Chapter 11

It was warm. It was heavenly warm. Like being in a fleece blanket during winter with warm socks, sitting by the fire and a mug of hot cocoa sitting on the table waiting for you. It was comfortable, strangely comfortable for her normal sleeping conditions. She opened her eyes and it was unusually dark. There was a little bit of light coming out of the corners of the curtain and she realized she was in her bunk on the guys’ bus. She yawned and started to stretch, amazed by how refreshed she felt.

It was half way through her stretch when she heard it: a deep, gravely male groan. It scared her to death and shocked the hell out of her. She looked over her shoulder but couldn’t see much so she made a move to turn a little so she could get a better look. When her body moved she felt something around her waist tighten and she felt a body, a hard male body press up against her back. She looked down and saw a bare arm draped over her side and stomach. Her eyes traveled up the arm, her body turned a little. The male body sighed and gripped her tighter.

Her eyes landed on a cross tattoo.

She turned back around like she was and laid there stiff, unable to move in his arms and not really wanting to. Her eyes were wide open and she wondered how the hell they had gotten like that. Last thing she remembered they were innocently playing Tetris, since she was kicking his ass in the Mario game they had been playing before then. Now he was cuddled up to her, protectively sleeping by her side, spooning her.

She could feel his breath on her neck, hear him inhale and then quietly exhale.

She started to smile. She tried her damnest to stop, but her attempt failed. She bit her lip and tried not to giggle.

Get it together. You’re just sleeping beside each other. Damn. So this is what it feels like. He he...Ok stop Kristen!

She cussed herself out a little bit for being overly excited and started thinking about the night before, and all that she had told him. She noticed how quiet he was after that and how he was looking at her harder than he ever had before, like he was trying to get inside her head. Now that she looked back, she realized that they had started to nod off and she had turned off the game and joking said ‘night’ to Justin, pulling on his pillow until she had totally got it out from under him and so that it was cushioning her head instead. She put her back to him and closed her eyes, ready for him to make a smart ass comment, kick her out, or something like that. She was just trying to flirt a little, pick at him, and get under his skin.

But now that she thought about it, once she closed her eyes, nothing else happened. And now she was in his bed, him sleeping beside her, holding on to her. She wondered if the light from outside the bunk was from the lights in the bus or from daylight, so she raised her arm a tad and pushed the curtain back a little to find out.

She strained to look out of it and realized it was daylight, but she was also met with a reality that hit her hard.

Chris was stumbling out of his bunk.

She made a quick move to push the curtain back so she was blocked from his view. Great. Now Chris was going to think her and Justin were fucking or something.

She smiled again. She cussed herself out again.

She heard the sound of a curtain being slung back forcefully underneath her and the sound startled her. She heard Chris start to say “Wake up Kristen” in a loud obnoxious voice but halfway through ‘Kristen’ his voice caught.

“Uhh…”

She tried not to laugh as she listened in on the conversation.

“James, where’s Kristen?”

“Son, I watch the road. I don’t pay attention to wha yall do back there.”

“Well, she’s not in her bunk.”

The next thing that was said scared the crap out of her. It came from the person pressed against her. “Chris, shut up! God!”

“Do you know-“ Chris halted his words because he had slung back the curtain to Justin’s bunk. She smiled at him shyly.

He stared at her a long time. She saw his eyes dart from her to Justin. He opened his mouth, closed it, looked away, looked back and started to say, “What- I don’t want to know.” But he threw up his hands, shook his head and walked towards the front of the bus.

Once he was out of sight, Justin spoke from behind her. “Close the curtain will you please. The light’s blindin’ me.”

She did as he wished and laid there quietly. His arm was still around her. It was quiet for a while and then she heard him say in a gravely voice, “mornin’”

She squeaked out a “mornin’” back. Her mind was running a thousand miles a minute trying to figure out if this all meant something. Were they more than just friends now? Even though everything she had said to Justin the night before was true she didn’t tell him that she had never had a boyfriend, never been on an actual date and had no experience with romantic feelings and involvement with the opposite sex.

So now Justin probably thought she was some easy slut. That was probably the reason she was in his bed all intimately beside him. He probably thought he had an easy in now.

And he was probably right.

“Did you sleep ok?”

She tensed at his words and he noticed. His hand was rubbing up and down her side and when she tensed up his hand paused. What the hell had she gotten herself into? “Yeah, fine.”

“What’s wrong?” He whispered.

