~~~~~*~~~~~

Once Justin and Chris had returned, Libby averted her eyes to the paper coasters that were scattered across the top of the table. She couldn't bring herself to look at Justin; she couldn't stop picturing his face as he'd shouted at Dan.

This evening is way messed up, she thought miserably to herself.

Feeling a pair of eyes on her, Libby glanced up to see who was looking at her and met Justin's gaze for the second time. Once again he averted his eyes instantly, and Libby knew that there was no way that their relationship wouldn't be affected by what had happened. She wasn't sure how she'd be able to face him at work after this.

As she was thinking these thoughts a hand reached across the table and placed a tall glass of coke in front of her. Libby followed the trail of the hand as it retreated and was met by Chris' warm smile. He winked at her affectionately before turning away to resume a conversation he'd begun with Lance.

Libby took a deep breath to steady herself. Now that she was beginning to calm down she realised that she was bursting to go to the bathroom. She glanced sideways at Clare, who had turned her head to talk to JC, but she didn't want to interrupt their conversation. Everyone else was trying to carry on as normal, but Libby couldn't just yet. She needed to get away from the noise of the music and try to clear her head. 

As Libby shuffled her chair back slightly and prepared to stand, Clare immediately noticed that her friend was leaving and turned to face her with a look of concern.

"I'm fine," Libby explained in a whisper. "I'm just going to the loo."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Libby smiled fondly at Clare. She really wanted a moment by herself and she knew that Clare would be torn between staying to talk with JC and being there for her. Libby glanced at JC, who had his head turned away from them to look at something in the distance as he pretended not to overhear their conversation.

"No, you stay," Libby said.

"You sure?" Clare whispered back as she reached out to squeeze Libby's hand. "I'm here if you need me, 'kay?"

Libby nodded and rose to her feet. She kept her eyes averted from the rest of the people at the table as she scanned the club for an indication of where the bathrooms were located. If anyone asked Clare where she had gone, Libby knew that her friend would fill them in discreetly.

Once she had made it safely halfway across the club, Libby released a deep sigh, letting out some of the tension that had been building inside of her. She could see the door of the ladies' bathroom from where she was standing, and she felt relieved that in just a few moments she'd be able to drop the fake smile from her face and allow herself a moment to process her thoughts without having to pretend that she was fine.

Although she was tempted, Libby forced herself not to break into a run and instead fixed her eyes on the bathroom door and only slightly quickened her pace. She managed another few steps before she heard someone calling her name and at once she felt her stomach sink with disappointment.

"Libby, please..."

Libby turned and faced Justin, her heart aching at the look of desperation on his face. She wanted to throw herself at him; she wanted to cover his face with kisses and cling to him but she didn't. Instead she folded her arms across her chest and frowned at him even as her heart desperately begged her not to be so mean.

Justin stood there—breathless from having run after her, having ignored Clare's pleas for him to stay where he was—his eyes desperately searching Libby's for an indication that she wasn't angry with him. The awkwardness between them was already grating on his already fragile nerves, and he realised then that he needed her more than ever. Even if she could only offer him a weak smile, it would be enough to reassure him that they could get through this. That he hadn't ruined their friendship with his impulsive actions.

"What?" Libby asked in a tone that she didn't really mean. Her whole body was torn between screaming at him for being so foolish and craving his touch. Never in her life had someone defended her in the way that he had that evening and she was still trying to process how she felt about it.

"I...I..." Justin stammered, unable to break himself away from Libby's intense gaze. In his mind he kept picturing her standing in front of Dan, her body so petite and defenceless in front of the hulking figure that had been her ex–boyfriend. If she really didn't care for me, then why did she put herself in harm's way to protect me like that?

"What were you thinking?" Libby asked in such a quiet voice that Justin had to lean in close to catch it. They were standing in a more secluded area of the club but still the music was very loud. "He could have... would have... you're so stupid, Justin."

Justin swallowed audibly but refused to let her words upset him. She might not be able to say it aloud, but her actions had proved it tonight—despite what she'd said earlier, she had to have some feelings for him to have acted the way that she had.

"Dance with me?" Justin asked abruptly, stunning Libby to silence for a moment. She frowned as she tried to catch up with the sudden change in conversation.

"I'm sorry?"

"Dance with me. Please. If you're worried about Dan then don't be. He's already left."

"You're asking me to dance with you? Justin, I'm headed to the..." Libby turned around and gestured with her thumb at the sign on the ladies' bathroom door. Justin nodded in understanding as he followed her gaze.

"I know. I don't mean now. Later."

Libby wanted to ask him why. Why after all that had just happened did he want to dance with her? What good could it possibly do? But she also knew that deep down she didn't really want to hear the answer. At least if they were dancing together they wouldn't be talking, and that had to be a bonus.

"Okay, I guess," Libby replied weakly as she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down onto it. Dancing together wasn't a good idea, and yet being held by him, even if it was for only a few minutes—the duration of a song—would start to heal her aching heart. 

"Okay? Is that a yes?"

"Yes, but you'll have to wait 'till later," Libby told him. She didn't want to explain that Clare had been slipping her sips of her Jack Daniel's and coke and that she'd need several more before she'd be able to keep her legs from trembling when she danced with him.

"Later," Justin agreed as he flashed her a heart stopping smile before heading back towards their group of friends. Libby stood there for a full minute before she remembered that she was bursting to go to the toilet, and she rushed off towards the ladies room in a hurry.

