I ran my hands over my old dresser in my room. There was my prom picture of me and Justin. My fingers ran over the pink frame that said prom in glitter. He was in a black shirt and a pair of black slacks, I stood there in an all white dress. It was white and black, guys in black girls in white. My dress was strapless and short. Being 17 and going to prom should have been fun. Not when Justin Timberlake is your date and every girl wanted to dance with him. I sat it back down. Next to it was me and trace when I was five and I had just found a tadpole. Memories hurt right now.

I grabbed my jacket and walked down stairs. I was going to go meet my mom and my aunt at the local bar.

The place was like a moose or an elks lodge, I mean everyone knew each other, I grew up here. I waited to be buzzed in. I could smell the cigarettes and whiskey just on the outside. I Knew there were some old men talking dirty and bull shitting in the corner. My mom was probably next to my aunt Karen behind the bar. Pouring shots for anyone who would take them. You never said no to them.

I smiled as the door buzzed and I let my self-in. the dance floor had an n old jukebox from like when my mom was a kid. The floor looked to be redone. There was a pool game going on. The patio door was opening letting in Tennessee air in. someone had just burnt some popcorn. Janis played in the background. My mom and aunt sat on the bartender stools and greeted me with a grin.

“Come here baby” Aunt Karen said with her southern drawl. I laughed they had a bottle of José open already. I think it was about 12 in the afternoon.

“Linda is this your girl” I smiled as I tall skinny man in his mid fifties walked over to me, he reeked of beer.

“Sure is, john” john Whitaker smiled at me and I grinned at him. I knew him; he gave me extra eggs on Easter. I braced my self as he picked me up and shook me.

‘California sure has gotten to you girl” I plated a kiss on his cheek and watched him go sit next to two other people I knew, Gabe and hennery. I sat in front of my mom. She had her hair pined up and her tank top looked like she had poured ice on it. I shook my head. If daddy could see her now. Im sure he could, he was playing pool. Im sure there was a game of 50/50 going around and a dice game. I sighed. This was home. Los angels do not have friendly bars where you can raise your child in.

“How’s the boyfriend doing? He still doing the music” john said from his stool at the end of the bar. I smiled and nodded.

“John, you should know how Justin is, I tell you all the time” I heard her voice and perked up. Lynn rounded the corner and planted a smile on me. She walked to me and placed her arms around my shoulders.

“I know, cant I just talk to the girl?’ the three ladies turned to him and shouted no at him causing me to giggle.

‘He’s called me asking if you got here okay,” she said sliding in next to me. I nodded. My mom sat a Sheryl temple in front of me.

“Momma, I think im old enough to drink”

“No your not” she flicked a finger to my nose and I took a sip. Id doctor it later when they started karaoke. I listened to the music playing as my mom and her two best friends in the world talked gossip. I grinned at my daddy who called me over.

‘hey smarty” I wish he would stop calling me that. He pulled me in a side hug. A cigarette hung lose from his lips. I get where trace dose it. There was money in the middle of the green on the pool table. Me and Rachel use to throw balls in the pockets. Then get more quarters and take all the balls and hide them in one table. I think we got dish duty twice that time.

“what color” I ask as he hands me his pool que. Stripes he says. I lean forward eye on the 13 ball. The color on the ball had been faded. In addition, I hit the white ball in the direction of the 13 ball, it slide along the green and knocked the 13 in the left corner pocket. I heard Paul grumble and throw in another 10.

‘y’all know if momma 1 and momma 2 hear or see this bet, she’ll have both your heads,” I warned them. You would think two grown businessmen would have better things to do on a Saturday then play pool. No matter what happened, they always stayed rooted. I forgot how much home was home. This was down home this was comfort. They let out a puff of cigarettes and handed me the empty beers. I shook my head.

