TWIST OF FATE
By Kim
PART TWENTY-SIX
"Hurry up Ashley! It's already 7:30." Jenn shouted.
"I'm coming!" She yelled back. She applied her lipstick and ran her fingers through her hair one last time before coming out of the bathroom.
"How do I look?" She asked Jenn as she walked into the bedroom.
"You look great. Now let's go." Jenn said as she peaked at the mirror to make sure she looked all right.
"Are you sure I should go?" Ashley asked for the thousandth time.
"Of course you should come Ash. Just because JC went out with Christie doesn't mean he doesn't still like you. Besides, once he sees you in that outfit he's gonna be all over you." Jenn said, trying to comfort Ashley.
"But what if she's there?" Ashley asked, still uneasy.
"She won't be. Michelle said that Justin called JC to tell him about us coming over and he said Christie wasn't coming."
"All right, but if she's there, I'm leaving." Ashley declared as the phone rang.
"Shit, we're never gonna get out of here." Jenn said as she reached for the phone. "Hello?" She asked.
"Good you're still there." Sara said, sounding relieved.
"Yeah, sorry. We are on our way." Jenn told her.
"I can't go. My mom had to go to some dinner party and so I'm stuck here babysitting Kayla."
"Are you serious?" Jenn asked. "Can't you get someone else to watch her?" She added. Kayla was Sara's baby sister.
"No, it's Saturday night. No one is home." Sara added, disappointed.
"Damn, that sucks!"
"I know. Tell everyone hi for me. Call me tomorrow." Sara said before hanging up the phone.
"That was Sara. She has to watch Kayla so she can't go." Jenn informed Ashley.
"That sucks." Ashley replied.
"Yeah, but we better get going." Jenn added as she grabbed her keys and followed Ashley to the car.
~*~*~
I laid on the bed, waiting for Justin to get out of the shower. I heard the water turn off and a few minutes later, Justin walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. His skin was still wet and water dripped down his chest as he made his way across the room.
"It's about time." I joked, as he picked out some clothes to wear.
"What's wrong? Did you miss me?" He joked back.
Laughing, I told him, "No, but the girls are going to be here any minute."
"I know. Which shirt should I wear?" He asked and held up two shirts for me to choose from.
"I don't know. I kinda like what you have on." I said, grinning. Just then, I heard familiar voices in the living room. "They're here! Hurry up and get dressed."
"Ok, go ahead, I'll be out there in a minute." He told me. I left the room and joined my friends in the living room.
"Hey! Where's Sara?" I asked, noticing she wasn't in the room.
"She had to babysit Kayla so she couldn't come." Jenn informed me.
"That sucks." I said.
"Hey ladies." JC said, joining us. They all said hi. Lance offered Jenn and Ashley a beer and they accepted.
"You know I want one!" Jenn said, following Lance to the kitchen.
"So, you ready to get drunk?" JC asked Ashley, putting his arm around her and leading her to the kitchen.
"Hell yeah!" She replied, happy that JC wasn't acting weird towards her.
Everyone grabbed a seat at the table. "Where the hell is Justin?" JC asked.
"You know Justin. Has to look perfect all the time." I said, laughing.
"Talking about me again?" Justin asked, sneaking up behind me.
"Aaawww you caught me." I replied and kissed him on the cheek. "Go grab a beer and come on. We're gonna play a game."
Justin did as I said and got himself a beer. He sat down next to me and opened his beer. "So, what are we gonna play?"
"President and asshole!" Jenn shouted happily as she grabbed a seat by Lance. Everyone agreed and I dealt the cards.
~*~*~
Everyone sat around the table drinking and laughing and having a good time. Jenn and Lance were both drunk by now. Lance scooted his chair closer to Jenn's. "Wanna go get some air?" He whispered into her ear.
Jenn leaned her head on top of his, and replied, "Sure."
Lance stood up first and said something about having to go get something. Jenn stood and followed him outside a few minutes later.
"Think anyone noticed we left together?" Jenn asked as she met Lance in the hallway.
"Nah. They're too drunk to notice anything." Lance said, laughing. "Come on!" He added, grabbing Jenn's hand.
"Where are you taking me?" Jenn asked.
"You'll see."
~*~*~*~
"Justin, are you drunk?" I asked, noticing how bloodshot his eyes had become.
"No way babe!" He replied with a goofy grin on his face.
"Come on, let's get some air." I told him and reached for his hand to help him up. We got in the elevator and Justin pushed the button to the top floor.
"What are you doing? We wanna go down." I informed him.
"No we don't. I wanna show you something first!"
~*~*~*~
"Where did everyone go?" Ashley asked, coming back from the restroom.
"They all left us." JC informed her, smiling.
"Damn, that sucks." She said sarcastically as she made her way back to the table and sat beside JC. "What are we gonna do now?"
"I can think of a few things." JC said as he moved closer to Ashley.
"Oh yeah? What did ya have in mind?" She asked, moving even closer. JC gently grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her to him.
"This," he replied and kissed her softly. She kissed him back, happy to be in his arms once more.
~*~*~*~
"Wow, it's beautiful up here!" Jenn exclaimed, breathing in the fresh air. Lance had brought her on the roof of the hotel. "How did you know this was up here?" Jenn asked as she turned to face him.
"Me and Justin were wandering around the hotel today and we found it." Lance replied.
They walked to the edge of the building and Jenn peered down the side. "That's a long way down."
"It sure is." Lance said as he stood next to her. She looked up at him as he moved a strand of hair out of her face.
"It's amazing up here." Jenn said, looking away, trying to avoid Lance's stare.
"You're amazing." Lance said as he gently moved her head back to where he could look at her.
"Lance, maybe we should go back inside." Jenn suggested, scared she wouldn't be able to control her feelings much longer. She wanted Lance and she knew he wanted her too. But it wasn't right. She couldn't let this happen.
"Just a little bit longer." Lance replied, still staring into her eyes.
"But Lance..." she began.
He placed his index finger over her mouth and said, "Ssshhh."
He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and she returned it eagerly. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. But how could something that felt so right, be wrong?
Their kiss was interrupted by someone's footsteps, and they realized they weren't alone.
~*~*~*~
"Oh, um, hey guys." Lance said, moving away from Jenn.
"Hey." We replied. Justin had brought me to the roof to be alone when we saw Lance and Jenn, kissing.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked Jenn, not being able to believe what I had just seen.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked her, once we were away from the guys.
"I don't know. It just sorta happened." She replied, guiltily.
"Jenn! Sara is with him. You remember Sara don't you? Your best friend!"
"I know, I know. I like Lance a lot Michelle. I can't help it. And he likes me too. And you heard Sara just the other day say she thought of Lance as more of a friend."
"Jenn, that doesn't mean you can go after him!"
"I know. But you have to believe me, I didn't do it on purpose. Please don't tell Sara." She begged.
"All right. I won't tell her." I agreed.
"Thanks. This whole thing was just a big mistake. It won't happen again." She replied and walked back over to Lance and Justin, who were looking over the edge of the building.
"Is everything ok?" Lance asked, noticing how upset Jenn suddenly was.
"Yeah. I'm going back inside." She said and walked off. Lance told Justin he'd see him inside and ran after Jenn.
~*~*~*~
"What did you say to Jenn?" Justin asked me after they were gone. "She looked like she was about to cry."
