Discovering New Dreams

Chapter 1

Memphis, Tenn.
Summer of 1998

Two bodies lay horizontally across a twin size bed, staring into one another's eyes, wishing that this moment could last forever. Where there were no pressures of life, no one telling them to go here or there, or do this or that. Just the two of them, enjoying each other's company, they both knew that it wouldn't last long. They would eventually have to say goodbye, so one could go embark on a journey of a lifetime and the other to continue living life as if he was still here.

"Ya know you can always come visit me, it's not like we have to stay apart forever." Justin said running his fingers through her long blonde hair.

"I know, but we'll both be busy you with your hectic schedule me with school, it will be next to impossible to actually get together." Mackenzie said biting down on her lip softly, she really hated that it had to be this way, but he couldn't ask her to wait around for him it just wasn't fair to her. "Maybe it would be best if we called it off."

All the air in his body came out in a whoosh as if someone had punched him in the gut; this was the last thing he had wanted to happen. "What no, why would you even say something like that." The hurt he felt evident in his voice.

"I didn't want to say it Justin, I just..." she paused long enough to think of the right words to explain this. "Look, were both 18, were both starting our lives, I just think it will be best if we break it off, I mean you're going to be in another state, doing what you love. I think it will be best if we start off with a clean slate."

Sitting up he ran his hands over his curly head and on down his face, he couldn't believe this was actually happening. "I don't know what to say." He murmured with his hand over his mouth he was at a loss of words.

"Just agree with me Jus." She said sitting up as well and crawling over to him so she could hug his back. "I love you; I want you to know that. I really do love you."

"I love you to; I just really think we could make it work. I mean the long distance will suck, but you'll get breaks from school I'll get breaks from my schedule why can't we just try to make it work." He asked tugging on her arm till she sat down next to him.

He eyed her skeptically, watching her for any signs that she was breaking. When all she did was bow her head causing her blonde hair to fall in front of her face, he knew his attempt to reason with her was done. He had lost. He stared down at his hands that were picking at a string on the hem of his shirt. "Okay. I see." He sighed, standing up from his spot he grabbed his sneakers and slipped his feet into them then stood up to make the short trek to the door of her room.

"Justin please wait" she said the panic in her voice breaking through, she grabbed his hand in a last ditch effort to keep him there. "Please don't leave like this."

"Kenz I'm trying really hard not to lose it in front of you please let me go." Justin pleaded his voice thick with tears.

The nickname he reserved for her hit her hard, an arrow straight to the heart. The tears that she was trying to hold at bay came cascading down her cheeks in waves; she had to bite her lip to keep the sobs from escaping. She thought she was doing the right thing, but then why did it feel like her heart was being ripped out of her chest? She dropped his hand to cover her face. "I'm sorry Justin." She murmured

"Me too." He whispered before opening the door and slipping through the small opening. Once he was in the hall and the door was closed he leaned against it and let the tears roll down his cheeks. "I love you Kenzie." He said softly before pushing himself off the door and walking down the hall.

"I love you Justin." She whispered before resolving into sobs.

She knew that would be the last time she ever saw him.

8 weeks later

"Mackenzie Turner" she looked up from the magazine she was currently reading, she been waiting in the same small room for the past 30 minutes for the results of the test she had taken, and knowing that the wait was over, made her nerves stand on edge this would either decide the rest of her life or she would just be stupid and paranoid.

A month after Justin left, she had began to feel sick to her stomach and just thinking it was the flu she had passed it off.  But after a night of meaningless searching on the internet she had found herself searching the term "Pregnancy Symptoms" and when she had read them and compared what she was going through to the list on the page, she knew she needed to go in and be seen.

So that's where she found herself sitting in a clinic waiting for the test results. Taking a deep breath she looked up from the magazine and smiled nervously towards the doctor. "That's me."

"I have your test results right here." He said softly looking down at the sheet of paper in his hands. "It seems that you are exactly 8 weeks pregnant."

And in that moment her whole word began spinning, and the bagel she had ate for breakfast was making its way up her throat. "Excuse me" she said before sprinting off to the bathroom, barreling through the door she burst into the first stall and started retching into the toilet the whole time the word pregnant echoing in her mind like a broken record. When the feeling subsided she slid to a sitting position on the ground and leaned her clammy forehead against the cold bowl of the toilet. "What am I going to do." She cried softly.

This was not what she had planned for her life, she had dreams, hopes aspirations, things to do people to see, well not exactly but she wanted so much more out of life, and now that bubble had burst the moment the doctor said that nasty word. Shaking her head at herself she stood up and flushed the toilet then walked over to the sink she looked up at herself in the mirror and stared at herself for just a second, she knew she couldn't do this alone, so she was going to call the one person that needed to know.

Digging in the pocket of her jeans she pulled out her phone and began scrolling through numbers till she found the person she needed. Hitting the send button she brought the phone up to her ear and waited for the other party to answer. When a girl's voice came over the line she froze...

"Hello?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat she spoke softly. "Hi uh I was calling for Justin, this is Mackenzie."

"Oh hi Mackenzie, he's actually busy at the moment, can I take a message?"

"Just tell him I called and need to talk to him. It's important"

"Will do hon." She said before hitting the end button and placing the phone back on the table it previously rested upon.

"Who was that B?" Justin asked wiping the sweat from his brow with a white towel.

"Just some girl." She shrugged and eyed him appreciatively, she knew if he were to talk to Mackenzie he would go right back to the way he had been two weeks ago, and that would completely blow her chances with him and she wasn't going to let that happen."She had the wrong number."

"Are you sure? It sounded like you said Mackenzie."

"No." She replied her lips forming a perfect O, "You must have heard wrong silly."

"Okay." He replied skeptically throwing the towel towards the pile in the corner, "Well I'm going to go grab a shower, and then do you want to go get something to eat and maybe a catch a movie?"

"Sure that sounds fun." She agreed and I can have you all to myself. She thought softly to herself.

"Okay." Justin replied bending down to peck her cheek then turned on his heel and jogged off to the showers.

Once he was out of site Britney picked up his phone and scrolled through the list of recent calls, she selected the call from Mackenzie and deleted it. "You had your chance girly, now it's mine."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She didn't understand why he hadn't called her back, yes they hadn't talked since he left but she said it was important he always called before when it was. Grabbing her phone she stared down at it willing it to ring and it be him. She really didn't want to call him back, and bug him but she really needed to talk to him. Sighing in defeat she selected his number once again and waited for him to answer.

"Hi, this is Justin."

"Hi j..."

"You got my voicemail so leave me a message and if it's important I'll get back to you, bye" when the beep sounded in her ear she debated on leaving a message then decided against it knowing that he'll call her back eventually he was probably just busy like that girl had said, he had a lot going on the tour. She told herself. "He'll call"

Sighing softly she put her hands over her stomach and stared out the window of her bedroom. And if he didn't she'd just have to figure it out on her own.