Jive Recording Studios, Los Angeles
Two days later

Receiving a personal call from Johnny Wright and reprimanded about skipping two recording sessions was not something Amanda was too happy about. With the way she was feeling, dropping everything she had accomplished in the recording studio and all the work she’d done, didn’t sound like a bad idea. In her mind, as long as she didn’t have to go into a recording studio with Justin Timberlake, she would be able to maintain sanity. However, things didn’t work the way she wanted them to work, that she knew from experience. She’d fought Johnny’s stern advice to get her behind to the studio until he threatened to call Jive and more importantly, her mother.

For two days, she’d been staying at the Mondrian Hotel, alone. Speaking on the telephone only with Ms. Pizarro and her mother.

She didn’t ask Johnny how he found her, knowing that Justin and Trace probably knew where she was. Strangely enough, she hadn’t received any phone calls from neither and for that she was thankful. However, the peace had only lasted forty-eight hours before Johnny Wright was on the other end of the phone line, with reprimands and demands.

She knew Justin was already at the studio when she pulled into the parking lot, the black Mercedes she’d parked next to indicated so. The identical white car she’d parked next to his was the reminder of the friendship and similarities they’d shared. If another space had been available, she would have taken it without hesitation.

She sat in her car for a few minutes, contemplating going into the studio and having to see him. Deciding that dealing with Justin and undoubtedly Trace was better than hearing Johnny’s threats, she climbed out of her vehicle.

As she made her way through the studio’s dark and narrow halls, she could faintly hear one of her tracks being played. Although she loved every single song she’d recorded, hearing the song now only made her angry. Within two days time it was as if the person whom recorded those songs was a stranger, someone else. Someone whose heart was complete, someone whose heart didn’t ache.

Pushing the door to the studio open, she found her cousin lying on the couch, a magazine in his hands.  He simply glanced at her as a form of acknowledgement before turning his attention to the other end of the room. Following his line of vision, she could see Justin in one of the chairs in front of the control panel with Cameron occupying the other, having a quiet conversation. She didn’t know where the feeling came from and she didn’t question it, but her blood pressure skyrocketed and she immediately saw red. Neither noticed that she’d entered the room, as she dropped her laptop case on the couch opposite Trace.

“This is a closed session, Grandma,” Amanda said taking a sip from her iced coffee drink, mostly to cool her hot temper a few degrees.

They both looked up at her at the same time and Amanda wanted nothing more than to knock the grin off Cameron’s face. “Excuse me?” she asked.

“You heard me, Cameron. You aren’t welcome here,” Amanda spat.

“Cameron was just stopping by to say hello, Jo,” Justin explained. “She was just leaving.”

“I didn’t ask what she was doing here, asshole. I could give a shit, stop playing my fucking tracks to just anyone!” Amanda said still staring Cameron down.

“Ha!” came from Trace on the other side of the room.

“Don’t encourage her, man,” Justin muttered to Trace with a stern look.

“Kiss my ass, man,” Trace said flipping him off and returning to his magazine.

“Oh well, you guys are getting along great,” Cameron said with a roll of her eyes as she stood. “I’ll leave you three alone. It was nice seeing you again, Justin. Take care of that hand buddy.”

At the mention of his hand, Amanda noticed the small splint Justin wore on his finger for the first time. A pang of regret pulsed through her at the sight but she quickly brushed it off before grabbing the chair from right under Cameron.

“I’ll walk you out, Cam,” Justin said standing, as well. “I’ll be right back,”

“Whatever,” Amanda sneered. “I’d like to see you as much as I’d like to see her.”

“This session should be interesting,” Trace commented from the sofa.

“Shut up, Trace!” both Justin and Amanda snapped back in unison.

“Great minds think alike,” Trace said with a chuckle before returning to his magazine.

“After you,” Justin said to Cameron pointing to the door.

“Asshole,” Amanda mumbled under her breath as she took a seat and started to unpack her laptop.

“Takes one to know one,” Trace said.

“What?” Amanda snarled, turning to face him.

“Nothing,” Trace shrugged, sitting up and standing to grab a water bottle from the snack table.

“I heard what you said,” Amanda snapped back.

“Then why the fuck you asking me?” Trace asked with a raised brow, not affected by the venom in her voice. “How’s the Mondrian treating you?”

