Four hours later, in California we were. Kim and I stood at the front door of what could only be described as his mansion. I gave her a few minutes to drink in the sights around her. I knew she needed a minute to be absolutely disgusted that there where people in the world who lived this beautifully when she and I lived in a place where a party was thrown for every night that we didn’t see a rodent, insect or unfathomable glob of some sort.

"This isn’t rich." She cringed at me, "This is nasty rich."

"Yeah, it is." I agreed tightly. "I’m about to puke so I’m going to knock before I talk myself out of it." I knocked on the door the minute after I said this. I dropped my hand back to my side, fist still clenched, "I knocked." I whispered.

Kim seemed very proud. "Good." She smiled.

The door opened.

I’d never been so happy to see Trace.

He wasn’t happy to see me. Marginally happy to see Kim, even though she was a face he’d never seen. His eyes studied her, then they were back on me.

"You’re early." He grumbled.

"Today’s Friday last I checked."

"It’s Friday morning."

"Steven is a six year old boy, right? When were you planning on having this party? At midnight?"

"This is LA. WE do things differently here."

Kim snapped her fingers, "Damn, Trev. I told you we shouldn’t have got Power Rangers. Everybody knows that forty ounces are all the rage on the monkey bars."

I smiled at Kim. I kind of loved her.

To my shock, Trace was smiling, as well, "And who the hell are you?" His words were in no way threatening. If I hadn’t been struggling to hold down my lunch at the very thought, I’d go so far as to say he was flirting.

"I would be Kim." She waved, "Trevion’s unfortunate roommate."

I nudged her as Trace agreed, "Unfortunate is certainly the word." He laughed with her. His eyes came back to me. His smile fell, "You’re early."

"Yeah, we already did that." I said, nodding.

"Well, I can’t let you in." He grinned.

"Why the hell not?"

"Um… because Justin would rip me a new one."

"Justin is the one who invited me."

"No. Steven. Steven is the one who invited you."

I scoffed. So did Kim.

Giving up, Trace sighed and motioned into the house, "Common in."

The offer, of course, was extended more to Kim than it was to me.

We both stepped in and Kim and Trace immediately got to talking.

As for me? I had no idea what lay ahead of me.

No idea, at all.

I made my way up the stairs to Justin's bedroom. The smell and look of the house immediately took me back to the day we'd found out about Paul and tears sprung to my eyes.

When I reached his bedroom door, I contemplated knocking, then decided against it. He'd made it clear that if I wanted to be in his life I was going to have to barricade my way in.

I stepped into his room and walked down the long hallway lined with mirrored closets. Once I made it past those to the opening, I stopped in my tracks. Before me, sitting on his king sized bed, was Justin, and a girl I'd never seen. She was long and lean with basic brown hair. She was nothing to write home about, not at all. She wasn't Britney, which was always a plus. But she wasn't me, either, which was a problem. Immediately, I told myself to walk away. They were sitting side by side on the edge of the bed, talking and I could hear them very clearly. It was wrong to stand there and listen. It was wrong to see what this was all about.

I was only human, however, and I tucked myself in a small corner.

"Thank god you're here, Gia." He said, eyeing her.

So that was the bitches name? Good to know.

They were sitting arm to arm passing a joint back and forth. This went on for a while, quietly. Every time Justin took a hit, he frowned.

"I promised myself I was going to quit this shit." He smiled.

She took the joint from him and placed it between her heart shaped lips. "You remember No Strings Attached, right? You used to smoke everyday."

"I was with Britney... She was driving me crazy. What man wouldn't?" AT the mention of Britney, his smile disappeared. His eyes glazed over and the bitch saw her chance. She snaked a skinny arm around his shoulder and scooted until their thighs touched. He leaned in. He didn't dissuade her blatant pass in the slightest. "I miss her."

"You guys were together for four years. Of course you do."

He laughed. This confused her. "I wasn't talking..." He sighed, then laughed, again, "... About Britney."

My heart fluttered.

She considered him for a long while, then quickly passed him the joint. He accepted it. "You need it more than I do." She shook her head.

"I wasn't talking about Britney, but I should have been talking about her. Not Trevion. Right?" He sucked on the quickly dwindling stick, frowning against the smoke billowing into his eyes. "You think I'm crazy?"

"I don't know what kind of relationship the two of you had. People have fallen in love at first sight. You and her had a whole month."

"Who said anything about love?"

Her eyes widened at his new tone.

"I'm sorry." He immediately apologized. He held up the joint. "That's exactly why I quit. Mood swings."

She snatched it from him, "You're hogging it, anyway."

"Was it stupid of me to go to Vegas?"

"Yes."

"Stupid of me to trust someone I hardly knew?"

"Yes." She nodded, "One of your worst qualities."

"Was it stupid of me to leave Britney?"

"No." She answered immediately.

"You never liked her."

"No."

"Do you like Trevion?"

"I don't know Trevion." She looked at him, then rolled her eyes, "Let's put it this way... I dislike her less than I disliked Britney."

considered her, then smiled, "You would have hated her."

"More than likely."

"She would have hated you." He raised his eyebrows.

"From what I've read about her... She probably would have."

"That stuff they wrote about her... That isn't who she is. She tries to be tough and mean but... She's considerate. She's hilarious. She's frank... But in a refreshing way..." He stared at her, "Why am I standing up for her?"

She laughed with him, shaking her head and allowing him to take the burning stick from her, "You were emotionally attached. It was just you and her for two months. Of course you miss her."

She was talking to him like he was fucking five years old.

