Judy, Justin, and the girls all sat around a round table in the middle of the cafeteria, gabbing mindlessly over nothing. Cellphones were ringing, and people were having side conversations with other friends as they passed the table.

Mostly they were for Justin and Judy. He had become one of the 'popular' ones because of his connection to her. Obviously, you never saw one without the other following closely behind, and because of the hundreds upon hundreds of hours that they had spent together, their thinking was becoming more and more alike everyday. He had become the male version of her and she of him. He had become close with all the guys Judy hadn't really known before, and that would have been a great thing for her, if she hadn't of already met Ben.

"Look at that," Allie was saying to Julie, "Damn Ugg boots."

"I know. Who the hell started that fashion trend?"

"I heard it was Cameron Diaz," Krystal paused in her phone conversation.

"Conformist," Justin and Judy both commented before bursting out with the giggles. It was a strange saying they had picked up with watching an episode of South Park late one night. They were now the non-conformists and refused to do anything other people did. In protest to conformists, they walked the opposite direction while going around the track in P.E., refused to read textbooks, disobaid the speed limit, and gave up Ketchup.

"I'll never understand you two," Juliet shook her head.

Before Judy could reply with the smark comment on her lips, someones hands moved her eyes and she was blinded. However, this is hardly a rare occurance for her and she started to smile instantly. Strong hands pulled her till she leaned back in the green plastic chair, and then lips soft lips exhaled near her ear.

"Do I get three guesses?" she asked.

"And the first two don't count," the person responded.

"JC Chasez."

Justin's eyes rolled. He'd seen that coming. JC was always her first guess when it came to anything having to do with a boy.

"Nope."

"Josh Harnett?"

And he was usually her second.

"Nope."

"Oh, well that could only leave one person."

The hands were removed, and Ben leaned over her to place a smacking kiss on her lips. One that made Justin cringe. Over the past several weeks there had been alot of trips to the movies and local resturants and somewhere along the way Judy and Ben had made it official that they were together. Now the guy was everywhere, at the house, at school, meetings, on the phone. Justin was counting down the days till he was off the boot camp.

"Hey honey."

"Hey baby," he wrapped his arms around her neck and put his chin on her shoulder, "Ladies. Justin."

"Hi Ben," the girls gushed.

Justin offered a wave, inwardly scoffing at how easily the girls had welcomed Ben into their circle. Sure they had excepted Justin with no questions, but he was different, and he wasn't trying to get into anyones pants. Atleast not anymore.

"Are you busy?" he turned to Judy.

"No. Why?" she was beaming back at him.

"Come have lunch with me."

Her raspberry lips turned to a pout, "I can't."

"Why?"

"It's Circle day."

"Ciirrcclle day," Allie repeated happily.

"We have to all hang together."

"Circle day? How come I've never heard of this before?"

"I don't know," Judy shrugged, "I guess I just didn't think about it. It's a weekly thing we do. We skip club meetings and stuff and all hang together. You know, catch up."

"Ahh, well, I'll just stay here and have lunch with you," Ben suggested.

"Oh sorry, dude, no non-students on campus." Justin really hoped the smirk on his face looked sympathetic, even though it wasn't.

"Yeah," Judy's pout deepened even more, "I'm sorry honey."

"Hey, it's alright," he squeezed Judy's shoulders before standing up, "Babe can I talk to you for a sec?" he nodded his head backwards.

"Sure," she hurriedly pushed her chair back and stood up, taking his hand so he could pull her along.

Justin watched as they headed towards the doors of the cafeteria, but didn't leave. He could stay where he was, since they were still technically in the room. He wasn't really interested in hearing their disgustingly mushy goodbyes anyways.

"What's up?" Judy asked.

Ben put his hands on her shoulders, slowly moving them towards her collar before he pulled her shirt closed over her chest, "I was really looking forward to spending time with you today."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Can't you skip this Circle day thing? You see your friends all the time. I'll be leaving for bootcamp in a few weeks, we don't have alot of time left."

