Chapter 14

Justin didn't see Judy until well into the afternoon that next day. He woke up that morning and was immediately ushered to the golf course. It was a benefit for a children's foundation, and a few other celebrities were in attendance. Judy would have loved it, had it not been for their argument earlier.

He thought about what had happened all through the benefit, and it threw off his game. He didn't even make top three. He felt bad for what he had said. She wasn't acting slutty, she was acting like someone on the rebound. She'd just gotten out of the most serious relationship she'd had to far and all of a sudden here was this guy, with this glamorous profession, sweet talking her. Of course she was going to be interested. Besides, she had been drunk beyond recognition. She didn't know what she was doing. She'd been young, naïve, and plastered, and he'd humiliated her on TV.

As soon as he got the chance he was going to apologize. He didn't have the right to judge her the way he had. He needed to make sure that their friendship was okay, and still intact. He was also dying of curiosity to know what had happened behind that locked door.

However, finding Judy to apologize to her was a lot easier said than done. He went by the hotel after the golf gig, and knocked on her door only to receive no answer. When he got to the venue, she didn't show-up for the meet-and-greet. He was hoping he'd see her during dinner when he headed outside to where the BBQ was set-up. Justin half-filled a plate, more killing time so he'd have a chance to scan the large crowd for her face. But by the time he was done he still hadn't found her.

"Where is Judy?" He turned to Beth, who was next to him with her ever faithful camera.

Beth shrugged in response. Justin turned, looking over the crowd again. He saw Mason walking out through the double doors. Judy wasn't with him, but he certainly looked cheerful. He spotted Justin off to the side and gave his employer a smile. Justin felt rage beginning to seep down his spine.

Without saying a word Justin tossed his plate in a nearby garbage can and headed back inside, through the twisting halls to his dressing room, where he slammed the door shut. It only opened again and in walked Rachel and Trace, followed by Beth and Jon.

"What is your deal?" Trace asked. "Since when do you storm away from a BBQ spread?"

Justin sat down on the sofa with a sigh, dropping his head into his hands.

"I've been looking for Judy all day and I haven't seen her."

"Why are you looking? Are you going to apologize?"

Justin raised his head at Rachel's question and narrowed his eyes on her.

"Do you know where she is?" Justin asked.

"Apologize for what?" Trace asked.

"Maybe. But if you're looking for her so you can say more mean things to her than no, I don't."

"What mean things? Apologize for what?" Trace asked again, looking back and forth between them both.

"Rach, if you know where she went you better tell me right now."

"Or what? You'll call Auntie Lynn on me?"

"Hello?! Am I talking to myself here? What do you have to apologize for?"

Trace finally stepped between them, sick of being ignored and out of the loop. Justin let out a sigh and leaned back against the sofa.

"I called her a slut."

Trace's eyebrows raised.

"In the hallway last night, in front of everyone," Rachel added.

Trace's jaw dropped and he sat down in the chair opposite Justin.

"Man, and I thought my calling her a junkie was bad."

Justin's shoulders slumped. They weren't helping him feel any better.

"So are you going to apologize? You better be getting ready to apologize," Rachel pushed.

"Why did you say that?" Trace interjected.

"I don't know," Justin said earnestly. "She was trying to go to Mason's room, and it was 3am, and we had all been drinking, and she was wearing that dress."

"That's what you get for getting an 18 year old drunk," Trace scolded.

"I didn't get her drunk. That was Mr. Smooth Mason's plan to get her drunk."

"Don't blame this on the dress," Rachel interrupted. "This is your fault, not the dress' fault. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that come out of your mouth. That's not the Southern boy I know."

"I know, I know. I just overreacted. Horribly. She didn't deserve what I said."

"Then why did you say it? I don't understand where that came from."

Rachel sat down on the arm of the sofa next to him. Justin shook his head with a sigh.

"I just know what she's been through this past year. I don't want her getting mixed up with that jerk and then getting hurt again. She's not even over what happened the last time."

"Well how do you know she's getting mixed up with him? Did anything even happen last night?" Trace was trying to find a bright side.

"No." Rachel answered quickly.

Justin turned to look up at her.

"She was too upset over what you said to do anything with him, even if she had wanted too."

"So you have talked to her."

Rachel shrugged.

"If I tell you where she is, you promise you're going to use the information for good?"

Justin nodded.

"Last time I saw her, she was hiding out on the bus."

Justin stood, preparing to head out back to where the buses were parked. When he yanked the door open a stage hand was there, preparing to knock.

"Justin, they need you out on stage."

His conversation with Judy would have to wait, work was calling.

Judy didn't show up to Justin's dressing up before the show, which meant no one had been there to rub his shoulders before he went on stage. Thankfully he was a seasoned enough performer that it didn't affect his show, but every time he went back stage to change or get water he had a moment to think about it.

When he boarded the bus afterwards to leave Las Vegas he skipped the shower and headed straight for the backroom. He opened the door, and it was dark. He turned, walking down the narrow hall to Judy's bunk. The curtain was pulled closed, as were Trace and Rachel's bunks. He could hear Trace's deep breathing, so he knew they were already sleeping.

"Judy?"

He knelt down by her bunks, speaking softly.

"Judy, are you awake?"

He waited for an answer, but none came. He felt bad waking her, but there was something he needed to get off of his chest. He pulled back one of the curtains, and was met with her pillow. The bunk was empty. Justin stood, and paused for a moment.

Where could she be? Did she get left behind in Las Vegas? Had she decided to ride on Mason's bus for the night? Had she jumped on a plane back to Central Valley? His mind began to reel with possibilities and he headed toward the front of the bus to tell the drive to stop, when he heard a cough.

It hadn't come from Rachel or Trace, the voice wasn't the same. It wasn't Mike. He was in the bathroom. That only left one person. Justin headed back towards the backroom, pushing open the door again. He flicked on the light and there was Judy, curled up on the sofa under a blue blanket.

He waited for her to sit up and look at him, but she didn't move. After a moment she let out a snore. Justin's eyes rolled dramatically.

"I know you're awake, Judy. You don't even sound like that when you snore."

Judy's eyes opened and he could see the annoyance bluntly written across her face as she sat up. He closed the door and moved to sit next to her.

"What is it?"

"Why have you been hiding out all day?"

Judy gave him a look, as if the answer wasn't obvious enough.

"You really need to ask?"

"No, I don't," he said.

He was silent for a bit, and Judy repeated her question.

"Well, what is it?"

"I need to tell you something. Judy, I'm sorry. I had no right to say what I said."

"No, you didn't."

She was staring hard at the carpet beneath her feet, and he could tell by her tone that she was still angry. Very angry.

"I didn't. And I'm sorry. I was trying to look out for you, and I took it entirely too far. I shouldn't have judged you like that."

"You embarrassed me is what you did."

He nodded, rubbing the stubble that was growing on his chin.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Judy sat there, arms folded across her chest. Finally her shoulders relaxed a little and she looked toward him. Not at him, but her head tilted in his general direction so he could see more of her face.

"Well, I appreciate your apology, but I'm still really, really angry with you."

"Okay."

"I just don't understand why you said that? I mean, I know you said you were looking out for me, but I wasn't doing anything wrong. We were gonna pay-per-view a movie. Besides, I'm 18. I'm old enough to make my own decision."

Inwardly Justin wanted to laugh. He remembered being 18 and thinking he knew all there was to know about the world. Now, at 23, he realized he didn't know shit.

"I know. I guess I was just concerned that you were going to do something you'd end up regretting. I told you, that guy is sleazy. And you're still a wreck from what Ben did to you. I didn't want you running to the next guy who flashed you a smile so you could get hurt again. I mean, do you really think you're ready for that kind of relationship?"

The truth was, while he was concerned about the stability of Judy's fragile heart, he'd been more jealous of Mason than anything. He paid far too much attention to Judy, and she was too eager to return the favor. He could see exactly where this was going. They'd hang out once in awhile, and then it'd turn into all day. Next she'd be talking to him on the phone all night during bus rides, and then she'd be crawling into his bed when she was lonely at night. That would leave him completely out of the picture, and that he absolutely could not have.

"I'm not a wreck," she defended. "And if I were planning on doing something with Mason, that's not really your business. You're my friend, not my Dad."

Justin perched his lips.

"You're right," he said dryly.

Judy went back to staring at the carpet, arms still tightly folded across her chest. Eventually she dropped them and began to pick at the chipping polish on her nails.

"But I guess it's good that you were trying to take care of me. I guess you had my interest in mind."

"Always," he said honestly, turning towards her. "I always have your best interest at heart. I just let it get the best of me, for a moment."

"Yeah," she said regretfully.

"Are you still really, really mad at me?"

Judy shrugged one shoulder.

"I guess now I'm just mad at you."

"Well, I got rid of the two really's. That's good I guess."

She smirked meekly.

"And the beginnings of a smile. That's good too."

"Stop!"

She pushed him away when he leaned in front of her, making a funny face by crossing his eyes. He always had a way of making her feel better, even when he was the problem.

"I hate you," she muttered.

"Does that mean I can have a hug?"

"No, you can't."

