“Dad, I’m leaving!”  Taylor called up the stairs, listening for any sign that her father heard.  After a moment of silence, she called again.  “Breakfast is on the table.  Don’t be late for work!”  A muffled reply came from somewhere up above her.

 

Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Taylor rushed out the door, jumping into her car.  She sent up a small prayer as she put the key in the ignition.  “Please start.”  Closing her eyes tightly, she turned the key.  At first, nothing, then her old car spluttered to life, choking and coughing until the engine finally caught and evened out.  “Thank you!”

 

The Dodge Neon had once been pristine and grand, a vehicle worth bragging about.  Taylor, of course, wouldn’t have any idea what that Dodge was like.  When she got it, it was a rusted tin can of a car that often shit the bed.  She lovingly named it her Pimp Mobile.

 

The clock on the dash told her she was about to be late for home room, so Taylor stepped on the gas pedal, pushing her car to move faster.  Normally she wasn’t so disheveled, but this morning had proved extra difficult for her father.  Taylor wondered if he’d even be able to function if she weren’t there to take care of him.  He was like a lost little boy, and today he’d needed extra coaxing to get out of bed.  Pancakes, he begged; he wanted pancakes.  “You have time before school,” he told her, pleading with those big brown eyes.  “You can whip up a batch.  It’ll be fine.”

 

So she did, and now she was regretting the weakness.

 

Tires screeching, Taylor whipped her jalopy into a vacant space, cutting off another car.  The driver honked, blasting the horn as he spewed profanities and flipped her off.  She just got out of her car and smiled, offering a little wave.  Some people could be so negative!

 

With seconds to spare, Taylor slipped into her seat in English, waiving as the teacher called her name.  Technically, she wasn’t late.

 

“Okay, Ladies and Gents, we’ll be starting our Shakespeare unit this week, so make sure you’ve got your books and your partners.  This is not an adventure you want to embark upon alone!”  Ms. Richardson, the English teacher, gave a maniacal laugh and rubbed her hands together in excitement.  This woman lived for Shakespeare, and it was common knowledge that her unit was the best at Union High School.  Everyone looked forward to this class.

 

Well, almost everyone. 

 

Taylor spotted Justin across the room, looking as if someone had just run over his favorite dog.  English was not his strong suit, and Shakespeare was worse than learning a foreign language.  Taylor knew this.  She knew a lot about Justin, even though she shouldn’t.  He was strictly off-limits, but it was difficult to resist someone with such a patent pout.  Even though Taylor knew she was asking for trouble, she tutored Justin quite often.  All he had to do was give her that look…

 

Like the one he was sending her way right now.  Taylor subtly shook her head.  Not a good idea, she said with her eyes.

 

But I need your help.  He pleaded right back.  The pout on his face switched to an evil glean and he slowly raised his hand, breaking eye contact with Taylor to look at the teacher.

 

“Yes, Mr. Timberlake?”

 

“Ms. Richardson, I don’t have a partner for the unit.”  Shit, Taylor knew she was stuck.  Frantically, she searched the room for someone else she could partner with, but all of the other students were happily paired up.

 

“Does anyone else not have a partner?”  Ms. Richardson scanned the room, her eyes lighting on Taylor, still sitting at her desk.  “Ms. Smith?  Are you partnered with anyone yet?”

 

Taylor let out the breath she was holding.  “No, Ms. Richardson.”

 

The teacher beamed.  “Perfect! You’ll be working with Justin.  Now…”  Her voice faded into the background, the rushing blood in Taylor’s ears blocking out the rest of the instructions.

 

Justin had plopped himself at the desk next to Taylor, giving her a triumphant grin.  “Hey, partner.”

 

“What are you doing?”  She hissed at him, glancing around the room.  “You’re asking for trouble, Justin.”

 

He shrugged and settled back in his chair, a cocky look on his face.  “The teacher put us together, Tay.  Nothing anyone can do about it.”  He looked as if he’d figured it all out, but Taylor was still worried.

 

“Right.  Just because she can’t change it doesn’t mean she’s not going to bitch about it.”  A scowl creased her brow.  “You don’t have to deal with her wrath, Justin.  She just holds out on you for a day.  I…”  Taylor trailed off.  The grin on Justin’s face faded, but he persisted.

 

“It’s not that bad, Tay, and I really need your help.  You know I can’t pass this class without you.”  He was pouting again.

 

“I fucking hate that pout,” Taylor ground out between clenched teeth.  Unfortunately, the class had gone quiet at that precise moment.

