"Justin, you in there?" JC asked, knocking on Justin’s hotel room door.

"Go away," was Justin’s reply.

"Come on, man! Let me in!"

"Go away," Justin repeated.

"I’m not gonna go away until you let me in," JC said.

"What?" Justin barked, opening the door.

"Just wanted to see how you were," JC replied, coming into the room.

"I’m fine, so go away," Justin answered, laying back on his bed.

"You don’t look fine," JC countered, taking in Justin’s bloodshot eyes. "You know you can talk to me."

"I don’t need to talk about anything," Justin replied.

"Look I know it’s hard but--"

"You don’t know!" Justin snapped. "Your girlfriend didn’t break up with you! She didn’t throw away your three year relationship!"

"You’re right, Bobbie hasn’t broken up with me but that doesn’t mean I’ve never been dumped or cheated on or--"

"She didn’t cheat on me," Justin yelled. "Don’t say that!"

"I didn’t say she did. I’m just trying to point out I understand you’re hurting but it does get better."

"Maybe I don’t want it to get better," Justin mumbled.

"You do too!"

"Don’t either."

"Justin, come on! It’s not the end of the world! Britney broke up with you, so what?"

"It’s the end of the world to me," Justin replied rubbing away tears. "I love her, C! I was gonna ask her to marry me. I was ready to spend the rest of my life her and I thought she was too. But apparently I was wrong. She didn’t love me and she doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life with me."

"She did-- does love you," JC said. "She’s just trying to figure out who she is. You’re both so young and Brit’s never had a chance to really date anyone else."

"Neither have I but you don’t see me ending the relationship."

"It’s different with girls," JC replied. "If it’s meant to be you’ll get back together. If not you’ll find someone who'll you love even more than Britney and who'll love you back just as much."

"I don’t think that’s possible," Justin said.

"Possible or not, it’s time to face your fears or whatever," JC replied. "Limo leaves in an hour and for some reason they think people would notice if you didn’t get out with us at the awards."

"Don’t know why," Justin shrugged, getting up.

"They uh made the sitting up before..." Britney explained when the members of *NSYNC and their dates reached their seats.

"Looks like it," Lance nodded when it became clear none of the others were going to speak.

"Yah..." Britney replied as the other members and their dates went through without acknowledging her.

"Looks like we’ll be sitting next to each other," Laura, Lance’s girlfriend, said to Britney.

"Looks like it," Britney agreed.

--

"Wow this is tense," Carson mused the next day during a commercial break, looking between Britney and Justin who were separated by himself and the members of *NSYNC.

"Sorry," Justin mumbled.

"I know how uncomfortable this must be for both of you," he said when the camera was back on. "When this was booked you two were still together..."

"You couldn’t have known we were going to break up," Britney replied.

"I sure didn’t," Justin muttered under his breath.

"Right, so while you’ve just been broken up a little over a week people want to know if you’re planning on dating again soon?"

"I don’t plan to, right away at least," Britney answered. "This is time for me to figure out who I am without a man."

"I’m gonna wait a little while, clear my head, but since I’m secure with who I am as a person, I don’t see in problems with dating as soon as I find someone I’m comfortable around," Justin replied.

"Are you sure you’re ready for this?" JC questioned when they reached the club.

"It’s not any different than before," Justin replied.

"Are you kidding me?! Broken hearts attract women like ants to a picnic," Bobbie exclaimed.

"Yah, remember the first time we all went out after Chris and Dani broke up? Women were throwing themselves at him left and right," Joey said.

"Seriously, man! I doubt there’s a girl in there at wouldn’t sell their first born for a chance to get with you," Chris nodded.

"And again I say it’s not any different than before," Justin smirked.

"Ah, there’s that cocky bastard we all know and love," Chris laughed.

"In the flesh."

"It’s called ‘I’m sorry,’ try it some time," exclaimed the brunette girl Justin bumped into.

"Excuse me?" Justin question.

"No, it’s ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘Excuse me’ is what you should’ve said before trying to push passed me."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Justin Timberlake, so what?"

