" Hey you decent." Raven bursted through the shaggy door, her words a mere formality because it truly didn’t make a difference to her. Maia sat up in bed, her sheet lying limply around her short clad legs while she outstretched her arms and adjusted the straps to her yellow tank. Raven took a seat on the only provided seat, at the edge of Maia’s bed.

" Goodmorning sunshine, to what do I owe this pleasure." Maia smiled sweetly at Raven. Crossing her legs, Raven smoothed out her khaki skirt then turned to her best friend.

" You are such a low down sneaky snake." she began slowly tossing her thick wavy hair across her bare shoulder. Maia recognized the tube top as being Jocelyn’s and wondered if she could fit her D cups into.

" And you are such a brown nosing, eavesdropping, sleazy prick." Maia yawned stretching her legs out.

" I resent the sleazy....I am a woman of class, thank you very much." Raven corrected then started in on her previous assault.

" So, when do you start packing, August is definitely almost here."

" I’m not going." Maia replied simply unraveling her sloppy ponytail only to replace it with a sloppier one.

" I think dropping Willy a note will be fine. I’m sure he’ll get over it." Raven continued examining her freshly manicured nails.

" Raven.." Maia warned, but the conniving little Hispanic was not going to give up.

" I think it’s a great opportunity and I was thinking..."

" Really, now?" Maia replied sarcastically.

" I can be ready in about 3 hours, so be in front of my place by 12." Raven finally looked at her friend and winked. " I always wanted to go to Miami".

" I hate airplanes." Chris sat next to Justin who had the privilege of winning the seat next to the window. Chris always lost at rock, paper, scissors. The black haired man had still yet to realize the game is about random order, not pattern. Justin ignored his friend and continued staring out at the bustle of JFK airport. They had all just boarded a flight back home to Orlando to began recording on their latest album. Justin couldn’t be happier to be getting out of New York, too many things haunted him there. Maybe getting away would make things better. Perhaps being at home would bring everything into perspective and he would realize the remedy for his problem.

" When did they start handing cashews, who eats cashews." Joey declared waving his silver bag of cashews in the air so everyone’s attention could be directed towards it.

" Shhh, Joey quiet hours." Lance hissed reminding the red haired man that it still had yet to hit 11 o’clock eastern time, meaning half America still had to wake up that Saturday morning. Justin smirked to himself and settled back, his thoughts drifting towards familiar territory. Maia. She had taken the place of the mysterious seductress and had managed to take over all his thoughts. He couldn’t eat, sleep or think without her popping into his head somehow.

"Hey, kid you alright?" Chris asked turning his attention to his down trodden friend. Justin shrugged not really up for talking about Maia, not now anyway when the pain was still fresh. All the good girls were taken. Just then Angela bopped past their seat and Chris gave Justin an annoyed look.

" Now that is a man with a problem." Chris sighed referring to JC who sat behind them staring out the window, back completely turned away from Angela. Justin silently agreed, if he felt anyone had a worse off fate compared to his own, it was JC. He had made love to a woman he met that worked at strip joint two months before, got over her by committing to a girl still being attacked by puberty, only to fall for the woman all over again. Justin wanted to fill bad for bringing Raven to him, but no matter how anyone opposed the union- even himself- he knew it made JC happy. Justin personally could never see himself dating a stripper, he was too possessive of a man to handle that. Plus the thought of guys being able to do whatever they wanted to his girl for the right price sickened him. He could never be with a girl like that, he wouldn’t even allow himself . Never.

Jocelyn beeped the horn as they rode through the city of New York on their way to Hype Studios where Maia had been instructed to meet Hype with all her belongings. Even with all three of them packed inside her little grey chevy, all their belongings still looked as if they belonged to one person. Moving out of New York was a big and better step for all of them, Maia was convinced after still being able to close the trunk after picking Raven up.

" Okay girls, I’ll be out in just a minute. Gotta get everything from Hype and then we can hit the open rode."Maia promised before disappearing into the glass doors of Hype Studios. Jocelyn pushed the door to the little chevy open and dangled her legs out to grip a breeze that was obviously non existent in the little vehicle they were cooped up in.