 

“What was that, Ms. Smith?  Something you’d like to share with the rest of us?”  Ms. Richardson eyed the pair, a slightly amused smile on her face.

 

“Uh…I said, ‘where for art thou?”

 

The smile grew.  “So you and Mr. Timberlake have chosen ‘Romeo and Juliet.’  Perfect!  That’s one of my favorites.”  The teacher moved on to the other pairs, writing down their choice of play to study.

 

Taylor scowled at Justin some more, sliding down into her seat and wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole.  This was going to end horribly, she could just feel it.  After all, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy. 

 

How fitting.

 

~*~

 

Taylor sat at the lunch table with an exaggerated sigh.  She picked a French fry off of Madison’s plate, getting a dirty look in exchange.

 

“Classes were that bad?”  She asked, sliding her plate farther away so Taylor couldn’t steal any more food.

 

Taylor shrugged, pulling her lunch from the brown paper bag.  “Shakespeare unit in English.  Guess who I’m partnered with.”

 

Madison’s eyes widened.  “No.”

 

Taylor nodded solemnly.  “Yeah.”  She unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite, chewing slowly.  “He tricked me, really.  I didn’t find another partner fast enough and we ended up being the only two left.”

 

“Jesus, Taylor.  I thought you were going to stay away from him?  I mean…you remember what happened last time.”

 

This time, Taylor was throwing around the dirty looks.  “No shit, Sherlock.  Of course I remember what happened.”  She took a long sip of her diet coke.  “We’re doing ‘Romeo and Juliet’ too.”  Madison’s eyes looked like they were about to jump out of her face, but before she could scold Taylor some more, Eric joined them at the table, sighing dramatically.

 

“Word has it that you and the Timbersnake are doing a Claire Danes and Leo DiCaprio.”  He cocked an eyebrow at Taylor, stealing a French fry from Madison’s plate.  She slapped his hand away.  Taylor nearly choked on her soda.

 

“How the hell did you hear that already?”

 

Eric let his eyes wander around the lunch room.  “Everyone knows already, Tater Tots.  He only has to tell one of his buddies that his favorite tutor is going to carry his fine ass through the assignment, and they’ve blabbed it all over.”  He leaned in closer, lowering his voice.  “Word also has it that Queen Bitch isn’t too excited about it, either.”

 

“Shit.”  Taylor slid farther down into her seat, trying to blend into the table top.  Becca Cooper was the most popular girl in school, mostly because she was the biggest bitch and people didn’t want to be on her bad side.  Unfortunately for Taylor, Becca hated her guts on principal.  There was a history between the two, something that both girls kept as a deeply guarded secret.  But their bad blood ran deep, and Becca made it a point to harass Taylor whenever she could.  When it came to Justin Timberlake, Becca was ruthless.  The two had been dating since the beginning of senior year, and since then, Taylor wasn’t allowed within twenty feet of the guy without notes being left in her locker, getting tripped in the hallway, or having a nasty rumor spread about her.  The last one had Taylor sleeping with all the male teachers (and a female) so she could get straight A’s. 

 

It didn’t help that Justin seemed to think Becca was “just being jealous” and if Taylor ignored her, it would “all just blow over.”  Of course he didn’t see half of the nasty shit that his girlfriend pulled.  He continued to ask Taylor for help in the three classes they shared, and Taylor was getting sick of trying to avoid someone she considered a friend.

 

“You should consider changing schools, Tay.  She’s gonna have your head on a platter after this one.”  Madison was giving Taylor such a serious look that she had to laugh.

 

“Right, like that will work.  She’ll probably find a way to torture me there, too.”

 

Eric and Madison seemed to think on it a while before nodding their heads.  “You’re right.”  The rest of lunch was spent avoiding any conversations about Becca, and Taylor was happy that her friends understood her need to talk about something else. It was easy to play it off, but the situation with Becca really hurt her.  She would never explain why, but it did.

 

“Did you study for that Pre Calc test today?  I totally spaced it last night.”  Madison walked with Taylor to their math class.  Luckily, it was a class Taylor didn’t share with Justin, so she had a change to take a breath and figure out her predicament.

 

“Yeah, I did a little bit.  I feel like I fail no matter what I do, so it seems useless to put too much effort in.”

 

“I swear Mr. Johnson changes the rules of math when he gives us these things.”

 

Taylor chuckled.  “I think he just forgets what he’s taught us.  I don’t think he remembers his own name anymore.”