Justin stared at the girl like she was insane.

"What? I’m not going to feel sorry for you just because your girlfriend dumped you," she exclaimed.

"Why not?" Justin asked, confused.

"Because you’re hardly the first person to be have been dumped. Go find a twelve-year-old if you want someone to feel sorry for you," she replied sliding off the barstool.

"Wait, where are you going?" Justin questioned.

"To go dance."

"But--"

"But what? I haven’t done anything for you? Tell ya what," she said moving to the side, "you can have my seat," then walked off into the crowd.

"What’s wrong with you?" Lance questioned looking at Justin who was sitting in the VIP section pouting.

"He got shot down by a girl," Chris explained.

"She didn’t shoot me down!" Justin exclaimed. "She just said she wouldn’t feel sorry for me."

"Poor guy," Laura said rubbing his shoulder.

"Someone actually turned you away?" Lance laughed.

"I wasn’t offering myself to her. She got pissy because I bumped into her."

"Don’t worry about her! Look at all the girls waiting for you," Chris said gesturing toward the floor, where a large group of girls were gathered watching the VIP section.

"You’re right," he said getting up. "Why worry about her or Britney? I can have anyone I want!"

--

"You again? Again the polite thing to say is ‘I’m sorry,’" the brunette girl in front of Justin said turning around.

"I’m sorry," he mumbled, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Drink too much?" she questioned waiting for her order.

"Why do you care?" he replied, after giving his order.

"I don’t really cause I’m not a trash writer, but I am working on a piece about the accessibility of alcohol to underagers," she answered.

"You’re a reporter?"

"Sorta."

"How can you sorta be a reporter?"

"I’m a free agent or whatever, magazines and whatnot give me assignments and I do ‘em."

"You’re still a reporter."

"Only not completely," she replied, grabbing her tray.

"Whatever you say," Justin shrugged grabbing his tray as well. "You’re alone?" he said noticing she was sitting at a table by herself.

"No my invisible friends are joining me any minute now," she replied opening her laptop.

"You could join us," he said gesturing to where the other members of *NSYNC sat waiting for him to join them. "If you want..."

"I need to work on my article, but thank you for the offer."

"If you need any help with your article, I know a lot of clubs who sell to underage people."

"Thanks, but them selling to you and to the rest of the general population is two different things."

"It’s not just me or any of the other underagers," he replied.

"Really?" she questioned, eyes lighting up.

"Yah really," he nodded.

"What would I have to do to get that information?"

"For starters tell me your name."

"Ada Harmon."

"Nice to meet you."

"What else do I need to do?" Ada asked.

"Go out with me tonight."

"What?" Ada stuttered.

"You have to go out with me tonight."

"Why? You surely don’t have problems getting dates, especially now that you’re single."

"You’re right, I don’t, but what’s the fun in going out with someone who likes me?"

"I don’t know you well enough to not like you," Ada replied.

"You don’t like me enough to feel sorry for me."

"I don’t feel sorry for anyone under the age of thirty who has more than five thousand dollars in the bank."

"You still have to go out with me tonight."

"Fine," Ada sighed.

"Don’t feel too put out, you’ll get into all of the best clubs."

"So did you get what you needed?" Justin questioned when they exited the last club on their trip.

"I’ve got enough information that I could write the whole article just about New York clubs," Ada answered. "Thank you, Justin."

"No need to thank me," he replied. "I got to spend the evening with a pretty lady."

"That’s the first time anyone’s ever called me a lady," Ada mused.

"For some reason, I’m not surprised," Justin laughed, remembering when Ada had almost gotten herself kicked out of the first club they visited with her actions.

"I would be offended, but I’ll let it slide," Ada grinned.

"So I’ve gotta know, how old are you really? You had at least five different ID’s."

"Seventeen."

"What?"

"I’m seventeen."

"Wow, I was thinking twenty at least."

"I look order than I am, always have," Ada replied.

"And your parents let you do this?"

"They think it’s good for me," she shrugged.

"What about school?"

"Graduated early and don’t wanna go to college yet."