"Nothing." I replied, not wanting to talk about it.
"You wanna go back in?" Justin asked.
"No. Let's stay out here for a while." I replied.
"Maybe you were a little hard on Jenn." Justin said as we stood by the edge of the building, looking down below us.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, shocked. "She got with her best friend's guy!"
"I know, but Lance told me he and Sara weren't going out. Sara knew that he was going to see other people." He informed me.
"Yeah, OTHER people. Not her best friend."
"Maybe it was just an accident." Justin continued. "People make mistakes, ya know?"
"Look, I don't want to argue with you about this. Especially not on your last night here. Let's just forget about it, ok?"
"Ok." He replied. "This weekend went by so fast." He added, not wanting to leave tomorrow.
"I know. Our time together always goes by fast." I said sadly. Justin grabbed my hand and played with the ring he gave me.
"Do you ever think about breaking up with me? You know, because of the whole long distance thing?"
"No way! It sucks not getting to see you very much, but I'm thankful for the time we do get to spend together. I can't imagine my life without you in it." I told him truthfully. "Besides, how many girls get to say they're going out with the most gorgeous guy in the world?"
"Yeah, you are pretty lucky, aren't you?." He joked as he wrapped his arms around me.
~*~*~*~
"I told you we shouldn't have done that!" Jenn said, tears streaming down her face. "Now Michelle thinks I'm a horrible person. And she's right. I am a horrible person."
"Don't say that Jenn." Lance said, trying to comfort her. He tried to put his arm around her but she quickly moved away.
"I'm sorry Lance, but I just can't. I never should have kissed you. Let's just forget about it and go back to being friends." Jenn said, wiping the tears from her face.
"I don't want to be just friends." Lance said unhappily.
"I'm sorry, but please don't mention any of this to Sara."
"I won't." He assured her.
"I better get home. It's late." Jenn said as she stood to go.
"Don't go yet." Lance pleaded.
"Lance, forget about me. It can't happen. I'm sorry, but it was all just a big mistake." She said and walked off down the hall to get Ashley.
"Ashley, let's go." She yelled through the door. A few minutes later Ashley came out of the room. They said goodbye to JC and Lance, and walked out the door. Jenn turned around once more to find Lance still in the doorway, watching her. She waved goodbye and stepped onto the elevator.
"What was all that about?" Ashley asked, once the elevator door closed.
"Nothing." Jenn replied quietly. "Nothing at all."
PART TWENTY-SEVEN
Jenn laid on the floor of her room, trying to study for her economics exam tomorrow. She decided to take a break, after studying for almost two hours straight. She plopped down on her bed and grabbed the tv remote. She turned on the tv and began to flip through the channels. She decided on a Christmas program on ABC. The voice of Celine Dion filled her room as she watched her perform a Christmas song.
After she was finished, Celine announced that she had some special guests with her tonight. "I'd like everyone to give a warm welcome to my new friends, Nsync," She said as they walked out on stage. Jenn suddenly felt sick. She hadn't seen or talked to Lance since the last time he was here. Since the kiss. He looked so good in his black pants and black leather jacket. They came out and sang a song with Celine.
Jenn started to change the channel, but she couldn't take her eyes off Lance. The camera zoomed in on Joey doing a funny dance and Jenn laughed. "He's such a nut!" She thought to herself. She was still attracted to Joey, but not like Lance. There was something about Lance that she couldn't explain. She felt an attraction toward him not like anything she had ever felt before. She felt as thought she loved him, even though she hadn't known him that long.
They finished the song and the program cut to a commercial. Jenn turned off the tv and laid back on the floor. She starred at her economics book blankly, still thinking of Lance.
"Great!" She said aloud. "Now I'm never going to be able to study."
~*~*~*~
Justin sat on the bus flipping through the channels on the tv. The other guys had already gone to sleep, but Justin wasn't tired. His cell phone rang and Justin quickly answered it, as to not wake any of the guys.
"Hello," he said into the receiver.
"Hey Justin. It's me, Jess."
"Oh, hey Jess. What's up?" Justin asked, surprised to hear from her.
"I ran into your mom at the store and she told me you were coming back to Orlando for Christmas next week."
"Oh, yeah I'll be there." Justin said, annoyed at his mom for telling her. He didn't want Jessica to know he'd be there because he didn't want to see her. He wanted to forget about her and move on with his life.
"That's great. Maybe we can get together while you're here. Go see a movie or something." She suggested.
"Yeah, maybe." Justin replied, with no intention of seeing her.
They hung up the phone and Justin sighed. He decided to call Michelle. He hadn't talk to her in almost a week and he missed her voice. He let the phone ring 5 times before giving up and hanging up the phone.
"Where could she be?" He asked himself, looking at his watch. It was past midnight.
Just then, his phone rang.
~*~*~*~
"Hey. Did you just call me?" I asked, tiredly. I had woken up to the phone ringing, but by the time I got up to answer it, whoever it was had already hung up.
"Hey baby. Yeah I did. Did I wake you?"
"Yeah but that's ok. Did you need something?"
"No, I just wanted to hear your voice." He replied sweetly. As they talked, Justin thought of an idea. "Hey Michelle..." he began.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"Do you want to come stay with me in Orlando while I'm there? You could come down for a few days. My mom is dying to meet you."
"Yeah, I could probably do that. We get out of school December 15th, so I can come anytime after that."
"Cool, well, I am flying down there on the 18th, and staying until after Christmas. Why don't you come stay with me that weekend?" I agreed happily and smiled at the thought of spending time with Justin. We made our plans and I told him I needed to get some sleep. We hung up and I feel right back to sleep.
~*~*~*~
Justin packed his bags while he sang along to the song on the radio. He was really excited about seeing Michelle in two days. He finished packing his bags and made his way to the limo parked outside in front of the hotel.
He handed his bags to the driver and went back upstairs to his room. He told the guys to come on and they all piled in the limo and headed for the airport. Everyone was going home for the holidays. Lance, Joey, and JC went to their hometowns while Justin and Chris went to Orlando. They said goodbye and Justin and Chris took off to their gate. They got on the plane and took their seats in first class. As the plane took off, Justin laid his head against the window and fell asleep.
~*~*~*~
"There he is!" Justin's younger brother yelled as he ran up to hug Justin. Justin grabbed him in his arms and hugged him back. He looked up to find Lynn and Paul walking towards him laughing.
"Hey sweetie," Lynn said as she hugged her son. They walked to baggage claim to get Justin's bags, and after waiting for about 30 minutes, they grabbed his bags and took off for the car. As soon as Justin got to his house and unpacked his things, he called his best friend, Trace.
"What's up man?" Justin asked after Trace answered the phone.
"Hey man. Did you just get in?" Trace asked.
"Yeah. What's goin on?"
"Not much. I just got back from Cindy's house." Trace informed him. Cindy was Trace's girlfriend, and also Jessica's good friend.
"Oh really? That's cool. Hey, did I tell you Michelle is flying down here for the weekend?"
"Nope, I can't wait to meet her." Trace replied. "Oh man, that reminds me, Cindy was tellin me some things that Jessica was saying about you that you might be interested in."
Justin groaned. "What did she say?" He asked.
"Well, supossedly she thinks you and her have something going. She told Cindy that y'all are going back out."
