Marc drove the six of them into town.  Spotting Sara’s car parked by the drug store he pulled up behind her and parked. 

Sara had been waiting for them to arrive and got out of her car as she saw Marc parking behind her.  “Hay, Marc.  Glad to see you finally made it.”

“We’re right on time.”

“Yea, but you’re never on time, you’re always early.”

Josh said.  “It was our fault,  we had to change clothes at the last minute.”

Sara looked at Marc with a questioning look.

“They were dressed in space suits, out of this world outfits.”  Marc laughed.

“Oh.” said Sara.  “I’m glad you found something more appropriate.”  smiling at Joey she added.  “Nice hat.”

“Where’s the club?”  asked Justin.

“Just around the corner.”  said Marc as he pointed behind the guys.  Turning the seven headed to the “club” with Sara and Marc taking up the rear.

As the group came around the corner the group came up short, as the guys spotted the club.  Looking at the sign, they turned to Marc with questioning looks.

“The Elks Club?”  asked Chris.

“Yea, the Elks Club.  And your lucky to know me.  This is a very exclusive club.  They don’t let just anybody in you know.”  smirked Marc.  “You said you wanted to go clubbing didn’t you?”

Smiling, Sara took Josh’s arm and pulled him forward.  “Come on, lets go dancing.”

“The Elks Club is the social center of Big Bear Lake.” Marc. said to everyone as they went in.  “Tonight is Country/Western night.  The local dance club sponsors  tonight's dance.  There is about two hours of line dancing then the club will take the floor for about a hour.” said Marc. 

“Line dance, we can’t line dance.” wined Chris.

“What do you mean, you do it every time you get on stage.  It’s just simple steeps repeated over and over.  The only difference is you don’t use the upper body as much.”  Taking the group over to the side of the dance floor where he spotted members of the dance club.  “Hi, Billie, Joan.”

“Hi, Marc.”

“Girls, I have five friends here who want to learn line dancing.  How about giving them the quick starter course.  They have been known to have some sense of rhythm.”

“Marc, you know we love it when you bring us such nice looking virgins.” said Joan.
Smiled looking at the guys as the blush rose in their face.

“I will grab us a table, then I’ll see you on the dance floor.”  Marc said turning to a large table across the room. 

“Hay, Marc.  What can I get for you and your friends?”

“Hay, Sue.  How about a pitcher of ice tea and pitcher of lemonade.  With seven big glasses of ice.”

“Nothing from the bar?”

“No, lets stay away from there tonight.  Where here to dance, not to drink.”

“What if your friends try to order?”

“Just tell them you can serve only members
 alcohol.  They should accept that.”

“Got yea Marc.  Drinks coming up.”

Heading back over to the dance class Marc could see that most everyone has the basic steps down.  Justin was the only one having trouble, he went to make a left turn and smacked Chris along the side of the head with his arm.

“Watch it Just, were dancing not boxing.” said Chris rubbing his ear.

“JUSTIN!” Marc shouted.  “Show me your thumbs!”

Justin looked at Marc, confused.  Holding up his thumbs.

“Ok, hook them in your pants pockets.  And keep them there, before you hurt someone.”

Justin smiled at Marc as Chris mouthed a think you to him as he rubbed his ear.

Marc had been on the dance floor about ten minuets when he noticed the guys joining them on the main dance floor.   In no time, everyone was having a good time.  Marc headed for the table and a cold drink after more than a hour of dancing.

Josh and Sara came over to the table holding hands and sat down to cool off.  Sara excused herself and went to the ladies room.  Marc leaned over to Josh and said in a low voice.  “You and Sara seem to be hitting it off.”

“Yea, she is really nice, I like her a lot.”

“Well that’s great.  But let me warn you.  Be a gentleman,  don’t do anything that will hurt her.  I love my sister and I am very protective.  And I would hate to have to hurt you by ripping off a body part.”  Marc said with a serious face. 

Just then Sara returned to the table and noticed Marc’s serious expression and Josh’s surprised look.  Knowing Marc as she had, she knew what had just happened.  “Marc!  What did you say to Josh?”  “No wonder I have a hard time getting a date, with your scarring them away.”

“Sorry, sis.  I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”  said Marc.  “And  Josh, I apologue for what I said.  I do get carried away at times.”

The music had changed from line dancing to two step as the guys came to the table for cold drinks. 

“Where did Marc go?”  asked Lance.

“He went to change.” answered Sara.

About ten minutes later Marc returned to the table dressed in a western shirt, boots, jeans, and cow boy hat. 