~~~~~*~~~~~

When Libby returned from the bathroom, Clare was surprised to see that she was accompanied by a young woman that she hadn't met before. She offered a friendly smile as the pair approached the table, and noted with satisfaction that Libby was already starting to look a little more like herself.

Clare wondered if perhaps it had something to do with the sudden sparkle that had appeared in Justin's eyes. She'd asked him not to bother Libby again, but of course he hadn't listened to her and had gone charging off again, despite everyone’s protestations for him to remain at the table.

Justin had returned with a sly grin on his face, and Clare had assumed—as he was still alive—that Libby hadn't ripped him to pieces. She could only hope from this positive outcome that they'd found a way to move past what had happened earlier.

Clare glanced at JC, who was now happily chatting away to Chris, and felt a bemused smile cross her lips. She wasn't sure that she would've been able to forgive him so easily if he'd done something so stupid.

"Clare, this is Jenny," Libby said as she introduced the young women to her friend. "We go to college together."

~~~~~*~~~~~

Libby had applied to the University of Central Florida in Orlando before she’d even left the UK. She'd hoped that if she hadn't found employment by the time that she'd arrived in the States, that she could've been a full–time student there. Fortunately, she'd been accepted two weeks before the move.

Libby had initially applied on a computer studies course, but had since transferred to business management and now she only had two years left until she received her degree. Her plans for the future weren't fixed, but she hoped to one day work her way up to a possible management position at the record label.

Although her course was technically full–time, it only filled up thirty–two hours of her working week, leaving her free to take a part–time position at the fan club. As her workload wasn't particularly heavy, Libby rarely had trouble balancing her studies with working.

Jennifer Piel was a similar age to Libby, and the pair had met during their first computing class, where they had been randomly assigned to share a work space. They had quickly become friends, and Jenny had helped Libby to adapt during her first few months at college. Although they were good friends, this was the first occasion that they had spent any time together outside of the UCF grounds. 

"Everyone!" Libby called loudly, gaining the attention of her table of friends. "This is my friend, Jenny. We go to UCF together."

At once the group began to murmur their greetings, and a faint blush began to spread over Jenny's cheeks as she realised that she'd suddenly become the centre of attention. She was naturally shy and often felt uncomfortable in big crowds, but her roommate and best friend, Cyndi Mathes, had somehow convinced her to agree to a rare night out, which is how she'd ended up bumping into Libby in the ladies room.

"Is Cyndi here?" Libby asked Jenny as she scanned the crowded club for signs of her other friend from college.

"No, she met some guy that she knew and disappeared about an hour ago," Jenny explained with a careless shrug that didn't come across as very convincing. Jenny wasn't going to admit it out loud, but she'd pretty much been hiding in the ladies' bathroom since Cyndi's departure, and she'd even considered calling herself a cab and heading home early.

A loud whooping noise from across the table drew everyone's attention to Joey, who was making suggestive motions with his hands, drawing a laugh from the other men around the table. Libby narrowed her eyes at him before turning back to Jenny.

"You must come and join us then," Libby said.

"Yes, do," Clare agreed, echoing Libby's sentiment and offering Jenny a warm smile. "Clearly we could use another female to balance out the excess of testosterone around here."

Jenny glanced at the faces around the table and gave a sheepish smile. "I guess it beats going home to an empty dorm," she said before dragging a spare chair from a nearby table over to join them.