"Of course you miss her, baby."

Baby?!

"Who wouldn't?"

"You wouldn't!" He beamed at her, then laughed. My heart did a jealous dance. "You've always been stronger. Ever since you kicked my ass in the sandbox when we were five."

Her voice lowered, "I could be strong for you now."

He shook his head, "I didn't even know her... Really. I didn't know her, at all. Why is she getting to me like this?" He put his head in his hands. As soon as they were in his hands, they were out, "I bought her a car."

Her eyes widened.

He nodded, his own eyes wide, as well, "Yeah. Actually, I bought her two cars. I bought her two cars and let her take her pick."

"Where the fuck is my car?" Gia asked, pointing to herself.

He shook his head, "I put her name on my phone plan. I introduced her to Steve... To my mother."

"Steven was the one who wanted her down here, right?"

"Unfortunately. I thought about saying no but... I owe him."

She rubbed his back, soothingly.

"We never even fucked, we barely kissed... And I was completely whipped. Not even pussy whipped. Just... Whipped." He face had grown extremely sad. "Not once did I question her. Not once."

She rubbed his back, then grew tired of that and gripped his thigh in her big, bony hand, "I wont let that bitch do this to you. You've never had a problem that I couldn't fix."

"You can't fix this one, Gia."

She leaned close.

I smiled when he, instinctively, leaned away.

"Let me fix this." Her voice was so blatantly sexual that even I was taken aback.

Justin seemed to be, as well. "What are you gonna do? Kiss my wounds and feed me an ice cream cone?"

"I can make it all go away. I promise."

Justin was no longer hiding his feelings behind laughter and jokes. He looked confused, "G..."

She leaned closer, her lips mere inches from his.

"What are you..." He filched away when she tried to kiss him, but that was it. He didn't appear revolted. He didn't push her away, "What are you doing?"

She took her hand from his leg long enough to remove her jacket. She never moved away from him, never let the breath of air that separated their lips see another inch. "I'm making it better." The jacket feel breezily from her thin arms and she closed in on the space that he wouldn't. The joint burned in his hand as his eyes locked to hers. When her lips covered his, my heart stopped.

He hesitated. Then, in the next second, he kissed her back, tentatively.

And my heart broke.

They parted and studied each other. Then she closed the space, again. This time, she slid her tongue past his lips. He accepted her.

I stood. Sickened. Entranced by the private moment. They didn't speak, again after that.

I couldn't move. I couldn't stand the sight, but I couldn't move.

She pulled away, took the joint front him, "Don't waste it." She whispered before taking a huge hit of it, struggling to hold it down. He stared at her. She hadn't even blown all of the smoke out when Justin covered her lips with his, again.

Her hair clip came out and a curtain of brown hair hid her face from my view, but not her lips. The shimmery top she had on was next. They parted just long enough to get it over her head.

My body shook.

So did his. When she pulled away, he couldn't seem to figure out where to put his hands. So he held them in the air next to her face. His fingers did a nervous dance.

"You can touch me." She whispered, reaching behind her and undoing the clasp of her bra.

Justin's eyes immediately took in her hard, pink nipples and small, pert breasts.

"Touch me."

"G..." Justin shook his head but his hands had a mind of their own and where headed to the nipples that were so nice I kind of wanted to touch them. Quite frankly, he was a man fighting a useless battle and everyone in the room knew it.

As he slowly fondled her she got bold. Real bold.

"I want to suck your dick." She whispered this loud and proud in the thick air. Loud enough for me to hear.

Justin's wide eyes left her breasts, his hands froze on her nipples. He looked her in the eye, but he said nothing.

"You'll forget all about it..." The button of his pants popped, "I promise." The zipper fell, making music in the silence. "Just lay back." She reached into his fly and pulled him out into the open air. "Relax."

He placed the quickly diminishing weed between his lips, leaving it hanging between them.

Her fingers enclosed his shaft. I stared at the pink head peeking from between her clasped fingers. Justin groaned. He was gone. A man lost. Putty in her hands.

I couldn't look away from the most private part of him, not even after she began to stroke it... Slowly.

"Oh my god..." He moaned, but I didn't look up to see his face. I couldn't look away from her hand. With every stroke I was further imprisoned by the sight before me.

Gradually, her strokes quickened. They grew father and more pronounced as he hardened. With every passing second she had to go a little high and a little longer, until she couldn't even get her fingers all the way around him, anymore.

Her mouth was agape at the sight before her, in her hand, as was mine.

"Lay back." She put her other hand on his chest, never letting the other cease it's swift pumping. She forced him to lay down. Justin complied, sighing in pleasure the entire way down.

His erection stood alone now. Tall and strong in the hot air around it. Her fingers were like a vise and it was clear that the only way she'd leave him without his cum all over her hand was over her dead body.

Then she replaced her hand with her mouth. Opened as wide as she could. Taking almost all of him between her lips.

Justin cried out.

Her head bobbed, frantically, up and down. Yes, she was a woman on a mission.

He cupped the back of her head in his big hand, urging her on.

I made myself leave the room before they could hear my cries.

I came barreling down the stairs of the mansion. Surprisingly, I wasn't hysterical.

Surprisingly, I fooled Kim into thinking I was perfectly fine, but not Trace.

"Oh Christ..." He cringed as I came into the den where him and Kim were playing Xbox, "What happened now?"

"Nothing." I frowned, "I just forgot... That I have to buy Steven a birthday present."

Sadly, that wasn't a lie.

"Kim!" I screamed to her when she went back to the game, "Come with me."

