"Damn girl, you look hot." Lance said taking in her outfit.

"Thank you," Shelby blushed.

"Are you ready?" Lance asked.

Shelby grabbed her bright pink purse and shut the door behind her. "I'm ready." she nodded.

Lance offered her his arm and she took it and together they walked down to the lobby, where everyone but Justin waited.

"Shelby, you look awesome." Chris said when he saw her with Lance.

"Thank you." she smiled shyly.

"Yeah, don't go with Lance, go with me." JC said trying to steal her away.

"Thanks, but he asked me first." Shelby laughed.

"So there," Lance said sticking his tongue out at JC.

Joey knew that when Justin saw Shelby he was going to flip. Shelby looked better right now then any other time. It wasn't her outfit, or her make up that made her look so great, it as the fact that she looked happy, truely happy.

The others loaded into the van and waited for Justin to finish, Shelby was a little nervous as she had never been to a club before, but the other assured her it would fine.

"It's about time, you're worse than a girl." JC said when Justin finally entered the van.

"Bite me," Justin rolled his eyes.

He felt that same jealousy he'd felt earlier when he saw Shelby with Lance. Once again he reminded himself he had no reason to be jealous as they had no commitments.

They left the hotel and went to a club that was recommended to them by someone they'd talked to after the concert. Shelby was a bit nervous still, not because of the club itself, but because Justin really hadn't said much to her, he hadn't saw what she looked like. She really wanted his approval, and she thought her heart would break if she disappointed him.

A half an hour later, they stood outside the club, waiting to get in. There wasn't a really long line so it didn't really bother them to stand in line. When they got to the bouncer, he asked for ID's and while Shelby was getting hers out, all the guys went in. Shelby showed him her ID, and he took it.

"Sorry miss. You have to be 18." he said handing her the ID.

"But, I'm with them." Shelby said pointing in the direction which the guys had went.

"Yeah, step aside." he said turning to the next person in line.

"LANCE!" Shelby called when the door to the club opened.

Shelby waited for Lance to turn around, but when he didn't she sighed. Now what was she going to do, they weren't going to let her in the club and she had no where to go.

"Please sir, you have to let me in." she pleaded one more time.

"Look miss, you're not 18 and we can't let you in. Now, please leave before I call the cops." the bouncer said.

Shelby was near tears when she realized there was nothing she could do. She couldn't talk her way into the club, her only choice was to sit outside and wait for them. What if they didn't know she was gone? What if some creep tried to mug her? She stood next to the building and made herself invisible in the shadows for a few minutes, then sat down and sighed. Her only option was to wait, wait for somebody to remember that she wasn't with. If only she'd put her cell phone in her purse, she could call Lance, or one of the guys and she wouldn't be sitting out here all alone.

~*~

Right away, all the guys found a table and ordered drinks then hit the dance floor, the reason they'd went to the club. About a half an hour passed before Lance realized he hadn't seen Shelby since they'd come in.

"Guys, have you seen Shelby?" Lance asked Justin and JC who'd just sat down at the table to get a drink.

"No, not since we got here." JC said shaking his head.

"Same here, I thought she came here with you." Justin frowned feeling a nagging in his stomach that something wasn't right.

"She did, but I haven't seen her since we got here." Lance answered looking around.

Justin left the table without saying anything and headed to the door. He should have known something like this would happen, how could he be so stupid, he knew she was only 17. They should have put her in the middle of them so they would let her in, but instead, she was the last person from their group and he was sure she was outside somewhere.

Justin walked outside and looked around. When he didn't see her, he felt panic in his gut and his heart. He looked down the right side of the side walk as well as the left, but there was no sign of her. "Where are you sweetheart." he whispered as he ran down the sidewalk looking for any sign of her.

After going a good 100 feet one way, he went the other way with still no sign of her. He smacked himself when he saw there was an ally right next to the club and decided to risk walking down it, what he saw when he turned down it, nearly made his heart stop.

~*~

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing out here all by yourself?" a scraggly looking man asked Shelby.

Shelby was terrified, she didn't want to answer him and there was no one around. He was getting closer as she tried to disappear into the wall behind her.

"You didn't answer me sweety, what are you doing out here all by yourself. Don't you know it's not safe out here." he said running his dirty hand along her cheek.

Shelby felt tears fall down her face as he pushed himself against her and she jerked her head away when he tried to kiss her. "Leave me alone." she exclaimed.

"Oh, come on. You know you want it." he said trying once more to kiss her.

Just as Shelby was about to respond, he was gone. Shelby heard fighting as she huddled against the wall and closed her hands over her ears to make it all go away.

"Come here honey," Justin said after he'd taken care of the man.

Shelby melted into his embrace when he slipped his arms around her. She broke down and started trembling, she was too shocked to cry any more, but she just trembled in his arms.

Justin led her out of the ally and onto the sidewalk where he hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry," Justin inhaled her scent as he held her.

"I was so scared. When they wouldn't let me in, I went into the ally, I didn't mean to, but I just wanted to get away from people staring at me. Can we please go inside? I don't want to be out here any more." Shelby said searching his eyes.

