| Best Week Ever - Chapter 3 Wednesday 6th Period They were supposed to be working on the cooking project due Friday but Justin and Britney hadn�t actually been discussing the project at all. They spent the entire class in a deep conversation about music, TV, movies, sports, almost anything but the dreadful essay accompanying the meal they were assigned to prepare. Eventually they got back on topic and all started to discuss the game plan for the food. �You two want to do the grocery shopping while Joey and I go to the library and do research?� Laura Lynn said. She was still fixated on setting Britney and Justin up together; she was quite pleased with her progress so far. They were always talking or flirting or laughing together, that had to be a good sign. �Sure.� Justin answered. �Alright, then tomorrow we can meet up after school and plan out our cooking schedule.� Laura Lynn said. �Sounds good.� Joey smiled and turned to Laura Lynn as they start to discuss the project. �J, what time do you wanna do this?� Britney swiveled her chair around to face Justin. �Um� anytime after school is fine, I�m all yours today.� He said with that crooked smile that seemed to make her melt. Britney was glad she was sitting down because hearing those words were definitely enough to give her a bad case of weak knees. When she finally found her voice she said, �Ok, well I have to pick up my little sister, Jamie Lynn, from Grove Country Day right after school so... why don�t you meet me at my house. Then we can walk to Ralph�s, it�s only a few blocks away, and then bring the food back to my house to store it.� �Perfect. I actually have to talk to my Bio teacher for a few minutes after school anyway. So it works out.� Britney took out a pen from her purse and scribbled her address down on the piece of notebook paper on her desk. �Here� do you know where that is?� She handed him the paper. �Um. Yea. Your mom is Lynne Spears right? She�s on the PTA with my mom.� Every once and a while, when they were on a specific subject, Justin�s mom would tell him little things about Britney that her mom had told her. Like that she made the basketball team, honor roll, small Spears Family stories like that. �I know, they�re pretty good friends.� Britney and her mom were very close also and Britney had picked up a few things about Justin as well, it always served as fuel for her crush. �She was also my 5th grade teacher you know.� �I know, we have the �best teacher ever� glass apple you gave her on our mantel.� She giggled when he blushed. �So�uh� how olds your sister now?� �She�s 7 and a handful.� �Well then she�s definitely your sister�� He smirked. �Shut. Up.� She scoffed and punched him playfully. �Is she a basketball pro like her big sis?� �She loves goofing around with the ball, but yea... We have a lot in common, everyone always calls her a mini me.� Justin smiled, looking into Britney�s eyes. �Well then she must be beautiful�� He subconsciously said out loud, it was more to himself then her. Britney was caught off guard by his compliment; she didn�t get many as sincere as his sounded. Everything about Justin was sincere, she could see it in his eyes. Never had she met a boy as sweet as he was. She smiled shyly, waiting for her pulse to return to normal. The bell rang and everyone started to get up out of their seats, gathering their things. �Yea, I got most of the beauty in the family. Too bad that wasn�t the case for you�� Britney said, her voice full of wit. She stood up from her chair and grabbed her bag. Justin stared up at her from his seat, he dropped his jaw pretending to be offended but he couldn�t hide the look of amusement on his face. �I�m just kidding�.� Britney giggled and bent down so that her mouth was close his ear. �You�re very cute.� She slung her bag over her shoulder and followed Laura Lynn out the door. Justin watched her exit with a huge grin on his face. She fascinated him. He wanted to learn everything about her, because he was growing to love everything about her. �What are you smiling at?� Joey asked from his seat behind Justin as he collected his stuff. �Britney.� He chuckled softly to himself. � After school Justin went to talk to his biology teacher about a question he had on the essay due next Monday. It didn�t take as long as he had expected, Justin saw no point of walking home just to have to walk back to Britney�s so decided to meet her at Grove Country Day, the elementary school where she would be picking up Jaime Lynn. Britney and Jamie Lynn were walking along the sidewalk next to the school�s fences when Wade crossed the street in front of them and smiled at Britney. She sighed when she saw him, Wade had been trying to get in her pants since the 8th grade. �Hey Britney� How�s it going?