Chapter 10
AT THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT…
“Hey Mandi, I was going over to see Justin, I was wondering if you wanted to come.” Leah offered praying she would say yes so she could talk to JC.
“Thanks but no thanks.”
“You sure? I know for a fact JC will be there.” Leah offered her a weak smile.
“I have a date with JC later tonight. I have to do something with my mom anyways. So I’ll see you later. Bye.” Mandi started up her car.
“Bye.” Leah hopped in her car and went to Justin’s house as soon as she could. When she got there she knocked lightly on the door and Chris opened it.
“Hi.” She said quietly.
“Hey.” He said just as quiet.
“Where’s Justin?”
“Upstairs, he’ll be down in a few minutes. One question.”
“What?”
“Why are we talking so quiet?”
“I don’t know. I think JC may be a little mad at me.”
“He’s upset but not at you don’t worry. Come in the kitchen with me.”
“Okay.” She started talking a little louder.
“I hate when the media finds out. I don’t want to tell JC but that’s how me and my ex-girlfriend broke up. She really hated the media. They found out who she was and she just didn’t want that kind of life.”
“Was it love?”
“I thought it was but she said when it’s love, it’s perfect.”
“It’s never perfect. There’s always a problem.”
“Did you and Justin ever say I love you?” Chris asked quietly. Leah frowned.
“No. I was going to tell him. It was such a beautiful day even though it was April. The sun was out and the birds were chirping. I was so scared to tell him but I thought God had sent me a perfect day to make me feel better. I know it sounds stupid but I thought I was in love. I finally saw Justin at lunch time. I walked up to him and I had such a big smile on my face. I wore this pink sundress because Justin had told me it was his favourite. He asked me to take a walk with him so I did. He said he had something very important he wanted to tell me. I thought he was gonna tell me the same thing.” Leah exhaled, tilting her head backwards just in case any tears that were welling up in her eyes decided to come out.
“What happened?”
“He told me we had to break up. We HAD too. He said he was moving away to Orlando to start his music career. Of course attempting a long distance relationship didn’t even pop into his mind. I was so mad at him.”
“What did you do when he broke up with you?”
“I turned around and walked away calmly. I kept walking until I got to my bedroom and I just cried and cried and cried. I told my mom what happened. If I didn’t she was gonna send me back to school. I went back to school the next day. I didn’t want everyone to think I was a baby. Everyone found out that we broke up.”
“How?”
“I stopped talking to Justin. I was so sad; I didn’t want to talk to him. I told him to stop walking me to class and I switched my chem. Partner. Justin was leaving in two days. He didn’t even have to come to school since he was leaving but he wanted too.”
“Why?”
“Everyone said he wanted to try to talk to me, that he wanted to say good bye. They told me I was being unreasonable not talking to him but what could I do I was heartbroken.”
“Did he ever say goodbye?”
“The day he was supposed to leave he didn’t show up to school. I was devastated; I really did want to see him one last time before her left. Afterwards I walked home and Justin was waiting on my front porch when I got home. My mom knew and I got so mad at her after that. He said he was very sorry and that he would email me all the time. He said that he wished he didn’t have to break up with me and that he was going through all the pain I was. Then he hugged me; I just stood there. He told me to say something so I said ‘Good luck’ and I walked into my house. I watched him from upstairs. He sat on my porch for a while then his mom came and picked him up. That’s it.”
“Whoa. It’s a painful memory.” Chris walked over to her.
“Ya it is. But what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, right?” Leah wiped away a tear that slid down her cheek. Then another and another.
“Don’t cry. He’s yours now.” Chris hugged Leah.
“I’ve never told anyone that before. I would feel so embarrassed. I don’t like when people feel sorry for me.”
“You shouldn’t keep stuff like that in. You need to tell people.”
“I didn’t keep it to myself.”
“I’m confused.” Leah smiled a little.
“I started to write songs.”
“You write songs. That’s so cool.”
