Chapter Seven
The day quickly passed. Justin and Lauren spent the whole day talking and laughing. They talked about old memories and made some new ones. It took them the whole day to get caught up. Even though they had not been around each other for a year, by the end of the day it felt as if they were only apart for a few days. Justin tried to pry out any information he could about guys and possible relationships. But Lauren wouldn’t give to many details especially about feelings for Lance. ‘Damn her’ Justin thought ‘still holding in details.’ They agreed that she would join them on May 20th in Orlando, that way she would give her a few days to spend time with her family and relax after her finals. At 8 P.M. Lauren and Kimberley left but not before getting a hug from each guy. She gave them her cell phone number and her email address and made them promise to write and call. Justin walked his friend to her car and told her to be careful and that he would see her in May. Justin promised to call after the show and hugged Lauren then she got in the car and started it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 20th ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lauren hugged her parents and grabbed her carry-on bags. She made sure she had her claim tickets for the other two bags and bored her plane. She had been very careful make sure she did not pack too much. Justin had told her that she could only bring two big bags and then a small overnight bag and a backpack. She had dealt with it and had gotten the two biggest bags she could find, and packed everything she could into them. Lauren put her carry-on in the shelf and sat with her backpack in her lap. She got out her CD player and started listening to it. She sat quietly listening to the newest ‘NSYNC CD and thought about the last few months. Justin had called almost daily. He managed to call when he was on the way from one arena to the next or just before he went to bed. Whenever he called she would ask about all the guys, and Lauren tried to hide her extra need to know about Lance. But Justin could always hear the excitement in her voice when she said his name. Occasionally she would get a call from Lance or JC, and they would talk about what was going on or answer some of her questions about tour life. Lauren had gotten to be pretty good friends with both Lance and JC and could not wait to spend time with all of them. Lauren snapped out of her thoughts when they neared Orlando. She knew that Justin was suppose to be there to pick her up, but she did not know if anyone else was coming along. When the plane landed Lauren stood up and grabbed her bags then headed to the door to be one of the first passengers off the plane. She looked around and saw no one she knew. "Well what am I suppose to do now!" She mumbled to herself and then went to stand by a window near the
plane’s landing spot. She just looked around and tried to figure out what to do.
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"LANCE!" Justin yelled from his room.
"Yeah!"
"You are going to have to go get Lauren for me. I need to go over this part again and I lost track of time." Justin yelled down the stairs. Justin thought to himself as he heard Lance yell ‘Man I hope this works. But they both think that they can’t get together. And I think they would be good together. Man if this doesn’t work they are going to drive me and themselves nuts for the next two months.’ Shaking his head he heard Lance shut the door after yelling.
"Okay I’ll go!" Lance said as he jumped up from the couch and grabbed his keys from the table.
He grabbed a hat and sunglasses on the way out to use as a disguise. He knew he was not going to make it there by the time the plane landed but hoped that he wouldn’t be too late. Lance thought about the past two months and how he had finally came to the conclusion that he just wanted to be Lauren’s friend. He felt more for her but did not want to push her into something she did not want or could not handle. He had had many serious conversations with Justin and finally decided that if he really did like Lauren then he would need to back off and just let it happen. Over the past few days he had begun to make himself believe he did not like her in that way at all. Pulling up to the airport Lance put on the baseball hat and pushed his sunglasses on. He got out of the car and ran into the terminal to find Lauren. Looking around he found the gate she was supposed to be at and ran over to look for her. Looking around his eyes fell on her brown hair shining from the sun coming in the window. Lance stopped in his tracks and his mouth dropped open. He watched Lauren turn around and scan through the crowd looking for someone familiar. He looked into her eye and saw a look of concern in them. She turned back to look out the window and Lance walked towards her. As he walked towards her all the feelings he had been trying to suppress came flooding back and he realized he really did love this girl. Lance shook his head to clear the racing thoughts and went up to Lauren. Placing his hand on her shoulder he said "Looking for someone?"
Lauren quickly spun around and found herself looking into the eyes of the man she had grown to love but also feared the feelings that she felt. "Uhm yeah. I was expecting Justin." Lauren stuttered.
"Well sorry will I do?"
"Yeah you will do fine. How are you Lance?"
