Lauren put on her sunglasses and looked down at the book in front of her. The semester had just begun a few weeks ago and already she was feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. She would have liked nothing more than to be able to go off with Justin and the guys to promote their new album and to lend her moral support but her own dreams had to take top priority somewhere. Until now she never realized how tough or how challenging going after your dreams really could be. Her own experiences with college so far and her own inner battles between what she wanted and what she wanted to do made her respect the guys even more than she had before. They had fought so much more and had overcome so much more to be in the place that they were in now and here she was hating having to go to class because she would rather go off and be in California with them.
"You're looking pretty serious over there."
She looked up from the textbook and nodded. "I'm doing whatever it takes to keep my mind off of the way you're driving. Do you think you could bring it under the speed of light for just a little while? I have a test next week that I would really love to make it to since I studied and all."
He shifted gears and weaved around a few more cars before turning to smile brightly at her. "Are you trying to say that my driving makes you nervous?"
"I'm not trying to say anything, I'm flat out saying that you're a lunatic behind the wheel. Why don't you just drop me off at the next bus stop and I'll get a ride there."
He turned down the radio and slowed down. "For someone who is such a go-getter and a wild child you are being very conservative here Val."
"Because I particularly enjoy having all my major organs in working order without the fender of another car working as a prosthetic? Uh huh…sure."
"What do you want to do after I pick you up after class?"
She turned around to look at a car they had just passed that had an N SYNC bumper sticker on it and shrugged. "You said you wanted to go to the studio so I guess I'll tag along. I haven't seen Miranda in a few days so I can get a whole dose of gossip in one visit."
"A gossip sundae huh?"
"Whipped cream and sprinkles on top. I'm all over that and there are more than enough nuts around that studio to keep us occupied and satisfied."
He chuckled at her words and turned off the Interstate on the exit that read "University of Central Florida." Checking the clock on the dash he whistled through his teeth. "Are you going to make it?"
"I certainly hope so. I'm not looking forward to the lecture I'll get if I walk in late."
He circled in front of one of the buildings and stopped before turning in the seat to look at her. "Here you go miss. Safe and sound just like I promised."
"Would you like me to peel the dead bird off of the grill before I go to class or are you going to leave it on there for status?"
He unlocked the doors and kissed her on the cheek. "Have a great day at school honey. Do you have your milk money?"
She jumped down out of the car and turned to look at him. "One o'clock Justin. I'll be standing here at one o'clock."
"Talk to your professors about the trip. I know that they will probably say 'no' but it doesn't hurt to ask. It's only for two days and I'll even help you with the make-up work."
She grinned mischievously and tapped her hand on the hood of the car. "I have an anatomy class. What would you know about that Justin?"
"Sex ed? Baby you have Joey at your service on that one. JC is coming in at a close second here lately."
She slammed the car door to shut up his giggle and turned around to walk away. He honked the horn at her and she waved back at him as he pulled away. "What a goofball."
As she walked she thought about the California trip and how much she really wanted to be there. In the past she had missed so many performances and so many things that involved his singing career because of her age that she now felt the need to make up for it since she was eighteen about to turn nineteen. She was a college student now, a woman of her own means, and just when she felt a first bite of freedom she was being held back by one of the main sources of her freedom. Talking to the professor might work but it was highly doubtful. This whole town was boyband crazy and she mentally prepared herself for the eyerolls she knew were in store for her when the topic of Justin was mentioned.
A young blond haired girl stepped up beside her and smiled brightly. "Hi…Lauren right?"
"That's right, and you are?"
The girl held out her hand and shook hers. "Mary Beth. I'm a freshman from Colorado. I think we have a couple of classes together."
"I'm on my way to photography right now. You?"
The girl literally bounced up and down with excitement and Lauren had to bite her tongue not to make a blond crack at her. "I'm going to photography too! This city is so big! Have you had a hard time making your way around? I got lost going down the street the other day."
Maybe that's because you're a moron, she thought. "I've lived here since I was eleven so I'm kind of used to it."
Surprisingly enough she made it to her class with ten minutes to spare and she smiled slightly when Mary Beth sat down in the desk beside her. "Why did you decide to stay in Orlando Lauren? Do you have family here?"
