They'd fought about it until midnight the night before, and they'd come to a compromise before they'd left the studio. JC dreamed about it, though, and in his dream the song sounded completely different and perfect and when he woke up the next morning he knew he'd have to fight about it again. A dream was a stupid-ass way to record a song, Justin said, and JC didn't know if he was right in general but he was wrong in specific, and he told him so.

JC hated fighting with Justin in the studio, because he was the only one who ever really fought back. Anyone they'd hired would shrug eventually and agree, and even the guys would usually give in if they were convinced JC was convinced. But Justin fought as fiercely as JC did, and as unfairly, and the more JC tried to reason with him the more insistent Justin became. JC knew he wanted, though, and he wouldn't back down, and finally Justin threw his hands up and said, "Fine, all right, we'll do it however you fucking want, all right?"

He stormed out and Chris went after him, while Joey got up off the sofa and said, "C, you sure about this?"

"You know he wouldn't have given in if he hadn't known I was right," JC said, and Joey rolled his eyes and went back to sit down again.

When Justin returned he didn't say a word to JC, just stalked over to his stool and stood looking down at it. JC watched him through the glass. He wasn't worried, because Justin was a professional, but his fingers beat a quick rhythm on the board until Justin looked up at him.

Justin smiled, quick and serious, and then he started to sing.

It sounded just like it had in JC's dream.