Little Brothers
The wrap party was great. There was lots of great food, a local Orlando group provided the music with everyone dancing to early in the morning. Justin and Eric got in around three and headed right to bed.
Eric was sleeping soundly when all of the sudden his bed started bouncing around. Eric’s eyes shot open to find Justin jumping up and down on his bed.
“Justin, what are you doing?” Eric shouted.
“Time to get up, bro.”
“What time is it?” Eric asked as he sat up. Justin continued to bounce until Eric reached out and grabbed one of Justin’s legs bringing him down on the bed.
“It’s almost eleven,” Justin laughed.
“Only eleven,” Eric moaned as he fell back upon his pillow.
“Come on, time to get up, up, up, up,” Justin chanted as he bounced next to Eric.
“Where do you get all this bloody energy?” Eric asked as he pulled Justin in to a headlock. The ensuing wrestling match continued even after the loud thud when they rolled off the bed onto the floor. Justin was stronger then Eric had counted on and Justin was getting the better of him when he remembered something Joey had told him. Pulling an arm free Eric attacked Justin’s ribs sending him into squealing fits of laughter.
The door flew open and Lynn bellowed, “What the hell is going on in here?”
Both boys pulled apart looking up at Lynn. “Nothing,” they said together.
“It didn’t sound like nothing,” Lynn said, enjoying the uneasy manner of her sons.
“Eric started it,” Justin blurted out pointing at Eric.
“I did not! You started it by jumping on my bed.” Eric countered.
“I don’t care who started it. Since you both are up, get dressed. I’ll have your breakfast ready in ten minutes.”
“K, Mom. We’ll be down in ten,” Justin said.
“Yeah, in ten minutes Mom,” Eric added with a grin.
Lynn rolled her eyes and shook her head as she turned out of the room.
“Tattle tale,” Justin said giving Eric a playful punch in the arm.
“Ouch! Mom, Justin is picking on me,” Eric called after Lynn.
“Justin! Be heave or you will be sent to your room.” Lynn smirked as she went to prepare her boys' breakfast.
After breakfast Eric made a few phone calls before joining Justin out in the pool. Justin was already in the pool when Eric dropped his towel on one of the lounge chairs.
Justin laughed when Eric took off his shirt, “I always thought Lance was the only albino I knew.”
“I’m not that bad.”
“Doesn’t the sun shine in Livonia?”
“It does. But the palace preplans most of my time. This is the first real time to myself I’ve ever had.”
“What do you mean?”
“As the companion to the prince we spent every day together. Where ever the prince went I went. We were taught by the same tutor, attended the same boarding school, and university. I vacationed with the royal family, traveled everywhere with the prince.”
“Don’t you miss not being with the prince?”
Eric laughed, “No, not really. The prince is the most boring person I know. It’s so nice to be away from all of that. To be myself and not have my life dictated by those stuffed shirts in the palace.”
“Well you’re here now. Come on and get into the pool. Oh, it just dawned on me. Do you know how to swim?”
“Of course I can swim. Both palaces have Olympic size pools in them.”
Lynn looked up as what sounded like a herd of elephants came running down the hall. “Where is he? Where is Justin?” two eager boys asked.
“Jon, Steph, that’s not good manners,” Justin’s father said to his young sons.
“Oh, sorry,” Jon said. Hi, Lynn.”
“Hi,” Steph echoed.
“Hi, boys,” Lynn chuckled. “It’s nice to see you both.”
Both boys were antsy, eager to see their big brother. Steph thought he had been nice long enough, “Is he here?”
Lynn laughed, “He’s out by the pool.”
“Yeah!” the boys shouted as they ran out the back door.
“Are you sure you want those two around for a couple days?” Justin’s dad, Randy asked as he watched his sons out the window.
“They won’t be that much of a problem with Justin here,” Lynn said as she joined her ex at the window. “He has his way with them.”
Randy watched his two young sons hug their big brother. After getting hugs and kisses all around Justin introduced the boys to the young man with him. Randy stood for a long time studying the young man. There was something about him that nagged at the back of his mind. Randy glanced at Lynn standing next to him. Her expression showed love and pride at the young men out by the pool.
“A new friend of Justin’s?” Randy asked.
“Yes. Eric joined the tour last month. He and Justin became close friends. Eric will be producing the boys' European tour.”
“He looks a lot like his father,” Randy said. ‘But he has your eyes.”
Lynn closed her eyes willing her heartbeat to return to normal. “How did you know?”
“I wasn’t sure until I saw your expression. You had that same look when you were with Albert.”
“I’ve forgotten you knew him. It’s been so long.”
“He’s what? Twenty-four now?”
“He will be twenty-four next month,” Lynn said softly.
“Why is he really here?” Randy asked. “He has never made any contact before.”
“Albert was killed in an accident four months ago.”
“I’m sorry,” Randy said. “I didn’t know.”
“Eric showed up in my office to deliver a letter from Albert.”
“I’m not going to ask what was in the letter,” Randy said. “What I don’t understand is after all this time why hasn’t he tried to contact you?”
“Eric was told his mother died when he was very young. He didn’t learn about me until after his father's death. He got a letter similar to mine explaining everything.”
“What’s this about him joining the tour?”
“Eric wanted to get to know his half brother. Johnny arranged for Eric to join the last month of the tour so he could learn the behind the scenes of the tour.”
“So he posed as someone he isn’t just to get to know Justin.”
“Yes and no,” Lynn said. “Yes he was there to get to know Justin. But he was also there to get a working knowledge of the tour. Eric is really going to be production manager for the guys European tour.”
