Patting her non-existent belly, Gabby announced, “Now, that was a good
burger.” Justin belched, complying with her comment.
Running up to them, Joey asked excitedly, “You guys wanna go clubbin’?”
“You can if you want, Justin, I’ll take the bus home.” Gabby said in
between a gaping yawn.
His curls bobbed when he shook his head, “Nah, it’s cool Gabby. I’ll drop
you off at home and meet the fellas later. What club Joe?”
“Pleasure Island. See ya there?” Joey asked.
Justin nodded, “Yea. I’ll...uhh...be there.”
As Joey turned away, and Chris yelled “What’d he say?” all that could be
heard was Joey.
“He said he’d be there. In other words, don’t count on it. That’s just more
laaayyyyyydies for me!”
“Thanks, Justin.” Gabby said softly as Justin opened the door for her.
Once she was out, Justin took her hand as he walked her to the door. “I feel just
like Cinderella, minus the pumpkin carriage. Because, i don’t think your
Mercedes is going to turn into a pumpkin any time soon.”
His face twisting, Justin replied, “Better not. That was one expensive
pumpkin if it was!”
Once Gabby and Justin reached the door, she said softly, “Hope that you
have a good time at the club.”
Twisting his face into an ominous look, he asked, “And what do you know.
Girl’s true beauty comes out, and she’s giving me the boot!”
Gabrielle cast a sideways glance at him, and she replied seriously, “Well,
you told the guys that you were going to the club with the guys. I assumed that
meant that you were going clubbing with the guys...”
“I lied. They know it, I know it, now you know it.” Justin answered quickly.
An uncontrollable yawn escaped Gabby’s mouth, as she asked, “Aren’t
you the least bit tired Justin? Don’t you ever sleep? You’re gonna grow up and
be this 30 year old that falls asleep Rip Van Winkle style. That wouldn’t be any
good.” She then genuinely smiled at him, which felt like something the she had
not done for years. It felt like she was finally allowed just to be Gabby now.
There was no pressure to live up to the “Reynolds Standards.” It was just Gabby
against the world. The though excited her more then anything. The years that
had passed hadn’t been kind to her. It took her 18 long years to realize exactly
who she was, and what her fate was. At that moment, fate was staring at her
intently.
A smile formed on Justin’s mouth, and he commented softly, “You have a
beautiful smile, Gabrielle.” His fingers grazed her face gently before taking her
small hand in his own larger one. “You should smile like that more often.”
Peering up into his eyes, she stated softly, “Look what you’ve done for
me, Justin. Look how you changed my life. I can’t even begin to express my
gratitude...”
His voice caught in throat, and then he said hoarsely, “Look what you did
for yourself. You were the one that had the courage to walk away Gabby. I
would have never even met you if you haven’t done that.”
A salty tear cascaded down her cheek, and she brushed it away quickly,
hoping that Justin hadn’t seen it. “I’ve got a lot to think about, Justin. Do you
mind if I just call you tomorrow?”
Slowly, his head bobbed up and down, and he replied, “Yea. I’ll talk to
you tomorrow, Gabby.” He hugged her and walked slowly back to his car. As he
walked, he recalled their perfect evening, and the few short seconds in which he
been so close to her. It had been the first time that Justin Timberlake had ever felt
completely connected to anyone, and he knew that it was an omen of what was
to come.
A piece of tattered paper flew across the room and into the waste basket.
Gabrielle began humming loudly to herself and scribbling furiously in the
notebook in front of her. Once again not liking what she composed, she sent the
paper airborne, just knocking Tinkerbell in the head. Gabby quickly apologized,
“Mommy’s sorry Tinky! Treats later...Okay? Okay, that’s what I thought!”
Her attention once again was drawn to the notebook in front of her and
the dull pencil that was in her hand. The words were flowing too quickly for
Gabrielle’s liking. Beforehand when she wrote a song, it took hours for the
words to come out perfectly. Now, however, the emotions she was feeling could
have propelled her to write a song that would last 24 hours.
Knocking her hand on her head, she said aloud to herself, “Come
on...you’re losing it... Just breathe...” A small smile formed on her lips as she
mouthed the words again, “Breathe” The memories flooded her mind in a
deluge. It was then that the words came out more perfectly then ever. She
wrote about love, and she in turn wrote about loss. She wrote about fear, and
she wrote about comfort. She told stories through beautiful verses. She told
about her. She told about the real Gabby-the Gabby Justin always had a special
way of bringing out. In the end, when she rested her head against her pillow the
next morning, she was completely satisfied.
Rubbing her eyes, Gabby peered at the phone, which was ringing to no
avail. Sunlight streamed through the shades. The clock next to the phone read
12:35. Gabby scrambled for the phone and groggily answered, “’Ello?”
A perky voice answered her, “Gabbbbbby! What’s going on girl? What
are you up to?”
Recognizing the voice as Justin’s she replied, “Sleeping, Justin. Sleeping
like the rock of Gibraltar....”
“Gabby! It’s 12:35 on a Saturday, and you’re in bed! Are you sick??” He
asked, worried.
She tiredly replied, “No... I was just up all night...writing the songs for the
album. I really need somebody to read them and hear them...”
Justin hurriedly responded, “I’ll be over in ten minutes.”
Of course, Gabby didn’t answer she was sound asleep on the phone.