"But I'm winning!" She cried.

"You're my life couch today, remember? I wouldn't want to make a left turn when I need to make a right."

Poor girl was blinded by power. The second I said this, she was up and following me to the door.

--

Kim was in the passengers seat of my Passat, no idea what was going on as I flew down the road. Since the moment we'd left Justin's we'd been driving down random streets searching, aimlessly, for a toy store. Five minutes of that and Kim was half asleep.

"Justin really bought you this car?" She yawned.

I turned on my blinker and switched lanes before answering. "He did."

"He's sweet."

"He was."

"Hm..."

"After we make it back to Vegas… I'm giving it back."

That woke her up, real fast. "Excuse me?!"

I held my hands up against the steering wheel in defense, "I can't keep it!"

"May I ask why?" I wondered if she was aware how much she used that phrase.

"It wouldn't feel right... It wouldn't be right to keep something he bought for me. Something he bought for me when he thought I was someone that I wasn't. Since the minute he met me he's been giving me way to much credit. He cared about me. This car proves it and so do a lot of other things he did. It just wouldn't feel right. It's a beautiful car, but... Every time I looked at it, I would think of him. I don't want that. Especially not if I'm never going to see him, again."

She stared at me, and for a moment I believed I had her understanding, then she mumbled, "Stupid bitch." Shaking her head at me. She said it again, "Stupid bitch." Just for elaboration.

"Thanks for the support, Kim." I rolled my eyes, "Really. Thanks."

"Anytime." She yawned, again.

"He was getting head."

"Hm?" She woke herself up for the second time.

"I went to his bedroom to apologize... For the second time. I opened his bedroom door and there he was in bed with some girl named Gia, smoking a joint. I made the massive mistake of spying on them and stayed just long enough to witness her deep throat technique. That girl should teach a class on that shit, by the way."

"Oh... My... God." She scoffed, "Fucking... Men."

"We were never together, so..."

"Men are bullshit!"

"He never belonged to me, so..." I hadn't realized what an affect this event had on me until that very moment.

"Oh, Christ, don't start crying." Kim groaned. "Don’t' cry a single fucking tear. He doesn't deserve it."

I couldn't help it. "Some bitch was giving him head. How the fuck is that supposed to make me feel!?" I couldn't even look at her, ashamed that I was crying. "He knows that I'm sorry, I said it to him the minute he found me with JC. He was never my boyfriend... We never made things official. But we were... We were at a point that you don't fuck other people. You just don't."

"It's not technically fucking... It's just oral, right?"

"Fuck the politics, Kim. If his dick is out of his pants for someone other than me... He's fucking someone else."

She didn't fight me on this. In fact, she finally seemed to agree. "Didn’t he know we were coming over?" She asked.

"I called him right when we exited the 101. Left a message."

She stared at me, and it took me a moment to come to the same conclusion she obviously had. Then she spoke my thoughts right out loud. "Looks like the man doesn't need a stage to put on a show, huh?"

"I guess not." I said, my lips tight.

"Did he see you?"

"No. I walked out the second I saw it. Otherwise I would have broke her fucking jaw! Then I would have cut his fucking dick off right after!"

"Preach."

I pounded on my blinker, "And you know what really fucking gets me?" Changed lanes. Someone honks, but I pay them no attention. "That was the first time I'd ever seen him that way. It was the first time I'd ever seen his dick and it wasn't even meant for me. That was the first time that I ever saw him as this... Man with a passion and a sexuality about him. I was a little..."

"Turned on?" She offered.

"Yeah!" I beamed, feeling more comfortable since she wasn't judging me. "If I wasn't so pissed off I might have pushed that cock sucking bitch to the side so I could have my turn!"

Kim laughed out loud. "Shut the fuck up!"

"For real!" I laughed, too.

"Shiiiit!" She pointed at me, "Fucking whore." Laughed harder.

I didn't even realize how hard I was laughing and how much fun I was having until I almost rear ended the mini van in front of me.

"Fuck!" Kim cried, clutching the dashboard for safety. She didn't lay back into he reclined seat until everything calmed down. "Fuck..." She said, again, "That's some powerful dick he's got. We almost died because of it and the mother fucker aint even here!" She watched me, "You do know that we’re going back to Vegas over my dead body?"

She was saying exactly what I hoped she would. “You do know, Trevion, that we’re turning around and going straight back. You must know that payback is a bitch… right?"

I did know that. I really did. "I just need a little air. Besides…" I pushed my hair out of my eyes, "I haven’t seen Steven, yet. I have to wish him a happy birthday."

"Um…. Okay."

"He’s a kid."

"You couldn’t wish him a happy one over the phone?"

The very thought seemed overwhelmingly cruel.

"Not this kid." I whispered.

"Hm… well… I guess it’s a good thing we’re going back."

--

When we returned to the house with a birthday bag full of Power Rangers, guns and Hot Wheels Lynn greeted us.

"Good morning, baby!" She kissed my cheek. She looked at Kim, "Good morning, baby!" She kissed her too, even though she clearly had no idea who she was. Her eyes met mine, "We were just getting ready to have lunch before Steven's little guests arrive."

"Lunch?" I asked.

"Mmhm." She nodded, "Me, you, Justin, Gia--that's his best friend since he was five--"

"Really?!" Kim beamed.

I nudged her. “I thought Trace was his best friend. What happened to Trace?" I asked. These days, Trace was looking pretty damn good.

"Trace isn't Justin's friend... That's his brother. That's my other son."

"Got it." I said, tightly.

