“Morgan Ann, do you have any idea what yesterday was?”

“Good morning to you too mom.” She rolled her eyes.

“I asked you a question. Do you know what yesterday was?”

“Friday.”

“It’s nice to be greeted with sarcasm when you couldn’t find the time to call your father on his birthday.”

“Shit.”

“You’re not digging yourself out of this hole by using that language.”

“It’s not as if I intentionally forgot to call dad. I’ve had a lot going on, it just slipped my mind. I’ll call him later.”

“Do you honestly think that will make him feel any better about his only child not calling him on his birthday. It will never cease to amaze me how you can be so self involved. I know that this is all that boy’s influence.”

Morgan grabbed her hair and pulled hard, “Jesus mom! This has nothing to do with Justin. Why do you always have to blame him for everything you perceive as wrong? Why must he always be your scape goat? He is not the horrible person you’d like for him to be.”

“Our family didn’t have a fraction of the problems it has now before you met that boy.”Only her mother could speak with such ice in her tone that Mor suddenly felt cold all over.

“Come on mom! Do you really want to play this game again? Dad was gambling before Justin came along, dad was drinking before Justin and I met, you were a workaholic long before he entered the picture, I was afraid to be at home before he moved here. You really don’t want to open that can of worms because trust me Madame Cardiovascular Surgeon, all of the therapy that ‘that boy’ has paid for has taught me that the best thing that ever happened to me was my moving out of your house.”She was fighting hard to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat.

“How dare you!”

“How dare I what? Tell the truth? Give it a rest.” She sighed heavily when her mother slammed the phone down. “Great.”

Pushing back the covers she climbed out of her bed and shuffled into kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She pushed herself up onto the counter and stared at the coffeepot as it gurgled and sputtered before the first drips of amber liquid began landing in the bottom of the pot.

South stumbled into the kitchen her pajamas were disheveled and her cheek still had the marks of her pillow, “Phone...who?” She rubbed her eyes with balled fists.

“Margot.”

“Oh shit.” South ran her hand over her face and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Tell me about it. It was uglier than normal.”

“And it’s like five or something insane.”

Mor leaned forward and squinted to see the time on the microwave, “Seven fifteen.” She could have sworn it was much later when the phone rang earlier.

“Same difference.”

“So what did mommy dearest want?” South dug through the cabinet, pulling out a box of cereal and popping a handful into her mouth.

“To bitch at me for forgetting to call my dad yesterday...it was his birthday. And somehow, it’s Justin’s fault.” She rolled her eyes.

“Ouch. How is it Justin’s fault you forgot to call?” South hopped up on the counter next to Morgan, letting her heels bounce against the cabinet doors.

“Apparently my family was perfect before he came along to screw everything up.”

Shoving another handful of cereal South smirked, “No offence North, but I knew your family before Justin came along, and well it was...”

“Fucked up already?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” South nodded, her heels still lightly tapping against the cabinet doors.

“I’m fully aware.” Morgan sighed, “You and Justin were the only people I ever let into my house. No one else was ever there, no one knew.”

As the coffeepot finished it’s cycle South raised an eyebrow, “Why do they hate him so much? I mean seriously what has he done?”

“I guess she’s still pissed that he offered to help me get out. But then again, I was only 16, she could have stopped it....but she didn’t care enough to stop me did she?” She smiled cynically, “In all honesty, I’m sure they were glad I left.”

“Hey. You got a great place of your own when you were 16, what are you complaining about?”

“I wasn’t exactly ‘on my own’ Momma Harless was always stopping in, and I ate dinner at their house every night.”

“Morgan? Are you home sweetie?” Lynn Harless walked into the cozy apartment.

“I’m in here!” Morgan pushed herself back from her desk.

“Homework?” Lynn kissed the top of Mor’s head, and began running her fingers affectionately through her long hair.

“Chemistry. I hate this class. I just don’t get it.”