“They’re all about my pain and misery.” Leah and Chris hadn’t known but Justin had been standing outside the kitchen door. He had heard the whole conversation. When he walked in, he acted like he had heard nothing.
“Hey Leah, when did you get here?” He tried to sound cheerful but he saw the same pain in her eyes now that he saw almost a year ago when he broke up with her. “I’m sorry can you excuse me for a second?”
“Sure J.” Justin walked out of the kitchen. He walked outside and sat on the balcony.
“What’s up with Justin?” Obviously Leah hadn’t noticed but Chris saw the way Justin looked at Leah when he walked in. He felt bad. He felt sorry for her. Chris had figured that Justin had heard their conversation.
“I don’t know. I’ll go see.” Chris started to go.
“I’ll go with you.”
“No.” He said very quickly. “I just want a few minutes to talk to J myself.”
“Okay but promise you won’t tell him.”
“I promise.” He promised but J already knew. Leah smiled at him.
“Thank you.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
OUTSIDE…
When Chris walked out Justin was talking to him self.
“You’re such an idiot Justin. How could you be so stupid? So blind? How could you hurt her so much?”
“Very good questions to ask.” Chris said after watching him for a minute or so. Justin jumped when he heard Chris.
“Right now I would usually be mad because you were ease dropping on your own girlfriend’s PRIVATE conversation with me but I just feel so bad. She’s in so much pain and she hides it very well. Those acting classes are great for her.”
“I heard you guys. I know she’s in pain. It’s not like she was the only one hurting. It killed me to do that to Leah but I had too. You guys were even complaining about me when I first started the group. I wasn’t happy at all. I was miserable too but I had music. I was almost eighteen when all this happened. I wasn’t as smart then but I’m not stupid anymore. I won’t let her go this time.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Leah stood in the doorway.
“You guys like to ease drop. I’m just gonna go.” Chris walked back into the house.
“I’m so sorry Leah.” Justin pulled her in a tight hug.
“It’s okay.”
“No, its not. I hurt you so bad.”
“I’m fine.” Tears started to fall down Leah’s cheeks.
“I didn’t mean too.”
“I know you didn’t.”
“I didn’t want too either.”
“I know Justin.” He pulled her even tighter.
“It was the biggest mistake of my life and I regret it all the time.”
“I’m sorry I never said good-bye.”
“I understand I hurt you, its okay.”
“Since were apologizing here, I’m sorry I took your cupcake.” Justin thought a moment, then his face lit up.
“In grade 10 at the semi formal?”
“Uh huh.” Leah smiled a little.
“There is no way I’ll forgive you for that.” Justin joked.
“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
“Let’s watch a little TV before you have to go to dance and acting.”
“I love TV.” They walked into the living room holding hands. “What are you watching Chris?”
“Just some MTV. They showed one of our old videos and we all looked so stupid.”
“Now we have some up to date news on your favourite celebrities and No I’m not talking about myself.”
“How corny was that?” Leah laughed.
“MTV cameras were at the N*SYNC interview a few days ago and this is what Justin had to say about the rumors flying around about him and Britney Spears.” A video clip of Justin at the interview came on the screen showing Justin say that he and Britney Spears have never even met yet.
“I’m sorry ladies, I know this is heart breaking to hear but we have even more information on JC and his mystery girlfriend. We all know her name is Mandi and we are guessing that she lives in Los Angeles as well since JC and Mandi were seen at the airport together by two fans.” Different pictures of JC and Mandi were flashing across the screen. “The fans describe her as skinny and tall at least 5’10 and very pretty. More details are still not known but I think we will be finding out who she is very very soon.”
“Can’t they just leave them alone?” Leah said angrily. “Don’t they have anything better to do than to wreck their relationship?”
“They’re the media baby. They don’t care.”
“Well I have to go. I have acting soon. My agent got me an audition for this movie.”
“You’ll do great babe.” Justin kissed her forehead.
“I hope so. Bye.” Leah let herself out.
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