"I know you're leaving soon. But I can't just skip it. We've had this tradition for like 5 years. I've never missed it."

"There's a first time for everything."

"Ben," her voice scolded.

"Okay okay. I just really wanted to be with you."

Judy smiled softly at him, "Well it's not like I'll be here all day. We'll just have to go do something later."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth before nodding.

"Alright. I guess I'll have to settle for the short end of the stick."

"Quit your complaining," her eyes rolled as his hands finally released her shirt and moved to slide around her hips. He planted a kiss on her lips.

"See you later."

"See ya."

He let her go and disappeared out the doors. Judy breathed in the deep scent that lingered behind him and moved a hand up to her neck. He had been holding that kinda tight, she didn't even realize before.

"Hey, Juicy! Come here."

Her lip turned up at the sound of Justin screaming that across the cafeteria in front of everyone. Not everybody needed to know her horrid nickname. She slowly headed back towards the table and all the girls leaned forward with knowning smiles.

"Where'd loverboy disappear too?" Allie inquired.

"You know, he had to take off. We're gonna meet up later."

"Ahh, setting up for alittle rendevous," Julie grinned.

"Bow-chica-bow-wow," Allie and Juliet echoed.

Justin put a hand to his mouth to hold back the bile.

"No, it's nothing like that. I'm sure we'll just watch movies at my house or something boring like that."

"Something boring like that," Julie turned to Krystal.

"Bow-chica-bow-wow."

"Hello?"

"Hello? Can I speak to Ms. Duist please?"

Judy began to fiegne innocent at the mention of her mother's maiden name.

"I'm sorry, she's not here right now."

"Well then, can I speak to the beautiful young girl that lives with her? I believe it's her daughter."

"Oh I'm sorry. I don't know any beautiful young girls that live with her, you must be mistake."

"No I'm not. Tall, deep skin, bright smile, smart. Sassy girl."

"Hmm. No one's coming to mind."

"You're going to have to start seeing yourself the way I see you Judy."

Justin had been curiously listening to the conversation Judy was having, but once she started giggling that air-head, girlie giggle, he knew it was just Ben and turned back to the talk show he had been watching previously.

He still didn't understand the little love affair they had going on. Trace said he was jealous because the attention wasn't on Daddy Timberlake like it had been for the past several months. Justin said he was an ass. It wasn't the fact that she was all giggly and stupid over him, and it wasn't the fact that instead of taking notes for him to copy later in Government she was doodling his name in different colored ink pens, it was something else. Something else entirely.

When Judy's stupid Ben-giggle started to erupt, Justin let out a withered sigh and turned up the volume on the TV. He could barely hear 'Jackass' over her love antics. But the giggling kept going and going and going. The volume kept getting louder and louder. Judy put one finger in her ear to try and block out some of the noise from the dumb TV show, but it stopped working once he turned up the volume again.

She glanced over at him, her brown eyes boring into the side of his skull for a moment. He appeared uneffected entirely. Quickly she told Ben she'd call him back later when she was alone, and hook up. Once that was done, she picked up a magazine from the coffeetable, rolled it up, and smacked Justin over the head with it. That was the first thing to get his attention, the pain.

"What the fuck Judy?!" he rubbed a hand of his hair.

"Stop being a jerk," she stated simply before standing.

"What are you doing? Are you leaving?"

His answer was silence as she turned and headed for the door.

"Oh come on Juicy, don't leave. I wanna watch this. Dammit...." Justin left his comfortable position the leather sofa and followed Judy upstairs and into her room where he plopped down on her bed and turned the TV onto MTV. This time he did feel her eyes boring into him.

"What?"

Judy put a hand on her hip and gave him a look, "What are you doing?"

"Watching TV. What does it look like genius?"

Her eyes narrowed as he mocked her, "Is there a reason you have to do it here?"

