The story I have to tell is not a pretty one. It’s a story that most decided was better left unsaid. I’m one of very few who know all the intricate details, and today I’m breaking my silence. You see, I disagree with the notion that everything is well left alone. I don’t understand how well can even begin to describe the unfortunate effects this untold story had on so many lives- especially the two lives of two people I have grown to care deeply about. This isn’t my story, and I was one of the lucky ones that didn’t reap the havoc that spread as a result of this tragedy. However, how lucky am I really, if I can’t escape the haunting presence of what I know? How better off am I if I can’t ignore the stained gaze that lingers on the eyes of a dear friend, knowing the torment they must be suffering through every day? Nothing about this situation is fair, and I hope that more light will be shed after this revelation, and that good that will result in it outweighs the harm. I hope that when this is through I can still call them both my friends, my family. This was a decision that was not come by lightly, but was accompanied by a thorough search of the heart. At first, I wanted this done for my own piece of mind. I wanted what I knew to finally be revealed to all persons it concerned. I wanted the weight to be lifted from my shoulders, I wanted my conscious to be clear. Then I ran into her, she looked so sad, even though she smiled and spoke as if life hadn’t turned out the way it had. My heart broke for her, and many would be surprised that it still breaks for him too. Everyone thinks that they see him clearly, that the charade he puts up is actually his true temperament. But they have no idea, they are outsiders- and now they includes me. He hasn’t been the same since it happened, and I know because I was there before it happened and I was there when it happened. So now that I’m still here after it happened, I can declare- in good measure- that he is no longer the same. The little things that I used to notice, like the way his eyes lit up followed by the cutest scrunch of the nose whenever he was delighted, no longer happens. If , and when, his eyes light up now, its usually followed by a tight smile that is held almost too brief. Nothing like the boasting grin he use to proudly claim before. So it started that I could no longer live under the pretense, I was dying to see that familiar look in his eye. That warm loving one. It was selfishness that drove me to this point at first, but then...I ran into her. Suddenly, everything became full circle for me, and it moved from being about me, to being about them. I happened to be in the same place she was, which was an unusual circumstance all in itself because she no longer came around those places, and she saw me first. Her eyes shown with recognition, but her face remained blank as she tried to push past me, hoping that I’d allow her to do so. But I couldn’t, because the memories that conjured up upon first glance couldn’t allow me to do such a thing. I touched her arm, and she withdrew from he as if I burned her. Ever the thespian, she quickly recovered and plastered on a surreal smile. We spoke casually, nothing more than irrelevant conversation, and then just like that she was gone. My heart fell to my stomach, and my mouth twisted into disappointment. I felt the rush of the past fall upon me, and instantly a tear saturated my eye. It was then that I realized, something had to be done. I’m probably the most unlikely person to be doing this, which is why it works out well for me. You see, this has to be done under complete discretion. Even if you thought you knew who I was, I wouldn’t tell you. I’m one of many that had once been apart of that life, the life shared between two people who once meant the world to each other. Neither of them know I’m doing this, in fact noone knows I am. Which scares me, I have no one to encourage me, remind me that I am doing the right thing. I’m waiting for the moment when the dust settles and its finally left up to them to decipher the truth. I’m waiting for them to take a hold of that knowledge and do with it what they can. I’m hoping they can salvage what they once had, and maybe I’m just a hopeful. Even if they can’t come back to what they once were, I at least hope there is peace. Peace in knowing. Peace in understanding. I hope I haven’t waited to long to do this. I’ve only confided thus far in you, no one else knows my logic, no one else can even imagine that I’ve been thinking this. No one else knows that I know it all. Only you. Hopefully, when I tell this story, eyes are opened and doors do not shut. Maybe, if this is met with a glimmer of acceptance, I can come out the shadows and reveal myself as the culprit. I’m sure the chance of that happening, regardless of the outcome, is more than slim to none. I’m perfectly content with remaining nameless, I don’t want to be found out. I don’t want anyone to sway me into thinking this is a bad idea. I hope you understand, I hope they do too. This is for them, a chance that was never allotted them in the beginning. This had better make a difference.....

Chpt 1

Shelby Forest was the sleepy town nestled deep within the back country of Tennessee, a mere sixty seven miles outside of downtown Memphis. If you blinked your eye in passing, you would surely miss it and if your imagination didn’t take you beyond the fortress of trees that guarded the town from modern civilization, you’d think someone was playing a trick on you. There were very few that knew about Shelby Forest, and even fewer that actually lived there. The town had no more than 300 inhabitants, and that is if you extend your count to a twenty mile radius from the town square. Shelby Forest was a town where everybody knows your name, where doors were left open overnight and at any given time your likely to see more livestock than people. It was a place where generally everyone came from the same strand, as if somewhere down the line- every person that resided in Shelby Forest could be traced back to one sole line of ancestry. The notion would tickle most, but only proved to frustrate Dale Lynn McKenna. She was an only child, the first of many deviations from the social norm, since the town average was about 3.5 children per household. She also had long thick black hair, which was inherited from her maternal Native American grandmother, and copper colored skin which could be attributed to whomever her African American father might be. The most her mother, Beverly, knew about her father was that he was African American and lived somewhere between Columbus, GA and Birmingham, AL. Beverly was a worldly woman, who donned the same thick black hair as her daughter, that was known for her nomadic ways and lusty activities. It would only make sense for her mother to have lost track of the man who held the key to Dale’s lineage, since it was a rarity that Beverly knew the men she laid down with for more than a night. It was fact that could never be kept secret, for no matter where Beverly went next, her ways followed her. Not only did she have the reputation of her mother as a shadow, but her strong features set her apart even more. She was an outcast, a social deviant, someone who did not belong.

" I reckon yer knew here?" It had been six months since Dale and her mother first moved into town, and she still had yet to grow accustomed to the thick accent of the residents and their ever redundant questioning. She might have been new six months ago, but after considerable sightings- since she worked out of the only gas shop in the town square- the question of her being knew was growing pretty old. She had long since stopped answering and instead flicked her yellow brown eyes towards the customer and plastered on an even smile. She recognized him and wondered if it was the whiskey that could be detected on his breath, or his wandering eye that had Sam O’Grady asking her a question he already had the answer to. Clearing her throat, she reached for his items and systematically rang and bagged them. She moved at a swift pace, just to ensure that he’d be gone and forgotten before the minute.

" Ya git an ‘earin problem?" She stopped her face from frowning at his atrocious use of slang, and perked up enough to let out a brilliant smile. From the way his eyes shifted in delight, Dale could tell that was all he was after- at least for now. He knew well enough than to stand and cause a scene, so just grabbed the bag she held out for him and clucked his tongue in frustration.

