| Chapter 5 "Oh my God," Miranda exclaimed, her hands shaking visibly as she gripped the cup of black coffee, her knuckles ghost white. "I-I haven't done this forever. What do I do, Kate?!" Her head turned around to look at the babysitter, who was washing the dishes. The brunette looked over her shoulder, and her eyes danced when she smiled. "First of all, put down that coffee before you scare them away with your hyperactivity, second of all, just ACT NATURAL." "That's so freaking impossible to do around JC! He turns me into a... into a..." "A total klutz?" "YEAH!" "That is natural for you, Mir." "You're not helpi-i-i-ing!" "I'm not trying to." Miranda sighed, kicking her feet as she looked at her watch. The coffee she had in her mouth that she was preparing to swallow spewed out onto the lap of her bathrobe. "They're gunna be here in about 20 minutes, and 10 seconds!" "Shut the fuck up and calm down, Mir." Katie grabbed the coffee mug away from her, dumping its contents into the sink, only to have Miranda stand up. "I was drinking that!" "You're not anymore, pal." "Grrr." Miranda shot Katie a look that meant certain death. "You'll get yours later, brat." "Will I, now?" Suddenly the doorbell rang and Miranda jumped 6 feet in the air as Katie darted to get it. ~*~ (A couple minutes earlier.) "Justin does my hair look okay?" JC asked, checking it in the rear view mirror. Justin was staring out the open window at all the scenery passing by, a lit joint hanging from his lip with the smoke trailing out the window. He took it from his mouth with two fingers and flicked it onto the road. "Great," his voice was calm. Eerily calm. JC looked over at the younger man and saw the glazed over look in his eyes. "Dammit, Justin! You're high, aren't you?" Justin tilted his head back and a quiet laugh shook his shoulders. "No." His eyes started to blink sleepily, while still concentrating on the scenery. JC grabbed the joint from his hand and tossed it out the driver's side window, surprised when Justin didn't react at all. He must've been really messed up... "Why the Hell did you have to pick now to light one up?" "Because I felt like it." His voice was groggy, his speech slurred, indicating he was about to fall asleep. JC shook his shoulder. "Uh-uh, man. You're not napping now." But Justin didn't listen, because within the next five minutes, his head was tilted to the side, sleeping peacefully. After a couple minutes, JC pulled into the familiar driveway, and shook Justin awake. "Wake your sorry, drug-addicted ass up, man. We're here." "Huh?" Justin's eyes opened slightly. "Ugh." The two walked up to the steps and JC pressed the doorbell while Justin immediately went to roll another joint, but JC smacked his arm away. God he is such an embarrassment, JC thought. "Don't ruin this, Justin, please." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Suddenly, the door opened to reveal a gorgeous brunette, looking about Justin's age, with long brown hair and hazel-green eyes. JC's jaw dropped and Justin rolled his eyes. Damn player. The younger man stepped forward in time to see a little girl with blonde, wavy hair, and delightful blue eyes, poke her head between the brunette's legs. "Who at da door, Tay-tee?" she asked with an innocent look on her face. Justin couldn't help but let a small smile escape as he discreetly slipped his half-rolled joint back in his pocket. "Mattie, go play, sweetie," the older one said, making shooing motions as the child ran back into the house. She smiled. "Hi, I'm Katie," she held out her hand, and JC brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles politely, "I'm guessing you two are here for Miranda?" "Y-Yeah," JC finally tore his eyes off the girl's chest, which had to be 38C, he noted, and looked up at her, a smile gracing his face. "I'm JC and this is--," "I know who you are, silly. C'mon in." Katie stepped out of their way and they entered the living room, which was much messier than Justin last remembered. There were piles upon piles of Barbie and Ken clothes, everywhere. And in the center of it, was innocent little Mattie, playing with her Barbie Beetle. "Broom, broom!" she called, unable to pronounce 'vr' correctly. Katie walked over to the kitchen doorway and said something, causing Miranda to run upstairs, inaudible to Justin's ears. He was looking at Mattie, playing innocently with her toys. He could remember playing with Jon and Steve, when Jon was about Mattie's age, when the show X-Men came on. He always used to get stuck with the Wolverine doll... he missed his little brothers, but touring kept him away from them. He made a mental note to have them on tour with him as soon as possible. Mattie felt eyes on her back and turned around quickly, causing her hair to slap her cheeks. She looked at Justin and took her Ken doll out of the car, holding it towards him. "Ya wanna pway wif me wiwe Mommy get-th dwe-th-ed?" "Sure, hon," Justin's smile broadened and he walked towards the girl, who's eyes widened at his gigantic height. "You'we taww," she spoke, in awe. "Naw, you're just short," he teased. She stood up, only meeting his