You think that’s bad? Well things definitely get a whole lot worse before they even remotely begin to get better. Trust me.

Justin and Piper were separated by thousands of miles. All the phone calls, emails, and letter didn’t make up for the lost time and both were definitely feeling it all too keenly in their hearts. Of course, JC, Virginia, Rae and I experienced it firsthand since we were around the two on a daily basis. I’ll just be blunt and say that it was not pretty.

I guess Piper was struggling along with her classes, but Justin? Oh it hurts me to tell you that Justin actually began to go back to his old ways. It started first with the depression, which only got worse as the days passed. Then he started drinking and staying out until all hours of the night again. But the shit definitely hit the fan the moment Cameron stepped back into his life.

Three weeks later

Justin drunkenly stumbled through the crowded club back in Hollywood, oblivious to the stares he was drawing. He was Justin fucking Timberlake; of course they were going to stare. He was Mr. High and Mighty, I Have A Perfect Life. Justin snorted at the thought.

His life was anything from perfect, had been so from the moment Piper had gotten on that plane and flown out of his life. That had been three weeks ago, and now he was back to his old tricks. He felt sorry for Genevieve and the other four guys, but he felt he couldn’t help himself.

He needed the alcohol to drown out the loneliness and despair that kept him awake until ungodly hours of the night. Yeah, instead of facing that problem head on, he had decided to take the coward’s way out and drink himself to oblivion.

It wasn’t like he and Piper had lost touch. Oh no, nothing like that. They talked on the phone at least once a day and sent numerous emails and letters, but to Justin, it just wasn’t the same. Without Piper, he was lost. Not that he ever let on to her. No, she had no clue, and he planned on keeping it that way.

“Hey sexy, wanna dance?” a voice suddenly questioned near his ear.

Justin turned around, as quickly as he could without making his head spin, to look at the woman. She was blonde and beautiful and oddly reminded him of someone he knew. But at the moment, he couldn’t quite recall a name to put to the face.

So he just shrugged his shoulders and began to grind with her, pressing close so that he could feel the heat rise from her thin yet curvaceous body. He thought he was being a bit to forward with this stranger, but she didn’t say anything, just threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

“You’re ah guhd dancer,” he slurred, unaware that he was leering at her like a drunken fool.

“Why thank you,” she softly replied, smiling sexily up at him and batting her lashes with a come hither look.

“And damn sexhay,” he added, pulling her towards the door, “Wanna git outta here?”

“Sure, let’s go to my place,” she agreed, latching onto him so as not to lose him and providing him, unbeknownst to her, the support he needed to get out the door.

The stranger hailed a taxi, and as soon as they got in, Justin began to make out with her. He kissed her, running his hands up and down her long legs as he dreamily thought of Piper’s legs. He was too drunk to realize that he was breaking past the friend barrier with the one girl he considered his best friend.

All he cared about, at that moment, was getting some. Maybe it would make him feel better. The stranger was damn sexy; he knew that by sight and touch, even if everything was a little fuzzy. His main goal, and all-consuming desire, was to get her in bed as fast as he could.

They arrived at the ritzy apartment building and Justin nuzzled her neck and played with her ass as they rode alone in the elevator up to her room. Never once did she try to pull away, but rather, giggled like a schoolgirl when his left hand captured one of her breasts.

“You sure are in a hurry,” she breathlessly stated.

“You turn me on woman,” he loudly replied, swaying on his feet.

“Well that’s good news,” she teased, knowing full well that whatever she said would go straight over his head; he had consumed a very unhealthy amount of alcohol that night, “We’ll be at my room in a minute.”

“Goodie!” he said in a little boy voice.

The elevator doors opened and Justin stumbled out, with help from his beautiful stranger. He clutched the wall as they walked along and leaned against it when they got to her door and she brought her key out to unlock it. Justin grabbed her and they tumbled into the room before she even had a chance to turn the lights on.

The woman quickly kicked the door shut with her foot as Justin kissed her and dragged her in the direction of the bedroom. They finally got there, after running into practically everything else in the room, and toppled together on the bed. They kissed, exploring each other’s mouths until Justin suddenly went still, quiet snores confirming the fact that he was asleep.

Sadly, the young blonde pulled away and gazed at Justin’s sleeping form. And promptly burst into tears.

