"You're late!" I heard Sam say as I rush past him and into the makeup chair.

"I know I know... I had to get coffee..."

                I sat there staring at my feet. The damn short toe nails were going to drive me bonkers. I can't believe I told Justin about my damn toe nails. Justin. The smile on my face won't go away. It was a permanent fixture. Sam left the room as they finished my hair and my makeup, only returning to hand me some things to sign.

"Five minutes to live..."

I stood from the chair and walked towards the soundstage. I don't think I would ever get used to doing this all the time. I was not too fond of people wanting to know private things about me. So when the first question in the interview suggested something, I was thrown off guard.

"In Touch Online has posted some interesting things over night that I thought were pretty interesting."

"Oh really. That's funny. I haven't heard this." I look over at Sam who is standing behind the camera, shocked just as well.

"An onlooker claims they saw you and Justin Timberlake, in a romantic embrace after the Ellen show. They also claim that you both have known each other for quite some time. They you have been seeing him regularly for the last six months but wanted to keep it quiet because of the ciaos it would cause."

 I laughed, "That's so funny because I seriously have never even spoken to him before yesterday."

"You're not going to elaborate on the stories." She asked, thinking I was hiding something.

"Why should I, they are just stories. He is an amazing artist that I have always admired. I'm not going to lie about that. I would love to work with him one day."

"Everyone saw the interaction between the two of you. It looked like..."

I interrupted her, "It looked like two people meeting for the first time. I never saw the playback of the interview but I met him yesterday, that's the end of it." I was frustrated.

She seemed annoyed that I wasn't going to talk about something that was obviously a waste of time. Awkwardly she starts to ask questions about the album and the upcoming tour. "Most new artists don't get the chance to do their own headlining tour with their first album. Are you nervous about having the carry the entire show yourself?"

"Yes and no. We tried something different with this tour. With the success of the first single we decided to release the tour information early and hope that people are interested and coming out to see me. Well it was a success. No one even had the album yet and tickets were selling, they were selling well enough that we added some dates at the beginning of the tour and to the end."

"That's almost unheard of." She says staring at me.

"Well, it's working for us."

Interview after interview that day seemed to blur one after the other. When it was time to get ready for the release party I began to fill the effects of everything. A room at the Hilton had been set up for us to get ready in. There I sat in a pair of jean shorts and a tank, eating dinner in the grand dining room. I felt out of place with everyone around me already in their attire for the evening, executives, producers, writers, public relations, and everyone else that has helped with this album. I smile and play happy around them but the only thing I see is the empty seat next to me. In every conversation, in every look around the room, I can only see that empty chair.

"MALLIIIAAA!!!!" I heard a female voice bellow across the room, causing it to echo in this enormous room. A smiled waved across my face as I see her standing at the end of the table. Bouncing her head back and forth, hands on her hips, making it known that she has entered the room. Finally, some serenity, I jumped out of my seat running towards her.

                "Janelle!" I said giddy shaking my hands. "I'm so excited that you are here. Ahhh!!!!" I screamed.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." She steps back, "But I hope that's not what you're wearing tonight."

I laughed at her, "Of course not. I have something a little sexier than this planned to wear."

She looked around the room at everyone that is staring back at us, she turned to me with the biggest smile on her face, "He is not here?"

I looked over at the empty chair next to mine, he wasn't here. He really didn't show up. "Who isn't here?"

She leans in whispering, "Justin."

"Justin who?" I asked.

"You're silly. Where are you hiding him?" She looked around the room again.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about." Then it came clear who she was talking about. "Oh... Justin."

"I don't care where you have him hiding as long as you are getting to take advantage of that sexy man."

"Janelle."I said talking through my teeth.  I turned and told everyone that we were going to head upstairs to get ready.

                Janelle was the one person in my life that got me, every detail of me she got. We met as interns working for Universal Records, we had the glamorous job of stuffing packets for artists, and sending them off to venues, magazines, and television shows. It was nowhere near a dream job but it allowed us access to music on a daily basis. I spent many days and nights in the studio watching everything I could, taking in as much knowledge as I could. When the time came, Janelle took the job as a Jr. Executive for Universal Records when we graduated and I opted for the producer route. She bounces from New York City and L.A. working with artists personally. We both loved our jobs but it kept us apart most of the time. She was the first person I called when I decided to make a record. She convinced me that it was the right choice; she was the one person I wanted with me for this occasion, other than my boyfriend. At least I got one of them.

                My parents were very supportive of my decision to take the route I had but they have distanced themselves from me for two reasons. One, they didn't enjoy the spotlight, any part of it. They were content with their nine to five jobs and being as supportive as they need to be from a distance. The second reason was Aaron. They hoped for a long time that it was just a fling and it was something new but as the years pass and were still together, now they just hope I never end up marrying him. The three of them can never be in the same room together.

                I stood in that elevator with my head tilted against the back wall. I exhaled deeply. I couldn't believe of all days for him to completely ignore me, he chose today.

"Honey what's wrong. You look sad. It's an exciting day." She bounces around the elevator, causing it to shake around.

"He should be here to celebrate this day with me."

"Where is he?"

