Chapter 1
"I got the part!!" Justin yelled.
"What? You did? That's great!" I said as I gave him a hug.
"I can't believe it. My best friend, a Mouseketeer!"
"I can't believe it, either....gosh, Brandy....this means so much to me..."
"I know....I just hope everything works out for you.." I said as I smiled at him.
That was 6 years ago. Justin and I talked a few times, but getting the part on that show was it for us, basically. He couldn't handle a best friend, I suppose.
I walked into my job at a sports bar in Memphis, Tennessee.
"Hey, Mandy...." I said as I walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, Brandy....there's some music group here. They were so cute, I decided to let you take their orders...."
I walked up the stairs and headed over to the round table where they were sitting.
"Welcome to O' Malleys...My name is Brandy and I will be waiting on you this afternoon....what would you like to drink?" I said looking down at my order pad.
"Uh, I'll have a Coke, please...." Justin said.
I slowly looked up at him. I knew that voice. "Justin...?..." I said in disbelief.
"Yes, how did you know....?" he paused for a few seconds before saying, "Brandy....is it really you?"
"Yeah, it is. You wanna forget about me again for another 6 years?" I said in anger as I walked back downstairs and into the kitchen.
"Mandy.....take over the table for me, please..."
"But, don't you....?...."
"Mandy....please...." I begged.
"Okay....wait here....." she said.
I sat down in a chair in frusteration.
Soon, someone busted through the door.
It was Justin.
"Justin? You can't be back here...."
He grabbed my arm. "I need to talk to you..." he said as he lead me outside and pulled me into a tour bus.
"Justin! We aren't 11 anymore. You can't push me around.....especially after what you did....."
"You're right.....we aren't 11 anymore. So will you please have the maturity to hear me out?"
I sighed and sat down on a couch.
"Thank you.....I'm sorry for not staying in touch...."
"Ha! Abandoning would be more like it...."
"Brandy?" he said.
"Go on....." I said through clenched teeth.
"The reason why I didn't talk to you much is because I was afraid that hearing your voice would make me want to come back..."
"How sweet....." I said sarcastically.
"Why are you being so rude?" he asked.
"Why are you being so demanding?"
"Why won't you listen to what I have to say?"
I jumped up. "Because, it doesn't matter anymore, Justin. It doesn't matter that you were all I had in life and you completely deserted me. I watched every single episode of MMC hoping I could hold onto that spark we had. You were the sweetest person I knew. And I lost you." I said as a tear fell down my cheek.
"Don't cry.....you know I've loved you all these years...."
"Were you ever going to come back, Justin?"
"I'm here, aren't I?"
"No, I mean come back to our friendship...." I said.
"You know it, jumpshot...."
"Gee, I wonder if I still do have a better jumpshot than you...."
"Well, I have been working on my skills, lately....."
"Oh, really?" I said as I smiled.
"Yeah....so are we cool?" he said as he took my hands.
"Yeah, we're cool....." I said.
I walked out of the tour bus and back into the restaurant. Justin walked up to his table as I went back into the kitchen.
"Mandy, I am SO sorry.....I don't know what came over me. Just pent up emotions, I suppose....anyways, I really am sorry...."
"It's okay......if it makes you feel any better, I think your friend likes you..."
"Who, Justin? Oh, no, we're...." I said as I looked up the stairs. He was watching me and talking to another person at the same time. I smiled at him and waved a little. He returned the smile and I went back into the kitchen.
"What?" Mandy asked.
"Huh?" I said in a daze.
"You're what? You and Justin are what?"
"Oh, nothing.....hey, Mandy, can I take the orders to them, please?"
"Hey, just one more flight of stairs I won't have to climb. Do what you want, babe...." she said.
I took the large tray of food and began to walk up the stairs. As I came up to them I smiled.
"HI! I love you guys! I hope I get to see you around sometime. How long are you here?" I asked.
"The whole summer. We all voted on where we wanted to stay, and we decided Memphis. It's an awesome place...." Lance said.
"Yeah, Justin and I grew up here.....it's great if you don't mind being reminded of Elvis every time you walk down Beale Street....." I said as I smiled.
"Where do you live now?" Justin asked.