"Come on, just one?"

He didn't wait for her answer as he put his arms around her, squeezing her against her will and laying his head on her shoulder. Judy was squirming, trying to get one of her arms free so she could shove him off. He smiled, nonchalantly pinning her arms to her side as he relaxed again her.

"Get off me, you freak of nature."

"Ahh, there is it. I feel the love now."

It was just past 5am when the bus pulled in behind a hotel in Fresno, CA. As was routine, Justin was pulled from his bunk and shuttled inside, followed by everyone else a few minutes later. Judy was practically a zombie as she wandered through the lobby behind Rachel. Her eyes were open, her body going through the motions, but nothing was quite making it to her brain.

Except for when she got off of the elevator on their floor. She began to get excited over the idea of being in a nice, quiet room all alone and sleeping in a real bed for a couple of hours. She swiped her key through the slot and opened the door, only to hear the shower running. She walked further into the room and there was Justin, digging through his toiletry bag. He looked up when he heard the door click closed.

"Hey there Jamba Juice."

Why did he always have a different variation of her horrid high school nickname?

"What are you doing in here?"

"Well, the hotel was booked up when we tried to add an extra room for you -probably fans trying to catch a glimpse of me - so, you and I get to bunk together tonight."

Judy stood there, staring at him with exhausted eyes.

"Unless you'd rather stay with Rach."

"No, you're fine."

Finally she moved. She collapsed on top of the bed. She didn't bother pulling down the blankets as she fluffed the pillows and laid her head down. Justin smirked at her.

"What are you doing? Go to bed."

He barely heard her words, muffled by a pillow.

"Can't. I've got an early photoshoot. I'd be in the shower, if I could only find my axe shower gel."

"Oh."

Well at least he was going to be leaving, and she could get some rest in peace.

"Well, say hello to Kevin Federline for me if you see him."

Justin's response was to throw his tube of toothpaste at her butt before he closed the bathroom door.

By 3pm that afternoon Justin Timberlake was behind schedule. Judy had made it to the venue before him, which had never happened before. With no Rachel to talk to and no Trace to ignore she wandered the halls aimlessly, her pass securely around her neck.

"Judy!"

She heard her name echo against the white concrete walls, and there was Mason, jogging towards her.

"Hey."

She gave him a casual hug when he reached her, and her heart fluttered at the smile he gave her.

"How are you doing?"

"Better. Sorry, again, for being such a drunken mess the other night."

Mason shrugged.

"Don't worry about it. I'm always happy to be a shoulder for a friend to cry on. So, did you talk to Justin?"

Judy nodded, tucking her black hair behind her ears.

"Yeah, we talked last night. He apologized for what he said."

"Good. He was kinda messed up for that. I know you two are good friends, and I don't want to come between you guys."

"You aren't," she assured. "Me and you are friends too. He was just acting like his usual self, the over protective big brother."

"Are you sure that's all it is?" Mason raised an eyebrow at her.

"What else would it be?"

He took in the innocent look on her face and smiled.

"Nothing. So, what are you doing right now?"

"Killing time. Justin isn't back from his shoot yet."

"Well, you wanna help me make my rounds?"

"Sure!" She answered immediately.

Mason offered his arm, leading her down the hall as she giggled delightfully. She walked with him as he went from station to station; making sure everything was running smoothly. They'd done the show enough times now that everyone knew their job and most of the kinks had been worked out.

She stayed with him for an hour, watching as he did his job from managing various workers, doing repairs on some of the set pieces, to meeting with the tour director to report what still needed to be done. Finally it was after 4pm and she knew Justin was there, because she had seen the meet-and-greet tour go by earlier, headed for an empty room where the Q&A would take place.

"I better get going," Judy said. "But thanks for letting me tag along. I would have been bored out of my mind without you."

"Sure. Thanks for keeping me company."

Judy smirked, and turned on her heels, heading down the hall towards the conference room.

"Hey Judy," he stopped her. "Can I ask you something?"

She turned, waiting patiently as we walked towards her, closing the distance between them.

"Would you maybe wanna go out tonight? I know this great restaurant I'd like to take you too. It doesn't have to be a date type thing, you know, unless you want it to be."

Judy chuckled on the inside at his nervousness. If he truly was the player Justin had claimed he was, he certainly wasn't acting like.

"Sure, I'd like that," she said.

His shoulders lowered with relief.

"And it can be a date type thing too."

"Great. How's eleven sound, right after the show?"

"Sounds great."

"Cool. I'll see ya."

"See ya."

As Judy walked away, the prospect of a new love interest in mind, she felt like she was floating on air. By the time she made it there, Justin was already seated at the front table, the entire room in a fit of giggles.

"Where do you guys hear this stuff?" He was asking.

A young man in skinny jeans and a black hoodie was standing, trying to contain his own laughter.

"I read it on the internet."

"The devil," Justin said simply, making the room laugh again. "No, no that is definitely not true. There is truth, whatsoever, to the Joshtin rumors."

Judy watched him, a smile creeping onto her face. He really was quite charming, when he wanted to be. He was casual, and relatable. She guessed that was what most of his fans liked about him. When she'd been a closet Nsync fan her attraction was to JC, she only gave Justin the time of day when he was doing something that displayed his abs or his biceps. But now, she completely understood his popularity, especially since she knew him personally. He had this way of talking to you that made you feel like you were the only one in the room, or like you were someone special to him. No wonder so many girls melted when he looked at them. It was like you were the only thing he saw.

"I'm sorry folks, that's all the time we have. If you'll please form a line over there behind the white tape, Justin will sign any memorabilia you have today."

Judy chose that time to walk over to him, bypassing the forming line.

"Well Timberlake, you certainly are the life of the party."

Justin smiled at her, signing the worn 1998 Nsync tour book a fan placed before him.

"Just doing my job. That is what the girls love me for, isn't it?"

"Not me. I love you for your witty remarks and ability to disgust me by how quickly you can devour a cheeseburger."

"Fastest gums in the West."

He punctuated his statement by biting at her playfully.

"So, I have great news."

"Hold that thought," he said.

Justin leaned forward, signing the push-up bra supported left breast of a 30-something year old woman. She smiled seductively before sauntering out of the room and toward the arena where the sound check would occur. Justin, ever so discreetly, watched from the corner of his eye until she turned the corner. He did have a thing for older women. Judy waited patiently, until finally she couldn't stand it.

"Are you done oogling yet?"

Justin sat back in his metal folding chair.

"You're being all feisty today. Your news must be something good."

"It is."

"Well, are you going to tell me or keep me in suspense?"

"Keep you in suspense. I'll tell you over dinner."

Before Justin could question, or begin that high-pitched whine of his, Judy left the room. She headed towards the venue floor, wondering which of her new outfits she was going to wear that night.

Dinner was at 7pm, out back in the arenas patio. Picnic tables were set up, one of them covered with a spread of Italian food. Pastas, sausages, red and white wines. As if any of them needed to drink on the job. Steve and Jon followed Justin and Judy as they made their plates, and then settled at a table in the corner.

"I'm gonna get a drink. You want one?"

Judy nodded a yes to Justin's question and watched as he disappeared towards the table. He returned a moment later, two short glasses in his hands. He set one down by his plate, and the other by hers, sitting down with one leg on either side of the bench.

"What'd you get?"

"Jack and coke for me."

"No wine?"

"Hey naw," he turned up his nose. "I don't drink that. Unless I'm in Napa."

"And what'd you get me?"

She picked up her glass and sipped it, expecting the burn of alcohol. It tasted plain.

"You just got coke."

"Why?"

"Because, when you drink you get crazy. And I don't need any little alchies running around backstage."

Judy gave him a sincere frown.

"So, what's the news you teased me with earlier?"

Judy grinned as she took a bite of fettuccini. She dropped her fork carelessly with a clank and turned to him.

"Guess what."

"What?"

"I have a date."

That made Justin pause, his spaghetti just barely touching his bottom lip before he set the fork down.

"A date?"

"Yes."

"With who? Wait, let me guess: Mason," he said Mason's name in a dreamy way, mocking the state Judy had been in all evening.

"Yes." She made her annoyance known with a roll of her eye. "He asked me this afternoon. We're going out tonight."

"Tonight? He isn't planning on leaving during the show, is he?"

Judy shook her head, taking another forkful into her mouth.

"No, we're going out after. There's some restaurant he wants to take me too."

Justin's head tilted, and he gave her a look that read 'do I look stupid?'

"That means you'll be leaving at like midnight. What restaurant is still accepting customers that late?"

Judy shrugged, chewing on a piece of garlic bread. Justin opened his mouth to speak, but instead tossed a sausage slice into his mouth.

"What?" Judy questioned. "What is it?"

Justin shook his head.

"Nothing. Nothing. I'm keeping my opinions to myself, they only get me into trouble."

Judy reached over, picking up his glass and taking a sip. She grimaced a bit, then took a gulp before setting it down.

"Don't fret, Dad. I have good feelings about this one."