" One day gurl." Sam grimaced moving to the side, his steps hard and heavy as he made his way out the door. Dale ignored the goose bumps that trailed up her arm in response to his tone and consoled herself in knowing that he was nothing more than talk. She couldn’t say that she completely trusted him, but she trusted that nothing more would happen under the watchful eye of Billy, the store owner. Billy Bomar, was the store owner, who looked after Dale like she was his own. She was more than four times her age, and was the closest semblance of a father figure in her life. At his age, he was more like a grandfather- which made no difference because as it stands he was the only man in her life. She looked over her shoulder and found him seated at his table surrounded by two other men that looked about his age. Daddy Bomar, which she lovingly called him, had been one of the first people to speak to her in town. She had been walking around the town square, aimlessly, when he walked up to her and asked her business. He was stern, but very kind, and offered her a part time job at his gas shop named Billy’s. Dale was more than happy to accept the offer, since it meant somewhat of an income for her household. Living in the trailer park just off the main road didn’t require much money, but the little that it did Beverly always failed to pay. He winked at her, assuring her that his eyes were on her, before turning back to his game of dominoes. A sigh of relief fell off her lips, as she turned back to the front of the store and watched nothing in particular. The store had its share of business, it was just that in came in very few and very spread out spurts. Most of the time, she was perched atop of the stool behind the counter reading whichever romance novel she borrowed off the shelves for that week. Deciding that it would be another hour before an actual customer would approach the counter for business, Dale knelt down and pulled out the latest novel by Johanna Lindsay- The Rogue Warrior. She was all set on learning the intimate details of Thor, the handsome savage, and his prisoner Lira’s love quest when she heard the bell to the store ring announcing the arrival of a new customer.

" Hi." she offered, but was quickly turned off the by the hurried footsteps of the tall man who stalked down the isle and completely ignored her greeting. Her eyes went huge as she watched him shuffle a fleeting glance her way, and then proceed to step behind the counter and into the entrance way of the small dining area where Daddy Bomar and his friends played. With interest, she turned and watched the scene unfold, as the mysterious young man opened his arms and enveloped Daddy Bomar into a tight embrace. It was the least she expected of the obtrusive visitor, but could see that whomever it was made Daddy Bomar beam with joy. She watched the two of them interact, and decided that she was intruding on an intimate moment as she turned around to plop onto her stool and read her book. She was trying to pay attention to the intricate words of the author, but found that she was distracted by her own eavesdropping, as she strained to hear what was taking place in the other room. She could barely make out the words ‘son’ and ‘song’ when she heard a heap of laughter flow from the room. Whoever it was seemed to be charming the pants off of the elders, which heightened her fascination even more. From her judging glance, he didn’t seem like the charming type, then again he barely acknowledged her. She sighed in frustration when she realized there was no way to decipher through all the strong accents being thrown every which way, and continued on with her reading. She had just fallen back into the story line when a second sounding of the bell tore her from the words. She looked up and this time she recognized the dark haired boy who walked just as hurriedly towards the counter.

" Hi." her standard greeting, and the boy whom she vaguely recognized from around town before flashed her a quick smile. She followed him with her eyes as he too made his way to the back room. She was one of the few people in town who still had yet to learn everyone’s name. Aside from the elders, and the perverted men and teenage boys, she barely knew anyone. The girls were not the friendliest, and the boys her age always seemed like the were giving her ogling stares that sickened her more than it welcomed her. She’d seen the shorter dark haired boy before in passing, when she was walking home one day and he passed by. She remembered such encounter, because he had a fabulous red sports car, which was a direct contrast to the mangled pick ups she was so used to seeing. He was laughing and consumed in the beautiful blonde haired girl that rode beside him, both of them looking as out of place as she always felt- except in a movie star kind of way. She only saw him on occasion, but whenever she did he always seemed bigger than the town.

" Trace whose watching the car?" the mystery man’s voice broke her from her concentration and had her looking between the him and the dark haired boy she now realized was named Trace.

"Probably the camera man that was hiding in the bushes." Trace replied grabbing a few chocolate bars off the shelf and placing them on the counter. Dale quickly rang them, since she could tell their was urgency in the mystery man’s voice.

" Fuck Trey...what the hell?!" The mystery man pulled his cap further down, and licked him lips in frustration. His eyes only rested briefly on Dale before he turned to peer out the window. Following his eyes, Dale could see the glistening black Mercedes that was double parked in front of the store.

" Calm down J...it’s not like the damn thing doesn’t draw attention all on its own." Trace was unwrapping a candy bar, his voice nothing like the strained one his partner was giving.

" Fuck." The mystery man hissed pushing past Trace and heading out the door. Dale wondered what the big deal was, and why it seemed that a group of people were suddenly surrounding the car she watched the mystery man walk out to.

" Hey, Thanks."Trace smiled before turning to follow suit. Dale followed them out the window and watched as the two hopped inside of the car in lightening speed and sped out of the parking lot. Shaking her head, Dale nestled back down on her stool and allowed the words of Ms. Lindsay to drown out her curiosity.

" I told you to take the chevy." Justin Timberlake didn’t let the mockery of his surprise go unnoticed. If his mother even thought that the idea of him attempting to drive his grandmother’s 1984 five speed station wagon would have been more realistic, she was sadly mistaken. He just wanted to drop into town and see if his grandfather was up for a weekend fishing trip. It had been no less than ten months since he had been back home, and the first thing on his agenda was to round up the Timberlake clan and head to cabin for the weekend. Nothing against the women in his life, it was just that after spending night and day being screamed at by them and then occasionally going home to the one that lived with him, Justin was in need of some serious male time outside that of his group. He needed his down south, back country, southern gentlemen father and grandfather to lay back and smoke a pipe with him while they exchanged stories about sports and guns. He wanted to see his two younger brothers, catch them up on a few game of basketball and see how their skills had improved. He wanted to ride around town with Trace, and just chill and relax and be away from the life that he had been so accustomed to. He didn’t want the tabloids, he didn’t want the fans, he wanted home and all the familiar things that come with it. It only made sense to him that his fame would be left at his door step in Los Angeles and that it wouldn’t make its way down to the dusty roads of Shelby Forest- but that was clearly his wishful thinking. Sure enough, not even ten minutes into town, and the cameras were already staking out his every move.

" Let’s be serious here now. The chevy bomber is not exactly a chick magnet." Trace sighed, gaining two annoyed looks from Justin and his mother. Lynn Harless, rolled her eyes and ignored the man- she thought of like a second son- and focused on her first born.

" Should we call Hank?" Justin just sighed in frustration, not willing to call up a swat team just to spend a few precious moments at home. It was ridiculous, didn’t these photographers have something more to do than stalk him. Now they knew where his grandfather worked, and needless to say they’ll be camping all outside the gas shop now. If they called Hank, he would first advise that Justin come back to L.A. and fly out his family. He would then proceed to set up some bogus fishing trip that probably doubled as a casino gig at night. That wasn’t what Justin wanted. When it came that Hank’s request would be denied, he would then settle on sending more than a dozen of his men to guard Justin and his family’s premises. An option Justin was still against, but would rather accept than the first

" No, it’s cool. There’s nothing to go on here anyway. They’ll get bored by morning." Justin hoped his words were convincing enough for his mother to step away from the notion. He knew she was concerned, but he only spotted at most three cameras and could safely say that when they realized there was nothing close to a story down here the dirt roads and slow drone of life would send them packing before dawn.

" I don’t know J..they looked pretty optimistic." Trace laughed grabbing for yet another fresh backed cookie, making it his sixth. Justin shrugged, wondering what it was that they expected to find. He was here for a break, and was only going to be surrounded by family. If they were looking for some dirt, they were better off following Britney. That thought alone sent a wave of anger through his body, he didn’t feel like thinking of the possibility. Of course there were rumors, but he’d readily believe a genie before he’d buy into the tabloids. There relationship wasn’t the best, but it didn’t deserve his lack of faith in it. He asked her once, she denied it, they ended up fucking. The issue was tucked under the rug, and never questioned again. If America thought she was cheating, they’d have to wait until he has seen for himself to sway him any different.