"Oh, I live over on Shelby Drive, by Germantown Extended. Here, I'll give ya my number and address...." I said as I began to write down the info.
"Okay, we'll have to get together and do stuff all the time...." Justin said.
"You know it....." I said as I stared into his eyes. Never had I been to entranced by them.
"Oh, uh....I'm on my shift, so enjoy your meal and I'll be back to see if you need anything..."
"Well, do you want to do something after work?" Justin asked.
"Sure, yeah.....I get off at 5, uh, pick me up?"
"Okay, great....."
"Thanks, you're a lifesaver.....bye guys...." I said as I walked off.
At 5:00, I walked out of the kitchen to see Justin sitting at a table alone.
"Hey....." I said.
"Oh, yeah....you ready?"
"As I'll ever be....." I said as we walked out the door.
"So, uh....are you going to collage or anything?" Justin asked as we were driving towards their hotel.
"Um, no....I couldn't afford it. But, my job supports me really well, so it's okay....."
"What about your dad? He was like, rich...."
"Um, he died about 2 years ago in a car accident...." I said solemnly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry....I didn't know...."
"It's okay...now you do...." I said.
There wasn't much said during the drive to the hotel. We soon arrived at the Peabody, and we got into the elevator.
As it moved up, suddenly the lights went black and the emergency lights went on.
"Justin....we're not moving...." I said in a panic.
"There must be a power outage or something...." he said.
"Justin, I hate closed spaces, you know that...." I said.
"Well, hold on....here's an emergency phone...." he said as he picked it up and then put it down. "It doesn't work...." he said.
I slid to the floor in worry. He same over and sat next to me.
"It'll be okay....I'm here..." he said as he wrapped his jacket around my shoulders.
"God, it's been an eternity! Shouldn't we be out of this frickin' elevator by now?" I said.
"It's been 5 minutes...." Justin said as he rolled his head over to face me. We were both now sitting down.
"SO? 5 minutes is a long time in a crisis...." I said.
He laughed. "You haven't changed, Brandy...you really haven't."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"Nothing....So, what's been happening to you in the past...."
"6 YEARS?" I asked.
He laughed softly. "Yeah, 6 years..."
"Well, besides wondering what awful thing I did to keep you from ever talking to me...." I said as my face got serious.
"Oh yeah.....Brandy, I'm really sorry...I was going to get in touch with you a couple years ago, but I figured you'd be really upset with me....."
"It's okay.....I loved watching you on MMC. You were so cute! It was kind of like watching you grow up......" I said.
"It was a lot of fun....." he said as he smiled.
"I probably shouldn't say this, but I saw you for the first time on MTV about a year ago and I cried. I couldn't believe that my best friend was in a band! I was freaking out.......I've bought every single, CD, poster, video, book, and magazine I could find of you guys!"
"Really?" Justin said in amazement.
"Yeah....I'm taking dance lessons right now. You know me, the aspiring choreographer...."
"I remember! I always loved watching you dance....you were so much better than me!"
"Not anymore......you always light up the show...by the way, are you guys performing while you're in Memphis?"
"Yeah...this weekend and the night we leave."
"Well, I will just have to go..." I said as I playfully slapped his arm.
"So, do you have any love interests?" he asked.
"Uh, no...remember Brandon?" I asked.
"Yeah.....I beat him up because he was messing with you in third grade, I remember....." he said proudly.
I laughed. "Well, I just broke up with him 2 days ago....." I said.
He gasped. "You went out with Brandon "crater-face" Jones?"
"Yeah......his face cleared up after 8th grade, though...." I said.
"I missed a lot didn't I? I mean, look at you....I remember when you were 8 years old and didn't like all the preppy girls...you were such a tomboy. And now, you're beautiful and amazing and I missed it all..."
"Don't worry about it. I still play basketball, after all....."
"That's true....I'll have to take you on today...."
I burst out laughing. "You actually think you could win a game playing with me?" I said sarcastically.
He didn't say anything for a second. Suddenly, the elevator started shaking. I grabbed Justin's shoulders.
"Oh, shit! We're gonna die!"
Suddenly, the elevator door opened. I shot up.
"We're alive! Oh, thank god! We're alive!!!!" I yelled.