“None of your business,” Amanda replied as she turned on her laptop.

“It actually is my business. I’m your assistant and cousin,” Trace said. “I need to know where you’re at all times. You can’t be gone for two days and not let me know.”

“I can do whatever the hell I want to do, Trace,” Amanda said back. “Besides, like I really needed to let your nosy ass, know anything. You probably knew I was there before I got there.”

“So are you speaking to me now?” Trace asked with a raised brow.

“What are you doing here? Are you trying to piss me off? Cause it’s working. Wonderfully.”

“I’m here to assist two ass-wipes who need to get their heads out of their asses,” Trace said grabbing his Sidekick from the couch.

“I don’t need assisting, so you can leave. As a matter of fact, you’re fired,” Amanda, said with a shrug. “I don’t need you, or him.”

“Can’t really fire me without the approval of your manager, pretty cousin. And we both know you aren’t getting that. So go on about your business,” Trace said waving her off. “Oh and you have a photo shoot with Justin for some UK magazine, later tonight.”

“Cancel it,” Amanda shrugged. “I’m not taking any pictures with him.”

“Yeah you are,” Trace shrugged back before looking up at Justin who came into the room. “Do you want to fire me?”

“What?” Justin questioned.

“Are you planning on firing me as your assistant?” Trace asked again, continuing his conversation on his Sidekick.

“As much as I want to right now, no. Why?”  Justin asked curiously.

“No reason,” Trace said looking up to meet Amanda’s gaze with an evil grin.

“What are you doing here today anyway, Trace?” Justin asked with a huff.

“Can we get some work done or do I have to get another producer?” Amanda said with a roll of her eyes.

“Can we talk for a minute, first?” Justin asked her.

“If it doesn’t have to do with these four songs we have to record, then no,” Amanda said not attempting to look at him.

“I can’t be in this room with you knowing that you’re upset with me, Jo,” Justin said turning buttons on the soundboard, adjusting the levels on the track playing softly in the background.

“Upset doesn’t even begin to describe half of what I’m feeling.” Amanda sneered. “Leave me alone.”

“Why?” Justin asked.

“Leave me alone, Justin,” Amanda warned before continuing to read over the lyrics on her screen.

“Are you two recording or are you being assholes all day? Because I can find something better to do, believe me. Anything is better than listening to you two all day.”

“Trace, why don’t you go to Forest Lane and get me one of those ham and cheese sandwiches I like?” Justin asked.

“Why? Forest Lane is in Tennessee, dickhead, but I get the hint. I’m not even here. You two continue pretending like you can’t stand each other.”

“Fuck off, T,” Justin said.

“Sure,” Trace said giving Justin a wave of his middle finger. “Why don’t you start recording one of the many songs you’ve managed to get Manda to believe aren’t about her?”

“Shut up, Trace. You’re being an asshole,” Justin grumbled.

“What songs?” Amanda questioned. “What the fuck are you taking about?”

“Stop cursing, Jo,” Justin found himself saying without thinking.

“Don’t you fucking talk to me like we are friends, Timberlake! I will curse the high fucking heavens if I want to,” Amanda snapped.

“Fuck this, I’m not doing this!” Justin exclaimed, getting up and leaving the room.

“Good job, Manda. Now you have no producer,” Trace said a few seconds later. “You really should consider changing that fucking attitude you have. The asshole loves you and you would see that if you open your fucking eyes. You two are really pissing me off, for real this time,” Trace said annoyed.

“Shut up, Trace!” Amanda said drinking the rest of her iced coffee.

“Why? Because I’m right? I just spent two fucking days listening to him bitch about everything that is wrong in his fucking life. While doing that, I was making sure you were okay where you’re staying. I have my own fucking life to tend to but instead I have to deal with you two. Apparently you’re so caught the fuck up in your bullshit that you forgot that you’re best friends. You’re overreacting like there’s no tomorrow and he’s blaming me for making him grow balls. Shit’s fucked up whether you like to hear it or not. This can only be fixed by your whinny ass. So fix it!”

“I’m gonna fix your face if you keep yelling at me like a god damn child, Trace!” Amanda yelled back.

“I’m scared,” Trace said sarcastically.

“I don’t know how you could sit there and act as if nothing’s wrong,” Amanda said looking at him.