"Shit, are you serious? What the hell is wrong with her? I gave her no reason to think that. We haven't even talked but one time since I left." Justin said, annoyed.
"Well, she sees it differently according to Cindy." Trace added.
~*~*~*~
Jenn pulled up to Hero's Pizza and parked her car. She was meeting Ashley, Sara, Michelle, David, and Michael. She hurried inside, out of the cold, and spotted her friends at their usual table in the back.
"Hey guys!" She said as she sat down beside Michael. "Where's Michelle?" She asked, noticing everyone was there but her.
"Who knows. Considering the fact that she's always late, she'll probably be here in another hour or so." David answered. They ordered their pizza and hung out, laughing and talking.
~*~*~*~
I walked in the pizza place and searched for my friends. Justin had called to let me know he got in ok just as I was walking out the door to meet the gang at Hero's Pizza and so I was running late. I walked to where we usually sat and found my friends laughing hysterically.
"What's so funny?" I asked as I approached the table.
"Michelle, you're here!" Jenn said happily as she scooted over, making room for me to sit down.
"We were just laughing at David's dumbass, as usual." Jenn answered. I ordered a coke when the waitress came back to bring the pizza.
"So you excited about meeting Justin's family?" Sara asked as she bit into her pizza.
"No! I'm so nervous." I replied.
"Did y'all see the guys on TV last night? They were on some Christmas special. They looked so cute!" Sara gushed.
"Yeah, I saw that." Jenn replied.
"Didn't Lance look so adorable?" Sara added. I looked at Jenn and noticed how uncomfortable she got. Ever since Jenn kissed Lance, she has avoided Sara.
Jenn smiled and agreed as she glanced at me. I smiled at her reassuringly. I decided not to be mad at Jenn for what she did and to let it go. I understand that sometimes you can't help how you feel about someone and I know she didn't kiss him on purpose. Jenn smiled back and took a bite into her pizza.
We finished our pizza and hung out for another hour before we decided to call it a night.
"I still gotta go home and finish packing." I said as I stood to leave. I put my jacket on and told everyone goodbye. They all said bye and wished me luck in meeting Justin's family.
~*~*~*~
Justin parked his Mercedes in the airport parking lot and got out. He sprinted inside, trying to hurry and get out of the cold. He found the gate Michelle's plane was arriving at and he waited eagerly for it to arrive.
After about 30 minutes, her plane finally arrived. Justin stood up and waited for her to walk off the plane. He couldn't wait to see her. He missed her so much when he was on the road. Some young girls recognized him and asked for his autograph. Justin politely signed their paper's while watching for Michelle. A few other kids had spotted him and came over to get autograph's as well. Justin got distracted by all the girls surrounding him wanting autographs, and when he looked up, he noticed there were no more people walking off the plane.
"Oh no, where is she?"" He thought as he signed the last autograph and walked around looking for her.
~*~*~*~
I walked off the plane, immediately spotting Justin with a crowd of girls around him. I walked to the back of the crowd and waited until he was finished. He began to wander around, obviously looking for me. I giggled as I walked up behind him and tapped him on his back. He turned around and smiled when he saw me. He immediately wrapped his arms around me held me tight.
"You better watch out." I told him, pulling away from his embrace. "One of your fans might see you with me."
He wrapped his arms around me tight and pulled me close.
"I don't care anymore. I love you Michelle and I want the whole world to know it." He said as he leaned in to kiss me.
~*~*~*~
Justin pulled into his driveway and parked his car. We got out and Justin laced his fingers through mine as we walked up to the house. He smiled at me and told me not to worry, sensing my nervousness.
"My mom is going to love you." He said as he opened the front door.
"Justin is that you?" Lynn called out.
"Yeah mom, we're home." He said. Soon after that, Lynn greeted us at the door and smiled at me.
"It's so great to finally meet you!" She exclaimed as she hugged me. I hugged her back and told her it was great to meet her as well.
"Justin talks about you all the time." Lynn said, looking at Justin.
"Mom..." Justin began, embarrassed.
"Ok, Ok, I won't say anything else." She said laughing. We went into the living room and Justin introduced me to his step dad, Paul. We all sat in the living room talking when a young boy, who looked a lot like Justin, came running in the room. He stopped in front of me and asked who I was.
"This is my girlfriend, Michelle." Justin told his brother.
"Hi Michelle, I'm Jonathon." He said and smiled.
"Nice to meet you." I said and smiled back at him.
He leaned over to Justin and whispered something in his ear. Justin laughed and looked at me.
"What's so funny?" I asked. The both said nothing and laughed again.
"Y'all stop teasing her." Lynn said, coming to my defense. "I'm gonna start on dinner. Do you like spaghetti Michelle?"
"Yep, I love it!" I answered truthfully. As Lynn went to the kitchen, Justin told Paul and Jonathon we were going to get my bags and helped me up. As we walked outside Justin smiled at me.
"Wanna know what Jonathon whispered in my ear?" Justin asked grinning.
"Of course!" I replied. "What did he say?"
"He said you were really pretty." Justin said laughing.
"Aaawww that's so cute."
"I think he might have a little crush on you." He said as we grabbed my bags out of the trunk.
I laughed as we carried them inside. Justin led me to the guest room and sat my bags down.
"This is where you'll be staying." He said. "But at night your gonna have to sneak into my room at night." He added, grinning. I laughed and began to unpack my things.
"So, what are we gonna do tonight?" I asked, sitting down on the bed. Justin joined me as he told me a friend of his was throwing a party.
"That's cool. I wanna meet your friends." I told him excitedly. He called Trace and told him we were going and hung up the phone just as Lynn called out that dinner was ready. We went downstairs and took our seats at the table with the rest of Justin's family.
~*~*~*~
"Come on Michelle, let's go." Justin said, knocking on the bathroom door.
"I'm almost ready." I told him. I applied my lipstick and fluffed my hair one last time before deciding I was ready to go. I opened the bathroom door and stepped into the hallway where Justin was waiting on me.
"Wow." He said, starring at me with his mouth open. "You look great." He added, smiling. I was glad I decided to go with my black leather pants that fit snuggly around my hips and my white sweater that showed off my stomach.
"Thanks," I replied as I grabbed my black leather jacket and put it on. I linked my arm in Justin's as we headed out the door to the party. Justin pulled into the driveway at Trace's house and parked the car. He opened my door and helped me out.
"Why are you being so sweet?" I asked, laughing.
"I guess a beautiful girl just brings out the sweetness in me." He replied and led me inside the house. There were about 20 people in the house standing around with beers in their hands. A group of kids sat at the kitchen table playing some game as well. Justin spotted Trace and we walked to the kitchen to join him. Justin introduced me to Trace and I told him it was nice to meet him.
"Damn Justin, you never told me she was gorgeous!" He said and laughed.
"Yeah, just remember she's all mine." Justin joked, putting his arm around me. The joked some more and then we walked around. Justin introduced me to his friends and they were all very nice. I started talking to his good friend, Amber, and she was telling me things Justin used to do when he was younger.
"He was such a dork!" She told me, laughing. Trace came up and told Justin to come with him for a minute. Justin said he's be right back and followed Trace to the kitchen.
~*~*~*~
"What's up?" Justin asked, when Trace got him alone in the kitchen.
"Jessica just walked in." He said.
"What?" Justin asked surprised. "I thought you said she wasn't coming."