" Of course, anything to add onto the Britney cheating catastrophe." Lynn hissed, crossing her arms over her chest and pressing her lips tightly together. Justin grimaced inside, hoping that would be the last that was said of that particular issue. He didn’t feel like discussing it, as far as he was concerned it was taken care of.

" Alright...let’s go round up the gear. Get this freak show over with." Trace groaned, sensing the need for a change in subject. Justin smirked at his best friends obvious contempt towards his favorite extracurricular activity. Trace hated fishing, and considered the best part to be when it was over. He only went because Justin begged him, and this time was no different. Standing to his feet, Justin crossed over and kissed his mother, before rushing upstairs to dig out his fishing rods.

Chapter 2

" What are ya doin home?" Dale was surprised to hear the voice escape the cracked lips of the woman she would have passed for dead. Beverly was sprawled across the small blue sofa that proved to cramp the already small living space of their trailer. Dale insisted that they use the two lazy boy chairs they had found on the side of the road next to the sofa, but Beverly got the sofa anyway. If Beverly wasn’t lying in the bed in the backroom, she was lying on the sofa, half dressed and dazed. Dale decided that her home was more like her mother’s ‘office’ and grew accustomed to hiding out in her closet like bed room. She was just trying to grab a half of sandwich before slipping back into her room, when her mother called out to her. Turning towards her, Dale twisted her face in disgust. Her mother looked like death, smelled even worse, and the sad part of it all was that Beverly was once a beautiful woman. Dale had never seen the likes, for Beverly was far gone by the time Dale was old enough to conceive the construct of her face, but she had seen it in the few photos Beverly always carried. No matter where they ended up, those same pictures- of her younger, prettier days, would end up hung about the house. Choosing to look at one of them than her mother, Dale focused on the picture above the couch- where her mother sat outside on the steps of another trailer, smiling happily, her hair falling thick around her shoulders and her cheeks rosy with life.

" Daddy Bomar went to the lake for three days."

" He’s not ya Daddy!" Beverly spewed, lifting her thin arm, which only fell back down limply across her stomach. Dale wanted to go and throw the blanket over her mother, hide the marks that always seemed to appear after every ‘client’- but new her mother would only lash out at her

" I know." Dale whimpered, and lowered her head in defeat. There was no use in explaining that Daddy Bomar was the only reason she they had a roof over her head, or that he was the one that fed her, talked to her, hell even took her shopping. He was more of a father than she ever had, and if her mother really wanted to know- he was more of a parent.

" Go on git. Looking like a damn penny." Dale backed into her room, closing the door silently. She used to think it was funny when her mother said she looked like a penny, but that was before Dale realized she was only trying to hurt her. Dale couldn’t understand how it was that she loathed people the color of her skin, when she herself was close to it and there was no doubt her father was darker than a penny. Propping her legs up, so that her knees tucked under her chin, Dale rocked herself- hoping that the weekend would end sooner than it began.

Trace couldn’t stop scratching his neck, his arms, or the length of his legs. Justin just sat back and laughed, wondering why it was the boy always insisted on never using any bug spray. Just like always, Trace came back from every weekend outing trip with a plethora of mosquito bites that it turned his skin red.

" It’s not as funny as you hair." Trace managed to spit out, in between failed attempts of concealed frustration. This time Justin and his grandfather shared in the laughter while Trace clucked his tongue at the both of them. They were just returning from their trip, and Justin was fortunate enough to not have had one run in with an intruding bystander. For the most part, him and his family was left alone, with no more than a few flashes of bulbs the entire weekend. He even called to check on his mother a few times and learned that she hadn’t been bothered, nor had his grandmother. Knowing that they were finally respecting his privacy settled Justin and allowed him to fully partake in his much needed vacation home, which was why he didn’t mind spending a few hours at his grandfather’s store helping to mend some repairs. It wasn’t everyday that Justin found himself doing hard labor, which was why the opportunity to strap on a work belt and sweat was more than appealing to him. Trace, who would have rather hung by the pool, begrudgingly obliged with the promise of the next two days events solely left up to him.

" Ah...Dale...always the early bird." Justin’s eyes focused in on the dark haired girl who slowly rose as the car approached the gas shop. Her eyes squinted in recognition as she stared down what must have been the unfamiliar truck. Her face eased once she realized it was his grandfather, and Justin watched as a soft smile spread across her face. Her hair was tied up into a sloppy, curly, ponytail which made her eyes look even more chinked. She was dressed in a plain white tank and cut off jean shorts, her legs were thick and toned like she walked everywhere she went. When her eyes rested on him, Justin briefly recognized her as the girl he saw behind the counter several days before. He remembered her, not because he stared long enough to even acknowledge her, but because he remembered her having the strangest eyes. They were a yellow brown, a color he had never before seen, and doubted he would ever see again. He took them in for only a moment, until her eyes quickly shifted to something else.

" Dale?" Trace repeated, coming to stand behind Justin. The two men watched as Justin’s grandfather went to embrace her. They exchanged a look before the eyes settled back on the scene before them.

" Hey you two..come ‘ere and meet Ms. Dale Lynn." Justin and Trace followed suit, and walked up to them, their eyes still taking her in. Trace was the first to speak, ever the gentleman, as he held out his hand to her.

" This here is Trey, like my grandson...and this fellar..." Justin watched her eyes widen in recognition before quickly returning to normal. He was sure she wasn’t a fan, since she had yet to quiver at the knees or faint from shock. He wasn’t sure what type of music she might listen to, which was odd since he prided himself on being able to predict what a person’s music preference was by just looking at them.

" Justin." He said his name anyway, though it was clear she already knew it. He could tell, though, that her shock was more from him being the grandson than him being the pop star.

" Nice to meet ya’ll." she smiled and turned to follow his grandfather inside, quickly taking her place behind the counter. Justin and Trace made their way to the back of the store, already having been told what their planned tasks were for today. First they were to start with painting the back wall, then move on to piling the chopped wood. As soon as they were out of earshot, Trace began his assessment.

" She’s fucking hot."

" And most likely a minor." Justin reminded, setting up the base paint and pulling his shirt off. It was only 11 a.m., but the sun was beaming hard through the window beside him.

" Your point?" Trace was standing with his hands on his hip, obviously upset that he was interrupted. " As I was saying....she’s fucking like, some indie exotic shit."

" How do you put it so eloquently..." Justin teased propping the ladder up against the dry wall. Trace ignored him and instead turned towards the front of the store to catch a glimpse of her. Justin decided that he shouldn’t rely on Trace for help so began to climb the ladder. He was turning to yell towards trace to hand him the tape when he caught eyes with her. He would have dismissed it, had he not noticed the slight blush that graced her features when she turned her eyes from him. Not particularly phased, since it was a common occurrence- especially with his shirt off- Justin turned back to the task at hand and kicked Trace in the back for not paying attention.

