| Justin�s POV Friday afternoon rolls around quicker then I�ve expected. Today we are going to be performing �I�ll take you there�. I�ve done performances on MMC plenty of times, but this one will be different. I�ll be up there, on stage, singing�. with Britney. �You guys are on in 15 minutes.� Kelly says with a clipboard in her hand. Britney and I and the rest of the cast that�ll be back up singing/dancing are huddled backstage waiting to go on. I�m usually pretty calm before we go on stage, but Britney gets so excited it turns to anxiousness, which turns to nervousness. She�s rocking back and forth impatiently. I grab her shaking hand and she leans into me. Her other hand is scrunched up into a ball, I run my thumb over it hoping it will calm her down. �Hey, it�s gonna be fine. We�ve went through this routine about 1000 times.� I whisper in her ear. She nods her head. �I know.� She says more to herself then to me, looking up at me. �Alright gang, get out there! Britney, Justin, good luck!� Kelly smiles at us. Everyone files out onto the stage; Britney and I take our positions. We hear our introduction, �Let�s here it for Justin and Britney and the gang singing �I�ll Take You There�.� She looks at me and nods, I wink at her. The music begins and Britney sings the first verse. I go through the movements embedded in my mind, I sing the words I�ve memorized over the last week, but all the while I�m watching her. She�s glowing as she gets every dance step and sings every word perfectly. She doesn�t looks nervous, or scared, or anything but confident. We�re having fun, the audience seems to disappear and it�s just she and I, in our element, on stage. When the song ends and the audience applauds. The MMC ending song kicks in and everyone joins us in the stage. Christina runs over and gives Britney a hug and tells us we were great. Everyone is dancing and laughing, Britney and Christina are jumping around, out of the corner of my eye I see J.C. trying to flirt with Keri. T.J. notices also and we both burst into laughter. This is definitely one of the most fun shows I�ve had. Everything went off without a hitch. The music stops and cut is yelled over our laugher and singing. �That was great guys! Britney, Justin awesome job!� Jimmy says over the cheering crowd. �Thanks!� I say and shake his extended hand. Then we make the rounds chatting with people in the audience for a few minutes before we make our way backstage to unwind and relax. After this show it seems like every show that follows it for the next few months is just as fun and exciting. Maybe it�s cause I�m with Britney, maybe it�s cause the entire cast has become like family, I don�t know. But I�m happy, my life is great, I couldn�t ask for anything more. One day, after a bunch of us get back from a fun day at the MGM Park I get the worst news of my life. We all crowd into the free room. T.J., Ryan, Tate and I are arguing over which basketball team is better, I of coarse defend my Orlando Magic to the death. Britney and Christina are giggling in the corner about something. Dennis Steinmetz, the executive producer, walks into the room and everyone focuses their attention on him. We don�t see him often, he�s usually busy in the office doing office stuff. I�m already a little apprehensive with his presence. He�s probably either got some real exciting news, or some terrible news. �So, you guys have fun today?� He says with a smile. �Yea, it was so great. Especially when Justin had to wade into the fish pond to get Britney�s bracelet that she dropped in.� Christina says before she bursts into laughter. Britney elbows Christina and rolls her eyes. My face instantly turns red and I look down the bottoms of my wet jeans. Dennis chuckles and pats me on the back. Britney smiles at me warmly. The rest of the cast joins us in the room. �Hey Dennis, Jimmy said you had something to tell us.� J.C. says curiously. Dennis looks to the door as most of the crew joins us in the room. �Well I�m afraid I�ve got some bad news.� He begins and his smile fades. My heart starts to pound, what kind of bad news? Why is everyone here? I look around at everyone�s faces they all look as worried as I am. �There�s no easy way to say this, so I�m just gonna say it� The show has been cancelled. We haven�t been picked up for another season, so were gonna shoot these last 3 and then that�s it��..� He looks around at all of our heart broken faces. �I�m really sorry guys.