"That's what Cindy told me. I guess she changed her mind." Trace said and walked off.
"Shit," Justin said and returned to Michelle. Amber was still making fun of him when he got back.
"Amber has been telling me some really funny stories about you." I told him laughing. Justin laughed and playfully punched Amber in the arm.
"I bet she has." He added. Just then, Justin spotted Jessica across the room. He turned her back to her, hoping she wouldn't see him.
"Hey Justin!" She said putting her hand on his back. Justin turned around to say hi and she pulled him into a hug. He hugged her back and quickly pulled away.
"This is my girlfriend, Michelle." He said pointing at me. "And this is Jessica, a friend of mine."
"Oh, hi. It's nice to meet you." She said and smiled at me. Justin seemed a bit uncomfortable all the sudden.
"Are you ok?" I asked him.
"Yeah I'm fine. Let's get some air." he told me and led me outside. Once we got out there, I asked him who Jessica was.
"She just a friend." he replied. "We used to date some." He added.
"Oh really?" I asked. "She looks like she still has a thing for you."
"Why do you say that?" He asked, surprised.
"She just had that look in her eyes." I replied. "So, what happened between y'all?"
"Nothing, why?" Justin asked guiltily.
"I mean, why did y'all break up?"
"Oh, it just didn't work out. We're still friends though."
~*~*~*~
I woke up and rolled over to find Justin laying beside me. I nudged him in the arm, trying to wake him up. He didn't respond, so I kissed him on the cheek and shook him a little more. He stirred and opened his eyes slowly. He smiled when he saw me and pulled me back down to lay with him.
"What time is it?" He asked groggily.
"I don't know." I replied and sat up. "Come on sleepyhead, get up!"
"All right, I'm up, I'm up." He said, sitting up. "I'm staving, let's go get some breakfast."
I followed him downstairs to the kitchen and he grabbed two bowls out of the cabinet. "Cereal sound good?" He asked. I told him that was fine and he got out the apple jacks and milk.
We sat at the table eating apple jacks and trying to decide what we were going to do today. After we ate, I went back upstairs to take a shower in the guest bathroom.
~*~*~*~
Justin hopped in the shower in his bathroom and let the hot water flow over him. He thought about the previous night at Trace's party. Jessica kept her distance the rest of the night, which Justin was very thankful for.
He thought about what Trace had told him about Jessica saying they were back together. "Hopefully she knows now that I'm with Michelle and what happened with us was a mistake," Justin thought to himself as he rinsed the shampoo out of his curly hair. He stepped out of the shower and dried himself off.
He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked to his closet. He put on some khaki pants and a forest green aberercromie and fitch sweater. He headed to the living room to watch tv while he waited on Michelle to finish getting ready. They had decided to go see a movie. Just as he sat down on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table, his mom came in the room.
"Justin, will you run to the store for me real quick." She asked. "I started making cookies and I don't have any eggs."
Justin said yes and walked upstairs to let Michelle know he'd be right back. He grabbed his jacket and headed outside to his car.
~*~*~*~
I finished getting ready and went to Justin's room to hang out until he got back. I sat on the bed and grabbed the tv remote and began flipping through the channels. The phone rang, startling me, and I started to answer it. As I reached for the phone, I stopped. "Maybe I shouldn't answer it," I thought, sitting back down and letting it ring. The answering machine picked up on the fourth ring and a girl began to talk.
"Justin, hey it's me, Jess. I just wanted to apologize about last night. I had no idea that was Michelle when I hugged you. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I'd really like to see you again. Call me later, after she leaves, and we can go see a movie or something. Bye."
I sat there starring at the phone, not being able to believe what I had just heard. "Why would hugging him make him uncomfortable and why would he have to wait until I leave to call her?" I thought to myself.
I sat on his bed, in his room, with a million thoughts running through my head. I remembered the night before, how weird Justin acted around her. "Could he be cheating on me with her?" I thought, getting more and more angry. I replayed the message over and over, each time understanding more and more what was going on. "How could he do this to me?" I thought angrily. "He said he loved me."
I sat on his bed, starring at the picture he had of us on his dresser and began to cry. After about 15 more minutes, I heard the front door open.
"Oh god, he's here," I thought, wiping the tears off my face. "What am I going to say to him?" A part of me wanted to forget the whole thing and pretend it didn't happen. Another part of me tried to rationalize the situation by thinking maybe I just misunderstood. "Maybe there's nothing going on between them," I thought.
I heard Justin walking up the stairs and soon after he entered the room.
"Hey are you ready to go?" He asked, smiling. Seeing him made it all hit me at once and I began to cry again. His smile quickly faded and he rushed over to me and tried to comfort me but I pushed him away.
"Don't touch me." I said, sobbing.
"Baby, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" He asked, looking worried.
I stood up, not saying a word, and pushed play on the answering machine. I stood there as the message played back, watching Justin to see how he reacted to it.
"Oh god Michelle, it's not what you think." He said and walked over to me.
"Then what the hell is it?" I shouted, moving back, away from him.
"Just sit down Michelle, please."
"No, now tell me who the hell she is and why she would leave a message like that on your answering machine!"
Justin looked down at the floor and stood there not saying a word.
"I guess that's my answer. Just a friend, huh?" I said and walked out of the room. Justin ran after me and begged me to come back into his room and let him explain.
"There's nothing to explain. Now please take me to the airport." I said and went to the guest room to pack my bags. I started crying again and Justin walked up behind me. He put his hand on my shoulder and turned me around.
"Please at least let me explain." He pleaded, looking into my eyes.
"Justin, it's over. I thought you were different..." I began, and started crying again. "Will you take me to the airport or do I need to call a cab?"
"I'll take you if that's what you want." Justin said with tears in his eyes and left the room.
PART TWENTY-EIGHT
Justin watched out the window as Michelle's plane flew away. He held his ring that he had given her in his hand. A tear streamed down his face as he thought about what had just happened. "How could I be so stupid?" He thought to himself as he walked through the airport to leave. He got in his car and sat there for a minute. He didn't know what to do. He tried to convince Michelle to stay and let him explain, but she wouldn't. When they arrived at the airport, a plane was leaving for Atlanta within the next thirty minutes. Justin bought a ticket and they waited for the plane to begin boarding. Michelle told him to leave but Justin insisted on staying to make sure she got on the plane ok. They sat in silence, until finally the attendant announced the plane was boarding. Michelle turned to Justin and grabbed his hand. She placed the ring he had given her softly in his hand and told him to take it. "If you ever loved me, you'll put it back on your finger and always remember the great times we shared." She told him before leaving. Justin watched as she walked off, hoping she would change her mind and come back. She turned to look at Justin once more before disappearing around the corner.
~*~*~*~
I took my seat by the window and fastened my seatbelt. A middle aged man with dark brown hair sat down next to me and smiled. I smiled back at him, even though smiling was the last thing I wanted to do right now. I leaned my head against the cold window and closed my eyes. I thought about Justin and how sad he looked when I left. As much as I wanted to hate him, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. A tear escaped my eye as I thought back to the day we met. I remembered the way Justin looked at me as if I was the most important person in the world. He always made me feel that way. The engines started and the pilot announced that the plane was ready for take off. I sighed as I watched the town beneath me get smaller and smaller. Every second that passed took me farther away from Orlando, and farther away from Justin. I watched as the houses got smaller until there was nothing left but a blur. The man next to me tapped me on the shoulder and offered me a kleenex.