knees. "Nuh-uh!" "Yuh-huh!" Mattie kicked him in the ankle and he fell back, knocking JC over. Miranda, who was on the stairs, shook her head, laughing. That kid. "Mattie, be nice. Apologize immediately." Mattie spun around in protest. "HE CAWWED ME--," "Madeline." "Awwight, awwight." She sighed in defeat, turning around with a pout on her face. "I'm thowwee." Justin smiled once more and said, "It's okay, shorty." Mattie's mouth popped open and she stormed up the stairs. "Nice kid you got there," JC commented, standing up. Miranda shook her head, rolling her eyes. "She can be a pain in the ass sometimes." "So I've noticed." Miranda smirked, walking past Justin and JC, towards the door. She pulled it open after grabbing her coat from the closet and hitting JC with the side of that door. "That's for putting ice down my shirt, you jerk." "I'm not a jerk!" he argued, "I'm a man! I'm supposed to try to get peeks down there." She swung her purse at him as she walked to his car, but he ducked. "Neener neener neener! You missed me!" ~*~ The lights were low, and the music loud as bodies bumped and grinded together, in their own rhythm. It was as if half the people there were Siamese twins-joined together at some part of the body. She sighed, removing her jacket, finally, as she watched Justin dance with a group of girls up on the balcony. She ran a hand through her hair, fidgeting with boredom. "Some fun I'm having," Miranda talked to herself. "I should've just stayed home." Just like she should've, last time she was at this club. Miranda sat at the bar, totally isolated and alone. What a mistake it'd been to come here. No one wanted to dance with a 15-year-old who, illegally, snuck in. She spun in circles on her stool, visions of people grinding becoming swirls of color against a black backdrop. It had to have been past curfew, but she didn't care. Finally, the chair came to a stop, and her boyfriend, Kevin, who was at age 19, staggered closer to her. "Come dance with me," he slurred. She shook her head daringly. "No, you're drunk." "Get the fuck over here and start dancing, bitch!" He raised a hand and smacked her, causing people to look at them all. She was embarrassed to the point that she obeyed him, and they grinding extremely closely. She could feel his hardness rubbing up against her ass. Kevin wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on her B-Cup breasts. Miranda removed them, and so he placed his hands on her bare stomach, slowly moving them lower, to the point where his fingers became entangled in her pubic hairs. "Kevin." Miranda whimpered, scared of where he'd try to take this. He placed sloppy kisses on her neck, mumbling things into her ear and nibbling on it softly. "Let's go out to the car," his speech was very slurred by now. She nodded, knowing the punishment if she were so bold as to protest again. Kevin separated from her, taking her hand, and dragging her out to the parking lot. He opened the backseat's door and bowed, stumbling over, almost. "Your ride. Miss." Her hands shook as she got in and he followed. He forced her down, onto the seat, and began removing her clothes. She closed her eyes as he placed his hands all over her body, mumbling about how good she felt. How innocent she was. Nothing could've prepared her for the horrible pain she felt next, as he entered her and started pumping his penis in and out of her. "Ow, ow. Kevin.. .stop." she cried. But to no avail. He just moved faster and harder, until he finally exploded inside of her. She closed her eyes and started imagining that she was in another place, at another time, and not involved in this. Even after he came, he continued pumping in and out of her, without any response from Miranda as he moaned her name. Over and over. Finally, the nightmare stopped, and a wave of exhaustion swept over her. Probably from stress. Kevin pulled out once and for all, climbing into the front seat, and she fell asleep. ~*~ Justin watched, grooving to the music, as the young blonde danced to the music, her hands over her head as her body moved towards the floor. He took a swig of his beer, and placed it so it balanced on the railing to the balcony. Biting his lip, he ran a hand through his hair, as an attempt to tame his unruly curls. He walked over, as if he were the king of the world, and started grinding with the girl, she thinking it was her boyfriend, not Justin Timberlake. He placed his hands on her hips, tucking his fingertips beneath the elastic lining of her pants. She leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She giggled, her eyes still shut, as she hoisted herself up a bit and kissed his jawline. Justin's drunken grin widened as he whispered, "I love you." Britney's eyes opened and she looked at him, wide-eyed. "Justin!" "You expected someone else?" "Yes, I expected someone else! I expected my fucking fianc�e, not you, you asshole!" She shoved him back slightly, but he caught his balanced and shoved her, too. Suddenly, muscular blonde, with spiked hair and light brown eyes came up to him and knocked him flat on his ass. "You touch my girl?" he questioned, staring Justin down as he lay on the