" We’re leaving Rave, can you believe it."

" Would you talk with your mouth facing outside, it’s really too hot in here for all that." Raven sighed, an arm thrown over her perspiring forehead. Jocelyn rolled her eyes and watched two young looking girls start up the street, staring around in awe. They reminded her of herself and Maia three years ago when they had first arrived in the city and had been so amazed by all its splendor. Catching a glimpse of her radiant self now and thinking back a few months ago, she couldn’t believe she had come this far. Now she was leaving this place, leaving behind her old life, leaving behind Kendall. Maia had been her inspiration through it all, and here she was once again accessing an opportunity for a better life for all of them. She couldn’t have been stuck with a better friend.

" What is that all about?" Raven murmured moving up from her cropped position in the front seat. Jocelyn leaned up from the back seat to see Maia cradling a heap of flowers. Stumbling to her car, Maia placed the flowers on the roof.

" Who are they from?" both of the girls asked from the inside. Maia rummaged through the beautifully arranged flowers and found the small car in the center.

Your beautiful, but I guess you already knew that.

I just wanted to give you something as a token of my

gratitude for the happiness you brought me

those few days I had the pleasure of making your acquaintance....

Tell your boyfriend I said he was one luck guy.

J

" Don’t be so quick to explain." Raven sighed dryly stepping out of the car and snatching the card from an awed Maia. Reading over it once, Raven passed it to Jocelyn who gingerly waited to be filled in from inside the car.

" So are you going to call him?" Raven asked fingering a yellow rose. Maia breathed in sharply and adjusted her stance.

" Don’t be ridiculous Rave, plus I don’t have the number."

" It’s on the back." Raven informed jumping into the car. Maia followed suit grabbing her flowers and handing them to Jocelyn . Sitting in her seat, Maia geared for take off. Hype had just given her a preliminary guideline of what he had set up for her in Miami, he had rented a loft with three bedrooms to accommodate her and her friends and set up interviews with various modeling agencies around Florida. He had said there was more, but she would have to wait and see exactly what when she got down there. With all that in mind, Justin had still managed to steal her excitement. Those flowers had sent her over the top, nothing mattered more than when Hype told her to hold off he had one more thing to give her. Moments later he came out with the flowers and kissed her forehead.

" Do the right thing." he had whispered in her ear hugging her and then sending her off. Maia closed her eyes, time had run out for her to do the right thing.

Justin held his mother close, reveling in the presence of her. He hadn’t seen much of her the past couple of months, having been so busy within his business life. He had been overjoyed when he stepped off the plane and was greeted by none other than his best friend in the whole wide world. She opened her arms and enveloped her only son into a loving embrace. She was glad to have him home

" How ya been stranger?" she teased kissing his cheek and pushing him back to take note of all the changes he went through since his last trip home. Sometimes Lynn just couldn’t believe she had mothered such a beautiful child who grew into such a strong and handsome young man. She was proud and beyond just his success, through it all he had still been able to grow up and turn out swell.

" Happy to be home." Justin sighed looking over at JC who walked solemnly towards the baggage claim with Angela following suit behind him. The girl hadn’t even realized a change in his demeanor hadn’t even realized that his heart rejected her and in place of her was a woman he had met before her and couldn’t be erased from his memory. Justin didn’t want to end up like that, he couldn’t bare the thought of wanting another but being committed to someone else. He never liked the prospect of cheating and had always been a strong believer in admitting up-front your true feelings if it came to a point where you no longer wanted to be with that person. Some people just liked the idea or the comfort of knowing that either way you’ll have someone by your side. That seemed even more ridiculous, for it seemed that cheating always killed two birds with one stone.

" Perk up honey." Lynn motioned for him to clasp his arms in hers and walk over to baggage claim with her. Justin sighed, there was no need to be as detached as he was. He was home now, a place that he could always find reverence. His old friends where here, his family, and even his favorite pet Milo. The more and more he thought of reasons to be happy, the more and more Maia repressed those thoughts. What was it about her that made him feel he’d be a man of joy if he had her by his side? He wanted to leave all that in New York, he just wanted to be free of her and thoughts of her. Free of her like she was obviously free of him. She probably was just waking up to the man he’d replace in a heart beat. Her soft lips probably separated sometime letting out soft breaths onto his neck while still being tangled up in his arms. Or they probably could be engaged in that energized and ever pleasing morning round of lovemaking. No matter what, nothing felt as good as it did waking up in the morning to making love. He felt a jab at his heart and shook his head to take him from his thoughts.

