Coping with Bieber

Chapter 2: Permission

I stand eating a granola bar and scrolling through my phone as all the new members of the team beging getting familiar with management and the rest of the dancers.

I quickly introduced myself to them after Scooter's speech before walking away and grabbing a snack. Today marks Day 1 in a very long journey otherwise known as a world tour.

"Hey, girl. Great seeing you here again." Ely says as she walks up to me and pats my shoulder.

"Ah! Elys, what's going on? How have you been?!" I screeched as she embraces me in a hug.

"I have been great. Been working on a couple of projects but hey, now I'm back! We're back!" She smiles widely.

"What have you been up to?" She asks me kindly.

"Nothing much. Took an elongated break ever since I fell last tour. I have been very busy watching netflix at home" I say as we both laugh.

"Sounds like a very busy life." She jokes. "And your foot? I assume it's good to go?" She looks down at my feet.

"Couldn't be better. It's been almost two years." I point out laughing as I wiggle my feet.

"Well let's hope your clumsy self doesn't fall again." She pokes at me. "I missed you so much! Texting isn't the same" she pouts.

"Me too! Yeah definetely -" I am cut off before I get to finish my response.

"Els and Stels." Justin says as he stands in front of us.

"Hey, Justin." Elysandra smiles at him.

"Hey." I respond, offering him a polite smile.

"Stella, can I speak to you for a minute." He looks over to me expectedly.

I look over to Elysandra and she frantically nods with a big smile on her face.

"Um, yeah sure." I grab a bottle of water from the table before following him into another room.

"You haven't been responding to my texts or answering my calls." He says with a small pout on his face.

I stay quiet.

"Do you even want to be here right now or is it just for the money?" He asks sternly.

"Really Justin?" I look at him. "Are you really going to ask me that?" I ask seriously.

"Estela. You have been ignoring me for months. The only reason we have even talked in the past two years is because I have to show up at your front door against your own will." He sits on the couch.

"I just thought it best." I answer shortly.

"Thought it best to ignore me? You were my best friend. No. We were much more than that." He says honestly.

"I know, but-" I begin.

"But you were threatened to leave me alone." He finishes my sentence.

"You were 16. I was 18. That's illegal." I look down to the floor.

He gets up and walks towards me.

"And now?" He reaches for my hands, linking his with mine.

"And now ..." I repeat.

"I am 18." He says.

"And I am 20." I say.

"So? Nobody can do shit to you now. Not that I would have let them in the past."

"That would not have been up to you." I answer.

"But I would have stopped it." He responds quickly.

I stay quiet.

"Hey. Look at me, please." He places one hand on my face, slowly lifting it up.

"I want this." He continues. "I wanted it then, I still want it now."

I nod slowly.

"So?" He looks at me.

I stare at him for a couple of seconds before nodding again, giving him the permission that he was seeking.

As if on cue, he leans in and places his lips on me, slowly moving them in the process.

In this moment, I knew it was going to be one hell of a year.

**
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