“Does Justin know any of this?”
“No. Not yet. Eric plans to tell him before he leaves next week.”
“How do you think Justin will take the news?”
“I really don’t know,” Lynn said softly. “I really don’t know.”
The next morning a large van pulled up to Justin’s house. Joey, Lance, JC, Chris, and Gabby climbed out.
“What’s going on?” Eric asked from the front door.
“We’re here to pick you guys up,” Lance said.
Jon and Steph wiggled past Eric’s legs and ran out screaming hi to everyone.
Joey scooped up Steph into a hug, as did JC with Jon. “You guys ready to go to Disney World?” Both boys shouted, “Yes!”
Justin draped his arm over Eric’s shoulder as he watched his little brothers with his friends.
“Did someone forget to mention today’s plans?” Eric asked Justin.
“I thought I said something about the guys coming by.”
“That’s all you said. Nothing about going to a theme park.”
“Oh, sorry. . . Hey, Eric, the guys and I are taking the munchkins to Disney World®. You want to come along?”
“I have to work today,” Eric sighed.
“Come on man,” Joey pleaded. “We have studio time scheduled the rest of the week. Take today off and come with us.”
Eric scanned the hopeful faces of his friends. Gabby’s pleading eyes did him in. “All right.”
“Cool,” Justin said as he gave Eric a hug.
Joey loaded everyone into the van. As Eric climbed past Gabby he whispered, “You do know tomorrow will be a long day?”
“I know. Just enjoy today, please.”
Eric had been to Euro Disney® several times but he was in awe at the size of the parks in Orlando. Because of the group being made up *Nsync they received special VIP treatment. They were taken in the back way on all the rides and didn’t have to wait in line. They could go from ride to ride without any of the other guests seeing them. By midmorning they had covered all of the Magic Kingdom® then took the monorail over to Epcot®. Eric was impressed with the park and his mind started working on how to check into the possibility of his country having a pavilion at the World Showcase.
As the day heated up it was decided it was time to switch to another park. A Disney bus took the group to Disney-MGM Studios®. The back lot tour was everyone’s favorite but Jon and Steph really liked Voyage of The Little Mermaid stage show. By late afternoon everyone seemed to be running out of steam. The little ones were to the point that Eric and Justin ended up carrying them back to the van. Everyone said goodbye to their guides. As Eric was walking away with Jon in his arms he heard one of the guides comment, “It’s really cute to see the big brothers taking care of their little brothers.” Eric smiled the rest of the way to the van.
The next day was a work day for everyone. Eric rode with Justin to the studio where he met up with Gabby and they headed out on their own. A large warehouse had been rented to store all the equipment from the tour. Eric and Gabby, with help of a dozen helpers sorted out everything that was going to be sent overseas for that tour. Inventories were made and special shipping containers were brought in. They called it a night around nine p.m. after filling five semi trailer sized shipping containers.
Eric’s taxi dropped him off in front of Justin’s house just as Justin was pulling into the drive. “Looks like I’m not the only one who’s had a long day,” Justin said as Eric approached.
“I had to make up for yesterday,” Eric pointed out. As they approached the front door it flew open and Jon and Steph ran out to greet them.
“Isn’t it past your bed time?” Justin asked Jon as he held him in his arms.
“We couldn’t sleep until you and Eric got home,” Steph said as he yawned and laid his head on Eric’s shoulder.
Lynn held open the door as Justin and Eric walked in carrying their nearly asleep bundles.
“You two look beat,” Lynn noted. “Have either of you had anything to eat?”
Justin and Eric shook their heads no.
“Why don’t you put those two to bed while I make you some sandwiches.”
Eric followed Justin up the stairs to put the boys to bed. The boys were sharing a large bed in one of the guest rooms. Justin went to one side of the bed while Eric went to the other side and they laid their now sleeping bundles down and tucked them in. Justin leaned down and gave Jon a good night kiss. Eric didn’t know what to do until Steph’s little arms came up wanting Eric to give him a good night hug. Eric leaned down and Steph gave him the best hug his little arm could give and a quick kiss on the cheek. “Good night, Eric,” Steph said sleepily.
“Night, Steph,” Eric said softly as he gave Steph a kiss on the forehead.
Pulling the door close they made their way down to the kitchen.
At the top of the stairs Justin stopped. Eric turned to find Justin smirking at him. “What?” Eric asked.
“You know I think you’re getting the hang of this big brother thing.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Just a couple days ago the idea of being around little kids scared you to death,” Justin pointed out.
“A month ago the idea of meeting *Nsync, scared me to death.”
“Really? Why?”
Eric sat down on the top step. Justin joined him. “You guys are super stars, loved by millions of fans. I didn’t know how you all would react to me joining the tour.”
“It was a little shaky at first,” Justin admitted. “But you won everyone over.”
“After the first meeting with you guys, I doubted if this was going to work. Chris was so hostile from the first and the others didn’t seem to receptive.”
“Not everybody felt that way,” Justin pointed out.
Eric smiled, “No, not everyone. You don’t know who much it meant to me, knowing that you believed in me.”
“Well, bro, you showed everyone that you could do the job. All the guys now love you. Hell man you got my little brothers and my mom loving you. And if you think that you are going to drop out of my life when this tour is over you had better think again. Outside of the group you’re the best friend I have and I love you like a brother.”
Eric sat stunned for a moment before he managed to get out, “I love you too bro.”
Lynn stood at the kitchen door and called out, “I thought you guys were hungry.”
Justin gave Eric a lopsided grin, “We are Mom. Be right down.”
TBC