“Looking good Marc.”  said Sara as Marc picked up his glass of lemonade.

“I always do.” said Marc with a sly smile.

The music changed again as the dance club members took the floor.  They formed four groups of four couples and started a simple square dance. 

Chris leaned in to Sara and said.  “We used to do that in school.  Is that all they are going to do?” 

“Just watch.  This is just their worm up.”  said Sara.  Knowing what was to come.

They had run threw the dance routines twice when as if by some unseen single the dancers picked up the speed of the foot work doing eight steps for every one they did before.  The guys were amazed to see all thirty two dancers doing very integrate dance steps all in unison.

Lance said “It reminds me of River Dance.”

“That’s close.  Its called Clogging, a form of Celtic dance.  It was brought to this country by the Irish who incorporated into American square dancing.  A lot of the steps are the same and they ware taps on their boots to bring out the toe and heal work.”

After more than twenty minutes of quick stepping dancing most of the dancers left the dance floor leaving ten dancers who formed a line in preparation for their hardest routine.  Marc was on one end of the line with another male dancer at the other.  The eight young ladies fill the space between them.    The dance had a very fast tempo,  and the dancers preformed flawlessly.  The crowd roared their approval as the group took a bow. 
Then the dancer at the far end of the group stepped out of line and walked over to Marc and stood in front of him  with his arms crossed over his chest. 

“Oh, shit!” said Sara.

“What’s going on?” asked Joey.

“That guy is Mel Stevens.  He’s challenging Marc to a fight.”

“Why does he want to fight Marc?” asked Justin.

“It’s not really a fight, he is challenging Marc’s status as head dancer.  Mel used to be the best dancer in the group until Marc took his title away last year.  Now he thinks he can take Marc in a dance off.”

Both dancers stood there in the middle of the dance floor staring each other down as they caught their breath after the routine.   The room fell quiet at the two dancers took a few steps back than started circling the floor never loosing eye contact. 

Mel made the first move by doing a series of steps which Marc easily repeated.  This went on back and forth each time the combinations getting more integrate.  Then their circling reversed and it was Marc who now challenged.  They spared this way for about twenty minutes.  In the end it looked like a draw. 

Not knowing what was happening Lance asked.  “Who won?”

“It was a draw” said Sara.  “Now it is really going to get interesting.”

Both men met in the center of the dance floor stopping about  two feet apart and just glared at each other.  Then Marc brought his heal down and started to beat out a cadence which Mel picked up on after four beats.  Both of them preformed the same step sequence than they both did a 360° turn stopping facing each other.  They repeated the sequence  again this time reversing the turn.  This was repeated time after time, with the beat getting faster and faster.  Than Marc did the most unbelievable thing instead of doing his one turn he did a double turn in the same length of time Mel did one.  Marc repeated it two more times before Mel caught on to what was happening. Then they both stopped.  Not breaking eye contact Mel slowly smiled and bowed his head as a sign of defeat.  Mel offered Marc his hand and Marc accepted it and pulled him into a hug.  They parted as friends, smiling.

Marc returned to the table after changing.  “I don’t know about anyone else but I’ve worked up an appetite.  Lets go get something to eat.”

Leaving the Elks Club they headed across the street to the restaurant and took the big corner table.  Everyone ordered drinks and a piece of pie except Marc.  “I’ll have a big stack of pancakes, hash browns, double order of bacon, and two large OJ’s.”

Handing his menu to the waitress.  Marc notice everyone was staring at him.  “What?”

“Are you a little hungry?”  said Joey with a laugh.

“That little bit of dancing took a lot out of me.”

Changing the subject Sara asked.  “What have you guys got planed for the rest of the week?”

Everyone turned toward Marc for him to answer.  “Well,  I have arranged a road trip.  We’ll be out for three days.  We need to be on the road by 8 a.m. and will be going to House on the Rock, then head for the Dells.  We will attend the Indian Ceremonial that night and we have a bunk house cabin for the night.”

“Are we going to any water parks?”  asked Justin eagerly.

“I was just getting to that.  I talked to friend and have arranged for us to have the whole park to our self's from 8 to 10 a.m.  We have the rest of the day to site see.”

“Do you think it will be safe?”  asked Sara.

“If we split up, in pairs, it should be ok.”  said Lance.

Dinner will be in a German restaurant.  It’s neat.  Everyone sits at these big long tables.  The food is great, and the waters and waitress go up on stage during the meal and perform folk songs and dances.  Then on the last day we will go to Circus World.”

“Is there really a actual working circus?” asked Justin.