� His eyes scanned her body before they reached her eyes. �Fine�� She said dully as he gaped at her chest. �Uh� good shirt.� He said, trying to subtly sneak glances at her breasts. She frowned and rolled her eyes. �Hey there.� Wade hunched down so that he was eye level with Jamie Lynn. �Can you talk?� He said slowly as if she wouldn�t have understood if he spoke at normal speed. Wade figured he�d impress Britney with his love for children. Jamie Lynn gave Britney a �this guys is an idiot� look and didn�t respond to Wade�s degrading question. �Oh ok� How old are you? How many?� He held up his fingers in front of her face. Jamie Lynn just narrowed her eyes at him, not appreciating being insulted by a moron like him. Britney just smiled politely. �She�s a a little young for you bro�� Justin said as he walked up from behind Wade. �Ha-ha.� Wade laughed sarcastically and stood up straight as both Britney and Jamie Lynn stifled their laughter. Justin ignored him and smiled at the girls. �You must be Jamie Lynn. I�ve heard a lot about you from this motor mouth over here.� Justin motioned to Britney who raised her eyebrows at him. Jamie Lynn giggled. �Yep! You�re Justin. My sister says you�re on the basketball team. When I get to high school I wanna play on the team too!� She said quickly as they began to walk forward past Wade. Britney breathed a sigh of relief when Jamie Lynn failed to expose any of the other, more embarrassing, things she�d said about Justin. �Oh yea?! Well I bet if you�re half as good as your sister, you�ll be MVP in no time! I�m sure basketball skills run in Spears� blood.� He nodded as Jamie Lynn�s face lit up. Britney smiled to herself, listening as Justin charmed her little sister. Jamie Lynne was an easy way to her heart, but she�d never met any of Britney�s boyfriends. Britney quickly caught up with the two of them, walking on the other side of Justin, leaving Wade in their dust. �I guess she can talk�� Wade mumbled to himself and stalked away in the opposite direction. �Who�s that guy?� Jamie Lynn asked after he was out of earshot. �That�s Wade.� Justin groaned. �Is he stupid?� She asked innocently. Justin started laughing. �Yes.� He glanced at Britney who was smiling back at him. Justin walked the two girls home, they talked and told jokes the whole time. After Britney dropped her sister off at their house they headed to Ralph�s supermarket, which was only a couple blocks away from the residential area where Britney lived. �You sure are beating guys off with sticks�� Justin said as they walked along the houses. �More like rabid dogs.� She giggled. �Yea,� Justin nodded in agreement, �guys are pretty much dogs.� �There are a few exceptions�� She smiled at Justin sheepishly. He smiled back and shoved his hands in his pockets. They walked the rest of the way discussing their friends, family, anything and everything. When they got into the grocery store Justin took out the folded shopping list from his pocket and they began their search. � After about 10 minutes, they�d already found most of the items on the short list. �Okay� next we need fresh coconut milk and pineapple juice�� Justin read as Britney put another food item in the cart. They found the canned goods aisle and Britney grabbed a can of pineapple from the shelf. �Does it say �fresh�?� Justin asked as he studied the shopping list. Britney turned the can over in her hand and read the ingredients. �I dunno�� She mumbled as she studied the label. Justin moved behind her and read the can from over her shoulder. Then he moved a little closer to inspect the assortment of canned fruit on the shelves in front of them. Britney inhaled the scent of his cologne and her heart started to beat a little faster as she glanced over, noticing his closeness. �Maybe by �fresh� it means like we have to get the juice from the actual fruit ourselves.