"He wont be at lunch, though. He's out getting the cake.. And Steven will be there, too, obviously. Common! Should be fun!"

I looked at Kim. She looked at me. "Shoot me." She spat.

"Only if you shoot me first."

Lynn led us into the dining room and, for the first time since catching him with Gia, I saw Justin. HE was across the table, sitting next to her. He looked at me. I looked at him.

His eyes left mine and traveled my body. Slowly. Top to bottom.

His eyes met mine.

Then they toured my body, again. This time, they lingered at my shimmery top.

He didn't seem disgusted, I noticed, but he didn't seem as thrilled as I would have liked, either.

I stared at him.

He looked away.

I wanted to punch him.

The table was full to the hilt with food. There was barely room from the tennis racket sized plates and silverware that were in front of us. With every passing second I could not figure out how I'd ended up at this dinner table and how I was going to get through lunch with these people.

Directly across the table from me sat Justin. He was going out of his way not to look at me and, every time he did, it seemed like he was running through different scenarios in his mind about how to kill me right where I sat without anyone noticing.

Kim sat on my right. Every time someone said or did something stupid, she'd hit her knee against mine. After the fifth time, I hit her back, as hard as I could.

"Ouch!" She screamed. Unaware that the chatter at the table had come to a complete halt she shot me the dirtiest look she could pull, "Bitch."

"Fuck you." I mouthed, "We're at the dinner table, Kim, have a little respect." I rolled my eyes and threw a smile at the other's. You'd think Kim and I had four heads, the way they were looking at us. "I'm so sorry, Kim hasn't been housebroken, yet."

Kim bit her tongue. I could tell how badly she wanted to say something.

Gia spoke to me, "We haven't met." She touched her hand to her chest, "I'm Gia. It's Trevion, right?” I pulled a grimace at her. Her smile fell.

"Trevion doesn't play well with others."

My eyes shot to Justin. Half of me was in complete shock that he'd spoken of me, at all. The other half couldn't get the picture of that bitch sucking his dick out of it's mind. Ah, to be torn in two.

Lynn spoke from next to her son, "How have you been, Trevion? It was so sweet of you to find a way down here for Steve. I know you have school, and all..."

Justin answered for me, "She's fine." He said, shortly.

My eyes caught fire. Lynn studied her son in confusion. She had no idea what was going on."

I thought he told his mom everything." Kim whispered in my ear.

I just shrugged in response.

"Something to say Kim?" Justin asked.

"Yes. I just said it." She answered, sharply.

"Who are you?" Lynn chimed in.

"Kim." She replied shortly.

"She's Trevion's charming roommate." Justin informed.

"Ah!" Lynn nodded.

"You go to school? Which one?" Gia's voice was sweet as pie.

I looked at her and couldn't keep the scowl off of my face.

She seemed taken aback. “Cat got your tongue?" Gia asked, nervously. She couldn't understand that I was unable to respond to her. She couldn't understand that it was taking absolutely every inch of me not to leap over that table and strangle her.

"Trevion and I both go to shitty UNLV." Kim informed, "Let us know if you have any questions about how much it blows."

"Uuuuuuuuuum!"

Kim glanced at Steve, aghast, "You got something stuck in your throat, kid?" She nodded her head to the glass in front of him, "There's some water right there."

"He doesn't have anything in his throat. He has manners." Justin interjected.

"You said the 's' word!" Steven' pointed an accusatory finger at Kim.

"So?"

"That was very impolite."

"Okay, Dr. Phil. I'll try to watch my language from here on out." She said, darting her pretty blue eyes all around the table. I'd never seen her nervous until that moment. Apparently, she didn't do well around people who wouldn't let her be herself.

I think we all said a silent prayer of thanks when the salad was served by waiters dressed as different Disney characters.

Steven's eyes lit up. Justin smiled at him. I smiled at Justin. So did Lynn.

Kim looked suicidal as Winnie the Pooh served her a Caesar salad, "Am I the only one scared for my life?" She whispered.

"You're definitely not the only one." I picked up my fork and my eyes shot up to Justin. He was holding his fork above his untouched salad, staring at me.

The second I looked at him, he looked away. "What do you want to do tomorrow, Steve?" He asked.

"Go to Disneyland!"

Justin laughed, "Okay."

"Wait... Disneyland?" Kim looked around her, frantically, "You mean we're not there already?"

Lynn chuckled.

Justin scowled.

"Weren't you just at Disneyland the other day, Steve?" I asked, shoving salad in my mouth.

"Yes! It was awesome!"

"And you're ready to go again?!"

"YEAH!" He cried, as if it were obvious, "You should come, too, Trevie!"

Justin looked just as horrified by this suggestion as I did.

"I have been to Disneyland one time and that was one time too many."

"Amen." Gia called from her end of the table.

I frowned at her and noticed the way Justin smiled. My blood boiled.

"So you guys aren't big fans of UNLV?" Lynn asked around the lettuce in her mouth.

"Hell no." I spat.

"Uuuuuuuuum!"

I looked at Steve, "That's not a curse word, Steve."

"Yes it is." Justin scolded, giving me a look.

I frowned at him, then back at Steve, "It isn't a curse word if it's in the Bible. Didn't you know that?"

"Don't teach him that!" Justin called, and from the look on her face, Lynn agreed.

"You need to get your mouth washed with soap!" Steven beamed.

"What is this? Gang up on Trevion day?"

"I just wish you'd stop saying things like that when my little brother's in the room. For Christ’s sake, Trevion, he's six years old.""