 

Madison laughed with her, agreeing as they sat down at their respective desks.  Only three more classes and Taylor could jet out of school, hopefully avoiding Justin Timberlake before he could catch her.  She needed to come up with a plan first.

 

 

Taylor should have known not to come into school today.  If the nightmares she had weren’t enough, and the fact that her alarm clock didn’t go off on time didn’t clue her in, the date on the calendar should have alerted her to the fact that today was a bad day to be at school.

 

It was Prom day.

 

A few years ago, Taylor would have been just as excited as every other high school girl, but not now.  Now, she dreaded this day more than a visit to the gynecologist.  This was Becca’s favorite day, and that alone said it was off limits to Taylor.

 

“Seriously, can they get any gigglier?”  Eric nudged Taylor, silently asking her to scoot over on the bench so he could grab the seat next to her.

 

“Is that even a word? Gigglier?”

 

Eric rolled his eyes with practiced precision.  “Of course it is.  Stop changing the subject.”

 

“I didn’t know we were on a subject.”  Taylor knew what Eric wanted to discuss, but Taylor was ignoring his pointed looks.  “Did you finish that report for Higgins’ class?  It’s due today.”

 

“Bitch, please, that was done last week.  Stop avoiding me.  I know you’re pretending that today doesn’t exist.”

 

Taylor gave Eric a long stare, trying to remind herself why he was her best friend.  “If you know that, then why are you bringing it up?”

 

Eric huffed.  “Because you make the rest of us miserable with your moping and shit!  She can’t run your life, Taylor.  Stop letting her get to you.”

 

“She can, and she will.”  Taylor let out a sigh and set down the book she’d been attempting to read.  “Eric, just…just let me deal with this my own way, please.”  Her eyes begged him, but Eric Mann was as stubborn as they come.

 

“Haven’t you dreamt of Senior Prom since you were a little girl?  Haven’t you dreamed about dresses and boys and how magical this night will be?  You can’t let her ruin that for you, Tay.  Seriously.  It won’t be the same if you’re not at prom with us.”

 

Taylor dropped her head into her hands, letting her dark hair cover her face.  “You don’t get it, Eric.  She…she could make my life hell.  It’s easier if I stay out of her way, including Prom.”

 

“Whatever.”  Eric’s eyes rolled again.  It looked almost painful.  “Wallow if you want, but don’t expect me to hang around while you do it.”  He stood and stomped off with poise that only he could possess. 

 

Taylor was sorry to see him go so upset, but she was relieved to be alone again.  She stuck her book in front of her face, hoping to blend into the background until lunch was over.  The day was close to being done and she had made it through the morning without incident.  Now she just needed to make it through the afternoon.

 

“I think you pissed off your friend.”  A familiar male voice sounded in Taylor’s ears and she wished for the power of invisibility with everything she had.  “I hope you don’t mind if a sit…”

 

She pulled the book away from her face and stared, hard, at Justin.  “You can’t do this to me,” she hissed, glancing around the cafeteria.  “Seriously, Justin.  She’ll shit bricks if she sees you talking to me.  I would like to live to see graduation.”

 

All she got in response was his masculine chuckle as he took a seat next to her.  “Relax, she’s working on Prom committee with her friends.  She won’t even know.”  The news didn’t help Taylor relax at all.  In fact, she was even more concerned that Justin was so nonchalant about the whole thing.  “I wanted to talk with you about getting together to work on English.”

 

Taylor sighed, taking another look around the room to make sure no one was watching.  “After school, I guess.”

 

“Today?”

 

Another scan around the cafeteria.  Taylor was certain that Becca was going to catch wind of this conversation.  “Don’t you have to get ready for Prom?  I can guarantee Becca won’t be happy if you’re late for pictures.”

 

Justin just shrugged.  “She’ll live.  I’ll come over your house.  Is that okay?”

 

Taylor sighed.  “It’s probably safest that way.  Sure, I’ll see you at three?”

 

 

Justin’s grin was wide and he patted Taylor’s arm, “I’ll be there.”  With that, he sauntered off.

 

~*~

 

The car parked in the driveway made Taylor groan.  It had been a hellish day so far, and this meeting was only going to make it worse.  Justin was set to be at her house in thirty minutes, and Taylor prayed she could get her uninvited guest out before he showed up.

 

“Tay, baby, I’m so happy you’re home.”  Gina Cooper was tall, blond, and beautiful, everything that Taylor Smith was not.  How Gina was Taylor’s mother, neither knew.