Hello! You are touching me, holding me like we’re practically married, we SLEPT together last night and you might share a bed with a different girl every night but it’s not something I normally do. So what’s wrong!? This is wrong mister Timberlake? US!? What the hell are we anyway! You tell me what’s wrong with the picture here?!

She sighed, “Nothing.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah.”

Not a second later she felt his arm slide back around her fully and pull her against him. She felt his head nuzzle her shoulder and in a pathetic baby voice that made her want to gag he mumbled, “Mmmmkay. You’re all warm and snuggly.”

“Ok, stop!” She wiggled free and turned around so she was facing him, making the covers tangle around her and he was left there with only half of a sheet covering him from the waist down, one leg completely exposed, his whole top half bare and begging her to stare at it.

“What?”

He was wearing blue boxers with white stripes on them. She shook her head and moved her eyes up to his face. “Don’t pull that snuggle cute shit. I think I should get up and change.” She made a quick move to leave but both his arms secured around her waist and pulled her back.

“Noooo.”

“Why not?”

She looked over her shoulder and noticed how close he was to her. There was about 3 inches separating their lips. He smiled a cocky smile. “Because I like you here.”

Her eyes were fixated on his lips and the way he was smiling like he KNEW what he was doing. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“When?”

“Last night when I fell asleep. You could have told me to go back in my own bunk.”

She moved her eyes back up to his eyes. They were smiling mischievously at her. He was up to something. “Like I said before, I like you here.” He was leaning in. She would swear all her money, which wasn’t much that he was leaning in, like he wanted to….

She had to put a stop to this non-sense. So she tried to wiggle free again, but she lost all the power in her muscles when his lips kissed the tip of her nose.

What was he doing to her? She swallowed hard and said, “Well I don’t like me here.” It was meant to be forceful and bitchy but the way she said it sounded more like someone hiding and afraid if they make any sound they would get caught.

“Oh, sorry. You can go.” She felt his arms leave her and all body contact with him disappeared. She was left there staring at him with wide eyes.

He stared back, “You gonna go or not?”

Her eyes narrowed. What a bastard! He cant go from being all touchy one minute to distant as hell the next. That just wasn’t FAIR! “Ugh, fine.”

She rolled out of the bunk and stood up, looking in at him with her eyes still narrowed. He smiled at her, fixed the covers around him and closed his eyes all in an arrogant manner that pissed her off more than she thought possible.

Her fist clinched and she took the curtain and slung it back in place as hard as she could. She wished they had doors so she could slam one.

Her legs carried her over to where Chris was eating a Pop tart and doing something with his cell phone. She plopped down on the couch across from him and crossed her arms over her chest, huffing and puffing and letting him know, and the world, that she was mad.

Oh, she was so mad.

Chris looked up and raised an eyebrow at her. “So um…”

“Shut up!” She snapped at him and then turned her head to stare outside at the road. She saw a sign that said “Detroit, 20 miles” and a sigh of relief came over her.

She made a mental note: Next time, ride on another bus, hell, walk for all it mattered. Just get away from Justin Timberlake.

-----

The shower felt good to her. It released some tension and made her muscles feel better after helping Rick unload at the venue earlier. They were in Detroit, her hometown, well actually she was from a little outskirt town that nobody had ever heard of, so she unwillingly claimed Detroit as her home.

Her and Rick were going out to an old punk club she use to go to all the time and she was so thankful. It would hopefully cure the shitty mood she had been in since the morning fiasco. One of Rick’s high school buddies was one of the managers of the place. According to Rick an up and coming hot band was playing. She couldn’t wait to go and chill and get her mind off everything.

Once out of the shower, she got ready to go. She did what Justin and probably the other guys would shit a brick if they saw her: she tried on outfits and put on makeup. She dried her hair to make sure it was bone straight. In a funky mood, she decided to put on some blue mascara, and green lipstick. It wasn’t bright green but it gave her lips a weird shine. Her legs adorned her normal way too big black pants that barely hung to her hips and her top was in a tight white tank with a black bra underneath. She put on lots of silver rings and black bracelets. She put on a chocker, looked herself over the in the mirror in the bathroom and smiled.

She was ready to party.

She opened the door to the bathroom and rolled her eyes when she saw Marie on the bed with her boyfriend. She didn’t mind rooming with Marie, she was the nicest of all the PR girls, but her boyfriend had flown up to see her and ever since she had walked in the door the two of them had been on the bed “watching” a movie while making out.

She wanted to just tell them she’d sleep in Rick’s room on the floor so they could have sex, but she figured she wouldn’t be there at all that night.

