Chapter 81

"This is John Norris with an MTV News brief. Pop group *NSYNC has just signed a new distribution deal with Jive Records, home of 'That other band,' The Backstreet boys and Britney Spears.

"The jump is probably going to delay the release of the new album, which had been slated for November 16 by former label RCA Records, according to manager Johnny Wright. Wright told us they don't want to rush the record out and that a new single will hit the radio by the end of the year. Unfortunately, the album will not be out until early 2000.

"RCA Records, a unit of BMG entertainment, is none too pleased with the new arrangement. The label issued a statement reading, "'N Sync is a BMG act and we enforce and protect our rights vigorously."

"That could mean legal action. We will keep you posted. This has been John Norris with an MTV News brief."

Lance clicked off the television. "Well, it's out there. And...damn, are people pissed off," he sighed.

"Shit," Chris said, "It's not RCA, it's Trans-Con we have the problem with. Why didn't they said anything about that?"

Lance smiled. "Couple weeks, I think. Maybe in a month. We don't want to over...we want to keep it spread out," he amended.

Justin nodded with a yawn. "I'm beat," he said. "Get me up if anything else happens."

Lance shoved him off the couch and nodded. "Sure, Curly." Justin shot him a dirty look but went up the stairs anyway.

"I'm gonna turn in too," JC said. "Maybe I'll get down to the studio early or somethin'. Don't be too long, all right?" he directed his question to Lance.

Joey and Chris snickered and Lance lazily kicked Chris in the shin. "I know, I know. I'll be up in a few."

"Hey," Joey said suddenly after JC had left. "Whatever happened to Danielle? Weren't you two dating for the press?"

Lance shrugged, a thoughtful look on his face. "I don't know," he said. "I guess we'll have broken up if I get back into the group. I don't know. But I don't have to deal with that anymore," he said with a smile. "Thank goodness."

Lance kicked Chris in the shin again. "Bite me," he said. He slowly stood up. "G'night, you two. Don't stay up too late."

Lance tackled Chris to the couch before standing up again. "Exactly. And I ain't your mommy."

JC walked inside and slammed the door behind him, throwing his keys onto the table. Lance put down his spoon and finished chewing his cereal before speaking. "What?" he asked.

"Well, I went to the studio a little while ago, right?" JC asked, his voice trembling with anger and something more. Lance nodded, tilting his head. "I was just at-- I had to get-- I was at the studio, and I couldn't...they...I couldn't get in...I had my...they changed the locks, or the codes or something...Cause of the jump, you know? And my...I had my notebook in there and everything--"

Lance pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. "I'll be right back," he said, grabbing JC's discarded keys and slipping on sunglasses, noticing that JC had been wearing them. "How do I look?" he asked grandly, spreading his arms and spinning around.

"Unbelievably sexy," JC said, licking his lips. Lance just smiled, looking down and shaking his head with a blush, and walked out the door. It took JC a few minutes before he realized what was happening. "LANCE!"

Lance practically squealed JC's jeep into a spot in the parking lot of the studio. He walked towards the door, his feet taking long, angry strides. He walked up and tried the keycard, but it didn't work. He cursed under his breath and tried punching in the code, but that didn't work either. Cussing softly, he kicked at the door before looking at the sky and exhaling. He started when he heard a soft laugh behind him.

Lance turned around and his eyes widened when he saw who it was. He smiled easily. "I realized that," he said. He walked down the steps and smiled once more. "I'd like to apologize for my behavior before," he said. "I'm not usually like that, especially not to a lady, but it seems my temper has gotten the best of me the past few days." He stuck out a hand. "So shall we start again? My name is Lance."

Justin shielded the light with one hand before groaning. "You can't take my Benz, what do you take me for?"

JC practically snarled. "They locked us out of the studio and Lance went down there with my jeep. I. Need. Your. Car."

Justin fumbled over at the nightstand as he sat up and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Dude, just leave me alone. And if my car comes back with one tiny scratch on it, I will use your skin to fix it."

"Do you think you could help me get inside?" Lance asked, gesturing towards the door. "Josh left something in there and I told him I'd pick it up. And I wanted to talk to Lou about something too." He looked at Shari carefully, wondering why she looked so familiar.

