Jen had explained some of the situation vaguely to her friends across the hall, and they had agreed that she could crash on the futon whenever she wanted to. Jen could not stop thanking them and decided she would hook them up with some great seats to the show when it came back into town to close out the tour. Jen avoided Ashlee at all costs, and Ashlee pretty much had free reign on their room. Jen carried her cell phone with her everywhere she went and the guys only called her on that, afraid to leave messages on the machine in the room, and afraid to call the girls she was spending the night with because they didn’t know about their friendship.
The updates in the Enquirer had halted, and Jen was relieved. She talked to Justin on the phone pretty much daily, and he said that Jeremy and Johnny were on that end of it and not to worry. She still picked up the magazine as often as she could to check it cover to cover for any mention of them. The weeks were passing quickly and finals were once again approaching fast.
”Justinnnnnnnn, I can’t believe its finals time alreadyyyyyy…” Jen whined into her phone on the way to class.
Justin laughed as he lounged on the couch in the toy room at the venue. “I know I know, didn’t you just have finals though?” he asked, teasing her.
”Ugh, bastard, don’t remind me. When are you guys coming back to town again?”
”We should be back in Tampa for some shows I think next week…or was it two weeks? LANCE!” he yelled, and Lance turned from the foozball table slightly.
”Next Friday Justin. Friday and Saturday are Tampa, then Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are Orlando.”
”OK J, next Friday-“
”Yeah I heard Lance. If you ever yell in my ear like that again I will rip every single cornrow out of your head, got me? How are you and the guys holding up? Fans treatin’ ya well?” she asked, waving to one of her friends as she passed them on the sidewalk.
Jen and Justin had fallen into their old habits, and Justin was not going to push Jen into any kind of romantic talk until she was ready for it. With the pressure of school and the thought of Ashlee being responsible for all their heartache, he figured he would wait until school had ended and things had cooled off before bringing up again. He was forming a plan in his head and needed to find the exact time to spring it on her. He was just happy to have his friend back and bantering with him…for now.
”Everyone is doing well, eager to get back home and see family again. Are YOU taking care of yourself Miss Thang?”
Jen rolled her eyes and headed up the steps to the building her class was being held in. “Yes, as always Mr. Thang. Now I’m at my class so I have to get off this thing. Do you know how many people stare at me for yakkin’ away on the cell on my way to class, pretty much this class, every single day? The things I do, honestly. I guess I will talk to you soon! Seeya!”
”OK girl, talk to ya soon, bye!” he said and hung up the phone. The guys turned around to see how the conversation went and he just smiled evilly.
”What are you thinking over there youngin’?” JC asked, raising an eyebrow.
”Justin…I know that look. She is going to maim you.”
Justin just snickered at Chris’ comment and punched a few numbers into his phone and leaned back lazily.
The professor was in the middle of talking about theories in Behaviorism when the shrill sound of a phone interrupted his lecture. Jen’s eyes widened as she quickly grabbed her backpack and fished for her phone, pulling it out and turning it on.
”Hello??” she whispered forcefully as her classmates and professor glared at her.
”You said ‘talk to you soon’…is this not soon enough? You sound angry, was I supposed to call back 2 minutes ago?”
Her eyes widened and she stood up slowly, trying not to make any noise. Her professor had continued on with his lecture, but gave her a pointed look when her chair toppled over and disrupted the class once again. She winced and bolted out of the room with all eyes on her. She walked out of the building and threw her bag down onto the ground as she found her voice.
”Justin Randall Timberlake!” she yelled into the phone. Several people stared at her curiously, some because of her outburst, and some because of the name she yelled.
Justin pulled the phone away from his ear and the rest of the guys began to laugh, hearing Jen’s pissed off tone.
”Yeeeeeeeeees my dear?”
”You little…oh my GOD I think my whole class hates me! I cant believe you called me right as lecture began…my professor…I swear Justin if I get a C in that course I’m going to have to take it over and you are going to do all the work for me, don’t think I’m kidding either,” she said in one breath, lifting her bag off the ground and carrying it to the steps where she parked herself.
”Why JJ, I was just-“
”Being a smartass. Now I can’t go back in there…its 300 people in lecture…”
”300 people? That’s nothing. Just tell them I called.”
Jen could hear the smile in his voice, and even though she willed herself not to, she cracked a tiny smile herself. “You know DAMN well I can’t do that Timbersnake…don’t you have a show or something? Someone else to harass?”
”But I like your ass…”
”Cute.”
”Thanks I know I am. I love getting you flustered. So now what are you going to do?”
”Well, no more classes today, so I guess I will probably head over to the fountain and get some work done. So next Friday you are here huh? Do you think you can do me a favor?” she asked as she stood and dusted herself off.
”For you, the world.”
”Lovely Stin, lovely. I need two tickets to your show for the girls I’m staying with, kinda like a gift for letting me stay with them. Can you send me some?”
”Cake my friend. I’ll send your pass with ‘em ok?”
Jen spotted Kyle sitting by the fountain and bit her lip in concentration. “Beautious J. I should get going, I am going to have a mother bill on this phone.”
”OK OK. Sorry for pulling you outta lecture like that.”
”No you aren’t.”
”OK, I’m not. I just love tormenting you though, it…brings a sparkle to my day.”
”You just wait till Friday. Actually, I will call you later tonight, I want to talk something over and in the Engineering Mall is not the best place to do it.”
”OK, call me whenever.” Johnny walked into the dressing room and started to round up the guys to get into their costumes.
”Now go sing and dance your ass of, got me?”
”Yes M’am!”
”Seeya Justin.”
”Ciao Bella!”
Jen shut off her phone and chuckled to herself, he never ceased to amaze her. Things had been going well between the two, their friendship was still intact and everything was back to normal. She was glad he hadn’t brought up the romantic aspects of their lives yet, for she was just getting back into the swing of things.