She knew that the girl was just being friendly but it took a lot for her to open up about herself to total strangers and trust was a big issue with her because she had so many secrets about her private life that HAD to remain hidden. Who her best friend just happened to be was on the top of that list. "I have family here yes. I also have very close friends here so I stayed around."
The girl looked completely fascinated by her answers and Lauren thought that she either had NO friends or she was just a tad bit off. The true test was to ask the question that she loved asking every female she had met here so far. "So Mary Beth, what brought you to the city of the Mouse?"
"I know this sounds silly but I have always loved Orlando and I wanted to see what all the excitement is about."
She was going straight down the path she had heard a hundred times. "And is it exciting?"
"Oh yes! I love Florida but the winter here so far is nothing. I love music too and I hope to work for the music industry one day. Photography and music usually go hand in hand."
Out of all the things that she associated with the music industry, photography had to be on the bottom of that list. It was like saying that needles went really well with the police force. True there was a parallel but not enough to make her want to major in something for that reason. "Well good luck to you. I hope you meet a lot of people here who can help you out."
She leaned forward and whispered, "I have been here since August and I know this is silly but I thought I would see some celebrities around here somewhere. The only ones I've seen so far were Goofy and Dennis Rodman."
"One and the same huh?"
"What?"
Lauren giggled and shook her head. "Nevermind. It was a bad and pointless joke. So you like music, photography, and celebrities. I think you've come to the right city because it seems like a lot of people have moved here lately for those very reasons. Usually they're after a boyband member but I guess if they want to move to a city with millions and assume that Chris Kirkpatrick might use their bank and run into them one day…who am I to judge right?"
Mary Beth's eyes widened. "YOU SAW CHRIS AT A BANK?"
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "It was an example. Just an example."
A few minutes of silence passed before Mary Beth stopped tapping her pencil on top of the desk and leaned over again. "I don't mean to be nosey or to sound like an idiot but was that Justin Timberlake who dropped you off today? I know I'm probably just HOPING that I would see him so my brain is transforming a normal guy into him but the car and the features I saw looked a lot like him."
Lauren swallowed hard and a fearful expression came over her face. "Justin Timberlake? As in Justin Timberlake of N SYNC? Now why would he be in Orlando driving girls around and dropping them off for class? I'm sure he has tons of stuff to be doing like recording, dancing his butt off, or…or…watering the lawn with a giant hose that should be wrapped tightly around his neck instead."
The girl's eyes widened fearfully and she leaned back in her chair to put some distance between them. The professor walked in and started putting things up on the desk. It was now or never to talk to the professor about possibly missing two days next week and she took a deep breath to mentally prepare herself for the laughter or sarcasm that was sure to come with her explanation.
She was busy collecting papers and organizing her things as Lauren walked up to the desk and cleared her throat. "Um…Professor Buck?"
"Yes hon what can I do for you? I have about five minutes to get ready for this class."
Her voice was soft and she was very thankful for the fact that hardly anyone was in the room at the moment and that everyone seemed to be doing something that kept them occupied. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm really excited about the class and I know you have a very low tolerance for absenteeism but I have the opportunity to go out of town next week for two days and I was wondering if there would be any way for me to make that trip and make up the work that I miss?"
The woman stared at her and raised an eyebrow at her rambling. "The syllabus says that absences are not accepted unless it's an emergency."
"Well you see, I don't get to see my best friend all that much and he's doing something very special in California next week. I ordinarily would wait until the weekend to make a trip like that but since things are about to get really hectic in his life I thought that I should lend moral support and be there for him."
"I don't mean to pry because it's really none of my business but since you're trying to get out of my class for two days I think I have a right to know. How are things about to get hectic and why can't this wait for another time?"
Oh here it goes. "You see, he's a singer and there's a really big promotional thing in California for his new album coming out in March. MTV is going to be there, newspapers, and that kind of stuff."
She folded her arms over her chest and gave her a tired look. "All I need for you to say next is that Justin Timberlake is the guy you're talking about."
I told him this would happen and he wouldn't listen. "Actually yes he is the one I'm talking about. I wish you would keep this information a secret because college is MY thing to be doing right now but we've been friends…"
"For a long time right? Since childhood? Do you know how many best friends of Justin Timberlake I've had in my classroom ever since this time last year? That guy must get around A LOT because he certainly makes close friends very easily." She eyed Lauren carefully and sighed. "Next week is all about gathering black and white photographs and the techniques used in that process."
