| Cult 2.2 by destiny JC let Justin pick the place, the final destination where all five of them would meet and 'say goodbye' to their friend as he headed off to his nirvana. JC wasn't giving up. He was not about to sit by and watch Justin throw away his life for some fucked up cult who was plying him with strange vitamins and starving him. "So, Justin," JC said, hauling a huge box of Justin's things into the back of his SUV. "When are you planning to say good bye to your little brothers?" He hoped, prayed that mention of the two kids would jostle Justin, jolt him from the void he was in. "I plan to spend tomorrow with them," Justin answered with a smile. "All day. Whatever they wish to do." He helped JC lift another cardboard box into the car. "All these items, useless you realize. Objects of a greedy world." He paused and JC noticed the look of repugnance cross his face. "A world that accepted me so long as I gave my soul to it, then abused me until I could not defend myself any longer." JC pondered that statement. True, press and paparazzi were not always kind, but that was a price they'd all paid for fame, for a chance to do what they loved in life. Justin was the biggest lover of life at one time. Now he stood, baggy sweats dripping off his thin frame, beautiful curls gone, and a soured look on his boyish face. "We all go through shit," JC tried, wiping his hands on his jeans. "We've all been dealt our own hand at this thing, but, Jesus, Justin, you're leaving your family. Never mind us." JC moved around the SUV to face Justin, eye to eye, man to man. "Your family loves you. We love you." For a fleeting moment, JC thought he saw a flicker in those dark blue eyes, a fragment of the old Justin struggling to break through. Then, just as rapidly as it had come, it was gone, replaced by the new vacant look and odd mannerisms. "I love you all too, and I do hope as such, you will rejoice for me." He clutched JC's shoulders with his hands, and JC cringed when he saw olive tattoos on each wrist. "Be happy that I have been chosen to live in this wonderous place with my new bothers and sisters. We will achieve excellence in the Master's eye and thus be granted paradise." "Justin, what are these?" JC asked, lifting Justin's hands away. "These marks. What are they?" He was panicking, fearing he would not be able to reach Justin after all. Justin swiped his hands away, upset that he'd been so careless in showing them. Rule #4 on the outside, let no one know what you are now. "They are just representations of my solidarity with my brethrens. Nothing for you to be concerned with, Joshua." He turned his back, a sign he was done speaking. JC sighed. He wanted to cry like Lance, fall to his knees and pray to God and all that was good to save Justin from himself, from this Master who now owned Justin's soul. "Are you ready to meet the guys?" he asked, unable to hide the shakiness from his voice. Justin merely nodded and climbed into the passanger side, not bothering to buckle up. JC had to remind him, a peculiar thing as Justin was the first to scold anyone who didn't buckle up. The place Justin had chosen was a pizza place they had frequented years ago when no one knew who they were. Joey had called ahead and asked that the joint be closed, offering a large sum of money to do so. The owners agreed, understanding the importance of privacy. JC pulled into the parking lot, immediately recognizing Lance's SUV as well as Joey's. He assumed Chris was with Joey as his car was absent. "You ready?" he asked, cutting the engine off. Justin sat very still, his hands clasped in his lap. From his profile, JC could barely make out his lower lip trembling. He knew the guy was scared, and unsure, and didn't really know what he was doing at all. "Justin, you okay?" "I am," he replied with a heavy sigh, already reaching for the door handle. "I am," he reapeated again, stepping out onto the parking lot pavement. JC hurried around to catch him just as he stumbled. "Oh my God, Justin!" From inside, Joey caught the action. He dashed to the door and outside as Justin's eyes flickered. "J, man, you okay?" Justin nodded, pulling himself out of JC's arms. "Just weak," he explained. "Hungry." Joey eyed JC with a nervous look, scared shitless. Justin was tanned, yet his eyes seemed sunken in, and when Joey touched his arm, he jumped as if he was burned. "Come inside," Joey directed, squinting as the setting sun invaded his eyes. Once inside, Chris and Lance converged, both concerned. Justin waved them away with his hand. "I am fine." He looked up into four very somber faces. "My friends," he croaked as his mind cleared a bit. "I'm fine." "Then let's eat," JC said, hoping the use of I'm instead of I am meant he was coming back. A little more pushing and maybe they could break through. Joey nodded silently and ordered the pizzas. Justin felt lucidity float through his mind. The smell of the pizza caused his stomach to cry out with a rumble that even Lance could hear. Joey's laugh soared in the air, joggling him. His head fell to his hands and he shook. "Justin?" Lance's deep bass voice came through, easing the insanity. He reached for his vitamin pack, eager to take them. The freedom he was encountering frightened him and he recalled the warnings of the Master; "Return to the devil's playground and stay strong. Hold onto what we've taught you and come back to us with no questions, only faith." He knew he had to hold on tight to his newfound faith. The Master was right. They would try to confuse him with memories of the past. The Master was the truth, this was just a facade. Justin forced a smile as he pulled his head up. "Lance, I am fine. I keep telling you all this." He leaned in closer and took Lance's hand in his. "I have found eternal joy." He plucked three vitamins from the box and placed them on his tounge, swallowing them down with water. Lance eyed the pills with a venomous gaze. "What are these?" he asked lowly, believing Justin was confiding in him. "These pills, Justin. What are they?" "Vitamins," he responded lightly. "They grant me clarity in my life. They return my creativity to me." "Can I try one?" Lance asked, glancing around at his friends. "I mean, maybe I need some of this peace stuff too." Justin sat back a bit and