� He murmured softly which made Britney melt even more. �Mmm hmm�� Is all she could manage to utter. Justin exhaled and rested his chin on her shoulder for a few seconds. �Well alright, lets go check out the produce isle�� He gently poked the small of her back before moving towards the shopping cart behind them and pushing it down the isle. Britney shivered under his touch. All this subtle touching was driving her crazy. Justin was aware of his actions, but he couldn�t help them. This was something he never had a problem with before. She was becoming addictive. A few moments later Britney snapped out of her trance and quickly followed after him. When they found everything they needed they went to the check out and paid. There were only three bags, Justin tried to handle them all but Britney insisted on carrying at least one even though they weren�t very heavy. It was about 4:15 p.m. when they got back to Britney�s house. Justin followed her into the kitchen and set the bags on the counter. Bryan, Britney�s big brother, walked into the kitchen and stopped when he saw Justin. �What�s going on?� He announced protectively, aware of the type of guys usually chasing his sister. �Hey Bry, what are you doing home?� Britney walked over to give her brother a hug. Bryan was 20, he lived on campus but came home often because it was only about 20 minutes away from the University where he played on the football team. �Just visiting�� He said, still keeping a watchful eye on Justin. �This is Justin, we�re working on a project for cooking class.� She smiled at Justin who extended his hand to Bryan. �You take cooking?� Bryan raised his eyebrow as he took Justin�s hand. �Unfortunately our school doesn�t have an eating class so I thought cooking would be the next best thing�� Justin smiled before unpacking the food from the grocery bags onto the counter. Britney moved next to him and helped. �So what�d you guys get?� Bryan asked rummaging through one of their brown paper bags. �Nothing for you! This is strictly for our traditional Hawaiian meal, I can�t have you eating my project.� Britney snapped and playfully yanked the bag out of his reach placing it on the counter in front of her. Bryan focused his attention on Justin again who was still sorting through the bags. �So Justin� You�re not a football player are you?� He crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall. �Bryan�� Britney warned and shook her head. �No, actually basketball is my game.� Justin smiled sincerely at Bryan. �Mmm Hmm�� Bryan mumbled, still trying to figure out what kind of guy Justin was. �Will you leave us alone now? We need to get these grocery�s put away.� Britney playfully guided her brother out of the kitchen. Britney moved back next to Justin, casually bumping her arms into his. �Sorry about that. Bryan�s a little protective�� �It�s okay. I�m glad. I mean, he should be.� They exchanged yet another long lingering glance and continued to put away groceries. They put the frozen goods in the freezer, and the things that need to be refrigerated in the refrigerator, and put the rest of the stuff in a bag under the cupboard. �I never thanked you� when you tripped Derek in the hall. That was really cool.� �Don�t thank me� It was a total accident.� Justin said sarcastically and smirked. �Riiiight.� �That guy�s an ass. If he ever gives you anymore trouble you better tell me.� Justin said seriously, still rummaging through the bags. Britney�s heart warmed as she stared up at him. He was even more protective then her brother. �Okay�� She said quietly and watched as he put away the remaining few items. � �Well I had a great time this evening Ms. Spears.� Justin cocked his head to the side and smiled at Britney from her doorstep. �So did I Mr. Timberlake.� Britney giggled. �So I�ll see you tomorrow?� �You can count on it.� He backed down the porch steps still looking at her. �Oh, I will�� He flirted. She watched as he headed down the sidewalk, turning back to smile at her once more. She opened the door and slid inside, still grinning. She practically floated into the kitchen and sat down at the counter before sighing dreamily. Her mother turned around from the refrigerator to look at her love struck daughter. �So I take it you like him?� Britney just continued to smile, Lynne took that as a yes. �And he likes you?� Britney stared out the window as if she were deep in thought. �I don�t know�� �He hasn�t tried anything has he? Cause I know his mother and if-� Lynne started in her motherly tone. �Mamma. No, he�s not like that. He�s really sweet. But I dunno, things haven�t gotten that far yet. He may just wanna be friends.� Just then Jamie Lynn came bounding into the kitchen and climbed up onto the barstool next to her sister. �What�re y�all talkin� about?� �No one.� Britney said the same time her mother answered �Justin.