" Mai, come one he’s lonely." Jocelyn pleaded finally looking her regular self after having been granted a full month’s absence of abuse. Her long blonde hair cascaded around her thin shoulder which still had the slight imprint of a black and blue bruise.

" Really, cuz we’re broke and im not turning another trick just to pay off your gotdamn collect calls."Maia screamed pulling the jack from the wall. " Get a fucking life Josie. HE beats the shit out of you, why aren’t you out celebrating! He’s fucking gone!" Maia exclaimed throwing her hands up in exasperation. Jocelyn pinched her lips from drawing into a soft smile, why had she been on the phone with him? She clearly deserved better, this had been the first time in months she could look at her face in the mirror and not see a scratch or scar.

" Your right Mai." she sighed surprising herself and Maia looked at loss for words. " Your right." Jocelyn smiled through tears just thinking of the impeccable things she had put her roommate as well as herself through. And by God’s good grace, she was rid of him. Through it all Maia had remained by her side, helping her time after time even when she knew it was pointless. Jocelyn stood up and drew her friend into a hug, they had been through too much together these last three years, and yet they remained together.

" It’s about damn time." Maia breathed through her friend’s shoulder, holding her close to her. She cried on the sheer strength that her friend was coming back to her, a person whom she had felt she lost a long time ago. The two had grown up together in Taffy, Minnesota- a backwater country town that left them starving for life in the city. Living next door to each other, they couldn’t help but become best friends. It just so happened they were also the two most gorgeous girls within a 50 mile radius, which proved to be a source of negativity in their lives. They survived their homes, junior high, high school and now this together. Holding onto a promise they made to each other, they vowed to never leave one another’s side no matter how compromising the situation.

" Who you tellin." Jocelyn laughed pulling her friend back and looking into her tear stained face. Touching the side of Maia’s damp cheek, she admired her beauty. " You be the prettiest of them all Ms. Maia.: she mimicked their favorite childhood movie "The Color Purple". Maia broke out into laughter bringing her hand up to Jocelyn’s face, crying at the sight of the life protruding behind her baby blue’s.

" I be’s dat huh?, but so does you Ms Josie Carmicheal." Maia smiled and the two friends embraced.

" Now what you say about celebrating."

Justin sat in a secluded corner of a little café diner called Benjamin’s watching as life buzzed around the bust streets of New York. JC had just excused himself to the bathroom, but really intended to use the allotted time to place a quick phone call to his current main squeeze Angela Stokes- who had every intentions of joining him before the sun fell down even though she resided in the sunny nest of Miami.

" I say before 5." Chris sighed looking down at his watch engaging in a betting gamble with Joey on what time Angela would arrive in New York.

" Thats being realistic, we’re talking Angela hear. I guarantee 3." Joey countered stuffing a bagel into his mouth. It was currently 11:47 a.m. and they were waiting for Lance to show so they could head off to the beginning of "Cry Me A River" production with their youngest but thriving member Justin Timberlake. To show their support they made an appearance with him last night on Saturday Night Live to assure the fans that they weren’t breaking up just trying out different avenues. Justin looked from the window and smiled at his brothers, he loved being around them. If only admitting it to himself, he had missed them horribly the past two months they had been working on their respective projects. Joey had become a stay home dad with his new arrival Brianna as well as working the broadway scene. Justin had seen him the most of the group since he had been back and forth between New York and Orlando. JC was stationed in Orlando working on his album and new found love Angela that he had met while walking the beach one Florida night- how romantic:). Chris was out in L.A. designing clothes and sponsoring numerous children hospital charity events. Justin had flew down their last month in April to participate in a basketball game which he ended up winning with his star studded team. Lance was in Nashville working on his productions company for country music artists, it was rumored amongst the group that he had taken a particular interest in country artist debut Courtney Dream and that was the reason for his delay.

" Hey." Lance breezed in, his linen blazer producing a chorus of laughter around the table.

" I knew it would happen, as soon as we let him go he’s gone." Chris laughed hugging the blonde haired man who at present was beet red with embarrassment.

" What it’s a designer original."

" Tell your mom good work on the stitching." Joey smiled patting his back.

" Tell your mom to mail me my draws." Lance winked and Justin gave him an encouraging pound.

"That’s what im talking about boy!" Justin sat back, while Lance took a seat next to JC’s vacant chair and for the first time realized they were missing one member. The entire group eyes him in response and Lance shook his head in understanding.

" Oh, I see...Ashley right."

" No, AN-GE-LA." JC corrected taking his seat while patting his friend on the back. The whole group made silly noises in response and waited as their friend took his seat.

