Author's Note: So I decided that I am going to post the first five chapters or so, and wait to get to feedback. If I dont get any I will probably just remove it, but if I get some then I will definitely finish posting it all, this story is finished, I will just have to post it all.

Chapter 2: Unexpected Peace

"Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it"-Anonymous

Steam billows through the bathroom as I wash my hair, lost in thought. Maybe Olivia was right. Was I possibly too disconnected from the world? Everyone in the world who has access to a television or computer would have recognized if they were serving and conversing with the hottest boy band around. I run the wash cloth over my right arm immediately noticing that my bracelet is gone. My heart hammers in my chest when I step out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my body before I run to my room. I throw clothes behind me with shaky hands in search of my bracelet. It's a simple leather bracelet but its my life line.

" Liv," I call out my voice panicked, " Olivia." Olivia comes into my room a mug of coffee in her hands the smile on her face drifting away slowly.

" Brooke, Brooke what's the matter?" Olivia asks, kneeling down next to me on the floor.

" I can't find it. My bracelet, it's gone," I cry out, anxiety racing through my body. I hate being emotional, I hate crying, but I bury my head in Olivia's shoulder unleashing a torrent of tears.

Michael's POV

Last night ended like any other night when I end up going out with my brothers. Watching them unmercifully flirt with every girl in sight. Stepping over clear and present boundaries. Usually it wouldn't bother me so much. After all, I have been witness to this behavior since I was thirteen. Yet last night with the waitress it just bugged me. There was something in her eyes that got to me. The quick flash of anger riddled with fear that flickered across her face made me furious at TJ's inability to keep his hands to himself. I finger the bracelet that had fallen from her wrist, wondering why I hadn't tried finding her before we left the restaurant to return it to her. My curiosity only peeked when I discovered the words on the inside of the leather bracelet 'I can be beautiful again.' Was it some sort of mantra? Could it be humanly possible for someone as beautiful as her to not know or believe in her beauty? I slip the bracelet in my pocket when a knock sounds on my door.

" Morning MJ," a voice flitters through the room when my personal assistant Melissa walks through the door. I smile broadly when she hands me a bottle of mineral water before sitting down. " You have a pretty full day today. A meeting with Sony at ten, and then lunch with your parents at one. I got you guys reservations at The Whisper Lounge." At the mention of the restaurant my heart pounds. Would she be there again? I shake my head slightly when Melissa clears her throat. " MJ, you okay?"

" Oh yeah, just thinking. Can you maybe reschedule lunch with my parents, move it to a late dinner, I want to head into the recording studio for a few hours first," I say, and she just nods her head as she dials the number of the restaurant. Her murmuring voice buzzes in my head as I stare out of my window, losing myself in thought.

Brooke's POV

I walk slowly to my psychology class, my head down as I pass through flocks of people. My heart slams against my ribs, anxiety making me nauseous. Was everyone staring at me? Did they all know? Logically I know that people have better things to do than to stare at me as I walk by, but its not the logical side of me that's working right now. I slip into the lecture hall, taking a seat in the far back of the classroom, well away from everyone. I pull my text book from my bag flipping to the chapter we'll be working on.

" Today we'll be discussing," the professors voice trails off as I lay my head on my desk, eyes closing slowly.

My heart hammers in my chest when a familiar and sickening voice echoes in my head.

'It's al'right baby, just relax,' the voice says, and I curl away my eyes rolling around in my head as I fight for consciousness. I fight to scream out, for someone anyone to hear me.

" No!" I scream jolting awake sending my heavy textbooks to the floor with a loud crash. Every eye on me as I gasp for air in the middle of the lecture hall. I fumble for my things, trying to get away from their scrutinizing gazes. I slam open the door, running down the halls. I push into a bathroom sinking down against the door my lungs burning as I try and pull myself together. I pull out my cell phone, hands shaking as I search through my contacts.

" Liv, can you come get me, please? It's happening again," I choke into the phone, listening as my best friend asks where I'm at understanding and love in her voice.

I stare out of my bedroom window, my body aching in areas that were scrubbed raw. A soft hand on my shoulder has me looking away from the traffic and noise just outside.

" What happened?" Olivia asks, her eyes soft when she sits in front of me. I shrug my shoulders, shaking my head slowly.

" I don't know. I just, I don't know," I mumble, knuckling tears from my face.

