I sat uncomfortably in the luxurious limo we were riding in. Sure, I was used to this now. After all, I had dated Justin for a year, and now I have my own. I didn’t feel weird in the atmosphere—I felt weird around the people.

            When I talked to Justin about how he was doing, I really did mean for it to be love-wise. But I couldn’t come out and directly say that to him. I’d have to give him time—and give myself time, because right now, I’m not sure about anything in my life.

            I knew that Laura had meant well when she’d asked me to come along, but now I felt like a third-wheel. Justin, JC, and Chris all brought their girlfriends, and I felt left out. Joey and Lance had gone to the apartment to crash, and somehow I got stuck between, my ex-boyfriend, my ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend, and my ex-boyfriends [ever so popular] friends.

            When I first got the gig, I was so excited I forgot *NSYNC was managed under the same roof. I figured it was Britney’s company, she wouldn’t have to do anything with Jive. Boy, I was wrong!

            When we reached my house, where we were going to let me change, I jumped out of the limo like it had TNT in it. I was just nervous, and I couldn’t back out of this thing now. As I went inside, Laura followed behind. She whistled softly.

            “Nice place you got here,” She whispered.

            “Thanks!” I laughed. I smiled at her; she was a sweetie. I walked over to the bedroom, picked out my “sexy” black halter top, and a pair of leather Capri's. “I hope I can get these off later,” I muttered, tugging the Capri's off the hanger. Laura laughed.

            “With your figure, you won’t have a problem!” She chuckled. I blushed.

            “Thanks,” I said. “Make yourself at home. I’ll just be a quickie.” I said, going into the bathroom and twisting the lock behind me.

            Once I was inside, I sat on the edge of the tub, and buried my face into my hands. “Great, now I hang out with my ex-boyfriend Justin, and he probably hates me!” I said, frustrated. Then I reasoned with myself. Why would Justin have talked to me tonight? I asked. Obviously, it wasn’t him who broke my heart, I thought, feeling guilty. I wondered if Justin hear any of those rumors about me and Britney saying he was a jerk. I hope he didn’t because I certainly didn’t. Plus, I was the one who dumped him, so I needed to take some of the blame for that mishap. I just wanted things to be back to normal—and for us to be together again.

            “Uh, so?” I asked nervously in the limo on the way to the club. I was nervously twitching my fingers. Sophie looked at me, and caught my eye. I turned away.

            “So...?” She repeated. I suddenly blurted out:

            “How are your siblings?” I asked. She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, and I winced. There was nothing wrong with asking about your family, was there? Suddenly, she laughed and I relaxed...a little bit.

            “Well, Kathy is great. She’s almost eight now, and starting to have crushes and all.” Sophie said. “So that’s where I come into the picture, help her out with zits and stuff,” She laughed. I laughed too. I waggled my eyebrows.

            “Does she still worship me?” I joked. Sophie’s eyes got tense.

            “No.” She mumbled. “She worships...”

            “JC?” Sophie shook her head.

            “Lance?” Shook her head.

            “Chris?” Shook her head again.

            “JOEY?” She shook her head AGAIN.

            “Who?” I asked.

            “Nick. Brian. Howie. AJ. Kevin.” Sophie muttered. I opened my mouth in shock.

            “The Backstreet guys?” I said in awe.

            “Yeah. Ever since uh, whatever, happened, she started dissing you guys so much. All those autographed posters and stuff.” Sophie winced and rolled her eyes.

            “Oh. Ummm...cool?” I stammered. I was glad me and Sophie had our own limo. The last thing I wanted to do was make Laura think something was going on. She was as confused as I was, even though she wasn’t my girlfriend—I was pretty sure she and Lance were getting it on—but she was my best friend, and I didn’t want to get into one of those “talks” about girls and stuff.

            “Yeah. So, I thought you said nothing was going on in relationships,” She questioned, her New York accent cutting through her smooth voice. That only happened when she was nervous—very nervous.

