Bridget woke up first the next morning and padded out to the kitchen to make some breakfast. She had mixed up some pancake batter and was cooking it on the stove when Justin slid his arms around Bridget's waist and placed little kisses on her neck from behind.
"Good morning, Justin," Bridget said with a smile as she flipped a pancake over.
"Morning," Justin replied and took some orange juice out of the refrigerator. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Of course- I was with you," Bridget said.
"Aww, how sweet," Justin murmured, gently turning her around to face him.
"Oh is that how you're gonna be?" Bridget smiled.
Justin kissed Bridget. "That's exactly how I'm gonna be."
"Well then- oh no! The pancakes!" Bridget exclaimed. "Look what you made me do Jay!"
Justin laughed and poured himself and Bridget some orange juice. "You're so cute."
Bridget glared at Justin and stuck her tongue out at him. Justin just laughed again and said, "I had no idea you were so mature, Bridgy."
"There are a lot of things about me you have no idea about," Bridget said quietly.
The doorbell rang at that instant and Justin went to answer the door, saying, "We'll continue this later."
Bridget nodded and put the finished pancakes onto a plate to be served.
"Justy!" a girl squealed from the front door. Bridget joined Justin by the front door to find him looking disgusted at the plastic looking half dressed girl standing on the porch.
Justin turned to give Bridget a look that said "Help!" which the girl didn't see. Bridget smiled.
"Justin, who's this?" Bridget asked, knowing full well who is it was, as Justin put his arm around Bridget.
The girl's face fell. "You don't know who I am?"
Bridget shook her head innocently. "No. Should I?"
"Hello! I'm Britney Spears! Duh!" the girl exclaimed.
"I'm sorry- I've never heard of you," Bridget said as Britney waltzed into the house.
"Why not?" Britney asked.
"Oh wait! Aren't you the one who sings that really annoying song�what was it? 'You Drive Me Crazy'?" Bridget said sweetly. Justin muffled a laugh.
"Justy, who is this loser anyway?" Britney said, adjusting her barely there tube top.
"This 'loser' is my girlfriend, Bridget," Justin replied.
"Oh�so nice to meet you, Bridget!" Britney said snootily.
"Pleasure's all mine," Bridget replied with a sweet smile.
"So, um, Britney- how did you find out where I live?" Justin asked.
"Oh, I asked around," Britney said nonchalantly walking into the kitchen. "Oh look! How sweet- Bridget made pancakes for you, Justy!"
"Um, yeah. I know," Justin said, his arm wrapped around Bridget's waist.
"So how long have you two been together?" Britney asked.
Justin looked down at Bridget. "Um�for awhile now�do you know how long, Bridgey?"
Bridget looked at Justin. "A month?"
"Yeah- that's about it," Justin agreed.
"What are you famous for, Bridget?" Britney asked.
"I'm not famous for anything. I just got out of high school�not really anytime to be famous," Bridget replied.
"I see."
"Yeah�um, Britney? Can you leave please? I need to discuss some stuff with Bridget," Justin asked.
"Of course, Justy. I'll drop by later," Britney said and whisked out of the house.
"You handled Britney so well, Bridgey!" Justin exclaimed with a laugh. "I couldn't have done better."
"I take it you're not too fond of her," Bridget said.
"No way. She's so fake-plastic, annoying," Justin explained. "I hope she doesn't come by later."
"Come to my house later�she won't come there," Bridget said.
"These pancakes are good, Bridget!" Justin exclaimed.
"I just threw some stuff together�I mean it was nothing huge�"
"Who cares? This is great! I should have you cook for me more!"
Bridget was sitting at home, watching the ocean waves crash on the shore with soft music playing from the house's sound system. Her eyelids started to feel impossibly heavy, so Bridget gave in to sleep.
Justin looked out his window and saw no pink cars pulling into his driveway. He locked the front door and let himself into Bridget's house. "Bridget?"
She was nowhere to be found downstairs, so Justin figured she was upstairs watching the ocean- one of her inner peace things. He climbed up the stairs and heard Bridget yelling. "Daddy no! Please don't! It's not my fault, I swear! Daddy please�don't hit me!"
Justin raced up the last few stairs and found Bridget lying on the couch, curled into a little ball with tears streaming down her face- she was asleep.
"Daddy, let go- you're hurting me!" Bridget screamed.
Justin gently shook Bridget. "Wake up, Bridgey."
She flinched at his touch. "No�"
He shook her a little harder. "Come on, wake up Bridgey."
Bridget's eyes opened. "Justin, I�."
"It's just a dream, baby�."
Bridget burst into more tears and Justin held her tightly. "Justin, it's not�"
"Shh, it's okay. Just a dream�" Justin whispered, stroking Bridget's hair.
"It's not�it's not a dream," Bridget whispered.
"What are you talking about?" Justin asked as Bridget pulled back and looked into his eyes.
"I'm talking about�my dad. He�he hits me," Bridget whispered.
"Bridgey, why didn't you tell me before?" Justin asked.
"I thought you would hate me and never wanna see me again if you knew," Bridget said.
"Hey, look at me. I would never ever hate you for something like that. It is not your fault- I might hate your dad, but not you- okay?"
Bridget nodded and sniffled as Justin took her in his arms again. How could anyone want to hurt her? She was so small�so easily broken�he wanted to make her tears go away- stop the hurt she was feeling.
The sun was about to begin setting when Bridget stopped crying. "I've gotta cook dinner�"
"Hey, uh-uh. No way. You're gonna sit here and I'm gonna get take-out okay?"
Bridget smiled. "Chinese?"
"You know it�moo goo chicken right?"
"Yeah, my favorite."
"Okay. I'll go into town and get it- don't go anywhere." I should be back in about thirty or forty minutes."
Bridget nodded. "Alright."
"Justin gave her a sweet long kiss. "I'll see you in a little while okay?"
"Yeah." After Justin left, Bridget decided to take a shower to make her feel better. She stepped into the hot shower, closing her eyes and letting her tears wash away into the water. When she got out of the showe, she slipped her silk bathrobe on and tied the sash tightly. All of a sudden, Bridget heard a door close.
"Justin, is that you?" Bridget called as she combed her hair. There was no answer. She checked the living room and kitchen and found no one. "Must be my imagination."
Bridget walked into her bedroom and opened her closet, rummaging around for her flannel PJ pants.
"Bridget, I'm back!" Justin called from the front door.
Bridget met him in the living room. "That didn't take too long."
"I think they recognized me," Justin said with a grin. "You look great."
"I'm wearing a bathrobe."
"My point exactly- you look wonderful," Justin said and kissed Bridget.
"Right. Let me go change into some real clothes," Bridget replied and kissed Justin lightly on the lips.
Justin kissed her back. "Don't take too long."
"I'll try not to." Another kiss and Bridget went into her room again, back to her closet to find her flannel pants. Only this time there was something there that didn't belong.
A red-headed Barbie hanging by her neck, covered in blood and tattered clothes.