"I have no idea, he never came home last night then this morning as I was leaving he showed up and he threw a fit about me talking to Justin Timberlake and he blew up..."

She stop in her jumping adventures, threw her hand up in the hair like a stop sign, "Wait, back up... Who are we talking about?" She was confused, or it could have been the fact that I was rambling.

"Aaron, he should be here..."

"Oh shit. I thought you were seriously with Justin now."

"No. You shouldn't believe everything you read there Janelle." The elevator door opens to the floor we need to be on and we step out onto the floor.

"I haven't read anything; I saw the way you looked at each other on Ellen. I see it in your eyes just at the mention of his name."

                I rounded the corner to see a bell boy attempting to open the door to our suite, juggling an enormous vase full of flowers. I rush over to the door to open it for him. The door swings open and he walks in the room, placing them down on the stand before turning to leave.

"Someone sent you flowers?" Janelle asked as she ran towards him.

"Doubtful." I said as I pick up the envelope in the flowers.  To my surprise, they were for me. "Wow. They are for me."

"Well open it... I wanna know who they are from." She stood antsy waiting for me to open the card.

                I assumed they were from my parents, they always sent me flowers for everything. But they had no clue I was here today, they would have sent them to the condo. I slid open the manila colored envelope and removed the bright yellow card inside. I read in his neat, all capital lettered handwriting, "Congratulations. Save me a dance and room for some shots! It's time to celebrate the start of an amazing career. See you tonight. - Justin"

As I read the card in my head, I feel the happy energy that resides inside of me. This was an exciting day. This day was going to be what I make it. Aaron was not going to ruin this for me.

"Who are they from?" I heard her asked as I was still staring at the card. She snatches it out of my hands, turning her back towards me, reading the card before slowly turning back around to me. "These are from Justin. Are you still trying to deny something from me?"

I snatched the card back out of her hand. "No. I'm telling you the truth. There is nothing to hide." Why was it so difficult to believe that Justin and I were not in a relationship?

I walked into the room where I removed my dress from the bag, placing it on the outside of the bathroom door hook. I had spent a lot of time picking out this particular dress for this particular day. I slipped it off the hanger and only my body. It fit like a glove; the coral color has got to be the prettiest color I had ever seen. It was short, very short but it was perfect. The one shoulder strap had the delicate detail running across the shoulder blade. The empire was going to make me appear like I actually had a chest area.

"This is the dress for tonight?" Janelle asks.

"Yes." I said, slipping on the shoes, strapping them on securely.

"It's gorgeous..." she said, before swallowing her pride, "I'm sorry about the Justin thing earlier. I really thought... never mind... you look amazing."

"Thank you. You look gorgeous as well. That pale yellow does wonders for your tan skin."

"But I hope you know, looking like that..." she points at very short hem on the dress. "That is going to drive him crazy. Especially with those heels making your legs look a million miles -"

"JANELLE!" I yelled cutting her off.

She tries to take cover by placing her hands over her head without messing up her freshly done hair. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't resist."

I have to laugh about it because never has it been such an interest for her to be fixated on a guy in my life. She always said, I will never get close to any of your boyfriends. The day I become friendly with one of them, you will know he is the one. I always laughed at her because she thought she had that kind of power. I always wondered why she was still single, if she had that kind of power. She was convinced she hadn't met the right one yet. She had lots of theories on love and fate. I have to admit she has been right in the past.

Hand and hand we step out of the limo and watch as the flashes become blinding, everyone screaming my name from every angle. She leans into me and says, "Malia, I love ya and you're my best friend but you have to do this on your own." She drops my hand and walks past the step and repeat leaving me stand there by myself with just management. The task seemed daunting but I placed one foot in front of the other and started the interview process. Speaking into hundreds of microphones answering even more questions was overwhelming. They all had the same question about Justin... Where is the boyfriend that I claimed I still had... and if I was happy to have the album out? Seriously the questions weren't even original.

It was my turn to step in front of that backdrop that had my name plastered all over it. The cameras break for just a split second as we exchange places, I wasn't in the spot marked with an X yet and the clicking began. I attempted to listen to as many of the photographers as I could but there were just so many screaming at the same time. The smile planted across my face widens as I see out of the corner of my eye, Justin winking at me. He was next in line to be harassed. I had a sudden wave of timidness that was making me very nervous to speak to him. When Sam finally says its time they let me go, Justin walks up before I left the spot. He grabs me and hugs me. "Congratulations." He steps back and has a huge grin on his face. "It's finally out there for the world to hear!"

"I know scary right?" I leaned in closer to him, "Thanks for the flowers. It totally topped my day. I owe you."

"I'ma hold you to that." he points at me.

I had forgotten where we were, and what were supposed to be doing. I heard the photographers starting to chant, "Picture. Picture. Picture. Justin, get over there with Malia." He looked at me, looking for approval. I grabbed his hand and pulled him over next to me. We stood there and took photos together, laughing at each other being stupid. If we would just stand there for twenty seconds it would be over with but we couldn't manage that.

"Malia, we need to get you inside." Sam says as he grabs my hand and drags me inside the venue. Once inside I felt relieved, I didn't have to do anything except have a great time, maybe talk to some people about the music but a great time is what I had intended on. Oh yea, and those shots....