He smiled sympathetically at me as I reached out to take the kleenex. I thanked him as I wiped the tears from my eyes. I looked down at my hands and starred at the finger that used to have Justin's ring on it. I sighed as I laid my head back on the window and drifted off to sleep.
~*~*~*~
"So what do you want to do tonight?" Jenn asked as we walked out of the classroom.
"I don't care." I replied, not really feeling like going out.
"Come on Michelle, you've been moping around your house for a month now. You need to get out and have some fun. It will take your mind off of everything." Jenn said, putting her arm around me.
She was right. It has been a month since I broke up with Justin, and I still cried myself to sleep at night. He had tried to call a few times but I wouldn't talk to him, and after a couple of weeks, he gave up and stopped calling.
"So what do you have planned?" I asked her, trying to sound happy.
"That's more like it." She replied smiling. "I talked to David last night and he is having some people over to his house."
"Cool. Sounds like fun." I replied as we separated to go to our next class.
"See ya tonight." Jenn called out as I turned the corner.
~*~*~*~
"I talked Michelle into going with us tonight." Jenn told Sara as she curled her hair.
"Really?" Sara asked. "That's great. I am really worried about her."
"Yeah, me too. She seems to be doing better though."
"Yeah, I hope so. I feel so bad for her. I still can't believe Justin cheated on her. He seemed like such a nice guy." Sara said sadly. Jenn agreed as she walked to the closet and pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a navy blue top.
"Hurry up Sara, we still have to go pick up Michelle." Jenn said impatiently as she waited on Sara to finish getting ready.
"Ok, I'm almost done." Sara replied and took one last look in the mirror. She grabbed her keys off the nightstand and they headed out the door.
~*~*~*~
We walked through the apartment complex to David's place and knocked on the door. The door swung open and David stood in front of us smiling.
"It's about time y'all got here." He said as we walked inside.
Jenn looked at Sara and rolled her eyes. "It's all Sara's fault." She said laughing. I walked into the kitchen to find Michael and Ashley with a few other people I didn't recognize.
"Hey Michelle!" They both shouted as soon as they saw me.
"Where the hell have you been?" Michael asked as he playfully shoved me.
"Trying to avoid you." I joked, shoving him back.
"Oh yeah?" He asked, laughing. "Well it looks like your outta luck tonight."
"I'm glad you're here." Ashley said, interrupting Michael.
"Thanks, me too." I said and smiled at her. I didn't realize how much I had missed all my friends until I saw them again. For the past month I haven't really been out much other than school and work. Jenn and Sara joined us in the kitchen and we all laughed and talked about old times. It was so great to be around my friends again. I already felt so much better. "I'm gonna be ok," I thought to myself as I laughed at a joke David told.
~*~*~*~
"And now, the guys you've been waiting for, Nsync!" The host announced and the guys ran out on stage. They were performing at a charity event for the children. Justin scanned the audience as he adjusted his microphone and signaled to the band that they were ready. The music to, "God Must Have Spent..." began to play and Justin suddenly felt sad. As he sang his verse, he thought about Michelle. He still thought about her and missed her everyday since she left him.
They finished the song and thanked the audience. As Justin walked off stage, he was overcome with sadness. He had tried calling Michelle but she wouldn't talk to him. He didn't know what else to do.
"You alright?" Lance asked Justin, sensing something was wrong.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Justin lied, not wanting to bother Lance with his problems. They hung around backstage for a while until the show was over.
They went back out to sing a song with the rest of the performers and then left as soon as it was over. They checked into a hotel and tried to decide what they were going to do tonight.
"We could check out the clubs." Joey suggested.
"How did I know you were gonna say that?" Chris asked, laughing.
"I think I'm just gonna go to bed. I'm exhausted." Justin informed the rest of the guys.
"Yeah, me too." Lance said.
"JC, you up for a night on the town?" Joey asked desperately.
"Yeah I guess so. Let me take a shower and we'll go check out the clubs."
"Alright!" Joey said, excited. Lance and Justin decided to share a room and they both headed for bed.
"Have you tried calling Michelle lately?" Lance asked once they got in the room.
"Nah, she doesn't want to talk to me."
"I know how ya feel." Lance said. "I tried calling Jenn last week but her mom said she wasn't home. I have a feeling she's avoiding me." Lance added, thinking back to what had happened between them. Ever since they kissed that night on the roof, things haven't been the same. Even though Lance hasn't seen Jenn since that night, he still thinks about her a lot. He tried calling her a few times, but each time she was either not at home or in the shower.
"What about Sara? Have you talked to her?" Justin asked, interrupting Lance's thoughts.
"Yeah she called me last week. We decided to be just friends."
"Well then you should try calling Jennifer again." Justin suggested.
"Yeah, maybe you're right." Lance said as he stood up. "Good night."
"Night." Justin called out as Lance shut the door behind him.
Lance sat down on the couch and starred at the phone. He picked it up and dialed Jenn's number.
~*~*~*~
Jenn rushed into her room and picked up the phone. Sara had just dropped her off from David's party and she heard the phone ringing when she walked in the door.
"Hello." She said, out of breath.
"Um, Jenn?" Lance asked, surprised she actually answered.
"Yeah this is her." Jenn said, recognizing Lance's deep voice. She had been avoiding his calls for the past month. Even though Sara and Lance were just friends now, she still didn't know how Sara would feel about her dating Lance.
"How are you?" Lance asked.
"I'm good, how have you been?" Jenn asked, laying down on her bed. She had a few drinks at David's and was feeling a little dizzy.
"Good. I'm sorry I'm calling so late. I was just thinking about you and thought I'd call and say hi."
"It's ok, I wasn't asleep. I just walked in the door actually."
"Oh really? What'd you do tonight?" Lance asked, trying to make conversation.
"Went to David's with Sara and Michelle."
"Sounds fun. How is Michelle doing?"
"She's great." Jenn lied. She didn't want Lance to tell Justin she was still upset about their breakup.
"That's good. Me and the guys are coming to Atlanta next month to perform at the American Music Awards. Do you think maybe we could get together and go eat or something?" Lance asked. "I'd really like to see you again." He added.
Jenn sighed. She knew that she should say no and move on with her life, but there was something about Lance that she couldn't resist.
"I don't know Lance." She began.
"Come on, please," he pleaded in a sweet voice. Jenn laughed and told him she would think about it.
"I need to talk to Sara about it first." She told him.
He said ok and told her he would call back before he came. She agreed and they hung up the phone. Jenn laid her head against her pillow and closed her eyes. She though about the kiss they shared on the roof. She knew she had to talk to Sara about going out with Lance. "Tomorrow," she thought to herself and fell sleep.
PART TWENTY-NINE
"I'm gonna go get something to eat from the food court, you wanna come?" Blake asked Michelle. Blake was one of the new employees at Sam Goody they had hired for the holidays.
"Sure." I replied. "Let me go tell Helen I am taking my break."
After I told Helen I was leaving, I walked back out front to join Blake. He stood at the front of the store leaning against the wall. He was a very attractive guy with his short brownish-blonde hair and green eyes. When he saw me walking towards him, he smiled. We walked through the crowded mall towards the food court. We decided on Chick-Fil-A and I grabbed us a seat while he waited in line.