She was finding it increasingly hard not to stare. It wasn’t everyday that she could say she was in the presence of someone famous, but that wasn’t even what had her distracted. It was his damn chest. Even from clear across the room she could see it. Glistening, like a wet washboard, flexing and relaxing with every breath. At first she considered her reaction normal, afterall it was a nice chest. Now she felt borderline insane, with every stolen glance every few moments. She tried to read her book, but then he would sigh in frustration and make the solid muscle heave in response. Then she would assist Ms Harvey or Mrs. Deer with their shopping list, but then he would stretch or twist a certain way that would make every toned point come alive. It was unbearable.

" Excuse me?" she hadn’t realized anyone was talking to her, she hadn’t expected anyone to notice her leaning against the magazine shelf, looking in his direction. Then she saw her, a girl with brown hair and freckles, probably around the same age as her- couldn’t have been no more than sixteen. Dale cleared her throat and devoted her attention to the girl whom she recognized as being one of her classmates in her fourth period english class. Dale remembered that she had rather liked the girl’s original poem that she read before the class last spring semester.

" Dale right?"

" Yea." Unsure of where the conversation was going, Dale gave a skeptical look, her mouth twisted in a frown.

" I’m Marissa. Trey’s sister." Dale’s eyebrows gathered in confusion, until she heard the animated voice behind her yelling in their direction.

" Mari! You better not be driving my car!" They both turned and looked at a fuming Trace, who stood his latter, pointing his paint brush towards his sister. The brown haired, slightly pudgy girl, rolled her eyes and dismissed him altogether.

" Anyway..." she sighed, throwing up a dismissive hand. Dale bit back her smile, and waited for the girl to continue. " I really liked your..."

" Dammit Mari...is that my car?!" Trace flared, interrupting once again.

" Yup, I think that’s yours." Justin agreed, looking out the window from the latter he stood on. Dale couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips as she watched Trace turn several shades darker.

" Shut up..noones gonna wreck your precious baby!"

" Your right cuz no ones gonna drive her..and her name is precious ONE!" Trace exclaimed stalking down the isle towards them, looking every bit of ridiculous in is paint stained clothing.

" Whatever." Marissa sighed tossing the keys to him and focusing her attention back on Dale. Waiting for whatever explanation there was coming for her sudden interest in her, Dale switched her weight onto her right foot and stared blankly. " As I was saying...you were in my english lit class this past semester, and I liked your stuff. I noticed you don’t hang much, so I came to see if you’d want to go with us to the bonfire later this week?" Dale’s mouth had dropped open since the beginning of the conversation, having been completely taken aback that the girl had even remotely remembered any of the poems she had written. It had been six months of barely no one acknowledging her, that was worth talking to and not twice her age, and now she was being asked to go to a bonfire. Dale knew all about the bonfire, the place where all the popular kids go to hang out and socialize until the wee hours of the night. It was always the Monday after that she would happen by secret conversations that would leave her gaping at the mouth but secretly wishing she would somehow be apart of it. Now she was receiving an exclusive invite.

" Uh...sure." Dale was unsure of whether or not the girls intentions were honorable, but would rather risk the unknown for the chance to finally get to know someone.

" Great." Marissa’s smiled widened but quickly dropped when she heard the bell ring announcing her brother’s return. Dale excused herself as the two siblings headed off together outside and idly made her way to the front of the store. She took her seat behind the counter and wondered if this time she would be able to keep her focus on her novel. All the excitement of the day proved to be a greater distraction than expected and she finally just settled on staring out the window at nothing in particular. Her eyes settled on a perturbed Trace who stood off to the side watching his "precious one" swerve out the parking lot. Laughing to herself, Dale hoped she’d have a chance to one day cruise alongside Marissa in the sports convertible she usually only saw from a distance.

His hip hadn’t stopped vibrating since he first ignored her call, but after an hour of consistent calling he finally decided to silence the cellular monster. Climbing down from the ladder, Justin stretched his arms upward, a silently cursed Britney for the slight damper he was sure she’d put on his day once he decided to listen to at least one of the string of angry messages she left. He just didn’t feel like being bothered, and that meant by everyone. It wasn’t just her that he ignored, but his publicist, his manager, his band mates and even his L.A. partner in crime Calvin. He didn’t want them intruding upon his world of solace with whatever they decided to call him about. All reference to him as a celebrity could stay outside of Shelby Forest until he decided to deal with it.

" This is fucking ridiculous." Trace sighed from his position against the wall where he had been standing for the most part. Justin chuckled inwardly, his shoulders bouncing slightly with laughter, as he walked past his friend and towards the front of the store. He noticed that a lot more people had suddenly frequented his grandfather’s shop since he had gotten to town, and wasn’t surprised to find more than a few teenagers filling the dining area sipping idly on cans of soda. He briefly noticed that Dale was being held up by Sam, the town drunk, at the counter and could tell from the look on her face that she was wary of his company. Justin could just guess that Sam was probably slewing off obscenities at the mouth and would even venture in saying the man was probably hitting on Dale, all of which appeared to be making her uncomfortable. He had intended to stop by a table of ogling girls that seemed to be getting there share from his shirtless attire, but decided that he’d better interfere on Dale’s behalf.

" Hey Sam, you finding everything okay?" his tone wasn’t light, and the way his hand rested on the burly man’s shoulder only added to his no nonsense tone. It took a minute for Sam to respond, but when he did he grimaced slightly and nodded his efforts.

"Oh ‘ey der Justin. I was just making polite wit dis here wench." Justin swallowed hard before he produced a tight smile. He didn’t appreciate Sam’s words any more than it appeared Dale did, bur he knew it was better for him to handle the man with a controlled, leveled attitude. No need in giving the papers anything else to write about.

" How about you leave her to her business." It wasn’t a suggestion and Sam wasn’t too far gone to take the hint. He squinted his eyes towards the taller man beside him and almost left his mind to the wonder that little Justin Randall had become. He remembered when the boy was just a toddler, now he was sure the boy could light fire under his ass if the need called for it. Sizing him up, Sam concluded that he’d rather just enjoy another beer then end up nursing a black eye.

" I guess dis one is yers." Justin didn’t even dignify the man with an answer, just pushed him to the door and waited until he was gone to turn back to Dale. She lowered her eyes from him, and chewed hesitantly on her bottom lip.

" Thanks. He’s usually an ass like that." she smiled, like it was a relief to finally be rid of the nuisance, and Justin realized he rather liked her smile. It was warm, refreshing, and so full of honest emotion that Justin would dare say he hadn’t seen one like it in years.

" Yeah...he’s been that way since I was a kid."

" You’ve lived here that long?" her eyes showed her surprise, and Justin laughed easily. He was a big city star now, but he’d never forget his roots. Hopefully Hollywood hasn’t striped him of his southern gentleman.

" Am I that much of a city slicker?!" he was teasing, and found that he was relieved she responded with a smile of her own. He didn’t like frigid shy people who refused to come out of their shell, at least be able to hold your own end of the conversation. Although she wasn’t the most talkative that he has ever met, he could tell she would be a natural conversationalist.

" Depends on what day of the week it is. The other day...yea. Today..." she let her eyes run the length of him and Justin smiled knowingly. " Today, you look a little like south."