What if he thinks that it’s better off this way? Just friends? I mean…well, let’s see what happens when I actually SEE him.
Jen pocketed her phone and her eyes made their way to Kyle, who seemed to be engrossed in a textbook. She took a deep breath and made her way over to him confidently. She was facing a lot of things lately, and she wanted to put this part of her life to rest.
”Kyle…”
He looked up and never in a million years did he expect to see Jen, of all people, talking to him. His eyes registered his shock as he shut the book and just stared.
”Jen…um, Jen…” he stuttered.
She forced a smile and shoved her hands in her pockets. “I was wondering if we could talk.”
”Sure…yeah…now?”
”Are you busy?”
”I don’t have any more classes today…want to go to the Union and get a bite to eat or something, talk there?” he asked, still surprised at the conversation he was having.
”Sounds good.”
The two sat in a booth in the back of one of the shoppes with shakes and hot dogs, not really saying anything to each other. They were both pretty uncomfortable, and the silence was getting to be too much to bare.
”Kyle I…I wanted to talk to you about…well, about what happened.”
Kyle looked up at her and took a deep breath. He nodded and took a long drink of his shake.
”Jen there’s something you need to know…”
”I know Ashlee put you up to dating me.”
He stared at her once again in shock. “You…you do?”
”Yeah…but that night…”
His eyes were everywhere but on her. “Jen…it was all Ashlee’s idea. I don’t want it to sound like I’m pushing everything onto her, but it was her idea to have me try to sleep with you. She even paid me off to do it, telling me I would get more money after it was actually…done. I didn’t want to go through with it, but she said you really liked me and well…”
Jen stared at him and cocked her head, wanting to hear more. “Well what? Kyle you have to tell me, you cant just say something like that and expect me to be OK with it.”
”OK well I really did like you. I figured you would go with it, from what she had told me about you. She’s a smooth talker, made everything sound like it was no big deal. How did you find out about this?”
”Ashlee and I had words, and it all came out. She is not the person I thought she was. I wanted to clear things up with you Kyle, get your side of the story. I wanted to know why you did what you did…you really didn’t seem like the type…” she trailed off, glancing at her food.
”I’m so sorry Jen. I never meant for any of this to happen…”
”What’s done is done Kyle. I should really get back to the room; I have some things I need to finish up. I will see you around I guess.” Jen stood up and started gathering her things.
”Wait..”
Jen looked back at him and raised an eyebrow in question.
”I hope you and Justin work things out…you guys are meant for each other.”
”Thanks…bye Kyle.”
”So Justin…we’ll be in Tampa in less than a week…nervous to see Jen?” Lance asked after their show. Justin rubbed a towel down his sweaty arms and over his face and raised an eyebrow towards Lance.
”Why would I be nervous to see my best friend?”
”Because it’s been months and you two certainly didn’t leave each other on a good note,” Chris added, throwing his towel at Justin. Justin grabbed the towel off his head and threw it back at Chris, hitting him in the face.
”We talk every day guys. Everything is cool with us now. Again, why would I be nervous?”
”Hmm, because you’ll want to run up to her and lay a fat kiss on those kissable lips…but wont be able to. That’ll make you awkward, which then leads to nervousness.”
”You sound like a Star Wars movie JC. ‘Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to the dark side. How feel you?’ Jeez…and don’t talk about her lips being kissable, she’s like your sister for crying out loud,” he added as they jumped onto the tour bus.
”Stop playing games with us and tell us you have something planned for the big reunion.”
”Nothing. I’m keeping it low key, for her sake. You guys, her roommate ratted us out. I mean, she’s had enough surprises for now. We’ll see how things go when we are there…but don’t think for a second that we are going to go the ‘just friends’ route. I just hope she isn’t dating anyone at school.”
The other four looked at each other, rolled their eyes, and then proceeded to jump on Justin, tackling him to the floor and wrestling. The five of them made quite a sight; an average on-looker would think they were actually brawling, but this was just a way for them to release their emotions and pent up energy.
Justin crawled away first and said exasperatedly, “What did I say?”
The sound of a phone ringing grabbed everyone’s attention and had halted the fighting, for the time being. They all reached for a phone and answered it.
”Hello?” JC asked, trying to catch his breath.
”Hello?”
”Hello?”
”Hello?”
”Hey Babydoll!”
”Jace! What’s up brother love?” Jen laughed into the phone. She was up for another round of the ‘hello’ game, but afraid her phone bill wouldn’t be.
”Ah, another nights work has come to a close. Am I on Justin’s phone?”
”You got it dude. So, word on the street is that you’ll be out here on Friday…tell me its true.”
”The street is right. Excited to see me?”
Justin was watching JC talk to Jen and couldn’t help but wonder what Jen’s answer to his question was.
Is she excited to see ME? Am I nervous over this? I can’t be. This is Jen here…I’ve known her forever, there is no reason to be nervous or awkward. Does she still want to be with me? I need to see her to tell…once I look at her I’ll know…
”JUSTIN!! Hello friend, earth to space J. Where you at boy? Take the phone and talk to the girl already!” JC was yelling, waving the phone in front of his face.
Justin snapped out of his thoughts and yanked the phone away form his ear. “Thank YOU C. Now that I can’t hear a DAMN thing…” he rolled his eyes and then spoke into the phone, “hey cutie what’s goin’ on?”
”Hey Jussy. Show went well?”
”As always…Chris was a little off on the harmonies…”
”I WAS NOT!” Chris yelled in the background. Jen laughed and could picture the scene on the bus in front of her.
”You are horrible. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about this plan I have…”
Justin’s interest peaked immediately. “Well, do tell my lovely acompliss…”