Justin rolled over the next morning, with an aching head and a grouchy disposition. What on earth had he done last night? And where the hell was he?

He groaned as a shaft of sun hit his eyes and he flopped back over to burying himself beneath the covers. He wanted to go back to sleep, but the second he came in contact with a very warm, very female body, he sat up with a start. And realized that he was completely naked.

“What the fuck?” he swore aloud, then grabbed his head as the pain hit full force. His bed occupant merely mumbled in her sleep and pulled the cover up over her naked…

She was naked too? Good god, what the hell had he done last night? He sure had drunk enough, that was confirmed by the fact that he had no idea where he was, had a completely naked woman next to him, and no recollection of what had happened between them.

Hopefully she wasn’t some psycho fan that had been thrilled that he had paid attention to her. Though it’d be worse if he had proclaimed his undying love and the young woman was naive and actually believed him. Damn, where was his common sense when he needed it?

With a groan, Justin threw himself back down on the pillows, fully intending on getting a few more hours of sleep before he had to face the truth. Maybe by that time, his migraine would be gone. Things always looked better without a migraine.

“Justin? Are you up?” a very familiar voice suddenly questioned. Suddenly, Justin had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that he knew exactly who lay next to him.

“Cameron?” he practically whispered, praying to god that he was wrong.

“Hey sexy, how are doing this morning?” the woman said as she turned in the bed to face him.

Justin panicked. He had slept with Cameron. The one woman who he wanted nothing to do with ever again. He fucking had sex with her, the one human being who had tried to trap him with her lies. God, how much had he had last night so that he didn’t recognize his own ex-girlfriend?

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re not happy?” she softly questioned, holding the sheet to her naked body.

“Because I’m fucking not,” he ground out, “God Cameron, we’re not a couple, not friends, hell, we’re not even talking to each other anymore. And now we end up sleeping together. How much more fucked up could this get?”

“I dunno,” she agreed, chewing on her lip in embarrassment. An idea suddenly popped up in Justin’s mind.

“Cam, did we, uh, did we use a condom?” he stuttered out. Cameron’s eyes widened as she realized they had not bothered with that fact. Justin thought he was going to hit her.

But he fought the violent urges and instead hopped out of bed in search of his clothing. He found it scattered about the room and quickly shrugged into it. He didn’t care that he smelled like an old shoe, or the fact that Cameron was on the verge of tears; he just wanted out of there.

“You let me know if anything comes of this the moment you find out,” he coldly instructed her, “You know exactly where to find me.”

With that, he stormed out of the room, not caring in the least who saw him coming out of his ex’s apartment. He was too furious with himself, furious with Cameron, and furious with the compromising situation that he knew he needed to go somewhere.

His thoughts landed on Piper. She would know what to do. She could provide him with some comfort and take his mind off this big mistake. And she had mentioned more than once that he was welcome to come crash on her couch if he wanted to.

He figured he’d take her up on that the second he got the news from Cameron. Whether he was going to be a dad or whether the whole thing just ended up becoming a bad memory, he needed Piper. She was his lifeline; the only person who wouldn’t judge him for his sins.

Justin quickly hailed a cab and was soon on his way back to his house, lost in thought. Up on her balcony, Cameron watched the car pull away, tears welling in her eyes. She hated to deceive Justin, but she didn’t really have any choice in the matter.

She wasn’t going to go back to that situation no matter what. She’d had enough of arguments and physical violence to last her the rest of her life. That’s why she had turned to Justin.

He wasn’t a violent person. He wouldn’t raise his hand to hit her, no matter how angry he got. No, she could trust him to do the honorable thing.

Cameron didn’t love him. Oh, she had at one point, but the feelings had quickly diminished once she had fully learned of their differences. Justin was more like a little brother.

A little brother that she was going to trap into marrying her. With a sob, Cameron threw herself back onto the bed and burrowed under the covers, willing the world to just disappear.

East Lansing, Michigan – Three Days Later

“Okay class, that’s all for today, make sure to study for your exam on Wednesday,” Professor Armstrong Brady concluded as the clock turned to five o’clock, “I need to talk to all the Tisch applicants up at my desk.”

Piper felt butterflies immediately take up residence in her stomach and was slightly relieved when Rae grabbed her hand and squeezed it in reassurance. Piper was so glad that the two of them were in this thing together. She’d have a mental breakdown otherwise.