JC stood outside laughing his head off.
"I'm sorry....I didn't mean it!!" he said.
"Stay out of my way, Wipeout!" Brandy said.
Justin almost fell to the floor in laughter. "Justin, you are such an idiot..." JC said.
"I'm sorry....hi....we've been stuck in that freaking elevator, or we would have been here sooner..." I said as I stared into his blue eyes.
"It's okay....the guys are in here...." he said as we followed him into a hotel room. It was spacious and roomy. Just like a room at The Peabody would be.
"Wow, this is nice...." I said.
"You guys, Brandy's a dancer....." Justin said proudly.
"Let's see you...." JC said.
"Oh gosh.....I mean, I don't know..." I said nervously.
"C'mon...for me?" Justin said as he looked at me with those painful blue eyes. I couldn't argue with the eyes.
"Ok, does anyone have any Christina Agulera up in here?" I said.
"I do, hold on...." Justin said as he got it out of his bag and put it in his CD player.
The familiar tune to "Genie In A Bottle" began to play. I sang and danced with it. I liked Christina's version, but this one was more sultry and mature as I made it out to be.
In the middle of the song, I started dancing with Justin. We were having so much fun.
"I'm a genie in a bottle, baby/come, come, come on and let me out" I sang as my finishing line. The guys applauded.
"Wow, I didn't know you could dance like that..." Justin said.
"Eh, it's a hobby..." I said as I smiled at him.
Suddenly the phone rang. "Hello?" Lance said.
"Justin....it's Briana...." Lance told Justin as he handed him the phone.
"Who's Briana?" I said as I took a seat on the couch.
"Justin's girlfriend back in Florida...." Joey said.
"Girlfriend?" I said in shock.
Okay, Justin and I were just friends. But, him, with a girl...it didn't seem Justinish.
But, we also left off just before we began to hit signs of puberty. I wasn't jealous or anything. Well, I mean not much...not entirely....
"Briana...a friend of mine is here in Memphis with us......her name's Brandy. Yes, she's a girl.......Briana.....you don't have to come all the way out here- okay. I'll pick you up tomorrow...bye..." Justin said.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Briana got jealous of a girl in Justin's life. SO, she's probably speeding to the airport right now to get here..." Chris said.
"Chris, please........not now.." Justin said as he sat down on the bed.
"What's going on?" I asked confused.
"Well, my girlfriend, Briana, heard that you were here and, she's headed out here right now to pretty much keep you away from me....." he said.
"But, Justin.......you're my best friend...you're not going to let her do this, are you?"
"No, of course not. But, she's going to try. But, I promise to spend a bunch of time with you...."
"Why don't you just break up with her and get it over with..." I said.
"I don't know....." he said.
"I have got to get outta here.." I said as I got up.
"Where ya going?" Justin asked.
"I don't know....care to join me?" I asked.
"Okay....see ya later, guys..." Justin said as he and I walked out the door.
We ended up going to see a movie.
"I love spending time with you again. You were always so much fun to be with...." Justin said.
"Thanks, Justin..." I said as we took our seats in the theater.
The movie ended around 8:30 and we went to a local restaurant to have dinner. At about 11:30, we came back to the hotel.
As we walked into his room, I gasped.
"Justin!" I said frantically. He turned around to see.
"Briana!?" he said, "What are you doing here, your flight wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow morning.
"A flight got canceled and I'm here early...who's she?" she said in an annoyed voice.
"This is my best friend, Brandy..." Justin said.
"Best friend? Oh, you must mean besides me......." she said as she gave Justin a hug.
I just laughed. "Well, Briana....I've heard so much about you....." I said through clenched teeth.
"Well, I wish I could say the same..." she said.
"So, um...Justin's tells me you model. That must be fun..." I said trying to make conversation.
"Yeah, don't you work at um...a bar?" she said as she giggled. "I'm sorry....I promised myself I'd never be a waitress..especially in a place like, Memphis......besides, on the East side, and on Justin's side is where I belong..."
Tears were slowly forming in my eyes. "Well, I'm gonna go....see you tomorrow, Justin...." I said as I left the room.
Why was I acting this way? Justin had sense enough to tell her off....didn't he?
Chapter 2
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