Clara woke up, feeling rested for the first time since she'd been on tour. Looking around in the light that came through the curtains, she saw Marissa and Anika still asleep in the other bed. On kitten feet, she slipped over to her bag and pulled out her current book, curled up in the chair by the window, and began to read again, losing herself in the magic of it.
Marissa woke next, lazily stretching. She looked over at the clock, and her eyes widened. "Oh, my heck!" she yelled, and reached over and shook Anika's shoulder. Anika didn't respond.
Clara did, however, jumping a little, then she folded the corner down on her page and closed the book. "What?" she asked anxiously.
Marissa turned to look at her. "It's... it's... they're gone, Clara. They were supposed to leave at like... I don't know, I'm not Lance, but around five, I think. It's like.... ten!" She pointed to the clock, and shook Anika again. Again, there was no response from her friend.
"You mean, they... they... went on tour without us?" Clara asked, trying to hide her mirth. She thought Marissa was exaggerating; after all, she had been hanging around Chris a lot, and this had his style all over it.
"Yes, they left without us. And if they had been awake, I know JC and Joey wouldn't have left without you two. Something must have gone really wrong." Marissa was up, pacing a little, wringing her hands.
"Like what? They were kidnaped?" Clara joked. Marissa turned to look at her, then shook her head, seemingly a little calmer.
"No, probably not. We would have been awakened if that had happened." She walked to the door and looked out, then sighed and closed the door again. "No security."
"Which means... they left us," Clara said, the reality beginning to sink in. She watched Marissa cross the floor again, stepping out onto the balcony, then she came back in.
"No tour buses. Okay, this is really weird. Do you have Joey's cell phone number?"
"Yeah, hang on a minute." Clara rummaged around in her purse, and finally pulled out a piece of paper and pen. She wrote the number quickly on the paper and held it out to Marissa. "Here you go!"
"Great. Call him and find out what is going on." Marissa didn't even notice how short she was being.
"All right." Clara wasn't entirely sure how to take her; Anika was still asleep, and couldn't give her any clues. Clara pulled her phone out and dialed a number she'd already dialed countless times since she'd met Joey.
The phone started ringing, and she turned her attention to it. It rang quite a few times before there was a click, then the message she knew almost as well as Joey's voice came on. She waited until it finished. "Um... Joey, it's me. Where are you guys? Me and Marissa and Anika are back at the hotel still... worried. Call me back, you know my cell number."
When she hung up, Anika was out of bed and looking worried. Marissa directed her to call JC, but Anika got the same answer as Clara did. She left a message as well.
"Did JC say anything last night about this?" Clara asked as Anika hung up.
"No," Anika said with a curious look at the phone. "I don't think this was planned." She picked up the phone and dialed a second number.
"Oh." Clara sat down and after a moment's hesitation, picked up her book. She needed some measure of comfort, even if it was a false one.
Marissa started packing, muttering in fury, tossing clothes into her suitcase. She glared once at Clara, then took a deep breath and went back to her packing, which was a little less flurried. Most everything she said was muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" Clara asked, not really able to concentrate on her book as much as she'd like to. "I didn't quite hear you."
Anika left a message for Lance as well, then hung the phone up. "Where are you going?" she asked Marissa.
"I'm going to follow them," Marissa said, then grinned tightly at Clara. "You don't want to know. But this had better not have been Chris' idea."
"You want some company?" Clara asked, a little timid. This was a side of Marissa she'd never seen. Anika had started packing in silence, shooting looks at her friend that plainly said 'calm down'.
"In the packing or the muttering?" Marissa was a little surprised that she'd managed even so lame a joke, and she smiled.
Clara shrugged, setting her book down again. "Both. Neither. I don't know anymore."
"Come with me traveling," Marissa invited. "We have to be out of here in an hour. Do you know where they're going to be next? Oh, wait. I do." She dug into her bag and pulled out her wallet, opening it to the calendar. "Denver."
"Denver, here we come!" Clara announced.
"I hope," Marissa muttered. "And we can't exactly leave until you get packed, woman. Let's get going."
"Fine, be that way." Clara stuck her tongue out in an effort to lighten the mood, but from the look on Marissa's face and her attempt at a smile, it flopped, big time. She stood and started packing her stuff.
They gave the room three different once overs, but for the first time, they hadn't left anything behind. Checking out didn't take long, then Marissa made a bee-line for the concierge. "Hi," she said tightly. "I may look mad, and I am, but not at you, so I apologize for any... unfortunate swear words I may aim in your direction."
The concierge, a young man with serious eyes and a charming smile, looked taken aback but shook it off. "How may I help you?"
"Well, it's sorta hard to explain," Clara said.