Some day’s I wish I never left to go bed with Justin. I left everything for him. My heart broke a little. I could have taken him hooking up with a random girl, but Jessica. Jessica was in love with him, was his ex girlfriend he left for me. I did everything to get rid of Trevor. I stuffed my sadness away and I saw her walk in. I ran to Rachel and squeezed her.

“oh lord have Mersey men, grab your pockets, the two trouble makers just walked in” I heard hennery yell at us. Rachel bowed and said thank you before going to give her aunt Lynn a hug. She wore one of Justin’s trucker hats we stole.

Rachel and I sat on the bartender stools laughing at my mom and her aunt. They where dancing around. I swear they acted like us. I shook my head and took a sip of my “sherry temple” vodka and kool aid. Looked like the same thing. Im sure Terry the bar manger would find my pitcher later tonight when he cleaned up, but he loved me like a second daughter. He had a daughter named Kendall Rachel and me befriended her only to get free drinks, she was really what we would call cheep. She sat on the side us trying to be in the conversation.

“so, no boyfriend tonight’ her voice was high pitched.

“he’s back at home Kendall” Rachel looked at her and then back at me. She knew something. I wanted to ask her but her face was behind me looking at the monitors. Oh hell no. “don’t do it Rachel” her hand was on the buzzer. I grabbed her hand. She pushed me away and hit the black button. Looked like I was leaving. Justin and trace walked in with big smiled on their faces.

I grabbed my purse and went to walk away. Rachel put her hand on my shoulder and told me to stay put. I growled at her hand pushed my hair back. My stomach hurt, I was going to throw up.

‘hey Rachel, Kendall” trace hugs them each before sitting next across from me.

‘hello too you to’ he smiled at me. I watched Justin in his grey shirt walk over to us. What the hell?

“trace, did you “ I got off my stool. And went over to Justin slowing down my speed so I didn’t rush into him. His eye was black and blue and his lip was swollen.

“oh my god Justin” I pulled him into a hug then pulled away and slapped his shoulder. He winced in pain. Then let out a chuckle. Trace let out a big laugh.

“what happened?” Justin bit his lips. don’t get me wrong im still mad at him, but my heart broke seeing him beat up like this.

“it doesn’t matter” he walked around me and sat next to trace who could not control his laughter.

‘Rachel, jack now” Rachel made a remark about not being his slave, and he threw what looked like to be a Hindered at her and said “look I paid you first check now do it‘. Was no one going to tell me what happened?

“Are you not going to tell me?” I said rounding the corner of the bar. Our parents where over by the pool table talking and dancing around each other. You could hear them over the music. It now started to play some al green. Justin’s face light up.

‘dance with me” he spoke his eyes where on me. Kendall looked at me then at Justin. She acted like as if he was speaking to her. I shook my head.

“Tell me’ he grinned over the glass and got off the stool. He walked over and held his hand out for Kendall leading her to the dance floor. Was he joking? Was he not just pissing me off? I steamed in my chair. Trace watched Kendall and Justin. It was a slow song her arms circled his neck. I made a face and took a shot of Justin’s drink.

I taped on Kendall’s shoulder preying her death grip from Justin and asking to cut in. his hands found my waist and we swayed to the music. I bit my lip. I was mad at him wasn’t I? his hands rubbed the small of my back and pressed me closer to him. No I guess im not. I ran a hand over his un hurt check.

‘im sorry” he breathed into my ear. I pulled back a little and looked at him.

“Justin, you need to be honest with me, I need you to know that this is what you want, I don’t want to waste my time, in something..’ he pressed his swollen lip to my lips. There went all the anger I had. Shit. His tongue flicked over my bottom lip and I let him in. think about something else Andrea. Like killing kittens, damn it that just makes me sad. I felt his arms press us closer. God he smelt good. No I was mad. I pulled away. Regretting it.

“listen, meet me in our tree house” he nodded and I went to gather my stuff. In five minutes I would have answers. I did not want to go any longer with out him. I sighed and headed to our tree house.