" By the way I just talked to her, she called on my way to the bathroom." Everyone, excluding JC made a "sure I believe you" gesture as the brown haired man continued. Clearing his throat JC took a sip of his water. " She’s gonna be coming in at 2:15."

" Up, cough up the money dough man."Joey smiled as Chris slapped a five in his hand. Before JC could be offended, Justin broke in and began with the focus of their reunion.

" As we all know we’re hear to shoot my video." He stated boastfully and Joey smacked him over the head. " Hater." Justin teased clearing his throat. " And today we’re going to be speaking with Hype to formulate ideas on the plot. I need everyone to grab their thinking cap. Joey I know you can’t find yours so I’ll let you borrow mine."

" Ha ha, not so funny." Joey rolled his eyes taking a sip of his soda.

" That girl you had in your last video was hot." Chris commented venturing on who would be the next leading lady of this video.

" Yeah Deja, she’s cool." Justin shrugged unphased.

" So who you got in mind for this next video."

Raven and Maia hadn’t even realized that Jocelyn was no longer walking beside them on the crowded street of Lexington Ave. where the girls had decided to go shopping in attribute to the fact that Jocelyn was back at it again. They had just left Chic and were making their way to Kenny’s to buy shoes, Raven carrying the most bags of them all.

" Hey crew, missing somethin." Jocelyn yelled about a block behind them. Raven and Maia stopped and turned to see their loud mouth friend waving vigorously at them.

" What in the world." Maia sighed starting back towards her. As they approached the beautiful blonde bombshell who looked amazing in her crop top tee and hipster jeans they saw her standing next to a poster advertising the world reknown modeling agency Sasha Inc. Maia rolled her eyes towards Raven who had lowered the oakley sunglasses that covered her hazel eyes and stared questioningly at Jocelyn.

" Come on, Mai member our dream, to become world famous models and star in commercials and videos." Jocelyn gushed pointing at the poster adorning a beautiful foreign model.

" It’s not like you guys don’t have the bodies." Raven agreed as if the idea sounded somewhat practical. Maia couldn’t believe she was even considering this, how lovely it would be to live the life she dreamed. There was only one problem, reality.

" OK lets bring it back to the fore front, we are nickle and diming it here on our way to Kenny’s. Let’s not loose focus on silly dreams." Maia sighed pulling her two friends along after her.

" Thats exactly what happened and that’s why we’re where we are today. WE lost sight of OUR dream." Jocelyn continued, Raven chiming in every so often to voice her support.

" No we got smacked in the face with reality." Maia argued trying not to discourage her friend but at the same time not uplift her on false hope. There were thousands of beautiful girls wanting to become models, and also thousands with experience and connections. Jocelyn and herself lacked two of the three, besides their good looks they had nothing when it came to making it in the modeling business.

" This is not a bad idea, what can you loose from showing up for an audition?" Raven shrugged in that nonchalant way that drove Maia crazy, it was an obvious attempt of reverse psychology to down play a possible life altering situation that would seem more accomplishable in a dimmer light.

" Come on Mai, just one audition. You never know, it could change our lives." Jocelyn jumped right in winking at Raven who winked back.

"We’ll see ." Maia sighed promising herself that she wouldn’t get to worked up over the impossible.

" So have you figured out what you want your leading lady to look like?" Justin bit his lip in amusement as his four other group members raised their hands simultaneously ready to answer the question of the hour. Of course Hype Williams would ignore every other hand but Joey’s and request his response.

" Ok its like this Hype, we’re looking for a Billy Jackson look alike." Joey nodded his head in understanding at Hype’s confused expression. " Make a long story short this stripper at Secrets Unfolded."

" A gentleman’s club, she just has a very masculine name." Lance clarified and Joey contiued.

" Tall, thin, shapely, dark hair and mesmerizing brown eyes." Looking towards Justin for approval, Justin breathed a sigh of relief. Thank gosh Joey didn’t use his earlier description, Justin thought. Hype nodded in concentration and called to his assistant who approached rapidly. The mousy looking woman handled a short notebook, which she opened and began writing in furiously.

" OK tall, thin, shapely, dark hair and brown eyes." Hype read off quickly interrupted by Joey Fatone.

" Uh Hype that was MESMERIZING brown eyes, there is a difference." Joey corrected. Laughing cooly, Hype instructed his assistant to write that down.

" We’ll take a look at what Sasha Inc. Has to offer, and see what girls Milo has." Hype waved the mousy looking woman named Anne off and turned back to the group. " How about casting a week from tomorrow."

