AN: Wow, sorta short, but I want the next chapter to have some nice Justin/ Britney/ Perry action and reaction in it. Look for it in a week or two. Feedback on this one would be cool though. :) inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com ******************** Nightmare of a Lifetime: Chapter Twenty-One ********************* Justin was avoiding her. He was also seeing Britney. Nicole knew it, she just KNEW it. They hadn't had a good fight since the tour arrived in New York two days ago. It was driving her crazy. How could she possibly torture Timberdumb if he wasn't around? Perry considered, and went looking for Joey. Good old gullible Joey. Good old bribable Joey. "No." "Please?" "No." "Pretty please?" "No." "Ugly please?" "No." "Fugly please?" Joey paused. "What the hell is fugly?" Perry grinned hugely. "Well its not just ugly its fuc..." Bill's hand clamped over her mouth as the other held his camera. "Language sweetie." "Fud odd," she mumbled around his hand. Bill laughed and released her. Nicole returned her attention to Joey. "I'll make it worth your while Fatone." "No... How worth?" She smiled and it was pure evil. "Remember Mr. Buttons?" Joey wavered between curiosity and suspicion. Curiosity won. "What about the Evil Pekinese of Death?" "I can make sure that he never wins another dog show again." Bill looked disgusted, Joey intrigued with the idea. "Imagine his little face," Nicole continued, "as he goes to show after show, clearly the best, but never, ever placing again. Never getting another ribbon. Having to watch while those other dogs run the winning lap that his four furred feet should be claiming as his. I can make that happen Joey, just give me what I want." "I don't believe you have that kind of power in the Dog Show Circuit." Nicole arched one dark brow and Joey's eyes got huge. "All right, deal, I give you Britney and you destroy every dream Mr. Buttons ever dared to dream." "Deal." They shook hands as Bill glared. *************************************************************************************** "You're heartless," the cameraman admonished as Nicole began to plot on how to put Joey's information to good use. "How can you damn that dog just for information on Britney Spears?" "What are you, a freaking Peta card carrier?" Bill tried to look offended and Nicole sighed. "Rah animal rights, happy now? Besides, I'm not damning that dumb dog. He was cute. I want to buy him. He'll just be a hell of a lot cheaper if he isn't some Grand Prix Doggy Champion, all right?" "You want to buy Mr. Buttons?!" Bill demanded in disbelief. Perry shrugged and grinned. "His real name is Sir William Ellington the Fourth and he comes from impeccable blood lines, thank you. Yes, I do, I miss all the damn Osbourne dogs." "You want to buy Mr. Buttons." "Repeat yourself much?" she snapped. Bill started laughing. "I can't wait to see Joey's face when he finds out." "Screw Joey," Perry said, "I want to see Britney Spears." She paused for a moment and winced. "Shit, did I just SAY that?!" "You're going to be spouting Carson's praises in another few weeks." "Kiss my tattooed ass." Bill smirked. Nicole punched him. *************************************************************************************** Nicole Perry was nervous. She wasn't sure why, but she was, and hated it. Her hair was a natural looking auburn and had grown out some over the weeks on the road, until curls fell past her pierced ears. She was wearing a Black Sabbath shirt that was cut off at her navel, showing a generous amount of flat stomach, inked and pierced as well. Baggy cargo style jeans were held up with white suspenders and ratty sneakers peeked out from the bottom of her pants. When she wrinkled her nose, the diamond stud flashed in the light. Bill thought she looked adorable but wasn't about to tell her that. "You going to knock?" he asked mildly, curious to see her reaction. Nicole didn't disappoint. She flipped him off rudely and returned her attention to Britney Spears's dressing room door, contemplating it fiercely. She wasn't intimidated, not even close, but it was Britney Screw Me Spears. She had to approach the situation with finesse and grace and dignity, otherwise she'd never get to make Timberlake squirm. He deserved to squirm. Nicole took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There was a few moments of silence before it opened. Britney Spears stood in the doorway, the curiosity on her face dying with recognition and dismay. "You're Nicole." "And people say you aren't smart!" Britney's eyes narrowed a fraction and Nicole smiled sweetly. "I prefer Perry." "And I prefer that we skip the blonde jokes and get down to business." Perry laughed. "All right, I have a proposition for you, how would you like to screw with Justin's head a little bit?" The pop princess studied the goth princess before her for a long minute, weighing the character of the woman before her, before opening her door wider. "Come on in," she drawled, "I have a few more minutes before I have to get ready for my show. How did you get past security anyway?" "I overwhelmed them with my feminine wiles," Perry deadpanned. "She bluffed," Bill replied, voice even. Nicole glared but then smiled sweetly. "Guess those asses at MTV are good for something. You'd be amazed what a MTV camera and some press will get you, even backstage in NY City at a Britney Screw Me Spears concert." "Ahem." Perry apologized to the pop princess with a slight shrug. "Sorry, it slipped." "Slip less," Britney snapped. Nicole saluted smartly, "Yes sir, ma'am, miss..." Britney shook her head, "I'm so glad you aren't on tour with me." "That makes two of us," Perry replied glibly. Bill shook his head and continued to film history in the making.