After dinner Judy went back to the hotel to get ready. Their next stop on the tour was Portland, Oregon, a 12-hour drive away. They were staying in Fresno for the night and then driving all of the next day to play a Portland show that night. Justin's schedule was exhausting. She was just along for the fun of it, she didn't have to do any work like everyone else, and even she was constantly tired. She could only imagine how he felt.

Judy took her time getting ready. She took a long, hot shower, tried on 5 different outfits, and pinned her hair up in a bun. It'd been a long time since she'd felt the need to be girly, or dress up for anyone. She was beginning to feel more and more like her old self.

By the time Justin made it back to the hotel, Judy was already gone. He could tell she'd been there by the whirlwind mess she'd left their room in. For the first time, he wished the rules of their old show had applied then. Then she wouldn't have been able to go on that stupid date, with that stupid guy, to that stupid restaurant without him there to keep an eye on her. Without even thinking, he decided to wait up for her. He wanted to hear every disgusting, stupid detail while it was still fresh in her mind.

It was 1am when he fell asleep, no sign of Judy in sight.

It was 2:30am when Judy finally did enter the hotel, draped over Mason's arm. The girl was obviously intoxicated, once again. She giggled obsessively at everything she laid her eyes on. And even as Mason shushed her, she chuckled at him. She made faces, giggling at her reflection in the mirrored elevator doors. She giggled at the numbers and arrows on the plaque pointing them in the direction of their rooms. She even giggled at the security guard standing watch in the hall.

"Ooh! Here we are!" Judy stopped walking and turned to a red door.

Mason sounded a soft 'shhh' in her ear and she snorted a laugh.

"Sorry. Sorry, you're right. Justin's in there and he's probably sleeping. I'll be quiet."

Mason frowned at the mention of Justin's name.

"Judy, can I tell you something? Something private?"

She turned to look at him, her brown eyes questionable.

"You can tell me anything."

He glanced behind her, seeing Beth and Matt there, silently recording. He stepped closer to her, his expression vulnerable and hesitant. She didn't fight him in the slightest when he put an arm around her waist and leaned his head down to whisper to her.

"I like you. A lot. Like, more than someone in my position should."

She couldn't help but feel excited, not just by his words, but by how close he was to her body.

"And what position is that?"

"One where a guy could get into a lot of trouble for liking a girl like you. Justin seems pretty protective of you. Are you sure there's nothing going on between you two?"

Judy shook her head.

"Nothing. He's just a friend. You're not moving in on the boss's girl."

Mason smiled, taking one of her hands and playing with her fingertips.

"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you come to my room, instead of waking Justin up? We can party some more."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I can order something from room service. We'll pay-per-view another movie. We can talk, maybe cuddle."

Her eyes sparkled as if the idea had never occurred to her before. Mason smirked at how adorable she was, and leaned down, placing a kiss on her lips. Judy froze for a moment, almost paralyzed. She hadn't kissed anyone since Ben. It felt foreign, and different. It wasn't the rhythm she was used too, they weren't the lips she was accustomed too. But she couldn't help the rush of excitement that washed over her as she kissed him back. Finally, she was kissing someone else. Maybe she was getting over Ben faster than she thought.

"Come to my room with me," he whispered between kisses.

Judy didn't answer. She just allowed herself to be swept away.

The next morning Judy woke up early. Very early. It was 8:27am. The only time she got up before noon was because her alarm went off signaling that there was something for her to do. This time she woke up all on her own, and she wasn't sure why.

She was still tired, and her eyes hurt from left over eyeliner being rubbed into them all night. Her stomach was topsy-turvy and she lay there completely still while she prayed for it to settle.

Next to her was Justin, sleeping soundly and completely oblivious to her consciousness. He was on his back, his head turned away from her. She could see the curves of his face, the clenching in his jaw. Had he stayed there with her all night, again? She wasn't surprised. He was fatherly like that, looking after her when she was too intoxicated to look after herself.

The feeling in her stomach made her never want to touch a drop of alcohol again. What exactly happened last night anyway? She'd have to ask him about it later, but she didn't want to wake him now. Who knows what time they'd gone to bed last night? Apparently it wasn't long ago because her eyelids were still drooping.

Justin shifted one of his legs and he distracted her attention again. He really was a handsome guy, with his broad shoulders and clear skin. Damn him for that. She'd suffered acne through high school while he barely washed his face and had no problems at all. And it definitely didn't hurt his appeal.

She reached out, lightly running a hand down the side of his body. What was she doing here with him anyways? Just two years ago she was a girl from a small town trying to navigate hallways filled with jocks and trying to manage being President of two clubs. Now she was traveling the country with a gorgeous guy who was lusted after the world over. Not only that, but that guy here, in her bed. Shirtless. Sleeping. How did she become so lucky?

A grunt pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up to see Justin's eyes staring back at her.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Morning." His voice was deep and husky, and kind of sexy. "How you feeling?"

She shrugged, and it made her stomach knot a little tighter.

"I don't feel good. I feel sluggish and blah."

"You're dehydrated. Alcohol sucks all the moisture out of you. You want some water?"

Judy nodded and Justin sat up. He'd stripped down to his shorts and Judy couldn't help slowly turning her head to admire his frame as he left the bed and went around to the bathroom. Long and lean with tattoos and a six-pack for days.

He returned a moment later with a short glass of water. Judy sat up to lean back against the headboard while he reclaimed his spot on the bed. He handed her the glass and she gulped the whole thing down. Her mouth had been dry and it tasted amazing, which was odd because Judy had never really been a fan of water before. Years ago her Mother would have had to bribe her to finish a Crystal Geyser water bottle. Then she set the glass on the bedside table while Justin picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

"Better?"

Judy nodded.

"So, what happened last night?"

"Before or after you puked up Kettle One in the men's room?"

Her brow furrowed.

"What? I don't even drink Kettle One."

"You did last night."

"What was I doing in the men's room?"

"Puking your little heart out."

Judy sighed, putting a hand over her face.

"That's so embarrassing," she muttered. "How did I get that bad?"

"Too much, too fast."

"Well, I won't be doing that again. Ever."

Justin was about to comment that people always said that when suffering a hangover, and then the next weekend they right back out doing the same thing. He didn't get the chance to say anything, because he looked at her face and saw the same expression he'd seen last night.

"Go to the bathroom. Hurry up. Go!"

Judy jumped -more like fell because of the alcohol still swirling through her body- from the bed and headed for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Justin ignored the noises seeping from under the door while he watched the newest episode of Steve Wilkos. It was trash TV but he watched every episode. She came back a few minutes later and crawled into bed with a sigh.

"You know all that water I just drank?"

Justin nodded, watching the screen.

"It just came right back up."

"Just wait a little longer and try again," he suggested. "But at least you're getting everything out of your stomach. You won't get any worse."

Judy whimpered, curling into a ball. Her stomach was killing her, and she was still a little wobbly. Maybe she had alcohol poisoning or something. She could be slowly dying from the inside out and they didn't know it.

"Did I really do this to myself?" She asked.

It was rhetorical, but Justin answered anyways.

"Unfortunately, yes."

She whimpered again, this time out of frustration and Justin muted the TV. He turned on his side, slouchy down to look at her face.

"What's going on with you, Orange Juice. Talk to me."

Judy rolled her eyes. How many variations of that dumb nickname was he going to come up with?

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I just wanted to have fun. I didn't mean to completely lose control of myself like that."

"Well, that's what happens with Skyy Vodka becomes your best friend. Were you really just blowing off steam, or was it more than that?"

He didn't want to push her too hard, or she'd just shut down completely and not tell him anything. But at the same time he knew there was an underlying problem with her drinking, not just a fun night gone awry.

"It's just," Judy sighed. "When I'm sitting and there's nothing going on or nothing to do all I can do is think about Ben or think about Mason. And when I drink, it doesn't hurt as bad when I think about it."

Justin nodded.

"It's always easier to not feel it than to deal with it."

Judy nodded to, and moaned at the pain in her stomach.

"I'm killing myself, aren't I? I feel like I'm going to die."

"Well, you certainly aren't making the greatest decisions in the world. Getting hammered is one thing, but Mason?"

Judy's eyes rolled.

"I know, I know! It was stupid, okay. I was just trying to get my mind off of Ben, I guess. He was the first guy who was interested in me."

"He wasn't the first," Justin muttered.

Judy looked at him, her brow furrowing as she wondered what he meant. But she didn't question it any, and kept on talking.

"I don't want to ruin myself, and I don't want to look stupid on national television."

"Judy, you know I wouldn't let you go off and ruin your life. As for helping you not look stupid on TV, I'm good but I can't work miracles."

Judy smacked him on the stomach, letting out a laugh and then a whine.

"Don't make me laugh, it makes the pain worse."

Justin reached over, lifting her hand from the bed and holding it in his own.

"Why don't we try a different tactic? How about the next time something is bothering you, you come to me and we'll talk about it? Just you and me without Steve and Matt and everyone else. Okay? We'll give the bar scene a break for a while."

"The way I feel right now, I don't ever want to drink again."

"Good. Who do you think you are anyway, Lindsay Lohan?"

Judy smirked, squeezing his hand.

"Thanks, J."