"Because you're here. Duh! Now shush, I've been waiting all week for this episode and you're talking through it."

Judy's responce was to toss a pair of pants from the floor at him. He was used to her small outburst though, and simply pulled them back so he could see the television. While he was distracted by Steve-o (who was bending over to let something bite his ass), Judy sat on the bed behind him, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Graduation was quickly approaching for all, meerely three more weeks before finals and at the end of finals, graduation day. Though the thought of graduating and being done with homework, deadlines, duedates, and meetings was appealing, the realization that Justin would be going away along with all those other things was sinking in too. Over the past several months she had become strangely attached to him, rightfully so. They were together 24/7, and alot of crazy things had happened to them along the way.

They knew eachother like the back of their own hands. He knew he favorite says, TV shows, colors. He could pick out her favorite clothes from her closet, and she could pick his cologne out in any mall. He knew the story of why her friends call her 'Juicy', and now everytime they saw a hot fudge sundae they both blushed. It all made for great television really, seeing as how she and all her friends were real people, the things they said and did were relateable. Everyone had a 'One time we went to the mall' or a 'One time we were driving' or a 'One time, at band camp' story. Everyone had a blonde moment. The fact that Justin was now one of those hanging with the teenagers in the parkinglot and saying incredibly stupid things was just a bonus.

But, her bonus was leaving. And such was not cool.

"I can not believe you didn't do this assignment Justin," Judy grumbled, copying her work onto his paper.

"I didn't have time," he defended.

Judy looked up intime to see him dribble milk down his chin as he ate cereal, "What do you mean you didn't have time. Justin, we did this assignment together."

"Then I probably have it somewhere."

"Then go find it!" she shoved his bookbag at him.

"Wow," he put his hands up in the air to surrender, "What has been going on with you lately Juicy? You've been acting really strange lately."

"Nothing," she closed her eyes and scratched her head, something Justin knew was a sort of stress reliever,"I'm just stressed is all."

"Anything I can do?"

"Yes. Call that friend of yours, JC, and con him into proposing to me," She picked up his paper again and continued filling it out for him.

"Psh, yeah, right after I get him to marry Juliet."

"What? Juliet?"

"Yeah, she's got first dibs."

"No that ho doesn't!"

"I think she does. She asked first."

"So if she gets JC who do I get?"

"Me," he smiled charmingly at her and she noted the piece of cereal stick between his two front teeth.

"Gee, great."

"Hey, what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing babe, I'm so completely grateful for you," she smiled sweetly at him for a second before her gaze was pulled to another direction, somewhere towards the floor.

Justin watched her intently as she suddenly sat up, her face confused as her eyes stayed locked on the floor. All of a sudden she started screaming, startling him.

"There's a mouse! There's a mouse! Marcus!"

Justin's eyes moved to the floor as well, and there it was. A little tiny mouse scurrying past a basket of doggie toys towards the wall, looking for a way out. Now Judy was standing on the sofa, the papers all crumpled under her feet. Her arms were flailing about like she was having a seizure, still hollaring. It was just a mouse. They had mice all the time back in Millington.

After rolling his eyes at Judy's weirdo girliness, Justin picked up the throw blanket off of the edge of the leather couch, and moved towards the mouse. He dropped the blanket over it, then quickly balled it up with the mouse in the middle, just as Marcus came running into the room.

"Where is it?" he demanded.

"In here," Justin handed him the blanket, "You might wanna take this outside before Judy passes out."

Marcus took the blanket and ran up the stairs two at a time, Playa running behind him, wondering what all the commotion was about. Justin turned back to Judy, who was standing there wide eyed and panting. He chuckled at her expression.

"You want to get down off the sofa?"

Judy looked at the floor hesitantly.

"No, not really."

"Yes you do. Come on," he coaxed.