"So you’re smart?"

"I’ve been accused of it before."

"You’re a smart ass."

"I am," she agreed.

"What do you do when you aren’t being a ‘sorta reporter’?"

"I don’t do much. I go home until I get another assignment."

"Where’s home?"

"Kansas."

"Are all your articles like this?"

"They have been, but I got an offer to write concert reviews for Teen People so I’ll probably start doing those," she answered.

"That’d be fun."

"Free concert tickets," was Ada’s reply.

"When you gonna start that?"

"They want me to wait until at least April."

"So you can start with the spring/summer tours?"

"No so that I’ll be eighteen."

"Oh. Well you’ll have to let me know if you review *NSYNC."

"If you’re lucky," Ada replied. "Wow, it’s almost two," she exclaimed looking at her watch.

"Do you need to get back to your hotel?" he questioned.

"I should. My ‘agent’ will start to worry if I’m gone much longer."

"You’ve got an agent?"

"My sister."

"Oh so you’ve got siblings?"

"A brother and sister, both older. Also three stepsisters and a stepbrother who are also older."

"I’ve got two younger half brothers."

"I know."

"You do, do you?"

"Yah, I did a sorta report on *NSYNC when I was trying to get someone to pick me up."

"You’re a fan?"

"Yah, don’t act so shocked. Just because I don’t feel sorry for you."

"I’m not your favorite," he stated.

"No you aren’t," she agreed. "While you’re attractive, I don’t think you’re the most attractive."

"Do you think Chris is more attractive than me?"

"He’s really cute and I used to think he was, but he pissed me off over the summer so you got bumped up."

"What’d he do to you?"

"He made me waste three hours of my life at Nordstrom’s. Then one of his Fu people made me even madder."

"Are you the reporter who blasted him, FuMan, and Nordstrom’s?"

"Possibly, there were a few of us who did that."

"The one who they printed in the next couple of cities he was supposed to visit?"

"Yep, that’d be me."

"I read that article, it was pretty good."

"Wasn’t bad for being writing on napkins in the food court of the mall, I guess," she shrugged.

"Well, we’re here," Justin said a while later when they stopped in front of a hotel. "I had a good time."

"As much as I hate to admit it, I did too," Ada replied.

"Maybe you’d like to do this again sometime?"

"Maybe..."

"All right, cool," Justin smiled. "You got a number of something I can reach you at?"

Ada thought for a moment then replied, "How about I give you my e-mail address? We’re pulling out tomorrow and I’m not sure where we’re headed next."

"More work for your story?"

"Yah, we don’t usually choose until we’re on the road where we’re going though."

"Well we’re getting ready to head to Pittsburgh and if you ended up there, I could help you again?"

Taking his hand, Ada scribbled her e-mail address. "Write me here tomorrow and I’ll let you know if we’re headed to Pit or not."

"All right," Justin nodded, looking at the writing on his hand.

"I need to get up but it was fun."

"Bye," Justin said.

"Later."

And so it went. Ada and Hannah, her sister, would choose their next spot based on where the members of *NSYNC were headed. Ada was careful to avoid getting photographed with Justin or the other members of *NSYNC as not to affect her story.

--

"So this is the end of the line, huh?" Justin said when he was dropping Ada off at her hotel in LA.

"Yah, Han and I leave for home tomorrow," Ada nodded.

"I’m gonna miss you," Justin mumbled.

"What?"

"I’m gonna miss you," he repeated, clearer this time.

"Aw, I’m gonna miss you too," Ada smiled.

"Don’t make fun of me," Justin pouted. "I’ve enjoyed being able to spend time with someone who doesn’t want anything from me."

"I’m not making fun of you, I will miss you," Ada insisted.

"Yah right!"

"I will!"

"Seriously?" Justin asked after a moment.

"Seriously," she answered.

"So then I can contact you after you leave?"

"I’d be mad as hell if you didn’t," she answered. "I’ll e-mail you my number as soon as it’s hooked up."

"You’re gettin a new number?"

"I’m movin into a house of my own," she explained.