She turned back to the TV and frowned at the screen. A woman was arguing with Steve about her reasoning for sending her 13 year old daughter to the corner to buy her cocaine for her.

"Do we have to watch this?" She asked.

Justin handed over the remote, and groaned when she flipped the channel to a Sex and the City rerun. He'd seen way more episodes of this show than he ever wanted too because of her.

"Do we have to watch this?"

"I love the ones when she's with Aiden. He was the best boyfriend she ever had. Berger was a pussy. Alexander was an old selfish jerk, and Big was a younger-but-still-old selfish jerk. Aiden, was perfect."

"Yeah well you and Aiden get a half hour and then I get the remote back."

Judy scooted over, laying her head in his lap. It was more comfortable for her to lie down than sit up right now. Justin's long fingers ran through her hair, eventually stopping 15-minutes later when he fell back to sleep. Judy followed five minutes behind. They slept the day away until 3pm than afternoon when Justin got a text message from Rachel.

I think I'm dying. Why did I do this to myself?!

It was 11pm when everyone boarded the bus for the 9 hour drive to Colorado Springs, Co. The other buses had left hours before, wanting to get there early the next morning to set up. Trace and Rachel were already in their bunks sleeping off what little alcohol was still in their systems and Judy was rummaging through the kitchen while she waited for Justin to get on the bus. He was stuck upstairs on a phone interview that had run over.

When he did get on the bus the first thing he noticed was someone waist deep in the fridge, and empty take-out boxes on the table top. He leaned to his left, studying the curve of her ass in her blue jeans while she couldn't see him. Once satisfied he nodded with approval and stood up straight. It wasn't like he'd never checked out Judy's butt before, but one more time wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Juju, what are you doing?"

Judy emerged from the fridge, one of Trace's doggy bags in her hand.

"Juju is your nickname, not mine. And I'm starving!"

He wasn't surprised. She hadn't been able to keep down anything all day.

"You ate all this stuff?"

There had to be five or six empty containers from various restaurants.

"It's not like there was a lot of food in them. You'd have to put them all together to make one decent meal."

"You ate Rachel's buffalo blasters? She's gonna kill you."

"No, she won't."

"And that's Trace's shrimp you're putting in the microwave."

"I don't care."

Justin shook his head, moving past her and into the hall.

"You'll care tomorrow when he wants to beat your ass again."

"Ha! I say let him try it."

Justin went into the back while Judy continued going through the kitchen. He heard the microwave run two more times before she entered the backroom as well, a plate in one hand, and a pint of ice cream in the other. She set down next to him and set the plate on the floor.

"What are we watching?"

"Terminator 2."

"Yes, I love this fucking movie."

Justin looked over at her, his brow furrowed.

"What is with you?"

"Huh?" Judy glanced up at him as she pulled the plastic seal from around the ice cream.

"Where did you get that mouth?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're saying fuck and bitch and talking about dicks. Is that another bad habit you picked up from Ben?"

"You say fuck and bitch all the time."

"But you never did. Your behavior is totally different now. I can understand the drinking thing because depressed people drink, and the Mason thing is marginal because you were on the rebound. But you never used to curse, you never used to sleep all day, even the way you dress is different. Sometimes I wonder if I really know you that well anymore."

Judy made a face, her brow furrowing and her lips pursing.

"Well, Justin I don't know what to tell you. I don't think I've changed; for the most part I'm the same Judy I was when we met. And if I have changed than thank God! The old me was so pathetic."

Justin glared at her.

"I liked the old Judy."

"Justin," she gaffed. "I was innocent and naïve. I was going around day-to-day killing myself over clubs and activities that no one gives a damn about now. You know they closed to BSU chapter at CVHS? All the events we did, no one remembers. I was going around thinking that deep down everyone was a good person, and that everyone deserved a second chance, and that's just not the case."

"There's nothing wrong with looking for the good in someone."

"There is when you keep looking for good people and people keep screwing you over. People aren't good, people are just people. The majority of them are lame."

"So what about me, I'm not a good person?"

"You're the exception."

Justin shook his head. So what if she had been innocent? He liked her innocence. In a world packed with full-of-shit businessmen and phony friends willing to sell you out for a story, her innocence gave him comfort.

Judy took another bite of her ice cream, sighing contently as the chocolate melted in her mouth. Then she looked at Justin, and he was pouting as he watched the TV screen. Maybe he did have a point; there were a lot of things about her that were different now. But it wasn't like she was trying to be someone new, she just was.

"Okay," she sighed. "I can see what you're saying. I am different, and I do go about things differently than I used too. But that's what happens to people over time. They go through experiences and situations, and that's how they grow and change. I changed. This is me. I do like to have a drink now and then, and I do curse. I dress differently, and I like to sleep in. I'm sorry, but that's just who I am."

Justin continued to stare at the screen, pretending to not be paying much attention to her. He didn't really want to be paying attention to her. He didn't want to hear that this new Judy was who she was, he wanted to hear that'd she'd work on changing back to who she'd been before. Regardless, he couldn't help but understand what she was trying to say. People did change over time. He wasn't the same guy he'd been when he first got into the music business. The platinum blonde fro would never make another appearance, and if he could do it over again he wouldn't get that hideous flame tattoo on his leg. He'd changed, so why did he expect her to remain the same?

"So I guess while I'm working on getting over Ben, maybe you could work on getting used to the new Judy?"

Justin nodded. Judy dipped her spoon back into the carton and scooped up a hunk of brownie.

"Oh," she moaned. "This is so good."

Justin looked over at her, taking in the content expression on her face. She looked blissful, in chocolate heaven.

"Whose ice cream is that?" He asked.

"Mike's."

"Let me get some."

The next month and a half passed quickly for the tour, with shows basically back to back along the way. Justin and Judy travelled through Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire. Judy had kept her promise to tone down her wild ways, and Justin was seeing positive changes in her. Every day she seemed more and more like her old self, with a few changes.

Watching her experience tour life had been the most fun. She went sightseeing while Justin worked, bringing him back little knick knacks. She talked with fans during the meet-and-greet, her own fan base growing by the day. And on their days off her and Justin stayed in his lavish hotel rooms and watched movies and ate popcorn and sundaes. Usually he lost weight while touring, but this time he'd gained five pounds so far.

Judy had gotten her first check from MTV a couple weeks ago, and opened a bank account in Pittsburgh. She put part of it away for her future apartment, and a chunk of it she withdrew in cash. Before Justin could question her about it she disappeared with Rachel. It was hours before he saw her again, when she met him at the venue with bags upon bags piled onto her arm. She had shoes and dresses and make-up palettes, and four very big, very colorful bags in red, yellow, green, and pink. It was something very reminiscent of the old Judy, and it made Justin feel giddy inside.

Things had been peacefully and relatively easy, until the tour pulled into Boston, MA.

"He has undersized testicles."

Justin paused in the doorway, thinking over what he'd just heard. He must have entered the wrong room. Then he turned and looked at the sign on the outside of the door. It said Justin Timberlake's dressing room.

"…It's perfect. Long, smooth, pink-."

"What is going on in here?"

Rachel and Judy looked up at him innocently.

"Random sex quotes from Sex and the City?"

Justin rolled his eyes, closing the door behind himself. He moved over the vanity, where the make-up artist was waiting for him.

"I'll never understand the reason women watch that show."

"Well, you wouldn't. It's about relationships."

Justin glared at Judy through the mirror as she giggled to herself.

"At least I know better than to walk around in yellow shoes."

Judy lifted her foot, examining her yellow stilettos.

"It's fashion Justin," she spat.

"I think they're adorable," Rachel chimed.

"Thank you."

"Yeah, they're great if you want to look like a bumble bee."

"Shut up Justin."

Now it was his turn to chuckle. He saw her glaring at the TV, muttering to herself, and he knew he'd gotten under her skin. That was always his main goal.

When his hair was done and the artist had finished, Justin went into the bathroom and changed into his first costume, and then he performed his pre-show ritual.

"Everyone out!" He announced.

Rachel looked up, seeing Justin already at the door, holding it open. She snarled at him as she tossed her magazine into her bag and stood up.

"You can really be rude sometimes, you know that?'

Justin nodded with a smile.

"Just keep walking."

Once everyone exited the room he moved back over to the vanity, where Judy was waiting behind the chair. She leaned over, patting the seat with a smile. His eyes briefly wandered down to the cleavage exposed by her tank top while she's bent over.

"Have a seat Mister."

Justin plopped down; watching in the mirror as Judy kneaded his shoulders intently, working over each muscle. Her black rimmed glasses rested on her nose, her once blonde bangs were now a deep burgundy, and they matched the shiny gloss on her lips. In fact, burgundy was her new favorite color, from her oversized purse to her stripped sweater. Except for her fingernails, those were a bright sunny shade of yellow.

Judy had gone through a phase in high school where she got her nails done every few weeks. She liked the long, fake ones that were good for nothing but scratching his head when he was going to sleep. Now she kept them short and square, changing the polish every few days. He liked her nails better this way. They didn't get in the way when she played around on the guitar with band during sound check, and they didn't scratch him when he reached for her hand.

"Why did you say that earlier?" He asked suddenly.

