1994

the young girl walked quickly through the halls, avoiding eye contact with her peers. She didn’t want to get caught in a meaningless conversation, that in any other normal day, she would have engaged in. She had a schedule she wanted to keep and socializing with her ever-growing list of friends or her cheerleading squad wasn’t added to that equation that day.

Having just been held back ten entire minutes by Genifur, her co-captain, was already setting her behind schedule. If it wasn’t for the fact that Genifur had covered for her on several cheerleading practices, she wouldn’t have taken those ten long minutes to listen to her ramblings. The fact that Genifur only seemed to be interested in rambling about one particular subject, Trace Ayala. She couldn’t blow her off, the girl was boy crazy and that particular month the honors had gone to her cousin. The gushing had gotten a bit overbearing and she’d set her limit to ten minutes of listening before she made a dash for the hallway when Genifur stopped her ramblings about Trace. She considered herself to be a good friend. She was honest and caring but having to be one side of a conversation pertaining her cousin’s butt had to come to an end quickly.

Eww.

At the end of the hall she could see her destination, her goal. The front entrance of the school. To the left of her goal stood her cheerleading squad. She wasn’t too worried about them distracting her because they were all aware what that day meant. To the right stood another distraction that would surely make her late. He stood by his locker, joking and goofing around with his friends, the football team. Apparently he was in no hurry to leave early and she felt like he should have been. It was a big day.

She thought about turning the other way and heading toward the back doors of the school but quickly changed her mind. What kind of a girlfriend would she be if she did that? Although she was asking herself, what type of friend was he being at that time? Not a very good one in her opinion because he should have been trying to avoid his friends too, just like she had been. They both needed to get out of school as fast as they could for the big day. Yet she was more annoyed as she approached him.

And although she was annoyed with him she couldn’t help but smile when he found her in the crowd and smiled at her.  Two years of officially being his girlfriend, secure in their little love, she couldn’t help the squeezing of her heart as she saw him. He almost made her forget that she had a schedule to keep. Almost.

“Hey.” He said, his smile not faltering.

“Hey.” Amanda said with a smile matching his.

“Missed you at lunch today.”

“Sorry, I had a meeting.”

“Cheerleading?”

“Spanish Club.”

“Are you walking home with me today?” he asked in a hopeful voice.

“Aren’t you coming with us?” Amanda asked as they walked toward the doors.

“Coming with you where?” he asked confused.

“Don’t you remember? We were supposed to meet Trace.”

“You’re meeting Trace instead of walking home with me?” he sounded annoyed. At five foot eight, he could be pretty intimidating but she knew that he would act that way.

For the past two years things hadn’t been completely cool between her boyfriend and her best friend. She’d decided to stay out of it. Being caught in the middle was surely not going to be pretty. She’d learned her lesson when she’d tried to be the middle man (or girl) between her boyfriend and her cousin and that hadn’t helped the situation either. Blood was always thicker than water and instead of choosing she decided to back off. She doubted that the relationship between Trace and her boyfriend would ever be the same but she knew that her relationship with both hadn’t changed one bit.

Her cousin, she’d always love and care for because he was family, she’d grown up with him and she knew every aspect of his life. Just like he knew her.

Her boyfriend, she’d known since they were eight, which had been six, almost seven years before.

While she spent time with her cousin, whom she still lived with and was close to, she didn’t spend much time with him at school. Something that they were both okay with. While both very popular in school, they didn’t hang out with the same people. Trace had been drawn into the ‘girl crazed guy group’, the group of guys whom girl drooled over. While Amanda was part, if not head, of the ‘in-crowd’, the group of people whom belonged to a lot of the clubs, sports teams and cheerleading squad and were liked by everyone and hated by the rest. Her and her boyfriend were considered the ‘hottest couple’ in the entire school and most importantly, the coolest.

She spent time with her cousin, whom she still lived with and was close to, outside of school. On the days when Trace was out with his friends from school, she was across the street, or at the mall with her boyfriend. Once a week they found themselves in Trace’s room on the phone with their best friend.

“Don’t be like that.” Amanda said holding his hand as they walked outside. “Don’t you remember what today is?”

“It’s Tuesday.”

“And?” she inquired getting more annoyed with him.

“No practice for me and any meetings or practice for you It’s our hanging out day.”

“And?”

“You got me, Amanda. What?”

“You honestly forgot?” she asked stopping their walk toward Trace who waited outside his father’s car in front of the school.

“What are you talking about, Amanda?”

“He’s coming today, Jeremy. I can’t believe you would forget that.”

“Who’s coming?”

“You forgot that our best friend is coming home in an hour?” Amanda asked shocked.