“I had a tough time with Chemistry myself. What are you working on?” She moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Moles. None of this makes sense.” Morgan turned frustrated eyes to her friend’s mother.

“Well let’s make it make sense. I’m sure if we put our heads together, we can figure it out.” She picked up a pencil and began writing down the equation Morgan had been working on.

Three hours passed quickly, but Morgan actually felt confident about her homework. She looked over the page one last time and then grinned, “Thank’s Mrs. H.”

“Momma Harless.”

“Thanks Momma Harless.” Morgan got up and flopped down on the bed next to the woman, “So you never said why you came over.”

“There are just way too many men in my house right now. Paul and Justin and the boys...it’s just too much to handle. Plus, I brought you a casserole.”

“You don’t have to bring me dinner! You already do too much for me!”

Lynn wrapped her arms around the girl and kissed her temple, “I’ve never had a girl around to spoil. Just let me do it!” It broke her heart the way Morgan stiffened a little when she was hugged. The poor child didn’t know what it was like to have someone show her affection.

Morgan relaxed a little against Lynn’s side and sighed dramatically, “Well...if you MUST!”

“I still don’t get why you didn’t just move into Justin’s.”

“He had all of the guys there. I didn’t want to. I was going to just stay at home and sleep with one eye open until I went away to school.” Mor gulped her coffee, “I was even getting sick because of the stress.”

South shook her head, remembering how thin her friend had been. Mor had never had an eating disorder, but people could have easily assumed that because she was thin and pale until she moved out of her parent’s house. “It was good for you...to get out of there I mean.”

“Yeah. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I hadn’t gotten out of there.”

“Who knows.” South shrugged.

“We are awake on a Saturday morning at 7:15. What the hell are we going to do now?” Morgan let her head flop down on her friend’s shoulder.

“Let’s go to the football game. A lot of people will already be out tailgating.”

Morgan smirked, “Yeah, why not have our first drink before 9:00?”

The last football game Morgan had been to was The Super Bowl. She’d been driven there in a limo, had amazing seats on the fifty yard line in a sky box, being fed and having her drink filled by a waiter. This was very different. She was sitting in a crowded student section, cold and wind burned. Pulling her hands into her sleeves, she gladly accepted the thermos South was passing her. As she lifted it to her lips she smirked, “What is it?”

“Hot apple cider...and a little spiced rum, just to keep the blood flowing.” South threw her arm around Morgan’s shoulders.

Mor wrapped her arms around South, “Thanks for helping me feel human today.”

“That’s what friends are for you lush!” South pulled the thermos away before Morgan could take a fifth drink.

“I’m only trying to keep up with you!” Mor looked offended before laughing, “So who won?” She looked down from her seat at the now empty football field.

South cocked her head to one side, “You know what? I have no clue.” She poked the guy sitting next to her, “Hey Bob. Who won?”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” He laughed.

“Would I kid?” She batted her eyelashes.

“All day every day.” Bob threw his arm around South’s shoulders, “We won.”

Morgan threw her head back and laughed, “Well that’s good! We should celebrate!”

Bob leaned around South to look at Morgan, “Now that’s what I like to hear!”

Mor stood up and stretched, “SO let’s go!” Bob looked at her strangely, “What? What’s wrong?” She ran her hand over her hair and the her face, “Do I have food on my face or something?”

“Tennessee?”

Looking down at her chest she grinned, “It was a gift.”

He smirked at her, “It looks a little big. Did your boyfriend give it to you?”

Mor caught the smirk on Laura’s face, “No. He’s just a friend.”

Bob smiled brightly, “Well that’s good to hear. So what were you saying about going to celebrate?”

South cocked her head, “I almost forgot. Bob this is North, North...Bob.”

Morgan looked around from her perch on the arm of a horrifically ugly, gold and green plaid couch, on the porch of Bob’s fraternity house. There were people everywhere, but this crowd was not like the ones she was used to. There were no screaming twelve year-olds with her friends’ faces screen printed on their chests. There were no lasers, no fireworks and no mechanical bulls.