" Is it the hair?" he laughed and was glad to hear her follow suit. She shook her head and fingered a curl that escaped the confinements of his hat- an action that momentarily surprised the both of them.

" Nah, that’s just ridiculous, I’d say it had something to do with the attire." She began laughing as he feigned innocents, placing his hands on his bare chest and looking down.

" You wouldn’t mean my bare chest."

" If you wanna call it that." she smirked and the toothy grin she gave lightened the blow. Justin nodded, appreciating her light hearted banter, and moved to make his way back towards the small dining area where he could already see his grandfather and friends.

" Maybe that’s why you’ve been staring all morning." he quipped before disappearing through the doorway.

It had been a little over an hour since she first left her house, and the rain had yet to let up. Dale kept her head down, wishing she could empty the contents of the plastic bag she carried and wrap the material around her head. Only that would mean discarding the weeks groceries on the side of the road, for which Dale could suffer through a little downpour for. It was times like these when she wished she had a car, or at least enough heart tp ask Daddy Bomar to take her into town. He did all that he could for her and her mother, which was why Dale found it hard to explain why she had to once again restock her groceries after only a week since Daddy Bomar last drove her into town. Dale wasn't quite sure how to explain that her mother allowed her latest conquests to ransack that refidgerator, and the damn ghouls only left them with an empty fridge and half jar of peanut butter. She had intended to use her money to invest in a cute shirt for tomorrow when she headed out to the bonfire with Marissa, now all she was left to the wiles of her closet to create a half decent ensemble. Damn selfish bastards, Dale thought angrily as she trudged forward, so engrossed in her agitation that she nearly missed the groveling sound of tires that screeched to a halt behind her.

" Hey" Justin leaned out the side of his window and watched as Dale continued down the road. Her steps didn't even skip a beat at the sound of his voice, or his engine. Smirking to himself, he stepped outside of his car and decided to jog up beside her. It was interesting enough that she was out there walking on the dirt road by herself late in the evening, but even more so that she completely ignored his beckoning. He was a breath behind her when he reached his hand out and pulled at her elbow. He felt her tense beneath his touch, as her hands clung to the overstuffed plastic bag, and her eyes widened in shock. It took her a moment to recognize him, and when she did her body slowly relaxed.

" Didn't mean to scare you." he smiled noticing that her clothes were drenched and clung to her like a second skin. His eyes danced quickly over her and decided that he was better off focusing on less pressing issues than that of her chest to her shirt.

" But you ran up behind me anyway." she laughed, a crisp and hearty one that seemed like it didn't belong to a girl as young as she. Even with the overcast of the evening showers, her smile brighten the moment and Justin almost forgot about the thick droplets of rain that fell upon him. He hated the rain, hated the sticky uncomfortable feeling of it, but didn't seem to mind as he stood staring into her yellow brown eyes.

" It was more of a jog." he shrugged, reaching his hand out for her bag. It looked like it was on the brink of bursting, with several heads of various green vegetables poking out the sides. Her eyebrows gathered in suspicion at his action, but settled when she realized he was just offering to hold them for her.

" You must be out of shape then." she teased, handing him the bag. Justin didn't realize he was even breathing, and that hard for the matter, until she made mention of the fact. A little embarrassed, Justin assessed himself and wondered why it was that he was having such short breaths. He had only jogged a few short steps, and the energy he spent was nothing compared to the massive bundles he went through night after night, so why was it that he was so short of breath?

" Must be." he replied matter of factly and knodded towards the car he had left abandoned on the side of the road. She looked over his shoulder, and he could all but see the skeptimism that fell over her face.

" I'm almost home." she offered, her voice betraying her hesitance. The way her  eyes lowered and her bottom half of her lip tucked under her tongue, Justin could tell that she wasn't too thrilled with joining him in his car.

" Even so..it wouldn't be right for me to drive past you like this." Justin motioned to the down pour, and as if just realizing he was in the mist of it, frowned at the thick drops of rain that were now beginning to soak his shirt.

" A superstar and a savior." Dale smiled and  moved to follow him to his car. Even from the short distance she could tell the car was top of the line luxury. How she and her drenched clothes and groceries were going to fit in it, was only one of many strong concerns when it came to Justin Timberlake. It had been only a few days since he's shown up in town, and already Dale felt like the world that she was knew was turned upside down. Never before had she cared to take notice in any other human being more than she had taken to noticing him. Even when he wasn't within eyeshot, he was still in her radar. It was unnatural, even for her- the most unnatural thing about Shelby Forest.

" You ok?" Dale was brought back to attention when she realized Justin was leaning across his leather seats looking up at her. He had rolled down the window, and was now peering out at her through the passenger side. She figured he must have had time to place her groceries in his backseat and start the car while she floated away on her little mind trip. Embarrassed, she just bit her lip and bent down so that they were eye level.

" I'm really wet." She not only felt stupid stating the obvious, but now her cheeks were burning with a sudden rash embarrassment that sent her mind right to the gutter. The grin that spread across his face did nothing to sedate her. His eyes danced with mischief as he seemed to be enjoying her little silent break down still outside his car. " Please..don't comment on that." she closed her eyes and breathed out the words. She felt the laughter building in her throat, right beneath the surface of ridculousness.

" I wasn't going to sweetheart. I'm better with actions when it comes to that." he winked, and even with his obvious evasiveness , it made her knees weaken. He was really a force she was going to have to learn to reckon with. " But its not like your exactly drying while standing out there."

" I don't wanna mess up your seat." Dale peered at the smooth buttery complexion of the leather seat and wished that she had never ran into him. She didn't belong in a car like that, not even on her dry days. She knew she must look ridiculous hovering over the window as she was, still outside in the rain, but it wouldn't even touch ho she herself would look pulling into her trailer circle inside it. Before she could protest even further, Justin was climbing out of the car, heading to his trunk, and moving to stand beside her. Shaking out an oversized hoodie, he wrapped the warm material over her shoulders, and surprisingly enough it fell to the back of her knee caps.

" And i don't want you to catch a fever." With his hands held onto the small of her back he guided her into the car and ran to the other side. Dale tried to hide the astonishment in her eyes, but couldn't resist gaping at all the fine qualities of his vehicles. Certainly his house would send her into a seizure, if his car had her this shocked. It was like a mini mansion, adorned in fine leather, glass, and televisions. How did he ever find the time to pay attention to the road while inside, Dale thought breaking her neck to take in all the features.  Her eyes finally rested on his, and she would have believed his smirk was a mocking one, if she hadn't seen the gentleness in his eyes.

" So where too?" Justin watched as her eyes clouded over and she proceeded to take a huge gulp. She was the most striking creature he had ever laid eyes on and as far as he could tell everything about her was obviously complex. She wasn't very big on socializing from what he could tell those past few days that he had made her aquaitance at the shop. Yet, though she didn't speak much, whenever he found himself speaking to her, he found he loved her conversation. She talked about mundane things with the same amount of interest she gave important issues. It was like everything had some sort of value in her eyes, even things he wouldn't consider valuable- or even worthy of conversation. Like wood paneling. No one ever discussed wood paneling in common conversation, yet she could- and she did. What surprised him most was that he wasn't the least bit turned off from the conversation, and he knew it was more than her yellow brown eyes or unique features that kept his interest. She was definitely a breath of fresh air, even for a place like Shelby Forest.