“There isn’t anything wrong, Manda. Your best friend loves you. Your family loves you. The world is going to love you. And your cousin still loves you even when he’s two seconds from kicking your ass. There’s nothing wrong.”

“My best friend betrayed me,” Amanda said as she wiped the lone tear that escaped her right eye. “I can’t forgive him for that.”

“He didn’t betray you, Manda. Stop being so melodramatic.”

“Oh, no? What do you call it then, Trace? Because to me it seems like my best friend just decided one day to throw the four-letter word around like it’s nothing. He’s not supposed to say those things. He’s supposed to be my best friend. Not anything else.”

“Why not?”

“Why not, what?”

“Why can’t he be anything else?” Trace asked making air quotation marks with his fingers. “Explain that to me. Tell me why it’s so bad.”

“Just leave me alone, Trace,” Amanda said getting up and leaving the room in the same manner that Justin had.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 
 

Outside of Studio

Amanda stood outside at the parking lot wanting nothing more than to get in her car and leave. However, she couldn’t do that, instead she opted on getting some air and getting her temper under control. She knew she had a long day and night ahead of her as a result from secluding herself for two days. Leaving the studio before she’d even started to record was probably something Johnny wouldn’t have approved upon. Amanda respected Johnny and in some odd way he was the father figure she looked up to, beside her Uncle Juan.

She’d been sitting on the hood of her car for half an hour before Trace walked out, Sidekick still attached to his hand. Amanda rolled her eyes at the sight of him.

“Why you rolling your eyes at me? Don’t be mad at me, you already knew I loved you,” Trace said hoping onto the hood of her car, making the metal bang slightly with his weight.

“Get off my damn car, Trace!” Amanda snapped from next to him.

“Get some songs laid out, Manda!” Trace snapped back. “I told you that you have a photo shoot later, so can you suck it up and work? I already spent half an hour arguing with your best friend. I don’t want to spend the next half doing the same with mine. So get your ass in the studio before I call Johnny.”

“Don’t threaten me, Trace. I’m not scared of you and he is not my best friend. And you’re warring your fucking welcome being one.”

“Get over yourself, cousin. Are you going inside or should I start my message to Johnny?” Trace asked with a smirk on his face.

“Asshole,” Amanda said before getting off the car’s hood and heading toward the door.

“That’s what I like to hear,” Trace said as he walked behind her.

Amanda found herself rolling her eyes at the receptionist, as she fawned over Trace as they walked by the front desk. Walking toward her assigned studio, she opened the door to find Justin in conversation with the A&R technician who would be working with them.

“Hey there Amanda!” the guy greeted when she came into the room.

“Hey, Mark. Long time no see.” Amanda said with a small smile.

“Not since ‘Cry Me A River.’ How have you been?” he asked.

“I’ve never been better, a big weight has been lifted from my life recently. It’s wonderful,” Amanda said taking a seat in front of the control board.

“Good to hear, I heard the tracks you have done so far. Very impressed, but then I already told you that you needed to do this for a living,” he said with a smile. “You wouldn’t listen to an old guy like me, though.”

“She doesn’t listen to anyone,” Trace volunteered from the couch he’d laid on as soon as he’d entered the room.

“Well she must have, because here she is, with half an album finished.” Mark smiled. “Are you taking credit for this, Justin?”

“He would,” Amanda mumbled before turning to work on her laptop. “What do you think of the track we’re working on today, Mark?”

“I think Justin did a great job,” Mark shrugged. “Not really sure why I’m here.”

“What track are you talking about?” Amanda asked looking up at Mark then looking at Justin, who seemed to be engrossed in opening a case of blank compact disks.

“Change of plans today. We’re working on something new. Something I wrote.” Justin said not looking back at her, simply shrugging as he spoke.

“You can’t do that,” Amanda stated, looking at Trace, who smirked at her then at Justin.

“Why not?” Justin asked as he walked toward the control board to sit on the chair next to hers.

“Because we already arranged the other track, Justin. That’s why,” Amanda responded with a huff.

“So we’ll arrange this one,” Justin said.

“That will take all night, genius! I am not staying in here with you guys for more than six hours!” Amanda said. “No offense, Mark.”