The parties she was used to going to were planned in honor of her friends and the sky was the limit. This party was a keg, some plastic cups and a stereo with it’s speakers pointing out into the yard from some guy’s third floor bedroom.

A hand appeared in front of her face with a blue plastic cup in it. Foam was spilling over the top of the cup and Bob was grinning at her, “Thought you could use another drink.”

“Thanks.” Mor watched him as leaned against the porch railing. He was dressed in a pair of khaki cargo pants, the tails of a blue button down were hanging down from under his well worn UNH sweatshirt, he had on a pair of soccer shoes and the outfit was completed with a white baseball hat with ‘COCKS’ on it, worn backward. She smirked, it was very different form Justin’s tight jeans with leather patches and laces.

“What?” He raised an eyebrow.

She shook her head a little, “Sorry, I was just noticing people dress a little different here than at home.

He looked down at himself, “So are you saying your old friends aren’t slobs?”

Her eyes flew up to his, “I didn’t say you were a slob!”

“It was a joke North...North is an odd name...”

“It’s short for Northrup...my last name.”

“Ahh...it’s cute.” He smiled slightly.

Blushing slightly, “South is the only person who still uses it. I ‘d missed hearing it.”

“North and South...funny.”

Rolling her eyes she grinned, “Yeah, we’re a regular laugh riot. So how do you know South?”

“I wouldn’t say I know her. She was in my poly sci class last semester, and it turns out she knows a lot of the guys in my house. I guess she played co-ed football with a couple of them. All I really know about her is her name and her mouth. The girl has an attitude...which is a good thing.”

“Yeah well, her’s is nothing compared to mine.” She smiled brightly, noticing her friend in the middle of the lawn, tossing a football with several guys.

Bob hopped up on the railing, “Wow. I didn’t get that from you at all. You seem a little...quieter than South.”

Morgan laughed, “Yeah, not so much. I guess I’m still just getting used to my surroundings.”

“What are your normal surroundings?” He nudged her knee with the toe of his shoe.

“Orlando.”

“I’ve been there. I went to Disney with my family when I was like eight or something. So you grew up there?”

“Born and raised.” She nodded, sipping her beer.

“So you are a born and raised southern gal. What do your parents do?”

Morgan looked into her glass, “My mom is a cardiovascular surgeon and my dad is in sales.”

Bob smiled, “Impressive.”

“I suppose. I never really think about it.” Morgan shrugged.

“So who are you going to take after? Are you going to be a doctor or are you going into sales?”

Morgan pushed her hair back with her free hand, “Neither. I’m not going to take after either of them.”

“Aww, do you have problems with mommy and daddy?” His tone was slightly condescending.

Morgan leveled a cold stare at him, “I don’t get along with my parents.”

“Sorry. I was actually kidding. Didn’t mean to hit a nerve.” He held his hands up.

Morgan shrugged, “Yeah well, I’d rather not talk about my family.”

“I can appreciate that. So what did you do all summer?”

The topic of conversation had suddenly gone from bad to worse. How was she going to explain that she’d spent the summer traveling across the country with NSYNC? She should have prepared for questions like these, but she hadn’t given it any thought. She’d watched Justin get prepped for interviews by his agents and public relations people, what would they have told him to say? “I spent the summer traveling with some friends.”

“Oh yeah? Did you bum around Europe or did you drive across country or go to Mexico?”

“We traveled all over the country.” She hoped that that answer would be enough.

“So did you have a favorite city or state?” He kept asking questions.

Morgan starred at her drink for a long moment thinking of the moments she had been happiest. She went back to the place she felt safest and the most free, for a few seconds she could feel Justin’s arms around her again, his lips against her’s. She quietly answered, “Newport, Rhode Island.”