"Well I'm sure that there will be plenty of photographers there. I can ask them some tricks of the trade while I'm walking around snapping pictures."
The woman rolled her eyes once again and handed her a stack of papers. "Would you pass these out for me please?"
Lauren turned around and started handing out the papers and it was a miserable process at the moment. "Dead end number one."
No more was said because the professor began class. She gave assignment after assignment on what kind of pictures she wanted in their portfolios at the end of the semester. The project that would be due from all of them would have to be a reflection of something in their lives and it had to contain not only color prints but black and white, portraits, and scenery. There was something so exciting about photography for Lauren. Her camera was always in her purse or in her backpack and it seemed like she was always after the perfect shot. She was either meant to be in this profession or she was psychotic. A little of both was probably true.
The hours flew by and Lauren waved goodbye with a smile to Mary Beth as she hurriedly exited the room and didn't give her a second look. She actually looked a little fearful of her as she walked out of the room and that made her giggle. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder she checked her watch and headed for the door.
The woman's voice stopped her. "Nice try miss."
She gritted her teeth and walked out into the hallway. "Way to go. Nice first impression you gave off Lauren. Not only did you scare some poor girl from Colorado but you also managed to convince the person in charge of your grades that you're delusional. All in a days work."
As she rounded the corner an arm reached out and grabbed her around the waist. "Talking to yourself again Val?"
She looked up and almost screamed when she realized that Justin was standing there with sunglasses on, a baseball cap covered by his sweatshirt hood, and grinning down at her like a Cheshire cat. "Justin? What the…what are you doing here? Are you CRAZY?"
He looked over her head and noticed that nobody had paid much attention to her outburst. "Did you talk to your professor about next week?"
"I don't want to talk about it. I got 'the look' that I've grown accustomed to and I'm just going to have to watch you all from my living room. I'll make the next trip ok?"
He suddenly grabbed her hand and dragged her behind him down the hall back towards the classroom. "I'm not going to accept that at all Lauren."
"It's not a big deal. Just leave it alone."
"It's not a big deal that someone accused my best friend of being a liar? No way in hell is that ok."
He pointed to the door that she had exited from and pulled on her arm until she came inside. "Hello ma'am. Is this one of your students?"
Professor Buck looked at Lauren and nodded. "She certainly is. Is there something I can help you two with? I have a class that is going to start in about thirty minutes and I need to prepare my notes."
Justin closed the door and walked over to the woman. "I think she asked you if she could have two days off next week and that she would make up the work. Is there a problem that we can maybe work out?"
"Had Miss Owsley approached me with a valid reason then I probably would have considered it since she has been an exceptional student so far this semester, but giving me an excuse involving some boyband member is not something I will tolerate. I will not tolerate lies when people are asking for favors."
Justin looked back at Lauren. She had both of her hands covering her face and he turned around to smile evilly at the woman. "I know that you probably get a lot of that here in Orlando but Lauren is a little different. You see I need for her to come to California with me and I promise that she will do her homework even if I have to tie her down myself."
The light was slowly dawning in the woman's eyes and she looked him up and down carefully.
Justin grinned even brighter as he slowly took his sunglasses off. "I see you're catching on here."
When the woman recognized him her eyes seem to take up her entire face and she couldn't stop looking between a red-faced Lauren and the stunning young man in front of her. "You're Justin Timberlake."
"Yes I am and if you need more proof I can whip out my driver's license but I can't guarantee you'll still be a fan after seeing the picture. So what do you say? Can she come along and make up the work? Just this one time? Front row tickets?"
She looked at Lauren again briefly before nodding. "Ok just this once but I expect perfection from her when she returns with those pictures."
Justin hugged her and kissed her cheek. "You are one VERY smart woman. Lauren is so lucky to have you as her professor and…"
She held up a hand to stop him. "I'm only thirty years old so don't sweet talk me like I'm your grandmother. Now you two get out of here before I change my mind."
Justin grabbed one of Lauren's hands away from her face and squeezed it tightly in his. "Thank you again."
