Black History Chapter One**Warning** Strong Word usage!!

N*sync had finally gotten some time off to relax before they did the second leg of their `Celebrity' tour. They had all decided to meet at JC's house so they could have themselves their own little party. It was peaceful where JC lived, and rarely did anything drastic happen. Lance and Joey lived on the other side of Venice beach, also in Los Angeles, and Chris lived in Beverly Hills. Justin, on the other hand, CHOSE to live on the not so pretty side of Los Angeles. Like all the rest of his band members, he too lived in a fairly large house, but everything was so hectic once you got out of the little area he lived in. Justin had thanked God numerous times for blessing him and allowing him not to get caught up in all the hype. According to all the rumors he had heard, living on that side of town wasn't necessarily good thing. He had heard the `tall tales', or so he had called them, of drive-bye shootings, gangs, robberies just about every other hour, but never really believed them until he had actually stayed in his spacious house for the oh so short time span we call a week. In that short time he had been there, looking out of his window was like looking at a tornado coming your way. The tornado representing the overwhelming mass of destruction, poverty, and rudeness. All the while, the tornado with all the devastating things, was the environment that surrounded the neighborhood. The environment that no one had requested, but came to them just like a tornado and sucked them into the lifestyle. There were many times where Justin had felt alone, and like he didn't belong. Hell, he's a pop star! Why did he make the decision to live in this particular neighborhood and have the only house on the block that stood out? Perhaps he wanted the attention? No, that wasn't it. Maybe he wanted to prove something to everyone? Prove what? And who exactly is everyone? Justin didn't know the answers to these questions, and right now, you don't either, but at end of this story, you, his friends, Justin, and the other characters in this story will find out.

Justin slowly eased his white, Escalade into the driveway of JC's house. He looked through the darkly tinted windows and saw his friends' cars also parked. He sighed. However not in frustration, he honestly didn't know why he did, but he did know that he wasn't exactly in the mood to sit up in someone else's house all afternoon while playing video games, eating, talking, and drinking. Ya know- the usual `guy stuff'. He eased out of his car and walked up to the white, wooden door of JC's house and saw that it was already opened a little bit, so he took the initiative to let himself in. He closed the door behind him and turned to see his five friends sitting in the living room watching television. Justin walked down the marble tiled hallway until he reached the living room. JC turned his head when he heard Justin come in the room.

"What's goin' on, man?"

"Nothin much. Just chillin'." Justin replied and took a seat next to the other four.

*** *** ***

About three hours had gone by now, and all five of them slouched into JC's comfy couches. Each of them were full from all the food they had eaten and they were all about to go to sleep because they had been sitting around doing absolutely nothing.

"Dude, I think I gained like 5 pounds" Joey whined.

"Don't worry man, we can't even tell when you LOOSE wait so I'm sure no one will notice that you've gained weight." Lance chuckled Joey grinned quickly and then flipped Lance off. The doorbell soon rang interrupting they boys' quiet fulfillment.

"YOU GET IT!" The five of them yelled simultaneously. Chris looked around at the others sitting before him. he thought. His eyes landed on Justin. he thought "Justin! You get the door." Chris demanded. Justin looked at him in utter shock.

Chris said to himself. <"Why do I have to get the door?"> he predicted.

"WHY DO I HAVE TO GET THE DOOR? I'm the farthest from the door, and it's JC's house!" Justin whined. The doorbell rang again.

"Justin! Shut up and get the freakin' door!" Joey exclaimed.

"Justin, you have to get it because you're the youngest." Chris said "Well, Lance was the last one in the group!" Justin protested.

"Oh, you're pathetic." Lance said.

"Justin." JC said sternly and gave him a knowing look. Instead, Justin decided to kind of play dumb. "What?" he looked at JC."GET THE DAMN DOOR!" All four of them yelled in unison.

Justin got up with a pout and mumbled some things under his breath.`But you're the youngest, Justin.' He mimicked to himself. He then angrily swung open the door hoping that it wasn't some psychotic fan asking him to marry them.

When he looked out and saw an elderly African American woman, his features softened. She looked to be about in her mid forties and she had a few gray hairs that were scattered throughout her thick head of raven hair. She looked up at him through her glasses and smiled. Justin returned the smile she had given him and took the paper she had kindly handed to him.

"Hello, my name is Loretta Johnson, and my husband, Phillip Johnson, is teaching a black history class that is for seven weeks. Now, let me inform you sir, that the class is not just for people of the African American race, it's for any and everyone. My husband would really appreciate it if you came to the class and maybe brought a friend with you."