� My heart stops, I can�t comprehend another word Dennis is saying. This is unbelievable, the show was doing great, how could anyone not love this show? How could they cancel it? I�m furious and hurt. My eyes scan over all of my friends� expressions. I can tell they are feeling exactly the way I am. When my eyes reach Britney my heart shatters. She�s devastated, tears are running down her pink cheeks and falling on her shirt. Christina hugs her tightly and they cry together. I can feel my eyes start to well up in tears, I fight them back. A few of the cast members had already left the room. I follow suit, I walk out of the room, out of the studio, and I sit by my self on a wooden bench outside by some trees. I�m probably there for about 5 minutes or so when I feel someone�s presence next to me. I look up and squint into the sun to see Britney standing there, with puffy, bloodshot eyes. I reach over and slip my hand in hers and she sits down next to me. She slowly turns to me and snakes her arms around my waste, burying her face into the crook of my neck. I run my hands up and down her back soothingly. We sit in a comforting silence where no words are needed between us. She�s my best friend, my girlfriend, our minds, hearts and souls are so intermingled she doesn�t need to say anything to express how she feels because I�m feeling the exact same way. Just the reassuring presence of having her next to me, in my arms, is enough. We have a show to do this week. So we do it, and with smiles on our faces. We pretend that everything is okay, and push the fact that in a few weeks we are never going to see any of each other again to the back of our minds. The last few shows are hard. A few times, in the middle of tapings, some of the younger cast starts to tear up towards the end of each show, because they know that it is getting closer and closer to the end. When the show does ends there is not a dry eye amongst us. A single tear rolls down her cheek and I brush it away before kissing her. �Brit, please don�t cry�� �You crying too�� She chokes out in-between sobs. I wipe the tears off my face and Britney wraps her arms around my neck and cries into my chest. I hug her tiny waist. �I�m gonna miss the show too Brit.� I say into her brown hair. �I�m going to miss you more.� She whispers and continues to cry. �Me? Don�t worry about that. We�re gonna talk all the time. And we�ll visit. Tennessee isn�t that far from Louisiana.� I try so hard to be strong for her. But thinking about how I�ll have to go months, years without seeing her kills me. Silent tears fall from my face and onto her hair. �Brit I promise in a few years, when we are both huge stars, you like Madonna, and me like Michael Jackson, we�ll be together.� Maybe I�m being na�ve, or maybe I believe in fate and soul mates, but I truly believe that we belong together. She nods into my chest. �I�m going to miss you too.� I murmur and kiss the top of her head, which only makes her cry harder. We stay in embrace for the next few minutes until Lynne quietly informs Britney that they have to leave for the airport now. I don�t want to let her go. Britney squeezes me tightly and pulls away quickly before leaving a light kiss on my cheek. �Bye J.� She whispers into my ear. My heart aches so much I think it might burst. �Not good bye, no good-byes remember? It�s just� see you real soon.� I say and force a smile. She nods and squeezes my hand. She walks over to my mom and who envelops her in a hug. Lynne walks up to me and gives me a big hug also. �Bye Justin. We�ll make sure that we all visit each other.� She says trying to comfort me. Her words aren�t reassuring but I nod my head anyway. Britney is about to walk out the door when Christina runs up and hugs her. They say their good byes through tears. Britney looks back at me from the door and runs into my arms once more. �I love you.� She whispers in my ear. My breath catches in my throat as her words reach my ears. �I love you too.� I whisper back right before she brings her lips to mine. The kiss is quick, I watch through blurry eyes as she walks out of the room, out of my life. The door closes and shatters my heart into a million pieces. My mom walks over to collect our last few bags from the other room. I stare at the door, waiting for Britney to walk back through it. But she doesn�t. She�s gone, and I�m sad, and confused, and angry. Why did it have to end now? Why did she have to be ripped out of my life? But then I think I�m being selfish, how lucky I am to have someone that makes saying goodbye so hard. |
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| One Boy, One Girl |
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