back to work and I think it's the best thing I could have done. I was just sitting around the house moping all day. At least work gets my mind off Gran."

"Yes, you're probably right." JC paused for a moment and then spoke again. "Carey, I need to tell you something."

"Go on." She was apprehensive at the seriousness in his voice.

"What is that noise? Do you have company? I can call you back."

"No, no company. It's my TV."

"You don't have a TV."

"Well I do now. After Granny Jo died, my family divvied up her stuff and sold her house. They thought I should have the fucking TV because I was so out of touch with the world being without one for so long."

JC had never heard Carey swear and it made him chuckle. "Why are you so mad?"

"Because I don't want a TV. Truth be known this is the first time it's been on since I got it. I've only got it on because I was lonely. I hate it when my family thinks they know what is best for me. Am I not a grown woman?"

"Yes you certainly are. I can vouch for that."

Carey giggled. JC hadn't heard her do that for too long. All of a sudden he decided that he couldn't tell her today. He was chickening out and he knew it. He talked with her for another half hour before he had to get back to the recording studio. He said good-bye and went to find Justin.