"Thanks, I'll see if I can make it." He said. With that, the woman walked out of the driveway and into another. Justin went into the house and closed the door behind him and proceeded to the living room.

"Who was at the door?" Lance asked.

"Screw you. Screw all of you. I'M the one you wanted to answer the door. I'M the one who got up from his very comfortable spot and answered the damn door. So, now I'M the one who is supposed to tell you who was at the door?" Justin preached.

** * Silence and Weird Looks * **

"Uh…yeah?" Joey said.

"Okay, it was some lady. Her husband's teaching the Black History class I'm gonna take tomorrow." Justin explained.

Chris spit out his drink onto the carpet and laughed out loud. "Damn, Chris! That IS my carpet ya know?" JC shouted Chris paid no mind to JC and turned his attention to Justin.

"YOU? The whitest of all white people? HA!" Chris exclaimed. "Not to be rude, Justin, but it seems kinda pointless to be using the two wonderful months we have off to take a Black History class.

Besides, you're famous and they'll eat you up. Even though we're on vacation, we still have a few appearances to do." Lance commented.

"Well of course it seems pointless to you, Lance. While you were sixteen years old, and on the road, you didn't HAVE a tutor that was WHITE trying desperately to teach you and to understand things about Black History! I don't care about my social status. Who knows? It could be fun." Justin exclaimed.

"Geeze! Sorry if I hit a soft spot." Lance said. All five of the men looked at each other. Justin thought about what he had said to Lance. They had come through a lot. Justin knew they would be surprised, but damn. What's the worst thing that could happen? For once he just wanted to be alone, and do something on his own. For once he wanted it to be no cameras, no paparazzi, no reporters, and no little girls screaming at him.

"If y'all think about it, we've been out for awhile." JC stated"Yeah I know, Justin's all grown up, now." Chris said.

"Yeah, and I'm 21 years old and legal. I'm not the little twelve-year- old you met at MMC, JC. And I'm not the little cute, skinny little kid the rest of you guys knew when we first started." "Yeah, I hear you. YOU GOT UGLY!" Chris joked.

"Man, you know what? I'm just gonna act like I didn't hear that comment and be on my way home so I won't be grouchy tomorrow before class." Justin said and started towards the door. "You're always grouchy in the morning, J!" Joey called over his shoulder.

*** *** ***

Jaleesa and her best friend, Carmen, tiredly walked out of the mall after a full day of heavy shopping.

"Hey girl, are you going to Professor Johnson's Black history class tomorrow?" Jaleesa asked Carmen.

"Of course girl! I have to learn as much about my people as possible." Carmen said. The two girls put their bags in the trunk of Jaleesa's BMW and got into the car so that they could head home. "Wouldn't it be funny as hell if some random white person signed up for the class?" Carmen said.

"Well, yeah I guess, but it is an optional class and you don't have to attend EVERY single one of them. You can't forget that it's a neighborhood thing and the paper DID say ANYONE could come." Jaleesa pointed out, not taking her eyes off of the road.

"Dang. See Jaleesa? That's just like you! Always sticking up for the white people. Ya know, sometimes I think you NEED to take this class." Carmen said.

"Oh really?" Jaleesa glanced at her. "Yeah, so you can remember where you came from. Because after that relationship with Tommy, you have just been all over white folks." Cameron complained.

"Girl, shut up. That relationship was only for a year." "But you were still all up in the house cryin' and shit, like you couldn't live without him."

"That's because he treated me better than those shady ass niggas like Torian, Marcus, and Maurice." Jaleesa commented.

"Well, all I'm tryin to say is that I don't wanna see you change and forget about us black people over some white guy." Carmen said quietly. "Girl, I ain't never gonna forget where I came from. Race don't mean anything girl, you got to get that through ya head and move along with time. Leave all that racist shit in the 60's. BUT I do know what you are trying to say- it would be HILARIOUS if some white kid came to the class." Jaleesa said.

The two girls laughed in the car as they drove in the driveway of their two-story house. The girls stepped out the car, got their bags out the trunk and walked up to the door. Jaleesa unlocked the door and said,

"Girl when are you gonna get ya lazy ass up and fix ya car? I don't wanna keep havin' to chauffeur YO ass around in MY car." Jaleesa complained as she walked into their house.

"Damn, girl. Let a nigga breathe! I'm gonna get it fixed!" Carmen said. "You better."