Katlyn jumped out of the bus and practically skipped to the hotel door. She ran to the elevator with Laura and ran down the hall to their hotel room. Jackie came around the corner out of breath.
“Why are you guys so excited?” Jackie threw her stuff on the floor.
“We get to see all of our friends which we haven’t seen since like forever!” Laura said excitedly.
JC walked by the room and pocked his head in. “Oh no, now we have two excited girls.”
Katlyn threw a pillow at him. “Shut up! You’re just jealous because you see your ONLY four friends everyday.”
JC threw the pillow back. “Do you have to be so excited though?”
“I’ve been friends with these people since I was like three!”
JC laughed and walked out of the room.
Katlyn picked up her new phone the guys had gotten for her and called Jamie.
“Hello?”
“Jamie?” Katlyn asked excitedly.
“Kate?!”
“AAHHH! How are you?” Katlyn yelled almost jumping up and down.
“Good. What about you? You’ve been going through a lot.”
Katlyn sighed. “Yeah, well...Anyway, what’s up?”
“Nothing much...we’re just hanging over here.”
“So, did you guys want to go to tonight’s concert or tomorrows?”
“Let’s go to tomorrows...we have some catching up to do.”
Katlyn laughed. “Ok, where do you want to meet?”
“Let’s meet at the hotel, we may be friends, but we’re still fans.”
“We can make all the girls in front of the hotel jealous.” Katlyn gave her the hotel info and agreed to meet downstairs in an hour and a half.
Katlyn went skipping out the door with the others close behind. They wasted time hanging with the guys and then they waited in the lobby. When they saw their friends they went outside.
Katlyn tried to keep from laughing as she walked up to her friends. “You guys look like big fans...you wanna meet them?”
Her friends jumped around like a bunch of teenyboppers while she let them in, which made the fans scream. They laughed walking back in the hotel. Once inside, Katlyn and Laura practically jumped on their friends, hugging them.
“I haven’t seen you guys for like a year!” Katlyn finished hugging them.
“Where’s Jennifer? Wasn’t she going to come?” Reina asked.
Katlyn’s face fell. “Um, no...she was fired.”
“Fired? Why?” Jamie asked.
“Well, obviously you’ve heard the rumors in the articles, right?” Her friends added. “Jennifer was the one writing them.” They all practically gasped. “Well actually they fired her because of the whole Justin and her thing.”
“So that was true?” Julie asked.
“I don’t really know what happened...”
“So you and Justin...” Kim said.
“We broke up.”
“Why don’t we go upstairs now and talk?” Jamie said changing the subject.
They all agreed and went up to their room.
“Oh, by the way, this is Jackie.” Katlyn introduced.
They talked for a few hours more. Someone knocked on the door. Katlyn opened it and there stood the guys.
“We’re leaving.” Chris said smiling.
Katlyn nodded. “Thanks for disturbing us...by the way, say hi to my friends.”
The guys stepped in and waved. Katlyn then pushed them out. “Go. You’re going to be late for your concert or sound check, or meet and greet...whatever you’re doing.” The guys left and Katlyn closed the door.
“How could you ever be mad at that boy?” Reina fanned herself.
Katlyn smiled. “It’s actually easier then it looks.”
They decided to go out to their old spots they use to hang out at. They started at the mall and the promenade and shopped for a while. They got some dinner and then went down to the pier. They rode some rides, played some games and then walked along the beach. When it started getting colder, they went back to the hotel.
“We’re trying to get Justin and Katlyn back together, so talk about how perfect he is.” Laura whispered to Reina and then Jamie. They both nodded.
They all plopped down on the bed, couches, and chairs and turned on the TV.
“Kate, if the whole Jennifer kissing Justin thing was her fault, why are you mad at him?” Kim asked.
“It’s a long story.” Katlyn said not wanting to get into anymore of it.
“Well we have a long time, so you can tell us.”
Katlyn sighed. “He lied to me. She had called him a ton of times and he didn’t tell me.”
“So your mad because he didn’t tell you who called him? Do you tell him who calls you?” Julie asked.