� Jamie Lynn gave them a weird look. �So ask him�� Lynne said casually as she turned around to take a few things out of the refrigerator. �Ask who what?� Jamie Lynn curiously glanced to both women as she took a cookie out of the jar from the counter. �Ask Justin whether or not he likes you.� Lynne said to Britney. �Mamma!� Britney squealed before resting her chin in her hand. �I can�t just ask him, he�ll think I�m a freak.� �He wasn�t lookin� at you today like you were a freak�� Jamie Lynn said still munching on her cookie. �Well how was he looking at me?� Britney raised an eyebrow at her little sister. �Like you were beee-utiful.� Britney scoffed. �No he was not!� But she couldn�t fight back her smile. �Yes he was.� Her sister persisted. �You�ll see sweetie, everything will work out.� Lynne said before she began to wash and tear up a head of lettuce for a salad. Britney grabbed the cookie from her sister�s hand. �Not until after dinner!� She stood up and began to help her mother with dinner as they continued to talk about boys, school, and their days. After dinner was eaten Britney retired to her room and flopped down on her bed with some homework. A few minutes later the phone rang. She leaned over to her bedside table and read the caller ID, �LL� flashed across the screen. �Hey.� Britney answered. �How was your date?� Laura Lynn asked. �It wasn�t a date�� �So did he kiss you?� �LL! No!� Britney stifled her giggles with a smile. �Well give me the details!� �Okay okay.� Britney rolled her eyes and laid on her back, staring up at her baby blue ceiling. �Well after I picked up JL from school we started walking home when Nick�� Britney described to Laura Lynn every minute of her evening with Justin, every adorable smile, every sweet word, and every heart-melting stare. Meanwhile, a few blocks away at the Timberlake residence. Justin was sitting at his desk, scrunching up the fifteenth piece of paper that night. He was struggling to write his biology report on cellular reproduction when the phone rang. He grabbed the cordless and spoke into the receiver. �Talk to me.� �Sup foo!� �Hey JC.� Justin said as he leaned back in his swivel chair. �So� what happened?� �What happened with what?� �You. Britney�� He trailed off. �And Ralph.� �Ralph?� �We went grocery shopping man. Nothin� happened.� �But you asked her to Tod�s party right?� Justin sighed. �I�m�� He paused, �working on it.� �You�re working on it? What�s with this girl man, she�s got you all insecure. Since when does JT see something he wants and not take it.� �Since now I guess� She makes me nervous JC. She's makes me nervous at the same time she makes me relaxed and completely comfortable, like I could tell her anything.� He said as he ran a hand over his short hair. JC smiled, sincerely happy that his friend had found himself a girl that made him so happy. Now the difficult part was getting Justin to actually make a move. Only Justin�s close friends knew how shy he was, despite what everyone else believed. �Well you got 2 days bro. So tomorrow just walk up to her and ask her� no biggie.� �It is a biggie! What if she says no?!� �She won�t.� �You don�t know that. You don�t know her. She�s not some airhead teenybopper. She won�t settle for second best.� �Who says your second best?� For being such a �cocky bastard�, Justin was considerably insecure, especially when it came to Britney. JC didn�t understand why Justin didn�t think himself good enough for her. Justin shrugged even though JC couldn�t see him. �I gotta do this bio report.� Justin said as he tapped his pen on the notebook in front of him. �Aight man. See you tomorrow, maybe we can hook up after practice.� �Yea. Fo sho!� Justin said in his mock ghetto accent before chuckling. �But ask her!� �Talk to you later man�� �Ask her!� �Bye.� �Ask her!!!� Justin clicked the phone off and placed it on its cradle. Now back to his homework, Justin tried desperately to concentrate on cellular reproduction but JC�s nagging words still echoed through his mind. He couldn�t help wonder if Britney even liked him at all, she seemed interested, sorta, but maybe she was just being nice. It was safe to say Justin wouldn�t be getting anymore done on his bio report, he couldn�t stop thinking about her. She was so beautiful, so smart, so witty, so innocent, so sweet, so funny so� perfect. He wasn�t sure how he was going to ask her out but he promised himself he would tomorrow. |
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