| One Boy, One Girl |
| December 2nd 1998
I�m sound asleep, cuddling up to my blankets, head buried deep in my pillows on the top bunk on my tour bus when I hear the faintest sound of singing. I slowly come to and the voices become clearer. I roll over to face the source of my disturbance and open my eyes half way. I see all five guys standing side by side singing a very lovely version of happy birthday to me. It�s my 17th birthday, I thought they had forgotten, or not even known. This is the first birthday I didn�t wake up to the aroma of my mom�s special birthday pancakes she makes for me every year. After my little sister is done pouncing on me screaming �It�s your birthday! It�s your birthday!� of course. And I won�t be receiving the age corresponding amount of punches in my arm from my big brother. And I won�t get to open all my presents with my mom and dad snapping away with their cameras. My mom and little sister are flying in this afternoon to LA, we�re here to do a Disney Concert Special. But before the show, we have 3 days off. I�m looking forward to spending it with my family and Justin. My face lights up when I see the guys serenading me and I wait till they finish. �Aw. That was beautiful, you guys are so sweet. Thank you so much.� I say when they are finished and crawl down the latter of my bunk to stand next to them. �Happy 17th Birthday Brit!� JC says and gives me a hug. �Your almost a grown up! Can you smell the freedom?� Chris says and gives me a hug after JC. �So what�ll it be? A tattoo? A piercing? A hooker?� I giggle and say, �Maybe next year Chris� when I�m legal.� After Joey and Lance give me hugs, they follow the JC and Chris into the kitchen area of the tour bus. Justin slowly brings his right hand from around his back, revealing a single pink rose. I can�t help but smile. �A pink rose for Pinky?� I say and take the rose from his hand, bringing it to my nose. He nods and I wrap my arms around his neck in embrace. �Thank you.� I murmur into his ear before resting my chin on his shoulder. �Happy Birthday, baby.� He says and I giggle. I pull back and look into his heart fluttering blue eyes. I close mine and lean in, our lips meet and I tighten my grip around his back. He slowly separates my lips with his tongue and slips it into my mouth. We break apart when I smell smoke. We both stare at each other wide eyed. �The guys must be trying to cook�� He says and as we head towards the kitchen area. The guys are seated at the dining booth and on the couch. Lance and Chris are fanning the black smoke coming from the toaster. �Birthday emphysema anyone? Just take a deep breath.� Chris says before coughing. �Great present Chris� A smoke damaged tour bus.� Justin says sarcastically and I playfully hit him on the arm. �It�s okay, we�ll just open a window. What were you trying to make?� �Pancakes�� �In the toaster?� I laugh out. �Dude� they�re called PAN-cakes for a reason.� Joey says from the table. �Yea� shut up.� Chris mumbles under his breath as he continues to fan the smoke away. After I open the window I join Justin in the dining booth across from Joey and JC. He snakes his arm around my waste and I lean back against his chest, resting my head on his shoulder. �So does your birthday schedule look like today Brit?� JC asks. �Well I have to pick up my momma and JL from the airport at 10:45. So after we get to the hotel, I�ll probably have just about enough time to get to LAX as their flight arrives. Then I don�t know, my mom said something about dinner�� I say and snuggle up against Justin, who places a soft kiss on the top of my head. � We�re at LAX waiting for my momma and little sister to get off the plane, which should be arriving any minute. Justin is leaning against a wall and I�m facing him, resting my head against his chest, and my hips against his. We�ve been waiting for a good 20 minutes and I�m beginning to worry. I pull back from Justin, holding on to both of his hands. �What if they got a wrong flight? What if something happened to their plane�?� I say quickly as I nervously look around. �Babe� their flight is just delayed. I promise. Stop worrying.� He says with a reassuring smile before gently kissing my forehead. I close my eyes and lean into him, tilting my head up. He brings his lips to mine parting them slightly. I kiss him few more times before turning around in his arms to face the crowd and keep a look out for my family. I lean my head back against his chest and bring his arms around my waste. He kisses my temple and I smile. The words dance on the tip of my tongue. My mind is screaming them, my heart is pounding them through my veins. �I love you.� I love him, I�m in love with him. I can�t deny it, I can�t even try. I�ve never felt anything this strong for anyone. During MMC I loved him, but now I�m in love with him. I want to tell him, but I�m terrified he doesn�t feel the same way. What if this is too soon? What if he freaks out and dumps me? I can�t even imagine being without him� But I can�t help but think it�s inevitable if I do decide to quit all this. We wait like that for about 4 minutes in silence until an announcement is made over the speakers that flight 266 from New Orleans, Louisiana has arrived. I take Justin�s hand in mine and lead him over to the gate where the plane should un-board. We stand and search the crowd of people walking out of the tunnel, but they are no where to be seen. A moment later Justin squeezes my hand and points in front of me. �There they are.� I look in the direction he is pointing and run over when I see them. �Momma!