~~~~~*~~~~~

Libby took special care to introduce Jenny to each member of her friendship circle. Not only did it serve the purpose of making her friend feel welcome, but it also helped to distract herself, and she soon found that with each moment that passed between her and the 'incident', she felt much more like her normal self.

Her friends also seemed to be making a special effort to be friendly to the newcomer, and when it came time to introduce Jenny to Lance, Libby couldn't help but notice the particular change in the young man's posture. He immediately sat upright in his seat and leaning past Joey, he reached out a hand to shake Jenny's, making him the first of the men to do so.

"I'm Lance," he said, before Libby had a chance to introduce him. Libby tried to hide her snigger behind her hand as she watched Lance stare up at Jenny with his wide, green eyes. She'd secretly been hoping that he might show an interest in her friend, as out of all the girls that she knew, Jenny and he had the most in common.

As it had turned out, the only available space to add another chair to had been in the gap between Libby and Lance, and so Jenny had found herself sitting next to him during the majority of the evening—when she wasn't being encouraged to get up and dance by the other girls, that was.

Libby could tell by the permanent, wide grin on Lance's face that her idea to bring Jenny over had been a good one.

~~~~~*~~~~~

As the end of the night drew nearer, the DJ shifted the music to songs with a slower beat, and Libby found herself growing more and more anxious as she remembered her promise to Justin. They'd both agreed at the time, but when exactly was 'later'?

It was as Libby was considering this that Jenny slowly turned around in her seat to face Lance, and asked in a hesitant voice whether or not he would like to dance with her. Chris and Joey both immediately erupted into hysterical sniggering that was only quieted by Clare shooting daggers at them with her eyes. Lance accepted Jenny's suggestion with a blush and the two disappeared amongst the many couples already on the dance floor.

"Looks like our Scoop's got himself an admirer," Chris chuckled as he watched them leave.

"I don't think he minds," Joey observed as he watched Lance wrap his arms around Jenny's body and pull her closer to him. The beaming smile on the young man's face said it all.

Clare smiled across at Joey until she felt the disconcerting feeling that someone was looking at her. She quickly turned her head to see JC grinning mischievously in her direction. Before she had the chance to say something sarcastic—which was her standard reaction when she was feeling awkward or uncomfortable—he reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her up and out of her seat in one easy move.

"Hey!" she complained but didn't struggle against him.

"Come and dance with me," JC said as he tugged lightly on her arm, pulling her after him as he walked a few paces towards the dance floor.

"You could ask," Clare quipped as she fought to keep the giddy grin off of her face. Inside her body it felt as though a rabble of butterflies had taken flight in her stomach at the feel of his warm hand wrapping around hers.

"Just dance with me," JC pleaded with a sigh, giving her a glimpse of his famous 'puppy dog eyes' as he pretended to find her response tiring. They both knew that she would be unable to resist his 'sad' face. Although, secretly, Clare had been hoping all night that he might ask her to dance.

"I can't believe you're making me do this," Clare told him as she took a step towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist, letting her head rest against his firm chest. As JC placed his arms protectively around her shoulders, he began to think back to earlier that night...

+ + +

Clare had been taking her time getting ready—as usual—even though almost everyone else had been gathered outside the apartment looking out for the taxi cab that they had booked to take them to the club. Everyone except for her and JC.

He'd needed to use the bathroom at the last minute, whilst Clare had been finishing up applying her makeup using the mirror in her bedroom—something which always seemed to take her an eternity. Unlike Libby, who regularly wore makeup to work and college, Clare needed to spend a lot of time and concentration on the task in order for her to be happy with the end results. This usually led to her being ready a lot later than everyone else.