Shari took her keycard out of her purse and held it out to Lance, who took it with a smile. "No problem," she said with a smile. "This whole label jump thing just confuses me. I don't think Ken wanted to do it." She shrugged.

Lance swiped the key and held the door open for her. "They didn't really have a total right to lock them out without telling, did they, though? And you and Ken got new keys."

"Well, I didn't, I just stole Ken's spare," Shari said with a laugh. Lance smiled. "But you're right," she said as they walked down the hallway. "I don't know. You guys should've gotten new ones too, I think. Even though you're not a part of the label anymore..."

They stopped outside the studio where JC had left his notebook. Lance walked in to get it, and continued towards Lou's office with Shari still there.

"Thanks for letting me in," he said, still trying to figure out where he knew her from. Blond hair, blue eyes..."I appreciate it and I'm sorry we got off to a rough start."

Lance looked at her, tilting his head. "You aren't Shari," he said. "You just look remarkably like her."

Lance shook his head and pursed his lips, just outside Lou's office. "No...no, you're not. You're..." his eyes widened with the sudden realization. "You're Emily," he said. She looked away and he knew that it was true. "Why?" he asked. "Why are you helping me now...pretending to be her?" he asked softly. "Why?"

"It's the least I could do," she said, taking a step backwards. "I am SO sorry, Lance...my parents put me up to it...they were afraid of you...my father--"

"I know, he was the one that really did it. I knew all along," Lance sighed. He shook his head. "How long have you--"

"Ever since Ken came back," she said. "I've been here that long. Shari left Ken in Vegas, but I...I guess I got her figured out, and..." Emily shrugged. "I changed my looks enough to look like her, and he believed me. I knew I had to help somehow..."