“Hello?” He rubbed his eyes trying to make out the time on his clock.

“Jus-sin!”

Pushing himself up in the bed, he checked Caller ID, “Morgan?”

“Jus-sin!”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, “Mor, you’re hammered.”

“Naw a few, but hell you would too.” She slurred.

“I would too?” He was so confused, she was making no sense.

“Margot! She loooves you!” Even in her drunken state she was dripping with scarcasm.

“Oh shit.” He suddenly realized what had happened, “When did your mom call you?”

“Seven. Said is your faul. I said you’re her goat and I hate it.”

“I’m her goat?” he squinted in the darkness trying to sort out her thoughts, “Why am I a goat?”

“‘Cause she scapes with you.”

He smirked, “I’m her scape goat huh?”

“Yeah. You’re the goat.” He could hear her nodding her head against something.

“Mor, maybe we should talk about this in the morning....or in the afternoon.” He knew she’d be nursing a killer hangover in the morning.

“Margot wans it be your faul. Bu is not. Is her faul. Why she a bitch? Am I gonna get like her? I don’t wanna be a bitch! But I’m suppose ta be like my mom. Isn that how it goes?”

“Morgan, listen to me, you are not going to be like your mother. You are not a bitch. Woman, you need to get some sleep.”

“Don you wanna talk?” he could hear her moving around her room, “We never talk.”

“Sure we do. I want to talk. I’ll tell you what. You get into bed and we’ll talk, ok?”

“Yeah. Hol on. I’ma change.” Without waiting for a response he heard the phone land on the bed. The was a lot of noise, rustling and an occasional thud, “Jus-sin?”

“I’m still here. Are you in bed now?”

“Uh huh.” She yawned and he sighed with relief.

“OK, now you’ve gotta lay down and close your eyes.”

“You should come’ere.” She yawned again.

He squeezed his eyes closed, “I wish I could. But you’re in New Hampshire.” He wanted nothing more than to go to her and be there with her.

“Bob made me drunk.”

His eyes narrowed, “Who’s Bob?”

“Frat Boy Bob.” She said as if he should know, “He made me do the keg stands.”

“Bob made you do keg stands?” He could not hide the anger in his voice.

“Uh huh.”

“Bob is an ass.”

“Frat Boy Bob.” She corrected.

“Frat Boy Bob is an ass.” He practically growled.

“Nuh uh. He’s greek.”

“Greek?” She had him confused again.

“Siga alf something.”

“Right.” He decided he was done talking about Bob, “Are you laying down?”

“Uh huh. Sleepin in your shirt.”

His pulse quickened for a moment. He could see her curled up on her side, wearing nothing but his favorite sweatshirt. Her hair would be spread wildly across the pillows. And because she was drunk, she would try to snuggle up against him in her sleep...if he were there.

“Jus-sin?”

He shook his head a little, “Yeah?”

“Sing.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Sing what Mor?”

“To me.”

Without thinking he settled back into his own pillows and began quietly singing to her,

Why do birds suddenly appear
Every time you are near?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you.

Why do stars fall down from the sky
Every time you walk by?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you.

On the day that you were born
The angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue.

That is why all the guys in town
Follow you all around.
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you.

On the day that you were born
The angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue.

That is why all the guys in town
Follow you all around.
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you.
Just like me (Just like me)
They long to be
Close to you.
Wahhhhhhhhhhh, close to you.
Wahhhhhhhhhhh, close to you.
Hahhhhhhhhhhh, close to you.
Lahhhhhhhhhhh, close to you.

Her breathing sounded deep and even. He hoped that she wasn’t going to hate herself in the morning, but it was basically a sure thing that she would. He sighed, “Good night, Berry.”

He was about to hit end on his phone when he heard her mumble something, “What did you say?” He whispered in to the phone.

"Hold me....I love it when you sing for me."

He sighed, knowing she was in a drunken, half awake dream state, “I love to sing to you.”