As she'd been making her way out of her room, Clare had been startled by JC, who had been passing by her bedroom as he'd made his way along the hallway towards the front door. They'd both jumped at the sudden appearance of the other.

"Jeez!" Clare had exclaimed as she'd clutched a hand to her heart, feeling it hammering away in her chest thanks to the unexpected fright.

"Sorry," JC had said bashfully and had flashed her a crooked grin. "I didn't mean to scare you."

As he'd spoken, JC's eyes had left Clare's to unconsciously give her the once over, and he'd been unable to fight the grin that had appeared on his face as he'd taken in the sight in front of him. She was a total knockout.

Clare had chosen to wear a white cropped top that revealed a glimpse of her tattoo—the Chinese symbol for 'wildcat'—which was positioned to the left of her pierced navel, and shiny, black, leather pants that she'd paired with tasselled cowboy boots.

He'd been unable to take his eyes off of her as she'd run around the apartment collecting her bag, coat and door keys before turning to him, slightly out of breath, but with a bright smile on her face.

"You ready to go?" she'd asked him and JC has had to fight against the lump that had formed in his throat before he could speak. Ready to go? That was one way of putting it...

+ + +

As they moved together in time to the music, JC allowed himself to close his eyes, savouring the intimate moment of holding Clare in his arms. He'd never admitted his feelings out loud to anyone, but he'd secretly been falling in love with her for the past twelve months.

Although he went to lots of trouble to hide his feelings from his friends, the members of *NSYNC were completely aware of how he felt, even though Clare had remained completely in the dark.

They'd built a special friendship in the time that they'd known each other, and thanks to the fact that they shared a similar sense of humour, they often knew what the other was thinking without having to exchange any words.

Clare liked that JC was ambitious but never walked over anyone to get to where he wanted to be, and that he was polite and kind to people without being a pushover. In turn, JC knew that although Clare had a quick and fiery temper and was always ready with a sarcastic retort, she had a big heart and was secretly a very sensitive person. He felt honoured that she had chosen him to be one of the few people that she let her guard down around.

JC had come pretty close in the past few months to revealing his feelings to her, but when it had come down to it, the timing had never seemed right. However, he had a feeling deep down in his gut that one day things would slip into place for them, and that they would find a way to be together. For now, he was content to enjoy having her as one of his best friends.

~~~~~*~~~~~

Back at the table, Chris glanced around at the faces left sitting around him. Libby— unsurprisingly—seemed lost in thought, and Chris eyed her with sympathetic eyes. She'd had quite an eventful night, and he didn't blame her for being out of sorts. If only Justin had as much balls about revealing his feelings to her as he'd had about getting himself into fights then the evening might have gone in a completely different direction.

Chris glanced from Libby to the youngster, who sat brooding over his drink, and smirked to himself. Justin sure was one hell of a character. Turning his head, Chris watched as Joey slouched back into his seat and stretched one of his arms out in front of him before attempting to twirl a paper coaster around in between his thumb and third finger. He looked positively bored and Chris felt for him.

There was nothing that Joey enjoyed more than a night out clubbing, but the almost fight had put an immediate dampener on everyone's spirits. Joey was a loyal man and hadn't wanted to leave the group to go off and dance whilst Libby and Justin were behaving so out of character. Instead he'd sat at the table all night, pretending to be having a good time but looking thoroughly miserable anyway.

"Drink?" Chris asked him as he tried to drag his attention away from the spinning coaster.