“I’m sorry it must have slipped my mind?”

“Slipped your mind? That’s nice, Jeremy.”

“I forgot, big deal.”

“Unbelievable.” She huffed.

“Why do I need to remember when Justin Timberlake is coming home? You seem to do the remembering for the whole town.” Jeremy said with a shrug. “I’m heading home. Call me later.”

“What?” Amanda asked in frustration as he started to walk away.

“That is if you find the time.” Jeremy said turning to face her.

“Aren’t you coming to see Justin?”

“I’ll just turn the TV on when I get home, Amanda. Have fun.” Jeremy said turning to walk toward their friends.

She was torn. They hadn’t seen their best friend in six months and all he could do was act like a jerk. He always acted that way if she couldn’t make their Tuesday tradition of going to the ice cream shop and then walking home together.

The last time they’d all seen Justin was the previous summer when they’d been allowed to spend a month in Orlando. While Trace, Justin and herself opted to be at Disney World, with Justin’ free pass, Jeremy opted to stay in the house playing video games. Jeremy had said that he didn’t enjoy being followed around the whole park by kids who recognized Justin. She had enjoyed scaring the little girls away while Justin reprimanded her for being mean to his fans.

Trace and herself had felt uncomfortable around both of them but personally she’d thought they’d gotten over whatever it was they were acting strange about. They’d continued talking on the phone after that summer and she’d figured they were okay. Not completely how they used to be but just okay.

Apparently not.

“Jeremy!!” she yelled. “Wait up!!”

Turning to face Trace who waited with her uncle. “Trace, I’ll meet you guys at Justin’s”

“You’re not coming?” Trace asked wide-eyed.

“It’s Tuesday, Trace. You know how it is. Tell Justin we’ll be waiting at his front porch for him.” Amanda said catching up with Jeremy.

“Yeah, Manda I know how it is.” Trace said as he got into the car, where his dad waited.

“Straight home, Amanda. If you’re not coming with us to the airport then you need to go straight home.” Her uncle said pointing at her.

“Okay, Tio Juan. See you later.” Amanda said with a wave.

“You’re walking with me?” Jeremy asked.

“Don’t let it get to your head. I’m only going because I know it’s Tuesday and it’s the only day we cold hang out after school. And besides I saw Jessica, sophomore whore-leader, getting ready to offer to walk with you.” Amanda said with a roll of her eyes.

“So you were jealous?”

“There’s nothing to be jealous about. Why are you being mean about Justin, anyway?”

“I wasn’t trying to be mean. Last Tuesday you had an emergency cheerleading meeting and you didn’t walk with me. I just thought you would walk with me today. And I really just forgot that he was coming.”

“How could you forget? He’s been calling and telling us he was coming for the past few weeks.”

“He’s been calling you and Trace. Not me.”

“Is this what this is all about? Are you mad at him because he didn’t call you? He told Trace and I that he called you but that you weren’t home.”

“I was at practice when he called.” Jeremy shrugged.

“So you’re mad at HIM for calling you and YOU not being available? That’s not fair, Jeremy.”

“No one’s mad, Amada.” Jeremy said putting his arms around her shoulder as they walked. “Do you want to get a Root beer float?”

“I have to get home, Jeremy. How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t you want to get home too?”

“His flight doesn’t come in for another hour. We have plenty of time.”

“For someone who claims he didn’t remember when Justin was coming, you sure do know details about his flight.” Amanda said with a raised brow.

“Do you want a float or not?”

“Fine, but we have to hurry.”

***********

“Where’s Amanda?” Justin asked as they rode towards his old house.

“That took you all of twenty-six minutes and thirty-two seconds.”

“What?” Justin asked looking at Trace who sat next to him in the Cadillac Deville, Trace’s father owned.

“It took you that long to ask about Manda.” Trace chuckled. “Take a wild guess where she is.”

“Figures. Why didn’t he come to the airport with you?” Justin asked.

“Because I don’t want that meathead in my car.” Trace confessed.

“Watch your mouth, Juan.” His father chastised from the driver’s seat.

“Well it’s the truth dad. All he does is play football and lift weights. He’s fourteen, not twenty, he acts like he’s going to be drafted to the NFL any day now.’ Trace laughed causing Justin to launch into fits of laughter.

“She better be there when we get there because I have something to tell you guys.” Justin said after a little while, giving his mother a knowing look.

“She’ll be there, Baby, it’s you. She never lets you down.” Lynn said with a smile.

“Could have fooled me.” Justin mumbled before continuing a conversation with Trace about a girl he’d met on the set on the Mickey Mouse Club.