Chapter twenty-eight

     It was three o'clock when Juliana stepped off the plane. She slept during her whole trip and was now feeling a tad drowsy. If she knew her family well, she would not get much sleep the coming days. She walked down the terminal to find her mother and a cute little girl standing next to her.

"Hey sweetie." her mom embraced her. Juliana missed those hugs so she savored the moment for a couple seconds.

"Hi mom." Juliana kissed her mother and turned to the little girl. "Hey mom? Who is this?" she asked bending down to the level of the little girl.

"Its me, Ashley" the little girl responded. "don't you remember me Ju-Ju?"

"Ashley? I don't know. I mean I do have a cute little cousin named, Ashley. But the last time I saw her she was a little baby. And you cant be her because you're a big girl."

"I grew, Ju-Ju. I'm still Ashley. I promise." she said in a hopeful voice."

"You promise? Can I get a hung then?" the little girl moved closer and wrapped her small arms around Juls neck.

"You look pretty Ju-Ju." the little girl let out with a laugh.

"Well you aren't so bad yourself missy. Come on, lets go home." Juliana picked her up in her arms and walked next to her mother down the terminal and into the indoor parking lot. "Is dad home mom?"

"Not yet he'll be home later. He had some patients."

"Good, I want to spend some time with…" she was interrupted by her ringing phone. "hey sweetie I have to put you down now. I have to answer my phone." she told the little girl as she set her down.

"Hello?" silence.

"I remember saying call me as soon as you set foot out of the plane and by the sounds of it you are outside already, I hear cars.. What am I supposed to do with you?"

"I miss you too J." she said with a giggle. He was rambling on and on.

"Did you have a good flight?"

"Yes I did. I slept all the way. My mom came to get me at the airport and we are leaving right now."

"I miss you Juls. Come back." he said pretending to cry.

"Justin I've been gone for…" she looked at her watch "five hours. What are you going to do for the next one hundred sixty hours?" She heard him laugh.

"Well, it seems as though I'm not the only one counting. Seriously I just wanted to know that you were okay."

"Aww thank you. I'll call you tomorrow okay?"

"Alright bye." she clicked off the phone.

"Was that Justin, Juls?" her mother asked opening the trunk to her car.

"Yeah he said he…" the phone rang once again. "Hello?"

"I love you" she heard him say sweetly. "I forgot to tell you that."

"I love you too J, goodbye." she said now giggling like a teenager. She looked at her mom and blushed. She was always expressing herself in front of her mom but this time it was different, she was in love and just the mentioning of his name made her knees weak. "that was him ag.." The phone.

"Come on J, you aren't making this any easier for me."

"How do you think I feel? I just wanted to wish your mom a happy new year. Put her on, please?" Juliana handed her mom the phone. Mrs. Moore gave her a strange look. Juliana shrugged.

"Hello?" Mrs. Moore said into the phone.

"Hello, Mrs. Moore. This is Justin, remember me?"

"Of course I do, Justin. You are my pretty little girl's boyfriend with the shaking hips right?"

"MOTHER!!!!!" Juliana yelled out. She almost threw up from embarrassment.

     If it would be possible to see through a phone you would probably see Justin's cheek burning. "Yeah sure. That's me. I just wanted to wish you a happy new year. And a favor if I may?"

"Shoot."

"Well, I figured since you had Juliana for twenty years, if you would be so kind as to send her my way for the rest of her life?"

Juliana's mom laughed. "How about I'll let you borrow her for the rest of her life? She's my baby you know? I can't give her up just like that."

"Alright fair enough. Happy new year Mrs. Moore ."

"Happy new year to you too and those other four." she clicked the phone off and handed it to her daughter. "Cute kid, Juls."

"Thanks mom"

     An hour later the pulled up at the Moore's estate. They stopped at a frank's pizzeria on the way home. Juliana was greeted by her uncle Joe and her aunt Marcy. Ashley ran up to her mother.

"Mommy isn't Ju-Ju pretty?" she asked pointing at her cousin.

