A week later
"Do you bury me when I'm gone, do you teach me while I'm here. Just as soon…" Justin muttered the song he had been listening to, right before he got off the bus, under his breath and strolled to the gas station with his hands in his pockets. It was early in the morning, or late at night, and they had made a pit stop. He was craving some type of junk food that would satisfy his hunger.
He passed the gas pumps and noticed a familiar light blue van parked by the pump. Rick was out leaning against the van staring at the cement below him and bobbing his head to the music that was blaring from his van when Justin called out to him. "Sup man?"
"Nada mucho. Thumpin' and pumpin'."
Justin looked around the van and wondered where Rick's shadow was. Usually Kristen was right by his side. "Where's the lil' 'tike?"
"Inside. Don’t go botherin' her. She hates you as it is."
"Really?" He asked sarcastically. It wasn’t news to him that Kristen hated everything about him. He found it amusing since most girls started screaming and crying and orgasming whenever they saw him.
"You annoy her. But then again you annoy everybody."
He rolled his eyes. "Ha ha." With a smile to let Rick know he was kidding, he kept walking past the van and towards the door of the gas station.
Joey was by the drinks, talking on his cell phone and Lonnie was walking around checking things out; but that wasn’t what caught his attention. In the middle of picking out what kind of chips he wanted he heard a feminine voice lightly singing.
"You wont admit you love me, and so, how am I ever, to know? You only tell me: perhaps, perhaps, perhaps." He grinned evilly when he saw her standing there, hat backwards on her head and headphones over her ears. She had a CD player in one hand and a handful of candy in the other. She was wearing the pants he had seen her in almost every other day. They were gray and were so big they covered her shoes and drug against the floor.
She was so into her music and candy selecting that he was able to sneak up behind her and stand there contemplating what to do next. He smiled at the idea that formed in his head and wrapped his arms around her and picked her off the ground. She started to scream and he dropped her immediately.
Joey and Lonnie ran over to their aisle and sighed. Nothing to worry about. Just him annoying her again.
"YOU DICK!" She screamed and glared at him.
He clasped his hands behind his back, rocked on his heels and gave her an innocent look. "Hello beautiful. What are you buying?"
"Candy."
"Sweets for a sweetheart."
"Move."
"No."
She groaned and pushed him. He almost fell into a rack of peanuts but caught himself before he made a scene. "Why the fuck do you have to be so annoying?!"
"It's a gift. What are you listening to?"
He followed her out of the aisle and to the checkout line, where he pushed her out of the way to get in front of her. There were a couple people in front of them. One of them was Joey who was looking at them like they were immature teens. "My favorite band. Probably one you've never heard of, so why don’t you move out of my way and go back wherever the hell you came from."
"Ya know, I know more about music than you realize. What's the name of the band?"
" Cake."
"Oh, I've heard of them. I don’t know their songs though, besides that going the distance song."
She threw him a fake smile and pushed him again because he didn’t have anything to buy, and she was next in line. "Peachy. Move."
He dipped low to her ear and growled out, "Yes, sexy." Then he got bold enough to slap her ass.
She jumped, threw her candy on the counter and turned around. Her hands grabbed his shirt and she gritted through her teeth. "Touch my ass again and you will loose a testicle."
"Feisty, rawr."
He watched her eyes dart to their left and she immediately went off. "Get him away from me."
A hand was clasped on his shoulder and the hand that led to the tattooed arm, lead to Rick. "I told you not to bother her man."
"But its so damn EASY." He said gleefully, evoking a groan from Kristen.
"You're an ass." Rick said with a laugh, brushing past them to getting himself some fuel for the long night ahead of them.
Justin watched as she fished threw her duct-taped made wallet that he had seen someone make before, but thought was kinda tacky - but kinda cool. He stood beside her and rested his arm on her shoulder as he hummed. "Just as soon as I belon-ong, then its time I disappear."
