"I Will Still Love You"

Chapter 8

Flashback - February/95

The next day Joanna went to school and soccer practice afterwards. While she was walking back home, she started thinking about Justin. She hoped it wasn't too late. Too late to get back together. But when she got to the front door of her home, her mind stopped. She just concentrated on the sight before her eyes. Justin. He was there. He was waiting for her. He was sitting outside, looking down and deep in thought.

"Hey." - she said

"Oh, hey. How was your day?" - he asked nervously

"Not bad." - she responded

"Jo, I came here 'cause I really need to talk to you." - Justin said

"Ok, but first I just need to tell ya that I loved the songs. They are beautiful."

"Thanks... I wrote them about you, you know?" - he said

"I know, and thank you." - she responded

"I'm so sorry, Jo. I'm sorry for being such a jerk the other night. I'm sorry for not telling you how I truly felt. I'm sorry that I screwed up. And I'm sorry for taking so long to say that I was sorry." - Justin said, looking down at his hands

"Hey, it's ok. You're not the only one. I'm sorry too." - she said, lifting his chin

Before another word could be spoken, he pressed his lips against hers. It was the sweetest and softest kiss ever. They could have stayed like that forever. Then, he pulled away, wrapped his arms around her waist and looked deep into her eyes.

"I never stopped loving you." - he said

"Neither did I. I guess we were both afraid, huh?" - she responded

"I'm leaning towards stupid." - Justin said, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand

"That too." - she completed, laughing

"So, let's make this right." - he said

"Ok... but what can be more right than this?"

"Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"Well... I don't know... why should I?

"Because you love me." - he answered

"Conceited, aren't we?" - Joanna said

"Nahh... well, just a little. So, what do you say?"

"Of course, Curly Boy!" - she said, kissing him once again

"So, what do you wanna do?" Justin asked

"I don't know about you, but I have a lot of homework."

"Need any help?"

"That wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"So, what are we waiting for?! We've got work to do!" - Justin said, taking her hand and walking inside the house.

End of Flashback

And that was the re-start of a long lasting and truthful relationship. They spend everyday they could together. Justin took her to tapings of the show. She took him to soccer and volleyball game she had. They went to movies, shows, dinners, parties, etc. They were inseparable, just like before.

When MMC got canceled, Joanna was there for him. And when he told her he was forming a group with some of his friends, she supported him. She knew it was his dream. She found it fascinating that he had found what he had a love for so early in his life. She just hoped their relationship wouldn't have to come to an end. And it didn't. It only grew stronger.

When she first met the other members of the group, she wasn't very fond of them. Chris was too crazy. JC, whom she already knew, was too serious. Lance was extremely shy and quiet. And Joey was way too happy. But after a while, they grew on her and she learned to love them. They were like big brothers to her. She wrote lyrics and melodies with JC. When she was down, Joey was always there to cheer her up. She could talk about anything with Lance, even country music. And she was the only one who understood Chris' twisted sense of humor. And they treated her like a princess. She was not only an important part of Justin's life, but she also became an essential piece in theirs.

For her 16th birthday, Justin wrote "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You" and serenaded it to her. All she could do was cry. She had everything she wanted and needed. A wonderful family, a loving and caring boyfriend, and awesome friends who were always there for her. It was too good to be true. Sometimes she thought it was only a dream and that one day she would have to wake up. So, she just prayed that this day wasn't near. Life couldn't be better.

By 1998, 'N Sync was remarkably successful, both over seas and in America. It was hard to keep up with their schedule, but Joanna tried her best. Whenever she got a break from school, she would go on tour with them. She would see the fans screaming for her boyfriend. She would see how much he loved performing. It was his life. And somehow it became a part of hers. They talked on the phone every night. It didn't matter what time, it could be eight o'clock or three in the morning, but they had to hear each other's voices. And when he had free time, he would go back to Orlando to spend it with her. Holidays, weekends, just hours, whatever it was. But he had to be with her. It made each moment they spent together more precious.

Every time she missed him, she would put on some music. Songs that he had written for her. His soothing voice calmed her. Hearing those words made her realize how important she was to him. It reassured her of his love and devotion. It put her to rest. She knew even through the longest days and the darkest nights, their love would find a way. Their love would survive. It was too strong to die.

And Justin knew he could count on her. She would still be there, even when his dreams faded. Even when he wasn't famous anymore. They could be apart, but she would always be in his mind and heart. Always. He loved more than life itself. If she asked him to choose between her and his carrer, he knew his response in the blink of an eye. But at the same time, he knew she'd never do such a thing.

Sometimes he just wanted to tell the whole world. To scream. To shout. To let people know how happy she made him and how much he loved her. But they kept their relationship a secret, even after four years, for both of their sakes. He had to preserve the boy band image. Their manager said that them having a single status kept the fans interested. And she was glad. She didn't have to deal with the media and she never received death threats from anyone.