"Yes she is, sweetheart." Marcy wrapped her arms around Juls and hugged her tightly. "Juliana you look beautiful."

"Thank you aunt Marcy. I've missed you guys."

     After spending some quality time with her family Juliana headed upstairs to her room. She walked in and was amazed of how it looked exactly the same way she left it two years ago. Her parents had always told her that her room would always wait for her and there it was. She never took up the offer. She went to New York to make it and she had. Falling in love in the process.

"Can I come in Ju-Ju?" Ashley stood outside the door.

"Sure sweetie. Come here." Juliana picked her up and carried her to the bed. As soon as she set her down she started tickling her like she used to when she baby-sat her.

     After a few minutes of hysterical laughter from both of the girls. Juliana had an idea.

"Hey Ash? Wanna go for ice-cream?"

"Yes Yes Yes"  the little girl said eagerly.

"Okay let's go." they headed down  the staircase to the living room where her family was.

"Hey guys. I'm taking Ash out for ice cream. I'll be back soon." Juliana grabbed her jacket and Ashley's and headed out the door. She stopped before closing the door and went back inside. "Hey dad I need a car. Kind of forgot I don't have one here anymore." she said laughing. She had forgotten where she was for a brief second.

"Yeah I was wondering how you were going to get there. Take my car hunny the keys are in the den."

"Thanx"

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     Juliana pulled the Lexus into the parking space and got out. She opened the door to the car so Ashley could step out. They headed into the mall starlight to TCBY. Juliana took Ashley there every Friday since she turned one. They ordered their ice cream and sat at their old table.

"Mommy said you live at the big orange. Is that true?"

     Juliana laughed at the girls attempt to describe New York. "The big apple sweetie. Apple. Not orange"

"Oh sorry." she said embarrassed.

"It's aright sweetie. I don't live in New York any more."

"Where do you live then?" Ashley asked before she took a big spoonful of vanilla ice-cream into her mouth.

"I live in Orlando, Florida now." Juliana noticed how the girls eyes lit up.

"Orlando?" she asked when she finished swallowing the ice cream.

"Yes Orlando. Do you know what is in Orlando?"

"Yes I do." the little girl said. Juliana knew every child's dream was to go to Disney World. And so she thought.

"And what's that?" Juliana asked cleaning off the little girls mouth and throwing their containers in the trash.

"Those cute boys." Juliana looked at her confused. "you know they sing and dance. Emily, my new next door neighbor showed me a video. They are cute boys Ju-Ju."

"What do you know about cute boys Ash?" Juls asked laughing.

"Come here I'll show you" Ashley grabbed Juls hand and pulled her in front of The Wall. "that's them. Aren't they cute?"

     Juliana looked at the huge poster displayed. "ohh you've got to be kidding me." They stood in front of a huge display of no other than her four best friends and the love of her life. She laughed out loud.

"What's the matter Ju-Ju? Do you like them too?"

"Ashley you would be amazed of how much I like those guys. Do you know their names?"

"I can't remember. Emily told me but I forgot."

"Come here I'll show you." she lifted her up so she would be at eye level with the Celebrity poster. "This is Joey, Lance, Chris and this guy is Jc and…"

"Ohh I remember his name…" she put her cute hands on his face. "that's Justin, he's the cutest."

     Juliana had to laugh. She was amazed as how dreamy the little girl looked as she said Justin's name. She wondered if she looked that cute herself.

"Hey Ashley, how would you like to talk to Justin on the phone?"

     Ashley's eyes lit up once again at the question. "really? You have his number?"

"I sure do, along with other things."

"How? He's famous."

"Well, sweetie yes he is but he's also my boyfriend." Juls said proudly.

"Mommy said never lie to your friends."

"I'm not lying sweetie. Come on lets go out to the car. I left the phone there." Juliana wanted to make Ashley's dreams come true but the offer of talking to him was completely selfish. She wanted to hear his voice and she saw Ashley as an opportunity and she took it.

     They got into the car and Juliana turned on the ignition for some heat. She dialed his number.

"What!?"

