Chapter fifteen

     Juliana stepped onto the bus with her bags in hand. She was feeling bummed that they had to leave Boston after three days. She knew she would remember Boston for a long time to come. Boston, where the super star had kissed her for the first time.

"What are you doing in here?"

"Well we are going straight to New York so we wanted to invite you to our bus for the trip." Joey said grinning like a two year old.

"Your bus? Yeah alright, Joey that would happen!" Juliana said putting her bag on the seat next to him.

"Why not? It's a long way and you don't want to be here on this bus all alone. Do you?"

"I'm not alone Joey. Mary and Linda are here."

"Good point, but you know what I mean. Come on Juls. Bobbie and Danielle are coming."

"Bobbie and Danielle have reasons to be on that bus. Their boyfriends. I'm just an employee. Besides I don't really think it would be cool with Johnny."

"Johnny? This is our tour Juls. Don't worry about it. Johnny is a kitten, he wont say anything."

"I don't know Joe."  She said. She wouldn't of mind going over there; she had to admit she did get bored. Mary and Linda were always sleeping or on the phone dealing with make up artists and fashion stuff. Juliana was a model but she didn't revolve her life around it. When she was off the catwalk she was a regular 20-year-old woman. She knew that going to that bus was going to lead to another state of confusion. Like she wasn't in one already.

"We leave in a hour. You have till then to decide." Joey said heading to the door.

"Thank you for the invite Joe but I know my answer and it's still no." Juliana said looking at him and smiling sweetly.

     She sat down at the table where she had written many letters to her parents in Pittsburgh and looked out the window. She always enjoyed doing that, she would sit there and watch the tour crew walk around taking care of their duties. She was very impressed how organized this tour was; yet everything looked to be a huge mess. Technicians, volunteers, dancers and band members rushed around the backstage area. Juls felt a sudden urge for some cookies. She walked to the counter and found that the cookie jar was empty. She remembered that she had eaten the last peanut butter cookie the day they had gotten there. She remembered that inside the venue there was a vending machine. She steeped off the bus and headed for the backstage door.

..............Nsync bus...............

"Got you! Nobody can beat the master. Now say it damnit!"

"I'm not saying it J, besides you cheat." Lance argued.

"I don't cheat. You are just mad that I beat you for the millionth time. Now say it!" Justin stared at Lance waiting for a response. They had been playing PS2 since they got back from the hotel. They never took their buses to the hotel with them, the only bus that went to the hotels were the opening acts and crew.

"Alright damn! Justin Timberlake is the greatest playstation player EVER!" Lance emphasized.

"Thank you." He got up and headed for the door, gloating with pride.

"Where you going?" Jc asked as he walked past him and Bobbie who was concentrated on the Elle magazine in front of her.

"I'm going to get something out to the vending machine for a cookie, mommy. Is that okay?" Justin asked in a childish voice. "Since when do you care where I go?"

"Since always moron. I just know that lately everywhere you go you bring drama." Jc said with his eyes wide open. Bobbie looked up at Justin with evil eyes.

"What?"

"Oh nothing J, did you go ask Juls to come join us on the bus."

"What? Are you crazy? She can't come on the bus with us!" Justin let out in a burst of nervousness.

"Why not?" Bobbie said now a little shocked.

"Because I don't know just because..." Justin said walking to the front of the bus.

"Ask her J!" Jc yelled from where he was sitting next to Bobbie.

.............Vending machine room.............

     Yes!! Juliana thought as she reached for some change in her pocket. There was only one Chunk Chocolate Chip cookie packet left. She was already imagining what it would taste like. Soft and chewy. She looked down at her hand where she had the money and growled with frustration. She had sixty-five cents and a five-dollar bill in her back pocket. The cookies were eighty. She leaned against the glass of the vending machine and let out a small cry. She wanted that cookie bad. She straightened up when she heard someone behind her.

"I don't think it's healthy to talk to vending machines."  He said. When he walked up to the room he had immediately frozen in his steps. Juls was standing in front of the machine counting the money in her hand. She looked adorable as she whined about something. He didn't know what was wrong but when he opened his mouth that's all he could say.

"Yeah well its not nice for people to sneak up on someone like this." Juliana said turning to face him. "I'll leave you two alone"

     Justin sensed that attitude back in her tone. "Wait, aren't you getting anything?" he put his dollar bill in and pressed F4.

     My cookies. He's going to eat my cookies. Now I lost my cookies to him too? "Those are mine!" she managed to say.