"We need a way to Denver," Marissa said quickly. "Bus, train, car, plane, we don't care as long as we can get there tomorrow. We got left behind with the big group that was here last night."
"Any ideas?" Clara inserted.
The concierge smiled. "Why don't you have a seat, and I'll see what I can do." He picked up the phone.
"Thank you," Clara said, and turned away with Marissa to join Anika on the couch. From Marissa, she could hear muttered words, some of which came through clearly. She understood "Chris" and "idiot" and "kill him if this was his idea", and the tone was an angry one.
"Marissa, calm down!" Clara demanded gently. "It's not like we're in the middle of the desert without food or water. We'll be fine. And we'll kill Chris if this was his idea, but we can't do that until we get to Denver, which isn't going to happen if you have a nervous breakdown, so calm down!" She paused. "Besides, this isn't something Chris would do. That little rat of a tour manager, though... he might."
Marissa took a deep breath and nodded. "Don't worry," she said after a minute. "I'm not going to have a nervous breakdown." She smiled slightly at Clara. "And I think you're right about Tim. But... if it was Chris' idea, he'll be dead, and forget the bloomin' teenies and the music. Although," she added musingly, "I would miss the harmonies."
"You could always ask Nick Carter to take his place," Clara said. "That way the harmonies would be nearly as good."
Marissa nearly choked on a laugh. "No, it'd have to be Howie. They sing the same parts."
Clara shrugged. "Okay, as long as you cut his hair. I don't want 'N Sync's popularity going down that much."
"It didn't matter with Chris and those ridiculous braids - or with how long Joey's hair is getting, or Justin's fro...."
"What about Lance? Aren't you going to insult him too?" Clara asked, vaguely affronted.
"What? That's he's colorless? They have that covered, with the Albino jokes. He doesn't need any more trouble." She seemed almost distracted. "And I didn't pick on JC, either."
"Yeah, true. But you can always call him Wipeout, if all else fails."
"Oh, and see him blush to his toes, if you can see them." She chuckled.
"Maybe. I'd rather be seeing Joey's toes, though."
"But calling him Wipeout isn't going to have the same effect," Marissa teased.
"That's why I call him something else...."
Marissa lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? What's that?"
Before Clara could answer, the concierge called them over, and explained that the flights were full, but the Greyhound bus would get them there.
"Thank you so much," Clara gushed, then turned to her friend. "And Marissa, I think that's better left between me and Teddy, don't you think?"
"Thank you. When does it leave, how much will it cost, and how do we get there?" Marissa asked.
"The bus you'll want leaves this afternoon at 12:15, and the shuttle will take you there. The tickets are $61 a piece, and you can buy them at the terminal. Will that be okay?"
Marissa sighed in some relief. "Yes, thank you. When can we go?"
"As soon as you're ready. Let me know, and I'll get the shuttle going."
"Thank you again. You've been a big help," Clara said with a smile.
"Glad to be of service."
Marissa turned away, then laughed as Clara's words caught up to her. "Teddy? So, I guess I'll have to ask Justin about that one...."
"What? How'd you know?"
"He was asleep on the other bed, remember? With his feet on my pillow." She smirked as Anika sat up.
"We going now? I heard him." Anika looked worried, and Marissa could guess why. She was chronically short on cash, and Marissa knew exactly how little her friend had brought with her.
"Heard who?" Clara asked.
"The concierge. I wasn't sleeping." She stretched, then grabbed her suitcase. "Let's go catch that shuttle...." She trailed off.
"What?" Clara asked sharply.
Anika shrugged. "Nothing. Let's just go." She started over to the doors of the hotel.
"Coming." She walked after Anika, and Marissa trailed behind.
It was all of 11:15 when they arrived in the terminal - and discovered that the 12:15 bus was cancelled. Marissa sighed in frustration, exhausted and worried, and bought them tickets for the 10:45 pm bus. It would put them in Denver very early in the morning, but they'd be there, hopefully before the guys left for Salt Lake. The three found seats in the terminal to wait for their bus. Marissa glanced at Clara, trying valiantly not to cry and frustrated with herself for the feeling. She didn't even have a boyfriend who'd left her! "Do you mind trying to call Joey again? Maybe he'll pick up this time."
"I guess," Clara said, pulled out her phone, and dialed. The message was the same. She put it away, getting angry; he hadn't tried to call and tell her why they'd left her, no, them behind.
Marissa sank lower in her seat when she saw Clara put the phone away again. "All right. I'll watch the stuff, you guys go find food. In fact, it'll be better if you find a grocery store and get stuff for dinner tonight, too, and maybe breakfast tomorrow. And Anika, no pop tarts, not even with butter on them." She needed the time to get herself back in control.
Anika made a face. "Right. As if I would do that."
"Would she?" Clara asked, raising an eyebrow.