She glanced at the floor around her before slowly stepping off the sofa. As soon as her feet were firmly planted on the floor she bolted for the door and up the stairs. Justin followed her and by the time he got up there, she was seated Indian style on the living room sofa, looking around nervously. He plopped down next to her, letting his laughter finally overtake him. Judy's eyes turned icy and her cheeks red with embarassment.

"Shut up," she muttered.

"You should--Your face--Mouse!!" he only laughed harder as he pointed at her.

Steve started chuckling as well.

"Fuck you Steve."

Marcus came back into the house, slamming the door behind himself.

"Where was it?" he asked.

"One the floor, by the gumball machine, next to Playa's toys."

He stomped off towards the stairs to investigate the situation.

"What's going on out there?" Diane's voice floated in from her bedroom.

"There was a mouse in the family room."

"What?!"

"Yeah, in the family room."

"Well... if you and your brother would clean up your rooms once in awhile it'd be okay."

"My room is clean."

"Right, if you ignore the thirty-thousand pieces of clothing and the pile of crap in the corner covering the floor."

"Shut up Timberlake," Judy crossed her arms pretending to look bored as Justin's laughter only intensified. She watched as he held his stomach and slapped his knee till it died down to just a really really sickeningly bright smile.

"Justin, it was a mouse."

"I know, you told me. Loudly. Repeatedly. You were really freaked out," he started chuckling and Judy hit him with an orange pillow.

"Okay, look, sometimes mice happen. It's okay. You can't tell me this is the first time you've have a mouse."

He'd find it hard to believe considering there was a creek and 400 trees behind her house.

"No it's not, just the first time I've seen one," she shuddered, checking the floor again.

Justin, cruel as ever, slowly reached out and tapped her foot, laughing hysterically when she shrieked.

"Stop it!" she hit him with the pillow again.

"Alright. While you sit there, paranoid, I'm going to bed."

He stood up and she scurried to her feet aswell.

"You can't leave me alone."

"I'm not," he pointed to Playa.

"What am I supposed to do?"

He gave her a look,"Try going to bed perhaps."

Her eyes moved towards he open bedroom door. The room was pitch black and she could hear Stripes moving around in her tank, "There could be a mouse in there."

"There isn't a mouse in there."

"How do you know?"

"Because I do."

"Go check."

Justin groaned at her, and she gave him a gentle push towards her room. He leaned in and turned the light on. Nothing.

"You're fine. Good night," he ran to his room and left her in the hall.

A few minutes later as he was pulling on his pajamas there was a soft knock, followed by a scratch at his door. He opened it to find Judy, and ofcourse, the ever faithful Playa. Playa invited herself in and laid down on the floor by his bed.

"Justin," Judy whinned, "You can't leave me alone."

"Stripes is with you."

"She's a turtle."

"But she's got an attitude."

"Justin please."

A red alert went off in his head. What exactly did she want?

"What?"

"You can't leave me alone. You know stuff freaks me out. What if one comes in again and crawls under my door and into my room in the middle of the night?"

"You'll be asleep. You won't know."

Her eyes widdened and she started shaking, "You think I'll be able to sleep in there by myself now? No way."

Aha!

"Well, I'm not sleeping in there with you."

Her lips curled into the most pathetic pout he'd ever seen.

"Did I teach you that?"

"Please, you think the Timberlake pout is this good?"

He frowned. No wonder his Mother never gave in.

"I'm not sleeping in your room Juicy."

"I could sleep in your room."

"Or not."

"Justin," her pout grew even more pathetic, if even possible, "something could get me. I'll be up all night.

He looked at her hands, which were still shaking.

"You're really freak out aren't you?"

She nodded. He sighed before his eyes rolled, "Do you snore?"

"Yes."

He gave her a look.

"But I'll try really really hard not too."

"How are you gonna try not too? You'll be asleep."

She shrugged. He sighed.

"You get the left side of the bed. And if you hog the covers, you're out so help me God.