"Here you go." He said and handed me my food. I thanked him as I bit into my chicken sandwhich.
"So how are things with your boyfriend?" He asked. When he first started working at Sam Goody, he asked me out a few times, but I told him I had a boyfriend.
"We broke up." I said, looking down at my food.
"Really?" He asked. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"No you're not," I said laughing and threw a french fry at him.
"Ok, so I'm not. Are you?" He asked seriously.
"I used to be. But it's time to move on." I told him truthfully. I needed to move on with my life and forget about Justin Timberlake. He smiled at me and we continued to make small talk. When we were done eating, I thanked him for the meal he insisted on paying for and we headed back to the store.
"If you're not busy tonight, I'd like to take you out." He said as we approached the store.
"You don't waste any time, do you?' I asked sarcastically.
"Nope, so do you want to? I'll take you anywhere you want to go."
"Anywhere?" I asked, teasing him.
"Anywhere." He repeated.
"Well, my friend is having a party. You could come with me if you'd like."
"Sounds good. What time should I pick you up?"
"Around eight." I said and turned to walk away.
"See you at eight then." He called out after me.
~*~*~*~
Sara pulled into Jenn's driveway and parked her car. Jenn had told her to come over after she got out of school. She knocked on the door and Jenn opened it a few seconds later.
"So what's up?" Sara asked as she plopped down on Jenn's bed.
"I have something I need to ask you." Jenn began nervously.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Well, Lance called me last night and told me they are coming to town next month."
"Oh really? That's cool, it's been a while." Sara said happily.
"He also wanted to know if he could take me out while he was here."
"Wow are you serious?" Sara asked, a little shocked.
"If you don't want me to I won't. I told him I would have to ask you first."
"I didn't even know he liked you. Do you like him too?"
"Yeah, I do. But if it's not ok then I'll understand." Jenn assured her.
"No, it's fine. Me and Lance are just friends. If you like him then you should go out with him. He's a great guy." Sara said and smiled at Jenn.
Jenn smiled back, relieved. She felt much better now that she had Sara's blessing. She decided not to tell her about Lance kissing her on the roof.
"Thanks for asking me first." Sara said after a moment of silence.
"No problem. Thanks for being so cool about it." Jenn replied.
~*~*~*~
I grabbed the towel off the rack and stepped out of the shower. I dried myself off and threw on a t-shirt and some boxer shorts. As I began to dry my hair, I thought back to when I told Jenn about Blake. She was really happy that I finally had a date. "It's about time," she told me laughing.
She was right, I needed to move on with my life, and Blake seemed like a nice guy. The phone rang, interrupting my thoughts and I ran to my room to answer it.
"Hey are you almost ready?" Sara asked into the receiver.
"Yep," I lied.
"Cool, Jenn and I are going to David's in a few minutes so we'll see ya there."
"Yeah, we'll be there around 8:30." I told her.
"Ok, see ya there. Can't wait to meet this Blake guy."
Laughing, I told her I'd see her in an hour and hung up the phone. I finished getting ready and went downstairs to wait for Blake.
"So who is this new guy?" My mom asked curiously.
"Just a guy I work with. It's no big deal. We're just going to a party together."
"You're going out with someone else?" Melanie asked as she walked into the room.
"Yeah, he's real nice. You'll like him." I assured her.
"But what about Justin?" She asked sadly. She was still upset about Justin and I breaking up. She couldn't believe I would break up with a guy from Nsync.
"There is no more Justin, Melanie. We broke up." I told her, feeling sad. It still hurt to think about never being with Justin again. I loved him so much, and I still do.
"Well, this guy better be as cute as Justin." Melanie said with a smile. My mom and I laughed just as the doorbell rang.
"That must be him." I said, standing up. I opened the door to find Blake standing there with flowers in his hand. He was wearing a navy blue polo shirt with khaki pants on. He smiled and handed me the flowers as I invited him in.
"Blake this is my mom, Debbie, and my sister, Melanie. Guys this is Blake." I said and smiled at Blake. I couldn't help but notice how great he looked.
"I'll be right back, I'm going to put these in some water." I said and left him in the living room with my family. I returned a few minutes later and asked if he was ready to go. He said yes and we said goodbye to my mom and sister.
"I'll be home later." I said as we walked outside toward his black Ford Explorer parked in the driveway.
~*~*~*~
Justin squeezed the gel onto his fingertips and ran his fingers through his hair. They arrived in New York this afternoon and decided to go out to a club later. Justin finished fixing his hair and grabbed the clothes he had picked out earlier off the bed. He quickly changed and joined the rest of the guys in the living room.
"Can we go now?' Joey said impatiently when he saw Justin.
"Yeah, I'm ready." Justin announced to the guys.
"It's about time. Let's go." JC said and walked towards the door. Joey, Lance, Chris, and Justin followed him out the door and to the elevator. When the doors opened to the lobby, the guys quickly walked outside and climbed into the limo parked out front.
~*~*~*~
"Want a beer?" I asked Blake after I introduced him to all my friends. We arrived at David's party around nine o'clock and everyone was there.
"Sure." He said. I grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator and and when I returned to the living room I found him talking to David and Michael.
"So what are y'all talking about?" I asked, handing Blake his drink.
"You, of course." Michael said laughing.
"Figures." I said and punched him playfully in the arm.
"Hey, come to the bathroom with me." Jenn said as she walked up to us. I told Blake I'd be right back and followed Jenn to the bathroom.
"Damn girl, you didn't tell me he was that cute!" She exclaimed once I shut the door.
Laughing, I replied, "Yeah, he is pretty cute, huh?"
"Hell yeah he is." She added. "So did Sara tell you about Lance yet?"
"No, what about him?"
"Well, he called me last night and said they were coming to town next month and wanted to know if I'd go on a date with him."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing yet. I talked to Sara about it earlier and she is fine with it."
"You told her about y'all kissing?" I asked, shocked.
"No, I couldn't tell her about that. I tried but I just couldn't."
"So they're coming here next month?" I asked, filled with anxiety. "Justin too?"
"Yeah. They are performing at the American Music Awards." Jenn informed me. "I'm sorry. I guess now wasn't the best time to tell you." She apologized.
"No it's ok. I'm over him now. Time to move on." I said, forcing a smile.
"With Blake." She added, grinning.
"Speaking of Blake, I better get out there. I left him alone with Michael and David."
"Good point." Jenn said, opening the door. We walked back to the living room and found Blake still talking to the guys.
"Can I borrow him for a second?" I asked, wrapping my arm in his.
"Wanna go outside with me?" I whispered in his ear.
"Sure," he whispered back and I led him outside.
~*~*~*~
Justin and Chris sat down at one of the tables and Chris's ordered a drink. "You want something?" He asked Justin.
"Nah, not right now." Justin shouted over the music.
Joey, Lance, and JC had already found the dance floor. A group of girls recognized them and started dancing with them. Justin didn't really feel like going out tonight, but the rest of the guys made him.
"Why aren't you dancing?" Chris asked Justin, surprised that he was still sitting down. Justin is usually the first one on the dance floor when they go clubbin.
"Don't feel like it." Justin said. Just then, the waitress brought Chris his drink and sat it on the table. Chris took a sip and smiled.