" You alright?" Nancy Fatone asked, hugging a disturbed looking Justin.

" Yes, I’m fine ma’am." he smiled and hugged his second mom. Joey pat him on his back, while Brianna attempted to do the same. Smiling at the happy father and his god child, Justin’s heart filled with a new found joy. He was home.

Maia wasn’t in fact entangled in the arms of her lover but in the black straps that belonged to her seat belt laid about the back seat resting after her eight hour detour. She had driven half way into North Carolina before Raven had taken over the wheel and almost had to come to blows with Jocelyn over who would remain in the back seat for the duration of the ride. The idea was to drive non stop, with three of them to do the job they should make it into Miami after a total of 24 hours of straight driving. Waking up Maia looked around at the scattering palm trees and wondered what part of the country they were in.

" Oh look who decided to wake up, Rip Van Winkle herself." Jocelyn teased looking at Maia through the rearview mirror. Raven didn’t partake in the laugh, being in a quite deep slumber herself but instead offered a haggard breath that Jocelyn fanned away. Maia laughed and looked questioningly out the window. Palm trees, stretches on eight lane highway, water, convertible cars.

" Uh, Josie where are we?"

" Home Sweet Home baby! We’re in Miami!" Jocelyn exclaimed her hands going up instantly. Maia leaned back smiling, they had finally made it. A place of new beginnings and new people. As promised Raven and Maia slipped Willy a note under the door of the club before hitting the rode for Miami. It left no current address or destination, just simply stated that they were never coming back to work for that piece of shit ever again. Of course, Raven had constructed the note. Maia laughed to herself, Raven had an explosive vernacular.

"What you back there cookin up?" Jocelyn beamed, her smile so radiant and breathtaking, Maia was sure she would have no trouble finding a modeling job down here.

" Nothing just anxious to see what Miami has to offer us?" Maia sighed and hugged herself. She knew she deserved this, it had been too long in the making for her not to finally come across a chance at success. She couldn’t help but think about Justin, he was the one she owed it all to. He had been the one looking for her, even if he did it without his knowledge. She was the dancer that he couldn’t rack from her brain and now the girl he that had been chosen for his video shoot. Thinking back to the video shoot, she couldn’t help but develop chills over her body. She missed his kiss, she missed his touch, and what had made it all seem so unbearable was that she hadn’t experienced them enough to miss them. Yet she did, there was no question in that. It was like stepping into a chocolate candy and being provided with a sample but rejecting the option to buy. She wondered where he was now, what was he doing? Was he thinking of her, like she was thinking of him? Then she remembered, guys seldom thought about other guys girls unless they were slimy and guided by their dick. Justin was none of the above, so the chances of her crossing his mind was slim to none, especially when he had the privilege of having any girl set in his sight.

" Oh, first hottie." Jocelyn exclaimed snapping her instant camera on the man who rode passed them in a yellow convertible car.

" Josie!" Maia laughed from the back in shock. She turned and saw the gorgeous beach blonde man wink at them.

" Oh yes this is going to be great." Jocelyn assured herself watching as a series of stretch navigator escalades rode pass them. " They could be famous."

" Or just filthy rich." Maia smiled at a baby who clapped her hands while looking out one of the open windows. Waving at the excited baby, Maia giggled as the baby jumped up and down.

" Awwww, isn’t that cute." Jocelyn cooed and waved herself. Just then a blonde haired woman with frizzy curls leaned forward waving at them both while instructing the baby to do the same. The friendly blue eyed woman waved one more time before their car pushed forward.

" Did you see that, the people of Miami are soo friendly."

" Josie, we haven’t even passed Orlando yet. It’s just the people of Florida in general." Maia smiled, she definitely couldn’t wait to see what was in store for her.