Katlyn shifted uncomfortably. “No...but it’s different.”
“How so?” Laura added.
Katlyn glared at her. “We’ve talked about this.”
Laura smiled. “Yes we did. I didn’t agree then and I don’t agree now.”
“It’s just-“ Katlyn started but watched as ‘Gone’ started to play. She watched the TV in an almost daze.
“Is she ok?” Julie asked.
Laura hushed her. “Let her watch him.” She mouthed.
‘Why does this damn song get to me so much?’ Katlyn thought. ‘Maybe because it was written for you, genius.’
She watched the video flashback of Justin kissing the girl. A tear ran down her cheek remembering when she had seen Jennifer and Justin kiss. “Turn it off.” When no one moved she said it louder. “Turn this SHIT off!”
Julie quickly switched it off.
“Kate, the kiss wasn’t his fault.” Jackie said softly.
“I know.” Another tear ran down her cheek.
“You need to forgive him.”
“He lied to me, he told me that it was FANS calling!” The room fell silent.
“He wrote a song for you...He wrote that song for you.”
“What?!” Reina, Jamie, Kim, and Julie said in unison.
Laura waved them off but Julie continued. “What do you mean he wrote that song for her?”
“When Jennifer called for the first time, she had left a message with Katlyn, Katlyn got upset, left, broke up with him, and he wrote that song.” Jackie explained.
The others shut their mouths.
“Remember how much he hated shooting that video? He loves you, Kate. He wants you back.” Laura softly said.
Katlyn thought back to when they were shooting the video.
“No, No, NO! I REFUSE to do that!” Justin yelled storming back into the dressing room.
Johnny and Chris followed him. “Justin, please, just a little kiss.”
Justin sat down on the couch next to Katlyn. “No.”
“Why is it so hard? It will make the video deeper.”
“No! I don’t want to! I don’t feel comfortable doing it!”
Katlyn looked between Justin and her dad. “Um...what is going on?”
“Can you talk-“ Her dad started.
“They want me to kiss another girl.” Justin cut in.
“It’s just a little, harmless-“
“They want me to have the girl pressed up against the wall in a passionate kiss.” Justin cut in again.
“Not passionate.” Johnny added.
“If she’s pressed up against the wall and I’m kissing her, it’s passionate!”
Chris raised his eye at him. “Really?”
Justin quickly corrected himself. “I didn’t mean that’s what I do, I’m just saying it would look passionate.”
Katlyn looked away with her hand over her mouth. “Good cover up.” She whispered.
“The fans know how much I love Katlyn, I don’t want them to get the wrong idea. I also don’t feel comfortable doing it.”
“It’s a video.” Johnny said.
“I don’t want to do it.” Justin said leaning back and putting his arm around Katlyn.
“Can you talk to him?” Chris asked her.
“Yeah, give me five minutes.” They walked out the door.
“You’re going to help them?!”
“Justin, it’s just a video.” Katlyn reasoned.
“So you want me to kiss another girl.”
“I don’t want you to, but it’s for a video.”
Justin sighed. “I don’t want to.”
Katlyn leaned over and pressed a soft kiss on his lips and then rested her forehead against his. “It’s just a video.”
Justin sighed again and kissed her. “Fine. But just for the record, I’m against this.”
Katlyn laughed and stood up, pulling him with her.
Katlyn watched from the side as Justin pressed the girl up against the wall and kissed the actress. She turned her head slightly to the side so she didn’t have to watch. A hand touched her shoulder and she turned around to see who it was.
“You ok?” JC asked.
“I can’t believe I just convinced my boyfriend to go kiss another girl.” Katlyn laughed.
JC let out a little laugh. “Yeah, not many girls would do that.”
“Well I always knew I was different.”
JC hugged her with one arm. “But that’s why we all love you.” JC watched as she tried her hardest to stay strong watching Justin kiss the other girl. “He loves you, that’s all you have to worry about. She’s just an actress, he’ll be in your arms as soon the director yells cut.”