She turned to him making his arm fall beside him and hit against his thigh. Her candy that was in her hand was planted against her chest, making her shirt stretch across her breasts. He shook his head and scolded himself from noticing such a thing. "Oh my god, you know a metallica song?"
"Yes I do." He said matter of factly. Her eyes got huge and he just smirked at her.
"Holy shit."
"I also know that distance song. "He's going the distance, he's going for speed, he's all alone in a time of need, he's pacing and tracing and going the course-"
She waved her hands about, still holding on to her candy like it was a life saving substance. She interrupted his singing and gave him a very impatient and annoyed look. "STOP STOP STOP! That's not how it goes."
"Well then how does it go miss I know everything."
She rolled her eyes, turned and walked towards the glass doors, lightly singing. "He's going the distance, he's going for speed. SHES all alone…all alone…all alone in a time of need. Because he is racing and pacing and plotting the course, he's fighting and biting and riding on his horse, he's going the distance…"
"Well, I declare. Get it girl."
She cocked an eyebrow at him, probably because he had let his Tennessee drawl on full blast. They were walking side by side now, out in the highlighted outside that was slightly blinking from the large "Texaco" symbol/sign that was clearly in need of a new bulb. "I cant believe I’m actually having a conversation with you."
"Hard to resist eh?"
"You seduced me with Cake."
His body relaxed when he noticed there was a smug little smile on her face. This girl was a strange one, and he thought he had her pegged; but that wasn’t the case. She was different than any other girl he had known. He hadn't really spent much time with her "type" and found it refreshing, and a challenge, and stimulating. She kept him on his toes and he liked that, a lot. The only thing he really didn’t like about their playful banter-filled relationship was that she hated him. Despised him. Wished him to hell. He wanted to do the whole playful banter without having to worry that she was going to punch him, or start crying- which he found highly doubtful- or worse, quit her job.
He knew he was annoying as hell when he wanted to be. But he also knew something else. Call it arrogance or whatever else, but he knew he could charm her if he wanted. He could flirt and enchant and lay it on so thick it'd be like eating a spoon full of just open extra creamy JIF peanut butter.
Even though he had only had one real relationship with the opposite sex in his life, he had been a momma's boy, and he had had women throwing their panties and breasts and other sexual paraphernalia in his face since he was 16. He knew that precious, sweet, delightful Kristen either wanted to see him drawn and quartered or wanted him to- well, wanted him.
And by the choice of words she used, he decided to go with his ego and choose the latter. "Seduced?! Damn girl, I didn’t know you liked me like that."
She rolled her eyes, but the smile was still there. The crush was cute, and he thought it would be fun to flirt with her and get under her skin a bit. All the other ladies on the tour were use to his flirtatious nature, especially now that he no longer spent his free time with a cell phone rubber cemented to the side of his face; making baby noises, and thinking of all the different ways he could say "I love you and miss you and want to be with you, Britney."
He followed her to Sarah who was shining under the florescent lights and blinking sign. She made a noise that he hadn't heard in a while. It was that feminine whine that was childish and always was used when something happened they didn’t like. It was usually followed with a "but why" or a "ugh, you suck." He watched her jiggle the door handle. Obviously, Rick had locked it, which was kind of strange since they place was lit up like an operating room and there were security guards standing about, stretching their large bodies after the long ride so far.
She turned around, leaned against the door of the passenger side and pouted. He just stood there, a few feet away and watched her turn up her nose and look like a kid that had been stuck at a family reunion about an hour too long. And that’s when he couldn’t help himself. She looked vulnerable in that moment and he wanted to take advantage of that. He crossed the 3 feet separating them and placed a hand on top of the van to support his weight. He lowered his eyelashes, tried his best to lower his voice enough, and said in his perfect Justin whisper, "Ya know my bunk is mighty spacious."
He watched her eyes for a moment, trying to read her and call it before it happened if she was going to slap him or something. Shock washed over her at first, then annoyance, and then, surprisingly, she mirrored his image. Her eyelids got heavy and her lashes seemed to grow before his eyes. They batted at them, not too much, but intentionally. Her pout seemed full, and more red than he had remembered. When he felt her hand slithering over his shoulder and up his neck, caressing it and massing the muscle in the back slightly, he knew, he might have taken this father than he had planned.
