Chapter Twenty-Three
"So he's really going to show up with Britney tonight? Even with all the cameras and reporters that will be there turning it into a huge story?" Hollie was staring at Gaby with a completely disbelieving expression on her face as she prodded for more information on the current Justin situation. It was the day of the Grammy's and Trace had only just gotten around to telling Gaby about Justin's plan to be Britney's date for the evening. And even then he'd just sort of thrown it in the middle of a conversation about what their lunch plans were. Sort of a, "Hey, babe, what do you want to do for lunch and hey, did I tell you? Justin's gone insane and decided it's a good idea to show up with his ex-girlfriend tonight in front of the media and the love of his life." Gaby sighed and took a break from painting her toenails to look up at Hollie who was leaning against the wall and examining her fingernails.
"Yeah, I guess so. Trace thinks his goal is to make Rachael jealous. I'm sure it'll work, but I have no idea what he hopes to accomplish." She shook her head before returning to the task at hand. Or foot, as the case may be.
"He's a moron. They're both morons. Why are they both such morons?" Hollie lamented, putting a hand to her head as though even thinking about said morons gave her a headache. Which it quite possibly did, come to think of it. Gaby sighed again, trying to perfect the polish on the big toe of her right foot.
"I have no idea, but I really wish they'd just stop it already and save us all a lot of time and anguish."
"Amen to that." Hollie nodded in agreement and walked over to sit down next to Gaby on the bed. "All I can say is I'm not sure I'm glad I'll be there to see Rachael's reaction. I have a feeling heads are going to roll." Both Hollie and Gaby would also be attending the event that night - Hollie with JC and while Gaby was technically Chris's date, he'd really only invited her so that Trace could have her with him. Gaby nodded in agreement and there was a knock on the door singalling the arrival of the female topic of their conversation. Hollie hopped up off the bed and opened the door to the hotel room they'd booked to get ready in. They would have just gone with their apartment, but it was on the other side of the city and had figured this was more convenient. Plus the guys, aside from Justin and JC who had opted to stay in their respective homes, were staying there as well so it would be easier for them to leave and return together.
"Can I just say that I hate Los Angeles? Because I really do. I hate it. It's ugly and smoggy and the traffic is terrible and remind me to never again flip someone off here because I swear some guy just threatened to shoot me. Which happens in San Francisco too, but at least we have the pretty bridge. LA doesn't even have a pretty bridge. I really hate it here." Rachael let all of this out in a rush of breath as Hollie stepped aside to let her in the hotel room.
"Hi Rach," Gaby greeted her with a laugh and a shake of her head.
"Hi." Rachael hung the garment bag containing her dress in the closet and dropped her other bag on the floor before falling backwards onto the bed. Luckily, Gaby had just finished applying her nail polish or it would have completely thrown her off. "Have I mentioned that I hate LA?"
"Why, no you haven't!" Hollie replied sarcastically, grinning as she pushed Rachael over to make room for herself.
"News to me," Gaby added with a smile.
"I loathe you both." She fiddled with the ring on her left ring finger as she stared up at the ceiling and let out a sigh. She, Hollie and Gaby had had a long conversation on the phone the night before and the two had apologized for cornering her the last time they'd spoken. They had conveniently left out the part where they weren't sorry for what they said, just how they'd said it and they also failed to mention that they thought it was neccesary, but on the whole Rachael had accepted it and it was now in the past. Since their original approach hadn't worked, the two were now planning to just sit back and hope things worked themselves out. And if they didn't work themselves out, they'd just have to hurt her.
"You know if you keep flopping around like that, you're going to ruin this girlie look you've got going on." Hollie said, referring to the makeup, jewelry, and updo Rachael was sporting. It looked a bit odd with the jeans and sweatshirt she was wearing, but once she'd put on her dress it was a pretty safe bet that Lance, and probably Justin for that matter, would have a hard time keeping his eyes - and hands - off of her.
"Dude, I don't even care. This is the one reason I hate these things. I love going and I love picking out the dress, but getting makeup and all that done." She pulled a face. "I even got a pedicure, you guys. A pedicure. I thought the lady was going to die when she saw my feet she looked so distressed. I kept saying 'I'm a dancer' so she didn't think I was just some completely weird person who does horrible things to her feet for no reason. I even told her, 'I destroy my feet for art. For art, you see.' I think she was scared of me."
"You got a pedicure?" Gaby asked skeptically. "Okay, off with the shoes. I have to see this." She giggled and Rachael shook her head.
"No way. Even post-pedicure I have ugly feet. It's really quite depressing and you'll see them tonight because I let some moron who lives in my apartment talk me into buying some horrible strappy shoe...things." Rachael waved her arms around as she spoke and shook her head when referring to Laura. As much as she protested though, once she got the dress on and everything she'd be having way too much fun. Normally she was strictly a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, but for some reason, she always got into the beauty and glamour of award shows. "So where's Lance?" she asked in an attempt to steer the conversation away from her ugly feet and onto something more interesting.