" Brooke. For the last two years I have been trying my hardest to support you in your decision to not get help. When the Nightmares stopped, you seemed to move on with your life, but they always come back hun. I don't know how many nights before you got the pills that I would listen from my room as you screamed in your sleep. You need to get help. Look I'll go on line, I'll find a group or something, I'll go with you," Olivia pleads, her eyes shining with worry. Be that as it may I don't need help. I shake my head furiously.

" No. No. Its fine. I will go to the doctor get something for the anxiety," I say, getting up from the chair walking over to my closet. I pull out my black pants and dress shirt laying them out on the bed.

" What are you doing?" Olivia asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

" I have work in an hour," I say, plugging in my curling iron.

" And your seriously thinking about going?" she asks, staring at me in disbelief.

" I have to work. Its Friday night, its going to be packed. No way anyone will switch shifts with me," I murmur, pulling a brush through my dark hair.

" Then call in sick," she urges, but I shake my head.

" I need the money. Besides if I'm working I wont be so set on thinking about," I trail off knowing that I don't have to finish the sentence for her to understand.

" All right, well at least let me drive you to work," she offers and I nod as she walks out of my room.

I look in the mirror smiling softly at my carefully masked face. My dark hair curled and pinned with a pink flower at the base of the tendrils. Dark eye shadow and eyeliner concealing my previous tears. I take a deep breath as I brush my finger's across pink tank top under my shirt. I adjust it, concealing my scar before leaving the room. The ride to work is quiet as Olivia is still upset that I'm going into work at all. I slide out of the car, Olivia's voice calling to me from the window.

" Brooke, always?" Olivia asks, her eyes shining at me as I smile slowly at our own little code.

" And forever," I reply winking at her when I turn towards the building.

" Brooke, your late," Mr. Robinson yells at me, and I roll my eyes as I shut the lock on my locker door.

" Sorry Mr. Robinson, wont happen again," I say sliding a few bens into my pants pocket.

" Good. Now you have a special table to take care of tonight. Bigger than V.I.P and he asked for you personally," my boss says, and I stare at him dumbfounded. Who would be asking for me personally? I'm not like any of the other waitresses here. I don't flirt shamelessly, or any of the other things I have known co-workers to do.

" Okay," I mutter as I punch in my clock in code.

" He requested a rather deserted table, and until he and his party are gone you are to focus solely on him, am I clear?" he asks and I nod my head slowly. Damn it. How am I going to make any good tips if I am stuck babysitting one table?

" Which table?" I ask, turning to look at Mr. Robinson, my arms wrapped around my body.

" Twenty-eight," he answers and with a flick of a wrist he sends me on my way. I weave through the tables smiling at patrons as I go.

" Hello, I'm," I say pulling a pen from my pocket about to introduce myself when someone shy and silky voice finishes the sentence for me.

" Brooke," the voice says and I look up staring dumbly at MJ. I shake my head slowly smiling broadly.

" Right. You were here last night, with your brothers," I say, leaning against one of the iron bars that makes up the structure of the cabana.

" Yeah, you'll have to excuse them. They sometimes forget that not every person in the world likes being treated that way," MJ murmurs, a soft smile on his lips.

" Its absolutely no problem. I have seen far worse in my time.," I say, smiling when someone clears their throat making their annoyance clear. I look at the man who sits across from MJ and my heart stutters in my chest. On the surface he looks like a smooth business man in his dark suit and well kept hair cut, but under the surface lurks an anger that has me shaking to my very soul. " My apologies. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

" What do you suggest?" the man asks his voice cutting into me like razor blades.

" Well if your looking for a cocktail I have heard nothing but wonderful things about the Raspberry Lemonade, but if alcohol isn't what your looking for we have Pepsi products, both hot and cold teas, coffee," I say, smiling at him despite my gut feeling to turn on my heels and run.

" I'll try the Raspberry Lemonade, but if it isn't good I'm holding you personally responsible," he says, his voice dripping with venom.

" Joseph," the woman next to him murmurs, " Don't scare the girl she's just trying to do her job. I'll take a cup of hot chamomile dear." I smile at her writing it down quickly before turning to MJ. His eyes are on the man, Joseph, filled with tense anger.

" Mineral water?" I ask, biting back a giggle when he rolls his eyes at Joseph's turned face before looking back at him his eyes smiling up at me.