" Really you don't..."

" I know I don't, but I am. So where too?" Justin wondered if she was always so stubborn, another quality that added to her complexity.

" Parkview." he barely heard the whisper that escaped her lips enough to hear that she needed to be dropped off at Parkview, Shelby Forest's Trailer camp. Justin turned the key in the ignition, turned up the voice of Brian McKnight croning through his speakers and headed in the direction of her home. He could feel her heavy gaze on him and knew without knowing that she was waiting for him to react, like any minute he was going to throw her out of his car because she happened to live in a trailer park. He ignored her gaze, and just began to softly sing along to the music, his eyes glancing through the rearview to see if any paparazzi had followed him. He hadn't seen one flash in the last twenty eight hours, but it didn't mean they weren't still out there. He definitely didn't need them hovering in on his private time any more now than he did then, since it was obvious Dale was wary of him taking her home in the first place.

" So how long have you lived here?" she was still staring at him, her eyes boring into his profile like they wished to catch even the slightest hesitation to give her reason to make good on her protests. Justin didn't budge, just kept his jaw relaxed, his demeanor light, and his voice in tune with the music.

" About six months." Dale couldn't figure whether she should be embarrassed or relieved to have finally been out of the rain and on her way home. Life would have sucked royally if she had to continue on through the rain carrying the lone bag that was sure to have given out on her. Justin was a life save, but it didn't mean she was entirely comfortable with him being the hero. She would have rather liked someone who owned a beat up car that she wasn't so afraid of dirtying or even someone she could stand to not look out. For she was becoming boderline freakish with the way she was always sneaking looks at him, and now she was so intent on noticing the moment he decided to react to the fact that she was in fact "trailer trash"- as most residents of Shelby Forest had so eloquently put it. Only he wasn't reacting, even seemed not to care, which was not at all what she expected since it was obivous he had an image to uphold- one that did not include her and her poor habitat.

" I used to come out here a lot...when I was younger. Right over there." She wasn't going to look, because maybe he was providing just the diversion he needed to finally display his disgust for her, but curiosity got the best of her. When she turned and noticed that it was the same peak she often found herself perched atop of, staring out into the wild, loving the beautiful forest trees and plant life that filled the space, she all but gasped. It was only a hop away from her home, and she couldn't even begin to imagine why someone of his caliber would have ever found themselves around here.

" That's where I go." she breathed, looking out the window as the place she called her "serenity" passed. She had just went there the night before, her excitement to wild with thoughts of the new life that would follow when she finally made her first appearance at the bonfire. Her mother was on the verge of another temper tantrum, and Dale just wasn't in the mood to stomach it. So she ran to the peak, and that was where she sat, that was where she decided that she would go into town and buy a new shirt- a subtle luxury for her. It wasn't until she returned home that night that she realized her plan was sabotaged before it could even take place.

" Maybe i'll catch you there sometime." Justin smirked, and Dale just rolled her eyes away from him. Maybe it was a place he went to before, but she doubted the star he was now could even fathom to step foot near that place again. She doubted she'd ever see him at her "serenity".

" Right...here is fine." They had barely made it through the dirt entrance before she beckoned for him to stop the car. " Thanks..really." she smiled, moving to drop the hoodie from her shoulders.

" No.." Justin stopped her, pushing the fabric back up. " It's still raining."

" But..."

" Your stubborn you know that." Justin saw the way her eyes widened at his tone, and smiled inwardly at her defiance to answer him. Without one word, she pulled her arms through the hooded sweatshirt and stepped out the car. Grabbing her groceries, she closed his door and scurried off into the night. Not once looking back.

 Marissa breezed through the entrance of Billy's Gas Shop, her eyes scanning the small area in search of any sign of life. It was a slow morning, regardless of the fact that it was Friday, and there wasn't a sole around. Not even Billy Bomar and his poker friends that usually staked out back could be found, which was a rarity for them. Deciding that she had nothing but time to waste, Marissa leaned against the end of the counter and waited too see if anyone would be emerging from the back. She had hoped to find Dale there, since today was the day that they would be hanging out for the first time. Part of her was dissappointed that Dale was nowhere in sight, while the other part was quite relieved. Marissa Ayala hadn't made a new friend in so many years that she just assumed she was born with the her best friend already attached at the hip- which in her case proved to be true. Christine Pinkerton, whom they called Pinky, was born in the same hospital room on the same day as Marissa. Maxine Ayala and Stacia Pinkerton had been best friends since elementary school and pretty much did everything together. They got married the same month of the same year, they both had two strapping boys and then they had Marissa and Christine. It was a given that the two would be inseparable, they never really had a choice. What marked Marissa as hilarious, was that her and Pinky where complete opposites. While Pinky gushed over the fact that Justin had grown up and turned into THE JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, Marissa was annoyed by the fact. Marissa would have gladly welcomed all the discouragement in the world following his brief stint on Star Search, but couldn't find enough supporters to damper Justin's high hopes. While it may have turned out for the best for him at least, it turned into a nightmare for Marissa. Now everyone wanted a piece of her, just so they could have a piece of him. What made matters worse was that it seemed that more and more, especially during his impromptu visits home, Pinky was coming around for Justin. At first Marissa thought she was imagining Pinky's sudden change in demeanor and fashion whenever the teen icon was around, but it was becoming quite clear that it was an endearing fact. Pinky was a pimple faced, steel mouth, four eyed, mousy brown haired reject. Now, in what seemed like months, she had florished into this bleach blonde, perfect smile, clear skin noxema model. It made Marissa want to puke, because if the girl wasn't putting her wiles on Justin she was surely in the lap of Trace. The friendship she used to cherish and hold above all else had changed into nothing more than a mere aquaintance, since most of Pinky's time and energy now went into her appearance and Justin. Although Marissa was popular in her own right, she seemed to have elevated into the most popular girl in school all because of her relation to said pop star and her annoying older brother. While she enjoyed her life and friends before them, she found that there were very few people at the top of the "social ladder" that she could even consider having a true aquaintance with. There was no one she would call a friend. Which is why she she found herself staking out Billy's Gas Shop. She had seen Dale around before in school, and thought the girl was oddly striking- a profound beauty- and the only one, besides her mother of course, to have thick beautiful curly black hair. Marissa used to think she stood apart with her natural curly brown hair, but threw that notion away the day she laid eyes on Dale. The girl was like a sideshow freak to the town. No one could recall a time when someone of Dale's features had ever graced the town with their presence. In truth, Dale was the closest thing to a black person the town had ever seen outside watching television. Everything about her seemed to turn the town off from getting to know Dale, while the exact opposite was true for Marissa. Frankly, Marissa was tired of all the hypocritical, snot nosed, blonde haired girly girls who couldn't get enough of themselves. She was thirsty for real conversation, pure laughter, and someone who had an ounce of common sense. From what she could tell in their english class, Dale had a brain that deserved to be picked at. When she overheard Trace and Justin talking about the new girl in town that worked at the gas shop- Marissa never went to- she jumped on the chance to go and meet her. So now, there she was, pressed up against the counter waiting patiently for nothing.

" Reese?" Marissa nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Justin's voice boom from behind her.

" What are you doing here Weasel?" Marissa never understood why Justin called her Reese, and thus never came up with an adequate explanation as to why she called him Weasel. It was just apart of their history.