"Yeh? You’re so young though."

"I am, but I can’t live with my parents."

"Why not?"

"My mother and I have different ideas of how I should do stuff and my father and I aren’t speaking right now."

"Would it be prying to ask why?"

"Yah. Maybe if you’re lucky I’ll tell you sometime."

"All right," he nodded. "Promise me you’ll call me when you get home so I know you made it safe?" he questioned.

"I promise."

"Well I’ll let you get upstairs so you can get a little sleep then."

"All right."

Justin gave her a hug and slipped a phone card into her coat pocket, telling her she had to call him now. Ada smiled and promised to call him the minute she got off the plane in Tulsa. Justin nodded and hugged her again before letting her get in the elevator that was waiting for her. He waited until the doors closed before getting back into his rental and riding back to his hotel.

--

Ada was lying on her bed reading the latest issue of Teen People that had *NSYNC on the cover and the article Justin had helped her with in it. She smiled as she read her name in the *NSYNC interview. When her phone rang, she laid the magazine down and got up to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, A," was the reply.

"Justin! Hey, what’s up?" Ada smiled.

"Just got a copy of Teen People and saw your article so I decided to call," he answered.

"That’s so weird! I was just reading y’all’s interview," she laughed.

"Weird," Justin agreed.

"Aw, how sweet you mentioned me," Ada teased.

"Well you mentioned me, it was the least I could do," he joked. "How are things in Independence?"

"Good, how about you?"

"Not bad. Just doin more press, like always."

"Gotta be more exciting than around here. All my friends are in school so I’m on my own until at least 3:30."

"Mine abandon me for their families and girlfriends."

"Poor baby. So you just chillin all by yourself doin nothin?"

"Trying to find something to do until I gotta be at the studio."

"Y’all are on TRL today, huh?"

"Yep. You gonna watch?"

Ada started flipping through her channels. "I might. Who knows what big plans I might come up with between them and now."

"Like what sorta plans?"

"I might like start planning my birthday outing."

"Yeh? What ya plannin on doing?"

"Not really sure. Get a couple of the girls together and go out."

"I suppose it’s all girls, huh?"

"Most likely. I ain’t got no guys friends I’d go out partying with and I damn sure can’t stand my friends’ boyfriends, bunch of losers the lot of ‘em."

"So if a certain guy would happen to show up you’d make him stay behind?"

"Depends on who the guy was."

"If he were say: me, would you?"

"You talkin about comin to visit me?"

"If I thought I’d be welcome, I might," Justin answered.

"Why?"

Justin shrugged. "Cause I haven’t seen ya since my birthday?"

"Ya miss me?" Ada giggled.

"Maybe."

"Then maybe I wouldn’t turn you away if you came," Ada replied after a moment.

"Yeh?"

"Maybe."

"So you’ve been single four months now, any romantic interests as of yet?" Carson questioned.

"There’s one I’d like to make one, but I’m not sure she feels the same, though," Justin answered.

"Anyone we’d know?"

"Probably not, we met by accident."

"Yah him running into her," Chris cracked, explaining how the two met.

"So then she’s not in the business?" Carson asked, laughing at Chris’ explanation.

"She’s a sorta reporter," Justin answered.

"‘Sorta reporter’?" Carson repeated.

"Don’t ask me, that’s what she told me," Justin laughed.

"You all know who she is?" Carson asked the others, accepting Justin’s answer.

"We’ve met her a few times, really sweet," JC answered.

"Ada, girl, we here," Jennie called coming into Ada’s house, followed by Kandy.

"Shh," Ada replied, not taking her eyes off the television as she turned it up louder.

"Girl, what’s up with you shhing me?" Jennie exclaimed.

"Girl, if you don’t shut your damn mouth, I swear to God," Ada exclaimed.

"Ya don’t hafta be rude, geez," Jennie muttered, looking at the television as she sat down. "Man, shit! It ain’t like you aren’t taping it anyway," she added when she saw the members of *NSYNC on it.

"Does this mystery girl have a name?" Carson asked.

