He hadnt seen her in at about 2 years. He had seen her older brother and parents. But whenever he had been back HOME, or they had come to a concert, she had been at college or busy or somethign. And now, she was here.
Seeing her brought back memories he had pushed down and forgotten. His first love, or so he thought. It was the only time he can acutally say he could relate to his fans. His idols were Stevie and Brian. But SHE was his obsession. For years he would hop on his 10 speed bike and pedal as fast as he could to her house, a block down the street.
He would knock on the door and enter, running up the steps, screaming "Hey Mrs. Thomas!" on his way. Then heading straight to her room. Sometimes she was already outside with a basketball in hand, or just sitting on the front porch tying flowers together in her infamous clover jewelery.
They had been best friends. Others called them childhood sweethearts. She had been his first kiss. Well, the childhood kissing, not his first REAL kiss.
It was the day before he had moved to Florida, and they were sitting on her front porch, her making a braclet out of flowers when he leaned over and brushed his puckerd lips agianst hers. He pulled away so quickly, it was like it never happened.
And they didnt say anything about it. She continued making her braclet and he just sat there, picking at the scab on his knee.
Finally Mrs. Thomas had come on the front porch and told him that his mother called and he needed to get home. The stars and moon had been out for a while and it was probably past nine, in the hot Tennessee summer.
Their goodbye had been quick. With a "I'll be sure to write" and a quick hug, he had hopped on his bike and rode away.
He knew then that he loved her, or so he thought. And he would forget it and surpress that feeling until he saw her agian. When she would visit the Disney set it was awkard, Britney and her actually getting along. For him is was strange to see his girlfriend and best friend get along. He felt almost guilty.
Then he moved back a few years later, but things werent the same. She was going to the same school, but he had gotten an ego and didnt talk to her much unless he was really bored on weekends and decided to shoot some hoops with her. Which rarely happened.
But their families had been close. And then it happened.
His parents divorced. His world crumbled, and she was there to pick up the pieces. It was weird becuase their familes always did things to together. And it would defientalely put a dent in things since his dad and her dad were friends and their moms were as tight as sisters. And she had stuck by him. He had allowed his walls to go down around her, and she had become his strength, his rock.
But it had settled out ok. Until Nsync came along, and Florida beckoned agian.
He still considered her his best friend, or at least a very close one. They had history and even though they werent as close as before becuase of the distance, the connection would always be there.
The Thomas's had vacationed in Orlando before Nsync got a record deal. And all the guys got along with her rather well. She had spunk. She was a girl but wasnt too girly and feminie. She could roll with the punches, take jokes and dish them out right back. She was like a sister or close cousin. When you knew her, she became family. And it was probably her best quality.
And then Nsync got signed and went to Germany. The letters got shorter and few and far between. The phone calls were basically non-exsistant, besides the rare, "Becky called, they are all doing fine." His mom would go on for hours about Becky Thomas, her best friend, and he would occasionally hear how the other Thomas's were doing.
Finally, America excepted the boyband.
He never saw her, unless they were in Memphis for a concert and they of course were invited. But she had school and soccer and tennis and basketball and church and choir and internships and a job at her dads pharmacy.
So he sometiems didnt get to see her. He would occasionally go over to her house when he visited his dad and Lisa and baby bro Stephen.
But she wasnt always there.
And so when Transcon had all that mess going on he spent all of his time in Florida focusing on the band and the distant grew even more. But he had really needed her during those tough months.
When Bye Bye Bye hit, he hadnt seen her since the previous summer tour. NSA exploded and he didnt have time to even think about it. A famous girlfriend slowly emerged and she was almost forgotten. She had gone to college out of state so was never home.
His family had come to the concerts in Tennessee for the No Strings attached tour and even the 2nd leg of the tour. But no show from her. Then after January 2001 he had time off. He had finished his parts for the albumn, or most of them and had decided to go home.
And maybe see her.
But she wasnt there, as usual.
She was in Greece studing the arcitecture in a college program. Her life had moved on, and so had his. And he realized that in that moment, there was no longer a relationship between Justin Timberlake and Amber Thomas.
And now, like a magic trick, she was there.
The tour had just kicked off and they had landed a date in Tennessee. As always, Lynn managed to get the Thomas' VIP seating and all access passes. Actually she just took them around everywhere.