So it's okay to say the lord's name in vain in front of him but it's not okay to curse?"

This time, Lynn agreed with me, and we both looked at Justin, expectantly. He appeared completely furious, "Don't contradict me in front of my family."

I chose to ignore him when the urge to bust his lip became too much. I turned to Steven, "Wow, Steve." I said, "You actually look... Halfway clean. Congratulations."

Steven took his eyes off of his salad and nodded. "That's because my brother tooked me a bath. He tooked me a bath because my booty itched."

Kim laughed out loud. So did Lynn.

I did not, "TMI, Steve. You and I are going to sit down and have a long chat about that, later."

"What's MTI?" He asked.

"TMI. Declaring that your booty itches is the perfect example of TMI. Too much, god damn, information."

Lynn giggled and Steven covered his mouth, "Uuuuuuuuuuum."

"Wouldn't that be T.M.G.D.I? Too much, god damn , information?"

"I don't think anybody asked you, Justin."

"He has a point." Gia tried to laugh her way in.

"And I know that nobody asked you." I raised my eyebrows at her, ready for battle.

She shrunk back.

"Don't mind her, Gia. She's so god damn bitter. That's S.G.D.B, Trevion. So god damn bitter."

"And you are god damn clever!" I spat. Gia eyes danced between us. She knew exactly what was going on but was putting on a damn good show pretending not to.

"Get over yourself, Justin." I mumbled, rolling my eyes.

"Get over myself?" He laughed, pointing the fork at his chest, "You're telling me to get over myself, Trevion?"

Worried eyes hit me from every corner of the table. Everybody but Kim and Gia was wondering what the hell they were witnessing.

"Are you deaf, Justin? I think that's what I just said." I tried to end it by going back to my salad, but he would have none of it.

"You've got a lot of fucking nerve coming here and telling me to get over myself."

"Ummmmmmm!"

Justin looked at his brother, "Shut up, Steve!"

"Don't tell him to shut up!" Lynn cried.

"Yeah!" Steve beamed.

"You invited me here!" I pointed to Justin, "I didn't invite myself. I'm here for Steven, so he can have a happy fucking birthday, okay? Not for you."

"Uuuuuuuuuuum!"

"God, shut up, kid." Kim grimaced.

"Don't tell him to shut up." I said to her, calmly.

"Of course you're not here for me." Justin said. "I've got a pretty good idea who's waiting for you back in Vegas."

My eyes widened, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Lynn's eyes narrowed from me to Justin, "What’s going on?" She finally asked.

"Is he even in Las Vegas right now, Trevion? Or did he grab a hotel room in Hollywood so you can go straight to him once you leave here? Please, feel free to go. Nobody's keeping you here."

"She can't left yet! The party didn't even started, yet!"

"Shut up, Steven!"

"Don't tell him to shut up!" I yelled, "And stop trying to piss me off with all of this JC bullshit. You know that I didn't do anything with him, Justin. You know it and you're an asshole for trying to make me feel badly about something I've already apologized profusely for!"

"Uuuuuuuum, Trevie!"

"This isn't appropriate lunch conversation." Lynn said, calmly.

Kim guffawed, "It's a little late for that."

"Maybe I should go." Gia went to stand up.

"Maybe you should!" I agreed.

She was stunned.

So was Justin, "No, Gia, don't go." He said throwing me a look.

Gia's eyes shot back and forth between the two of us as she sat back down.

"What's going on?" Lynn asked.

"Your son is an asshole." I answered. Kim snickered.

Lynn grinned, "I could have told you that, baby."

"She's been seeing JC..." He looked at me, "JC... behind my back since the moment we met."

"Oh..." Her eyes widened and then landed on me.

"Don't judge me." I frowned at her."

Don't talk to my mother like that." Justin warned.

"Don't tell me what to do!" I screamed.

"Don't yell at him!" Lynn beamed.

"This is my house, I'll tell you to do something if I fucking want to!"

"Dammit, you don't yell at her, either!" Lynn looked at Justin."

Stop cussing everybody!" Steven beamed.

"This kid is annoying." Kim commented.

"I'm going to excuse myself." Gia tried to stand.

"No!" WE all screamed.

She sat back down.

"It's funny that you're so pissed off at me about what happened with JC when you didn't hesitate for a second to get close to that tramp--" I pointed to Gia, "The second you were out of my sight.

"Nobody had anything to say after those words left my lips. Justin looked shocked. Lynn didn't. Gia was stunned. Kim was amused and Steven was probably waiting for another profanity to get thrown, so he could voice his issue with it.

"What did you just say?" Justin seethed.

"You heard me." I cringed at him, "and I'd be happy to elaborate... I'd be happy to let everyone at this table know exactly what you two were doing in your bedroom this morning... Exactly where her mouth was, but..." I sighed, "I'm one hundred percent sure that Steven is too young to hear it and even if he wasn't he would probably have an issue with it, anyway, so... Forget it."

"You were spying on me?" He slammed his fork down, "This is a brand new low, Trevion."

"Are you denying it?" I asked him. My eyes went to Gia, who was staring straight ahead, "You?" She looked at me, but didn't answer, "No? Good. You no longer have the right to be angry at me, Justin. Maybe I was talking to JC, but I never came anywhere close to doing what the two of you did with each other."

At this point, everyone at the table was staring down at their plates, trying to eat and pretending like what was going on wasn't actually going on.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gia suddenly said. "Steven was in the room with us the entire time... We were watching cartoons."

"I was?" Steven cocked his head back.

I groaned.