Jennie and Kandy both turned and looked at the girl who sat between them ignoring them as Justin spoke about his mystery girl, Ada.

"All right, now you know you got to explain," Kandy exclaimed as soon as the show ended.

"He Tim, ain’t e?" Jennie said. "Girl, I cannot believe you didn’t tell us about this!!"

"There ain’t nothing to tell," Ada replied. "Justin just tryin to be cute cause he know I’m gonna call his ass now."

"Girl, guys that rich do not play games like that to get women to call them," Kandy exclaimed.

"Y’all don’t know Justin," Ada replied, reaching for her phone. "I’ll be back."

"Yeh?" Justin’s voice came after the fifth time Ada had tried his cell phone.

"All right, what’s up with that bull shit on TRL today?" Ada exclaimed. "What’s so funny?"

"Britney called me right after the show and asked me the same thing," Justin explained.

"So anyway, explain yourself," Ada replied not finding it humorous.

"Why are you finding it so hard to believe that I like you?"

"Because you’re Justin Timberlake and I’m Ada Harmon. Justin Timberlake does not like people like Ada Harmon. Justin Timberlake likes people like Britney Spears or one of the other pop princesses."

"Doesn’t Justin Timberlake have a say in who he likes?" Justin questioned. "Who knows better than Justin himself who Justin likes?"

"Justin’s mama," Ada said after a moment.

"Justin’s mama likes the idea of Justin dating Ada."

"You’ve talked to your mother about me?"

"Who else am I gonna talk to you about?" Justin replied. "Mama listens and offers her honest opinion."

"And she likes me?"

Justin nodded even though Ada couldn’t see him. "I told her about how we met and how much I enjoyed spending time with you. She loved your article and how you didn’t use me in it to draw more attention like some people might have."

"I don’t need you to get people to read my article," Ada replied in a joking matter.

"So now do you care if I come to visit you?" Justin asked changing the subject.

"Um I guess it would be okay," Ada replied. "We’re going to Tulsa the 5th after Kandy and Jennie get out of school."

"That’s not your birthday though."

"My birthday’s on a Tuesday so we have to wait until Friday," Ada explained.

"Can I come early? Like say," Justin said looking at his planner, "the 29th?"

"Why?"

"So I can spend some time with you," Justin answered.

"You can come if you want, there’s nothing to do around here though."

"I can be with you," Justin replied.

"Aw!! A, he’s a sweetie," Kandy and Jennie giggled into the phone.

"Get off the phone," Ada yelled.

"Fine," Jennie said hanging up.

"God, my friends are immature," Ada groaned.

"I like ‘em! They think I’m sweet," Justin replied.

"That only because they don't know you."

"So this is where you live," Justin said when Ada pulled into her driveway.

"This is it," Ada nodded. "It’s not much but it’s my home."

"I think it’s great," Justin replied. "It has that homey feeling to it."

"That’s why I was so excited to be able to buy it back," Ada said. "It’s the house I grew up in, but we moved last year after my father remarried."

"I see," Justin nodded.

After Ada gave him a quick tour of the house and showed him the room he’d be staying in, they settled in the living room.

"You’ve got a nice set up," Justin commented looking at her entertainment center.

"I listen to a lot of music and watch a lot of movies during the day because I can't stand daytime television," Ada explained.

"Do you just hang out here all day when you’re home?"

"Pretty much unless I visit my grandparents," Ada nodded.

"Do you ever regret graduating early or not going to college?"

"No, I really don’t. Sure I’m alone a lot and life’s a bit boring at times, but I didn’t enjoy school. I liked the learning part but the deadlines, having to get up early, working by someone else’s time line, it drove me crazy."

"I never attend high school, but I figure all that stuff would’ve bothered me too."

"Did in grade school and middle school?"

"A little but I enjoyed the social interaction. How about you?"

"It’s always bothered me. Even in kindergarten I didn’t want to do things at their pace."

"What about friends?"

"I dunno, I’ve always had pretty much the same small group of friends and they all had their own groups and I just hang out with whoever they’re with. In high school I was younger than all the people I had classes with so kept to myself at school unless one of my friends was around."