 

“Mom, what are you doing here?”  It was rare to see her mother and she was suspicious.  Her parents had split a few years ago, and the families stayed on their separate sides of town.  Not many people even knew that Gina was Taylor’s mother, and Gina seemed to want to keep it that way.

 

“Well, baby, it’s prom!”  Gina pulled out a sparkly silver dress, fit for a beauty queen that wasn’t Taylor.  “I wanted to bring you a dress because I figured you didn’t have one.”  Gina’s eyes roamed her daughter, sizing up what her little girl had become.  It made Taylor feel like a piece of meat.

 

“I’m not going.”  The words were clipped and cold.  Taylor pushed past her mother and threw her bag on the couch, heading toward the kitchen.

 

“But you have to go!”  Gina’s pleas followed behind Taylor, causing the young girl to roll her eyes.  “You’re a part of the Prom court, baby!  You’ve been nominated for Queen!  You have to be there!”

 

Those words made Taylor stop in her tracks, her heart thudding wildly in her chest.  “What did you say?”

 

“You’re nominated for Prom Queen.”  Gina held the dress in front of her, a hopeful smiled on her painted face.  “You have to go tonight, baby.  This is a big deal!”  She pushed the dress in Taylor’s direction, holding it up to see if it would fit.

 

“Prom queen?  Who the fuck told you that?”

 

Gina frowned, “Watch your language, young lady.”  Pushing some hair out of her face, Gina plastered another smile on her face.  “And your sister told me that you were nominated.  She was really happy for you.”

 

If she wasn’t already suspicious, that news made Taylor go on high alert.  There is no way that her sister would be excited or even want Taylor at the prom.  There was something extremely odd about all of this, and Taylor felt sick at the possibilities that ran through her mind.

 

“No, I’m not going.”  She shoved past her mother and headed back into the living room. 

 

“Why not?”  Gina sounded truly disappointed.  Maybe it was because her outcast daughter was doing something remotely related to popularity.  Gina had always wanted to have two beauty queen daughters to follow in her footsteps:  prom queen, Ms. Memphis, a catalog modeling gig.  Instead, so got a beauty queen and a book worm.  Needless to say, Gina didn’t read much.

 

Taylor stopped herself from rolling her eyes.  Slowly, she said, “because I don’t want to go, and you know as well as I do that my sister would never want me running for something she’s primped for since she was three.”

 

Gina stood there, still holding the sparkly dress, her mouth agape like a beached fish.  “I…well…”  Taylor couldn’t watch.  It was too painful.  “Well…I’ll leave this here, just in case you change your mind.”  She had the audacity to sniffle as she walked toward the door.

 

“Bye, Gina.”  Taylor practically pushed the woman out the door, closing it with a loud, satisfying click.  “Shit…”  She sighed, leaning against the door.  It had already been the day from hell.  That encounter had just iced the cake.  She couldn’t believe that she was entered in for Prom Court, and it was even worse that her mother had showed up to push her to go.  Gina barely came around for Taylor’s birthday.  This was like a slap in the face.

 

The silver dress, draped over an arm chair, was mocking Taylor with its sparkles.  She was about to throw it away when a knock at the door startled her.  “Shit.”  Justin.  Plastering a smile on her face, she opened the door.  “Hey, come on in.”

 

“Hey.”  He shuffled into the house, spotting the dress almost immediately and throwing Taylor a curious glance. 

 

“Don’t ask.”  She led Justin into the house, taking him into the kitchen.  “Do you want anything to drink or eat?”

 

“Uh…water is fine, thanks.”  He sat down and pulled out his English book and a copy of Romeo and Juliet.  The look on his face said he was anything but happy about the assignment.  “So, what exactly do we have to do with this thing, anyway?”

 

Taylor set a glass of water down, along with a bowl of chips and a drink for herself.  “Well, we have to analyze the play, decide what we think Shakespeare was saying about life and people and relationships.  Then, we have to take a section and put it into modern terms.”

 

Justin wrinkled his nose.  “Awesome.”

 

Taylor actually managed a laugh, sitting down at the table and handing Justin a bottle of water as she screwed the cap off of her own.  “It’s not that bad.  I’ve actually worked with this play before, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”

 

“You’ve read this thing?”  He pointed to the book, a look of disgust on his face.  “It’s not even in English.”

 

Another chuckle escaped Taylor.  “Right, it’s Shakespearian.  And I didn’t read it, I acted in it.  Last summer, with the Shelby Forest Play House.”

 

Justin looked mildly impressed, eyeing the text with a strange look on his face.  “Isn’t this a romance?”