Lance sighed again with a small smile. "I have to go now. But..." he stopped. "Thank you," he said sincerely.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 81 "This is John Norris with an MTV News brief. Pop group NSYNC has just signed a new distribution deal with Jive Records, home of 'That other band,' The Backstreet boys and Britney Spears.* "The jump is probably going to delay the release of the new album, which had been slated for November 16 by former label RCA Records, according to manager Johnny Wright. Wright told us they don't want to rush the record out and that a new single will hit the radio by the end of the year. Unfortunately, the album will not be out until early 2000. "RCA Records, a unit of BMG entertainment, is none too pleased with the new arrangement. The label issued a statement reading, "'N Sync is a BMG act and we enforce and protect our rights vigorously." "That could mean legal action. We will keep you posted. This has been John Norris with an MTV News brief." Lance clicked off the television. "Well, it's out there. And...damn, are people pissed off," he sighed. "Shit," Chris said, "It's not RCA, it's Trans-Con we have the problem with. Why didn't they said anything about that?" Lance shrugged. "I don't know, they'll figure it out eventually, I guess." "When are we gonna let the rest slip?" Justin asked. Lance smiled. "Couple weeks, I think. Maybe in a month. We don't want to over...we want to keep it spread out," he amended. Justin nodded with a yawn. "I'm beat," he said. "Get me up if anything else happens." Lance shoved him off the couch and nodded. "Sure, Curly." Justin shot him a dirty look but went up the stairs anyway. "I'm gonna turn in too," JC said. "Maybe I'll get down to the studio early or somethin'. Don't be too long, all right?" he directed his question to Lance. Joey and Chris snickered and Lance lazily kicked Chris in the shin. "I know, I know. I'll be up in a few." "Hey," Joey said suddenly after JC had left. "Whatever happened to Danielle? Weren't you two dating for the press?" Lance shrugged, a thoughtful look on his face. "I don't know," he said. "I guess we'll have broken up if I get back into the group. I don't know. But I don't have to deal with that anymore," he said with a smile. "Thank goodness." Chris snickered. "But didn't you love her, Scoopy?" Lance kicked Chris in the shin again. "Bite me," he said. He slowly stood up. "G'night, you two. Don't stay up too late." "Yes Mommy," Chris said. "You don't wanna keep Daddy up waiting, do you?" Lance tackled Chris to the couch before standing up again. "Exactly. And I ain't your mommy." "If you say so," Chris said. Lance shook his head and walked up the stairs. "So," Joey said to Chris, "When do you think Lou is gonna pay us a visit?" *** JC walked inside and slammed the door behind him, throwing his keys onto the table. Lance put down his spoon and finished chewing his cereal before speaking. "What?" he asked. "Well, I went to the studio a little while ago, right?" JC asked, his voice trembling with anger and something more. Lance nodded, tilting his head. "I was just at-- I had to get-- I was at the studio, and I couldn't...they...I couldn't get in...I had my...they changed the locks, or the codes or something...Cause of the jump, you know? And my...I had my notebook in there and everything--" Lance pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. "I'll be right back," he said, grabbing JC's discarded keys and slipping on sunglasses, noticing that JC had been wearing them. "How do I look?" he asked grandly, spreading his arms and spinning around. "Unbelievably sexy," JC said, licking his lips. Lance just smiled, looking down and shaking his head with a blush, and walked out the door. It took JC a few minutes before he realized what was happening. "LANCE!" * Lance practically squealed JC's jeep into a spot in the parking lot of the studio. He walked towards the door, his feet taking long, angry strides. He walked up and tried the keycard, but it didn't work. He cursed under his breath and tried punching in the code, but that didn't work either. Cussing softly, he kicked at the door before looking at the sky and exhaling. He started when he heard a soft laugh behind him. "They changed the locks, don't you know?" Lance turned around and his eyes widened when he saw who it was. He smiled easily. "I realized that," he said. He walked down the steps and smiled once more. "I'd like to apologize for my behavior before," he said. "I'm not usually like that, especially not to a lady, but it seems my temper has gotten the best of me the past few days." He stuck out a hand. "So shall we start again? My name is Lance." The hand was accepted. "Hi, I'm Shari," she said with a soft giggle. * "Justin, where the hell are your keys? I need to borrow your car!" JC yelled. Justin shielded the light with one hand before groaning. "You can't take my Benz, what do you take me for?" JC practically snarled. "They locked us out of the studio and Lance went down there with my jeep. I. Need. Your. Car." Justin fumbled over at the nightstand as he sat up and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Dude, just leave me alone. And if my car comes back with one tiny scratch on it, I will use your skin to fix it." "If you say so." *** "Do you think you could help me get inside?" Lance asked, gesturing towards the door. "Josh left something in there and I told him I'd pick it up. And I wanted to talk to Lou about something too." He looked at Shari carefully, wondering why she looked so familiar. Shari took her keycard out of her purse and held it out to Lance, who took it with a smile. "No problem," she said with a smile. "This whole label jump thing just confuses me. I don't think Ken wanted to do it." She shrugged. Lance swiped the key and held the door open for her. "They didn't really have a total right to lock them out without telling, did they, though? And you and Ken got new keys." "Well, I didn't, I just stole Ken's spare," Shari said with a laugh. Lance smiled. "But you're right," she said as they walked down the hallway. "I don't know. You guys should've gotten new ones too, I think. Even though you're not a part of the label anymore..." They stopped outside the studio where JC had left his notebook. Lance walked in to get it, and continued towards Lou's office with Shari still there. "Thanks for letting me in," he said, still trying to figure out where he knew her from. Blond hair, blue eyes..."I appreciate it and I'm sorry we got off to a rough start." "Me too," she said with a shy smile. Lance looked at her, tilting his head. "You aren't Shari," he said. "You just look remarkably like her." Shari looked at him in surprise. "What? I am too Shari..." Lance shook his head and pursed his lips, just outside Lou's office. "No...no, you're not. You're..." his eyes widened with the sudden realization. "You're Emily," he said. She looked away and he knew that it was true. "Why?" he asked. "Why are you helping me now...pretending to be her?" he asked softly. "Why?" "It's the least I could do," she said, taking a step backwards. "I am SO sorry, Lance...my parents put me up to it...they were afraid of you...my father--" "I know, he was the one that really did it. I knew all along," Lance sighed. He shook his head. "How long have you--" "Ever since Ken came back," she said. "I've been here that long. Shari left Ken in Vegas, but I...I guess I got her figured out, and..." Emily shrugged. "I changed my looks enough to look like her, and he believed me. I knew I had to help somehow..." Lance sighed again with a small smile. "I have to go now. But..." he stopped. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "You're welcome," she said. "It's the least I could do..."