I heard the bathroom door open and close before the door to his walk in shower flew open and Justin hopped in behind me. I was shocked that he was even in the house at 6 in the morning; lately he had been coming in after I would leave for the day, which had usually been around 8 or 9 in the morning.
“You’re up early, why?” He grabbed the bar of soap and his washcloth from behind me and started to wash his body.
“I’ve got errands to run. You’re home early, why?” His face turned three shades darker and he ignored my question.
“Errands like what?” I went to grab my shampoo from behind him but he beat me to it and poured a small amount in his hand before working it into my hair for me. I wasn’t surprised that Justin was being the way he was; he was ‘caught red handed’ coming in after being with someone and I’m sure he wanted to ‘make it up to me’.
“I’ve got to head over to that school to fill out some paper work so I can start my subbing job, and then I have appointments to see some apartments, and then I’m going to pick up Derek from the airport.” Justin does a sucky job at hiding his feelings towards Derek, so I wasn’t surprised at the scowl that I saw on his face before I backed under the water to rinse my hair.
“He’s coming today? I thought that was next week or something, I was planning on going back to Tennessee when he came to give you guys alone time.” Yeah right.
“I told you a million times that Derek was flying in this afternoon Jay. I wouldn’t expect you to remember though. I don’t have time to stand around with you this morning, I’m running late. Can I borrow your car?” I was walking on hot stones by asking him to borrow his car; he’s extremely stingy about them and not one to just lend them out. I opened the shower door and stepped out of from the confinements of the glass walls and turned back to look on while he glared at me through the steam that was quickly filling the room. While I was drying off I saw him wipe off the foggy glass so he could get a better view of what I was doing.
“What the hell is wrong with yours?”
“Something is wrong with my brakes. I’m going to do a lot of running around today I don’t know if I feel safe in it.”
“That’s what the mechanic is for Alana. Why didn’t you tell me sooner that something was fucked up, I could have brought it yesterday when I didn’t have to be in the studio all day.”
“It’s cool Justin, I’ll just take it tomorrow during the day. I need a car to get around safely today thouhg.”
“Don't worry about it. I’ll have Trace come over later to follow me so I can drop it off before I head into the studio. The keys to my BMW are on my dresser in my closet,” I turned to walk out of the door when he called me back, “Hey you. Come back here!”
“What?” He puckered out his lips and made an extremely ugly face, which only made me laugh and not want to kiss hm at all.
“You want me to kiss you when you have that hideous look on your face?” He nodded his head and tried his hardest not to crack up laughing. “Fine, one for the road. Have a good day in the studio, call me later.”
“Tell that dickhead not to scratch my leather with his bags!”
I’m sure Justin thought I was clueless to him being out with random women all night. I couldn’t really say anything to him about it either because we weren’t together. I knew he was still fucking around with Jessica too; I saw the caller ID on his phone plenty of times when she called and he thought he did a good job of hiding it from me. Silly little boy, he seems to forget that I dealt with Tommy’s cheating ways; I know the signs of ‘other women’ being in the picture. Though, technically I was, and would be, the other women if he started a new relationship.
By the time I had to pick up Derek I was tired from apartment hunting and just wanted to go back to Justin’s and relax. After helping Derek to Justin’s car with his suitcase we pulled out of LAX and headed back to Justin’s house.
“Nice car, did Justin buy this one for you too?” The hatred between the two was well known; whenever I would talk to Derek on the phone and Justin was around Justin would make smart ass comments loud enough for Derek to hear, which he wasn’t too happy about.
“No, this is Justin’s car actually. Something is wrong with the brakes on mine so I think he’s taking it to the dealer.”
“Must be nice having someone doing everything for you and paying for everything you need, I wish I had a bitch.”
“What is your deal Derek? You haven’t even been here for an hour and you’re already starting with the Justin bullshit. You have to stay in the guy’s house so you may as well suck it up.”
“What happened to you getting your own place? It’s been over a month and you’re still with him.”
“I can’t find an apartment Derek, it’s not as easy as it seems. I can’t start teaching until September so for now I’m stuck as a sub, making a measly $250 a week, if that. So unless you plan on paying for my rent, my car insurance, my bills, and for my groceries I suggest you not start with all that.”
“I’m sure your little bitch would be happy to pay for all of that for you, why don’t you just ask?”
“I’m sure my best friend would be more than happy to pay for all of that too, but I’m not going to ask him.”