" Yes please, with lemon," MJ says, and I nod my head excusing myself from the table. 'This is going to be a long night, and I just had to wear my high heels,' I think to myself dismally, knowing that I would be lucky if my feet weren't bleeding by the end of the night.

Sure enough two hours and four Raspberry Lemonade's for Joseph later my feet are screaming at me, and my attitude isn't doing any better. I have heard of people taking their sweet time when it comes to eating, but this is just getting ridiculous. I walk to the cabana that MJ and his parents sit in, catching some of the conversation, hushed and angry words.

" Boy your wrecking everything I worked to give you," Joseph's voice growls out low and menacing.

" Like what Joseph? You have clung on and sucked everything you could out of J5, its time for me to do things my way and on my own," MJ's voice floats through the air. I slap on my best nonchalant smile as I step into the cabana.

" Can I," my words are interrupted when Joseph throws his drink at me.

" You should know better than to interrupt a personal conversation girl," Joseph says and I stand in stunned silence as the contents of the drink drip from my face. I wipe my hands over my face anger boiling as I try and reign it in.

" You know I have tried being nice all night, chalking up your poor attitude and disposition to the apparent half-assed face lift you got in an attempt to freshen whatever image you think you have. However, I will not tolerate you or any one else throwing a drink in my face," I hiss out, a soft chuckle from MJ not going unnoticed.

" Big mistake girl. I'll have you fired, you will never work in L. A again," Joseph roars as I slap their bill on the table.

" Save yourself the headache," I reply, storming away from the table just as Mr. Robinson heads towards me his face riddled with anger, " I quit." I slam through the kitchen doors and already the murmurs have begun. I open my locker pulling out my purse as I strip off my wet and sticky black shirt balling it up before tossing it in the trash can.

I lean against the wall of the restaurant cursing Olivia and the fact that she doesn't know how to answer the phone. I look at the time on my phone, realizing that there is still another hour before she is supposed to be here to pick me up.

" Brooke?" a questioning voice calls from behind me, and I turn around my stomach balling up tightly when I recognize it's MJ bathed in shadows.

" Oh hey," I say, giving a weak wave. I watch as he walks towards me a small smile on his lips as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

" Can I just say, I have never heard anyone talk to Joseph that way," he says and I shake my head trying to bite back the laughter that bubbles inside of me.

" I would apologize for it but then I would be lying," I say, self-consciously tugging at my tank top, my arm brushing over sticky skin.

" I didn't ask for an apology, it was well, entertaining," he says, bracing himself against the wall opposite of me. I laugh slightly, when something clicks in my head.

" Oh uhm, look I usually don't do this but can I get an autograph?" I ask, pulling a piece of scrap paper from my purse. I watch as something on his face changes when he walks towards me.

" A fan of J5 huh?" he asks his voice filled with sarcasm. I roll my eyes as he takes the paper from my hand.

" No, but my best friend is. She was kind of pissed at me when I didn't tell her first thing last night that I met you and your brothers, was even angrier when I told her I didn't recognize who you all were until this morning when she slapped the magazine announcing that J5 was disbanding," I say, handing him a pen, his eyes lit with curiosity.

" You didn't recognize us?" he asks, staring at me with disbelief. I nod my head, suddenly feeling nervous under his gaze.

" Don't get me wrong, the music you and your brother's did was catchy, but it was," I pause trying to find the right word that wouldn't earn me words of wrath from this superstar.

" Lacking?" he offers and I nod my head completely caught off guard by the fact that he so willingly admitted that their music wasn't exactly meaningful. " I think you're the first person to ever say that to me out loud. What's her name?"

" Huh? Oh uhm, Olivia," I say, watching him closely as he writes quickly on the paper handing it to me. " I almost forgot," he says, and I watch as reaches into his pocket pulling something out. He takes my hand in his, closing my palm over it. " You are beautiful, don't forget that." I watch as he walks away, his head bent down as he walks. I open my palm slowly, my bracelet sitting in the center of my hand. A piece of paper underneath it.

' In case you need a reminder,' it reads a phone number written underneath the meaningful words. I smile slowly as I slip my lifeline around my wrist, trying to figure out if its having my bracelet back or MJ's simple words and act of kindness that has me feeling at peace, once again.