"Man this is great. You gotta try it." He told Justin and pushed it across the table. Justin quickly took a sip and handed it back to Chris.
"That's not bad." He said. "Order me one when she comes back." He added.
"That's more like it." Chris said, motioning for the waitress to come back. She brought his drink and Justin drank it fast, so he wouldn't get caught. Feeling slightly buzzed, he spotted Lance and JC coming his way.
"Man, get your ass up and come dance with us." JC said, pulling Justin out of his seat. Justin agreed and looked at Chris.
"You coming?" He asked. Chris shook his head no and Justin followed the guys on the dance floor. Joey was still out there, dancing with a tall brunette. As Justin walked up, a few girls shouted, "Oh my god, it's Justin!" He laughed and smiled at them.
"Wanna dance?' Justin asked, giving them his best smile. They agreed and quickly surrounded him. Justin just laughed and danced with all of them.
After dancing to a few songs, he decided to take a break and find Chris. He told everyone he'd be back and left the dance floor. He found Chris still sitting at the table where he'd left him. Chris ordered Justin a drink and they sat and talked.
"That one girl is all over you." Chris said laughing.
"Yeah, she gave me her number."
"You gonna call?"
"Nah, probably not." Justin said just as the waitress brought a drink to the table. Chris handed it to Justin when she left. He finished his drink and stood up.
"Come on and dance with us." Justin told Chris.
"Yeah right. Dani would kill me." Chris said laughing. "Those girls are all over y'all out there."
"Alright, well, have fun." Justin said and headed back out to the dance floor. As soon as he spotted the guys, he walked over to them, pushing his way through the crowded dance floor. The girl that seemed to like Justin was dancing with Lance. When she saw him, she left Lance and rushed over to him.
"There you are." She said and pulled him closer to her.
"What's your name?" Justin asked, realizing he didn't know it.
"Laura," she whispered in his ear.
~*~*~*~
"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" Blake asked as we walked outside.
"No, actually you haven't. But thanks." I said, looking up at him.
"I'm really glad you asked me to come with you."
"Yeah, I'm glad you came. Are you having fun?" I asked.
"Yeah, your friends are great." He said and took my hand in his. I looked down at his hand and suddenly felt sad. As much as I liked Blake, I still wished it was Justin's hand I was holding. I let go of his hand and looked down.
"I'm sorry." He said.
"No, it's not your fault. I'm the one who should be sorry. You're a really nice guy Blake, but I just got out of a relationship and I really don't want to rush into another one."
"It's ok, I understand. We can take it as slow as you'd like." He said and smiled at me.
"Thanks," I said and grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's get back to the party."
~*~*~*~
Justin followed everyone into the hotel. Joey had invited a few girls to go back to the hotel with them, including Laura.
"Come on slow poke." Laura said as she reached out for Justin's hand. She was very attractive with her long, blonde hair that was slightly wavy and crystal blue eyes. Justin placed his hand in hers as they stepped onto the elevator. Everyone went to Joey, JC, and Chris's room to hang out for a while. Justin was feeling a strong buzz by now and Laura was obviously drunk as well.
"Wanna go back to your room?" She asked Justin quietly. If things were different, Justin would have probably accepted. But he didn't want to be with anyone else. He wanted Michelle and he was determined to get her back.
He realized tonight that no matter what, he had to try to get Michelle to come back to him. He apologized to Laura and told everyone goodnight.
He changed clothes and crawled into bed. As he lay there, he thought about calling Michelle. "No, calling won't work. I have to go see her." He thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep.
PART THIRTY
I sat on my bed, flipping through the channels on the tv. "There sure isn't much on tv on a Monday afternoon," I thought to myself.
I turned it to MTV and saw Carson Daly on TRL. "And now, for your number eight video, it's Many Moore with Candy." He said before cutting to the video. When the video was over, Carson announced that there was some special guests in the studio today.
"Nsync is here with us today." Carson announced and the audience started screaming. I knew I should change the channel, because I knew if i saw Justin, I would just miss him more than I already do. But I couldn't bring myself to change it. I sat there as I watched the five guys I once knew so well walk out through the audience. Justin came out last, and my heart stopped when I saw him. He looked so great in his tommy jeans and green and yellow tommy shirt. Carson welcomed the guys and they all said hello.
"So what are y'all doing here in New York? Carson asked them.
"We are here doing some promotional stuff and just hangin out." Justin said into the microphone.
"Cool, well let's walk over to the window and wave to everyone. These girls have been out here all day, it's crazy." Carson said as they walked toward the window. The guys all waved and the girls went crazy screaming and jumping up and down.
"All right, our studio audience has got some questions they would like to ask you guys." Carson said and picked a young girl out of the crowd.
"Hi, I was just wondering when your album is going to come out?" She asked.
"It should be out by the first of March." Lance answered.
"The single for Bye, Bye, Bye comes out in January." Joey added.
Carson picked another girl, a little older, next. "I just want to say I love you guys and I was wondering if any of you have girlfriends?"
0 I sat up and starred at Justin on the tv screen. I couldn't help but wonder if he'd found someone new already.
"Well, I have a girlfriend." Chris confessed. "Her name is Dani."
"I date some." Lance said next.
"Me too." JC admitted. "But nothing serious."
"I have too many girlfriends." Joey said laughing.
The rest of the guys laughed and then looked at Justin, waiting for him to answer.
"No, I don't have a girlfriend." Justin said and looked down. He was fidgeting with something on his hand, and when I realized what it was, a tear rolled down my cheek. He was wearing the ring I had given back to him. I thought back to the day I left him at the airport. I gave his ring back to him and told him if he ever loved me, to wear the ring and always remember the great times we shared. And he was wearing it. I wiped the tears from my face and tried to finish watching the show.
After the audience member asked if they had girlfriends, Justin didn't talk much. He seemed sad. "Maybe he really does miss me," I thought. Then I remembered what he did to me.
"Why am I feeling sorry for him?" I asked myself. "He cheated on me and now I feel sorry for him." I decided I couldn't watch anymore and turned off the tv. I slipped on my shoes and headed outside to take a walk and clear my head.
~*~*~*~
"Hey JC, it's me, Christie." She said when JC answered his cell phone.
"Hey girl, what's up?"
"Nothing, I just saw you on TRL. Thought I'd call and say hey."
"Oh you were watching huh? So what'd ya think?" JC asked curiously.
"I liked the girlfriend question." She replied, laughing. "It's always fun to watch y'all squirm."
"Yeah, that's kind of a hard question to answer. The fans just don't believe us that we don't have a steady girlfriend."
"Well, you could always lie and say you do. I'd be happy to help you out and be your girlfriend." Christie joked.
"Ok, you just remember that when you get 10 web site's dedicated to hating you for going out with me." JC said laughing.
"Yeah, you're right. You better stick to the 'I'm dating' answer." Christie told him. "So what else is new?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Not much, we finished up our tour and now we're just doing promotional stuff for the new album."
"Sounds fun."
"Oh yeah, it's a blast. Oh, guess what?"
"What?" Christie asked.
"We're going to Atlanta in a couple of weeks to perform at the American Music Awards."
"Really? That's awesome. You're gonna come see me right?" She asked sweetly.
"Of course. I'll give you a call when we get there." He promised.
"Ok, great. I'll talk to you soon then." She said and hung up the phone.