They had all sent in their portfolios a week ago, so it seemed somewhat too soon that the winners of the scholarship would already have been chosen. But then again, Piper had no idea how they worked over at Tisch.

“Alright, I’m sure by now you’re all ready to puke,” Brady began as all fourteen applicants stood nervously in front of him, “I got a call from Tisch yesterday morning. They have selected which three of you will receive the full scholarship and sent out letters yesterday. You all should receive a letter today, telling you whether or not you have received one of the three scholarships.”

Piper felt the blood drain from her face. They had already sent out letters? She wasn’t even close to composing herself for opening that goddamn letter. She felt like she was going to puke.

“I want to say good luck to all of you,” Brady concluded, “And the three of you that do receive the scholarships need to meet with me tomorrow night in my office. I trust you all know where that is?”

“Sure,” one student squeaked out. They all laughed.

They all laughed – a high pitched sound that betrayed each person’s frayed nerves. The tension was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. Rae squeezed Piper’s hand just a little bit tighter.

“That’s all I have for now,” Brady stated.

All fourteen of them turned to go, a quiet bunch to any observer. And who could blame them? Their future was going to be decided in one measly letter that, at that moment, resided in their mailboxes.

“I think I’m gonna throw up,” Rae faintly murmured as she and Piper walked out of the building.

“Don’t say that,” Piper pleaded, white as a sheet, “You’re the one that’s supposed to be strong here. Where are the sarcastic jokes?”

“I don’t see you coming up with any,” Rae replied, unlocking her bike.

“Yeah, I don’t feel so good right now,” Piper explained, chewing on her lip, “I’m so damn nervous it’s not even funny.”

“No shit. There’s nothing funny about the situation,” Rae said. Mutely, Piper nodded her head.

The two of them quickly rode their bikes back to their dorms, parting ways once they got to the different buildings in South Complex. Piper was in Wonders dorm while Rae lived in Case, the dorm right across from Wonders. The two girls said a hurried goodbye, and promising to call each other the second they knew, parted ways.

Piper hurriedly locked up her bikes at the rack and practically ran into the hall, earning some weird looks as she went. But she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was that letter.

Pulling her key out, she opened the mailbox, only to be disappointed that it was empty. Her ever-responsible roommate Virginia must have gotten the mail hours ago, after her last class. With her heart pumping even faster, Piper quickly ran up the two flights to the third floor and ran to her room.

She tried the knob, relieved to find it open and Virginia sitting at her desk, doing some homework. Virginia looked up the minute Piper walked in, and taking one look at her friend and roommate, burst into a fit of laughter. Piper glared at her.

“Where is it?” she demanded, throwing her book bag on their couch.

“If you’re referring to that all-important letter from that hoity toity school in NYC, it’s sitting on your desk as we speak,” Virginia stated, grinning, “Damn Pip, you look like you just ran the mile in three minutes.”

“Just about,” Piper absently replied as she practically pounced on the letter with Tisch’s logo in the upper left corner, “This is it.”

“This is what?” Virginia questioned, confused.

“This is the moment I find out whether or not I got one of those scholarships,” Piper whispered, taking a deep gulp of air to try and steady her nerves.

“Woah, slow down hon. You better sit down before you have a heart attack and never find out if you got in,” Virginia soothed, getting up to lead her friend to the couch, “There, much better. Now you can open it.”

“Thanks for your permission,” Piper retorted, some of her color returning.

Without another word, she tore open the envelope and slowly began to read through it. When she finally got to the part that said, “we would like to congratulate you on being selected to receive one of the three scholarships being offered…” she was numb. Were they serious?

Screaming, she jumped to her feet and began to dance around the room. Virginia sat there in shock.

“I got in!” Piper screeched, “Oh my fucking god!”

“That’s awesome!” Virginia exclaimed, jumping up to envelope her friend in a hug, “I can’t believe it. And you were saying you weren’t talented. Retard!”

“Shut-up!” Piper yelled, still bouncing around, “Oh, I’ve got to call Rae. I hope to god she got in as well.”

But Piper never got that far. Rae showed up at their door, tears streaming down her face. Piper felt her heart drop; it was obvious Rae hadn’t gotten in. Why else would she be crying?

“Rae?” Piper hesitantly questioned.