"And the boys let this go on?"

"Hannah was the social butterfly, I was her brainy sister, and that’s what guys saw me as."

"That’s crazy! I would’ve totally gone after you."

"No you wouldn’t’ve," Ada disagreed. "You would’ve been a jock. Only thing jocks wanted from me was me to do their homework."

"Not all jocks are stupid."

"No but a large part of them would prefer for others to do their work."

"I would’ve gone after you," Justin said again.

Ada didn’t reply, just smiled at him.

--

"Hello?" Ada yawned into her phone.

"What’s he doing at your house?"

"What?"

"What is Justin doing at your house?"

"He called the day they were on TRL and asked me if he could come visit me for a while, help me celebrate my birthday. I couldn’t really say no, we’re supposed to be friends."

"I didn’t hire you to be his friend, I hired you to keep him from getting with other girls until I’m ready to get back together," Britney exclaimed.

"He’s not getting with other girls," Ada whispered.

"He thinks you two are getting together."

"And he’ll drop me the minute you decide you’re ready to get back together."

"What if he doesn’t?" Britney questioned. "What if he decides you’re what he wants?"

"I’ll tell him it’s not going to work out and then you can go back and pick up the pieces."

"You promise you aren’t trying to take him away from me?"

"I promise," Ada replied. "You know I could never fall in love with someone like Justin Timberlake."

"Lets hope not, because he’s mine," Britney said before Ada heard a click.

"How’d you ever manage to afford all of this?" Justin questioned as Ada fished out another DVD to watch.

"My parents, writing, various other odd jobs I’ve done since graduation," Ada answered.

"Cool."

"I guess," Ada shrugged. "Oh I’m supposed to have dinner at my uncle’s restaurant tomorrow night for my birthday and you’re invited."

"Sounds like fun. Besides what else would I do?"

"You’ll wish you had thought of something by the end of dinner."

"Why’s that?" Justin questioned.

"Both my parents and their families will be there. My parents hate each other."

"I’m sure it won’t be that bad."

"Tell me that tomorrow," Ada replied.

"Ada, sweetheart, happy birthday," Anne Smith, Ada’s mother, exclaimed hugging her when she walked into the restaurant.

"Hi, Mama, thanks," Ada smiled. "This is Justin."

"Nice to meet you, Justin," Anne greeted him.

"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Smith," Justin replied.

"Call me Anne, dear."

"All right," Justin nodded.

Ada watched Justin as she introduced him to each member of her family. She smiled at how he charmed the women and impressed the men. He made conversation with everyone, talking about everything from sports to business. Ada could tell her family had higher impressions of Justin than what they'd came to the dinner with, even her father and uncles who would’ve regular given a person in a boyband a hard time.

"You’re amazing," Ada said as they drove back to her house.

"Excuse me?"

"The way you got a long with everyone, that’s amazing! My dad even seemed to like you and he well..."

"Hates the whole idea of boybands?"

"Pretty much, yah," Ada nodded. "But I mean he really seemed to like you, that’s really amazing."

"Well, I try," Justin joked.

"Seriously, my family’s hard to impress and you managed it."

"Cool."

--

After Justin’s visit was over he invited Ada, Kandy, and Jennie to visit him in Orlando after Kandy and Jennie graduated in May. Ada spent the next month occupied with phone calls from Justin. She cringed as she realized Justin’s calls were meaning more to her than the they should. A week before the three girls were supposed to go to Orlando Ada got another call from Britney.

"So I hear you’ll be in Orlando next week."

"Yah, Justin invited me and a couple of friends... I wouldn’t have accepted if he hadn’t invited the others. It’d really do them some--"

"Stop with the excuses, your being there is actually a good thing. I’ve decided I’m ready to get back with Justin and I need you there in case he doesn’t want to."

"You have? Well that’s good," Ada said, trying to sound happy.

"Don’t sound too happy or anything," Britney replied.

"I’m happy."