" Hiding from Trace." Justin smirked, coming around the counter and hopping on top of it. He patted the seat beside him so that she'd join him, and waited as she made several attempts to do so. It was a family trait that no one in the Ayala family stood taller than 5'5, and Marissa was a strong 5'1. Ignoring his chuckles, Marissa opened her arms as he swiftly picked her up and placed her on the counter beside him. " You should really try growing."

" And you should really try kissing my ass."

" You don't have one Reese." he stated simply taking a swig from his water bottle. Marissa rolled her eyes and didn't deny the truth, she was flat as a board in that area. However, she more than made up for it in the front. " So why are you here?"

" Weasel, we could talk about how you just ignored my question..."

" I'm hiding from Trace. He's on this high school girl kick. I'm fucking Britney Spears. I got enough on my hands." Justin sighed, scratching his chest and tossing the now empty bottle into the trash can across from him.

" Your both sick." Marissa didn't care for her brother's fondness of the ladies- especially her peers- and she especially didn't care for Britney. She was like a true Hollywood teen bimbo, America just wasn't hip to her game quite yet. Apparently neither was Justin, Marissa thought rolling her eyes.

" Gotta love us." Justin smiled, pulling Marissa to him and kissing her cheek. Pushing off of him, Marissa wiped her cheek and looked outside the window, she wondered if Dale was going to back out of going to the bonfire.

" I was looking for Dale."

" I haven't seen her today." Justin mentioned, jumping off the couner to grab a snack off the shelf. He himself had stopped by earlier to grab a snack, and possibly have a light conversation with her, but was surprised to find that she wasn't there.  He then got conjoled into staying when his grandfather went rushing out the door mumbling something about being right back. That was well over four hours ago, and every minute seemed to tick by slower.

" Yeah..we were suppose to go to the bonfire. Well I invited her." Marissa sighed swinging around on the counter and sliding off to sit in the stool Dale usually occupied. Reaching down she noticed a book stuffed underneath the counter. Pulling it out, she smiled to herself when she recognized that it was a romance novel from one of her favorite harlequinn romance novelists.

" People get invited to those things?" Justin opened a snickers bar and scrunched his nose up while chewing obnoxiously.

" No. She just never goes, so I was inviting her."

" Really, I thought someone like her would be into that." Justin shrugged, grabbing a watchamacallit and ripping it open. Marissa just watched him devour the chocolate and wondered how hot and sexy America would find him if they could see him in this cadid moment. Chocolate was smeared all over his face, his t shirt was accidentally tucked in on the one side of his ripped jeans, and his hair was growing out in a massive array of curls. He looked nothing like the Justin on camera, but every bit like the Justin she grew up with. Only now he had peach fuzz, or slightly more.

" Nope...she pretty much stays to herself. Quiet, real reserved."

" Yeah I got that impression." Marissa eyed the man she came to love as a big brother and wondered what other impressions he might have gotten from Dale that kept him so interested. Justin never asked about her friends, not that Dale was a friend-at least not yet- but for as long as shes known him he was never all that intersted in any girls she knew. They were always overly impressed with him, but Justin didn't pay them the slightest bit of attention. Instead he was often annoyed and very much turned off by them. He always said they wanted him for his image, not for who he was. Marissa couldn't agree more.

" Interested much." Marissa sang, a devilish look playing in her eye. Justin noticed and chose to ignore her insinuation. He was just merely interested in the new face in town, nothing more. Besides he was like twice her age, but not really.

" I think she's different. But that's quite obvious. Just intrigued." he shrugged, fingering a tabloid magazine that had his picture splattered across the front with Britney.

" What's the difference Webster?!"

" I don't know, I wrote a book about it. Look it up." Marissa rolled her eyes and moved off the stool. Smacking Justin upside his head, she laughed at him and hugged him from behind. Walking to the door, she turned and eyed Justin. He in turn winked and produced a toothy chocolate stained grin that touched her heart. She considered herself lucky to have known him and be apart of the very few that actually know the true him. Winking back, she walked out the door feeling sorry for those people who will never get to love the true Justin, the one behind the music.

Marsha Bomar smoothed the fine hairs away from the forehead of the young girl whose head layed across her lap. Her shivering body only recently responded to the warmth of the fireplace across the room. Marsha sighed inwardly and lifted her eyes so that they could meet her husband's as he sat upright in his favorite chair. Usually when Billy was at home and relaxed, her'd have his feet propped up on his ottoman, a pipe hanging from his mouth and his back deep in the cushion of his favorite corduroy lay-z-boy chair. Tonight, however, was different. Tonight there wasn't an ounce of relaxation in his body as he stared helplessly at the shivering form of his beloved Dale nestled within his wife's lap.

" Does she need anything?" His voice was full of strain, his eyes clouded over with worry. He knew the moment he pulled into his gas shop and didn't find Dale standing there that something was wrong. Ever since the day he hired her, she had been on time, which meant whatever may have happened to prevent her from being there was an extreme emergency. He tried waiting, being patient, but he knew as sure as the day was long that he couldn't control the anxiety that rushed through his veins. Something was wrong, and he needed to go and find out what it was. It was a God send when he watched Justin walked through the door, only briefly explaining that he'd be right back. He didn't know what he expected to find when he reached Dale's house, but he had hoped to at least find her. He didn't care to much for the way Beverly chose to live her life, but the least the woman could do for her daughter was provide her with a stable home. He had stood by and did all he could as an outside influence for Dale, but the time had come- when he pulled into Parkview and saw Dale shivering on the step of her modular unit with a soggy bag of groeries- for something more to be done. He didn't even have to ask Dale to know that she must have been sitting that way through the night. Dale barely even lifted her eyes to meet his when he walked up to her and lifted her in his arms. The lights were on inside the trailer, he could hear her mother and whatever man she was with inside laughing. It was still raining, and the even thought it rarely got cold in Tenessee, sitting out in the rain all night and all morning could sicken anyone. He didn't even bother to go in and reprimand Beverly, he would do all that another time, it only mattered to get Dale into warm clothes and inside of a house.

" I'm afraid we're going to have to wait dear. She needs to warm up as best she can." Marsha soothed, knowing her words did little to comfort her husband. There wasn't much more they could do at the moment, but just make sure she was warm enough to bring her bidy temperature up.

" Dammit Mar!" Billy growled banging his fist against the table beside him. Marsha squezzed Dale's arm when she felt her body tense and losed her eyes for her own comfort. She knew her husband was upset, she knew he loved Dale like she was his own. " I should have known something like this was going to happen. Hell it's probably been happening."

" Calm down Bill. Let her rest. She's safe with us now."

" But what about tomorrow..or next week!" Billy exclaimed, his eyes growing with every gesture. he wanted Dale's protection. He wanted to make sure that he did everything in is power to do away with all the pain that Beverly was inflicting upon her. It wasn't fair, especially when Dale wasn't the sweetest  child. It wasn't right for someone as pure as her to have to live in such flith, Billy thought.

" We'll worry about today. Besides, the woman is out of sorts. We can at least be assured that Dale will stay here for the next few days."

" It's not enough." Billy sighed, his eyes going back to Dale who looked to have fallen asleep. Her body was following a normal breathing pattern, which eased his anxiety slightly.

