Conflicts of Interest: A Justin Fanfiction Saga

Chapter Three: Hair Today ... Gone Tomorrow

The next day

The swells of guitar strings, the opening to the song, could be heard in the background as Madeline and Justin stood in front of each other. Jeffrey was scrambling around them, making gestures.

"We'll do some outdoor shots in the snow, and one main shot in the dance hall. The other guys will be in various places in the outdoors, standing on hills, walking down paths. It's a very clean, bleak look," he was saying. "A little hand-holding, some affectionate couples' stuff. Loving looks. You know. Very sweet."

He stopped and looked at them, still standing like strangers.

"I sure hope you guys can generate some chemistry between you," he said, partly to himself.

As he left to confer with the other band members, Justin looked to Madeline and said, "I sure hope we do, too."

"We will," she said simply. "Even if we have to force it out of ourselves."

He studied her. "Come on," he said uneasily. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Why, because it's with you?" She gave a little laugh and glanced around herself distractedly.

She was half-joking, but Justin gritted his teeth in frustration. "Hey," he said, voice filling with tension.

She looked up in surprise at his tone.

"There's no call for that. You don't even know me. If we could just dispense with ..."

"It's fine, Justin," she said airily, dismissing the situation with a wave of her hand and looking around the room as if he wasn't worth paying attention to. "I'm here to do a job, and I'll do it to the best of my ability. You need a loving girlfriend, I'll be a loving girlfriend. But you don't need to work your charms on me off-camera."

Justin gaped at her. "Listen," he said slowly. "Just because you think you've got me figured out ... doesn't mean you can flatter yourself."

Pause. The words had flown out before he could think. He waited for the sting to sink in.

Instead, she stood up calmly. "I think we'll be fine in the breakup scene," she said wryly, and walked past him to get a drink.

Justin stood in the center of the room. What on earth just happened? He scratched the side of his neck. He wanted as little stress as possible, and now he had this girl who... And why does she get the last word?

Madeline, meanwhile, winced a little to herself as she walked away. Arrows had been slung, and surprisingly, she felt a little sore as well. Oh well, she sighed in resignation. I'll have no problem being a stranger to him now.

They buried the hatchet for their rehearsals, becoming comfortable around each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. In the meantime, the costume designer measured them for their clothes; wintery sweaters and coats, and a dress for Madeline.

Sometimes she smiled at him so convincingly he became optimistic, but when the rehearsal ended, the cloud returned to her eyes, and the aloof look cemented. Justin became apathetic as the day wore on. He didn't want to admit it and give her the satisfaction, but his altered mood had everything to do with his co-star.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Man oh man oh man," Joey breathed as the cast and crew, winded from a day of rehearsals and fittings and enjoying their last night of fun before shooting began tomorrow, entered the club. Music throbbed through the floor beneath them as they picked their way through the ocean of dancing bodies. "Will you look at the action?"