"Hi, it is good to see you too, Lynn." She said as she hugged me back.

That Afternoon�

"Lynne, we have a problem." I said quietly to Lynne after everyone else has left the room.

"It�s Justin and Britney, isn�t it." She said knowingly.

"Yeah, we both know that they still have feelings for each other, but they don�t want to hurt Tonya and Reg either." I said with sadness that is obvious in my voice.

"I know, but I don�t want them to get hurt, I want them to be happy, and I don�t think either of them can be truly happy unless they are with each other. And they are both just too stubborn to admit that they are meant to be together." Lynne said everything that was in my heart.

"I just wish we could do something about it, Larry said that JIVE has already been giving him pressure about Britney�s personal life." Lynne just nodded her head.

"Sometimes I would wonder why in world is Britney still with Reg, there are so many rumors in Kentwood about him and other girls, and 9 out of 10 are probably true." Lynne said as she finally bring her eyes to look at me.

"Well, I wouldn�t exactly count that a bad thing, we both know how these things would just come out by itself. Right now, she doesn�t believe the rumors, but she will believe it when she found out about it by herself." I said with a laugh, and Lynne soon joined me.

"To tell you the truth, I am kind of glad that Britney and Reg are in different states, I am getting tired of Reg at my house all the time." Lynne said as we continued to laugh.

"As much as I think Tonya is good for my son, I don�t think they are truly in love, and I am beginning to think Justin is starting to dread seeing her." For the rest of the afternoon, we continued to talk about our kids, and catching on about what has been happening in our lives for the past two years.


Britney�s POV�


I am trying to study, but my mind keeps thinking about what my mother�s reaction is going to be when I tell her that I am going home with her. I know she will be supportive as she always has been my whole life, but I know she will be disappointed in me for giving up my dream. My mom has always told me to follow my heart, but I just don�t know if I can this time.

Reg left a few days ago, things weren�t good between us when he left, he still believes that I am making a big mistake, maybe I am. He called yesterday, he was just checking up on me. We didn�t say much, because I think we are both tired of the yelling and screaming.

Justin and I haven�t talked since last night, he has never been disappointed in me before, but I know right now he is. It feels weird not having him supporting me on my decision, why is it that his opinion mattered so much to me.

That Night�

Lynne�s POV


"Britney would you just tell me what you are trying to say?" I have been trying to figure out what is it that she wants to tell me all night long.

"Momma, remember when I told you that singing is my dream." She continued after I nodded, "well, it always has been, but there is a time in life where I have to wake up from it." She said barely above a whisper, I am just too shocked to say anything.

"Well, Britney are you sure?" I finally asked after a few minutes. She didn�t say anything; she just nodded her head.

"Then, I will support whatever decision you make, you had a long day, I am gonna let you go to sleep." I said as I walked out of her room.

The Next Night�

I talked to Lynn about what Britney said to me last night; she also agrees that if this is what she truly wants, then she should go for it. I am just hoping that she will not regret making this decision, because if she does, then it is not going to be that easy to get it back.

I am leaving Orlando in a week, Britney has until then to change her mind. Everyday that she didn�t come to me, and tell me that she will go on tour with the guys, the more scared for her I am. There is nothing wrong with stay in Kentwood, a lot people who grew up there, stayed there, but Britney can have so much more, if she doesn�t stay there. I have a feeling that her leaving the tour has nothing to do with waking up from your dream, but it is about Justin, she didn�t came on this tour to find love, she didn�t expect to find it with Justin, but I knew from the beginning that this is going to happen sooner or later. I have a bad feeling about this Tonya girl, for some reason I feel like Lynn and Justin don�t really know the true her. Even the way she acts around other people in the Compound makes me wonder what is she up to.

For some reason I feel like I know Tonya before, and it is not a good thing to see her again. But I just can�t remember where. She looks so familiar to someone who once made my life a living hell. No it can�t be her, oh God please don�t let it be her.

"Momma, are you ok?" my daughter�s voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Yeah, I am just a little tired, that�s all," I said with a smile.

"Ok, I am gonna let you go to sleep, good night." She smiled back.

"Night."

If I am right, and Tonya is who I think she is, I just hope to God that she doesn�t know the past that I have put behind me for the past twenty-five years. I hope that the past won�t repeat itself, my daughter won�t go through what I had to go through. If I am right, then Britney has to follow her heart from now on, because one wrong move, it could her the life she had hoped for herself.

The Next Day�

Tonya�s POV


Lynne certainly is a carious woman, she asked me a bunch of questions today, mostly about my mother. She had a look in her eyes, I am not sure what it is, but I don�t like it. I talked to my mother last night, she also seems very carious about Lynne Spears, it makes me wonder if there is a past that I don�t know about. Justin is so distant and quiet these days, I don�t know what he is thinking about, but I know that he and Britney hasn�t exactly been good friends lately. I haven�t seen them talking or smiling at each other like they used to, except one night, I saw them talking in the back. I wasn�t sure what it was about, but I can see Britney was crying.

"Tonya, your mom is on the phone," Lynn said as she walked into my room.

"Thanks." I said smiling.

"Hey mom."

"Hey sweetie, how are you," I can hear something is bothering her.

"I would be better if you would tell me what is bothering you," I heard her sigh.

"I guess you are gonna know sooner or later, I might as well tell you now." She took a deep breathe before she begin telling me the past that she had put close to her heart for nearly one forth of a century. After talking to my mom, I know why Lynne was so carious about my family, and about my mother. I also know that now, taking Justin away from Britney is not just for myself now, but also for everything Lynne put my mother through.


Chapter 8