On their way out she called out once more. "Oh Miss Owsley?"
Lauren turned around hesitantly. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry about doubting you but you understand…"
"Yeah I understand. Thank you for this chance. I won't let you down."
When they were out in the hallway and Justin had his disguise back in place he picked her up, hugged her, and spun her around. "How was THAT for a little moral support? Am I a good friend or WHAT?"
"I can't believe you just did that. What you are is a NUT who needs to learn that there are limitations in life. You can't always pull me out of jams because of what your name means Justin. This trip better be life altering because with all the trouble you have put me through today I need some kind of reward!"
They walked together down the hallway and he already felt better about going across the country because she was going to be with him. "You'll be rewarded…oh yes you will."
(Wednesday February 2, 2000)
"I don't care what you say, you have not stumped me yet!"
JC rolled his eyes and put his hand on the small of Miranda's back as they walked down the hallway of the plane. "I didn't stump you huh? Then what is the name of the song then? I gave you those lyrics like a month ago and you STILL haven't given me the title of the song or the singer."
Miranda pushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. She sat down with a sigh and eyed him closely as he sat beside her. "Just because I haven't told YOU doesn't mean that I don't know it. You know as well as I do that anticipation is the key and I'm just stringing you along here until you get really confident and think that you've stumped me. Those lyrics were baby lyrics."
He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "You have anticipation down to an artform but what I would really like to call it is 'stalling'."
Her palm smacked his stomach and she giggled when he groaned. "You're an arrogant prick JC Chasez."
His eyes remained closed but he turned his head towards her. "I love you too sweetheart."
A flash went off in their face and both JC and Miranda gave Lauren a strange look as she stood over them with a camera. "You'll thank me for that picture later. Your grandkids will thank me for that picture too. I would label it 'my grandparents the freaks who spent half their life arguing over a Fiona Apple song'."
JC sat up quickly. "Lauren!"
Miranda chuckled and gave Lauren a high five over the seat. "Oh yes thank you!"
JC turned to smirk at her once again. "For someone who knows the song, you're pretty excited over hearing the artist's name. What's the title of the song?"
She took a few deep breaths and pulled a section of the newspaper up to cover her from his view. "Uh…all in good time. Uh huh."
He grabbed one of her hands, kissed the back of it, and tucked it against his chest before closing his eyes again. A knowing grin was on his face for quite a while but playing games with her was too much fun to spoil. SHE was too much fun to spoil.
Lance patted the seat next to him and motioned for Lauren to sit down beside him. She was still giggling as she plopped down in the seat. "You want ME to sit next to you? I'm honored."
"Actually I want to see if I can piss Justin off again. There's no way he'll be able to get a hold of my mom this time so let's see what he does."
Justin was busy putting his bags in the overhead compartment, but when he finished and looked down to see Lauren and Lance sitting beside each other he looked pitiful. "Oh I see how it is. I…see…how…it…is. Don't think that I won't beat you down like I've done to Chris so many times."
Chris' pillow went flying through the air and nailed Justin in the face.
A few hours later Lance took off his headphones and looked over at her while she studied the book in front of her. "How is college going?"
"Not too bad so far. The only really good class I have this semester is photography but I think this trip might burn a few bridges that probably should have been left alone."
"We're glad you're here and I know that Justin is. He's been moping around the studio the last few weeks but when he realized that you were coming along there was a little more pep in his step."
She closed the book and turned to him. "Do you know what he's so upset about?"
"I have no idea but you know Justin…he won't talk until he's ready. He makes fun of JC for that but there's no bigger safe to crack than when that boy is riled up about something."
"Yeah." She turned to look over at Justin where he was sprawled out in the two seats across from her. He was curled up as much as he could and was sleeping peacefully with his headphones still on and the music blaring in his ears. This was the side she craved to see out of him and this was the side that she wished more people would recognize. He was a normal person and just like every other normal person he got scared, he had hopes, he was sad sometimes for no reason at all, and he was exhausted from everything hitting him at once.
A feeling of dread overtook her as she looked at her dear friend and his fatigued state. "Lance, this really has only just begun right?"
He looked away from the window and noticed the concerned look she had directed at Justin's sleeping form. "I think so Lauren and if I had to guess I'd say the worst is yet to come."