But he didn’t mind.
"Really?" Her voice had switched to sexual in a matter of seconds, and a girl, whom a few minutes ago he considered almost like a younger sister, or more like a friend's younger sister, had turned into a woman. Her voice was airy, breathy, and dripped with the one thing he had been lacking and had been pondering earlier in the evening about when the next time he would get it: Sex.
"Well, Justin. Hehe, here." She giggled, and fumbled with her CD player. It popped open and she took out a yellow CD with a swirl on it that was shining in the light. "Take this. Number 11. It's how I really feel about you."
"Um, really?" He almost lost his breath when she rolled the CD on its side down the arm that wasn’t using to prop himself up and placed it in his hand, purposefully touching his fingers with hers. He watched as the black, chipped off polished nails left him and snapped the CD player shut.
He couldn’t believe what a 180 she had pulled, and he also couldn’t believe how much having a girl, well now a woman touch him and flirting could have an effect on him.
Oh, yeah. It had be a long, long time since he had had that one thing. But with the way Kristen was acting, it might not be that long until he got it again.
She giggled again and he heard a click and watched her smile at him innocently. "Mmmhmm. I gotta go though. I think Rick is ready to make a move. Bye, hehe."
He was startled when he felt the door under his hand move and he stumbled back and watched her pull herself up in the van and slam the door.
He shook his head and pushed his hands in his pockets, staring at the ground and wondering why and how she had just caused so much fire in him ignite. He almost wanted to punish himself for the way he acted. He was sneaky and wrong and had provoked a much stronger response than he wanted, or thought possible for a girl like her. Also, Rick was looking at him like he was about ready to burn him at the stake.
And he almost wanted to run into his bunk and cry when he passed some of the newest members of the security team and heard one of them chuckle and say in a rude and unprofessional way, "Why not just get it over with? Take her back in the bus and fuck her and just get it over with, man. Just get it over with." So he just gave them a quick, side grin and jogged, trying to look casual, to the bus and bypassed any other activity as headed straight to his bunk.
Once there, he relaxed, shut the curtain making sure all the little cracks that might let in light or let someone peek in were gone, and turned to face the wall. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about anything but sleep; but the CD was still in his hand, and even after he had slid it label side down over his slick comforter to the foot of the bed he could get any sleep.
Eventually he ended up fishing for his CD player and headphones and turning to number 11 on the disc because he couldn’t go another minute without figuring out what she really, truly felt about him.
----
Once Rick had pulled Sarah away from the gas station and bumped her along the ramp and into the 4 line highway, he passed the couple of black sleek tour buses and sped ahead of them. Then he relaxed in his seat, pulled a cigarette from the pack in the console and lit it expertly while driving. After rolling down the window half way and taking a long drag he asked bluntly, "What the fuck was all that back there about?"
She laughed, "Pay back."
She turned when she felt his eyes on her. He stared at her, frequently turning his eyes back on the road for just a few seconds before fixating on her again. His eyes squinted, he turned back to the road, took another puff and let it out saying, "You're face is red."
She looked in the side mirror outside of the car, but couldn’t see herself in the night sky. So instead she placed her palm, that didn’t hold the box of Nerds in it, on her cheek. It was hot, burning, and if she didn’t know any better she would have thought she might have a fever. But she knew better. It was all his damn fault. It was his own, lip-licking, tight shirt, whispery voice and enticing words that had made her that way. And even though she had fought his fire with her own, and certainly paid him back for flirting with her and talking to her like she was some cheap slut that would do anything to get into "Justin Timberlake's" bed, it was his fault she was red-faced. She wasn’t embarrassed, at least not at the time. No, she was flushed, excited- God forbid, turned on!
He had made her feel like she was, believe it or not, sexy; and that was something she could never remember feeling before.