Blake Thomas was Amber's older brother and he had taken his new girlfrined to a beach in North Carolina, so he wasnt there. And he knew that Becky and Steven Thomas, her parents would be there. But he was shocked when he walked into the big dining hall that was basically empty as the cooks got prepared for dinner, and saw her, with Stephen resting on her hip and her talking with "Chicken" or Melinda, whichever you want to call her.
Her normally, long blackish-brown hair, that fell to the middle of her back was now a short, modern style that was layered and bounced agianst her shoulders. Her teeth were perfectly white and straight, and she had a light brush of makeup agianst her eyes and lips. She had never worn makeup before and didnt really need it, but he wasnt complaining. Her style of worn jeans and tees had changed to tight bootleg khakis with tall black boots underneath and a fitted bright light blue tank top with a slit neckline.
She had grown up. She laughed, and his breath caught in his throat.
She was there.
Chris bounced up beside Justin, who was standing in the doorway. "Hey Curly, I mean Baldy..." Chris giggled at his new joke. "Britney called."
When Justin didnt respond, he followed Justin's gaze. "Who is that? She's pretty hot." Chris's eyes narrowed when he spotted Becky Thomas, a lady he knew alright, but knew Lynn and Justin knew VERY well.
Suddenly it clicked. "Is that..." He paused. "AMBY THOMAS!!!"
Her deep brown eyes locked on to his as her hair quickly swung around her face. "CHRISSY POO!!!!"
She gave Stephen to Melinda who took the child and giggled as Chris and Amber dramatically began to run towards each other, pretending for it to occur in slow motion.
Justin's eyes twinkled and a distant smile lit up his face.
"DANG GIRL! It's been too damn long!! What- you are looking FINE!" Chris said as they embraced tightly.
"I know, I'm out of college for summer and didnt have anything to do, so I figure, what they hey, I'll go see what those Nsync boys are up to. Where is everyone?" She asked still focused on Chris.
"Getting back from Sound Check, Justin's right over there." Chris turned and pointed to the door where Justin was staring at her, intently.
Her smiled disappeared and he began to see her eyes gloss over and water. He didnt realize it, but his had done the same. His legs were moving subconciosly. Her's slowly carried her to him and finally she smiled and half laughed as they came in range of each other.
"Well look what the-" She began, but before she could finish he had wrapped her in the tightest and most loving hug the world had ever seen. Her feet were lifted off the ground as he straightened his body back up, and inhaled the scent of her hair. Her shocked arms slid around his neck and held on to him as he held her off the ground and finally twirled her in the air.
"It's been way, way too long Amber." He whispered, setting her on the ground.
She looked up at him, noticing how he seemed to grow taller each time she saw him. His hand came to her face and wiped away the one tear that had broke free from the barrier of her long eyelashes.
"Yeah, it has. I've missed you're ego filled comments, punk. You never called or write." She punched him in the stomach jokingly but serious at the same time.
"I've missed you're punches." He cringed, rubbing his belly. "And you never came to my shows."
She threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes as an exaggerated sigh left her mouth. "Well forgive me for not stopping my life and bowing down to the almighty Timberlake. If you dont remeber Justin, I have baby photos of you running around naked with your underwear on your head so..."
"Ohh no you didnt." The playfull gleem of a 12 year old entered his eyes and he grabbed at her, making her run a few steps away.
"so dont make me...sTOPP!..." She yelled as he chased her around the dining hall.
"You did not bring up the baby photos! I know where you live, and I know about how you snuck out one night to go see Robin Hood with me."
"You did not bring up the KCMFM!"
"THE WHAT?" Chris asked, standing now beside Lynn and Becky watching the two run around like kids.
They stopped chasing each other and looked annoyed at Chris. "The Kevin Costner Mission For Movie!" They yelled at him and he just gave them a strange look.
And then the chase continued.
Before either of them knew it, the had run into the dressing rooms for Nsync and Justin was sitting on her ignoring her pleas for air as he picked up a magazine and pretending to read it and whistle.
"Justin..." She whined.
"Alrgiht, alright." He got off her and she sat up and he ploped back down beside her, smiling.
"Together agian, eh?" She nudged him.
"Yeah, you know it."
"I cant believe you brought up the KCMFM." She giggled.
