I left the doctor’s office and climbed into my car, fighting back the frustration that consumed me. I had been home over two weeks now, while Justin was still back in LA. But the funny thing was that even though I’d been home, and Justin would call me almost every night to check up on me, he still had made no attempt to talk to Johnny about letting him come down for a few days, at least for one check up.
I knew he was busy with the album promotion, and I knew I’d said that I wouldn’t expect him to just leave everything and flock to me, but still. I needed him here some days, and I’d thought he’d at least make some sort of effort for at least ONE visit.
Another thing that seemed to be plaguing me was my mother. She didn’t seem too happy about the fact that I was having a baby, with Justin no less. But she still insisted I come down and stay with her, looking after me. Her version of looking after me? Me going back to work in the infamous hat shop that I had fist met Justin.
The doctor had suggested I relax, but relaxing was hard to do in my situation. So as I turned on the car and backed out of the parking spot, I began thinking of excuses to not go back home, but by the time I’d reached the highway and pulled into the driveway I’d run out of excuses.
So giving a sigh of defeat, as I noticed my mother’s car in front of me, I got out and tiredly walked into the house, trying to relax.
A few hours later I found myself yawning and trying to close out the sound of my mother’s voice. I loved her, really I did, but if she kept this up I was seriously going to have to find some place else to stay.
She kept on insisting, from the moment I walked in the door, that maybe Justin wasn’t the right one for me, and just maybe I should start finding someone else. Someone who could be there more than Justin could. I knew she meant well, but she really had no clue about the history me and Justin shared.
"Mom please," I said and yawned loudly so she would shut up, "I know you mean well but…"
"I’m only looking out for you Tiffany," her voice was soft but stern as she looked at me from the other end of the room. I nodded and ran a hand through my hair.
"Like I said, I know but this is a different situation," I began, "There are things that…" I was abruptly cut off as the door bell rang, and looked over to my mother who frowned.
"I wonder who that could be. I’m not expecting anyone, are you?" she asked and I shook my head, getting up as I did so.
"Not that I recall," I said and began making my way to answer the door as it rang again. "I’ll just go see who it is."
"Alright," she called after me, "But don’t be long, I’m not finished with this conversation yet." I rolled my eyes and nodded as I left the room and walked down the hallway towards the front door. The bell rang again just as I reached it.
"Yes?" I asked as I opened the door, just as I did so my mouth dropped slightly open. "JC?"
"Hey Tiffany," my friend smiled slightly as he stood on the front step with a faded army green duffle bag over one shoulder and wearing a pair of brand new blue jeans and a white shirt.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, and despite of myself reached forward and hugged him. I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since the time when he’d told me about Justin’s reaction to the baby.
"Sorry I haven’t returned any of your calls, I’ve been swamped with work," he said and hugged me back before I let go of him, "But, uh, J called me and apologised for blowing up in my face, and well as you can see here I am." I looked at him, and couldn’t help the smile that was on my face.
"But how did you find me?" I asked, and he let a low chuckle out from his chest.
"Justin, again," he replied and ran a hand through his hair, "He called and said he was worried about you, and since he couldn’t come out himself he wondered if I’d stop by and keep you company. You don’t mind do you?"
I smiled and shook my head, taking his arm as I did so, "No of course not. Come in." He smiled and allowed me to lead him into the house slowly.
"Thanks," he grinned and dropped his bag to his feet as I stopped to close the door behind us; I turned to face him and nodded.
"So I’m taking it you and Justin are back to talking?" I asked and he nodded.
"Yeah we are, and I’m gathering you are too or else he wouldn’t have asked me to come down," JC said softly and looked at me, "I would have come down anyway if I knew you were here, I didn’t until Justin mentioned it."
"That’s understandable," I smiled and took his coat from him as he removed it and hung it on the coat rack. "I really didn’t tell anybody, tabloids and such."
"Yeah, they can be a pain," JC agreed and placed a hand on my arm as I turned back to face him, "But other than that you’re okay yeah?"
I nodded and gave him another smile, "Yeah I am, thanks."
"Tiffany?" I groaned as my mother’s voice interrupted our conversation and I knew she’d want to meet JC. "Who was it? Did you tell them to go away?" JC chuckled under his breath and I shook my head.
"No mom," I called back and took JC’s arm, "It was a friend, he’s going to stay for a while is that okay?"