Judy smiled and gave him a hug before bouncing into him room and hopping on the bed. He smirked at her, watching as she hugged a pillow to her chest and began flipping channels. She looked like a little girl, with her hair pulled in two pigtails and pink pj's on.

"What are you doing?" she inquired as Justin sat down in the chair by the phone.

"Time for my nightly call."

"Who you calling?"

"My Mama."

"Aw, your Mommy? Cuteness."

He narrowed his eyes on her in mock intimidation before dialing the number. It wasn't long before she answered, since she had been expecting his call, and a reaccounting of all the events that have happened since they last spoke was given. Including the mouse story.

"Honey you shouldn't laugh at her. I get the same way, I hate mice."

"No, Mama, it's hilarious. You have to see it when it comes on TV. You'll love it."

"Justin Randall...."

"Mama I love the girl but it was funny."

"I remember when you were a little boy and crickets were not your favorite animal."

"That's because I got bitten by one, Mama."

"You did not."

As the Mother and son debate continued, Judy had picked the MTV Hits channel on television. They played non-stop music videos 24/7, sometimes even ones you couldn't see on MTV or MTV2. Actually, MTV had too damn many channels now that she thought about it. The 'Pop' video came on and she watched the beginning with interest. It was always her favorite part.

"Hey Justin," she called, "Justin. Do you know you look schizophrenic in the intro to this?" She did what she called and impersonation of him, which included going into fake convulsions before doubling over with laughter at herself.

Justin chuckled along with her, half at how she looked while doing it, and half at the fact that she had done it. The girl was positively goofy, and it was adorible. He watched her re-enact it for Playa down on the floor before climbing back on the bed to catch her breathe.

"So where is Judy now?" Lynn's voice reminded him that he was still infact on the phone.

"She's in here now. She wants to stay with me tonight, since she was all freaked out."

"Uh-huh."

"Mama, don't start."

Judy's curiousity was peeked by that statement. She turned on the bed to look at him, and found a grossed-out expression on his face.

"Ma! It's nothing sexual Mother, Jesus Christ.... The last thing I need is to hear my Mom talking about those things."

It was 2am on a Thursday morning and Judy was still awake. She and Justin had gone to bed hours earlier, the TV was off and all was quiet. The quiet and darkness was part of the problem however. It meant there was nothing for her to do but lay there and think of ways for supernatural mice to get to her and eat her alive piece by piece. She kept tossing and turning, trying her best to do it slowly so that it wouldn't wake Justin.

"Stop moving."

But apparently that wasn't working.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it."

Justin rolled on to his back and tried to make out her outline in the darkness, "Why are you still awake?"

"I don't know, I'm trying to sleep, but everytime I close my eyes I see giant grey mice the size of cruise ships coming after me."

"You've gotta get over this mouse thing Juicy."

"Leave me alone, I'm well aware of how pathetic it is."

"It's not pathetic, just-."

"Funny?"

"Exactly."

All was quiet in the room again for several minutes. Justin had apparently slipped back to sleep. Judy however, was still wide away, this time plagued by different thoughts.

"Justin?"

"Hrmph?"

"Do you ever wish you hadn't done this?"

His head rolled on the pillow and he searched for her outline again.

"What?"

"Do you wish you hadn't done this whole TV show? I mean, don't you miss being at home, and the privacy, and the cameras in your face, and being able to be alone once inawhile-."

"Is that what's been bothering you lately? You regret doing the show?"

"No it's not that, I just-It's stupid. Nevermind."

"No it's not stupid Juicy," he turned on his side so they were face to face. His eyes had adjusted enough so that he could see her bangs as they fell over her face, and the curve of her cheek and nose,"Nothing you think or feel could ever be stupid."

"I just-being with people 24/7, gets kind of old you know. Don't sometime wish you just had a minute to yourself. To be alone, and everything be all quiet?"

"Yeah, that's why I love it when you go to bed early."

"Shut up," she punched his shoulder playfully.

