|
(June 29, Houston, TX)
Dru didn't like math. No, she despised it. But Rachel said she had to master the basics
if she wanted to get her certificate. She sighed. She didn't have a choice. She studied the numbers in front of her. Twelve
divided by three? How did that go..."Three...Six..." she began. What was the rest? She pondered the numbers in her head...She
had fogotten how to count by threes. "Damn," She threw down her pencil in frustration. Why couldn't she just get it right?
"Three...Six...Nine...Twelve..."
Dru
looked toward the doorway. Justin. She swallowed hard. She quickly began to gather her things. She didn't want to argue with
him right now. Her homework had given her enough of a headache to last her the rest of the evening.
"Dru..." he began,
his voice full of nervousness. "I need to talk to you."
"No." She muttered. Once she had shoved the last paper into
her binder she started toward the doorway. She tried to push past him. He wouldn't budge.
"Hey."
The moment
was all too familiar. She remembered...New York...the bathroom...Justin blocking her way. "Let me through Justin."
"W-where
ya goin'?"
"Away." She responded.
"Don't go away." He whispered. "Not yet at least."
She realized Danny
must have talked to him. She was glad he had...but she still didn't want to see Justin right now. She simply wasn't in the
mood. In a week...yes, in a week she would be ready. "I don't want to do this now." She got out.
"Please D." He pleaded
with her. "Please let me talk to you."
She looked at him. Something...had changed. She couldn't figure out what it
was of course...but it was good...whatever it was. "I don't wanna fight."
He smiled. "I'm not here to fight with you
Dru. I just want to fix things is all."
Fix things. He had tried to fix things before...and it hadn't worked then either.
Justin wasn't good at fixing things. "Justin, there's nothing to fix." She told him. "I miss you...I miss you a lot. But I
can't be with you Justin. It's not going to work...it never worked."
He shook his head. "D...I don't want to be with
you."
She gawked at him. Great. So he was here to kick her to the curb then.
"I want to give you something."
What
now? Another car? She rolled her eyes. "Justin..."
"It's nothing that I could buy you." He said, seeming to know what
was running through her mind. "I want to give you...what I should have given you a long time ago."
She didn't understand.
He wasn't fixing things. He was only making her headache worse. She tried to push past him again.
"Wait." He persisted.
"Just hear me out D."
"Justin." She whined. "Don't you think I'm stressed out enough as it is?"
He didn't seem
to hear her. He pulled her toward him. She was too tired to stop him. "I want to give you a life Dru. The life that you got
cheated out of all those years ago. I want you to go to Europe Dru. I want you to see the world for yourself...a world without
me...and my stupid celebrity. I want you to take risks...I want you to smile all the time...I want you to meet a guy and fall
in love...for the right reasons."
Dru stared at him. She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. Was she dreaming?
Had he just said all that? She couldn't believe her ears. Only when she saw the tears in his eyes, did she know that she wasn't
dreaming. Yes, Justin had changed...she saw it now.
He had just realized what was to truly love somebody.
"Tell
me you'll go Dru." He whispered, trying not to sob. He ran his fingers through her hair. "Please."
"But...what about
you?" She asked him.
"Don't think about me." He told her. "It's time you thought about yourself D."
She nodded.
He was right. "Justin...I don't hate you."
He smiled. "You sure?"
She flashed him a forgiving smile. "I'm sure."
Yes, Justin had given her a gift. The greatest gift she had ever recieved.
His blessing.
***********************
(July
23, Chicago, IL)
Without the burden of fighting with Justin on her shoulders, things started to go alot smoother for
Dru...and everybody else involved. Her job was fun now, and not an hour of trying to avoid Justin. They laughed, and joked
around. The fans got a kick out of it. Danny even sat in on the soundchecks a few times. After Justin had "fixed things" the
two of them had become friends...and talked often. Dru couldn't have been more thrilled. The two most important people in
her life were close friends now.
Although she knew, she would be losing one of them in a little over a month. Justin...the
person who had saved her from a life of poverty and sadness...she was leaving him behind. It was the only part about starting
her life that she wasn't looking foward to. As much as he said that they would always talk...she knew that it was going to
be hard. He was busy...a celebrity. So many people were constantly flowing in and out of his life, she doubted he would be
able to remember her. It almost made her want to tell Danny she couldn't go...but she knew she couldn't. She wanted this for
herself. She wanted to take in the world on her own.
She would have to be strong.
A week ago the tour had stopped
in Tenessee. Finally, Justin had been able to give her a tour of Millington...his home town. Dru had been reunited with the
boys, after a long separation. They had been thrilled of course. Yes, she had finally been able to read them a story. She
had never been more proud of herself...and neither had Justin. She had also met other members of Justin's family...his grandparents...and
his father. They had all been thrilled to finally meet her, and she had been thrilled to meet them. His grandmother had made
her "famous peach cobbler" and Justin had practically shoved it down her throat. But she was glad he had...it was the best
thing she had ever tasted. Yes, it had been a nice break from the road, but it had ended all too soon. Dru had been reluctant
to leave, knowing it would probably be the last time she would see the boys. Needless to say, it had been a tearful goodbye.