            “I don’t,” I said, the glint in my eye was sheepish. “Laura’s a good friend of mine. She’s actually getting pretty serious with Lance, not me.” I smiled, waiting—no, anticipating—for her answer. Which I soon got.

            “Oh. Well, you two, seem...close.” She said flatly. I smiled.

            “No. Not as close as us, anyway,” I whispered.

            “Mr. Timberlake, we are at the Arena. You may step outside. Please put on your sunglasses. Thank you, sir, have a good time.” My driver, Tony said over the intercom. I laughed. “Oh, whatever. Justin, have a great time, but no girls back here, understand?” He laughed. “Wait...except Sophie! But I’ve got a camera so I can see what you two are up too...” He grinned sideways, turning his head to look at us. Both Sophie and my face turned Raspberry red.

            “Whatever,” I heard myself mumble, but Tony just chuckled. “Oh shut it,” I snapped, cracking a slight smile.

            “Whatever you say, Timberlake, whatever you say. I’ll be here to pick you up, so call when your done...whenever that is,” He snickered, rolling his eyes. I glared at him, took Sophie’s hand and helped her out of the limo.

            Surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of paparazzi. We had parked in a secluded corner, with a row of well lit, but a kind of creepy, street, blazed over with bars and clubs. The club was a dark, black and brown building, that was about the size of a regular house. I couldn’t imagine people flowing here, and actually having any room to dance, and so forth.

            As me and Sophie walked up the gravelly steps, a pair of hands loudly clapped me on the back. I spun on my heel, and looked behind me. JC and Kerri were standing there, looking great, as always. JC had on some black leather pants and I worn out white t-shirt, which was worn with a black leather jacket, open in the middle. Kerri was similar to her boyfriend’s dressing. She had a skirt that reached her knees, which was a leather one, with bits of pink and blue polyester patches sewn all over. Her top was a low, deep berry red, which clung to her front perfectly, exposing just enough to make men's’ minds wonder, but enough to be safe from JC’s objections. The front was the only part covered, while her back was fully exposed to the club, only a small, fish line string held the top together. JC probably wants to snap that string...he just won’t admit it, I thought evilly, while looking at JC, who was staring thoughtfully into the pitch black starry night.

            “What ya thinkin’ ‘bout, bro?” I asked. JC didn’t flinch. “JC?” I asked. JC suddenly blinked, and turned to look at me in the eye.

            “’Sup?” he asked, still entranced into his daze. I laughed.

            “I asked you something,” I fibbed. He looked around, uninterested.

            “Uh-huh. And that’s why I wasn’t looking at you—anything you ask is pointless,” he smirked.

            “Well, that wasn’t very nice, was it?” I laughed. He smiled.

            “Why, I think it was...you’ve got a screwed mind, that’s all.” He retorted. “Get help, Justin,” He said, until he left to walk a little bit up to where Sophie and Kerri were talking. I saw Kerri politely tell Sophie something, then she quickly pulled JC in for a deep kiss. I sighed, as a smiling JC came up for air, with a lipstick mark on his lips. He winked at me. I chuckled lightly, and looked up into the stars.

            What I saw, made me gasp. There, in front of me, like a city lit up at night, was the Big Dipper. I self-conciously grabbed Sophie’s wrist, startling her.

            “What?” She snapped. Instantly, she said, “Sorry, didn’t mean that.” She said more softly. I nodded.

            “It’s okay. I just wanted to show you something,” I said breathlessly.

            “And that is...?” She asked, looking into my icy blue eyes.

            “My favorite star formation,” I whispered. Sophie’s face went pale as she realized what he was talking about. She regained her composure.

            “Mine too,” She whispered, as memories from that fateful night came rushing back to me.

                                                                                <<<<<Flashback>>>>>

“Sophie! Wait up!” I gasped, as Sophie ran out the back door of the party. After I had left, Britney had smirked at me, and started flirting with Nick Carter. Figures, I thought, disgusted. I didn’t know why I hadn’t broken up with her before...