� I squeal as she places her bag on the ground and releases Jamie-Lynne�s hand to give me a big hug and a kiss. Next I move to my little sister and give her a big hug and a kiss. �Hey sweetie! How�ve you been?� I ask as my southern drawl slowly reemerges and I wrap my arm around her shoulder. �Gooood. But I miss you back home. Bryan is always picking on me now that you�re not around.� �Aw.� I giggle out. �I�m sorry hun, I�ll make sure to kick his butt next time I see him.� �Yea!� She says and laughs. Justin makes his way over to us and I instinctively lean over and grab his hand, pulling him closer to us. �Justin, how are you sweetie?� My mom says as she hugs Justin and gives him a peck on the cheek. �Hey Lynn, I�m doing really well. Hower you?� He says smiling and quickly glancing at me. Before she has a chance to answer Jamie Lynne grabs Justin�s arm and pulls him down to hug her. �Hey there cutie!� He says hugging her back. �Hey Curly.� She says through a big grin. �Who told you that was my nickname?� He says with a crooked smile. She just giggles and looks up at me. Justin narrows his eyes at me playfully and I just shrug, trying to hide my smile. �I think baggage claim is that way.� Momma says pointing to the right and we all head in that direction. My mom is on my right and Jamie Lynn is latched onto my left arm, Justin is next to her. �I have funny nicknames to.� Jamie Lynne says to him as she tugs on his arm. �Oh yea? Like what?� He asks. �Um� Diva, Princess, Drama Queen, Ms. Thang�� She says innocently. �Gee I wonder why.� He says sarcastically and they exchange smiles. �Well it�s better then Curly, Curly.� She replies and makes a funny face at him before they both start laughing. We make our way to the baggage claim area. When we spot their bags Justin, the gentlemen that he is, takes the two largest ones in both hands leaving one more small duffel bag for me. We make our way to the limo outside. Lonnie and Mike take the bags and put then in the back while we all hop in. The ride back to the airport is spent talking about funny tour stories and Jaime Lynne�s school recital. I feel a pang in my heart when I ever I have to miss her important events like that, which is becoming more and more common. I�m missing out on her childhood, she�s growing up and I�m not there. Despite my feelings of guilt and remorse I smile at how comfortable I am, it�s my birthday and Justin and my mom and sister are there to share it with me. I just wish my brother and dad could�ve flown down also. But I�m happy with what I�ve got. They can�t rearrange their life around my hectic schedule. We get back to the Hotel and my mom and I decide to go out shopping for a bit with Jamie Lynne, Justin passed on our invitation to give us some family time, I guess he must know how he takes up my attention. When we get back to my room around 3, the guys surprise me with cake and presents. I get some funny T shirts from Chris, some DVDs from Lance, perfume from Joey, and candles from JC. Justin makes me open his last. I un-wrap the small box to reveal a beautiful piece of jewelry, a charm bracelet. I carefully remove it and inspect it. There are five platinum, diamond incrusted charms already on it, a Mickey Mouse head, a basketball, Louisiana, a microphone, a heart, and a fairy. �You can put which ever charms you want on it.� He says and I look up at him. �I love it.� I smile and move over to give him a hug and a kiss. �Thank you so much.� Justin�s POV We hang out for an hour or so more, JC turns on some music and Chris, Joey and Fe start dancing. It�s pretty funny and keeps everyone entertained. Just before everyone leaves Lynn joins me at the beverage area. �Justin would you like to join us for dinner tonight?� �Oh, I�d love to, are you sure it�s okay?� �Positive, I know Britney would love to have you there.� I smiled. �Be ready by 6.� �Okay.� I grab myself a soda and poured it into a plastic cup with ice then walk over to Britney and wait for her to finish talking to JC. �Hey babe.� I say and touch her back. �Hey.� She already has a smile on her face and leans in to give me a kiss before slipping her arm around my waste. �I was wondering if it�d be okay to tag along to dinner with you and your mom?� �Yes, of coarse J, you don�t even need to ask about stuff like that.� She says sweetly and leans into me. �Ok, I was just making sure.� I say and kiss the side of her head. � ~ Later at dinner~ �So, I�ve got to ask sweetie, have you had a change of heart about quitting? I�d really hate to see you give all this up and regret it later.� Lynn says and places her hand o top of Britney�s from across the table. Her voice is quiet. I know it�s because talking about it scares. �I don�t know yet mamma. I just miss everyone so much, while their all back home living their normal lives I spend my nights on a tour bus or in hotels in a different city every night.� But that�s why is so exciting, she�d get bored so fast back in Kentwood working a 9 to 5 or going to school everyday. I move my hand to her knee under the table and hope I serve as a form of support of comfort. �Okay honey well we can talk more about it later. Did LL call you for your birthday?� �Yea, it was nice, but it�s not the same. I use to see her everyday, now, I can�t even see her on my birthday.� She says and lowers her eyes to the table cloth. She looks so sad I almost blurt the surprise out right then and there, I want to, but Lynn and I steal a knowing glance and I�m able to hold it in. The evening goes along smoothly, I�m glad because Britney really needed a stress free, fun dinner to cheer her up. I only hope tomorrow will be an entire day like tonight. |
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