She would miss them terribly.
The only positive side to leaving was that Lynn was still traveling with them. No, she
didn't have to say goodbye to her yet.
Tonight, Dru decided to skip studying and watch the show. She had only seen
it once or twice...she was dedicated to studying. Rachel said it was important...and it was. Dru found that if she missed
an evening of studying, she would be behind in class. She couldn't afford to fall behind.
But tonight was different.
Justin had asked her to watch tonight. She couldn't say no. Besides, she got to watch Danny dance...something she hadn't been
able to see much of yet. The lights went down. Christina was about to go on. Screams filled the large arena. Dru smiled. She
loved that sound. They were screaming...cheering her friends on. She watched in awe as Christina and her clan burst onto the
stage. Danny was looking great tonight...and so was the star of the show. The show ran beautifully, and after Christina ended
her last number, she found herself giving her a standing ovation.
The lights went up again, and she wandered backstage.
She wanted to congratulate her friends on a great show and wish Justin good luck with his. Before she could reach Danny however,
Justin jumped out of nowhere, his smile was a mile wide. "Hey." She smiled.
"One of my dancers is sick." He grinned.
"They just told me."
She didn't smile. "Isn't that...bad?"
He shrugged. "It's cool...I have a replacement."
She
was confused. How could Justin have found a replacement dancer so quickly. She studied him. She knew that smile. It was the
same smile he had put on the day she had first danced for him. "A replacement?"
"You wanna dance with me Dru?"
She
gasped. Her...on stage...dancing with Justin? "Oh Jus'. I-I dunno."
He pulled on her hand. "C'mon D...you gotta do
it." He told her. "I know you want to."
She did want to. "But...if I mess up..."
"You won't." He smiled. "C'mon.
There's a costume with your name on it." He held out his hand to her. "D...c'mon. It'll be fun."
She sucked in a breath.
No, she couldn't wimp out. She was strong now. She took his hand and let him lead her away.
Yes, tonight was her night
to shine.
*************
The stage seemed much different now that she was on it...with thousands of eyes focused on her.
But as strange as it seemed, she wasn't that nervous. It felt right, and with Justin standing just a few feet away from her,
she knew everything was going to be just fine. Yes, she could do this. The lights lowered again. Screams...louder than the
ones for Christina, erupted from the crowd. She was filled with excitment. Now she knew what Danny must have felt like every
night he performed.
Justin had been right...once again. She didn't mess up. She knew the routines like the back of
her hand. Maybe Justin had planned this. Maybe he had drilled his choreography into her brain for a night such as this. The
show was over before she knew it. She was sad, but amazed at the same time. The feeling she had felt on the stage, with the
lights shining on her...the band playing...the crowd cheering...it was a feeling like she had never experienced before. It
was truly amazing.
"Go sit." Justin said, before guzzling his bottle of water. "I'm doing a special encore tonight."
She
took a sip of her water. "Encore?"
He nodded. "Go."
Dru did as she was told. The lights were still down. The
crowd was screaming for Justin to come back. She smiled when she saw him take the stage again. He sat down at the piano. "This
is Your Song." He said quickly, and started to play the familiar melody.
I'm gonna take you places
Places you
ain't never been
Where the sun only shines for you, yeah
Where the birds only sing for you
I'm gonna tell you
I love you
And I'm gonna mean it
I'm gonna kiss you
And make you feel it deep down inside
Can't nobody love
me like you can
Can't nobody else make me a better man
Can't nobody change the way I taking in the world
But you...
Ain't
nobody like you
It's hard for a man to admit his wrongs
But baby, you're too good for my secrets
Too good for
my foolish ways
So I'm gonna tell you now
Tell you I'm no good for you
Can't nobody love me like you can
Can't
nobody else make me a better man
Can't nobody nobocy change the way I take in the world
But you...
Oh baby, I
know I was the weak one
I know I made you cry
And now you're going...you're leavin'
To live the life I can't provide
I
don't know what I'm gon' do baby
But I know I'll never stop lovin' you
Can't nobody love me like you can
Can't
nobody else make me a better man
Can't nobody change the way I take in the world
But you...
Ain't nobody like
you...
I love you
The crowd was going insane. Dru was in shock. He had turned a simple melody, into a beautiful
song for her. She watched him take a small bow and rush off the stage. She thought he might have been crying, but she couldn't
be sure. She knew why he had sung the song. This was closure for him. This was his way of saying goodbye. He had done it so
it would be easier for them to part later on. If he said goodbye tonight...he wouldn't have to say goodbye when the day actually
came. She knew he wasn't looking foward to losing her. But she wasn't looking foward to losing him either.
There was
still a part of her, a part of her soul, that would always belong to Justin.
|