“He’s basically doing all that by letting you live with him Alana. The only responsibility you have is your car, what else are you responsible for under his roof? You’ve got him doing everything and anything for you and I bet your lapping that shit up.”
“Okay Derek. I guess helping with bills and whatever house hold expenses is me doing nothing. Yeah, I may not pay him rent or have to pay my own bills, but I do my fair share of shit around that house Derek. God damn why are you even doing this?”
“I didn’t come out here to fight with you, so just forget it.”
“I didn’t invite you out here for you to pick apart how I’m living and who I’m living with. I get it that you and Justin don’t like each other but for the next few days can you act like it?” He just nodded in response and turned his head to look out of the window at the view from Justin’s neighborhood. He grabbed his bag out of the backseat when I put the car in park and followed me into the house, where we were met with Buckley and Brennan going berserk at the sight of Derek.
I thought Justin and Trace would be at the studio all day and night, like Justin had said he would, but they were sitting in the living room watching TV and drinking, at only seven o’clock. I made Derek put his bag down by the door and follow me into the living room where I heard all of the noise come from. Not only were Trace and Justin sitting around when Justin was supposed to be ‘working’ all day, they were joined with Rachael, Marty, Eddie, Sky, Nancy, Tammy, Jessica, Jeff, Jessica’s friends from Aspen and Timbaland.
“Hey guys, what’s going on?” Everyone’s heads turned in my direction and some of them smiled and waved, while the others… yeah not so much. Justin was one of those questionables.
“Studio time got cut short, so I called everyone over to get together and just chill here for the rest of the night. I didn’t think you’d be back so we didn’t order enough food for you guys.” Yeah okay Justin. That was bullshit because I had called him earlier when I was waiting for Derek’s plane to come in and I let him know I’d be home right after.
“Derek this is Justin’s cousin Rachael, my best friend Trace, Justin’s dancers Marty, Eddie, Sky, Nancy, and Tammy, the one and only Timbaland, and then there’s Jessica, her shadows, and Jeff but the last few aren't really important. Guys this is my friend Derek from Jersey.” A chorus of ‘hey Derek’ filled the room and he waved back. Justin stood up and walked over to us and wrapped his arm tightly around my waist and smirked directly in Derek’s face.
“Nice to meet you finally. I’m Justin, Alana was being rude and forgot to mention me.” Justin outstretched his hand for Derek to shake it, but he just looked at it and nodded.
“Likewise. Thanks for letting me stay here.” Derek eyed Justin’s arm that was gripped firmly around my waist, dangerously low to my ass, and I could tell he was getting upset. I couldn’t break free from Justin’s grasp though, you’ve seen those biceps I’m sure, they’re not easy to fight against.
“Any friend of LaLa’s is a friend of mine.”
“LaLa?”
“Justin and Trace call me LaLa or La.”
“I believe he was a little too wasted back at Johnny’s wedding to remember your name. God, they start so damn young.” Trace yelled from the couch while everyone just laughed; it’s true at only 17 he was pretty gone by the middle of the wedding reception to say Alana, not that it’s challenging or anything.
Justin looked dead at Derek as if he was daring him to say something smart, but Derek backed down and kept his mouth shut. I hate guys; I swear they’re a bunch of territorial idiots.
“Are you hungry Derek, we can order something or I can make something to eat since these assholes don’t take other people into consideration.”
“I’m a little hungry, but it’s alright I should be fine until morning.” Trace called his guard dog, Justin, off of me and back over to the couch where he had been sitting so Justin kissed my cheek (yes in front of Jessica), staring at Derek the whole time and walked away.
“You guys are welcome to join us, we’re just watching movies and what not, nothing big tonight, you know the drill La. Sorry we didn’t have anything big planned for your arrival, but it’s been a really stressful week man. We’ll go out clubbin tomorrow and show you how we get down in LA.”
“Thanks Trace.” I really do love that man, at least he wasn’t an ass to Derek the way Justin was.
But we didn’t take him up on the invitation to watch movies; even through the doorway from the living room to the kitchen I could feel Justin glaring at me while I was interacting flirtatiously with Derek and it was extremely uncomfortable. It’s not like I was sitting on the barstool and shooting daggers in Jessica’s direction, so I don’t really get why he was doing it to Derek.
Derek had gone to bed in the guest room off to the side of the basement somewhat early that night so I was left in my room, which happened to be right near the living room. Listening to Justin and his friends laugh and carry on at 1 in the morning was not my idea of fun. I couldn’t take it anymore and pounded extremely hard on the wall to let them know that they were getting on my nerves. They quieted down a little and I was able to settle into bed and actually hear my TV at a normal level until my bedroom door slammed open and there stood Justin.