" It'll do for now." Marsha sighed, motioning for Billy to hand her the thick blanket they brought from the back room to cover her. Laying it over her sleeping form, Billy and Marsha Bomar watched the beautiful child they came to love rest.

" I'm not going Trace." Justin cursed under his breath, as he almost tripped over a hidden branch, on his way to his grandmother's house. He had decided that he'd rather eat a hearty bowl of bread pudding and watch taped episodes of the power rangers than hang out at the bonfire with Trace and all the star struck groupies that were bound to be there. He had only answered Trace's calls, because he was sure it was going to be Britney returning one of the eighteen calls he'd placed since the day started. He hadn't even waited to hear the tone, just answered on the first vibration, and was disappointed to hear his best friend's voice on the other end.

" Your such a fucking dick tease. What are you going to do stay at home and bake cookies, Martha Stewart." Trace sneered, not at all happy with Justin's disposition. Justin rolled his eyes and ignored the rude side mark, Trace was such an asshole, which was why he loved him so much.

" No, I'm gonna back a cake and call Brit." He knew Trace could give two shits about what he had planned to do, all he wanted was to know when to expect him at the Ayala house.

" Listen, I don't give a donkey's ass about all that shit. Come on there's gonna be beer, girls, music, girls..."

"I think a star trek marathon is coming on." Justin feigned interest as he opened the kitchen door to his grandmother's house. The light was on as usual in the kitchen, and his bowl was already sitting out for him.

" Your a fucking asnine! Can you please take off the panties Oprah..and high tail your ass over here?!"

" When you put it like that..." Justin laughed, placing the bowl in the microwave and heading in the front room to see what he might find on tv. He stopped short when he saw the slew of curls sprawled across the pillow of the couch and the small frame tucked underneath the bundled covers. Trace was still yelling in his ear, to which he just closed his phone to end the call. Staring at the strange figure, he had no idea who it was that had somehow found themselves on his favorite couch sleep in his grandparent's house. Backing up slowly, he tried to make his departure silently, when he accidently backed into his granfather's favorite chair and sent it screaching across the floor. Instantly, the head of curls shot up and Just realized it was Dale awaking from her slumber.

" Dale?" Justin whispered, knowing that his grandparents wouldn't even wake up if he decided to scream. He guessed that he was whispering because he was more shocked than anything. What was she doing there? And why did she have his pajama shirt on?

" Hey J." her voice was throaty, a little hoarse for just waking up and he guessed she had caught a cold from walking in the rain last night. She offered a meek smile, before pushing more curls out of her face and rubbing her swollen eyes. She was the epitome of a disheveled mess, but she couldn't have been more enchanting if she tried. Her hair was all over her head, the oversized pajama shirt swallowed her whole, while her bare leg stuck out underneath her and the bundle of covers that covered her lap.

" Uh...um...do my...."

" Yeah they know I'm here. Sorry about your shirt" she smiled, pulling the covers from around her lap and moving to stand. She began to stretch, and it wasn't until she felt the cool air wisp around her naked thigh, that she realized she wasn't wearing the matching bottoms. " Ohmigosh." she gulped, puhsing the material of the shirt to cover her legs.

" Relax, I've seen legs before." He smirked, finding it interesting that she looked better in his shirt than he did. She ignored his gest and moved to wrap one of the blankets around her. Justin watched in a bemused fashion as she spent the next several minutes tying then retying the fallen knots she made to hold the blanket in place. " Unless you gotta thing about your knees on down, your not showin much skin."

" It's really...." she paused as she yanked a portion of the blanket, " improper to walk around half na-", she stopped to sigh as the entire blanket fell around her knees. She looked up and met his amused expression with sheer embarrassment. In defeat, she kicked the blanket from around her feet and joined in with his soft chuckles.

" Your not half naked."

" Really, I have nothing on under this."the words sailed from her mouth in the smoothest of fashions. Justin swallowed hard and met eyes with her, only to find that she was just playing. A smile crept across her face and she winked before moving past him and into the kitchen. From the way she moved around with ease, he could tell she had been there before. She moved around the cabinets and drawers like it was her second home. His fascination with her subsided when he realized she had gathered eating utensils, a huge glass of milk and his heated bread pudding in the middle of the eat in table. Pulling out a chair, she patted the cushion and motioned for him to join her.

" Do help yourself." Justin laughed, taking the fork she offered and watching as she scooped up a huge bite of the desert. Her obvious appearance said she was tired, but the radiance that spilled from him told otherwise. She was like a bundle of joy cleverly concealed.

" This is amazing. Mar's really outdone herself." Justin gulped back his surprise at the causual inference to his grandmother. He only knew one other person in life to call his grandmother Mar, and that was her husband. Even the woman's closest friends called her Marsha. Justin eyed the unique beauty who sat across from him devouring his nightime snack. He never before shared his night time ritual with anyone else, but it felt almost natural watching her sit with her legs indian style, her hair all over her head and her mouth filled to the brim with icing grazed over her lips.

" Can I have a bite?"

" I don't know. The more for me the merrier." Dale smiled, swallowing her last bite and reaching for another. Just then the door in the kitchen flew open and Trace bursted onto the scene, his phone pressed to his ear.

" You fucking ass clown" he exclaimed stomping towards the table, only realizing Dale was seated there when he was directly behind her. Trace's eyes went soft as he looked from her to Justin, then finally settled on her. Justin felt his chest tighten, and his jaw lock, while he watched Trace's eyes glance over Dale's body.

" Oh hey there Trace." Dale beamed, looking up at him, licking her spoon of the last remaints of bread pooding. Trace looked to have buckled at the knees, but quickly regained his posture when his eyes focused in on Justin.

" So your ignoring my calls now."

" Something like that." Justin shrugged, scooping up the last bit of the bread pooding and offering it to Dale. He was just doing so as a gesture, so found himself surprised when her mouth circled around his fork and she proceeded to take the very last bite. He was thankful to be sitting, because the lone notion had him standing to attention and the last thing he needed was for his sweat pants to have a pitch fork.

" Are you just gonna play house...or are we goin to the bonfire?!" Justin was about to answer, but he watched as Dale's mouth dropped open and her eyes went huge. He questioned her silently, and in response she turned to Trace, her smile even more widened.

" I was suppose to go...to meet Marissa, can I go with you?" her earnest response was like music to Trace's ears, and Justin couldn't help but laugh at the impish smile that spread across his best friends face.

" Hell fucking yeah!" Trace exclaimed, taking the seat next to her and eyeing her with keen interest. Justin cleared his throat and stood to grab Trace's attention, he didn't like the way his friend's eyes traveled down her body.

" Come on Trey...I gotta change." Justin instructed placing the empty plate in the sink. He turned back to Dale who had already been watching him. The flush in her cheek deepened, and Justin felt a surge of satisfaction fill him when he realized he had her attentions more than Trace. He didn't know why that particular fact thrilled him, but it did nonetheless. "You gotta change of clothes here Dale?"

" Yeah..I'll go get changed." she let out before racing to the back where he was sure she was headed for the spare room. Justin reminded himself that he would have to ask his grandparents about their surprise houseguest when he got the chance, hopefully then it would shed some light on the strange events of the night.