 

“In Shakespearian terms, it’s a tragedy.  He had two types of plays: Comedies and Tragedies.  The comedies always ended in a wedding, and the tragedies ended with most of the main characters being dead.”

 

“So who did you play, then?  Did you die?” 

 

“I was Juliet, and yes, I died.”

 

“Cool.”  He smirked, flipping through the pages of the book.

 

“Gee, thanks.”  The sarcasm in Taylor’s voice was thick, but she managed a small smile.

 

“Well, I just mean, it seems cool to act out a death scene.  Was it all bloody and shit?”  He tried to find the ending of the play, squinting his eyes at the strange language.

 

Taylor gave Justin a strange look.  “You really don’t know the story of ‘Romeo and Juliet’?”   Justin shook his head in response, causing Taylor to sigh.  “I suppose we can start at the end.”  She took a deep breath, opening to the last scene of the play.  “Romeo and Juliet are in love, and they decide to get married.  Unfortunately, their families hate each other and it wouldn’t go over too well with the parents if they found out about the marriage.  So, in an elaborate scheme made up by Friar Lawrence, Juliet takes a potion that makes her look like she’s dead.  She’s supposed to wake up far away where Romeo will come meet her and they’ll live happily ever after.”

 

Justin nodded his head.  “Okay, I’m with you.”

 

“Well, Romeo never gets the message.  He doesn’t realize that Juliet’s death is a hoax, and when he sees her lying in the tombm he goes a little crazy.  He decides he can’t live without Juliet, so he swallows some poison and dies.  A moment later, Juliet wakes up to find Romeo really dead.”

 

“Shit, that sucks.”

 

Taylor nods.  “Right?  So, Juliet decides she can’t live without Romeo, so she takes his dagger and she stabs herself.  Thus, they both die.”

 

Justin’s jaw dropped.  “That’s fucked.”

 

Taylor let out a loud guffaw, holding her stomach as the giggles took her over.  The day had been so long and stressful, she couldn’t stop the laughter and she didn’t really want to.  Justin, of course, thought she’d lost her mind, but he managed to laugh a little, too.

 

When Taylor had calmed down enough, she stood from the table and held up her finger.  “Hang on a second; I think I have something that will help.”  She disappeared into the living room.  Justin, not able to sit for very long, wandered after her.  He spotted the sparkly dress again, and he reached out a hand to touch it just as Taylor returned.

 

“It’s pretty.”  He commented, fingering the shiny fabric.

 

Taylor didn’t respond.  “Here, this is a version of the play that has the modern interpretation in it, too.  So, you can read the Shakespeare and then get the ‘translation’ right on the next page.”

 

“Oh, sweet, this is awesome.”  He flipped through the book, smiling as he spotted words he could understand.  “I’ll actually be able to read this one.”

 

“Good.  You should have the play read by Monday.  Then we can talk about interpretations and coming up with our own scene.”

 

Justin slid the small book into his back pocket, glancing over at the dress again.  He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of it.  “Are you going?”

 

Taylor caught the direction of his gaze.  “To Prom?  Fuck no.”

 

Justin’s blue eyes slammed into hers.  “Why not?”  He saw the answer on Taylor’s face, and he let out a puff of frustrated air.  “You let her control you way too much, Tay.”

 

An angry eyebrow rose on Taylor’s face. “Say’s her pussy whipped boyfriend?”

 

Justin blushed, but the flush of his own anger covered up his pink cheeks.  “First of all, I’m not pussy whipped.  In fact, we haven’t had sex because I’m pretty sure she’s screwing the rest of the basketball team.”  He took a deep breath.  “If you want to know the truth, I broke up with her a few weeks ago, but she asked me not to tell anyone until after prom.  I’m just doing her a favor.”

 

Taylor sat on the couch with a flop.  “Really?”

 

“Yeah.  She drove me nuts with all the talk about…well, you.”

 

Taylor dropped her chin to her chest, not wanting Justin to see the watering of her eyes. 

 

“Why is she so obsessed with you, Taylor?  She used to come up with the craziest ways to piss you off.  I never understood it.  What happened between you two?”

 

Taylor sniffled.  She hated this moment, and she hated Becca Cooper with everything in her.  “I can’t tell you.”  She whispered, choking on her own words.

 

“Why the hell not?”  Justin paced a little, glancing at the dress hanging over the back of the arm chair.  “Do you know that she’s setting you up tonight?  She thinks she’s going to really get you by signing you up for Prom Court.  She’s been planning it for weeks.”