"God, no need to yell!" she called back and both JC and I laughed, "Of course he can stay! Bring him in here so I can meet him!" I could hear the delight in her voice at the thought of me having a male friend other than Justin over. I sighed, and looked at JC who nodded, allowing me to lead him into the living room and be introducing him to my mother.
In the two weeks that JC stayed with us, I found myself spending more and more time with him, rebuilding our friendship by going out to lunches, hanging out at the few bars that my home town owned or even just chilling at home doing nothing.
He was great to have around, he seemed to buffer me from my mother’s lectures (as she’d seemed to have fallen right in love with him) and he was willing to accompany me to doctor’s appointments and give Justin a full report at the end of each day. He was sort of like the super friend.
He helped around the house, doing what he can for my mother (another reason why I think she fell in love with him, Justin would never have done anything of the sort) and doing what he could for me. It was great, so much so that sometimes we managed to loose ourselves in the moment, forget where we were, and that as I would learn later, would cost us dearly.
I was at home that day, a few days before JC had to leave and waiting for him and my mother to come back from the grocery store. I had been reading a magazine, and the TV was buzzing lightly in the back ground when I heard the key in the door.
I placed my magazine down beside me and slowly got to my feet, making my way to the kitchen. I leaned against the kitchen counter, waiting for them to come in laden with packages.
They came in alright, and laden with packages, but with a stony silence around them. It was one that they had never experienced together, mainly because my mother adored talking JC’s ear off every time she had him alone.
"Tiffany," my mother greeted me and placed her bags down on the counter behind me as JC followed suit.
"Mom," I replied and waited for her to say more, but she didn’t. Instead, unlike her usual routine, she exited the room, leaving the bags unpacked and without saying another word. I frowned and looked at JC, "Wonder got into her."
"This," he replied, pulling out a magazine from one of the bags and handing it to me. I watched him place the bags in his arms down before glancing down at what he had given me, letting my mouth fall open in shock.
"Shit," I grumbled staring at the glossy cover, which adored a large photo of me and JC holding hands in some small café.
"Yeah," he agreed and I heard him sigh in frustration.
"How did they find out?" I asked, because not only was there a picture of me and JC laden on the cover, there were also the words "EX-NSYNCER GETS JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE DANCER PREGNANT: GET THE SCOOP ON PAGE 21."
"I don’t know Tiff," JC’s voice was soft and I felt his hand cover my arm, "We need to find out how they found out." I nodded dumbly and allowed him to lead me back into the living room and sit me down.
"Shit, have you read this?" I moaned as I flipped to the page 21.
"Yeah I did and so did you mom," he replied and watched as I read through the article, where the writer claimed that I was pregnant with JC’s baby and that Justin had found out and was fuming mad at the two of us.
It also mentioned the fact that Justin and I were had been getting close recently and to support this evidence there were small pictures of Justin and I laughing together and goofing off like we used to. So to sum it up; I apparently was cheating on Justin with his best friend JC.
"Great," I said and slapped the magazine shut before slamming it down on the table, "This is just what we need, after we went through all that trouble to get Justin to believe we weren’t sleeping together. God, I hope he hasn’t read this yet."
As if on cue, JC’s cell phone rang, the familiar tone of The Police filled the air. I glanced over to JC to see if he would answer it, he gave me a scared looked before nodded and flipping the phone open.
"Hey J," he tried to sound relaxed, hoping not to get Justin suspicious yet. "Yeah all is good here. Yup she’s fine, how about yourself? Really? Well that’s great, I’ll talk to her about it and we’ll call you back later tonight ok? Alright then kid, see ya."
"Well?" I asked, a bit shocked the conversation went quite smoothly. JC flipped his phone shut and looked at me, the same shocked expression on his face.
"I don’t think he knows, yet," JC said and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, "But I think it’s only a matter of time before he does."
"What did he say?" I asked and JC sighed with a shrug.
"Apparently, Johnny all of a sudden wants you guys to come out and tell the world you’re pregnant with J’s kid," JC said and I gasped in shock.
"What? What made Johnny change his mind about this?" I asked, although I knew JC probably didn’t have an answer for me.
"I don’t know," JC said and chewed his bottom lip carefully in thought, "But apparently he thought of the best time for you guys to come out of the shadows."
"And when would that be?" I said looking at JC with doubt, if Johnny had all of a sudden agreed for Justin and I to be so open about the baby, I knew something was up.
JC smiled sheepishly and managed to look at me, holding my gaze, "The Video Music Awards next week."