"You don’t sound it, but since you’ve done a rather nice job I’ve decided to give you an extra 100,000."

"An extra 100,000?" Ada exclaimed.

"Yah, I figure you did a nice job and it deserves 200,000 instead of the original 100,000. What can I say? I’m in a giving mood."

"Wow, that’s a lot of money for five months of doing nothing."

"It is, but you probably need the money more than I do."

"Um, well thank you."

"No thank you. I will see you next week, make sure you’re ready to convince Justin I’m who he needs to be with."

"I will be."

"She’s giving you extra money?" Kandy exclaimed. "Sweet!"

"Don’t you feel bad about this? Justin really seems to like you," Jennie said.

"I do feel bad, but I mean think about how much Britney must love him to pay someone to watch him for her," Ada replied. "That’s sweet in it’s own odd way."

"I suppose if she’s who Justin wants to be with."

"Why wouldn’t he want to be with her? He loved her six months ago."

"He wasn’t in like with you six months ago," Jennie pointed out.

"He’s not in like, he just thinks he is."

"Why would he think that?"

"Because I’m so different from Britney and that’s probably what he wanted for his rebound."

"That makes sense," Kandy agreed. "Are you going to tell him what’s been going on?"

"Are you kidding me?! He’d hate me," Ada exclaimed.

"Why do you care if he hates you or not? Isn’t this just some sort of job?" Jennie questioned.

"It is," Ada lied. "But I can’t have the future king of pop hating me and trying to be a music writer."

--

"I hope you all don’t mind going to this party," Justin said as he drove the three of them to the hotel where Jive was having a record release party for the Backstreet Boys.

"It’s all right," Ada replied.

"Yah we’re always up for partying, even if it is with the Backstreet Boys," Kandy added.

"Cool. We don’t have to stay all that long since it’s y’all’s last night in O-Town."

The girls nodded and the rest of the ride was made in silence. When they reached the hotel they met up with the other members of *NSYNC and their dates. They staked out a place to hang out where their presence would be known but not interfere with the guests of honor. Justin and the others introduced the girls to celebrities meandering around. Ada was having a conversation with the members of Destiny’s Child, who would be her first interview/concert review, when she saw Britney walk up to Justin. She watched them talk and occasionally gesture over to her as she listened to the three girls in front of her tell her about their stage show. The conversation was just wrapping up when Britney walked over, politely asked to borrow her from the members of Destiny’s Child and drug her out of the main room.

"You walk in there and tell him right now, you don’t want him, you hear me?" Britney said the moment the door closed behind them.

"Things not go well?"

"No! He’s convinced you like him and he wants to give things with you a try. So you go in there and tell him you don’t want him or I won’t give you the extra 100,000 and tell Teen People you don’t deserve the writing job."

"Excuse me?" Justin’s voice came from the doorway. "What are you talking about?"

"See! I told you she didn’t like you," Britney exclaimed. "I had to pay her to watch out for you, doesn’t that show how much I love you?"

"I can’t believe either of you," Justin spat storming off.

"Justin--" they both said at the same time.

"Don’t talk to me," Justin yelled.

--

"What do you want?" Justin snapped, glaring at Ada.

"You know how I said I would never feel sorry for you? I lied. I’ve never felt more sorry for a person in my life," Ada said ignoring Justin’s glare and the harsh tone of his voice.

"Your whole life is a game. A game where everyone’s trying to figure out what you can do for them. There’s a new winner everyday. Someone’s always figuring out what you can do for them. Your parents, your group mates, Britney, hell even MTV. Everyone you meet is figuring out a way to use you.

"I feel so sorry for you. You can’t make it stop. This game has no end. Even after you’re dead people will still be figuring out ways to use you to get you what they want," Ada spoke. "I couldn’t figure out a way to apologize to you for what I did to you and how I hurt you. I hope my apology is enough."

Justin didn’t reply, just continued to stare out in front of him. Ada sighed and walked away from the doorway, mumbling something about having a flight to catch. When her back was to him, Justin watched her walk away. A piece of paper fell from her coat, but before Justin could call out to her, she was gone. Justin picked it up and studied it. Written on it in Ada’s sloppy handwriting was a poem and a small note addressed to Justin.