"Yours? I don't think so! I just paid for them." Justin said looking at her.

"I was going to get those and then you come in here and take what you want just like that."

"What are you talking about? I put MY money in and now I have MY cookies. If you wanted them why didn't you get them?"

"I didn't have enough change okay? Mr. Timberlake. So hand them over."

"Yeah like I'm really going to give you MY cookies. Did you like your room?" Justin blurted out without thinking. He didn't want to get into this conversation right now with her. She was mad, and not that she wasn't every time he was around. But she was mad over some cookies that she seemed to be obsessed about.

"Come on don't change the subject. I'll give you five dollars for them. Don't make me beg, Justin." Juliana said waving her five-dollar bill.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For calling me by my first name without me having to ask you to. Now I'll make a deal with you."

"Deal? What kind of deal?"

"I will give you one of my cookies. If you tell me how you liked your room? And be honest."

"Umm okay deal. It was a very nice gesture Justin. I liked it. Now can I have the cookie?"

"You liked it? That's it?" Justin wanted her to tell him how she felt exactly. He had spent two hours getting things set up for her. He also spent like thousand dollars.

"What do you want me to say?" Juliana asked. She knew what he wanted to hear and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. She wasn't going to tell him that she almost died and that she could still feel his lips against hers. "I think you should give me the cookie or I swear to god there will be no more "Hot Justin" for those crazy fans of yours."

     Justin smiled. "You think I'm hot? Wow, thank you."

"Will you just give it to me. Please?"

"Alright but only if you join us on the bus to New York."

     Juliana froze when she heard those words. She was now in an awkward position. She had been reaching for the cookies that Justin held over his head. She looked at him and lost balance when he winked at her. She straightened herself up and looked at him.

"I don't think that's a good idea Timberlake. Forget the cookie. I'll live."  She said turning her back to him and walking towards the door.

"Wait. Here." Justin opened the packet and handed her the cookie. She took it and smiled as the aroma of it hit her nose. She took a heavenly bite out of it and groaned. Justin felt like groaning himself at the sound of her. "Wow, maybe I should leave YOU two alone." Justin smiled

     Juliana giggled. She had gotten her cookie and she was now happy. Justin started walking towards the exit beside her. She felt shy to have him close to her. She knew that if he came, as close to her like he had in the vending machine room she would devour him. She wanted him and it was frustrating to think that the kiss they had shared two nights before was just an apology from him. To her it was more than an apology.

     Justin and Juls walked out side and walked to a bench without realizing they were being civil to each other.

"So would you come with us?"

"Did Joey tell you to ask me?"

"NO! Actually I'm asking. Juls?" Justin looked into her eyes. "I am really sorry about the way I've been acting since I met you. And I'm sorry about the WAY things happened at the hotel, but I am not sorry it did."

"You're not? Why not?" Juls asked now nervous.

"Because I wanted to kiss you. It just felt right. Look I don't like stepping on anyones toes. So I apologize because I made you kiss me."

"You didn't make me do anything. What do you mean stepping on toes?"

"I don't care for people who cheat and I made you be one. You know what I mean?"

"NO, not really. Wait I remember, you think I have a boyfriend?"

"Well, don't you?" Justin asked confused.  "I mean I saw you with him, I assumed he was your boyfriend."

"Do yourself a favor Justin, don't assume. Not that it's any of your business but John is NOT my boyfriend. He's simply a friend. You know what? I don't believe or accept that you are sorry about kissing me that night. That's bullshit, because you know that you felt it just as much as I did. As hard as it is for me to admit it, I liked it; as a matter of fact I loved it. And the room? The truth is I almost passed out with happiness so that's what I have to say about that."

"Why is it hard for you to admit that you liked it?"

"Because three days ago I couldn't stand you! That's why!"

"And now?"

"And now all I want is to be able to look at you and not think about that damn kiss. That kiss that two days later is still driving me crazy." Juliana looked up at him. He was looking at her as if he was hypnotized. "Will you just say something."

     Justin walked up to her and cupped her face. "I drive You crazy? How do you think I feel?" he lowered his head and looked into her eyes. "I don't regret or am sorry for kissing you, I do regret not doing it sooner." he leaned in and met his lips with hers. Juliana responded by wrapping her hands around his neck. Without hesitating he lifted her from the ground. Juls enjoyed every second of it. It was like she was in heaven; no one had ever kissed her that way before and she wasn't going to let him go.