"Don't lie." Kim glowered, shaking her head, "It's bad enough that you got caught doing what you did. You're a slut, that's obviously no secret to anyone at this table. Do you really want to add liar to that list?"

"Don't talk to her like that." Justin warned.

"Is she your new girlfriend now?" Kim asked, "I hope not."

"So what if she is?" His eyes shot to me, "I don't belong to anybody." Back to Kim, "Neither does she."

"Does she know you're in love with Trevion?"

His face fell.

"I hope so!" She cried, before bursting into laughter.

"Shut up." Just whispered.

"No?" Kim asked. She looked at Gia, "He's in love with Trevion. You're wasting your time."

"You shut the fuck up!" Justin pointed a fork at her.

"Uuuuuuuuuum!"

"You shut the fuck up!"

Kim screamed.

"Uuuuuuuuuum!"

Lynn jumped in, "Excuse yourself, Steven Timberlake."

That was all Steven needed to hear. I could only think that he was the luckiest bastard on the planet as he threw his napkin down and raced out of the dining room. Frankly, I think the kid was completely winded on censoring all of our asses.

Justin was riled up now, "Did you ever care about me? Did you give a damn about me, at all? What is this about, Trev? Are you secretly looking for a record deal? Because I would have gladly handed it over the second I met you if I had any idea what the fuck you were going to put me through."

My mouth was wide open at him, and I did nothing to hide it.

"Maybe you just wanted to fuck Justin Timberlake. You came surprisingly close. Closer than most women. Congratulations."

Again, mouth agape.

"Or maybe you're one of those fans who's has a life goal of fucking every member of Nsync. Lance loves the dick, so good luck with him." He laughed, "You have, however, fucked JC and, if you think about it, you've pretty much completely fucked me, emotionally. I'm pretty sure that counts. So, there's me. There's JC. That's two down, two to go, right?""And you tell me I don't have manners?" Kim laughed, "There were at least five or six fucks in that little rant of yours just now."

Justin stared at me, hard faced. I stared back.

"Hm..." Lynn seemed like she wanted to say something, but couldn't decide whether or not she should. I found this amusing. Everyone else at the table had stopped holding their tongues a long time ago.

"Look. Trevion." Justin sighed, "I scared the shit out of my little brother when I was screaming at you and JC back in Vegas. Honestly, if he asked me to lasso the fucking moon for him right now I would put in a call to NASA and see if there was anything they could do. He-- never in his life-- should have had to see me in the state that he saw me in last week. He asked for you. He said that he wanted you at his birthday... So I called you. That's it. That's the only reason you're here. Not to talk. Not to kiss and make up." He looked at me. "Just for Steven. Okay?"

"Wait..." Lynn held her hands out, "What happened with you, Trevion and JC and why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to wait until after Steve's birthday was over, but... That's gone to shit. I caught JC visiting her in her dorm room. I fucking... "

"Freaked out!" I offered.

He gave me a look, "I fucking freaked out. I screamed at her. I hit JC in the face. Steve saw the whole thing."

"Oh no..." Lynn covered her mouth and looked damn near tears.

Justin stared at me, "It was a reality better than fiction, Mom. Right out of your favorite soap opera."

"Oh no."

"But it's over now. You're here for Steven, Trevion. That's it."

"Why you wanted me here doesn't matter anymore. It might have mattered on the phone when you called me. It might have mattered when I put on this stupid fucking outfit. It might have even mattered when I saw you crying on your bed with Gia. And, yes... I did you see crying which is why this whole I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude your pulling isn't only obnoxious but blatantly dishonest. You mattered, Justin... But all of that stopped the second you kissed her. The second you let her go down on you... It all stopped. I understand how you must have felt when you found out about what I did with JC. I understand the anger, I do. The only difference? I never slept with him. I never slept with anyone..." I pointed to Gia, "You did."

"You don't know the situation." Gia chimed in.

I held a finger up, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I wasn't talking to you, was I? I wasn't talking to you, at all! Thank you!" I went back to Justin.

"Okay, now that's just about a-motherfucking-nuff." Lynn spat.

Gia sighed from the other end of the table, "Justin and I have known each other since we were five years old... Were friends. What happened upstairs this morning was--"

"Gia." Justin called out to her softly, shaking his head, "You don't have to justify yourself to her."

"The fuck she doesn't." I roared. Kim cringed her agreement.

"What exactly did you see upstairs, Trevion?" Lynn asked me.

"Gia was sucking your son's dick... Quire enthusiastically, in fact."

Lynn's face fell just like her son's had a moment before. "I'm sorry I asked." She looked at Justin.

"It was a one time thing." He said, shortly, "Not that it matters since Trevion's been fucking JC for a month and has no right to be angry."

"I have not been fucking JC and you know it, Justin. You know what?!" I stood from my chair, "Fuck this!"

"You sit your little ass right back in that chair, darling!" Lynn pointed a shaking finger at me.

I stared at her. A part of me wanted to sit right back down as I was highly unfamiliar with an adult figure practicing discipline on me. Another part of me wanted to tell her to fuck off, too, for producing such an asshole for offspring. Hesitantly, I took a seat in the chair, crossing my arms over my chest.

I stared down into my plate, forgot I was angry for a moment, and smiled, "You're the only woman I know that would call me darling after telling me to sit my ass back down." Then I laughed.

Kim laughed, too, "I was just thinking the exact same thing!" She giggled, "How cute is she? Right?" Then she looked at Lynn, "I wish my mom was even an iota like you, man. Maybe she'd still be alive if she was."

