Famous | j.b

seventeen

avalyn sparrow

The next morning Justin called me like expected but I was asleep so he chose to bombard me with text messages instead.

justin: i'm going to the studio for the day. call me when you're free

I rubbed my eyes, getting out of Elena's bed to begin getting ready for the day. I have a shift at work today and needed to be there in the next two hours. When I finished getting ready, Elena was still sound asleep.

justin: actually forget a call. come see me when you're off work

I set my phone back down and quickly searched the pantry for a granola bar before I left.

justin: if you don't answer me, i'm going to assume something happened to you

avalyn: i'll see you after work

This ruined my entire shift and the time was going back way too fast. This was the first time I wanted time to go by slow because I was dreading seeing Justin. His words echoed in head and made me sad. If they came from anyone else I would've been angry. But hearing it come from Justin made me sad.

"You have Stockholm Syndome!"

"What did he say this time to get you to forgive him?"

When I finished my shift, I changed into normal clothes then took the subway to his studio. Unlike his apartment building, I don't come here often. But the receptionist didn't seem to have a problem letting me stroll the building. I was familiar with the room he's usually in and quietly slid inside. He was in the middle of singing and didn't let me distract him.

"Hi," I greeted his manager on the couch. He looked up from his laptop with a smile. If he knew Justin and I were arguing, he didn't make it obvious.

"Hey, I was just going to get the assistant to bring over some food. Can I get you anything?" He kindly offered but I politely refused and sat down on the couch while waiting for Justin to finish. He asked for a break then instructed for everyone to leave. The tension was uncomfortable and I wanted to get this conversation over with.

He sat on the coffee table in front of me. He leaned onto his knees, running his hand down his face. "Sometimes I really wonder what goes on in your head. You're not stupid. You're one of the smartest girls I know, yet you continue to make the same mistake. When are you going to learn?" Justin chose to jump right into things without even a hi. He turned this into a lecture I wasn't prepared for. I expected an apology.

"What goes on between Seth and I isn't your business."

"Until it's me you call when he's fucking beat you and you need help," his words were so bitter and I did not at all recognize this Justin seated in front of me. It could have been the stress or genuinely just what he's always felt. I was almost too stunned to speak because these words were coming out of the same mouth that said he loves me.

"Let it be known, that I will never call you for help again." I don't ever ask for help because I hate people catching me when I'm most vulnerable. He was proving my concerns to be true because here he was using me calling him against me.

"That's not what I'm saying," he sounded frustrated.

"Well that's what I just heard," I crossed my arms, feeling the defensive walls in my head be built up again. I've worked so hard to bring them down and I can see Justin completely shattering my heart.

"You can't be serious right now," he burst into laughter then stood up to pace around the studio. He's laughing at me and I was feeling humiliated. I showed up at his studio with the assumption that we would be having a civil conversation. "Are you blind? Avalyn, you must be blind to not see this man is using you and is taking advantage of you!"