 

Taylor cleared her throat.  “I know.  That’s why I’m not going.”

 

“But she’s winning!  She’s totally getting her way.”

 

A fire blazed up in the girl’s eyes.  “So I should go and let her make a fool of me?  That’s sticking it to her.”  Her sarcastic tone was back, biting Justin with it’s acid.

 

“Why, Taylor?  What is her issue with you?”

 

Finally, it was too much.  The years of silence and keeping secrets had built up too much pressure and Taylor couldn’t take it anymore.  Now that Justin was asking, pushing, Taylor couldn’t keep the words from flying off of her tongue.  “She’s my sister.”

 

“What?”

 

Taylor licked her lips, finally meeting Justin’s gaze.  She raised her chin, hoping to hold some of her pride together.  “We’re sisters.  Twins, actually, but you’d never know.”  She could see his confusion, so she explained.  For the first time in years, Taylor confessed a family secret that hadn’t ever been shared with strangers before.  “We’re not identical.  I look like my dad.”  She pointed to her dark hair and her brown eyes.  “Becca…she…she looks a lot like our Mom.  She also dyes her hair because she didn’t want anyone to know we were related.  When we were seven, our parents split.  My dad ended up getting me, and Mom took Becca.  It’s been war ever since.”

 

Justin sat back on the couch, shock on his face as he tried to piece everything together.  “Your sister?”  Taylor nodded your head.  “Twin sister?”  Taylor nodded again, twisting her fingers together.  “How…why…”

 

“Mom wanted a beauty queen, and I was a tom boy.  Becca, she was what Mom wanted.  They went shopping together, they did their nails, and they talked about pageants and boys.  I liked to play in the dirt, and pretend to be in musicals.  I liked to throw a baseball with my dad.”  She wiped angrily at her face.  “I think she was jealous that Dad and I got along so well.  He always paid me more attention, and when our parents split, he didn’t even ask Becca what her choice was.  She’s hated me ever since.”

Justin sat in a stunned silence, carefully looking Taylor over for any signs that she was related to Becca.  Maybe he could see some similarities in the shape of their faces, or their noses, but the personalities were so different, they would never look like twins to him.

 

Truth be told, he liked Taylor a lot better than he liked Becca.  She was funny, smart, and she didn’t really care about status or popularity like Becca did.  Sure, he found Becca really attractive, which is why he was interested in her in the first place.  It was easy to be around her, too, because she was the head cheerleader and he was the captain of the basketball team and the baseball team.  They made a good pair and they had the same friends.  After the first month or so, though, he’d realized that she wasn’t what she wanted everyone to think she was.

 

He’d caught her with one of his buddies in backseat of Trey’s car.  She’s persuaded him to forgive her, tears and all, so he had.  Then, a few weeks later, it was one of the JV basketball boys underneath the bleachers on the football field.  He’d decided then that he was all done with her, and he told her as much.  She threw a fit, cursing him out, crying, begging.  Finally, she pleaded with him to not tell anyone until after the prom.  He was just enough of a sucker to agree.

 

Now, though…now he wasn’t so she why he had.  Looking at Taylor, a totally sweet girl, seeing her all messed up because Becca was that much of a bitch, it made him want to tell everyone that Becca Cooper was the school’s biggest slut.

 

“Justin…you can’t tell anyone about this.”  Taylor’s voice broke through his thoughts.

 

“What?”

 

Her eyes crashed into his.  “Please, you can’t tell anyone about Becca being my sister.  She…she already makes school difficult enough.  I don’t know what she would do if word got out.”  She laughed; it was a humorless sounding thing.  “I just want to make it to graduation so I can leave this place forever.”

 

“Sure, yeah.”  He was a little tired of keeping everyone’s secrets, but he knew that this meant a lot to Taylor.  It was the least he could do. 

 

There was an awkward silence for a while, neither teenager was sure of what to say.  Justin wanted to tell Taylor that she was so much better than her sister made her feel, but he didn’t know how.  Taylor wanted to tell Justin to leave so she could wallow alone, but she was too polite.

 

After a while, Taylor cleared her throat.  “Are you still going to prom with Becca?”

 

He shrugged.  “She’s going with a group of girls.  I haven’t decided if I’m going yet.”  He watched her carefully, making his next decision without thinking too hard about it.  “Do you want to go with me?”

 

The look that Taylor sent him was icy cold, but Justin couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips.  She was too serious for her own good sometimes.  “I’m serious, Taylor.  I know why you don’t want to go…but…I think you should.”