“I love you Jus-sin.”

His eyes slammed shut and he sighed. Why couldn’t she say these things when she was fully awake and aware of what she was saying, “I love you too...I love you too. Now you need to go to sleep.”

“K. Bye.” With that, he heard her hit end on her phone.

He looked down at the phone in his hand. Anger slowly spread through his veins. Only Margot Northrup could get Morgan so worked up. He remembered the last time she called him in the middle of the night.

“Justin?” She couldn’t keep her breathing even. She had barely been able to dial the phone.

“Mmhndl. Gofmsol sdok.”

“Justin, PLEASE wake up.”

Something in her pleading voice got through his sleepy haze, “Morgan?”

She began sobbing hard, “I have to get out of here. They are going to kill each other. My dad pushed me. I hate them!” She sobbed harder.

“Where are you?” He was already out of his bed and shoving his feet into a pair of flip-flops.

“I’m...I’m...in my room.” She was starting to hyperventilate.

“I’ll be there in two minutes. Do not move, I’m coming to get you.” He flipped his phone closed and grabbed his keys off of the dresser as he ran out of his bedroom.

Chris was standing in the hall eating a sandwich, “Where ya going?”

“To get Morgan. Wake up my mom and tell her Morgan is going to spend the night.”

Chris shrugged, “OK.”

Driving JC’s car into the Northrup’s driveway, he left the engine running and the lights on. He ran up the front steps and straight into the house. Both of her parents were in the living room, screaming at one another. Neither one of them seemed to notice him as he ran up the stairs two at a time.

When he reached Morgan’s room he tried the doorknob and found the door locked, “Morgan, it’s me. Open the door.”

He heard the lock click and he slipped inside. She was curled up on her bed sobbing so hard she wasn’t making a noise. He went to her closet, pulled out a dufflebag and began throwing random items into it. She looked up, “What am I going to do?”

“You’re going to leave with me. You sure as hell are not going to stay here to get hurt.” He threw a few more things into the bag and then zipped it, “Let’s go.” He held out his hand to her.

She put her hand in his and then slowly stood up, “They aren’t going to let me leave.”

“They hell they aren’t.” He pulled her out the door behind him.

As they charged down the stairs, the sound of glass breaking made her hand begin shaking in his. They were almost to the door when Morgan’s mother saw them, “MORGAN! Where do you think you’re going?”

“She’s leaving with me.”

“No one was speaking to you young man.”

“I’m going to Justin’s. I can’t stay here. I can’t. I have to go.” Justin pulled the door open and Morgan practically ran behind him. He pulled her door open for her and tossed her bag into the backseat as he slid in behind the wheel.

As the car pulled out of the driveway, Morgan’s mother stood on the front porch screaming for her daughter to get back in the house.

The following morning, Justin was up long before Morgan. He quietly looked into his bedroom where she was still sleeping soundly. After watching her sleep for several minutes he quietly shut the door and left the house.

When Morgan’s mother answered the door she was obviously angry to see Justin standing there alone. His hands were shoved deep into his jeans pockets and he was staring at his shoes. “Where is my daughter?” The woman asked coolly.

When his eyes met hers they were cold and angry, “She’s at my house with my parents.”

“Well she needs to get back to her house with her own parents.” She started to shut the front door.

“I can’t let her do that.” His feet didn’t move from where he was standing.

“Excuse me?” Margot’s eyes narrowed.

“I came here to talk to you and Mr. Northrup.”

“Mr. Northrup is sleeping.”

“I can talk to you alone if you want, but either way....Morgan doesn’t live here anymore.”

The woman turned to face him fully, “Who in the hell do you think you are? I am not about to let some 17 year old little shit tell me that my daughter is going to live with him.”

Justin shook his head slowly, “I didn’t say she was going to live with me...she’s welcome if she wants to, but I said she wasn’t going to live here anymore. I can’t let her come back here. She’s afraid.”