Everyone stared at her like she was insane.

Her smile fell, "She was murdered. Some guy with road rage..." Her eyes narrowed around the table, "I didn't kill her, or anything." She informed, as if it were obvious. Then she whispered, "Geez," And quietly went back to her salad.

I stared at Justin, "Why did you do that when you knew that I was coming down, Justin? Did you want me to see you?"

"I'm not a monster, Trevion."

"You wanted me to see you." My voice lowered.

"You were early."

"You told me the party was on Friday!"

"Friday... Night!"

"I called you and left you a message!" I cried, holding my hands out. "God, Justin. Are you that vindictive? Are you that desperate to hurt me back? To punish me? You knew that I was coming. I left you a message."

"My phone... Was off."

"Fucking liar!" I accused.

"I guess I learned from the best, didn't I?" He shot back. Growing angry.

"That was one hell of a show you put on, though." I clapped, "Highly erotic. Highly traumatizing. Bravo!" I looked at Gia, "And bravo to you, too. Really, you're going to have to give me a call and school me on cock sucking because you've got it down pat."

"That's enough!" Lynn beamed. "Trevion, don't forget that you're a lady, all right?"

Justin scoffed, "Trevion isn't a lady. She's a snake."

"You're the snake." Kim pointed to Justin.

"It doesn't fucking matter. It's over. It's done. We're going to get this party over with and I don't ever want to see you, again." His eyes leveled me.

"You're in no danger of that." I could feel my heart splitting in half.

From the look in his eyes, it seemed like maybe he could, too.

"You should know something..." Gia said, softly.

"Just shut up!" I screamed at her, "I don't want to hear shit from you, I really don't!"

"Well, too fucking bad! That's too bad, okay?" She was shaking, "It's my turn to talk. Yes! I was up in Justin's room. Yes, I seduced him. Or... Tried to seduce him, anyway," She motioned to him awkwardly, "Maybe if you'd finished spying on us you wouldn't have missed the grand finale of all the dick sucking fun!"

"Shut up, Gia."

"No, Justin! She needs to know because I'm tired of this shit, already."

"Shut up, Gia!"

"No!" She screamed, slamming her hands against the table and standing tall, "She's acting like she knows me and she doesn't know shit!" She looked at me, "You don't fucking know shit! You don't know me!"

"I know enough." I laughed.

"You don't." Her eyes grew wet as she snapped her gaze to Justin, "I love you, Justin! I've fucking loved you since the sixth fucking grade. You knew that and you let me suck your dick, anyway, you son of a bitch! No offense Lynn!"

Lynn's eyes widened, but all she could do was shrug.

Justin sunk down into his chair, jamming his eyes shut.

I watched him, confused.

Then Gia was screaming again, "He loves you!" She cried, motioning to me, "He fucking loves you the way I've been fighting... Fighting to get him to love me for my entire fucking life, you bitch!"

My eyes widened. I looked at Kim. She was just as startled.

Gia was on a roll, "It doesn't matter that I was giving him head, or trying to give him head, anyway. He couldn't even keep his dick hard!"

Justin groaned noisily and buried his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Justin, but..." She seemed to consider whether she should continue, then seemed to remember how pissed off she was. She looked back at me, "The only reason he was hard for as long as he was is because he was thinking about your ass!" Her brown hair shook as she pointed back and forth from me to him, "Every time he opened his eyes and looked down at me... he'd get soft, again. He'd close his eyes and he was hard, again. Just like that. Like clockwork. AT first I thought he was just... Incompetent. Didn't take me long to realize you were the one behind his eyes every time he closed them." She took a deep breath, "Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

I stared at her. The bitch had gone mad.

"I wanted to sleep with him. I could have. I could have lied to myself and pretended that it was for me, even though it wasn't. But he wouldn't. He told me that he didn't want me--"

It was Justin's turn to stand, "Fuck! Shut up, Gia!"

"No, Justin! Because this is stupid! Why are you pretending to hate her? She's siting right there! Why don't you just tell her what you told me? Tell her!"

He looked back at her. "Stop it, G."

"Fine, then..." Her lips tightened, "I'll tell her."

"The fuck you will."

She looked at me. He grasped her arm. She snatched it away, "Don't!" She spat, then her eyes were on me, again, "He wants you. He said that he loved you. He said that he's pissed off about JC but he doesn't care. He's already over it." She looked at him. “He doesn’t want to be over it. He doesn't want to forgive you. But he is. He does." She was crying now. She took a big step away from him when he tried to grab her, again, "He wouldn't fuck me because he wants to make it work with you!"

Justin groaned deeply and fell into the chair she'd previously occupied, cursing into his hands.

I took in her words, trying to keep myself calm.

Gia was looking at him, as well. She seemed angry but apologetic. "Why are you letting her believe that there's something between us when there isn't?!"

He took his head from his hands. His face was red. He held his hands in front of him and cried up at her, "I'm not."

"You're using me, Justin!"

"No." He seemed profoundly hurt.

"I've been with you since it all started. I've been with you every time someone has used you to get ahead! Don't you remember how you came to me after every girl? Every girl that was with you for the wrong reasons? Don't you remember how that made you fucking feel? Don't you remember how you said you'd never do that to anyone else? Well, you're doing it to me right fucking now! You're using me to get to her. You've been doing it since the moment you sat across this table from her and you're doing it right in front of my face. I'm not going to sit here and fucking take that."