Marissa smiled. "She doesn't like it, but she did try it." She shook her head. "The things Anika will try...." She chuckled at the affronted expression on Anika's face.
"Just for fun," Clara grinned. "Come on, Anika, let's hit the store. I have this sudden urge for Pop Tarts with butter on them..."
"You and Taylor Hanson," Marissa grumbled, but she was smiling as they left.
"Hey, I heard that! I am not Taylor Hanson!" Clara called out over her shoulder, then added to Anika in an aside, "I think I look more like Zac, personally."
Anika looked at her. "Maybe before. He's a giant, now. You're prettier," she added with a grin. "But Tay's the one with the fetish for pop tarts - uncooked - with butter on them." She made a face. "It was nasty."
"Thanks, I think. I'm not quite sure I want to be compared to someone with a fetish. That means I have the fetish!"
"Doesn't mean that at all, just that you're weird." Anika shrugged, then pointed. "There's an Albertson's. Let's go there."
The two returned with food and three decks of cards, and they settled in for a long wait. They were between games late that afternoon when Clara's phone rang. Marissa and Anika held their breath as she answered it. "Hello?"
"Clara, where are you guys?" JC sounded panicked. "We just realized that no one has seen you all day. Tim said you were on the crew bus. Is Anika there?"
"JC," Clara said, and Anika perked up. "We're at the bus station, and yes, Anika is here."
"What bus station? In Amarillo? and can I talk to her, please?"
"Yes, in Texas, idiot," Clara growled, frustrated that he'd managed to ask for Anika before she could demand that he let her talk to Joey. "After all, that's where you guys left us, not that we're bitter and angry. Yeah, I guess." She held the phone out to Anika, who took it.
"Hello?"
"I can't believe you guys are in the bus station!" he said, frustrated, and Anika, already upset, started crying. "Wait. Anika, please, honey, I'm not mad at you."
"I know. I'm just so glad to hear from you," she sniffled. "I'm sorry. We must have missed the wake-up call."
"It's okay, Anika.... You'd better give the phone back to Clara, or Joey's gonna kill me," he added in a strangled voice.
She laughed softly. "Bye, then." She turned and handed the phone back. "Joey's demanding to talk to you," she said.
Clara took the phone almost reverently. "Joey?" she whispered.
"Hi, Clara. Sorry about this. We honestly had no clue you weren't here." He was quiet too, almost whispering himself.
"It's okay, just don't let it happen again."
"I don't intend to." There was an edge to his voice, but it disappeared in his next sentence. "Are you giving up on us, or are you gonna catch up?"
"We already bought tickets, we'll be there soon," she assured him.
"What time do you get in tonight? I don't think we'll be able to go to the airport, but Matt can meet you."
Clara chuckled. "Airport? Oh... no. We're on the Greyhound bus. We won't be there until tomorrow morning or so."
"Bus? Why?"
"Full flights," she said ruefully. "And, Joey? I didn't mean it to sound like I thought it was your fault. I really didn't. I know this isn't your fault, but we sure had fun planning Chris' demise, in case it turned out to be his. By the way, who do you want to be part of ‘N Sync if he does die, Howie or Nick?"
Joey burst into laughter. "Oh, this isn't Chris' fault, believe me, he's threatening Tim twice as much under his breath. But, if you're going to off him... probably Howie. We need the upper part covered, and he's the one to do it."
"I said Nick; after all, you're going to need another prankster. Besides, we know it wasn't Chris' fault. But it was fun."
"What, being stuck there or plotting his demise?"
"Plotting his demise."
"Oh," he said, and grinned at the confused looks on his friend's faces.
"Yeah, Joey, oh," she repeated, then heard a yell in the distance.
Joey sighed. "I gotta go. The fans call. When will you be in Denver?"
"I don't know. Probably tomorrow morning." She took a deep breath. "I miss you, Teddy. Talk to you soon, okay? and remind the fans that if they kill Chris, Howie is his replacement. That might quiet them down a little."
"Okay. Um. I have to go, but I'll call you after the show. I want to know exactly when you're supposed to get in, okay? I miss you, too, hate traveling without you...." He sighed again. "Be safe, Clara, please."
"As long as you'll be safe, I will. Talk to you soon. Bye, Joey."
"Bye." She swore that hang up click was the saddest sound she'd ever heard, and she stared at the floor for a minute.
"What did he say?" Marissa asked gently after a moment.
"He said sorry, and that Howie would replace Chris better than Nick."
Marissa grinned. "I knew it." Anika stared at them both like they'd lost their minds.
"But Nick's soooo cute!"
"Yeah, but he can't sing."
"So, neither can Chris."
Marissa paused. "Better than Nick."
"Worse than Howie."
Marissa laughed. "If I were dating Chris, I'd be devastated."
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