"How’s it going?" JC asked.

"Fine," Justin replied, staring at his cell phone.

"If you want to talk to her, you’re going to have to call her," JC said, following Justin’s gaze.

"Excuse me?"

"Ada’s not going to call you. If you want to talk to her, you’ve got to suck it up and call her."

"Why would I call her? She’s the one that’s wrong!" Justin exclaimed.

"She’s also the one who apologized."

"She basically rented me from Britney for $200,000 and the job at Teen People."

"You can’t honestly tell me if you were her and someone offered you that much money and a job you wouldn’t take someone off another person’s hands for a while," Chris said.

"So what if I would? From what I understand she wasn’t supposed to date me--"

"Exactly, you’re the one who brought dating into it!" Lance exclaimed. "She was just supposed to be your friend."

"Trying to make her out to be the innocent one isn’t going to work," Justin replied, stubbornly.

"Why not?"

"Because she’s not innocent?" Justin suggested, getting up and walking to his bunk.

"We’ve got to figure out a way for them to get back together," Chris said to the other guys.

"Yah," they agreed.

--

"If you’d just talk to him--" Chris started.

"I’ve tried talking to him! I’ve called him a dozen more times than I can afford and he won’t talk to me!" Ada exclaimed.

"Maybe if you came to Boston--" JC said.

"I can’t go to Boston, I leave in two hours to go to Arizona to review Britney’s show," Ada replied, tossing another article of clothing into her suitcase.

"When do you review us? You could talk to him then," Lance suggested, taking the phone from JC.

"If I thought he’d talk to me, I would," Ada answered.

"When? We’ll make him talk to you," Lance said.

Ada dug her planner out of her bag and searched for *NSYNC. "I’ll be at the St. Louis show."

"Great, we’ll get him prepared to see you," Lance replied. "See you in two weeks."

"Bye."

Ada sat backstage interviewing Wade about the tour while she wanted for the members of *NSYNC to finish their meet and greet. She has already interviewed more than a dozen fans and would do a couple more who had gone to the meet and greet. She would speak to the band after she interviewed the members of *NSYNC.

"I’m gonna bag on this interview," Justin said to the other members of the group when he noticed Ada. "Let me know when it’s time for the rest."

"Justin--" JC began.

"No, it’s fine. If Justin doesn’t want to be a part of the interview, he doesn’t have to," Ada replied

"I thought you were going to try and talk to him," Lance said.

"I will but not here," Ada answered. "Lets get started, huh?"

"Why is it that my friends have no problem with liking you after what you did to me?" Justin questioned walking up behind Ada later that night at the hotel.

"I don’t know," Ada replied. "Maybe they can over look it because they see how much you liked me."

"Liked is the key word in that sentence, as in I no longer like you."

"Then you need to stop acting like a pouty child," Ada replied. "If you didn’t mope so much they wouldn’t call me everyday and try to make me take you back or whatever it is they’re trying to do."

"They’re trying to make me happy, but that won’t come from being with you."

"Then tell them that, not me."

"Aren’t you supposed to be apologetic?"

"I already apologized and if that’s not enough, I’m sorry but there’s nothing else I can do. I won’t be apologetic to someone who’s too childish to accept my apology like a man," Ada replied.

"That’s not how things are supposed to."

"I don’t play by your rules, Justin. Just because I feel sorry for you doesn’t mean I’ll play the make Justin happy game. You’re an adult, it’s time you started acting like one. If I could do just one thing for you, it would be teach you how to act like one!"

"Do something for me?"

"I’ve been known to, on occasion, think of someone besides myself," Ada replied.

"What else would you do for me?"

"With in reason, just about anything."

"Anything?"

"Just about," Ada nodded.

"And you wouldn’t want anything from me in return?"

"No, I refuse to play the game of what Justin Timberlake can do for me anymore."

"I accept you’re apology then," Justin replied, placing a kiss on Ada’s lips.