"Out getting drinks with Joey, Chris and Trace," Hollie replied. "Apparently they don't want to see us until it's time to leave. They want to be 'surprised.' You'd think it was their wedding or something." She rolled her eyes and both of her companions laughed.
"Sometimes I think they're bigger girls than any of us," Gaby stated, only half joking and the other two nodded in agreement.
"So, um...who's Justin, uh...bringing with him?" Rachael tried to make it sound like a casual question, the answer to which she didn't particularly care about, but the way she stumbled over her words completely destroyed the angle she was going for. An angle which most certainly did not involve revealing the fact that Justin was pretty much all she'd been thinking about all day. Or all week. Or perhaps all year. She averted her gaze to the bedspread which she'd started smoothing almost obsessively.
"Um, Trace...technically," Gaby replied weakly. She and Hollie had exchanged worried glances the moment they realized what their friend was asking. They were both trying to decide whether they should tell her about Britney and suffer the wrath of Rachael or just let her find out on her own.
"Technically?" Rachael repeated with a frown, looking up at them. They exchanged glances again and Rachael was sure there was something they were holding back from her. They both had that "Oh god, what do we do now?" look about them. "Does he have a date? Like a female one?" Gaby bit her lip and Hollie sighed, deciding they ought to just tell her now and spare everyone the freaking out that would inevitably happen on the red carpet if they didn't warn her.
"Britney's his date," she said in what she hoping was a gentle and comforting tone. She and Gaby immediately braced themselves for the reaction and were glad they had done so when Rachael jumped up off the bed, her eyes widening in horror and her voice loud enough that people in Lithuania were probably wondering why some random American girl's voice was wandering through their windows.
"What?" she shrieked. Gaby opened her mouth to respond but it had obviously been a rhetorical question as Rachael continued yelling. "You're kidding me! You have to be kidding me! What is wrong with him? Is he stupid or something? The media will be all over it and everyone will think they're a couple again and-" She stopped talking as something dawned on her. "Are they a couple again?" Her voice was considerably quieter now and the expression of horror on her face was less outraged and more worried. Both Hollie and Gaby shook their heads fervently.
"No, I don't think so," Hollie assured her quickly.
"Good. Because that would be really stupid even for him. Like...really stupid. He can't get back together with her, he just can't. He's really going with her? I can't believe he'd...he's just so...why...grrrr." She was pacing back and forth now and if her hair hadn't been in a fancy style her hands probably would have been raking through it in an unrivaled fervor. Her friends were watching her and wondering how the hell she was still deluding herself into thinking she wasn't in love with Justin when she got this upset over him going on one semi-date with an ex-girlfriend.
"This little outburst is doing wonders for your 'I only like Justin as a friend' argument," Gaby informed her with a sweet smile. Hollie let out an involuntary snort and Rachael glared at them both.
"I'm only looking out for his best interest!" she exclaimed but the way they both raised their eyebrows told her they weren't convinced. "Oh, leave me alone." Rachael huffed into the bathroom where she could vent her frustrations on something harmless like a bar of soap.
***
Lance was feeling extremely awkward as he sat in the limousine on the way to the Grammy's. He and Rachael were sharing a limousine with Gaby, Trace, Hollie and JC and while the vehicle was filled with chatter, it was the latter four who were doing most of the talking. Lance didn't really know what they were saying as they were mostly focused on each other, although he did keep hearing JC tell his date how beautiful she looked. Hollie did look gorgeous in her navy blue, one shouldered dress but Lance personally felt she'd probably gotten the picture the first fifty times JC had said it. Trace was acting similarly with his girlfriend, though his compliments about her sexy-but-not-too-revealing red number were mostly muffled against her skin as he placed kisses on her shoulders, neck, and cheeks.
The four of them seemed much more like couples than he and Rachael did, which was to be expected, but it was making him feel a little out of place. Making him even more uncomfortable was the fact that Rachael looked more gorgeous than she ever had before. She had opted for a simple long, strapless black gown with a wide choker made of the same material around the neck. On the hanger it probably would have looked boring and plain but on her it just looked elegant and perfect. He had pretty much lost all ability to speak when he'd seen her and had barely managed to stutter a, "You look nice." She'd smiled and returned the compliment, but that was pretty much all either of them had to said to each other so far. She was now sitting next to him, her legs crossed and hands resting casually on top of them and her eyes fixed on the window, watching the buildings fly by. He was beginning to think he much preferred hanging out with her just as a friend. At least then they talked and laughed together instead of him nervously stumbling over everything that came out of his mouth and her nodding patiently but, he was sure, quickly losing interest. He didn't know why she made him so nervous but he it was getting really old really fast. It was a relief when they finally arrived at their destination and the distractions of the red carpet saved him from his awkward silence.