 

“Did you not just hear the conversation we had?”  She was getting really tired of people trying to get her to do things she didn’t want to do.  “There’s not a chance in hell.”

 

Justin ignored her comments, sitting back against the couch so he could grab the silver dress again.  He ran the fabric through his fingers as he talked.  “Can you imagine the look on her face when she saw you walk in with me?”  He laughed.  “She’d really shit bricks then.”  He let the image sink in to Taylor’s mind a little, “imagine if we won Prom King and Queen together, too.  It would be the worst night of her life.”

 

Taylor sat silently, watching Justin with a strange look on her face.  A million thoughts were running through her head.  The first was that she wanted to stay as far away from the prom as possible.  The second was centered on Justin and why he would want to bring her with him.  “I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

 

Justin shrugged.  “You would look beautiful in this dress.”  He held the fabric toward her, finally meeting her eyes.  “And I hate the idea that she’s going to take this night away from you.”  He stood, grabbing his backpack and slowly heading toward the door.  “We could have a great time together, you know.”

 

Taylor sat, stunned, as Justin made his way toward the door, throwing a goodbye in her direction.

 

“Wait!”  She jumped from her chair, running to catch him before he got too far away.  She stopped him in the doorway.  Taking a deep breath, Taylor sent up a silent prayer as she answered Justin.  “I want to go with you.”

 

The grin that spread across Justin’s face was brilliant, and a light blush painted his cheeks.  “We’re going to have a blast,” he beamed.  “I’ll come pick you up at seven?”

 

Before she could change her mind, Taylor nodded yes, a matching grin on her own face.

 

 

“Stop fussing, you look perfect and you’ll ruin your make up.”  Madison scolded Taylor, pulling the girl’s hands away from her face.  “He’s going to swallow his tongue when he sees you.”

 

Taylor’s eyes widened.  “I hope not.”  She studied herself in the mirror for another moment, still unsure of this decision.  “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

 

“It’s going to be so much fun!”  Madison was ecstatic when her best friend called her up for advice and help getting ready.  She knew there was no change that Taylor would go to prom, so she didn’t hesitate when she got the call. What made it even better was that Justin Timberlake was taking Taylor. 

 

Speak of the devil, the doorbell rang through the house, announcing his arrival.

 

Taylor glanced over at her friend, her eyes wide with nerves.  “I think I’m going to be sick.”  She stated, holding her hand to her stomach. 

 

Madison tutted at Taylor, pushing the other girl out the door.  “No, you’re not.  Now, let’s go get Prince Charming and knock his socks off.”

 

The walk down the stairs felt like a million miles to Taylor.  She tottered slightly on her heels, not used to wearing anything but chucks.  She kept her eyes to the floor, afraid to look at anything but the stairs she was walking down.  When she reached the bottom, she could see Justin’s black shoes, shiny and polished.  His sharp intake of breath grabbed her attention and she looked at him.

 

“Wow.”  He let out the word on a puff of air, his eyes drinking her in.  “You look beautiful,” he whispered.

 

Taylor offered a smile, nerves fluttering wildly in her stomach.  “You don’t look so bad yourself.”  She liked how he looked in a suit.  It fitted his frame well.  She was used to seeing him in basketball uniforms and jeans.  This was a very nice change.

 

“I think we all look like a million bucks,” Madison chirped, breaking the tension between Justin and Taylor.  “Let’s go.  I’ve got a date waiting for me.”

 

The teenagers piled into Justin’s car, Taylor sitting rigidly next to Justin in the front seat.  She was nervous, her heart racing and her stomach doing somersaults.  She never imagined she would go to the prom.  Things between her and Becca were so tense and hostile, she didn’t think she would want to.  For most of high school she had allowed Becca to take the spot light and treat her like trash.  Now, though, sitting in Justin’s car, dressed to the nines…Now, Taylor was ready to stand up for something she wanted and not give in to her sister.  She deserved this night just as much as Becca did.

 

“Hey, we’re here.”  Justin’s hand was warm on her bare shoulder, and Taylor jumped.  “Sorry,” he grinned at her, “I didn’t mean to startle you.  You zoned out for most of the car ride.  We’re here.”

 

“Oh, shit.”  Taylor didn’t remember the drive at all, and now that they were in front of the school gym, she felt her hands start to shake.  “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

 

Justin’s chuckle sent warmth through her limbs.  He got out of the car and came around to the passenger side, offering his hand out to Taylor.  “This is the best idea I’ve ever had.”