"Well I am fine, but I will be much better when we get out of here and hopefully not get mobbed. So let’s go grab your bags and get out of here." Lance said grabbing Lauren’s carry-on bags in one hand and taking her hand in the other. Both blushed as they noticed they were holding hands but neither loosened their grip. They went off and picked up Lauren’s two bags. Letting go of each other’s hands slowly they each picked up one of the bags. They ran to the car and threw her bags in the trunk, quickly climbing in the front seats they just got their doors shut when the fans noticed him and started to run to the car. Quickly starting the car with one hand and putting on his seat belt with the other Lance then pulled the car out of the parking place. Once on the highway they both breathed a sigh of relief. "Well are you glad to be here with us?"
"Oh heck yeah! Hey you wanna help me pull a trick on Justin?" Lauren said looking and Lance innocently.
"What are you planning young lady? And Yeah I will help you."
"Well hmm…I got it…you know how Justin can not stand for me to be mad at him. I saw that when we get back to your guys’ house that I act mad at him for not coming to pick me up. That would serve him right for not coming to the airport. What do you think?"
"I say we do it. I’d love to get him back for some of the tricks he’s pulled on me." They discuss how this is going to work and smile at each other as they pull up to the house. Lauren and Lance get out of the car and get her bags. Before walking into the house they give each other the ready or not here we go look and then walk into the house. Just as they are opening the front door, Justin came running down the stairs and runs right up to Lauren. He pulls her into his arms and starts to spin her around. Noticing that she isn’t hugging him back or laughing or even telling him to put her down he sets her back down and looks at her.
"What’s wrong?" He asks directly to Lauren.
"NOTHING!" She says shortly before turning to Lance "Can YOU show me my room please?"
Lance nods and tries not to laugh then leads Lauren to her room with Justin following close behind her. Once there they sat her bags down and Lauren starts to put some of her clothes in the closet.
"Lauren what is wrong? You aren’t homesick are you? Did something happen that I don’t know about?" Justin asked looking between Lauren and Lance.
"Nothing is wrong. You know I am not homesick I am used to being away at college for months at a time, and nothing happened but my supposed best friend could not take the time to show up at the air port to pick me up." Lauren said looking at Justin’s hurt face and trying not to laugh.
"What the hell are you talking about? I planed to pick you up but I got busy and I did not think you would mind Lance picking you up. If I was wrong then sorry, but don’t be mad at me. Please Lauren, don’t be mad?" Justin asked looking into Lauren’s eyes. Just then Lauren and Lance could not hold back the laughing any more and both busted out laughing. "What the hell?"
"Hon, you just got burned again." Lauren said walking over to Justin and looking into his eyes. "I just fooled you for the second time in about three months. Oh and thanks Lance could not have done it with out you."
"I’m confused." Justin said
"Well no problem. I am going to go into the other room so you guys can talk. See you at dinner." Lance said laughing.
"Justin I just played a small joke on you. I wasn’t mad." Lauren said still looking at her friend’s confused face.
"I figured that out now. Dang. So do I get a real hug now?" Justin said pouting.
"Yeah Yeah." They gave each other a bear hug then sat down on the bed to talk.
"So how was the flight and more importantly the ride to the house?" Justin asked.
"The flight was long. And nothing happened on the ride here. Why would it have?" Lauren asked annoyed at her friend implications that there was something other then a friendship going on.
"No reason. Just wondering if either of you over came your shyness and said how you feel." Justin dunked to miss the pillow Lauren threw at him.
"Justin Randall Timberlake, I told you a hundred times that he is just a friend at that is how it has to stay. When are you going to get it through your thick head that he is just a friend?" Lauren said as she stood up from the bed and stormed over to the window and glared out.
"I will get it through my thick head, when you get it through your heart and head that you love that boy." Justin said walking over to his friend. He put his hand on her shoulder and she shrugged it off. "Come on don’t be mad. I just want you to be happy and I think you would be happier with him. Come on. I will drop it."
"You better or I will kick your butt. Come on I think it is time to go eat." Lauren said, as she turned and smiled at her friend. "You know what you always say if it is meant to be it will happen, well that is my opinion on this one and you know I don’t get mad at you very easily, I just don’t want to get hurt or hurry into anything. Let’s go I think Lance is yelling at us. Let’s go eat!!!" With that they went to meet the rest of the group laughing and joking.
Chapter Eight