veiwed Lance through amused eyes. "You, my friend, do not need anything. You are my vision of perfection. You are always the image of purity and goodness. Where we have failed, you have succeeded." Lance blinked at the statement. He was far from that. Now he knew, for sure, these 'vitamins' were not vitamins at all, but some kind of drug to keep members hazed, subserviant and faded. "I'll be back," he promised Justin, pushing his chair back and jumping up. He forced himself to keep a slow pace, scouting out JC and pulling him to the side. "Justin is fucked up on pills. Drugs. He's being drugged." JC felt bile rise in his throat at the idea. It made perfect sense to him, complete and utter sense. "Shit, now what?" Lance shrugged, glancing back at Justin, who was now in deep conversation with Chris. "We get those damn things away from him. I think he'll see more clearly without them." "Let's do it," JC agreed, already half way across the room before Lance grabbed his shirt. "What?" he hissed, yanking away angrily. "Not like an attack," Lance reminded him. "We have to take them when he's not looking. The last thing we need to do is scare him back to that Master guy." JC nodded, rubbing his hand over his face. Joey waved him over, needing assistance with the pizzas. He was getting those pills, right after they ate. Dinner conversation was light, full of good memories. JC couldn't help but notice whenever a funny story was told, Justin either frowned or stared into space, seemingly lost in the image. It appeared he was piecing things out in his head, and when he excused himself to use the bathroom, JC dove for the baggie. "Chris, you got any Tylenol?" "What? Tylenol?" "Yeah, he's so high he'll never notice we switched the white pills." Chris dug into his pocket and produced the medicine. JC counted 12 pills out, and replaced them with the Tylenol. "I need red ones. Lance! Sudafed? You still have mine in your car?" Lance knocked his chair back as he raced outside. They all kept their eyes on the bathroom door, praying Lance could come up with the antihistamine, and quick. In moments, Lance was back, tripping over himself to hand the bottle over to JC. JC counted the 12 pills out, replacing them with Sudafed. He zipped the baggie up and replaced it. When Justin came out, he was none the wiser. When the pizza was gone, and only crusts and balled up napkins remained, the five singers stood, thanking the staff and paying for what they'd eaten. "Well, I guess this is it," Chris said with a sigh. He hoped his acting abilities were not as bad as he feared. "Good bye Justin. You let me know if I can do anything for you okay?" Justin embraced his oldest friend. "I shall, Christopher. You are my friend, my hero in this music world. You've created N Sync and let me be a part of it. For that I love you." He planted a kiss on Chris' cheek then turned to Joey. "Joey, my laughter. You take care of them okay? I know you can." He leaned forward and hugged him as well. "Lance, there is nothing I can say that I haven't already. You are love, pure and simple, the finest of gems. I love you, my brother." He held Lance especially tight before embracing JC. "I know you cannot understand, but it will be all right." Justin kissed his cheek. "And now, I must go on. Do not fear where I will be." Justin backed out of the pizza place, with a wave, and turned to walk along the street. "We can't let him walk home," Chris whispered. "He's still Justin Timberlake. He'll still get mobbed." "I'll follow him," JC said, waiting until Justin was around the corner before hopping in his car. He trailed Justin for three blocks. No one seemed to bother him, and JC wondered if it was the hair. He said every prayer he could think of, praying for their plan to succeed. Once Justin was home, JC turned his car around and headed home. In the darkness of his blue room, Justin woke with a start. He felt cold and shaky, scared and sweaty. He reached blindly for his vitamins, realizing it had been over 6 hours since he'd had them. The Master would not be pleased. The vitamins were to be taken every four hours, exactly. He popped two white ones and a red one then laid back down. Dreams attacked his world, images of rabbits and Alice in Wonderland, swirls of rainbow colors fading into black, snakes and dragons blocking his veiw, his friends and family standing on the threshold of fire and pain. Perspiration poured from his face and he tossed restlessly in his bed. "Justin! Justin!" His eyes flew open, fists flying, tears falling down his face. "Leave me alone!" he screamed, thrashing about. "Oh my God! Justin, honey wake up!" His mother's voice, so worried and loud. Carefully, he opened his eyes, squinting as pain seared through him. "Mamma?" he asked, dizzy and nauseas. "Justin, I'm here," she cried, wrapping her arms around him. JC peeked his head in. "JC, he's awake. He's calling for me," she sobbed, holding her baby tight. JC bit on his lower lip, afraid that this was just temporary, a blip in his brainwashing. Lance pushed in after him, then Chris and Joey. They had headed over late in the evening in an attempt to comfort Justin's mother, shed some light on what was happening. Justin had no idea. He'd already fallen into a deep sleep. Justin clawed into his mother, grabbing fistfuls of her sweater in his hands, letting tears of agony spill onto her. He glanced up and saw his friends through blurry eyes. "What's going on?" he asked, pulling back a bit. "Where are you going tomorrow?" JC asked lowly. He sat on the bed and stared at Justin with watery eyes. Justin sniffled, recalling the Master, the craziness of the compound he'd been holed up at, the long hikes and the vitamins, the fear and tattooing, the whips and the eventual submission of his life. "I don't understand," he gasped, looking around. "I don't want to go back there. Don't make me." JC let out a stifled sob as his shoulders shook. Lance moved closer to comfort him. "No, Justin, we don't want you to go back," Lance said, hugging JC. "We want you to stay here with us." Justin nodded, still unsure of what had happened, still confused and lost. "I wanna stay here," he repeated, falling into his mother's arms again. "And you will, baby," she cooed, stroking his head gently. "You will." |