“Five hours,” Trace added. “You have to be at the shoot in five, so you better get a move on.”

“Trace, shut up!” Amanda said causing Mark to chuckle.

“I can see you guys have not changed since the last time I saw ya,” Mark said as he continued pressing buttons and preparing the sound board.

“A lot of things have changed, Mark. Believe me,” Justin said placing blank CDs in the recorder. “Things aren’t always as they seem. People change.”

“People change? Hell yeah they do, they say things to hurt you and they become manipulative,” Amanda said as she watched Justin take a seat next to Mark.

“They also become unpredictable and mean, even though you’ve always been able to count on them to understand you. Always.”

“What?” Amanda asked with shock. “What does that mean exactly, Expert?”

“It means, start warming up so this track can be started,” Trace said from the couch. “That’s just my guess.”

“Here,” Justin said handing a sheet of paper to Amanda. “I recorded the demo last night, you should be able to pick up the feel for the song. Let me know when you’re ready to try it. Mark, can you play the track, a few times?” he asked, before looking at her. “Listen.”

Amanda recognized Justin’s tone as a serious one. She was positive about the fact that his tone was a reflection of his conversation with her cousin. For a brief second she found herself wanting to fix whatever it was that had them upset. Something that came natural to her. Then she realized that she was angry as well. Snatching the piece of paper from Justin’s hand, she walked over to the couch and sat next to Trace.

After half an hour of listening to the track repeatedly, she still couldn’t concentrate. Instead she found herself looking around the room, more specifically, Justin. Both he and Mark wore headphones over their ears as they listened to something Mark had been working on. Justin’s head moved with the music she was sure was playing in his ears, while Mark entered keys on the keyboard in front of him. A tiny tear escaped her eyes, before she quickly wiped it off.

Just like it had happened at that very moment, she remembered what he’d done. And she remembered what he’d managed to ruin.

As she watched him in the darkened studio, she couldn’t see her best friend anymore. The person before her wasn’t the person she ran around in diapers with. He wasn’t the same Justin that she’d known all her life. He wasn’t the person she’d shared every single aspect of her life with.

He was Justin Timberlake, the man that….

Realization came like a smack in the face. Her eyes opened wide and her breath caught in her throat. Looking over at Trace, she found him looking back at her with a knowing smile adorning his face.

“So its not so bad after all, is it?” he asked knowingly.

“I can’t fucking do this right now,” Amanda said standing and walking out of the studio.
 

~*~*~*~*~*~
 

UK Esquire Magazine Shoot

Amanda watched Justin pacing back and forth, while the make-up girl followed him around with a make-up brush. He continued his conversation on the phone attached to his ear, unaware that everyone around him found the scene amusing.

The young intern was trying her best to act cool. As if dealing with a hotheaded celebrity was an every day event for her. Her temper was flaring and if Amanda didn’t know for sure that Justin was indeed in a bad mood, she’d think it was amusing as well. Nevertheless, the truth was, Justin wasn’t in any mood to play games with the new intern. He was surely being reprimanded about another studio session going down the drain. By the looks Justin directed toward her, she was certain; Johnny wasn’t singing his praises either.

“He has about five seconds to get off that phone,” the photographer said to Trace, who was entertained on his own phone next to her.

“Excuse me?” Trace asked with a raised brow.

“I said Justin needs to get off the phone, so that I can do my job,” the photographer snapped back, clearly talking down at Trace. Amanda chuckled for the first time and shook her head at the photographer.

“Ohh, big mistake buddy,” Amanda whispered, continuing to shake her head in shame. “Huge.”

“Justin will get off the phone when he damn well pleases,” Trace responded without a second thought. “So go take your camera and wait like the rest of us.”

“Ohh, I told ya,” Amanda whispered shaking her head once again.

“And who are you?” the photographer asked.

“The other person you’re shooting, so I suggest you go fuck yourself, before he decides not to be so nice to your bosses at Esquire. And you wouldn’t want Justin to boycott your precious magazine. Trust me,” Amanda snapped back, pointing toward Justin.

“I’m fairly positive those British assholes can manage without a photo of Justin Timberlake, don’t flatter your boyfriend so much,” the photographer snapped back.

“That was probably your cue to get your ass kicked, man. I had enough trouble getting her here in the first place and now you’re….” Trace started to say before he was cut off by Amanda’s irate response.

