It was Christmas Eve and Jenna hadn't heard from Justin in five months. Two months after his abrupt departure, she too had gotten discharged from Orangedale and was now holding down two jobs in San Antonio in order to pay her parents back for the time she had spent there. Though the constant working took up most of her days, she couldn't help but check the phone every few hours or so, just to make sure she didn't miss any messages. How would he have gotten her number though? She'd asked herself many times. And even now, she found herself looking at the answer machines non-flashing red button.
She muted the television again. Carson Daly was talking and if there was anyone in the world that annoyed her more than Paulie Shore, it was Carson Daly. NSYNC had a special on MTV that day. "Spend Christmas with the boys of NSYNC" the commercial had said. This hardly sufficed. She'd been watching the program for and hour and a half now and it would be ending in close to twenty three minutes.
She'd spent most of her time watching Justin shop for a gift for his family...and Britney. "Least they're still together," she said to herself. "Least I didn't lose him for nothing."
Word had gotten back to her that Justin left with Britney that day. He'd had to choose, he chose her. She couldn't say it didn't hurt. Nor could she say she wasn't completely heartbroken. She remembered him telling her that he'd never forget her, yet somehow, she felt utterly forgotten. But there was one thing that gave her consolation. As she watched the show she noticed little things that he'd picked up from her. Certain words she always used, facial expressions, mannerisms.
Despite these similarities, she had been right. Justin was certainly not the same man today as he had been five months ago. He had changed. For the better? She couldn't say that. For the worse? She couldn't say that either. He'd just…changed.
It was like the OTC had never even happened. Well, according to the media, it hadn't. NSYNC's record label had told the press that Justin was at home in Tennessee, recovering from and extreme case of exhaustion.
She picked up Justin's first solo album, the one that she had unknowingly helped him to write and flipped it over to read the song titles. Scanning down the column, she saw the song that he had sang at the talent show, and another one she’d remembered him talking about called "From My Lips To Your Ears". It was kind of like a letter he'd written to his fans that he adapted into a song. It was nice and it was no surprise he'd put it last. Actually, that was the one she has listening to right now and come to think of it, it had just ended. She reached for the button bearing the solid white square and almost had it pressed when Justin's voice filled the air once again. What? She flipped the CD case over again.
"This must be a hidden track," she said and smiled. There was music playing in the background but the words were spoken.
"There's a time in everyone's life that totally takes them by surprise. Totally turns them inside out and generally fucks them up. Then along with that time comes a person, who totally takes them by surprise, totally turns them inside out…but definitely makes them whole. I call that person my angel. I found my angel five months ago. She may not be rich, she may not be famous, but she's all mine. And I'm all hers. Always have been, always will be. And, that's the end of this I guess. Yours truly, Justin.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to know he was talking about Jenna but to this day her friends don't buy a word of it claiming that he could be talking to anyone. It hurts sometimes, that they don't believe her but then again, why should they when the only thing she had left from those wonderful weeks was the fading memory of how gently his hands had caressed her hair the night she realized she loved him.
THE END
Completed
Story Tags: rehab