The only thing about it was they did look kind of cute, with his arms around her and Marie cuddled into his chest while they watched the movie. She noticed how Marie would look up and he’d instinctively lean down and kiss her.

She wanted that for once in her life. And of COURSE she thought about Justin. She was so relieved to have a night without being near him. It would do her body and mind some good.

Kristen grabbed her wallet and slid it in her back pocket waving shyly at the couple. “Later guys. Have fun. I probably wont be back till REAL late.”

Marie smiled genuinely. “Ok bye girly have fun! You look cute.”

Her boyfriend gave her the rock sign and said, “Rock out!!”

She giggled a little and turned to walk out the door. “See ya”

She got to Rick’s room without a problem, but was met with a big problem once she got there. Rick was out on the balcony smoking a cigarette with someone else and there on the bed was her worst nightmare.

JC was laying back on one of the beds on the cell phone dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and weird jacket, but on the other bed was her worst enemy.

And dammit he looked fine.

He had on jeans as well and a white t-shirt with red edges on the sleeves and around the neck. It had a picture of sloth from the Goonies imprinted on the shirt. A trucker hat was perched on his head. She hated his outfit because she LOVED the Goonies and it was totally unfair that HE had to have a cool shirt like that. She hated the fact he was in the room because he had to see her dressed up and he would probably make some smart ass comment.

“Hey Kris, Justin and C are gonna go with us, is that cool?”

What? Oh, FUCK no!

And she HATED that he was barging in on her night away. How the hell was she supposed to clear her mind and start working on getting off her little crush if he was at the same club she was? The night was going down hill fast.

“Damn…”

She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. He didn’t have any right to talk to her. “What?!”

“You look hot.”

She stared at him until Rick came in the room sliding the glass door half way behind him. She looked at him and started waving her arms around pointing at Justin. “I don’t wanna go anymore. I’d rather sit and watch Marie and her boyfriend fuck all night than go to OUR club with HIM!”

He stood up from where he was sitting on the bed and put up an innocent front. “What’d I do to you!?”

She closed her eyes and stomped her foot. “SHUT UP!”

JC chuckled and mumbled that he’d be waiting outside and then left the room. Rick pulled on her arms and looked down at her like she was a toddler. “Ok, kids, chill. You’re coming whether you like it or not!”

She pried from his grasp and sat down on the bed and crossed her arms trying to be as defiant as possible and trying not to let the fact that Justin was leaning up against the wall, staring at her unbelievingly, effect her. “You cant make me. Yall have a fun night but I’m NOT going.”

Rick sat down beside her and put his arm around her. “It’s Cake.”

She shrugged him off. “What’s Cake? What the hell are you talking about Rick!?”

His voice was very calm compared to her snappy attitude. “The band. It’s not a new band. Well the one opening up is, but Cake is playing. It was supposed to be a surprise.”

She pushed him away and stood up and went to the other bed. “That’s bullshit! They just got off their tour. They aren’t doing anymore shows for a long ass time. I know this stuff! I’m their biggest fuckin fan. Don’t you try and bribe me with them Rick! That’s shameless!”

“I’m not lying.”

“Yes you are.”

He put up his hands in defense and sighed. “Fine, miss out on your favorite band. We gotta go though because it’s getting late and I don’t wanna miss them.”

“Fine.” Rick left and she didn’t even look up. She knew he was still here staring at her.

His voice was very worried and quiet. “What’d I do?”

“You stole MY night.”

“I did? I just wanted to go out and do something different.”

She fell back on the bed and flipped him off. “Then go! Have fun! Leave me alone!”

The next thing she heard was the glass door sliding and the smell of smoke coming more into the room. She looked up and saw one of the roadies walking through the room. He waved at her and kept walking. Justin had disappeared.

Brent was almost at the door when she called out, “Hey Brent?”

He turned and looked at her, “What sweetie?”

“Who’s playin tonight?”

“Uh, a local band called the Tree Killers…”

She smiled knowingly and sighed. “Thank you so mcuh.”

But then his eyes widened excitedly. “And then CAKE’s playing! Don’t you like them? Aren’t you coming?”

Her smile dropped and she stared at him hard, trying to see if she could detect any hint of falsity in him. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

“Shit.” He was telling the truth. With a deep breath she pushed herself off the bed and followed him out the room.

She couldn’t sacrifice Cake for a night without Justin. She’d go, get lost in the crowd and hopefully be able to forget him for a night.