“Sophie!” I yelled, as I ran to the bench where she had collapsed. Her head was in her hands, and she was crying loudly.

            I sat down next to her, and lightly rubbed her back. She looked up at me warily.

            “You hate me, don’t you?” She said quietly. I looked shocked.

            “Now why would I hate a beautiful girl like you?” I asked, confused.

            “Don’t play dumb, Justin. I just made you break up with your girlfriend. Didn’t you notice that? I just broke up the King and Queen, Princess and Prince of Pop! You know how humiliating that will be? I’m a failure! That’s all I am! My reputation was a big one, Justin, don’t you understand that? If my father finds out, that his own daughter broke up two of his top artist’s, he’ll have me fired in a millisecond! You don’t understand my dad, or me!” She yelled in frustration. I sat there quietly for a moment, trying to gather up the courage to say something. Softly, I took her hand, and she didn’t resist.

            “Sophie, I know what you’re thinking; it’s not true. You know, my mom always said, that you think life is perfect, but at times, it’s anything but that. You go through tough times, of deaths; break-ups; depressions; and it’s natural! You know, you’re not the entire reason we broke up tonight. Me and Britney have had problems, and you just boosted me up enough to show her that I’ve had enough, and that I could be my own man, and we didn’t need to be ‘together’ to have a good image. Don’t you understand that? And as for your dad, well, Sophie, Dan Jones is one of the most heroic people I have met in my mere years of life. He’s been the best, and no one could ask for more. He’d understand, I’m positive. I was the one who went to him when me and Britney started having problems...” I said. Sophie looked away, and looked back at me.

            “Really?” She asked. I nodded and smiled.

            “Really. Plus, Britney must have been cheating on me, and I really wanted to cheat on her, but I’m not like that. But I’ve always been eyeing one girl, who I fancy,” I winked.

            “Oh.” She said. “But still, you and Britney were like...soulmates!” She shouted.            

            “Calm down, girl. You could have never been more wrong in your life! You want to know the truth? Well, when you go out with someone, you think they’re your soulmate, because of the situation. But when you look at it from His perspective, you realize that they’re not. It’s when you look to Him, and you feel a warmth...of love,” I finished. Sophie started to sob, so I took her into my arms, and held her tightly. Her sobs were going through my shirt, but I didn’t care. “Shh, babydoll, it’s gonna be just fine,” I whispered to her.

            “Will it, Justin? You just say that so...I....” She said, her voice muffled from the cloth that made my shirt. “Nevermind,” she mumbled.

            I looked into the sky, praying, and asking for an answer to this mess. I spotted the Big Dipper. I shook Sophie ever so slightly, and she looked up, her eyes still red and swollen from her bawling.

            “Look!” I said eagerly.

            “What?” She asked gingerly.

            “The Big Dipper! It somehow, reminds me of you,” I whispered.

            “Really?” She asked. I nodded, and I leaned downwards, towards her lips. In a second, I felt her lips on mine. I opened my mouth, and slipped my tongue into hers, finding every piece I could.

            When we came up for air, she smiled. “Maybe this wasn’t so bad, after all?” She chuckled.

            “No, it definitely wasn’t...” I said. She laughed lightly.

            “So...what have I gotten myself into?” She asked herself. I softly hummed the new tune to a song on the Celebrity album.

            “Would you be my girlfriend? I’ll treat you good, I know you hear your friends, you should,” I sang softly into the black night.Sophie looked at me.

            “Is this your way of asking?” She asked softly. I nodded.

            “Like it?” I smirked.

            “Love it.” She said. “So, Mr. Timberlake, shall we go in now?” She asked, standing up, and walking towards the door she had come out from.

            “Wait up!” I said, standing up hastily. “I need one thing,” I said, catching up to her. She smiled.

            “What’s that?” She asked.

            “My girlfriend on my arm,” I winked. She smiled.

            “I think that’s possible,” She smiled, and took my arm, as I led her into the party.

<<<<<End Flashback>>>>>