Judy made a face, glancing up at him briefly through the mirror.

"Say what?"

"That I didn't understand relationships."

"That's not what I said. I said you didn't understand shows about relationships."

Justin's eyes rolled.

"Don't play dumb Juicy, I know what you're implying."

Judy smirked.

"Well, it just seems that way to me since all of the relationships I've seen you get into ended within twenty-four hours."

Justin stood from the chair, picking up his water bottle from the counter and taking a drink before he turned to face Judy.

"That doesn't mean I can't do relationships. It just that means I haven't found the right girl."

He dropped his bottle back onto the counter with a thud and looked down at Judy. A sexy smirk was playing on her lips and leaned against the chair he'd once occupied. A flirtatious game had been playing out between them over the past few days, and Judy wasn't exactly sure why but she'd welcomed the challenge. It'd been two months since her encounter with Mason, and since then Justin hadn't allowed a guy near her, much less in her room. She was desperate for some male attention.

"How do you know she's not the right girl if you dump her the day after you meet her? You can't possibly know her well enough."

"Obviously if I can get her home and in bed on the first night then she's not girlfriend material."

Judy narrowed her eyes at him, shaking her head distastefully.

"You're Justin Timberlake, what girl is going to say no if you asked her to come to your hotel room?"

"I don't know. Normal girls? If I asked you right now to come to my room would you do it?"

Judy rolled her eyes before she gave him a shy smile. She'd been doing that a lot more lately, smiling. She stepped to the side and around the vanity chair, resting her hand on his cocked hip.

"I've already been in your room Justin."

He stepped to the side as well, and took a step forward, meeting her face to face. He looked down at her shorter frame, smirking as well. He didn't know why this conversation was so amusing, or entertaining, but it was.

"What if you didn't know me? You've never met me before in your life. Hi, I'm Justin. Do you want to come back to my hotel?"

She gave him that same grin, and inside it was beginning to drive him crazy. She looked like she knew something he didn't, and she was coming off as much older and more seductive than she ever had before.

"Well I already know you, so I guess we'll never know the answer to that question," she said.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door, following by Mason poking his head in. He cleared his throat nervously at the sight of Judy.

"Go-time Justin."

Judy scowled at him until he disappeared. The two hadn't spoken since that night, and Judy preferred to keep it that way. Distancing herself from him had been incredibly helpful, without his good looks and womanizing ways to distract her she'd been able to get a lot of work done with her inner self. Besides, the entire situation was embarrassing. Everyone, down to the lowest stage hand knew what happened. She couldn't wait until the day where they'd exit the buses for the last time and she never had to see him again.

"Where were we?" She asked, turning her attention back to Justin when the door closed.

"You were telling me how freaking sexy I am." He smiled proudly.

Judy snorted a laugh, stepping closer to him. She rested a hand on his face, holding him steady while she placed a kiss on his cheek. She lingered longer than she should have, and he noticed. When she pulled away, she watched his expression with questioning eyes. Then she looked down, focusing on the buttons of his dress shirt.

"You're much more charming than you give yourself credit for."

Once her words were spoken, she left the room, leaving the door open for him to follow. He could hear voices in the hall, and music of the intro being played. He stood there frozen, replaying the look on her face in his mind.

"Justin," Mason appeared in the doorway. "We gotta go."

It was 2:30am when the bus pulled onto the streets of New York, NY. It had been a four hour drive from Boston and everyone on board was sound asleep until they pulled up to the hotel near Times Square. Judy woke up to the faint sound of someone calling her name, and she opened her eyes to see Rachel holding back the curtain to her bunk.

"Time to go."

Judy sighed, slowly rolling out of her bunk to stand on the floor. She wobbled a bit, shaking the sleep from her head, and then followed Rachel down the steps and into the hotel. Fans were already posted out front, and Mike guided them through the path security had laid out of them. It was by the far the most fans she'd seen this time of night, and even as they passed through the sliding doors into the hotel fans were inside, jumping up and down on the expensive marble floors, anxious for a glimpse of anyone they recognized.

People screamed for Trace, proudly displaying their William Rast tee shirts. People screamed for Rachel, the silent behind-the-scenes cousin of Justin Timberlake, and people screamed for Judy, the witty organized high schooler they'd grown to love on Senior Year. Judy ran a hand through her hair, wishing she'd taken a minute to comb it before she'd gotten off the bus. Flashes were going off everywhere and she was in pajamas and a messy ponytail.

Finally upstairs at their temporary home on the 14th floor, Judy waved a tired goodbye in Rachel's direction and opened the door to room 1431. The lights were on, along with the TV. Walking further in, she found herself in a living room, the doorway to the bedroom at her left. Only one person on the tour ended up with a living room in their hotel room on a regular basis.

"Justin?"

"You're being too loud," his voice floated in from the bedroom.

She turned off the living room TV, along with the lamp, and headed into the bedroom. She dropped her purse and overnight bag on the floor by the closet as Justin walked in from the bathroom in his pajamas. He looked tired and half asleep as well as a blue and white toothbrush hung from his mouth.

"We have to double up again?"

He gave her a nod and a slow blink. Then he stretched his arms into the air with a groan. Judy glanced at the exposed skin between the bottom hem of his shirt and the top of the pajama bottoms riding low on his hips. She glanced again when he turned his back to finish brushing his teeth.

Crawling into the enormous bed she let out a sigh she didn't know she was holding. Her mind flashed back to a photo shoot she'd accompanied Justin too in Minneapolis. It had involved camouflage swim trunks, a backyard pool, and hours of entertainment. But just as quickly as visions of his suntanned freckled shoulders popped into her mind she shook them away. Why was she even thinking about Justin?

Cuddling up on her side of the bed she closed her eyes and refused to open them, even when she felt the bed shift as he climbed in. Thankfully he didn't reach out to hold her, because if he had she knew she would have had a hard time controlling herself. She blamed the lack of male interaction in her life, but Justin was becoming more and more attractive by the minute, and it just wasn't fair.

"Night Juicy."

"Night Justin."

The next morning the alarm went off at 6am, and Judy refused to open her eyes. She felt warm, and safe, and comfortable in this big bed and, even though they would be spending the night in New York, she didn't want to give it up yet. She would have gone back to sleep had it not been for the annoying beeping noise, and the fact that her pillow moved.

She lifted her head, looking down to find that she wasn't lying on a pillow at all. Actually, the pillow was several inches above her head. The comfortable mass she'd been laying her head on was Justin's right arm. Then her feeling of warmth and security was gone when Justin removed his left arm from around her waist and reached over to turn off the alarm. Her brow furrowed, how exactly had this happened? They went from opposite sides of the bed when she'd laid down, to practically being molded into one person with her completely wrapped up in him.

But she was too content to complain when Justin shut off the alarm and put his arms back around her. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, her head tucked under his chin.

"Morning," he sounded coarse and groggy.

"Morning," she said back.

He shifted, inadvertently holding her a little more tightly.

"Are you tagging along with me today?"

"Where are you going?"

"I've got to film a couple TV spots, and do that MTV interview."

"Will there be food?"

Justin chuckled at her. He understood her question, now that he was waking up, he realized he was starving.

"There usually is."

"Then I'll go. I call first shower."

She let out a sigh as she sat up, leaving the confines of the bed and heading for the bathroom. Justin shuddered at the cold air that surrounded him when she left.

"Hurry up," he voiced, watching her stumble into the bathroom.

Her dark hair was in shambles on the top of her head and she turned to stick her tongue out at him. He smirked at her, watching as she disappeared in the bathroom. He heard the shower turn on a few minutes later and he looked down at the arm she'd been resting on. She'd been curled up on her own side of the bed when he's laid down last night, but he'd felt her hands reaching out for him in the middle of the night. He couldn't help accepting her subconscious offer.

He laid in bed for awhile, thinking about nothing, and then he looked over at the clock. It was 6:35am, and the shower was still running. She was going to make him late if she stayed in there any longer. Getting up, he raised his arms and let the stretch roll down his spine, and then headed for the bathroom.

"Judy?" He knocked on the door. "Hurry up, I need to shower too."

"Okay, give me one second," she called.

Justin rolled his eyes, opening the door anyway. He knew two things about Judy. One, she never locked the door while she showered because she was paranoid about falling and no one being able to get to her. Two, give me one second really meant give me ten minutes.

"I'm going to brush my teeth," he announced.

He'd at least have that out of the way, and his running the water in the sink would force her out of the shower.

"Okay."

He readied his toothbrush, letting the water run a little longer than he needed. A shriek sounded from the shower, and it turned off just after. He smirked, pleased with himself.

"What happened?" He asked innocently.

"The water just went cold on me!"

"Oh really? That's sucks." He bit back laughter.

He squeezed toothpaste onto the brush and put it too his mouth, running the bristles back and forth along his teeth. He'd just worked up lather when the shower curtain behind him opened. His breath hitched in his throat and his movements paused.