From across the table, I could see Justin's entire body shaking as Gia walked swiftly from the room, crying. I waited for him to chase her, but he never did. All he did was call, "G..." And reach out into the empty air for a second before letting his arm fall next to his body, "Fuck." He whispered, falling back against his seat. He was still watching the exit of the dining room, as if he couldn't decide what the do, "Fuck..." He whispered, again. His eyes shot to me, "Fuck Trevion!"

My eyes widened. I looked at Kim just to make sure I wasn't crazy. Nope, she was looking at him like he was a maniac too. "What?" I cried, holding my hands out, "I didn't do nothing!"

"Why did you have to come here and start up all of this bullshit?! That girl's been with me from the beginning!"

"That girl is a fucking loon!" Kim beamed, pointing to the exit, "Don't blame Trevion for her Looney ass."

"Fuck you, Kim."

"Don't talk to my friend like that."

His eyes widened, "Your friend, Trevion? Two weeks ago you rode your bike to my condo because you couldn't stand to be in the same room with her for another second!"

"It doesn't matter that we weren't friends a few weeks ago because she's my friend now."

"Hey." Lynn jumped, holding her hands out, "Maybe we all need to just... Take a minute. Just stop. Maybe we all just need to calm down. Or maybe we should all just... Say we're sorry."

Justin looked at his mom like she'd grown a dick.

"I'm sorry I came out here." I whispered.

"Me too." Kim agreed.

"I'm sorry that Justin made me care about his stupid brother, which is why I came down here."

"Amen." Kim nodded.

"I'm sorry that Justin made me care about him, and his stupid brother, which is why I came down here."

"Preach."

"I'm sorry that I care about stupid Justin and his stupid brother so much that I will forever have the sight of his stupid whore sucking his stupid dick engrained in my brain for the rest of my stupid life."

"Stupid." Kim shook her head.

"I'm sorry that I told him I loved him." I looked up at him. His eyes leveled me. "I'm sorry I meant it."

She nodded.

"I'm sorry that magazine came out and forced him to come to my dorm. I'm sorry he caught me with JC. I'm sorry I didn't tell him sooner. I'm sorry that he doesn't know me, at all. I'm sorry that crazy's girls feelings are hurt... it's not her fault that Justin's an asshole. And I'm sorry that I'm leaving early. The one person who doesn't deserve to be hurt right now is the one person that will be. I'll leave Steven's gift in his bedroom..." I stood from the table, "I'll leave the keys to the Passat right next to it."

"What?" Kim was no longer so supportive, "How the fuck are we supposed to get home?"

"I don't know, Kim!" I beamed, "Let's not talk about it here, okay?" I swiped Steven's gift up under my arm and stood tall. I pointed to Justin, "Fuck you!" Then Lynn, "Thank you. The salad was lovely. Forgive me for cussing at the dinner table, would you?"

Then I was walking away from the dining room and up the spiral staircase.

--

Kim stood next to me as I placed Steven's gift on his bed.

Five minutes away from that table and I felt like I could suddenly breath again.

"Now that was entertaining." Kim whispered.

I had to snicker, "Okay?" I agreed, twisting and turning Steven's gift. For some reason, it just looked wrong sitting against his Spiderman sheets.

"We're not really leaving are we?" She asked, "I'm kind of having fun."

I looked at her like she was crazy, "I'm sorry... Were you at the same dinner table that I was?" I turned the gift to the left.

She grinned, "I know, but... What about all the stuff that crazy girl said? You know about Justin and how he loves--"

"I know what she said Kim, I was sitting right there next to you." I turned the gift back to the right.

"Why are you pretending that you didn't hear it? I mean... That's the main reason we came down here isn't it?" She reached out and grabbed both of my wrists, pulling them away from the gifts, "Look at me." She demanded, and waited for my eyes to meet hers, "That was his friend down there. His friend. She ran from the room crying. But he sat his ass right back down across the table from you. That spoke to me. Didn't it speak to you?"

"Not really." I lied.

"The guy's feelings are hurt. Ego is bruised. WE can't expect him to be completely sane right now."

"Kim are you forgetting that some girl was sucking his dick?"

"You heard what she said. The only reason he could keep his shit hard was because he was closing his eyes and thinking about you. You should be ecstatic."

I pushed her hands away and stood tall, "Well... I'm not."

"He was watching your ass shake when you walked out of the dining room."

"Okay... Now you're just being ridiculous." I laughed.

"All I'm saying is that we stay for the party. For little what's-his-name."

"Steven."

"We'll stay for little Steven until someone kicks our asses out."

"That's very likely."

"I have a plan." She said.

"No." I immediately shook my head.

"Hey!" She beamed, "What was the agreement when I agreed to come down here? Huh?"

I didn't answer.

"Have you forgotten so soon?" She asked, "Well, please! Let me refresh your memory! I missed shopping for a new MCR outfit to come out here with you and, in return, you've handed over your entire soul to me until the fun is over. Now I have a plan, and you're going to go with it."

I stared at her, defeated, "Fine... What is it?"

"We're going to find a marginally attractive guy." She thought about this, "Actually... Scratch the attractive, we don't have time. We're going to find any guy and we're going to use him to make Justin wild with jealousy."

"Are you insane?!"

"Insanely brilliant."

"I think we both saw what can happen to a person when they're used by another person."

She grinned, "Maybe you should give Gia the number to your physiologist."

"I don't ever plan on seeing him, again. He'd probably be thankful for the new income."

"So, are we in agreement? Wait, I forgot. I don't need you to be in agreement. I'm the life coach. My opinion is the only one that counts. Push up your tits, bitch. We're going to that party."