“I got in!” Rae yelled, sobbing, “I fucking got into the best damn photography school on this mother fucking earth!” Rae hardly ever swore.

“Me too!” Piper responded, and the two girls hugged. Virginia joined them a few seconds later, and the three of them jumped around like idiots. Eventually, Virginia got around to putting some music on and the three of them began to dance like they would in a club.

“Uh, I can hardly breath,” Piper said a half hour later as she sat down to catch her breath, “Oh god, I’ve got to call Justin!”

Piper quickly got up and grabbed her cell phone, eagerly anticipating his joy. But she was very disappointed when all she got was his voicemail. She left him a message and then proceeded to call her family, who were shocked with the news. Finally, she put a call through to JC and Genevieve, and after their heartfelt congratulations, they divulged that Justin had been gone the past three days and they didn’t know where to find him.

Piper quickly murmured and excuse and got off the phone, worried. Where on earth would Justin disappear to? And why? Was something wrong with him? why hadn’t he called her?

“What’s wrong?” Rae questioned the minute she saw her friend’s face.

“Justin’s been missing for the past three days,” Piper whispered.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Virginia assured Piper, “He’s probably out climbing a mountain or jet skiing on some remote island.”

“You’re probably right,” Piper agreed.

But the nagging thoughts that something was wrong never went away, and with a heavy, worried heart, Piper fell into a troubled sleep. She dreamed of Justin, dreamed that he was in trouble and that she had no way of helping him.

Thus it was with a small cry that Piper jolted out of sleep a few hours later. Her clock distinctly read 2:12 am and she groaned as she tried to bury back into her covers. She had an 8am class in the morning and she wouldn’t be able to keep her eyes open if she didn’t get back to sleep.

But a sudden flash of lighting and roll of thunder immediately caught her attention. Making sure to be quiet, Piper crept down the ladder of their wooden loft and pulled up a chair to the window as she raised the blinds. She loved watching storms, had loved them ever since she was a little kid. They helped calm her.

That’s precisely what she needed right now. A little bit of relaxation before she tumbled back up that ladder and tried for a few more hours of sleep.

About twenty minutes later, as she got up to go back to bed, a flash of lightening illuminated a figure standing directly below her window. Piper wanted to scream. But she didn’t because she immediately recognized the figure, despite the raging storm. It was Justin.

With her heart thumping loudly in her chest, Piper threw on a dark blue t-shirt over her tank top and shoved her feet into a pair of clogs, not bothering to adjust her wrinkled sweat pants. She grabbed her keys and student ID and quickly ran out of the room.

Without noticing her surroundings, she ran into the pouring rain, her heart in her throat. What had happened that caused Justin to seek her out in the middle of the night during a spring thunderstorm? She honestly didn’t think she wanted to know.

“Justin!” she screamed as she approached.

He turned at the sound of her voice and she almost cried as she saw the panicked look in his eyes. She flew to him, hugging his wet and shivering body close. He clung to her.

“Piper, sa…save me,” he heartbrokenly whispered, “Make this bad dream go away.”

“Justin, you need to tell me what’s wrong,” she insisted, pulling away to stare him in the eye, “What’s going on? It’s two in the morning Jus, now tell me what happened.”

“She did it,” he ranted, beginning to sob, “She cau..caught me. I have no way out. B…but I can’t do this. I just can’t.”

“What are you talking about?” she demanded, oblivious to the rain soaking through her t-shirt.

“Cameron.”

“What about Cameron?” Piper coaxed, inhaling sharply at the name.

“She’s p..p..pregnant,” he stuttered, his eyes dead, “Congratulate me now, I’m going to be a daddy. I little baby created out of drunken stupor.”

Piper thought she was going to faint. Had she actually heard him correctly? What had happened to the Justin she talked with on the phone? When had he started drinking again? But she wasn’t one to judge. He was one of her best friends, and best friends didn’t do that to each other.

“Oh Justin!” she finally cried, hugging him close as he broke down and sobbed.

“Please hold me,” he begged.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she assured him and immediately pulled him closer, trying to shield him from the inevitable heartbreak.

And so the two of them stood there, completely oblivious to the rain soaking them to the bone. Piper gently stroked the hair on Justin’s nape, muttering soothing, incomprehensible words in his ear. The lightening flashed, illuminating their surroundings, and a large clap of thunder rolled, but they stood close, protector and protected.