“Yes there is Justin and if you behave yourself maybe we can get them to let you be a clown in the show.” chuckled Marc.

“Really!  That would be cool.” said the grinning Justin.

After Marc finished his meal they all headed back to the van.  Everybody climbed into the van except Josh who had walked Sara to her car. 

“What are they talking about?”  asked Chris.

“Lance, go ahead and close the door.”  said Marc as he started the van.  Pulling up beside Sara’s car.  Marc said out his window  “Sara, you and Josh go ahead and talk.  Just drop him by the house on your way home.  Have fun you two.”

“Marc, do you really trust Josh with you sister?”  asked Joey.

“Of course I do.  He understands what would happen if he misbehaved.”

“What would happen?” Joey asked.

“Oh, only that I would rip one of his most favorite body parts, off.  That’s all.”

Everyone just cringed at the thought of poor Josh.  After returning to the house everybody got ready for bed.

Justin awoke to find Marc not asleep next to him.  Then he herd soft crying coming from the foot of the bed.  “Marc, what’s wrong?” said the concerned Justin getting out of bed and coming around to Marc. 

“Leg cramps!  I should have known this would happen.  Oh, shit!!”  cried Marc.

“What can I do?”

“Help me into the bathroom.  If I can soak in the whorl pool tub I should be ok.”

Justin helped Marc stand up, and got him into the bathroom.

“Marc sit down while I get the tub filled.”

“No, it’s better if I stand.  I cramp when I bend my legs.”

Justin filled the tub with hot water and turned on the jets.

“Do you need help getting in?”

“Yea,  I think so.”  said Marc as he removed his t-shirt and shorts.

Justin helped Marc lower himself into the hot swirling water.  Than said.  “I’ll give you some privacy.”

“No.  Please stay”  pleaded Marc.

Justin put down the lid and sat down.  “Does this happen very often?”

“Only when I dance like I did tonight and not properly cooling down.”  said Marc as he started to relax.

“Just, what’s it like to be Justin Timberlake of NSYNC?”

“That’s a weird question.”

“Yea, it is.  I know you guys have been at  this for years,  I think I want to know is what is the best part of your job and what is the worst part.”

Justin understood what Marc was asking.  “I know the best part is performing, being up on stage, singing, dancing, and working the audience.  I get this rush when everything fall into place and we do a kick ass concert.”  Justin said with a big grin.  “The fans can be the best and the worst at the same time.”

“How?”

“The fans can make the performance, how they react to a song effects the performance.”

“Or how they react to the singer?”  Marc smiled.

Smiling, “Yea, that too.”

“What’s the bad side of the fans.”

“The fans, the girls can get out of hand.  You don’t know how out of hand they can become.  There’s been times we barely escaped with out lives.  I don’t know how many shirts I’ve had ripped  off.  And some time they don’t stop at the shirt.”

“Did you get hurt?

“Yea, some nasty scratches.”

Marc reached over to turn off the jets and asked.  “Will you hand me a towel?”

Justin grabbed a towel off the shelf and went to help Marc up out of the tub. But was waved off. “I’m alright now.”

Wrapping the towel around his waist Marc stepped out of the tub.  He grabbed another towel off the stack and dried himself off.  “What else?”

“The traveling is the pits.  And being away from out families so much, sucks.  But I think the thing I missed most is not having a normal life.  Not being able to go to a regular high school, not making friends, the ball games, dances, proms, just being a teenager, that is what I missed the most.”

Marc had put on a clean pare of shorts and was leaning against the door looking down at Justin as he talked. 

“Yea, Justin.  I know what you mean.” Marc said softly as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Justin looked up at Marc with wet eyes and realized he did understand.  Not being able to remember his teenage years.   Justin got up and pulled Marc into an embrace.  Both of them realizing how close their lives where.  “Come on lets get back to bed.  We have to be up in a couple hours.” said Marc as he opened the door and pushed Justin out.

Chris, half asleep.  Was walking down the hall to the bathroom when the door flew open and out walks Justin and Marc. 

Spotting Chris.  Marc said. “Hi, Chris.  The bathroom is all yours.  We’re done with it.” Marc reached up to Justin's shoulders and starting massaging them.  Justin, just moaned    at Marc’s touch as they went back to bed.

Going into the bathroom Chris noticed the wet towels.  Rolling his eyes he thought “I don’t want to know.”

Back in the bedroom Marc and Justin were laughing as they got into bed.  “Marc your bad!”

“I know.  <Hee hee>  but I can’t help it.  There is something about Chris.  He is so gullible at times.” calming down Marc said “Good Night Just.”

TBC