Judy stood there in the tub, a fluffy white towel keeping him from seeing any skin from her shoulders to her mid-thighs. Her hair was wet, and her face completely void of any makeup. He watched intently as tiny beads of water rolled down from her neck and disappeared into the fabric of the towel spread across her chest. The sides of the towel hung at her sides, tucked under her arms as she ran another through her hair. It wasn't wrapped around her completely, and Justin felt his groin tighten at the idea of what the view would have been like had he been standing behind her right now. She stepped out, placing her feet on the floor before she gripped the edges of the towel together behind her back, holding them securely as she walked back into the bedroom.

As soon as she was gone Justin let out a groan and dropped his head down onto the granite counter, staring at his own reflection. He took a deep breath, that fogged up his reflection and he stood up straight to look in the mirror. What was going on here? This is little Judy from Central Valley, she wasn't supposed to be able to get to him like that.

He finished brushing his teeth and ran some cool water over his face. But all the while visions of Judy flashed through his mind. He tried to shake them away, but as soon as the thoughts left they'd come right back again. Her wet golden skin, the smell of her body wash, her legs sticking out from under that towel.

The door next to him opened and Judy walked in. She was dressed now in knee length black tights and the shortest black dress he'd ever seen her in. No doubt Rachel had picked that for her. She had apparently had no problem with it, because she bounced into the room, met his eyes in the mirror and smiled as she set a silver makeup bag on the counter and began pulling out brushes and little bottles and tubes.

"I thought you were going to get in the shower," she said.

He nodded, turning to face her. His hip leaned back against the counter and he folded his arms as he looked her over.

"Well, you better hurry up. It's seven o'clock now."

He nodded again, but he didn't move. His stare was making her nervous and she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. Why was he looking at her like that?

"What?"

Justin's tongue flicked out to wet his lips, and it was then that she realized his eyes were focused on her mouth. His eyes were narrowed on her lips, his brow furrowing as he watched every move they made. Then he pushed off of the counter taking a step towards her, almost aggressively. Judy shifted, a bit taken back by his sudden movements. But she couldn't help the way her heartbeat sped up as he shortened the distance between them. She could smell the faint scent of his cologne from the day before.

Justin's head tilted as he looked at her, and he leaned down slightly. So close to her that she could swear she felt his exhaled breath on her face. But his now navy blue eyes returned to their normal crystal blue color and he took a step back.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Judy blinked, trying to comprehend what exactly had just happened. Justin cleared his throat and turned back to the counter. She put a hand up to her bottom lip, watching as he fidgeted with the faucet for a second before he took a step towards the door.

"Justin?"

He paused at her meek voice. She waited for him to turn and face her before she spoke again, and even then she couldn't meet his eyes.

"Do you remember the last day you were in CV with me? When you kissed me?"

He nodded.

"Why did you do that? I mean, I only want to know because I think maybe part of me has been waiting for you -no, not maybe, I know I have been waiting, on pins and needles waiting-- for you to do it again. But if it was just a goodbye kiss then you aren't ever going to, but maybe it wasn't. I don't know. So are you?"

"Am I what?"

She was rambling too much and honestly, he wasn't paying much attention to her words. Just her lips as they moved while she spoke.

"You know, going to do it again?"

She finally looked up at him with hopeful eyes, but they quickly turned sad when he didn't move from the spot where he stood, and he didn't answer. After a moment of silence she bit her lip and moved to leave the room, embarrassment washing over her features. But she'd only taken one step when Justin's hand on her arms stopped her. She looked up to question him but instead she never got to chance to utter a single word as his lips came down on hers.

Judy was caught so off-guard that she stumbled backwards, her back slamming into the wall behind her with a thud. A dull ache rolled up her spine but she paid no attention to it as Justin's lips work over her, his hands smoothing down her sides and around her hips to rest on her butt where he gave her a gentle squeeze. Figures that'd be the first place he'd go for.

She let out a moan but it was muffled by his mouth. She should have pulled away to scold him properly for getting so fresh with her, but she just couldn't. His kiss was so electric. Like Ben had been in the beginning before the drugs made him dull. And he was nothing like Mason, whose kiss was sloppy and to wet at times. Justin's was perfect, slow and rythmatic as his tongue parted her lips to gently touch hers. He tasted like Colgate, minty and cool. It made her knees go weak.

Her hands moved up his chest, one wrapping around her neck as the other rubbed the fuzz on his head that he called hair. All that did was encourage him as his assault on her continued and his hands squeezed again. Judy let him lead as he kissed her thoroughly, damn near swallowing her whole, until she was too out of breath to continue.

Justin broke the kiss, stepping back against the counter once again, watching her lean against the wall for support. She stood there, panting, eyes closed. She looked so pretty with her full lips pink from the pressure of their mini-make out session.

"Judy?" He called her name after a minute. "Hey, Judy?"

She barely cracked her eyes open.

"Hmm? Who?"

Justin chuckled, taking a step closer to her again.

"You. That's your name, right? You okay?"

"Yeah," she breathed. "Never better."

"Sure? You look a little out of it."

"I'm fine."

He smirked at her, lowering his head to tenderly capture her lips again. She bit at his bottom lip playfully and his eyebrows rose in surprise. He pulled away, running a hand over his head. She was too damn good at this kissing thing and he was quickly losing his reserve.

"I'm gonna take the shower now. A cold one."

Chapter 19

Rachel sat, her lips curled curiously as she watched the pair. Something was definitely up. Justin was doing an interview with People magazine and he was sitting at a table alone with the reporter, a tape recorder on the table. Rachel was sitting at another table not too far away with Mike and Judy. Judy and Justin had been acting funny all morning, whispering and giggling over nothing.

Like now, Justin kept glancing up at her, and the two would smirk at eachother before Judy would look away shyly. Then a moment or two would pass and they'd repeat the process again. Judy had just looked away from Justin and picked up her fork when Rachel rolled her eyes and put her hands on the table.

"Alright, what is going on?" She asked.

Judy looked up, a shocked expression painted on her face.

"What do you mean?"

Rachel sighed dramatically.

"Don't act innocent with me. We've been here an hour and you've hardly touched your pancakes and we all know that's your favorite food, like, ever. And now you and Justin are acting weird and making googly eyes at each other. You know it's not nice to keep things from others, so give me the scoop. What's going on?"

Judy's shocked face faded into innocence and she batted her eyelashes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she forked a piece of pancake into her mouth and smiled.

Rachel's lips curled again and she went back to her own food.

"Fine, play games. But just so you know, you and Justin playing the eye-flirt game is a dead give away to that reporter."

Judy looked over at Justin. He must have felt her eyes on his face because a moment later he turned to look back at her, licking his lips slowly as a smile crept onto his face. Judy smiled as well, nervously scratching at her arm. Then the reporter turned to glance as Judy as well. He was a lanky man in cargo pants and a band tee-shirt. His eyebrow rose at them curiously.

Judy's head snapped forward, and there was Rachel with her knowing glare. She was right, the reporter wasn't an idiot.

Judy kept her eyes on her plate for the rest of the meal.

After his interview, they climbed into the white van that would shuttle them from place to place during the day and headed to a nearby warehouse for a photo shoot to go along with the People article. MTV was too meet Justin there for an interview of their own.

While Justin chatted with them, Judy and Rachel headed into his changing room, finding a small television and a table full of refreshments. Not that they needed it, they'd just had a five star breakfast.

"So…," Rachel began, drawing out her word.

"So…?" Judy echoed.

Rachel watched as Judy picked at her yellow nail polish, doing anything she could to avoid her gaze.

"So, are you ready to spill?"

"There's nothing to spill," Judy whined. "You're grilling me over nothing. Justin and I aren't acting any differently than normal. It's all in your mind."

Rachel huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"In my mind my foot. Something is up and so help me I will figure it out."

Before Judy could respond the door opened and Justin strolled in, carrying a stack of clothes under his arm. She couldn't help the slight jump her heart made, or the smile that crept onto her face. It was just instantaneous. Steve and Matt were behind him, with their ever-present equipment. Rachel looked up, completely prepared to ambush Justin with an onslaught of questions, but she closed her mouth when she saw Beth and Jon follow Steve into the room as well. Judy was grateful Rachel had sense enough to leave their private life somewhat private.

"Hey, I need the room for a minute. Gotta change."

"What's the look for today?" Rachel asked, standing up and taking the clothes from his arms.

"A new variation on the monkey suit," he said.

Rachel unfolded the clothes, revealing a blue plaid suit, white button down, and a black pea coat. It was summer, why were they dressing him like it was the middle of December? Rachel looked over the clothes, frowning at the tag on the button-up shirt.

"This isn't the right size," she stated. "I'll go exchange it while you put the other stuff on."

Rachel headed out the door, and Justin motioned for the camera crews to leave as well. He wasn't about to strip down to his boxers on television, as much as MTV would love to have exclusive rights to that footage. Judy moved to stand, following everyone else out of the room. She was going to be the last one out the door, and she smirked when it closed right in her face before she had the chance to leave. She had been itched for the chance to have a moment alone with him after their interaction that morning.

"And where do you think you're going?" He asked.

Judy grinned, biting on her lip with a shrug.

"Well you said you had to change, so I was going to give you a minute alone."