He chuckled at her lame attempt to hurt him and reached out to grab her hand. They could touch without it being a sexual thing, he was at ease intertwining their fingers while he spke softly to her about something, "No, I understand what you're saying. It's completely natural Judy, everyone needs their alone time."

"I think it's more than alone time. I think I need a break, from everything. I'm so stressed out, and with the school year coming to an end and having to finalize everything I'm about to drop dead. And once summer starts Mom wants me to get a job, and do summer school at the college."

"That would be good for you."

"I know, I just wish I had a day--a week-- to myself to just sit and be lazy and tan and do nothing."

"You tan?"

"Yeah. I need to go soon actually. I'm hella pale."

"No you're not."

"Are you kidding? My legs look like your face."

Justin laughed and she giggled along with him. She could see the outline of his smile.

"We graduate in three weeks, you know."

"Yep," his confirmation was followed by a yawn."

"Then you'll be gone."

"Not right away, we'll still have a few days together."

"Yeah, but you're still leaving me."

"Well, it's not like I'll never see you again. We'll talk on the phone, and you'll come see me, I'll come see you, we'll email."

"And then one phone call a day will turn into once a week, and then once a month, and then you'll go on tour and the calls will stop completely. You'll forget all about poor little Judy Bucklass in Central Valley, California."

"Shut up Ms. Dramaqueen. Like anyone in their right mind could ever forget you," he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, "You're like, engraved in my brain forever."

"Really?"

"Yep, I'll never be able to look at a hot fudge sundae the same way again."

"Shut up!" there was her pathetic attempt at hurting him again.

"No seriously, everytime I see a bottle of Ketchup I'll think of you, because we took a vow to never eat it again."

"Right."

"And, I'm now a pro at Math, because I did all your homework. So everytime I do a Math problem I'll think of you. I'll forever be afraid of other people's dogs, because yours has scarred me for life."

"Leave her alone, Playa's awesome."

"In your world maybe. Anyway, point is, I'm not going to go off and forget you. You're my twin."

"So what are you trying to say? Because we're freaky twins it'll be easy for you to leave?"

"Ofcourse that's not what I'm saying. It won't be easy for me to leave you. I'm too used to see you're big face...."

Judy gasped as if she was offended, but laughed instead. He always said she had a big face, but she countered it by saying he had a big nose. It was a... thing they did.

"...And that cackle you call a laugh. You'll probably cry when I go. I'd cry if I were leaving me, it's only right that you cry too."

"You'd also have sex with yourself if you could."

"What can I say? I am one good looking Mother trucker."

"In your world maybe."

There was silence once again.

"I really am going to miss you."

Judy peeked one eye open to look at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're one of my bestfriends. How could I not miss you?"

"Awww," she made a girly squeek and Justin rolled his eyes.

"Don't start woman."

"You're being so cute right now."

"I know. Don't tell anyone."

"Scout's honor."

"Better be," he tugged on her arm until she scooted next to him and laid her head on his chest. His arm wound around her, locking her to him, and he buried his face in her hair, "Go to sleep. I'll protect you from the giant grey mice."

"How did you know-?"

"Twins, remember?"

Her eyes narrowed for a moment, before she smirked and closed her eyes.

"Get out of my brain Timberlake."

"Shush. You can't talk and sleep at the same time."

While Judy finally started to drift off into dreamland, Justin's mind was now working on over drive. His approaching departure had been on his mind recently, for different reasons however. Yes he was going to miss her, and being around her everyday. He was going to miss this boring, nothing to do town. But more than thinking about how he was going to miss this life, he was worried about her. Once he was gone, Ben would be free to spend however much time he wanted and to do whatever he wanted with Judy. Justin knew it was only a matter of time before Ben tried getting into Judy's bed, with the intentions of eventually ending up holding her the way Justin was now. The knot in his stomach grew so tight, his eyes didn't close again until the sun was coming up.