Nothing Like Us

chapter 13

"B..." I call, directing her attention from her laptop to me.

"Hmm?" She asks without looking up.

"Slide that under the bed or something..." I point to the half blunt that's resting unlit in the ashtray beside her "That was Scoot on the phone. Him and James are on their way up."

She leans over and tucks it away "What for?"

"Something about getting my case transferred to a district in LA..." I shrug, settling into the chair beside the bed after propping the hotel room door open for them "The judge granted it but now they want to talk over the details or some shit."

Her face lights up "Really? It's only been three days..I figured it would take longer than that!"

I smile over at her "What are you so happy about? I thought you were lovin' being stuck in your hometown."

"But you're not." She points out "You're miserable."

"Nah, I'm alright...just bored."

"Bored and miserable are the same thing to you J...plus you're driving me crazy with all your pent up energy."

I rise from the chair and bend down to kiss her neck "I can think of plenty of ways to keep myself busy...wanna entertain me right now?"

"Justin!" she laughs, pushing me away "They'll be here any second."

My lips brush against her forehead in a soft kiss "I know baby... just fuckin' with you. I like to watch you squirm."

She rolls her eyes with feigned irritation "Oh my god...you're such a pain in my ass Bieber."

"Mine too..." Scooter agrees, as he and my attorney stride into the room.

I clap my hands once and then rub them together "It's what I do best. Alright then, get me the fuck outta this hotel room! When do we leave?"

"First things first Justin..." James begins as he takes a seat at the table and chair set "We've got some ground to cover, and it's very important that you listen and ask as many questions as you need to until you're certain that you fully understand the stipulations."

"Yeah alright, go." I say, urging him to hurry. I've never been so ready to get out of a hotel room in my life.

B pipes up in a rush "Wait a second!" and then digs around in the drawer for a pen and pad of paper, ready to take notes. Ever the responsible, organized one. Reason 9,437 that I need her.

When she's ready, James begins "So this situation, I..." he pauses and looks over at Scooter who is eyeing me, studying me intently to make sure I'm paying attention "We...need you to understand the severity and act accordingly. It's going to be tough, but this isn't a luxury that is afforded to everyone, and I'd like you to treat it as such. There are a lot of people who are forced to sit in a cell while they wait for their trial date. You're very lucky."

"I understand." I nod...and it isn't a lie. I know that I could be much worse off right now all things considered.

He regards me silently for a moment and then, apparently satisfied that I get it, he continues "You've been granted a transfer, and what that means for you is that you'll be able to return to your home in Los Angeles. This also means you will be able to move about the grounds of your residence freely. Someone from the county probation office will tour your home and decide on the range necessary for your anklet. In fact," he glances down at his watch "They're probably there as we speak. We made arrangements ahead of time."

I cut him off "Probation? What the fuck? Why?"

His lifts his gaze away from the file he's shuffling through "That brings me to our next topic. You aren't on probation obviously as you haven't been sentenced. However, being released on bail carries with it much of the same rules as incarceration, as does house arrest. You will be assigned an officer at the probation office who will supervise you until your trial just to ensure you're adhering to the rules and guidelines of your release, which I'd like to remind you is conditional. If you chose to ignore the rules put in place, you could find yourself back in custody."