" So your not over her yet?!" Justin thought he might try ignoring the question, but felt it was only right to respond to a person he was looking dead in the eye, even if it was just Joey. They were seated at the airport, having been designated to take JC to pick Angela up since Lance and Chris had some errands to run. He was sitting on a ledge beside Joey a few feet away from JC who waited anxiously at the terminal for his beloved. He turned to look out at the people crowded below pointing at him and taking pictures, flashing an award winning smile he waved back at them.

" What are you talking about Joe?!" Joey mimmicked him, rolling his eyes upward.

" I’m talking about Billy."

" This Billy, or whoever, I don’t even know them to be trying to get over them in the first place."

" Oh really." Joey sighed not buying any word that the young man spilled out. In fact he knew Justin was still replaying the night over and over in his head. No wonder the poor boy had made his way up to New York so often during the two month period. He was just waiting for Joey to bring up going back to that club, but as it turned out Joey decided not to give in and babysat his way out of every boy’s night. He wasn’t letting his friend off that easily.

" Really Joe. It’s not like I would want a blonde babe to play the part. It’s a depressing song..."

" Dress her up in black." Justin laughed at his friend and shook his head. The man never ceased to amuse him. Just then a wave from JC caught his eye, and Justin signaled Joey to walk over with him so they could finally be introduced to Angela.

" Guys this is Angela." a petite red head with a face full of freckles smiled sweetly up at them. Justin was half expecting to see braces pop out when she opened her mouth. She was fairly built with boyish hips and a heart shaped face. She was more cute than she was beautiful.

" Hey." Justin elbowed Joey so that he would reconstruct his face as they both greeted her.

" Hi." Angela gushed falling into JC’s open arms and smiling brightly.

" Well, what are we waiting for?" JC cooed and pulled Angela along with him to the exit.

" What in the world...." Joey trailed off shaking his head following behind Justin towards their limousine.

Justin walked into his hotel room still buzzing with the laughter from his very first encounter with Jc’s new girlfriend. He was too glad to have made the acquaintance with Joey, although with Chris it would have also been a laughing stock. He slipped off his shirt throwing it on the dresser before walking out into the living area to watch tv. He slipped a hand into his pants to feel the warmth and layed back against the plush cushion of the couch to relax. Like clock work a commercial flashed with Britney Spears filling the screen. Justin closed his eyes pushing away anything thought provoking that would drive him to start thinking about his ex girlfriend. If he was to spend the night alone, he’d rather not be accompanied with thoughts of his ex girlfriend. It didn’t take him long to settle on something to think about, in fact he had already seen her walking towards him in a way of seduction that even now, two months later, he responded to all the same. She filled his thoughts, and as of late it wasn’t even her specifically, it was just the thought of the mysterious woman he had clicked with that night. He wanted her, he wanted something to fulfill this lonesome. He was tired of forcing himself to be content inside of just anyone who happened to be available for the moment. He wanted someone to call his own, and he felt quite ridiculous feeling this way now that he was a 21 year old pop star sought after by the majority of the female population. Suddenly the phone rang bringing him out of his own thoughts, distracting him from his fantasy. He leaned over and picked up the phone, his hand reluctantly coming out of his pants.

" Justin." of all the calls to receive that moment, it would only be Britney, as if she had some radar that signaled his lonesome.

" Brit, whats up?" he had a straight to the point tone about his voice, obviously not in the mood for any head games. She cleared her voice on the other end, signaling a default in her plan and began speaking.

"I can’t stop thinking about you. I miss what we had Justin." her voice pleaded with him. He sighed inwardly, why was she doing this to him now. Of all moment to catch him, why had she choose that exact moment when he felt vulnerable.

" Brit, don’t do this. It’s over, done with. Alright." he tried to sound convincing. Any other time he had been convinced. I mean it didn’t take much to see her heart wasn’t with him if she partook in various rump sessions with their former choreographer Wade Robeson. Only now as he sat on the couch, feigning for some type of female companionship, all was forgotten

" I’m sorry Justin, I don’t know what was going on with me. All I know is that right now I need you." And he could hear it in her voice, that yearning captivating him in such a manner that he hadn’t even realized he was able to respond that quickly. He looked down at his lap and felt ready to explode with desire. This wasn’t suppose to be happening.

" I’m in New York Justin, let me come see you." He wanted to hold out, he wanted to convince himself that he didn’t need her. He wanted to so bad.

" Room 411, u know the hotel." with that he hung up dreading the day after tonight, when he would realize what he had done.