"Happy birthday, baby!" Josh said giving me a kiss.

"Thanks, babe," I smiled, opening my eyes to look at him, then the clock. "Seven? Baby, you okay?"

"Yah, why?"

"Because it’s our day off and you’re up and dressed before noon."

"Just wanted to make the most out of our day off and your birthday," he shrugged.

"Then hows about you lay down with me and we go back to sleep?" I suggested, patting the bed next to me.

"Sounds nice but we’ve got a lot to do before your party tonight," he said. "Your clothes are laid out in the bathroom, go shower and get dress, breakfast should be ready by the time you finish."

He left the room before I got the chance to ask him what we had to do before my party that night. Sighing from the exhaustion of the past weekend I went to my bathroom to shower and get dressed as Josh had told me to. When I got downstairs to the kitchen the table had my favorite breakfast, besides cereal, was sitting on the table.

"Biscuits and gravy? Josh, thank you, baby," I smiled, giving him a hug before sitting down. "Looks great."

"No problem, baby," he shrugged. "Hope it’s all right..."

Taking a bite, I smiled, "It’s wonderful!"

"Glad you like it," he smiled back.

"So what do we have to do today before my party that required me getting up so early?"

"I was thinking maybe some basketball, then some shopping, possibly a stop at the arcade, if you want."

"The others agreed to get up this early?" I asked.

"Nope, it’s just you and me, Jus," he replied.

"A whole day of just you and me?" I asked looking at him.

"Yep, unless of course you’d rather go out with the others," he said, getting up and walking over to the phone.

"NO!! You and me is just fine, really," I said pulling him back to me.

"Well all right, finish your breakfast and we’ll get started."

"Make a wish," Mama said, after everyone sang Happy Birthday to us.

"I’ve got mine," Justice said.

I wish everyone knew what it was like on the other side of closed doors, where Justice is Belinda and Josh and I can be open about our relationship, I think to myself. "All right, on the count of three," I said to Justice.

"One."

"Two."

"Three," we said together, blowing out the candles on our cake.

"What’d you wish for?" Josh asked when we sat down.

"None ya," I replied.

"Duh, JC! It won’t come true if he tells you," Justice said rolling her eyes jokingly.

"Besides it was probably something cheesy like he wanted you two to be together for the rest of your lives," Joey teased.

"I’m not that cheesy!"

"Yes you are, but that’s what’s great about you two," Lance said. "You can be that cheesy."

"Whatever," I pouted.

"Now come on, you all! Can’t you let Justin have his birthday without you all trashy him?" Britney said coming over to the table. "Happy Birthday, Jus," she added, giving me a hug.

"Thank you, Brit," I smiled. "You don’t think Josh and I are cheesy, do you?"

"Of course not! You are sweet together."

"Thank you!" I said making faces at Joey and Lance.

====

"Who could she be talking to?" I asked, hanging up my cell phone after once again getting a busy signal.

"You know you aren’t her only friend, Jus," Josh said.

"I know but I mean it’s been two hours!"

"Baby, calm down," Josh said hugging me. "Maybe she’s talking to Edward, don’t they usually talk for a long time?"

"Yah you’re probably right. They usually talk before her concerts cause it helps calm her down," I said.

"Well see then, nothing to worry about! It’s time to get back to the studio, you finished eating?" he asked, beginning to clear the table.

"All right, yah lets go," I nodded, helping him.

"You staying here tonight?" he asked, when we climbed into my Mercedes.

"Depends on how late we stay at the studio," I shrugged. "You don’t mind, do you?"

"Of course not. You’re always welcomed to stay, you know that," he said.

"I know, it’s just I’ve stayed over almost every night this week, I don’t wanna crowd you..."

"Crowd me? Babe, I love having you around!"

"Thanks," I smiled. "Just promise me you’ll tell me if I’m hanging around too much, okay?"

"There isn’t such thing as you being around too much but okay I promise I will should it ever happen."

"Your phone does ring," I said when I finally got through to Justice later that night.

"What?" Justice asked.

"I tried to call you during my dinner break and your phone was busy for oh two hours maybe," I answered.

"Sorry. I called Lance to thank him to signing for my stuff and make sure he really had time to do it and we just ended up talking," she apologized.

"You talked to Lance for two hours?"

"Yah... So did I miss anything important when you couldn’t get a hold of me?"

"Just called to see how you are and wish you good luck at the show," I answered.

"That’s sweet of you. I’m fine and the show was good. How are things on your end?"

"That’s good... Things are all right here, just tiring."

"I know the feeling. Are you still at the studio?"

"No we broke about an hour ago because Joey and Chris were being Joey and Chris and Josh was at his end so they sent us home before Josh killed two-fifths of our group."

"A bit stressed, huh?" she giggled.

"Yah, you’ll have to lighten things up a bit when you come and record with us at the end of the month."

"I’ll have to," she agreed. "So what are you and JC doing for Valentine’s Day?"

"Well we’re ‘going out’ with Brit and Bobbie then we’ll probably go back to the house cause Mom and Paul will be in Miami," I answered, remembering the story we’d made up to tell Justice.

"Courteous of you no doubt," Justice laughed. "Sounds fun though."

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I’m not doing anything, actually. I’ve got the night off so I’ll probably rent a movie and pamper myself," she answered. "Hey can I call you back in about ten minutes? I’m at the hotel and I know how much fun it is to be on the other end of a cell phone while someone’s making their way through there."

"All right, lates."

"Bx3."

"How’d you ever get Lance to agree to this?" Josh asked when I hung up.

"Duh, he’s in love with her! Of course he’d want to spend Valentine’s Day with her!"

"What if Justice had had plans?"

"Justice hates Valentine’s Day, she never does anything."

"What are you talking about? She and Lance always did something for Valentine’s Day."

"She did it because it was with Lance," I shrugged. "Don’t ask me to explain Justice to you, I’ve known her my whole life and I still don’t fully get her."

"All right... but have you thought of what will happen if Justice doesn’t agree to go out with him?"

"Since there’s no way that’ll happen cause Justice loves Lance too, I haven’t but even if she didn’t love him she’d still agree to go for the sheer fact he flew across the country to ask her."

"I hope you’re right..."

"I am," I replied, when the phone rang.

"Who could be calling at this time of night?" Josh wondered answering it. "Hello? Oh hey, Justice. Yah he’s here, hold on," he said holding the phone out to me.

"Hey, Benda."

"Hey, Justie," she replied. "Staying at JC’s, aye?"

"Yes I’m staying here, it’s closer to the studio," I answered, laying down next to Josh, who was already beginning to dose off.