1. What they look like. (not part of the story)2. prologue (0)3. Let's get this shit rollin' (1)4. first of many failed attempts (2)5. make an effort (3)6. breaking of barriers (4)7. Warm wellcomes and harsh rejections (5)8. Opening up and Close calls (6)9. A/N: My bad.10. An arising of new problems (7)11. The uncovering (8)12. Some people should be kept in the past. (9)13. Coffee and cliff hangers (10)14. my baad (not a chapter but please read) “Justin, wake up. Hey man, we’re at the hotel, dude.” Laura slightly shook Justin but got no response. Maybe he wasn’t a light sleeper. After some harsher shoves he slowly opened his eyes.
“Huh? What’s going on?” He looked at his surroundings, a bit confused.
“We’re here. Are you feeling better?”
He still took a while to take everything in. Soon enough he turned to Laura.
“Yeah, thanks. I know that must’ve been odd. But either way, thank you.”
Laura nodded at him and they both stepped out of the car.
“So why are you stressed?” She asked as they walked into lobby.
“Just random things. Don’t worry about it.”
They made their way towards the back where the busses where. Just as they where about to board their bus Laura lightly grabbed his arm.
“Justin, sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone who doesn’t personally know you. They are usually the last to judge.” She tried her hardest to keep a sincere face. It’s difficult when you hardly know the person and you don’t take to easily to new people.
“Well it’s hard to open up to that stranger when they have the ability to tear you and everything you’ve work for down.” Justin held a hard stare towards her.
“I’m not here to do that.”
“Every journalist is out there to get a story of a life time; their ‘big break’. So you go out there, search, dig, whatever the hell it is you guys do, and you bring people down. I won’t let you do this to us.”
“You’re paranoid.” She was about to get on the bus but his voice stopped her.
“No, I’m not. I know you’re type. Rocker chic, hates pop, hates ‘boy bands’. I bet when you heard we where the cover again you rolled your eyes. You think we don’t make real music. Yeah, I know you. My best guess is that your main objective is to get deeper than any one ever has on us, to get the ‘real’ dirt. Well you do what you have to do, but I will not let you bring everything we’ve worked so hard for down.” Justin’s voice was strong and a bit angry. But Laura could hear his fear.
“Whatever it is that you have up your ass, get it out. And realize that I’m not here to do that. My intention is to portray you in the most realistic way as possible. Now if your against letting your public know that you’re human then tell me now so I can give this story to someone else.” Laura decided that she would not let him intimidate her. There she stood, holding her ground and not letting him gain an inch over her.
“You obviously don’t understand the true meaning of having to work hard in life.”
“You don’t know the first thing about me or how my life has been. Until you know what I’ve been through I suggest you shut the fuck up about it.” Laura walked closer to him, never letting her guard down.
“I think I can get a pretty good idea. You attended Northwestern University, only a 40,000 dollars a year school. Gee I wonder who’s paying for that? Could it be mommy and daddy? I’m pretty damn sure your parents gave you everything.” Justin continued his hard stare and closed the remaining gap.
“Oh you’re one to talk rich boy. Like I said, you don’t know shit and I don’t have to explain a damn thing to you. So until you can actually hear me out, keep your fuckin’ mouth shut.” She turned around, making sure her purse hit him.
“Then why don’t you enlighten me?” He was right behind her, not missing a step.
She turned to face him, her face showing some hurt from his assumption of her. Part of her understood Justin’s strong reaction earlier “Because why would I stand her and tell my secrets to the last person I should tell my secrets to?”
Justin’s stern face broke into a slight smile. “I think you’re starting to get me.”
Laura rolled her eyes and finally boarded the bus. She could tell that boy was gonna cause trouble.
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Chris peaked into Laura’s bunk. Thinking she was sleeping.
“All right guys, the coast is clear. So what do you all think of her?” Chris asked as he took a seat next to Justin.
The guys where gathered in the front of the bus as they embarked on the official start of their tour. But as for Chris’s question, all the guys seemed at a lost for words.
“I haven’t really talked to her yet. But so far she seems pretty cool.” Joey spoke up, breaking the silence.
Both JC and Chris nodded in agreement, leaving Justin and Lance with all eyes on them.
“I’ve talked to her a bit here and there. But just little things, like school, home city, how she likes Rolling Stone, nothing big. Basically making her feel comfortable.” Lance shrugged and joined everyone else, staring at Justin.
“What? Okay, her and I may have exchanges a few words.” He avoided their eye contact and played with the koosh-ball in his hands.
“Justin, I heard bits of your conversation with her outside of the bus earlier. What the hell was that man?” Joey started playing his father role again. Only this time is was the father role against him.
“Nothing happened. We just had a little disagreement. Look when our conversation involves you, I promise I’ll tell you right away. But as for now, just ignore it.”
“I don’t want you to fuckin scare her off. This cover is a big deal. Get that through your head. With this cover we are having our arrival official. Laura isn’t that chick from Europe. She didn’t fuck you, and us over. Please give her a chance to prove to us that she is a real journalist and not some tabloid writer.” Joey took on the tone of father talking to a child. Justin simply rolled his eyes.
“Joey, I know she isn’t the same girl. But…” Justin stopped to think about what he was about to say. “Fuck it. Just forget about it. I’ll give her a chance to prove her self, but that doesn’t mean I’m taking my guard down.”
“All I’m asking is for you to back off of her and let her do her job.” Joey’s tone went back to one of a twenty something year old hanging with friends.
“Any way, now that we got that awkward moment out of the way, how do we go about making her welcomed? The past two/three days she’s been with Mike, but now that he’s gone we really gotta do something here.” Chris looked at all the guys waiting for a response.
JC cleared his throat and spoke up. “How about we all just spend some alone time with her? We’ll get to know her and at the same time it’ll help her with the article.”
“Yeah, that’ll work. Even if it’s just eating lunch alone with her, try to set aside some time before the week ends.” Joey took on the leadership role again. “Hey, why don’t we take her to a club tonight, just to get us on a good level with her.” Isn’t it funny how he went from daddy Joey to party Joey?
“Guys I think she’s waking up. Quiet down.” Lance shushed everyone. He thought he heard someone giggle. “Never mind, I guess it just came from outside.”
They all nodded at him and continued their conversation on how to officially welcome Laura.
X*X*X*
Boys are crazy, but Laura learned that a long time ago from her old crowd back in Chicago.
Lying on her bed, Laura heard their whole conversation. It’s cute how into her they are. Yet the only thing that roamed her mind was the European girl that fucked them over, and apparently still affected Justin.
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A/N: I took a quote from the movie Almost Famous, the one about secrets. I just don't want to take credit for that, especially from such an amazing movie.
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