"Of course," Justin nodded. He grabbed her hand and led them inside the club.

Lance was right there as soon as they walked in and made sure she was okay as did the other guys.

"I'm fine," Shelby nodded.

"Wanna dance?" Lance asked as a slow song came on.

"Sure," Shelby smiled wanting to just forget all the bad and have some fun.

Justin felt the jealousy take him again as he watched them walk out to the dance floor.

"Jealous again?" JC asked him.

"Shut up JC." Justin snapped at him.

"What, you really have nothing to be jealous of. You said she's off limits remember." JC reminded him.

"Shut up."

JC just smiled and knew that their plan was working so far. He turned his attention to Lance who was dancing with Shelby.

"So, I'm really sorry about earlier." Lance said as he guided Shelby in a two step slow dance.

"It's okay." Shelby shrugged.

"I honestly thought you were eighteen." Lance said sheepishly.

"It's okay. You know now." Shelby smiled.

"You know Shelby, you're a really sweet girl." Lance said sincerely.

Shelby blushed and looked away, only to see Justin dancing with a beautiful blonde very closely. She turned her gaze away from them and focused on Lance. "Thank you." she said thickly.

Lance saw what she was looking at and mentally cursed Justin. Shelby didn't deserve to see that, Justin was only doing it out of spite. If only he knew that he was hurting Shelby.

Next a fast song came on and Lance invited Shelby to stay out on the dance floor and she agreed. Shelby wasn't a dancer, but she was natural and she flowed with the music, getting lost in the beat. In truth, she was a better dancer than Lance.

JC shook his head in disgust at Justin. He was out on the dance floor mere feet away from Shelby, dirty dancing with some blonde bimbo who looked like she should be on the street.

"He's being an asshole." JC commented to Joey.

"Who?" Joey asked paying attention to JC.

"Justin. Look at him." JC pointed to Justin who was still going at it with bimbo.

"Shit." Joey said.

At that moment Shelby saw him dancing with her, she felt her heart pound and a blush flush her face, she couldn't believe he would dance so provocatively with someone he didn't even know.

"I'm going to go get a drink," she told Lance needing to get off the dance floor and away from Justin.

"Sure, I'll go with you." Lance said, feeling her hurt.

"What can I get you?" Lance asked after they'd sat down at the table.

"I don't know." Shelby shrugged.

"A water maybe?" Lance suggested.

"I really don't want a water." Shelby shook her head.

"I know just the thing." Lance said as he went to the bar.

"How are ya Shelby?" Joey asked.

"Fine." Shelby shrugged.

"Are you having a good time?" he questioned further.

"I guess." Shelby said without feeling.

"Did you want to dance with me?" Joey tried again.

"No thanks." Shelby said after she'd checked the dance floor and saw Justin still out there with the girl.

"Here you go." Lance said setting a drink in front of her.

"What is it?" Shelby asked.

"Don't question it, just drink it." Lance assured her.

Shelby took a taste and found it surprisingly sweet. "It's good." she said taking a big drink.

"I'm glad you like it." Lance nodded.

"Hey guys," Justin said sitting down at the table.

"Hi." Joey said glaring at him.

"What are you drinking?" Justin asked Shelby.

Shelby just glanced at him and shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay then."

"Did you wanna dance now Joe?" Shelby asked as another fast song came on.

"Sure." Joey nodded.

"I'll join you." Justin said following them.

Shelby wasn't sure what to think, she really didn't want him following her, especially after his little scene on the dance floor.

Justin didn't know what to think when he felt Shelby's hesitation. She was comfortable with Joey, but for some reason, she was tense around him. That wasn't like her, normally she was comfortable with him.

"Are you okay?" Justin asked in her ear, dancing close.

Shelby nodded and shied away from his touch.

Joey noticed this, and felt even more pissed off at Justin. After they left, him and Justin were going to have a little talk. He was hurting Shelby, and he didn't even see it.

Shelby exited the dance floor and finished the rest of her drink. She stayed by herself for the next hour or so, purposely staying away from the guys and more importantly Justin. She felt tears in her eyes when they announced the last song, and it was Enrique Iglesias singing Hero. She looked around for Justin, and to her dismay, he was with the blonde girl.

Summoning the courage, Shelby went out to the dance floor and tapped the girl on the shoulder, "May I cut in?" she said just like the movies.

Unfortunately, unlike the movies, the girl Justin was dancing with laughed at her and told her to go away. Shelby felt so embarassed as she practically ran to the door, but was stopped by someone behind her.

Justin grabbed Shelby's arm and pulled her onto the dance floor and into his arms. His heart broke at the site of her tears, tears that once again, he'd created.

"I'm sorry baby." he whispered softly.

The endearment and the sincerity and apology in Justin's voice pushed Shelby over the edge. She broke down and clung to him tightly as they danced, she silently cried for her love for this man, and she cried for what happened earlier that night.

Justin started singing along with the music and he sang it to her, this was their song, they may not have a relationship, but he was her hero. He'd do anything to protect her, even deny his own happiness.