Jc is a vision in red. Slumped in a seat on the bus, he's sporting a red shirt, a red Kangol cap and red, bloodshot eyes. Mr. Sleepy, as he's sometimes called by his band mates, has just been roused from one of his many naps. But when the self-described "serious type" begins to talk about NSYNC- their success, and their future and their work ethic- he couldn't be more awake. For him, the band is everything, which is something that the other fun-loving members of the group know all too well.

"If we make a mistake on stage, I'm to one who says, 'Let's really work on that.' But that's because I see the potential of this group," says JC, 22. "You know, when it's on, it's so on, and once you see it, you want nothing else."

JC's just returned from a trip home to Baltimore, where he visited his family: mom Karen, a writer and editor; dad Roy, who networks White House computers; sister Heather, 20; and brother Tyler, 17. "When I go home, I unwind, eat some Maryland crab," he says. "Being with them makes me feel like I don't have to do anything."

Like the others, JC is girlfriendless. He does, however, have firm ideas of waht he's looking for: "I like down-home good girls, ones with good morals. I like the girl who can be herself, and you're not going to find that with a lot of these show-business girls. There's nothing better than an honest, good-hearted person. That's where it's at: You treat people like you want to be treated. I figure if I stay simple and honest, I'll be luck enough to meet someone like that."

There's just one catch: He can't meet her anytime soon. "I went through a small phase in high school when I was girl crazy." confessess JC. "But now I've got a lot on my hands. I got this gig running me ragged, and this is what I'm focused on. It's one thing to have an album do well, but it's another to create a career. And that's going to come from nothing but hard work and dedication. I figure, 'Okay, I'll bury my personal life for good three, four years. 'You have to sacrifice, but tons of people do it."