He shrugged. "That was probably the funniest thing I've ever done. We schemed for WEEKS on how we could sneak out to go se that movie and then remember when we tried to sneak into the theater becuase we were 11 and it was a PG-13 movie."
"Yeah, we thought we were the stuff when Kathy Gibbs snuck us in. Good thing she liked my brother at the time."
"I know, man, she was hot."
"She was 16 and had braces and bifocals."
"So...she was an OLDER woman." Justin groaned and Amber fell into a fit of laughter.
"So whats this about Miss Spears, or is she a Timberlake now?" Amber nudged him and he turned his head to stare at her.
"Well, if you have heard by your mom probably or any newspaper, we are an item, I guess"
"Yeah, I KNOW that. I might not have seen you in forever, but I still watch my MTV. I want like details."
"Ohh, well, there isnt much. I hadnt seen her in a while, called her up, we were both lonely, went on a date, hit it off, blah blah blah."
"The Justin I know wouldnt talk about his love with the words 'blah'." She looked at him with one raised eyebrows and a knowing look.
"Well what about you, miss grown up into a beautiful woman. And boys you got tucked away?" He smiled as she blushed at his words.
"Beautiful woman? DOUBT IT!" She exclaimed. "And no, I'm single. I havent been very successful in the love department. A few dates here in there, but for some reasons guys get fed up with me after about 2 months."
"Well guys are stupid." He watched as she shook her head. "Seriously, Ambs, any guy that couldnt keep you is just stupid."
"I miss you, ya know." She blurted out.
He turned to stare at her face that was curtained by her short hair, as her head hung downwards. Justin comfortingly put and arm around her slumped shoudlers and brought her into his chest. "I know. I've missed you a bunch Ambey. And seeing you just comfirms that even more."
She fidgeted with her hands. "I know you are busy. And I know you barely have time-"
He intereupted her. "I will make time, if you need me, Amber. You know me, you've known me longer than anyone. So what if we havent seen each other in a while. You know I'd do anything for those I care about. What do you need?"
Her face tilted up to look at him from his chest. "I need your friendship back. I have friends at Virgina Tech, but not like it was with you."
"Amber, I'm willing to give you whatever, but you gotta understnad that its going to have to be long distance babe. You know how it is."
"I know, I'm willing to try this. I need you in my life. I mean, we have a bond Timberlake, we are blood sibling remember."
Justin chuckled. "We both had scraped elbows, and I dont really think touching them together bonded us really. But I know what you mean. What we have is too precious to just forget. And I'm going to apoligize, becuase I did that. I forgot about all this, and how much it means."
"Me too." She whispered.
He held her there agianst him for a while. Letting them just get use to being togheter agian. They had patched up the tears and and rips in their friendship and sown it back togehter with a stronger bond than before. He didnt know what this would mean for his future, but he knew one thing, that he was glad it was back. He had been needing her, and didnt even realize it.
The door busted open and there stood Joey and JC with Becky, Steven and Lynn with baby Stephen in her arms.
"I cant believe you've been hanging around here without us knowning it! Give Big Joey a hug, Ambs!" Joey said stretching out his arms and picking her off Justins chest and giving her a bear hug.
"I want a HUG!" JC whined and pulled her away, she just looked amuzed and shocked between them.
"And I'm mad, Baby J didnt come give his second mom some lovin yet! Hello?" Becky exaggerated much like her daughter did and Justin giggled and stood up to give her a hug.
"Justin I told you once before to be all you can be, but I didnt mean it litereally!" Stephen said as Justin looked at him confused until he rubbed his head playfully.
"Yeah, I was afriad this Nsync thing wasnt going to work out so I signed up for the Amry. Actually its the Navy, I'm becoming a Navy Seal next month." He spoke facisiously and arrogantly.
Amber coughed in her fist. "Yeah right." He shot her a look and smiled.
"Well, lets go see if we can find Lance and Chris and we will go to the dining hall and all catch up, alright?" Purposed Lynn.
They all filed out of the dressing room and Justin stuck out his elbow for Amber to take. She rolled her eyes and slid her arm in the crook of his and let him escort her to dinner.
"I'm glad I came."
"Me too, Ambs, Me too."
She giggled when she saw JC jump on Joey's back infront of them. "Just like old times."
"Yup, Just and Ambs: Together Agian."
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