Justin smirked, his hand leaving the door knob as he took a step towards her. His expression was devilish and she backed away from him slowly, inching deeper and deeper into the room.

"Well I do need time alone," he said. "But I want it with you."

"You don't think that would be a little distracting?"

Just as her words ended a thump sounded as her back hit the wall at the far end of the room. Justin's playful grin brightened as he leaned his arms on the wall on either side of her head. He leaned down slowly, placing a kiss on her lips. Then he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth.

"I've been waiting to do that all morning."

"Really?"

He nodded, leaning down to kiss her again.

"And that… and that."

"Me too."

He leaned down to kiss her again, but Judy ducked under his arm and scurried across the room to put some distance between them.

"What are you doing?"

"Maybe I should go. Rachel will be back any moment, and then you'll have to go do your photo shoot and you're getting yourself worked up more than you're letting yourself relax."

"I'm perfectly calm."

"Yeah, not all of you is."

Justin snorted back a laugh, starting a slow discreet stride in her direction. She was walking backwards, unaware that she was about to trip over the coffee table leg and land on the couch. But Justin saw it, and he was patiently waiting for it to happen.

"Believe it or not, I'm capable to controlling myself. I'm not going to give myself a heart attack by making out with you."

"Are you sure? Cause you look a little crazed right now."

"I look annoyed," he corrected. "You keep running away."

"I'm trying to help you." Judy giggled in her defense.

"You're not."

Finally the back of her leg connected with the oak table and she fell onto her back with a shriek. When Judy landed, she blew her bangs out of her face and started to sit up, trying to see what she'd fallen over. She probably should have looked to see where she was going when she was trying to make her way towards the door.

She never got the chance to find out what it was though. Before she'd completely sat up, she saw a blur rush towards her, and then a great weight landed on top of her, knocking her back down with a 'humph!' She looked up to see Justin staring down at her.

"Why are you smothering me?" She grunted.

Justin laughed, shifting a little so he wasn't crushing her. Then he ran a hand through her hair with a sigh.

"You kept jumping around on me. I had to get you pinned down somehow."

He wasn't too interested in her reply, because this was Judy he was talking too. She could talk in circles all day about nothing just to avoid doing something. So instead he covered her mouth with his, slipping his tongue past her lips. Judy's hands slid around his waist, fisting the tee shirt covering his back. By the time Rachel knocked on the door Judy's face was flushed and her head was dizzy. Justin pulled back, sitting up on his knees.

"Wanna help me change?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows flirtatiously.

Judy shook her head while she giggled and panted beneath him.

"I better go wait with Rachel. We don't want to tip anyone off, and she's already giving me the third degree."

Justin nodded.

"That sounds like Rach."

Justin lay awake in the bed, looking down at Judy as she slept soundly beside him. She was curled up at his side, her head resting in one of her hands. Her shoulder was left bare, but he knew she was indeed wearing a tank top. The strap must have fallen beneath the covers. It was day two in New York City and they were sharing the King sized bed on the 14th floor. The sun was barely beginning to peek into their room and it casts a golden glow over her skin.

He'd been thinking about it, and finally it all made sense. Before he hadn't been sure of when his feelings for Judy began. At first she was his friend, albeit a girl, but still just a friend. She had her relationships, and he had his. But there wasn't anything special between them, or so he'd thought. But as he looked back on it now there were plenty of signs, their instant connection for one. Who becomes so close with someone without there being some kind of attraction? His want to protect her and take care of her, and to keep away men like Mason and Ben.

It had been because he'd had feelings for her all along. He didn't want those guys with her because they weren't good enough, and because he wanted her for himself. That's why he'd been so sad to leave Central Valley. It wasn't the place itself. He was used to travelling, to being in one area for so long and then having to pack up and go. But before there hadn't been a girl getting left behind. The idea of leaving her had bothered him for weeks before the day actually came.

"Grad-u-ation. Graduation! Graduation. Graduation. Graaaduation."

Justin's head rolled to the side with boredom as he listened to Judy's insane version of hallelujah.

The girl had obviously seen that cheerleading episode of MADE one too many times because her arms were doing high V, low V, high V, low V over and over as she sang. She'd been like this all day, positively bursting with excitement at the thought that tonight was senior sunset and tomorrow was graduation, her last day as part of the Central Valley Unified School district.

"Judy!"

He finally couldn't take it anymore, and grabbed her arms, pinning them to her sides.

"It's graduation. Thank you. Everyone here is grateful for you reminding them, repeatedly, all day, but we got the message. You no longer have to act insane."

While she was excited, he was experiencing some unpredicted anxiety at the thought of having to return home and going back to the old Justin Timberlake-the one who ate Ketchup and lived alone. Now here his partner in crime was a walking, talking, SINGING reminder of the countdown.

"Insane, got no brain," she replied out of habit.

It was the curse of that damn Dickie Roberts: Child Star movie they'd watched so many times.

"Yes, you. Insane, got no brain."

"Fine, I will stop singing Graduation if it makes you happy."

Justin's eyes narrowed on her, "You will?"

"Yeah, sure. Now can you let go? My hands are starting to go numb."

Justin's stare started to waiver a little as he hesitantly released her and stood up straight. She'd never, in the months that he'd known her, just agreed to do something to make him happy. She was always telling him 'your Mom' or 'suck a fat one' or something equally rejective.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Why are you being so weird?"

"I don't know what you're talking about? Can't a girl be happy that her dreams are coming true?"

"Your dreams?"

"Yeah. I'm graduation from high school. Finally. Thank God. And with a boyfriend no less. I, Judy Bucklass, have a boyfriend. It only took 18 years."

Psh, some boyfriend he turned out to be. Maybe he hadn't been all that bad in the beginning, but his intentions had definitely been less than honorable. But that didn't matter now. What mattered was that he was gone, and the effects he had on Judy were fading more and more by the day. The dark heavy makeup had been replaced with bright colors and shimmers. The bags under her eyes had been slept away, and while her occasional potty mouth remained her love affair with alcohol had ended.

Justin glanced up at the clock. It was just before 11am. They'd gotten to sleep in today, but that time was coming to an end. He rubbed his thumb across her cheek, pulling her from her slumber. She shifted against him, nuzzling against his chest before her eyes opened.

"Hey."

"Morning."

"Morning. What time is it?"

"Almost eleven."

"When are we leaving?"

"Noon."

Judy rolled over, stretching her arms towards the headboard.

"Then why did you wake me up? I'm missing out on an extra forty-five minutes of sleeping time."

"Not if you're gonna shower and make it downstairs for breakfast."

Judy sighed.

"I just want food. Do I have to shower?"

Justin lifted her arm, sniffing her skin.

"Nope."

"You just smelled my arm pit. You're weird."

"It smells like watermelon bubblegum."

"It's my deodorant."

"Stick or gel?"

"Stick. Why are we talking about this?"

Justin laughed, rolling onto his back.

"It's just something to talk about."

Judy sat up, adjusting the straps on her tank top so they fit her shoulders correctly, and then she glanced down at Justin. He was on his back, wearing a gray wife beater, his effortlessly toned arms tucked under his head. His eyes were roaming over her figure, studying her. When he noticed her stare he blew her a kiss.

She leaned down, running one of her hands over his biceps as she kissed him. Immediately she felt more awake and more alive than she had in a long time. Something about him made her more relaxed and more at ease, but at the same time more appreciative and observant of the things around her. Ben didn't matter anymore, and the simple patterns on their sheets were prettier. Justin's arms curled around her back, holding her closer when she pulled away.

"That's something else we can talk about," he said.

Judy's brow furrowed as she picked imaginary lint out of his hair.

"What?"

"This."

"Where?"

Justin made a face. He knew she was faking the naivety.

"You know what I'm talking about," he said. "What's going on here? Between us."

Judy laid her head on his chest.

"I don't know."

"I don't either," she heard him rumble. "But something definitely is. I know I like you."

She lifted her head and looked down at him.

"I like you more than I should."

"How much are you supposed to like me?"

He shrugged.

"I told Trace you were like my little sister. But I wouldn't grab my little sister's ass."

Judy outright laughed and sat up on her knees, straddling his waist. She had no idea why, but she just had this urge to touch him. Maybe he could control himself, but at the moment it seemed like she couldn't. If she wasn't careful she'd be climbing all over him in a matter of minutes. If there was anything she'd gained from her relationship with Ben, it was a strong connection to her sexual inner self. And that part of her had been severely neglected as of late. Now that there was a handsome guy sharing her bed and showing some interest, she was considering milking it for all it was worth. Whether anything happened between them or not, Justin was never going to let another guy near until the tour was over and she moved out on her own. That could be months -heaven forbid years-away!

"I kind of like you too, a little, I suppose."

Justin's hands smoothed over her thighs, watching her intently as she towered above him on the bed.

"I hope so. Otherwise I'd have to assume you straddle all of your friends this way."

She pretended to think for a moment, enjoying his hands moving over her hips and settling on her waist.

"Only the cute ones."

"I hope you're not putting me in the same category as Mason."

"Mason was cute-."

"Yeah, for a bulldog maybe."