"Hmm...?" Joey replied absent–mindedly as he glanced up at Chris.

"Do. You. Want. A. Drink?" Chris repeated causing a self–deprecating smirk to spread across Joey's lips.

"Sure," he answered and gave a small stretch as he rose up out of his seat. As he did so, Joey became aware that if he were to leave the table then Justin and Libby would be left alone and he hesitated, half in and half out of the chair, looking to Chris for guidance.

"Come on," Chris told him with an understanding grin and gestured with his head towards the bar. He figured that the youngsters would benefit from an opportunity to talk in private, and with everyone else having already left the table, there was no better timing than the present.

~~~~~*~~~~~

Libby turned her head slightly to watch as the two men walked off in the direction of the bar. She was grateful for their sensitivity and understanding of her feelings, but she was also partly relieved to see them go.

She couldn't bear to see Joey sitting there glumly knowing that it was because of her that he was forcing himself to remain at the table, when he'd much rather be off having a good time. Joey was the life and soul of the party, and she knew how much he was sacrificing to stay with her. She smiled fondly to herself as she considered the way that the group of men had rallied around her—like big, protective older brothers.

With her seeming momentarily distracted, Justin used the opportunity to rise from his seat, scraping the chair legs on the floor as he did so before heading around the table until he was standing next to her. Libby only became aware of him having moved when she turned her head back around and noticed that his chair was empty.

"Dance with me?" Justin asked, repeating his question from earlier.

"Now?" Libby asked in a slightly panicked voice as her heart began to hammer away in her chest. Now that the moment had come, she realised that her earlier stalling had done nothing to spare her nerves, and, if anything, she was even more anxious than before.

"Yeah," Justin replied softly as he held out his right hand to her.

"I don't know..." Libby replied as she stared down at his palm before glanced around to see where the rest of her friends had gotten to. Now that she thought about it, it really didn't seem like such a good idea. She was feeling so fragile, and her nerves were so jagged that it would be far too easy for her to slip up with her feelings. She'd be better off remaining at the table where everything was comfortable and safe.

Noting her hesitation, Justin squatted down so that his head was level with hers and fixed her with his most encouraging smile. "C'mon... one dance, please," he said as he tried his best to persuade her with his eyes. She didn't seem to understand how much he needed this. How his whole evening would be ruined if he didn't get at least one chance to hold her.

"Okay," Libby said after another moment of deliberation. She reached out to take Justin's hand and let him pull the chair away from her as she stood. After all I've gone through this evening I think I deserve at least one moment of happiness, she told herself.

Libby flicked her eyes to his face and noticed for the first time the triumphant smile that reached all the way up to his eyes. Libby felt herself begin to blush under his intense gaze.

One dance. That's all, Libby warned herself as Justin led her towards an open space on the dance floor and gently pulled her into his arms. He's just a friend, she repeated silently to herself as she felt him wrap his arms around her waist and saw him smile down at her as they began to move to the rhythm of the music. Just a friend...

~~~~~*~~~~~

The longer Libby spent in Justin's arms, the more the hurt of what Dan had done to her cut into her heart. She'd been so incredibly stupid to waste all that time on a man who— when it came down to it—was no better than a lying, cheating thug. How could she have allowed herself to be so blind to who he really was? He must have been a very good actor in the beginning to have caught her attention with his charismatic, endearing act. Now she felt like a complete idiot. Everyone else, it seemed, had seen Dan for his true colours and now Libby was left with egg on her face.

Of course, Libby had been grateful that her friends had been there to support her. Who knew what kind of trouble she might've ended up in if Chris hadn't been there to catch Dan's fist. Libby liked to think that her boyfriend wouldn't actually have gone ahead and hit her in front of that huge crowd, however, she'd witnessed his aggressive streak on other occasions, the last having caused her to spend a fortnight hiding bruises under heavy layers of makeup, so it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility. Only Clare had known what Dan was capable of, but now it was public knowledge.