~*~*~*~
"So do you wanna go see a movie tonight?" Blake asked me after I got done checking out a customer.
"Sure, what do you wanna see?" I asked.
He smiled and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Whatever you want."
"Well, how about that new Freddie Prince Jr. movie?" I suggested.
"Sounds good. I'll pick you up at seven." He said and turned to walk away.
~*~*~*~
"Come on guys, we're gonna be late for the movie." Justin shouted from the living room. The arrived in Atlanta that morning and had the night off, so they decided to go see a movie.
"Alright, let's go." Lance said, coming out of the room. JC and Christie came out of the room next, with big smiles on their faces.
"We're ready." JC said.
"What were y'all doing?" Chris asked, laughing.
Christie blushed and elbowed JC in the arm. "Nothing, we were just catching up on old times." JC said, smiling at Christie. He had called her right when they got in town and she met him at their hotel. They all walked to the limo and quickly got in.
"So, have you called Michelle yet?" Lance asked Justin.
"No, have you called Jenn?" Justin asked back.
"Yeah. She had to work so she couldn't go see the movie with us. But she is coming over later I think." He said happily.
"That's good." Justin said. He had thought about calling Michelle, but he was scared she wouldn't talk to him. "Maybe I'll go by her house tomorrow," he thought to himself as the limo pulled into the movie theater parking lot.
Everyone got out and bought their tickets. A few people recognized them and asked for autographs. The guys all signed them and took pictures with the fans. Finally, they went inside to sit down. The had decided to go see Sleepy Hollow with Johnny Depp. They hurried into the theater and took their seats near the back.
~*~*~*~
I sat down next to Blake just as the movie was starting. He put his arm around me and I laid my head comfortably on his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head and squeezed me tight. When the movie was over, we sat and waited for the crowd to leave the theater before standing up. Finally, when it had cleared out some, we stood up to leave. Blake grabbed my hand and led me out of the theater. We walked through the lobby, hand in hand, when suddenly I gasped. Across the room, standing by the doors, was Justin and the rest of the guys.
"What's wrong?" Blake asked me concerned. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"It's nothing," I said. "Let's get out of here."
~*~*~*~
"Man, that movie sucked." Lance said as they stood by the doors waiting on Christie to go to the restroom.
"Hell no, that movie was awesome." Justin argued. I'm gonna go to the restroom. I'll be back." He said and turned around to walk off. Just as he did, he bumped into someone behind him.
"I'm sorry," He said and looked up. "Michelle?" He asked, not believing his eyes.
"Hi Justin." I said weakly.
"How are you?" He asked, not knowing what else to say. He had gone over it a million different times in his head what to say to her, and now she was here and he could hardly speak.
"I'm good. This is my friend, Blake." I said, smiling nervously. Justin's heart sank to the bottom of his chest. "How could Michelle get another boyfriend so fast?" He thought as he said hi to Blake.
"We better get going. Take care Justin." I said, looking into his eyes, searching for something, for anything, to show me he still cared about me.
"Yeah, you too." Justin said, looking down.
I stood there for a few seconds, pleading with my eyes for him to make everything ok again. But I knew he couldn't do that. As much as I wanted him to, I knew he could never take back that night. I smiled weakly and said goodbye as I turned to leave.
~*~*~*~
He watched as she walked away. He had forgotten how beautiful she was. He remembered the way her green eyes used to sparkle when she looked at him. The way she would smile at him and make everything ok.
"You alright?" Lance asked, coming up behind Justin.
"Yeah." Justin lied. They walked outside and got into the limo. Justin starred blankly out the window. He didn't realize how much he missed Michelle until now, until he saw her again.
~*~*~*~
"So, was that your ex-boyfriend?" Blake asked once we were outside.
"Yeah." I replied quietly.
"I thought so." He said and gently put his arm around me. We rode home in silence most of the way. A million thoughts raced through my head as he drove me home. I could still smell Justin's cologne he had on. I used to love the way he smelled. A tear fell down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away. I thanked Blake for the movie when he pulled into my driveway and apologized for what happened.
"No problem. I'll call you tomorrow." He said as I stepped out of the car.
"Ok, goodnight." I said and shut the door.
Once I got inside my room, I fell onto my bed and cried. I still loved Justin so much and it hurt to see him and not be able to wrap my arms around him. To have him hold me in his arms, where I once felt was the safest place in the world. I changed into a t-shirt and some sweat pants and crawled into bed, suddenly exhausted.
~*~*~*~
"Hey there beautiful." Lance said when Jenn answered the phone.
"Hey, what's up?" Jenn replied, laughing.
"Not much. Just wondering when you're gonna let me take you on that date you promised me."
"I'm sorry, after work last night I was so tired. I came home and fell asleep."
"It's ok, I forgive you. So you busy later?"
"Yeah, I have a date."
"Huh?" Lance asked confused.
"Yeah, this really cute guy with an incredibly sexy voice asked me out. How could I turn him down?" Jenn joked, trying to act serious.
"Oh yeah? Well, he sounds like a great guy." Lance played along.
"Yeah, he's alright I guess. Nothing special."
"Nothing special huh?" Lance asked, pretending to be hurt by her comment.
"Well, he does have his moments." Jenn said, laughing.
"And what might those be?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." Jenn teased. They both laughed and Jenn asked him, "So where are you taking me?"
"Wanna go get something to eat?"
"Sure." She told him.
"Alright, I'll pick you up at seven." He told her. "By the way, how's Michelle doing?" He asked, concerned.
"Fine, why?"
"Well I just wondered if she was upset after what happened last night."
"What do you mean? What happened?" Jenn asked curiously.
"I figured you would know by now. We ran into her at the movies. Actually, we didn't talk to her, but Justin did."
"Oh my god, are you serious?" Jenn asked, shocked. "I better go call her."
"Ok, well, I'll see you tonight at seven." Lance said before Jenn hung up the phone. She picked it back up and dialed Michelle's number.
~*~*~*~
"Hello," I answered sleepily.
"Hey Shelly, did I wake you up?"
"Yeah, but it's ok. What time is it?"
"It's one o'clock." Jenn informed me.
"Are you serious? Damn, I must have been tired."
"So how are you feeling?"
"I'm alright, why?"
"Lance called me earlier and told me you talked to Justin last night. What happened?"
The scene replayed in my head for the thousandth time. I was hoping I would wake up and have it all be a dream.
"I went to the movies with Blake and when we were leaving, I saw Justin. I tried to leave without him seeing me, but I had to walk past him to get out the door and he turned around and ran right into me." I told her.
"Wow, what did y'all talk about?" Jenn asked. I told her what was said, and started crying again. "He didn't even seem upset." I told her sadly, tears streaming down my face.
"He probably just felt weird since Blake was right there." Jenn assured her. "I'm sure that was awkward for him."
"Yeah, I guess so." I said.
She asked if I wanted her to come over and keep me company, but I told her no, that I was fine.
"Well, if you need to talk, call me. I'm going out with Lance later, but I'll have my cell phone if you need me."
"Thanks, but I'm fine really." I assured her. We said goodbye and hung up the phone. I got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. I turned the shower on and walked back into my room to grab some clothes. Just as I was heading back to the bathroom, the phone rang. I ran back to answer it.
"Hello?" I asked into the receiver.
"Hi Michelle, it's me, Justin."
TO BE CONTINUED