“There a reason why you’re banging on my walls like your stupid?”
“Is there a reason why you and your posse are screaming and yelling at the top of your lungs this late like your stupid? People sleep at this time of night Justin.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that you and your little boyfriend were trying to sleep. I figured you’d be having reunion sex.” He closed the door behind him so the people in the living room didn’t hear us bickering.
“You mean like the reunion sex you and your fucking girlfriend have been having for the past week?” He looked at me dumbfounded as I raised my voice, letting him know that I wasn’t backing down. “Ohh, didn’t think I knew, did you Jay? How stupid do you think I am?”
“I don’t think you’re stupid. I just didn’t think it was obvious, and it really shouldn’t matter anyway.”
“Really? Moving your phone out of my sight whenever it rings isn’t being obvious. Oh, neither is sneaking out of the house when you think I’m fast asleep and then being gone when I get up in the morning. Way to be discreet about things you fucking moron.”
“You act like we’re together Alana. So what if I’ve been with her, whoopdi-fucking-doo!”
“How the fuck are you going to tell me that I act like we’re together. Are you drunk? You must be drunk to be speaking reckless like that to me. I’m not acting like anything Justin; you’re the one who asked me to move out here to be closer, you’re the one who sat there in your jealous rage illin’ the hell out of Derek the second he stepped foot in that door. So tell me how I’m acting like we’re together?”
“Whatever Alana. Go to sleep.”
“Don’t tell me to fucking go to sleep Justin. You don’t want to be with me, I fucking get it okay? You just want me around for a good fuck, I know that by now. You don’t need to sit there and broadcast to me that we’re not together. I’m fucking aware of that you asshole. Look, just tell your friends to shut the fuck up before I do it myself, some of us have to get up in a few hours.”
“My friends can be as loud as they fucking please. It’s my house, if you don’t like it get the fuck out.” I really wasn’t in any mood to argue with him; I knew he was capable of kicking me out if I pushed him any further so I shut up and held back what I really wanted to say. I sunk down low into the bed and pulled the covers over me to let him know that I was ignoring him and going to bed, but he wasn’t having it.
“So you’re just going to hide under there and hope that I go away? That’s cool of you.”
“I was going to sleep before you came in here. I don’t want to fucking argue with you over something stupid. You don’t live alone anymore Justin, have some fucking courtesy.”
“Whatever Alana. Good fucking night.” His friends have no idea what being quiet means because when he slammed my door shut I heard them through the walls asking him, rather loudly, what just happened and if he was okay, like Justin was the one who just got his heart mangled. Nope, that would be me.
I stayed up all night listening to them though; sleep was not on the agenda for me. I heard Jessica and her friends leave at around 3:30, they made their exit known and I was tempted to get out of bed and bitch them out for being so fucking giggly and idiotic. Time was wasting away slowly and I still wasn’t able to close my eyes and rest easy so I got out of bed and made my way into the kitchen to look for something to eat when Trace made his way through the doorway with a huge grin on his face.
"Finally joining us I see?” I looked up from pouring a glass of soda and shook my head.
“No, I’m just getting a drink. I can’t sleep.” I was trying to be as short as possible with him so I could get back into my room and attempt to sleep now that people were starting to leave.
“Hey, are you okay? I heard him yelling at you pretty bad a little while ago. What the hell happened?”
“I’m good Trace. I understand he’s just being an ass because Derek is here.”
“He doesn’t have a right to treat you like that though just because your boyfriend is here. I don’t see you being a bitch because Jessica is here, and you of all people have the right to be mad about that.”
“It’s fine, just drop it. Goodnight. Oh before I forget, if you’re around tomorrow do you think you can drop me off to get my car?”
“Yeah about that; when we dropped it off this morning the guy said it won’t be done for a few days so you’re S.O.L babe. But I was thinking that I’ll just stay here tonight and you can take mine wherever you need to.”
“And what are you going to do for a car?”
“I’m not the one Justin’s mad at. I’ll just use one of his.”
“Aw look at my little Tracey Poo, you’re always thinking.” As I was walking past him and out of the kitchen I pinched his cheek and started cracking up. At least I could count on one of my friends to be civilized and love me unconditionally. Why couldn’t I have been stupid enough to sleep with Trace instead of Justin; at least he knows how to treat women.