As Libby stifled a sob and squeezed her eyes shut, she felt a solitary tear trickle its way down one of her cheeks. She tried to focus on her breathing and not think about Dan. She leaned forward to rest her cheek against Justin's chest and willed herself to stop crying.

God, he's so warm, Libby thought to herself as she listened to Justin's breathing so steady and close beside her ear. She'd forgotten how good it felt to be held by him like this. They'd only slow danced occasionally—as Libby tried her best to avoid it at all costs—but she'd never forgotten the way that it had felt when he'd first pulled her onto the dance floor. Like there was no other place on earth that she belonged.

"Lib, are you... crying?" Justin asked in a wary voice as he slowly became aware that his shirt was starting to feel damp where Libby's cheek was resting against it. He didn't want the moment to pass, but he knew that he had to say something about it.

So much for controlling yourself, Libby thought bitterly as she took a step away from Justin and began to brush the tears away with the back of her trembling hand. She dropped her eyes to the floor as the embarrassment washed over her. "I.., um... I'm so sorry," she mumbled as her tears continued to fall, and she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that it might help her get a grip on her emotions.

It didn't do much good.

Seeing her tears, Justin instinctively reached forward and began to brush them away with his fingertips as he felt the familiar ache press inside his chest at the sight of her crying. He hated to see her upset, no matter what the cause, and his hand lingered by her face as he wondered what he was supposed to do next.

"Don't," Libby told him sharply as she pushed his hand away.

Justin immediately let it fall to his side, the movement displaying a little more frustration than he meant to reveal. The sound his hand made as it slapped against his thigh caused Libby's eyes to flash immediately to his face. "Nothing I do is right," Justin said in a petulant tone, his face hardening.

Libby glared up at him, surprised and upset at the sudden change in his voice and body language. "Don't you understand?" She asked as fresh tears stung at her eyes.

"I guess not."

"No, you don't," Libby said as she searched his eyes for the Justin that she needed; the one who would be man enough to understand what she couldn't yet say, and who wouldn't be expecting more from her than she could give in that moment. She couldn't find him in the man standing opposite her.

"Just forget it," Libby said as she spun around on her heels and rushed away towards the ladies' bathroom without a backwards glance.

~~~~~*~~~~~

"Oh God, I've done it again," Justin groaned as he interrupted Clare and JC's dance to let them know what had happened with Libby. The pair reluctantly broke apart and turned to face him as he hovered by JC's shoulder.

"Done what again?" JC asked with barely concealed frustration in his voice. He wasn't thrilled to have his moment with Clare cut short, but he knew that his friend wouldn't have disturbed them unless it was important.

"Libby's in the ladies' bathroom," Justin explained as his shoulders began to sag.

"So?" Clare said as she placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at him. He'd better not have come over just to tell them that.

"She's crying," Justin said, and immediately Clare's eyes hardened and she fixed him with her famous 'daggers' look.

"What did you do?" JC and Clare asked him at practically the same time.

"I don't know. We were dancing and everything was fine, and then she just started crying. I don't know what happened but she rushed off like she's mad at me."

Clare didn't need to hear any more. She abruptly turned and headed off in search of her friend.

~~~~~*~~~~~
Clare found Libby in the ladies' bathroom splashing cold water on her face. She walked up behind her friend and directed her words at Libby's reflection in the mirror. "Hey, you okay?"

"No," Libby snapped back as she wiped her face dry with one of the blue, paper tissues that she found in the dispenser on the wall. "I wish I'd never come out tonight."

Clare grimaced, feeling bad that she'd had a hand in encouraging Libby to come out with them, and she didn't blame her friend for feeling that way. In comparison, she'd had a pretty good night so far, but as always her friend was her main concern.

"If you hadn't, you might not have found out about Dan playing around," she reasoned in what she hoped was a helpful tone.

"I'm sure there are better ways of finding out," Libby said sarcastically, cutting eyes at her friend in the mirror as she tossed the used paper towel into the waste bin.