"Ugh, I hate this part," Rachael muttered as they stepped out of the car and flashes immediately started going off. "I like seeing all the other guests and what they're wearing, but that whole thing where they take pictures and I'm in them? Yeah, not fun." Lance laughed as she hooked an arm through his elbow and rested her hands on his forearm.
"Believe me, I know what you mean." When he smiled at her and she smiled back, he felt the most at ease he had all day. He could do this. He could be here with her and not act like a complete idiot all night, he was sure of it. Suddenly, there was a collective gasp and all of the cameras focused in one place as Justin and Britney stepped out of their limousine. The minute she saw them, the fake smile Rachael had plastered on for the sake of the cameras faded and she started talking in a low voice that only Lance could hear.
"I can't believe he's here with her. I really can't," she growled. "You know what? He's trying to make me jealous. He is! The bastard. Well, guess what? It isn't going to work. I'm not jealous. So there. I am not jealous." Lance probably would have been entirely convinced by this little declaration if it weren't for the fact that Rachael was saying it through gritted teeth and inadvertently digging her nails into his skin.
***
"Justin, did you even hear a word I just said?" Britney asked, exasperated. The two were sitting in a limousine on their way to the Grammy's and she'd been trying to have at least some semblance of a conversation with him for the past fifteen minutes. Trying and failing as he seemed a lot more interested in fiddling with the threads on his side of the limo than he did in listening to what she had to say.
"Probably not," he admitted with a sheepish smile. It wasn't like he was trying to ignore her, his mind just kept drifting to other things...other people...one other person in particular. What would she be wearing? Would she be sitting near him? Would she hold hands with Lance? He couldn't stand the thought of her holding hands with anyone other than him. He'd been trying desperately to get over being jealous of Lance but it didn't appear to be working and while he thought being with Britney would distract him from thoughts of his best friend it appeared he had been wrong.
"Jesus, J, what is up with you? When you asked me to come with you tonight, I assumed it was because you actually enjoyed my company!" Britney huffed, folding her arms and glaring at him. He grimaced, feeling a bit guilty.
"I'm sorry, Brit. I guess I just didn't get enough sleep last night, what with flying in and everything. What were you saying?" He took her hand and smiled kindly hoping this would distract her from how oddly he'd been behaving so far. But then he started thinking about Rachael and Lance again and how Lance damn well better not try to kiss her because award shows didn't count as real dates anyway and why was he thinking about this? He needed to focus. Focus on Britney. Britney was talking. What was she saying? He had no idea.
"Because I just really think we should decide now, you know?" Britney finished and looked at him expectantly. Not wanting her to realize he hadn't been paying attention, Justin nodded his head in understanding.
"Yeah, definitely. We should decide now." What were they deciding?
"Great." Britney smiled. "So what should we do about it?"
"Um, well..." Justin scratched the back of his neck nervously and tried to think of a good general response. "I think we should do whatever you want to do."
"I don't know what I want to do, Justin! That's why I'm asking you. I mean, we know the reporters are going to be asking whether or not we're back together-" Oh, that's what they were talking about! Answering questions about their relationship on the red carpet. "-but I just don't know what to say." Justin shrugged.
"Why don't we just tell them the truth?"
"What is the truth, J?" This was really what Britney had been trying to get at. She had no idea how Justin was defining their relationship at the moment and she wanted to know before she tried to figure out what she thought it was.
"The truth is we're still friends and we thought it would be nice to come together. Right?" Britney's heart sank. She'd hoped after the few times they'd hung out and kissed a while back that his asking her to go with him tonight meant they were back on track to being an item again. Well, that was fine. She'd just have to make it her goal for the night to get them there.
"Sure. Yeah, okay," she agreed with a smile. As if on cue, the car stopped moving and they pulled up in front of the red carpet. She took a deep breath and looked at her date. "Well, here we go!"
Things went well on the red carpet. The pair of them made a point to look friendly but not too friendly in their pictures and all of the interviews went pretty smoothly. No one seemed happy to hear that they were just there as friends, but they seemed to accept it, undoubtedly hoping in the back of their minds that they could get some juicy gossip about them before the night was over.
"Yeah, I mean, we just figured, hey! We're friends, we've come together before, why not just come together again and be with someone you're comfortable with, you know?" Justin explained to one reporter from ABC News, flashing his most charming smile. "It really isn't that big of a-" He stopped abruptly and his breath caught in his throat as his eyes fell on Rachael, who was standing near the other end of the red carpet. She was standing next to Lance and looking thoroughly pissed off, but she still looked gorgeous. The way her hair was glistening in the sun and her eyes were sparkling - he hadn't even realized brown eyes could sparkle - and the way that dress fit her, exposing those beautiful shoulders. He couldn't help staring and wondering what he'd ever done in his life to deserve the agony he was feeling seeing her on someone else's arm. He took a deep breath and forced himself to return his attention to the reporter who was looking at him quizzically. This was going to be a long night.
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