 

“If you say so.”  She let him help her out of the car, leaning into his side as they walked toward the entrance.  Music was pumping and cars were pulling in at a rapid pace.  Madison had gone ahead to meet up with Eric and her date, Kyle. 

 

The lights were flashing as they walked through the entrance, Justin handing someone their tickets.  It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but when Taylor could finally see, she wished she couldn’t.  It seemed as if all eyes were on her and Justin as they walked around the tables, looking for their seats.  Whispers brushed against them, and Taylor knew that it wouldn’t take long for word to spread that Justin brought someone other than Becca.

 

“I’m going to find Madison and Eric,” Taylor had to talk loudly so Justin could hear her.  “I’ll be right back.”  He nodded, giving her a small wave as she got swept into the crowd.

 

Justin found their table, calling greetings to his friends and slapping hands with his nearby teammates.  “Dude, don’t look now,” one of his buddies nodded to someone behind Justin, giving him a meaningful look, “Queen Bitch at your back.”

 

He knew the moment was coming, but it still didn’t make him want to face her anymore.  With a groan, he turned to see Becca storming across the room in his direction.  He offered her a smile, which made her face contort even more.

 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”  She screamed, pulling the attention of everyone within twenty feet towards them.  “How could you bring that bitch?”

 

Justin held up his hands, stopping the torrent he knew was about to come at him.  “First of all, she’s not a bitch, so you better watch what you say.”  He spoke calmly, trying to keep his voice quiet and this conversation private.

 

Becca had other plans.  “You fucking asshole!”  She screeched at him, “I can’t believe you would come with that…thing!”  She turned to see all eyes on her, and she took the opportunity to cause more of a scene.  “She’s totally trying to steal you away from me.”  She was certainly on a roll now.  “You…you cheated on me with that bitch!”

 

Besides the pulsing music, the room was silent as they watched the showdown.  Justin was trying to keep his composure, but it was difficult when Becca was being so ridiculous.  “You know damn well I didn’t cheat on you with anyone.  We haven’t been together since I caught you sucking Trey’s dick in the backseat of his car.”  Fury laced Justin’s words.  Normally, he was much more of a gentleman, but she’d pushed him too far.  “And as for Taylor…she’s probably the coolest chick I know.  She’s smart, she’s beautiful, and she’s got way more class than you’ll ever have.”  He turned, about to move away when he spun back around.  “I can’t believe I ever wasted my time on someone as shallow and vindictive as you.”

 

Becca was left wide-eyed and silent as Justin stormed off.  Conversation erupted around them as word spread throughout the room.

 

Justin headed for the doors, needing air and space.  He had never let Becca get to him so much before, but after his conversation with Taylor today, he just couldn’t let Becca trash talk her sister like that.

 

“What a show.”  Taylor’s voice sounded quietly behind him, and Justin’s head hung.  He was embarrassed that he’d gotten so out of control.

 

“I’m sorry.”  He stuffed his hands in his pockets, afraid to look at the disappointment he knew would be on Taylor’s face.

 

“Don’t be sorry.”  Her hand settled on his arm, warmth spreading through him.  “I…I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

 

Justin took a deep breath and turned slightly, still in awe of how beautiful this girl was.  “I’ve always liked you, Taylor.  You’re…you get me and I like that.  I just…I never thought you were interested in someone like me.”

 

Taylor’s eyebrow raised in amusement.  “Is that so?”

 

“Yeah, well, I mean, I’m this jock and you’re this super intelligent girl and…”  He babbled for another moment or two, his cheeks flushing crimson when he realized what he was doing.

 

Taylor smiled up at Justin, stepping in closer so she could look in his eyes.  “Thank you for bringing me tonight and thank you for standing up for me like that.”

 

Justin licked his lips.  “You’re welcome.”  His voice was low and husky, and he hesitated only a second before closing the distance between them and capturing her lips with his own.  The kiss was slow, sweet, and it was filled with things that these two had never dared to share before.  Justin’s hands gently rested on Taylor’s back, the heat from his skin setting her on fire.  She ran her fingers through his cropped hair, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened.

 

“Hey!”  Madison’s voice broke through the haze that had settled over the new couple.  “Stop making out, you two!  You’ve got to get back in here!”  Madison tugged Taylor away from Justin, getting a glare from her best friend.  “Seriously!  You just won prom King and Queen!  Get your asses back inside!”

 

There was a pause before both Justin and Taylor erupted into peals of laughter, clutching one another for balance as they made their way back inside the gym.