"Sure," Clare said matter–of–factly as she lifted herself onto the counter and let her legs swing over the side. She reached out and brushed a wet clump of Libby's hair out of her eyes. "But then you wouldn't have witnessed such a dramatic display of Curly's love for you."

Libby turned to Clare, her mouth a gasp, and noticed for the first time the twinkle of amusement in her dark eyes. Clare chuckled at her reaction and reached out to nudge her playfully on the shoulder. "Come on, admit it. You loved it."

"What? Watching him nearly get beaten to a pulp by my now ex–boyfriend? Yeah, it was great," Libby quipped drily. "He's just so hot–headed. Just because he doesn't get his way he has to turn into this annoying brat."

"I'm not sure I'm following," Clare replied hesitantly.

"Eurgh, it's nothing," Libby said as she shook her head a few times to clear the image of Justin's pouting, moody face as she'd pushed his hand away. "I'm so ready to go home," she said as she smiled weakly at Clare.

"Okay," Clare said as she nodded and slipped off of the counter before quickly checking her reflection in the mirror. She flicked at a few strands of hair that had come loose from her up–do, but was generally satisfied with her appearance.

"You don't have to leave, Clare. You and JC were dancing. Don't let me get in the way of you spending more time with him."

Clare searched her friend’s eyes, feeling torn. She knew that Libby would probably head straight to bed once she got home, and therefore wouldn't miss her company, but at the same time, it didn't seem fair to let her friend travel home alone after the night that she'd been having. Then again, the thought of having a few more dances with JC was incredibly appealing.

"Perhaps I could ask your bodyguard to take you home?" Clare teased with a playful grin.

Libby shook her head resolutely. "Please don't."

"He's outside, you know," Clare warned as the two women made their way over to the bathroom exit.

Libby let out a frustrated sigh as she reached for the door handle. "Hasn't he done enough?" She asked in a half serious, half joking tone. "I can't handle much more tonight."

"Then let me deal with him," Clare suggested as she placed a comforting arm around Libby's shoulders and gave her a fond squeeze. "You sneak out and head off home while I try to distract him. I'll do my best not to disturb you when I get in later."

"Thanks, Clare."

~~~~~*~~~~~

As she headed back into the busy throng of the dance floor, Clare caught Justin's eye and he immediately made his way over to her with his tail firmly between his legs.

"Lib's gone home," Clare told him before he had a chance to speak and he nodded glumly, half expecting it to have been the case.

"I screwed up," he said matter–of–factly as he ran a hand through his short hair.

"Yeah," Clare agreed before taking pity on the young man, "but she'll get over it sooner or later." She smiled up at him and let out a small chuckle. "Was it worth it, Timberlake?"

"You mean with Dan?"

Clare nodded.

"Yeah," he replied and broke out into a self–depreciating smirk. "Providing Libby forgives me, yeah."

"She will," Clare replied confidently as she looked out over the dance floor for signs of her friends. She'd been half expecting JC to be waiting for her outside the bathroom when she arrived, but unless he was lost in the crowd, he must have wandered off. She discreetly rocked forward onto her tiptoes to get a better view over the horde of people before she spotted him in the distance. All at once she wished that she had agreed to leave with Libby after all.

Clare spun around quickly and began to blink away the hot tears that had formed in her eyes. Justin noticed the change in her and quickly put two and two together as he noticed JC in the distance.

"He bumped into an old friend," Justin explained, trying his best to justify JC's actions even though he knew that he'd have his work cut out for him. Clare nodded and feigned disinterest but her flushed cheeks gave her away.

"I think you mean he's bumping into an old friend," she retorted in a strained voice and risked a glance over her shoulder to confirm what was happening. "Or perhaps that should be grinding?"

Justin cringed as he watched JC dancing and realised that Clare’s description was pretty much on the money. "Just dancing," he said in a tentative voice and Clare immediately shot him a look, silencing his final attempt to defend his friend.

"Whatever. I'm leaving."

~~~~~*~~~~~