“HEY, DICKHEAD?!!” Amanda yelled, standing to meet the short photographer face-to-face. “You’re messing with the wrong girl today, you ignorant bastard. Don’t think that because you’re here to take pictures of us, that it gives you the right to talk down to us. If his fucking face wasn’t on the cover of your stupid magazine you wouldn’t fucking be here in the first place. So be thankful, you ungrateful son of a bitch. Get your fucking make-up bitch and your little worthless ass back to wherever you fucking came from because you ain’t getting nothing done but annoy the hell out of me and not to mention Justin. Does she not see that he’s on the damn phone?! She can take that brush and you can take that damn camera and shove it up your….”

“That’s enough, Jo!!” Justin came from behind the photographer, a stern look on his face.

Amanda glared at Justin, not knowing whom she wanted to yell at first. The photographer, for being a prick or at Justin, for yelling at her as if he had any say over her.

“Who are you?” Justin addressed the photographer, not giving her a chance to say anything else.

“Jeremy Petner,” the photographer responded in the nicest tone possible. “The photographer tonight.”

“Of course!” Amanda said rolling her eyes. “That would be your name, let me guess, your make-up girl’s name is Jessica.”

“Jo?” Justin interrupted.

“AMANDA!!” she responded as a form of correction.

“Fine, Amanda! Chill out, will you? I don’t need this shit right now,” Justin said eyeing the photographer who seemed to be enjoying the scene before him, a tad too much. “Do you mind?”

“Excuse me?” the photographer questioned.

“Do. You. Mind. Giving. Us. A. Minute?” Justin asked firmly to the photographer. “Was that clearer?”

“With all due respect, Mr. Timberlake,” the photographer huffed. “I’ve already been waiting for an hour.”

“With all due respect, JEREMY! Since you’ve waited that long, a few more minutes shouldn’t be a problem!” Justin said loudly.

“Excuse me then,” the photographer said before walking away, mumbling something incoherent.

“Asshole!” Amanda said taking her seat next to Trace, once again.

“Who the hell is that guy?” Justin asked Trace, who got up to look through a rack of clothes.

“Some stand-in photographer,” Trace shrugged. “Kind of an asshole, but I don’t blame him. You’ve been on the phone for the past half hour.”

“Thanks for the update, Trace!” Justin barked. “Get me a water, will ya?”

“Yes, Mr. Timberlake. Right away,” Trace said mockingly. “Would you like me to bring you a better attitude back, as well?”

“You should talk about attitudes,” Amanda commented with a roll of her eyes.

“Oh I’m sorry did I forget to give a shit?” Trace asked her sarcastically. “Both of you shut the fuck up and go take some pictures. When you’re both done with that, we can get the asshole fired. He was actually okay, in my book, standing up to you guys. However, that was right up until he said his name, now he deserves to be taking pictures inside a photo booth with no air vents. So, both of you get in front of the camera, smile for the fucker a few times so that we can get the fuck out of here. How does that sound?”

And for the first time that night, both Justin and Amanda smiled at their friend. A smile spread across Justin face and he couldn’t help the laughter that followed. Amanda looked back and forth from Trace to Justin trying her best to avoid laughing as well but failing miserably. She covered her face as she shook with laughter, unconsciously leaning on Justin for support.

Justin stiffened, his laughter subsiding a bit when the contact occurred. Amanda continued giggling for a few seconds before looking up to find Justin looking down at her.

“Stop looking at me that way,” Amanda said, suddenly moving away from him and walking toward the photographer.

“Can you keep a leash on her mouth while I go to the bathroom?” Justin asked a moody looking Trace. “Can you at least do that?”

“You and I know that’s not possible. She’s going to let that dude have it,” Trace shrugged. “You can’t stop it and neither can I. Just like you can’t stop the way you look at her. And you can’t stop the way she looks at you. It’s just the way it is.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing Justin, nothing at all.” Trace said looking toward Amanda on the other side of the room. “Go to the bathroom and get back so we can get this over with and get out of here.”

“When did you become so grown-up, fucker?” Justin asked with a smirk on his face.

“When my two best friends became love-sick assholes, dickhead!” Trace said with a chuckle before turning to walk toward his cousin.