"Hey is that the proper way to answer the phone?" she looked at Ashley who was staring at her.

"Oh hi baby. Miss me already?"

"Yes I do." she looked at Ashley who was waiting impatiently. "why did you answer like that?"

"Oh I'm sorry about that. It's Lance he's pissing me off and I'm sorry babe but it's your fault."

"MY fault? Why?"

"You got him those damn magazines and now he thinks he's the shit. He even has his girl here ganging up on me. I don't mess with girls, so you as the person responsible for all this and as my girlfriend have to take care of her for me."

Juliana laughed. "You have some serious issues J. Anyway I called you for two reasons."

"Two? What's the first one?"

"Just to say I miss you and love you very much and second…" she looked over at Ashley who was playing with the hem of her pants. "I found someone, well a fan of yours, who happens to be my little cousin Ashley. She thinks I'm lying about you. And by the way she thinks you are the cutest." she said mocking her little cousin.

"Okay" Justin laughed "well put her on then" Juliana handed Ashley the phone.

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"Hello?" she said with her high pitched voice.

"Hello there Ashley. This is Justin"

"Are you the Justin from TV? The one that dances?"

"Yup. Your cousin tells me you don't believe that she knows me. Is that true?"

"Well…" Ashley looked at Juls. "she says you're her boyfriend." Juliana smiled.

"Yes I am sweetie."

"Isn't she pretty?" she asked giggling.

"She's beautiful Ashley, I bet you are just as beautiful as she is." the little girl blushed.

"Do you know Britney?"

"Yes I do, she's a good friend of mine and Juliana's too"

"She knows Britney too? My brother, Rey likes her A LOT." she emphasized.

"Well I think maybe Juls should take you to see Britney's show on Friday."

"Wow really?" she turned to Juliana "Justin said you should take me and Rey to see Britney."

     Juliana rolled her eyes as Justin ruined the surprise. "sure Ash. I was planning on taking you guys. don't tell Rey okay?" Ashley nodded and put the phone back to her ear.

"Are the other cute boys there too?" she asked. Juliana had to express amusement at the five year old's vocabulary.

"Well I don't know about them being cute but yes they are all here. Do you want to talk to them?"

"Yes please" silence.

"Okay Ashley. Here's Lance."
...............................

"Hi Ashley. I'm Lance."

"Your voice is funny. You are the one with spiky hair right?"

"Yeah you can say that. When are you coming to visit precious?"

"I don't know when Ju-Ju takes me with her." Juliana cringed when she heard Ashley say her nickname to Lance. The last thing she wanted was to be harassed over the name thing.

"Ju-Ju?"

"Yeah that what I call her."

"I'll keep that in mind, nice talking to you shorty, here's Joey."

.............................

"Hey there Ashley. This is Joey. My buddy Justin tell me you're a fan."

"I'm a girl, not a fan. You guys are cute." Joey laughed.

"Well you have to come visit soon okay? I'll let Jc talk to you now okay?"

"Okay"

............................

"Hey kiddo. This is Jc"

"Hi" she looked thoughtful then spoke again. "you got big hair right?"

Jc laughed out loud. " you are so related to Juls. Yes that's me."

"You're cute too. Not like Justin though."

"What is your cousin feeding into your brain sweetie?" Jc asked laughing

"Huh?" Ashley asked confused.

"Never mind sweetie. I can't wait to meet you. I gotta go. Here's Chris."

     Juliana saw Ashley laugh hysterically and she knew she had to be talking to Chris now. After a few minutes she handed Juls the phone.

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"Hello?"

"It's me again"

"Ohh I thought you wanted to talk to my little cousin instead of me again." Juliana said in a childish voice.

"Aww, are you jealous? She does sound cuter." he laughed " no I'm kidding the guys took forever handing me the phone back."

"Yeah whatever. Don't let it happen again." she said laughing.

"Okay Ms. Moore."

"I really have to go now J. It's getting late. I'll call you later okay?"

"Alright sweetie take care. Love ya." he clicked off his phone and went back to his Playstation game.