floor. Justin quickly got up and started running/staggering back towards the booth where he knew Miranda was, but the blonde man caught up and smashed him right in the face. Justin fell over. Miranda was brought back to reality by someone falling into her lap-literally. She looked down to see Justin; his eyes glazed over with intoxication, his drink spilled all over him and the side of her shirt, and his nose dirtied with blood. "Don't ever fucking touch my girl again!" The voice was familiar. She looked up to see Kevin, with Britney Spears on his arm. "C'mon, baby," Spears cooed. "Let's just go home." "Kevin," Miranda growled. He'd grown about 3" since she last saw him, had blue tipped hair, and a nose piercing. She stood up, knocking Justin off her lap and onto the floor. "Hey Mir--," he was caught off guard when her fist swung and hit his nose. She'd changed so much, she wasn't the weak, depending little girl he thought she was and always would be. She was strong. powerful. She knew where she stood. In her eyes, there was hatred, and she bit her lip. She hit him with all the force she had inside of her tiny little body. She punched him for everything he'd done, for beating her, and holding her down. For leaving her and their beautiful daughter in the dump. For messing with her mind and breaking her heart. for hurting Justin. "Buzz off, asshole." That definitely wasn't the Miranda Justin knew, talking. Sure, they didn't like each other much, and he understood why, but she never held such a hateful tone with him as she was now, with Kevin. Justin watched, light-headed with horrible pain, as Kevin stepped back a bit, then more, finally turning towards the Exit. "Wow," Justin muttered, surprised. Miranda's eyes were filled with painful tears as she looked at him, then pulled him up. "Let's go get you cleaned up, you're a mess," her voice showed more emotion than she would've liked. Usually she chirped like a bird, but now her voice rose up and down uncontrollably, which worried Justin, despite the fact that he despised her. He nodded and got up, now realizing he was crying, half from physical pain, half from the distress caused by seeing Britney with her fiance. Her fianc�e. Damn, how awkward that sounded. How much it hurt to even think about her, in a wedding dress, walking down the aisle, to another man. How much it hurt to realize he'd completely lost everything he ever had, and his life was meaningless. ~*~ After dropping Justin off at his house, Miranda drove back to the club, to find JC so drunk he could barely even stand. She faked a yawn, and grabbed his arm. "You wanna go home?" It wasn't really an option, though, more like a demand. She dragged him down the balcony's stairs. "Only if we can make a pit-stop and make out in the backseat of my car." Miranda cringed, reminding herself that he had no idea what he was doing or saying, and what her past was like. Did he always get this wasted? No, he didn't have the time. She always had them working on their dance moves, perfecting them for next Tuesday, when the tour was to begin, and after that Johnny forced them into the studio to try out new songs, or fix old ones. Or had them doing TV appearances, to advertise the Celebrity Tour. She dragged him up to the bouncer, who automatically called a cab, seeing her yawn, and the big, doofy grin on JC's face. The cab pulled up to the sidewalk and Miranda pushed JC in, then got in herself, buckling her seatbelt as the car started. She gave the male driver JC's address, and he nodded. The car ride would be about 20 minutes, a long way off. About 5 minutes into the drive, JC leaned closer to her. He yawned. "I'm tired," he spoke, covering his mouth as he looked at her beautiful face. "You look it," she whispered. She barely got the last word of her sentence out before he kissed her softly on the lips. Oh my God. He fucking kissed her! She felt a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach, which escalated into butterflies. Miranda's hand found its way to his cheek, her other getting lost in the ocean of brown waves that he called his hair. She felt his tongue probe its way into her mouth, turning what was an innocent kiss-kiss, into a heated French kiss. He sucked gently on her lower lip, and she tried her best to savor the moment by closing her eyes. She found it a wonder that two people could kiss so wildly, for such an amount of time, without stopping for a breath of air. She pulled away slowly, and looked at his eyes, glazed with intoxication and lust. She sighed, realizing the kiss probably didn't mean a thing to him, and would be out of his head by morning. He leaned forward, still, his head falling to rest in her lap. She bit her thumbnail as his eyes closed, her other hand making paths in his hair again. What if someone had seen them and taken a picture? How could she confront him about it? How would Johnny react? Dammit, Mir, she cursed herself. It was a kiss. One simple kiss. But it was so wonderful, and heated, and passiona-Stop! This is nothing to get excited about, or worked up over. There's nothing to worry about, because YOU MEAN NOTHING TO HIM. Right? |