Judy's eyes rolled. His squeezing her waist was distracting, she really wanted his hands a few inches North of where they currently were.

"Whatever! Mason doesn't matter anyway. So, since we don't know exactly what this is, maybe we should be cautious around the camera crews?"

Justin chuckled, his hands dropping back down to her thighs again.

"Why? MTV would love this story line."

"I'm sure. But, I'd rather we hold onto a little bit of privacy."

Justin nodded.

"Whatever you want, baby."

Inwardly she giggled like a school girl. Baby, huh? She could get used to answering to that word when it fell from his lips. But she wanted to keep her giddiness to herself, so she replied with an insult rather than a squeal.

"Plus, you know, I don't want people to know I'm willing to make out with you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You're such a dork, and you've got that nose…"

Justin smirked, sitting up under her.

"Funny," he muttered.

He barely got a glimpse of the smile she returned before they were kissing again. They were like teenagers again who'd just discovered what making out felt like and couldn't get enough. He'd kissed his fair share of girls in the past, but none of them had been quite like this. Where no matter how small the peck was you felt the warmth run all the way down to your toes. Judy was the first, and he'd lied when he said he could control himself. She was in his lap, her hips pressing down on his as she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth. He was very quickly losing his ability to control himself with her.

For once, Judy was the first to pull back, and for that he was glad. His fingertips grazed over her thighs again and he looked away towards the bathroom. Anything to distract himself from looking at those lips of hers.

"You gotta move," he said. "I need to go eat, or shower, or run, or something."

Judy giggled, climbing out of his lap and watching as he made his way towards the bathroom. She knew exactly what he meant. He wasn't the only one who noticed how in sync their hips had been during that mini-make out session. Apparently Justin was in tune with his sexual inner self as well.

Trace and Rachel sat on the sofa in Justin's dressing room. Justin was at the vanity, one girl touching up the buzz cut on his head, and another girl powdering his face to soak up some of the sweat he'd produce under the lights on the stage. It was their last night in New York, and tomorrow morning they were boarding the buses for Virginia. Judy was on the other sofa across from them. Her back was to Justin as she flipped through a magazine, and Justin was watching her through the reflection in the mirror.

Rachel looked at Judy, narrowing her eyes on the girl when she didn't look up to meet her stare. The girl was focusing entirely too hard on that magazine. Trace, looked at Justin, who met his eyes in the large vanity mirror and then snapped his gaze forward as if he hadn't been looking at any of them at all.

Trace and Rachel looked at each other. Something had been going on for two days, and they just hated being kept out of the mix! When Justin was done they stood, anticipating Justin kicking them out like he always did when the countdown was on.

Rachel stepped over the threshold, still looking into the room, analyzing their movements as Judy stood from the sofa and Justin headed for the door to close it behind them. She wanted to know what was going on in that room every night when no one was around.

"Rach."

She paused when Justin called out to her.

"Yeah?"

"Can you make sure there's water backstage this time? There wasn't any last night."

Rachel nodded, still craning her neck to peek into the room until the door was completely closed. Justin smiled at his cousin's antics, shaking his head. Then he turned his attention to Judy, who was patiently waiting for him by the sofa. She was taking in his black suit. Usually he wore all white, but this black and white combo looked just as good on him.

"You didn't try to run out this time," he said, turning towards her.

Judy didn't get a chance to reply. The door flung open and Trace and Rachel came running in.

"Surprise inspection!" Trace shouted.

Justin and Judy stood there, still several feet apart, staring at them like they were crazy. Beth and Jon were behind the pair, filming into the dressing room.

"What are you doing?" Justin questioned.

Rachel and Trace slowly began to back out of the room.

"We know something is going on," Trace said.

"Yeah, and we're going to get to the bottom of it."

Mike appeared behind Rachel as she spoke, moving Jon and Beth out of the way and grabbing Trace and Rachel by their collars.

"Don't you two have work to do?" He asked, pulling them out of the room.

"I will figure it out!" Rachel called, stretching her neck to glare at them both as she was drug away. "Secrets don't make friends!!"

Justin stepped forward, closing the door once again, this time flipping the lock. He turned back to Judy, finding that she had moved over to the vanity, most likely to be out of the cameras view.

"Those two…"

"Are lunatics," she supplied.

"Amongst other things, yes."

Justin pushed off from the door, strolling over to her as she toyed with his iPod that he'd left on the counter. He was listening to that damn Miley Cyrus song again. Wasn't he a little too old for that Disney pop?

"But they are going to figure it out eventually," she said. "Rachel is to nosy not too."

Justin shrugged with ease.

"Let them work for it."

"She's not going to rat us out to anyone though, is she?"

Justin shook his head. He wasn't all interested in talking about Rachel anymore. He was going on stage in a matter of minutes, which meant he had a matter of minutes to kiss her enough to tide him over for the next couple hours. Besides, it was Rachel they were talking about. She wasn't going to gossip to anyone besides Trace and Mike.

"No. Rachel can keep a secret. That's why I keep her around."

"And what if-."

Sick of hearing her voice, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her into silence. She tasted like the strawberry ice cream she'd had after dinner, and she moaned into his mouth as their tongues dueled and snaked around each other. Her hands slid inside his suit jacket, pulling him closer and tugging on him wantonly.

His hands moved down her sides, gripping her thighs and lifting her up onto the counter behind her. Their kissed paused only momentarily while he moved in between her legs, and then his lips attached themselves to her neck, her hands working his jacket off of his shoulders and down his arms until it pooled on the floor under his feet. He licked and sucked on her skin, electing hisses and breathy sighs from her lips.

She untucked his crisp white dress shirt, practically ripping it out from under his pants so she could run her hands along his skin. Her fingers pressed into the warm skin of his back, feeling the muscles stretch and contort with his movements. Justin's lips made their way up the side of her neck, kissing along her jaw, and finally meeting her lips again. They kissed feverishly, hands becoming braver and bolder. He hooked his hands behind her bent knees, pulling her to the edge of the counter. Judy could feel his growing arousal as their hips pressed together, his hand tickling her ribcage dangerously close to her breasts.

"Justin? It's go-time!"

The door knobbed rattled with Mason's voice and the pair pulled apart for the first time in several minutes. Their breathing labored, lips hot pink from the blood rush as they stared at one another. What the hell was going on here? There was another knock, followed by Mason's voice again.

"Justin?"

"Just a sec," he called back, dropping his head.

He realized all most automatically that that was a bad idea. Now his face was swimming in her cleavage, his nose buried in her bosom. That wasn't going to help the sexually charged situation or his growing arousal.

Justin stood up, taking a step back and beginning to put himself back together. He tucked his shirt back into his pants and retrieved his jacket from the floor while Judy hopped off of the counter and re-hooked her bra. When exactly had he done that? Damn, he was smoother than he thought.

He smirked at her bashful gaze.

"You better hurry," she said. "Forty thousand women are waiting on you."

Justin nodded, wordlessly heading towards the door. He stopped short, running a hand over his head and looking back at her.

"See you at the hotel, Juicy."

When he opened the door and headed for the stage, Rachel came barging in. She looked around the room, finally settling on the messy vanity. She took in Judy's flushed appearance and her jaw dropped.

"Oh, my God."

"Close the door before you say anything else," Judy instructed.

Rachel did so, her jaw still dangling.

"What exactly were you two doing in here? And please, don't spare me of the raunchy details."

"We didn't do anything," Judy lied.

"Right, you normally look like you just got done getting laid. Did you just get laid?"

"No!"

"Well…?"

Judy sighed, and Rachel waited patiently, tapping her foot expectantly. Judy waited. Rachel tapped. Judy groaned. Rachel tapped.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"No chance. Either tell me, or risk getting no sleep whatsoever tonight."

Judy picked up one of the empty water bottles, picked at the label absentmindedly.

"We just made out a little."

Rachel let out a shriek, "Oh my God!"

"Shhhh!"

"Sorry," Rachel whispered. "You guys made out? Things got pretty hot and heavy by the looks of it. I know Justin pretty well and he was practically glowing when he left."

"He wasn't glowing."

"Yes, he was. And so are you!"

Judy covered her face as embarrassment crept over her cheeks.

"So, are you guys dating now?"

"Not exactly," Judy answered, peering out between her fingers. "We're not sure what we are."

Rachel chuckled.

"Finally! I've seen this coming for so long."

"What?"

"You and Justin, and this whole situation. You'd have to be blind to not see the chemistry in the air between you two. Private conversations, sharing rooms. Why do you think so many people watched the show? They were waiting for you guys to get together!"

Judy dismissed her with a wave of her hand, walking towards the door.

"Nobody cared if Justin and I liked each other; they just wanted to see him act like a dork."

"I know he's just Justin to you, but to the rest of America he's Justin Timberlake, and all of them care if you and Justin get together."

"Well, we don't plan on letting them in on any of this for awhile. Especially MTV."

"Good luck trying to keep a secret from them. They've got microphones and cameras everywhere."

"Which is why I told you about it, so you can help us hide it, instead of helping them figure it out."

Rachel let out a sigh, following Judy out the door.

"Looks like things just got a whole lot more interesting."