Her voice failed her, and she managed to utter out a, "weird" hoping to dismiss all inquiries bubbling up in Rick's mind, but knowing that her own mind would be running a marathon all night, trying to come up with a good explanation for why she was feeling whatever she was.
The next morning she was happy when she had woke up and found that her mind had gotten tired and she had, in fact, fallen asleep and now she was at the venue, surprisingly cheery for having had 4 hours of sleep. It was right after lunch when she found herself strolling into the stage part of the venue. She was missing one of her toys: her skateboard. Chris had had a habit of running, or skating, off with it to get to places and it didn’t really annoy her that much, but she and Rick were going to set up a mini ramp outback with a few things to jump and so she was on a mission to find it.
The boys were in the middle of sound check but she didn’t care, and neither did anyone else. There were a group of about 50 or so people crowded around the first front rows of the stage that were "lucky" enough to get a glimpse of the sound check. She rolled her eyes at the "I love Justin" shirts and the tight jeans, glitter and one-strap shirts that adorned the girls. Gross, she thought.
She looked around the backstage a little bit and asked around and found out from Anthony that Chris had arrived to sound check on a worn gray skateboard with neon orange wheels. And when he pointed to the other side of the stage she knew she was going to have to make a scene.
With a yawn she started walking across the stage. JC was the first guy she got to, and since Lance was in the middle of answering a question of one of the fans she decided to say hi.
"Hey Josh."
"What are you doin?" He asked with a surprised laugh, covering his mouthpiece microphone.
"Chris, skateboard, theft."
"Ahh, yeah, I thought that looked like yours. It's over there. I'll go get it if you want."
"S'ok. I'll go get it." She started to walk away and eyed a few girls that were eyeing her back. She hadn't really gone noticed until JC called her back and it echoed in the microphone a bit. "Hey Kris?"
He cringed a little embarrassed and covered his mic with a hand. She turned to him and he said just loud enough for her to hear, "Don’t walk in front of Justin. He's pissy today, everything little thing is ticking him off and we don’t want him exploding on stage."
"Don’t tempt me." She muttered and turned with a smile. She passed Joey with a slight wave, passed Lance with a Hi and got to Chris and Justin. The whole crowd had become silent as she passed and she could hear Joey telling the crowd who she was.
She didn’t care about the crowd.
Chris had spot her from a distance and was now using Justin as a hiding device. Justin looked less than pleased. "Kirkpatrick you are goin down."
"Girl, It wasn’t my fault! It told me to. It said, "take me, please." The crowd burst into laughter because Chris still had his headset around him and was allowing the crowd to hear at least his part of the conversation.
"Move Justin." She said, looking directly in his eyes. He looked like he had gotten less sleep than she had, and she immediately felt bad. She hoped it wasn’t her fault.
He took his head set away from his around his neck and ears and yawned. "Hi."
"Hi." She parroted back.
"Thanks for the CD. Really enjoyed number 11. Especially the chorus." He said dryly.
She felt horrible now. It was meant as a joke, but obviously he had taken the chorus that repeatedly said "Shut the fuck up" a little more serious than expected. "Yeah, s- sorry about that." Before she could start apologizing anymore someone had bent over in front of her and place something on the ground before her. Chris stood up and smiled a bright smile at her.
"Not hurt or anything. I swear it told me to. It's evil."
"Thank you Chris, just ask next time. Why don’t you have your own? You're the multimillionaire."
"I forgot to put it on tha wist." He said in a baby voice, still talking through the mic. She just laughed, shook her head and put one foot on the skateboard. She looked over at Justin and he was yawning again, hands in his pockets, looking down at the stage.
The guilt set in.
She turned and pushed off on one foot, skating past all the other members, waving at them again and then having to stop herself and kick her board up before tripping over some wires in backstage. She walked slowly out of the area, fingering the backstage pass around her neck and suddenly felt all that energy she amazingly had before, wash way. Now sleeping the afternoon away seemed much more appealing than skating, jumping and inevitably falling in the back lot.