“How DARE you! I am going to get my daughter!”

She started to push past him and he calmly said, “If you show up at my house or do anything to stop her from moving out I will call every news station in Florida and expose the great Dr. Northrup as the unfit parent you are. If you ever hurt Morgan again, I will make sure that the news crews get footage of your huge house with no furniture. If you try to do anything to me or to Morgan, the entire State medical Board will know about your husband’s drinking and gambling. If you don’t let this happen, the perfect picture you’ve painted with be blown apart.”

Margot turned on her heel and slapped Justin across the face, causing his head to snap to the side, “You wouldn’t dare!”

“You said it yourself. I’m a 17 year old little shit. Try me.” He turned his eyes back to her’s, “Morgan is going to be living near my family and I. If she wants you to know where, she can tell you herself. You’ve hurt her for the last time.” With that, he walked back to his car and drove off.

Morgan was sitting at the kitchen table with Lance and JC when Justin walked through the door. She looked up at him and quietly said, “Where were you?”

Lance and JC exchanged a look and got up quickly, “Yeah....we’ve got that thing...” Lance said as they left the room, closing the door between the kitchen and family room as they left.

“I went over to your house.” He sat down across the table from her, pushing JC’s cereal bowl out of the way.

Her eyes instantly welled up, “Why did you do that?”

“I wanted to talk to your parents.” He reached across the table and took her hand, “I talked to your mom...you’re dad was still asleep.”

“Don’t you mean passed out?” She bitterly pushed at the tears that had escaped her eyes.

“Honestly I don’t know. But I talked to your mom, and...if you want to, you can move out.”

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion, “Move where?”

“You can move in here...”

She interrupted him, “With your mom, Paul, Lance, his mom, JC and Chris? That’s impossible!”

“You know those apartments down the street? The ones with the pool and the pink umbrellas. You could move in there. You could walk here...or I could walk there.”

Her hand was shaking, “I can’t. I can’t afford that.”

He squeezed her hand tightly, “You don’t have to afford anything. It will be taken care of. Morgan, you can’t go back there.”

“I don’t want to go back, but Justin...you CAN’T!” The tears that had been escaping one at a time now rolled freely down her cheeks.

Justin got up and walked around the kitchen table. He pulled a chair right next to hers and hugged her tightly, “Yeah I can. I don’t know if you know this, but... I’m rich now.”

She couldn’t stop the laugh, “You’re an ass!”

“Yeah well, you’re the ass that picked me to be your best friend.”

Morgan sniffled and laughed and coughed, “What would I do without you?”

He hugged her tighter, “We’ll never know, because I’m always gonna be around.”

Throwing back the covers, Justin pushed himself out of bed and wandered around his hotel room. He didn’t hate many people in the world, but he honestly felt that he hated Mor’s parents. They had done more damage to his friend in 16 years then most people had to endure in a lifetime.

Pacing the room he tried to sort out his feelings. In all honesty, he actually pitied her father more than he hated the man. He was weak and bitter and nothing more than a shell. He spent more time drunk than sober and more time in casinos than at home. He had gambled away every penny he and his wife had ever made. He was a sick, sick man who needed help, but had a wife who wasn’t willing to let him get that help because, ‘people could find out.’ But her mother...her mother was strong and able and in Justin’s mind, responsible for all of Morgan’s pain. She had always been more concerned about appearances than her family’s well being. When her husband had begun to get violent in his drunken rages, she locked herself in her bathroom and left her child alone to fend for herself.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, and then stood up again. Running his hand over his head, he growled deep in his chest. As he looked in the mirror his thoughts drifted to Morgan. He had made sure she had gotten the best therapists. He had made sure she lived in a secure building, that her parents couldn’t get into without advanced notice to security. He had made sure she had an unlisted phone number and address. Short of chain her to his side and taking away her phone, he didn’t know what else he could do to protect Morgan from her parents.