Katlyn rested her head on his shoulder. “I know.” She turned her head and watched as the director yelled ‘cut’ and Justin quickly pulled away and turned around to see how Katlyn reacted. When the scene was done, they were let go.
Justin wrapped his arms around Katlyn’s waist as they made their way to the car. “I’m sorry.”
“Justin, it was just a video.”
“But I feel bad.” Justin kissed her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Katlyn wiped her eyes and stood up, walking to the bathroom. Jackie followed her, but Katlyn slammed the door closed and locked it. She slid down onto the cold floor and leaned against the huge tub.
She heard a knock. “Kate? Let me in, we can talk about it.” Jackie said.
Katlyn kept quiet.
Jackie sighed and sat back down on the bed. “Sorry you guys, she’s never done that before.”
“How long will she stay in there?” Reina asked.
Jackie shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Maybe we pushed her too much.” Laura spoke up.
An hour later, and many tries more, Katlyn still sat locked in the bathroom. Her other friends had left right after Katlyn had locked herself in the room.
Laura pounded on the door again. “Kate?! Please! Are you ok?!”
Jackie heard laughing from the hall, so she ran out, seeing the guys. She grabbed JC and pulled him into the room.
JC looked at Laura, now sitting by the door still pounding on the door. “What’s going on?”
Laura looked up with tears in her eyes. “She’s been in there for over an hour.”
The other guys had gathered around. JC pushed Laura out of the way.
“Katlyn? Kate?! Open the door!!” JC pressed his ear against the door, but he couldn’t hear anything. “Has it been quiet in there this whole time?” Laura nodded. “And you didn’t call someone?!” JC pounded on the door some more. “Katlyn! Open the door!...She better be ok.”
Justin stood off to the side with a few tears running down his face.
JC violently turned the knob and pushed and kicked on the door, but it wouldn’t open. “KATE?!?” JC glared at Laura and Jackie. “She could be in there DEAD and you didn’t tell anyone?!”
Justin had enough and pushed JC out of the way and started his pounding and kicking. When Katlyn didn’t answer, he slid to the floor crying, leaning on the door. “Katlyn, please, open the door.”
“I’m fine.” A faint whisper said from the bathroom.
Justin sat up and pounded on the door. “Katlyn, please...open the door.”
Lance, Joey, and Chris left to get her dad.
“Angel, just talk to me.” Justin said softly.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered.
“Are you ok? Are you hurt?”
“No. I just wanted to be alone.”
When they heard the soft voice, Jackie, Laura, and JC left and told her dad everything that had happened.
“Kate? They’re gone, come out and talk to me.”
“I don’t want too.”
“What’s wrong, Kate?” Katlyn was quiet. “Kate?!”
“I’m fine. I just want to hear your voice.”
Justin leaned against the door again. “Kate, I’m sorry. I should have told you about the calls, but I thought you’d get mad...I didn’t think about what would happen if you found out that I wasn’t telling you. I’m sorry.”
Katlyn crawled over to the door and sat in front of it, wanting to be closer to him.
“I miss you. I don’t feel complete without you. I need you back in my life.” Justin took a deep breath. “Even if we aren’t what we were, I need you to at least be my friend.” A tear rolled down his cheek. “I just need you. I can’t stand you being mad at me. I love you, Katlyn. I’ll always love you.” He took another deep breath. “I screwed up. I admit it, and it takes a lot for me to admit that. I wasn’t thinking and I made a mistake. I can barely sleep at night because I’m scared my mistake will never be forgiven. I couldn’t live without you in my life.”
Katlyn leaned against the door, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, Katlyn. I’m so sorry.” She cold hear him crying as he talked.
Katlyn reached up and unlocked the door. Justin heard the ‘click’ and sat up. She moved to the side and slowly opened the door. She looked at Justin, whose face was still wet from tears. Within seconds she was in his arms, her arms tightly around his neck, his arms tightly around her waist. She buried her head in his neck as he rocked her back and fourth. She started crying, holding him tighter. They quietly sat, rocking, just enjoying the feel of the other.
